My son passed away this past May, 4 days after he was born. He was baptized and confirmed, and I frequently ask for his intercession (and he has been a loving son - his prayers are powerful!). Thank you for articulating this. As the father of a saint, this subject takes on an incredibly different dynamic and level of importance - and experience.
I am sorry for your loss. Be assured that the children of believers even if they have died within the womb before baptism or confirmation are safe with the Lord. If we put our confidence in a baptism or confirmation of a baby, realise it undermines and discourages those who have had miscarriages. Let your confidence be in the right place.
Christtoday that’s actually not the view of the Church. One of the reasons abortion has always been (until Francis) a sin reserved to the Holy See is because it deprives a child from the Beatific vision.
@@christtoday9136And the children of unbelievers...? Perhaps it was unintentional, but you make it sound as though our hope for our children's salvation is in the strength of our faith as parents. Catholics believe that innocent children who die before reaching the age of reason (and sin) receive eternal happiness. We also believe that baptism imparts grace and removes the stain of original sin from souls. This cannot be a bad thing, even for the youngest of children. Catholics also believe in baptism of desire, and baptism by blood (martyrdom), as well as baptism by water. In this way, the Lord secures the possibility of baptism in the majority of cases - including miscarriages.
@@jaimemorgan5323 Scripture is less clear about the children of unbelievers, though many believe that all children up to what age/ culpability ?? will go to heaven if they die young. In this case, a child of a Muslim, could be understood to die and go to heaven as there would be no desire of baptism etc in that circumstance. The Lord is kind and maybe will deal with all children this way BUT my purpose was to articulate Scripture's assurance for children of believers as found when David lost his firstborn son.
For clarity, it is not about the strength of a parent's faith but about the presence of a parent's faith. Even a little genuine faith unites us to Christ.
@@Robert-bm2jr Oui ! Et voyez tous ces messages qui disent tous à peu près la même chose! Juste pour défendre leur point de vue insane ! Et tous les chrétiens d ‘origine apostoliques qui s’en moquent éperdument car ces hétérodoxes visent à côté de la cible ( sens exacte du mot péché ) ! Ils n’ont aucun impacte ceux qui cherchent à défendre l’indéfendable ! Laissons-les épuiser leurs cartouches, en vain ! Un siècle de divagations insanes contre + de 2000 ans de vie en Christ, le choix et facile ! Les pauvres, et, ils ne comprennent rien à rien!
I love how you touched upon Mary talking to Saint Gabriel. As a beginner apologist that woke me up a little bit because you could use that in many defenses for Mary and the Saints. Just asked the protestant “have you ever talk to an angel in life form?” Lol
What are you saying? What does talking with angels have to do with the topic? I'm not sure we even know. "Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares."
@@huntsman528 Hi, huntsman. When you ask the question what talking to angels who appear in bodily form on earth has to do with the topic of the video, which is how we know that the Saints in heaven hear our prayers, I understand you to be drawing a distinction in kind between talking to angels and talking to Saints. The obvious alternative possibility is that you are talking about angels who appear on earth in bodily form. This alternative possibility I take to be trivial and easily dismissed as nothing more than a convenient phantasm adopted simply for the sake of facilitating conversation. This leaves the distinction in kind between angels in heaven and saints in heaven. I say angels in heaven because they never leave heaven, continually beholding the face of Christ's Father in heaven. It is certainly true that there is a fundamental difference in kind between the angels, whose nature is to be a subsistent form, and the souls of just men made perfect, whose nature is to be the principle of unity and operation of each their own bodies. The relevant and significant consideration here however is not their nature but their condition. Both are pure in their consecration to and union with God, and therefore are fully competent to know, enjoy, and do whatever might correspond to God's will for them. So true is this that throughout the Old Testament, when heaven was shut against man, who was relegated in the case of just men to the limbo of the Fathers, that we find heaven populated nonetheless with saints, who in this case are the good angels. These are the same angels who speak with man and present our prayers to the Father. So God does not make a distinction between the saints who are angels who speak with men and present their prayers to God and the souls of just men made perfect who with the redemption in Christ are likewise ushered into full, direct, and immediate communion with God in heaven. So we see Scripture using the same word Saints to refer to angels in the Old Testament and to refer also to the souls of just men made perfect in the New Testament. Accordingly, there is no basis to suppose that prayer to the souls of just men made perfect is any of forbidden, meaningless, unscriptural, or ineffective. Instead, as with everything else God does, it finds its place in the rich torrent of God's gifts flowing to us through and in Christ.
Thank you again Joe! Revelation where the saints are all around the altar and the Angel incenses the altar with their prayers is amazing to have a glimpse into worship in Heaven
@weaponofchoice-tc7qs Catholics sometimes become atheists too. It's certainly not confined to protestantism. I would rather see Christians go from one side to the other, rather than become atheists though.
The language barrier objection seems the silliest to me. We have explicit biblical examples in the beginning of the book of Acts where people who are filled with the Spirit can communicate perfectly effectively with other people who don't speak the same language as them.
I've never even heard the language barrier argument, from anyone ever. We'll have a perfect from of communication there, ,some say it doesn't even involve language as we know it here.
@@rbnmnt3341We are biblically prohibited from CONJURING the dead, not from praying for the intercession of the souls in Heaven and Purgatory who have gone before us-and who are, therefore, closer to God than we are.
Thank you Joe for explaining and defending our Catholic faith and tradition. You, your family and ministry are and will always be in my prayers 🙏🏽 . God bless you 🙏🏽
Kind of weird how people that believe in speaking in tongues don't also believe that the saints in heaven can understand our prayers in different languages.
I find it interesting that Paul even puts his trust in Philemon’s prayer. “21 Confident of your obedience, I write to you, knowing that you will do even more than I say. 22 At the same time, prepare a guest room for me, for I am hoping that through your prayers I will be graciously given to you.”
@ShamelessPopery @Joe Heschmeyer thank you for helping us Catholics and our protestantes brothers understand and learn our faith. May GOD continue to Bless your family, you and your Ministry. Robert from Puerto Rico 🇵🇷
@@zeektm1762 🕵️ The video does not prove that the early Christians and even the Jews were praying to heavenly saints. That is an intellectual information I am giving you.
@@Kartal-tp8qq yes, but Abraham didn't know that. The fact that he heard the voice from heaven, (maybe) knew it as "the angel of the Lord" and still did what it told him says something about OT beliefs about prayer with saints and angels. I wouldn't say it's a knockout example that proves we can/should pray to angels and saints, but it's another one we can put in the quiver. I think the weak points here are: 1) The Angel of the Lord is technically God, 2) Abraham doesn't actually speak back through prayer, just does what the voice says and 3) The voice may have been audible, is it prayer if the voice is audible?
@@Jfloyd When angels "speak" in Scripture it's rarely audible. It's a common misconception. Paul wasn't transcribing a literal voice in his head from the Holy Spirit. When Isaiah spoke what God told him, it wasn't as if God spoke into his ear as a human would. There are exceptions to this, as many times Angels do come in the form of man, but it isn't the norm. The voice of God is subtle yet overwhelming. Give me a minute to find a passage that tries to describe this feeling.
@@Jfloyd There's a lot I wish to quote but the matter of the Voice of God all gets compared to either great Thunder (often causing great fear) or _sheer silence._ When it happens in the Old Testament most can't help but to cover themselves, kneel, and in one instance take off their sandals in fear of soiling that "holy" soil where it happens. There's a lot of this in Exodus and Genesis, and in the NT you have the Transfiguration which got quite the reaction as well. But I'll quote a few and you find the rest. 1 Samuel 7:10 the Voice of God sends the Phillistines running 2 Samuel 22:10 "The Lord thundered from heaven; the Most High uttered his voice." And my favorite, with Elijah, in 1 Kings 19. Note that Elijah hears thunder, earthquakes, fires, but _God was not in it._ Only after that "whisper" or sheer silence does he cover himself. Here it is: He said, “Go out and stand on the mountain before the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.” Now there was a great wind, so strong that it was splitting mountains and breaking rocks in pieces before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake; 12 and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a sound of sheer silence. 13 When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. Then there came a voice to him that said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?
How does someone say, with authority of any kind, that asking the Blessed Virgin to pray for us can invite the demonic? What’s the source of this knowledge? How do they come to this conclusion?
Protestants don’t understand the fact that during exorcisms if Mary is there present with the priest as he says the rite of exorcism, the demons fear her & the devil hates her.
I believe it’s not just Mary but anyone that is dead that they have a problem with praying too they see it as necromancy no matter what you say to the differ it’s just a lose lose battle
Hi, Anthony. The answer is a little bit involved. For Protestants the starting point is that Catholicism is all of wrong, damnable, and ensuring damnation. The question then is in the details, but everything that is not in the Protestant bible or taught in Protestant tradition is to be taken with suspicion and assumed to be both wrong and dangerous until it can be shown to be not only consistent with Scripture but supported by Scripture. Protestants don't have the refinement of thought and teaching to distinguish between latria and dulia, respectively the worship which is due to God alone and the worship of honour of the good and status to which God has raised creatures, so if there is worship, it is taken by Protestants to be either the true worship which is to be given to God alone, or idolatry (idol-latria, nothing or emptiness worship), worship which should be given to none other than God, but is instead given to something (or nothing, or a placeholder pointing so something which does not in fact exist) which is not God. Many Protestant bibles, sensitive to this thought in Protestants, translate worship when it is applied to creatures with some other word, such as honour or homage, but the word for worship which is given to God is also used with startling frequency and favourably as being given to creatures. This worship which is suitably given to creatures is called dulia, for which Protestants have no category. Beyond this, Protestants don't have valid orders, and so don't have true worship. What then gets taken to be worship for Protestants is verbal expressions of faith and devotion. If verbal expressions of faith and devotion are what constitutes worship, and worship is to be given to God alone, then any expression of faith and devotion which is directed to any being other than God is necessarily idolatry. Since it is demons which induce idolatry, any act of worship so defined is induced by demons. As you can see, Anthony, the entire chain of Protestant reasoning in this matter is one long chain of errors building on other errors, leading to an erroneous conclusion which breaks the fourth Commandment by which God calls on us to honour His and our mother. John, and his second generation disciple Ignatius of Antioch through Polycarp, warned well that rejection of the Eucharist corresponds with being subject to the influence of demons. We must pray and fast that so many good and devout Christians discover and receive the fullness of salvation.
@shamelesspopery Thank you so much for taking the time to thoroughly answer my concerns, Joe. There is a lot to process here, but one thing that stands out more than anything else to me at the moment is how interconnected we really seem to be with the saints in heaven. In Protestantism, there is such a sharp, vast division between heaven and earth at times, it can make one feel so disconnected from spiritual realities as a whole. You have given me a lot to think about. Thank you, and God bless!
One thing to contemplate as well is the Church Body that Christ was teaching of and which the apostles learned … is that those who are are part of the Body each live forever and have their own role. When you look at the Hail Mary … it’s an intercession prayer that is not self orientated but for a community. “Hail Mary full of grace, pray for US sinners now and at the hour of our death”. It’s not asking her to pray for Me, it’s Us. Same thing with the Lords Prayer, I and Me are not pronouns in the prayer. It’s US, OUR. Prayer is not supposed to be transactional, most of the prayers you will find in Catholic daily prayers are for helping others or for community, or to give reflection on the life of Christ and his mysteries.
This is such a perfect explanation. Also a beautiful one to know just how incredible our Father God is was and always will be. It is beyond our comprehension in these earthly brains. Yet some day soon we will know the fullness of His glory and power. Glory be to God in the highest. Pray🙏
I always love people making comments on the Internet saying there is no way the saints can hear us because they aren't omnipresent. Dude, you're communicating with hundreds right now in your online comments. Are you omnipresent? Is God inferior to modern technology?
@@eyefisher 🧑⚖️You can't pray to me to pray for you, like how you pray to Mary to pray for you. 🧑⚖️But you can ask me to pray for you. That's what it's supposed to be.
@@calebjushua9252 sure I can. I pray thee to pray for me. A prayer is simply a request or a petition. When we pray to God we worship Him and petition Him directly prayer has a different meaning. When we pray to fellow members of the body of Christ, we are simply asking them to pray for us and with us on our behalf. I've always taken issue with the words "pray to saints" because of the double meaning that "pray" has can be confusing. Which is why I normally say "petition the saints". Bottom line is whether we are alive on earth, or in our eternal reward in heaven, we are all part of the same body, the Body of Christ. And the hand should not say to the foot "I have no need of you."
Hey Joe, I really appreciate these videos. I am a Protestant looking into Rome and they’ve been very helpful. Would you consider making a video on the Marian apparitions? Specifically, why we should be confident that these are truly of God? I am uncomfortable with the seeming exclusivity of Marian apparitions because I would expect either (a) All the saints would be having some level of representation or else (b) Prophetic apparitions would continue to be the domain of the Word of God as was the case in the Old Testament (Genesis 15:1, 1 Samuel 3:1 & 10, Jeremiah 1:2 & 9, etc). God bless you and thank you for your work! Again, it’s been incredibly helpful in moving me closer to Rome.
Mary was bodily assumed into heaven, it's possible that has some bearing about her role in apparitions. Her role however is NOT to entrust the church with additional revelation that would count as "the Word of God", when she appears she shares the knowlege that God wills her to share, and in the most notable apparitions that message is generally one of repentance and increased devotion. For example Our Lady of Akita is an instance when Mary appeared to a japanese nun and her message was to "add the word *truly* in reference to a prayer about Jesus' presence in the Eucharist", she wasn't giving new teaching she was just helping us keep focused on already existing teachings that were particularily important in the time and place of her appearance.
Well I don't think anything anyone says can ever have the same level of authority that the gospel/bible has. Like I think that just impossible. But, you should know that all approved apparitions are just labeled "worthy of belief." So, basically that label says "there's nothing wrong with what was said and you can believe it if you want." So all approved apparitions are take it or leave it. You don't have to believe it if you don't want to. It's like those little old ladies that say they get messages from Jesus or Mary and they wrote them down in a book. A Bishop might approve it. But all that approval says is "these messages don't contain anything contrary to what we know about God " and in a sense if you believe it it won't harm your soul. It's still a personal revelation that others can take or leave. Does that help at all?
Well, in most of the approved apparitions, Mary emphasizes the need for fasting, penance, prayer and making sacrifices for poor sinners. Does that sound demonic to you?
What immediately popped into my head when I saw this topic was someone testing out prayers to the saints like they are talking to someone who is just learning English. “Saint Francis… Can you… Hear me??? Is this… Coming Through… Okay??? Can you… Pray for us??? We need… Your prayers… Is this… Coming through??? Would it help… If I… Tried French… Instead???”
@@calebjushua9252God is not a god of the dead. And prayers are always directed at Him even as we ask our friends, saints, guardian angels to pray for us. Were Elijah and Moses dead when they appeared with Jesus in mt Taber? They were alive and aware not asleep/dead.
@@Fiona2254 🧑⚖️ I did not say that the saints are spiritually dead in heaven. Of course, they are 100% alive. However, Jesus Christ never instructed us to communicate with them through prayers. 🧑⚖️ In fact, throughout the old and new testament, there's no account of someone praying to a heavenly saint. In the old testament, in order to communicate the dead, you must consult a witchcraft like what Saul did to reach out to Samuel. And this act is prohibited. Saul could have prayed to Samuel if praying to heavenly saints does really work.
@@calebjushua9252 We ARE biblically exhorted to pray for one another (James 5:16, Job 42:8, Colossians 1:9-12), and that includes “the great cloud of witnesses” (Hebrews 12:1) that surrounds us: the saints in Heaven and the Holy Souls in Purgatory. This “communion of saints” is rejected by Protestantism to varying degrees, but it is nevertheless the faith of the early Church, the Early Church Fathers and the Christian Church until the Reformation. We are biblically prohibited from CONJURING the spirits of the dead, but that is quite different from asking saints and Holy Souls to pray to God on our behalf; they are closer to Him than the living are, and their prayers are thus more efficacious. The intent of Christian prayer to angels, saints and Holy Souls is not to establish a dialogue or generate an apparition, although the Most High does permit such phenomena, on rare occasion and for specific reasons.
Hey Joe I love your commentary if possible in the future if you can do a video on the differences between Orthodox and Catholicism that would be wonderful
@@calebjushua9252 they asked the dead saints to pray for them The paintings on the cavern walls in which the early Christians hid from the Roman empire have images of Mary purgatory saints etc
@@calebjushua9252 the apostles never said to pray only to God they asked each other to pray for one another dead alive etc Maccabees 2 12 41 46 praying for the dead
Amazing Joe! My mind boggles thinking about eternity and how we live in the present, the now, while God sees the whole of history at once in His Now! And the glorious saints share in this divine vision 😮 Thank you Joe for sharing 👍
@@huntsman528 "A voice was heard in Ramah, weeping and loud lamentation, Rachel weeping for her children; she refused to be comforted, because they are no more." It's clearly Rachel weeping about what happend to her descendants.
I watched this near death experience of a believer and one part stayed with me so strongly and when I read it - so much made sense. He said God was speaking to him in this incredible place, unimaginable beauty, he could SENSE EVERY INDIVIDUAL BLADE OF GRASS UNDER HIS FEET! That's why I believe the saints can hear us and all at the same time and in multiple languages - it helped me peek at the enormousness (is that a word?) of God 😅
Another thing that I don’t hear mentioned when Catholics try to explain to our Protestant brethren about the saints(probably because they would refuse to believe it and it’s not scholarly or intellectual) is a very simple one: it works. Countless scientifically verified miracles have occurred through their intercession, however in much smaller ways they intercede for us all the time. If you have a question about God’s will for your life or how you can increase in the spiritual life for example, you will be answered.
I don't understand the example which the Catholics are giving about human intercession. They say if humans can intercede on earth then they can certainly intercede in heaven. One thing they forget is that no matter who intercedes for you on earth, in heaven Jesus will always be the only One True High Priest who will always intercede for all of us. So you giving out that example is silly. Also if I don't pray or ask the saints in heaven to intercede for me, will my prayers be unanswered? The only reason someone will want saints to intercede is that they don't have a close relationship with God. That's why they want to go that route
@weaponofchoice-tc7qs what's wrong in judging and didn't I ask you a simple question? Will my prayers be answered if I avoid the saints in heaven and direct my prayers to my Only High Priest Jesus Christ? Would you care to answer this? The only answer is yes and that's why I don't have to go through the saints. Plz reply so I can know what you believe in
@weaponofchoice-tc7qs @weaponofchoice-tc7qs you love to write thousands of words but you are dodging my question. You are giving me all the earthly examples.may be you don't understand a simple question.i will ask you again.. will my prayers be answered if I don't go through saints in heaven or Earth? This time plz answer. Sometimes it's okay to concede than to avoid
@@danielhunter1773 You write too much, jump to conclusions and your comments are full of straw men, red herrings and useless misrepresentations of the Communion of Saints because you doubt the Word of God. It’s your “ME” first then Jesus protestant dilemma. Try listening to the video again. You said, “if I don't pray or ask the saints in heaven to intercede for me, will my prayers be unanswered? The only reason someone will want saints to intercede is that they don't have a close relationship with God.” The simple answer to both is maybe yes, maybe no either way it’s up to God if he answers your prayers and No, that is a false insinuation.
Mary seeing a divine angel "Get back ✝️" Love your videos. As new to Christianity, I'm glad to have found your channel and others before falling to deep into Protestantnism. God bless you and your family. Praying the Holy Spirit guides you
If saints suffer because they see us from heaven, does God suffer in heaven for the same reason? That would be absurd and not only for qualities which apply to God alone.
@weaponofchoice-tc7qs Hi, weapon. Yes, it is a great consolation that revelation includes the doctrine of impassibility, but I think that most people misunderstand it. It is not that there is no suffering in heaven because we are purged of our ability to experience emotion. Rather, there is no suffering in heaven because we finally see that the experiences which induce intense emotion are themselves being woven into the tremendous good tapestry of creation which reflects God's glory.
Great Arguments as always Joe! I would like to add another point that may or may not be helpful. Jesus says this in Matthew 11 regarding John the Baptist: "Amen, I say to you, among those born of women there has been none greater than John the Baptist; yet the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he". Hearing what Jesus said we can see that John is even greater than previous Old Testament figures such as Moses, Elijah and Samuel. All three of them reflected God's Glory in some way (Elijah and Moses at the Transfiguration, Moses also after communing with God at times and Samuel when being summoned). But yet if the least in the Kingdom in Heaven (the Saints, presumably) is greater than all these OT figures, how much more do they reflect God's glory? How much closer are they to God being greater in the kingdom of heaven? I know this line of reason doesn't prove each point you were trying to make but I think it adds to the goodness God endows to His saints
Hi, Matthew. I'm glad to see you engaging with the material, and its inducing further thoughts. For all that there is value in the line of thought that you're pursuing, I'm afraid that in this matter your line of thought won't carry force to persuade people, because it misunderstands what Jesus was saying when he spoke of the least in the Kingdom of Heaven. In that passage, Jesus was indeed creating a staircase, with all Old Testament figures finding their place below John the Baptist ( not Presbyterian! ; ) ) and the least in the Kingdom being greater than John; but the least in the Kingdom is not ambiguous. Jesus has already identified Himself as the least in the Kingdom, having come to serve rather than be served, having humbled Himself to take the form of a slave, having nowhere to lay His head, having given Himself fully for God's glory and the good of Man. The point of Jesus' message here is that all of Heavenly life flows from, revolves around, and is directed to Him, so that He can gather it all, put it in its proper place and offer it, so perfected, to His Father.
I always use this argument about praying to the dead. Protestants always ask why I pray to Mary when she is dead. I then ask them if they believe that when they die and go to Heaven, the Lord will keep his promise and give them eternal life. When they say yes, I ask if they believe the same is possible with Mary, the mother of our Lord. I ask if they believe she was also deserving of the same eternal life. If yes, then she is not dead. She has received eternal life. So far, I have not received any rebuttal.
The prayer to ask for help to find something from Saint Anthony has helped me quite a bit. I think sometimes Tony (Saint Anthony) is laughing at me because I seem to look in the same place four times and on the fifth time I find the item in that place.😂
I have gotta so used to asking St. Anthony for assistance that most times I just say, “Tony, please lend me a hand!” 😂 works 9 times out of 10, with the 1 being me forgetting what I was looking for part way through.
Recently it was so amazing the response I had recently. I found the item I was looking for and prayed I would find it, then found two other items in about 10 minutes I kind of gave up on finding
Saints are greater than Satan and his demons but Protestants believe that the demons are more powerful. Ask any Protestant if he believes that Satan and his demons can affect a persons behavior even to the point of losing ones soul and he will say yes that he does believe that. But ask a Protestant if the Angels and Saints can protect one from losing his soul and he will deny that. They deny what Jesus teaches in Mark 12:25 and what Paul teaches in 1 Cor. 6:2-3. They deny this to their detriment. The world is in a spiritual battle for our souls. Let the spirits fight the spirits. Call on the Angels and the Saints to fight Satan and his demons. Even though Protestants don't believe as we do about what the Bible says, we should always ask for the intercession of the Saints on their behalf. Fight the good fight!
I’ve come to accept that most Protestants are some of the most stubborn people ever, even staunch atheists can be objective and open the door to different ideas and possibilities sometimes. But not Protestants. No matter how theologically sound and well explained something is, they will not accept it, they rely on their own faulty interpretation of scripture and are usually guided by an anti Catholic bias. Usually fueled from some false teaching given to them by pastor Jim, or some conspiracy theory on UA-cam about the “whore of Babylon.” I understand that’s not all of them, there are some who want to have real discussions in good faith, but most aren’t like that. It takes a special grace from God to convert them or at least to help them understand Catholicism properly and correctly.
My best argument for saints - that I think Joe may not have covered (in although EXCELLENT videos): The only reason why intercession by ANY is because God wants it. Why does God want it? Because it is an essential feature of Love (God) to share. The more love the more sharing. God does not use you or me because it cannot be done in any other way - no, he does it because using me and you (and the saints) is even better, that is, more loving. In fact, without this principle, we didn't need to exist at all. This is, in my opinion, a more satisfying solution, since I (as a Prot) usually never asked for intercession (prayers) from other Christians - at the time it seemed simpler/smarter/more efficient to go directly to Jesus. The reason above answers both my objection as a Protestant and the objection to why even bother with the saints, or why certain saints have a special 'field of expertise'.
I was thinking of that point too. God wants us praying for one another, to show love, to receive love and to exercise it. I don't believe in praying to departed saints, but I believe strongly in intercessory prayer. I am more confident when another prays for me than when i pray for myself. It also seems as if God shows answer to prayer more when I pray for other. I like the idea that departed saints may pray for us. there is something about the great cloud of witnesses the bible speaks of. I can't get comfortable w/ praying to any other than God though.
@@saintejeannedarc9460 Maybe you would like Jeanne d'Arc to pray for you if she could and you are allowed to ask :) At worst God will intercept the prayers and throw them in the trash... ;)
@@miracles_metanoia That is a false dichotomy about prayer you have introduced to back the protestant false doctrine of not praying to the saints. Mass is the only catholic prayer that can only be offered to God not to any saint. Mass is worship, it is adoration of the highest level in Catholicism. Any other type of prayer can indeed be directed to a saint. You have falsely limited the meaning of prayer to supplication (ask) which is false. Rather the popular culture use the word prayer to mean "ask" not historic Christians. Christians have always understood prayer to mean: Worship, thanksgiving, adoration, supplication etc.
At about 1:00 : It may not be "efficient" for us to ask others for prayers when we can go directly to Jesus, but, it is none the less God's will. God wants us to be participants in His work. He wants us to pray for others because it is part of our loving our neighbors. It is part of being members of the Mystical Body of Christ.
Heartily agreed. It is members of the body showing love and service to one another and it helps us grow in our faith and perseverence. I also find when I'm struggling to forgive, there is no better practice than to pray for that person. It immediately softens my heart, reminds me they are just as much a child of God, and reminds me I'm a sinner too (not that I need big reminding of that fact).
@@StringofPearls55 In which case,fellowship is deepened and increased when we share our prayers with brothers and sisters ON EARTH and not by praying to saints in heaven! James and Galatians encourage us to pray for saints on earth.
@@christtoday9136 Do they say specifically "on earth"? And why wouldn't God allow the Saints on Heaven to hear our prayers? If you accept they are concious then they clearly do pray for us, since it is a saintly thing to pray for those in need. So if it is a established fact Saints in Heaven pray for us why would God not allow them to hear our prayers?
Ty I’m over fighting Protestants on this silly issue I just don’t get how people don’t understand the church is in heaven an earth all alive in Christ, the dead are in hell
@@calebjushua9252you’re just stubborn that’s all. Joe made a whole video explaining the opposite with great detail, and all you can say is “nah”. There’s no point of engaging with you lol
@@levrai944 🕵️ You must have known the difference between claim and truth. For a doctrinal claim to be true, it must have been taught by Jesus Christ himself and/or instructed to his apostles. Where is Joe's proof that Jesus commanded the apostles and/or disciples to pray to heavenly saints? 🧑⚖️ Throughout the Scriptures (both old and new testaments) you can never read a single account of someone praying to heavenly saints. Jesus himself never instructed his apostles to do such. THEREFORE, Catholic doctrine of praying to heavenly saints is a manmade tradition based on mere claims and not a teaching of Jesus Christ.
The bible specifically says do not quarrel about words.... And also , if you tell someone two times and they don't want to listen , they are heretic.... Just stand firm in your faith.Plant the seed and walk away.You don't have to convince them that is up to god and then.
''Joe, you have misrepresented my views, that's not what I said or wanted to say. You destroyed a strawman'', Me if I were a protestant whose arguments have just been refuted by Joe .
Uh Oh, here comes Gavin to follow up and object! The new James White! Awesome work Joe! Peace always in Jesus Christ our Great and Kind God and Savior, He whose Flesh is true food and Blood true drink
The prayers of the saints are around the throne of God. Revelation 5:8-9 King James Version 8 And when he had taken the book, the four beasts and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of saints. 9 And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; Revelation 8:4 [4] And the smoke of the incense, which came with the prayers of the saints, ascended up before God out of the angel's hand. [5] And the angel took the censer, and filled it with fire of the altar, and cast it into the earth: and there were voices, and thunderings, and lightnings, and an earthquake. The angel took the censer with the prayers of the saints and cast it to earth, this is when the seventh seal is opened and cast to the earth for judgement. ( tribulation timeline) The word of the Lord.
And why are you saying these are the prayers of saints already departed. Protestants understand this as the prayers of the saints on earth whose prayers ascend to heaven and are precious, hence pictured as collected in a golden bowl.
@@christtoday9136 1Thess.5:9 KJV ( Why I believe The church, the bride of Christ” ,and the prayers of the saints are around the throne of God, because the saints are not appointed to his wrath. Revelation 5 The saints are there in heaven.( vs 9) And has redeemed us by the blood of the lamb,this is the church that is caught up” ( raptured) to the throne of God. From all tongues,peoples and nations from earth. Revelation 6 Jesus opens the “ seals” ,God’s wrath, tribulation coming to the earth. Revelation 8 KJV and there was given unto him much incense, that he should offer it with the “prayers of all saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne.” 4And the smoke of the incense, which came with the prayers of the saints, ascended up before God out of the angel's hand. 5And the angel took the censer, and filled it with fire of the altar, and cast it into the earth: and there were voices, and thunderings, and lightnings, and an earthquake. 6And the seven angels which had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound. 7The first angel sounded, and there followed hail and fire mingled with blood, and they were cast upon the earth: and the third part of trees was burnt up, and all green grass was burnt up. These prayers are from the saints,and there cast to the earth, for judgement, hail.fire mingled with blood, a third part of the trees burn up Ect.. The apostle Paul teaches that all believers that are “ justified by Faith alone” They our redeemed by the blood of Jesus.Ephesians 1:7, Romans 3:25 The Catholic Church testifies that to become a saint an individual must be canonized by the C.C., After they died for there “good works,” Which contradicts the writings of Paul.
I am surprised you would spend time praying to dead people instead of praying to the Living God. Whether or not they can hear us is less important than whether you would prefer to be in the holy of holies with the Lord our God, or whether you want to still be on the steps outside the temple begging someone else to intercede for you. I am so blessed that I can enter boldly into the holy of holies and fall at my Father's feet, and He will scoop me up into His arms and sit me on His lap and cover me with His love, and I can speak directly to Him and pour out my heart to Him directly. Praise the Lord our God! Blessed be His Holy Name!
Surprised you are surprised. It has been what Christians do since Jesus walked till now. Also surprised that after an hour long video this is the comment you come up with. It is as if you have zero comprehension skills and can only copy and paste random Protestant comments attacking Christians.
God is not bound by constraints of time. Praying to the Saints does not mean that your prayer to God becomes less worthy. God has given a commandment to love him, but also to love our neighbours, as fellow creations of God. Any prayer to a saint therefore is a prayer to God, a Thanksgiving to God for that saint and their example. Those saints also can help us grow in our faith, as they have done through their example. You are very blessed in your relation with God, and it can and will be a blessing to share that faith with brothers and sisters, whether on earth or in heaven. And by all means, never stop praying to God himself as well. The Holy Rosary features prayers not only to Mary, but importantly also to God, to confess our faith, to give him praise, and to confess our dependance on him.
@jeannebouwman1970 God is NOT bound by restraints of space or time. But we are. So again I ask, do you dare to spend your time in the Holy of Holies, in the direct Presence of the Living God? Or do you wait outside on the temple steps, asking one of the priests to intercede for you?
@@xrendezv0usx I think those do not exclude each other. A prayer to Mary is a prayer God will hear, and in case (highly unlikely) Mary doesn't hear He will hear the prayer, though misguided, is prayed in faith in Him, and He will answer. Spend time at the threshold of the Lord, but also talk with fellow believers in the court. We are in communion with each other as saints, in which we can help and guide each other, and most importantly pray for each other.
I think there may be a confusion about what prayer Is. Just like there is about what the Eucharist is and the holy mass. To me prayer can only be done In God. We go beyond the present realm into God’s presence. It doesn’t matter if we are simply adoring, loving, talking, asking, thanking, wishing, singing, reciting poems, reading, simply being in His presence, we are In prayer. We move into the realm of heaven. There is no praying to the saints or angels outside of the eternal prayer to God. When we talk to angels or saints, we’re simply talking, saying hello, in the presence and through God, giving our love, asking for intercession, asking for their cheers, their well wishes, their thoughts, saying happy birthday or saying thank you for their actions or words while on earth, how they collaborated to build the Church. Thank you for their help in guiding our family. For being such amazing heroes, examples of men and women, fathers and mothers. We ask them to hold our hands. We share our wishes and fears, our worries, our joy, our hope to be as brave and as loving and obedient as them, anything we are living, since in the communion of the saints, In the Body of Christ we are together. And God Loves that, that we all collaborate, that’s how we must love, All, Together, as One In Him. Since He is eternal, outside time and space, there’s no communication he’s not part of, no reality he’s not part of, we’re not talking to Mary away from God. We remember or think about her in His presence. He was in her womb, eternally is there, outside space and time. If we talk to our Guardian angel or saint Michael the archangel it’s in His Love. His Word. Did God need Gabriel, the archangel, to talk to Mary? No, that’s how He chose to communicate. Same with Joseph, in dreams, using angels. He collaborates. The more we love the more he rejoices, the more we stay in prayer, the more we love others, the more we get to know Him and His Love, the more He shows Himself to us. Praying to others with Him, will only bring Him closer.
It’s as if thinking we can love outside God. We love through God. There’s no loving anyone without God. God is Love. We can’t love family, friends, country, saints and angels outside God. God doesn’t get jealous because we love our mother or our husband or our children. We don’t take away from loving Him when we love others. We can’t love them without Him. It’s nonsense. We can’t even love our mother or our father or anyone more than He Loves them. Just like no one can love us more than He does. When we love anyone on earth or in purgatory or in heaven, we are connecting and participating in our small earthly capacity with His Love. As long as we can love, God is with us. That communion of love is eternal in All of us, doesn’t stop in heaven. It only increases. Of course heaven can hear our prayers and feel our love, that’s our language.
I agree regarding confusion about prayer. In this video and in other sources I have consulted, the terms "praying" and "talking" are used synonymously, but I don't think they are synonyms. When Paul and others go to or write to fellow Christians for intercessory prayer, this is not the same as praying to departed saints. Having a conversation with someone, including in a vision or dream and with another human or spiritual being is not the same as engaging in prayer. Talking/conversing and praying are nothing alike. I have not been able to find a single example in the Bible where a believer either before or after Christ's resurrection prays to departed saints. And again, by "prays" I don't mean "talk."
I don’t understand the argument that if we’re aware of what’s on earth and praying about it heaven that that means we’d be suffering. Wouldn’t serving God in His full glory in Heaven be the greatest joy and honor? How could we ever suffer when we are doing God’s will and assisting Him in His mission face to face with Him in Heaven?
Speaking of Biblical authority to a Protestant, can we not pose this question? What biblical evidence do we have that a demon can create a false apparition? And one more question, if speaking unto spiritual brothers and sisters whom we are connected to via the Spirit is not permissible, why do they believe they have the authority to speak to the devil or demons in rebuke? When biblical evidence suggests the only ones that seem to have ever taken part in deliverance and speak to devils is our Lord and the apostles?
I've never used the argument mentioned in this video about praying to saints, but there is biblical mention of it: And no wonder, since Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. 2 Cor. 11:14
@@saintejeannedarc9460 I thought of this one. Only that in its context refers to actual human men masquerading as good teachers of righteousness rather than actual demonic apparitions. I think Paul’s point is that, evil doesn’t always look evil. I also think it’s a reference to “the burning ones” or “shining ones”, which is what seraphim means, namely, that the devil was an angel of light and became darkness. Ie. ‘A 1/3 of the stars of heaven fell.’ As the verse stands alone, I don’t think we can conclude that demons can manifest as mother Mary or the saints or even Jesus. I think it simply is a reference to Satan being once a minister of righteousness, and yet falling from grace as did those brothers of Galatians Paul wrote to.
@@LayRule "Speaking of Biblical authority to a Protestant, can we not pose this question? What biblical evidence do we have that a demon can create a false apparition?" Depending on what you are considering an apparition, we could consider the following: 1. The appearance of Samuel to the Witch and Endor. This is disputed whether or not Samuel was actually contacted, or a demon wearing his guise. 2. The tempting of Christ by the Devil, specifically when the Devil shows Jesus all the kingdoms of the earth and says they can be His if Jesus will only bow to him. 3. "For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect." - Matthew 24:24. The nature of the deceptions is not specified here, but "great signs and wonders" leaves a lot on the table. 4. You have already responded to the 2 Corinthians 11:14 mention above. 5. "The second beast was given power to give breath to the image of the first beast, so that the image could speak and cause all who refused to worship the image to be killed." - Revelation 13:15. Admittedly, Revelation is rife with allegory, so your mileage may vary with how this is interpreted and received, but some would contest that the False Prophet and later on the three frog-like spirits could do what you specify. "And one more question, if speaking unto spiritual brothers and sisters whom we are connected to via the Spirit is not permissible, why do they believe they have the authority to speak to the devil or demons in rebuke? When biblical evidence suggests the only ones that seem to have ever taken part in deliverance and speak to devils is our Lord and the apostles?" Not strictly speaking accurate, as the Apostles said they saw others casting out unclean spirits in Christ's name who were not affiliated with them directly, plus there are those groups such as the seventy that were commissioned by Christ to go out and do just that. Finally, there are Protestant exorcisms, though they don't get the press that Catholic ones do. Maybe they just make for worse movies.
@@LayRule You're definitely right that Paul's main point is that evil doesn't always look like evil. There are other scriptures to be taken as a whole w/ this one. First though, again it's true that it's in the context of false human teachers, but we can't ignore the wording of "Satan poses as an angel of light", so could pose as any human that we take to be divine and enlightened, or an angel. Then there's 1 John 4:1 1Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God. For many false prophets have gone out into the world. John is also talking of false prophets, but warns us to test the spirits. It's definitive wording. By what spirit are these people speaking on behalf, by an evil spirit, the Holy Spirit, or a sanctified spirit, which would ultimately be the Holy Spirit? There is also 1 Peter 5:8 8Be sober-minded and alert. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.
@@saintejeannedarc9460 I could just as easily appeal to the actual apparitions themselves where, for instance, Marian apparitions are tested as far as the actual message of the apparition is to continue to pray and seek Jesus Christ her son. The Church tests these, actual investigations are conducted in order to “test the spirits” so to speak. So we can at least say the Church has this biblical idea of investigatory analysis when I comes to miracles and apparitions. And not simply in-house authority but also appealing to less biased company. As far as these passages go, Catholic doctrine, which I would presume you oppose, has been built on similarly inconspicuous passages of scripture that seem to have been tested through time and have proved useful and profitable for the Christian. I can’t concede anything in scripture that would condemn saintly apparitions that would also condemn something as dogmatic and glorious as the incarnation, miraculous moments of divine revelation and conversion, and divine courage given by a Holy Spirit. I think often time, in skepticism of traditional Catholic AND orthodox moments of apparitional revelation and miraculous wonders, the Protestant has to be weary how he/she proceeds as not to condemn themselves. In response to “someone casting out devils in your name.” I’d wonder if this wasn’t a priest who Jesus also in proceeding chapters says “if I cast out devils by beelzebub, by whom do your sons cast them out.” Notice our Lord does not say ,” he doesn’t have that authority.” But he is able to cast them out. How so? Because priest had that authority from God. But we see in Acts, a shift in the authority, where now a priest seems to be helpless in the presence of a demon in an act of deliverance and is beaten, stark naked i might add. It’s a wonderful display of how Jewish priestly authority as been shifted to the new high priest and his priests for it says “Jesus I know and Paul I know but who are you?”
I think it requires way more patience to dialogue with a Protestant than with an Orthodox although they're very similar in their position against us. Joe is the right man for the job.
Corinthians 15:1-4 King James Version 15 Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; 2 By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. 3 For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; 4 And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures: Ephesians 2:8-9 King James Version 8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9 Not of works, lest any man should boast. King James Version Romans 3:25 25 Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God
Rev 5 :8-12 ➨ INTERCESSION of the SAINTS: REV 5 v 8... 8 When he took it, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each of the elders held a harp and gold bowls filled with incense, which are the prayers of the holy ones. 9 They sang a new hymn: "Worthy are you to receive the scroll and to break open its seals, for you were slain and with your blood you purchased for God those from every tribe and tongue, people and nation. Only an Omniscient God can understand all the languages of all nations Nations..John Is a creature and Cant. Only an Omniscient God. 13 Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, everything in the universe, cry out: "To the one who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor, glory and might, forever and ever."Now John HERD ALL THIS all those languages of the earth. How did He hear all those Languages and understand them . God Had to have made it possible for John why couldn’t he do that for those in Heaven as well.. So why cant Mary and the saints hear since they have an Omniscient God to Make things Know to them the saints don’t have to Be Omniscient. God gave them that ability. What are , the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders doing with . Those Prayers in their hands the prayers of the holy ones.Why did God give those Prays to them to Give them to Him 9When he broke open the fifth seal, I saw underneath the altar 8 the souls of those who had been slaughtered because of the witness they bore to the word of God.10 cried out in a loud voice, "How long will it be, holy and true master, 9 before you sit in judgment and avenge our blood on the inhabitants of the earth?"11Each of them was given a white robe, and they were told to be patient a little while longer until the number was filled of their fellow servants and brothers who were going to be killed as they had been. This Makes It Know to those Saints In Heaven That God would avenge the saints On earth at a Further tine The lord can Make know to those in heaven what happens on earth at a future time They are Now aware of thing going on Now do you think since they pray to the Lord they would not be praying to the Lord for their Brothers and Sisters of their fellow servants and brothers who were going to be killed as they had been to preserve them as the others had been . What act of Love are Christians told to do for one another Pray for one another Rev18: 19-24 What’s the reaction to those in heaven… To the destruction Of Babylon On earth if they aren’t made aware of what’s happening on earth. God made them aware giving Biblical proof that The Saints can be made aware of what’s taking place on Earth. They must have seen it Because allowed them to see it. Mathew 18:6-7 Do not harm little children because God loves them as well as Babes in the Faith Physically or spiritually. . 6But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea. Why does he say this “Take heed that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that in heaven their angels always see the face of My Father who is in heaven. What does that mean the Angles are assigned to these children to watch over them and pray for them. They go before the father and Intercede for them . How do Angles know what is taking place on earth Angles are not Omniscient God thru the Holy Sprit reveals it to them they don’t have to be Omniscient. Luke 15:7 I tell you, in just the same way there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous people who have no need of repentance. How can People in heaven rejoice over someone coming to repentance? If they’re not aware of their repentance. Now since Mary and the Saints are In heaven are they aware of their repentance and rejoice. Those in Heaven must be aware of what’s happening on Earth. Luke 15:10 In just the same way, I tell you, there will be rejoicing among the angels of God over one sinner who repents." Those in Heaven must be aware of what’s happening on Earth i 8 2 14 The four living creatures answered, "Amen," and the elders fell down and worshiped. 10 You made them a kingdom and priests for our God, and they will reign on earth." 11 I looked again and heard the voices of many angels who surrounded the
@@bibleman8010 John was “ caught up “ to the throne of God to reveal Revelation to him to write down for us. This is a type of true Christians in the near future Rapture before tribulation. “ caught up” Revelation 4:1 “After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter.” 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 King James Version 16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: 17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be “ caught up” together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Notice the trumpet on both verses, and both verses are “ caught up”
@@johnp.6043. There is no rapture you are not going to avoid judgment day. Everyone will stand before God to be judged. Matthew 7:13-14 Enter ye in at the narrow gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way that leadeth to destruction, and many there are who go in thereat. How narrow is the gate, and strait is the way that leadeth to life: and few there are that find it!
CANONIZATIONS of the Dead Saints (Apostles, Prophets, Martyrs, etc.) were not taught by Christ Jesus in God's Church through His Apostles including from the written Scripture (Word of God)... Facts and Truth of the Matters, Biblically speaking... Praise be to God in Christ Jesus... Amen.
Regarding souls in Heaven having imperfect happiness because of awareness of injustices on Earth (starting at about 13:30), I've heard it said that there will not be perfect happiness until after the Final Judgement and the Final Resurrection. Until our souls are reunited to our glorified bodies we are incomplete and therefore cannot have perfect happiness. Likewise until God's perfect will is completed in His creation there cannot be perfect happiness. Souls with God in Heaven have only the highest level of Joy that is possible prior to the fulfillment of God's will in time. That is why in the Lord Prayer we say, "Thy will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven". Once His glorious will is fulfilled, after the Final Judgement, the Resurrection, and making of a new Heaven and Earth then the saints will have perfect happiness while to reprobate will suffer endless torment. (Rev. 21 : 1-8).
Excellent video! Thank you for making this. Just want to point out that this video also does a great job of refuting the Thomist position of corruptionism. Also you implied that Samuel was glorified already when he was called up by the Witch of Endor. But I don’t believe we are to think any of the Saints are glorified before the Resurrection of Our Lord. Instead he was resting in the Bosom of Abraham. Not hell but probably more like Limbo.
Father God seek/search those True Christian Worshippers who worship God in Spirit and in Truth (w/o religious physical statues, idols, icons, rosary, scapulars, novena, etc.)... (ref. John 4:23)... Only those who DOES the WILL of God have Eternal Life in Christ Jesus. (ref. Matt. 7:21 / 12:48-50)... HOW?... By READING and OBEYING the WILL of God through His Complete/Sufficient Written Word of God (Holy Scripture), you will know the Biblical Truth that will set you FREE... FREE from WHAT?... from your SINS against God... Praise be to God in Christ Jesus... Amen.
Baptism on Earth to only be taken out of water in Heaven. That was my "Golden Hour" memory. Lasted too short or my memory doesn't remember the rest. Never told anyone, including my Mom. I know Jesus exists.
In the Polish translation of the Scriptures as used in the churches, the commentary on Baruch 3:4 says: 'The Israelites are overwhelmed with afflictions to such an extent that they have become like the dead.'
I always ask if we living 200 years ago and the predident gave a speech would they believe one day 30:26 the whole world would hear at the same time .yet its posdible through our earthly media...why woudnt heaven be more advanced...I dont ask how I just believe that with God all things are posdible...I dont think heaven has the limitations we have....God Bless....great topic joe ...
With regard to the actions of Saul, I always wondered how it was that even though Saul used illicit means (a necromancer) to contact Samuel, it worked nonetheless. My question is: was it through the power of evil forces (and God's permissive will) that Saul successfully contacted Samuel, or was it through the power of God despite the illicit means Saul employed?
the real prophet Samuel appears and tells Saul the truth, during the seance with the witch of Endor (1 Samuel 28:7-20). That was God’s will, because demons and false spirits would not tell the truth. Therefore, it was another instance of God desiring to break the artificial Protestant barrier between heaven and earth, by sending Saul to break through the nonsense of the seance.
Hi, melvin. How about this: It is God's will for Man to trust and obey God, so that the order and structure He created in nature operate according to its nature to serve the greater glory of God and Man's good. Nonetheless, there is an order and structure in nature, and man does have the ability to engage with it, even when the ways in which he engages with it is not according to God's will and therefore does not fully tend to God's glory and Man's good. Even in this diminished condition, however, it is God's will that they have the nature that they have and that man have the powers that he has, so God works with that to bring such good as it yet may, such as a refutation of the ad hoc doctrine of the separation of the living from those who have "fallen asleep". Samuel was at rest, so for this reason also sleep is an apt metaphor, but he was nonetheless aware in detail of developments on earth and able the hear, understand, and respond to Saul's concerns. This doesn't directly answer your question, melvin, but we can bridge that by recalling that demons are even willing to debase themselves to the point of responding to human invocations if they perceive that this effrontery will further debase men. The significance then would be not so much in the power of demons to provide for contact with the dead as the commitment of demons to induce men to give way to fear, desperation, thirst for power, distrust of God, disobedience to God, and openness to the operation of demons.
at 9:01 and for the following 5 minutes you say something that I say on my channel, but when a viewer of mine called into Catholic Answers Jimmy Akin corrected my viewer and called me incorrect. I was quoting a Church Father’s take on the soul being that which animates, I had read his selection in the liturgy of the hours that morning and shared what I read with my channel that same evening. So I was surprised and disappointed to hear and watch a church father’s writing, as presented in the LOH, be denigrated and have myself and my channel be insulted and hear Jimmy tell the caller that he should choose a better informed resource than myself. Now, the caller didn’t mention my channel, or that I had gotten the info from the LOH or from a Church Father. But it still stung. And recently I just finished Origen’s On First Principles and there he also speaks of Anima in this Greek philosophical sense. Do you think this is a wise approach as I have already been reprimanded (indirectly) by one of your peers for using this approach to reach out to Muslims and Atheists when talking about the Soul and Body Connection. ??? (I do hope you answer, this has bothered me for years, & the experience has turned me off from enjoying Catholic Answers fully for a long while now.)
-Behold, I show you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. -But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing: that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. This says it all
18:11 one issue with talking about Samuel is this was before Christ's resurrection and defeat of death...this example may not be congruent with post-resurrection of Christ
Something I find interesting when I was learning maths we learnt about 2d shapes and 3d shapes. Really simple concept to understand, but the hard part is understanding 4d or 6d or 10d. There is this movie I saw called flatlands. And you can find videos sumerising it but It explains theoretically if someone was to live in the 4th dimension we would not be able to comprehend what they see, because our eyes cannot see our ears cannot hear, we couldn't even understand it. But if someone was to look down at us from the 4th dimension they could in theory see everything about us, know our thoughts. Literally if we meet someone from the 4th dimension we would think of them as all knowing even though they are not. It's hard to explain but if you understand this math theory it explains alot on how the saints hear us How Jesus was able to go through locked doors, I mean he is God as well so he can do whatever. The maths is a hard concept to understand but it's really amazing when you get it and you see the intercession of saints.
The saints are members of the body of Christ The saints are alive in heaven The saints are praying for us The saints are aware of what's going on here on earth Therefore the saints can hear our petitions for intercession It's really that simple
I was wondering if you could do a show on resting on the Sabbath, specifically why we don't observe the Jewish Sabbath anymore even though it's part of the ten commandments? So many Protestants are no longer going to church on Sunday because the honor they Sabbath on Saturday
Because that was the old covenant, we have a new covenant, and we worship on Sunday, because Jesus rose from the dead on Sunday. He was still in the tomb on Saturday
Hi, one. As Fan pointed out, Jesus fulfilled the Sabbath rest on Saturday, and it is certainly true that Sunday is the Lord's day in ways like no other: God (we can say by attribution the Father) began creation on the first day; God (we can say by attribution the Son) began the new creation on the day of His Resurrection; God (we can say by attribution the Holy Spirit) began the sanctification of the world on Pentecost. All of them were Sunday, and these are the works par excellence of God, and all the Persons of the Trinity expressed their choice. Now, as to the question of respecting the ten Commandments, there are two things to be said. The first is that it is the Church which has been given authority both to interpret and to decree, as well as to teach all men to obey whatever Christ has commanded them.The second is that there are two passages which record the contents of the ten Commandments, the first in Exodus 20 and the second in Deuteronomy 6. In Exodus 20 the third Commandment instructs to remember the Sabbath day. In Deuteronomy 6 the corresponding passage instructs to remember the Lord's Day. In this matter the Church leans more heavily on Deuteronomy 6 as normative for the Church, with our Lord having satisfied Exodus 20.
If you read the Bible out of all the 10 Commandments there is only one Jesus doesn’t reiterate - keeping the Sabbath. Jesus knew with the New a covenant new things would take place. Additionally in Acts and elsewhere we see that they met in Sundays to worship and break bread. Here are just a few scriptural references as to why we as Christians do *NOT* follow the Sabbath. • Isaiah 1:13 - God begins to reveal His displeasure with the Sabbath. • Matt. 28:1; Mark 16:2, 9; John 20:1, 19 - the Gospel writers purposely reveal Jesus’ resurrection and appearances were on Sunday. This is because Sunday had now become the most important day in the life of the Church. • Acts 20:7 - this text shows the apostolic tradition of gathering together to celebrate the Eucharist on Sunday, the “first day of the week.” Luke documents the principle worship was on Sunday because this was one of the departures from the Jewish form of worship. • 1 Cor. 16:2 - Paul instructs the Corinthians to make contributions to the churches “on the first day of the week,” which is Sunday. This is because the primary day of Christian worship is Sunday. • Col. 2:16-17 - Paul teaches that the Sabbath was only a shadow of what was fulfilled in Christ, and says “let no one pass judgment any more over a Sabbath.” • 2 Thess. 2:15 - we are to hold fast to apostolic tradition, whether it is oral or written. The 2,000 year-old tradition of the Church is that the apostles changed the Sabbath day of worship from Saturday to Sunday. • Heb. 4:8-9 - regarding the day of rest, if Joshua had given rest, God would not later speak of “another day,” which is Sunday, the new Sabbath. Sunday is the first day of the week and the first day of the new creation brought about by our Lord’s resurrection, which was on Sunday. • Heb. 7:12 - when there is a change in the priesthood, there is a change in the law as well. Because we have a new Priest and a new sacrifice, we also have a new day of worship, which is Sunday. • Rev 1:10 - John specifically points out that he witnesses the heavenly Eucharistic liturgy on Sunday, the Lord’s day, the new day of rest in Christ. • Matt. 16:19; 18:18 - whatever the Church binds on earth is bound in heaven. Since the resurrection, Mass has been principally celebrated on Sunday. Whenever we see Christians meeting to worship the Lord, receive communion and/or to take up collections as Christians apart from the synagogue, it is either “daily” or, especially, it’s “on the first day of the week.” It is true that you often see St. Paul entering the synagogue on the Sabbath (Acts 13:14-44; 16:13; 18:4). However, in each instance his purpose was to proclaim the truth about Christ to the Jews. These are not specifically Christian gatherings. But notice what we find in Acts 2:46: “And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart,” St. Paul and his companions attended the temple, but the “breaking bread” occurred in the house “churches” of Christians. The “breaking bread,” by the way, is a eucharistic phrase in St. Luke’s writings. For example, when St. Paul was in Troas in Acts 20:7, we read: “And it came to pass, as he sat at meat with them, he took bread, and blessed it, and brake, and gave to them. And their eyes were opened, and they knew him; and he vanished out of their sight.” (Luke 24:30-31 KJV) - Cleopas and an unnamed disciple’s “eyes were opened” and they recognised Jesus in the breaking of the bread. And according to (Luke 24:1, 13) this encounter just happened to be on the first day of the week. St. Paul never says, ‘On the Sabbath, when we gathered to break bread…” The ‘breaking of bread’ in Luke 24 and in Acts 20 occurs on the first day of the week. You’ll notice as well that though there were no church buildings in the first century, Christians had already designated homes for ‘church’ gatherings (1 Cor. 11:18-23). The “breaking of bread” was the focal point of the ‘church’ gathering, just as it is for Catholics today. And, again, this was done especially on the first day of the week (Acts 20:7). Secondly the Bible tells us very clearly that Jesus rose again on Sunday (Matt 28:1; Mark 16:1; Luke 24:1; John 20:1) His visits to the Apostles after His resurrection were on Sunday's (Matt. 28:1-20; Mark 16:1-18; Luke 24:1-25; John 20:1-18).
You mentioned about angels not aging. It brought to mind with a chuckle, did you notice there are resurrected people sprinkled into all the Gospels at the Resurrection scene and at the Ascension? One is a young man that can't be an angel. Here is one of them: - **MARK 16:2-8**: A YOUNG MAN IN A WHITE ROBE INSIDE THE TOMB tells the women Jesus has risen.
My son passed away this past May, 4 days after he was born. He was baptized and confirmed, and I frequently ask for his intercession (and he has been a loving son - his prayers are powerful!).
Thank you for articulating this. As the father of a saint, this subject takes on an incredibly different dynamic and level of importance - and experience.
I am sorry for your loss. Be assured that the children of believers even if they have died within the womb before baptism or confirmation are safe with the Lord. If we put our confidence in a baptism or confirmation of a baby, realise it undermines and discourages those who have had miscarriages. Let your confidence be in the right place.
Christtoday that’s actually not the view of the Church. One of the reasons abortion has always been (until Francis) a sin reserved to the Holy See is because it deprives a child from the Beatific vision.
@@christtoday9136And the children of unbelievers...? Perhaps it was unintentional, but you make it sound as though our hope for our children's salvation is in the strength of our faith as parents.
Catholics believe that innocent children who die before reaching the age of reason (and sin) receive eternal happiness.
We also believe that baptism imparts grace and removes the stain of original sin from souls. This cannot be a bad thing, even for the youngest of children.
Catholics also believe in baptism of desire, and baptism by blood (martyrdom), as well as baptism by water. In this way, the Lord secures the possibility of baptism in the majority of cases - including miscarriages.
@@jaimemorgan5323
Scripture is less clear about the children of unbelievers, though many believe that all children up to what age/ culpability ?? will go to heaven if they die young. In this case, a child of a Muslim, could be understood to die and go to heaven as there would be no desire of baptism etc in that circumstance. The Lord is kind and maybe will deal with all children this way BUT my purpose was to articulate Scripture's assurance for children of believers as found when David lost his firstborn son.
For clarity, it is not about the strength of a parent's faith but about the presence of a parent's faith. Even a little genuine faith unites us to Christ.
I think this was it, I think I've finally been convinced
Jesus, I love you 💞☦️❤️🙏
These are some the best arguments I have heard. I am Catholic, and these objections come up frequently in my conversations with Protestants. Thanks
@@Robert-bm2jr Oui ! Et voyez tous ces messages qui disent tous à peu près la même chose! Juste pour défendre leur point de vue insane ! Et tous les chrétiens d ‘origine apostoliques qui s’en moquent éperdument car ces hétérodoxes visent à côté de la cible ( sens exacte du mot péché ) ! Ils n’ont aucun impacte ceux qui cherchent à défendre l’indéfendable ! Laissons-les épuiser leurs cartouches, en vain ! Un siècle de divagations insanes contre + de 2000 ans de vie en Christ, le choix et facile ! Les pauvres, et, ils ne comprennent rien à rien!
false claims, you mean
I love how you touched upon Mary talking to Saint Gabriel. As a beginner apologist that woke me up a little bit because you could use that in many defenses for Mary and the Saints. Just asked the protestant “have you ever talk to an angel in life form?” Lol
What are you saying? What does talking with angels have to do with the topic?
I'm not sure we even know.
"Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares."
@@huntsman528 Hi, huntsman.
When you ask the question what talking to angels who appear in bodily form on earth has to do with the topic of the video, which is how we know that the Saints in heaven hear our prayers, I understand you to be drawing a distinction in kind between talking to angels and talking to Saints. The obvious alternative possibility is that you are talking about angels who appear on earth in bodily form. This alternative possibility I take to be trivial and easily dismissed as nothing more than a convenient phantasm adopted simply for the sake of facilitating conversation. This leaves the distinction in kind between angels in heaven and saints in heaven. I say angels in heaven because they never leave heaven, continually beholding the face of Christ's Father in heaven.
It is certainly true that there is a fundamental difference in kind between the angels, whose nature is to be a subsistent form, and the souls of just men made perfect, whose nature is to be the principle of unity and operation of each their own bodies. The relevant and significant consideration here however is not their nature but their condition. Both are pure in their consecration to and union with God, and therefore are fully competent to know, enjoy, and do whatever might correspond to God's will for them. So true is this that throughout the Old Testament, when heaven was shut against man, who was relegated in the case of just men to the limbo of the Fathers, that we find heaven populated nonetheless with saints, who in this case are the good angels. These are the same angels who speak with man and present our prayers to the Father. So God does not make a distinction between the saints who are angels who speak with men and present their prayers to God and the souls of just men made perfect who with the redemption in Christ are likewise ushered into full, direct, and immediate communion with God in heaven.
So we see Scripture using the same word Saints to refer to angels in the Old Testament and to refer also to the souls of just men made perfect in the New Testament. Accordingly, there is no basis to suppose that prayer to the souls of just men made perfect is any of forbidden, meaningless, unscriptural, or ineffective. Instead, as with everything else God does, it finds its place in the rich torrent of God's gifts flowing to us through and in Christ.
Sayang hindi mo na gets
Joe how do you come up with a poignantly relevant video for me each week? Much appreciated. Glory to Christ
Glory to Jesus Christ 🙏☦️❤️
Glory to Him, Forever!
Thank you again Joe!
Revelation where the saints are all around the altar and the Angel incenses the altar with their prayers is amazing to have a glimpse into worship in Heaven
Subjects like these are precisely where they begin to argue like atheists.
It's a baseless comment. Other Christian will make a case referring to the bible. Atheists don't even believe in the bible.
@weaponofchoice-tc7qs Catholics sometimes become atheists too. It's certainly not confined to protestantism. I would rather see Christians go from one side to the other, rather than become atheists though.
The language barrier objection seems the silliest to me. We have explicit biblical examples in the beginning of the book of Acts where people who are filled with the Spirit can communicate perfectly effectively with other people who don't speak the same language as them.
I've never even heard the language barrier argument, from anyone ever. We'll have a perfect from of communication there, ,some say it doesn't even involve language as we know it here.
That's where my mind went too.
Si that means they can speak with the dead? You better read what scripture says about necromancy.
@@rbnmnt3341We are biblically prohibited from CONJURING the dead, not from praying for the intercession of the souls in Heaven and Purgatory who have gone before us-and who are, therefore, closer to God than we are.
@@jmj5388 oh that mythical purgatory. No other Comment.
I’m a simple man. I see a Joe H video, I like and comment.
Thank you Joe for explaining and defending our Catholic faith and tradition. You, your family and ministry are and will always be in my prayers 🙏🏽 . God bless you 🙏🏽
Kind of weird how people that believe in speaking in tongues don't also believe that the saints in heaven can understand our prayers in different languages.
I find it interesting that Paul even puts his trust in Philemon’s prayer.
“21 Confident of your obedience, I write to you, knowing that you will do even more than I say. 22 At the same time, prepare a guest room for me, for I am hoping that through your prayers I will be graciously given to you.”
@MouseCheese2019 what is he saying in that verse?
Paul is trusting that God will hear Philemon's prayer and deliver him safely to Philemon's guest room.
@ShamelessPopery @Joe Heschmeyer thank you for helping us Catholics and our protestantes brothers understand and learn our faith. May GOD continue to Bless your family, you and your Ministry. Robert from Puerto Rico 🇵🇷
Praying to heavely saints is a null prayer. It just can't be validated.
@@calebjushua9252wow! Just wow! Like trying to talk to a rock.
@@beorbeorian150
🕵️ Kindly put some sauce in your comment. Make it a little bit intellectual.
@@calebjushua9252You ask them to make it intellectual yet repeat the thesis this video addresses. This is begging the question.
@@zeektm1762
🕵️ The video does not prove that the early Christians and even the Jews were praying to heavenly saints. That is an intellectual information I am giving you.
The angel of the Lord calling to Abraham from heaven is a pretty good example. Thanks, Joe!
Isnt angel of the lord supposed to be Jesus?
@@Kartal-tp8qq yes, but Abraham didn't know that. The fact that he heard the voice from heaven, (maybe) knew it as "the angel of the Lord" and still did what it told him says something about OT beliefs about prayer with saints and angels.
I wouldn't say it's a knockout example that proves we can/should pray to angels and saints, but it's another one we can put in the quiver.
I think the weak points here are: 1) The Angel of the Lord is technically God, 2) Abraham doesn't actually speak back through prayer, just does what the voice says and 3) The voice may have been audible, is it prayer if the voice is audible?
@@Jfloyd When angels "speak" in Scripture it's rarely audible.
It's a common misconception. Paul wasn't transcribing a literal voice in his head from the Holy Spirit. When Isaiah spoke what God told him, it wasn't as if God spoke into his ear as a human would.
There are exceptions to this, as many times Angels do come in the form of man, but it isn't the norm.
The voice of God is subtle yet overwhelming.
Give me a minute to find a passage that tries to describe this feeling.
@@Jfloyd
There's a lot I wish to quote but the matter of the Voice of God all gets compared to either great Thunder (often causing great fear) or _sheer silence._ When it happens in the Old Testament most can't help but to cover themselves, kneel, and in one instance take off their sandals in fear of soiling that "holy" soil where it happens.
There's a lot of this in Exodus and Genesis, and in the NT you have the Transfiguration which got quite the reaction as well. But I'll quote a few and you find the rest.
1 Samuel 7:10 the Voice of God sends the Phillistines running
2 Samuel 22:10
"The Lord thundered from heaven; the Most High uttered his voice."
And my favorite, with Elijah, in 1 Kings 19. Note that Elijah hears thunder, earthquakes, fires, but _God was not in it._ Only after that "whisper" or sheer silence does he cover himself. Here it is:
He said, “Go out and stand on the mountain before the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.” Now there was a great wind, so strong that it was splitting mountains and breaking rocks in pieces before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake; 12 and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a sound of sheer silence. 13 When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. Then there came a voice to him that said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?
Praying to heavenly saints is a null prayer. It just can't be validated.
I hope some of your Protestant lurkers takes this to heart, sir. ❤
This episode answered so many questions for me, thank you!
How does someone say, with authority of any kind, that asking the Blessed Virgin to pray for us can invite the demonic? What’s the source of this knowledge? How do they come to this conclusion?
These are the same people that argue Marian visions are demonic apparitions also.
It's way more about building themselves up by tearing us down
Protestants don’t understand the fact that during exorcisms if Mary is there present with the priest as he says the rite of exorcism, the demons fear her & the devil hates her.
I believe it’s not just Mary but anyone that is dead that they have a problem with praying too they see it as necromancy no matter what you say to the differ it’s just a lose lose battle
Hi, Anthony.
The answer is a little bit involved. For Protestants the starting point is that Catholicism is all of wrong, damnable, and ensuring damnation. The question then is in the details, but everything that is not in the Protestant bible or taught in Protestant tradition is to be taken with suspicion and assumed to be both wrong and dangerous until it can be shown to be not only consistent with Scripture but supported by Scripture.
Protestants don't have the refinement of thought and teaching to distinguish between latria and dulia, respectively the worship which is due to God alone and the worship of honour of the good and status to which God has raised creatures, so if there is worship, it is taken by Protestants to be either the true worship which is to be given to God alone, or idolatry (idol-latria, nothing or emptiness worship), worship which should be given to none other than God, but is instead given to something (or nothing, or a placeholder pointing so something which does not in fact exist) which is not God. Many Protestant bibles, sensitive to this thought in Protestants, translate worship when it is applied to creatures with some other word, such as honour or homage, but the word for worship which is given to God is also used with startling frequency and favourably as being given to creatures. This worship which is suitably given to creatures is called dulia, for which Protestants have no category.
Beyond this, Protestants don't have valid orders, and so don't have true worship. What then gets taken to be worship for Protestants is verbal expressions of faith and devotion. If verbal expressions of faith and devotion are what constitutes worship, and worship is to be given to God alone, then any expression of faith and devotion which is directed to any being other than God is necessarily idolatry. Since it is demons which induce idolatry, any act of worship so defined is induced by demons.
As you can see, Anthony, the entire chain of Protestant reasoning in this matter is one long chain of errors building on other errors, leading to an erroneous conclusion which breaks the fourth Commandment by which God calls on us to honour His and our mother. John, and his second generation disciple Ignatius of Antioch through Polycarp, warned well that rejection of the Eucharist corresponds with being subject to the influence of demons. We must pray and fast that so many good and devout Christians discover and receive the fullness of salvation.
@shamelesspopery
Thank you so much for taking the time to thoroughly answer my concerns, Joe.
There is a lot to process here, but one thing that stands out more than anything else to me at the moment is how interconnected we really seem to be with the saints in heaven.
In Protestantism, there is such a sharp, vast division between heaven and earth at times, it can make one feel so disconnected from spiritual realities as a whole.
You have given me a lot to think about. Thank you, and God bless!
One thing to contemplate as well is the Church Body that Christ was teaching of and which the apostles learned … is that those who are are part of the Body each live forever and have their own role.
When you look at the Hail Mary … it’s an intercession prayer that is not self orientated but for a community. “Hail Mary full of grace, pray for US sinners now and at the hour of our death”. It’s not asking her to pray for Me, it’s Us.
Same thing with the Lords Prayer, I and Me are not pronouns in the prayer. It’s US, OUR.
Prayer is not supposed to be transactional, most of the prayers you will find in Catholic daily prayers are for helping others or for community, or to give reflection on the life of Christ and his mysteries.
God Bless! Any prayer requests?
One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church
nothing holy about it
@@donhaddix3770 I pray someday your eyes see and your ears hear.
@@Hospitaller1099 hear what? non biblical catholic doctrine?
@@donhaddix3770 Thanks for proving my point...
@@Hospitaller1099 you put your doctrine over the bible.
This is such a perfect explanation. Also a beautiful one to know just how incredible our Father God is was and always will be. It is beyond our comprehension in these earthly brains. Yet some day soon we will know the fullness of His glory and power. Glory be to God in the highest. Pray🙏
I always love people making comments on the Internet saying there is no way the saints can hear us because they aren't omnipresent. Dude, you're communicating with hundreds right now in your online comments. Are you omnipresent? Is God inferior to modern technology?
Praying to heavenly saints is a null prayer. It just can't be validated.
@@calebjushua9252 Would it be valid if I asked you to pray for me?
@@eyefisher
🧑⚖️You can't pray to me to pray for you, like how you pray to Mary to pray for you.
🧑⚖️But you can ask me to pray for you. That's what it's supposed to be.
@@calebjushua9252 sure I can. I pray thee to pray for me. A prayer is simply a request or a petition. When we pray to God we worship Him and petition Him directly prayer has a different meaning. When we pray to fellow members of the body of Christ, we are simply asking them to pray for us and with us on our behalf.
I've always taken issue with the words "pray to saints" because of the double meaning that "pray" has can be confusing. Which is why I normally say "petition the saints".
Bottom line is whether we are alive on earth, or in our eternal reward in heaven, we are all part of the same body, the Body of Christ. And the hand should not say to the foot "I have no need of you."
@@eyefisher
🧑⚖️ Will you kneel with eyes closed and pray to me to pray for you? This is how you pray to me Mary, right?
Hey Joe, I really appreciate these videos. I am a Protestant looking into Rome and they’ve been very helpful.
Would you consider making a video on the Marian apparitions? Specifically, why we should be confident that these are truly of God?
I am uncomfortable with the seeming exclusivity of Marian apparitions because I would expect either (a) All the saints would be having some level of representation or else (b) Prophetic apparitions would continue to be the domain of the Word of God as was the case in the Old Testament (Genesis 15:1, 1 Samuel 3:1 & 10, Jeremiah 1:2 & 9, etc).
God bless you and thank you for your work! Again, it’s been incredibly helpful in moving me closer to Rome.
Mary was bodily assumed into heaven, it's possible that has some bearing about her role in apparitions. Her role however is NOT to entrust the church with additional revelation that would count as "the Word of God", when she appears she shares the knowlege that God wills her to share, and in the most notable apparitions that message is generally one of repentance and increased devotion. For example Our Lady of Akita is an instance when Mary appeared to a japanese nun and her message was to "add the word *truly* in reference to a prayer about Jesus' presence in the Eucharist", she wasn't giving new teaching she was just helping us keep focused on already existing teachings that were particularily important in the time and place of her appearance.
Well I don't think anything anyone says can ever have the same level of authority that the gospel/bible has. Like I think that just impossible.
But, you should know that all approved apparitions are just labeled "worthy of belief." So, basically that label says "there's nothing wrong with what was said and you can believe it if you want." So all approved apparitions are take it or leave it. You don't have to believe it if you don't want to.
It's like those little old ladies that say they get messages from Jesus or Mary and they wrote them down in a book. A Bishop might approve it. But all that approval says is "these messages don't contain anything contrary to what we know about God " and in a sense if you believe it it won't harm your soul. It's still a personal revelation that others can take or leave.
Does that help at all?
Well, in most of the approved apparitions, Mary emphasizes the need for fasting, penance, prayer and making sacrifices for poor sinners. Does that sound demonic to you?
@@femaleKCRoyalsFanNo, it most certainly does not. And it is one reason why I do not reject it out right. Thanks for the helpful comment 😊
@@billie5057It does help, though I am still working through the implications of being a catholic and rejecting the approved apparitions
What immediately popped into my head when I saw this topic was someone testing out prayers to the saints like they are talking to someone who is just learning English. “Saint Francis… Can you… Hear me??? Is this… Coming Through… Okay??? Can you… Pray for us??? We need… Your prayers… Is this… Coming through??? Would it help… If I… Tried French… Instead???”
@weaponofchoice-tc7qs
Praying to heavenly saints is a null prayer. It just can't be validated.
@@calebjushua9252God is not a god of the dead. And prayers are always directed at Him even as we ask our friends, saints, guardian angels to pray for us. Were Elijah and Moses dead when they appeared with Jesus in mt Taber? They were alive and aware not asleep/dead.
@@Fiona2254
🧑⚖️ I did not say that the saints are spiritually dead in heaven. Of course, they are 100% alive. However, Jesus Christ never instructed us to communicate with them through prayers.
🧑⚖️ In fact, throughout the old and new testament, there's no account of someone praying to a heavenly saint. In the old testament, in order to communicate the dead, you must consult a witchcraft like what Saul did to reach out to Samuel. And this act is prohibited. Saul could have prayed to Samuel if praying to heavenly saints does really work.
St Francis of Assisi? Try Italian 😂
People are just goofy about this stuff, heaven isn’t Babel😂
@@calebjushua9252 We ARE biblically exhorted to pray for one another (James 5:16, Job 42:8, Colossians 1:9-12), and that includes “the great cloud of witnesses” (Hebrews 12:1) that surrounds us: the saints in Heaven and the Holy Souls in Purgatory. This “communion of saints” is rejected by Protestantism to varying degrees, but it is nevertheless the faith of the early Church, the Early Church Fathers and the Christian Church until the Reformation.
We are biblically prohibited from CONJURING the spirits of the dead, but that is quite different from asking saints and Holy Souls to pray to God on our behalf; they are closer to Him than the living are, and their prayers are thus more efficacious. The intent of Christian prayer to angels, saints and Holy Souls is not to establish a dialogue or generate an apparition, although the Most High does permit such phenomena, on rare occasion and for specific reasons.
This channel is Awesome possum. Very scholarly and reasonably explained.
Hey Joe I love your commentary if possible in the future if you can do a video on the differences between Orthodox and Catholicism that would be wonderful
This guy could stretch a pair of size 6 socks over a size 14 shoe.....time for a nap
This is the best explanation I’ve heard, thank you!
I so appreciate you opening up the reality of Eternal/Eternity.
It has Really helped me out.👍
🙏❤🕊✝️👑⛪🙏
The supposed negatives most protestants put forward can just as much be said about praying for each other in this side of the veil
Another excellent video. Your in-depth discussion of how life in Heaven is different from that on earth is appreciated.
It's all about the interaction between the living members of the living Body of Christ nourished by the Body and the Blood of Christ our Savior.
Praying to heavenly saints is a null prayer. It just can't be validated.
@@calebjushua9252oh but the early Christians prayed to the saints
@@andreeattieh2963
🕵️Wrong. They did not pray to the saints. They prayed for the saints (physically alive and not physically dead saints).
@@calebjushua9252 they asked the dead saints to pray for them
The paintings on the cavern walls in which the early Christians hid from the Roman empire have images of Mary purgatory saints etc
@@calebjushua9252 the apostles never said to pray only to God they asked each other to pray for one another dead alive etc
Maccabees 2 12 41 46 praying for the dead
You are crazy smart. You bring up ideas I have never heard of or even thought of before
Amazing Joe! My mind boggles thinking about eternity and how we live in the present, the now, while God sees the whole of history at once in His Now! And the glorious saints share in this divine vision 😮
Thank you Joe for sharing 👍
Glory to God in the highest! Peace be with you all! I believe that they are listening and can here the prayers for help.
For the awarness of Saints in Heaven, I would also point to the passages of Rachel weeping for her children after her death in Jeremiah and Matthew .
That isn't talking about Rachel herself. That is the descendants of Rachel.
@@huntsman528 "A voice was heard in Ramah, weeping and loud lamentation, Rachel weeping for her children; she refused to be comforted, because they are no more." It's clearly Rachel weeping about what happend to her descendants.
@@huntsman528😂 so much for twisting. Least you can say is it is metaphoric. No need to force in meanings that are not there
I think that's symbolic. Just like how John the Baptist is "Elijah," or the Messiah the "son of David," so on.
@@AmpwichFALSE. Sorry that’s just not true. You can’t prove it, nor is it proper interpretation. She actually wept.
I watched this near death experience of a believer and one part stayed with me so strongly and when I read it - so much made sense. He said God was speaking to him in this incredible place, unimaginable beauty, he could SENSE EVERY INDIVIDUAL BLADE OF GRASS UNDER HIS FEET! That's why I believe the saints can hear us and all at the same time and in multiple languages - it helped me peek at the enormousness (is that a word?) of God 😅
Another thing that I don’t hear mentioned when Catholics try to explain to our Protestant brethren about the saints(probably because they would refuse to believe it and it’s not scholarly or intellectual) is a very simple one: it works. Countless scientifically verified miracles have occurred through their intercession, however in much smaller ways they intercede for us all the time. If you have a question about God’s will for your life or how you can increase in the spiritual life for example, you will be answered.
Praying to heavely saints is a null prayer. It just can't be validated.
I don't understand the example which the Catholics are giving about human intercession. They say if humans can intercede on earth then they can certainly intercede in heaven. One thing they forget is that no matter who intercedes for you on earth, in heaven Jesus will always be the only One True High Priest who will always intercede for all of us. So you giving out that example is silly. Also if I don't pray or ask the saints in heaven to intercede for me, will my prayers be unanswered? The only reason someone will want saints to intercede is that they don't have a close relationship with God. That's why they want to go that route
@weaponofchoice-tc7qs what's wrong in judging and didn't I ask you a simple question? Will my prayers be answered if I avoid the saints in heaven and direct my prayers to my Only High Priest Jesus Christ? Would you care to answer this? The only answer is yes and that's why I don't have to go through the saints. Plz reply so I can know what you believe in
@weaponofchoice-tc7qs @weaponofchoice-tc7qs you love to write thousands of words but you are dodging my question. You are giving me all the earthly examples.may be you don't understand a simple question.i will ask you again.. will my prayers be answered if I don't go through saints in heaven or Earth? This time plz answer. Sometimes it's okay to concede than to avoid
@@danielhunter1773 You write too much, jump to conclusions and your comments are full of straw men, red herrings and useless misrepresentations of the Communion of Saints because you doubt the Word of God. It’s your “ME” first then Jesus protestant dilemma. Try listening to the video again. You said, “if I don't pray or ask the saints in heaven to intercede for me, will my prayers be unanswered? The only reason someone will want saints to intercede is that they don't have a close relationship with God.” The simple answer to both is maybe yes, maybe no either way it’s up to God if he answers your prayers and No, that is a false insinuation.
Mary seeing a divine angel
"Get back ✝️"
Love your videos. As new to Christianity, I'm glad to have found your channel and others before falling to deep into Protestantnism. God bless you and your family. Praying the Holy Spirit guides you
If saints suffer because they see us from heaven, does God suffer in heaven for the same reason? That would be absurd and not only for qualities which apply to God alone.
@weaponofchoice-tc7qs Hi, weapon.
Yes, it is a great consolation that revelation includes the doctrine of impassibility, but I think that most people misunderstand it. It is not that there is no suffering in heaven because we are purged of our ability to experience emotion. Rather, there is no suffering in heaven because we finally see that the experiences which induce intense emotion are themselves being woven into the tremendous good tapestry of creation which reflects God's glory.
Great one Joe. Thanks!! I’m learning so much from you.
Great Arguments as always Joe! I would like to add another point that may or may not be helpful. Jesus says this in Matthew 11 regarding John the Baptist: "Amen, I say to you, among those born of women there has been none greater than John the Baptist; yet the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he". Hearing what Jesus said we can see that John is even greater than previous Old Testament figures such as Moses, Elijah and Samuel. All three of them reflected God's Glory in some way (Elijah and Moses at the Transfiguration, Moses also after communing with God at times and Samuel when being summoned). But yet if the least in the Kingdom in Heaven (the Saints, presumably) is greater than all these OT figures, how much more do they reflect God's glory? How much closer are they to God being greater in the kingdom of heaven? I know this line of reason doesn't prove each point you were trying to make but I think it adds to the goodness God endows to His saints
Hi, Matthew.
I'm glad to see you engaging with the material, and its inducing further thoughts.
For all that there is value in the line of thought that you're pursuing, I'm afraid that in this matter your line of thought won't carry force to persuade people, because it misunderstands what Jesus was saying when he spoke of the least in the Kingdom of Heaven. In that passage, Jesus was indeed creating a staircase, with all Old Testament figures finding their place below John the Baptist ( not Presbyterian! ; ) ) and the least in the Kingdom being greater than John; but the least in the Kingdom is not ambiguous. Jesus has already identified Himself as the least in the Kingdom, having come to serve rather than be served, having humbled Himself to take the form of a slave, having nowhere to lay His head, having given Himself fully for God's glory and the good of Man. The point of Jesus' message here is that all of Heavenly life flows from, revolves around, and is directed to Him, so that He can gather it all, put it in its proper place and offer it, so perfected, to His Father.
46:32
1 Chronicles 10:13-14
Exodus 7:10-11
Hebrews 11 and 12
Mark 27:12....
And everything else you've shown.
AMENNNN!
Beautifully proven and presented.👏👏👏👍✝️
Jesus, I love you.
I always use this argument about praying to the dead. Protestants always ask why I pray to Mary when she is dead. I then ask them if they believe that when they die and go to Heaven, the Lord will keep his promise and give them eternal life. When they say yes, I ask if they believe the same is possible with Mary, the mother of our Lord. I ask if they believe she was also deserving of the same eternal life. If yes, then she is not dead. She has received eternal life. So far, I have not received any rebuttal.
The prayer to ask for help to find something from Saint Anthony has helped me quite a bit. I think sometimes Tony (Saint Anthony) is laughing at me because I seem to look in the same place four times and on the fifth time I find the item in that place.😂
I have gotta so used to asking St. Anthony for assistance that most times I just say, “Tony, please lend me a hand!” 😂 works 9 times out of 10, with the 1 being me forgetting what I was looking for part way through.
Recently it was so amazing the response I had recently. I found the item I was looking for and prayed I would find it, then found two other items in about 10 minutes I kind of gave up on finding
You can also see the Akina so Glory on the face of all outside of heaven. A golden glow on the skin of the face and hands.
Saints are greater than Satan and his demons but Protestants believe that the demons are more powerful. Ask any Protestant if he believes that Satan and his demons can affect a persons behavior even to the point of losing ones soul and he will say yes that he does believe that. But ask a Protestant if the Angels and Saints can protect one from losing his soul and he will deny that. They deny what Jesus teaches in Mark 12:25 and what Paul teaches in 1 Cor. 6:2-3. They deny this to their detriment. The world is in a spiritual battle for our souls. Let the spirits fight the spirits. Call on the Angels and the Saints to fight Satan and his demons. Even though Protestants don't believe as we do about what the Bible says, we should always ask for the intercession of the Saints on their behalf. Fight the good fight!
I’ve come to accept that most Protestants are some of the most stubborn people ever, even staunch atheists can be objective and open the door to different ideas and possibilities sometimes. But not Protestants. No matter how theologically sound and well explained something is, they will not accept it, they rely on their own faulty interpretation of scripture and are usually guided by an anti Catholic bias. Usually fueled from some false teaching given to them by pastor Jim, or some conspiracy theory on UA-cam about the “whore of Babylon.” I understand that’s not all of them, there are some who want to have real discussions in good faith, but most aren’t like that. It takes a special grace from God to convert them or at least to help them understand Catholicism properly and correctly.
"Wear a small or large, just don't be a medium." (@53:00)
Excellent pun drop!
Sincerely in Xto
Mike B. B. From Philly, P.A. U.S.A.
My best argument for saints - that I think Joe may not have covered (in although EXCELLENT videos):
The only reason why intercession by ANY is because God wants it. Why does God want it? Because it is an essential feature of Love (God) to share. The more love the more sharing. God does not use you or me because it cannot be done in any other way - no, he does it because using me and you (and the saints) is even better, that is, more loving. In fact, without this principle, we didn't need to exist at all.
This is, in my opinion, a more satisfying solution, since I (as a Prot) usually never asked for intercession (prayers) from other Christians - at the time it seemed simpler/smarter/more efficient to go directly to Jesus. The reason above answers both my objection as a Protestant and the objection to why even bother with the saints, or why certain saints have a special 'field of expertise'.
That's a super good point!! It's a kingdom of love shared in the one body of Christ, which all glorifies God the greater
I was thinking of that point too. God wants us praying for one another, to show love, to receive love and to exercise it. I don't believe in praying to departed saints, but I believe strongly in intercessory prayer. I am more confident when another prays for me than when i pray for myself. It also seems as if God shows answer to prayer more when I pray for other. I like the idea that departed saints may pray for us. there is something about the great cloud of witnesses the bible speaks of. I can't get comfortable w/ praying to any other than God though.
@@saintejeannedarc9460 Maybe you would like Jeanne d'Arc to pray for you if she could and you are allowed to ask :) At worst God will intercept the prayers and throw them in the trash... ;)
@@miracles_metanoia That is a false dichotomy about prayer you have introduced to back the protestant false doctrine of not praying to the saints. Mass is the only catholic prayer that can only be offered to God not to any saint. Mass is worship, it is adoration of the highest level in Catholicism. Any other type of prayer can indeed be directed to a saint. You have falsely limited the meaning of prayer to supplication (ask) which is false. Rather the popular culture use the word prayer to mean "ask" not historic Christians. Christians have always understood prayer to mean: Worship, thanksgiving, adoration, supplication etc.
@@saintejeannedarc9460 Why do you go by St Jeanne D arc. Don't you think it is appropriate for you to let go of that name? Are you a lapsed catholic?
At about 1:00 : It may not be "efficient" for us to ask others for prayers when we can go directly to Jesus, but, it is none the less God's will. God wants us to be participants in His work. He wants us to pray for others because it is part of our loving our neighbors. It is part of being members of the Mystical Body of Christ.
Heartily agreed. It is members of the body showing love and service to one another and it helps us grow in our faith and perseverence. I also find when I'm struggling to forgive, there is no better practice than to pray for that person. It immediately softens my heart, reminds me they are just as much a child of God, and reminds me I'm a sinner too (not that I need big reminding of that fact).
@@saintejeannedarc9460 Well said.
@@StringofPearls55 In which case,fellowship is deepened and increased when we share our prayers with brothers and sisters ON EARTH and not by praying to saints in heaven! James and Galatians encourage us to pray for saints on earth.
@@christtoday9136 Do they say specifically "on earth"?
And why wouldn't God allow the Saints on Heaven to hear our prayers? If you accept they are concious then they clearly do pray for us, since it is a saintly thing to pray for those in need. So if it is a established fact Saints in Heaven pray for us why would God not allow them to hear our prayers?
It does not follow that because the saints are conscious in heaven that they pray for people on earth.
The Light of the Father will shine on the whole new earth.
Ty I’m over fighting Protestants on this silly issue I just don’t get how people don’t understand the church is in heaven an earth all alive in Christ, the dead are in hell
@weaponofchoice-tc7qs Good point. I guess that's why there are so many protestant churches. Total chaos.
Praying to heavenly saints is a null prayer. It just can't be validated.
@@calebjushua9252you’re just stubborn that’s all. Joe made a whole video explaining the opposite with great detail, and all you can say is “nah”. There’s no point of engaging with you lol
@@levrai944
🕵️ You must have known the difference between claim and truth. For a doctrinal claim to be true, it must have been taught by Jesus Christ himself and/or instructed to his apostles. Where is Joe's proof that Jesus commanded the apostles and/or disciples to pray to heavenly saints?
🧑⚖️ Throughout the Scriptures (both old and new testaments) you can never read a single account of someone praying to heavenly saints. Jesus himself never instructed his apostles to do such. THEREFORE, Catholic doctrine of praying to heavenly saints is a manmade tradition based on mere claims and not a teaching of Jesus Christ.
The bible specifically says do not quarrel about words.... And also , if you tell someone two times and they don't want to listen , they are heretic.... Just stand firm in your faith.Plant the seed and walk away.You don't have to convince them that is up to god and then.
God the Father we do not see, but we see the Light! Like a star. Jesus has the Father in him.
''Joe, you have misrepresented my views, that's not what I said or wanted to say. You destroyed a strawman'', Me if I were a protestant whose arguments have just been refuted by Joe .
Uh Oh, here comes Gavin to follow up and object! The new James White! Awesome work Joe! Peace always in Jesus Christ our Great and Kind God and Savior, He whose Flesh is true food and Blood true drink
The prayers of the saints are around the throne of God.
Revelation 5:8-9
King James Version
8 And when he had taken the book, the four beasts and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of saints.
9 And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation;
Revelation 8:4
[4] And the smoke of the incense, which came with the prayers of the saints, ascended up before God out of the angel's hand. [5] And the angel took the censer, and filled it with fire of the altar, and cast it into the earth: and there were voices, and thunderings, and lightnings, and an earthquake.
The angel took the censer with the prayers of the saints and cast it to earth, this is when the seventh seal is opened and cast to the earth for judgement. ( tribulation timeline)
The word of the Lord.
Praying to heavenly saints is a null prayer. It just can't be validated.
And why are you saying these are the prayers of saints already departed. Protestants understand this as the prayers of the saints on earth whose prayers ascend to heaven and are precious, hence pictured as collected in a golden bowl.
@@christtoday9136 1Thess.5:9 KJV ( Why I believe The church, the bride of Christ” ,and the prayers of the saints are around the throne of God, because the saints are not appointed to his wrath.
Revelation 5 The saints are there in heaven.( vs 9) And has redeemed us by the blood of the lamb,this is the church that is caught up” ( raptured) to the throne of God. From all tongues,peoples and nations from earth.
Revelation 6 Jesus opens the “ seals” ,God’s wrath, tribulation coming to the earth.
Revelation 8 KJV
and there was given unto him much incense, that he should offer it with the “prayers of all saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne.” 4And the smoke of the incense, which came with the prayers of the saints, ascended up before God out of the angel's hand. 5And the angel took the censer, and filled it with fire of the altar, and cast it into the earth: and there were voices, and thunderings, and lightnings, and an earthquake. 6And the seven angels which had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound. 7The first angel sounded, and there followed hail and fire mingled with blood, and they were cast upon the earth: and the third part of trees was burnt up, and all green grass was burnt up.
These prayers are from the saints,and there cast to the earth, for judgement, hail.fire mingled with blood, a third part of the trees burn up Ect..
The apostle Paul teaches that all believers that are “ justified by Faith alone” They our redeemed by the blood of Jesus.Ephesians 1:7, Romans 3:25
The Catholic Church testifies that to become a saint an individual must be canonized by the C.C., After they died for there “good works,” Which contradicts the writings of Paul.
KJV Bible changed many Bible verses to suit Protestant beliefs and removed 7 books from the Bible it's not scripture
@@andreeattieh2963
🕵️Provide your evidence to prove your accusation. I'll wait.
How is praying to saints not considered idols or false gods? Do catholics believe in the 10 commandments?
I am surprised you would spend time praying to dead people instead of praying to the Living God.
Whether or not they can hear us is less important than whether you would prefer to be in the holy of holies with the Lord our God, or whether you want to still be on the steps outside the temple begging someone else to intercede for you.
I am so blessed that I can enter boldly into the holy of holies and fall at my Father's feet, and He will scoop me up into His arms and sit me on His lap and cover me with His love, and I can speak directly to Him and pour out my heart to Him directly.
Praise the Lord our God! Blessed be His Holy Name!
@patriceagulu8315 His God sounds very living, vibrant and loving to me. His faith and prayers are based on biblical precepts, not newer traditions.
Surprised you are surprised. It has been what Christians do since Jesus walked till now. Also surprised that after an hour long video this is the comment you come up with. It is as if you have zero comprehension skills and can only copy and paste random Protestant comments attacking Christians.
God is not bound by constraints of time. Praying to the Saints does not mean that your prayer to God becomes less worthy. God has given a commandment to love him, but also to love our neighbours, as fellow creations of God. Any prayer to a saint therefore is a prayer to God, a Thanksgiving to God for that saint and their example. Those saints also can help us grow in our faith, as they have done through their example. You are very blessed in your relation with God, and it can and will be a blessing to share that faith with brothers and sisters, whether on earth or in heaven. And by all means, never stop praying to God himself as well. The Holy Rosary features prayers not only to Mary, but importantly also to God, to confess our faith, to give him praise, and to confess our dependance on him.
@jeannebouwman1970 God is NOT bound by restraints of space or time.
But we are.
So again I ask, do you dare to spend your time in the Holy of Holies, in the direct Presence of the Living God?
Or do you wait outside on the temple steps, asking one of the priests to intercede for you?
@@xrendezv0usx I think those do not exclude each other. A prayer to Mary is a prayer God will hear, and in case (highly unlikely) Mary doesn't hear He will hear the prayer, though misguided, is prayed in faith in Him, and He will answer. Spend time at the threshold of the Lord, but also talk with fellow believers in the court. We are in communion with each other as saints, in which we can help and guide each other, and most importantly pray for each other.
Really appreciate this video.
I think there may be a confusion about what prayer Is. Just like there is about what the Eucharist is and the holy mass. To me prayer can only be done In God. We go beyond the present realm into God’s presence. It doesn’t matter if we are simply adoring, loving, talking, asking, thanking, wishing, singing, reciting poems, reading, simply being in His presence, we are In prayer. We move into the realm of heaven. There is no praying to the saints or angels outside of the eternal prayer to God. When we talk to angels or saints, we’re simply talking, saying hello, in the presence and through God, giving our love, asking for intercession, asking for their cheers, their well wishes, their thoughts, saying happy birthday or saying thank you for their actions or words while on earth, how they collaborated to build the Church. Thank you for their help in guiding our family. For being such amazing heroes, examples of men and women, fathers and mothers. We ask them to hold our hands. We share our wishes and fears, our worries, our joy, our hope to be as brave and as loving and obedient as them, anything we are living, since in the communion of the saints, In the Body of Christ we are together. And God Loves that, that we all collaborate, that’s how we must love, All, Together, as One In Him.
Since He is eternal, outside time and space, there’s no communication he’s not part of, no reality he’s not part of, we’re not talking to Mary away from God. We remember or think about her in His presence. He was in her womb, eternally is there, outside space and time. If we talk to our Guardian angel or saint Michael the archangel it’s in His Love. His Word. Did God need Gabriel, the archangel, to talk to Mary? No, that’s how He chose to communicate. Same with Joseph, in dreams, using angels. He collaborates. The more we love the more he rejoices, the more we stay in prayer, the more we love others, the more we get to know Him and His Love, the more He shows Himself to us. Praying to others with Him, will only bring Him closer.
It’s as if thinking we can love outside God. We love through God. There’s no loving anyone without God. God is Love. We can’t love family, friends, country, saints and angels outside God. God doesn’t get jealous because we love our mother or our husband or our children. We don’t take away from loving Him when we love others. We can’t love them without Him. It’s nonsense. We can’t even love our mother or our father or anyone more than He Loves them. Just like no one can love us more than He does. When we love anyone on earth or in purgatory or in heaven, we are connecting and participating in our small earthly capacity with His Love. As long as we can love, God is with us. That communion of love is eternal in All of us, doesn’t stop in heaven. It only increases. Of course heaven can hear our prayers and feel our love, that’s our language.
I agree regarding confusion about prayer. In this video and in other sources I have consulted, the terms "praying" and "talking" are used synonymously, but I don't think they are synonyms. When Paul and others go to or write to fellow Christians for intercessory prayer, this is not the same as praying to departed saints. Having a conversation with someone, including in a vision or dream and with another human or spiritual being is not the same as engaging in prayer. Talking/conversing and praying are nothing alike. I have not been able to find a single example in the Bible where a believer either before or after Christ's resurrection prays to departed saints. And again, by "prays" I don't mean "talk."
Amazing video. God Bless🙏🏽
I don’t understand the argument that if we’re aware of what’s on earth and praying about it heaven that that means we’d be suffering. Wouldn’t serving God in His full glory in Heaven be the greatest joy and honor? How could we ever suffer when we are doing God’s will and assisting Him in His mission face to face with Him in Heaven?
Thank you Joe, this is thorough and helpful.
Glory to Joe! And to all!
Superb lecture, thank you!
Speaking of Biblical authority to a Protestant, can we not pose this question? What biblical evidence do we have that a demon can create a false apparition?
And one more question, if speaking unto spiritual brothers and sisters whom we are connected to via the Spirit is not permissible, why do they believe they have the authority to speak to the devil or demons in rebuke? When biblical evidence suggests the only ones that seem to have ever taken part in deliverance and speak to devils is our Lord and the apostles?
I've never used the argument mentioned in this video about praying to saints, but there is biblical mention of it:
And no wonder, since Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. 2 Cor. 11:14
@@saintejeannedarc9460 I thought of this one. Only that in its context refers to actual human men masquerading as good teachers of righteousness rather than actual demonic apparitions.
I think Paul’s point is that, evil doesn’t always look evil.
I also think it’s a reference to “the burning ones” or “shining ones”, which is what seraphim means, namely, that the devil was an angel of light and became darkness. Ie. ‘A 1/3 of the stars of heaven fell.’
As the verse stands alone, I don’t think we can conclude that demons can manifest as mother Mary or the saints or even Jesus.
I think it simply is a reference to Satan being once a minister of righteousness, and yet falling from grace as did those brothers of Galatians Paul wrote to.
@@LayRule "Speaking of Biblical authority to a Protestant, can we not pose this question? What biblical evidence do we have that a demon can create a false apparition?"
Depending on what you are considering an apparition, we could consider the following:
1. The appearance of Samuel to the Witch and Endor. This is disputed whether or not Samuel was actually contacted, or a demon wearing his guise.
2. The tempting of Christ by the Devil, specifically when the Devil shows Jesus all the kingdoms of the earth and says they can be His if Jesus will only bow to him.
3. "For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect." - Matthew 24:24. The nature of the deceptions is not specified here, but "great signs and wonders" leaves a lot on the table.
4. You have already responded to the 2 Corinthians 11:14 mention above.
5. "The second beast was given power to give breath to the image of the first beast, so that the image could speak and cause all who refused to worship the image to be killed." - Revelation 13:15. Admittedly, Revelation is rife with allegory, so your mileage may vary with how this is interpreted and received, but some would contest that the False Prophet and later on the three frog-like spirits could do what you specify.
"And one more question, if speaking unto spiritual brothers and sisters whom we are connected to via the Spirit is not permissible, why do they believe they have the authority to speak to the devil or demons in rebuke? When biblical evidence suggests the only ones that seem to have ever taken part in deliverance and speak to devils is our Lord and the apostles?"
Not strictly speaking accurate, as the Apostles said they saw others casting out unclean spirits in Christ's name who were not affiliated with them directly, plus there are those groups such as the seventy that were commissioned by Christ to go out and do just that. Finally, there are Protestant exorcisms, though they don't get the press that Catholic ones do. Maybe they just make for worse movies.
@@LayRule You're definitely right that Paul's main point is that evil doesn't always look like evil. There are other scriptures to be taken as a whole w/ this one. First though, again it's true that it's in the context of false human teachers, but we can't ignore the wording of "Satan poses as an angel of light", so could pose as any human that we take to be divine and enlightened, or an angel.
Then there's 1 John 4:1 1Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God. For many false prophets have gone out into the world.
John is also talking of false prophets, but warns us to test the spirits. It's definitive wording. By what spirit are these people speaking on behalf, by an evil spirit, the Holy Spirit, or a sanctified spirit, which would ultimately be the Holy Spirit?
There is also 1 Peter 5:8 8Be sober-minded and alert. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.
@@saintejeannedarc9460 I could just as easily appeal to the actual apparitions themselves where, for instance, Marian apparitions are tested as far as the actual message of the apparition is to continue to pray and seek Jesus Christ her son. The Church tests these, actual investigations are conducted in order to “test the spirits” so to speak. So we can at least say the Church has this biblical idea of investigatory analysis when I comes to miracles and apparitions. And not simply in-house authority but also appealing to less biased company.
As far as these passages go, Catholic doctrine, which I would presume you oppose, has been built on similarly inconspicuous passages of scripture that seem to have been tested through time and have proved useful and profitable for the Christian.
I can’t concede anything in scripture that would condemn saintly apparitions that would also condemn something as dogmatic and glorious as the incarnation, miraculous moments of divine revelation and conversion, and divine courage given by a Holy Spirit.
I think often time, in skepticism of traditional Catholic AND orthodox moments of apparitional revelation and miraculous wonders, the Protestant has to be weary how he/she proceeds as not to condemn themselves.
In response to “someone casting out devils in your name.”
I’d wonder if this wasn’t a priest who Jesus also in proceeding chapters says “if I cast out devils by beelzebub, by whom do your sons cast them out.”
Notice our Lord does not say ,” he doesn’t have that authority.” But he is able to cast them out. How so? Because priest had that authority from God.
But we see in Acts, a shift in the authority, where now a priest seems to be helpless in the presence of a demon in an act of deliverance and is beaten, stark naked i might add. It’s a wonderful display of how Jewish priestly authority as been shifted to the new high priest and his priests for it says “Jesus I know and Paul I know but who are you?”
I would like to watch an episode on Jehovah's Witnesses
I think it requires way more patience to dialogue with a Protestant than with an Orthodox although they're very similar in their position against us. Joe is the right man for the job.
At least the orthodox have valid sacraments.
He really is the best one bc Lofton comes off a lil’ snarky.😂
They are against you being against them and those that say that their sacraments are invalid.
Thank you so much for your time and energy! Your shares are very helpful!
Corinthians 15:1-4
King James Version
15 Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand;
2 By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain.
3 For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;
4 And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:
Ephesians 2:8-9
King James Version
8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.
King James Version Romans 3:25
25 Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God
Stick to the video. The Bible teaches intercessin of the saints, can you see that?
Rev 5 :8-12
➨ INTERCESSION of the SAINTS: REV 5 v 8... 8
When he took it, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each of the elders held a harp and gold bowls filled with incense, which are the prayers of the holy ones.
9
They sang a new hymn: "Worthy are you to receive the scroll and to break open its seals, for you were slain and with your blood you purchased for God those from every tribe and tongue, people and nation.
Only an Omniscient God can understand all the languages of all nations Nations..John Is a creature and Cant. Only an Omniscient God. 13 Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, everything in the universe, cry out: "To the one who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor, glory and might, forever and ever."Now John HERD ALL THIS all those languages of the earth. How did He hear all those Languages and understand them . God Had to have made it possible for John why couldn’t he do that for those in Heaven as well.. So why cant Mary and the saints hear since they have an Omniscient God to Make things Know to them the saints don’t have to Be Omniscient. God gave them that ability.
What are , the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders doing with . Those Prayers in their hands the prayers of the holy ones.Why did God give those Prays to them to Give them to Him 9When he broke open the fifth seal, I saw underneath the altar 8 the souls of those who had been slaughtered because of the witness they bore to the word of God.10 cried out in a loud voice, "How long will it be, holy and true master, 9 before you sit in judgment and avenge our blood on the inhabitants of the earth?"11Each of them was given a white robe, and they were told to be patient a little while longer until the number was filled of their fellow servants and brothers who were going to be killed as they had been.
This Makes It Know to those Saints In Heaven That God would avenge the saints On earth at a Further tine The lord can Make know to those in heaven what happens on earth at a future time They are Now aware of thing going on Now do you think since they pray to the Lord they would not be praying to the Lord for their Brothers and Sisters of their fellow servants and brothers who were going to be killed as they had been to preserve them as the others had been . What act of Love are Christians told to do for one another Pray for one another
Rev18: 19-24 What’s the reaction to those in heaven… To the destruction Of Babylon On earth if they aren’t made aware of what’s happening on earth. God made them aware giving Biblical proof that The Saints can be made aware of what’s taking place on Earth. They must have seen it Because allowed them to see it.
Mathew 18:6-7 Do not harm little children because God loves them as well as Babes in the Faith Physically or spiritually.
. 6But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea.
Why does he say this
“Take heed that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that in heaven their angels always see the face of My Father who is in heaven.
What does that mean the Angles are assigned to these children to watch over them and pray for them. They go before the father and Intercede for them .
How do Angles know what is taking place on earth Angles are not Omniscient God thru the Holy Sprit reveals it to them they don’t have to be Omniscient.
Luke 15:7
I tell you, in just the same way there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous people who have no need of repentance.
How can People in heaven rejoice over someone coming to repentance? If they’re not aware of their repentance. Now since Mary and the Saints are In heaven are they aware of their repentance and rejoice. Those in Heaven must be aware of what’s happening on Earth.
Luke 15:10
In just the same way, I tell you, there will be rejoicing among the angels of God over one sinner who repents." Those in Heaven must be aware of what’s happening on Earth
i
8
2
14
The four living creatures answered, "Amen," and the elders fell down and worshiped.
10
You made them a kingdom and priests for our God, and they will reign on earth."
11
I looked again and heard the voices of many angels who surrounded the
@@bibleman8010 John was “ caught up “ to the throne of God to reveal Revelation to him to write down for us. This is a type of true Christians in the near future Rapture before tribulation. “ caught up”
Revelation 4:1
“After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter.”
1 Thessalonians 4:16-17
King James Version
16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be “ caught up” together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
Notice the trumpet on both verses, and both verses are “ caught up”
@@johnp.6043 if in 2 weeks no rapture happens, will you give catholicism a fair hearing?
@@johnp.6043. There is no rapture you are not going to avoid judgment day. Everyone will stand before God to be judged. Matthew 7:13-14 Enter ye in at the narrow gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way that leadeth to destruction, and many there are who go in thereat. How narrow is the gate, and strait is the way that leadeth to life: and few there are that find it!
Fascinating episode. Thank you.
Airtight arguments as always!
CANONIZATIONS of the Dead Saints (Apostles, Prophets, Martyrs, etc.) were not taught by Christ Jesus in God's Church through His Apostles including from the written Scripture (Word of God)... Facts and Truth of the Matters, Biblically speaking... Praise be to God in Christ Jesus... Amen.
Regarding souls in Heaven having imperfect happiness because of awareness of injustices on Earth (starting at about 13:30), I've heard it said that there will not be perfect happiness until after the Final Judgement and the Final Resurrection. Until our souls are reunited to our glorified bodies we are incomplete and therefore cannot have perfect happiness. Likewise until God's perfect will is completed in His creation there cannot be perfect happiness. Souls with God in Heaven have only the highest level of Joy that is possible prior to the fulfillment of God's will in time. That is why in the Lord Prayer we say, "Thy will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven". Once His glorious will is fulfilled, after the Final Judgement, the Resurrection, and making of a new Heaven and Earth then the saints will have perfect happiness while to reprobate will suffer endless torment. (Rev. 21 : 1-8).
do you mind using the church latin pronunciation of "anima" instead of the anglicanised one because it really sounded like another word...
I was watching this while having dinner with my mom and she quickly glanced at the tv when she heard it 😂😂😂
I have nothing much against normal anime but it’s not anima, lol
Excellent video! Thank you for making this. Just want to point out that this video also does a great job of refuting the Thomist position of corruptionism. Also you implied that Samuel was glorified already when he was called up by the Witch of Endor. But I don’t believe we are to think any of the Saints are glorified before the Resurrection of Our Lord. Instead he was resting in the Bosom of Abraham. Not hell but probably more like Limbo.
The prompt at the beginning is exactly where I’m at
Father God seek/search those True Christian Worshippers who worship God in Spirit and in Truth (w/o religious physical statues, idols, icons, rosary, scapulars, novena, etc.)... (ref. John 4:23)...
Only those who DOES the WILL of God have Eternal Life in Christ Jesus. (ref. Matt. 7:21 / 12:48-50)... HOW?... By READING and OBEYING the WILL of God through His Complete/Sufficient Written Word of God (Holy Scripture), you will know the Biblical Truth that will set you FREE... FREE from WHAT?... from your SINS against God...
Praise be to God in Christ Jesus... Amen.
Baptism on Earth to only be taken out of water in Heaven. That was my "Golden Hour" memory. Lasted too short or my memory doesn't remember the rest. Never told anyone, including my Mom. I know Jesus exists.
In the Polish translation of the Scriptures as used in the churches, the commentary on Baruch 3:4 says: 'The Israelites are overwhelmed with afflictions to such an extent that they have become like the dead.'
I always ask if we living 200 years ago and the predident gave a speech would they believe one day 30:26 the whole world would hear at the same time .yet its posdible through our earthly media...why woudnt heaven be more advanced...I dont ask how I just believe that with God all things are posdible...I dont think heaven has the limitations we have....God Bless....great topic joe ...
@23 what comes to mind is this scripture Acts 2:8
Then how is it that each of us hears them in our native language?
With regard to the actions of Saul, I always wondered how it was that even though Saul used illicit means (a necromancer) to contact Samuel, it worked nonetheless. My question is: was it through the power of evil forces (and God's permissive will) that Saul successfully contacted Samuel, or was it through the power of God despite the illicit means Saul employed?
the real prophet Samuel appears and tells Saul the truth, during the seance with the witch of Endor (1 Samuel 28:7-20).
That was God’s will, because demons and false spirits would not tell the truth. Therefore, it was another instance of God desiring to break the artificial Protestant barrier between heaven and earth, by sending Saul to break through the nonsense of the seance.
Hi, melvin.
How about this: It is God's will for Man to trust and obey God, so that the order and structure He created in nature operate according to its nature to serve the greater glory of God and Man's good. Nonetheless, there is an order and structure in nature, and man does have the ability to engage with it, even when the ways in which he engages with it is not according to God's will and therefore does not fully tend to God's glory and Man's good. Even in this diminished condition, however, it is God's will that they have the nature that they have and that man have the powers that he has, so God works with that to bring such good as it yet may, such as a refutation of the ad hoc doctrine of the separation of the living from those who have "fallen asleep".
Samuel was at rest, so for this reason also sleep is an apt metaphor, but he was nonetheless aware in detail of developments on earth and able the hear, understand, and respond to Saul's concerns.
This doesn't directly answer your question, melvin, but we can bridge that by recalling that demons are even willing to debase themselves to the point of responding to human invocations if they perceive that this effrontery will further debase men. The significance then would be not so much in the power of demons to provide for contact with the dead as the commitment of demons to induce men to give way to fear, desperation, thirst for power, distrust of God, disobedience to God, and openness to the operation of demons.
at 9:01 and for the following 5 minutes you say something that I say on my channel, but when a viewer of mine called into Catholic Answers Jimmy Akin corrected my viewer and called me incorrect. I was quoting a Church Father’s take on the soul being that which animates, I had read his selection in the liturgy of the hours that morning and shared what I read with my channel that same evening. So I was surprised and disappointed to hear and watch a church father’s writing, as presented in the LOH, be denigrated and have myself and my channel be insulted and hear Jimmy tell the caller that he should choose a better informed resource than myself. Now, the caller didn’t mention my channel, or that I had gotten the info from the LOH or from a Church Father. But it still stung. And recently I just finished Origen’s On First Principles and there he also speaks of Anima in this Greek philosophical sense. Do you think this is a wise approach as I have already been reprimanded (indirectly) by one of your peers for using this approach to reach out to Muslims and Atheists when talking about the Soul and Body Connection. ??? (I do hope you answer, this has bothered me for years, & the experience has turned me off from enjoying Catholic Answers fully for a long while now.)
-Behold, I show you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
-But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing: that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.
This says it all
18:11 one issue with talking about Samuel is this was before Christ's resurrection and defeat of death...this example may not be congruent with post-resurrection of Christ
Something I find interesting when I was learning maths we learnt about 2d shapes and 3d shapes. Really simple concept to understand, but the hard part is understanding 4d or 6d or 10d. There is this movie I saw called flatlands. And you can find videos sumerising it but It explains theoretically if someone was to live in the 4th dimension we would not be able to comprehend what they see, because our eyes cannot see our ears cannot hear, we couldn't even understand it. But if someone was to look down at us from the 4th dimension they could in theory see everything about us, know our thoughts. Literally if we meet someone from the 4th dimension we would think of them as all knowing even though they are not. It's hard to explain but if you understand this math theory it explains alot on how the saints hear us How Jesus was able to go through locked doors, I mean he is God as well so he can do whatever. The maths is a hard concept to understand but it's really amazing when you get it and you see the intercession of saints.
Jesus, I trust in you.
Deo Gratias, Ave Christus Rex ✝️👑
The saints are members of the body of Christ
The saints are alive in heaven
The saints are praying for us
The saints are aware of what's going on here on earth
Therefore the saints can hear our petitions for intercession
It's really that simple
I was wondering if you could do a show on resting on the Sabbath, specifically why we don't observe the Jewish Sabbath anymore even though it's part of the ten commandments? So many Protestants are no longer going to church on Sunday because the honor they Sabbath on Saturday
Because that was the old covenant, we have a new covenant, and we worship on Sunday, because Jesus rose from the dead on Sunday. He was still in the tomb on Saturday
Hi, one.
As Fan pointed out, Jesus fulfilled the Sabbath rest on Saturday, and it is certainly true that Sunday is the Lord's day in ways like no other: God (we can say by attribution the Father) began creation on the first day; God (we can say by attribution the Son) began the new creation on the day of His Resurrection; God (we can say by attribution the Holy Spirit) began the sanctification of the world on Pentecost. All of them were Sunday, and these are the works par excellence of God, and all the Persons of the Trinity expressed their choice.
Now, as to the question of respecting the ten Commandments, there are two things to be said. The first is that it is the Church which has been given authority both to interpret and to decree, as well as to teach all men to obey whatever Christ has commanded them.The second is that there are two passages which record the contents of the ten Commandments, the first in Exodus 20 and the second in Deuteronomy 6. In Exodus 20 the third Commandment instructs to remember the Sabbath day. In Deuteronomy 6 the corresponding passage instructs to remember the Lord's Day. In this matter the Church leans more heavily on Deuteronomy 6 as normative for the Church, with our Lord having satisfied Exodus 20.
If you read the Bible out of all the 10 Commandments there is only one Jesus doesn’t reiterate - keeping the Sabbath.
Jesus knew with the New a covenant new things would take place.
Additionally in Acts and elsewhere we see that they met in Sundays to worship and break bread.
Here are just a few scriptural references as to why we as Christians do *NOT* follow the Sabbath.
• Isaiah 1:13 - God begins to reveal His displeasure with the Sabbath.
• Matt. 28:1; Mark 16:2, 9; John 20:1, 19 - the Gospel writers purposely reveal Jesus’ resurrection and appearances were on Sunday. This is because Sunday had now become the most important day in the life of the Church.
• Acts 20:7 - this text shows the apostolic tradition of gathering together to celebrate the Eucharist on Sunday, the “first day of the week.” Luke documents the principle worship was on Sunday because this was one of the departures from the Jewish form of worship.
• 1 Cor. 16:2 - Paul instructs the Corinthians to make contributions to the churches “on the first day of the week,” which is Sunday. This is because the primary day of Christian worship is Sunday.
• Col. 2:16-17 - Paul teaches that the Sabbath was only a shadow of what was fulfilled in Christ, and says “let no one pass judgment any more over a Sabbath.”
• 2 Thess. 2:15 - we are to hold fast to apostolic tradition, whether it is oral or written. The 2,000 year-old tradition of the Church is that the apostles changed the Sabbath day of worship from Saturday to Sunday.
• Heb. 4:8-9 - regarding the day of rest, if Joshua had given rest, God would not later speak of “another day,” which is Sunday, the new Sabbath. Sunday is the first day of the week and the first day of the new creation brought about by our Lord’s resurrection, which was on Sunday.
• Heb. 7:12 - when there is a change in the priesthood, there is a change in the law as well. Because we have a new Priest and a new sacrifice, we also have a new day of worship, which is Sunday.
• Rev 1:10 - John specifically points out that he witnesses the heavenly Eucharistic liturgy on Sunday, the Lord’s day, the new day of rest in Christ.
• Matt. 16:19; 18:18 - whatever the Church binds on earth is bound in heaven. Since the resurrection, Mass has been principally celebrated on Sunday.
Whenever we see Christians meeting to worship the Lord, receive communion and/or to take up collections as Christians apart from the synagogue, it is either “daily” or, especially, it’s “on the first day of the week.” It is true that you often see St. Paul entering the synagogue on the Sabbath (Acts 13:14-44; 16:13; 18:4). However, in each instance his purpose was to proclaim the truth about Christ to the Jews. These are not specifically Christian gatherings.
But notice what we find in Acts 2:46:
“And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart,” St. Paul and his companions attended the temple, but the “breaking bread” occurred in the house “churches” of Christians.
The “breaking bread,” by the way, is a eucharistic phrase in St. Luke’s writings. For example, when St. Paul was in Troas in Acts 20:7, we read: “And it came to pass, as he sat at meat with them, he took bread, and blessed it, and brake, and gave to them. And their eyes were opened, and they knew him; and he vanished out of their sight.” (Luke 24:30-31 KJV) - Cleopas and an unnamed disciple’s “eyes were opened” and they recognised Jesus in the breaking of the bread.
And according to (Luke 24:1, 13) this encounter just happened to be on the first day of the week. St. Paul never says, ‘On the Sabbath, when we gathered to break bread…” The ‘breaking of bread’ in Luke 24 and in Acts 20 occurs on the first day of the week.
You’ll notice as well that though there were no church buildings in the first century, Christians had already designated homes for ‘church’ gatherings (1 Cor. 11:18-23). The “breaking of bread” was the focal point of the ‘church’ gathering, just as it is for Catholics today. And, again, this was done especially on the first day of the week (Acts 20:7).
Secondly the Bible tells us very clearly that Jesus rose again on Sunday (Matt 28:1; Mark 16:1; Luke 24:1; John 20:1)
His visits to the Apostles after His resurrection were on Sunday's (Matt. 28:1-20; Mark 16:1-18; Luke 24:1-25; John 20:1-18).
No one has gone up to Heaven except the one who came down from Heaven, The Son of Man who is in Heaven.
- John 3:13
Welp, I listened to the whole thing🫤
Is the listening two-way? "Listen, or thy tongue will keep thee deaf."
You mentioned about angels not aging.
It brought to mind with a chuckle, did you notice there are resurrected people sprinkled into all the Gospels at the Resurrection scene and at the Ascension? One is a young man that can't be an angel.
Here is one of them:
- **MARK 16:2-8**: A YOUNG MAN IN A WHITE ROBE INSIDE THE TOMB tells the women Jesus has risen.
Regarding Revelation 6:
This is not intercessory prayer. They are crying out on their own behalf.
How long till we are vindicated?
Gavin just replied to this video we must have a pie eating contest to resolve this
Regarding Hebrews 4:
God rested from his work (creation) because he was finished.
We enter that rest(works) because the work of salvation is finished.