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Date Posted: 07:42:41 04/13/05 Wed
Author: J.R.Smith, c.b.c. - AACC
Subject: To my Catholic Friends

To all my Catholic friends in the world.

Greetings and my condolences to you at this time of the passing of your pastoral leader, Pope John Paul ll.

I write this because of my concern for the children of Christ who are in need of His counsel and consolation at this time. It is Christ who is the care giver and will comfort you in your times of grief and sorrow, not man.

Pope John Paul, although was the leader of the Catholic church of some 28 years, has stepped over into eternity to be with his lord. My hope and deepest desire is that he is with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Only the Pope and Christ know this.

As the Pope is in eternity, please let me encourage you with this scriptural truth from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

No man, can come to the father except by me (Jesus).

Jesus also tells us that it is HE and HE alone is our intercessor to God the Father. The pope, and all those who have gone before him have absolutely no power to interceed for you or anyone else. Nor does the Pope have the ability to be with you now or hear your prayers or bring forth miracles. No, not even Mary, the mother of Christ can help you or any of the disciples or those who are considered to have sainthood. Only Jesus Christ Himself can do these things by the wonderful power of His precious Holy Spirit.

Please understand this. The Ten Commandments tell us that we can have no other gods before us. We cannot serve anyone that says that have any form of power or deity that takes the focus off of God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. That means, if you are praying to the Pope or any other person who has gone to heaven and expect them to provide any protection or to hear your prayers, then you are unfortunately practicing idolatry. You are putting someone else in the position of Christ.

We all need leaders and people to look up to and help us in our walk to be more like Christ. Our goal is not to be more like our leaders. Paul said to act like he did since he was trying to act like Christ. That meant that Paul would try to take the focus off of himself and put it all on Christ where it was intended to be. Man will fail you, Christ will not. The Pope is included in the man portion, he is not God and has no special powers of deity. Read the scriptures and they will point you to those powers.

I have read where the disciple Peter was considered the first Pope, which is in error. The Catholic church may be the first "organized" doctrinal church, but the first church was in fact a pentecostal church. Unless you are practicing the way the very first church was practicing, then you should be looking at your doctrine. What that means is, who are you worshipping? Who are you serving? Who's name is it that is above all names that you are sharing to the world? If it is not Christ and Christ alone, then you may want to review your church's doctrine.

In order to pray, you don't need a rosary, you don't need a cross, you don't even need a Bible. God doesn't recognize these things as they have no power to put you in the presence of God the Father. Only the Holy Spirit has the power to put you in the presence of God. All He wants is YOU and nothing else. By placing emphasis on a "thing" to help you in your prayer, you place a holy and divine emphasis on that thing which gives it a place of deity. That is again, idolatry. That is not to say you cannot pray holding something. That is not idolatry as long as you don't need it to focus your prayer and place or give it any power, so to speak.

Christ paid a big price for us to come boldly before Him in the throne room. By saying others have that same ability by praying to them, defiles what Christ has done for us all. It also defiles Him by giving power and authority to those on earth saying that have "special abilities and a deity" of which they don't. The baptism of the Holy Spirit was freely given to all men so that we could all be witnesses throughout the world and have the power to do so. It also gives everyone who calls themselves a Christian the ability to lay hands on the sick and see them recovered, to drive out demons, to speak in new tongues, give words of prophecy and knowledge, and to walk holy and upright before our God. The Pope does not have a special power alone. We all have that power and ability as long as we ask for it. Christ said that if we want wisdom that we should ask for it as He will give it to us liberally without measure. He also said that if we come boldly into the throne room, He will reward those who seek Him and give them what they ask for.

Does that make us gods? Does it give us deity? No, but it reveals the character of Christ and points the way to Christ. But we must remember, it is not us but the power of the Holy Spirit that works through us.

Seek out Christ, not man. Only God the Father can forgive you of your sins not man. When you sin against a friend, seek their forgiveness for offending them, then seek forgiveness from God, not a priest, for a priest has no power to forgive. No amount of hail mary's are going to help, only a repentant heart and a true desire to make things right with God the Father.

Read the Bible for yourself. Don't rely on what man says. You will be subject to what the man has to say and you may be mislead and judged if your actions are not in line with the Word of God. And call no man father on this earth as your spiritual leader. There is only one Father and that is your Father in Heaven; God the Father.

I challenge you at this time to grow your spiritual relationship with God the Father through His only son and only way to the Father, Jesus Christ. Also, just joinging a church does not prepare the way to eternal salvation. You must ask for forgiveness of your sins, and ask Christ to come and live in your heart forever. No man can do this for you. This must be a heart felt salvational conversion experience, not joining a church experience. There are many people who are members of a church and do not know Christ as savior.

If you need help in understanding any of this, let me encourage you at this time to contact me via email. I am here to help you in anyway I can and pray with you, counsel you so that you can have a wonderful life giving experience in your walk with Jesus Christ.

May God bless you in all that you do.

In His name and service.

J.R.Smith, c.b.c. - AACC
PowerLife Ministries

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