Category Archives: Word of Faith

Prayer: 5 Ways to Get Your Requests Answered!

Posted by Jun 27, 2016 Holy Word, Church, Family, Word of Faith, Youths Leave a Comment
Prayer: 5 Ways to Get Your Requests Answered!

Prayer is not only begging for God’s intervention, but also a channel of acknowledging the greatness of God. Prayer is a vital medium of getting supernatural results. Some people’s prayers go unanswered due to some irregularities. But, don’t lose hope in prayers to God.

According to a 2014 Pew Research center survey, 55% of Americans said they pray every day. 21% said they pray weekly and 23% said they seldom pray. It is interesting to discover that Americans ages 65 and older are far more likely than adults under 30 to say they pray daily (65% vs 41%).

I want you to agree with me that God who created ears is not a deaf Being. Thus, He hears when we speak. The book of Isaiah chapter 59 verse 1 and 2 says: “Behold, the LORD’S hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; nor His ear heavy, that it cannot hear. But your iniquities have separated you from your God; and your sins have hidden His face from you, So that He will not hear.”

This post will show the important ways of presenting your requests to God for quick answers.

  1. Use Distraction-Free Venue

If your prayers at public centers (such as church etc.) are not answered, then consider a private place. God answers the prayer of those who speak to Him with an undivided attention.

For instance, an earthly father would never take his son seriously if the boy requests for a new bicycle while watching Tom and Jerry (cartoons). The boy is expected to avoid distractions, look straight into his father’s face and present his request.

I got this style of prayer from Jesus and it is working great for me. Matthew chapter 14 verses 23 say: “And when He had sent the multitudes away, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray. Now when evening came, He was alone there.”

Jesus prayed in the temple and public gatherings, but He always retreats to private places for uninterrupted prayers… This style of prayer plays a vital role in the success of Jesus on earth.

Don’t get tired of prayer! You might be using a wrong venue filled with distractions. Find a place of prayer where your heart and attention will not be carried away from the God’s presence.

  1. Fix Fasting

Prayers you have done for a while without an answer may fall into the category of prayer and fasting. Not all prayers need fasting, but some requests that need instant supernatural miracle will require such. Jesus Christ did not start His public ministration without fasting and prayer.

He asked God to bless Him with great authority, wisdom, power of healing and miracles. And God answered His prayers without hesitation. “Then Jesus, being filled with the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, being tempted for forty days by the devil. And in those days He ate nothing…” (Luke 4:1 & 2)

Jesus’ disciples tried to emulate Him, but they couldn’t due to a prayerful lifestyle that lack essential fasting. “Lord, have mercy on my son, for he is an epileptic and suffers severely; for he often falls into the fire and often into the water.

So I brought him to your disciples, but they could not cure him… Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, “Why could we not cast it out?” So Jesus said to them, “Because of your unbelief… “However, this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting.”

If your prayer requires a spectacular outcome for people to see, then it is wise to fast.

Note: Don’t wound yourself with ‘almighty doctrines’ because you want to fast and pray. Jesus says: “Moreover, when you fast, do not be like the hypocrites, with a sad countenance. For they disfigure their faces, that they may appear to men to be fasting. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. But you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face.” (Matthew 6: 16 & 17)

    1. Call the Right Name in Your Prayer

Prayer is all about communication between you and God. But your relationship with God will be stronger if you call Him by His rightful names. When praying to God, call Him JEHOVAH, I AM WHO I AM, God of Abraham, God of Isaac and God of Jacob, Prince of Peace… (Exodus 3:14 & 15, Isaiah 9:6)

You cannot call Him in reverence and stay the same. When you call His holy name, your prayers would receive feedback.

At this point, I want to advice you not to attach the name of God to any man (pastor, overseer or founder of a ministry) because the minister might not be serving the Almighty God.

I remembered a true life story of a female gospel musician in Nigeria. She always mentions the name of her pastor as a suffix to God’s name. She sang in her albums that it is the god of her pastor that saved and blessed her life…she thought she was making reference to God Almighty.

After the pastor died, she and everyone discovered that he belonged to a famous cult in his home town. And the false pastor was buried by his cult members. This scandal affected the reputation of the gospel musician.

If you don’t abuse the Lord by calling Him names He never told you He is, then He will listen to your prayers.

  1. Have a Firm Faith

Don’t waste your time praying, if you discover some level of bias in your heart. Such prayers will hit the rock. A vital role you need to play for your prayer to be answered is having faith in the power of God.

For instance, Jesus ensured that the faith of the blind men corresponded with their prayers before He answered their request. (Jesus is not a magician). “…two blind men followed Him, crying out and saying, “Son of David, have mercy on us!”… And Jesus said to them, “Do you believe that I am able to do this?” They said to Him, “Yes, Lord.” Then He touched their eyes, saying, “According to your faith let it be to you.” (Matthew 9:27-29)

Jesus emphasizes faith as a key reason for prayers to be answered. Matthew chapter 17 verse 20 says: “So Jesus said to them… if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you.”

  1. Do Away with Materialism

A lot of prayers go unanswered because of the idolatry medium involved in it. The false pastors and prophets introduced the practice of materialism into the Christendom and this had affected genuine relationship with God.

Some church doctrines encourage their members to always pray with the aid of materials such as; candle, water, soap, handkerchief, oil, rosary etc. Such prayers cannot be answered by God. Though, am aware of devil’s manipulations of “answering” such idolatry prayers at times.

There is no verse in the Bible, where God instructed us to come before Him with such materials. I studied the prayer life of Jesus and discovered that the only instrument He used during His prayer is faith. So, if you believe in the power of Jesus, then do not put any material (idol) between your faith and God.

The danger in such practice is that your faith would cling to the soap, oil or handkerchief (and not to Jesus alone).

Stop the purchase of ‘spiritual materials’ from these dubious false bishops, pastors and prophets. They are swindling you of your hard-earned money. Jesus says: “Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out demons. Freely you have received, freely give.” (Matthew 10:8)

A true man of God will freely show you the right way to pray just as Jesus thought His disciple how to pray in Luke chapter 11 verses 1 to 4.

I am a living witness to tell you that God answers prayers. Though, He won’t answer any prayer which is against His will. Thus, always worship God in spirit and in truth, so that your entire prayer requests will not contradict His plan for your life.

Fruit of the Spirit: Spiritual meal for Christians

Posted by Apr 29, 2016 Church, Gospel Evangelism, Holy Word, Word of Faith 2 Comments
Fruit of the Spirit: Spiritual meal for Christians

Fruit of the Spirit is essential for the healthy growth of our spiritual being. It is synonymous to the fruits we eat before or after meal.

The Food Nutritionists explained various micro nutrients in fruits that are essential for the good health of our body. For instance, orange is a good source of vitamin C, banana regulates the bowel and controls obesity, coconut supports immune system to avoid incessant infection in the body. I had tried eating fruits daily and it really keeps the doctor away…

What are the fruit of the Spirit?

I am sure no one will give you the list of avocado or berries!! Fruit of the Spirit includes:

Righteousness; perfect obedience to the instructions of Jesus Christ. Matthew chapter 5 verse 48 says: “Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect”.

 

Noble; unquestionable character at home and the public

 

Purity; every child of God must have a sinless heart. Leviticus chapter 19 verse 2: “Speak to all the congregation of the children of Israel, and say to them: ‘You shall be holy, for I the LORD your God am holy”.

 

Love; strong positive emotion of regard and affection to yourself and everyone. John chapter 13 verses 34 says: “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another”.

 

Goodness; the firm and persistent resistance of all moral evil

 

Tender Mercies; leniency and compassion shown toward offenders

 

Kindness; to be considerate and helpful to the poor

 

Humbleness; no form of pride

 

Gentleness; Not easily irritated and tender

 

Long-suffering; ability to be patient when things go rough

 

Forgiveness; No form of malice or hatred

 

Peace; even when there is war and unwanted circumstances, the heart is not broken

 

Thankful; always filled with appreciation

 

Joy; unconditional happiness

 

Faithfulness; no betrayal of trust and hypocrisy

 

Self–control; ability to resist every temptation

 

My humble questions are: “Do you have all these fruit of the Spirit on your spiritual table? Do you feed on them daily”?

Galatians chapter 5 verses 22 and 23 says: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control…”

Colossians chapter 3 verses 12 to 16 says: “Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, long-suffering; bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection.”

The fruit of the Spirit is the attitude of God. If you want to be an heir or heiress of God’s kingdom, then you must feed on the fruit of the Spirit every day. John chapter 15 verse 5 say: “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.”

The benefits of the daily intake of the fruit of the Spirit include:

Acquisition of ‘spiritual antibodies’: Spiritual attacks by the powers of darkness will never knock you down.

 

A healthy spiritual growth: Your relationship with the Lord will be smooth during the tough and happy conditions of life.

 

Regular communication: You will always hear from God, because your spiritual ear will be nourished properly to hear God’s voice.

 

Prevention of ‘Spiritual Cancer’: Your spirit will never be degenerated by the demons for their spiritual use. Your body and spirit won’t be an instrument of the demons.

 

Express entry to heaven: It is impossible for unlike minds to reason together, thus, it is only the human spirit that is adequately fed with the fruit of the spirit can enjoy the feast in Heaven.

 

Revelation chapter 22 verses 1 and 2 say: “And he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding from the throne of God and of the Lamb. In the middle of its street, and on either side of the river, was the tree of life, which bore twelve fruits, each tree yielding its fruit every month…”

Differences between Fruit of the Spirit and Spiritual Gifts

Spiritual gift is mainly for the benefit of people around the gifted. But the fruit of the Spirit is mainly for the eternal benefit of the person.

 

Spiritual gift cannot qualify you to gain heaven. But the fruit of the Spirit is the character that sustains the salvation of Jesus for your eternal soul into heaven.

 

First Corinthians chapter 13 verse 8 to 10 says: “Love (fruit) never fails. But whether there are prophecies (gift), they will fail; whether there are tongues (gift), they will cease; whether there is knowledge (gift), it will vanish away…”

 

The unbelievers/backsliders can sustain the use of spiritual gifts for a long time, but cannot sustain feeding on the fruit of the Spirit. The taste of the fruit is only palatable to the genuine Christians.

 

You cannot harvest the fruit of the Spirit by your power and no man on earth can sell it to you. Thus, you have to accept God into your life. Confess your sins and repent from your careless lifestyle. Surrender your life to Jesus and His Blood will clean all your sins. Then, the Spirit of God will come into you.

John chapter 14 verse 23: “Jesus answered and said to him, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him.”

Study the Bible daily and obey the guidelines of the Lord. Your obedience to the Word of God will make you enjoy feasting on the fruit of the Spirit and your eternal life in enjoyment is guaranteed.

Do My Spiritual Gifts Guarantee Heaven?

Posted by Apr 19, 2016 Holy Word, Church, Gospel Evangelism, Word of Faith 2 Comments
Do My Spiritual Gifts Guarantee Heaven?

Spiritual gifts are divine attributes given to you by the LORD to attract unbelievers to the gospel. Gifts from the LORD are for evangelism, while gaining heaven is about living a holy life embedded in the Salvation of the LORD.

Today’s message would explain how spiritual gift is not enough to secure one’s entry to eternal enjoyment in heaven. 

What is the Essence of Spiritual Gifts?

Spiritual gifts are supernatural abilities given to you by God. The main significance of spiritual gifts is to uphold the expression of God’s love for humanity.

God is the Sole Giver of spiritual gifts. There is abomination going on in some School of Theology and churches where the teachers teach their members the alphabets of speaking in tongues. It is the duty of the LORD to decide the suitable spiritual gifts for you, and He ordains you to exhibit the gifts for the physical or spiritual need of the people you meet.

Matthew chapter 25 verses 15 says: “And to one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one, to each according to his own ability…”

Which Spiritual Gift is the Superior?

The Lord did not bless us with divine gifts for boastful classification. I discovered that some spiritual gifts are exhibited by some unbelievers too, thus, the role of spiritual gift is different from the role of holy spiritual lifestyle.

First Corinthians chapter 12 says: “…There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit… But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all: for to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge… faith… gifts of healings… working of miracles… prophecy… discerning of spirits… different kinds of tongues… interpretation of tongues…”

None of these nine gifts is superior because they are been controlled by the same Holy Spirit.

Paul boasted as the chief speaker of tongues confessed that without love the gift is useless. So, everyone must be careful not to bastardize the gift of tongues. First Corinthians chapter 13 verse 1 says: “Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal.”

Speaking in tongues had caused a lot of disorderliness in the church, and we expect the presence of God in such gathering?

It is quite unfortunate that the teachings of Paul on spiritual gifts were not obeyed. Many Christians attach superiority to the gift of speaking in tongues. I don’t know if you are aware that Paul prefers the gift of prophecy to tongues.

First Corinthians chapter 14 verse 18 and 19 says : “I thank my God, I speak with tongues more than you all; yet in the church I would rather speak five words with my understanding, that I may teach others also, than ten thousand words in a tongue.”

Spiritual Gifts and Heaven

I won’t hesitate to tell you that the acquisition of many spiritual gifts is not directly proportional to gaining heaven. The false Prophets and Pastors deceived the church with deceptive teachings such as: “Speaking in tongues is the only proof of a genuine Christian”… “Heaven is certain for those that speak in tongue”.

The careful study of the Bible shows that exhibition of spiritual gifts alone is not enough to gain heaven.

Matthew chapter 7 verses 21 to 23 say: “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’”

Your spiritual gifts have significant effect in the lives of people, while your spiritual fruits have significant effect in your eternal life. For instance, a tongue-speaking Evangelist with gifts of miracle and discerning of spirits confessed before the congregation of his many years of adultery. His spiritual gifts were good and at the same time, his spiritual fruits were unholy. Thank God he came back to Christ before it was too late…

I have heard about some ministers who performed various spiritual gifts to bless souls, but their spiritual life is not right with the LORD. Though, I am happy some of them confessed their sins when they discovered that spiritual gifts without spiritual fruits is dangerous to eternity.

You cannot continue to break the commandments of Jesus and expect your spiritual gifts to heal the second crucifixion of Jesus Christ.

Someone asked me: “Why do we have a lot of adamant Christians in the Church of this generation?” The answer is not far fetch, let’s read Hebrew chapter 6 verse 4 to 6: “For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted the heavenly gift, and have become partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, if they fall away, to renew them again to repentance, since they crucify again for themselves the Son of God, and put Him to an open shame.”

For examples;

Judas Iscariot had the spiritual gift of service but his spiritual life was not guided by the teachings of Jesus. So, his greedy lifestyle ended up killing him.

Matthew chapter 27 verse 3 to 5 says: “Then Judas…brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders, saying, “I have sinned by betraying innocent blood.” Then he threw down the pieces of silver in the temple and departed, and went and hanged himself.

King Solomon had spiritual gifts of wisdom, knowledge and leadership. But at a point in his life, he abandoned the commandments of the Lord. So, he fell away from the presence of the Lord and his spiritual gifts could not save him.

First King chapter 11 verse 11 to 14 says: “Therefore the LORD said to Solomon, ‘Because you have done this, and have not kept My covenant and My statutes, which I have commanded you, I will surely tear the kingdom away from you and give it to your servant’… Now the LORD raised up an adversary against Solomon, Hadad the Edomite; he was a descendant of the king in Edom.”

The church of the Laodiceans was blessed with the spiritual gift of giving. But they worshiped their wealth instead of God. Their spiritual gifts could not save them because the Lord spills them out of His mouth.

Revelation chapter 3 verse 14 to 22 says: “So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth. ‘Because you say, ‘I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing’ – and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked…”

Don’t be deceived by the end-time false preachers who spread the erroneous teaching on the pulpits and the internet. Your spiritual gifts only cannot qualify you to gain heaven, unless your physical and spiritual lifestyles are holy and controlled by the Word of God.

Anointing Oil and the Miracle Workers

Posted by Mar 6, 2016 Holy Word, Church, Family, Word of Faith Leave a Comment
Anointing Oil and the Miracle Workers

It is good to talk about anointing oil and its significance to Christians of the New Testament. I attended some crusades and noticed some Christians do not understand the use of anointing oil. Today’s message would give you good understanding about God’s view on oil and how to be careful with the false prophets.

The Origin of Anointing Oil

The Jewish tradition uses olive oil for various benefits, but anointing oil became significant during the Exodus. God instructed the use of anointing oil as one of the unique materials for the priest and the tabernacle.

God originated the first formulation of holy anointing oil. Exodus chapter 30 verse 22 to 25: “Moreover the LORD spoke to Moses, saying: ‘Also take for yourself quality spices-five hundred shekels of liquid myrrh, half as much sweet-smelling cinnamon (two hundred and fifty shekels), two hundred and fifty shekels of sweet-smelling cane, ‘five hundred shekels of cassia, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, and a hin of olive oil. ‘And you shall make from this holy anointing oil, an ointment compounded according to the art of the perfumers. It shall be holy anointing oil.”

The holy anointing oil is a shadow of the anointing in Jesus Christ.

4 Major Uses of Anointing Oil

1. Symbol of Purification and Consecration

Exodus chapter 30 verse 26 to 32: “With it you shall anoint the tabernacle of meeting and the ark of the Testimony… You shall consecrate them, that they may be most holy… And you shall anoint Aaron and his sons, and consecrate them, that they may minister to Me as priests…”

2. Refreshment of the Body

Luke chapter 7 verse 44 to 47: “… I entered your house; you gave Me no water for My feet, but she has washed My feet… You did not anoint My head with oil, but this woman has anointed My feet with fragrant oil… Therefore I say to you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven…”

3. For Dead Body Preparation

Mark chapter 14 verse 3 to 8: “And being in Bethany at the house of Simon the leper, as He sat at the table, a woman came having an alabaster flask of very costly oil of spikenard. Then she broke the flask and poured it on His head… She has done what she could. She has come beforehand to anoint My body for burial.”

4. Medicinal Purpose; soothing properties

Isaiah chapter 1 verse 6 mentioned the importance of anointing oil to heal wounds; “From the sole of the foot even to the head, there is no soundness in it, but wounds and bruises and putrefying sores; they have not been closed or bound up, or soothed with ointment.”

James chapter 5 verse 14 says: “Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord.”

The anointing oil serves as a first aid ointment though healing comes from the LORD.

Is the Oil Powerful?

Anointing oil cannot give you protection, deliverance, miraculous healing, or prosperity. If you carefully study the Bible, then you would have the understanding that the oil itself has no supernatural power.

The arrival of Jesus Christ in the New Testament fulfilled the law of holiness related to the anointing oil in the Old Testament. Jesus Christ is the anointed One from Heaven and He is powerful than anointing oil. The book of Luke chapter 4 verse 17 to 21 is the proof:

“… The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me, Because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the broken-hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed… And He began to say to them, ‘Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.”

Neither Jesus Christ nor the Holy Spirit teaches us to attach our faith to anointing oil for any supernatural occurrence. But it is a pity that healing oil had been idolized among the Christians today.

The followers of Jesus Christ used oil for its soothing effect on the sick, but their faith towards the healing of the sick was not attached to the oil. Mark chapter 6 verse 13 says: “And they cast out many demons, and anointed with oil many who were sick, and healed them.”

It was the faithful prayers to the LORD that healed the sick. Thus, anointing oil plays the role of a first aid.

Anointing Oil and the False Prophets

Jesus Christ did not sponsor the use of anointing oil. Thus, Pastors and Prophets should be careful not to take the heart of congregates away from Jesus Christ. Many false ‘men of God’ are selling oil in an exorbitant price with the claim that it can deliver the buyer from spiritual attacks. The false prophets always advertise that the “conjured” oil can give miraculous healing and prosperity.

Please, don’t allow the challenge of life to push you into the hands of the magicians who claim to be pastors. The sale of any material for the purpose of salvation is against the instruction of our Lord Jesus Christ. Matthew chapter 10 verse 8 says: “Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out demons. Freely you have received, freely give.”

Jesus released spiritual anointing on His disciple and He never told them to go about with bottles of anointing oil. And the power of healing was not hindered in the life of the sick. It is the prayer of the saints that heals the sick and not the oil.

Don’t be deceived by the false prophets, the anointing oil cannot give you deliverance. But the anointing of Jesus Christ in you is the only anointing that can save you. 2 Corinthians chapter 1 verse 21 and 22 says: “Now He who establishes us with you in Christ and has anointed us is God, who also has sealed us and given us the Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee.”

Various names were given to the commercial oil such as; Prosperity anointing oil, King Solomon anointing oil etc. The false Prophets/Pastors had made some Christians to idolize anointing oil. Their faith is in the oil and not in the power of Jesus Christ. Some Christians cannot go to bed at night if the door is not anointed with the oil from their pastors. Is it the oil on the door that protects or the power of Jesus Christ?

Don’t Christianize the use of anointing oil because it under-estimates the power of Jesus. It is a pity that oil idolatry is included in the doctrine of so many churches. I had previously worshiped in a church that idolized the use of anointing oil. And, I discovered that my faith was attached to the oil than to the Maker of the oil. I quit the church…!

Some Christians believed that Jesus Christ cannot heal, deliver or bless them if they don’t purchase the oil before their prayers. They were brain-washed by the false preachers who introduced materialism into the Church.

Don’t be carried away by the miracles credited to the oil of some ‘prophets’. Any minister exalting anointing oil more than the power of Jesus Christ does not belong to the LORD.

Is it compulsory to use oil?

It is not compulsory to buy healing oil before you receive healing from the LORD. Jesus Christ did not hold a bottle of oil throughout His healing ministry because the spiritual anointing in Him is more than the oil. If you accept Jesus Christ into your life with all your might, then you shall be filled with the anointing from God. John chapter 14 verses 21 say: “He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him.”

It is not a sin to use anointing oil for its soothing effect on the sick, but it becomes a sin of idolatry when you consider the oil as a medium or making it to be more important than the direct faith and Power of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Is Purgatory a Real Place? Find Out!

Posted by Feb 15, 2016 Holy Word, Church, Word of Faith , , 17 Comments
Is Purgatory a Real Place? Find Out!

Purgatory was a laughing stuff to me, but I chose to take it serious when I discovered the level of havoc it caused to the faith of some new Christian converts. The sponsors of this false teaching used the tools of scriptural misconceptions and after-life testimonies to deceive people that purgatory is real.

Testimony of a Catholic Priest

My heart ached when I read this testimony of a catholic priest:

“On Sunday April 14, 1985, the Feast of the Divine Mercy, I was going to celebrate Mass at a mission church in the north part of Kerala, and I had a fatal accident… My soul came out from my body and I experienced death.

Immediately, I met my guardian angel and he first escorted me to hell.  It was an awful sight!  I saw Satan and the devils, an unquenchable fire of about 2000 degrees Fahrenheit, worms crawling over people screaming and fighting, others being tortured by demons.

The angel told me that all these sufferings were due to unrepented mortal sins. I was surprised when I saw in hell even priests and bishops, some of whom I never expected to see.  Many of them were there because they had misled the people with false teaching and bad example…

After the visit to hell, my guardian angel escorted me to purgatory.  Here too, there are seven degrees of suffering and unquenchable fire.  But it is far less intense than hell and there was neither quarrelling nor fighting.  The main suffering of these souls is their separation from God.  

Some of those who are in purgatory committed numerous mortal sins, but they were reconciled with God before their death.  Even though these souls are suffering, they enjoy peace and the knowledge that one day they will see God face to face… 

Next, my angel escorted me to heaven passing through a big dazzling white tunnel.  I never experienced this much peace and joy in my life.  Then immediately heaven opened up and I heard the most delightful music, which I never heard before.  The angels were singing and praising God…”

How True is this Doctrine?

The testimony of this priest shows that the common attribute of hell and purgatory is fire and suffering. And Bible made it clear that a dead person will either enjoy in heaven or suffer in fire. Thus, purgatory is the same as hell, don’t be deceived!

Purgatory is not a scriptural word, but it was invented by the tradition of men in Catholic. The compendium of the catechism of the Catholic Church, first published in 2005 says: “Purgatory is the state of those who die in God’s friendship; assured of their eternal salvation, but who still have need of purification to enter into the happiness of heaven.”

“The souls being purified in purgatory can be helped. Because of the communion of the saints, the faithful who are still pilgrims on earth can help the souls in purgatory by offering prayers in suffrage for them, especially the Eucharistic sacrifice. They also help them by alms-giving, indulgences and works of penance.”

My findings showed that some denominations that pulled out of Catholic believed in the false teaching, but refused to refer to it as purgatory. They believed the existence of a place or condition of temporary suffering/torment for purification.

The primary motive of the papists towards this false teaching of purgatory is to make more money.

How could a priest/pastor tell you to bring money (for alms-giving and indulgences) so that your dead relative could have mercy for quick transfer to heaven from the purgatory?

Is that related to any teachings of our Lord Jesus Christ?

How could a priest/pastor deceive you so strongly that his relentless prayers could hasten your dead relative’s departure (who died in sin) from a purgatory to heaven?

The wide acceptance of this false teaching made the Catholic Church a wealthy one and the purpose of the early papists was achieved.

Misconception of the Scriptures

Don’t be deceived by the greedy papists who did a misconception of first Corinthians chapter 3 verses 13 to 15 to buttress their false teaching of purgatory. 

“Now he who plants and he who waters are one, and each one will receive his own reward according to his own labor. For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, you are God’s building… For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.”

“Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each one’s work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one’s work, of what sort it is. If anyone’s work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward. If anyone’s work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.” (1Corinthians 3:8-15)

The gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw and fire mentioned in this passage are all figurative expression. It is a metaphor that must not be understood as purgatory.

The passage from verse 12 is talking about doctrines (gold, wood etc.) introduced into the gospel by some ministers. And Paul was teaching that every works of the Ministers shall pass through God’s Holy assessment (fire).

The papists explained this passage as a real fire that punishes people. How could a real fire consume religious rites/doctrines?

Did Jesus talk about Purgatory?

Jesus’ teachings about afterlife were explicit, and He did not mentioned anywhere called purgatory or a place of temporary punishment. According to the book of Matthew chapter 7 verse 13 and 14, Jesus did not mention two ways of getting to heaven.

“Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.”

The narration of Jesus Christ as regards poor Lazarus and the rich man (Luke 16:19-31) showed that a soul can either be in a place of rest or a place of torment. Jesus would have mentioned purgatory in His teachings if a temporary place of punishment is in existence.

Papists Undermines the Salvation of Jesus

It is antichrist to preach purgatory to anyone. The teaching nullifies the power of salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ. He shed His blood on the cross as a living sacrifice to clean the sins and punishment of anyone who believes in Him.

John chapter 3 verse 16 says: “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”

If you confess your sins and believe in the salvation of our Lord Jesus Christ, then you have nothing to do in purgatory.

Prayer for Souls in Purgatory

You are wasting your hard earned money if you pay your priest/pastor to pray for your dead relative. No prayer can ever be answered for the dead because judgment takes its course immediately. Hebrew chapter 9 verse 27 say: “And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment…”

Don’t allow the false teaching of purgatory to lure you into a careless lifestyle. There is no repentance in Hades. No Eucharistic sacrifice can save the dead sinners.

Hebrew chapter 10 verses 26 and 27 says: “For if we sin wilfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and fiery indignation which will devour the adversaries”.

Purgatory is a bunch of lie. I am privileged to have encounter with God, and He did not say that there is a place for temporary punishment before entering heaven. The LORD emphasized the existence of Fire and Heaven to me. So, you won’t miss heaven if you stay firm in God’s holiness.