Several years ago my husband and I spoke to the pastor of an Assembly of God church we were attending. The subject was Roman Catholicism. We told him that we were born again and that we left the Roman Catholic Church. He responded by saying that he belonged to a “Ministry Alliance” group who had just welcomed a Roman Catholic into their midst, and they were praying together for revival! The meeting ended with the pastor telling us that we probably wouldn’t be happy in his church. For me, after this type of meeting, a sort of numbness starts to set in and I just wonder what on earth is going on.
After we left the pastor’s office we went to visit my mother who was living in a nursing home. When we walked into my mother’s room the first thing I saw were the rosary beads by her roommate’s bed. Seeing those rosary beads grieved my heart.
Another time an elderly man in the nursing home was proudly telling us that he prayed for his daughter. He said he had connections in heaven. I asked him who, and he said the “blessed mother” meaning “Mary” the mother of Jesus.
And just this past Saturday a resident of the same home told us that the Catholic bishop had just been there for a visit the day before. She said he gave everyone rosary beads.
Later, that same day, we visited a friend who had just had surgery. When we were in the hospital I noticed an elderly couple speaking to each other in Italian. The woman was praying the rosary.
It seems everywhere I look the Lord puts these people in front of me, and it breaks my heart. Why was the pastor we spoke with joining in prayer with a Roman Catholic? The man shouldn’t be a pastor!
Many years ago I was devoted to Mary, not Jesus. Then I became born again and knew, through God’s Word and Holy Spirit, that the Bible forbids such devotion. My heart turned to the Lord Jesus Christ. My devotion to “Mary” proved that I was lost and did not know Jesus. When I say lost, I mean that if I would have died at that time I would not have gone to heaven. I would have gone to hell. That’s the truth.
John 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
Acts 4:12 Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.
1 Timothy 2:5 For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;
Having been a Roman Catholic for almost forty years, my observation has been that “Mary” is the mediator for most Catholics. These are heaven and hell issues. Should we, born again believers in Jesus Christ, be supporting churches and pastors who aren’t valiant for truth. I know I can’t.
PEACEMAKERS 