Posted on 08/20/2009 12:30:40 PM PDT by IbJensen
As observers continue to decipher the meaning of Benedict XVI’s latest encyclical, Caritas in Veritate, all appear to agree that the passage of note, the passage that may prove historic in its implications, is the one that is already becoming known as the “world political authority” paragraph:
In the face of the unrelenting growth of global interdependence, there is a strongly felt need, even in the midst of a global recession, for a reform of the United Nations Organization, and likewise of economic institutions and international finance, so that the concept of the family of nations can acquire real teeth. One also senses the urgent need to find innovative ways of implementing the principle of the responsibility to protect and of giving poorer nations an effective voice in shared decision-making. This seems necessary in order to arrive at a political, juridical and economic order which can increase and give direction to international cooperation for the development of all peoples in solidarity. To manage the global economy; to revive economies hit by the crisis; to avoid any deterioration of the present crisis and the greater imbalances that would result; to bring about integral and timely disarmament, food security and peace; to guarantee the protection of the environment and to regulate migration: for all this, there is urgent need of a true world political authority. . . .
Could Benedict be in favor of world government, as many now believe? Taken in the context of papal writings since the dawn of the UN, as well as Benedict’s own opinions, recorded both before and after his election as pope, the passage gains another meaning. It is in reality a profound challenge to the UN, and the other international organizations, to make themselves worthy of authority, of the authority that they already possess, and worthy of the expansion of authority that appears to be necessary in light of the accelerated pace of globalization.
It is true that Benedict believes that a transnational organization must be empowered to address transnational problems. But so has every pope since John XXIII, who wrote in 1963 that “Today the universal common good presents us with problems which are worldwide in their dimensions; problems, therefore, which cannot be solved except by a public authority with power, organization, and means coextensive with these problems, and with a worldwide sphere of activity. Consequently the moral order itself demands the establishment of some such form of public authority.”
But such an authority has been established, and we have lived with it since 1948, and in many ways it has disappointed. So Benedict turns John XXIII’s formulation on its head: Morality no longer simply demands a global social order; now Benedict underscores that this existing social order must operate in accord with morality. He ends his own passage on world authority by stating that “The integral development of peoples and international cooperation require the establishment of a greater international ordering, marked by subsidiarity, for the management of globalization. They also require the construction of a social order that at last conforms to the moral order. . . .” Note the phrase “at last.”
What went wrong? According to Benedict, a world authority worthy of this authority would need “to make a commitment to securing authentic integral human development inspired by the values of charity in truth.” The obvious implication is that the current UN has not made this commitment.
To understand how the UN has failed, we must delve into the rest of the encyclical. According to Benedict, the goal of all international institutions must be “authentic integral human development.” This human development must be inspired by truth, in this case, the truth about humanity. Pursuit of this truth reveals that each human being possesses absolute worth; therefore, authentic human development is predicated on a radical defense of life.
This link is made repeatedly in Caritas in Veritate. “Openness to life is at the center of true development. . . . The acceptance of life strengthens moral fiber and makes people capable of mutual help. . . . They can promote virtuous action within the perspective of production that is morally sound and marked by solidarity, respecting the fundamental right to life of every people and individual.”
To some, it must seem startling how often Benedict comes back to life in an encyclical ostensibly dedicated to economics and globalization. But this must be understood as Benedict’s effort to humanize globalization. It can be seen as the global application of John Paul II’s own encyclical on life, Evengelium Vitae.
Without this understanding of the primacy of life, international development is bound to fail: “Who could measure the negative effects of this kind of mentality for development? How can we be surprised by the indifference shown towards situations of human degradation, when such indifference extends even to our attitude towards what is and is not human?”
Throughout the encyclical, Benedict is unsparing in the ways in which the current international order contributes to this failure; no major front in the war over life is left unmentioned, from population control, to bioethics, to euthanasia.
But none of this should come as a surprise. Since at least as far back as the UN’s major conferences of the 1990s—Cairo and Beijing—Benedict has known that the UN has adopted a model of development conformed to the culture of death. He no doubt assisted John Paul II in his successful efforts to stop these conferences from establishing an international right to abortion-on-demand. At the time, Benedict said, “Today there is no longer a ‘philosophy of love’ but only a ‘philosophy of selfishness.’ It is precisely here that people are deceived. In fact, at the moment they are advised not to love, they are advised, in the final analysis, not to be human. For this reason, at this stage of the development of the new image of the new world, Christians . . . have a duty to protest.”
Now, in his teaching role as pope, Benedict is not simply protesting but offering the Christian alternative, the full exposition of authentic human development. Whether or not the UN can meet the philosophical challenges necessary to promote this true development remains uncertain. But it should not be assumed that Benedict is sanguine; after all, he begins his purported embrace of world government with a call for UN “reform,” not expansion.
Nothing else fits the reality.
Some folks really must think we are utterly clueless lobotomized idiots, to think otherwise.
Well put, imho.
I STRONGLY AGREE
THAT THE PRIORITY, PRIMARY, ULTIMATE, MOST INFLUENTIAL
BATTLEFIELD
IS
SPIRITUAL.
I AGREE 100%
I guess I also consider pontifical political comments giving aid and comfort and encouragement to a global tyrannical satanic government
TO BE
SPIRITUAL as well.
GIVEN that the global government is already established . . .
GIVEN that the global government has for more than 100 years clearly been satanic in generation, motivation, guidance, goals . . .
THEN
the Pope’s nice words about integral, subsidiarity, TRUTH IN LOVE
etc. etc. etc.
are now and will become more so
mere chaff
thrown into the fires of hell burning ever more vigorously in the halls of global power.
They are at best . . . pitiful graspings at straws for the satanic fires of globalism.
Great seeing you on this thread. You’re needed.
You’ve still failed to deal with my points on the matter.
I realize that REALITY makes it difficult for you to do so. But I had expected some effort.
Oh, you are such a cynic, dear brother in Christ!
Perhaps this is what prevents you from reading the piece in the spirit in which it was intended and offered.
The Pope is trying to rescue us from "the satanic powers of globalism!"
Thanks for inviting me over.... I’m going to have to “get up to speed” on this thread, though... :-)
FWIW, Pope Benedict seems not to hold OThuga in very high regard. And that is likewise on OThuga's part. The Pope is HARDLY OThuga's "enabler." He knows that each of them works for a different "boss."
Yeah. I noticed that, too. American Jews must have been suffering from a bad case of cognitive dissonance to manage that. Unless they are of the Anti-Zionist (anti Israel as a sovereign state) party, in which case their voting for Obama would make perfect sense.
I, too, do pray most earnestly for the United States and Israel.
Than you for your insightful essay/post, dearest sister in Christ!
Cynic?
Interesting issue vis a vis myself.
Most of my students and quite a number close to me face to face and even my wife have often characterized me as an incurable optimist.
I probably see myself as more of a skeptical bent whether cynical or not.
However, in this case, no.
The facts lead no where else.
You have concurred that the world government is already in place. Thanks for that. I was beginning to be concerned about your perceptiveness.
GIVEN that the world government is in place . . .
IT DOES NOT MATTER HOW I READ THE POPE’S ENCYCLICAL.
DO YOU, BETTY, REALLY
IMAGINE, FANTASIZE, CONSTRUE, PRETEND, EXTRAPOLATE
HONESTLY, perhaps in front of your mirror,
THAT THE SATANIC WORLD OLIGARCHY
WOULD READ THE POPE’S WORDS ANY OTHER WAY
but cynically?
It probably doesn’t even matter to the satanic oligarchy how 1+ billion Roman Catholics read those words. The oligarchy might decide . . . ahhh . . . well . . . those RC’s who read the words and feel all warm & fuzzy about them can be scheduled for the 3rd and 4th tier trains to the death camps. Those that read them cynically can be scheduled for the 1st and 2nd tier trains.
And, within the leash God has them on . . .
THEY are the ones with the military and economic powers to force their cynical tyrannical satanic global governmnet more and more overtly on the planet . . . quite in keeping, sadly,
WITH THE POPE’S CALL FOR GREATER GLOBAL CONTROLs over the list of things he mentioned. No doubt, to the gleeful applause of the satanic global oligarchy.
I don’t see those last lines as anything other than good reality testing and understanding of objective current realities.
Put another way, I’m evidently far less in denial about such than even most FREEPERS, sadly.
Thanks thanks.
There does, thankfully, appear to be some evidence to support those assertions. PTL.
Satan has been trying for a lot longer than a hundred years to thwart the will of God.
But no one and no thing can thwart the will of God. Certainly not a nation or a family of nations.
And thereto the world will experience the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.
I have not concurred that "the world government is already in place."
I only acknowledged that the world is becoming increasingly globalized in its relations, and this is the spontaneous result of the tremendously powerful technological revolution of the past few decades. E.g., the Internet, global communications, information technologies in support of cross-border activities such as, for instance, the IMF, World Bank, and so forth. It's already a "done deal." Nobody "planned this from the top." It just emerged from the new technical capabilities which had enormous cultural effects in the political, economic/financial, cultural, and personal spheres.
I can't shake the feeling that you are arguing with a straw man, dear brother in Christ.
Evil men will read the Pope according to their evil. But you are not an evil man.
It seems quite certain the facts lead YOU no where else.
Big deal.
Well..., I know that there are several others who covers these threads much more than I do, but if I ever get into them, it’s always going to be from the following standpoint. And that’s the one that *has to be understood* by all Christians, if they are worth of the name — “Christian”...
I take this particular information from someone I have followed for years (among many others, of course, that I have followed) which also represents my understanding of the matter...
I’ve met Mike Gendron and talked with him on several occasions. It’s been at conferences. I’ve also followed him in his ministry and because of him actually being a Catholic for over 30 years, he brings very good and precise insight into the Catholic Church, from one who was dedicated to it.
This first “section” is about who Mike Gendron is (i.e. some background...). The second part is his article on “CATHOLIC CHRISTIANS - IS THIS AN OXYMORON?”. And then following that, at the bottom, is more about the ministry that he has and the statement of beliefs.
This is from Mike Gendron of “Proclaiming the Gospel Ministries”
http://pro-gospel.org/x2/content/view/1/1/
—
WELCOME TO PROCLAIMING THE GOSPEL MINISTRIES WITH MIKE GENDRON
Proclaiming the Gospel Ministries was established in 1991 by Mike Gendron to serve and glorify the Lord Jesus Christ by equipping and encouraging Christians to proclaim the Gospel clearly, faithfully and effectively. The ministry also exposes the fatal errors of Roman Catholicism, Islam and apostate Christianity, along with other faith movements such as the emerging church, purpose driven church and the church growth movement. We also proclaim the soon return of the Lord Jesus Christ and exhort believers to contend earnestly for the faith until that glorious day.
As a Roman Catholic for over 30 years, I was taught from the Catechism that salvation was by faith plus baptism, the sacraments, good works, law keeping, the sacrifice of the Mass, indulgences, purgatory and penance. According to God’s infallible word, this is another gospel that deceives Catholics with a false hope. Only when Catholics trust the Lord Jesus Christ as their all-sufficient savior will they know they are saved completely and forever!
MIKE GENDRON
As Director of Proclaiming the Gospel Ministry, Mike works through local churches equipping the saints to effectively and faithfully communicate the Gospel of grace. He has taught the students and faculty at The Master’s Seminary, Dallas Theological Seminary, Moody Bible and Tyndale Theological Seminary. Mike is the author of Preparing Catholics for Eternity and Roman Catholicism: Scripture vs. Tradition, along with other resources that make the Gospel clear to those who are trapped in religious deception. Since graduating from Dallas Theological Seminary in 1991, Mike has conducted short-term missions trips and taught in hundreds of churches throughout the world.
CATHOLIC CHRISTIANS - IS THIS AN OXYMORON?
http://pro-gospel.org/x2/content/view/32/1/
Webster’s dictionary defines an oxymoron as “a combination of contradictory words,” such as jumbo shrimp, tight slacks and pretty ugly. Would you put Catholic Christian into this category? Some would say “no”, because they believe Roman Catholicism is a Christian denomination. Others, who know the official teachings of the Catholic Church contradict the essentials of the Gospel would say “yes.” We propose that a Catholic Christian is indeed an oxymoron for two reasons: 1) whom we are is what we believe, and 2) it is impossible for anyone to believe two opposing views simultaneously. We recognize that there may be some Christians attending the Catholic Church but if they have believed the Gospel they are no longer Catholics. Let us consider the contradictory beliefs of Catholics and Christians. By definition we will propose a Christian is one who believes the Gospel while a Catholic is one who believes the official teachings and traditions of his church (presented by paragraph number from the Catechism of the Catholic Church).
— AUTHORITY —
A Christian believes Scripture has authority over church. All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness (2 Tim. 3:16). By setting forth the truth plainly we commend ourselves to every man’s conscience (2 Cor. 4:2).
A Catholic believes the Church has authority over Scriptures. The manner of interpreting Scripture is ultimately subject to the judgment of the Church which exercises the divinely conferred commission and ministry of watching over and interpreting the Word of God (119).
— JUSTIFICATION —
A Christian is justified once by faith because justification is a permanent declaration by God (Romans 8:30). However, to the man who does not work but trusts God who justifies the wicked, his faith is credited as righteousness (Romans 4:5).
A Catholic is justified repeatedly by sacraments and works because he loses the grace of justification each time a mortal sin is committed. The sacrament of Penance offers a new possibility to convert and to recover the grace of justification (1446).
— REGENERATION —
A Christian believes he is regenerated at baptism of the Spirit. For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body (1 Cor. 12:13), from the beginning God chose you to be saved through the sanctifying work of the Spirit and through belief in the truth (2 Thes. 2:13).
A Catholic believes baptism of water imparts divine life, the water of Baptism truly signifies our birth into the divine life (694).
— SALVATION —
A Christian is saved by God’s unmerited grace. For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God, not by works, so that no one can boast (Eph. 2:8-9).
A Catholic is saved by meriting the graces needed for salvation. We can merit for ourselves and for others the graces needed for the attainment of eternal life (2010).
A Christian is saved for good works. For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do (Eph. 2:10).
A Catholic is saved by good works. The sacraments of the New Covenant are necessary for salvation (1129).
A Christian is saved for all eternity. And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance. (Eph. 1:13-14).
A Catholic is saved until a mortal sin is committed. Those who die in a state of mortal sin descend into hell (1035).
A Christian believes salvation is offered to those outside the church. “We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors as though God were making His appeal through us” (2 Cor. 5:20).
A Catholic believes salvation is offered through the Church. Basing itself on Scripture and Tradition, the Council teaches that the Church, a pilgrim now on earth, is necessary for salvation. Anyone refusing to enter it or remain in it cannot be saved (846).
A Christian is purified by the blood of Jesus. The blood of Jesus...purifies us from all sin (1 John 1:7).
A Catholic is purified by the fires of Purgatory. They undergo purification in Purgatory, so as to achieve the holiness necessary to enter the joy of heaven (1030-31).
— SAINTS AND PRIESTS —
A Christian becomes a saint when the Spirit baptizes him into the body of Christ. And He gave some...for the equipping of the saints...the body of Christ (Eph. 4:11-12).
A Catholic becomes a saint only if the Pope canonizes them. This occurs when he solemnly proclaims that they practiced a heroic virtue and lived in fidelity to God’s grace (828).
A Christian is a priest. But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God (1 Peter 2:9).
A Catholic needs a priest. Catholic priests are said to be apostolic successors and guarantee that Christ is acting in the sacraments to dispense divine life (1120-1131).
— THE LORD’S SUPPER —
A Christian believes the Lord’s Supper is a memorial. “Do this in remembrance of me” (1 Cor. 11:24-25).
A Catholic believes the Lord’s Supper is sacrifice. The sacrifice of Christ and the sacrifice of the Eucharist are one single sacrifice...the same Christ who offered Himself once in a bloody manner on the altar of the cross is contained and offered in an unbloody manner (1367).
A Christian receives Jesus once, spiritually, in the heart. Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God (John 1:12). God... put his Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee (2 Cor. 1:22).
A Catholic believes he receives Jesus physically, frequently, in the stomach. The body, blood...soul and divinity of our Lord Jesus Christ...is truly, really and substantially contained in the Eucharist (1374-78).
— CONDEMNATION —
A Christian is condemned by the Roman Catholic Church. Over 100 anathema’s have been pronounced against Christians by the Roman Catholic Councils of Trent and Vatican II. These condemnations are still in effect today and can only be lifted if a Christian returns in submission to the authority of the pope.
A Catholic is condemned by the Word of God. There is a judge for the one who rejects me and does not accept my words; that very word which I spoke will condemn him at the last day (John 12:48). If we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let him be eternally condemned! (Gal. 1:6-9).
These thirteen teachings and traditions of Roman Catholicism demonstrate that a Catholic Christian is indeed an oxymoron. They also affirm how man made traditions nullify the Word of God (Mark 7:7-13). There are many Evangelicals and Roman Catholics who are unaware of how diametrically opposed Catholic dogmas are to the Word of God. The truth must be told. Catholics who believe they are Christians must be lovingly confronted with the truth. Evangelicals must be educated so they can proclaim the true gospel to Catholics instead of uniting with them under a compromised and diluted gospel.
God’s truth coupled with Satan’s lies always produces an oxymoron. Yet the “father of lies” continues to seduce many by mixing a little error with truth. In the final analysis, truth mixed with error never hurts the error, it only contaminates the truth. The veneer of truth covering the false gospel of Rome is deceiving not only Catholics but many Protestants as well. Let us persuade Catholics to turn from the errors of man’s teachings to the truth of God’s Word!
God defines truth with His Word (John 17:17). It is objective, authoritative and sufficient! We must use it to expose the evil deeds of darkness, to set captives free from the bondage of deception and to protect God’s children from being deceived.
A full reading of who Mike Gendron is... (part given up above...)
http://pro-gospel.org/x2/content/view/1/1/
WELCOME TO PROCLAIMING THE GOSPEL MINISTRIES WITH MIKE GENDRON
Proclaiming the Gospel Ministries was established in 1991 by Mike Gendron to serve and glorify the Lord Jesus Christ by equipping and encouraging Christians to proclaim the Gospel clearly, faithfully and effectively. The ministry also exposes the fatal errors of Roman Catholicism, Islam and apostate Christianity, along with other faith movements such as the emerging church, purpose driven church and the church growth movement. We also proclaim the soon return of the Lord Jesus Christ and exhort believers to contend earnestly for the faith until that glorious day.
As a Roman Catholic for over 30 years, I was taught from the Catechism that salvation was by faith plus baptism, the sacraments, good works, law keeping, the sacrifice of the Mass, indulgences, purgatory and penance. According to God’s infallible word, this is another gospel that deceives Catholics with a false hope. Only when Catholics trust the Lord Jesus Christ as their all-sufficient savior will they know they are saved completely and forever!
MIKE GENDRON
As Director of Proclaiming the Gospel Ministry, Mike works through local churches equipping the saints to effectively and faithfully communicate the Gospel of grace. He has taught the students and faculty at The Master’s Seminary, Dallas Theological Seminary, Moody Bible and Tyndale Theological Seminary. Mike is the author of Preparing Catholics for Eternity and Roman Catholicism: Scripture vs. Tradition, along with other resources that make the Gospel clear to those who are trapped in religious deception. Since graduating from Dallas Theological Seminary in 1991, Mike has conducted short-term missions trips and taught in hundreds of churches throughout the world.
THE PURPOSE OF PROCLAIMING THE GOSPEL MINISTRIES
1. To urge Roman Catholics to renounce their faith in anything that opposes or nullifies the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
2. To persuade Roman Catholics to personally place their complete trust in Jesus Christ, His word, His grace, His redemption, His perfect sacrifice, His substitutionary atonement, and His finished work, so they can be saved from the power and penalty of sin and become children of God.
3. To expose the doctrines of the Roman Catholic Church that oppose or nullify the true Gospel, so people can know truth from error and not be deceived.
4. To awaken Christians and evangelical churches to the reality that Catholics who adhere to the official dogmas of the Roman Catholic Church need to hear the gospel and repent from their dead works. (Hebrews 6:1)
THE METHODS WE USE
Proclaiming The Gospel ministers to people in several ways, including:
1. Books, tapes, tracts and videos developed specifically for evangelizing Roman Catholics.
2. Group studies in homes or churches that proclaim the Gospel and expose the unscriptural teachings of Roman Catholicism
3. Teaching seminars for Christians who want to become involved in evangelizing Roman Catholics.
4. A bi-monthly newsletter with articles of interest, ideas for witnessing to Catholics, testimonies, current events, theological and doctrinal contrasts, etc.
5. Discipleship for former Catholics who, after leaving the Catholic Church, may experience feelings of guilt, doubt or family rejection.
THE MINISTRIES ORGANIZATION
We are an independent, evangelical mission working in and through local churches to spread the Gospel to the 60 million Roman Catholics in America and the 900,000,000 world-wide. We are supported by donations from individual Christians and churches. All donations go directly to fulfilling the vision and purposes of the ministry.
—
PROCLAIMING THE GOSPEL MINISTRIES DOCTRINAL STATEMENT
THE HOLY SCRIPTURES
We believe the holy Scriptures are the inspired Word of God, the final authority for faith and life, inerrant in the original writings, eternal, infallible and God breathed.
TOTAL DEPRAVITY OF PEOPLE
We believe that man was created in the image and likeness of God, but that in Adam’s sin the human race fell, inherited a sinful nature, and became alienated from God. Now all people are totally depraved and, of themselves, utterly unable to remedy their lost condition.
SALVATION THROUGH JESUS ALONE
We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ, eternal Son of God, became man, without ceasing to be God, having been conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary, in order that He might reveal God and redeem sinful man. A new life implanted by the Holy Spirit through the Word, is absolutely essential to salvation. Our redemption is accomplished solely by the blood of our Savior, who was made to be sin for us, dying in our place, and paying the complete penalty for all our sins. No sincere efforts to be good, no submission to rules and regulations of any church, no human merit of any kind, no sacraments, no indulgences or purifying fire can take the place of or be added to the finished work of Christ on Calvary.
SALVATION BY FAITH ALONE
We believe that salvation is the gift of God brought to man by God’s grace and received by personal faith alone in the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Once saved, all the redeemed are kept by God’s power and are thus secure in Christ forever.
Mike Gendron being interviewed on Jan Markell’s Ministry program — Olive Tree Ministries (see at bottom for Jan Markell and Olive Tree Ministries...)
July 25, 2009 - Hour 2
http://mp3.olivetreeviews.org/OTM2009_07_25B.mp3
Mike Gendron joins Jan to discuss the coming one-world religion and his new DVD teaching about this. Part of the discussion centers on the “False Prophet,” the Catholic Church in the last days, and rush for global government and a global religion. Who will the players be in this false religious system, and how can we see it shaping up today. And why are so many evangelicals aligning with Rome with its many false doctrines? Find Gendron’s DVD here.
http://www.pro-gospel.org/
—
May 30, 2009 - WEB BONUS SPECIAL
http://mp3.olivetreeviews.org/OTM2009_05_30X.mp3
Mike Gendron’s message at “Understanding the Times 2008,” “The Death of Discernment and its Consequences.” You can order CDs or DVDs here. at greatly marked-down prices. Other speakers include Dr. David Reagan, Bill Koenig, and Nonie Darwish.
—
February 28, 2009 - Hour 2
http://mp3.olivetreeviews.org/OTM2009_02_28B.mp3
Mike Gendron and Jan discuss the marks of a false teacher. Learn how to recognize those who are and what to do about it. Why have they grown exponentially in the last 25 years? Learn why the “judge not” verse in the Bible has nothing to do with judging these false teachers and why it is important to name names today. Gendron was one of our “Understanding the Times” 2008 speakers. Complete CD and DVD sets can be ordered here.
http://www.pro-gospel.org/
—
September 13, 2008 - Hour 1
http://mp3.olivetreeviews.org/OTM2008_09_13A.mp3
Mike Gendron joins Jan in a continuing discussion on the death of discernment. How and when did it happen? Is it in the Bible? What can the average Christian who has some discernment do when pastors and Christian leaders stray from truth? Then Justin Peters shares his devastation when he was not healed by a Word of Faith teacher. He then presents the many doctrinal errors in the Word of Faith movement and names the names of the movement’s leaders, as well details of their faulty theology.
http://www.pro-gospel.org/
http://www.justinpeters.org/
—
March 15, 2008 - Hour 1
http://mp3.olivetreeviews.org/OTM2008_03_15A.mp3
Mike Gendron lays out a roadmap to apostasy. What are the tell-tale signs? What can one do? Is it too late to stop this engine now on a slippery slope? Around the world it follows a pattern that goes in stages outlined by Mike. And as the Bible predicted, it is growing exponentially. Mike is one of our 2008 Understanding the Times’ speakers. See “CONFERENCES.”
http://www.pro-gospel.org/
—
November 17, 2007 - Hour 1
http://mp3.olivetreeviews.org/OTM2007_11_17A.mp3
Mike Gendron was a Catholic for 30 years and now has a ministry to them. He and Jan talk current events and apologetics in his field of specialty. They also discuss the Willow Creek statement spoken by Bill Hybels renouncing the “seeker” methods, but what is the new course for Willow Creek? Is it really a reversal or an admission of Emergent-friendly methods and “Kingdom Now” theology?
http://www.pro-gospel.org/
—
March 17, 2007 - Hour 1
http://mp3.olivetreeviews.org/OTM2007_03_17A.mp3
Mike Gendron lays out a roadmap to apostasy. What are the tell-tale signs? What can one do? Is it too late to stop this engine now on a slippery slope? Around the world it follows a pattern that goes in stages outlined by Mike. Gendron also has an outreach to bring Catholics out of the Catholic church.
http://www.pro-gospel.org/
October 28, 2006 - Hour 1
http://mp3.olivetreeviews.org/OTM2006_10_28A.mp3
Mike Gendron is a former Catholic who now heads “Proclaiming the Gospel Ministries.” He explains the unusual relationship shared by Catholics and Muslims and suggests this is the beginning of what will eventually become a one world religion. He is one of the best at refuting Catholic theology and has many products to help people reach their Catholic friends and loved ones. http://www.pro-gospel.org
October 28, 2006 - Hour 2
http://mp3.olivetreeviews.org/OTM2006_10_28B.mp3
Mike Gendron is a former Catholic who now heads “Proclaiming the Gospel Ministries.” He continues explaining the unusual relationship shared by Catholics and Muslims and suggests this is the beginning of what will eventually become a one world religion. He is one of the best at refuting Catholic theology and has many products to help people reach their Catholic friends and loved ones.
http://www.pro-gospel.org/
—
May 6, 2006 - Hour 1
http://mp3.olivetreeviews.org/OTM2006_05_06A.mp3
Mike Gendron discusses the death of discernment today. What has caused it and what can be done to change it? He heads “Proclaiming the Gospel Ministries,” which also reaches out to Catholics.
http://www.pro-gospel.org/
—
April 23, 2005 - Hour 1
http://mp3.olivetreeviews.org/OTM2005_04_23A.mp3
Jan talks with Mike Gendron, leading apologist against Catholic theology, on the papacy, its likely role in prophecy, on reaching Catholics for Christ, and on the coming “one world religion” and religious leader.
—
April 23, 2005 - Hour 2
http://mp3.olivetreeviews.org/OTM2005_04_23B.mp3
Jan and Mike Gendron conclude their discussion on the papacy, the potential for Catholicism in prophecy, the problems with Catholic theology, and the coming “one world religion” with the possibility of Catholicism’s role in that. More response to this program than any other in four years.
Jan Markell, Founder and President of Olive Tree Ministries, was saved under Jewish evangelist Hyman Appleman when she was a child. In Jan’s early ministry years she was a part of the Messianic movement, worked for pro-Israel agencies, and for Jewish evangelism ministries.
In 1982, Jan incorporated Olive Tree Ministries and the goals of the ministry can be read at “Our Purpose.” Jan has written eight major books with prominent Christian publishing houses. She has produced a dozen DVDs, some featured on Sky Angel. At one time she traveled full time across America as a speaker. Visit our store to see some of the products by Jan that are available for purchase.
In the year 2000, Jan launched a radio branch of the ministry starting first on AM980 KKMS, Minneapolis/St. Paul. In 2004, the program was syndicated nationally and is heard internationally on the Internet. “Understanding the Times” radio has been received well as a source of news and information hard to find.
“Understanding the Times” is interview and commentary-driven. Learn more at the “Radio Show” category. We have had e-mail response from across America and from two-dozen foreign countries listening to the program.
The ministry has five employees including Jan’s personal assistant Heidi Swander. Other employees assist in radio production and technical areas.
Olive Tree Ministries is a registered 501©3 organization.
Olive Tree Ministries Radio Program and website
http://www.olivetreeviews.org/
This is not about the current pope, but the same things apply here...
POPE JOHN PAUL’S DISPUTABLE INFLUENCE ON CHRISTIANITY
If ever there was a more important time for faithful servants of our Lord Jesus Christ to take a stand for the truth, it is now. Many evangelicals are praising John Paul II for being a great spiritual leader. But why are they giving such honor to the former head of an apostate church which keeps over a billion people in spiritual darkness?
There are times when our faith is tested and this is indeed such a time. Will we honor the Lord Jesus or praise the pope who denied the sufficiency of Christ and rejected His finished work of redemption? Will we earnestly contend for the faith or say what the world wants to hear? On the Larry King Live show (2/24/05), Billy Graham praised John Paul as “the greatest moral and spiritual leader of the last 100 years.” Graham said: “He’s traveled the whole world, giving his version of the Gospel and spreading the Catholic faith.” Later on April 2, after his death, Graham told King that there is no question John Paul II is now with the Lord. Jack Van Impe also assured his TV audience on April 16 that the pope is now in heaven. Rob Moll, the online assistant editor for Christianity Today wrote: “The pope stood for truth, as revealed in God’s Word and his creation.”
This pope never claimed to be God, but he took pleasure in being addressed with titles reserved for God alone. He usurped the titles “Holy Father” from God the Father, “The Head of the Church” from the Lord Jesus Christ and “The Vicar of Christ” from the Holy Spirit, whom Jesus promised to send in His place. John Paul often sat in pompous arrogance on his royal throne as his loyal subjects knelt before him. Never did he refuse worship as Peter did when men fell at his feet. Peter, knowing that only God deserved such reverence, immediately ordered: “Stand up; I too am just a man” (Acts 10:26).
Who knew that Pope John Paul II would have greater success in deceiving the world after his death than during his 26-year pontificate? Who knew the global media would become his willing partner in spreading his perverted theology? Through non-stop television coverage, the pope’s church became the world’s stage. All eyes were focused on the St. Peter’s Basilica, the very church that was financed with the filthy lucre obtained from the sale of God’s forgiveness through indulgences. Its princes enjoyed the media spotlight as they piously masqueraded in their purple and scarlet robes as “ministers of righteousness.” They successfully cast a spell over the TV audience with the splendor or their rituals and the pomp and pageantry of their pagan traditions. The magnificence and grandeur of this corrupt religion bewitched much of the gullible world into believing this is what Christianity is all about. Thousands of hopelessly deceived people stood in long lines for as long as 18 hours to venerate a dead man with a rosary in his hands and a twisted crucifix by his side. The idolatrous veneration and adoration of Pope John Paul II was unprecedented. His elaborate and theatrical funeral was said to be the largest in human history.
The death of Pope John Paul II has provided a glimpse of where “Christianity” is headed in the future. Post modern church leaders have replaced truth and discernment with pluralism and tolerance. Evangelicals and Catholics together have publicly praised John Paul as a godly and holy spiritual leader.
Year after year he was the most loved and admired man in the world. This should not surprise us. Jesus said “the world would love its own” but hate those whom He chose out of the world (John 15:19). He also warned, “Woe to you when all men speak well of you” (Luke 6:26). The gullible world responded in the same fashion it will when the man of lawlessness is revealed. “God will send upon them a deluding influence so that they might believe what is false, in order that they all may be judged who did not believe the truth” (2 Thes. 2:11-12).
JUDGING THE POPE’S GOSPEL
Only God can judge John Paul’s heart but all Christians are all called to judge every man’s teachings. The apostle John warned us: “Do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world” (1 John 4:1). John Paul’s false teachings are clearly exposed by the new Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) which he endorsed in 1994. His damning gospel was diametrically opposed to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Paul warned that anyone (including himself or the pope) would be condemned if they were to preach another gospel. He wrote, if “we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to that which we have preached to you, let him be accursed” (Gal. 1:6). If apostles and angels were to be accursed for preaching another gospel how can the pope possibly escape? Clearly the pope condemned himself by perverting God’s Gospel of grace with additional requirements for salvation.
If the Philippian jailer could have asked John Paul what he must do to be saved (Acts 16:31), the pope would have responded with his gospel: “You must have faith plus baptism (CCC, 1256), receive the sacraments (1129), do good works (2016), consume the Eucharist (1405), keep the law (2068), belong to the Catholic Church (846) and have your sins purged in purgatory” (1030). What a contrast to Paul’s clear response: “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved” (Acts 16:31). Paul made it clear there is only one Gospel and anyone who believes another gospel has believed in vain (I Cor. 15:1-4). Therefore, either the pope was right and is in heaven as many evangelicals are claiming, or those who believe the Gospel of grace are wrong and destined for the eternal lake of fire.
Few evangelicals have had the courage to expose the pope’s false gospel that shuts the kingdom of heaven to those wanting to enter. Clearly, there is no greater evil than deceiving people about the eternal salvation of their souls.
ETERNAL TRUTHS ARE CONFIRMED
As with anyone who passes into eternity, the pope now knows the truth. He knows he was never infallible, or holy, or the Vicar of Christ. He knows there is no such place as Purgatory. He now knows the gospel he preached is leading over a billion people down the wide road to destruction. John Paul may now be experiencing what the rich man in Luke 16 endured. Both of them once dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in splendor every day. When the rich man died and found himself tormented in the flames of Hades, he begged the Father to send someone to tell others the truth so they would repent and not end up in the same place. The pope may now be making the same request. What would he tell Catholics if he could return? I believe he would urge them to trust Christ and His Word over the teachings and traditions of men. He would admit that he was terribly wrong about entrusting the church to Mary’s protection. John Paul would tell his flock that Jesus indeed finished the work of redemption 2000 years ago and His one offering is necessary and sufficient to save sinners completely and forever.
WHO DID JOHN PAUL REPRESENT?
John Paul said he represented Jesus Christ, yet he lived in stark contrast to the Savior who had no place to lay His head. On several occasions he denied that Jesus was the only way to the Father. He foolishly proclaimed: “If God is the one true God, He must save all people” (Vatican Info Service, 4/21/ 99). A year later he pronounced: “All who seek God with a sincere heart, including those who do not know Christ and His church, contribute to the building of His kingdom” (Vatican Info Service, 12/6/00). He also denied the sufficiency of Christ’s sacrifice by declaring punishment for sin could be remitted “by abstaining from unnecessary consumption (of tobacco or alcohol) and donating a proportionate sum of money to the poor” (VIS, 9/29/99). His perverted theology was also reflected in this pronouncement: “Hell is not a punishment imposed by God.. but the condition resulting from attitudes and actions which people adopt in this life” (Detroit News 7/28/99). When he addressed Muslim leaders in 1998, he said there is “a common spiritual bond that unites us.”
John Paul has also been acclaimed as a great moral leader, yet he failed to discipline American Bishops for tolerating the detestable sexual abuse of children by their depraved priests. After Cardinal Bernard Law of the Boston Archdiocese magnified the scandal by protecting the guilty priests, John Paul appointed him to a prestigious position in the Vatican. Law’s cover-up of the abuse of over 600 children, which cost the Boston archdiocese more than $90 million in settlements, outraged many Catholics but not the pope.
The passing of John Paul II has opened up a tremendous opportunity for Christians to talk about spiritual issues. Let us make the most of this opportunity to speak the truth in love and proclaim the Gospel with clarity and completeness! Let us all seek the approval of the One who purchased us with His precious blood! We must also earnestly contend for the faith against everything that stands opposed to God’s word. May God help us to be faithful in these times of great deception and compromise!
http://pro-gospel.org/x2/content/view/51/1/
One shouldn’t end up in the lake of fire for not knowing the Gospel of Jesus Christ...
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