Tuesday, February 8, 2011

BEST OF DTB #58 The Catholic Defender: Iron Rakkason

It was October 1989 after arriving back to the United States from Germany that I was assigned to Fort Campbell Kentucky.
I would first report to Fort Sam Houston for BNCOC (an NCO School).
While I was at Fort Sam I was glad to see the Catholic Priest who had been there when I came through during my initial AIT.
I really enjoyed participating with the choir as this was a release from my normal studies.
There was always good fellowship and I enjoyed Father's Sunday meetings over contemporary issues. This reminded me of the CNN show "Crossfire" and I loved it.
All this was a great support for me as I went to the different Schools for progression and promotion. I would be there until March when I returned back to Fort Campbell.
Ft. Campbell is very beautiful. It is right on the Tennessee/Kentucky State line between Clarksville TN and Hopkinsville Ky. The Post Office happens to be on the Kentucky side of the line so it is post marked "Kentucky".
I was soon placed in the 20th Replacement Center where I In-processed into the Base. I quickly learned that I was going to the 3rd Brigade Rakkasons (HHC 3/187 Infantry).
This would be light infantry. Before, my job was supporting units with tanks driving M113 A-2, A-3 tracked vehicles. Now, I would be hoofing it everywhere we go. We live totally out of our rucksacks, literally.
I would quickly be put in for Air Assault School in July, 1990 and I would soon earn my EFMB (Emergency Field Medical Badge).

My first deployment with HHC 3/187 was in Panama. The Jungle was an interesting place to train.
You definitely did not want to mess with the wild because that could get you killed.
They have what is called the "Bush Master" a snake that is very territorial and known to be aggressive.
They are also very poisonous. When you go there to the Army Base there in Panama, you will see a jar with a finger that was bitten off by one of these snakes.
They kept it there for us to see so we would not mess with any of the animals.

There also is the Fer D Lance that would surprise you then kill you very quickly. These are snakes you do not want to mess with out in the triple canopy jungle.
We were setting up a bivouac when we discovered one of these snakes sitting in a tree right over the First Sergeant's hooch (poncho utilized as a tent).
That was an uneasy situation. We killed it with a blank shooting an M-16 at it's head. You had to get close to it to make that kind of kill with firing a blank.
The heat was dangerous, sunburns were not a small thing there, the jungle would be very dangerous without water.
It was great training and I enjoyed my time there.
Then Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait. Our training began to focus for the possibility of war. We trained extensively against Chemical attack and heat related injuries.
It was reported to us that Saudi Arabia was going to be hot, 130 degrees in the shade. It was the beginning of Fall 1990, that we flew into King Fahd Airport being guided in by F-15's. There was visibly seen about 40,000 empty body bags stacked near the runway.
That was a wake up call. This was the beginning of Operation Desert Shield. I soon discovered that the opportunity to witness for Christ was going to be incredible. I was able to speak with both Officers and Soldiers in the Saudi desert as they would come to me.
I remember the Motor Pool Chief was worried that we were not going to make it home. He was raised Catholic, but had not been to Mass in years.
I was teaching Soldiers how to pray the rosary, the Stations of the Cross, and read the bible. About 3-4 months into this deployment, we had a Catholic Priest assigned to our unit, I was able to have daily Mass right there in the desert.
We would use an MRE box as an altar. All our training was of great value, we had good leadership, for the most part, the Gulf War went fairly smooth. Upon returning back to the United States, I'll never forget the welcoming we received with all the people cheering us off the plane at Fort Campbell.
You could hear them from the plane. I couldn't help feel a lot of pride in our Country and being an American.

Soon after returning our next Commander would be one of the greatest leaders I would ever be privileged to serve with.
At the time he was LTC David H. Petraeus. He is now General Petraeus. At one time he regarded me as his favorite Medic.
He liked visiting the training going on and he always wanted to see the training I had my Medics doing out on the ranges.
On one occasion, I was out supporting a live fire exercise. I'd been out there about a week and I had my video camera so I got some good pictures to include of General Petraeus.
One morning I had one of my Soldiers replace me as planned so I could come in to play in the Division/Post Softball Tournament. We did well during the season and we were in for the post cup!
That night, General Petraeus was shot in the chest by a stray round that was fired. My Medic did a good job responding to the situation, treating for both entry and exit wounds, starting IV, and getting him evacuated out of there. As leaders, this is a great example why we need to maintain training as you never know when something can happen. When training events are taking place, for the Medic, it is always real world first.
General Petraeus would be flown to Nashville to Vanderbilt Hospital. He was very much in our thoughts and prayers, three weeks later he would be doing push ups in the Hospital. The man is a machine. He started a Physical Training Program we called "Iron Rakkason".
These were Soldiers who would score well over 300 on their PT test. I would be one of the few that would earn that title. We would go on to win the Post Championship beating our arch rivals from the 502nd Infantry beating them twice to win the title! That was sweet!
I would soon leave the Rakkasons after nearly 5 years of service there. I would reach the pinnacle from being a Senior line Medic, the Evac NCOIC, the Battalion Aid Station NCOIC, and finally as the Medical Platoon Sergeant. I was always proud to have served under General Petraeus.
I have several awards that has his signature to include one for winning a Division Championship for him. The last time I would see him was in Iraq. I was part of 15,000 plus Soldiers that were going after the Belgium 12 plus mile road march Medal when running the opposite direction towards me came General Petraeus and his team of body guards.
I was able to recognize him in the dawn of the day and as he ran on by I yelled out "Iron Rakkason", he responded "Who ah"! For many of you wanting to know where the word "who ah" came from, here is my story:
During the Korean War, the Rakkasons were given this name which mean "falling umbrellas" by the local Korean civilians because that is what they looked like jumping out of planes with parachutes. On one occasion as the Rakkasons were parachuting down, they were being pinned down by enemy gun fire. There was a machine gun suppressing fire from a bunker. One of the Commanders seeing what was happening motioned one of his Platoon Leaders to come to him. He instructed that the Platoon Leader take his platoon and knock out the bunker. The Platoon Leader pauses for a moment and then responds back to the Commander, "Who us"! That is my story where we got the word "Who ah"from!

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The Catholic Defender: More on Planned Parenthood

The following window exposes Planned Parenthood in their willingness to cover up sexual abuse to promote abortion.

It is all about money, blood money; after 38 years and nearly 60,000,000 abortions, how terrible this is.

I do not want one penny to go towards this "service".

God will have his judgment and there is no getting around this.

I've had friends tell me that those who partake of this are accountable for this.

I think the vast majority are accountable to this especially if we have done nothing to stop it. This attack on humanity is an abomination against God.

We are only hurting ourselves. The culture of death is of Satan and until the Church hates abortion, we will continue to hire mercenaries to do our job.

Terry Randall and Operation Rescue had it right in the early 1980's but the Church didn't have the backbone to take a stand.

We went right back into the routine of electing politicians hoping that we can get the balance of power in the Supreme Court, hoping that we can get a majority in the Congress, hoping that others will do what we should be doing.

The Church is a sleeping giant. Jesus didn't tell the Republicans nor the Democrats that the the gates of hell will not prevail against them. Jesus gives this power to His Church, the Catholic Church.

We the people of the United States must take our Country back. We need to put prayer into action. To make our Representatives accountable for their rhetoric.

I'm not interested in polished answers, I'm demanding results. After 38 years and 60,000,000 abortions the time for rhetoric is over. Heaven is just a prayer away and we need heaven's help to change the hearts of men and women who tragically are walking wounded on todays spiritual battlefield.

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Monday, February 7, 2011

The Catholic Defender: The Bible I choose is Catholic

It was Germany in 1988, operation Reforger was a major field training exercise. My unit had been training for this opportunity for months.

I had recently been promoted to Sergeant and I was solidly in charge of the "Track Pack" in the Ambulance Platoon. In those days it was always a chore putting up cammo net as it would always get hung up on the track.

There were a million places on the vehicle that always would tangle up. The crew usually would be a two man team consisting of a driver and a TC (someone who would keep an eye out for the driver). It was always demanding especially when you had to break track.

That was always hard work and you have to watch what your doing. I was in really good shape, I would do about 20 chin ups every morning just because I could. I would always max my PT Test in the 19-21 year old age group, not bad for an over 30 guy.

I worked hard to improve the readiness and proficiency of the track pack. It was a cold hard winter this year and the roads had snow and ice on the roads. We had orders to move our track through a village and into a prescribed place for medical support.

I was TC of our track and was sitting in the back hatch where it was cold. On our route, we were trying to make a trip down a large hill when the track became like a sled. My driver lost control of the vehicle as we began to move across the highway. We edged toward the other side of the road and began to turn over when we were saved by a tree.

All we could do was to brace ourselves. If the track had turned over, we would have plummeted to our death falling down a gorge at least a hundred feet. When we were fully stopped the track was off the entire right side and the roof of the track had hit the tree. We had a fake casualty who was riding in the back on a litter who came out from the back throwing up as he thought his life was over. I thanked God for the tree!

Episodes like this always reminded me of how thankful I was for my faith in Christ. That my
faith was solid and my commitment to the Catholic Church was strong. I would always lead Soldiers in bible studies and there would always pop up questions about the bible, why there were different versions. I would always answer their questions such as the following question:

How many books are in the Old and New Testaments?

If your answer for the Old Testament is 39, you should know that you have given the 'Protestant’ answer. The Catholic Church maintains that there are actually 46 Old Testament books! One of the often-asked questions addressed to me regarding my faith is:

“Why have we added books to the Bible?”

The bottom line is: We haven’t added any books; they’ve been there all along. The books that seem ‘added’ or ‘extra’ were removed from what is held as sacred by Protestants during the Protestant Reformation. It was Martin Luther who took these books out in 1534.

In Jesus Christ’s day, the Jews living in Palestine spoke mostly Aramaic, but their sacred scriptures were written in Hebrew. Conservative Jews everywhere held to the Torah, their name for what is to Christians the first five books in the Old Testament. About 250 B. C., the Torah was translated into Greek.

This translation is called the Septuagint, a Latin word meaning ‘seventy.’ The Septuagint became the major test used by the early church because Greek was the common language of use in that time. An evidence to this fact is taking a good look at the prophecies of the Old Testament refereed to in the New Testament. The New Testament reveals that the Lord and his Apostles quoted from the Septuagint.

At the first Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit came in the form of tongues of fire to the disciples, Jews from all over the Roman Empire were present due to the Passover celebrations. These people were familiar with the Septuagint!

The New Testament itself was written in Greek because of the geopolitical environment of the people. It was the one language that was understood by most people; for many individuals it was their ‘second’ language. (English is like that today. It is recognized as the language of choice around the world to be learned as a second language.)

Christianity began in Palestine, and spread throughout the world. In the early years of the Church, a vast amount of literature was written. Some had the claim of apostolic authority, but others didn’t. So, a problem emerged. Which writings were truly inspired of God, and which were simply the writings of man?

Pope Damasus (A.D. 384-399) called for a council, later named ‘The Council of Hippo’ to tackle this problem. The men of God at the Council of Hippo examined hundreds of the known writings regarding the Church. Then, they compiled the list of inspired (God-breathed) books. The result, the inclusive books, became known as the New Testament.

People will also ask me when the Bible was compiled. A Protestant answer is often noted that the King James version was finished in 1611 A.D. The Council of Hippo took place from 393-396 A.D. The books that were examined, but rejected as inspired, were called ‘Apocrypha,’ which means ‘not canonical.’ These books are excellent resources to be used to explore early church beliefs (e.g. The Didache, written around 50 A.D., explains the celebration of the Lord’s supper, the Eucharist), but this isn't considered part of the Biblical Canon of Scripture.

So, the differences in the Catholic and Protestant Bibles began in the 16th century with Martin Luther. When he left the Church and formed the Protestant movement, he removed these scriptures: seven complete Old Testament books; chapters 13 and 14 of Daniel and the prayer in Daniel 3; parts of Esther; and four New Testament books.

He called the book of James a ‘gospel of straw’ because it states that faith without works is dead. (They later restored the four New Testament works with the King James version.) He removed both books of Maccabees because one of them states that it is a holy and wholesome thought to pray for the dead.

As the Protestant Reformation branched throughout Europe, the need for an ultimate authority was recognized. Luther decided that his version, the Bible with the omissions, would be authority.

Pope Julius II, however, considered the altered version to be unauthorized and heretical. When English King James ascended the throne in 1604, by 1607 he ordered 56 of his Protestant theologians to translate the scriptures from Latin to English. It was completed in 1611 A.D.

The workers of the King James version did restore the four omitted New Testament books of James, Hebrews, Jude and Revelation. They did not restore, however, the Old Testament books. They remain absent to this day from Protestant Bibles even though they were part of the original Bible of the church, and remained part of the Christian Bible for 1,200 years.

Many Protestants refer to the omitted books as ‘Apocrypha,’ as if they are a part of the list of the originally rejected writings in 4th century Council of Hippo. This is error. Christianity declared them inspired for 1200 years. How can they now be uninspired? But, because these books are now erroneously labeled ‘Apocrypha,’ people think they’ve been added, when in deed, they’ve been removed.

According to the Bible Museum in Eureka Springs, Arkansas, a certain apprentice wanted some revenge on a teacher who owned a printing press. This helper rearranged a number of verses, changing one to “Thou shall commit adultery.” He was beheaded for treason. The King James version has been revised four major times, and as recently as the 1980’s over 10,000 errors have been identified.

The latest topic in Bible revision is fairly recent. A few years ago a group called the CBT, the Committee on Bible Translation, and the Zondervan Publishing people tried to publish a new translation of the Bible called ‘gender-inclusive.’ People like Dr. James Dobson of Focus on the Family, and editors of World magazine, a newsweekly published from the Christian world-view, recognized this translation for what it was: a wolf in sheep’s clothing. Imagine these men’s shock and chagrin if they ever once realized that the first attempt at revision, Luther’s edition, DIDN’T get stopped.

The Catholic Church is alive and well after almost 2000 years of reaching the world for Christ. The Protestant movement has fragmented into over 33,000 variations. The religious book stores nowadays are lined with shelves of Bibles, all different versions. But the bottom line is this: The Catholic version started in the beginning and compiled in 396 A.D. with the original books. The Protestant version started 1200 years later with several glaring omissions. Which one will you choose to follow?

The Catholic Defender: My thoughts of the O'Reily/ President Obama interview

Bill O'Reily's interview with President Obama was revealing in the silence of the moral issue of our time.

14 Trillion dollars in debt, owing China more than 800 billion dollars is not in America's interest.

All these special interest groups continue to push for all kinds of agendas.

Why does the Government pay for abortions? Bill O'Reily, I love ya Brother, the Factor has done much good over the years. I will tell you that unborn children are not potentially human beings, rather unborn children are human beings with much potential.

Why does the Government spend millions of tax dollars to give to Planned Parenthood?

Why does the Government pay millions of dollars to give to NPR who has a left wing agenda?

Why does the Government fund The National Endowment of the Arts when they attack the Christians without retribution?

Let these entities compete in the public market!

Why is this Government supported by the ACLU and other liberal entities who strive to take Christ out of public life.

Why should America pay for a Health Care System that would place our Grandchildren in debt?

It does not offer a better system other than another government bureaucracy.

This will lead to further problems potentially rationed care?

Canada has tried this and it might be good for minor issues, but heaven help you if you need critical care and if you happen to be over 65.

How do they explain the millions of dollars given to porn stars, to dead people, to felons, none of this makes sense.

It is only when we get back to our true American values that we make a difference.

People come from all over the world to America because regardless of the secularism going wild, we still hold to core Christian beliefs.

That is until this present administration opened to door to the gay agenda. No telling how much we have spent on treating Sexually Transmitted Diseases?

Now this is scary!

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God's Girl: The Ten Commandments - Meditation

The Ten Commandments – Meditation

Posted on February 7, 2011 by Jojo

This Blog is Thanks to my Gorgeous Husband: rickyhawkins

Welcome back…

Aim High

I thought it a good idea to offer you some form of meditation on the Ten Commandments. Meditate on them prayerfully and let God do the work in you.

I use them and encourage you to come and get to know them from the heart perspective and not from a legal standpoint (these are not exhaustive meditations):

Deuteronomy 5:6-21 and Exodus 20: 2-17

First Commandment: Love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind and soul; have no other gods before me: This is basically putting God first, your wife second, children third and you last. Study your faith so that all your faculties heart, mind and soul “Glorify the greatness of the Lord”. In today’s world this applies even more so. We must cling to God in all things because He Loves faithfulness and obedience and greatly blesses it…”Love, love changes everything…Life has meaning… Praise His Name… Out into the world you go…giving Glory to the Father…”

Second Commandment: Do not use the Lord’s name in vain: If you think about this one, using anybodies name in the wrong light is, at the least disrespectful. Now let us talk about God, then it is unholy. We are putting God first in our lives we need to live it through relationship with Him. We need to speak it through in our lives so that we may reflect the beauty, goodness and truth of God.

Third Commandment: Keep Holy the Sabbath: Putting God first in our lives means that the work we do is honouring Him too. Putting aside one day out of the week to truly worship God in all things – that celebration at mass/church service – that relationship that we have found with Him…and then going through the rest of the week with that same intention to give all things to God, that all things give glory to God because he has made it such.

Fourth Commandment: Honour your father and mother: We catch the faith from our parents (even if they do not teach it, then we do not catch it… but we still catch it) they have a special place in our lives because they chose to bring us into this world and be a reflection of God to us. We need to honour that as well by respecting them, we then share that honour with God because we are made in His image and likeness. This is the one commandment with a promise…that all may go well with you in the land (that God has given you) food for thought…good!

Fifth Commandment: You shall not kill: Whether it is in our words or physically, if up to now in the commandments we have not got some flavor of God that he is both loving and merciful, then we need to check our filters (often); taking a life in whatever manner does not make sense because God is both loving and merciful. Just because we do not understand it does not justify our actions…we need to give of ourselves more, seek faith more, pray more…

Sixth commandment: You Shall not commit adultery: This ties in with the first commandment, abandon your First Love and all hell will break lose. Just look at the attack/damage on and in family…turn your heart to God and He will turn to you. Our spouses and children are a blessing let us give them back to God as such and look after them…the other side to this is do not think marriage will change you if you have behaved differently before you got married. What you bring into the marriage in your behavior and thinking will get magnified, as we are now dealing with a sacrament…and God will not be mocked. Learn what God pours out when we are faithful to Him and to the people he gives us.

Seventh Commandment: You shall not steal: Mmmmm….if God is not first on our hearts then we put ourselves there, we then need to satisfy those desires that we think are worth pursuing…we realize it becomes a spiral away from God…let us capture those thoughts/deeds that seek to turn us away from God/life and give Him the seed offerings…stand back and watch what happens!

Eighth Commandment: Did I bear false witness against my neighbour: Oh what a trap the tongue can be when our heart, mind and soul are not in unison with the one we Love – we start tearing down others around us to make us look greater, instead we fall further…a kingdom divided falls and what a mighty fall that is…we are here to build each other up to seek and enjoy the eternal abundances (in this life and the next) that God has for us….and they are there.

Ninth Commandment:You shall not covet (look lustfully) at your neighbour’s wife: The quickest way to a man’s heart is through his eyes; if they are not held in “custard” (as my niece would say) we have a lot of work ahead of us. Confront those lustful struggles (we all have them) but do not just confront them meditate on the words of God on trust, gratitude, love…replace those thoughts with pure thoughts (daily)…Este Vir! Be a Man.

Tenth commandment: Do not covet your neighbour’s goods? I think by now you have discovered what I have, idolatry has many forms. Having a materialistic view is a good thing gone wrong. The Church and business work together for the kingdom of God, the love of money does not. The emphasis is on the intention. We love money more than Love itself… eish…we have got more work ahead of us than we thought! Be not afraid…perfect love casts out all fear. We need to be willing to trust God with everything for the blessings are 30, 60, 100-fold, if we do.

The ultimate end union with God…

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Sunday, February 6, 2011

BEST OF DTB #56 The Catholic Defender: Constantine, first Catholic Head of State

During one of our field operations, we were on a 30 day rotation at Grafenwoehr Germany where we were supporting live fire ranges.
I had my entire track vehicles located at different ranges and I was at range 301, a helicopter range.
That was interesting to watch them in attack mode as they hit their targets with great precision.
We were set up for a week rotation as our Soldiers were going through these ranges. Communication was maintained through the safety tower as we waited near the base at the tower always on the ready! When everyone else is training, for the Medic, it is always real world as accidents can always happen.

One day, a Captain ran towards my position at the back of my vehicle. I was sitting in the track studying some material and quickly responded to the cry for help. I grabbed my trusty old M-5 Aid Bag and ran to the scene. A German National working for the United States Government, had collapsed in a back shed with chest pain.

He could not understand English and I could not understand German. I asked a series of Questions through an interpreter. I first wanted to know how long he had chest pain. As I was asking this from him, I was checking his blood pressure and pulse. Taking a subjective look at the patient. His Blood pressure was very high and his pulse was racing.

I asked him if he had been seen by a doctor before for chest pain. He responded "no". I asked if he had chest pain before? He replied "yes" as he continued to point to his chest. He stated that he would occasionally have such pain when he would work. He said that he never felt he needed a doctor before as the pain would subside with rest.
I asked him how long he had these kinds of episodes? His response was "two years". From what I was seeing, I believed he was suffering from 'unstable angina pectoris' and that he was quickly heading for a massive heart attack.
Up to this point, he had been dealing with angina pectorus but was never diagnosed. I began to encourage him to let us take him to the hospital but he didn't want to go. It was like he wanted me to give him something for the pain, the pressure he felt in his chest. I began to implore him to go to the hospital now!
I stressed to the interpreter the importance for him to go now and after a couple of minutes we took him to the hospital. When he got to the Emergency Room, he developed into a full blown heart attack. He survived, but had he not been where he was, he would have died out there in that shed. I saved his life simply by knowing the vital signs and some practical information I have through my training.
The next day, I had a four star General land at our site by helicopter to congratulate me on saving a life. About two hours later, a two star General landed by helicopter and awarded me with the impact ARCOM. As the General was flying away from our site, I radioed my team of medics what had just happened.
One of my Soldiers standing up in the back of his track with the back hatch opened was questioning the validity of my story. He was in total disbelief. As he was speaking, a helicopter flying overhead began to hover above the track near the position of my medic. As he looked up to the helicopter, it was the General giving him a smile and a salute as my Soldier was staring in great disbelief and awe.
It wasn't long after that the Command responded to the information being transmitted over the radio and was asking for clarification on what was happening. I would have another General arrive to my position, several Colonels, Majors, Captains wanting to take a picture with me next to my track. This was a most amazing thing.
The next day, while I was still at Range 301, someone had distributed some anti-Catholic material to my troops. They in turn presented this to me. I couldn't believe it. When we went back from the ranges to the main post for a break, I was hoping to run into this individual who had been passing this "information" for me. My prayer was answered quickly as that very evening, he ran into me at the shower.
He was a 'Baptist' deacon who wanted to challenge me for my Catholic beliefs. I was more than willing to comply as we debated issues before the shower, during the shower and after the shower. We had to have talked for more that 2 hours. He was under the belief that Constantine was the founder of the Catholic Faith, he even thought that Constantine was the first Pope?
Bishop Sheen once said that there were not 100 people who hate the Catholic Faith for what it is, but there were millions of people who hate the Catholic Faith for what they think it is. There are many people who have been taught to reject the Catholic Faith. In protesting the Catholic Church they believe in a new doctrine developed and implemented by Martin Luther called, 'Sola Scriptura'.
As he communicated his statements in what he believed about Constantine, I countered his arguments by explaining the lost history he was not taught or aware of. The Catholic Faith was established by Christ.
To understand the Catholic Faith, the Papacy, you would have to understand the foundation laid by Judaism. That the Keys given to the Household of King David (Isaiah 22) Jesus as the 'Son of David', superseded the keys and gave them to his 'Royal Stewart', Simon, Son of Bar-Jona (Matthew 16:19).
The keys designated an office. In the Old Testament, the 'Chief Stewart' held the authority in the absence of the King. Ourside of the King, he was the authority, "when he opens, no one shall shut, when he shuts, no one shall open. I will fix him like a peg in a sure spot, to be a place of honor for his family; On him shall hang all the glory of his family: descendants and offspring, all the little dishes, from bowls to jugs" (Isaiah 22:22-24).
Jesus, in giving the keys to St. Peter, Matthew 16: 19 continues, "I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven". What was a temporal kingdom God established in King David, Jesus established a universal and eternal Kingdom through a new Covenant.
The Household of David was warned in Jeremiah 31:31-34, "The days are coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah. It will not be like the covenant I made with their fathers the day I took them by the hand to lead them forth from the land of Egypt; for they broke my covenant and I had to show myself their master..."

God is speaking to the Passover that was a perpetual Memorial for the Jews to keep in honor of this covenant.
Jesus transforms the Passover meal establishing the 'new covenant', "While they were eating (the Passover meal) Jesus took bread, said the blessing, broke it, and giving it to his disciples said, 'take and eat; this is my body. Then he took a cup, gave thanks, and gave it to them saying, 'Drink from it, all of you, for this is my blood of the covenant, which will be shed on behalf of many for the forgiveness of sins"(Matthew 26:26-28).
The cup of blessing we share at Mass (1 Corinthians 10:16) was the third cup in the Passover meal. There was a 4th cup associated with the Passover meal that was not presented at the Last Supper. Jesus waited till the appropriete time on the cross (John 19:30).
When Jesus said, "It is finished", he was speaking that the work had been done, through his sacrificial act, the new covenant was now initiated. To understand the Mass, you have to know something of the Old Testament foundations.
As I continued to explain these mysteries of truth, my opponent danced around looking for something solid to find to show his point of view. He tried to lay the foundation that Constantine brought in paganism into the Church. He presented the fact that Catholics pray for the dead believing this came from Constantine.
Again, to understand the Catholic Faith, you must have an understanding of the Old Testament foundation. From 2 Maccabees 12:42, it states, "Turning to supplication, they prayed that the sinful deed might be blotted out. The text goes on to say regarding the prayer for those fallen, "But if he did this with a view to the splendid reward that awaits those who had gone to rest in godliness, it was a holy and pious thought. Thus he made atonement for the dead that they might be freed from this sin".
In sharing this scripture, I shared with him 1 Peter 3:18, "For Christ also suffered for sins once, the righteous for the sake of the unrighteous, that he might lead you to God. Put to death in the flesh, he was brought to life in the spirit. In it he also went to preach to the spirits in prison, who had once been disobedient while God patiently waited in the days of Noah during the building of the ark, in which a few persons, eight in all, were saved through water. This prefigured baptism, which saves you now".
Before the Lord's sacrifice, heaven was closed and everyone in the Old Testament up to this crucifixion scene, the spirits of all who were saved were in this 'State'. With this understanding, did this teaching close with the New Testament? Absolutely not! Can we find in the New Testament evidence of praying for the dead indicating belief that the saved had a 'State' of preservation for the great day when Jesus returns? Yes there is!
Jesus states, "And whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come". This age we are living in through this covenant is the 'age of grace', when Jesus returns that will end. When we die we enter in eternity, we enter the next age.
When Jesus returns at the 'Parousia' the next age will end and 'Purgatory' (prison 1 Peter 3:19) will cease forever. St. Paul was very aware of this when he writes, "May the Lord grant mercy to the family of Onesiphorus because he often gave me new heart and was not ashamed of my chains. But when he came to Rome, he promply searched for me and found me. May the Lord grant him mercy from the Lord on that day. And know very well the services he rendered in Ephesus".
St. Paul's belief clearly lays the foundation of the promised resurrection and the Lord's return. With the end of this 'age' the Lord's mercy for those saved who had been 'asleep', will be granted and realized. Notice that this is far before Constantine.

Constantine was a Roman Emperor who eventually became the first Catholic Head of State. He became a Christian largely through the influence of his Mother, St. Helenia. As a pagan, he burned some Bishops to the stake in front of their churches. He learned to respect these Catholic leaders for their strength and their faith.
As he opened up to the truth of the Christians, Our Lord granted him a sign he saw in the sky that said, "by this sign you shall conquer". He saw a cross in the sky and because of this vision, he placed a cross on the shields of his Soldiers before a major battle with a rival, Maxentius, the self-appointed Ceasar who controlled Italy and Africa.
With Constantine's victory, he secured the Roman Empire. After his conversion to the Catholic Faith, he published his famous 'Edict of Milan' that gave Christians freedom and reversed the Roman law that made Christianity illegal going all the way back to Christ. Constantine laid down the foundations for which Europe and the new World would later build upon. The idea of freedom, liberty, and the pursuit of the truth, which is the hope of true happiness.
Unfortunately, some preachers have accused Constantine with forcing people to become Christians. This is completely false as history reveals he was tolerant to the paganism he himself rejected. He gave the Church freedom to openly practice the Faith so the Church came out of the catacombs, the caves, the homes and in honor of the martyrs built cathedrals and churches to honor the heros of the faith.
When Constantine came on the scene, the Pope was St. Sylvester I who was the 32nd successor of St. Peter. The practices of the Catholic Church before Constantine did not change after Constantine in it's substance but through his conversion, the Church was able to come out into the open.
What our Protestant friends may not realize is that during the first 3 hundred years of the Faith, it was greatly subdued and persecuted, but if you go back into the catacombs, you will see where the people invoked the Saint's for their intercession. The first 34 Popes were all martyrs all the way up to Constantine. St. Sylvester I was an older man, weary from years of persecution as were the Bishops at the time. They would die before renouncing Christ or allowing false doctrines to enter the Household of God.
Going back to the debate, I answered his issues one after another for a considerable amount of time. The next day the Battalion Chaplain came to me wondering what I had done to the young man. He said I had rocked this guy's world. I had taken what he had thought was concrete evidence and totally blew him away.
My purpose was to explain the truth to him so he would not go on continuing spreading falsehoods. St. Paul states, "...I may hear news of you, that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind struggling together for the faith of the gospel, not intimidated in any way by your opponents" (Philippians 1:27-28).
St. Peter was the first Pope!

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The Catholic Defender: Husband and Wives

Marriage and the family have been under attack in the modern world.

There can be no doubt about that. One of the questions asked by our Deacons before Mass is released each Sunday are to ask married couples who are celebrating their wedding anniversaries to stand and be recognized.

We get couples to stand each week announcing they are celebrating their 10th anniversary, 20th anniversary, once in a while we have couples celebrating more than 50 years of marriage.

The community applauds for each couple but it is great to see those who have survived the years. What a great witness this is to all of us. Many have lost the sense of commitment and obligation.

St. Paul writes, "Be subordinate to one another out of reverence for Christ. Wives should be subordinate to their husbands as to the Lord. For the husband is head of his wife just as Christ is head of the Church, he himself the savior of the body. As the Church is subordinate to Christ, so wives should be subordinate to their husbands in everything. Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ loved the Church and handed himself over for her to sanctify her, cleansing her by the bath of water with the word, that he might present to himself the Church in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish. So also husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. For no one hates his own flesh but rather nourishes and cherishes it, even as Christ does the Church, because we are members of his body. For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh".

This is not to make wives subservient to their husbands, as husbands should not lord it over their wives.

Wives are a gift to their husbands, not coming from the feet of man, but his side. She is our helpmate!

I put my wife on a pedestal as she is God's greatest gift to me. May children be the fruit of a loving marriage.

Each child is a blessing. It is a blessing to see a young family with children coming to Mass!

May the Lord bless and strengthen the family so that his glory will be revealed through the love they have for each other.

That the Faith will be seen more as a way of life as opposed to an obligation. Few marriages will have to endure the following:

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Awesome News!!!!

I have just got word that I am going to Fed Ex Field in November to see my beloved Fighting Irish of Notre Dame maul the Maryland Terrapins.

ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!

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BEST OF DTB #55 An open letter to our followers

Dear follower of Deeper Truth Blog,
When I tell you that myself, and the other contributors to this website are deeply humbled by your support and interest, it is no idle boast.

To God be the glory. We are happy merely to be His unworthy servants. Please do not ever make the mistake of believing that we are any holier than you, in any less need of the Grace of Almighty God.

If we posses some bit of knowledge of the truths of Jesus that lead you forward on your journey, of course we are happy about this. Yet, this is not of any credit to us. If the Good Lord has chosen to entrust us with this Spiritual gem or that, it was for His glory and for the edification of His body, the Church.

With a profound sense humility,we offer you what has been given to us freely- that which we could never possibly repay. We offer you the counsel of personal experience that has led us to the sure and certain knowledge that any life that is not a God-centered life is one of futility.

It is not enough to know OF God. Even the demons know this much (James 2:19). Yet, it is not enough, either to say you know Jesus and follow Him, even as you revile His Church. Jesus built the Catholic Church upon the Rock of Peter and it remains His singular vessal of salvation.

Make no mistake, there is not one drop of Grace, dispensed for Salvation that is not dispensed through the Roman Catholic Church. This is not to say that it is impossible for a non-Catholic to be saved, it merely upholds the truth that even those who are saved that, through no fault of their own, cannot find their way all the way home to the Catholic Church, are saved through the Catholic Church.

Between leading a brother or sister back to Catholicism, or not doing so, it is obviously preferable to do so. If we can be even a tiny part of that faith journey, we give glory to God for allowing us to have done so.

In my life, I am what you would call a back-slider. A man placed on the right road that had to learn how to overcome his own addictive, self destructive, unreasoning will. I have had a very unique ability to make things far more difficult on myself than they needed to be and, as a result, brought needless suffering to many people- including those I love. I carry a deep sorrow and regret for these transgressions, not just for the consequences they brought, or even for the consequences they would eventually have brought should they not have ceased (hellfire).

My greatest regret is that these were sins against Love and against He who IS Love.

That I have moved from mere attrition to contrition does indicate progress on my journey but, even in this, I must guard against the sin of pride. If I am contrite it is not of me. It is God who convicts, God who leads to repentance, God who forgives and God who heals. (I have some ways to go in this last category). If I am contrite, it is only because I have cause to be. It is of no credit to me. To tell you the truth, if God were to hit me with the full force of my lifetime of sin, with the full weight of my debt to Him, how could I stand?

The suffering and death Our Lord endured for us- Could I drink of that cup? Could you? I shudder to think that my way to salvation would require such a walk. Could I survive even the scourging? No, not a chance.

We, as contributors to Deeper Truth, stand in awe of what Jesus did for us and fight the daily battle between presumption and scrupulosity, ever mindful of the enemy, ever reaching toward the King. We are profoundly grateful that you take time to examine what we produce and will always to to produce that which is worthy of your high expectations.

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Saturday, February 5, 2011

The Catholic Defender: The problem in Egypt

It is now day 12 of major upheaval in Egypt as violence continues on the streets of the Major cities.

The news media have been attacked to include Fox News. The concern is what is going to happen, who is going to come out of this the top dog?

Will it be Muslim Extremists who want to attack Israel?

Is this a grass roots uprising due to the hunger out there.

The average person is reported to make 2 dollars a day, is this a matter that the Egyptian Government has not looked out for it's people?

The Prophet Isaiah today has a special message for this crisis: "Thus says the Lord: Share your bread with the hungry, shelter the oppressed and the homeless; clothe the naked when you see them, and do not turn your back on your own. Then your light shall break forth like the dawn, and your wound shall quickly be healed; your vindication shall go before you, and the glory of the Lord shall be your rear guard. Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer, you shall cry for help, and he will say:Here I am! If you remove from your midst oppression, false accusation and malicious speech; if you bestow your bread on the hungry and satisfy the afflicted; then light shall rise for you in the darkness, and the gloom shall become for you like midday" (Isaiah 58:7-10 (73A).

This hints to Jesus words found in Matthew 25:31-46, this is the only answer for the people of Egypt. Lasting peace to take shape must include bringing the Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe, his rightful place in the hearts of the people of Egypt.

People who are faithful to God bring hope to any situation. Please pray for the people of Egypt, there is much suffering there and the recent events possibly can cause a backlash that can affect far more than the Egyptian boarders. Pray for Israel as this does not abode will for them.

Like Daniel in the Lions Den they are potentially in much danger:

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The Catholic Defender lasso's a Druid, Witchcraft

(Editors note) February is my last month in the United States Army as I will retire after 26 years. The Month of February I am posting some of my earlier articles that have a Military background.

This particular story is in honor of our guest next Friday. Please keep watch for the time of next Friday's show. You will not want to miss it. Our guest next week has her story following this article "An Amazing Conversion Story".

We are just a couple of days from Halloween and I really wanted to write something for this time of year.

So much of our effort at this time concerns Halloween, yet "All Saint's Day" and "All Soul's Day" becomes more of an after thought.

Strangely, this year Halloween falls on a Sunday and I expect the Catholic Church will celebrate All Saints Day this Sunday as well. Since I am lectoring this Sunday at Mass I better find out!

The following took place in Iraq in August 2007.

The Coven of Witches would meet on Fridays at the very Chapel we had Mass? I was invited to go to a meeting by an acquaintance (a former Catholic) I met from the Wiccan service. I reported this on Steve Ray's Web site "Defender's of the Catholic Faith" (DCL) message board. The thread is "The Catholic Defender in Kuwait/Iraq).

(10 August 2007)

Tonight I sat in on a Wiccan meeting. I was invited to come by members last week. I sat in as one of them spoke on the gods of Babylon and their world of creation. They were very hospitable towards me. There were 18 people involved tonight and they ranged from several different groups. I did ask them at the end of their gathering, 4 basic questions:

1. Do you feel that you were born a witch?

The response was mixed, but most of them believe they were born a witch. In the discussion that followed the consensus was that most of them were raised Christians but they felt when they became witches, this was what they were suppose to be. They had to discover who they were.

Some felt that it was a process of discovery due to their former life, reincarnation, that each life develops and has issues with problems associated in the past life. The better the life, the better the next life and the better understanding in that next life.

2. Do you believe you will become gods like the ones you serve.?

The response was general, they believed they would achieve divine status and have their own world. They all felt that way.

3. Do you have spells specific to Latin?

The response was a huge yes, one of them went to college and majored in Latin. He said that Latin was important to him in his spells. They believe that spells have power, they can do allot with spells. They all claimed to work spells.

4. What part did Harry Potter play in your becoming a witch?

The response was that Harry Potter and other outlets opened the door to them to help them realize their full potential in learning who they were. Discovering that they were witches was a learned event and so HP plays a part so as to help a person find who they are. HP might lead some to investigate witchcraft so they would call or check out Wiccan web-sites.
One person openly stated he hated Harry Potter.

As I listened to them, not only would HP and other outlets might play a part, but I wondered about those who might be abused by their parents. Maybe their parents faced a divorce, broken families. Maybe they were outcasts growing up, not getting involved with school activities, a loner. There might be a number of supporting issues that play a part.

I told them that I was a Catholic and that as an ambassador for Christ. I recognize that Christ is true God and true man. That He truly rose from the dead. That as a Christian, we are called to show our Lord through the lives we live. If anyone called a christian condemned you, persecuted you, I asked for their forgiveness. I think they were really shocked by that. They all opened up to me and shook my hand. I was even given a military coin by them. It was positive in that I was not there to condemn or judge them, but to love them. I hope to develop relationships there so I can show them Christ is the one true God.

The coin I recieved from the group was clearly one of witchcraft. It had several Occult images on this and so I felt odd taking it. After I posted this on the messageboard, one of my friends on the board encouraged me to take it and have it blessed with holy water. I told him that was a good point. The next time I was back down to the Division Chapel, I took the coin with me to have it blessed by Father in holy water. When Father poured out holy water in his font, I placed the coin in the font. That's when it vanished from our sight, it was nowhere to be found. That freaked us both out. To this day, it is gone! I guess it got mad at me? The next part of this story takes place two days later:

(12 August 2007)
Tonight as I sat down to dinner, I noticed one of the Wiccan's that was in the Friday night circle. I continued to eat when I noticed he recognized me. He quickly grabbed his things and sat in front of me as to be able to talk across the table. I was glad that he did so. He was the former Catholic and so I particularly looked for the opportunity to talk with him. I could be more open with him in an open environment. He was very happy to see me. We talked for about 25 minutes until we took it outside and talked more at a picnic table.

He explained that he was a Druid, not a Wiccan, but in their inner circle there were Wiccans and other groups, even Satanists. He identified himself as a Classical Pagan, he said Wiccans were neo-pagans. He told me that many he knew were enlightened by Harry Potter to become witches, others had other influences. I asked him why Harry Potter was so influential to the witchcraft lodge. He said it is because in fantasy, it supports many of their basic beliefs. I told him that there are some who are trying to Christianize Harry Potter. With that he laughed and thought it was funny to think so.

I had to head toward the Troop Medical Clinic (TMC) to give Anthrax Vaccinations so I had to go, but tomorrow night, I'm meeting with him to talk about the Catholic Faith with him. He was willing to do so for the knowledge he can receive. I will show him the Conversion story of Father Calloway. I am really hopeful. Please pray for our success regardless how you feel about Harry Potter.

We spent about three hours this night discussing the truths of the Catholic Faith. I went all the way back to Adam and Eve, the Old Testament Covenants, the prophecies that relate to the Messiah. What was important to me was to show that Christ is not just another god, but that He is the Second Person of the Blessed Trinity. That we believe in One God in three Divine Persons. That can be a tough sell for someone who is struggling to understand their faith. He invited me to come back and talk with him the following night. This would be the last time because he was preparing to redeploy back to the United States later that night.

(13 August 2007)
I had my meeting with the Wiccan tonight, we talked for about 1 1/2 hours discussing witchcraft and the Church. By nights end, he was lead to recognize the Resurrection. I explained to him the fact that the Old Testament is really a period of Covenants God makes with man kind. Adam is a Covenant of marriage, Noah is a Covenant of family, Abraham is a tribal Covenant, and Moses is a kingdom Covenant uniting all the tribes in a single nation. Jesus establishes a world wide Covenant, a Catholic Covenant. I also shared that Jesus fulfils in one human lifetime, the prophecies that concerns Him.

There were several prophets in the span of centuries that are fulfilled in one human life. He was deeply impressed with this knowledge. I also showed him that in the New Testament, we have a New and everlasting Covenant in the Blood of Christ. We renew the Covenant with Him when we go to Communion. I shared with him the Miracle of Lanciano and the Shroud of Turin. He gave me his AKO account so we can keep in contact as he leaves Iraq to go back home tomorrow. I hope I was able to plant seeds that will help him come home.

May God bring home the prodigals no matter how far they drift!

Jesus told St. Faustina that the greater the sinner the more deserving of His Divine Mercy.

I gave a talk to a group in Canyon Texas just outside of Amarillo at St. Anne's Catholic Church.

I asked the group, "how many of you know someone or have family members who have left the Church"?

Just about everyone raised their hand. If we were handling this as a disease, this would be an epidemic.

Let is pray for those who have gone the way of the prodical. God is in control!!!

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An amazing conversion story

Christie Martin of The Garden of Holiness blog will be our Blog Talk Radio guest next week (Time TBA). I ask you to read her astounding conversion story.

....and follow her blog of course.

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Thursday, February 3, 2011

The Catholic Defender: Follow up with Knights of Columbus

John, I agree! I was responsible to fight pornography in my home town of Harrison Arkansas in the early 1980's.

I also orchestrated marches against abortion in Harrison.

What an honor it is to serve the Church as a member of the Knights of Columbus.

We need good men who are willing to make a difference within their communities.

The care for the widow is still a main response of the Knights of Columbus.

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BEST OF DTB #54 The Knights of Columbus- the strong right arm.

My big spiritual brother, the Catholic Defender, is a brother of mine in a different respect. We are brother Knights. In fact, to be specific, we are brother Sir Knights.

A Sir Knight is a knight of the 4th and highest degree. The 4 degrees embody the 4 basic principles of knighthood in our storied order; Charity, Unity, Fraternity and Patriotism.

The Knights of Columbus are a Catholic, Family, Fraternal, Service organization. The Knights are open for membership to any practical Catholic at least 18 years of age.
However, The Knights are committed to the whole family. There are Ladies auxiliaries, Squires and all manner of other ways for the family to participate.

The Knights are what Pope John Paul II called "The strong right arm of the church".

The Knights pray together, work together, have fun together and serve the Church and the community.

I challenge you to see what the Knights have to offer you. The Knights of Columbus site.

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Super Bowl 45

Pick the score.
I say Pittsburgh 37 Green Bay 21

Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.6

BEST OF DTB #53 Someone Special?

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Following on from last weeks theme Hero. For those who haven't yet had a peek at the article, don't miss it! Click on the link & enjoy the realization.

So, who's Special? We are!

John Paul 2 left to all of us, something we need to come back to again & again, because, a longing arises deep within to truly be Great. To leave that Legacy, to make a Difference. Just because we were made to! There is no pride in this & no self loathing. Only Truth.

"... it is only in Jesus, God Made Man, that you will fully understand what You are. He will unveil to you the True Greatness of yourselves ... that you are Redeemed by Him & taken up in His Love... that you are made truly free in Him, in Him Who said about Himself: If the Son frees you, you will be free indeed!"[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sOnGQu_sKoA&NR=1]

"Enjoy the privileges of your youth: The right to be dynamic, creative & spontaneous! The right to be full of Hope & Joy! ...& above all, the chance to give of yourself to others in generous & joyful service... I leave you now with this prayer: that the Lord Jesus will reveal Himself to each one of you, That He will give you the strength to go out & profess that you are Christian. That He will show you, that He Alone can fill your hearts. Accept His freedom & then praise His Truth, & be messengers of the certainty that you have been truly liberated, through the death & resurrection of the Lord Jesus This will be the new experience, the powerful experience that will generate through you a more just society & a better world. God bless you!"

"Make Jesus always part of your hunger..." J.P.2

Hero

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There's a Hero, if you look into your heart. You don't have to be afraid of what you are... There's an answer, if you reach into your soul... & the sorrow that you know will melt away... Then a Hero comes along with the strength to carry on & you cast your fears aside & you know you can survive! When you feel that hope is gone look inside you & be strong, & you'll finally see the truth that a Hero lies in you!" Galatians 2:20 "It is no longer I that live, but Christ Who lives in me..." . "Do not be afraid!"; "Perfect Love casts out all fear" ... "For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of Love & of self-discipline" 2 Tim. 1:7.

You & I are called to a heroic life. You & I have God on our side! ..."If God is for us, who can be against?" ...You & I have been called to change the world.

Wednesday, February 2, 2011

BEST OF DTB #52 The Catholic Defender: The Family that Prays Together stays together

Pope Pius XII warned the world in 1950 that the attack on the family would be strong, how prophetic he was.

The assault against the family today from the Government, promoting and teaching children new age principles leading them away from the Biblical standard.

This from the public school system? The attack on the family is an orchestrated strategy by powers and strongholds seeking the demise of the Church.

The destruction of the family is the goal of the Progressive.

The family that prays together stays together. I remember one of our basketball coaches in college shared with me what he remembered most important growing up in his family.

It wasn't the family vacations, the money that mom and dad brought in. It was when his parents took the children and led them in prayer as a family.

I thought this was so profound when he shared that with me. I never forgot it. The vacations and work was important, the family must be responsible and there must be time for play, but to share their love with each other, praying together pleases the King of Kings.

He blesses these memories and builds upon this to instill simple men and women to be great to rise up to the challenges that we face. The Progressives have eaten away so much of the family tradition that so many times today,the bonds are loosely held.

1 Peter 5:8 says, "Be sober and vigilant. Your opponent the devil is prowling around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour".

Have you ever really thought about this? The devil stalks you looking for ways to pass your strongholds.

He has a battle plan, a strategy to fight against you. His attacks are not random but very methodical.

We are at war! St. Peter continues on with 1 Peter 5:9, "Resist him, steadfast in faith, knowing that your fellow believers throughout the world undergo the same sufferings".

We cannot remain thinking that we can be idle, that we can sit this one out, that we can watch from the sidelines. This is because one side is engaged! The Devil wants to divide and conquer. He wants to take out your "supply lines" as he targets your life.

He continues to lay traps, "landmines" making your life a battlefield. Nobody wakes up wanting to fight, and sometimes we just grow tired, but it is either pray or be prey.

St. Peter continues 1 Peter 5:10, "The God of all grace who called you to his eternal glory through Christ Jesus will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you after you have suffered a little. To him be dominion forever. Amen".

Jesus said, Matthew 16:18-19, "And so I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my Church, and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven".

Notice Jesus does not give this authority to Republicans or Democrats? Notice Jesus does not give any government this authority! It is the responsibility of the Church!

The Church universal is taking up arms for battle, we on earth are the "Church Militant"! You are not alone, your not fighting this battle alone! The God of heaven is with us through his Church!

When you send your children to school, do you prepare them for battle? Do you send your children out on the football field not properly protected? No, they must have their helmet, their shoulder pads, their equipment!

Ephesians 6:10-17 says, "Finally, draw your strength from the Lord and from his mighty power. Put on the armor of God so that you may be able to stand firm against the tactics of the devil. For our struggle is not with flesh and blood but with the principalities, with the powers, with the world rulers of this present darkness, with evil spirits in the heavens. Therefore, put on the armor of God, that you may be able to resist on the evil day and, having done everything, to hold your ground. So stand fast with your loins girded in truth,clothed with righteousness as a breastplate, and your feet shod in readiness for the gospel of peace. In all circumstances, hold faith as a shield, to quench all the flaming arrows of the evil one. And take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God".

We are at war, the Devil wants to divide and conquer, however, through Jesus Christ we will win the battle. Romans 8:37-39 says, "No, in all these things we CONQUER overwhelmingly through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor present things, nor future things, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord".

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Planned Parenthood of Central, New Jersey aids in sex trafficking of minors.

Is there a more evil entity in the world than Planned Parenthood?

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Tuesday, February 1, 2011

Explore your doubts, but do so in peace

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The Pillar and foundation of the truth (1 Timothy 3:15)

The purpose of Deeper Truth is to provide a defense for the one fully true church of Christ. It is not designed to attack or hurt others.

We will speak boldly. We will not whitewash the truth.

Yes, we do believe that there is only 1 truth and the only place on earth where it can be found whole, complete, and uncorrupted is the Roman Catholic Church. Yes, we do feel that we can prove that case.

We can prove it historically, supernaturally, logically, practically and Biblically. And we will, make no mistake about that.

We believe that science and observation and reason are sufficient proofs of the existence of God. We also believe that reason and logic alone are sufficient causes for any human being to suspect that that God would have revealed Himself to us in some fashion. Further, we believe that He has and the historical, practical and supernatural proofs are beyond overwhelming that God has revealed, and continues to reveal, His will to us exclusively through the Roman Catholic Church, which He founded when He lived among us in the historical person of Jesus Christ.

We believe that anyone who has totally given Himself to the whole and objective search for truth cannot help but be drawn towards the light of what the Apostle Paul called the Pillar and Foundation of all truth, that is the Catholic Church.
A mere 77 years after the death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ, when some of the young witnesses would still have been alive, St. Ignatius of Antioch said; “Where Christ is, there is His Catholic Church”.

Truer words were never spoken.

For those of you chomping at the bit to discuss (or dare you dream, refute) Catholic teaching, don’t worry, you will get your chance.

Here is what constitutes debate to me. You do not ignore my questions or evidences and simply move on to more questions and or accusations. You do not make accusations, purported as factual, without sufficient original evidence.

That means that you do not make an accusation about what Catholics believe, do or have done or will do without providing an original, verifiable source that can be instantly accessed by any listener of the program.

If you characterize debate as an endless stream of unsupported accusations, you have come to the wrong place.

Here are some examples of what would constitute proof;

If you charge, as fact, that Catholics believe a particular thing, I will expect you to provide a link to an official Catholic source, citing it as a defined doctrine. Sources could include the Catechism of the Catholic Church or a document from a council. Links to anti- Catholic or non-Catholic sources that quote teachings out of context are insufficient.

I will gladly debate you on anything the Catholic Church actually has defined and teaches but I won’t waste my time arguing about what Dave Hunt or Jack Chick falsely claims that we teach.

If you charge, as purported fact, that a belief the church actually does have violates scripture or Christian teaching in some way, be prepared to not only support your arguments but to contest mine. I will debate via Scripture, history, tradition, practicality and logic. If you insist that the debate can only be on Scripture alone because you allege that Scripture is the only authority, I will insist that you provide scripture explicitly establishing that only the written word of God, as contained in a specific canon of books, can be accepted to the exclusion of all else.

Good luck.

If you charge, for example, that Catholic sexual abuse proves that the Catholic church cannot be the true church of God, I will expect you to provide empirical evidence that the rate of sexual abuse among Catholic priests is higher than ministers of other faiths or of the public at large.

The purpose of this show is to show you the truth. I will do so by basis of empirical evidence. If you truly want to see the truth, I can provide it. If you are simply unwilling to see the truth, I cannot help you.

That being said, we know that there are good people in all faiths and that many people of good will are genuinely confused about what Catholics believe and why they believe it.

I will start by giving you 30 basic precepts of what Catholics believe, as a foundation for us to build on. I will then explain exactly how this show will work.

1. We believe that by nature, science and reason alone, God has put sufficient light in every man to realize that the formation and expansion of life cannot possibly be by chance or random action. We believe that science, observation and simple human reason makes it impossible for anyone to truly doubt the existence of an intelligent designer. We believe that anyone who denies such a basic and undeniable fact, does so by force of pride or rebellion, not by force of intellect.

2. We believe that, hard-wired, by the creator, into every human being is a basic knowledge of right and wrong, good and evil. Man can choose to suppress this knowledge but he that will cause an intrinsic rebellion within him. Among this basic knowledge is the truth that murder, stealing, lying, violence, rape and homosexuality are disordered and objectively evil. Again, we believe anyone denying this knowledge isn’t doing so out of an intellectually arrived at position but out of rebellion or pain or pride. This knowledge is as basic as the knowledge that we need to breath, eat, drink, sleep, avoid pain and fight or flee danger. It is instinctive.

3. We believe that each person has in him an irresistible longing for God that battles against an unruly and unreasonable concupiscence. Concupiscence is man’s innate selfish desire. We Catholics define this concupiscence as original sin. Fully giving oneself over to the longing for God will lead to salvation. The most perfect completion of this being in the Catholic Church. A lifetime spent resisting this urge for God, in exchange for the longings of the flesh will lead to a lifetime of misery and-eventually- to an eternity of unimaginable suffering.

4. We believe this God has revealed Himself to us in very specific ways and through very specific people. These people include Prophets, Saints, Apostles and Old Testament Kings. The ways include Miracles and Signs, Sacred Scripture, public and private revelation, sacred tradition and the teachers He has appointed throughout the ages from Abraham to the current Magisterium of today’s Roman Catholic Church.

5. Because of #4, We believe anyone who claims to speak for God has an obligation to demonstrate credentials. We can do so in ways that no other church or religious entity on earth could even dare to claim.

6. We believe this God has been revealed as a singular God who exists in 3 persons, the second of which also took on humanity. We believe this one triune God and only this one triune God is worthy of worship. Anyone who tells you that Catholics worship anyone but the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit is lying to you. It’s just that simple.

7. We believe that this God gave us a moral law that will never pass away and that every single person will face the judgment of God based on the moral law.

8. We believe that Jesus Christ is the fulfillment of the Mosaic law.

9. We believe that Jesus Christ, by His life, suffering, death and Resurrection redeemed the world.

10. We believe the graces secured at Calvary are sufficient for the removal of all sin.

11. We believe that salvation is by Christ alone.

12. We believe that salvation is by grace alone.

13. We believe that man must participate in his own salvation and that no man or woman has ever been saved, or ever will be saved by faith alone. That the Bible clearly refutes the doctrine of Salvation by Faith alone is clear almost to the point of excess. Anybody who tells you that man is saved by faith alone is simply repeating a man-made lie, whether or not they may actually believe it.

14. We believe that Jesus Christ created a church that is the Pillar and Foundation of all truth, just as the Bible states. That we have an infallible Bible (and we do) is only because an infallible church gave it to us. That church-and only that Church- is fully and completely entrusted by God with the Scriptures and the Truths of Religion. Everyone else is guessing, to greater or less success, all falling short of the fullness of the truth of Catholicism. In fact…..

15. We believe that, in truth, there is only one true church. Catholic means Universal and we affirm that every single baptized Christian is a member-knowing or unknowing, willing or unwilling- of the Catholic Church and accountable, to the extent of the light of faith within them, to her teachings.

16. We affirm the infallibility and inspiration of Scripture and that all Scripture is useful for reproof, teaching and training in holiness. Nevertheless, we reject the notion of Sola Scriptura and hold the notion of practical sufficiency and the SELF interpretation of Scripture to be self-refuting, untenable nonsense.

17. We hold the teaching authority of the Church, the Sacred tradition of the fathers, and Holy Scripture to all be necessary parts of the Church.

18. We do not believe that any of the members of the Catholic Church are Impeccable, Omniscient, Omnipresent, Divine, Eternal or, in any way, shape, manner or form equal with God. This includes past, present and future members of the Catholic Church. We believe that all members of the Church had to be saved from the stain of original sin by God’s Sanctifying Grace.

19. We believe that Mary was saved by Sanctifying grace from her Mother’s womb, as was John the Baptist. We believe we can prove this scripturally.

20. We do not believe that Mary is God. Anyone who tells you that Catholics worship Mary is a liar. We do believe that She is the MOTHER of God and to deny this is to deny the Incarnation. We also believe that She fulfills the Biblical roles of the Queen Mother, The Ark of the Covenant, the Mother of Christians, the Woman clothed with the Sun and a co-mediatrix, co-redemtrix and advocate that in no manner contradicts 1 Timothy 2:5.

21. We believe that Jesus gave the Catholic clergy the power to anoint, to bind and loose, to preach and interpret Scripture and to forgive sins.

22. We believe that not one soul is saved by any other name than Jesus, even those saved who never heard His name.

23. We believe that not one soul that is saved is not saved by the merits Jesus gives through His Catholic Church, even those who don’t come to fully understand and accept it.

24. We believe that Jesus meant what He said in the 6th chapter of John’s Gospel and that each consecrated host contains the body, blood, soul and divinity of Jesus Christ.

25. We believe that only the full canon of Scripture as defined by the Catholic Church, 73 books, constitutes a complete Bible and only one carrying an Imprimatur is free from doctrinal error.

26. We reject the doctrine of the Rapture and believe that Christians will have to endure the great tribulation.

27. We reject a strictly futurist view of books like John’s Revelation.
The prophecies concerning the great harlot in Revelation 17-18, for instance, refer to the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD.

28. We reject the assertion that the Israel of today’s world is the Israel of Scripture and find the assertion absurd and untenable. The Church is the new Israel. The Jewish Israel of Scripture is gone, dead, kaput…no more. There is no more temple and will never be. There are no more prophets nor will ever be, no more sacrifice, no more kings, no more Jerusalem. The city is Babylon and a Spiritual Sodom. Revelation 11:8.

29. We reject the doctrine that only Catholics can be saved. God will save who He will. That someone cannot reach the fullness of truth, through their honest efforts, will not be held against him. Those who knowingly reject the truth will perish in their sin and be damned. God will judge all by their works- PERIOD.

30. We do not believe that lying in defense of one’s beliefs, as anti-catholics do, is a virtue but a violation of the commandments of God.

We trust that these subjects and more will make for lively, spirited and- we hope- civil debate.

Remember the word I spoke to you, 'No slave is greater than his master.' If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours.
~ John 15:20

See that ye all follow the bishop, even as Jesus Christ does the Father, and the presbytery as ye would the apostles; and reverence the deacons, as being the institution(17) of God. Let no man do anything connected with the Church without the bishop. Let that be deemed a proper(18) Eucharist, which is[administered] either
See that ye all follow the bishop, even as Christ Jesus does the Father, and the presbytery as ye would the apostles. Do ye also reverence the deacons, as those that carry out[through their office] the appointment of God. Let no man do anything connected with the Church without the bishop. Let that be deemed a proper(18) Eucharist, which is[administered] either by the bishop, or by one to whom he has entrusted it. Wherever the bishop shall appear, there let the multitude[of the people] also be;

90

by the bishop, or by one to whom he has entrusted it. Wherever the bishop shall appear, there let the multitude[of the people] also be; even as, wherever Jesus Christ is, there is the Catholic Church. It is not lawful without the bishop either to baptize or to celebrate a love-feast; but whatsoever he shall approve of, that is also pleasing to God, so that everything that is done may be secure and valid.(2) even as where Christ is, there does all the heavenly host stand by, waiting upon Him as the Chief Captain of the Lord's might, and the Governor of every intelligent nature. It is not lawful without the bishop either to baptize, or to offer, or to present sacrifice, or to celebrate a love-feast.(1) But that which seems good to him, is also well-pleasing to God, that everything ye do may be secure and valid.

~Saint Ignatius of Antioch, letter to the Smyrnaeans, chapter VIII (AD 110)

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