"Sister V,

Well here is a little poem for you to begin your week with.
.

If I at dust upon my window gaze,

must I, for others,  declare it haze?

If this dust is in form arrayed,

causing some to be amazed,

Dust it was,

“dost” not dust

 continue it to be?

 But, say some, “No, tis Mary see!”

Do turn I then, abashed by these,

and jilted by reason, to flee?

Why do I bring this up?   In Springfield, MA,   On one of the windows of the local catholic hospital, someone made a “private” interpretation that he dust on the window was an apparition of Mary.  Management pulled the window and have sent for “experts” to determine if the window is to be venerated or not.  

Here we are back at the issue of rationality.  I have a tile floor and wall in our main bathroom.  The tiles are very interesting as when I look at them I can make out various images.  Several images may be deduced from one single image.  What would happen if one of the “faithful” were to use my bathroom and, while contemplating this tile should see an apparition of Mary?  Should that tile be pulled from my bathroom and born “corpus Christi” style through the city, or should I, perhaps, sell my house to the local diocese so that they can enshrine it?  Maybe I should just start a business and sell tickets to the “faithful” and allow them come into my bathroom and there, prostrating themselves before the image, sween and swoon, producing a PRIVATE VISION of Mary holding the infant Jesus..

Wow, what news it would be, would it not? I think Lincoln might begin to be competition for Fatima.

Sister, you say that ghosts are not a problem with the catholic church as you pray for the dead.  Apparitions of Mary, Jesus, or any of the so called saints are apparitions of ghosts!  You have these commonly. In a book written by a Roman Catholic, entitled “Legends of the Holy Sacrament” hundreds of such pretended visions have been recorded.  I intend to touch on these later.

Why is it that the Roman church will not allow the “faithful” to read and interpret scripture, privately,  but willingly promotes ecstatic visions?  You cannot say that the Roman Church does not, because I have in my possession, the book of Ignatius Loyola’s “Exercises.”   This is the training manual for the novitiate to the Society of Jesus.  Frankly all it is about is how a person can sween and swoon thereby establishing direct and perhaps visual contact with Mary, Jesus, and or one of the saints.  There are many such exercises recorded in Roman history.  Francis of Assisi, Dominic the first head of the inquisition are two very famous swoonies who made several such contacts with God or the goddess

Now if one is able to establish contact with Christ by sweening and swooning, will not Christ say something to him/her as they confront each other?  Christ is GOD!  Anything Christ says are the Words of God.  The Word of God is Scripture.  If some swoony gets these words and repeats them, they need not be heeded, right?  Why?  Because when the swoony repeats them, this then is the swoony’s private interpretation.  Is that not so?

Since this IS so, then you must disregard the whole apparition since nothing can be quoted as the quote would be the private interpretation of scripture. The whole exercise was therefore pointless.  Why would God do anything that is pointless?  Certainly He is not having an issue of too much time on his hands, is He?

Okay, the Roman church does quote and believe the product of seeening and swooning.  Rome believes, In fact, that such ecstasies are more beneficial to her and her faithful, than is Scripture.  To me this appears to be the honest outcome of Rome’s foundational belief.  The God of Scripture and the god of Rome are two different beings.

Now I am sure that you, Sister, and I will agree on one thing: God is not a fool and therefore HE will not engage in pointless activity.  Since this is so, then why did He reveal Himself through Scripture? 

1. Did He only want certain people in the Church to know and understand what He has revealed?
2. Was He not capable of revealing Himself in such a matter that His chosen would understand Him?
3. Since He indwells His people (this is the New Testament, Veronica, the New Covenant – where He indwells and teaches us from within and we feed upon His word) is He not capable of leading them, in His own way, at the pace best suited for the believer? 

Fye, fye, on those that say otherwise, Fye, Sister, Fye!

We have discussed how Peter identifies the writings of Paul as being Scripture.  We have looked at those letters and have seen that the individual believer is supposed to read them and apply them to themselves.

Paul says :

 2 Timothy 3:16-17
 
Every scripture inspired of God is also profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for instruction which is in righteousness. That the man of God may be complete, furnished completely unto every good work.

Notice, please, these facts:

1. The author of Scripture is God.
2. Scripture is profitable for
a. Teaching
b. Reproof
c. Correction
d. Instruction in righteousness

To what purpose?

1. That the man of God
a. Be complete
b. Completely furnished unto every good work

Complete, Sistera, complete!   Philippians 1:6 states that He who is in us will complete his work of perfection until the day of Christ.  2:13 states that the believer has God in him both to will and to work His good pleasure.  God uses His word, the Scriptures that we read, to build up our spiritual muscle.  The more scripture the believer reads, re-reads, and compares with other scripture the more tone one has in their “spiritual abs.”

As long as we are on the subject of private interpretation, consider that man, Timothy. 

What about him?  He was raised on the “private interpretation” of scripture.  Raised on it Veronica, and then was required by Paul to use it in the ministry that He had been called to.  No one checked with Peter for clearance – or anyone else except God who has revealed, verbally, only in the Scriptures. 

2 Timothy 3:15

And that from a babe thou hast known the sacred writings which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.

I do hope you noticed that 3:15 is one verse prior to 3:16 above.

John did not believe in Rome’s definition of “private interpretation” either. 

1st John 2:20

And ye have an anointing from the Holy One, and ye know all the things.

Then, of course, there is this passage:

1st Corinthians 2:12-16

But we received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is from God; that we might know the things that were freely given to us of God. Which things also we speak, not in words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Spirit teacheth; combining spiritual things with spiritual words. Now the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him; and he cannot know them, because they are spiritually judged. But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, and he himself is judged of no man. For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he should instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.

Rome is like the Jews of John 6.  It is not spiritual, therefore it can neither understand or believe.  The passages above state that to understand Scripture and the will of God, you must be spiritual.  That means born again of the Spirit.  It means that you must have the anointing of God who has to indwell you and builds your spiritual “abs” from the Scriptures you study and are taught. 

No, Sister, NO!  No Scripture can be privately interpreted.  That means interpreted for one’s own benefit and twisting it from the meaning that God intended.  But the Spiritual person cannot do this and survive!  The spiritual person has God in him, teaching and disciplining him until he is perfect, which is when he goes into the presence of God in heaven

Rome and its teachings are giving you and others an expensive ride to hell.  It is not the place you will want to be, nor need you be.  Christ died once for the sins of the whole world.  That includes you, Veronica.  Christ died for your sin.  But in order for His atonement to apply to you, you must belief in Him and Him alone as your savior, intercessor, and Lord.  Christ alone, Veronica.  Christ alone, through faith alone, by grace alone, as revealed in Scripture alone.

Get on your spiritual knees, Sister.  Tell Him that you have a lifetime of belief and teaching that says I am wrong, but that you want Him to guide you to truth. Tell Him if forgiveness is ONLY in Christ alone that you want it.  You want to be forgiven for all your sin, past present and future and that you want eternal life in which God, through the Spirit, will produce in you fruit like love, joy, peace, and hope.  Yes, Veronica, you can possess that assured hope.  The hope that the Lord is coming for you.  The hope that you will be in God’s presence forever.  The hope that there will be no more sorrow, despair or sickness when you are in eternity with Him.  It is a blessed hope, Sister, blessed.  Talk to God about it, today.

Larry