Boy, are you ever right. See my horrific American Holocaust in which I
denote the dead. Their war is about taking all the worlds money. They
are
the enemies to mankind ,that regime ruling much of the USA and torturing
us.
You can not expect much from a society that aborts their own young like
sardines for cat food.
Kurt Brown, alias Saint Ram Bone, of Mobile Audit Club
http://www.angelfire.com/zine2/democracyordeath/index.html
"Samuel Mbayo" <sammy@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote in message
news:idX7k.6008$JL.3328@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> An Era of Spiritual Darkness
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>
> The apostle Paul, in his second letter to the Thessalonians, foretold
the
> great apostasy which would result in the establishment of the papal
power.
> He declared that the day of Christ should not come, "except there come a
> falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of
perdition;
> who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that
is
> wor****ped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, showing
himself
> that he is God." And furthermore, the apostle warns his brethren that
"the
> mystery of iniquity doth already work." 2 Thessalonians 2:3, 4, 7. Even
at
> that early date he saw, creeping into the church, errors that would
> prepare the way for the development of the papacy.
>
> Little by little, at first in stealth and silence, and then more openly
as
> it increased in strength and gained control of the minds of men, "the
> mystery of iniquity" carried forward its deceptive and blasphemous work.
> Almost imperceptibly the customs of heathenism found their way into the
> Christian church. The spirit of compromise and conformity was restrained
> for a time by the fierce persecutions which the church endured under
> paganism. But as persecution ceased, and Christianity entered the courts
> and palaces of kings, she laid aside the humble simplicity of Christ and
> His apostles for the pomp and pride of pagan priests and rulers; and in
> place of the requirements of God, she substituted human theories and
> traditions. The nominal conversion of Constantine,
>
> 50
>
> in the early part of the fourth century, caused great rejoicing; and the
> world, cloaked with a form of righteousness, walked into the church. Now
> the work of corruption rapidly progressed. Paganism, while appearing to
be
> vanquished, became the conqueror. Her spirit controlled the church. Her
> doctrines, ceremonies, and superstitions were incor****ated into the
faith
> and wor****p of the professed followers of Christ.
>
> This compromise between paganism and Christianity resulted in the
> development of "the man of sin" foretold in prophecy as opposing and
> exalting himself above God. That gigantic system of false religion is a
> masterpiece of Satan's power--a monument of his efforts to seat himself
> upon the throne to rule the earth according to his will.
>
> Satan once endeavored to form a compromise with Christ. He came to the
Son
> of God in the wilderness of temptation, and showing Him all the kingdoms
> of the world and the glory of them, offered to give all into His hands
if
> He would but acknowledge the supremacy of the prince of darkness. Christ
> rebuked the presumptuous tempter and forced him to depart. But Satan
meets
> with greater success in presenting the same temptations to man. To
secure
> worldly gains and honors, the church was led to seek the favor and
sup****t
> of the great men of earth; and having thus rejected Christ, she was
> induced to yield allegiance to the representative of Satan--the bishop
of
> Rome.
>
> It is one of the leading doctrines of Romanism that the pope is the
> visible head of the universal church of Christ, invested with supreme
> authority over bishops and pastors in all parts of the world. More than
> this, the pope has been given the very titles of Deity. He has been
styled
> "Lord God the Pope" (see Appendix), and has been declared infallible. He
> demands the homage of all men. The same claim urged by Satan in the
> wilderness of temptation is still urged by him through the Church of
Rome,
> and vast numbers are ready to yield him homage.
>
> 51
>
> But those who fear and reverence God meet this heaven-daring assumption
as
> Christ met the solicitations of the wily foe: "Thou shalt wor****p the
Lord
> thy God, and Him only shalt thou serve." Luke 4:8. God has never given a
> hint in His word that He has appointed any man to be the head of the
> church. The doctrine of papal supremacy is directly opposed to the
> teachings of the Scriptures. The pope can have no power over Christ's
> church except by usurpation.
>
> Romanists have persisted in bringing against Protestants the charge of
> heresy and willful separation from the true church. But these
accusations
> apply rather to themselves. They are the ones who laid down the banner
of
> Christ and departed from "the faith which was once delivered unto the
> saints." Jude 3.
>
> Satan well knew that the Holy Scriptures would enable men to discern his
> deceptions and withstand his power. It was by the word that even the
> Saviour of the world had resisted his attacks. At every assault, Christ
> presented the ****eld of eternal truth, saying, "It is written." To every
> suggestion of the adversary, He opposed the wisdom and power of the
word.
> In order for Satan to maintain his sway over men, and establish the
> authority of the papal usurper, he must keep them in ignorance of the
> Scriptures. The Bible would exalt God and place finite men in their true
> position; therefore its sacred truths must be concealed and suppressed.
> This logic was adopted by the Roman Church. For hundreds of years the
> circulation of the Bible was prohibited. The people were forbidden to
read
> it or to have it in their houses, and unprincipled priests and prelates
> interpreted its teachings to sustain their pretensions. Thus the pope
came
> to be almost universally acknowledged as the vicegerent of God on earth,
> endowed with authority over church and state.
>
> The detector of error having been removed, Satan worked according to his
> will. Prophecy had declared that the papacy was to "think to change
times
> and laws." Daniel 7:25. This
>
> 52
>
> work it was not slow to attempt. To afford converts from heathenism a
> substitute for the wor****p of idols, and thus to promote their nominal
> acceptance of Christianity, the adoration of images and relics was
> gradually introduced into the Christian wor****p. The decree of a general
> council (see Appendix) finally established this system of idolatry. To
> complete the sacrilegious work, Rome presumed to expunge from the law of
> God the second commandment, forbidding image wor****p, and to divide the
> tenth commandment, in order to preserve the number.
>
> The spirit of concession to paganism opened the way for a still further
> disregard of Heaven's authority. Satan, working through unconsecrated
> leaders of the church, tampered with the fourth commandment also, and
> essayed to set aside the ancient Sabbath, the day which God had blessed
> and sanctified (Genesis 2:2, 3), and in its stead to exalt the festival
> observed by the heathen as "the venerable day of the sun." This change
was
> not at first attempted openly. In the first centuries the true Sabbath
had
> been kept by all Christians. They were jealous for the honor of God,
and,
> believing that His law is immutable, they zealously guarded the
sacredness
> of its precepts. But with great subtlety Satan worked through his agents
> to bring about his object. That the attention of the people might be
> called to the Sunday, it was made a festival in honor of the
resurrection
> of Christ. Religious services were held upon it; yet it was regarded as
a
> day of recreation, the Sabbath being still sacredly observed.
>
> To prepare the way for the work which he designed to accomplish, Satan
had
> led the Jews, before the advent of Christ, to load down the Sabbath with
> the most rigorous exactions, making its observance a burden. Now, taking
> advantage of the false light in which he had thus caused it to be
> regarded, he cast contempt upon it as a Jewish institution. While
> Christians generally continued to observe the Sunday as a joyous
festival,
> he led them, in order to show
>
> 53
>
> their hatred of Judaism, to make the Sabbath a fast, a day of sadness
and
> gloom.
>
> In the early part of the fourth century the emperor Constantine issued a
> decree making Sunday a public festival throughout the Roman Empire. (See
> Appendix.) The day of the sun was reverenced by his pagan subjects and
was
> honored by Christians; it was the emperor's policy to unite the
> conflicting interests of heathenism and Christianity. He was urged to do
> this by the bishops of the church, who, inspired by ambition and thirst
> for power, perceived that if the same day was observed by both
Christians
> and heathen, it would promote the nominal acceptance of Christianity by
> pagans and thus advance the power and glory of the church. But while
many
> God-fearing Christians were gradually led to regard Sunday as possessing
a
> degree of sacredness, they still held the true Sabbath as the holy of
the
> Lord and observed it in obedience to the fourth commandment.
>
> The archdeceiver had not completed his work. He was resolved to gather
the
> Christian world under his banner and to exercise his power through his
> vicegerent, the proud pontiff who claimed to be the representative of
> Christ. Through half-converted pagans, ambitious prelates, and
> world-loving churchmen he accomplished his purpose. Vast councils were
> held from time to time, in which the dignitaries of the church were
> convened from all the world. In nearly every council the Sabbath which
God
> had instituted was pressed down a little lower, while the Sunday was
> correspondingly exalted. Thus the pagan festival came finally to be
> honored as a divine institution, while the Bible Sabbath was pronounced
a
> relic of Judaism, and its observers were declared to be accursed.
>
> The great apostate had succeeded in exalting himself "above all that is
> called God, or that is wor****ped." 2 Thessalonians 2:4. He had dared to
> change the only precept of the divine law that unmistakably points all
> mankind to the true and living God. In the fourth commandment, God is
>
> 54
>
> revealed as the Creator of the heavens and the earth, and is thereby
> distinguished from all false gods. It was as a memorial of the work of
> creation that the seventh day was sanctified as a rest day for man. It
was
> designed to keep the living God ever before the minds of men as the
source
> of being and the object of reverence and wor****p. Satan strives to turn
> men from their allegiance to God, and from rendering obedience to His
law;
> therefore he directs his efforts especially against that commandment
which
> points to God as the Creator.
>
> Protestants now urge that the resurrection of Christ on Sunday made it
the
> Christian Sabbath. But Scripture evidence is lacking. No such honor was
> given to the day by Christ or His apostles. The observance of Sunday as
a
> Christian institution had its origin in that "mystery of lawlessness" (2
> Thessalonians 2:7, R.V.) which, even in Paul's day, had begun its work.
> Where and when did the Lord adopt this child of the papacy? What valid
> reason can be given for a change which the Scriptures do not sanction?
>
> In the sixth century the papacy had become firmly established. Its seat
of
> power was fixed in the imperial city, and the bishop of Rome was
declared
> to be the head over the entire church. Paganism had given place to the
> papacy. The dragon had given to the beast "his power, and his seat, and
> great authority." Revelation 13:2. And now began the 1260 years of papal
> oppression foretold in the prophecies of Daniel and the Revelation.
Daniel
> 7:25; Revelation 13:5-7. (See Appendix.) Christians were forced to
choose
> either to yield their integrity and accept the papal ceremonies and
> wor****p, or to wear away their lives in dungeons or suffer death by the
> rack, the fagot, or the headsman's ax. Now were fulfilled the words of
> Jesus: "Ye shall be betrayed both by parents, and brethren, and
kinsfolks,
> and friends; and some of you shall they cause to be put to death. And ye
> shall be hated of all men for My name's sake." Luke 21:16, 17.
Persecution
> opened upon the faithful with greater fury than ever before,
>
> 55
>
> and the world became a vast battlefield. For hundreds of years the
church
> of Christ found refuge in seclusion and obscurity. Thus says the
prophet:
> "The woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of
> God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and
> three-score days." Revelation 12:6.
>
> The accession of the Roman Church to power marked the beginning of the
> Dark Ages. As her power increased, the darkness deepened. Faith was
> transferred from Christ, the true foundation, to the pope of Rome.
Instead
> of trusting in the Son of God for forgiveness of sins and for eternal
> salvation, the people looked to the pope, and to the priests and
prelates
> to whom he delegated authority. They were taught that the pope was their
> earthly mediator and that none could approach God except through him;
and,
> further, that he stood in the place of God to them and was therefore to
be
> implicitly obeyed. A deviation from his requirements was sufficient
cause
> for the severest punishment to be visited upon the bodies and souls of
the
> offenders. Thus the minds of the people were turned away from God to
> fallible, erring, and cruel men, nay, more, to the prince of darkness
> himself, who exercised his power through them. Sin was disguised in a
garb
> of sanctity. When the Scriptures are suppressed, and man comes to regard
> himself as supreme, we need look only for fraud, deception, and debasing
> iniquity. With the elevation of human laws and traditions was manifest
the
> corruption that ever results from setting aside the law of God.
>
> Those were days of peril for the church of Christ. The faithful
> standard-bearers were few indeed. Though the truth was not left without
> witnesses, yet at times it seemed that error and superstition would
wholly
> prevail, and true religion would be banished from the earth. The gospel
> was lost sight of, but the forms of religion were multiplied, and the
> people were burdened with rigorous exactions.
>
> They were taught not only to look to the pope as their mediator, but to
> trust to works of their own to atone for sin. Long pilgrimages, acts of
> penance, the wor****p of relics, the
>
> 56
>
> erection of churches, shrines, and altars, the payment of large sums to
> the church--these and many similar acts were enjoined to appease the
wrath
> of God or to secure His favor; as if God were like men, to be angered at
> trifles, or pacified by gifts or acts of penance!
>
> Notwithstanding that vice prevailed, even among the leaders of the Roman
> Church, her influence seemed steadily to increase. About the close of
the
> eighth century, papists put forth the claim that in the first ages of
the
> church the bishops of Rome had possessed the same spiritual power which
> they now assumed. To establish this claim, some means must be employed
to
> give it a show of authority; and this was readily suggested by the
father
> of lies. Ancient writings were forged by monks. Decrees of councils
before
> unheard of were discovered, establi****ng the universal supremacy of the
> pope from the earliest times. And a church that had rejected the truth
> greedily accepted these deceptions. (See Appendix.)
>
> The few faithful builders upon the true foundation (1 Corinthians 3:10,
> 11) were perplexed and hindered as the rubbish of false doctrine
> obstructed the work. Like the builders upon the wall of Jerusalem in
> Nehemiah's day, some were ready to say: "The strength of the bearers of
> burdens is decayed, and there is much rubbish; so that we are not able
to
> build." Nehemiah 4:10. Wearied with the constant struggle against
> persecution, fraud, iniquity, and every other obstacle that Satan could
> devise to hinder their progress, some who had been faithful builders
> became disheartened; and for the sake of peace and security for their
> property and their lives, they turned away from the true foundation.
> Others, undaunted by the opposition of their enemies, fearlessly
declared:
> "Be not ye afraid of them: remember the Lord, which is great and
terrible"
> (verse 14); and they proceeded with the work, everyone with his sword
> girded by his side. Ephesians 6:17.
>
> The same spirit of hatred and opposition to the truth has inspired the
> enemies of God in every age, and the same
>
> 57
>
> vigilance and fidelity have been required in His servants. The words of
> Christ to the first disciples are applicable to His followers to the
close
> of time: "What I say unto you I say unto all, Watch." Mark 13:37.
>
> The darkness seemed to grow more dense. Image wor****p became more
general.
> Candles were burned before images, and prayers were offered to them. The
> most absurd and superstitious customs prevailed. The minds of men were
so
> completely controlled by superstition that reason itself seemed to have
> lost its sway. While priests and bishops were themselves
pleasure-loving,
> sensual, and corrupt, it could only be expected that the people who
looked
> to them for guidance would be sunken in ignorance and vice.
>
> Another step in papal assumption was taken, when, in the eleventh
century,
> Pope Gregory VII proclaimed the perfection of the Roman Church. Among
the
> propositions which he put forth was one declaring that the church had
> never erred, nor would it ever err, according to the Scriptures. But the
> Scripture proofs did not accompany the assertion. The proud pontiff also
> claimed the power to depose emperors, and declared that no sentence
which
> he pronounced could be reversed by anyone, but that it was his
prerogative
> to reverse the decisions of all others. (See Appendix.)
>
> A striking illustration of the tyrannical character of this advocate of
> infallibility was given in his treatment of the German emperor, Henry
IV.
> For presuming to disregard the pope's authority, this monarch was
declared
> to be excommunicated and dethroned. Terrified by the desertion and
threats
> of his own princes, who were encouraged in rebellion against him by the
> papal mandate, Henry felt the necessity of making his peace with Rome.
In
> company with his wife and a faithful servant he crossed the Alps in
> midwinter, that he might humble himself before the pope. Upon reaching
the
> castle whither Gregory had withdrawn, he was conducted, without his
> guards, into an outer court, and there, in the severe cold of winter,
with
> uncovered head and ****d
>
> 58
>
> feet, and in a miserable dress, he awaited the pope's permission to come
> into his presence. Not until he had continued three days fasting and
> making confession, did the pontiff condescend to grant him pardon. Even
> then it was only upon condition that the emperor should await the
sanction
> of the pope before resuming the insignia or exercising the power of
> royalty. And Gregory, elated with his triumph, boasted that it was his
> duty to pull down the pride of kings.
>
> How striking the contrast between the overbearing pride of this haughty
> pontiff and the meekness and gentleness of Christ, who represents
Himself
> as pleading at the door of the heart for admittance, that He may come in
> to bring pardon and peace, and who taught His disciples: "Whosoever will
> be chief among you, let him be your servant." Matthew 20:27.
>
> The advancing centuries witnessed a constant increase of error in the
> doctrines put forth from Rome. Even before the establishment of the
papacy
> the teachings of heathen philosophers had received attention and exerted
> an influence in the church. Many who professed conversion still clung to
> the tenets of their pagan philosophy, and not only continued its study
> themselves, but urged it upon others as a means of extending their
> influence among the heathen. Serious errors were thus introduced into
the
> Christian faith. Prominent among these was the belief in man's natural
> immortality and his consciousness in death. This doctrine laid the
> foundation upon which Rome established the invocation of saints and the
> adoration of the Virgin Mary. From this sprang also the heresy of
eternal
> torment for the finally impenitent, which was early incor****ated into
the
> papal faith.
>
> Then the way was prepared for the introduction of still another
invention
> of paganism, which Rome named purgatory, and employed to terrify the
> credulous and superstitious multitudes. By this heresy is affirmed the
> existence of a place of torment, in which the souls of such as have not
> merited eternal damnation are to suffer punishment for their sins,
>
> 59
>
> and from which, when freed from impurity, they are admitted to heaven.
> (See Appendix.)
>
> Still another fabrication was needed to enable Rome to profit by the
fears
> and the vices of her adherents. This was supplied by the doctrine of
> indulgences. Full remission of sins, past, present, and future, and
> release from all the pains and penalties incurred, were promised to all
> who would enlist in the pontiff's wars to extend his tem****al dominion,
to
> punish his enemies, or to exterminate those who dared deny his spiritual
> supremacy. The people were also taught that by the payment of money to
the
> church they might free themselves from sin, and also release the souls
of
> their deceased friends who were confined in the tormenting flames. By
such
> means did Rome fill her coffers and sustain the magnificence, luxury,
and
> vice of the pretended representatives of Him who had not where to lay
His
> head. (See Appendix.)
>
> The Scriptural ordinance of the Lord's Supper had been supplanted by the
> idolatrous sacrifice of the mass. Papal priests pretended, by their
> senseless mummery, to convert the simple bread and wine into the actual
> "body and blood of Christ."--Cardinal Wiseman, The Real Presence of the
> Body and Blood of Our Lord Jesus Christ in the Blessed Eucharist, Proved
> From Scripture, lecture 8, sec. 3, par. 26. With blasphemous
presumption,
> they openly claimed the power of creating God, the Creator of all
things.
> Christians were required, on pain of death, to avow their faith in this
> horrible, Heaven-insulting heresy. Multitudes who refused were given to
> the flames. (See Appendix.)
>
> In the thirteenth century was established that most terrible of all the
> engines of the papacy--the Inquisition. The prince of darkness wrought
> with the leaders of the papal hierarchy. In their secret councils Satan
> and his angels controlled the minds of evil men, while unseen in the
midst
> stood an angel of God, taking the fearful record of their iniquitous
> decrees and writing the history of deeds too horrible to appear to human
> eyes. "Babylon the great" was "drunken with the blood of the saints."
The
> mangled forms of millions of
>
> 60
>
> martyrs cried to God for vengeance upon that apostate power.
>
> Popery had become the world's despot. Kings and emperors bowed to the
> decrees of the Roman pontiff. The destinies of men, both for time and
for
> eternity, seemed under his control. For hundreds of years the doctrines
of
> Rome had been extensively and implicitly received, its rites reverently
> performed, its festivals generally observed. Its clergy were honored and
> liberally sustained. Never since has the Roman Church attained to
greater
> dignity, magnificence, or power.
>
> But "the noon of the papacy was the midnight of the world."--J. A.
Wylie,
> The History of Protestantism, b. 1, ch. 4. The Holy Scriptures were
almost
> unknown, not only to the people, but to the priests. Like the Pharisees
of
> old, the papal leaders hated the light which would reveal their sins.
> God's law, the standard of righteousness, having been removed, they
> exercised power without limit, and practiced vice without restraint.
> Fraud, avarice, and profligacy prevailed. Men shrank from no crime by
> which they could gain wealth or position. The palaces of popes and
> prelates were scenes of the vilest debauchery. Some of the reigning
> pontiffs were guilty of crimes so revolting that secular rulers
endeavored
> to depose these dignitaries of the church as monsters too vile to be
> tolerated. For centuries Europe had made no progress in learning, arts,
or
> civilization. A moral and intellectual paralysis had fallen upon
> Christendom.
>
> The condition of the world under the Romish power presented a fearful
and
> striking fulfillment of the words of the prophet Hosea: "My people are
> destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I
> will also reject thee: . . . seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy
> God, I will also forget thy children." "There is no truth, nor mercy,
nor
> knowledge of God in the land. By swearing, and lying, and killing, and
> stealing, and committing adultery, they break out, and blood toucheth
> blood." Hosea 4:6, 1, 2. Such were the results of bani****ng the word of
> God.
>
>
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