Where is the " Our Father" in scripture?

The our Father goes like this.......

Our Father, Who art in heaven, Hallowed be Thy Name. Thy Kingdom come, Thy Will be done, On earth as it is in Heaven. Give us this day, our daily bread, And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
      It comes from the Bible in the book of Luke

Luke 11:1-4     King James Version (KJV)

     ¹And it came to pass, that, as he was praying in a certain place, when he ceased, one of his disciples said unto him, Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples.
 ²And he said unto them, When ye pray, say, Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth.

 ³Give us day by day our daily bread.

 ⁴And forgive us our sins; for we also forgive every one that is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil.

     

       First of all when we repeat the "Our Father" we are quoting scripture. Secondly we are obeying the Lord Jesus's command to say "  Our Father ...". Look at the words in red in verse 2. Now why would we not want to repeat " Our Father who art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name" all day long. And why not keep on and say " Thy Kingdom come, Thy Will be done, On earth as it is in Heaven". I think that would be a good thing to do. And why not continue and say "  Give us this day, our daily bread, And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us." This too would be a good thing to repeat many times. And why leave out the last part " And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. " You see when the diciples ask Jesus to teach them how to pray He told them Say " Our Father ..." This was so important that they quoted Jesus and recorded it in the Bible.

      Will we repeat the same prayer over and over in heaven? Let us look at what St. John saw in his vision of Heaven in the book of revelation chap. 4:6-8

       ⁶And before the throne there was a sea of glass like unto crystal: and in the midst of the throne, and round about the throne, were four beasts full of eyes before and behind.
 ⁷And the first beast was like a lion, and the second beast like a calf, and the third beast had a face as a man, and the fourth beast was like a flying eagle.

 ⁸And the four beasts had each of them six wings about him; and they were full of eyes within: and they rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, LORD God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come.

      I am not going to say I understand the book of revelation. But it sames clear from this, that some body or some thing be it man or angel will be repeating day and night the same prayer "  Holy, holy, holy, LORD God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come." This is not much different from " Our Father, Who art in heaven, Hallowed be Thy Name. Thy Kingdom come, Thy Will be done ....... " Both prayers are giving Honor and Glory to God our creator and creator of all things.

      The Lord's prayer ( Our Father) also appears in the book of Matt. Let us take a look at it there.

Matthew 6:7-21

King James Version (KJV)

 ⁷But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.

 ⁸Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.

 ⁹After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.
 ¹⁰Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.
 ¹¹Give us this day our daily bread.
 ¹²And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
 ¹³And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.
 ¹⁴For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you:
 ¹⁵But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
 ¹⁶Moreover when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance: for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.
 ¹⁷But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy face;
 ¹⁸That thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father which is in secret: and thy Father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly.
 ¹⁹Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal:

 ²⁰But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:

 ²¹For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

      The first scripture here is the one people use to condem the Catholics for repeating prayers.

      Jesus says "  ⁹After this manner therefore pray ye:" Here Jesus tells us we can use different words but the same style ....giving glory and honor to God.

       Verse 7 and 8 goes together " ⁸Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him."

        Look at the word for in verse 8. Jesus is saying why not to be like them. "  your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him." So is Jesus telling us not to repeat the " Our Father" ? I think not because it gives God glory. I think Jesus wanted to make sure we would not keep saying " Lord give me this and this and this" because "  your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him." But to say a pray that gives God glory and Honor, ask for his will to be done, ask for forgiveness, ask for daily bread and to be delivered from evil is good. Without repeating the " Our Father" word for word it"s hard to remember all the elements that Jesus said goes in a good prayer. I think that's why Luke quoted Jesus as saying Say. Matt. put's it in a way that gives us an option " After this manner therefore pray ye " but let's face the facts. How many different ways can we come up with, to say the same things that the " Our Father" says.

      Besides since when is quoting scripture wrong? Go ahead and quote the scriptures all day long to give God honor and glory.

To learn what the Catholic Church truly teaches get a copy of The Catholic Catechism  second edition. This book gives the official teaching of the Catholic Church.

Relics, bones of Elisha

      Does the Bible have evidence of God intervening though inanimate objects?


        In 2 Kings 13:20,21 we have a group of men who wants to bury a dead man. They enter a cave, lay the body down, and when the body touched the bones of Elisha the man came back to life. They did not pray or even know the bones were there. Read it for yourself below.
        2 Kings 13:20,21 "And Elisha died, and they buried him. and the bands of Moabites invaded the land at the coming in of the year. 21  And it came to pass, as they were burying a man, that, behold, they spied a band of men; and they cast the man into the sepulchre of Elisha: and when the man was let down, and touched the bones of Elisha, he revived, and stood up on his feet."


    .    Read Acts 5:15-16  Here we have people lining up along the road where Peter was going to pass hoping that at least his shadow would pass over them. Kind of sound like what people do today when the Pope goes somewhere. Remember the Pope sits in Peter's chair.

Acts 5:15-16

King James Version (KJV)

 ¹⁵Insomuch that they brought forth the sick into the streets, and laid them on beds and couches, that at the least the shadow of Peter passing by might overshadow some of them.
 ¹⁶There came also a multitude out of the cities round about unto Jerusalem, bringing sick folks, and them which were vexed with unclean spirits: and they were healed every one.

       Looking at a fiery serpent set on a pole can help you survive a poisoness snake bite, at least in the old Testament. God told Moses to make one, set it on a pole and for people to look at it if they were bitten and they would live. Can you believe that?  It's in Numbers 21:8-9

Numbers 21:8-9

King James Version (KJV)

 ⁸And the LORD said unto Moses, Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole: and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live.
 ⁹And Moses made a serpent of brass, and put it upon a pole, and it came to pass, that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent of brass, he lived.

       Back to the New Testament, hankerchiefs or aprons that came from off St. Paul's body was used to cure people and drive out devils. Sounds like Holy Water and pray cloths.

      Acts 19:11-12

King James Version (KJV)

 ¹¹And God wrought special miracles by the hands of Paul:
 ¹²So that from his body were brought unto the sick handkerchiefs or aprons, and the diseases departed from them, and the evil spirits went out of them.

       Do you know the story of Elisha when he sent his servant ahead of him to lay Elisha's staff on a sick child to heal him. But it didn't work this time because the child was dead. But Elisha lay on top of him and he came back to life. Read the story 2 King 4:27-36  Remember Moses also used his staff to do miracles. ( by the way, Bishops also have a staff but I don't know if they can perform miracles with them.)

2 Kings 4:27-36

King James Version (KJV)

 ²⁷And when she came to the man of God to the hill, she caught him by the feet: but Gehazi came near to thrust her away. And the man of God said, Let her alone; for her soul is vexed within her: and the LORD hath hid it from me, and hath not told me.
 ²⁸Then she said, Did I desire a son of my lord? did I not say, Do not deceive me?
 ²⁹Then he said to Gehazi, Gird up thy loins, and take my staff in thine hand, and go thy way: if thou meet any man, salute him not; and if any salute thee, answer him not again: and lay my staff upon the face of the child.
 ³⁰And the mother of the child said, As the LORD liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. And he arose, and followed her.
 ³¹And Gehazi passed on before them, and laid the staff upon the face of the child; but there was neither voice, nor hearing. Wherefore he went again to meet him, and told him, saying, The child is not awaked.
 ³²And when Elisha was come into the house, behold, the child was dead, and laid upon his bed.
 ³³He went in therefore, and shut the door upon them twain, and prayed unto the LORD.
 ³⁴And he went up, and lay upon the child, and put his mouth upon his mouth, and his eyes upon his eyes, and his hands upon his hands: and stretched himself upon the child; and the flesh of the child waxed warm.
 ³⁵Then he returned, and walked in the house to and fro; and went up, and stretched himself upon him: and the child sneezed seven times, and the child opened his eyes.
 ³⁶And he called Gehazi, and said, Call this Shunammite. So he called her. And when she was come in unto him, he said, Take up thy son.

      How did Jesus heal, just prayer, just laying on of hands, the Bible says "he spat on the ground, and made clay of the spittle, and he anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay," That's in St. John 9:6 the whole story is verse 1-7.
      

John 9:1-7

King James Version (KJV)

 ¹And as Jesus passed by, he saw a man which was blind from his birth.

 ²And his disciples asked him, saying, Master, who did sin, this man, or his parents, that he was born blind?
 ³Jesus answered, Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents: but that the works of God should be made manifest in him.
 ⁴I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work.
 ⁵As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.
 ⁶When he had thus spoken, he spat on the ground, and made clay of the spittle, and he anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay,
 ⁷And said unto him, Go, wash in the pool of Siloam, (which is by interpretation, Sent.) He went his way therefore, and washed, and came seeing.

      And they say that the Catholic Church has some strange ways! The God of all creation can and does as He wills. Jesus said this is my body, this is my blood and the Appostles and the Catholic Church believes Him. Jesus also said recieve ye the Holy Spirit I give you power to forgive sins, The Appostles and the Catholic Church believes Him. Do you believe what the Bible says or do you let others explain and interpet it for you?

My conversion story

       The story that follows is the story of my leaving the Catholic Church and returning. When I was about 15 years old my mother started listening to Billy Gram on TV. She bought a bible and started reading it. Someone from the local Baptist Church got wind of this and came talk to her.
       How everything happened at this time is not exactly clear to me. We were convinced that the Catholic Church was a false religion and was not following the Bible. We bought into this hook line and sinker. After all some things the Church teaches does not make itself readily clear in the Bible, but rather is found mostly through tradition. Also God has not stopped speaking to the Church for 2000 years so some things are recorded in the Bible.
      We went to the Baptist church and was baptized according to scripture. After about two years we left the church because of controversy with some of the members.We went to another baptist church then another. We tried the Assemblies of God church, nondenominational churches with the same results.
      I am a bridge operator and have a lot of time to read so I studied the scriptures all this time. After about 8 maybe 10 years we ( I am one of seven children) were all grown up and basically went our own way. We believed in God and the Bible but most of us had given up on going to church. I got married at age 33 and had 3 children of my own with one step child I considered my own. Life is hard no matter who you are and I was no exception.
       My step child was away at college and my oldest daughter was leaving to go to the same away from home college. Tentions at home ran high and I feared for my children. I would stand on God's promises as the protestant religions taught us. But the stress and worry kept building up. Till one day or several days I walked the floor, litterally looking for an answer.
      At this time I said to myself, " Wilton, be honest with yourself. Either God's word is ture or not. Which is it. The promises are not coming to pass. You need to admit that God's word is not true or you need to find out what's wrong." At this point a scripture came to mind, "Love your enemies". I thought to myself that if I could truely live this scripture then surely God would reveal Himself to me or it would definetly prove the Bible is not the word of God.
      So I put my heart into loving everybody including my enemies, no exception. At this time I was also having trouble with a co-worker at work. Our relationship started to change and we started getting along. I was as much the problem as she was. Other parts of my life started changing for the better. This proved to me that God's word was true and if I followed it God would take care of me and my family.
      A few months latter I was sitting outside watching my garden grow. This is my passion. Repeating to myself " love your enemies, do good to those who deliberately hurt you". I had finally touched God and didn't want to lose that. I wanted to put it in my heart and mind. At this time I heard a voice say " If you have to love your enemies don't that mean you have to love your Mom and Dad" Not out loud but in my head, top left corner if I remember correctly. At this time I was not talking to my Mom and Dad except if I ran into them at a store. My Mom says it was 5 years and mother-in-law says 7 years that this situation was going on. I didn't want to associate with them because it brought back hard feelings and anger. I didn't hate them I just wanted to be left along.
      As soon as I heard the voice I replied, again in my head. " I love my Mom and Dad but I just don't want to visit them." The voice replied just as quickly " If you love them you will visit them." Was it fear that made me reach for my cell phone or the realization that God had just spoken to me. Probably both. Either way I swollowed my pride and grabed my cell phone, call my Dad and told Him I wanted to go visit. It was hard but I told them that I wanted to make things better but couldn't promise anythings for sure. I don't remember if I told them I was sorry at that time because I still had a lot of pride.
      At this time I had a desire to go back to church but where. My parents was going to a non-denominational church at the time so I went with them. I also put in my heart to go to one church and stay there. I was going to love my enemies as well as my friends. But it didn't work out. The preacher had too much anger and he hated the Catholics. I had no feeling either way at the time. My wife was Catholic and when we married I agreed to let her raise the children Catholic. I left this church after just a few months.
      Next I went back to the Baptist church we originally left the Catholic Church for. I was determined to stay there but then one day a man with a third grade education was teaching me bible school. Now I was in a bind, wanting to go to church and not able to accept the choices. I went back to my old ways of staying home and reading my Bible and other christain books. But I did not abandon " love your enemies"
      Before I go further let me say that untill this time I had never even considered going back to the Catholic Church even though my wife and children was going there. I believed they were sincere but did not know the full truth. I had Bible knowledge. This time I would try to follow what was in the Bible. And this put me in conflict with many people. They would say " yes that's in the Bible but that doesn't mean ........."
      I bought books for cheap at goodwill stores,discount stores and flea markets. If I could not read them all at that time I would put them on a book shelf for latter. That's where I found the two books that would lead me back to the Holy Catholic Church. I gave these books to my priest when I joined the church and don't have the heart to ask him if he still has them. The names of the books are vague in my mind so I will not try to name them at this time.
      I started studying the Catholic Church not paying attention to what people said, but studying the teachings of the Church. I was amazed to see that they actually believed what the Bible said including love your enemies. In the rest of my blog you will find all these scriptures they believe in. Remerber this is a work in progress.
      Jesus said that we will have to answer for every word we say and the Catholic Church believes this. Even what we think. Purgatory is real. I have to eat the body and blood of our Lord Jesus to have eternal life. Everything they say is in the Bible, except for a few things. So far they are the only Church that comes close to following the Bible. Can they be right about the other things also. I didn't know but I wanted eternal live with God my creator. I wanted to eat the flesh and blood of my Lord Jesus Christ in the Holy eucharist. I wanted to go to confession and have the priest to forgive my sins. I believed what Jesus told Peter. No one tried to convince me to join the Catholic Church. Instead they tried to stop me.
      I told my wife, she said whatever, that's you. I talked to the priest he said " is anybody pushing you to join the Church".  Here I am wanting to join the Catholic Church and I get support from no one. The priest did help. He just wanted to make sure I was coming back of my own free will. Here is a Church that even respects the free will that God gave us. Let me in .
      I was convinced that this was God's true church and I wanted in. I was ready the accept the things I did not under at the present time because Jesus told Peter Whatever you bind on earth is bound in heaven and whatever you bind in heaven is bound on earth. The first rosary I prayed when I came back I said " Lord Jesus forgive me if I'm wrong but I believe this is your true Church and I will obey what it says". Today I pray the rosary everyday and believe it is the most powerfull prayer there is.
      All my family except my wife and children were out of the Catholic Church. I wanted to tell them my story but no one wanted to here it. No one wanted to talk to me about the Church. Most of the time I had to go to church alone because my wife loved to go to an out of town church. It was hard.
      It seam every non catholic hates the Catholic Church. That shows me even more that She is more correct than they are because you are not suppose to hate. Remember, love your enemies. That's how you can tell the sheep from the goats. Love your enemies and you will become a child of God. Today and every day I want to tell my family and others about God and His Holy Catholic Church but I can't because they don't want to here it. And it's wrong for me to violate their free will. But in this blog I can tell my story and those who wants to read it can and the others don't have to if they don't want too. Free will is not violated and yet I can reach out in love to God's highest creation , man.
      I joined the Catholic Church on 12-12-2006. I have not regretted coming back not even for one moment. I love the Church and the people. I also love those outside, enough to expose myself through this blog. Why else would I do it. I cannot sit and be happy and at peace when my brother is outside. You can forget everything I said and will say except one thing "Love your enemy". Set it in your heart. Repeat it often. Do it. And God will touch you. The great and only God Creator of heaven and earth, God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen, Amen, Amen
      On the day I joined back the Church I also renewed my wedding vows and had my marriage blessed. My wife and I, sister-in-law, a good friend, the priest and I believe a church witness were the only ones there. After the ceremony I got the impression that a lady with a long flowing dress passed between me and the pew. I turned to see who it was but no one was there. Then and there I just knew it was the mother of our Lord Jesus the Blessed Virgin Mary who had came to celebrate with us my coming home.
     

Is being born again enough

      1. Matt 5:20 Jesus is speaking " For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and pharises, you shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven."
      2. Matt 7:21 Jesus is speaking " Not everyone that said unto me,Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven."
      3. Matt 12:36 Jesus is speaking "But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgement.  37.  For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned."
      4. Matt 16-21 Here we have a man that asks Jesus what good things he must do to have eternal life, Jesus tells him to follow the commandments.
      5. Matt 24 12 & 13 Jesus is speaking " and because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.  13 But he that shall endure unto the end, shall be saved."
      6. Matt 25: 30 - 46 Here Jesus is saying that those who do not help those in need will go away into everlasting punishment.
      7. Luke 4:4 And Jesus answered him,saying, " It is written, man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God."
      8. John 3:5-8 Here Jesus says that "Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God"  This is true but not the only requirement. and like the wind, how can you tell you are born again? are you sure?
      9. John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. ( To believe in Him means to obey Him )
      10. John 5:28,29 Jesus is speaking  " Marvel not at this : for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice,  29  and shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation."
      11. John 6;53 - 58 Jesus says that unless you drink his blood and eat his flesh you have no life in you. Remember the Word became flesh,... After you read 53-58 read the rest of the story 59-67 Jesus was serious, He even ask his twelve deciples "Will you also go away?"  Now in 1 Corinthians 10;16 St. Paul says "The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of christ?"  Here St. Paul is also serious because in 1 Corinthians 11;29-30 He says " For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord's body.  30 For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep." 
        Jesus Christ is  really present in the Holy Eucharist of the Holy Catholic Church . When I came to understand the full meaning of these scriptures in this no. 11   I ran back to the Holy Catholic Church.
      12. St. Paul says in Philipians2:12 ....."work out your own salvation with fear and trembling" What does he mean by this?
      13. In philipians 3:11 " If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead." St. Paul seams to confirm what our Lord Jesus said in no. 5 above " But he that shall endure unto the end shall be saved"
      14. Colossians 1:23 St. Paul says "If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, ....."
      15. 1 Thessalonians 5:8 "But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation."    Noticed the word hope....hope of salvation
      16. Hebrews 5;9  St Paul says "and being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him;"
      17. 1 John 2:4 "He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him."

      I'm sure there are plenty other examples but this should be enough.... in 1 John verse 3 " and hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments." Does your religion believe the above scriptures?  Do not believe what others tell you about the Catholic Church. Study their teachings for yourself and see if they follow the scriptures. ( One note of caution, some things are hard to accept at first , such as the teaching on Mary, put this aside for now and see what else she teaches, an soon you will agree with me that The Catholic Church is the only church which truly believe the Bible)   

Rosary, Mary, intercessor

      The hardest thing for me to accept when I came back to the Catholic Church was saying the rosary. I had already made up my mine that the Holy Catholic Church is the one church which truely follows the Bible. So I prayed the rosary as the Church recommends and asked God to have mercy on me if I was wrong.
      I learned that repeating the Our Father and Hail Mary is like quoting scripture. Except for the last part of the Hail Mary these prayers are almost direct quotes from the Bible. The angel Gabriel said " Hail, thou art highly favored, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou amoung women." This sounds like the Hail Mary I say. In luke 1:41 & 42 St. Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and said " Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb."
     The Hail Mary goes like this " Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb,Jesus. Holy Mary, mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death."
     The scripture says in Luke 1:48 that Mary said "from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed". Catholics are fulfilling scripture when we say the Rosary. From generation to generation we are repeating, "Blessed art thou amoung women".
     Remember the wedding, they ran out of wine and Mary told Jesus. John 2:4 "Jesus said unto her, Woman, what have I to do with thee? mine hour is not yet come." That's strange that Jesus would call his mother Woman, could she be the same woman of revelation ch. 12 Who is clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet,and upon her head a crown of twelve stars: What ever the reason, after telling her it was not His hour, He went ahead and changed the water into wine because He chose to honor His mother just as He commands us to honor our mothers. So we Catholics ask The Blessed Virgin Mary to intercede with her son Jesus for us to help us in our daily life here on earth. We know that it's hard for Him to say no to His mother and we also know She will not ask Him to do something that is against the Father's will.
     Why all the anger against the Catholics for us praying to Mary. These so called Bible believers surly never read Luke 6:35 "Love you enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again". Jesus said that we will know them by their fruits. Jesus also said that not he who says unto me, Lord, Lord, but those that does the will of my Father will enter into the kingdom of heaven. If we, myself included, could just learn to forgive and love each other perhaps God would draw closer to us and grant us peace.
      Genesis 5:23 "Enoch walked with God and he was not; for God took him. " 2 King 2:11 " Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven." These two men are thought to have gone to heaven while they were still alive. We believe that Mary died and was then taken up into heaven by God body and soul. Now we are criticized for this because it's not in the Bible. For the Catholic God has not quit speaking to His people. He speaks to us through the Church. For others God has not spoken again sent the scriptures were written, how odd.
       I cannot and am not speaking officially for the Church. I might not be totally correct in representing the teaching of the Church. I Love God and His people so I wish to make you think ( outside the box). Don't follow blind men, meditate on the scriptures then do your best to follow them, praying always as Paul says. Trust that God will lead you in all good things. My journey back to the Holy Catholic church started when I tried my best to live by this scripture; St. Matthew 5:44 - 45 "But I say unto you,Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you:    That you may be children of your Father which is in heaven" I said to myself that the Bible is either God's true words or not and by following this scripture I should be able to determine which one it was. May God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit bless you and give you peace.
    

Priest forgives sins

Is the Catholic Church right.
      St.John 20:21-23 says that Jesus is sending his apostles just as the Father sent him. Then He blows on them and says receive the Holy Spirit , who's sins you forgive they are forgiven and those you do not forgive they are not forgiven. ( take time to look it up and read the scripture direct from the Bible)
      Now this is after the Resurrection. The non-Catholic says we can now go directly to the Father in Jesus's name and have our sins forgiven. If this is so why did Jesus give the apostles power to forgive or not forgive sins? Do non-Catholic really believe the Bible?
     Was this just for the 11 apostles? In acts chapter 1, Peter says that Judas needs to be replaced. So they chose Matthias to replace him. Now we must ask ourselves did he ( Matthais) also have the power to forgive sins? If so we have what the Catholic's call apostolic succession. As the Father sent Jesus, Jesus sends the apostles, the apostles sends others as the church grows and apostles or ministers dies.
     Do you have to be baptized by Jesus for it to be valid. Of cource not. See John chapter 4:2. Remember Jesus said ( what is easier to say thy sins are forgiven or get up and walk). Jesus had the power to do both and He told His deciples that they would do greater things than what He did. He said to the lady at the well go, thy sins are forgiven. 
      Now the question remains if the Catholic Church is wrong " Why did Jesus give the apostles the power to forgive sins?". And "Why did the apostles say that it's important, even necessary according to scripture, to replace Judas?" We can only believe and explain these scriptures if we believe as the Catholic Church says that Priest has the power to forgive sins.
     Eternal live with God is too important for us to blindly follow other people. Either we believe that the Bible is the word of God or not. If we believe that it is then let us believe what it says ( not what the preacher or so and so says). The Bible is written in English. Don't go to a blind man and ask him to lead you, ask Jesus Himself if what you have just read is true. Think about it, meditate on it. Do you believe and follow the scripture where Jesus commands us to forgive our enemies and love those who use and abuse?
      Where in the Bible does it say that everything that belongs to the apostles belongs to us. When Jesus blew on his apostles and then gave them power to forgive sins, This belonged to the apostles not us. Jesus gave the apostles the power to heal the sick in Jesus's name, not us. Some where along the way people got the idea that whatever Jesus told His deciples belongs to us. Peter in acts chapter 9:40 raises Tabitha from the dead. Can you or some one you know do that.
        This is my first blog. As I get to know better what I'm doing there are other issues I want to address, concerning "is the Catholic right?.