Beware Of Litany Of Praises
Part II

Do not call anyone on earth your father;
for One is your Father, He who is in heaven.
Matthew 23:9-10

By
The Man Who Saw God Face To Face
Raphael Okechukwu Nweze

Unacceptable Devotion
         For so Many Years, the Catholics have prayed to Virgin Mary and recited the litany in her praises. Usually, they defend their Marian devotion by saying that they are not worshipping Mary but honoring her. The fact is that all they do about Mary is actually worshipping her. A practice that is not only foolishness, but also madness, and contrary to the realities in spirit and heaven.
         That is why I say that the person, who does not know the way, believes whatever he is told. But the person, who knows the Truth, is able to differentiate what is true from what is false. And what many call faith is nothing but stubbornness – the persistent refusal to do what God has said.

Another Bad Development
         While the error of Marian devotion by the Catholic Church has not been corrected and cleared from the minds of the followers, a new development is rapidly spreading. This time, in honour of men, who are called Spiritual Fathers. It has developed to such an extent that books are being written on it. If this error is not corrected on time, it shall soon spread and become a common tradition.
         Every true seeker of the truth, who wants to worship God in spirit and in truth, should note the following points of correction about Spiritual Father:
  1. Jesus said that you should not call any person father on earth, because you have one Father only who is in heaven - the God Almighty.

  2. The relationship between God and His children is like the sun and its rays of light. God is like the sun, and His children are like the rays of the sun.

  3. The relationship between you and God is a direct relation. Intermediate gods or fathers are not necessary, and does not exit in spirit or in heaven. Even Jesus is not a separate god, but Almighty Himself. God said you shall not have any other god before Him, and will not turn round to allow other gods.

  4. A true saint is a person who renders (performs) all his duties as service offering to God, without expecting rewards, thanks, praises, force or persuasion.

  5. In spirit and in the heavens, all are brothers in the presence of God. This fact includes your parents, children, grand parents, friends, well-wishers and loved ones, irrespective of colour, language, religion or education.

  6. Anointing is not transferred from the person, because once a person leaves the stage, he hands over to the next in command. Everybody has his own anointing and task to perform. Every anointing comes from the Holy Spirit. Junior ministers should assist the senior ministers, so that their own anointing shall manifest.

  7. Those who carry another person’s anointing or continuing another’s work are only busy doing another’s work, without doing their own duties.

  8. All gifts and offerings given to reverend ministers belong to God. His ministers receive and use the gifts and offerings on behalf of God. That is why it is not good to refuse gifts and offerings, because they belong to God.

  9. The concept of spiritual father or Blessed Virgin Mary are irrelevant, because they shift people’s heart and attention from God.

Bad Teachings And Practices In The Name Spiritual Father
         The following teachings and practices are bad, unnecessary and evil:
  1. Singing praises from time to time in honour of a person considered a spiritual father people who do food to others should be appreciated, but not to the extent of always announcing people’s achievement.

  2. Always acknowledging your spiritual father each time you stand to speak in the church or in the public. Many a times, Jesus told people not to announce His works.

  3. Expecting gifts of houses, money, cars, tickets, credits, etc from those you trained. A true saint depends solely on God, and he knows that God can bless him through anybody or means that pleases God.

  4. Expecting that those you help will come come back to honor you and provide for you. Once you finish training a person, that marks the end of the work assigned to you. You should give the person free hand or allow him to move on with other guide.

  5. Stealing God’s honor and praises by asking people or expecting them to sing your praises or achievements.

  6. Carrying somebody else’s anointing. Your destiny was defined in heaven before you came to the world. Therefore, you did not come to carry another’s annointing or continue his personality. For Example:

Call Them Spiritual Guides
         A guide is neither the destination nor the way. His duty is to show the way or teach people how to do something. He is only a facilitator. Therefore, call your religious leaders Spiritual Guides if they merit it.

All Actions Are Preformed By The Forces Of Nature
         All actions are performed by the forces of nature, by the Holy Spirit. Humanity are the beneficiaries, and not the doers. That is why a true saint does not claim doership. Instead, he gives all glory to God, who makes all good things possible.

4 There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit . 5 There are differences of ministries, but the same Lord. 6 And there are diversities of activities, but it is the same God who works all in all. 7 But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all: 8 for to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit , 9 to another faith by the same Spirit , to another gifts of healings by the same Spirit , 10 to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. 11 But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills. 1 Corinthians 12:4-11

Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven. Matthew 5:16

1 "Take heed that you do not do your charitable deeds before men, to be seen by them. Otherwise you have no reward from your Father in heaven. 2 Therefore, when you do a charitable deed, do not sound a trumpet before you as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory from men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. 3 But when you do a charitable deed, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4 that your charitable deed may be in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will Himself reward you openly. Matthew 6:1-4

19 But when they deliver you up, do not worry about how or what you should speak. For it will be given to you in that hour what you should speak; 20 for it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you. Matthew 10:19-20

The Glory Belongs To God, Not To You
         For example, when you eat biscuit, you savour (enjoy) the taste. But,
  1. It is not you that produced the Agriculture.
  2. It is not you that baked the biscuit. It was fire as empowered by God.
  3. It is not you that developed the chewing process or the teeth.
  4. It is not you that developed the swallowing process or the digestive system.
  5. It is not you that assimmilate the nutrients into various parts of the body.
  6. You only use these things. Therefore, give glory to God.
         The false teachings about spiritual fathers have developed to the extent that junior ministers are expected to behave like their mentor, speak like him, dress like him, preach like him, pray like him, walk like him, sing like him and so on. That is uncalled for.
         If all things were to be the same, life would be meaningless and boring. Variety is the spice of life, and every created thing has its own individuality, even in the midst of uniformity. Every grain of sand is different from other grains of sand. And God does not work with duplicate.

17 "And the Lord said to me: 'What they have spoken is good. 18 I will raise up for them a Prophet like you from among their brethren, and will put My words in His mouth, and He shall speak to them all that I command Him. 19 And it shall be that whoever will not hear My words, which He speaks in My name, I will require it of him. 20 But the prophet who presumes to speak a word in My name, which I have not commanded him to speak, or who speaks in the name of other gods, that prophet shall die.' 21 And if you say in your heart, 'How shall we know the word which the Lord has not spoken?' — 22 when a prophet speaks in the name of the Lord, if the thing does not happen or come to pass, that is the thing which the Lord has not spoken; the prophet has spoken it presumptuously; you shall not be afraid of him. Deuteronomy 18:17-22

The More Honourable Way
         It is good to honour the saints, but it is more honourable to become one of the saints. By honour, I mean to regard saints as men of God and to obey them, because they are God’s representatives. A highly evolved saint is called a master soul, because he is a saint and because he is one with God. For the time being, such advanced souls are very rare to find.