01/12/11

Hey, Bob.

I've been talking some with Bob Phelps.  I guess he hasn't quite figured out that Jesus is the greatest man who ever lived, and not a liar, and the very Son of God, and savior of the world.  Or is it that he doesn't think he needs saving?

I was in his room on Monday, and I heard him say, "There's no heaven."  But that's wrong, of course.  If there's no heaven, then Jesus is a liar, but Jesus is not a liar.  Bob has it figured wrong.  And at this late stage of the game, it looks like he might run out of time before he gets it right.  

Does he really think I'm an idiot for believing the Bible?  But I'm not an idiot.  I'm a gifted student with high test scores on about everything.  I'm a successful Electronics Technician, now retired.  I was a computer instructor for the U.S. Army.  When I say the Bible is right, I know what I'm talking about.

Jesus said you have to humble yourself like a little child to go to heaven.  I don't think Bob has done that.  People who don't go to heaven, of course, do go to hell, where there's weeping and gnashing of teeth, where their worms don't die, and where the fire's not quenched, Jesus said. 

You mentioned the other day that you used to play chess, but that now you don't have the patience for it.  I believe I know why that is, Bob.  I believe demons got into you, and those demons hinder you from being patient enough for chess.

The good news is that Christians have authority from Jesus to cast out demons.  In Luke 10:19, Jesus says, "Behold, I give you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy...".  But Ephesians, chapt. 6, tells us our main enemy is the devil and his demons.  It mentions the four categories of demons, principalities, powers, rulers of the darkness of this world, and wicked spirits in high places.

So Jesus gave the Christians, his followers, authority over demons and Satan.  

Also in Mark chapt 16, Jesus said Christians are supposed to cast out demons, or devils.  How do we do that?  By opening our mouths and speaking words, commanding those evil spirits to go and don't return.  Evil spirits, such as the ones that hinder a person from having patience.  

But it's necessary to be operating in faith.  You need to know that you do have that authority, but looking up those scriptures yourself.  You need to know that you're a born-again Christian.  Then obey the Lord, and use your authority, and command the demons to go.  

Among Catholics, I believe some of them are probably born-again Christians, but no doubt some are not.  Me and my wife broke bread, while in Houston, with Charles and Elizabeth Melton.  They said when they were in the Catholic Church, they weren't taught what Jesus said, "You must be born again." (John chapt. 3)  They said they were taught that you'll go to heaven if you're a good Catholic.  But Jesus said you must be born again.  

The Catholics have a prayer called The Rosary.  I don't have that prayer memorized, but I know it starts out, hail Mary, mother of God.  So then, the prayer is addressed to Mary.  There is no scripture in the Bible authorizing anyone to pray to Mary.  Not Peter, not Paul, not John the Beloved, or anyone else in the Bible prayed to Mary, and I'm sure she can't hear you if you pray to her.  

I believe to pray the Rosary is to commit the sin of idolatry, by treating Mary as though she were part of God, when she is not.  

The Rosary calls Mary the mother of God.  Wrong again.  God doesn't have a mother.  God the Father had no beginning, but always existed.  Jesus had a beginning, but it was long before Mary.  Jesus was present at the creation of the world, and before Adam.  Mary is only the mother of the earthly body Jesus used for about 33 years, when God the Father sent Jesus down to earth.  

The Rosary calls Mary "full of grace."  Those words are, in fact, in the Bible, but it's not talking about Mary, those words are talking about Jesus.

In the Book of Revelation it talks about the great whore that sits on the waters.  The waters are people.  The whore is a city that sits on seven hills.  The only city I know of, out of the major cities of the world, that sits on seven hills, is Rome, the headquarters of the Catholic Church.  Jesus says in the book of Revelation, "Come out of her, my people."

If you're one of God's people, Bob, I believe Jesus wants you to come out of the Catholic Church.

Jesus said to call no man on earth father.  But what do the Catholics call their priests?  Father.  So then, you have to choose, Bob.  Are you going to obey Jesus, and not call anyone father, or are you going to disobey Jesus so you can obey the Catholic Church?  

But remember, on Judgement Day, it will be Jesus judging you, and not the Pope.  I expect that many of the Popes are in hell, and I know that there's no purgatory, because the Bible says, "It is appointed to man once to die, and after this the judgment." (book of Hebrews)

Fred