It was my privilege to visit the West of Ireland for a week in June 2010. The purpose of my visit was to meet up with two Believers with which I had made contact while witnessing on the streets of Chester. The visit was an occasion for rejoicing while fellowshipping with Believers who had come out of Rome, but also one of sorrow at the darkness, seen and felt, at the Marian shrine at Knock in County Mayo.
It was a joy to go into homes and listen to the testimonies of those who had been steeped in Romanism and were now rejoicing in the liberty wherewith Christ had set them free. One told of how she informed the chapel authorities that she would not be serving at the mass anymore as she was now a Bible Christian. She related how she took down and destroyed the so-called holy pictures, the last to go being the "Sacred Heart" which is displayed in most Roman Catholic homes in Ireland. What a joy it was to see the text "There is one mediator between God and man", in its place. This is evidence of Holy Ghost conversions, not the spurious type, which are all too common, where the converts remain in the RC Church or are half in and out.
There have been quite a number of converts in the West of Ireland this past twenty five years. There are many homes now clear of idols and many rejoicing in the only priest who can forgive sin. This did not happen without a struggle and threats of which I cannot particularly speak. There was also despicable behaviour by leaders of certain denominations which one would not expect to find among the ungodly, let alone those who claim to be born from above.
I paid a visit to the Marian Shrine at Knock. The spiritual darkness of that place could be seen and felt. What a contrast to the homes of those who have been set free! I saw a youngish woman walking around the buildings several times, her lips moving as she walked. Then she went to the stations of the cross, so called, genuflecting and praying at each, kissing the stonework as she moved along. I saw other women, rosary beads dangling from their fingers and lips moving, rub and kiss some stones set into the wall of a modern auditorium. These stones were from the gable of the chapel upon which the apparition supposedly appeared.
In another area there were several taps through which "holy water" was dispensed. A number of women were stocking up, filling their bags with full bottles. Through the glass a priest was visible as he celebrated the blasphemous mass. He was the centre of attention as he went through all the gestures and posturings that he had to do in order to work his "magic". The overriding impression was that of an actor on stage.
The small village of Knock is totally given over to the sale of idols, pictures and all sorts of tat associated with such places. One was reminded of Ephesus and the riots caused by the loss of trade due to the effectiveness of Paul's preaching. One shop had a towel for sale with the following prayer, here given in part.
Bless this pub O Lord I pray,
Keep it open night and day.
Bless the lager and the stout,
In the bottle or poured out.
This is an example of Roman Catholicism's inability to change the heart of man. Most Roman Catholic Churches have a licensed social club attached to which many of those attending mass head for afterwards, including the priest.
Remember the Christians there as they witness in the midst of this darkness. Pray that they may be kept from danger and false shepherds. Pray that many more will be brought out of the darkness of Romanism into the glorious Kingdom of Light.
8 comments:
Thank you for this very interesting article! It is good to know that a gospel light is shining in such a dark, superstitious place.
From your posts it seems that your life and ministry are devoted to hating Catholics, especially Irish Catholics. Christianity is supposed to be about love, not hate. Fortunately, you won't be in charge on Judgment Day.
I am afraid, Sandra, that your comments about my supposed hating of Roman Catholics is all too common in these apostate and compromised days in which we live.
Let me make myself clear as to where I stand in regard to the RC Church. Because the Church of Rome teaches a way of salvation, along with a host of other unbiblical doctrines, no member of that church can be saved as long as they adhere to those doctrines, especially that of salvation by works and ritual.
It is because I have a concern for the eternal welfare of Roman Catholics, especially Irish Roman Catholics, that I expose the false teachings of the Church of Rome in the light of Biblical truth. Far from hating Roman Catholics I am greatly concerned for their salvation. I rejoice to hear of any person being saved but I especially rejoice when I hear of Roman Catholics coming to a saving knowledge of Christ. I had blessed fellowship with a number of such when I was in the West of Ireland recently. In fact, my writing of this email was interrupted by a phone call from the family I was staying with. We were recounting the blessed time we had together in our times of worship.
If that is hatred in your eyes, then I am truly sorry for you.
Really? Christ Himself did good works, perhaps you consider His way of life compromised too?
The Gospels reveal Christ's teachings quite clearly, He told us to feed the hungry and clothe the naked, and even went as far as to say that as much as we do to the least of those, we do unto Him. That sounds to me like He was OK with good works, and that's good enough for me.
Rather than patronising me with your pity, perhaps you could refresh your knowledge of Christ's teachings by reading the New Testament with more attention.
I would be interested to know which of the many branches of Protestantism you follow - is it the lecherous serial killer Henry VIII's version, or that of the ex-priest Luther, who was more interested in worldly pleasures than in serving God (he was a vicious anti-Semite too), or perhaps you prefer the arch misogynist Knox's version? Or have you developed your own, personal, brand-new version?
Well, well, well, Sandra,
You are really showing what's in your heart now. First you accuse me of hatred and now of patronising you. It reminds me of what Christ said as He dealt with the people in His day. "But whereunto shall I liken this generation? It is like unto children sitting in the markets, and calling unto their fellows, And saying, We have piped unto you, and ye have not danced; we have mourned unto you, and ye have not lamented. For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, He hath a devil. The Son of man came eating and drinking, and they say, Behold a gluttonous man and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners. But wisdom is justified of her children." Matthew 11 vs 16-19.
I am all for doing good works. In fact I believe that good works are a necessary fruit of salvation. You, and your church, on the other hand, believe that good works are a cause of salvation, not a consequence. The Protestant position is set forth in Ephesians 2 vs 8-10. "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them." Grace is the unmerited favour of God. As you can read for yourself the Scripture clearly teaches that 'It is not of works'. Can anything be plainer?
The Great Commission was and is to preach the Gospel first and foremost. Secondly, it is to teach whatsoever Christ commanded. Humanitarian work comes after that.
You name three individuals and want to know which of them we follow. The answer is, none of them. We are followers of Christ as He is revealed in the Scriptures. Henry the VIII lived and died a Roman Catholic. He removed one usurper, the Pope, as head of the RC Church, substituting himself. He had Roman Catholics hung drawn and quartered for high treason and the Bible Christians burnt for heresy, including William Tyndale the Bible translator, which penalty your church so charitably introduced. Henry left money for masses to be said for the repose of his soul, which masses are still taking place. Hardly a Protestant pursuit I should say!
You accuse Martin Luther of anti-semitism. He certainly made some anti-semitic outbursts. But then he had good tutors. The RC Church has a long history of persecuting the Jews, culminating with the Holocaust. Hitler after all was a good Romanist who said he was putting into practice RC social doctrine. Don't forget the shameful silence of the "German Pope", Pius XII, who never said so much as a word against what was taking place. The SS was modelled on the manual of discipline of the Jesuits, their 'Deaths Head' badge being one commonly used by the followers of Loyola.
I suppose your misogyny accusation against John Knox was his calling the reigns of Bloody Mary and Mary Queens of Scots, as being "This monstrous regimen of women." How right he was!
If you want to fling mud at Protestant leaders I can fling truck loads in return. The history of the Papacy is one of the most disgraceful of any organisation in history. How they have the effrontery to say that the popes are infallible when they pronounce on faith and morals when the faith they pronounce on is at complete variance with the word of God and their morals, or lack of them, are a matter of history. If you want me to give chapter and verse I will. But, I would rather speak of Him who could say to His enemies "Which of you convinceth me of sin." I would rather trust in the sinless Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.
Roman Catholicism treats its adherents shamefully. It is only Christians that have compassion upon the lost of this system, not the preists of it who keep souls in abject darkness so as to keep the money rolling in. It is natural that those involved in Popery object to it being attacked, which Christians understand, as it their first love. If this system had real compassion it would feed the poor, rather than fleecing them. The Pope has so much wealth that CAFOD is nothing but hypocrisy. Let us see the faith of the Pope by his works, distribute the billions that he has, to feed and house the poor, and to teach, most of all, the word of God, not the papal word.
Just found this site. Popery not only encourages and promotes alcoholism, resulting in the destruction of family life, but continues to encourage the sphere of superstition, which it is the centre of, being Mystery Babylon, the Mother of harlots. This system introduced, into this country, trhough its social clubs, Bingo, a multi-million pound industry that not only takes money from the home, but encourages superstition and chance, leading to atheism, and an undermined future, set by Jehovah.
Yes, Roman Catholics are very superstitious because their religion is superstition masquerading as Christianity. Since Roman Catholicism has no power to change the heart, Roman Catholics will behave much the same as the heathen. Nominal Protestantism is little better.
We, as those who have obtained mercy, should do all in our power to give them the Gospel which they do not hear preached in their system.
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