In this final period before the apocalypse, we must recognize insidious schemes at work in the religious and secular realms.\u00a0 If we do not recognize these very clever schemes and wiles of Satan during this great deception, we could be lured into apostasy.\u00a0 It will be difficult to discern them because they mimic a work of God and appeal to our common sense.\u00a0 One of those diabolical schemes, ecumenism, is being promoted by influential leaders in Christianity.\u00a0 We need to know exactly why they are involved in it and what they hope to achieve.<\/p>\n
Notorious pastor of Saddleback Church, Rick Warren, has been pushing for ecumenism with Islam, Roman Catholicism, and Mormonism.\u00a0 Although he will deny it with doublespeak, ecumenism is the correct description of his efforts and goal.\u00a0 It appears that many leaders in Christianity have taken seriously the title \u201cAmerica\u2019s Pastor\u201d that the secular world has ascribed to him. \u00a0Dr. George Wood, General Superintendent of the Assemblies of God, appears to be working closely with Warren on his Ecumenical efforts.\u00a0 There are reports that the AoG leadership is intimidating pastors and entire churches within their denomination that oppose Warren\u2019s heresy and ecumenism. \u00a0Wood recently spoke at a Mormon event.\u00a0 Other leading evangelicals speaking at Mormon events include, R. Albert Mohler, president of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, Richard Land, president of the Southern Evangelical Seminary, and Ravi Zacharias.<\/p>\n
What\u2019s wrong with ecumenism?\u00a0 Primarily, it is an attempt to establish friendship or partnership with the unfruitful works of darkness.\u00a0 We are told by the Apostle Paul to have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather to expose them (Ephesians 5:11)\u00a0 Rick Warren declares that he is just doing what Jesus would do, and that it is all about loving people.\u00a0 Maybe the question is not to ask \u201cwhat Jesus would do\u201d, but to ask, \u201cWould Jesus do what I am doing?\u201d\u00a0 No one had more love than Christ Jesus, and He did not do what Rick Warren is doing.\u00a0 Christ was called a \u201cfriend of sinners\u201d, but it was a pejorative statement that the Pharisees made about Him.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, \u2018Look, a glutton and a winebibber, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!\u2019\u201d (Matthew 11:19 NKJV)<\/p>\n
It is obvious that He did not consider Himself to be a friend of sinners, but instead their Savior.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou are My friends if you do whatever I command you.\u201d (John 15:14 NKJV)<\/p>\n
Were the sinners to whom Christ preached obedient to God or Christ?\u00a0 The truth is that Christ Jesus called the disciples who followed Him, friends.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you.\u201d (John 15:15 NKJV)<\/p>\n
Further, Christ never established friendly relations with the Pharisees in order to \u201cengender world peace and preserve religious freedom.\u201d\u00a0 Additionally, He did not fraternize with any of the pagan cults within Romanism, go about the land eating at their religious feasts, or playing games with them.\u00a0 Rick Warren has done these deeds and wishes to use the example of Christ as his excuse.\u00a0 There is no such example in the Scriptures.\u00a0 Throughout His ministry on earth Christ Jesus remained Master, Lord, miracle worker, teacher, preacher of righteousness and repentance, dispenser of truth, and the Savior. \u00a0We should also remember that those very sinners (that Christ was declared to be a friend to) cried, \u201cCrucify Him!\u201d\u00a0 They did not appear to be His friends. They and the religious leaders made certain that He was humiliated, tortured, and nailed to the cross. \u00a0History will repeat itself when persecution of true Christianity comes to America.\u00a0 The world hates true Christians because they have what no other religion has, and that is light.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed.\u201d (John 3:20 NJKV)<\/p>\n
There are some factors that we should consider before accepting this last days ecumenism.\u00a0 First, we have to recognize some of the main organizers and promoters of ecumenism are also promoting contemplative spirituality and other dangerous heresies.\u00a0 If this ecumenism were of God, then He would send upright and godly people to bring it about.\u00a0 He would not send people who have been actively involved in polluting Christianity with pagan mysticism and other harmful practices and false doctrines.\u00a0 Some of the ones drawn into the Mormon controversy appear to be upright, but then why are they involved in a diabolical scheme?\u00a0 I have read their reasons for involvement and they are woefully lacking in discernment.\u00a0 For example, Mohler stated, \u201cThe conflict of liberties we\u2019re now experiencing is unprecedented and it\u2019s ominous,\u201d he said. \u201cForced to choose between erotic liberty and religious liberty, \u2018many\u2019 Americans would clearly sacrifice freedom of religion. How long before the \u2018many\u2019 becomes \u2018most?\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n
Mohler does not appear to realize that when he focused on the battle between erotic and religious liberty, he has ignored the battle between satanic bondage and spiritual liberty.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts<\/i> of wickedness in the heavenly places.\u201d\u00a0 <\/i>(Ephesians 6:12 NKJV)<\/p>\n
Uniting with the works of darkness to oppose the works of darkness is like jumping in the ocean to stop a tsunami. \u00a0The church has never needed satanic groups to help them win any battle.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then will his kingdom stand?\u201d\u00a0 (Matthew 12:26 NKJV)<\/p>\n
Second, we have to consider the true purpose of ecumenism.\u00a0 Warren and his associates declare that it is about world peace and preservation of religious freedom.\u00a0 Obviously, there can be no communion of light with darkness unless the light is turned down low enough not to significantly affect the darkness.\u00a0 It is impossible to \u201cbrighten\u201d the darkness.\u00a0 Light always overcomes darkness and it is never the opposite.\u00a0 Warren\u2019s ecumenism attempts to blend light with darkness will result in a compromise that will destroy the faith of many nominal Christians.\u00a0 Someone recently informed me that the reason nominal Christians fall into apostasy is not the fault of the deceiver, but their own fault for being weak.\u00a0 All I will say about that remark is I am glad that he is not my shepherd.<\/p>\n
Third, we must realize that just as all the nations will merge into a global government, all religions (including apostate Christianity) will merge into a global religion.\u00a0 The Antichrist will become the head of the global government and the False Prophet will lead the global religion.\u00a0 We are witnessing the world racing toward a global union at the present.\u00a0 If we are in the last days, then we must consider that ecumenism is a major step in forming a global religion.\u00a0 An apathetic attitude toward end time\u2019s events will result in many professing Christians being captured under the spell of the False Prophet and Antichrist.\u00a0 Some of these apathetic ones have declared that it doesn\u2019t matter; that they are going to heaven no matter what.\u00a0 My response is that eternity is final, and there are no second chances.\u00a0 It is a dangerous gamble to leave this earth as a subject of Satan and expect God to overlook the fact that your earthly king murdered and tortured millions of Christians.<\/p>\n
\u201cDo you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one\u2019s slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading<\/i> to death, or of obedience leading<\/i> to righteousness?\u201d (Romans 6:16 NKJV)<\/p>\n
We must also consider eschatology (the doctrine of last things) in God\u2019s word. One of the most troubling patterns I see developing in modern Christianity is ignoring or outright rejecting eschatology.\u00a0 In my opinion, this diminishing of eschatology is preventing people from recognizing the work of Satan involved in this final deception and apostasy.\u00a0 It cannot be a decree from God since we are warned to pay close attention to the signs of the end.\u00a0 In Matthew 24:33-34, Christ said, \u201cSo you also, when you see all these things, know that it is near\u2014at the doors! Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all these things take place.\u201d\u00a0 I have read and heard misinterpretations of this passage.\u00a0 The correct interpretation is that the generation that witnesses all the things that Christ taught in Matthew 24 will be the last generation.\u00a0 When we see the things that Christ taught occurring, we must consider that we are that last generation.<\/p>\n
All the end times prophesies have either been fulfilled, or are being fulfilled, or have the potential to be fulfilled very quickly.\u00a0 In the secular realm, a gregarious and charismatic individual has ascended to the presidency and is leading our nation toward the global government.\u00a0 In the religious realm, a gregarious and charismatic individual has ascended to the head of Christianity and is leading Christianity into a global religion.\u00a0 Avoid ecumenism at all costs, even if it means separating from a denomination that supports it.\u00a0 I am a witness of what it might cost one to separate from a denomination heading the wrong direction, but one priceless benefit is the preservation of one\u2019s spiritual liberty, the liberty by which Christ has made us free (Galatians 5:1).\u00a0 These are not normal times.\u00a0 It is an extremely deceptive period.\u00a0 Nominal Christians may not survive it.\u00a0 Heed the warnings, guard your hearts and minds, pray, and focus on eternity.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you faint in the day of adversity, your strength is<\/i> small.\u201d (Proverbs 24:10 NKJV)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
In this final period before the apocalypse, we must recognize insidious schemes at work in the religious and secular realms.\u00a0 If we do not recognize these very clever schemes and wiles of Satan during this great deception, we could be lured into apostasy.\u00a0 It will be difficult to discern them because they mimic a work […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-280","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","post-preview"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/paIm2N-4w","jetpack-related-posts":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.truthkeepers.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/280"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.truthkeepers.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.truthkeepers.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.truthkeepers.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.truthkeepers.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=280"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.truthkeepers.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/280\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":283,"href":"https:\/\/www.truthkeepers.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/280\/revisions\/283"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.truthkeepers.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=280"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.truthkeepers.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=280"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.truthkeepers.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=280"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}