Is it ok to have a statue in your house?

[Thekla]

That still does not tell us that we should pray to the dead. Even if the dead are alive in Christ, nowhere is anyone told to pray to them nor is any example of any living person praying to a physically dead person shown in the Bible. Paul did not do it nor did anyone in the NT that we are told about.

Where does the Bible teach that the body of Christ is divided by death ?

 

[christianmomof3]

Where does the Bible teach that the body of Christ is divided by death ?

Where in the Bible does it show living people praying to dead ones?

 

[Thekla]

Where in the Bible does it show living people praying to dead ones?

As I pointed out, life does not have its origin in matter. If biological death = spiritual death, then it is not God who gives spiritual life, but instead matter.

You seem to equate biological death with separation of the body of Christ. The Bible does not teach this, nor does my Church. My Church teaches that the body of the Creator of Life is not divided, and is bound by the Holy Spirit. In the Holy Scriptures are the exhortations that we pray for one another, and teach and demonstrate that we ask others in the body of Christ for their prayers.

Why do you call those in Christ whose bodies are dust "dead" ? My body is also dust.

 

[Dorothea]

Has the promise of the Resurrection been fulfilled already?
I take that as the resurrection has already happened?
Could be mistaken tho!

After the promise of the Resurrection is fulfilled, in Revelation, those with God present the prayers of the saints (5:8).

[/quote]
Did Christ Resurrect after dying on the Cross? The Christian answer is yes, so yes, therefore, he has risen (resurrected).

 

[Dorothea]

It is true that death cannot separate us from the love of God.
Even in death we will be with God. He, however, is living and not dead.
Death does, however, separate the living people from the dead people.

Are people's souls who are faithful to God dead? The only souls that are "dead" are those of the unbelievers (rejecters of Christ the Savior), which even they who die (bodies) before His Second Coming are waiting in hades until the final judgment.

So, one needs to separate talking about the body of a person which is in the tomb at their physical death from Earth, and the soul that rises to be with God and is present there until His Second Coming, at which time, those who died physically before His Second Coming, will reunite first with their original bodies, which will be glorified and regenerated and will be in His Kingdom which has no end.

 

[Fireinfolding]

That is a very interesting example. Incense does indeed represent our prayers in the Bible and that example in Ezekiel shows how the Lord regards prayer to anyone or anything other than to Himself. He sees it as harlotry and abomination and if you read all of Ez ch. 16, the consequences of it are dire.

Yeah theres alot of types that are just so beautiful to study that were taken carnally at the first but really have a beautiful spiritual significance to them, I love looking into these myself, and they are threaded from OT into the NT bringing more clarity to us as we look at them. Its that I desire to understand myself.

You can see it in these (pretty kool actually)

Ezek 6:11 That they may offer sacrifices of sweet savours unto the God of heaven, and pray for the life of the king, and of his sons.

Mal 1:11 For from the rising of the sun even unto the going down of the same my name shall be great among the Gentiles; and in every place incense shall be offered unto my name, and a pure offering: for my name shall be great among the heathen, saith the LORD of hosts.

1Peter 2:5 Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.


2Cr 2:14 Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savour of his knowledge by us in every place.

2Cr 2:15 For we are unto God a sweet savour of Christ, in them that are saved, and in them that perish:

Lev 2:13 And every oblation of thy meat offering shalt thou season with salt; neither shalt thou suffer the salt of the covenant of thy God to be lacking from thy meat offering: with all thine offerings thou shalt offer salt.

Mark 9:49 For every one shall be salted with fire, and every sacrifice shall be salted with salt.

Romans 12:1...present your bodies a living sacrifice

Luke 13:34 Salt is good: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be seasoned?

So being salted...

Mat 5:13 Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.

The savour of his knowledge "by us"

2Cr 2:14 Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savour of his knowledge by us in every place.

Again...

Mal 1:11 ... in every place incense shall be offered unto my name, and a pure offering: for my name shall be great among the heathen, saith the LORD of hosts.


Savour

1) a sweet smell, fragrance 2) a fragrant or sweet smelling thing, incense, on odour or something sweet smelling a) an odour of acquiescence, satisfaction b) a sweet odour, spoken of the smell of sacrifices and obligations, agreeably to the ancient notion that God smells and is pleased with the odour of sacrifices 3) metaph. a thing well pleasing to God

Even shows in service to others

Phil 4:18 But I have all, and abound: I am full, having received of Epaphroditus the things which were sent from you, an odour of a sweet smell, a sacrifice acceptable, wellpleasing to God.

If you search out the types speaks of spiritual things, spiritual offerings, the annointing of the holy Spirit etc

Exod 37:29 And he made the holy anointing oil, and the pure incense of sweet spices, according to the work of the apothecary.

Job 16:17 Not for any injustice in mine hands: also my prayer is pure.

They can sometimes be seen much better when ordered up better, but you can see the comparisons, when made "concrete" one sorta misses the spiritual beauty of them. Paul too speaks of the gentiles being sanctified by the holy Spirit and that "offering up" of them be acceptable to God, because elesewhere it speaks of offering the lame and the blind etc and he asks "would your govenor accept sacrifices like these" sorta thing. Its about making us whole and bringing us back to the Father.

I could spend all day looking into these things, they are really awesome, give you a respect for the word of God even moreso and a carefulness in respects to it. Things are not always as they first appear sometimes, thats why I sorta developed this habit of hyper highlighting because it helps me cleave to how he might have worded it, that I might not catch at first glance but might catch better by sitting with it more carefully I suppose.

 

[Unashamed Jesus Freak]

I love reading the scriptures.

 

[Unashamed Jesus Freak]

I removed the video I posted in my prior post. I didn't want to get into trouble for posting it. It was Cash Cow by Steve Taylor.

 

[Colin]

Is it ok to have a statue of St. Francis in your house?
Is it ok to have a replica of the Venus de Milo in your house?
Is it ok to have a statue figurine of Spider-man?
Is it ok to have a statue of George Washington?
Is it ok to have a statue of the Virgin Mary?
Is it ok to have a replica of La Pietá?

Of course it's ok as long as you don't turn it into an idol .

 

[MrPolo]

When angels are depicted in the Bible, they are described as men, and they have eyes. And ears.

Not always, for instance:

Ps 91:11 For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways.​

My guardian angel is not always a person or manifested such that he/she/it can see or hear me. As far as I know, my guardian angel has never physically manifested to me. I see no reason why a heavenly being must have bodily organs to perceive---again, that would be to appoint the requirements of biology and physics to the heavenly realm.

 

[Lulav]

byti

 

[Lulav]

byti

 

[Thekla]

Then why did Paul say this if all believers dead are awake and can hear us?

He died for us so that, whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with him.​

Yes, the body of Christ is not divided; the spiritual hearing is by the Holy Spirit.

​

Lazarus was asleep, Jesus had to wake him up:

After he had said this, he went on to tell them, "Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep; but I am going there to wake him up."
​

The word used for death actually referred to the position of the body, not the condition of the "heart" or "spirit/soul".
​

Since it was Jesus that brought him back to the land of the living, Lazarus didn't mind being disturbed, but the rest don't like to be bothered and here's proof.

And he said to her: What form is he of? And she said: An old man cometh up, and he is covered with a mantle. And Saul understood that it was Samuel, and he bowed himself with his face to the ground, and adored.

15 And Samuel said to Saul: Why hast thou disturbed my rest, that I should be brought up?

​

Let the dead, Rest in Peace.

The witch conjured a "Samuel"; this is not the same as the action of the Holy Spirit in binding the body of Christ. The Holy Scriptures attest that those whose bodies are biologically dead offer to God the prayers of those on earth (Revelation).

 

[1611AV]

You are going to be so bold as to tell me what I've seen? I don't think so. I've seen many praying to her and kissing the statue (idol), I've witnessed offerings laid at her feet. And I'm pretty sure I've seen the Pope kiss one of the statues as well.

Even if I believed in asking dead people to pray for me I could easily do so without any graven image to remind me who I want to ask. But there is no one that has passed on to hear me, except the Messiah, and I don't even pray to him, I pray to the Father, as he directed, and I don't need anything put before me to know who I am speaking with.

Can I ask you a serious question then based on your post above? Are blind people sent to hell?

....

 

[1611AV]

You have not seen anyone on EWTN praying TO a statue. The statue facilitates our mindset to focus on God or another saint who we would like to ask to pray for us (Just as Paul did in Rm 15:30 for example).

And again, Paul was speaking to "LIVE" brethren. And notice the he tells them to direct there prayers towards GOD.

Romans 15:30 Now I beseech you, brethren, for the Lord Jesus Christ's sake, and for the love of the Spirit, that ye strive together with me in your prayers to God for me;

It's like asking the "live" people "brethren" in your church to pray to God with you and for you.

Lord Bless,

 

[Bosco_Guy]

What time is it in heaven right now?

 

[Dorothea]

Then why did Paul say this if all believers dead are awake and can hear us?

He died for us so that, whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with him.​

Is that the verse from the Scriptures? Could you give me the exact one. I want to make sure of what is the exact wording. Thanks. Also, asleep is another word for being physically dead (the body), never the soul of a person if one is a believer in Christ.​

​

Lazarus was asleep, Jesus had to wake him up:

After he had said this, he went on to tell them, "Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep; but I am going there to wake him up."​

Christ had not died on the Cross and resurrected yet. All those were in the tombs before he died on the cross and descended into hades to release the righteous from their tombs.
​

Since it was Jesus that brought him back to the land of the living, Lazarus didn't mind being disturbed, but the rest don't like to be bothered and here's proof.

And he said to her: What form is he of? And she said: An old man cometh up, and he is covered with a mantle. And Saul understood that it was Samuel, and he bowed himself with his face to the ground, and adored.

15 And Samuel said to Saul: Why hast thou disturbed my rest, that I should be brought up?

​

Let the dead, Rest in Peace.

Please give me the chapter and verse so that I may look this up in my OSB. Thank you.

 

[Bosco_Guy]

I love how simple some people choose to make God. Because we all know that He and his heavenly realms are dictated by the hours of the earth? God's kingdom in its fullness has no time it transcends time and space, and therefore do we not partake in fullness of God's kingdom, that kingdom that transcends time and space? This would mean that dead body or not we all are part of a Church and Kingdom that is not constrained by time or the mortal flesh. The point is we can ask ALL people in the kingdom of heaven to pray for us dead flesh or not, because we are all part of a body of Christ that is not constrained by such mortal things.

Praise God for His infinite Kingdom!

 

[Rick Otto]

What time is it in heaven right now?

It is always right now in eternity, no matter what timespace you move to.

 

[Rick Otto]

Yes, the body of Christ is not divided; the spiritual hearing is by the Holy Spirit.


The word used for death actually referred to the position of the body, not the condition of the "heart" or "spirit/soul".


The witch conjured a "Samuel"; this is not the same as the action of the Holy Spirit in binding the body of Christ. The Holy Scriptures attest that those whose bodies are biologically dead offer to God the prayers of those on earth (Revelation).

I don't think so. The witch freaked out when Samuel showed up.