Click here to see my other "GABE" article and "ONENESS".
Click here to see my other "GABE" article and "ONENESS".
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You are on a "CATHOLIC" Centric website. Yes, I have a relationship with Jesus Christ and know Christ as my Savior: The anti-Catholic rants of Gabe the street preacher will not change my relationship with Jesus Christ: I know Jesus, I worship Jesus, I love Jesus. Are you following Gabe or Christ? Do you have a relationship with Jesus Christ?
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Although the text on the screen says, "Christian vs. Catholic," the title of the video is "Catholic Priest says, "We don't worship STATUES and IDOLS" Oh really!?" The video over 11 minutes. I have pulled some of what he is saying below the video and added some of my thoughts on it noted by ME: below what I wrote from Gabe in the video.
Click here to see my other "GABE" article and "ONENESS".
Note: I tried to use as much of Gabe's word verbatim as possible and not twist his comments to fit my view.
I do like that Gabe is passionate about Jesus. I do believe that Christians should live their faith. I don't believe that Gabe's way of sharing the Gospel is what Christ had in mind when He said in Mark 16:15 "And he said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to the whole creation."
As Gabe stands proudly with his sign ( Jesus Saves from Hell - FYI, I know that. ), Gabe's jacket loaded with words and holds his Bible, I don't think he worships those items anymore than I think a faithful, knowledgeable Catholic worships Mary. To venerate is to show respect for and I have always had great respect since childhood for the Mother of my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Remember, I come from a 40+ year protestant background. Catholicism has simply helped me add a deeper level of respect for Mary, but I don't worship Mary nor do I know any Catholic who does.
Let's look at some areas Gabe likes to repeat himself with....
Pagan: A pagan is a follower of a polytheistic or pantheistic nature-worshipping religion. Its adherents venerate Nature and worship many deities, both goddesses and gods.
Let's see. I'm a Catholic. I know other Catholics. We follow Jesus Christ. Just to be clear, I'm talking about this Jesus: 1) Jesus who was born of the Virgin Mary. 2) Jesus who is both fully divine and fully human. 3) Jesus who is the Son of God. 4) Jesus who was crucified on the cross at Mount Calvary. 5) Jesus who shed his blood for the sins of the world. 6) Jesus who rose on the third day. 7) Jesus who is seated at the right hand of God the Father. NOTE: A Christian is a follower of Christ.
Sorry, GABE, that's not a PAGAN!
Worship ( vs. Venerate ): Catholic teaching is clear that worship belongs to God alone. The veneration of Mary and the Saints is showing RESPECT FOR. That's what veneration means. Worship and veneration are two different things. And YES, if anyone worships Mary as God, they are wrong. The problem is many non-Catholics think the respect shown for Mary is worship. I respect and love my earthly Mother. Jesus respected and loved His earthly Mother Mary. Do I want to be Christ like? YES! Do I worship Mary? NO!
Idolatry: The worship of Idols.
Yes, Catholic churches have statues in them and this article would be way too long to get into explaining it all. However, the shorter version is that the statues are not there for worship. They are there to remind us of those who have gone before us and how they lived for God. They are there to be teaching aids for Children. They are there for valid reasons and not to worship to. See So Catholics Worship Statues? for more.
Here's a real world example:
In the Cathedral that I attend. There is a statue of Saint Paul of the Cross. He is the founder of the passionists. Seeing the statue of him makes me think of our former Pastor ( Priest ) who is a passionists and had great respect for Saint Paul of the Cross. Fr. Justin is an awesome man of God who loves Jesus Christ. I loved his homilies and his pointing to the cross. I don't think Fr. Justin worshipped Saint Paul of the Cross. I do have no doubt that Fr. Justin respected Saint Paul of the Cross and that he was inspired by the life he lived. Is there a problem with being inspired from others who have lived before us?
So here we go with excerpts of what Gabe is saying and some words from ME. Who am I? I am a Catholic Christian, an imperfect person loved by a perfect, loving God.
GABE THE STREET PREACHER: Bible says when you ask Mary for a blessing that you are in idolatry. There is only one mediator between God and man. That's the man Christ Jesus.
ME: Don't know where that Bible verse is at about being in idolatry when asking Mary for a blessing. FYI, I'm being funny because I know Gabe is simple referring to his own interpretation of scripture as it relates to what he personally believes about Catholics. As for the second part, YES, Gabe, I know 1 Timothy 2:5 "For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus," But not only do I know that but so do many other Catholics. We also know that is the Bible truth and that Mary, the Pope and our Priest are not mediators. However, my fellow Christian friends and family are "INTERCESSORS" which is different than a mediator. Ephesians 6:18 "Pray at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints," We are to pray for one another. Intercessory prayer does not make one a mediator to God. If it does, we should NEVER ask anyone to pray for us.
Oh, here's how something can be pulled out to make it sound like one wants. "I was on this Catholic guys website and he said, "we should NEVER ask anyone to pray for us." Do you see what I just did? It happens all the time with both scripture and the catechism of the Catholic Church.
GABE THE STREET PREACHER: You need to repent, turn from your wicked ways and be baptized in Jesus Christ name and be filled with the Holy Ghost. That's the only way to salvation.
ME: Yes, he actually says, "That's the only way to salvation." Repentance is a given. But with Gabe's ONENESS belief, he dismisses what Jesus Christ said in Matthew 28:19 "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit," and goes with a misinterpretation of what Peter said in Acts 2:38." Also, there is more to the Christian life than repenting and being baptized. One cannot just repent one time, get baptized and kick back on cruise control.
GABE THE STREET PREACHER: You don't pray the rosary. You don't make the sign of the cross on your chest. That's idolatry. That's pagan rituals. That will send you to hell.
ME: So praying the rosary and making the sign of the cross will send me to hell. I guess I'm doomed then. Oh, but I actually understand the rosary and the sign of the cross. I know neither are idolatry or pagan rituals. It doesn't take very much NON-ANTI-Catholic research to see the Catholic side of this instead of Gabe's fallible interpretation his added judgement when says "will send you to hell."
Let's see, Matthew 7:1-3 "“Judge not, that you be not judged. 2 For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and the measure you give will be the measure you get. 3 Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?" FYI, Gabe's not God. He cannot pass judgment to condemn one to hell.
GABE THE STREET PREACHER: You got to repent and cry out to God for salvation. God is a jealous God. You don't go between another man on this earth to get to God. There is only one man who died and rose again. That's Jesus Christ. He sits on the right hand of God.
ME: Yes, everyone on this earth needs to repent. No one is free of sin. Yes, God is a jealous god. Correct, you don't go to another man to get to God. Yes, Jesus Christ died, rose again and sits at the right hand of God. You see. This is areas of agreement and how a conversation can begin. But standing outside a Catholic Church before service is not the way to do it.
GABE THE STREET PREACHER: Worship him in spirit and truth. There is one body and one Spirit. ( Ephesians 4:4 )
ME: Amen! Again, an area of agreement. I like Gabe's zeal. I just don't like his approach to Catholics. I also don't agree with much of his private interpretation of scripture.
GABE THE STREET PREACHER:Your Catholic Priest is not going to tell you how to get saved. It's turning to Jesus Christ, repenting of your sins and sinning no more. Are you on this list as he points to his sign asking are you a fornicator? are you an adulterer? are you a porn watcher? do you lust after things of this world?
ME: Turning to Jesus Christ and Repenting. Hmmm.... that's a huge part of Catholic belief. Yes, fornication, adultery, porn and lust are sins. What's the point? If anyone does those things they need to repent. But you don't stand outside a Catholic Church before service and share a list of sins. There are better ways to share the Gospel. Try being Christ like in your approach. Show some true, sincere Christian love.
GABE THE STREET PREACHER:A scripture quoting, Bible toting what I what guess he might refer to him as a Bible believing Christian quoting Luke 13:3 "I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish."
ME: I have repented. I will continue repenting until my last breath because I'm a sinner living in a sinful world. However, thanks to God's free gift of salvation, I hope to endure to the end like scripture says in Matthew 24:13 "But he who endures to the end will be saved." No, I don't believe someone is once saved always saved, but I'm not sure where Gabe stands on that either.
GABE THE STREET PREACHER: If you are on this list as he points to his sign, he says, "you are not going to make it to heaven ma'am." "Sir, if you are on this list, you are not going to make it to heaven." Then, pops us Psalm 22:7-8 "All who see me mock me; they hurl insults, shaking their heads. “He trusts in the Lord,” they say, “let the Lord rescue him. Let him deliver him, since he delights in him.”
ME: As it seems often with good ol Gabe, he's the judge. Well, I don't think so. God is the judge. I'm not concerned with Gabe's list of sins. I do trust in the Lord and I seek his forgiveness of my sins. God knows my heart. I know adultery is a sin. I don't need a list from Gabe or his judgment of my soul. The reality is that anyone from our human eyes can appear deep in sin, but we don't know what they do with their dying breath with a sincere, contrite heart. God knows and I'm thankful for that. Sometimes we can be so focused on others that we forget to examine our own life for the sin we have in it. That is clear in scripture.
GABE THE STREET PREACHER: You don't want to hear it. You just want your priest to give you his 30 minutes of time. His little benediction prayer and go straight to hell. You need to repent young lady.
ME: Obviously Gabe doesn't understand a Catholic Mass. He uses harsh words "and go straight to hell." This guy is just mind boggling at times.
GABE THE STREET PREACHER: God compelled me to come out here because many of you are in idolatry. You go to different mediators. There is only one way to God. That's through His Son Christ.
ME: He continues to repeat himself. As for God compelling him, I'm not so sure God wants him using this approach. As a matter of fact, much of what Gabe is doing is contrary to scripture. The Apostle Paul says in 1 Corinthians 13:13 "So faith, hope, love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love." The GREATEST of these is love. Jesus says in Mark 12:30-31 "and you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ The second is this, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” Although Gabe may say he's doing this out of love for his neighbor, it's not very loving and more of a vinegar approach to the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
GABE THE STREET PREACHER: You can live however you want. I'm here to preach the Bible.
ME: Gabe is out preaching his personal, fallible interpretation of the Bible because there is more to understanding the Bible than pulling scripture out of context like Acts 2:38 that is followed by those in the ONENESS movement that started around 1914 which is what it sounds like Gabe may believe in based on saying titles vs. name. I'm not completely sure.
GABE THE STREET PREACHER: Parishioner says, "I have a right to believe what I want to believe." Gabe responds, "You are going to go to hell because of it." Then, Gabe contradicts himself and says I can't condemn you ( he just did ), but he says I can judge your actions. You worship the Pope. You worship the Priest. You bow before Mary. You say the Rosary. You make the sign of the cross. These are all pagan rituals.
ME: "You are going to go to hell because of it." Really? If you've read to this point, I've covered much of this already, but I'm still repeating what Gabe said because it's crazy that a professing Christian outright says, "You are going to go to hell because of it." Let's take one thing "You make the sign of the cross." So Gabe, if I do that I'm going to hell? Hmmm, interesting.
GABE THE STREET PREACHER: This gets just over 5 minutes into the 11 minute video.
GABE THE STREET PREACHER: Then he starts into Acts 2:38 and being baptized in the name of Jesus Christ and not being baptized in a title: Father, Son, Holy Spirit. You need to be immersed in Jesus name.
ME: I have addressed this and as Gabe often does, he repeats himself over and over.
GABE THE STREET PREACHER: Just before the 7 minute mark, the video plays the Hail Mary. So let's break that down.
Full Question:
Is saying the Hail Mary wrong? It's not in the Bible.
Answer:
But it is in the Bible. When the angel Gabriel was sent to Mary by the Father, he greeted her, "Hail, full of grace; the Lord is with you" (Luke 1:28). When Mary visited Elizabeth, Elizabeth exclaimed, "Of all women you are the most blessed, and blessed is the fruit of your womb" (Luke 1:41-42). So here we have the first part of the Hail Mary. St. Bernardine added the name of Jesus, clarifying who the fruit of her womb is.
The second part is in response to the first, asking Mary to pray for us and addressing her as the mother of God. Of course, Elizabeth addressed her in much the same way: “Why should I be honored with a visit from the mother of my Lord?" (Luke 1:43). Since Gabriel's words were at the request of God, those words were actually God's words. So we are honored to repeat them.
Source: https://www.catholic.com/qa/the-hail-mary-is-in-the-bible
Continuing on with Gabe...
GABE THE STREET PREACHER: The Bible says you ought to pray like this as he starts into the Our Father. ( FYI Gabe, that's prayed at every Catholic Mass. ) But you hallow ( greatly respected ) Mary's name. You venerate ( show respect ) Mary. You are in idolatry. God's going to judge you.
ME: I addressed some of what Gabe is saying in ( ) above, but I'll address "God's going to judge you." Well, Gabe, I personally think you'll have to answer to God for standing on a sidewalk at a Catholic Church passing judgment. I know God's going to judge me and I'm holding myself accountable for that judgment. I know my relationship with God. Gabe, do less judging and actually sharing of the Gospel. Actually, you might want to consider becoming Catholic.
GABE THE STREET PREACHER: A priest is not going to save you. The Roman Catholic religion is not going to save you. Putting the sign of the cross is not going to save you. Making the ashes on your forehead is not going to save you. Crying out to God for Salvation is how you receive the free gift. You need to repent.
ME: What's your point Gabe? Do you think I believe making the sign of the cross saves me? Repentance is one of the 7 sacraments and faithful Catholics have repented and do repent.
GABE THE STREET PREACHER: There's a den of demons inside of here.
ME: A den of demons. Interesting. I wonder is Matthew 12:36 applies in this case "I tell you, on the day of judgment men will render account for every careless word they utter;" I wouldn't want to call the house of the Lord a den of demons. I know what it's like to worship in a Protestant Church and a Catholic Church. I have felt the presence of the Lord in both. So NO Gabe, it's not a den of demons inside of there.
GABE THE STREET PREACHER: Jesus would have come here and thrown down your little images and your little statues of Mary and told you all to repent. You don't want to hear the truth.
ME: So you can now speak for almighty God. Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and you know what He would have done. Interesting.
GABE THE STREET PREACHER: Says to the Priest, "I hope you have no little boyfriends." I hope you are not on the list as he points to his sign and says cause you going to go straight to hell. You are telling your people to worship Mary. Pops up words "Wolf in Sheep's Clothing." Has some conversation with Priest and says, "It's the den of devils."
ME: Disrespectful, Disrespectful and Disrespectful. When will Gabe ever stop his non-sense when it comes to his approach to Catholics?
GABE THE STREET PREACHER: You are going to go into the deepest parts of hell. That's why he sent a Preacher out here to tell them the truth.
ME: So God sent Gabe to pass judgment?
GABE THE STREET PREACHER: God told us to be here. This is not a Church. This is ritual. This is tradition. This is dead religion. You need to be a born again Christian filled with the Holy Ghost.
ME: Born Again Christian? Is that what happens when someone says the sinners prayer? Is that what happens when someone is baptized in the name of Jesus Christ like Gabe believes is proper baptism? Catholics are born again the Bible way. John 3:3 "Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God" and John 3:5 "Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God." - Let's see... if one believes in Jesus, is baptized, repents of sins, lives for Jesus and endures faithfully to the end ... is that born again? The problem with "born again terminology" is the Protestant definition of that and the Catholic understanding of that. FYI, Protestant theology can get twisted. I've been there. However, I do believe that each person is held accountable to God for the knowledge and understanding he or she has. It's not my place to condemn someone to hell.
Closes video with words on screen:
"It's not easy preaching to Catholics. They are so embedded in their ways. Sad. May God open their hearts to the truth before it's forever too late!"
ME: DUH! I Guess it is hard to "PREACH TO" Catholics. How about "LISTEN TO" Catholics and find common ground. Who wants to be "PREACHED TO." I 100% beyond a doubt know that there are some basics of Catholic beliefs that GABE THE STREET PREACHER would agree with. But Gabe's approach is WRONG. Standing out on the sidewalk before a Catholic service and condemning people to hell is not the way to get people to listen. What it does do is foster anti-Catholicism by many who watch Gabe's videos.
Matthew 7:5 "You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye."
John 8:7 "And as they continued to ask him, he ( Jesus ) stood up and said to them, “Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her.”
Matthew 5:44 "But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,"
Click here to see my other "GABE" article and "ONENESS".
In closing....
Praying for those who persecute Catholics is what all Catholics need to do. I have prayed for Gabe. I plan to continue praying for those who are to blind to see the truth of Catholicism as the fullness of the Christian faith. I love Jesus Christ. Gabe and other anti-Catholics are not going to sway me from my love of Christ not my belief that the Catholic Church is the fullness of the Christian faith.
