Praying is a huge part of my day! I talk to God everyday randomly and not just at set times like morning, meals, and bedtime! Jesus has become my go to for help like He had never been before.
You see, certain religions do not concentrate on Jesus as much as God. In Hebrews He said, “No one can come to The Father except for through Me.” He wants us to recognize that He alone is our mediator and the Holy Spirit within us reports to Jesus on our behalf then Jesus goes to His Father God. That simple!
Right after I was baptized by washing my sins from my body, not a sprinkling of water while I was a baby, I became more aware of scripture every day. I read and took notes, but I also began paying even closer attention to the verses compared to my upbringing religion.
Catholicism believes you can pray to saints and they intercede for you but God’s word says otherwise. In Hebrews He says several times that Jesus is the One Mediator and you can only go through Him. The Old Testament laws are important to lead us to the New Covenant that many do not yet understand.
Many religions believe you can still go to a priest to confess your sins and they can absolve you of those sins. Sad as it is, priests are misleading in thinking they can absolve and giving a false impression to those who also think they can. Only God’s grace can save you.
I was told that the verses of Matthew 16:13-20 Peter was made the first Pope and he was the foundation for us. Well, that is not the truth to these verses and I’d like to explain if you will bear with me.
Jesus asked the disciples who they thought the people thought who He was. They replied with different names such as a prophet, Elijah, and such. He then asked them who they themselves thought He was and Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the Living God.”
Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by My Father in Heaven. And I tell you that you are Peter and on this rock I will build my church…” Let’s think about this a minute.
1 Corinthians 10:4 and several other verses in His Word tell us that Christ is the rock. Christ is faith. He told Peter that the knowledge (belief) that he knew he was Christ was the Son was because of faith that God revealed to Peter because he believed. He specifically says that He is going to build the church on that rock! They believe it is Peter as the rock. But no, it is faith and Jesus Christ the rock that He build His church on.
He did not say to Peter to have people come and worship you. He did not say Peter was the rock! He said He was building His church on Himself, faith that was revealed by God! He continued and gave Peter a job to do on His behalf, but never made him greater than Himself.
When we pray, we have to trust that Christ is our rock, the cornerstone and belief to faith in our hearts and minds! He above all else is our ONE and only Mediator and we, like Peter, have to believe to be able to have Him revealed to us.
No one can take that belief away from you. The devil is mean and challenges you right and left. He can cause havoc in your family and lives or he can can cause sickness and pain, but he can never take Jesus from you. Someone once told me, “The devil cannot stand to be in the presence of Christ, so keep Him close!” Pray!
