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Lately, I’ve been thinking about dying. Not because anything is particularly wrong, or I’m despondent, or anything else other than the simple fact that I’m getting old. I turn 50 this year. Not too long ago I was fishing all day and almost passed out in the heat of the afternoon from being in the heat all day. That’s NEVER happened, that I leave the lake early when the fish are biting. Yesterday I was looking in the mirror and thought I had gotten paint in my mustache, but found that no, the gray is finally coming. I would be grateful for 70 years. That’s just 20 years away. And anytime between now and then God could call me home. If he does, well of course theirs going to be a funeral. The problem is, I don’t know where I want it to be. And I do know that I want my family and friends to know what I stood for and why. Not just hearsay or rumors or guesses. So I’m going to write this. This is my statement of faith and mission and what I want. If you don’t believe in God and Jesus, Or care much about me, then you probably would be more productive reading something else. Those who know me know how important God is to me.
I grew up in a religiously split family. My moms family was Protestant. My dads was Catholic. And I grew up behind a huge Church of Christ, in NNNN, TN. NNNN was definitely a Protestant small town run by mostly the First Baptist Church and the Masons. Being Catholic there put me in a minority. Whenever religion came up and I said I was Catholic, I was made fun of. ” You worship Mary”,” Your a Pope worshiper” etc. Etc. I never questioned being Catholic because different than most Catholics, I read the Bible. Alot. And it told me to honor my Father and Mother. And they wanted me to be Catholic. So I was. I had questions but the “reasons” they gave for the differences in what they did vs scripture seemed logical enough. And I also saw how much the other kids judged me. I was told by the daughter of the deacon of the Church of Christ across the street that I as going to hell. Not a debate but simply a fact. Because I was Catholic that bound me for hell. I thought that that was so Judgmental and against scripture that I thought that what my church said was true. That we were the true church, descended directly from Peter, and that all others split off from us in the Reformation and Henry the 8th wanting a divorce. ( as simply as I can put it). I accepted that and stayed Catholic my entire life and my Religion was just fine. Then my Dad died 6/13/07. What happened next changed me forever.
When my dad died, I had several nagging questions in the back of my mind about the Catholic church and being Catholic, so once he was gone, I felt free to sort it all out. The first thing I did is what all Christians in my humble opinion should do if they haven’t already. I read the Bible from cover to cover, praying to God that HE revealed himself to me. So many people out there say so many different things and focus on different scriptures and ignore some that Religion has become a confusing mess to me. So I did. And I experienced God in a personal way. I don’t think there is a religion that can encompass everything that God has personally shown me. The first thing he showed me is that there is no perfect religion. They are all run by men and therefore have sins and mistakes in them. As Jesus said, “only God is good”. After I read the bible I studied all of the major faiths and found scriptural flaws in all of them. And besides getting close to God in all of this, I see how the devil has used mans pride and selfishness and greed to split all the churches up, so that now we have hundreds of Christian Denominations.
I will focus on the main religious difference in my life, and has been since birth. Catholic and Protestant. And the first difference between them is Communion. The Catholic mass or service is based on the Eucharist.I was taught that our Eucharist made us the true faith. That by the priest being in apostolic succession was exclusively qualified to say mass and produce the very body and blood of Christ. Not a symbol. The very flesh and blood of Christ. And why it looked like a wafer and tasted like wine but it was Christ actual flesh and blood. Thats why other faiths cannot have communion at the RCC (Roman Catholic Church), because they do not believe that. They believe it is a symbol and commemorative meal only. And that is the biggest difference. There are MANY other differences, but this is the main one.
From prehistoric times, man has known that there is right and wrong. He has known by instinct that there has to be a sacrifice for the forgiveness of wrongs. Animals, people, grains etc. etc. man for thousands of years has made an altar and offered the God or Gods sacrifices for his wrongs and/or the appeasement of the wrath of God. Abraham was introduced to the true God. The Law of right and wrong was given to Moses, and in it was the pre Christian requirements of sacrifice. The place, the animals, requirements etc. VERY complicated but necessary for atonement of sin. Observance of the law and animal sacrifice and offering grains and wine were required to stay in good grace of God. Then Christ came.
Christ saw how the high church leaders were greedy and used there positions to exploit the people for their own vain glory. He said many times in the Gospel how mercy and charity and good deeds were more important to God then religious traditions and things. From Matthew Ch 9
“10 While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew’s house, many tax collectors and sinners came and ate with him and his disciples. 11 When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?”
12 On hearing this, Jesus said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. 13 But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’[a] For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”
From the commentary’s of a few early scholars, the Catholic church bases its whole mass on “the sacrifice of the mass” They say its not another sacrifice, but the same one re presented over and over by the priest, and during the mass the bread and wine is changed into the very body and blood of Christ. But, it is a bloodless sacrifice. Does anybody else see the contradiction in that? When I read Paul’s letter to the Hebrews, it clearly states He was Sacrificed once, forever, period. He says nothing about bloodless sacrifices. Hebrews 9
“22 In fact, the law requires that nearly everything be cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness. 23 It was necessary, then, for the copies of the heavenly things to be purified with these sacrifices, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. 24 For Christ did not enter a sanctuary made with human hands that was only a copy of the true one; he entered heaven itself, now to appear for us in God’s presence. 25 Nor did he enter heaven to offer himself again and again, the way the high priest enters the Most Holy Place every year with blood that is not his own. 26 Otherwise Christ would have had to suffer many times since the creation of the world. But he has appeared once for all at the culmination of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of himself. 27 Just as people are destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, 28 so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.”
In the three verses, 26, 27, and 28, Once is there three times, and it directly relates to Christ’ sacrifice. The Bible is so clear on this. As far as worship, the Bible is also so very clear on this too. Paul again,
Romans 12:1 (NIV)
A Living Sacrifice
“12 Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.”
Too clear to me. We are the living sacrifice. Christ in us being his hands to humanity. Having a sin nature in us but forgiven by Christ once and forever sacrifice to those who believe in him and love him.
NOW, all that being said, the protestant view, by and large, is that it is a commemorative memorial meal. “Do this in remembrance of me”. it is not literally him. It was just to be a “remembrance” of his death and resurrection. But the Bible says, in Matthew chapter 26-
“26While they were eating, Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take and eat; this is my body.” 27Then he took a cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you. 28This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins”
So how are these compatible? It seems to me that this is the first difference, and from there the whole body of Christ is divided, into hundreds of denominations and practices and beliefs. And true prophesying and miracles and manifested Power of God is inhibited from the division.
This is what I believe. Both are right. In the Bible there are several lessons and parables and sayings that are either symbolic or literal. “love one another as I have loved you” and “Love God with your whole heart” are examples of literal commands. “If your eye is your downfall, gouge it out” and ”
“If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters–yes, even their own life–such a person cannot be my disciple.” are examples of symbolic lessons or commands. Here is what I believe the spirit tells me-Communion is both. BOTH. You may ask “how can that be and why did God let this be interpreted like this ?” To me it has become simple. I have pondered the difference for years, and while reading about the CERN supercollider in Europe the answer came to me. The CERN supercollider was built by Physicist from around the world to find the “God Particle” . Not fantasy, fact. Read this
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Large_Hadron_Collider
The first sentence, “The Large Hadron Collider (LHC) is the world’s largest and most powerful particle collider, the largest, most complex experimental facility ever built, and the largest single machine in the world” , sums up how huge it is.
This “God particle” was a sub-atomic particle or force that was said to hold everything together. Why there are molecules. How matter is. They are trying to replicate the “Big Bang” and find out what happened in the creation of everything. VERY deep stuff that boggles the imagination. What this amounts to, is a modern day “Tower of Babel” of Men trying to define existence and creation. While this is a futile waste of Billions and Billions of dollars, it gave me insight into the nature of Christ in the Communion. Creation came through Christ. “All things were created through him” From the very beginning. The big Bang. HE is the force, the attraction, the reason and glue, that existence comes from. When he picked up the bread and wine and said it was his Body and Blood, He meant it. It was him as much as everything you see that has an atom or mass. He chose bread and wine because his disciples understood what he meant. That he was their very LIFE. If you do not have food and drink you die. If you do not have the Spirit of God and Jesus you die. It is both a symbol and literal. You bless bread and wine and give Thanks to God for it and remember his sons death and resurrection,( and know that one day you will share in it). Very complicated but very simple.
Why would God allow the last supper, a very deep and dear expression of his love for us, to be used to split Christendom? Because he knew that the “churches” would have slightly incomplete beliefs on it, and that at the Judgement, you will be placed in his Kingdom on the basis of how much you humbled yourself to humanity and him, as you were instructed to in scripture. Not how you practiced your rituals or traditions. Again, very simple. Amazing. Amazing Grace to the humble and meek. Not the so called educated and “righteous” . “The first will come last and the last will come first”. Gods understanding and wisdom makes Einstein look stupid as a cow in comparison. Glory to God forever and ever. Amen.
SO, with all that in mind, I hereby make my request for my Funeral. I want a humble and meek nice interdenominational preacher to say my funeral at a modest funeral home, and at my service I want communion to be served, crackers and grape juice (so that recovering alcoholics may participate if they wish, it’s all Jesus). Any baptized Christian may have it, and just recite Matthew 26:26-28. I hope NNNN and NNNN are reading the Bible and developing a spiritual life, as well as my step daughters, and realize that I changed my views and beliefs by the guidance of God, not from being wrong. Love to all. Hopefully see yall in Heaven.
“If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters–yes, even their own life–such a person cannot be my disciple.”
Hi Mark,
The word there is “Love Less” NOT ‘hate’ (–look it up)
“Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbor,
and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you, Love your enemies” (Matt 5:43-44)You don’t hate the people in your own family and then turn around and love your enemy.
_______________
God bless
Ed JOk Ed, I looked it up,
“If any man come to Me and hate not his father and mother, and wife and children, and brethren and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple.If any man cometh unto me, and hateth not his own father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple.“If anyone comes to Me, and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life [in the sense of indifference to or relative disregard for them in comparison with his attitude toward God]—he cannot be My disciple.If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his [own] father and mother [in the sense of indifference to or relative disregard for them in comparison with his attitude toward God] and [likewise] his wife and children and brothers and sisters—[yes] and even his own life also—he cannot be My disciple.If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple.“Whoever comes to me and doesn’t hate father and mother, spouse and children, and brothers and sisters—yes, even one’s own life—cannot be my disciple.“If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father, his mother, his wife, his children, his brothers and his sisters, yes, and his own life besides, he cannot be my talmid.You cannot be my disciple, unless you love me more than you love your father and mother, your wife and children, and your brothers and sisters. You cannot come with me unless you love me more than you love your own life.If any man come to me, and shall not hate his own father and mother, and wife, and children, and brothers, and sisters, yea, and his own life too, he cannot be my disciple;“If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, and furthermore, even his own life, he cannot be My disciple.If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple.“If you come to me but will not leave your family, you cannot be my follower. You must love me more than your father, mother, wife, children, brothers, and sisters—even more than your own life!“If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple.“If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple.“If anyone comes to me but ·does not hate [or loves more than me; C Jesus is using hyperbole to emphasize his point] his father, mother, wife, children, brothers, or sisters—or even ·life [life itself; or his own life]—he cannot be my ·follower [disciple].If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters: yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple.“If people come to me and are not ready to abandon their fathers, mothers, wives, children, brothers, and sisters, as well as their own lives, they cannot be my disciples.“Those who come to me cannot be my disciples unless they love me more than they love father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, and themselves as well.“If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his own father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, and even his own life—he cannot be My disciple.“If anyone comes to me but loves his father, mother, wife, children, brothers, or sisters more than he loves me, then he cannot be my follower. A person must love me more than he loves himself!“If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father, mother, wife, children, brothers, and sisters, as well as his own life, he can’t be my disciple.Now as Jesus proceeded on his journey, great crowds accompanied him, and he turned and spoke to them, “If anyone comes to me without ‘hating’ his father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, and even his own life, he cannot be a disciple of mine. The man who will not take up his cross and follow in my footsteps cannot be my disciple.If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother and wife and children and brethren and sisters, and even his own life also, he cannot be my disciple.If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple.If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple.“If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, and furthermore, even his own life, he cannot be my disciple.“Anyone who wants to be my follower must love me far more than he does his own father, mother, wife, children, brothers, or sisters—yes, more than his own life—otherwise he cannot be my disciple.One day when large groups of people were walking along with him, Jesus turned and told them, “Anyone who comes to me but refuses to let go of father, mother, spouse, children, brothers, sisters—yes, even one’s own self!—can’t be my disciple. Anyone who won’t shoulder his own cross and follow behind me can’t be my disciple.“If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be My disciple.“If anyone comes to me and does not hate · his own father and · mother, and · wife and · children, and · brothers and · sisters, and even · · his own life, he cannot be my disciple.“If people come to me and are not ready to abandon their fathers, mothers, wives, children, brothers, and sisters, as well as their own lives, they cannot be my disciples.“If any one comes to me without hating his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple.“If anyone comes to Me, and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be My disciple.“If anyone comes to me but loves his father, mother, wife, children, brothers, or sisters—or even life—more than me, he cannot be my follower.“If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother, and wife and children, and brothers and sisters, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple.“Anyone who comes to me must hate their father and mother. They must hate their wife and children. They must hate their brothers and sisters. And they must hate even their own life. Unless they do this, they can’t be my disciple.“If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even their own life—such a person cannot be my disciple.‘If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters – yes, even their own life – such a person cannot be my disciple.“If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple.“If any man comes to Me and does not have much more love for Me than for his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, and even his own life, he cannot be My follower.“If you want to be my disciple, you must hate everyone else by comparison—your father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even your own life. Otherwise, you cannot be my disciple.“Whoever comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and even life itself, cannot be my disciple.‘Whoever comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and even life itself, cannot be my disciple.‘Whoever comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and even life itself, cannot be my disciple.“Whoever comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and even life itself, cannot be my disciple.If someone comes to me, and does not hate [hyperbolically, in comparison to Moshiach] his own Abba and Em (mother) and isha and yeladim and achim and achayot and in addition also his own life [in the Olam Hazeh], he is not able to be my [Moshiach’s] talmid.“If any one comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple.“If any one comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple.“If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his own father, mother, wife, children, brothers, and sisters—and yes, even his own life—he cannot be My disciple.Jesus: If any of you come to Me without hating your own father, mother, wife, children, brothers, sisters, and yes, even your own life, you can’t be My disciple.“If anyone comes to me, and doesn’t disregard his own father, mother, wife, children, brothers, and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he can’t be my disciple.Many people were going with Jesus. He turned to them and said, `If any man comes to me, he must hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sister. Yes, he must hate himself too. If he does not, he cannot be my disciple.If any man cometh to me [If any man come to me], and hateth not his father, and mother, and wife, and sons, and brethren, and sisters, and yet [forsooth] his own life, he may not be my disciple.`If any one doth come unto me, and doth not hate his own father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brothers, and sisters, and yet even his own life, he is not able to be my disciplleI think thats pretty much a consensus Ed. It says hate. But like I said in my letter, its a symbolic parable. Compared to your love and devotion to God, all else is hate. But you know you love and honor your parents, and your wife and kids, so your love for god must be everything if you are close to him and have experienced his power and are protected by his power, and see him in your life working in the past, and now, and know he has the rest of your life in his hands. PeaceI mean a few of them try to interpret it and say “Love more” or a few things, but gosh, the KJV, the NIV, even the NET say hate. And its what I have read my whole life.
Hi,
The Eucharist is a human invention.
It derives from the false understanding that the flesh contributes something.
What the Spirit in Christ Jesus was teaching is that we all must partake in that Spirit and breaking bread symbolises that.
Hi Mark,
http://biblehub.com/greek/3404.htm Look it up:
“Love Less” is one of the definitions of: μισειDo you hate your mother and father? Or
instead love them less than God’s son?_______________
God bless
Ed JNick
The command, “do this in memory of me”
How do you define that? Do what?
And in Paul’s letters, the table of the Lord. what is that?
Peace
1 Corinthians 11:26 ESV / 677 helpful votes
For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.
1 Corinthians 11:24-27 ESV / 576 helpful votes
And when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, “This is my body which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes. Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty concerning the body and blood of the Lord.
Who invented it?
But let me say, I believe in duel meaning here, like expressed above.
In the beginning of Ezekiel, when he witnessed the glory of God, He was told to eat the scroll.
He was told to fill his belly with it and then to go speak to the Israelites.
I interpret that as reading of God’s scripture, understanding it,and prophesying it.
when you eat something it becomes part of you, and gives you nutrition to live.
So I believe that is communion too.
But I also think that the Lord initiated communion by command. Its in the bible. and I do not believe he will fault the ones who participate in it.
To participate in it you have to be baptized, which means you believe in Jesus, and are obeying his words, and that is very good 🙂
Ed. I know you are going to take this as a spin, but whatever.
All those Bibles say hate. The one i read my whole life said hate. The meaning is there. You missed the whole point of what that sentence said.
It was SYMBOLIC Ed. Not literal. Just like you are saying. You do not literally hate everybody in your life
But compared to God your feelings are hate, it shows how much you are supposed to be joined to God compared to everything else.
You miss the point of what i was saying to elevate yourself over all of those Bible authors.
The point I get is that you know how to strain out the gnat and swallow the Camel. There is a code in there somewhere. I just don’t have time to figure it out.
Peace Ed
Hi Mike,
Yes it is a command.
But you are not eating Jesus.
It is spiritual. The flesh contributes nothing.
Ed. I know you are going to take this as a spin, but whatever.
All those Bibles say hate. The one i read my whole life said hate. The meaning is there. You missed the whole point of what that sentence said.
It was SYMBOLIC Ed. Not literal. Just like you are saying. You do not literally hate everybody in your life
But compared to God your feelings are hate, it shows how much you are supposed to be joined to God compared to everything else.
You miss the point of what i was saying to elevate yourself over all of those Bible authors.
The point I get is that you know how to strain out the gnat and swallow the Camel. There is a code in there somewhere. I just don’t have time to figure it out.
Peace Ed
Hi Mark,
I’m glad you realized on your own that the verse means “love-Less” instead of hate.
It is good when you can see “eye to eye” with me. 🙂
There is a code in there somewhere. I just don’t have time to figure it out.
Peace Ed
Hi Mark,
You don’t have to, others have figured it out for you…
_______________
God bless
Ed J
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