Three telling signs that clearly show we are "approaching the end of the Church Age" 1)the movement of "global" interfaith
ecumenism among the world's religions and 2)The spread of apostasy within the Christian church with the joining of the interfaith movement thus reflecting a
deliberate rebellion against God. (3) Jerusalem becoming a millstone to the
nations
14 Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness?
15 What accord has Christ with Belial? Or what portion does a believer share with an unbeliever? (2 Co 6:14–15) ESV
In watching the religious prophetic stage being set for the forming of a one World religion, there is an increasing aggressive effort by those within
Protestant, Evangelical, Roman Catholic, Islam, Hinduism, Baha'i Faith and other World Religions and the United Nations - a political body - to unify around
the stated goals of “peace and safety" (1 Thess 5:1), solving critical global problem such as war, famine, and the protection of the planet.i.e. global
warming
Peace is seen as something that man can achieve universally without recognizing the need of a relationship with the Prince of Peace - Jesus Christ - in order
for God's peace to truly exist in the heart of men.
For those involved, religious persuasion, theological and doctrinal differences are overlooked. Those who are classifying themselves as Christians within
the movement either display an out right denial or downplay the significance of the doctrinal and theology positions that make up the uniqueness of the
historical Christian faith.
From a Judeo Christian perspective, the uniqueness of the person of Christ, his redemptive work and the inerrancy of scripture are seen as being equal to or
less desirable to the world's religious writings, founders, and practices. The witness of the gospel has been sidelined and replaced with "dialogue" around
peace and solving the world's problems. There is no recognition nor allowance given to the biblical mandate to witness to those who do not know Jesus
Christ within the movement.
When one looks at the stated goals, activities, beliefs and what the participants are representing, the prophetic significance is plainly clear, and that
is the pre-formation of the Babylonian religious system that will be fully matured during the time of the "Great Tribulation." (Rev 17:1-5).
When one looks at the
stated goals, activities, beliefs and what the participants are
representing, the prophetic significance is plainly clear,
and that is the pre-formation of the Babylonian religious system that
will be fully matured during the time of the "Great Tribulation." (Rev
17:1-5).
For those who may say
that I'm being speculative, sensational, or untruthful or just down
right critical in light of the goal of those seeking "World peace"
through religious ecumenicalism. I would encourage you to consider the
following information in light of BIBLICAL, truth.
The more than 1,000
participants include representatives from Christianity,
Hinduism, Sikhism, Shintoism, Judaism, Spiritism, Taoism, ,
Islam, Jainism, Buddhism, Zoroastrianism, and Confucianism."
At present, the PONTIFICAL
COUNCIL
FOR PROMOTING CHRISTIAN UNITY(PCPCU) is engaged in
an international theological dialogue with each of the following
Churches and World Communions:
Over 100 theologians, ministry
leaders, and prominent pastors have thus far signed the response
letter issued by the Yale Center for Faith and Culture.
Some of the signers include Jim Wallis, president of Sojourners;
Rick Warren, founder and senior pastor of Saddleback Church;
Bill Hybels, founder and senior pastor of Willow Creek Community
Church; Robert E. Cooley, president emeritus of Gordon-Conwell
Theological Seminary; Harvey Cox, Hollis professor of Divinity
at Harvard Divinity School;
For complete list of representative for the Christian Faith.
See article:
Loving God and Neighbor Together Christians Muslim
The World Economic Forum is an
independent international organization committed to improving
the state of the world by engaging leaders in partnerships to
shape global, regional and industry agendas.
[8]
The dominating theme of the ecumenical movement is clearly stated
by it proponents, and that is global peace. Not the peace that one gains
through a personal relationship with Christ that brings peace between
God and man and between man and his fellow man but an attempt at peace
through and by the efforts of man, across religious and ideological
lines.
Notice the following quote
from Pope John Paul ll
A shared
commitment of religions before the world
Faced with this world scene, the
representatives of the various religions have almost
spontaneously in recent months come to a common mind on three
great commitments, to which they have often given expression.
- First, a heightened sense of
the value of peace
as a gift from God, to be prayed for with ever greater
trust, according to the practice and tradition of each
religion.
- Second, the desire to
demonstrate solidarity
joining together in shared supplication for peace.
- Third, the urgent need to
witness together to a
commitment to peace and justice, both in daily life and
in the great decisions of political and social life - a witness
which the secularized world, though far removed from religion,
often demands and of which it feels itself in need." [6]
According to the World
Conference of Religions for Peace (WCRP), " the origins of Religions
for Peace date to 1961, when a handful of senior leaders from the
world's major faith traditions began exploring the possibilities for
organizing a "religious summit" to address the need for believers around
the world to take action toward
achieving peace.[1]
The
defining moment
that jump started the ecumenical efforts for
the 21st century occurred in 20th century 1970. It
was called the World Conference of Religions for Peace (WCRP) was held
in Kyoto in 1970. Religious leaders representing different faiths
overcame the differences of their beliefs, gathering together in one
place to pray together and converse about peace and human rights.
[1]
In another event called the
"World
Day of Prayer 1986",
the
following is a list of prayers of the participates that where prayed
called the Peace Seeds which represent the twelve prayers for peace prayed.[3]
Among the participants where those from the Christian faith.
1.
THE HINDU PRAYER FOR PEACE: Oh God, lead
us from the unreal to the Real. Oh God, lead us from
darkness to light. Oh God, lead us from death to
immortality. Shanti, Shanti, Shanti unto all. Oh
Lord God almighty, may there be peace in celestial
regions. May there be peace on earth. May the waters
be appeasing. May herbs be wholesome, and may trees
and plants bring peace to all. May all beneficent
beings bring peace to us. May thy Vedic Law
propagate peace all through the world. May all
things be a source of peace to us. And may thy peace
itself, bestow peace on all, and may that peace come
to me also.
2.
THE BUDDHIST PRAYER FOR PEACE: May all
beings everywhere plagued with sufferings of body
and mind quickly be freed from their illnesses. May
those frightened cease to be afraid, and may those
bound be free. May the powerless find power, and may
people think of befriending one another. May those
who find themselves in trackless, fearful
wildernesses - the children, the aged, the
unprotected - be guarded by beneficent celestials,
and may they swiftly attain Buddhahood.
3.
THE JAIN PRAYER FOR PEACE: Peace and
Universal Love is the essence of the Gospel preached
by all the Enlightened Ones. The Lord has preached
that equanimity is the Dharma. Forgive do I
creatures all, and let all creatures forgive me.
Unto all have I amity, and unto none enmity. Know
that violence is the root cause of all miseries in
the world. Violence, in fact, is the knot of
bondage. "Do not injure any living being." This is
the eternal, perennial, and unalterable way of
spiritual life. A weapon howsoever powerful it may
be, can always be superseded by a superior one; but
no weapon can, however, be superior to nonviolence
and love.
4. THE MUSLIM PRAYER FOR PEACE: In the
name of Allah, the beneficent, the merciful. Praise
be to the Lord of the Universe who has created us
and made us into tribes and nations, that we may
know each other, not that we may despise each other.
If the enemy incline towards peace, do thou also
incline towards peace, and trust in God, for the
Lord is the one that heareth and knoweth all things.
And the servants of God, Most Gracious are those who
walk on the Earth in humility, and when we address
them, we say "PEACE."
5.
THE SIKH PRAYER FOR PEACE: "God
adjudges us according to our deeds, not the coat
that we wear: that Truth is above everything, but
higher still is truthful living. "Know that we
attaineth God when we loveth, and only that victory
endures in consequence of which no one is defeated."
6. THE BAHA'I PRAYER FOR PEACE: Be
generous in prosperity, and thankful in adversity.
Be fair in thy judgement, and guarded in thy speech.
Be a lamp unto those who walk in darkness, and a
home to the stranger. Be eyes to the blind, and a
guiding light unto the feet of the erring. Be a
breath of life to the body of humankind, a dew to
the soil of the human heart, and a fruit upon the
tree of humility.
7.
THE SHINTO PRAYER FOR PEACE: "Although
the people living across the ocean surrounding us, I
believe, are all our brothers and sisters, why are
there constant troubles in this world? Why do winds
and waves rise in the ocean surrounding us? I only
earnestly wish that the wind will soon puff away all
the clouds which are hanging over the tops of the
mountains."
8. THE NATIVE AFRICAN PRAYER FOR PEACE:
Almighty God, the Great Thumb we cannot evade to tie
any knot; the Roaring Thunder that splits mighty
trees: the all-seeing Lord up on high who sees even
the footprints of an antelope on a rock mass here on
Earth. You are the one who does not hesitate to
respond to our call. You are the cornerstone of
peace.
9.
THE NATIVE AMERICAN PRAYER FOR PEACE: O
Great Spirit of our Ancestors, I raise my pipe to
you. To your messengers the four winds, and to
Mother Earth who provides for your children. Give us
the wisdom to teach our children to love, to
respect, and to be kind to each other so that they
may grow with peace in mind. Let us learn to share
all the good things that you provide for us on this
Earth.
10. THE ZOROASTRIAN PRAYER FOR PEACE:
We pray to God to eradicate all the misery in the
world: that understanding triumph over ignorance,
that generosity triumph over indifference, that
trust triumph over contempt, and that truth triumph
over falsehood.
11. THE JEWISH PRAYER FOR PEACE: Come
let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, that we
may walk the paths of the Most High. And we shall
beat our swords into ploughshares, and our spears
into pruning hooks. Nation shall not lift up sword
against nation - neither shall they learn war any
more. And none shall be afraid, for the mouth of the
Lord of Hosts has spoken.
12. THE CHRISTIAN PRAYER FOR PEACE:
Blessed are the PEACEMAKERS, for they shall be known
as the Children of God. But I say to you that hear,
love your enemies, do good to those who hate you,
bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse
you. To those who strike you on the cheek, offer the
other also, and from those who take away your cloak,
do not withhold your coat as well. Give to everyone
who begs from you, and of those who take away your
goods, do not ask them again. And as you wish that
others would do to you, do so to them.
"Altogether there
were 160 participants at the prayer meeting for peace in Assisi
(Rocky Mountain News, Denver, Colorado, October 28,
1986). Let us note some of those who attended this affair:
The “Christian” leaders
represented 32 denominations, whose adherents allegedly number 3.5
billion people, or 70 percent of the world’s population! ...
The “Christian” leaders
came from many ecumenical organizations--The World Council of
Churches, represented by its executive secretary and three of its
seven presidents, the World YWCA, the World Alliance of YMCAs,
Friends World Committee for Consultation, Mennonite World
Conference, Reformed Ecumenical Synod, Baptist World Alliance,
Disciples of Christ, World Alliance of Reformed Churches, Lutheran
World Federation, Anglican Communion, Old Catholic Union of Utrecht,
the Assyrian Church of the East, the Orthodox churches. Also invited
were 15 Roman Catholic bishops, and leaders of six Roman Catholic
Franciscan organizations. (EPS, 26-31 October 1986, 86.10.121)
More of what
transpired ?
The events of the Day of Prayer for World Peace were divided
into four main parts: First was the greeting by Pope John Paul II,
who was the organizer and main leader of the program. The
participants then moved to various venues in the city for two hours
of private prayers, after which they came back together and held
prayers in the presence of one another. Finally, following a few
other rituals for peace, there was a meal and the farewell
address by the pope.
An interesting
description of some of the strange events at Assisi was given as
follows in an Associated Press report:
The events of the Day of
Prayer for World Peace were divided into four main parts: First was
the greeting by Pope John Paul II, who was the organizer and main
leader of the program. The participants then moved to various venues
in the city for two hours of private prayers, after which they came
back together and held prayers in the presence of one another.
Finally, following a few other rituals for peace, there was a
meal and the farewell address by the pope.
An interesting
description of some of the strange events at Assisi was given as
follows in an Associated Press report:
“ASSISI,
Italy--Chants, temple bells and pagan spells echoed around the Roman
Catholic shrines of Assisi yesterday as Pope John Paul II and his
200 guests from the world’s 12 main religions prayed for world
peace...
“The medicine man of
the Crow Indians [spirit worshippers], Chief John Pretty-on-Top,
offered to cast out evil spirits. Many came forward, among them a
young Franciscan monk.
“In a chapel down the
road, the head of the Zorastrian church in Bombay prayed before a
fire that symbolized his God.
“Next door, six
turbanned Sikhs--all Italian converts--sat chanting their prayers in
the lotus position to gramophone music.
“At an old Roman
temple, shoeless Moslems sat on prayer mats.
“The 14th Dalai Lama, exiled god-king of Tibet, headed the strong
Buddhist contingent, mumbling sutras amid tinkling bells at the
Basilica of St. Peter.
“In the gardens
outside, a Shinto sect called Tenrikyo, in black kimonos, swayed to
temple music.
“African animists,
their togas the envy of any designer, invoked the spirits of trees
and plants to come to the aid of peace...
“The Pope made three
speeches” (Gazette News Services, taken from the AP,
Chicago Tribune and reproduced in Christian Beacon,
December 25, 1986, p. 7).
The desire and drive to bring about
world peace through religious unity isstronger than ever
as can be seen in the following video from "The VIII World Assembly
of Religions for Peace which was held in Kyoto, Japan from August
25-29, 2006."
The content within this video is quite
amazing in light of bible prophecy. As you watch this video one is
reminded of apostle Paul's words of in 1 Thess 5:2-3 where he
discusses the day of the Lord. In this disclosure he says' the
following:
2 For yourselves know perfectly that
the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. 3 For when they
shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon
them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not
escape
It is truly time for God's people to be
"end time discernment"
as to where we are on God's prophetic time table.1Thess 5:6-10, as
we see religious Babylon being formed right before our eyes (Rev
17:1-7)
God's position and instruction to
believers "joining forces" to accomplish his will with those who
worship and follow other gods is quite clear in scripture.
First lets
look at passages Exodus 20:3 The
first of the ten commandments
Exodus
20:3
“You shall have noother
godsbeforeMe.
"beforeMe"
may mean “in opposition to Me”
as well as “in My presence”, [9]
either way it strongly implies that God's people are
to have "no" association with any type of foreign
god, materialistically, spiritually or other wise.
Association with other
gods brings with it the danger of godless influence from
those who don't now the true and living God.
Is 2:6 6 For You have
abandonedYour
people, the houseof
Jacob, Becausethey
are filledwith
influences
from the east,
And
they are
soothsayers like the
Philistines, And they strikebargains
with the childrenof
foreigners.
Paul exhorts
biblical separation.
2 Cor 6:14-17
14Do
not be boundtogetherwith
unbelievers; for whatpartnership
have righteousnessand
lawlessness, or whatfellowshiphas
lightwith
darkness?
This is not
and injunction against all associations with unbelievers. (1Cor
5:9-11; 10:27)
Paul encourage the Christian believer who is married to a
non Christian to remain in the marriage as long as possible.
(1
Cor 7:12-16)
This is a forbidding of not
forming “close” attachment to the unbeliever, thus Paul uses
the Greek word for
bound,
(translated
"unequal yoking in the NKJV) .”heterozugeo”
which means to come under an unequal or different yoke; a
mismatched.
It is often necessary to indicate somewhat
more precisely the manner in which one may be wrongly
matched with others. Accordingly, one can translate 2 Cor
6.14 as ‘do not attempt to work together with those who are
unbelievers’ or ‘do not become partners with those who do
not believe.’
[10]
The
figure of speech
of "unequal yoking "(NKJV) is based on the command found in
Deut 22:10.
that prohibited the yoking of an ox and an ass for ploughing,
and also on Leviticus 19:19 where the cross breeding of
animals of a different species is forbidden..
To be "unequally yoked" or
"bound" with those involved in idolatry and heathenism would
have resulted in compromise
of beliefs, standards, goals
and a single minded devotion to God.
Paul
further drives his point home when he says, "...whatpartnership
have righteousnessand
lawlessness"
The Greek word for
"partnership is
metoche
which is
a relationship involving shared
purposes and activity.[10]
This partnership is seen in the
relationship context of those who are unequally yoked, which
is described as
"righteousness,
Greek
dikaiosynē"
(those
who do right according to God's word
and
"lawlessness,
Greek
anomia"
(those
who are against the law; wrong
doing, committers of sinful acts) being bound together. The
same unholy union is explicitly implied in Paul's metaphoric
question ,..." whatfellowshiphas
lightwith
darkness"
15Orwhatharmonyhas
Christ with Belial, orwhathas
a believerin
common with an unbeliever?
16Orwhatagreementhas
the templeof
God with idols? For we are the templeof
the livingGod;
justas
Godsaid,
“I
will dwellin
them and
walkamongthem;
And
I
will be their God,
and they shall be My people.
Paul hammers harder, making his
point with 4 rhetorical questions in V15 and 16 each
demanding a negative answer. The questions also
serves to
make clear
the incompatibility of
Christianity and the religions of the world and the
fact that believers and non believers have no basis
for an intimate relationship nor common ground in
the pursuit of the things of God. This is because
unbelievers do not govern their life according to
the things of God but according the principles of
the world system (Eph
2:2), in
this case idolatrous religion.
The other reason believers
are to avoid and not enter such unions is because they
belong exclusively to God "“I
will dwellin
them and
walkamongthem;
And
I
will be their God,
and they shall be My people.
"
This should takes us back to
(Lev 26:11-12), God's
promise to Israel is also a promise to the church with the
difference being he will not only be among us but also in
us.
17“Therefore,
comeout
from their midstand
be separate,”
saysthe
Lord. “And
do not touch
what is unclean;
And I will welcomeyou.
The demand for holiness:
In keeping with is promise of
his presence, God demands separation form evil as
Paul indicates by quoting from Is 52:11. This allows
us to enjoy our fellowship with God and to remain in
his protection. To do otherwise is to blatantly
disobey God and to expose ourselves to judgment from
God and Satanic deception..
Any student of scripture will
immediately recognize the prophetic significance of the "pursuit of
peace" on a global scale as it relates to the "Day of the Lord".
Notice what the apostle Paul says in the following:
1 Thessalonians 5:2-3
2For you
yourselves know full well that the day of the Lord will comejust like a thief
in the night.
3While
they are saying, “Peace and safety!” then destruction will
come upon them suddenly like labor pains upon a woman with
child, and they will not escape.
The "day of the Lord" will come upon the
unsuspecting world without warning and suddenly. It will also come at a
time when world conditions
appear as peaceful. It is no doubt
that prior to this time many will be working toward this end.
This time of pseudo peace will be mark by
a significant change in one particular world event and that's a signing
of a middle east peace treaty with the nation Israel at it's core.
Judging from the scriptures, this false
peace will have 2 primary influences:
Religious - Apostate
Christendom (2 Thess 2:3-4) will usher in
the world leader who will gain control over a 10 nation confederacy.
Political - A world political
leader (The Anti Christ) coming out of the newly rebuilt Roman
empire will sign and enforced a seven year middle east peace
covenant with Israel and others.
(Dan 9:27) "...And
he will make a firm covenant with the many for one week,..."
The religious and political institutions
along with its leaders will be declaring "peace and safety".
The peace will be temporary and an
instrument of deception
(Dan 9:27 cf.
Rev 6:1-2) by the world ruler (Anti Christ) at that time and will
ultimately lead to destruction (, i.e. ruin as opposed to annihilation)
as brought on by God's wrath and Satan's anger during the Great
Tribulation.
In summation it will be a false peace,
because it will be based upon man rather than upon the person of Jesus
Christ.
Global Ecumenism, the One World Church and its relationship to
the Governments
It is clear from
the activities of the world religions, that their goal is to unite
as one under the headship of the
great harlot who sits on many waters
as found in Rev 17. This false religious institution will be
supported by the world governments .
Revelation 17:1-2
1Then
one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and spoke
with me, saying, “Come here, I will show you the judgment of the
great harlot who sits on many waters,
2with
whom the kings of the earth committed
acts of immorality, and
those who dwell on the earth were made drunk with the wine of
her immorality.”
17:1-2.
One of the seven angels
who
had
one of the seven bowls
invited John to witness
the punishment of the great prostitute, who
sits on many waters. This evil woman
symbolizes the religious system of Babylon, and the waters symbolize
“peoples, multitudes, nations, and languages”.
This religious system spans ethnicity, multitudes,
nations, languages and religious systems, including apostate
Christianity.
The angel informed John that
the kings of the earth
had committed adultery
with the woman; in other words, the
political system and its rulers will become a part of the religious
system which she symbolized. Religion and government have now merge into
a Satanic/ demonic duo.
This is now what we are seeing
materialize right before our eyes. When one looks at those who are
in preparation of a one world religion, it consists of the cooperation
of both government and religion.
Revelation 17:1-2
3And
he carried me away in the Spirit into a wilderness; and I
saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast, full of blasphemous
names, having seven heads and ten horns. 4The
woman was clothed in purple and scarlet, and adorned with
gold and precious stones and pearls, having in her hand a
gold cup full of abominations and of the unclean things of her
immorality,
5and
on her forehead a name
was
written, a mystery, “BABYLON THE GREAT, THE
MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.”
She was sitting
on a scarlet beast that was covered with blasphemous
names.
The beast had 7
heads and 10 horns. The beast
is an obvious reference to the world government (13:1).
The 10 horns are later defined (17:12) as 10 kings who
had “not yet received a kingdom.” The 7 heads seem to
refer to prominent rulers of the yet-future Roman
Empire.
The woman was dressed in
purple and scarlet, and was glittering with gold,
precious stones, and pearls. Her
adornment is similar to that of religious trappings of
ritualistic churches today. While purple, scarlet, gold,
precious stones, and pearls can all represent beauty and
glory in relation to the true faith, here they reveal a
false religion that prostitutes the truth.
In her
hand the woman
held a golden cup filled
with abominable things and the filth of her adulteries
the. This confirms previous
indications that her character and life are symbolic of
false religion, confirmed by the words written
on her forehead:
mystery babylon the
great the mother of prostitutes and of the abominations
of the earth.
[11]
It is a abundantly clear that we are
living at the end of the church age. Prophecy concerning the
role of the apostate Christianity joining up with the
religions of the world in pursuit of "peace" is now undeniable.
The Bible, the person of Christ, the nature of God, the need to
share the gospel is no longer viewed as essential to those who are
caught up in the web of apostasy. They are more inteested in
yoking themselves together for the common good of man rather
than mirroring the Holiness and glory of God.
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