Where Is Mother Teresa Now?

[Ezra]

1 hour ago, Hoddie said:

So Ezra, are you saying that the Church which Jesus Christ founded is "invisible"?

That is correct.  It consists of all the saints who have believed God and believed on the Lord Jesus Christ, and been saved by grace and kept by the power of God.

Visible Christendom -- all the churches and denominations -- have both wheat (saved) and tares (unsaved).  As Christ said, they cannot easily be distinguished from the outside because tares resemble wheat.  So only God know His own children.  Therefore Christians do not have the right or responsibility to determine who is saved and who is not.  

Of course, the Bible also says that by their fruits ye shall know them, so that is one way to determine a person's relationship to Christ.

Only God knows Mother Teresa's heart and soul.  She was certainly ministering to the most downtrodden and desperate.  We can hope that she was a saint long before she was canonized. But according to her own words, she had darkness in her soul at certain points in her life, which is not true for those who have the Holy Spirit within.

[Hoddie]

2 hours ago, Davida said:

Its made of the True Believers in Christ Jesus , it is not made of brick and mortar nor does it consist of any governing authority accept for our Saviour, Lord & King JESUS CHRIST. We follow the Word of GOD which is the Bible and the Holy Spirit is in us and guides us into all Truth.

Then explain why there is so much disunity among all the differnt Protestant/ non-Catholic sects that claim they too are "guided into all truth" by the Holy Spirit? For example, there are Protestants/non-Catholics who believes that using contraception do not contradict the precepts contained in the Word of God, but there are others who believes the contrary. The Lutherans and Anglicans baptizes their infants believing that it is mandated in the Bible however Born Again Christians, Baptists and Evangelicals opposes them saying that infant baptism is unbiblical. There are also Protestants/non-Catholics that beleive abortion is okay and those that don't. There are Protestant/Non-Catholics that agree with same sex marriage and those that do not. With all these Protestant/non-Catholics opposing each other in their interpretation of the truth, all suppodely being led by the truth of the Holy Spirit, who among you/them is right and infallible in their interpretation? Common sense tells us that two contradictory statements cannot be both true, who among them can we say to have a correct and accurate interpretation of Scripture? The Holy Spirit is truth, and truth cannot be found in the confusion and disunity among Protestants and non-Catholics.

　

John16:13 "…12I still have much to tell you, but you cannot yet bear to hear it. 13

However, when the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all truth. For He will not speak on His own, but He will speak what He hears, and He will declare to you what is to come. 14He will glorify Me by taking from what is Mine and disclosing it to you.…"

Scripture also says in Matt.16:19: "I will entrust to you the keys of the kingdom of heaven" What good would it have done to bestow the keys upon a Church so formless as to defy any effort to identify it?

Then, too, Christ speaks of a visible Church when he recommends recourse to it for settling disputes among his followers: "Refer it to the Church" (Matt. 18:17). He tells his followers, who make us the Church on earth, that they are "the light of the world. A city set on a mountain cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and then put it under a bushel basket; it is set on a lampstand, where it gives light to all in the house" (Matt. 5:14-15; see also Luke 8:16,11:33).

　

Peace

[Hoddie]

1 hour ago, Ezra said:

That is correct.  It consists of all the saints who have believed God and believed on the Lord Jesus Christ, and been saved by grace and kept by the power of God..

Then you should have no problem showing in Scripture where it says the Church is exclusively invisible residing only in peoples hearts. Book, Chapter and verse please.

 

Peace

[Hoddie]

8 hours ago, Ezra said:

The oldest Church there is -- the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ -- started by Christ Himself on the Day of Pentecost.  And it was not in Rome but in Jerusalem in AD 33!

I find it odd that this is the only part of my post you responded too. Why did you disreguard the rest?

 

Peace

[Ezra]

1 hour ago, Hoddie said:

I find it odd that this is the only part of my post you responded too. Why did you disreguard the rest?

For a full discussion of this Catholic teaching please go tohttp://newadvent.org/cathen/12575a.htm. According to Catholic doctrine Purgatory is for Catholic Christians, not for the unsaved (who go to Hell). So everything about Purgatory applies to those who are presumably already saved under Catholicism.

I will simply present here (a) the doctrine itself and (b) the alleged New Testament proofs, given below as quotations from New Advent Catholic Encyclopedia (blue). 

[We can disregard 2 Maccabees, since it is not the inspired Word of God, and the word “purgatory” does not even occur in that passage, merely prayers for the dead, which must have been a Jewish superstition].

CATHOLIC DOCTRINE
Purgatory (Lat., "purgare", to make clean, to purify) in accordance with Catholic teaching is a place or condition of temporal punishment for those who, departing this life in God's grace, are, not entirely free from venial faults, or have not fully paid the satisfaction due to their transgressions.

The faith of the Church concerning purgatory is clearly expressed in the Decree of Union drawn up by the Council of Florence (Mansi, t. XXXI, col. 1031), and in the decree of the Council of Trent which (Sess. XXV) defined:

"Whereas the Catholic Church, instructed by the Holy Ghost, has from the Sacred Scriptures and the ancient tradition of the Fathers taught in Councils and very recently in this Ecumenical synod (Sess. VI, cap. XXX; Sess. XXII cap.ii, iii) that there is a purgatory, and that the souls therein are helped by the suffrages of thefaithful, but principally by the acceptable Sacrifice of the Altar; the Holy Synod enjoins on the Bishops that they diligently endeavor to have the sound doctrine of theFathers in Councils regarding purgatory everywhere taught and preached, held and believed by the faithful" (Denzinger, "Enchiridon", 983).

Further than this the definitions of the Church do not go, but the tradition of the Fathers and the Schoolmen must be consulted to explain the teachings of the councils, and to make clear the belief and the practices of the faithful.

ALLEGED BIBLE PROOF
There are several passages in the New Testament that point to a process of purification after death. Thus, Jesus Christ declares (Matthew 12:32): "And whosoever shall speak a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but he that shall speak against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, nor in the world to come." According to St. Isidore of Seville (Deord. creatur., c. xiv, n. 6) these words prove that in the next life "some sins will be forgiven and purged away by a certain purifying fire." St. Augustine also argues "that some sinners are not forgiven either in this world or in the next would not be truly said unless there were other [sinners] who, though not forgiven in this world, are forgiven in the world to come" (City of GodXXI.24). The same interpretation is given by Gregory the Great(Dial., IV, xxxix); St. Bede (commentary on this text); St. Bernard(Sermo lxvi in Cantic., n. 11) and other eminent theologicalwriters.

A further argument is supplied by St. Paul in 1 Corinthians 3:11-15:

"For other foundation no man can lay, but that which is laid; which is Christ Jesus. Now if any man build upon this foundation, gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay stubble: Every man's work shall be manifest; for the day of the Lord shall declare it, because it shall be revealed in fire; and the fire shall try every man's work, of what sort it is. If any man's work abide, which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. If any man's work burn, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved, yet so as by fire."

REFUTATION OF ALLEGED PROOF
For both Reformed and Evangelical Christians, the 66 books of our Bible are universally the canon of Scripture. Church Fathers, Schoolmen, and Tradition do not establish doctrine for non-Catholics. So let’s see if these passages quoted from the New Testament teach the doctrine of Purgatory or something else.

1. You can take a Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance and discover for yourself that the word “purgatory” is not to be found in Scripture. That in itself should be sufficient. 

2. Matthew 12:32 – No Mention of Purgatory
And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come. Is it true that this passage teaches that “these words prove that in the next life "some sins will be forgiven and purged away by a certain purifying fire”? Not at all.

1. There is an unpardonable sin which is the blasphemy of the Holy Ghost.
2. The context makes it clear that the works of the Holy Spirit were being attributed to Satan, instead of to God. Therefore it was blasphemy, therefore unpardonable.
3. This passage does not suggest that there is something different “in the world to come”. Rather, that this sin is so severe that there is simply no forgiveness for it.
4. Scripture is clear that there is only judgment after death for those who are without Christ -- And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment (Hebrews 9:27). [We will discuss what happens to believers after death separately].
5. We know from Scripture that Hades is the abode of souls and spirits who are without Christ, and will be in torment until the final resurrection and the Great White Throne Judgment -- And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried. And in hell [Hades] he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. (Luke 16:22,23).
6. We also know from Scripture that all those who will be in Hades will also be in the resurrection unto damnation, and will be finally cast into the Lake of Fire – And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell [Hades]delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. And death and hell [Hades] were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.(Revelation 20:12-15).
It is evident that there is no Purgatory for those who are unsaved, or without Christ. We also know from other passages that there are degrees of punishment in Hell “according to their works”. The important point to note is that the word purgatory is missing from every passage which is referenced.

3. 1 Corinthians 3:11-15 -- No Mention of Purgatory
For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is. If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.

1. This passage is addressed to Christians, but there is no mention of Purgatory.
2. The works of Christians will be judged in a metaphorical fire.
3. The works which are of enduring value are compared to gold, silver, and precious stones.
4. The works which are worthless are compared to wood, hay, and stubble (to be totally burned up).
5. The souls and spirits of Christians are not mentioned, and are therefore not in jeopardy.
6. The salvation of the believer is not in jeopardy, but if his works are all burned up he is merely saved “as by fire”, i.e. with nothing to show from his life for eternity.
7. This passage cannot be taken in isolation, but must be connected with the rewards and crowns awarded to believers, as well as the Judgment Seat of Christ.

CONCLUSIONS
1. There is absolutely no New Testament support for Purgatory.
2. This doctrine is a colossal fraud since it tells Catholics that they can pay for masses for their loved ones in Purgatory and pray them out of this hellish place.
3. The sale of indulgences and the practice of offering indulgences is another fraud, since there is no way that anyone can purchase someone’s redemption from either Hell or hellish Purgatory.
4. This teaching is meant to generate fear in the hearts of Catholics, and there is not a single Catholic who can say with confidence that he or she will go to Heaven when they die.
5. This doctrine is a direct and unconscionable attack on the perfect finished work of Christ as well as on the Gospel.

[Ezra]

1 hour ago, Hoddie said:

Then you should have no problem showing in Scripture where it says the Church is exclusively invisible residing only in peoples hearts. Book, Chapter and verse please.

Colossians 1:27
King James Bible
To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery [His Body the Church, see v.24] among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:

οἷς ἠθέλησεν ὁ Θεὸς γνωρίσαι τίς ὁ πλοῦτος τῆς δόξης τοῦ μυστηρίου τούτου ἐν τοῖς ἔθνεσιν, ὅς ἐστι Χριστὸς ἐν ὑμῖν, ἡ ἐλπὶς τῆς δόξης·

So, is Christ within visible to anyone other than God?

Does this not then make the Church invisible to men?

 

[WebersHome]

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Critics like Christopher Hitchens typically focus upon Teresa's missionary practices. Well; in my opinion, a focus in that direction is entertaining but not all that useful in a study of Christianity. I chose to focus upon the supernatural aspects of Teresa's religion instead because it's the supernatural aspects that matter the most; for example:

 

● John 14:23 . . Whoever loves me will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our dwelling with him.

 

Did Jesus and his Father make their dwelling with Teresa and express their love for her in ways she could understand and appreciate? No; that poor woman endured virtually five decades yearning for even the slightest glimmer of their presence.

 

And then there's this too:

 

● 1John 1:3 . .What we have seen and heard we proclaim now to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; for our fellowship is with the Father and with His son, Jesus Christ.

 

Teresa's fellowship with the Father and with His son Jesus Christ wasn't even marginal; it was non-existent.

 

And these:

 

● John 14:16-18 . . I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Counselor to be with you forever-- the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for He lives with you and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.

 

● Rom 8:16 . .The Spirit itself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God,

 

Teresa longed and longed for a connect with Christ and his Father in the manner described in those two passages but it never happened; which gives me a strong reason to suspect that Teresa didn't make it to safety when she passed on.

 

● Rom 8:9 . . You are in the Spirit, if only the Spirit of God dwells in you. Whoever does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him.

 

Now, of course an irreligious critic like Hitchens wouldn't be interested in the supernatural aspects of Teresa's religion because it's all just myth and hocus pocus to guys like him. But those of us serious about connecting with Christ and his Father would quite naturally be very interested because in the backs of our minds we all fear the event depicted at Rev 20:11-15 and the possibility of facing death akin to a foundry worker falling into a vat of molten iron.

 

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[WebersHome]

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Here's a supernatural aspect of Christianity that isn't talked about much.

 

● Rom 8:15 . . For you have not received a spirit of slavery again to fear; but you have received a spirit of adoption, whereby we call out: Abba, Father!

 

Abba is an Aramaic word. It refers to one's male parent but not as an ordinary noun. It's a filial vocative.

 

For example: When my son points me out to one of his friends and says "That's my dad over there." he's not using dad as a vocative. But when he shouts "Hey dad, I'm over here!" then he's using dad to get my attention. That's a vocative.

 

Rom 8:15 is saying that the spirit of adoption compels "we" to call out to a father rather than a mother. So then, people who feel compelled to call out to Jesus' mom instead of his Father, are not the Father's children because the spirit of adoption would never compel them to do that.

 

The spirit of adoption, as it turns out, is the spirit of God's son.

 

● Gal 4:6 . . As proof that you are children, God sent the spirit of His son into our hearts, crying out: Abba, Father!

 

The spirit of His son compels the Father's children to pray to Jesus' Father, never to his mother because Jesus was not in the habit of praying to his mother; rather, he prayed to his Father. So then, people compelled by the spirit of His son will address their prayers to Jesus' Father same as he did, and this is the "proof that you are children". Ergo: people in the habit of praying to Jesus' mom evidence the fact that they are not the Father's children.

 

What does that tell us about Mother Teresa and her devotion to Jesus' mother? Well obviously the reason she was in the habit of addressing prayers to Mary was because she didn't have the spirit of His son in her heart; and Teresa knew it too.

 

"The place of God in my soul is blank-- There is no God in me-- He is not there-- God does not want me"

 

People lacking the spirit of His son are not His son's sheep.

 

● Rom 8:9 . . If anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ.

 

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[WebersHome]

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Teresa was uncommonly perceptive. She was somehow aware that the place in her soul for God was blank, that there was no God in her; and that He was not there. I dare say most Christians don't know, nor do they care to know: preferring instead to leave it up in the air and wait to find out later on down the road at the great white throne event depicted at Rev 20:11-15. But it is God's wishes that each individual Christian take the initiative to certify the presence of Christ in their souls now instead of waiting till later.

 

● 2Cor 13:5 . . Examine yourselves to see whether you are living in faith. Test yourselves. Do you not realize that Jesus Christ is in you? --unless, of course, you fail the test.

 

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[JohnD]

Where Is Mother Teresa Now?

Dead.

That's all we can know for sure.

I can biblically explain my faith to the nth degree as few can. And I am not going to dare stand in judgment of how imperfect any of us are in our faith.