Giving a Huge Piece of My Mind on the Ecumenical Movement
Every time I read any news on the Vatican, it's almost impossible to read something about the Vatican without linking it to ecumenism. When I was newly saved and hungered for Christian doctrine, I trashed Trinity Broadcasting Network and its associates because it was unequally yoked with Rome. I even stopped supporting Billy Graham when I learned that he was unequally yoked with the Vatican.
The whole Vatican II Council was set after Pope Pius XII. We have John XIII, Paul VI, John Paul I, John Paul II, the retired Benedict XVI and Pope incumbent Francis. All these men claimed to be successors of Peter but their actions prove otherwise. I can't imagine Peter himself saying all religions lead to God, that the Jews don't need Jesus, that atheists may go to Heaven. If those Roman Catholics still insist that the Popes continue the legacy of Peter, they better analyze all of the Scripture concerning Peter because Matthew 16:16-18 doesn't point to Peter as the Rock. The grammatical context tells Peter that upon this Rock (not Peter) was where the church was being built upon.
The ecumenical movement now has it that anybody can enter into Heaven as long as they live a good life. I remembered how Mother Theresa propagated John Paul II's heresy of ecumenism. While John Paul II was living, he had done many acts of ecumenism. He had various dialogues with various religious leaders. I remembered in a documentary I saw a couple of years ago that he even called Billy Graham his brother in Christ. He also hugged the Dalai Llama and it was shown in a Roman Catholic publication. Benedict XVI may have made an inflammatory remark towards Muslims which he later apologized that he didn't mean to be tactless. Pope Francis has continued the same dialogues with other religious groups. This is all done in the name of "tolerance". Today it has become acceptable to label anybody who doesn't go with this "tolerance" program of ecumenism to be a bigot or a religious terrorist in the making. I've tried being compared to Osama bin Ladin and ISIS all because I stand by John 14:6 and not the religious ecumenical movement.
The ecumenical movement now has it that anybody can enter into Heaven as long as they live a good life. I remembered how Mother Theresa propagated John Paul II's heresy of ecumenism. While John Paul II was living, he had done many acts of ecumenism. He had various dialogues with various religious leaders. I remembered in a documentary I saw a couple of years ago that he even called Billy Graham his brother in Christ. He also hugged the Dalai Llama and it was shown in a Roman Catholic publication. Benedict XVI may have made an inflammatory remark towards Muslims which he later apologized that he didn't mean to be tactless. Pope Francis has continued the same dialogues with other religious groups. This is all done in the name of "tolerance". Today it has become acceptable to label anybody who doesn't go with this "tolerance" program of ecumenism to be a bigot or a religious terrorist in the making. I've tried being compared to Osama bin Ladin and ISIS all because I stand by John 14:6 and not the religious ecumenical movement.
The problem today is that Satan has subtle ways to destroy the person. The doctrine of Antinomianism may be a more obvious danger. But Satan's "gospel" is subtle. A.W. Pink gives us a good idea of what was about to happen in "Another Gospel":
The gospel of Satan is not a system of revolutionary principles, nor even a program of anarchy. It does not promote strife and war—but aims at peace and unity. It seeks not to set the mother against her daughter nor the father against his son—but fosters the fraternal spirit whereby the human race is regarded as one great "brotherhood." It does not seek to drag down the natural man—but to improve and uplift him. It advocates education and cultivation, and appeals to the "best that is within us." It aims to make this world such a comfortable and congenial habitat, that Christ's absence from it will not be felt and God will not be needed. It endeavors to occupy man so much with this world—that he has no time or inclination to think of the world to come. It propagates the principles of self-sacrifice, charity and benevolence, and teaches us to live for the good of others, and to be kind to all. It appeals strongly to the carnal mind and is popular with the masses, because it ignores the solemn facts that by nature man is a fallen creature, alienated from the life of God, and dead in trespasses and sins, and that his only hope lies in being born again.
In contradistinction to the Gospel of Christ, the gospel of Satan teaches salvation by works. It inculcates justification before God on the ground of human merits. Its sacramental phrase is "Be good and do good"; but it fails to recognize that in the flesh there dwells no good thing. It announces salvation character, which reverses the order of God's Word—character by, as the fruit of, salvation. Its various ramifications and organizations are manifold. Temperance, Reform Movements, "Christian Socialist Leagues," Ethical Culture Societies, "Peace Congresses" are all employed (perhaps unconsciously) in proclaiming this gospel of Satan—salvation by works. The pledge-card is substituted for Christ; social purity for individual regeneration, and politics and philosophy, for doctrine and godliness. The cultivation of the old man is considered more practical than the creation of a new man in Christ Jesus; while universal peace is looked for apart from the interposition and return of the Prince of Peace.
It's very easy to say that nobody who's sold their soul to the Devil will sing a song called "Heal the World" but do you know Satan is treacherous? That's the treachery behind the deception. It comes in the name of peace. The Bible warns that the Antichrist isn't going to come as an obvious danger but as somebody that the world will love? That's what's going to make the Antichrist so popular when he arrives. Here's what the Bible says about him:
Daniel 8:25 - And through his policy also he shall cause craft to prosper in his hand; and he shall magnify himself in his heart, and by peace shall destroy many: he shall also stand up against the Prince of princes; but he shall be broken without hand.
2 Thessalonians 2:8-12 - And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, and with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: that they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.
Revelation 13:4 - And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast: and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? Who is able to make war with him?
Satan himself appears as an angel of light. I'm actually convinced that the only reason why some occultists may be bowing down or using Satan's caricatures because they're probably convinced that's how the Devil looks like and they accept it. But for other unsaved people, they would believe that Satan would never appear to them in the form of an angel of light, that Satan will always appear to them like on the picture on the right. They will think, "If he doesn't have two horns and doesn't look like a monster, then it ain't the Devil himself!" What a sadly mistaken concept that is that has misled people into believing that Satan isn't the one controlling them.
In contrast to what people think, Satan wouldn't appear as the media usually portrays him to be. No, Satan wouldn't appear as a creepy guy dressed as in a black cloak (like how Satan was portrayed in "The Passion of the Christ" based on the supposed visions of Anne Emmerich, right) or a red monster with two horns, with a tail and carrying a pitchfork. The Bible has said something that many Christians have missed the mark one too many times about the Devil himself.
The Bible warns of the following about Satan:
Isaiah 14:12 - How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!
Ezekiel 28:14 - Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth; and I have set thee so: thou wast upon the holy mountain of God; thou hast walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire.
1 Corinthians 11:14- And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.
If Satan can't get a person by what people may think of him, he can make the deception look harmless. Just think about how many evils of the world today just look harmless and fun. But that's how Satan's lies propagate: the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life. That's what ecumenism is doing. If you agree with ecumenism it's easy to guarantee that all three areas of temptation will be easily fulfilled. I mean, do you ever bother to read Jeremiah properly? I don't think most people do. Any prophet of God isn't going to get a majority share. Jeremiah lived a very lonely and sad life because most of people chose to go their own ways. The theme of Jeremiah is found in Jeremiah 5:31 that says that people just love to enjoy their error of following false prophets. Every time Jeremiah warned about coming judgment, the poor old prophet of God was always rejected and ridiculed by the crowd who'd later taste God's fury when the Babylonians ransacked Judah.
These ecumenical minded people may say that they're right because they're growing in numbers. But do you know that the Bible warns that the majority is usually wrong? Here's a verse that Jesus says that's different from the Jesus that the people believe in today:
Matthew 7:13-14 - Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.
It's important for anyone not to confuse being narrow-minded with being close-minded. As much as Christians are called to be open-minded but they must narrow their views to a biblical viewpoint. It's good to be open-minded to anything that glorifies God. But when it comes to anything that doesn't agree with the Scriptures then it's time to avert. People tell me I'm close-minded because I'm narrow minded. They say it's the root cause for religious extremism when one's close-minded. I'm sorry but that view is sadly and horribly mistaken. Comparing Christians who peaceably teach that Jesus Christ is the only Way to the Father with Islamic extremists who fight for Islam is a categorical mistake. Radical Christianity doesn't take other people's lives to propagate the Gospel nor does it advocate suicide bombing. On the other hand, the ISIS do their horrible deeds to spread Islam. The difference is not intolerance but how things are carried out. Christians are called to be intolerant towards anything that goes against the Bible while showing love to unbelievers.
In the end, ecumenism is just the road of confusion that leads to damnation. After analyzing many world religions, it's easy to see that they just contradict each other. Not all religions agree in the Deity of Christ. Not all religions agree with praying for the dead. Not all religions agree with what they think about God. Monotheistic views and polytheistic views differ greatly from one another. Just because certain polytheistic religions now claim to worship Jesus doesn't mean they're saved because they're worshiping another Jesus. If you want to really have the truth, there's no other source.