MY THOUGHTS
ON SOME COMMENTS IN THE LAST WILL AND TESTAMENT OF THE LATE POPE FRANCIS:
Like all the
Catholic Popes before him, Francis made reference to how he had “entrusted his
life” to Mary. Here’s a tiny snippet
from the will, as released by the Vatican:
"I have
always entrusted my life and my priestly and episcopal ministry to the Mother
of Our Lord, Mary Most Holy” … "Therefore, I ask that my mortal remains
rest awaiting the day of resurrection in the Papal Basilica of Santa Maria
Maggiore" (referring to Yeshua’s Mother).
Pope John
Paul II did basically the same thing before his death in 2005. He addressed his written motto in Latin to
the Virgin Mary, which translated means, "I am totally in your
hands."
MY
QUESTION IS: Where
in the Bible are we EVER told to pray to, or entrust ourselves to the mere
mortal Mary, the young woman chosen to give birth to our Messiah?
While it was
certainly a great honor for Mary to be chosen as God’s vessel to bear YHWH’s
Messiah – there is not one single
passage in the entire Bible that suggests Mary (whose Hebrew name is Miriam) was
an intercessor between God and man, or that she was to be worshiped, prayed to!
Realizing
that the Catholic Bible is a bit different from all the rest the
umpteen-thousand other “versions” out there, the fact remains, the BASICS are
still there – and those basics are as follows:
- ADONAI
ELOHIM (הוה- YAHWEH/”God
the Father” - who does NOT have a “Mother”) created mankind and the entire
universe - and He gave us certain instructions that enable us to live holy, set
apart lives for Him. (We read those facts throughout the first five Books of
the Bible, called “Torah” - Divine Instructions in Righteousness).
- He
supernaturally caused Yeshua, His Divine Son/Messiah to become formed inside
of, and to be born via human virgin. Yeshua’s mission on earth was to proclaim
the Kingdom of YHWH, to expound upon, and to reiterate His Father's Divine
Instructions; and to do everything His Father commanded (see Luke 4:43, Luke
8:1; also Acts 24:14 and Acts 28:23).
- ADONAI
constantly reiterated that HE was God, and there was none other – so what is
the deal with all the “Mary worship” and all the statues and idols held sacred
in the Catholic Church?
Isaiah 45:21
Let them stand and present their case! Indeed, let them take counsel
together. Who foretold this long ago, announced it in times gone by? Wasn't it
I, ADONAI? There is no other God besides me, a just God and a Savior; there is
none besides me. 22 Look to me, and be saved, all the ends of the earth! For I
am God; there is no other. 23 In the name of myself I have sworn, from my mouth
has rightly gone out, a word that will not return - that to me every knee will
bow and every tongue will swear 24 about me that only in ADONAI are justice and
strength." All who rage against him will come to him ashamed, 25 but all
the descendants of Isra'el will find justice and glory in ADONAI. (CJB)
Philippians 2:5 And think you so in yourselves, as Y'shua the
Mashiyach (Messiah) also thought; 6. who, as he was in the likeness of Elohim,
did not regard it sinful to be the coequal of Elohim; 7. yet disinherited
himself and assumed the likeness of a servant, and was in the likeness of men
and was found in fashion as a man; 8. and he humbled himself and became
obedient to death, even the death of the stake. 9. Wherefore, also, Elohim has
highly exalted him and given him a name which is more excellent than all names;
10. that at the name of Y'shua every knee should bow, of (beings) in heaven and
on earth and under the earth; 11. and very tongue will avow MarYah - that is,
Yeshua the Messiah - to the glory of יְהוָֹה His Father. (AENT)
FOOTNOTE:
More than his literal birth name Yeshua (which was and is a common Hebrew
name), and more than the perfect reputation that his name represents. Yeshua
bears the Name of YHWH, the "name above all names!" Yeshua has the
Name and reputation of the Father YHWH in him (John 17:11) and the name means
"YHWH is Salvation" (Matthew 1:21). (The angels, for instance, only
have YHWH's title of ELOHIM within their names: GabriEL, MichaEL, RaphaEL....)
Now - please
understand, my goal is NOT to “bash” the Pope Francis, who was truly a good man doing what
he believed was “right” in God’s eyes.
My goal is not to “bash” anyone who adheres to Catholicism, as we all need
to work out our salvation with fear and trembling (Philippians
2: 12-16). But, by the same token,
we CANNOT and SHOULD NOT twist Scripture to suit our own purpose!
Mary not
only fails to qualify as our Mediator, Advocate, Helper, Benefactress, and
Mediatrix because she is a mere mortal; but also because she is DEAD –
still in the ground until the next resurrection which will happen upon Yeshua’s
return! (So are Pope John Paul II and all other “saints” that Catholics
pray to...)
Nowhere in
the Bible does it say Mary went straight to heaven. Not once are we told that
she has been resurrected or "sits at the right hand of God" (as in
the case of Yeshua - Colossians 3:1). She was still alive when Yeshua died on
the stake (John 19:26-27); and we know of no other "rapture" since
the day Yeshua died when there was a great earthquake and some dead believers
were "resurrected" (Matthew 27:50-53).
Therefore,
Mary is still waiting to “rise” upon Yeshua's Second Coming when all wholehearted
Believers will be "caught up to meet Yeshua in the air" (1
Corinthians 6:14; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17; what many refer to as “the rapture”).
The FINAL "catching up" of ALL mankind (of both believers AND all the
unbelievers since the beginning of time) will happen at the end of Yeshua's
thousand-year reign when we will ALL stand before God on Judgment Day
(Revelation 20:11-15).)
Proof
that Mary was alive when Yeshua was crucified:
John 19: 26. And Y'shua saw his mother
and a disciple whom he loved who was standing there, and he said to his mother,
Woman, behold your son. 27. And he said to that disciple, Behold your mother.
And at that hour that disciple took her with him. (AENT)
When he dies, this happens:
Matthew
27: 50. Then
again Y'shua cried out with a loud voice and gave up his spirit. 51. And
immediately, the curtains at the door of the temple were torn in two from the
top to the bottom. And the earth was shaken and the rocks were split. 52. And
the tombs were opened and many bodies of the Set Apart believers who were
asleep arose, 53. And went out. (AENT)
Note that Mary
wasn’t among them, because she was STILL ALIVE! She didn’t rise, and therefore, she’s STILL in
the grave – so, WHY would anyone pray to her? What can she possibly DO for you, since she is
still dead, and was not “divine.”
Yeshua
Himself taught, "This, then, is how you should pray: 'Our Father in
heaven....'" (Matthew 6:9). Yeshua intercedes on our behalf to the
Father (Hebrews 7:25). The Bible teaches that we have access to the Father ONLY
THROUGH YESHUA (Ephesians 2:18). Therefore, we should be praying to the Father,
in Yeshua's Name (John 14:13-14).
Despite
all those Biblical facts, Catholics around the world fervently pray to Mary, believing that she is
the mediator who intercedes on their behalf before the Father – as is mentioned
in the Catechism of the Catholic Church, Pg. 252, #969 – which says: "Therefore the Blessed Virgin is invoked
in the Church under the titles of Advocate, Helper, Benefactress, and
Mediatrix."
That is
an absolute FALSEHOOD, and here’s why!
1 John 2: 1. My children, these things I
write to you that you do not sin. But if any one should sin, we have an
Advocate with the Father, Y'shua the Mashiyach, the righteous. 2. For he is
himself the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only but also for all
the world. 3. And by this we will be sensible that we know him, if we keep his
Commandments. 4. For he that says I know him, and does not keep his
Commandments, is a liar and the truth is not in him.
5. But he
that keeps his Word, in him is the Love of Elohim truly completed: for by this
we know that we are in him. 6. He that says I am in him, is bound to walk
according to his halacha. 7. My beloved, I write no new commandment to you, but
the old Commandment which you had from the beginning; and the old Commandment
is the Word which you have heard. (AENT)
Psalm 34: 19 The righteous person suffers
many evils, but ADONAI rescues him out of them all. (CJB)
Psalm 54: 4 But YHWH is helping me;
Adonai is my support. (CJB)
Hebrews
13: 6. And it
belongs to us to say confidently, My Master (Y'shua) is my helper, I will not
fear. What can man do to me? 7. Remember your guides who have spoken to you
Elohim-inspired concepts; observe the perfection of their works and imitate
their faith. 8. Y'shua the Mashiyach is the same yesterday, today, and forever.
9. Be not led away by strange and variable doctrines. For it is a good thing
that we strengthen our hearts with grace and not with meats, for those have not
benefited who walked in them. (AENT)
Never in
the Word of God is Mary mentioned as being a supernatural helper nor anything besides the woman
who was chosen to give birth to our Messiah! We are told that only Yeshua is
our one and only mediator:
1 Timothy
2: 5. For
Elohim is one, and the mediator between Elohim and men is one; (namely) the man
Y'shua the Mashiyach, 6. who gave himself a ransom for every man; a testimony
that arrived in due time... (AENT)
Hebrews
9: 15. And for
this reason he became the Mediator of the renewed covenant, that he might by
his death be redemption to them who had transgressed the first covenant; so
that they who are called to the eternal inheritance might receive the promise.
16. For where there is a testament, it indicates the death of him who made it.
17. For it is valid only of a deceased (person) because it has no use so long
as the maker of it lives. 18. Therefore also the first (covenant) was not
confirmed without blood. 19. For when the whole ordinance had been propounded
by Moshe to all the people, according to Torah; Moshe took the blood of a
heifer and water, with scarlet wool and hyssop, and sprinkled upon the books
and upon all the people; 20. and said to them, This is the blood of the
covenant which is enjoined by Elohim. 21. With that blood he also sprinkled
upon the tabernacle and upon all the vessels of ministration: 22. because
everything, according to Torah, is purified with blood: and without the
shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sin.
23 For it
was necessary that these, the representations of heavenly things, should be
purified with those things; but the heavenly things themselves, with a
sacrifice superior to them. 24. For the Mashiyach entered not into the
sanctuary made with hands which is the emblem of the true (sanctuary): but he
entered into heaven itself to appear in the presence of Elohim for us. 25.
Neither (was it necessary) that he should offer himself many times as the high
priest entered every year into the sanctuary with blood not his own: 26.
otherwise, he must have suffered many times since the commencement of the
world; but now in the end of the world, he has once offered himself in a
self-sacrifice to abolish sin. 27. And, as it is appointed to men that they
must once die, and after their death is the judgment; 28. so also the Mashiyach
was once offered; and, by himself, he burned away the sins of many: and a
second time, without sins, will he appear for the life of them who expect him. (AENT)
Could it
be any clearer who is to get ALL the credit?
To teach otherwise, is to go against the entire Word of God!
Hebrews
8: 6. But now,
Y'shua the Mashiyach has received a ministry which is better than that: as also
the covenant of which he is made the Mediator is better, and is given with
better promises than the former. (AENT)
John
14: 6. Y'shua
said to him, I am the Way and the Truth and the Life. No man comes to the
Father except by me. 7. If only you would have known me, you would have also
have known my Father. And from now on you know Him and you have seen Him. (AENT)
Acts 4: 8. Then Shimon Keefa was filled
with the Ruach haKodesh and he said to them, "Leaders of the people and
elders of the house of Israel, listen. 9. If we are judged today by you
concerning the good thing that happened to the sick man, (that) by what means
this (man) was healed, 10. let this be known to you and to all the people of
Israel, that by the name of Y'shua the Mashiyach, the Nazarene, he whom (you),
executed on the stake, he whom Elohim raised from the dead, by him, by the same
one, behold this (man) stands before you being whole! 11. This is the stone
that you builders have rejected, and has become the head of the corner. 12. And
there is not salvation by another man for there is not another name under
heaven which is given to men by which it is proper to have life!" (AENT)
Wise
people take occasional inventory of themselves - a “Holy Spirit” check, if you
will - concerning our
belief system, to MAKE SURE our beliefs line up with Scripture. No matter what our preferred Bible “version,”
the truth is, we are all reading the same BASICS in the BIBLE – which are perfectly
outlined for us, like a taut bow string, beginning in Genesis, and ending on
the last page Revelation. (If you have
never read the Bible from cover to cover, I would strongly urge you to make a
pact with yourself to do so, at your earliest opportunity.)
May our Awesome ELOHIM bless you as you continue to learn and grow in Him!
