₦airaland Forum

suomi1990:
Hi everyone, I’m borrowing a leaf from ‘Franknetter’, from the USA visa thread, I have finally settled in Finland after FIVE DENIALS! I’m going to tell the story of my excruciating ‘brokenness’ , my sex excapades prior to getting married , my experiences in both Sweden and Finland too, my grace in meeting my wife, my visa tips for all those struggling with these kind of immigration issues etc .....There is a saying in Warri that “na cooperation dey make pot of rice full”, so I need your comments let me fire down with full energy....!

Abeg brodaly u sabi if person fit show Finland from ukraine during summer? Dem go ask for visa? Person fit see something small to do wey fit give small change? Abeg help me find out ASAP so man go fit start dey plan things.

adetayo234:
I will try to explain as much as God gives me the grace to do so.

We pray to Mary to intercede for us because we believe God will answer her prayers concerning us. I will explain that stepwisely below.


Anty, na you ask question o.... So, you must read through my response with complete patience. I promise you my response will be long.. Apologies in advance.

First of all, the first miracle of Jesus Christ was not part of God's plan for his ministry on earth. It was not planned at all. I'm referring to John chapter 2 where Jesus turned water to wine, at the Wedding at Cana, Galilee. What I mean is that his time had not come; it wasn't time to start performing miracles yet. But he did it because Mary asked him to do it.

If you read verse 4 of that chapter 2, Jesus protested against his mother, stressing that HIS TIME HAS NOT YET COME! Despite the fact that it wasn't time to start his ministry according to God's plan, he performed the miracle because his mother said he should do it. This means he changed God's plan because Mary asked him to. Imagine that same Mary interceding for you? Won't God be compelled to answer even if the time for answer has not yet come?

The Catholic Church believes that Mary is in heaven along side the other saints, like Peter, Paul, father Abraham, etc.

In Christiandom, the saints that died in Christ are believed to be watching what is happening on earth and are also guiding us in our daily battle against sin and the devil. Read the 4th stanza of the song titled "Christian seek not yet repose." That place proved that Mary is also watching us, like the other saints, and participating in our daily battle by giving us warnings.

Next, read Zechariah 1:12,13,16.

That place spoke about an angel interceding for the people of Judah. Verse 16 wrote about God answering the prayers of that angel concerning the people of Judah.

If an angel, who is supposed to be a servant in heaven, could intercede and God would answer, how much more the saints in heaven? How much more Mary, the mother of Jesus? Don't forget that angels are servants to the saints in heaven. If God can answer the intercessions of an angel, definitely, he can answer the intercessions of the saints, and of Mary, who we consider as one of the saints.

And lastly, do you ask your earthly pastors to pray for you? If you do, then you can also ask the saints, including Mary, to intercede for you, keeping in mind that they all know what you are passing through on earth and can pray to God on your behalf.

If your earthy pastor can pray to God on your behalf, then Mary and the other saints can do likewise.

Don't forget that your earthly pastor is still subject to like passion like you; he can still commit sin. But the saints are completely free from sin. Keep in mind the scriptures that said "the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much." (James 5:16).

Please judge by yourself : between the prayers of a pastor or reverend father that is still subject to sinful nature and the prayers of a saint that cannot sin again, which one do you think God will answer first?

My brother, you just challenged me to learn more about my faith. 1 tactic to get someone to relinquish something of value is to deceive him that what he has is of no value.

Penalty82:
https://www.herald.ng/rev-father-who-recently-quit-priesthood-has-allegedly-walked-down-the-aislephotos/

Let me not judge this man but the fact is that He took a vow before God & has now gone back on his vow. Let God sha arbitrate.

doyinbaby:
arguing with a. Catholic is a waste of time

Yes... Because a true catholic (not just in mouth) has done what Paul instructed in ephesians 4:14 & isn't carried away by charisma, performance, signs & wonders. He/she seeks God whether or not blessings, breakthroughs, wealth, marriage etc comes his/her way. Because instead of hearkening to your seductive words, we do what the Lord advises & look at your fruits. There's little love among you. You guys compete to outshine each other (strife & contention) instead of shining for Christ. So much narcissism is present. Placing adverts with massive billboards where pictures of the preacher is so enlarged. Making it seem as if the MOG is a fount of miracles & teachings instead of being a medium through which God works. Hence, there's a feeling that "Pastor so & so is more anointed than Pastor lagbaja, let me go to Him for prayers. I'm more likely to get answers" . Quasi-deification of men IMO. An average pentecostal is likely to start thinking of changing his/her church at the slightest challenge forgetting that challenges are a part of life. Some people are so spiritually loose that any bit of oratory & sweet talk convinces them that they need to change where they worship because "it no longer works for them". The bible says that signs shall follow them that believe but now people who claim to believe follow signs. The moment they hear somewhere, people get what they desire, they ditch their churches & run there in search of ephemeral things. There is 1 body of Christ, the church that isn't to be divided into sects. That is what a true catholic believes. Look at most movements today. They are focused on the founder/GO. That's why you see a lot trudging to the headquarters even though they have branches close by. When he goes, you start to see cracks, breakaway & tussles even among family members. The church is closely knitted to his family most times. The wife is usually the female leader & the children usually have a post in the church if they decide to become ministers. Because we understand that unity is important than trying to be always be right or wise in our own eyes. Even though the church has been around for 2 millennia, we don't act like we know it all. We realize the hallmark of true wisdom is that no one is a sole custodian of knowledge. We learn that submission & obedience is of great import not just when it's convenient.

thorpido:
Refuse to be ignorant!
When Mary dwelth on the earth,she played the role of Jesus'(the man) mother and could physically relate with Him and intercede or advise as it were.Jesus has been called to glory and Mary also dead.In heaven,it's a different ball game.
Jesus taught about heavenly order when some Sadducees came asking Him about marriage in heaven.See below;

Then the Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to him with a question. 19 “Teacher,, “Moses wrote for us that if a man’s brother dies and leaves a wife but no children, the man must marry the widow and raise up offspring for his brother. 20 Now there were seven brothers. The first one married and died without leaving any children. 21 The second one married the widow, but he also died, leaving no child. It was the same with the third. 22 In fact, none of the seven left any children. Last of all, the woman died too. 23 At the resurrection[c] whose wife will she be, since the seven were married to her?”

24 Jesus replied, “Are you not in error because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God? 25 When the dead rise, they will neither marry nor be given in marriage; they will be like the angels in heaven. 26 Now about the dead rising—have you not read in the Book of Moses, in the account of the burning bush, how God said to him, ‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’[d]? 27 He is not the God of the dead, but of the living. You are badly mistaken!” Mark 12 vs 18-27

Take note of the part in bold.People in heaven do not play roles of wives or husbands.Similarly,they do not play roles of mothers or sons.
Mary plays NO ROLE of mother to Jesus in Heaven.Like you said,'get understanding' according to the book of Proverbs.
Quit emotions,sentiments or outright ignorance and embrace Scriptures!Don't be like Muslims who think of wives and virgins in heaven.It's a different order in heaven.

I embrace the fact that there is no marriage in heaven; no husbands & wives because scripture doesn't lie however don't add your bit to make it look like it's included in scripture. There's a family in heaven, the family of God. The human family system is an imperfect caricature of that family model. You don't stop being a son of God just because you are in heaven. Heaven is our family home. We are fully United with God & all our brothers & sisters in Christ. Look at genesis 6:2. Who were these mentioned "sons of God" who took the daughters of men as wives? Were they not angels? So you see that even angels are sons of God. Read revelation 12. See verse 17, the remnants of the woman's seed keep God's commandments & have the testimony of Jesus Christ. That's the mark of a true son/daughter of Mary. Now let's go to verse 26-27 of the passage you quoted. God is introduced as the God of Abraham, Isaac & Jacob to Moses. Even at that time, these 3 were long dead yet look at the 1st 2 words of that sentence "i am" not "i was". So if these 3 were dead, why does Jesus say that God is the God of the living not the dead? Then surely if i reason as you do, then God isn't supposed to be the God of these 3 because they were long dead. It has to be that way unless God contradicts Himself, which is impossible. Therefore, the dead Jesus referred to must cannot mean those who have left this world. It likely means those who didn't serve God. Scripture shouldn't be read literally because our Lord spoke most times figuratively. The word of God is very deep & meditation is needed. Also revelation by the Holy Spirit is needed. The word without the Spirit is just letters & the letter killeth but the word is Spirit & it is the Spirit that quickens. Don't be a lettered Christian. Death isn't the end of life; it's the beginning of life eternal or death eternal, depending on whether one truly believed in Jesus Christ. Hence if Mary was that influential on earth, how much in heaven?

Proffdada:
if Jesus can condemn simple money exchange in temples then just hailing mary before God is sacrilege

Go & read luke chapter 1. That portion was the message of God delivered by angel Gabriel therefore it's part of Holy scripture. It was also what you call in English language reported speech. Therefore is repeating scripture in prayer now sacrilege? Beware lest the hatred you bear for the catholic church leads you to blasphemy.

Proffdada:
why doesn't Jesus call mary mother or blessed mother or hail her? Please follow Christ not catholic

I follow Christ, hence I'm a member of the church he founded whilst on earth not 1 movement formed when a man broke away from another movement claiming to be called sometimes taking a portion of the congregation along with him due to charisma that someone would tag 'anointing'. Is that not sowing discord among the brethren, something the book of proverbs states is an abomination to the Lord? To answer your question, if you study scripture well, you would see that the ministry of Jesus was 1st prophesied by God Himself in Genesis when cursing the serpent. He said that the seed of the woman would crush the serpent's head. That woman being referred to wasn't eve but Mary. As Jesus was the 2nd Adam, Mary was the 2nd eve only this time, the roles were reversed. 2nd Adam was taken from the flesh of 2nd eve. Jesus called her even as a12 year old boy by the title God called her when making the prophecy. We see in revelation 12 the vision of john, who also referred to Mary as "woman".

daveP:
Cos he was called "bishop" that now meant he was catholic? hope we both know the title is pre constantine and simply means 'a preaching elder'?? I'l modify soon..


Modified


He was a direct convert of Apostle John and had access to the early parts of the NT through Polycarp. The Apostles had OT copies(jew families and clans were known to always have copies), and used the Gospels and lateron got letters of Paul thru Timothy, Luke (OT till book of Hebrews) and cos he had direct acess, he won most arguments against liars of his days. the rcc now Came to claim him as theirs when the doctrines he believed was alien to theirs?! what a confusion!! Even the catholic church's origin has been shifted 3ice to make up for lost puzzle pieces.(but thats not my aim) my aim is the jews gave us!

So if RCCG moves their headquarters from ebute metta elsewhere, they have stopped being RCCG. Does that invalidate the late pa akindayomi as their founder? Constantine might have playing a role in institutionalising the church but that doesn't mean it didn't exist before him. There was a church before the Nicene council. The council didn't found a new church. It was just a forum to streamline doctrines & do away with teachings that were not compatible.

[quote author=Beey post=61680020][/quote]Truly we are saved by grace through faith but remember the book of James says that faith without works is dead. The bible says that men would be judged by the works of their hands & that he would tell those who claim that don't do the will of His father to depart from Him because they were workers of iniquity & He didn't know them. The topic of grace has been so perverted today in the church that lawlessness & unrighteousness is now being applauded in its guise. Purgatory is a revelation by the Holy Spirit given to the church that is kind of encrypted in scripture (1 corinthians) where Paul talks about people who didn't build good structure on christ the sure foundation & each man's work being tested by fire & suffering little loss. Purgatory isn't a place where 1's fate is decided. All souls there are heaven-bound. It's just a waiting period of purification by the fire of God's love for things like forgotten sins or certain omissions which if every human is honest, is guilty of. Do you know if that time you refused alms to that beggar just because you wanted to buy credit was a sin? God's ways are not ours so we can't fully comprehend them. How would you like to go to hell for that? The bible says no sinner would go unpunished not unforgiven so Purgatory is something like ironing your white, spotless garments for that heavenly banquet. As for the crucifix thing, have you noticed that we catholics bow the head or kneel or curtsy when Jesus is mentioned or in affairs pertaining to Jesus. So basically what happens when you see catholics seemingly bowing to the crucifix is that the sight brings back the memory how He humbled Himself to die for us all & how God raised Him & gave Him a name above every other so because of that, we bow to fulfil this portion of scripture in philipians 2. It is the memory it elicits that makes us bow not because of some power in that particular image. That is what pentecostals can't figure out. What you see isn't always what it is eg an uneducated person who sees an eclipse for the first time would think the sun is being swallowed up or if I tell people I eat the body of Jesus Christ & drink His blood, someone uninformed might accuse me of cannibalism. Get informed before passing judgement & accept that you need a certain degree of enlightenment. The sign of the cross is something I do numerous times a day whether I'm working, playing, praying, sitting or whatever. Do you even know the words that accompany it? "in the name of the Father & of the Son & of the Holy Spirit. Amen". A reference to the Trinity isn't wrong, is it? The bible says not to bow to graven images & i've explained earlier why we bow. So even if the image isn't there & something reminds me, I would bow. Images are just better reminders because 1 can see them. The hail holy queen is obviously a passionate plea for the prayers of Mary by a child so in love with the mother. Men have been guilty of making more passionate pleas to other humans using deeper terms of endearment. A man calls his spouse obim, my life, my love, my everything & no one makes a fuss because it is spoken with love. Can any person says without lying that he/she never for once went crying to the mother about something? So also does 1 cry to Mary, a mother entrusted to us by Jesus on the cross.

Penalty82:
Don't you think that mandatory celibacy is wrong.

It is not a must to be a priest. It doesn't give you a guarantee to make heaven. That's the reason why holy matrimony (marriage) is a sacrament. If holy orders (the sacrament that confers priesthood) isn't your calling, why not get married? Don't you know that the church preaches that marriage is just as holy a vacation as the priesthood? See St Paul's teaching about the advantages of celibacy in 1 Corinthians. Our Lord Jesus Christ was also celibate (to the best of our knowledge). It is a question of choice & sacrifice & the fact is not everyone is capable of paying that price. Is one willing to sacrifice his desires for the good of kingdom? St Paul cooperated with the grace of God to put his body under & bring it into submission & look at the fruit of that. His work in the Lord's Vineyard was so powerful that he was named an apostle even though he wasn't a physical witness to the earthly ministry of our Lord. Look at His missionary journeys. Because of his sacrifice, the Gospel was better spread widely among the gentiles. The fact that we are all humans & sometimes juggling the ministry & family life is almost impossible sometimes. It can come to an ultimatum many a times to choose 1 to the detriment of the other. If you know you can't be celibate, marry & be a laity member. You can serve God that way. You mustn't be a priest to serve God. You can serve God in your family, workplaces & the wider society. That's why I love the teachings of St Jose Maria escriva the pioneer of opus Dei.

thorpido:
There's no scriptural background in the bible that says Mary can answer or make supplications in prayer.The Bible made it clear you pray to God in the Name of Jesus.
There's nothing like mother of God.God has no mother. No scripture in the bible backs that up.Mary was the mother of Jesus the man while He was on the earth.

Mary interceded at the wedding at Cana, Galilee & Jesus obeyed even though it wasn't His time. What I noticed was that even when Jesus stated that it wasn't His time, Mary knew that He would help hence she told the servants to do whatever Jesus told them. She knew who Jesus was & long believed in Him without asking for signs & wonders to convince her. The catholic church doesn't teach that Mary answers prayers; God does. She only intercedes (similar to what pentecostals call standing in the gap). I'm catholic & never have i heard us say "in Mary's name we pray". We pray in Jesus name or "through Jesus Christ our Lord". Finally John 1:1 says "in the beginning was the word & the word was with God & the word was God" verse 14 says "& the word was made flesh (became man) & dwelt among us". The word that was God became man. Who was that man? Jesus Christ. Who was His mother? Mary. The only way you can have issues with that is if you say Jesus isn't God. In the apostles' Creed we recite in every mass, we affirm our belief in Jesus Christ "true God & true man". Take some advice. Learn to be humble in knowledge. You don't know it all. The books of proverbs says to get understanding in all your getting. The problem a lot of pentecostals have is that they read the surface & think that is all. No, in depth study & research is needed most times by numerous individuals. That's why the field of theology exists. Yes the Holy Spirit gives revelations but an ill prepared mind might misinterpret the revelation. Regular mastication & chewing the cud of the word is needed. Grow more chambers in your spiritual stomach instead of just being monogastric.

bender:
Guy let me analyse what you are going through. Let me assume she attends a deliverance church like mfm, chosen etc. Now when a person prays such deliverance prayers as she does, it deals with foundational issues such as witchcraftry, idolatry etc and In d process such powers fight back especially n d hours of 12-,3am and the attacks occur mostly through dreams n some even manifest In form of marks on the body. Now since u r married and are now one , when she wakes up to pray, if u fthe spouse is not praying too or is weak spiritually, those powers she is dealing with will attack you the spouse...,.. The good thing is this battle is not forever as she persists in prayers with time those powers leave her case n the prayers then help to strengthen her spiritual life.
So my advice to u is this, u shld be grateful she is a prayerful wife (and one way to notice the effect of those prayers is to checokout the growth in her physical life like career etc and her spiritual life), instead of fighting her why not guide her especially in her spiritual life, join her to pray when she wakes up maybe during the weekends and help her redirect her prayers aright.she needs u as a spiritual head. For more info you can PM me

You read that she prays for calamity to befall people & you encourage it even though it's contrary to ephesians 6:12? She curses & you encourage it? Is it that Jesus didn't tell us to love our enemies, do good to those that hate us, bless those that curse us & pray for our persecutors? Or wasn't it Jesus who asked God to forgive His murderers on the cross? Wasn't it Stephen whose last words was a prayer for God not to lay his blood on the charge of his murderers? Hmmm!! The Christianity we practice nowadays is something that doesn't seem so Christlike. Please let her direct her prayers on how to die to flesh & be transformed to the image of Christ. Also if she feels led to pray overnight she shouldn't keep her husband awake. It's called selflessness & consideration.

Iamzik:
Ok we don hear son of Mary.

Read the Bible and discover the truth for yourself.

We don't ask dead pastors or dead GOs to pray for us. Mary is dead and buried and will be resurrected to face her judge just like all who have passed away.

You don't need dead people to pray for you. Jesus said the holy Spirit is our intercessor and he himself is our spiritual high priest.

By the way, the Holy Spirit teaches and leads us to pray for things that are pressing on God's mind at the moment. How does your rosaries, burning candle /incense and premeditated, pre-printed, memorized, repetitive prayers help the holy Spirit leading us to pray?

The truth is before our naked eyes. It is my prayer that we will not just follow the multitude in order to 'belong' but we'll have the strength to seek God's revelation on how to worship him.

Organized religion (Catholic or protestant or Pentecostal) is not the key. Even in the days of Jesus,
he exposed the hypocrisy of big organized religious institutions. Knowing God for yourself personally is the key. God help us

I read the bible & intend to finish it in a year by God's grace. Go & read revelation 12. So you believe death is the end? It is just a rite of passage. Matthew 24:32 ‘I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? He is not the God of the dead but of the living." Yet Abraham, Isaac & Jacob were long dead. In John 11 when Jesus went to resurrect Lazarus, He said he was sleeping. Moses died yet appeared to Jesus on during the transfiguration. There is so much that you don't know yet you carry yourself like you are the fountain of knowledge. Don't you know that prayer isn't primarily tabling your needs? It's a line of communication. You don't know about the communion of saints;the church triumphant, the church militant & church suffering. You don't know that it's not just about you & God. We belong to a big family;you have numerous brothers, sisters & the hosts of heaven. Why can't you fellowship with them as you do with the brethren? Ignoring this fact smacks of obsession with self. I can bet you've never found out the words contained in the rosary. They are beautiful & scripturally inspired words that refreshes the memory of the things of God. Depending on how the Spirit ministers, meditation on the same mystery can bring to ones mind different themes eg meditating on the 1st sorrowful mystery (the agony in the garden) can bring to 1s remembrance how Jesus submitted to the will of God (suffering & death) regardless of how inconvenient it was or 1 can remember Jesus' warning to His disciples to watch & pray so as not to fall into temptation or "the Spirit is indeed willing but the flesh is weak" makes us realize that we should walk in the spirit not in the flesh. That's the Spirit teaching you what to pray for. Things like praying to submit to God's will, to overcome temptations & be spiritually alert, to be led by the Holy Spirit are prayers that God can't turn down because those are the things that takes 1 to heaven. You are asking in line with His will & seeking His kingdom 1st. You think prayer is by oratory, shouting
, twisting words, punchlines or throwing tantrums? No matter how glib or articulate you sound, if its not God's will, it wouldn't be granted. Why is the word of God ever new? It's still the same words, same genesis-revelation that has been there for almost 2 millennia yet it is always fresh. The Holy Spirit is the answer. He brings life & power to those words in scripture & He does same in prayer. He searches the deepest recesses of the heart. Burning candles & incense is a carryover from Judaism but also has some symbolism. In cases, it can serve as a reminder of keeping the light of faith burning or Christ our light, who dispels darkness in us. In the easter vigil, we see how 1 flame from 1 candle lights several candles. That shows that if well natured & spread, 1 person's faith can be used to inspire & lead many to God. Incense on the other hand can be used to signify prayer. If you studied scripture, you would remember the psalmist say that he wants his prayers to ascend to God like sweet smelling incense. Also in revelation, the prayer of the saints were represented as incense in John's visions. Why does it offend you? Meanwhile, tithing, a carryover from Judaism isn't frowned at despite the fact that the Jews don't practice that anymore because it was exclusively the inheritance of the descendants of Levi & they can no longer trace genealogy. I'm not catholic because I want to belong or follow multitudes. I have shared on nairaland several times how I once left the catholic church but returned after I extensively researched the doctrines of the catholic church, cross referencing them with scripture & found myself to be in the wrong. The priest that I was taken to for advice didn't tell me to stay in the catholic church. He told me he couldn't tell me what to believe & told me to found out more about the catholic church & i did. I decided myself to be a Catholic. Finally, you have a grouse against organization because you hate order. You want a laissez-faire system with no system of accountability? Go & read 1 corinthians 14. Our God is 1 of order. Chaos & confusion is not of Him. Look at Christianity today. Too many dissenting voices, so much schisms, strife & divisions. Is this the will of God? 1 sect or denomination says something; another contradicts it & both claim to be led by the same spirit & the other is wrong. Is this the unity among believers Jesus prayed for in John 17? You tell unbelievers about Jesus & they remark about the disunity among us with derision. As long as it is to His glory, order is okay. It is when it begins to create a hindrance in true worship of God that it calls for concern.

Iamzik:
Ok we don hear son of Mary.

Read the Bible and discover the truth for yourself.

We don't ask dead pastors or dead GOs to pray for us. Mary is dead and buried and will be resurrected to face her judge just like all who have passed away.

You don't need dead people to pray for you. Jesus said the holy Spirit is our intercessor and he himself is our spiritual high priest.

By the way, the Holy Spirit teaches and leads us to pray for things that are pressing on God's mind at the moment. How does your rosaries, burning candle /incense and premeditated, pre-printed, memorized, repetitive prayers help the holy Spirit leading us to pray?

The truth is before our naked eyes. It is my prayer that we will not just follow the multitude in order to 'belong' but we'll have the strength to seek God's revelation on how to worship him.

Organized religion (Catholic or protestant or Pentecostal) is not the key. Even in the days of Jesus,
he exposed the hypocrisy of big organized religious institutions. Knowing God for yourself personally is the key. God help us

I read the bible & intend to finish it in a year by God's grace. Go & read revelation 12. So you believe death is the end? It is just a rite of passage. Matthew 24:32 ‘I am the God of Abraham, andthe God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? He is not the God of the dead but of the living." Yet Abraham, Isaac & Jacob were long dead. In John 11 when Jesus went to resurrect Lazarus, He said he was sleeping. Moses died yet appeared to Jesus on during the transfiguration. There is so much that you don't know yet you carry yourself like you are the fountain of knowledge. You don't know about the communion of saints;the church triumphant, the church militant & church suffering. You don't know that it's not just about you & God. We belong to a big family;you have numerous brothers, sisters & the hosts of heaven. Why can't you fellowship with them Ignoring this fact smacks of obsession with self.

Iamzik:
Those people don't go about with rosaries and pictures of their GO in their pockets.

They do not pray through their GO as well.

Why do you feel so inferior to pray to God through his son Jesus?

Why do you think Mary should pray to Jesus on your behalf and where did Jesus command this?

Any record of Peter or any of the apostles praying through Mary to Jesus?

Mary herself need salvation through Christ. She's not different from you. God used her like he can use you.

Do you know that if Mary had died without believing in Jesus she herself will go to hell? (Well that's another topic cos yours is purgatory! )?

Jesus will not share his power, throne and glory with Mary. Don't be deceived, Jesus is the only intercessor
Worship the creator and not the creature!

It is obvious you have no idea of what the catholic faith entails. All your accusations are obviously lies fed to you by untruthful elements hence I would try to see if it's possible to help you with the truth. Your 1st accusation reeks of ignorance. The rosary is a prayer focusing in the birth, earthly ministry, death & resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ in the joyful, luminous, sorrowful & glorious mysteries respectively; what you see us catholics carry is called a chaplet. We use the chaplet to pray the rosary so as to avoid miscounting & distraction. I carry it with me because I might be moved anytime to pray the rosary & other prayers like divine mercy prayer, devotion to the precious blood of Jesus & devotion to the Holy Spirit (other prayers the chaplet can be used to pray). Even though I have it offhand, i prefer to use the chaplet so as not to make mistakes while praying. The power lies in meditation & contemplating the prayer you say not in carrying the chaplet however I can't limit God. He can use anything to show His power. As to carrying pictures of my mother Mary, what is wrong in that? If we carry the the pictures of our loved ones around on our phones, wallets etc, why can't I carry something that reminds of the woman Jesus commended to the disciple He loved, the only apostle courageous enough to be at the foot of the cross to identify with Him in that shameful moment? Unless I'm rebellious to the Lord's wishes, Mary is my mother & i love her. Your 2nd false accusation; have you ever heard us say "in Mary's name we pray" or "we ask this through mary"? We pray in Jesus' name & ask through Jesus Christ our Lord. We don't pray through Mary. What we do is ask her to pray for us. Now what is wrong with that? You guys don't ask your pastors, GOs & even their wives to pray for you? Mary interceded on behalf of the couple wedding at Cana, Galilee & Jesus obeyed her even when His hour hadn't arrived. Why can't she do the same for me, her son? She knew who Jesus really was when all others saw a mere carpenter's son. She was the truest disciple Jesus had & teaches her children the same with these words "do whatever He (Jesus) tells you". She submitted to God to use her to bring Jesus into the world even though she was yet unmarried & by mosaic law, would have been stoned. While other disciples were jostling for who would be the greatest & sit at the Lord's right & left hand, she followed in silence. When others were nowhere to be found at the passion of our Lord & even peter denied Him, she was right there at the foot of the cross, partaking in the sufferings of our Lord. She was present in the upper room, tarrying in my prayer & received the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost. Anyone who desires a close walk with Jesus in which self is interred & forgotten only has to look at the life of Mary & follow suit. Read scripture (Luke 1:48). All generations should call Mary blessed. We do that in the catholic church. We don't deify her or make her equal to Jesus. We just honour whom God 1st honoured in Genesis when He spoke about the woman whose seed is the enemy of the serpent & crushes his head. In revelations, God shows John a vision about her. Any true disciple of Christ should take Mary as his/her mother if not for anything, in obedience to the last words of our Lord as He hung on the cross. You don't know anything about catholic doctrines save hate tales told by people who hate catholics.

tishbite41:
which Christ founded Catholic? definitely not Jesus Christ.

Unless the person who said "thou art peter & on this rock I would build my church" wasn't Jesus Christ. The catholic church traces its origins to the time of the apostles. Look at history. Every other 'church' broke away from the catholic church. We weren't founded when 1 man claimed to be led by the Spirit & founded a church with himself as the head, sometimes taking away the congregation of the former church he was in.

BluntBoy:
The Bible said we should never bow down to idols. Your church encourages people to bow down to idols. Your church has over a billion members. These members are being led astray. The Antichrist would lead many astray. Would deceive, if possible, even the elect. The Catholic Church is that Antichrist. She has strong influence on world politics and economies just as the Bible predicted. The Catholic Church is the Antichrist leading many of you astray.

I was born & baptized in the catholic church yet no priest has ever told me to bow to an image before. Images serves as a reminder of our faith. There is no doubt that we remember images better than words after all there's a saying that a picture is worth 1000 words. An example is a stained glass image in my church depicting Jesus knocking on a door which brings to my remembrance revelations 3:20. The cross makes me remember the sacrifice Jesus made for my Redemption & how I'm supposed to deny myself, pick up my cross & follow Him. I have heard people give testimony about how a picture of their G.O drove robbers away yet they are angry when catholics venerate images depicting Jesus Christ or Mary. I've seen people prostrate before the altars in their churches yet these same people tell me I'm practicing idolatry. These same individuals would come for my neck when I call Mary the mother of Jesus my mother & ask her to pray for me yet they lavish 'mummy G.O' with so much accolades & would ask for her advice & prayer whenever they get the chance. Let me sha not judge; God knows all.

NoFavors:
Of course they'd still be able to view but restricted to just that. They won't be able to flood the thread with jargon. Most of these people are members of other religions who do this things intentionally

I got your point tho

Let them make their comments & jeer. God has given them the freewill to do so. We can only tell them what they are doing is wrong. If they wilfully continue, we leave the matter to God. Remember the answer David gave abishai when he asked for permission to behead shimei the benjaminite that insulted & stoned him as he fled Absalom?

BluntBoy:
The Roman Catholic Church is evil. She is the Antichrist.

A church whose founder was Christ & who can trace its history to the apostles is Antichrist? A church who under the guidance of the Holy Spirit brought forth the bible & doctrines such as the divinity of christ, the trinity etc is Antichrist? Kindly watch your words because you would account for every word you uttered in this world.

lankieman:

I'm not offended. God is God no matter what anyone says. You can't make Him bigger or smaller than He already is. 1 just feels sorry for the people who haven't accepted that they are limited & don't have all the answers. They live like there is no end yet death comes & makes a farce of everything. I was once a bit like you. I fled the message of God numerous times until something happened to me that shook me to my core. For a moment, the will to live was about to desert me then the scales fell from my eyes & i saw clearer than I ever had that Jesus is the way, the truth & the life.

Prognose:
Many of the so called atheists are drawn inexplicably to Jesus! Can't you see how they flood his threads? Its like all these girls on Instagram that have thousands of followers. Many of them come online to insult the girls and jeer at them but deep down they admire the girls and can't stop looking at their pics.


Its the same with these people! They rush to post on threads concerning our Lord, they can't help it! Its a psychological cry for help even though they will vehemently deny it

Whenever you are ready to stop fighting and accept Jesus into your life, not because some pretentious pastor preached to you, not because you were forced, but because you genuinely need a friend, he will be there.

Jesus loves you!

I remember the words of St Augustine "o God who made us, truly our hearts are restless until they rest in you". I realized the meaning of these words when I surrendered to Jesus. The only thing I regret now is that I didn't surrender earlier.

Elnino4ladies:
Who Jesus don epp?

Me. He helped me during the most difficult moment of my life. When nothing or nobody could offer me comfort, i felt His hands touch me, dry my tears & strengthening me. When the sweetest meal tasted like ash in my mouth & i found no pleasure in anything, when I was staring despair in the face about to be consumed by it, Jesus pulled me away & held me safe & He continues to strengthen me daily so that even when I walk in the inferno, its flames have no power over me. For me, to live is Christ. I no longer have any interest in living a life outside Him.

mazimee:
The year 2017 is almost running out and it has been a year with lots of experience both tough and smooth but God kept us going. So many gospel artists both Nigerian and foreign artists released songs that ministered to our souls.
We all have our favorite songs of the year, but here are some of the 2017 songs that lifts spirit.

They are
Dr Tumi - you are here
Todd Dulaney - Your great name
Frank Edwards - very big God
William McDowell - falling on my knees
Tim Godfrey - So Good
Phil Thompson - My worship
Travis Greene - Waited
Victoria Orenze - On Fire
Glowreeyah Braimah - Jesus is here
Travis Greene - Be still
Dunsin Oyekan - if all I say is Jesus

Let me stop here now, I believe some of us also may have wonderful songs on your list. Let's share it together and help some others to add to their list.


What are those 2017 gospel songs that made your year so Far?
God bless us all, Happy Sunday

I'm not very current in Gospel music;just started listening a few months ago but I really like Nathaniel bassey's imela & onise iyanu. I also like William McDowell's "i give myself away".

NoFavors:
Yabo - Solomon Lange (old song tho)







Make Una hustle small brain na


Seun and lalasticlala you see how and why this Christian topics should not be made open to everybody? Look how these lost souls have turned the topic to their play ground smh

The word of God is open to all therefore I don't think it would be proper to bar non Christians from viewing Christian topics. Do you know if perhaps, there might be some who might be saved through this means? Our Lord Jesus Christ endured insults, whipping, & painful death on the cross to redeem us without feeling offended rather He prayed that his murderers be forgiven for they were unaware of their actions. We must do likewise.

Adaumunocha:
Have u discussed it with him? Some guys don't know their responsibility until told o. The bible said ask and it shall b given. You don't even need to ask directly.

Haa! Responsibility? Is that what you think? It's your boyfriend's responsibility to take care of you? Can't you take care of yourself? Isn't it your responsibility as an adult to take care of yourself? It should get to a point in 1's life where asking for handouts becomes embarrassing.

AmazingM:
Good evening my dear nairalanders. Please I need your honest opinion on this issue because I am very confused now that I don't know what to do.

I have been dating a guy for about three years now. Every thing has been going well. He claims he loves me but he doesn't spend on me. He knows I am still job hunting that I don't have any means of income of my own but he doesn't care at all. How I feed, cloth, recharge my phone, he doesn't know. He doesn't even ask how I cope with all my basic needs as a woman. He doesn't recharge my phone and when I manage to recharge with the little money I have and call him, he won't even reject or ignore the call and call me back knowing well that I don't work. He will make sure he exhausts the little airtime.

It is not as I he doesn't have the money, he has it. In fact he is very comfortable but he doesn't spend on me. I am a type of lady that doesn't know how to ask for money but I expect him to know that since I am not working yet, he should assist me with some of my needs but if I don't ask, he will do nothing.

I am thinking of leaving him because of this attitude I feel he is taking advantage of my nature. Please help me out. I want to know your take on this issue before I take action.

Thank you.

I don't want to sound harsh but let me be very blunt with you. Truth is bitter but it is far better & beneficial than lies. Your sense of entitlement is very disturbing. Is being in a relationship a job that you feel you are entitled to financial compensation? What service are you rendering or what commodity are you selling that you feel it is your right to get money from that man? What law demands that he provides for your basic needs? He isn't your parent or guardian & you aren't his wife yet. Please drop that attitude. Look at the the things you say you need money for;recharge card & other frivolities. You are young, educated, healthy & agile. Yes, the current economic situation is terrible but look for something to do no matter how small instead of expecting a man to shoulder your welfare. Don't get me wrong. It is good to spend on someone you are in relationship with & IMO if 1 who claims to love someone is stingy to them, that love is questionable but to feel offended because a man doesn't give you money & consider ending things because of that portrays you as greedy, materialistic & lazy. Any money he gives you is a favour not a right. Therefore, the attitude you should have is if he gives you, good; if he doesn't give you, good. Go & learn something no matter how small (fixing nails, making hair, makeup, selling recharge card, frying puff puff, making zobo etc) that can give you little change as you are searching for work. Who knows if he can even help you with money to learn or provide capital after you have learnt to start your own business? Once again, sorry if I sounded harsh but the way I would tell my own good friend is how I've told you. God bless you.

wonder233:
nobody is reaping and sowing anything.

The only way that can happen is if the word of God has lost its power or is no more effective. The bible says that no sinner would go unpunished. It might not be immediate but it is certain. The word of God stands sure forever. Didn't Jesus say that heaven & earth would pass away before a tittle (dot) of God's word pass away? Those individuals mentioned, who engaged in deceit & mockery of the institution of marriage would 1 day answer to God. That marriage is built on a foundation of deceit & soon, distrust is likely to set in. You think her married lover would let her go like that? The tragedy of iniquity is that it hardens the heart, blinds the eyes & blocks the ears of its practitioner until it is too late.

designVATExcel:
Dude you understand what I'm saying na.
Even the Bible says the mind is willing but the body is weak.
It's the same reason not everyone prays everyday, or meditates on the word daily.

Have you finished reading your bible Gen- Rev? infact theoretically speaking every Christian should finish the Bible every year, but most times other activities take up our time and we aren't encouraged to read the Bible.

Whether we like it or not we are all driven by motivation, it's the reason people go to work regardless of the distance, we are getting a paycheck and there are consequences (deductions) for absenteeism or lateness.
With church going on the other hand, we don't see an immediate repercussion.

God helps us all.

That's why we are told in Galatians 5:16 to walk in the Spirit so as not to fulfill the lust of the flesh. Anyone claiming to be a Christian & doesn't take his/her prayer life & bible study serious is not doing him/herself any favour. I confess that I haven't read the bible genesis to revelations but by the grace of God I would step up in that area & see if I can do that. However, no day is complete without me at least opening the word of God & seeking His face. That is what Christianity is about; being dissatisfied with 1's present level & cooperating with God's grace to go higher in our walk with God, not offering excuses & rationalizing 1's lukewarmness. As for motivation, isn't the kingdom of God sufficient? Nothing should ever come before that. Nothing deserves more attention or dedication than making heaven. Anything that does that is an Idol. You say you don't see any immediate repercussion for missing church? Don't you know a little yeast leavens the entire lump? That's the 1st step in the enemy's plan to lead us astray. He starts by isolating us gradually from the gathering of the brethren. From missing 1 or 2 Sundays, he would bring up something that would make us feel offended sometimes using people in the church. Next thing, we tell ourselves that we don't have to go to church since the people in there are not any better than those in the world. 1 would then decide to start staying at home to read the bible & pray on Sundays rather than going to church. Then, he starts releasing a barrage of temptations at the person focusing on the individual's weaknesses & before you know, that person falls.

AntiWailer:
Christian related posts are thrown open while I must confirm that I am a Muslim before posting on any post that has Muslim in it.

Stupid posts like Muslim women dancing one corner.

Seun and the mods need to do something about this.

The forum need to be a secular forum and not some Islamic forum.

Seun claims to be an Atheist but every rule seems to confirm that he is simply a MUSLIM.


This is what I will paste in all xtian related post until something is done about it.

Pls join me in this protest and do the same.

The Demands :

Remove the creed we must recite before we comment o Muslim posts or put "I accept that Jesus Christ is my personal Lord and saviour" before you submit a xtian post

My brother, let it go. The fact that Christian threads are accessible to all means that the Gospel can be spread through this means. How I pray that wholesome messages would be posted & people would be converted through them.

Vivere:
Oga, I attribute it to the changing of churches, and the way the Word of God is preached in the two churches. RCCG messages are more practical and in-depth. No need for too much talk. Those who have been in both places, will understand....

I have been to both & even once got baptized in redeemed but I was led back to the catholic church. There, the word is preached without sweetening. It is plain, take it or leave. No need for oratory prowess & catchy slogans. They don't have to package it or make it attractive. It is less on the ephemeral & more on the eternal. I don't have to know or like the priest's style. He doesn't have to say what I want to hear. In fact, I like it when he says what I don't want to hear. I just get the message & try to apply it as the Spirit of God directs. Whether the choristers have croaky or angelic voices is not my business. Whether there is AC, fan or nothing there doesn't concern me. I'm indifferent whether the ushers smile or frown, are polite or rude. All I want is to hear God's word, pray & receive Jesus body, blood, soul & divinity in the sacrament of the Eucharist. I ask myself "if the rapture happened & God forbid, i missed it, would I still be looking at all these things? Would I be listening raptly to someone testifying how God blessed him with a huge contract because he sowed or how a sister finally got married after a long search? ". Anybody who needs to still be petted & cajoled with fancy words to forsake iniquity & do God's will needs to closely examine him/herself well.

designVATExcel:
Not diplomatic at all
He could have made his point without labeling his colleagues statement as "useless".

Anyone that knows Pastor Enoch should know he's not a bling bling pastor, his humility knows no bounds. I can reason with opening churches everywhere. One can easily get discouraged going to a far church. But a church you can conveniently walk to, you have no excuse.

On the other hand, the rate at which random individuals are opening churches in Nigeria is quite alarming. I think CAN can do better in regulating this.

2 people can disagree without getting insultive.

If you ever feel discouraged to go to church, fall on your knees instantly & rebuke the devil, command him to get behind you. That church is far is a very poor excuse to give. Isn't it in this same country that people who live in mowe, ibafo, agbara, sango ota (Ogun State) work in Lagos & report to work every weekday sometimes as early as 5, 6 AM? People who live in nasarawa work in abuja & yet they don't offer that excuse to their bosses. Why can't that same dedication be shown to God?

DEMOO07:
what if there are no Churches, don't you think the vices would have increased? Do you know how many people that have been blessed by these churches, those that have discovered themselves through inspirational teachings and communities that have evolved? Please I urge you to attend Churches with opened mind and see how God turn you around. Am even inviting okogie, he will change his church and become born again.

Are you God that knows who is born again & who isn't? Being born again transcends answering altar calls & changing churches. It is in belief & submission to Christ, which becomes a way of life. It seems you think catholics aren't born again. You are wrong. I'm catholic & by the grace of God, i'm born again. I also want to invite you to be open-minded. Attend mass at any catholic church near you. Also attend catechism class & ask a priest any question you have concerning the catholic doctrines. Also, know this; churches do not bless people, God blesses people. He uses the church to bless but the glory should go to Him & not the church.