IF I SAID THIS 50 YEARS AGO.

[Neighbor]

1 hour ago, Dennis1209 said:

Catholicism is the largest global denomination, sitting on many waters, richer than many countries, with about 1.4 billion Catholics at last estimate. It is growing exponentially with the addition of former reformers. It is apostasy in the latter days as foretold.

 

Hi Dennis,

 I do think that the numbers of professing "Catholics" is at great variance from the number of participating Roman Catholics. The shear number of absolutely empty  Roman Catholic church buildings in solidly Catholic European countries tell the story of a people that do not even believe God exists yet declaring themselves Catholic by tradition of  birthright. I suspect the 1.4 billion  is a greatly puffed up number compared to the reality.

Plus I know from decades of practical experience within the USA that giving of money by participates amounts to $2.00 per week per person that does attend church mass. $2.00 per will not cut it, it will not pay the electric bill. The scramble for money needed by RCC priests for their own  financial survival can get rather fierce. And it is not just the RCC the other institutions of Christianity  claiming  one denominational identity or another also have  a network  that needs feeding th e"mother" of the institution, and so the individual small community church bodies suffer or do without entirely any full time leadership or staffing.

That does not appear to be the case with other groups that are more independent of a mother organization. I reach that  conclusion having been  salaried by an independent entity, a local body of Yeshua, plus having decades of experience directly with priests and ministers while I was in the funeral and cemetery industry, and also associated with  a couple of Christian primary education schools. where I dealt directly with  both priests and ministers of many backgrounds on a daily basis. 

 I find money in of itself is not evil at all, it is necessary, but the love of money that is a different animal. When one compromises principle, God's instructions and God's declared precepts, in order to try to gain money for self, that brings on disastrous result from God's just wrath.

We are living  in the midst of oncoming  increasingly disastrous times today for (Because of) the love of money as many a church body organization has lost it's first love altogether.

Still there is hope individual hope our God is a merciful God too, and His mercy is from everlasting to everlasting for those that do repent and turn about from running away from God to embracing Yeshua His gospel his Lordship.

-My impression or opinion of course-

 

[NConly]

I wonder how the one world church in Abu Dhabi built by the Sunni's and the Catholic's will work this out as I see them on opposite sides of this fence.

[Neighbor]

A interesting reveal, to me anyway, are the church denominations who state they will not invest in the stocks of corporations that deal with Israel or are Israeli based companies.  At greater interest to me than their error in opposing Israel and Jews is that they have funds that are invested in Common stock of corporations!

Plus they have financial advisors on their staffs and have the gall to demand their members not invest anywhere except were they approve for them and tell them to invest! 

[Neighbor]

11 minutes ago, NConly said:

I wonder how the one world church in Abu Dhabi built by the Sunni's and the Catholic's will work this out as I see them on opposite sides of this fence.

Perhaps it is much like the funny  but wise old image of two parties in dispute over ownership of a cow. The one party pulling on it's head  while the other pulls on it's tail.

The party  to look for is the third one as it is he that is the one that wins. It is that lawyer negotiator illustrated in the image  that is calmly sitting at his milking stool under the cow profiting nicely by  filling his pail. He wants no resolution to the contention!

Look for the lawyer in the scenery. He is the one that already has it "worked out" to his own advantage.

[Neighbor]

40 minutes ago, Vine Abider said:

I remember a really good (true story) Christian film "All Saints" from a few years ago.  The Episcopalians had run out of money in a certain location, and were having to close a church because of it (all their schemes of making money fell short).  But the Lord responded in an inexplicable way and brought in many Burmese refugee believers and now it thrives.

Hi VA, Yes a wonderful movie! Interesting how God used Karen refugees from Burma to show the locals their own shame of prejudice against immigrants especially non  English speaking and of another skin color get them all to be working together and by that hard trial and task save their community and local facility  for corporate worship too!

It is well acted has a good cast and a rather well played plot, one based on a real occurrance.

[enoob57]

Our Lord has told us that the world will worsen ... 

2 Timothy 3:1 (KJV)

[3:1] This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.

[2] For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,

[3] Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,

[4] Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;

and disturbingly through this avenue

[5] Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.

The form would be seen in that of the religious leaders, of whom, called Jesus' miracles that of the devil... this the only unforgivable sin that exists... this being the heart of individual being 'satan'... So, in effect his effort to destroy the image of God as he can do nothing against God Himself -the understanding of why he is like he is.... All satan has control over now is this world and the things within it:

Ephesians 2:2 (KJV)

[2] Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:

[3] Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.

[4] But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,

[5] Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)

This a very powerful thing and control to all of us who have began here- for in our begin we are spiritually disconnected from God and only through our flesh do we perceive reality by our sensual makeup... The faith in which we are born again is founded upon the truth in this way

John 8:58 (KJV)

[58] Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am.

It is in this venue that we connect outside of ourselves and our all powerful (joking) perception... to the substance of faith, which is spiritual in it's form, and born out from Word,

Romans 10:17 (KJV)

[17] So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

the Word of God Jesus, specific and through this avenue of a very objective reality in written format called Scripture... As God's claim to Scripture is defined and understood in John 17 as the central point of escape from the death we are in!
My hope and prayer for all the family of God in Christ Jesus is for you to love the provided escape more than your physical food! For by this we can recognize Jesus' own life and walk in our own ...
Matthew 4:4 (KJV)

[4] But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.

 

[Dennis1209]

2 hours ago, NConly said:

I wonder how the one world church in Abu Dhabi built by the Sunni's and the Catholic's will work this out as I see them on opposite sides of this fence.

I have biblical thoughts of when and where the Islam sect will realize their Allah is helpless and not a god. Suffice it to say, I suspect shortly before the Tribulation, and there are a lot of various opinions on that.

I cannot readily find my source, but I recall the Pope signing some letters of agreement with a few Muslim sects.

Except for Russia, I hear 40% of their military is comprised of Muslims. What do all the other belligerents coming against Israel in the Gog-Magog have in common? And what happens to them and their home nations?  

[Ray12614]

23 hours ago, Neighbor said:

Perhaps it is much like the funny  but wise old image of two parties in dispute over ownership of a cow. The one party pulling on it's head  while the other pulls on it's tail.

The party  to look for is the third one as it is he that is the one that wins. It is that lawyer negotiator illustrated in the image  that is calmly sitting at his milking stool under the cow profiting nicely by  filling his pail. He wants no resolution to the contention!

Look for the lawyer in the scenery. He is the one that already has it "worked out" to his own advantage.

Great illustration!  Informative too . . . . . 

[Neighbor]

27 minutes ago, Ray12614 said:

Great illustration!  Informative too . . . . . 

The original is an illustration by J. Bright dating to the 1700's titled The Lawsuit. You might look it up on at least a couple of websites. 

[Neighbor]

Seeing that  also brings back memory of "the judge" in such disputes. At The USA he is a judge of civil matters, and acts very differently from a criminal court judge. He or she  has great latitude and tends to just let the claimants play out their financial resources until they are exhausted of funds to pay their legal expenses. He then waits for each to give up, no one really wins except those lawyers who indeed get very fat of wallet.