Peaceful Gardens

hisnewcreationjourney:

inhishands:

thewaythetruththelife:

lucythevaliant:

Let me clear something up.

We don’t worship her. We venerate her as the Mother of God. We pray for her intercession to Jesus because He will not refuse a request made of him by his Mother. We believe she was born and died without sin. But we do not…

To answer both questions, we know that she was sinless because of how the Archangel Gabriel addresses her in Luke (1:28) he calls her “highly favored”, and we (as Catholic’s and Christian’s) realize that this makes her full of grace. Grace is what we (as humans) receive from God and keep us sinless- when we do sin though, we are forgiven and our grace is replenished (and outwardly shown by sacraments). So we can deduce that if an angel tells Mary that she’s full of grace and highly favored, then we better get with the program and think the same thing.
The simple truth about it is, you can’t believe that Mary was a sinner. I mean, I guess you could, but that doesn’t make much logical sense. SHE WAS THE MOTHA OF THE LORD MOST HIGH. Think about this for a second, she had GOD in her womb for 9 months. I for one hope she was sinless because if she had the God of the universe in her womb and was capable of sinning/retaining sin there is something messed up here.
Also, make sure to note Luke 1:46 where Mary gives her canticle to the Lord. In 1:48 it says “behold; from now on all nations will call me blessed”. More than this, Mary also makes note of how God is her Savior and how He has shown her mercy.

As far as the question about intercession, if we only need the Holy Spirit to intercede then why ask a friend to pray for you? Why ask your pastor? Why ask your parish? Does it not also say in scripture that we should pray for and support one another as saints?
Furthermore we have know that saints (those souls who have gone on to heaven) have personal connection with God, and that they are in His holy presence. So why not ask our homies in heaven to put a good word in with the big guy? And if we’re going to ask them to pray for us, why not ask His very mother to give us a leg up? You love your momma, right? And Jesus loves his motha, so He’s bound to listen to her and what she thinks. So why not ask Mary to pray for us? I mean it’s not like it’s gonna hurt, right?

I see what you’re saying Will. I have to respectfully disagree. I mean, grace is a gift, unearned, undeserved and unmerited favor of God. We need it daily. What Mary had was a gift as well. She didn’t earn it, otherwise it would no longer be Grace (unearned, undeserved, unmerited favor of God). We don’t have this favor because of what anyone tells us (angelic or human), but by what Jesus gave us. When we receive the word of God (Mary received His word in Luke 1:38), we receive incorruptible seed and He lives and abides forever because of Jesus and nothing we can do can corrupt that seed. [If you’re in doubt or unbelief you don’t receive the seed, and if you’re going by the traditions of men you don’t receive the seed, or else it would be growing, living and abiding and producing fruit] (1 Peter 1:23 “having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever” John 1:1+14 “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.”)

We see the goodness of God being displayed all through out the New Testament, many people were healed and every one of them sinners. Sin never stops someone from receiving what God has for us, or else it would have stopped us from receiving Christ to be born again. Now, I see what you’re saying for Mary to have been pregnant with the Lord of the Universe and sin would be absolutely wrong and mind boggling. When you truly receive the gift of His Grace, you don’t desire to sin anymore, it doesn’t mean the devil doesn’t try to tempt you. The word does make it very clear though that all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. Everyone. (Romans 3:21-24 “But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.”) Mary believed the word she received, her faith was credited to her as righteousness much like Abraham and his descendants. (Romans 4:5-16)

As far as intercession, yes we only need the Holy Spirit to pray for others. If we are praying for people it’s because they misplaced their faith (they can’t be lacking in faith because we’ve all been dealt the same measure, and if faith is like a muscle some have become Rambo’s and others a Barney Fife) and they need help. If salvation is the greatest miracle, then we should have enough faith for raising the dead. However, some people have more faith in the enemy’s ability to get them sick or something to happen to them than in God’s ability to keep them. That’s why we pray for them, we extend a hand and speak life into them whether it’s encouragement, the prayer of faith for them to be made whole (and IF they sinned for sins to be forgiven as freely as we have been forgiven), and general communication with the Father and building our relationship with Him. Our ability to pray is a gift through Jesus Christ, our prayers are heard because of Him. The disciples knowing Jesus knew He was big on prayer, and of all the things to ask Him to teach them they specifically asked Him to teach them how to pray and He used parables to teach them to have faith in the Father’s goodness while they pray. (Luke 11:1-13 “One day Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.” He said to them, “When you pray, say: ” ‘Father, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come. Give us each day our daily bread. Forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who sins against us. And lead us not into temptation.’”Then he said to them, “Suppose one of you has a friend, and he goes to him at midnight and says, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves of bread, because a friend of mine on a journey has come to me, and I have nothing to set before him.’ “Then the one inside answers, ‘Don’t bother me. The door is already locked, and my children are with me in bed. I can’t get up and give you anything.’ I tell you, though he will not get up and give him the bread because he is his friend, yet because of the man’s boldness he will get up and give him as much as he needs. “So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened. “Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”) Jesus of course firstly directed their focus to the Father. If the focus isn’t on the Father (I say this very respectfully, though it may come across as sharp to some it’s not meant that way), we are at danger of worshiping idols. Our communication should not be with the “dead”, though they are alive in Christ in Heaven, but rather the Living Word who lives and abides in us by the Holy Spirit with open communication to the Father. We have favor because of Jesus, our prayers are answered because of Him, and the goodness and righteousness of the Father seeing our every sin imputed to Christ on the cross we’ve been judged for it so by faith in Christ we are righteous and our prayers answered. No need for a leg up we can’t get any higher than seated in Christ in Heavenly places. 

I see your heart bro, I know where you’re coming from, I just simply disagree. Be blessed bro, have a very Merry Christmas! *Huggles*

We don’t pray to Mary or in Marys’ name because she didnt’ die to make us blameless nor could she. HOWEVER, she was blessed and highly favored of God. Let me make two points.

1) No one would have ever known who Mary was if it had not been for the favor of God. God put His super on her natural which is what made her known. King David, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Ruth, Esther, Deborah…all the great ones of the Bible we read about were ordinary people that God chose to favor and put His super on their natural. Meaning God +any human being is a majority and can do great exploits because of the favor of an Almighty God. “IF God be for us who can be against us?”

2)The most profound of all messages in the Bible and the key to seeing the hand of Almighty God move in any given situation is what Mary said to the servants at the wedding feast when they ran out of wine. We know the story as Jesus’ first miracle performed.

What did Mary say?

Whatever He tells you to do just do it!

(Source: )

I love you Brady! You’ll be in my heart.