Joan Boney ... apostle/prophet
A few days ago, I was watching a movie and the lead actress began talking about praying to Mary, the mother of Jesus.
I began talking to the TV ... How can this be? Praying to Mary? Mary's dead. She can't hear you. She's asleep, dead.
Somehow the reality of the strangeness of anyone praying to Mary who is dead reached me strongly.
I know people do this in Catholic church. But it is so irrational. If you know the Bible.
Dead people cannot hear you. They are asleep.
The dead who belong to God will rise when Jesus returns.
I Thess. 4 ... 13 But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep (dead), that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.
14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.
15 For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent (precede) them which are asleep (dead).
16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God:and the dead in Christ shall rise first:17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air:and so shall we ever be with the Lord. 18 Wherefore comfort one another with these words.
Some believers will still be alive when Jesus returns. But those who are alive and belong to God will be changed from these current human bodies in a blink of an eye and they will then arise but not with these current human bodies, says Paul in I Cor. 15
In the meantime, all dead people are sleeping. They cannot hear you. Certainly they cannot help you.
Jesus has been raised from the dead by God. God did not suffer even Jesus' body to see corruption. When they opened HIS grave, the grave clothes were folded and lying there. Jesus' body and spirit were not in the grave. Jesus can help you now. Jesus sits in heaven at the right hand of God and intercedes for us. So we can call on Jesus in times of trouble. HE hears us and can help us.
Heb. 2 ... 14 Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, HE (Jesus) also Himself likewise took part of the same; that through death HE might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; 15 And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage. 16 For verily HE took not on Him the nature of angels; but HE took on Him the seed of Abraham. 17 Wherefore in all things it behoved Him to be made like unto His brethren, that He (Jesus) might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people. 18 For in that HE himself hath suffered being tempted, HE is able to succour them that are tempted.
(succor means: assist and support in times of hardship and distress)
Jesus is not dead but is alive. HE can hear us and HE can help us now.
God did not suffer Jesus to see corruption.
The bodies of the other dead people will see corruption in the grave but the spirit (soul) will rise and they will also be given new bodies, spiritual bodies, as God wills. Read I Cor. 15
It makes no sense to pray to dead people who can't hear you because they are dead and certainly they can't help you.
(Probably needless to say that I didn't watch the rest of that movie. I got so involved in the doctrine of the Bible I lost the story line of the movie.)