The veneration of Mary is a practice very popular within Roman Catholicism. Indeed, the veneration of Mary is one of the central tenets of Catholicism worldwide and is even more strongly held by non-American Catholics. "What do you think about Mary?" was the question asked by many Lithuanians during my preaching visits to that country following the end of Soviet domination over Lithuania. Before the Communist takeover made Lithuania an officially atheistic nation, the country had been largely Roman Catholic. During the time of Soviet domination, officials of the Roman Catholic Church made compromises with the government allowing it to join the Russian Orthodox Church as the only churches free to operate in Lithuania. When the Soviet Union broke up, the Lithuanian people were free for the first time in over 50 years to openly investigate other religious teachings. Almost all of them had been taught of the Catholic traditions of Mary, the mother of Jesus. In fact, many credited the mystical blessings of Mary as the reason for their newly found freedom. This made the discussion of Mary an emotional issue for many who asked about it. A similar emotional attachment to venerating Mary exists in Catholicism world-wide.

        Since our purpose is always to teach the Bible without addition or subtraction, let us simply examine what the Bible says about Mary and notice that the Bible passages stand in clear contrast to some human traditions regarding this subject. Having noted what the Bible teaches on the subject, the Bible believer will put his trust and action in line with that taught by God in the Scripture. After all, the word of God commands, "If anyone speaks, let him speak as the oracles of God" (1 Pet. 4:11). Therefore, let us allow God's word to separate truth from tradition about Mary.

Virgin Birth of Jesus from Mary
        The first thing we find is that Mary was a virgin when she conceived and bore Jesus. In Luke 1:26-27, the Bible says that an angel was sent "to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin's name was Mary." The angel Gabriel then told Mary what was about to occur:

And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end (Luke 1:31-33).

        The Scripture records the virgin's response to this amazing news. "Then Mary said to the angel, 'How can this be, since I do not know a man?' And the angel answered and said to her, 'The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God'" (Luke 1:34-35). The virgin conception of Jesus within Mary is also affirmed in the gospel of Matthew in these words:

Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: After His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit (Matt. 1:18).

        When the betrothed husband Joseph thought that she had conceived through sin, an angel told him, "That which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit" (v. 20). This fulfilled the prophecy that "the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son" (Isa. 7:14).

Mary Not a Perpetual Virgin
        While the Bible plainly teaches that Mary conceived and bore Jesus as a virgin, it does not teach that Mary was a "perpetual virgin." That doctrine came by human tradition, but is plainly denied in the Bible. Mark records the discussion by people who knew the family showing a common knowledge of the fact that Mary had other children. Please note the following:

And when the Sabbath had come, He began to teach in the synagogue. And many hearing Him were astonished, saying, "Where did this Man get these things? And what wisdom is this which is given to Him, that such mighty works are performed by His hands! Is this not the carpenter, the Son of Mary, and brother of James, Joses, Judas, and Simon? And are not His sisters here with us?" And they were offended at Him (Mark 6:2-3).

        Several other passages in the New Testament speak of the mother and "brethren" of Jesus. In Matthew 13:55-56, the same four brothers mentioned in Mark as well as "sisters" are associated with Mary. Matthew 12:46-47 and John 2:12 both mention Jesus' "brethren" in connection with Mary. John 7:3-5 notes that those "brethren" were not believers in Jesus at first. Acts 1:14 speaks of those gathered with "Mary the mother of Jesus, and with His brothers." Thus, one of the chief teachings of Catholicism concerning Mary is seen to be false according to God's word, but that is not all.

The Second Vatican Council & Mary
        The Second Vatican Council decreed that Mary should be given the titles of "Advocate, Auxiliatrix, Adjutrix, Mediatrix." In other words, the council attributed to Mary the functions of mediation, counsel and assistance for man on behalf of God. It suggests that Mary has an auxiliary place of elevation beyond humanity between man and God. This elevation is due to the Catholic teaching that Mary herself was the product of "immaculate conception" so as to be untouched and untainted by sin.

What does the Bible teach about this?
        Regarding who is to be called our "Advocate," the Bible says, "We have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous" (1 Jn. 2:1). The Bible never calls Mary an "Advocate."

        Regarding who is our "Mediator," the Bible says very clearly, "For there is one God, one mediator also between God and men, himself man, Christ Jesus" (1 Tim. 2:5). That leaves no room for Mary as a mediator in any sense, for the Bible says there is only one.

        Regarding the claims of Mary's sinlessness, the Bible plainly states, "all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Rom. 3:23). Only Jesus is said to have been without sin (Heb. 4:15; 2 Cor. 5:21; 1 Pet. 2:22). The belief that Mary was without sin does not come from the Bible, but from human tradition.

Conclusion
        If we are to follow God, we must lay aside human tradition and put our faith in the message inspired by God (2Jn.9). The Catholic tradition of venerating Mary is based upon human additions. The Bible clearly refutes any special place and work reserved for Mary to serve as some kind of bridge between God and man. Let us abide within the teaching of Scripture and not add this or any other doctrine of human origin.

        Paul and Silas arrived at Thessalonica after having left prison in Philippi. This account is given by Luke in Acts 17:1-9. Luke tells us that these Christians took up the work of proclaiming Christ to the Jews first. After about three weeks, "some of them believed… and the devout Greeks a great multitude, and of the chief women not a few." The unbelieving Jews reacted in envy and tried to find these men, but could not.

        The people of the city were stirred up against Paul, Silas and the new Christians by the unbelievers and their rowdy companions. They brought the accusation against the preachers: "These who have turned the world upside down are come here also" (v. 6). They even attempted to cause trouble for the brethren by accusing them of disloyalty to Rome: "these all do contrary to the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another king, one Jesus" (v. 7). Recognizing the danger the brethren sent Paul and Silas to Berea by night.

        This passage vividly illustrates for us today the dangers, fears and hardships faced by Christians in the young church of the first century. Yet, with all of these as a fact of life, Paul later wrote that the gospel "was preached to every creature under heaven" (Col. 1:13). The epistle to the Colossians is believed to be correctly dated at 62-64 AD. If this is accurate, and the date of the origin of the Lord’s church is correct at 33 AD, then we must be amazed that our brethren of old did what that did in about 30 years!

        But not only must we be amazed at this accomplishment, we must also use this as a barometer of our faith, conviction and service. Luke’s writings in Acts is the inspired account of the history of the work of preaching the gospel by our brethren in Christ of 2,000 years ago. A history of the Kimberly Road church (where Frank Vondracek preaches in Davenport, Iowa - HR) tells us that the original starting date of this congregation was December 1973, which means that the gospel has been in the Davenport area for about 28 years.

        In all these 28 years, is it possible that the brethren of this church have ever been referred to as "these who have turned the world upside down"? If the answer is "Yes," that is a wonderful compliment. If the answer is "No", why not? What is the real difference in the work of evangelism now as compared to 2,000 years ago?

        One thought that I believe will help Christians to be "world turners" is to correctly understand "the church." The church is NOT just a group of saved people who come together for study and worship. This being a part of the life of a local church, the church we read about in the Bible went out from their assemblies "preaching the word everywhere" among the people.

        There is no better place to increase one’s faith than in a scripturally conducted assembly. But there is not a better place to use and to share one’s faith than face to face with the people around you in the community. Telling people about "the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ" seemed to be a necessity for the first century Christians. We would be wise to develop and employ the same attitude of heart today. What do you think?

- The Kimberly Road Herald, Davenport, IA, 4/7/02

        Sometimes teenage Christians are looked upon as the "Next Generation" of the church. In a way, this is true. There will come a time when they will be the leaders in the church. Until then, they need to grow while more experienced brethren lead.

        Unfortunately, some churches have relegated their teenagers entirely to a waiting role. This is a waste of talent and manpower. There is so much that these energetic young Christians can be doing for the Lord’s work if they only had the much needed support, encouragement and guidance from their older brethren.

        Teenagers, consider the following ways in which you can help, not only your church, but also yourselves:

1. Visit the sick and shut-ins, individually or as a group (James 1:27).

2. Invite people to services. You have access to a large group of people that no one else in the church does.

3. Welcome visitors to our services. Keep an eye out especially for people your age, and ask them to sit with you.

4. Visit area gospel meetings as a group. If possible, go somewhere with the young people of that congregation afterwards.

5. Spend time with each other outside of services. Get together for Bible Studies, rent a movie, go bowling, play mini-golf, etc. What you are doing is not as important as the fact that you are spending time with each other. Of course, these need to be godly forms of recreation.

6. Help teach a class or offer to participate in worship services. The only way you learn is by doing. Participating in your youth will give you both the experience and the desire you will need to effectively help with the work and worship of the church as an adult.

7. Sign up as a group to clean the building. Show up as a group on special cleaning days.

8. Submit ideas for sermons, articles, or Bible Classes.

9. Submit names to receive the "Margaret Street Monthly".

10. Do something with the young children after worship services. This will 1) keep the children out of the busy parking lot after services, and 2) give their parents some "undistracted" time to visit with others.

I. What is wrong with drugs and alcohol? A Biblical perspective.

1. Condemned as a Work of the Flesh - Gal. 5:19-21

A. Drunkenness - one who is intoxicated, habitual intoxication.
One may say, "I drink, but I don't get drunk." What is wrong with social drinking?

	1. Who stands a better chance of getting drunk, the social drinker or the person who never drinks? 2. How is a social drinker abstaining from every form of evil (1 Thess. 5:22)?
B. Sorcery (witchcraft) - PHARMAKEIA - (Eng., "pharmacy," etc.) primarily signified "the use of medicine, drugs, spells"; then, "poisoning"; then, "sorcery." In "sorcery," the use of drugs, whether simple or potent, was generally accompanied by incantations and appeals to occult powers, with the provision of various charms, amulets, etc., professedly designed to keep the applicant or patient from the attention and power of demons, but actually to impress the applicant with the mysterious resources and powers of the sorcerer. (from Vine's Expository Dictionary of Biblical Words)

2. Destroys the Body - 1 Cor. 6:19-20.

Alcohol destroys brain cells and organs like the liver.
Tobacco causes lung cancer, lip or mouth cancer, emphysema, etc.
Marijuana damages the brain, lungs, heart, reproductive system and motor skills.
Cocaine destroys the brain.
Stimulants push the body past normal limits of endurance.
Depressants slow the body down, overdose can cause a coma.
Hallucinogens (LSD) remain in body, flashbacks.
Inhalants damage brain, liver, kidneys, throat, lungs, etc.

3. Impairs Soberness and Self-Control - Ephesians 5:15-18; 1 Peter 1:13
Any passage in the Bible commanding soberness and self-control condemns drug and alcohol use.

4. Against the Law - Romans 13:1-2

5. Addictive - 1 Cor. 6:12
It is wrong for a Christian to be brought under the power of any substance. Alcohol, drugs and tobacco are wrong for a Christian because they have the power to enslave those who use them. No one would be an alcoholic, addict or smoker if they never took the first drink, hit or drag.

6. Ongoing Use Demands Increased Use
Drugs are chemicals which affect the pleasure centers of the human brain. They mimic biological chemicals that our bodies produce naturally to create pleasure. This is what causes the "high."
The problem is that our body builds up a tolerance to these artificial chemicals, and so more of them are needed to produce the same sensation.
Drug users will sometimes experiment to get a better high. Often these experimentations will end in disaster as the wrong drugs are mixed together.

7. Brings Misery and Loss Proverbs 20:1, 23:29-35
Loss of health, job, income, reputation, family, respect, life and soul.

8. Contributes to a Culture Which is Destroying Our Society
So much violence and crime is directly connected with drug use in particular. A Christian can not willingly become a part of something that is destroying lives. Matthew 7:12, 22:39

II. Why Do Young People Become Users?

Drugs and alcohol are wrong from many different perspectives. It seems that any sensible person would stay away from them. But, as we know too well, teens and preteens continue to become involved in drugs and alcohol. With everything we know about the dangers, why do young people become involved with drugs and alcohol?

1. Peer-Pressure. I imagine most teens begin using because others are. Perhaps a friend, parent, older sibling, etc. Drug and alcohol use is prevalent in our society, and the pressure to conform is very strong.
Christians are not to conform to the world - Romans 12:2.
We are to be leaders, not followers.

2. To escape reality. Some feel that the pressure and stress of reality is too much for them to bear. It is too painful to deal with; much easier to run away.
Life is hard for everyone at times, even young people. The Bible calls upon Christians to handle and overcome life's situations with perseverance, self-discipline and mental efforts. The cares that are more than we can handle are to be cast upon the Lord in prayer (Phil. 4:6-7).

3. Pleasure. Some experiment with drugs and alcohol because of the anticipated pleasure. Drugs and alcohol bring pleasure, most sinful things do. Beer commercials are humorous, but they don't tell the whole story!!
The Christian life is not about enjoying the pleasures of this world. We are not to love the world or the things in it - 1 John 2:15-16.
A Christian should find joy in their spiritual life and relationship with God, their family and friends, and wholesome recreations.

4. Prove their maturity. Some see involvement in alcohol, tobacco or drugs as a rite of passage into adulthood. They see that their parents do these things, so they feel they must as well.
Becoming addicted to harmful substances is not a sign of maturity. It is a very juvenile decision that may very well have a negative impact upon the rest of your life, if not end it all together - Galatians 6:7.

Conclusion:
Drugs and alcohol are a temptation that this world places before us.
Young people need the wisdom to see them for sinful, life destroying things that they are. The courage to just say no. And the determination to never get involved.
If a Christian has a problem with drugs and alcohol they need to repent, ask God for forgiveness, and seek help in quitting the habit.

        I was at the Post Office the other day mailing a package to my sister. The postal clerk asked me if there was anything flammable in the box. I answered with a surprised but confident, "No." She went on to explain to me that they have to ask the question. 9/11 has placed all of us on alert to things that we took for granted before. I was not offended by the question. I appreciate the safety measures that the Post Office and others have put in place. She then told me that even when they ask the question, they have to trust that the person is telling the truth. I nodded my head.

        After ringing up the postage, she asked if I needed confirmation or insurance on my package. I said, "No, that is where I trust you." She smiled and said, "Yes. Trust goes both ways, doesn’t it?"

        It should. Our society functions on trust. I am not afraid to get in my car and drive because I trust other drivers to stay in their lane and obey the traffic signals. Of course this trust only goes so far. I have heard of the good old days when you could leave your house and car unlocked. You could even leave your front door open or your keys in the ignition while you were in the store. But those days were long gone before I came along. Now everything needs to be locked up. A handshake is no longer good enough; papers have to be signed and notarized. We aren’t even trusted at the grocery store. If you pay with a check, it is either run through a computer right there at the register to make sure you are good for the money, or they write all the personal information about you that they can get on the front of the check. Even when you pay with cash the bills are often checked to make sure they are real. Wouldn’t things be much easier if we could trust each other?

        In Galatians 5:22-23, Paul mentions nine attitudes or characteristics referred to as the Fruit of the Spirit. "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law" (Galatians 5:22-23). All of these qualities are important and must be present in the life of every Christian. One of them is "faithfulness." This is defined as "the character of one who can be relied on." Simply put, a Christian is a person that others can trust.

        Isn’t it interesting that the most trusting people are often the most trustworthy, while those who have cheated and lied find it hard to trust others? Apparently, when it comes to trust, we often expect to find in others what we already find in ourselves.

        So, how do we fix the problem? First, we must make sure that we are trustworthy people ourselves. Do we speak the truth? Are we consistent in our beliefs? Do we keep our word? Next, we can help others by sharing the Gospel. As more people commit themselves to following the words of Christ they will begin to bear the Fruit of the Spirit. The result will be, among other things, more trustworthy and reliable people.

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