Ten Commandments: Protestant vs. Catholic

Did you know that the Catholics have a different version of the Ten Commandments than Protestants? I am a former devout Catholic, who never knew this until today, so this is news to me, but is certainly no surprise. 

	Protestant	Catholic
1.	You shall have no other gods before me.	I am the Lord thy God. Thou shall not have strange gods before Me.
2.	You shall not make for yourselves an idol or a graven image.	Thou shall not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain.
3.	You shall not misuse the name of the LORD your God.	Remember to keep holy the Lord's day.
4.	Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy.	Honor thy father and mother.
5.	Honor your father and your mother.	Thou shall not kill.
6.	You shall not murder.	Thou shall not commit adultery.
7.	You shall not commit adultery.	Thou shall not steal.
8.	You shall not steal.	Thou shall not bear false witness against thy neighbor.
9.	You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.	Thou shall not covet thy neighbor's wife.
10.	You shall not covet.	Thou shall not covet thy neighbor's goods.

Please note that the Catholics removed the second commandment against making an idol or a graven image, and they split the tenth commandment into two commandments about coveting, which is completely unnecessary, since God forbids coveting in all forms. It’s no wonder they have all those graven images that they bow down to, because they removed the commandment prohibiting that practice. 

Ten Commandments Passage in Scripture

Here is what the Bible actually says in the King James version (I have added the commandment numbers beside the Bible verses below):

I. Thou shalt have no other gods before me. (Exo 20:3)

II. 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, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me; And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments. (Exo 20:4-6)

III. Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain. (Exo 20:7)

IV. Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it. (Exo 20:8-11)

V. Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee. (Exo 20:12)

VI. Thou shalt not kill. (Exo 20:13)

VII. Thou shalt not commit adultery. (Exo 20:14)

VIII. Thou shalt not steal. (Exo 20:15)

IX. Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour. (Exo 20:16)

X. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour's. (Exo 20:17)

Catholic Ten Commandments Bible Passage

Here is what it says in the Catholic Douay-Rheims version, in which they have added a footnote justifying graven images, as long as they are not adored or served as divine:

1 And the Lord spoke all these words:  2 I am the Lord thy God, who brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.  3 Thou shalt not have strange gods before me.  4 Thou shalt not make to thyself a graven thing, nor the likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or in the earth beneath, nor of those things that are in the waters under the earth.  5 Thou shalt not adore them, nor serve them: I am the Lord thy God, mighty, jealous, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me:

[4] "A graven thing, nor the likeness of any thing": All such images, or likenesses, are forbidden by this commandment, as are made to be adored and served; according to that which immediately follows, thou shalt not adore them, nor serve them. That is, all such as are designed for idols or image-gods, or are worshipped with divine honour. But otherwise images, pictures, or representations, even in the house of God, and in the very sanctuary so far from being forbidden, are expressly authorized by the word of God. See Ex. 25. 15, and etc.; chap. 38. 7; Num. 21. 8, 9; 1 Chron. or Paralip. 28. 18, 19; 2 Chron. or Paralip. 3. 10.

6 And shewing mercy unto thousands to them that love me, and keep my commandments.  7 Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain: for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that shall take the name of the Lord his God in vain.  8 Remember that thou keep holy the sabbath day.  9 Six days shalt thou labour, and shalt do all thy works.  10 But on the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God: thou shalt do no work on it, thou nor thy son, nor thy daughter, nor thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy beast, nor the stranger that is within thy gates. 11 For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, and the sea, and all things that are in them, and rested on the seventh day: therefore the Lord blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it.  12 Honour thy father and thy mother, that thou mayest be longlived upon the land which the Lord thy God will give thee.  13 Thou shalt not kill. 14 Thou shalt not commit adultery.  15 Thou shalt not steal.  16 Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour.  17 Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's house: neither shalt thou desire his wife, nor his servant, nor his handmaid, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is his. [End of Bible quote].

You will notice that in their footnote, they had to add to the Word of God, since any thinking Catholic person reading this would otherwise wonder how they could have so many images in their churches and homes that they bow down to, when the Word of God clearly forbids it. In their footnote, they say, “All such images, or likenesses, are forbidden by this commandment, as are made to be adored and served; according to that which immediately follows, thou shalt not adore them, nor serve them. That is, all such as are designed for idols or image-gods, or are worshipped with divine honour. But otherwise images, pictures, or representations, even in the house of God, and in the very sanctuary so far from being forbidden, are expressly authorized by the word of God.”

Grave Errors or Intentionally Misleading

I want to draw your attention to three grave errors they have made in this Bible. Or are they intentionally misleading people?

First, they teach in this footnote that all graven images are forbidden that are “made to be adored and served; according to that which immediately follows, thou shalt not adore them, nor serve them. That is, all such as are designed for idols or image-gods, or are worshipped with divine honour.” They are teaching here that a graven image is only forbidden if it is “made to be adored and served…such as those that are designed for idols or image-gods, or are to be worshiped with divine honour.” In saying this, they teach here that only graven images designed as such are forbidden, and only if you adore them and serve them, but that is not what the Word of God says. God said, “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, nor serve them.” God did not make exceptions to this commandment.

Secondly, not only did they add a misleading footnote to the Word of God, they also changed a word in verse 5 and in their footnote about it. They changed the expression “bow down” to “adore”, and by doing so, they allow people to bow down before graven images, as long as they don’t adore them. But the original Hebrew language of Scripture uses the word “shâchâh” (pronounced shaw-khaw'), a primitive root meaning “to depress, that is, prostrate; bow (self) down, crouch, fall down (flat), humbly beseech, do (make) obeisance, do reverence, make to stoop, worship.” The Hebrew word “shâchâh” clearly means to bow down, as it is correctly translated in the King James version. But the Catholic Bible changes that to be “adore” instead. Adore means “worship; venerate.” So the Catholic Bible only forbids the worship or veneration of graven images in certain cases, such as those that are designed to be idol-gods, for example. It’s no wonder many Catholics kiss icons, such as statues of Mary and Jesus, as well as Jesus on the cross. In fact, during Catholic mass on Good Friday, venerating (kissing) the feet of Jesus on the cross is an actual ceremony they practice.

Thirdly, they teach in the footnote that using certain types of graven images in worship is expressly authorized by God in Scripture. They use references to verses that actually do NOT authorize any such thing, like Exodus 25:15, which states: "The poles are to remain in the rings of this ark; they are not to be removed." Another verse they falsely claim authorizes such things is Exodus 38:7, which says: "They inserted the poles into the rings so they would be on the sides of the altar for carrying it. They made it hollow, out of boards."  

Another verse they cited is Numbers 21:8-9, which says, "The LORD said to Moses, "Make a snake and put it up on a pole; anyone who is bitten can look at it and live." So Moses made a bronze snake and put it up on a pole. Then when anyone was bitten by a snake and looked at the bronze snake, they lived." As Google AI correctly says of this: "God did not command the creation of an idol, but a symbol for healing that was not meant to be worshipped, thus it did not violate the second commandment. The bronze serpent was a specific, divinely appointed tool for a temporary situation, meant to be a symbol of faith and healing, not a deity. Looking at the serpent was an act of faith, not idolatry...The problem arose later, when the people began to worship the bronze serpent as an idol. King Hezekiah eventually destroyed it to correct this misuse. This later misuse does not make the original command a violation of the commandment."

They also cite 1Ch 28:18-19 in the footnote, which in no way violates the second commandment, but speaks of the gold cherubim over the ark of the covenant. While there were gold cherubim that God directed Moses to make over the atonement cover of the ark, they were not to be bowed down to, worshiped, or served in any way. They were simply made after the pattern in heaven, whereby there are actual cherubim around the throne of God, since the ark of the covenant represented the presence of the Lord. It's atonement cover had what was called a mercy seat where the glory of God would appear when God would speak to Moses, and this is where the high priest would sprinkle blood once a year to make atonement for his own sins and the sins of the people.

Of course, most people would not bother to look up those verses to see that in no way do they authorize the practice of anything that God has forbidden in the second commandment, which forbids bowing down to graven images. Those verses don't even have anything to do with what God forbids in the second commandment.

Scriptures

"But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars—they will be consigned to the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death." (Rev 21:8)

"Outside are the dogs, those who practice magic arts, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters and everyone who loves and practices falsehood." (Rev 22:15)

"Or do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor men who have sex with men nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God." (1Co 6:9-11).

"But now I am writing to you that you must not associate with anyone who claims to be a brother or sister but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or slanderer, a drunkard or swindler. Do not even eat with such people." (1Co 5:11)

"Do not be idolaters, as some of them were; as it is written: 'The people sat down to eat and drink and got up to indulge in revelry.'" (1Co 10:7)

"Therefore, my dear friends, flee from idolatry." (1Co 10:14)

"What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said: 'I will live with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people.'"  (2Co 6:16) 

"The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God." (Gal 5:19-21)

"Because of the signs it was given power to perform on behalf of the first beast, it deceived the inhabitants of the earth. It ordered them to set up an image in honor of the beast who was wounded by the sword and yet lived. The second beast was given power to give breath to the image of the first beast, so that the image could speak and cause all who refused to worship the image to be killed." (Rev 13:14-15)

"Every word of God is flawless; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him. Do not add to his words, or he will rebuke you and prove you a liar." (Pro 30:5-6)

Closing Words

As I have proven in this article, the Roman Catholic Church is not based on the solid foundation of God's Word. Rather, it has literally changed the Word of God to make it say what they want it to say, in order to allow people to commit blatant idolatry in violation of God's commandments. They've also added a footnote into the text of the Bible to justify certain forms of idolatry, by saying that such practices are not idolatry and are not forbidden. They've even deleted one of the Ten Commandments (the second one) in their catechism that is used to teach Catholics their beliefs. 

All of this is a cover or excuse for the fact that they can’t resist falling down before a statue. The devil loves idolatry, because he wants to take as many people to hell with him as possible, and he knows that no idolater will enter the kingdom of God (1Co 6:9-10; Rev 21:8;22:15). He also knows how prone man is to worshiping images that he can see. His demons get into those idols and steal worship from God. In fact, this is going to be one of the ways the antichrist will rule the world by compelling everyone in the world to commit idolatry. His false prophet will force everyone, except those whose names are written in the Lamb's Book of Life, to worship his image or be killed if they refuse to do so (Rev 13:14-15).

I close with the words of the apostle John in the New Testament, with which he closes his first epistle. "Dear children, keep yourselves from idols." (1Jn 5:21).

Attribution notice: Except where otherwise noted, most Scripture quotations taken from the Holy Bible NIV, copyright Zondervan, used by permission.  

Author's note:  I also recommend reading Messages from the Lord for Catholics Worshipping Idols, The Truth About the Roman Catholic Church, Unbiblical Practices of the Catholic Church, and Michael Thomas Sambo's Revelation of Heaven and Hell. You may access more of my articles on the Main Directory of this blog, as well as my complete blog directory at "Writing for the Master.

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

_________________________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.

Catholic Priests Molesting Children

At numerous times over the past three decades we have heard news reports about cases of Catholic priests molesting children. This is truly a tragedy of the highest magnitude, when the very religious leaders that these children and their parents trust to be godly examples turn out to be evil predators.

Fr. Edward Avery, former Philadelphia
priest pleaded guilty of sex abuse charge

In the most recently example, a grand jury accused over 300 Pennsylvania Catholic priests of molesting more than 1,000 children. The Fox News report said that the grand jury's "findings echoed many earlier church investigations around the country." What a tragedy! Here is the report, which you should be warned contains graphic allegations of sexual abuse. It says, "The 'real number' of abused children might be in the thousands." According to Fox News, "U.S. bishops have acknowledged that more than 17,000 people nationwide have reported being molested by priests and others in the church."

The victims were mostly boys, but some of them were girls also. The report documents the horrors perpetrated by these priests like anal rape, fondling, oral sex, and child pornography. These sometimes resulted in pregnancies and suicides. In some cases these priests even paid for abortions for girls they raped and got pregnant. They also further abused their victims by seeking to silence them and pay them off.

And rather than punish the priests responsible, the Catholic Church leaders merely move these pedophiles to another parish, where they are free to abuse more victims. The Fox article states that "The grand jury accused Cardinal Donald Wuerl, who leads the Washington archdiocese, of helping to protect abusive priests when he was Pittsburgh’s bishop." As I stated, they named more than 300 of these allegedly abusive priests, and while many of them are either dead or retired, a few of them are still in ministry!

What reproach they have brought upon the name of Christ! What torment for their victims! These are the kind of people that God is against. He does not tolerate hypocrisy, especially among the shepherds in the Church, who are supposed to be feeding the flock, but instead feed only their own carnal appetites. Ezekiel the prophet wrote, "Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel. Prophesy and say to those shepherds, 'Thus says the Lord GOD, "Woe, shepherds of Israel who have been feeding themselves! Should not the shepherds feed the flock?"'" (Ez 34:2).

The Lord goes on to describe how these shepherds, have slaughtered the sheep, ate the fat, and clothed themselves with the wool. They failed to strengthen the sickly, they have not healed the diseased, or bound up the broken, they have not brought back the ones who were scattered, nor have they sought for the lost; but with force and with severity they have dominated the sheep. They reason the sheep were scattered was for lack of a proper shepherd, and as a result they became food for every wild beast. The Lord says:

"Therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the LORD: 'As I live,' declares the Lord GOD, 'surely because My flock has become a prey, My flock has even become food for all the beasts of the field for lack of a shepherd, and My shepherds did not search for My flock, but rather the shepherds fed themselves and did not feed My flock; therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the LORD: "Thus says the Lord GOD, 'Behold, I am against the shepherds, and I will demand My sheep from them and make them cease from feeding sheep. So the shepherds will not feed themselves anymore, but I will deliver My flock from their mouth, so that they will not be food for them."'" (Eze 34:7-10)

The Lord gave a similar message the Jeremiah the prophet as well. "'Woe to the shepherds who are destroying and scattering the sheep of My pasture!' declares the LORD. Therefore thus says the LORD God of Israel concerning the shepherds who are tending My people: 'You have scattered My flock and driven them away, and have not attended to them; behold, I am about to attend to you for the evil of your deeds,' declares the LORD." (Jer 23:1-2)

This is what Jesus condemned when He said, "But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him to have a heavy millstone hung around his neck, and to be drowned in the depth of the sea." (Mt 18:6). It was in this very same context of harming children that the Lord said, "Woe to the world because of its stumbling blocks! For it is inevitable that stumbling blocks come; but woe to that man through whom the stumbling block comes!" (Mt 18:7).

The latest report proves that the Catholic Church is an organized crime syndicate like the mafia, in light of their systematic cover up of abuses that occurred over a period of 70 years. While the grand jury report covers only six of the eight Pennsylvania dioceses, there were already three previous grand jury investigations into abuses in the other two dioceses - the archdiocese of Philadephia and Altoona-Johnston. Therefore, this is a state-wide problem across all Pennsylvania dioceses.

These crimes were covered up by the Catholic hierarchy all the way from the local diocese to the Vatican. One of the things they have done is try to refer these cases to the Vatican in Rome where they can hold their own secret hearings and investigate themselves. The church has sought to reduce the church's legal exposure and maintain strategies to “avoid scandal.” When state Attorney General Josh Shapiro announced the report, he said that now at last “we can begin to understand the systematic coverup of church officials.”

Former Boston Catholic priest Paul Shanley,
Convicted of Raping Boy

This is not unique to Pennsylvania, nor is it the first such scandal to hit the Catholic Church. There was also the controversy in Boston, Massachusetts, surrounding John Geoghan, a convicted pedophile priest, who is now defrocked. He was accused of molesting more than a 100 victims over a period of 40 years. Since that scandal, other dioceses in Massachusetts have come forward and turned over their records of abusive priests to the law enforcement authorities.

Prior to that one, there was also a priest pedophilia scandal in Louisiana, and there was another one in Texas as well. According to Wikipedia, "The Roman Catholic Diocese of Dallas paid $30.9 million in 1998 to twelve victims of one priest." The Wikipedia article, Catholic Church sex abuse cases in the United States, documents others scandals in Washington, Oregon, California, Arizona, Colorado, Iowa, and other places, but there are also cases reported outside the United States as well. For example, a nun in Argentina was arrested for helping priests rape deaf children. In fact there is a large database of publicly accused priests, which is posted online. Of course, not all of those accusations contained in the database are true, but it helps to show the magnitude of the problem. These are not isolated incidents, but are pervasive throughout the church.

After decades of abuse, the Catholic Church has failed to adequately resolve the issue. But it is taking its toll on the church, because many dioceses have gone bankrupt from fighting the legal battles, and many people have stopped attending the church, as well as withdrawn their financial support. In fact, according to Wikipedia, "Eight Catholic dioceses have declared bankruptcy due to sex abuse cases from 2004–2011." However, as of 2018 the number has now risen to twenty dioceses and religious orders that have gone bankrupt over this scandal. According to Fox News, the clergy sex abuse of children has cost the Catholic Church more than $3 billion.

Furthermore, many Catholic nuns have broken the silence and come forth about the sexual abuse they faced at the hands of priests and bishops, such as sister Charlotte, whose testimony is posted online. She suddenly disappeared two years after giving this testimony.



You may read the transcript of the above audio recording of Sister Charlotte's Testimony.

Or here is a longer transcript of Sister Charlotte's Testimony with more details.

Priests Who Follow Their Own Sensual Desires
Peter the apostle warned that there would be false prophets who would arise like these priests and bishops have. He said. "Many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of the truth will be maligned." (2Pe 2:2). As a result of the disgraceful acts that these priests have committed, others have blasphemed and spoken evil of the way of truth.

The Pope's Culpability

Pope Francis (L) and Archbishop McCarrick (R)

Ultimately the Pope is culpable, because he oversees the entire Roman Catholic Church universally, and the buck stops with him. He knew about these things, but has not properly addressed them and has actually covered them up.

According to FoxNews contributor Raymond Arroyo on 'The Ingraham Angle,' Carlo Maria Viganò, the former top Vatican diplomat in the United States, who is well-respected, has exposed the Pope and called for his resignation. Archbishop Viganò felt he could not go to his grave without clearing his conscience by writing a letter on August 25, 2018 revealing a major cover up of sexual abuse in the Church. He said his "conscience dictates" that he reveal the truth, because the corruption has "reached the very top of the church's hierarchy."

His 11-page letter states that the Pope and other top officials in the Church knew of the allegations against Cardinal Theodore McCarrick, who is the former Archbishop of Washington D.C. In fact, the Vatican was informed in 2000 of McCarrick's "gravely immoral behaviour with seminarians and priests," and was subsequently informed again two more times between 2005 and 2011.

Initially Pope Benedict XVI placed severe restrictions on McCarrick for his behavior, but Francis later lifted the sanctions. According to Wikipedia, Viganò states that "Pope Francis subsequently removed these sanctions and made McCarrick 'his trusted counselor', even though Francis 'knew from at least June 23, 2013 that McCarrick was a serial predator. He knew that he was a corrupt man, he covered for him to the bitter end.'" Viganò reveals a potential motive for this special treatment, stating that McCarrick played an important role in Francis being elected to the papal office.

The Wikipedia article goes on to say that "Monsignor Jean-François Lantheaume, the former first counsellor at the apostolic nunciature in Washington D.C., confirmed that Viganò had told 'the truth.'" Additionally, Joseph Strickland the bishop of Tyler, Texas also made a public statement that Viganò's allegations are credible. According to Edward Pentin of the National Catholic register, reporting from Rome, his sources say that Viganò does seem to have a lot of credibility. Viganò states in his letter that he is ready to reaffirm under oath the statements he has made in his letter, calling on God as his witness. As I have stated, Viganò has called for the Pope and other officials who knew about McCarrick's behavior to resign.

When Francis was questioned about this letter by reporters aboard the papal jet, he answered evasively, declining to comment. On August 29, 2018, ANSA, the top wire service in Italy, stated in an article called Pope bitter over Viganò case that Francis is "embittered" by Viganò's letter, even though the former envoy has stated he is not acting in revenge. The article states that Francis is not considering stepping down.

In his letter, Viganò revealed that there is a "mafia" style culture within the Roman Catholic Church, and according to a report from EWTN Nightly News from a Catholic perspective, he fears for his own life, which is clearly in danger for coming out with these revelations. He even states in his letter that two other Apostolic Nuncios in the United States* are now both prematurely deceased after informing the Holy See of Archbishop McCarrick’s "gravely immoral behavior with seminarians and priests." One of those Nuncios was Pietro Sambi, whose death came unexpectedly following an incident when he called McCarrick into his office in either 2009 or 2010 and reprimanded him sternly, announcing Benedict's measures against him. It has been reported by multiple sources that Viganò has been forced into "hiding" for fear of his life.

Moreover, the aforementioned ANSA article stated, "Viganò also claimed there was a powerful gay lobby in the Church he blamed for the abuse cover-ups, naming names." I have personally read the entire letter and can confirm that Viganò definitely described this all in detail. He states that there was a certain collaborator of Pope Benedict, named "Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, who notoriously favored promoting homosexuals into positions of responsibility." This is not a new revelation, but one that has been known for quite some time. In 2012 Fr. Dariusz Oko, Ph.D., a priest of the Archdiocese of Krakow and Assistant Professor at the John Paul II Pontifical University in Krakow documented his discovery of a “huge homosexual underground in the Church,” which substantiates the belief that there is a "gay mafia" inside the Vatican, known as the "lavender mafia."

While pro-gay forces within the church deny that homosexuality is the root cause for the sexual abuses, Viganò states that "80% of the abuses found were committed against young adults by homosexuals who were in a relationship of authority over their victims." He further corroborates his claims by citing the results of independent studies that have been conducted saying, "Independent Reports by the John Jay College of Criminal Justice in 2004 and 2011...concluded that, in cases of sexual abuse, 81% of the victims were male. In fact, ...in most cases it is a question of homosexual abuse.”

He goes on to say, "The seriousness of homosexual behavior must be denounced," and quotes another source who has likewise concluded that "The homosexual networks present in the Church must be eradicated." This is not isolated to a specific case of abuse or to one location. In fact, "These homosexual networks, which are now widespread in many dioceses, seminaries, religious orders, etc., act under the concealment of secrecy and lies with the power of octopus tentacles, and strangle innocent victims and priestly vocations, and are strangling the entire Church." This proves the problem is widespread, and is intentionally being covered up, which challenges the pope's insistence that there is "zero tolerance" for sex abuse and cover ups. It is no wonder this is happening on Francis' watch, since he supports homosexuality.

One of the religious orders that Viganò explicitly calls out for abuse in his letter is the Society of Jesus, also known as the Jesuits, of which Francis is a member. Viganò reveals that there is a deviant wing of that order that is part of the church's problem.

He calls out "the grave, disconcerting and sinful conduct of Pope Francis." He has told Francis about specific immoral behavior going on the Roman Catholic Church in America, and the pope was neither surprised, nor did he show any concern. Viganò states: "...in the case of McCarrick, [Pope Francis] not only did not oppose evil but associated himself in doing evil with someone he knew to be deeply corrupt. He followed the advice of someone he knew well to be a pervert, thus multiplying exponentially with his supreme authority the evil done by McCarrick. And how many other evil pastors is Francis still continuing to prop up in their active destruction of the Church!" He concludes that Francis "has divided [the brethren], led them into error, and encouraged the wolves to continue to tear apart the sheep of Christ’s flock."

A Thousand Years of Abuse
This sexual abuse is nothing new for the Roman Catholic Church, but has been going on for a thousand years. In his letter, Viganò cites a letter he once wrote to Pope Benedict in 2006, in which he requested permission to disclose to the pope the details of sexual abuse happening in the US. In that 2006 letter, Viganò said that doing so would be similar to what Peter Damian did in his letter to Pope Leo nearly a thousand years ago. He stated that he wished to document for Benedict the deplorable conditions in the present-day American church "with the same intensity that motivated Peter Damian to lay out before...Pope Leo IX, a description of the condition of the clergy during his time. The problems he spoke of are similar and as great now in the United States as they were then in Rome."

A Wikepedia article about Peter Damian states: "About 1050, during the pontificate of Pope Leo IX, [Damian] wrote a scathing treatise on the vices of the clergy, including sexual abuse of minors and actions by church superiors to hide the crimes. Liber Gomorrhianus was openly addressed to the pope." As we can easily learn from history, Pope Leo failed to address these abuses during those days, and Francis is failing to correct them now. They have never been properly dealt with, but instead covered up. It has been one continuous stream of evil for centuries within this corrupt church. When will people realize that this is a deviant branch of the true Church that for all intents and purposes may be classified as a perverted sex cult.

Idolatry in Vigano's Letter
Finally, I would be remiss if I did not call attention to the fact that Viganò ends his treatise by calling upon the name of Mary for help with this terrible dilemma, rather than the name of Jesus, which goes directly against Scripture. He prays, "Mary, Mother of the Church, pray for us! Mary, Virgin and Queen, Mother of the King of glory, pray for us!" This is one of the many Unbiblical Practices of the Catholic Church that I have written about in my article by that name. The Lord Jesus Christ told us that He alone is the Way, the Truth, and the Life, and no one comes to the Father, except by Him (Joh 14:6). Mary is neither the Mother of the Church nor the Queen of Heaven as the Catholics call her, and I have explained this from Scripture in my articles Messages from the Lord for Catholics Worshipping Idols and The Marine Kingdom and Queen of the Coast.

Scripture teaches us that there is one God and one Mediator between God and man, the man Christ Jesus (1 Tim 2:5). When Jesus taught us to pray, he said to pray to the heavenly Father, not to Mary. To do otherwise would be in direct disobedience to His instruction to us in the gospels, and to the very first commandment that says, "Thou shalt have no other gods before me" (Ex 20:3-5).

The Matter is Established by Two or Three Witnesses
We should not receive an accusation against an elder, unless it is brought by two or three witnesses (1 Tim 5:19). However, this particular matter definitely has at least two or three witnesses. In fact, there are thousands of witnesses of the horrific abuses and cruelty perpetrated against the Members of the Catholic Church by their shepherds. And now we have this detailed treatise of abuses by a highly placed Archbishop, detailing the scandal with names and places.

As I wrote in The Power of Two or Three, Jesus said that "By the mouth of two or three witnesses every fact may be confirmed." (Mat 18:16). Therefore, the matter presented in this article has been duly confirmed. By that I don't mean to say that every accusation that any person ever made against a priest anywhere in the world is true or that every accused priest is guilty, but the fact that so many have made these same kinds of allegations over such a long period of time across such a wide geographical area nationally (and even globally) confirms that this is a pervasive problem throughout the Catholic Church. Such an overwhelming amount of evidence simply cannot be ignored.

Putting it All Together
I hope that this article has helped to expose the pattern of horrible abuses that have taken place withing the Roman Catholic Church, and which may still be taking place today. As John the apostle wrote in the book of Revelation:

"I heard another voice from heaven, saying, 'Come out of her, my people, so that you will not participate in her sins and receive of her plagues; for her sins have piled up as high as heaven, and God has remembered her iniquities.'" (Rev 18:4-5)

If you are still in the Catholic Church, then come out of it. One of the things the Lord said through Ezekiel the prophet was that He is going to go after His lost sheep Himself and gather them back. The Lord Jesus loves you. He wants to be your Shepherd, feed you, care for you, and heal your wounds.

For thus says the Lord GOD, "Behold, I Myself will search for My sheep and seek them out. "As a shepherd cares for his herd in the day when he is among his scattered sheep, so I will care for My sheep and will deliver them from all the places to which they were scattered on a cloudy and gloomy day. "I will bring them out from the peoples and gather them from the countries and bring them to their own land; and I will feed them on the mountains of Israel, by the streams, and in all the inhabited places of the land. "I will feed them in a good pasture, and their grazing ground will be on the mountain heights of Israel. There they will lie down on good grazing ground and feed in rich pasture on the mountains of Israel. "I will feed My flock and I will lead them to rest," declares the Lord GOD. "I will seek the lost, bring back the scattered, bind up the broken and strengthen the sick; but the fat and the strong I will destroy. I will feed them with judgment." (Eze 34:11-16)

And the Lord said in the gospel of John:

"The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly. I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep. He who is a hired hand, and not a shepherd, who is not the owner of the sheep, sees the wolf coming, and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. He flees because he is a hired hand and is not concerned about the sheep. I am the good shepherd, and I know My own and My own know Me, even as the Father knows Me and I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep." (Joh 10:10-15)

Jesus Christ laid down His life for you. He is not like those priests and bishops, who are actually wolves in sheep's clothing. He is the good Shepherd and He desires a personal relationship with you. He died on the cross so that you could be made whole, forgiven, washed, cleansed, and have a personal relationship with Him.

I have an important question for you below, so don't go away.

Footnote: *Nuncio is an ambassador from the Vatican to the United States or another country.

Attribution notice: Most Scripture quotations taken from the NASB. Photo of Paul Shanley copyright Associated Press via WBUR news, used according to Fair Use Act for commentary and educational purposes.  Photo of Edward Avery copyright McLaughlin & Lauricella, trial attorneys.

Author's note: I strongly recommend reading Viganò's 11-page letter and viewing the videos I have posted on my Eternal Destinations blog about a young Ecuadorean girl who has visited hell twice.  She testifies to some things about the Catholic Church that she saw in hell, which are directly relevant to the topic of this blog.  Don't miss Angelica Zambrano's First Visit to Hell, Angelica Zambrano's Second Visit to Hell, Messages from the Lord for Catholics Worshipping Idols, Former Pope in Hell Declared a Saint, Pagan Symbols of the Popes, Unbiblical Practices of the Catholic Church, and Pope Frances Supports Homosexuality. I also suggest visiting the Ivarjed website that has a photo journal of some horrible acts of paganism in the Catholic Church, and Jack Chick's page on Catholicism. Also see AP Exclusive: Despite denial, Pope got abuse victim’s letter. You may access more of my articles on the Main Directory of this blog, as well as my complete blog directory at "Writing for the Master.

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

_________________________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.

Heresies of C.S. Lewis

C.S Lewis, author of The Chronicles of Narnia, is one of the most popular authors within Christian circles, and perhaps one of the most loved heretics of our time. However, he accepted the following false beliefs:

Christ did not atone for our sins.

The Bible is not inspired or inerrant.

Pagan religions have truth.

Evolution is true.

The Bible is not literal.

Catholic sacraments spread the life of Christ to us.

Purgatory is a real place.

Hell may be simply a figment of the mind.

Praying for the dead.

White magic is good.

Scripture Refutes these heresies
God's Word teaches us that these beliefs are false, so we must reject them and anyone that teaches them.

Christ atoned for our sin.
The apostle John wrote, "He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world." (1 Jn 2:2, NIV).

All Scripture is inspired.
The apostle Paul wrote, "All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness." (2 Tim 3:16). Also see The Bible is the Word of God.

Jesus is the Truth and the only Way.
Jesus said that He is the Truth and the only way to the Father. He said, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me." (Jn 14:6). We can not get to the Father in heaven through pagan religions.

The apostle Paul wrote, "that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved." (Rom 10:9).

The apostle Peter said, "And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved.” (Ac 4:12). You cannot be saved by following Buddha, Mohammed, Joseph Smith, or any other man. There is no other name but the name of Jesus by which we must be saved. Those other men's bones are still in their graves, but Jesus' tomb is empty, because He has risen from the dead and sits at the right hand of God.

God created the heavens and the earth in six days. 
Moses taught this in his writings, which Jesus said we must believe (John 5:45-47). "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth...Thus the heavens and the earth were completed, and all their hosts. By the seventh day God completed His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done." (Gen 1:1;2:1-2). "For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day; therefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day and made it holy." (Ex 20:11). Also see Oral Account of Creation from Adam to Abraham.

God created man both male and female from the beginning.
They did not evolve from a lower form of life. "God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them." (Gen 1:27). Jesus Himself taught this. "But from the beginning of creation, God made them male and female." (Mk 10:6).

We are saved by grace through faith, not sacraments.
There is no Scripture that requires us to take sacraments to be saved. Paul wrote, "For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast." (Eph 2:8-9). There are two ordinances that Jesus left for the Church, which are communion and water baptism. He taught us to celebrate communion in remembrance of His death (Lk 22:19; 1 Cor 11:24-25), and to baptize new believers in water (Mt 3:13-17; Mt 28:19). He said, "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit." (Mt 28:19). He said, "And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. He who has believed and has been baptized shall be saved; but he who has disbelieved shall be condemned." (Mk 16:15-16). Water baptism is for those who have repented and believed in Jesus, not a sacrament that can save those who have not yet believed. See By Faith Alone - Part I and By Grace Alone.

The Bible teaches heaven and hell as the two possible eternal destinations of man.
There is no Scripture in the Bible that teaches purgatory. "It is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment." (Heb 9:27). Jesus said, “Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice and come out—those who have done what is good will rise to live, and those who have done what is evil will rise to be condemned." (Jn 5:28-29, NIV).

Hell is a literal place.
Jesus taught a literal hell. He said that when He judges all mankind, He will send the wicked to the eternal fire.
 
“Then He will also say to those on His left, ‘Depart from Me, accursed ones, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels." (Mt 25:41).

He said, "If your hand causes you to stumble, cut it off; it is better for you to enter life crippled, than, having your two hands, to go into [ac]hell, into the unquenchable fire, and where their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched." (Mk 9:43-44)

Those who worship the beast and receive his mark will be tormented forever by fire and brimstone, undoubtedly in hell, the lake of fire. “Then another angel, a third one, followed them, saying with a loud voice, ‘If anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives a mark on his forehead or on his hand, he also will drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is mixed in full strength in the cup of His anger; and he will be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. And the smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever; they have no rest day and night, those who worship the beast and his image, and whoever receives the mark of his name.’” (Rev 14:9-11)

The beast and false prophet both end up in that same place, “And the devil who deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are also; and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.” (Rev 20:10).

Many others will be in the lake of fire. “But for the cowardly and unbelieving and abominable and murderers and immoral persons and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars, their part will be in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.” (Rev 21:). Also see Where will you go when you die?, Revelation of Hell to Seven Colombian Youths, Michael Thomas Sambo's Revelation of Heaven and Hell, and Eudoxia Varga Testimony of Heaven and Hell.

There is no Scriptural basis for praying for the dead.
Mercy is only available while you are on earth. Once you die, then comes the judgment. "It is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment." (Heb 9:27). The only reason someone would pray for the dead is if they either believed that one may be in purgatory and somehow released, or if they believed that hell is temporary. But the Bible teaches that hell is eternal.

All forms of magic are condemned.
Magic is considered witchcraft. Throughout Scripture, all forms of witchcraft are considered wicked and are condemned. (Deuteronomy 18:10–16; Leviticus 19:26, 31; 20:27; Acts 13:8–10). There is no distinction made between black magic and white magic, good magic or bad magic. It is all evil. The apostle Paul referred to Elymas the sorcerer as a “child of the devil” full of  “all kinds of deceit and trickery”, "perverting the right ways of the Lord” (Acts 13:10). The apostle Peter condemned Simon the sorcerer in Acts 8:20–23. When the Ephesians came to Christ, they repented of practicing magic arts and burned the books, which probably contained the magic spells, incantations, and other magic instruction. "And many of those who practiced magic brought their books together and began burning them in the sight of everyone; and they counted up the price of them and found it fifty thousand pieces of silver." (Ac 19:19).

The Scriptures teach us that the eternal destiny of those who practice magic arts is in the lake of burning sulfur. "But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars—they will be consigned to the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.” (Rev 21:8, NIV; cf. Rev 22:15)

Putting it All Together
As we can see from Scripture, these beliefs of C.S. Lewis are completely false. Therefore, I caution you not to read his books, since this man was an agent of the father of lies, which is the devil. And for that matter, I do not advise anyone to watch movies that are based on his books, such as Narnia. These open doors for demons to enter your life.

As followers of Christ, we must not cling to falsehood or anything that is of the devil. We must repent from our involvement in it and cry out for forgiveness. We must live holy and godly lives for the Lord Jesus. We must not touch any unclean thing. For the sake of your own soul, please do not dabble with darkness. Come out from among them and be separate. Walk in the Light as Jesus is in the Light.

Attribution notice: Most Scripture quotations taken from the NASB. Most other Scriptures taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version® NIV®, unless otherwise noted.

Author's note: If you enjoyed this post, I recommend the following articles for further proof of what I have explained here: Unbiblical Practices of the Catholic Church, Former Pope in Hell Declared a Saint, Pope Validates Evolution and Big Bang Theory, Pagan Symbols of the Popes, The Bible is the Word of God, Where will you go when you die?, Revelation of Hell to Seven Colombian Youths, Michael Thomas Sambo's Revelation of Heaven and Hell, Eudoxia Varga Testimony of Heaven and Hell, Nigerian Pastor Raised from the Dead, Harry Potter is the Devil's Snare, Visitation of Jesus to Samuel Oghenetega, and The Bible is the Word of God. You may access more of my articles on the Main Directory of this blog, as well as my complete blog directory at "Writing for the Master.

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

_________________________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.

Unbiblical Practices of the Russian Orthodox Church

Saint Basil's Cathedral, Red square, Moscow

During Moscow's Victory Day parade on Red Square in May 2015, the Kremlin cleverly staged a deceptive publicity stunt. Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu entered the square to inspect the awaiting troops, standing in the back of an open car. He was driven through the gate in the Spasskaya Tower, and the car slowed down as it passed beneath the giant icon of Jesus in the tower. There beneath the portrait with St. Basil’s Cathedral to his right, Shoigu, made the sign of the cross before putting his headgear back on. Since this man is not a Christian, but a Buddhist, this carefully orchestrated act of veneration was probably not an expression of sincere devotion on his part. Rather it shows how important it is to President Putin to promote Russian Orthodoxy. Putin, a former KGB member, claims to be a man of faith and his administration has also consistently sought closer relations with the Russian Orthodox Church.

Although there is currently a resurgence of interest in the Russian Orthodox Church, it is just as much of a false religion as the Roman Catholic Church.  In fact, these two major religions are inseparably connected. The Russian Orthodox religion has most of the same unbiblical practices and doctrines as Roman Catholicism. Don't be fooled by it. The primary difference is that Russian Orthodoxy refuses to recognize the pope in Rome as their leader, and instead has its own patriarch in Moscow. However, Putin himself, an Orthodox Christian, has gone to meet with the Pope three times in the past six years, most recently in June 2015, demonstrating his desire to strengthen ties between the Vatican and Russia, and improve relations between the Roman Catholic and Russian Orthodox Churches.

While there has historically been a great division between these two religions, they have the same sinful practices of Mary worship, image worship, and priests as mediators. Therefore, if you are in this Russian Orthodox religion, I am here to warn you that it is not of God. If you stay in that Church, you will not make it to heaven. Please take the time to read my previous article about the Unbiblical Practices of the Catholic Church. The same things I said there apply to your religion, too. And please also read Messages from the Lord for Catholics Worshipping Idols.

One Mediator
The way to God is through Jesus Christ alone, not through Mary, the saints, or the priests.

"Jesus said to him, 'I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.'" (Joh 14:6)

"For there is one God, and one mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus." (1Ti 2:5)

No Idolators in Heaven
In his 2013 visit with the Pope, Putin brought him an icon of the Madonna as a gift, and they both took turns kissing it, joining together in their idolatry. However, no idolater will inherit the kingdom of God.

"Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God." (1Co 6:9-10)

The use of titles
The Orthodox Church is very hierarchical and uses many titles. For example, every single priest is called "Father." All such titles are completely unscriptural.

This was another main point in my blog on the clergy-laity distinction. As I stated there, we have only One Leader, and His name is Jesus Christ. Jesus Himself taught us not to use titles like “Father,” “Leader,” or “Rabbi” to distinguish ourselves or set ourselves apart from other believers. He said, "But do not be called Rabbi; for One is your Teacher, and you are all brothers. Do not call anyone on earth your father; for One is your Father, He who is in heaven. Do not be called leaders; for One is your Leader, that is, Christ. But the greatest among you shall be your servant.” (Mat 23:8-11). So we should not use titles of any kind, such as “Father,” “Bishop,” "Reverend," "Most Reverend," "Right Reverend," etc.  The Lord doesn't know you by that.  He knows you by your name. You shouldn’t let anyone address you with titles, and you should not address anyone with titles.

You Must Be Born Again
"Jesus answered and said to him, 'Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.'" (Joh 3:3). Please read You Must Be Born Again.

Repent for the kingdom of God is at hand!

Attribution notice: Most Scripture quotations taken from the NASB. The photo of Saint Basil's Cathedral, Red square, Moscow by Ludvig14.

Author's note:  Don't miss Unbiblical Practices of the Catholic Church, Angelica Zambrano's First Visit to Hell, Angelica Zambrano's Second Visit to Hell, Messages from the Lord for Catholics Worshipping Idols, and Visitation of Jesus to Samuel Oghenetega. You may also like the other posts in this blog, such as Exposing Heresy, Accurately Handling the Word of Truth, Tradition vs. Truth, and Former Pope in Hell Declared a Saint. You may access more of my articles on the Main Directory of this blog, as well as my complete blog directory at "Writing for the Master.

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

_________________________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.

Pagan Symbols of the Popes

Occult symbols abound in the Roman Catholic Church, which are seen in articles of clothing, ornaments, and architecture, as well as art.

Take for example the Babylonian sun god, Shamash, (Akkadian).  The symbol for this pagan god is found in many places within the Catholic Church.  During the coronation of Pope John XXIII, who was recently canonized as a saint by Pope Francis, he is pictured wearing a white glove with a large jewel on the ring finder and the sun god symbol on the top (picture below).

Pope John XXIII with sun god glove

This symbol is seen in ancient Babylonian art such as the example pictured below:

Babylonian sun-god Shamash

A close up of the symbol shows the detail:

Now look at the same symbol in a Catholic Church, and coincidentally the IHS may have a double meaning that also represents the pagan gods, Ishtar (I), Horus (H), and Shamash (S):

This is the same pagan sun-god image pictured in ancient Babylonian art, as depicted below:

The sun-god symbol is also found in the Roman Catholic Monstrance

The photo below depicts John Paul II, recently canonized as a saint by Pope Francis, holding the Roman Monstrance:

Pope John Paul II with Monstrance

This sun-god symbol is found in Saint Peter's Square at the Vatican, as pictured below, with a giant obelisk in the center:

The obelisk was an ancient phallic symbol used in heathen religions to honor and celebrate the regeneration of the sun god Ra (Egypt’s greatest deity).  For those of you who do not know what a phallic symbol is, it is a pagan symbol representing the male reproductive organ (penis).  In the Old Testament, the Scriptures record how the Israelites provoked God to anger by setting up wooden phallic symbols called Asherah (Ashtoreth) poles.

One thing is for sure, there is no biblical reason why these or any other pagan symbols should be lifted up in the Church.  Such things provoke the Lord to anger, because they are detestable in His sight. Yet men who have led the way in doing so, namely John XXIII and John Paul II, have been canonized as saints.

Associating with the Wicked

If you are a part of this religion, I urge you to listen to and heed this warning.  It is an occult religion.  Someone might say, "I attend the Catholic Church and take communion, but I don't follow all of their idolatrous practices."  If that is you, I would like to remind you that the Scripture warns us not to associate with the wicked man who calls himself a brother:

"I wrote you in my letter not to associate with immoral people; I did not at all mean with the immoral people of this world, or with the covetous and swindlers, or with idolaters, for then you would have to go out of the world. But actually, I wrote to you not to associate with any so-called brother if he is an immoral person, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or a swindler--not even to eat with such a one. For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Do you not judge those who are within the church? But those who are outside, God judges. REMOVE THE WICKED MAN FROM AMONG YOURSELVES." (1Co 5:9-13)

If you agree that these unbiblical practices of the Catholic Church are evil , then why do you continue to associate with those who commit these acts by having fellowship and communion with them?  That's a question you will need to answer between you and God.

"Elijah went before the people and said, 'How long will you waver between two opinions? If the LORD is God, follow him; but if Baal is God, follow him.' But the people said nothing." (1 King 18:21)

"Then I heard another voice from heaven say: "'Come out of her, my people,' so that you will not share in her sins, so that you will not receive any of her plagues;" (Rev 18:4).

Don't delay.  Time is fast running out!

Attribution notice:Most other Scriptures taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version® NIV®, unless otherwise noted.

Author's note: Don't miss Former Pope in Hell Declared a Saint, Angelica Zambrano's First Visit to Hell, Angelica Zambrano's Second Visit to Hell, and Visitation of Jesus to Samuel Oghenetega. I also suggest visiting Jack Chick's page on Catholicism. You may also like the other posts in this blog, such as Messages from the Lord for Catholics Worshipping Idols, Exposing Heresy, Pope Frances Supports Homosexuality, and Saints Alive in Jesus. You may access more of my articles on the Main Directory of this blog, as well as my complete blog directory at "Writing for the Master.

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus. Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

_________________________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.

Messages from the Lord for Catholics Worshiping Idols

Today I would like to post a collection of messages that people have received from the Lord Jesus Christ for Catholics worshipping idols.  These people also received messages for others, not just Catholics worshipping idols.  But I would like to highlight this particular topic, so that you can see the strong warnings that Lord has been giving them.

Crushed and Cast From His Sight
In Visitation of Jesus to Samuel Oghenetega, I documented that the Lord gave brother Samuel a message for Catholics worshipping idols.  He said, "Tell those worshipping idols, especially the Roman Catholics, that they should stop doing that or I will crush them and cast them from my sight into the lake of fire where there shall be gnashing of teeth and their smoke shall rise forever."

Idolatry Will Not Save Anyone

In Angelica Zambrano Hell and Heaven, I documented that sister Angelica saw many famous people in hell, including a past pope, John Paul II. She said the Lord showed her this man's life on earth and the reasons he is in hell today (I have covered some of these in a previous post already).

Here is an excerpt of her testimony, Prepare to meet your God! The Kingdoms of Heaven & Hell, and the Return of CHRIST (aka. 23 Horas Muertra):

Then the Lord took me to place where there was a very well-known man.  Before now, I used to live as a double minded young Christian girl.  I used to think that any person that died would go to Heaven; that those who celebrated mass, would also go to heaven, but I was wrong.  When Pope John Paul II died, my friends and relatives would tell me that he had gone to heaven.  All the news on TV, on Extra and many other places would say, "Pope John Paul II has died, may he rest in peace.  He is now rejoicing with the Lord and his angels in heaven" and I believed all of it.  But I was only fooling myself, because I saw him in Hell, being tormented by flames.  I looked at his face, it was John Paul II!  The Lord said to me, "Look, Daughter, that man that you see there, is Pope John Paul II.  He is here in this place; he is being tormented because he did not repent."

But I asked, "Lord, why is he here? He used to preach at church." Jesus replied, "Daughter, no fornicator, no idolater, no one who is greedy and no liar will inherit My Kingdom." (Eph 5:5) I replied, "Yes, I know that is true, but I want to know why he is here, because he used to preach to multitudes of people!" And Jesus responded, "Yes, Daughter, he may have said many things, but he would never speak the truth as it is.  He never said the truth and they know the truth and although he knew the truth, he preferred money over preaching about salvation.  He would not offer reality; would not say that hell is real and that heaven also exists; Daughter, now he is here in this place."

When I looked at this man, he had a large serpent with needles, wrapped around his throat, and he would try to take it off.  I pleaded with Jesus, "Lord, help him!"  The man would scream, "Help me, Lord; have mercy on me; take me out of this place; forgive me!  I repent, Lord; I want to return to Earth, I want to go back to Earth to repent." The Lord observed him and said to him, "You very well knew.  You knew very well that this place was real...It's too late; there is no other opportunity for you."

The Lord said, "Look, Daughter, I am going to show you the life of this man."  Jesus showed me a huge screen on which I could observe how this man offered mass many times to the multitudes.  And how the people who were there were so idolatrous.  Jesus said, "Look, Daughter, there are many idolaters in this place.  Idolatry will not save, Daughter.  I am the only One who saves, and outside of Me, no one saves.  I love the sinner, but I hate sin, Daughter.  Go and tell humanity that I love them and that they need to come to Me."

As the Lord was speaking, I began to see how this man received multitudes of coins and bills; money, all of which he would keep.  He had so much money.  I saw images of this man seated on a throne, but I was also able to see beyond that.  While it's true that these people do not get married, I can assure you, I'm not making this up, the Lord showed it to me, those people do sleep with nuns; with many women there!

The Lord showed me these people living in fornication, and the Word says that no fornicator will inherit His Kingdom.  As I was watching all of this, the Lord told me, "Look Daughter, all of this which I am showing you is what goes on, what he lived and what keeps on happening among many people, among many priests and popes existing." Then he told me, "Daughter, go and tell humanity that it's time to turn to Me."

Mary Worship in Photos
Here are some photos from around the web that depict this sin. Some images may be copyright protected.  No copyright infringement intended.

Other Forms of Idolatry
The worship of Mary is not the only form of idolatry found in the Catholic Church.  There are many other types of idolatry practiced as well.  For example, Catholics greet the Pope and Bishop by kneeling or bowing and kissing the ring.  When they bow down to kiss this gold ring, they break the Second Commandment. There are also many statues and images of the Pope that Catholics pray to.  They bow before many relics, including human skulls and pieces of human flesh.  For example, they bow and kiss ornate boxes containing human hearts, human tongues, and other objects supposed to have come from saints. In Hungary they have the right hand of saint Stephen in a box.  Pope Benedict XVI was photographed kissing a container with tapped blood of the dying late pope John Paul II.

There is an overwhelming amount of evidence of this kind of idolatry in the Catholic Church around the world, and I strongly urge you to visit the Ivarjed website that has a photo journal of these horrible acts of paganism, so you can see for yourself what they do.  They even have a photo of the pope kissing the Muslim Koran.  

Another example is their worship of the eucharist, which is the man-made communion element used in taking the Lord's Supper.  The Catechism says, "The Catholic Church has always offered and still offers to the sacrament of the Eucharist the cult of adoration, not only during Mass, but also outside of it, reserving the consecrated hosts with the utmost care, exposing them to the solemn veneration of the faithful, and carrying them in procession."

They enclose the bread in an ornate container made of gold and expose it on an altar or carry it in a procession (parade) for people to adore.  They call it the Blessed Sacrament and even pray to it.  In fact, they even have Perpetual Adoration 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year.  Where in Scripture does it say to do this?  Praying to an object encased in gold violates Scripture.  Those who worship God must worship in Spirit and in Truth.

My Personal Deliverance from Idolatry
I recall when I first gave my life to Jesus Christ as a young soldier in the US Army in 1986.  Having been raised Roman Catholic, I repented of my sin and called upon the Lord to save me.  He came to live in my heart and set me free from many forms of bondage, including drugs, alcohol, cigarettes, sexual immorality, and even idolatry.  Nobody had to tell me these things were wrong, because the Holy Spirit living inside me convicted me.

I remember when I sat alone in my room in the barracks, and held my plastic statues in my hand, as I prepared to throw them in the trash.  I contemplate what I was about to do.  I knew I was either about to commit the greatest act of sacrilege, and a bolt of lightning was about to strike me if I followed through with it, or else I was about to break away from a lifetime of horrible bondage to idolatry.  I threw them away, and no lightning bolt hit, but I was definitely set free from idolatry and never went back.  The Lord has been faithful to reveal Himself to me over the past twenty-eight years through His Word and by His Spirit.  I have received many wonderful answers to prayer, and never once had to commit idolatry to do so.

Scripture Meditations
"You shall not make for yourself an idol, or any likeness of what is in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the water under the earth. You shall not worship them or serve them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, on the third and the fourth generations of those who hate Me," (Exo 20:4-5)

"But actually, I wrote to you not to associate with any so-called brother if he is an immoral person, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or a swindler--not even to eat with such a one." (1Co 5:11)

"Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God." (1Co 6:9-10)

"Do not be idolaters, as some of them were; as it is written, "'The people sat down to eat and drink, and stood up to play.'" (1Co 10:7)

"You know that when you were pagans, you were led astray to the mute idols, however you were led." (1Co 12:2)

"Or what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; just as God said, 'I will dwell in them and walk among them; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.'" (2Co 6:16)

"Little children, guard yourselves from idols." (1Jn 5:21)

"The rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands, so as not to worship demons, and the idols of gold and of silver and of brass and of stone and of wood, which can neither see nor hear nor walk;" (Rev 9:20)

"But for the cowardly and unbelieving and abominable and murderers and immoral persons and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars, their part will be in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death." (Rev 21:8)

"Outside are the dogs and the sorcerers and the immoral persons and the murderers and the idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices lying." (Rev 22:15)

Putting it All Together
Dear friend, this warning is for those worshiping idols of any kind in any way, especially Catholics, but not only for them.  If you are worshiping idols in any way, please do not dismiss these very serious warnings.  Don't think these are simply words spoken by people whom you think hate Catholics, or that the messages are too harsh and could not be coming from Jesus.  Nobody here hates you.  The Lord loves you, and that is why He is warning you.  Do not resent His rebuke.

These are woes spoken over you by the Lord, just as he spoke over the hypocrites in Matthew 23.  To those people, he also said things like, "...you shut off the kingdom of heaven from people; for you do not enter in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in." (Mat 23:13b). He said, "...you will receive greater condemnation." (Mat 23:14).  He said to them, "You serpents, you brood of vipers, how will you escape the sentence of hell?" (Mat 23:33).

Do those sound like gentle words to you?  No, they are a rebuke spoken from the Lord's heart that is full of love for these people.  Just look at how the Lord spoke of Jerusalem in this very same passage of Matthew 23: "Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, the way a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were unwilling." (Mat 23:37)

Can you hear the Lord's aching heart crying out to you to repent, as He rebukes you for your idolatry and lawlessness?  He longs to gather your children together the way a hen gathers her young, but you must be willing to let Him do so.  Please do not kill the prophets or stone those sent to you in the Name of the Lord, as the religious leaders of Jerusalem did. 

In Luke's account of another such incident when Jesus prophesied over Jerusalem, he recorded that the Lord wept over the city : "As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it and said, ‘If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace-but now it is hidden from your eyes. The days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment against you and encircle you and hem you in on every side. They will dash you to the ground, you and the children within your walls. They will not leave one stone on another, because you did not recognize the time of God's coming to you.’" Luke 19:41-44 

I pray this message will not be hidden from your eyes.  Receive this warning, understand what will bring you peace, repent, and turn to the Lord.  Amend your ways before it is too late.  Produce fruit in keeping with repentance by burning your idols, destroying them, or throwing them away if you cannot destroy them.

Renounce your acts of idolatry and ask the Lord to break off of you every curse you have brought upon yourself through this terrible sin.  There is still hope for you yet, as long as you have breath, because God is merciful.  I am living proof of this, because He set me free, forgave me, and changed my life!

Attribution notice: Most Scripture quotations taken from the NASB. Most other Scriptures taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version® NIV®, unless otherwise noted. Image of people kneeling before statue of Pope John Paul II courtesy of New Age Dogma. Image of Pope John Paul II worshipping statue of Mary courtesy of Lion and Lamb Ministries.

Author's note:  Please prayerfully view these people's testimonies, and use the Testimony Review Process adopted by this blog, as you decide for yourself whether the Lord has spoken to them.  For issues and concerns, each person must confirm with the Lord, whether something is valid or not.

I also recommend reading Unbiblical Practices of the Catholic Church, Michael Thomas Sambo's Revelation of Heaven and Hell, The Holy Fires of Hell, Baptized by Blazing Fire -- a Korean church's testimony, Blasphemy of the Holy Spirit and Discerning the Things of the Spirit. You may access more of my articles on the Main Directory of this blog, as well as my complete blog directory at "Writing for the Master.

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

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Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.