cat05 Why we don’t use images in worship
Why we don’t use Images in Worship
by David Cox
[C05] ©2008 www.coxtracts.com
This tract can be freely used for non-profit use.
John 4:23 But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him.
There are many religions today that use images in their services, ceremonies, and activities. Christians sometimes of good churches and doctrine have started using the fade of “Christian” key chains, Bible covers with images, and many other things with religious images. There are two groups of thinking on this then. First there are people and groups who say the images are useful in some way or another in their relationship with God. The other group who think lightly of the issue, and they just are not going to worry about this because they don’t see images as idolatry where they bow the knee before it.
What is Biblical Worship?
We have to define what biblical worship is. This is that worship that God wants from us. This is the point. Praise is when we recognize something that God has done for somebody (for their benefit). We can give praise to God for what God has done for Israel. Thanksgiving is a type of praise, because it is personal. It is what God has done personally for me. We have to separate this things from the popular concept of praise, which is emotion, normally caused by worldly music and a show that pulls us emotionally to rise up and excite our emotions.
Categories: Catholicism Tags:
cat03 Spiritualism
Spiritualism: God does not speak through spirits or through dead people.
By David Cox
[C03] v1 ©2005 www.coxtracts.com
You may freely copy and reproduce this tract
2Th 2:9-12 Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.
There are various religions, religious groups, and philosophies that seek doctrine, guidance, information or help from ghosts, spirits, celestial beings, or dead people. This spiritual help that they offer us is a trick of the Devil and his demons so that we do not seek the direction of God.
Visions are not of God
We admit that God did use visions and revelations in time past to communicate with human beings. But it was according to the plan of God, and God does not use these visions and revelation today when we have the Scriptures to teach us.
But according to Hebrews 1:1-2, even though God spoke in times past through angels and prophets (with visions and revelations), now he has spoken (past, finished, and done) through the testimony of his Son, Jesus Christ. No prophet, visionary, nor spiritual man can be more important, informed, or wiser than the Son of God. What is important here is that God gave us a unique revelation in the form of the life and the teachings of Jesus Christ, that ended all other types of visions and revelations outside of Christ. This revelation (his birth, his teachings, his example, and his death and resurrection) form a testimony or revelation that cannot be bested or changed, something that nothing is more important that the messenger of Christ, and something nothing can be added to it.
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cat02 Should we worship the Virgin Mary? No.
Mary the Mother of Jesus
Should we worship or reverence her?
[C02] v1 ©2005 www.coxtracts.com
You may freely photocopy and reproduce this tract for free distribution
By David Cox dcox@davidcox.com.mx
“A graven image… is not profitable… is profitable for nothing? – Isaiah 44:9,10
Many times Catholics ask, “Why don’t Protestants worship Mary?” They tell us, “You have no respect for the mother of God.” Our answer is very simple, “we respect all women, especially godly Christian women, but we do not worship anybody that is not God himself”. We reserve this reverence and honor only for God.
This tract will investigate the matter of the relation and attitude of a true Christian towards Mary, the mother of Jesus’ humanity.
Worship is only for God
Exo 34:14 For thou shalt worship no other god: for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God:
God is very jealous, and because of this character of God, he demands that our worship be exclusively reserved for Him. If you worship anything or anyone else, it will inflame the fury of God (Deu 6:12-15). In Exo 22:20, God condemns with the death penalty all those who offer sacrifice to other gods outside of Jehovah.
Mat 4:9 And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me.
In the temptation of Christ, we see Satan just wanted Jesus to worship him a little. We also see in Rev 22:8-9 that the (good) angels of God refused to receive worship from men, “their co-servants.” In Acts 14:13-15, we equally see the apostles refused to allow other human beings to do sacrifice to them or to worship them.
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Categories: Catholicism Tags:
cat01 Is the Pope the Vicar of Christ?
Is the Pope the Vicar of Christ?
Is the authority of the popes biblical? NO!
[C01] v1 ©2005 www.coxtracts.com
This tract can be freely copied and reproduced but not sold.
In Mat 16:18 Jesus promised to build his Church. Today many churches pretend to be the only true church of Jesus Christ. This tract will examine the claims of the Roman Catholic Church concerning the authority and succession of the apostles in the popes.
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