Bible

The Bible Verse That Every Lukewarm Catholic Should Read…

Jun 7th, 2011

If I had to describe my Catholic faith for most of my life, one word comes to mind…

LUKEWARM!

Even though I’ve always been a “practicing” Catholic, most of my life was spent simply going through the motions. Although I would go to Mass each week, my mind was on the “important” things that I had to do when I got out of Church. After receiving the Lord in Holy Communion, I would look around, daydream and think about what I should have for lunch. I’d grab my bulletin and head for my car, happy that I fulfilled my duty as a Catholic and even happier that I wouldn’t have to go again for another week!

In 2005, a health scare caused me to abandon my uncaring ways and start caring about my faith in a BIG way! As someone who finally realizes the treasure we have in the Catholic Church, I have dedicated my life to sharing the “Good News” with as many people as possible. While I fully believe that the Lord used my illness to get my attention, I wonder how long He was actually calling me before I finally listened?

While I can’t guarantee that it would have brought about my reversion sooner, I believe that the following Bible verse may done the trick. It should get the attention of every lukewarm Catholic. I don’t know how the Lord could be any more blunt with His message. It’s a message that is directed to anyone who doesn’t care that they don’t know more about their Catholic faith. It’s a message that just may have gotten me to “wake up” several years ago. It’s a message you should share with any lukewarm Catholics you care about…

“I know your works; I know that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either cold or hot. So, because you are lukewarm, neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth.” (Revelation 3:15-16)

Now It Makes Sense!

Jun 6th, 2011

by Gary Zimak.

No comments yet

Over the past several days, I’ve been discussing how the Bible can be used to support the argument that the Catholic Church is the one, true Church established by Christ. We started our journey by looking at the fact that God wants everyone to be saved and come to knowledge of the truth. In my last post, I examined Jesus’ instruction that we must eat His Body and drink His Blood in order to acheive eternal life. This command greatly confused His disciples and caused many of them to scatter. It wasn’t until the Last Supper that it all became clear.

Then he took the bread, said the blessing, broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body, which will be given for you; do this in memory of me.” And likewise the cup after they had eaten, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which will be shed for you (Lk 22:19-20).

Now the words about eating His Body make sense and thankfully it has nothing to do with cannibalism! Our Lord didn’t say that “this REPRESENTS my Body” or “this SYMBOLIZES my Body”. He said, “This IS my Body”. Is there a church that believes that Our Lord’s Body can actually exist under the appearance of bread and that follows His command to “do this in memory of me”? This sounds like the Catholic Mass…and, come to think of it, the Catholic Church fits all of the other scriptural requirements, but it can’t really be “the Church”, can it?

Although some folks literally “stand on their head” to explain away all of the Bible passages that support Catholic doctrine, the evidence is clear. If you are Catholic, you can take comfort in the fact that our beliefs are totally in harmony with the Bible. If you are not Catholic, I invite you to compare the teachings of your church to God’s Word contained in Scripture. Look at the passages we discussed, meditate upon them and ask the Holy Spirit to guide you to “the truth”. A careful and honest study of Scripture has brought many people into the Catholic Church. If you would like to learn more about becoming Catholic, please contact your local Catholic parish or email me.

The Most Important Words Jesus NEVER Said

Jun 4th, 2011

by Gary Zimak.

1 comment

Ordinarily, when we look at the public ministry of Jesus, we focus on His words. His parables, commands and sayings provide us with the guidelines needed to live good Christian lives. In one case, however, what Jesus didn’t say is of equal or greater importance than what He did say. Over the past few days, I’ve been looking at some Scripture passages supporting the Catholic Church as the one, true Church. Today, let’s look at the Lord’s Bread of Life discourse, where He gave an astonishing teaching, using a combination of words and silence.

Jesus said to them, “Amen, amen, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life within you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him on the last day. For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him. Just as the living Father sent me and I have life because of the Father, so also the one who feeds on me will have life because of me. This is the bread that came down from heaven. Unlike your ancestors who ate and still died, whoever eats this bread will live forever.” These things he said while teaching in the synagogue in Capernaum. Then many of his disciples who were listening said, “This saying is hard; who can accept it?” Since Jesus knew that his disciples were murmuring about this, he said to them, “Does this shock you? What if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before? It is the spirit that gives life, while the flesh is of no avail. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and life. But there are some of you who do not believe.” Jesus knew from the beginning the ones who would not believe and the one who would betray him. And he said, “For this reason I have told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by my Father.” As a result of this, many (of) his disciples returned to their former way of life and no longer accompanied him (Jn 6:53-66).

Jesus said that eating His flesh and drinking His blood is necessary in order to have eternal life. This created quite a stir among His disciples, as evidenced by their comment about it being a “hard saying”. Throughout the ages, many who don’t believe in the Catholic teaching of the Real Presence, have argued that Jesus wasn’t speaking literally. They feel that He was just speaking figuratively. If that’s the case, why are His words difficult to accept? They are difficult to accept because everyone standing there that day knew that Jesus was speaking literally and really meant what He said. It didn’t make sense to them. How could they eat His Body and drink His Blood? As further proof that Jesus really meant what He said, Scripture tells us that many of His disciples walked away, returned to their former way of life and no longer accompanied Him!

If Jesus was only speaking figuratively, wouldn’t it make sense for Him to call them back and clear up the misunderstanding? Instead, He said…

NOTHING!

Why? Because He meant exactly what He said previously.

Next: The “difficult” words of Jesus suddenly make sense as He celebrates the Last Supper (Luke 22:19-20).

The Great Commission And The Importance Of Baptism

Jun 1st, 2011

by Gary Zimak.

1 comment

Then Jesus approached and said to them, “All power in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age.” (Mt 28:18-20).

Although we now know that Jesus founded a Church and that this Church is the guardian of truth, we still don’t know the identity of that Church. With thousands of Christian churches to choose from, where do we begin? Fortunately, by looking at some more clues we can narrow down our list of choices.

In today’s passage, known as the Great Commission, Jesus instructs the Apostles to carry on His work of making disciples. The Lord is clear when He lists the way that this should be done:

1. Through baptism.

2. By teaching the future disciples to observe all that Jesus has commanded.

Jesus’ mention of baptism as a requirement for discipleship is an important clue when trying to find the one, true Church. In fact, in Saint Mark’s version of the Great Commission, he adds emphasis to the importance of baptism with the words, “He who believes and is baptized will be saved” (Mk 16:16). While many Christian churches baptize their members, not all of them consider baptism to be a sacrament and necessary for salvation. Our list of potential churches has just gotten A LOT smaller!

Tomorrow: Jesus confirms that baptism is necessary for salvation (John 3:1-5)

Jesus Founded A Church

May 31st, 2011

by Gary Zimak.

1 comment

And so I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” (Mt 16:18-19).

As we approach the halfway point in our journey to finding the one, true Church, let’s look at some of Jesus’ most famous and important words. In our last segment, we looked at the fact that the Church is the ultimate guardian of truth. Today, we see that Jesus founded this Church under the leadership of a specific individual. Saint Peter, the head of the Apostles, is entrusted with the “keys to the kingdom” and is given the power to make authoritative decisions on earth that will be upheld in Heaven. Recognized as the first pope, Peter led the early Christian Church with the same Christ-given authority as Pope Benedict XVI does today. When we analyze Jesus’ words to St. Peter, it becomes apparent that we’ve just eliminated a number of churches, as they just don’t hold up when compared to the Bible!

In the next stop on our trip, we’ll look at the “Great Commission”, when Jesus instructed the Apostles to “make disciples of all nations”, through baptism and authoritative teaching. It will give us an another critical clue and bring us closer to discovering the TRUE Church!

Tomorrow: The Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20)

The Church – The Ultimate Guardian Of Truth!

May 27th, 2011

by Gary Zimak.

1 comment

If your brother sins (against you), go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have won over your brother. If he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, so that ‘every fact may be established on the testimony of two or three witnesses.’ If he refuses to listen to them, tell the church. If he refuses to listen even to the church, then treat him as you would a Gentile or a tax collector. Amen, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven (Mt 18:15-18).

In yesterday’s post, I looked at how the Holy Spirit protects the Church from teaching error. The words of Jesus are clear as He promised to send the Holy Spirit to guide His followers to the truth. As further evidence that this protection is with His Church and not necessarily with individuals, let’s take a look more of the Lord’s words.

If one disciple sins against another, Jesus provides a course of action. First, the wronged party should inform the guilty party in private. If that is ineffective, Jesus recommends “two or three” witnesses be utilized. If even that doesn’t work, take the matter to the Church. If the sinner still refuses to repent…you can use your imagination, but I wouldn’t want to be that person! The Lord further emphasizes the fact that the Church has the authority to make earthly decisions that will be upheld in Heaven. That, my friends, is what I call authority! From this, we can conclude that the Church we’re looking for can teach authoritatively and make binding moral decisions.

Due to the upcoming Memorial Day holiday, we’ll take a break from our journey for a few days. When we resume on Tuesday, we’ll look at the most important passage covered thus far!

Next Tuesday: Jesus founded a Church (Matthew 16:18-19)

How Do We Find The Truth?

May 25th, 2011

by Gary Zimak.

1 comment

But if I should be delayed, you should know how to behave in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and foundation of truth (1 Tm 3:15).

Yesterday, we looked at the Biblical passage stating that God wants everyone to be saved and to know the truth. Now, let’s look at how we go about finding the truth. As Christians, we know that Jesus is “the Way, the Truth and the Life”, but how does that fact help us to live our lives in accordance with His Will? We need a set of guidelines to help us make moral decisions, based on His truth.

Fortunately for us, the Bible gives us the answer. While many Christians believe that the Bible is the ultimate resource for determining the truth, the Bible actually tells us otherwise! In his letter to Timothy, St. Paul reveals that the Church is the “pillar and foundation of truth” (see verse at beginning). While that provides us with some useful guidance, it begs the question, “Which church?” After all, there are thousands of Christian churches that put forth conflicting teachings. By definition, you can’t have multiple, conflicting “truths”. What now?

In order to determine which Church will lead us to the truth, we need to investigate further. Tomorrow, we’ll let the words of Jesus point us in the right direction!

Tomorrow: (John 16:13)

What Is Truth (And How Can We Find It)?

May 23rd, 2011

by Gary Zimak.

No comments yet

I don’t normally make it a habit to quote Pontius Pilate, but his cynical quote really fits this topic. “What is truth?” is a question that every Christian should ask himself, as its pursuit should be our main mission in life. In the dictionary, truth is defined as “conformity with fact or reality”. When it comes to faith, the Modern Catholic Dictionary (Fr. John Hardon, 1999, Eternal Life Press), defines revealed truth as “disclosure by God of Himself and His Will to the human race”. While that answers the question of “what is truth?”, it still doesn’t tell how to discover the truth.

I recently wrote an article for Catholic Lane entitled, “A Biblical Roadmap To The One, True Church“, in which I presented 10 Scripture passages which take us from Point “A” (There is ONE absolute truth) to Point “B” (the Catholic Church contains the fullness of that truth). Over the next several days, I’ll be discussing each of these passages in detail.

If you’re Catholic, you should be familiar with these passages as they provide a strong validation for our beliefs. If you’re not Catholic, I recommend that you use them as a standard by which to measure your own church. As I state in the article, it is my belief that only the Catholic Church fits all of these Biblical requirements.

I hope you’ll join me as we search for the truth in order that we can echo the words of David, “Teach me, LORD, your way that I may walk in your truth (Ps 86:11)!

Tomorrow: 1 Timothy 2:3-4

Missing The Point

May 18th, 2011

by Gary Zimak.

No comments yet

I have to hand it to the Pharisees. In fact, I’d like to nominate these guys for the “Missing The Point Award” (just assume, for the sake of argument, that there is such an award). When Jesus healed the man with the withered hand (Mt 12:9-13, Mk 3:1-6, Lk 6:6-11), the Pharisees got so bent out of shape that the healing took place on the Sabbath that they completely ignored the miracle! How could they be so blind?

Unfortunately, friends, you and I do the same thing each day. While the Pharisees may have been a lot more radical about their positions, we all manage to overlook Jesus’ work in our life on a daily basis. How so? Let me give you a few examples:

“That guy? He’s a jerk…I’m glad I’m not like him. He doesn’t even go to church on Sunday.”

“Boy, am I lucky that I got that new job.”

“I know I’m a Catholic, but no pope can tell me what to do in the bedroom. Thank God for birth control pills! If I listened to that old man, I’d have so many kids that I’d go broke!”

The problem with the above statements is that they exhibit the same kind of blindness practiced by the Pharisees. Despite having some major flaws, Mr. “Jerk” could be very kind and loving to his elderly parents. The ”luck” involved in getting your new job very well may have come about due to the prayers of your deceased relatives and God’s providence. Jesus can and does continue to speak directly though that “old man” (who I like to lovingly and respectfully refer to as the Holy Father). By choosing to be closed- minded, we often miss the actions of the Lord in our lives.

The moral of the story is, if you’re going to be like the Pharisees, choose to imitate their love for God’s law. However, unlike them, make sure you LIVE that law. That includes loving your neighbor and always trying to see good in them. It also includes obeying the voice of Jesus in His Catholic Church, even when you may not fully understand all of her teachings.

For more observations about the healing of the Man with the Withered Hand, listen to today’s Following The Truth podcast:

Listen to internet radio with Gary Zimak on Blog Talk Radio

A Biblical Roadmap To The One, True Church

May 12th, 2011

by Gary Zimak.

1 comment

Those of us who are Catholic are blessed to be members of the Church founded by Jesus Christ, Himself! If you have any doubt, I recommend that you take a look at 1o Bible passages. Here’s my latest article for Catholic Lane, A Biblical Roadmap To The One True Church.

Let me know what you think!