Vain Repetitions Refuted
by David J. Stewart
(Brief
Catholic chant plays through once - Right Mouse-click to Download MP3)
“But when ye pray, use not
vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for
they think that they shall be heard
for their much speaking.”
—Matthew 6:7
God Hates Vain Repetitions!
The chanting of the Roman Catholic Rosary is VAIN
REPETITION!!! It is exactly what God hates. God is not
impressed with such empty and meaningless prayers. Some Catholics try to
justify vain repetitious prayers with Scriptures such as Matthew 26:44, "And
he left them, and went away again, and prayed the third time, saying the same
words." But, asking God three times for the same thing, is
very different than mumbling the same dead words (the Rosary) over and over for
a lifetime.
Furthermore, this was not the norm when Jesus prayed. There are
times in our life where we will want to keep asking God for something; but,
that is certainly not the same as mumbling the same WRITTEN, dead,
repetitious, religious, words over and over. A Catholic repeats 52
"Hail Mary" in each DAILY Rosary prayer. Jesus clearly states that the
"heathen" pray with useless repetitions. Since Catholics claim that
their repetitious Rosary prayers are not "vain repetitions"; then I ask, who
was Jesus speaking about? Do you realize that a faithful Catholic who
prayers the Rosary every day, will in a lifetime say "Hail Mary" well over
1,000,000 times!!! Think about it.
And yet, not one mention
is made of the name of Jesus Christ in the Rosary. Like it or not, the
Word of God condemns formalized religion. It is abundantly clear that
the nuns who are chanting the Rosary (which you are now hearing) are praying
with VAIN REPETITIONS.
It is Sinful to Call a Priest
"Father"!
I'm
always amazed and saddened at the ignorance of Catholics. I mean,
Matthew 23:9 forbids us from calling any man "Father" (i.e., to respect men as
God); yet, this is exactly what Catholics call their priest.
Victims of
Catholicism have even been brainwashed to believe that their priests
can forgive sin. We know from 1st Timothy 2:5 that they are LIARS,
because ONLY Jesus can forgive sin.
Even the Pharisees of Jesus' day
weren't so arrogant as to believe they could actually forgive a person's sins
(Mark 2:7). Don't be fooled friend, take a good look at the photo to the
left. People are being led to worship the leaders of the Catholic
Church. I see photos of people bowing down to statues of the Pope,
kissing priests hands, etc. This is so wrong!
The following is the Catholic's defense of
calling priests, "Father"...
"Jesus criticized Jewish
leaders who love "the place of honor at feasts and the best seats in the
synagogues, and salutations in the market places, and being called ‘rabbi’
by men" (Matt. 23:6–7). His admonition here is a response to the Pharisees’
proud hearts and their grasping after marks of status and prestige."
SOURCE:
http://www.catholic.com/library/Call_No_Man_Father.asp
The "Pharisees' proud hearts"? Look again
at the above photo. As I said, even the Pharisees of Jesus' day weren't
so arrogant as to believe they could actually forgive a person's sins. Who's proud? The Catholic Church LIES to people, by deceiving it's
victims into believing that Jesus didn't mean what He said.
For
Catholics to differentiate between the Pharisees of Jesus' day, and the
religious leaders of today, is absurd! Religious leaders are not
to be recognized as anything more than sinful men, who have no special power
with God. Even the greatest men of God, such as the Apostle Paul, are
still sinners, unable to forgive anyone's sin. The Catholic Church says
one thing, but does another.
The Pope Speaks Lies!
In
his Apostolic Letter
“Rosarium Virginis Mariae” (Rosary of the Virgin Mary), Pope John Paul II
declared the Rosary as his favorite prayer, a “prayer for peace and for the family.” Pope
John Paul II goes on to say. ...
"The Rosary of the
Virgin Mary, which gradually took form in the second millennium under the
guidance of the Spirit of God, is a prayer loved by countless Saints and
encouraged by the Magisterium."
SOURCE
(APOSTOLIC LETTER, ROSARIUM VIRGINIS
MARIAE, OF THE SUPREME PONTIFF JOHN PAUL II TO THE
BISHOPS, CLERGY AND FAITHFUL ON THE MOST HOLY ROSARY).
Pope John Paul II claimed that the Rosary took
form "under the guidance of the Spirit of God." There is NO
proof to substantiate this claim. On the contrary, the Word of God
makes no mention whatsoever about praying to Mary. In fact, the Bible
never elevates Mary in any capacity, nor does it lead us to recognize her in
any way. So why do Catholics elevate Mary when the Word of God
doesn't?
Why does the Catholic Church call Mary the "Queen of Heaven,"
a term from ancient Babylonian pagan worship (Jeremiah 7:18). Clearly,
someone is lying, and it's not God (Romans 3:4). The Rosary is just
another manmade tradition of Catholicism. Here is
a long list of Catholic heretical
traditions. These traditions are manmade and are not taught
anywhere in the Scriptures.
Pope John Paul II continues...
"The
Church has always attributed particular efficacy to this prayer, entrusting
to the Rosary, to its choral recitation and to its constant practice, the
most difficult problems. At times when Christianity itself seemed under
threat, its deliverance was attributed to the power of this prayer, and Our
Lady of the Rosary was acclaimed as the one whose intercession brought
salvation."
SOURCE: APOSTOLIC LETTER, ROSARIUM VIRGINIS MARIAE,
OF THE SUPREME PONTIFF JOHN PAUL II TO THE BISHOPS, CLERGY AND
FAITHFUL ON THE MOST HOLY ROSARY).
What blasphemy!!! Pope John
Paul II said ... "Our Lady of the Rosary was acclaimed as the one whose
intercession brought salvation." Let me tell you something right
now, no one can give you salvation other than the Lord Jesus Christ (John
14:6). "Our Lady of the Rosary" is a Devilish doctrine manufactured
solely by the Catholic religion.
The Word of God never mentions the term
"Our Lady." Billions of people have been lied to by the Catholic
religion. According to the Catholic Church, it was Our Lady of Fatima
(Mary) who promised eternal life to all who would devote to her...
"Our Lady said
that many souls would be saved from Hell and the annihilation of nations
averted if, in time, devotion to Her Immaculate Heart were established..."
-www.fatima.org
Can anyone show me that in the Bible? No,
you CANNOT! John 14:6 tells us that the ONLY way to heaven is through
Jesus Christ.
“We ought to obey God rather than
men” (Acts 5:29)!
Catholicism is a lie! The Message of
Fatima is Satanic, totally contrary to the Word of God! NO AMOUNT OF
DEVOTION to Mary can save a person from hell. Where in the world did
Catholics ever get the crazy idea that Mary is to be recognized at all? Please read A Woman Rides the Beast. Roman Catholicism's origin is in a heathen Babylonian religion which
worshipped the "Queen of Heaven" (Jeremiah 44:19,25).
Are
you so foolish, to believe the words of sinful men, rather than the
Incorruptible Word of God? Carefully consider the Bible's warning that
Satan always appears as the good guy, as an angel of light (2nd Corinthians
11:14). When the Devil wants to fabricate another lie, he always
starts with the truth, and then adds or subtracts from the
truth to corrupt it. The Catholic religion has added all sorts of lies
and doctrines of devils to the truth, so that it is no longer the truth;
but, it appears as truth to the ignorant.
The only way for us to
decipher the truth from the lies, is for us to COMPARE every doctrine to the
precious Word of God. John 17:17 declares that God's Word is Truth!
The words of Pope John Paul II don't match up
to the Word of God. The practice of the Rosary doesn't match up to the
Word of God. Praying with vain repetitions doesn't match up with the
Word of God. In fact, 90% of the Catholic religion doesn't match up
with the Word of God. It's that 10% of Biblical Truth that draws
ignorant people into false religions such as Catholicism, and makes it so
difficult for people to see the truth.
I once witnessed to a Mexican
woman who had joined the Jehovah Witnesses cult. She had five
little girls, who were now being brainwashed by the Jehovah Witnesses. I explained to the mom, from the Word of God, that the Jehovah Witnesses
deny Christ's deity, the Godhead, and even go as far as to teach that
Michael the archangel became Jesus on earth.
She was totally blinded
and said, "But they visited me in the hospital, and they talked about Jesus,
and they brought food to my family." I couldn't help but think of
Jesus' words in Matthew 7:21-23, and I showed the woman these Scriptures...
“Not every one that saith unto me,
Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven;
but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in
heaven. Many will say to me
in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name
have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then
will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work
iniquity.”
—Matthew 7:21-23
John 6:40 plainly tells us, “And this
is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and
believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the
last day.” Matthew 7:21-23 is one of the most mistranslated and
misunderstood passages of Scripture in the Holy Bible concerning salvation.
I've heard John MacArthur, Ray Comfort, Billy Graham, Paul Washer and other
heretics wrestle this Scripture to their own destruction (2nd Peter 3:16).
In each case of the aforementioned false teachers, they all say that the
reason why Christ turned these religious workers away is because they still
had sin in their daily lives, having failed to properly repent of their
sins.
Here for example is
Evangelist Ray Comfort commentary on Matthew 7:23...
On page 1197 of THE EVIDENCE BIBLE, Ray
Comfort comments on Matthew 7:22-23...
"These are perhaps the most
frightening verses in the Bible. Vast multitudes of professing
Christians fit into the category spoken of here. They call Jesus 'Lord,'
but they practice lawlessness. They profess faith in Jesus, but have no
regard for the divine law. They tell 'fibs' or 'white' lies, take things
that belong to others, have a roaming eye for the opposite sex, etc.
They are liars, thieves, and adulterers at heart, who will be cast from
the gates of heaven into the jaws of hell."
SOURCE: THE EVIDENCE
BIBLE, by Ray Comfort, pg. 1197; 2003, Bridge-Logos Publishers,
Orlando, Florida
Ladies
and gentleman, Ray Comfort is teaching works salvation! According to what we
just read by Ray Comfort, every believer who willingly allows sin in their
life won't be allowed into Heaven. Mr. Comfort is teaching that you cannot
get to Heaven unless you try really hard to stop sinning. This is a
works-based mindset and a false Gospel. What a nerve-racking and miserable
way to live, continually wondering if you'll make it through the pearly
gates when you die (if you've been good enough). My friend, the Bible
teaches something entirely different. In Christianity, we have God's solemn
promise that He will save those who BELIEVE, without works of any sort. We
are safe and 100% secure because of God's imputed righteousness attributed
to every believer through faith in the Gospel.
How I choose to live as a believer is entirely a matter of Discipleship, and
not Salvation. Amen! Salvation is completely free; but Discipleship will
cost you everything. Salvation relies solely upon God's faithfulness; but
Discipleship relies totally upon the believer's faithfulness. Salvation can
never be lost; but Discipleship can be lost.
For more excellent comparisons, please click HERE.
Anyway, getting back to the Jehovah's Witness
woman who wouldn't listen to the Bible. That
foolish woman had sold her soul to Satan for some kind words, a box of food,
and a hospital visit. Isn't this so typical of people today? People
will sell out for money, sex, a promotion, a box of food, a friendly visit,
et cetera. Talk about the foolish mouse who wanted the cheese. I meet people like this all the time,
who like Esau for a bowl of lentil stew sold his soul. The point I am trying to get
across is that you had better follow God's Word, and not man. This
woman didn't care about God's Word, all she cared about were the nice things
these false prophets did for her (Matthew 7:22-23).
Literally, people will reject the Word of God
in favor of satanic false prophets, simply because they brought her a box of
food and made her feel happy while in the hospital. That is how the carnal
human mind works. The most faithful, Bible-preaching, soul-winning, genuine
people-loving, God-fearing, churches today are small congregations in
attendance, but great in God's Holy Spirit power. And contrawise, America's
large and mega-churches are graveyards of bloating spiritually-dead corpses,
a wasteland of bigshots like Diotrephes (the rich) who love to control the
church and their hen-pecked pastorette with his sermonettes. Tragically,
God's power has been replaced with religious machinery. I'm definitely
including independent Baptist churches here too. The biggest churches run
the least buses and have the fewest ministries.
There is nothing in The Great Commission about
gathering around the Word for men's Bible study. The four elements of The
Great Commission are to: 1) GO; 2) PREACH THE GOSPEL; 3) WATER BAPTIZE NEW
CONVERTS; and 4) TEACH THEM TO GO DO LIKEWISE (i.e., perpetuating the
Gospel). This is God's plan (Matthew 28:19-20). The best way to teach and
train is while DOING IT!!! Bible colleges are producing misfits who know a
lot of facts about the Bible, but don't know how to start and operate a Bus
Ministry. The have head smarts, but don't know how to pound a nail with a
hammer, literally. We need a revival of what we teach our youth in Bible
colleges these days. As a rule, the students cannot rise above the
spirituality and zeal for serving God as the college administrators. THAT'S
SCARY HUH? What are you doing to make a difference for God??? We need
warriors on the Christian battlefield, marching on as to war!!!
Onward Christian soldier!!!
Marching as to war!!!
With the cross of Jesus, going on before!!!
How many Bible colleges do you know of, who
recruit warriors to fight in God's army? Instead, today's Bible colleges are
fun centers who are recruiting musicians, artists, scientists and teachers,
to prepare for a career in the religious world, while the world goes to Hell
without ever hearing the preaching of the Gospel. What apostasy! All of the
young women wear sexy clothing in today's Bible universities and churches,
shaming the Lord who made and bought them with His own blood..
Man's Traditions Verses the Word of
God
Just as the foolish woman, over one billion
professed Catholics are following men instead of God. This is a great
sin, as we read in Mark 7:13...
"Making the word of God of none effect through your tradition..."
Catholics often try to justify their fabricated
traditions by drawing attention to traditions mentioned in the Bible. One such Scripture is 2nd Thessalonians 2:15, "Therefore, brethren, stand
fast, and hold the traditions which ye have been taught, whether by
word, or our epistle."
However, the Bible also states in
Colossians 2:8, "Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and
vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the
world, and not after Christ." Clearly, there are good and bad
traditions. One must keep in mind at the time Paul spoke these words
that the Word of God was not yet completed. The Bible was not
completed until around A.D. 95 when the Book of Revelation was finished.
So before the Bible was completed, believers relied upon the spoken words of
the Apostles who had been taught by our Lord, and the Words which God had
put into their hearts, and of course, the Old Testament. Once the Word
of God was completed, there was NO need for any more traditions.
Hebrews 1:2 is clear that God speaks to us today through the Son (the Word
of God, John 1:1 and Revelation 19:13), and the Holy Spirit of God (John
16:13; 1st John 2:27). God doesn't speak today through Popes,
visions, apparitions, dreams, or omens. God speaks through His Word,
and the spiritual voice of the Holy Spirit. God's Spirit and the Word
of God are inseparable.
Conclusion
The Rosary and praying in vain repetition are
totally opposed and contradictory to the Word of God. There is
absolutely nothing in the Bible concerning the many heresies which the
Catholic Church teaches. You won't find the Immaculate Heart of Mary,
or the Immaculate Conception of Mary, or the Assumption of Mary anywhere in
the Word of God. These are lies of Catholicism, designed to brainwash
you into worshipping Mary instead of God.
Should it be surprising that
the Vatican removed the 2nd commandment from
their official Catechism... "Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven
image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in
the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: Thou shalt
not bow down thyself to them." They split the tenth command
into two parts to compensate for the missing second. Exodus 20:4,5
throws a monkey wrench into bowing down to all of Catholicism's horde of
statues and graven images. What a bunch of deceivers!
Hail Mary! Hail Satan!
