Remembering Why I Decided to Drop Vatican Conspiracy Theories Altogether While Studying Revelation 17-18

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My current study on Revelation 17 to 18 reminded me that I used to be into Vatican conspiracy theories. As a newbie Christian - I really wanted to get all the nourishment I could get. So I started watching the Trinity Broadcasting Network then dropped it. I did also watch a now-defunct Anabaptist TV program which caused me to finally receive Jesus Christ as my personal Lord and Savior. I admired the pastor a lot though it turned out that he had a bad habit of quarreling other pastors who won't use the King James Version rather than talk nicely with them. Then I went to an Overseas Missionary Fellowship (OMF) bookstore and one of the many things they were selling were the "Crusaders" comics which I no longer recommend due to inconsistencies. The most fascinating of them was the testimony of "Dr." Alberto Rivera who had died last June 20, 1997. 

Rivera's story seemed fascinating, In fact, too fascinating that one has to wonder is it possible? I remembered reading a document from the Iconbusters website and thought that a Jesuit plant may have planted doubt in the site. Chick Publications also sold the anti-Catholic video called "Catholicism: Crisis of Faith" by Lumen Productions. I wondered why Rivera never appeared or was mentioned. I thought Rivera himself could've talked something about Roman Catholicism - not especially when I used to be one. Then I started reading the "Alberto" comics. I don't deny some did get saved reading the comics but I think Chick Publications has gotten more flak for making Roman Catholics too angry to listen. After supporting Chick Publications for more than years - I decided it's time to say goodbye to the publications after realizing there were too many inconsistencies.

Perhaps the biggest Baptist conspiracy network that outdoes Chick Publications is Jesus-is-Savior. Well, I guess some people are familiar with David J. Stewart - that guy who got arrested in Guam and later released (perhaps on parole) after being charged with sexual misconduct that presumably led to his wife divorcing him. It seems that Stewart is just like Rivera - a charlatan of sorts. It turns out that Rivera himself was actually rightfully kicked out of several Protestant Christian churches. The late Bartholomew Brewer of Missions to Catholics International together with other real former priests and nuns have revealed that Rivera had never been a former priest. Victor Affonso, a real former Jesuit priest was also in Spain during the 1960s and 1970s. Affonso would've easily dismissed fantastic ideas or non-existent. Turns out that Affonso himself never worked with Rivera and neither was the latter a former Jesuit priest. Later, a controversial document by the late Roy Livesey called "The Alberto Rivera Story" surfaced revealing the fraud based on evidence. Sadly, the late Jack T. Chick focused on the lies of Rivera rather than the truth in his quest to rescue Roman Catholics! Roman Catholics need the truth and nothing but the truth yet some sources meant to win them over are tainted with lies. 

Rivera may have said some truth but one has to question the validity of the other claims whether or not he was just mistaken or outright lying. Saying that the Jesuits masterminded the Inquisition is far-fetched. Wasn't it that the Inquisition was founded before the Jesuits came to order? Also, I'm already having doubts if the late Osama bin Ladin is secretly part of a huge conspiracy. For all we know, the 9/11 attacks were but random terrorist attacks and not an Illuminati orchestrated scheme. Also, the problem of Chick Publications is the gullibility to believe unverified claims against the Vatican. It's almost the same logic that Steven Anderson had when he fought with a border patrol. While I do believe that the Roman Catholic Jesuits are indeed part of the New World Order but that's something Roman Catholics are unaware of. Talking about the Vatican matrix or materials found in "The Godfathers" from Chick Publications is sure going to ignite a fight. Roman Catholics should hear the life-saving Gospel of Jesus and not the Vatican crimes. It's been well-hidden by the Vatican because it's bad publicity. Any threat to the comfort zone of Roman Catholics should be on the areas of salvation and not stuff like the well-documented scandals of the Vatican. What's worse is that anti-Catholic conspiracy theories try to take the well-documented scandals of Rome then insert sensationalist ideas similar to Jesus-is-Savior and Chick Publications. I think the same goes for Cutting Edge Ministries which seems more like a tabloid than a Christian publication. Not surprisingly, Cutting Edge supports Chick Publications.

Right now, I just take the advice from David W. Cloud of Way of Life Literature. I would agree with this advice from him 100%:
First, they aren’t ultimately provable. 
Second, I couldn’t do anything about them even if they were true. 
Third, it is mentally distracting and discouraging for no good reason. 
Fourth, I want my focus to be on God and His control of things. I intend to keep my mind focused on the fact the times overall (Da. 2:21) and my times in particular (Ps. 31:15) are in God’s hands, not in the hands of the the government or the United Nations or a deep state cabal or Bill Gates or the Bilderbergs or whatever. I want to be constantly in mind of the fact that as a born again believer in Jesus Christ, I am foreknown, predestinated, called, justified, and glorified (Romans 8:29-30) (all in aorist tense and therefore accomplished facts in God’s eyes). As the called according to God’s purpose and as a lover of God by redemption, I know that all things work together for my good, and that is what I intend to focus on, and I will not allow anything to interfere with that confidence.

I would say the same applies to the Roman Catholic conspiracy theories. Many of them are not provable. Who can really prove that John Lennon's killer was masterminded by a Jesuit under extreme oath? Who can prove that the Jesuit General (who gets the nickname as the Black Pope even by Roman Catholics) ultimately manipulates the Pope off-screen? Who can ultimately prove that a lot of the world events are linked to the Vatican? Right now, I even want to challenge the idea that the Jesuits cooked up the Coronavirus or the recent rise of the Bubonic Plague. Then again, even if the Jesuits cooked up the Coronavirus but that's beyond my control. Cloud's statement that says that he can't do anything about them is very true. Also, it's very mentally distracting. Besides, God has the world in control as to why He still allows the apostate Vatican to operate.

Reading through Revelation 17-18 has the blessed assurance. Revelation 18:4 can tell us why God hasn't judged the Vatican yet. Yes, I believe that God will really judge the Vatican for all her crimes and blasphemy. However, Revelation 18:4 has God patiently calling people out of Babylon. I would think that Revelation 18:4 is calling to the Elect or the chosen ones. There are people who are unconditionally elected but they still part of Babylon. God is still calling His elect out and not every one of them has responded. The doctrine of unconditional election and irresistible grace will get them out. However, God is still patiently waiting until He has rescued all the people He as elected who are in Babylon are finally out of her.

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