Man, church was really good, I went to a 9 am class and we got out early enough to where I caught the last 15 minutes of the 9 am service, and Pastor was talking about not giving into the flesh, keeping strong in the spirit. He was saying that we don't have to start off with big things, we can start small with something like denying ourselves Krispy Kreme or denying ourselves coffee for a day. Anyway, I sat in the 11 am service and lordy, lordy... he didn't even get a chance to speak because the Spirit was so thick in the air. I say we had to have been stading up doing praise and worship for over and hour. That was one of the best times I've had in church. It's something that you really can't explain, it's just a feeling that you have of 'a stress release' or a feeling of 'letting go' or a feeling of 'overburdened love for God' yeah, I think that's it... You feel such an overburdened love for God that you just quietly (or for some, 'loudly') and openly, repent and deem yourself unworthy and then you thank Him for even putting up with you for as long as He did. That's exactly it!
Vaughn said that he felt the Spirit in the sound booth (which is in a different room). He told Pastor, that the next time that happens, someone's going to have to check on him to make sure he is alright.
To feel the love of God is so big and so great--> that's why people begin to bellow out in church and cry uncontrollably, you go through all these emotions at once. It's just such an experience, I wish everyone could experience it every week.
In school tonight, we're still on the subject of Faith, and Pastor was saying that we, as believers, must believe that God can do all things and we have to put our faith to the test, speak it into our lives and act on it. If we are believing God for a new car, we have to take care of the one we have. You know when he said that, I looked right at Warren and felt a sense of thankfulness. Because everytime I open the door to my car, I see the cleanliness of the carpet and it's a good feeling. Thank you Warren.
He also mentioned some prophet from the year 1138 that prophesized that there would be 112 popes until the end of time. I found it very interesting, as the book of Relvelation was always a favorite and this is what I found, copying and pasting from the Internet: (note: these writings are pretty long and in-depth, so to sum it up... there will be WWIII around 2010 and 2012 will be the second coming.)
The Future and the Popes
About the year A.D. 1139, Saint Malachy O'Morgair, Archbishop of Armagh, Ireland, wrote down a list of Popes. He listed 112 future Popes, each described by a phrase in Latin. [1] There has been increasing interest in this list among Roman Catholics, for two reasons. First, the descriptions of Popes #109 and #110 match the pontificates of Popes John Paul I and John Paul II to a tee. Second, there are only two more Popes on the list, and the last Pope on the list is given a long apocalyptic description, instead of a quaint and cryptic phrase.
Pope John Paul I
Pope #109 on St. Malachy's list is given the phrase: “From the Half of the Moon.” [2] Pope John Paul I was elected on August 26 of 1978, when the moon was in its last quarter (i.e. half the moon was visible in the sky). He died on September 28, when the moon was again in its last quarter. [3] The length of his Pontificate was only 33 days, a little more than the length of one lunar cycle. St. Malachy's prophecy matches John Paul I's Pontificate well.
Pope John Paul II
Pope #110 on St. Malachy's list is given the phrase: “From the Labor of the Sun.” [4] What kind of labor does the sun do? The sun's work, so to speak, is to travel around the earth. The sun constantly travels around the world. And so does Pope John Paul II. He is the most traveled Pope in history. His Pontificate is marked by his constant travels around the world. St. Malachy's phrase fits John Paul II's Pontificate precisely.
The First Pope After John Paul II
Pope #111 on St. Malachy's list is given the phrase: “From the Glory of the Olive.” This prophetic phrase has several meanings which correctly apply to the next Pope after John Paul II.
a. What is the glory of the olive? The olive branch is a well-known symbol of peace. The glory of the olive is peace. The next Pope after John Paul II will be a man of great peace. Peace will be his banner, peace will be his work, peace will be his goal. He will seek peace among individuals, among nations, among Catholics, between Catholics and other Christians, and between Catholics and adherents of other religions. The next Pope after John Paul II will have a Pontificate distinguished for seeking Peace around the world. He is correctly called the Pope of Peace.
St. Malachy's prophecy about John Paul II fit his Pontificate well, once it began. But, before being elected Pope, Karol Wojtyla did not distinguish himself by traveling constantly. The next Pope after John Paul II may not have distinguished himself yet in works of peace-making. Or, he may have distinguished himself in peace-making in God's eyes, but not yet in the eyes of the world.
b. Some say that this prediction of St. Malachy, “From the Glory of the Olive,” refers to the Order of St. Benedict, because they have a well-known group within their order called the 'Olivetans.' There is some merit to this idea. But it does not mean that this Pope will come from the Order of St. Benedict, but rather that he will take the name of Saint Benedict and will live in imitation of him.
c. The next Pope after John Paul II will take the name Pope Benedict XVI, in imitation of Saint Benedict and also of Pope Benedict XV. Just as Pope Benedict XV was an emissary of peace, so will Pope Benedict XVI be an emissary of peace. Just as Pope Benedict XV sought peace and spoke of peace and wrote papal documents seeking peace, so will Pope Benedict XVI do also. Just as Pope Benedict XV failed to achieve peace in the world, so will Pope Benedict XVI fail to achieve peace in the world. Just as the Pontificate of Benedict XV began prior to World War I, so will the Pontificate of Benedict XVI occur prior to World War III. After the Pontificate of Benedict XVI, World War III will begin. The Arab nations will threaten and attack the United States; they will threaten, attack, invade and conquer Europe; they will threaten, attack, invade and conquer the northern part of Africa. It is God's will.
d. Pope Benedict XVI will be like Saint Benedict, who lived in the fifth and sixth centuries. He will be a man dedicated to peace and holiness. There is another Saint Benedict, a well-known Saint called Saint Benedict the Black (il moro santo, the holy Moor). Pope Benedict XVI will also be like Saint Benedict the Black. Pope Benedict XVI will be a black man, like Saint Benedict the Moor. He will be a holy Pope, who reinforces the teaching of the Church in opposition to the errors of modern culture. [Note added April 19, 2005: I was mistaken when I thought that the next pope after John Paul II would be black. I am fallible. My predictions are also fallible. By the way, the prediction that the next pope after John Paul II would be black is not a figure of speech, nor a metaphor. I was simply wrong.]
e. Pope Benedict XVI is mentioned in Sacred Scripture, in a hidden manner.
“And after six days Jesus took with him Peter and James and John his brother, and led them up a high mountain apart. And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his garments became white as light. And behold, there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking with him. And Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is well that we are here; if you wish, I will make three booths here, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah.” He was still speaking, when lo, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.” When the disciples heard this, they fell on their faces, and were filled with awe. But Jesus came and touched them, saying, “Rise, and have no fear.” And when they lifted up their eyes, they saw no one but Jesus only.” (Mt 17:1-8).
This passage from Sacred Scripture describes both a true historical event, which occurred to Jesus and his disciples, and a future event which will occur in the Church. Concerning the future event, the figures of Jesus, Moses, and Elijah represent Christianity, Judaism, and Islam. The transfiguration of Jesus represents a transfiguring event in the Christian Church. Peter represents the Pope of that time.
The Church will experience an event that will begin to transfigure the Church to greater holiness. Pope Benedict XVI will be Pope at that time. Very soon after that event, Pope Benedict XVI will suggest to the world that three booths, that is, three places, be built in Jerusalem: a Temple, a Church, and a Mosque. He will suggest that the city of Jerusalem become a place of peace and of worship for all three religions: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.
Luke's Gospel adds a comment about Peter's suggestion: “not knowing what he said” (Luke 9:33). This suggestion of Pope Benedict XVI will not take place, at least not anytime in the near future. Instead of peace, war will break out. First a small war will occur among the Arab nations (A.D. 2009). Then, a great war will begin between the Arab nations and the western nations (A.D. 2010).
When the transfiguration of Jesus was completed, they arose and saw only Jesus. When the initial transfiguration of the Church is accomplished (by A.D. 2040), Christianity will be the dominant religion in Israel and in Jerusalem and in the world. When the transfiguration of the Church on earth is mature (in the mid 25th century A.D.), Christianity will be the only religion on earth. In that future time, everyone on earth will be a Catholic Christian.
f. Pope Benedict XVI will die prior to, or at the very beginning of, World War III. Therefore, he will die in either 2009 or 2010. His reign will be short, like the reign of the holy Pope who reigns after him. I am not certain when Pope Benedict's reign will begin. He must have some number of years in his brief reign, to accomplish his tasks of peace-making. He must therefore be elected soon.
The Second Pope After John Paul II
Pope #112 on St. Malachy's list is given this description: “In the final persecution of the Holy Roman Church there shall reign Peter the Roman who will feed his flock amid many tribulations, after which the seven-hilled city will be destroyed and the terrible judge will judge the people.” [6]
Why is he called Peter the Roman? The descriptions given for John Paul I and II were about their Pontificates, not about their lives before they were elected Pope. Will Peter the Roman be someone born in Rome or who grew up in Rome or who has spent most of his vocation in Rome? Perhaps. But I think it is more likely that the expression “Peter the Roman” refers to his Pontificate.
As a description of his Pontificate, the phrase “Peter the Roman” indicates that this Pope reaffirms the authority of the Pope over the Church, authority based on his place as a Successor of Peter. The expression also indicates that this Pope will reaffirm Rome as the proper seat of authority in the Church and require the faithful to acknowledge “the holy, Catholic, and apostolic Roman Church as the mother and teacher of all churches.” [7] His predecessor, the Pope of Peace (Pope Benedict XVI), will emphasize the good in other faiths and the unity among all peoples. But Peter the Roman will emphasize the supremacy of the Roman Catholic Faith and the Roman Catholic Church above all other religions and denominations, and its authority over all Christians and all peoples of the world.
Perhaps this Pope will take the name Pope Peter II. No Pope has chosen the name Peter since Christ gave that name to Simon bar-Jonah, who became Saint Peter, leader of the Apostles and the first Pope of the Church. The choice of the name Peter by this modern Pope would reaffirm that the Pope is the Successor of Peter. On the other hand, he might not actually take the name “Peter.” It could be that “Peter the Roman” is merely an expression describing his Pontificate.
Some people think that Peter the Roman will be the last Pope ever and that the world will end during his Pontificate. No, not so! Peter the Roman is merely the last Pope on this list, not the last Pope ever. The time of Peter the Roman's Pontificate is described in Apocalyptic terms because His Pontificate will see the beginning of the events described in the Book of Revelation, especially the beginning of World War III (which is the first of the seven seals and the first of the four horsemen of the Apocalypse). But the events described in that last book of the Bible unfold over many years and the sufferings of Revelation do not reach completion until the mid 25th century. There will be many more Popes between Peter the Roman and the Return of Christ in A.D. 2437.
The seven-hilled city is the city of Rome, which not only has seven hills, but also is divided into seven Roman Catholic dioceses. St. Malachy is predicting that the city of Rome will be destroyed during the Pontificate of the Pope called Peter the Roman. My own interpretation of the Bible places the destruction of Rome and Vatican City in July of A.D. 2013.
The prediction of Saint Malachy that Rome will be destroyed has a dual meaning. It refers to the destruction of Rome and Vatican City during World War III, at the beginning of the lesser tribulation, and it refers to the destruction of Rome and the seat of authority in the Church at the beginning of the greater tribulation (about the year A.D. 2430, just prior to the start of the Antichrist's reign). That is why his prophecy says that God will judge the people, because both times that Rome is destroyed occur prior to the tribulation (which is divided into two parts), in which God judges and punishes the world.
Peter the Roman is also mentioned in Sacred Scripture. He will die a martyr, blind, in a prison in Iraq.
“ 'And the prince who is among them shall lift his baggage upon his shoulder in the dark, and shall go forth; he shall dig through the wall and go out through it.... And I will spread my net over him, and he shall be taken in my snare; and I will bring him to Babylon in the land of the Chaldeans, yet he shall not see it; and he shall die there.' ” (Ezekiel 12:12.13).
“So the city was besieged.... Then a breach was made in the city; the king with all the men of war fled by night by the way of the gate between the two walls, by the king's garden, though the Chaldeans were around the city.... But the army of the Chaldeans pursued the king, and overtook him.... Then they captured the king, and brought him up to the king of Babylon at Riblah, who passed sentence upon him. They slew the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes, and put out the eyes of Zedekiah, and bound him in fetters, and took him to Babylon.” (2 Kings 25:2.4-7).
During the war of the Arabs against Europe (World War III), the Arab forces will attack Italy and Rome. At that time, in the year 2012, the Pope will be forced to flee the Vatican. He will have waited to long to flee successfully. He will carry his own baggage on his shoulder. He will flee “by the way of the gate between the two walls” of the Vatican by night accompanied by members of the clergy (“the sons of Zedekiah”) and guarded by soldiers. They are able to get away from Vatican City, but they will not reach safety. They will be pursued by Arab forces.
The Pope and the clergy with him will be taken captive by the Arab forces. They will be taken to Syria (Riblah is an ancient city in Syria) and put on trial. The leader of Iraq (“king of Babylon”) will pass judgment against the Pope and the clergy who were captured with him and also some members of the clergy of Syria. They will slaughter these members of the clergy as the Pope watches. Next, they will put out the eyes of the Pope, so that the last thing he sees is the death of his fellow clergy. Then they will bind the Pope in fetters and take him to Iraq, where he will be imprisoned. The phrase “yet he shall not see it” means that he will be held prisoner without being able to see the country in which he is held captive because he has been blinded. The Pope will die in a prison in Iraq with no one to rescue him. This Pope, Peter the Roman, will die a martyr for the Faith. (What an unusual time we live in, when Sacred Scripture itself tells us about one Pope after another.)
Subsequent Popes
I do not know who will be elected Pope after the Pope called Peter the Roman. Peter the Roman will be imprisoned in A.D. 2012. I am not certain how long he will spend in prison before he dies, or when his successor will be elected. However, his successor(s) will not reign long.
The formerly-Protestant Pope
In the late 2010's, the Protestant Churches will move towards unification with the Catholic Church. This process of repentance and conversion and unification will take years. In the early 2020's, the Catholic Church will be restructured into seven parts, five parts for the formerly Protestant Churches, one part for the Eastern Churches, one part for the Latin Rite of the Catholic Church. After that, there will be elected a Pope who is not a Roman Catholic. He will be a convert from one of the Protestant Churches. He will be Catholic, but not from the Latin Rite of the Church. The formerly-Protestant Catholics will be pleased. His election will show them that they are truly and fully members of the one holy Catholic Church. But many Roman Catholics will be upset at his election and at the unification of the Protestant Churches with the Catholic Church. An Ecumenical Council in the early 2030's will reaffirm the validity of the unification of the Churches in one Catholic Church.
The Angelic Shepherd
The Arabs forces will win World War III and will occupy a vast territory for many years. They will oppress and persecute Christians. In the 2030's, this persecution will become very severe. The Arab forces will massacre many Christians. They will hunt down priests and religious and devout Catholics to imprison, torture, and kill them. Millions of Catholic Christians will be killed. This massacre will take place over several years.
In the mid to late 2030's, in World War IV, the Allied nations will attack the lands occupied by the Arab forces. This war will be even more severe than World War III. Many nuclear weapons will be used. The Allies will win the war, at such great cost, and defeat the Arabs even in their own lands. One of the principle Allied leaders is called the great monarch. After the war is won, and after a series of extreme punishments from God upon the whole world, the great monarch will rule over a vast territory (over the lands previously occupied by the Arab forces). Beginning in A.D. 2040, the great monarch will rebuild this territory, and help rebuild the rest of the world, together with the Pope of that time, called the Angelic Shepherd.
The Angelic Shepherd will be a holy Pope and a true Saint. God will grant many miracles in answer to his prayers. His Pontificate will be long and very blessed. The Church will have great success in preaching the Gospel and in winning the conversion of sinners during his reign. This Pope, and the Church in general, will have much influence over the secular leaders of the whole world. The Angelic Shepherd will be from Medjugorje. He will have spent much time living there as a humble unnoticed priest.
The Last Pope Before the Return of Christ
There will be many Popes between the Pontificate of the Angelic Shepherd and the last Pope before the Return of Christ. Some of these will be holy, and some will be mediocre, and some will be sinners. The last Pope before the Return of Christ will be killed by the followers of the Antichrist about the year A.D. 2430. He will be killed, most likely in Rome, before the Antichrist gains power over the whole world. He will be killed about the time of a war between the kingdom of the North (Europe) and the kingdom of the South (Israel, the Middle East, northern Africa). The king of the South at that time will be a Catholic Christian.
There will be no more Popes on earth during the nearly seven years of the Antichrist's reign over the world. No more Popes will be elected. The governments of the world, controlled by the Antichrist will not allow such an election. The Bishops of the world, those few who are not dead or imprisoned, will not be able to meet or communicate with one another to elect a new Pope. Actually, it is God's will that no Pope be elected during this time, for Christ will Return at the end of the Antichrist's reign to set everything in order and to begin a long period of peace and holiness on earth. The Church will be without a Pope for seven years prior to the Return of Christ. Christ is the true head of the one holy Catholic Church. The Pope is merely His servant and ours.
Ronald L. Conte Jr.
November 14, 2004
Copyright 2004
[In an earlier version of this article, I thought that John Paul II would die in 2003. Then I thought, 2004. I am fallible. Also, in the previous version of this article, I thought that Pope Benedict XVI would die in 2009, now I think 2009 or 2010.]
Taken from: www.catholicplanet.com/articles/article41.htm
His blog site is: http://futuremap.blogspot.com/
“For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.” (1 Peter 1:18,19)
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