Greetings,
Events continue to move with speed. No doubt there are many currents below the surface that we know very little about. However what we can see is enough to indicate the importance of events which are shaping the world. One particular trend can be observed by watching and listening to the present Pope. His message is clearly one of religious unity, or as he put it, “full communion between the Churches.”
Back in Rome after a trip to Israel, he made these comments. “Dear Brothers and Sisters: My apostolic journey to the Holy Land in these days was a great grace for me and for the whole Church. It commemorated the fiftieth anniversary of the meeting of Pope Paul VI and Ecumenical Patriarch Athenagoras, which marked a milestone along the path to Christian unity. Patriarch Bartholomaios and I prayed together as brothers before the tomb of the Risen Lord and we renewed our commitment to work for full communion between the Churches … As you know, I have invited the Presidents of Israel and Palestine to join me in praying for peace. Finally, I wished to confirm in faith the Christian communities in the Holy Land, to acknowledge their difficulties and to support their charitable and educational works. May the prayer and solidarity of the entire Church sustain their witness to the Gospel message of hope and reconciliation, and help to bring God’s gift of peace to those blessed lands.” Key phrases are, “the whole Church,” “full communion,” “prayer and solidarity of the entire Church” and “Gospel message of hope and reconciliation.” Clearly he is working toward gathering all the wayward religious offshoots that have broken away or been formed apart from the “mother” church.
What is amazing is the degree of enthusiasm there appears to be for the Pope’s message. The message is packaged by a Pope that appears to be quite different to his predecessors – more a man of the people, someone the average person can relate to. This packaging carries strong appeal in a world becoming more and more turned off and skeptical by abuses of authority – religious and otherwise. The world stage seemingly is being set for the acceptance of a strong political system with powerful leadership. A system that will promise to bring peace and prosperity – a political/economic entity backed and supported by a religious system to which, “the kings of the earth … and the inhabitants of the earth” have submitted themselves (Revelation 17:2; 18:3). The desire for peace and unity is strong in a world of division and hatred.
The irony for God’s people is that the words of the Pope so closely match our desires. All of the key phrases mentioned above could be applied literally to the desires we all have in regard to the unity and oneness of God’s people. We may think that there is no way we would be deceived by this system since this is revealed knowledge and we can identify what is happening. But what about a parallel line of thought built on ecumenism? Consider these quotes in regard to a less rigid approach to unity and peace:
“While describing themselves as “spiritual,” increasing numbers of Westerners embrace “no religious affiliation.” With creed, commandments, and ritual increasingly falling by the wayside, many accept any brand of spirituality that floats their metaphorical boat.
Today’s burgeoning ecumenicalism wrongly mixes universalism with humanism and Eastern philosophies: Having convened in Detroit (January 2014), the World Sabbath of Religious Reconciliation featured Hindu dancers cavorting all the while Muslims droned “the Call” and Jews blew their shofars. This merge-and-splurge display of empty religiosity serves only to morph traditional faith systems into oblivion. Apart from the God of the Bible, emerging, pie-in-the-sky esotericism threatens to deceive multitudes; and that’s precisely what it will do.”
While God’s people are not likely to want to adopt the false concepts of religious worship referred to here, think about the attitude behind it. A strong desire for peace and unity could cause us to overlook certain basic tenants of belief in the pursuit of relief from the division and separation that currently exists within the Church. To have an open heart towards God’s scattered sheep is not to have an open mind to worldly ecumenism.
When the lawless one comes onto the scene, with Satan’s help he unleashes “unrighteous deception” and “strong delusion.” Paul told the church in Thessalonica that those who would not fall for this powerful deception would be those who had a “love of the truth” and believed in that truth (2 Thessalonians 2:8-12). Loving God’s truth is not guaranteed to provide a smooth, peaceful path of life for us. After all, Christ made it clear that the Way is narrow and difficult (Matthew 7:13-14).
If we read the signs carefully, it is clear that this is a time for us to dig deep and to be laying a personal foundation of truth. The storm clouds are gathering.
Warm Regards,
Brian Orchard
