Regarding Popes
“Who will not fear You, O Lord, and bring glory to Your name?
For You alone are holy…” (Rev 15:4, NIV).
Dear reader: With the greatest of respect, a pope is simply a man,
He’s not a god, nor Holy, for only God is, and not fallen man.
Therefore, it's folly and dangerous to revere a human, a man,
And hence why Scripture states that we're to only worship GOD, not a man.
We’re also told that we're not to worship angels — who’re higher than man —
Which means that if we cannot revere angels, we certainly can’t man.
Yes, a pope may well be a good man, but he can’t be a Holy man,
For only God is Holy, and other heavenly beings — never man.
So tell me, were any of the apostles treated like a king? No.
And were they placed upon a throne, bowed to, treated like royalty? No.
When upon this earth, was Jesus enthroned, and treated like a king? No.
And did our Saviour ever say that any apostle should be? No.
Has God ever wanted a man enthroned, and treated like a king? No.
And was God pleased with ancient Israel’s prideful desire for a king? No.
Were Israel’s priests — who represented our God above — put on thrones? No.
And therefore, should anyone other than God himself be enthroned? No.
Yes, the Bible makes it very clear that...
Man shouldn’t be glorified, put on a pedestal — but God alone;
That man shouldn’t be bowed down to, encased in splendour — but God alone.
For in our Saviour's eyes, all who exalt themselves will be called the least.
Plus, a man can’t forgive sins on behalf of Christ, even if a priest,
True leaders act like servants, thus shunning all the baubles of power,
They knowing that God will soon have His day, and man, merely his hour.
For man’s a mere mortal, a fallen creature, and hence most unworthy,
And shouldn’t have his own followers, for such simply steals from God’s glory.
No, a pope is a mere man, appointed by man, and by man alone,
And a pope wields power in a manner that God simply cannot condone.
For to no one on earth does God give such power to sway or dictate,
As it’s God and His will that we follow — it's upon Him that we wait.
Yes, there is only one Saviour, and He is divine, and up on high,
And it is in Him that we should trust, and thus earthly leaders pass by.
For only He can forgive us, only He can redeem and restore,
So, please don’t glorify a man, for where sin is, man is at its core.
The truth is, that popes are fallible — in fact, any leader is, so,
We shouldn't put trust in a man, nor systems, for they both come and go.
Yes, we may respect a man, and treat him with a certain dignity,
But that’s as far as it goes, for God says so, and emphatically.
In a certain sense, every Christian is a priest and leader. How so?
By their very witness — in truth and deed — reaching souls on earth below.
A pope’s just a figurehead, and nothing more — he’s there to serve the flock,
Plus, salvation is not found in man, but in CHRIST — for He is the Rock.
By Lance Landall
The New Testament Church knows nothing of popes.
“The
twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and
worshiped God, who was seated on the throne. And they cried: ‘Amen,
Hallelujah!’ ” (Rev 19:4, NIV).
“He [Christ] is the
Rock, His works are perfect, and all His ways are just. A faithful God
who does no wrong, upright and just is He” (Deut 32:4, NIV).
“Salvation is found in no one else [Christ], for there is no other name
under heaven given to men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12, NIV).
You might also like to read my poems "The Rock, The Keys, And Peter" and "A Letter To The Pope".
