I came out of the Roman Catholic Church. I came out of her by reading the New American Bible, a Catholic bible. It had enough truth in it despite the Catholic footnotes and the Apocrypha to convince me that the teachings of the Catholic Church were all corrupted and that I was a lost sinner. That was in 1991.

My wife followed me. She had become a Catholic in order to marry me back in 1962. My three grown children have "come out" also. My family and I have been very blessed of God. He has offered salvation to "me and my house" and we gratefully believed it.

I was led into a Baptist church when I was saved. (Southern Baptist). I had joined the Independent Baptist Fellowship as I grew in faith, and as I studied to show myself approved unto God and to rightly divide the Word of Truth and maturing in faith somewhat; I was led of the Spirit to begin a fellowship in my home.

There was a Church of Christ and a United Methodist along with this Baptist church close to my house, and all I wanted was to become a Protestant, because I thought they "all" believed the Bible. God knew better though, and He led me to this Baptist church. My wife and I walked over one Wednesday evening during a prayer meeting and told the preacher we wanted to be baptized as Christians because we knew our old church (Catholic) was a false church.

Growing in faith early on, not only led me out of the Southern Baptist churches, but the Spirit led me to understand that the King James Version of the Bible in the English Language and the Textus Receptus/Masoretic text in all other Bible translation work is an accurate translation of the Greek and Hebrew Scriptures which were given in the very words determined of the Holy Spirit

The poem I have posted on my web site, "He Lives" was written in gratitude for Him calling my children to Him through His Son Jesus Christ.

Before I was saved

Going back some in time. I was raised on a sharecropper farm by my maternal grandparents. My mother died in 1947 when I was nine years old, and her parents took us in. My daddy remarried and died two years later in Houston, TX. I didn't get to go to his funeral. My grandparents raised 11 of their own children and 4 of us grandkids, me, my brother and two sisters.

We lived, as I said, on a sharecropper farm outside of Tours TX, a Czech/German community of mostly Roman Catholics. Tours is about 4 miles SE of West TX., a small town on Interstate 35 South, 18 miles north of Waco.

I had polio in 1955 and recovered enough to work and raise a family in Dallas, TX. where I moved when my grandpa quit farming in 1957. I had not seen a Bible yet. Not once. Not in St. Martin of Tours Catholic Church, or in my grandparents home on the farm, and not in my Uncles and Aunts homes in Dallas. Catholic Catechisms and Mass Missals, Yes! But no Bible.

I got a Bible after I got married. A big one with a fancy quilted cover to display in my living room. I didn't learn a thing from that one.

Years later, after three children and in the middle of a bout with alcohol, (a nice way to say drunkenness, even nicer to say the "disease of alcoholism") I got another Bible, the New American Bible. I read it, but I was spiritually blind. I wasn't searching for any truth. I didn't find any. I wouldn't find any truth in God's Word until years and many hardships later.

Back to AFTER I WAS SAVED

I know Catholicism. I have 53 years experience. Catholics are hard working people. In St. Augustine Parish in Pleasant Grove, a suburb of Dallas Texas, in the 1970's I worked hard in that Catholic church. My kids went to the Catholic school, and I was very active in this church. I was president of the Holy Name Society twice. I was Parish Day chairman, and Parish Carnival chairman. I sat on the Parish Council directing the affairs of this large church. I was "Worthy Warden" in the Knights of Columbus, traveling from lodge to lodge as a member of the initiating team.

I received awards for outstanding achievements. I received the "Man of the Year" award in 1978. But all this hard work could not save me. (or keep me from drunkenness) I realize now that all my hard working Catholic friends, and I was lost. I know Catholicism. I have many, many friends who are Catholic. They cannot understand why I left the Church, and will not listen to the true gospel.

On the other hand, some of my friends have left this Church and came to believe in the salvation of grace by faith. Some of my friend's adult children have come to believe. Many Roman Catholics can be converted to Jesus Christ once they hear the true gospel for the first time. Many people don't know anything about Catholicism. They may believe that there is not that much difference between Catholic Tradition and Grace by Faith. Unless these people are informed, they may accept the Catholics as fellow Christians and deny them the true gospel by not witnessing to them. This is the reason for my articles on Catholicism. It is worth the effort.

Yes, I was a popular Catholic in that Parish. Drunk half the time, but popular. It was in those years alcohol became too much to bear, and after three years of trying to quit, I succeeded. That's a long story in itself and I'm trying to write it.

Benefits of some offensive encounters

Many lost people are lovable people. It would be hard not to love them, even if we tried. The Lord commanded His love toward sinners, though He hates sin. But this does not require us to remain silent on sin for fear of offending sinners. How else are people to come to realize that they are lost if someone doesn't preach against error and deception.

Most of my family are lost Catholics. They place their faith in the Roman Church and practice many false doctrines. But I have many lovable family members. By man's reasoning we would call them good. They are zealous for their faith. They are active in their church and in their communities. They contribute regularly and honestly to the work of the Roman Church.. They feed the hungry and clothe the naked. They would give you the shirt off their backs. It is painful to think of them as lost. They order me not to reason with them or stay away.

If someone doesn't preach to my family their situation will remain hopeless. I was hopelessly lost until someone preached to me. This made me very angry. I considered myself already saved. I was offended and very angry. I took up the Bible to defend my Catholic faith, and in doing so I discovered that I had no faith. I also discovered that I had greatly mistaken beliefs. I am very thankful that God sent someone to offend me and make me very angry. The person that offended me (My son, Andrew Jr.) loved me very much.

The Apostles of Jesus offended so many people that they all died martyrs except for John. Can we say there was no love in their hearts?

Before we condemn someone for offending others by preaching, we should take up the Bible and see what the Lord has to say about it.

Since I was saved

My background in religious studies is a little over five years of home study of the KJV Bible,( as much 20-30 hours a week) along with reading many Christian Newsletters and pamphlets.

I began writing a newsletter in early1994 on recommendation from my son Richard, who knew I loved to write and study the Bible. My boys, Richard & Andrew Jr., got me the King James PC Study Bible Program. (KJV Bible, Concordance, Strong's Greek/Hebrew Dictionary and many other features), They bought for me a Publisher program and Richard taught me how to use his computer and printer, and I set up shop.

In February of 1996, Richard again made a suggestion "How about a Christian web site on the Internet"? He did the initial work and I am now the webmaster along with his periodic help.

Today, (August 1999) The Christian News & Views Newsletter and CNV News Service (periodic news articles along with my comments) is growing at the rate of around 125 new subscribers a month. The Web Site is experiencing as many as 2000 individual page "hits" a day.

The Lord has saved me and led me to write. My writings are not grandiose, nor are they flattering, but they are truthful. I cease not to warn every one night and day. (Acts 20:31) Some of the warnings are from personal experience I have encountered in area churches.

I cannot stop the building of Satan's "One World Church", but I hope to serve God in offering discernment to His people. I pray that you study to show yourself approved unto God, -- to rightly divide the Word of Truth, (2 Timothy 2:15) and exercise your senses to discern both good and evil. (Heb 5:14)

A Thursday night Family Bible Study in my home led to the beginning of a fellowship in my home, as attending the area churches, (within 75 miles ) however sound they may claim to be, was yoking ourselves with unbelievers and false teachings. Ecumenical "religious harmony" abounds in most area churches and where separation is practiced, they teach that if you separate from THEM you are not in the "one true church", and you are not Scripturally baptized and will miss out on many blessings including the "Marriage Supper of the Lamb".

I am now a leading elder in Community Bible Chapel here in Hico, Texas where a group of us believers meet in commitment to Christ each Sunday morning for Bible Study, the Lord's Supper Service, and a sound discourse of God's Holy Word, (preaching) singing, and sharing gifts of the Spirit to exhort and reprove (if necessary) each other.

"Comments and Questions" about this site, and/or to aid in discernment, are welcome.

Andy Neckar
Editor---Christian News & Views and a leading elder of Community Bible Chapel here in Hico, TX