Speaking lies in hypocrisy is very obvious when you watch the catholic hierarchy operate. Seared consciences can be blamed back to the catholic church bunch, as well. Forbidding to marry and commanding to abstain from meats? Boy, how obvious can you get in regards to being the Catholic system that God is talking about here! The whole works comes from the Devil who has parked his seat in Rome - the seat of Satan!
This web site is full of information regarding our consciences being seared by doctrines of devils and seducing spirits. No need to rehash it all here. Just surf through the Touchet Baptist Church site.
All Catholics are told that Joseph was a perpetual virgin, even though married; and Mary was a perpetual virgin, though married, and that therefore any priest serving mary should be a perpetual virgin - Clerical Celibacy.
The Catholic Church lists several
reasons for this requirement:
First, celibacy leaves the priest free from marital
responsibility that he might more fully devote himself to his (or her,
in the case of nuns) ministry.
Second, celibacy allows the priest to expose himself
to dangers without thought of a family.
Third, as a type of Christ in servant hood, the
priest (or nun) should forsake marriage as a willing sacrifice as Christ
did.
Fourth, celibacy is an example of virtue in a
wicked world.
Fifth, by celibacy priests and nuns identify with
the poor people of the world by voluntarily giving up a natural pleasure
of life (The Theologians Answer Your Questions, pp. 189-190; Any
Questions?, p. 154).
Biblical Response:
1. Peter and most of the other apostles of
the early church were married men. 1 Co. 9:5.
2. God's standards for church leaders call
for marriage, not celibacy! 1 Ti. 3:1-4;
Titus. 1:5,6.
3. Marriage is an area of personal freedom
before God. In I Co. 7 the Apostle Paul gave instructions about marriage
among Christians. He left the final decision to the individual rather than
dictating absolutes in this area. It is strictly an area of personal freedom
and calling, not something to be dictated by church laws.
4. Any teaching which forbids marriage is demonically
inspired. 1 Ti. 4:1-3.
5. Marriage is as holy as virginity. "Marriage
is honourable in all, and the bed undefiled: but whoremongers and adulterers
God will judge" (He. 13:4).
Here we see that it is not more virtuous to remain unmarried. Marriage
is holy and honorable.
6. To forbid marriage is to endanger believers
of falling into immorality. 1 Co. 7:2-5,9,36.
Catholic history is filled with the chronicles of priests and nuns--yea,
even popes--who lived in adultery and fornication. One reason for this
is the wicked Roman law of celibacy.
7. The Bible commands married couples to live together
and not to forsake the marriage bed. We saw this
in the quote above from 1 Co. 7:3-5.
Roman Catholic tradition demands that married men and women disobey God's
Word in this matter if they desire to be church leaders. The Lord Jesus
Christ says to the Catholic Church what He said to the hypocritical Jewish
leaders. He answered and said unto them, Why
do ye also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition?. Ye have
made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition. Ye hypocrites,
well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying, This people draweth nigh unto
me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips: but their heart
is far from me. But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines
the commandments of men (Mt. 15:3-9).
Consider this comment: When Adam and eve walked with God, they were in a protected environment. There was no need, until they ate of the tree, to decide between good and evil. But it is a proven fact that most, even bible believing vegetarians will go off the deep end spiritually. Why? Because the amino acids that we get from our meat protein, not just plant protein, gives our brains the ability it would not be able to do without that protein. Without meat protein, we would not be able to make proper decisions on what is right and wrong. That is why most of your occults will take away a persons meats!
Here is the eating program:
God ok's food in the garden
- herbs! Genesis 1:29,30;
2:9.
Man ruins it!
God ok's food after the flood
- meat! Genesis
9:3,4. Man ruins it!
God ok's spiritual food
- Manna in OT and the Word of God in the NT! Luke
4:4, etc (honey,
bread, milk, meat, apple) Man ruins it!
I Timothy
6:20 O Timothy, keep that which is committed
to thy trust, avoiding ... oppositions of science falsely so called...
God solves the problem!
For every creature of God
is good, and nothing to be refused,
if it be received with thanksgiving:
For it is sanctified by the
word of God and prayer.
I Timothy 4:4,5
Ask God to bless everything that
goes into your mouth!
1. Be thankful for it!
2. Ask God to sanctify
it!
a.
by the word of God (line up with or read during?)
b.
with prayer
I'll bet your table 'grace' falls a bit short of the solution, eh?
Note: Bodily exercise is not being prohibited; but it profits little! The real profit the big profit, is in godliness, for bodily exercise profits only in THIS life!
Godliness applies to that life which is to come as well as the temporal life here. Godliness can keep you out of trouble and physical strength can often get you into it. Godliness causes you to sow to the spirit; physical exercise can cause you to sow in the flesh.
The Lord ...taketh not pleasure in the legs of a man Ps 147:10, so the strong man is not to glory in his strength Jer 9:23 ... neither let the mighty man glory in his might...
However, physical training and physical fitness are required of a Christian. I Corinthians 9:26,27 if he is able to take it. I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air: But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.
Even with a thorn in the flesh, Paul was 'up and at em' all of his life. With whatever infirmities he had, they required a practicing physician with him during much of his life: (Luke - see Col 4:14 and II Tim 4:11), he carried on like a trained athlete I Cor 9:24-27 Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain. And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible. I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air: But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway. Paul even professed to be engaged in that kind of activity Heb 12:1-3 ...let us run with patience the race that is set before us,. So, physical training and physical fitness are required of a Christian, as well, but not more than spiritual exercise!
Two types of exercise
I. Bodily exercise
a. keeps the major organs
functioning properly
b. Rests the mind and relaxes
the nerves.
c. adds years to the physical
life
d. aids in the digestion
process
e. tends to stop depression
and discouragement
II. Spiritual exercise
a. keeps the individual from
sin!
b. strengthens the 'inner
man' in the faith!
c. enables prayers to be
answered!
d. keeps the individual in
fellowship with God!
e. lays up treasure in heaven!
f. guarantees a millennial
inheritance!
Why can't we wait for the gold?
- and of that which is to come!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Colossians 3:1,2
We are
risen with Christ, why can't we seek
those things which are above,
where Christ sitteth on the
right hand of God.
Why can't we Set
our
affection on things above, not on things on the earth.
I Corinthians 9:24-27
Know ye not that they which
run in a race run all,
but one receiveth the prize?
So run, that ye may obtain.
And every man that striveth
for the mastery is temperate in all things.
Now they do it to obtain
a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible.
I therefore so run, not as
uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air:
But I keep under my body,
and bring it into subjection:
lest that by any means, when
I have preached to others,
I myself should be a castaway.
Philippians 3:13,14
Brethren, I count not myself
to have apprehended: but this one thing I do,
forgetting those things which
are behind,
and reaching forth unto those
things which are before,
I press toward the mark for
the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.
I John 3:2
Beloved, now are we the sons
of God,
and it doth not yet appear
what we shall be:
but we know that, when he
shall appear, we shall be like him;
for we shall see him as he
is.
II Timothy 2:12
If we suffer, we shall also
reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us:
Romans 8:17
And if children, then heirs;
heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ;
if so be that we suffer with
him, that we may be also glorified together.
Romans 8:18
For I reckon that the sufferings
of this present time are not worthy
to be compared with the glory
which shall be revealed in us.