Question:
I’m a very catholic person. I live my life with faith in every thing that I do. I dream often of Jesus, I know this is GOD who is blessing me. Everytime I have a problem to solve or a question with no answer, I always dream of Jesus. I would like to have your opinion on why Jesus comes into my dreams?
Answer:
The first thing that you need to settle is the matter of salvation. I am enclosing an answer from a previous question to help you understand the religion with which you are involved.
PREVIOUS ANSWER TO QUESTION
Answer:
The official Cathoilc doctrine does not teach people to trust in the finished work of Jesus Christ on the cross, but in a whole system of works and sacraments. I am going to give you direct quotes out of their manual, “Vatican Council II,” and then the Scriptures that deal with what they say.
- The Mass.
“The Mass, the Lord’s Supper, is… a sacrifice in which the sacrifice of the cross is perpetuated” (page 108). The word perpetuate means “occuring continually.” So according to official Catholic doctrine, the Lord’s Supper (their Mass), is a continuation of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Every time that they observe the Lord’s Supper, they believe that Jesus body and blood is being sacrificed again.
Is that what the Bible teaches? That there needs to be a continuation of Jesus’ sacrifice? The Bible teaches the exact opposite. “Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in ONCE into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us.” (Hebrews 9:12)
He does not enter continually — but once. “For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us: NOR YET THAT HE SHOULD OFFER HIMSELF OFTEN, as the high priest entereth into the holy place every year with blood of others; For THEN MUST HE OFTEN HAVE SUFFERED since the foundation of the world: but now ONCE in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin BY THE SACRIFICE OF HIMSELF.” (Heb. 9:24-26)
It is very clear that HE DOES NOT offer Himself often. If He did, then IT WOULD BE A CONTINUAL SUFFERING for Him. It is very clear that ONE TIME He sacrificed Himself for our sins. “So Christ was ONCE OFFERED to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.” (Hebrews 9:28)
We do not need a continual sacrifice to be made for us, because Jesus did it one time for ever. “By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ ONCE FOR ALL.” (Hebrews 10:10) “For by ONE OFFERING he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified.” (Hebrews 10:14) “Now where remission of these is, there is NO MORE OFFERING FOR SIN.” (Hebrews 10:18)
What does the Catholic doctrine teach? That Jesus’ one sacrifice on the cross was NOT ENOUGH. And that Jesus must continually SUFFER for our sins. According to the Bible, this Catholic doctrine puts Christ to an open shame. “Seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame.” (Hebrews 6:6)
- Baptism.
Listen to these quotes from Catechism of the Catholic Church, which was published in 1994 in English.
“1263 — By Baptism all sins are forgiven, original sin and all personal sins, as well as punishment for sin.”
“1257 — The Lord himself affirms that Baptism is necessary for salvation… The Church does not know of any means other than Baptism that assures entry into eternal beatitude… God has bound salvation to the sacrament of Baptism.”
So the official doctrine of the Catholic Church states that a person cannot be saved without being baptized. That is not what the Bible teaches. Romans 10:9,10 says, “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” Those verses tell you how to be saved, and baptism is not mentioned.
I Corinthians 15:1-4 gives the gospel. “Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures.” The gospel is the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ. A person must repent and believe that gospel to be saved. In that same Book of the Bible, It says this, (1:17) “For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel.” He is not contradicting other Scripture, but is simply saying that he came first and foremost to get the gospel to people so they could be saved. The baptism comes after that.
The Bible forbids a person to be baptized until he is saved. Acts 8:35-38 says, “Then Philip opened his mouth, and began at the same scripture, and preached unto him Jesus. And as they went on their way, they came unto a certain water: and the eunuch said, See, here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized? And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. And he commanded the chariot to stand still: and they went down both into the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him.”
Baptism does not save, but is only a picture of what has happened in a person’s heart when he or she did get saved. Romans 6:3-5 says, “Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection.”
The Catholic Church does not preach the Jesus of the Bible. Their Jesus is one who is continually sacrificed over and over again. The Catholic Church does not teach that salvation is through faith in Jesus Christ alone. Their salvation is a works salvation (which is not salvation at all). Their religion is Jesus plus many other things.
Many more of their errors could be mentioned, by these should show you how they do not really follow the Bible, but their own false traditions.
So no, none of the groups that you mentioned teach the true and only way of salvation. John 14:26 says, “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” Acts 4:12 says, “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.”
Have you come to trust Jesus Christ as your Savior, and Him alone?
END ANSWER TO PREVIOUS QUESTION
You said, “Everytime I have a problem to solve or a question with no answer, I always dream of Jesus. I would like to have your opinion on why Jesus comes into my dreams?”
I would say that Jesus wants to be your Savior. Not just “one of your hopes” to heaven — but “your one and only Savior.” Acts 4:12 says, “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.” He wants you to be saved. I Timothy 2:3-6 says, “For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.”
If you are truly saved, then Jesus is going to lead you out of the Catholic Church. If you read His Word, the Bible, then you are not going to be happy very long in the Catholic Church. There are too many direct contradctions to the Bible there. The whole matter depends upon you reading the Bible, not just listenig to what man (a priest) tells you.
Jesus is not going to come into your dreams to guide you, when He has already told us in His Word that He will guide us through the Bible. Romans 12:1,2 says, “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, THAT YE MAY PROVE WHAT IS THAT GOOD, AND ACCEPTABLE, AND PERFECT, WILL OF GOD.” God told us to “prove” His will for our lives through reading the Bible — not through dreams.
Before God’s Word was completely finished, He spoke to men by various means, but notice what Peter said about all of those means in comparison with the Bible. II Peter 1:16-20 says, “For we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of his majesty. For he received from God the Father honour and glory, when there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. And this voice which came from heaven we heard, when we were with him in the holy mount. WE HAVE ALSO A MORE SURE WORD OF PROPHECY; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts: Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation.”
Peter had experienced hearing voices from heaven, see visions, etc., but he said that we have SOMETHING MORE SURE than all of that — the Scriptures. Why are they more sure? Because they are not subject to just “private interpretation.” If you have a dream, how can anyone check out what you say happened? They cannot. Only you had the dream. They cannot be sure of what you say that Jesus said. But when it comes to the Bible, other people can check it out. Noble Christians check out what they hear. Acts 17:11 says, “These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.”
Have you done that? Have you searched the Scriptures to find the answer to your problems? Is your salvation based upon a man (a priest) forgiving your sins? Or have you searched the Scriptures and found that only God can forgive sins? (Luke 5:21 “Who can forgive sins, but God alone?”) Do you confess your sins to a man (a priest), or have you searched the Scriptures and found that we are to confess our sins to God? (I John 1:9 “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.) Do you pray to Mary and other “saints,” or have you searched the Scriptures and found that there is only one mediator between us and God — Jesus. (I Timothy 2:5, “For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.”). Do you call the priest “Father,” or have you searched the Scriptures and found that we are forbidden to call men that? (Matthew 23:9, “And call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven.”).
Do you see why God uses His Word to lead and guide men? It is SURE. It can be CHECKED OUT by all concerned. It is not some private interpretation. A church that does not lead its people to search the Scriptures, but to just believe what it or man says, is a church that is leading people the wrong way. I challenge you to search the Scriptures, and find out the truth.
The Bible warns us that Satan can appear to people as an angel of light, and lead people astray. II Corinthians 11:13-15 says, “For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.”
Remember Acts 17:11, “These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and SEARCHED THE SCRIPTURES DAILY, WHETHER THOSE THINGS WERE SO.”