The Current End-Time Apostasy of The Church
Mr. Dave Hunt
THE CURRENT END-TIME APOSTASYOF THE CHURCH
Dave Hunt
Pre-Trib Study GroupConference, 2005
There is little doubt that we are today in the midst ofwidespread apostasy. By that term we mean: Departure from the faith once for all delivered to thesaints, for which we are to earnestly contend.[1]I believe that apostates include two types of people:
1) Those who haveknowingly turned completely from Christ and no longer even pretend to beChristians; and
2) Those who still claim to beChristians but have departed from the faith.
The latter would likewise bedivided into two groups:
a) Thosewho deliberately twist the Scriptures, perverting the gospel "to draw awaydisciples after them"[2]or who endorse false teachers (though they know better) because they want toshare their fame and power[3]-orwho simply want to be "positive" so as to "offend" no one; and
b) Thenave, who are genuinely deceived by false prophets/teachers.
Apostasy, of course, in some measure, has existed aslong as the church. (Most of the epistles involve, to some extent, correctionof false doctrine and practice that was already in the early church in the daysof the apostles.) It is the mushrooming, widespread incidence of the apostasydescribed under 2) above, however, among those who claim to be Christians, thatI believe Scripture points to as a specific sign of the last days just priorto the Rapture.
The question, of course, must be faced whether today'sapostasy (as this paper proposes) has anything to do with prophecies concerningthe last days. If so, it would seem that this "sign of the last days" has beenlargely overlooked by many, if not most, prophecy teachers. They usually citeas "last-days signs" only "wars and rumors of wars nation shall rise againstnationkingdom against kingdomfamines, and pestilences, and earthquakes,"
I have been criticized for years by those who complain,"Deal with prophecy, if you wish, but stick to your subject-don't mix inapostasy!" In fact, one cannot adequately deal with the former while ignoringthe latter. When asked by His disciples, "What shall be the sign of thy coming,and of the end of the world,"[5]the first words from Christ identified apostasy as the foremost sign of the last days. In Hisresponse, He emphasized religious deception three times-and He specified whatit would involve:
Take heed that no man deceiveyou. For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceivemany.[6]And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many.
Christ's warning made several things clear:
1) The major sign of the nearness of His coming would be religiousdeception byprofessing Christian leaders;
2) A central feature of the deception would be false prophetsshowing "great signs and wonders," which, though convincing, would also befalse;
3) The repetition of the word,"many," indicated that this religious deception would be widespread, apparentlyworldwide; and
4) The words Christs,prophets, signs and wonders, and elect indicated that the deception would be among professingChristians, i.e., inside the church.
This warning was echoed by Jude. The first reason hegave why we must "earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered tothe saints" was the fact that "there are certain men crept in [inside thechurch] unawaresungodly men turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness,and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ."[9]
"False Christs"?! There have been many in our day (from JimJones to David Koresh), who gathered followers by claiming to be Christ. Thereare numerous gurus in India who claim to be the latest reincarnation of JesusChrist. The false "Christs" presented by novels, videos, and movies havemultiplied since Jesus Christ Superstar beyond reciting. None is even close to the trueJesus Christ of Scripture. The "Jesus" of The DaVinci Code is a complete fraud dreamed upby atheists. The "Jesus" of the ABC-TV presentation of Judas confessed to Judas that he"blew it" in chasing the moneychangers out of the Temple: "I lost my temper."
That Mel Gibson's The Passion of the Christ received almost universalpraise as "biblically accurate" from solid evangelical leaders is anotherindication of apostasy that has crept into the best pulpits unawares. In fact,it was almost all unbiblical. Christ stomping on a huge serpent slithering intoGethsemane, and Satan tempting him there; Pilate's wife giving linens to thetwo Marys to wipe up Christ's blood; Jesus knocked off a bridge on the way tothe cross, where he dangles from a chain and confronts Judas hiding beneath it;Saint Veronica giving her veil to Christ to wipe his face, and the image of hisface remaining on it as the first icon; a raven plucking out the eye of onethief on an adjoining cross; the endless beatings by Roman soldiers, giving theimpression that Christ suffered more physically than any other person, and thathis physical sufferings (which could only condemn us) paid for our sins; not ahint that "the Lord laid on himthe iniquity of us allit pleased the Lordto bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul anoffering for sin"[10]-allof this and more was unbiblical, much of it from the visions of a mystic nun ordevices from the imagination of the director to arouse emotions. Nor did anyoneseem disturbed that a sinful man was pretending to be the One who declared, "Hethat hath seen me hath seen the Father,"[11]and whom Paul described as "God manifest in the flesh."[12]
The most prominent false Christ today is Sun Myung Moon,who openly declares that he is the Messiah come to earth to complete themission Jesus failed to accomplish: establish the "perfect family." Yet someprominent evangelicals have spoken at conferences convened by Moon, sharing theplatform that featured the man who says he is perfecting the work "leftunaccomplished by Jesus."[13]
But what is the faith, a departure from which marks oneas an apostate? Some might say that as long as a person believes that Christdied for his sins, was buried, and rose the third day, he is saved. But thatdeclaration does not express the true gospel. As defined by Paul, the gospeldeclares the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ according to theScriptures.[14] Surely that involves who thebiblical God is, who the biblical Christ is, what the biblical problem betweenGod and man is, the biblical and only means of man's forgiveness by God, andthe eternal consequences as taught in the Bible for those who reject thebiblical gospel. None of these is a peripheral point of doctrine to be ignoredor compromised. To do so would be a departure from the faith into apostasy toproclaim a false gospel.
The entire Word of God, of course, is foundational to the faith. The Bible is one book and itis all interrelated, every part to every other. Sadly, the church and world arebeing robbed of the pure Word of God-and by those who claim to be evangelicalChristians. Eugene Peterson's The Message (NavPress, 1993) is one example. Instead of"that the world through him might be saved,"[15]The Messagesays, "He came to help, to put the world right again." That sounds like socialand political action, the same old "social gospel," downgrading salvation toearthly improvement, and it is found throughout this entire "version" ofScripture. John 3:31 says, "He that cometh from above is above all." The Message says, "The One who comes fromabove is head and shoulders over other messengers from God." First Peter 5:10says that God has "called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus." TheMessage saysGod "will have you put together and on your feet." What Peterson has done toGod's Word is blasphemous!
Peterson dares to change the words and meaning ofScripture! Hebrews 11:4 declares, "By faith Abel offered unto God a moreexcellent sacrifice than Cain," but The Message says, "It was what he believed, not what he brought, that made the difference."Obviously, both belief and action are important and interdependent. Moreover,Peterson has robbed his readers of the major theme of Scripture: the Lamb slainfor our redemption.
Men like Peterson have no conscience about changing whatGod says, replacing His words with their own. Yet The Message is quoted more than 80 times byRick Warren in The Purpose-Driven Life, which has now sold about 26 million copies,unprecedented in history. No greater promotion of this mass of heresy could begiven than Warren's endorsement! Sadly, this huge bestseller quotes paraphrasesfar more than it quotes the Bible, encouraging a growing trend of departurefrom the words of God ("thy words were found, and I did eat them; and thy word was unto me the joy andrejoicing of my heart"-Jeremiah 15:16) to misrepresentations thereof coming outof men's imaginations. This is exactly what God condemns two chapters earlier.
Yet Peterson's Message is also praised by other Christian leaders such as J. I. Packer, WarrenWiersbe, Jack W. Hayford, and Richard Foster. Peterson is "Consulting Editor,New Testament," for the Renovar Spiritual Formation Bible (HarperSanFrancisco, 2005)edited by Richard J. Foster. A host of "scholars" contributed commentaries,among them Bruce Demarest, Professor of Theology at Denver Seminary in Denver,CO; Walter C. Kaiser, Jr., President of Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary inHamilton, MA; Tremper Longman III, the Robert H. Gundry Professor of BiblicalStudies at Westmont College, Santa Barbara, CA; Earl F. Palmer, on the Board ofTrustees of the long-apostate Princeton Theological Seminary and senior pastorof University Presbyterian Church in Seattle, WA, and many others.
The Renovar Spiritual Formation Bible was touted as "THE BIBLE AS ITWAS INTENDED TO BE" in a two-thirds-page ad in the July 2005 issue of ChristianityToday, next to the masthead declaringthat Billy Graham was the founder (of CT ) and that James I. Packer is one of theExecutive Editors. It is odd that Richard Foster and some 50 "biblicalscholars" would go to the trouble to create and publish this "Bible,"considering the fact that Eugene Peterson, its New Testament editor, has said,"Why do people spend so much time studying the Bible? [Christians] should bestudying it less, not more. I'm just not at all pleased with all the emphasison Bible study as if it's some kind of special thing that Christians do, andthe more they do the better."[17]
Showing the apostate contempt of these men for God'sWord, the Renovarexplanatory notes (bringing to evangelicals the old "higher criticism" of 150years ago and still popular among liberals today) deny the Divine authorship ofmuch of Scripture-even that Moses wrote the Pentateuch. Yet the Introductionhypocritically declares, "we read the Bible literally, from cover tocover[and] in context."[18]Renovarcynically declares that Genesis 1-11 is neither historic nor scientific,
Genesis began as an oral tradition of narrative storiespassed down from generation to generation. As these stories were rememberedand retold again and again, theytook on theological meaning. Over time whatbegan as stories toldwere written down and collected together (Genesis 12-50),and a prologue (Genesis 1-11) was added. From this rich oral tradition manydifferent kinds of literary material came to make up this book of beginnings.Borrowing from other creation accountsstories with parallels to ancient NearEastern religious narrative and mythology were reshaped with monotheisticintent. These strands of varied materials were gathered and edited into thewritten text.[20]
Of Daniel, the Renovar Bible declares, "We do not know whowrote it or exactly when it was writtenit was most likely partially writtenduring Antiochus Epiphanes' persecution of the Jews in Babylon, which beganwith the desecration of the Temple in 167 BC."[21]So it is the work of an imposter pretending to be Daniel 400 years too late!Apparently overlooked is the fact that perhaps a century before Antiochus, theGreek Septuagint was translated from even earlier Hebrew manuscripts, and itcontains the book of Daniel as we have it today.
The Renovar "scholars" continually downplay the powerful OldTestament prophecies of Christ[22]upon which the gospel is based, and which are the foundation of the faith committed to and preached bythe apostles.[23] The keyprophecy in Isaiah 9:6-7 of the coming Messiah, who is "The mighty God, The everlastingFather," is said to speak of "human agents."[24]They reduce Isaiah's prophecies to "tradition,"[25]would have us believe that much of it was not written by Isaiah (there are"Three" authors),[26]and even deny that chapter 53 prophesies Christ's sacrifice for our sins!
Thepowerful prophetic promise from God in Jeremiah 31:8-14 to bring home the Jews scattered around the world is interpreted asa promise to all homeless people (nothing about Israel) and God's promise thatIsrael can never be destroyed (31:35-37) is ignored! Israel is treated as having been replaced by the church.
How does this relate to departure from "the faith oncedelivered to the saints"? The Messiah doesn't step off of a UFO and say,"Voila! Here I am!" He comes in fulfillment of hundreds of prophecies and witha genealogy that proves His authentic identity. Israel takes up most of theBible, and its history and its prophets' inspired pronouncements arefoundational to the Messiah's identity. If the Bible is not 100 percent true inwhat it says about Israel, then we cannot believe what else it says aboutChrist and our "redemption through his blood."[30]
Incredibly, the valley of dry bones brought back to lifein Ezekiel 37, which is clearly declared to be "the whole house of Israel,"
If this "trashing" of the Bible, endorsed by manyleading evangelicals and tolerated without opposition from others, is not partof the apostasy, then what is? We are losing the Bible in many ways, raising ageneration on the spiritual junk food of religious videos, movies, youthentertainment, and comic book paraphrases of the Bible. The Word of God isbeing rewritten, dumbed down, and dramatized in order to cater to the tastes ofthe carnal mind.
The emphasis throughout Scripture is always on the words. The Bible is not a picture book! We are to live by "every word that proceeds from the mouth ofGod,"[35]a fact so important that Christ quoted it to Satan in His temptation.
The Roman Catholic Church has been in full-blownapostasy for 1,300 years while persecuting and killing true Christians. It hasnever repented of this evil and is now enjoying the support of leadingevangelicals in a way that would have shocked biblical Christians only 50 yearsago. The Council of Trent (1545-1563) brought together the leading bishops andcardinals of the Roman Catholic Church in order to counter the Reformation. TheCanons and Decrees of the Council of Trent contain more than 100 anathemascondemning every point of the true gospel and damning to hell those who believeit. For example: "If anyone says that the sacraments of the New Law [Catholicrituals] are not necessary for salvation butmen obtain from God through faithalone the grace of justificationlet him be anathema";[38]"If anyone says that baptism isnot necessary for salvation, let him beanathema";[39] "If anyonesays that in the Mass a true and real sacrifice is not offered to God [but] amere commemoration of the sacrifice consummated on the cross [and] not apropitiatory onelet him be anathema."[40]
On December 31, 1995, honoring the 450th anniversary ofthe opening of Trent, Pope John Paul II declared that its anathemas are stillin full force: "Its conclusions maintain all their value."[41]Yet Billy Graham-like those signing ECT-has declared that Rome preaches thesame gospel he does. [42]
Those who deny purgatory, where Rome says that in spiteof Christ's "It is finished!" one must suffer in flames for one's sins, andthose who deny the power of indulgences in shortening one's time of purgatorialsuffering, are anathematized by Rome to this day.[43]Yet, in The Body,Charles Colson denied that indulgences are still offered by Rome.
In Augsburg, Germany, on October 31, 1999,representatives of the Lutheran World Federation and of the Roman CatholicChurch signed a Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification (JDDJ), thefruit of 30 years of dialogue between Lutheran and Catholic theologians. (Ifjustification by faith is that complicated, who can be saved? Paul didn't need30 years to answer the Philippian jailor's question of how to be saved!) Thechoice of the city where the Augsburg Confession (foundation of Lutheranismever since) was read, and the very day of the month on which, in 1517, MartinLuther nailed his 95 theses to the Wittenburg door, could hardly becoincidence. The Reformation was being overturned! Indeed, Charles Colson hassaid that "justification by faith alonedoesn't mean today among evangelicalswhat it meant in the reformers' time."[47]
For 1 billion Roman Catholics, nothing has changed.Catholics continue to pray to Mary for salvation, to wear her scapular (as JohnPaul did from childhood to his death), which declares, "Whosoever dies wearingthis scapular shall not suffer eternal fire. Mary's promise." To wear that inreliance upon such a promise would be an abomination to any true Christian. Yetit is worn by tens of millions of Catholics. They continue to believe that "themerits and graces Christ won on the cross" can be received only in smallinstallments that can never fully save and come only through the sacraments ofthe Church by Mary's agency, and they must therefore still offer good works andsuffering for salvation-finally in purgatory.
The very doctrine of indulgences that angered Luther andsparked the Reformation remains a mainstay of Catholicism. (How can Colson beso wrong?) In fact, shortly after JDDJ was signed, John Paul II offered newindulgences for the "Jubilee Year of 2000": give up cigarettes for one day andreceive a plenary indulgence; walk through one of the four "holy doors" thePope opened for that year in Rome, and receive a plenary indulgence (Catholicpilgrims came by the millions to do so, ignorant that Christ is the only doorto eternal life!), etc.
When the Pope opened his eyes and rose from praying onhis knees in front of the first "holy door" he opened (this one at St.Peter's), he saw George Carey, the Archbishop ofCanterbury, spiritual head of the Church of England, kneeling in agreementbeside him. Doesn't this denial of the gospel by Carey qualify as full-blownapostasy?
John Paul II boasted that pilgrimages to Rome forplenary indulgences began in 1300 under Pope Boniface VIII, of "blessedmemory," a "pope" who had both a mother and her daughter among his manymistresses and who gave indulgences to his troops to destroy the historic cityof Palestrina, slaughtering its 6,000 inhabitants and reducing it to a plowedfield, which was sown with salt. Yet Boniface was hardly the most evil of thepopes whom the present pope looks proudly upon as Peter's successors who havehanded that authority down to him. In 1302, Boniface issued the "infallibleBull," Unam Sanctam, making absolute allegiance to the Pope a condition ofsalvation-still in full force today.
Martin Luther said, "We are not the first to declare thepapacy to be the kingdom of Antichrist, since for many years before us so manyand so great menhave undertaken to express the same thing so clearly." But itis no longer fashionable in "Protestant" circles to state the truth. We mustonly be "positive" for fear of giving offense, forgetting the far greateroffense of condoning a false gospel that is sending hundreds of millions tohell. The Billy GrahamEvangelistic Association received the rights to publish a special "CrusadeEdition" of Halley's Bible Handbook and, in doing so, removed from it everything Halley hadso carefully researched and documented of the evil of the Popes and theslaughter of true Christians through the centuries. If this cover-up to avoid"offending" Catholics is not contributing to apostasy, then what is?
Zondervan published a revised version of the Handbook in 2000, which also contains noreference in its index to Albigenses, Waldenses and other evangelicalChristians slaughtered by Rome by the millions. This new version declares: "TheRoman Catholic Church responded to the Protestant Reformation by reforming andrenewing itself [48]workedtoward ecumenism during the latter half of the 20th century and has engaged incooperative ventures with evangelicals and fundamentalists. There areCatholics whose theology is virtually indistinguishable from evangelicaltheologythe charismatic movement crossed over the theological dividing linesas the Holy Spirit began to work in the Catholic Church, creating a unity withother believers that could not have been achieved with theological debates."
What a perverted promotion ofapostasy! When challenged about this, Stan Gundry, Vice President andEditor-in-Chief responded, "The purpose of the rewriting was not to cover upthe ugly truth about traditional RCC beliefbut to give a more balancedportrayal of the history of Christianity."[50]How could white-washing essential facts of official Catholic doctrine andpractice, and leaving out the slaughter of millions of Christians by the RomanCatholic Church give a "more balanced" history?!
Incredibly, Zondervan is now inanti-Christian hands. It is owned by FOX News, which is owned by RupertMurdoch. He has been knighted by the Pope as a member of the Pontifical Orderof St. Gregory the Great after donating $10 million for construction of a newCatholic cathedral in Los Angeles.[51]Murdoch has consistently made TV shows aimed at destroying the family andpursues his godless ambitions through a vast empire, of which "Christianpublishing" has become one part. Aren't such ungodly alliances one sign ofapostasy?
Christian publishers began to put profits ahead of sounddoctrine, made a lot of money by compromising in order to give customers whatthey wanted instead of the biblical truth they needed, then sold out to theworld monetarily as they already had spiritually. Is this not part of the"end-time apostasy of the church," the major sign Christ gave of the nearnessof His return?
For at least 50 years, Billy Graham has affirmed RomanCatholicism as the true gospel and has sent Roman Catholics who come forward athis crusades back to the Catholic churches they had left. Billy has praisedJohn Paul II as a preacher of the true gospel,[52]has declared that he and the Pope agree on almost everything, and has hailedBishop Fulton Sheen as the "greatest communicator of the 20th century."
J. I. Packer, a signatory to ECT, who called John PaulII "a fine Christian man,"[57]had many years earlier declared, "Catholics areamong the most loyal and virile brothers evangelicals can find these days."
Manifestations of apostasy are legion and subversive.There are evangelical leaders who generally preach the true gospel, yet theycommend, approve of, and praise those who clearly deny the gospel. Are they notcontributing to apostasy? What could be the difference between leadingmultitudes to embrace a false gospel by preaching it oneself or leading them tobelieve a false gospel by commending those who preach it? Is it any lessdamaging to souls for Billy Graham to praise and endorse Norman Vincent Peale,Robert Schuller, Pope John Paul II, and others who preach a false gospel thanto preach it himself? Would not one approach contribute as much to apostasy andthe eternal doom of souls as the other?
In 1984, on the Phil Donahue program, Peale said, "It'snot necessary to be born again. You have your way to God; I have mine. I foundeternal peace in a Shinto shrine." Shocked, Donahue responded, "But you're aChristian minister; you're supposed to tell me that Christ is the way and thetruth and the life, aren't you?" Peale replied, "Christ is one of the ways. Godis everywhere."[60]
Peale also declared, "God is energy. As you breathe Godin, as you visualize His energy, you will be reenergized."[61]"Just as there exist scientific techniques for the release of atomic energy, soare there scientific procedures for the release of spiritual energy through themechanism of prayer."[62]"Any method through which you can stimulate the power of Godis legitimate[any] scientific use of prayer."[63]
Yet Billy Graham praised Peale many times, endorsed hisbooks, even declaring in an interview on national TV that he knew no one who haddone more good for the cause of Christ than Ruth and Norman Peale. In fact, onewould be hard-pressed to find anyone who had done more harm to the gospel! Based uponBilly's endorsements, how many souls followed Peale's false gospel into hell?Surely this is at least contributing to apostasy!
Billy Graham likewise endorsed and praised RobertSchuller, though his denials of the gospel are no less clear and reprehensiblethan Peale's. Schuller has defined sin as "lack of faith in yourself. JesusChristhas saved me from my sin which is my tendency to put myself down and notbelieve that I can do itnegative thinking is the core of sinJesus died tochange us from negative thinkingto positive thinking[64][He] bore the cross to sanctify your self-esteemthe cross will sanctify theego trip!"
Beginning 50 years ago, Billy Graham has repeatedlydeclared that his beliefs are "essentially the same as those of orthodox RomanCatholicswe only differ on some matters of later church tradition."
Do we no longer believe that "the gospel is the power ofGod unto salvation"? How then can we possibly condone and even praise those whopreach a false gospel? Nor can it be denied that the Roman Catholic Church isdedicated to destroying the gospel that saves. If its members believed the truegospel, that Church would be out of business!
The Pope and his entire Church reject the biblical truththat Christ paid the full penalty for sin once and for all on the Cross. At thevery heart of Catholicism is the lie that a wafer is turned into Christ to beendlessly sacrificed for sin in the Mass, that infant baptism makes one a childof God, and that no one can be certain of heaven. New York's Cardinal O'Connordeclared: "Church teaching is that I don't know...what my eternal future willbe. Pope John Paul II doesn't know absolutely that he will go to heaven, nordoes Mother Teresa of Calcutta."[70]Cardinal John Krol, as spiritual leader of Philadelphia's more than a millionCatholics, admitted that his personal major worry was about "getting toheaven."[71] There couldbe no clearer denial of the biblical gospel with its promise of eternal lifefor all who believe. Yet Billy Graham boasted of his friendship with RomanCatholic leaders and expressed only approval, never once warning those whobelieve Rome's false gospel that they are lost.
Instead of obeying Jude's injunction to "earnestlycontend for the faith once delivered to the saints," Billy Graham has never raised a voice against heretical denials of thetrue faith. Charles Dullea, Jesuit Superior of Rome's Pontifical BiblicalInstitute, urged Catholics to attend Graham's crusades because "A Catholic willhear no slighting of his Church's teaching authority, nor of papal or Episcopalprerogatives, no word against Mass or Sacraments or Catholic practice."
It is indisputable that John Paul II, whom evangelicalshave praised, trusted Mary instead of Christ for his eternal destiny. In aFebruary 1980 addendum to his Last Will and Testament of March 6, 1979, JohnPaul II entrusted "that decisive moment [of death] to the Mother of Christ andof the Church [and] of my hope. In life and in death, Totus Tuus through theImmaculate." Embroidered inside all of his robes was the phrase, Totus tuussum Maria,"Mary I am all yours." His Apostolic Letter of Oct. 16, 2002, ended with thesewords:
O Blessed Rosary of Mary, sweet chain which unites us toGod, bond of love which unites us to the angels, tower of salvation against theassaults of Hell, safe port in our universal shipwreck, we will never abandonyou. You will be our comfort in the hour of death: yours our final kiss as lifeebbs away. And the last word from our lips will be your sweet name, O Queen ofthe Rosary of Pompei, O dearest Mother, O Refuge of Sinners, O SovereignConsoler of the Afflicted.
In "The Holy Father's Prayer for the Marian Year," JohnPaul II asked Mary to do what only God can do: to comfort, guide, strengthenand protect "the whole of humanity." His prayer ended, "Sustain us, O VirginMary, on our journey of faith and obtain for us the grace of eternalsalvation." She would have to be God to do so. Yet like Graham, Richard Land,president of the Southern Baptists' Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission,emphasized that any disagreements Protestants may have had "with John Paul IIare [irrelevant] to the foundations of the faith." Land praised the Pope's"staunch defense of traditional Christian faith." [75]Pat Robertson enthused, "Pope John Paul II stands like a rockin his clearenunciation of the foundational principles of the Christian faith."
Popes arethe worst of apostates, condoning all religions so long as they submit to papalauthority, and leading billions of souls to hell! What must be said ofevangelicals who commend the popes and their false gospel? Is it not apostasyto promote those who preach a false gospel and damnable heresies even thoughone does not preach such lies oneself?
One of the major marks of the "last days" apostasy hasbeen an ecumenical movement led by John Paul II that has swept evenevangelicals into its maelstrom. Ecumenism is one more form of the denial ofthe gospel of Jesus Christ, which "is the power of God unto salvation toeveryone that believeth."[77]Robert Schuller exhorted "religious leaderswhatever their theologytoarticulate their faith in positive terms." He called for a "massive, unitedeffort by leaders of all religions [to proclaim] the positive powerofworld-community-building religious values."[78]
In his 1992 book, The Body, Chuck Colson called forecumenical union with Rome. In an article titled, "Why Catholics are OurAllies," he wrote: "And let's be certain that we are firing our polemicalrifles against the enemies, not [allies] fighting in the trenches alongside usin the defense of the Truth." [79]It would be shocking to Calvin, Luther, Zwingli and the other Reformers (andespecially to the millions Rome tortured and slaughtered for their faith inChrist) to learn that the enemies of the gospel were actually their allies "indefense of the Truth"!
One of these strange "allies" is apparently RomanCatholic apologist Peter Kreeft of Boston College who, in the spirit of RickWarren and his P.E.A.C.E. Plan, advocates a coalition of all religions to fightsociety's social ills. Kreeft imagines that prayer to Islam's Allah or anyHindu idol is compatible with Christianity. He praises John Paul II forgathering "representatives of all the major religions" to pray together and declaringthat they all pray to the same God. He claims that God is blessing Islam togrow because Muslims are obeying His laws. Confucius is God's "prophet" inpurgatory on the way to heaven;[80]Buddha and Muhammad are both already there;[81]Muhammad, because he honored Mary, is "closer in spirit" to true Christianitythan most Protestants; through the Mass, the entire universe is beingtransformed into one giant Cosmic Eucharistic Christ;[82]and everyone, including evangelicals, will be united in the Eucharist and Mary.
In Los Angeles, the Pope told Rabbis Harvey Fields andAlfred Wolf that everyone serves the "same Godno matter what their religion."
Yet with full knowledge of Rome's heresies and itsalliances with paganism, evangelical leaders signed "Evangelicals and CatholicsTogether: The Christian Mission in the Third Millennium." That document claimedthat Catholics (though they believe and preach Rome's false gospel that onlydamns those who believe it) are our "brothers and sisters in Christ." BillyGraham did not need to sign that document because he long has been a keyecumenical leader. Nearly 50 years ago he declared, "Anyone who makes adecision at our meetings isreferred to a local clergyman-Protestant, Catholicor Jewish."[87] Ten yearslater he rejoiced that "Protestants and Catholics could meet together and greeteach other as brothers."[88]
Peter Howard, executive assistant to Bishop MichaelSheridan, head of the Catholic Diocese of Colorado Springs, warned Catholicsthat they must not attend Protestant services. In ecumenical response, TedHaggard, Senior Pastor of New Life Church in Colorado Springs, and President ofthe National Association of Evangelicals (NAE), said that "New Life doesn't tryto 'convert' Catholics." He said that New Life would never discourage itsmembers "from becoming Catholic or attending Catholic Mass."
Those commending instead of contending against untruereligions encourage the lost in their false hope and deceive the world as wellas the church. Is this not also a form of apostasy?
The fact that a major element of the last-days apostasywould be a false "signs and wonders" movement among professing Christiansinvolving false prophets was declared more than once by our Lord: "Many willsay to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and inthy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? Andthen will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that workiniquity."[90] He must bereferring to pre-tribulation events. "Christian" leaders would hardly beperforming "signs and wonders" in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ afterAntichrist is in charge of the world. And here we gain further insight thatisn't as clear from Matthew 24: those performing false signs and wonders do soin Christ's name, calling Him Lord, yet they are not Christians at all. AsChrist will say, "I never knew you!"
Nevertheless, those doing "miracles" in Christ's namemust be professing Christians and widely accepted as Christian leaders. This isa further indication of apostasy within the church, on the part of both leadersand followers, involving a strong delusion centering upon false signs andwonders. These "miracles" are the accepted "proof" of the "prophet's"authority. The similarity in the language in Matthew 7 and 24 indicates thatChrist was referring in both places to the same important last-days sign.
Paul uses similar language to that which Christ uses andadds that Satan and his minions will be behind this last-days deception and willuse it to promote "doctrines of devils":
Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in thelatter times some shall depart from the faith [apostatize], giving heed toseducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; speaking lies in hypocrisy; havingtheir conscience seared with a hot iron.[91]
This know also, that in the last days periloustimes shall come. For men [shall be] ever learning, and never able to come tothe knowledge of the truth. Now as Jannes and Jambres [two of the magicians inPharaoh's court] withstood Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men ofcorrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith.[92]
Paul thus declared that the major opposition to thetruth in the last days would be from false prophets who would counterfeitmiracles by the power of Satan just as Jannes and Jambres did in opposition toMoses. Although only God can do genuine miracles, what Pharaoh's sorcerers didin mimicking the first two plagues was so impressive that Moses declared, "Andthe magicians of Egypt did so with their enchantments."[93]But when it came to the third, "the magicianscould not."[94]
Surely we are seeing this prophesied opposition to thetruth today. There is an entire "signs and wonders" movement among charismaticsled by false prophets who pretend to do miracles in Christ's name. It isprecisely these "miracles" that cause millions to follow them and to believetheir false doctrines. There is no clearer sign of "last-days apostasy."
Yet the great success of The Purpose-Driven Life and the growth of megachurchessuch as Joel Osteen's Lakewood Church in Houston (30,000 each weekend) havesparked a new optimism among evangelicals that even embraces the false "signsand wonders" movement. In Megashift, James Rutz writes:
We are now winning the world at anastonishing pace, swept along by a vast array of miracles.[God] has apparentlydecreed that plain folks like you and me are now a central part of anaccelerated plan for a total transformation of the world. As nationalstrongholds of sin are dismantled and pits of misery cleaned up, the truepurpose of God for many nations will be revealed. We are in the early stages oftotal transformation of our planet. The family of Jesus Christ is growing sofast that if our growth simply continues at today's pace, most of us livingtoday may see the fulfillment of Revelation 11:15: "Now are the kingdoms ofthis world become the kingdom of our Lord and his Messiah! And he shall reign forever and ever.[95]
This is a delusion that harks back to the Manifest Sonsof God heresy but is now gaining acceptance among evangelicals. There is noRapture and no Great Tribulation. We are already in the Millennium, with thechurch taking over under the leadership of "miracle-working prophets." Thesepeople expect to meet Christ with their feet planted on planet earth, ratherthan being caught up to meet Him in the air and taken to heaven as His Wordpromises. It is one more form of apostasy that is preparing a false church towelcome Antichrist. While I don't think Rick Warren has been deluded to thisextent, he avoids prophecy and his emphasis is upon changing this world ratherthan being raptured to heaven.
Among the dozens of false prophets we might name whoclaim to be part, not of apostasy but of a great "last-days revival," are Oraland Richard Roberts, Kenneth and Gloria Copeland, Reinhart Bonnke, the KennethHagins, Rick Joyner, Kim Clement, and many others often seen and heard on TBNand elsewhere. The major one, of course, is Benny Hinn, who claims to havepicked up the "anointing" from the graves of Amie Semple McPherson (founder ofthe Foursquare Gospel Church) and Kathryn Kuhlman (originator of the "slain inthe Spirit" craze).
I watched Benny Hinn on TBN telling Paul and Jan Crouchhow he knocked a man down with "the power of the Holy Spirit," and when he hitthe floor his toupee flew off. To raucous laughter from the Crouches, amischievous Benny related how four more times, when the man struggled to hisfeet having replaced the toupee askew, he knocked him down again just to seethe toupee fly off. There was some "power" at work, but obviously not from theHoly Spirit.
Benny Hinn has been praised by evangelical leaders(including Jerry Falwell) and is the darling of the largest Christian TVnetwork, Trinity Broadcasting Network (TBN), upon which are regularly displayedfalse prophets to deceive the church and world. The extent of willingsubmission to false teachers is seen in the fact that even the most absurd"prophecies" on TBN are hailed, embraced, and then when they fail, excused andeven declared by both leaders and followers to have been fulfilled. Forexample, according to a "Voice," which spoke "so loud and clear" to a pastor John Hinkle "thatit sounded like a great bell" being rung in his ear, all evil would be "rippedfrom the earth" on June 9, 1994. Crouch and the studio audience were overjoyedby this "wonderful revelation."[96]Crouch backed this obviously false prophecy to the hilt in at least threenewsletters[97] and onseveral TV shows.[98]Pat Robertson was enthusiastic about it.[99]
Yet anyone with a minimal knowledge of the Bible andcommon sense knew that "evil" is not a "thing" to be ripped from earth butresides in human hearts. Evil will certainly be rampant under Antichrist in theGreat Tribulation yet to come, and even at the end of the millennial reign ofChrist when Satan will be loosed, evil will manifest itself as never before inan attack against Jerusalem and Christ by millions of earth's inhabitants. Yeton June 9, 1994, Crouch claimed that Hinkle's prophecy had been fulfilled!
Of course, false prophecies too numerous to mention arestandard fare on TBN, from the assurance that the appearing of Christ
Hinn can't even get his "testimony" straight. In PTLFamily Devotional hesays, "I got saved in Israel in 1968."[102]But in a 1983 message in St. Louis he said, "It was in Canada that I was bornagain right after '68."[103]Yet in Good Morning, Holy Spirit, he says he was converted in 1972, during his senioryear in highschool.[104] But hedropped out before his senior year. When was he saved?!
"People of God," shouts Benny, "we must never speak suchfaith-destroying words as 'If it be thy will, Lord. I am Him [Jesus]! TheWord has become flesh in Meee!.... You are a little god on earth." Hinn andCrouch have declared this lie numerous times together on TBN, and Crouch statedin a newsletter that if we are not little gods, he would apologize in front of10,000 times 10,000 before the "glassy sea."[105]If he is a "little god," he won't be there.
In reference to critics, Hinn said, "I wish God wouldgive me a Holy Ghost machine gun. I'd blow your head off!"[106]The TBN studio audience loudly applauded those gracious words from this "man ofGod." Says Hinn, "I'm sick and tired about hearing about streets of gold [inheaven]. I don't need gold in heaven. I got to have it now."
Not to be outdone, Morris Cerullo declares, "from thebeginning of time the whole purpose of God was to reproduce Himself. And whenwe stand up here, brother, you're not looking at Morris Cerullo; you're lookingat God. You're looking at Jesus!"[108]And in fulfillment of Christ's Word, false prophets keep coming in His nameclaiming to be Christ.
Making it all the more dangerous, TBN is a mixture ofheresy and sound doctrine because evangelicals who preach the truth are seen onit as well. Not only indirectly by implication do they support this apostasymill, but they are almost inevitably drawn into a more direct support bybecoming part of periodic fund raising for the network. This confusing mixtureof truth and error encourages apostasy today. One can hardly contend for thefaith once delivered to the saints while supporting-even indirectly-the falseprophets who deny it. And even there we have a contradictory mixture inasmuchas many of the false prophets know how to preach the gospel, and do so attimes, making it all the more bewildering.
Paul's warning that "in the latter times some shalldepart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines ofdevils"[109] has cometrue with a vengeance. A major "doctrine of devils" is the occult technique ofvisualizing persons or events to bring them into the present for one's privateuse. This is how shamans (witchdoctors) contact their "spirit guides." Thisoccult method is widely practiced in today's church. Norman Vincent Pealetaught it,[110] as doesYonggi Cho, Robert Schuller, Richard Foster, Calvin Miller, Karen Mains, Johnand Paula Sandford, and others who practice "inner healing," and so do manyChristian psychologists.
Visualization is widely taught in the church as a meansof creating the answer to one's prayers, and even calling Christ from Histhrone in heaven to appear in one's presence. Of course, Christ will notoblige, but there are demons that are only too happy to appear, pretending tobe "Christ" in order to further their deception.
Yonggi Cho tells his readers, "You create the presenceof Jesus with your mouthHe is bound byyour words. Remember that Christ isdepending upon you and your spoken word to release His presence."
Takea single event [from Scripture]. Seek to live the experience, remembering theencouragement of Ignatius of Loyal [founder of the Jesuits, fanatical defendersof the Pope and Rome's heresies] to apply all our senses to our taskrepresentto your imagination the whole of the mysteryas an active participant. Andsince Jesus lives in the eternal nowyou can actually encounter the livingChrist in the event, be addressed by His voicetouched by His healing power.Jesus Christ will actually come to you. In your imagination allow yourspiritual body, shining with light, to rise out of your physical body. Lookback so that you can see yourselfand reassure your body that you will return.Go deeper and deeper into outer space until there is nothing except the warmpresence of the eternal Creator. Rest in his presence. Listen quietly [to] anyinstruction given.[113]
This is occult contact with "seducing spirits [bringing]doctrines of demons" through the imagination and is the major technique used byshamans to contact their spirit guides. Yet in full agreement, popularevangelical author Calvin Miller writes:
Onedoor opens to the world of the Spirit: imagination. We cannot commune with aSavior whose form and shape elude usin my conversation with Christ, I see himwhite robedI drink the glory of his hazel eyes, thrill to the golden sunlightdancing on his auburn hair. Do you disagree? His hair is black? Eyes brown?Then have it your way. His image must be real to you as to me, even if ourimages differ. The key to vitality, however, is the imageblock by imaginaryblock we define him and we adore him. The Bible writers did the same.
Instead of being inspired of God, the "Bible writers"wrote from their imagination?! This is not only blasphemy, but "Christianizedidolatry." The visualization described by Miller above is delusion at best anddemonic deception at worst. Every pagan image is first formed in the mindbefore it is fashioned out of wood or stone. Most "Protestants" are not yetopenly advocating the second step (icons and images in homes and churches), butthat is another growing movement among evangelicals. Icons are displayed withcandles to light in "prayer stations," and church members in evangelicalchurches "pray through the image" to reach God, joining in the practice ofEastern Orthodox and Catholics.
Like Miller, Foster, and Cho, RobertL. Wise, pastor of a large Presbyterian church, endorses visualizing "Jesus"based upon his experience during a "Healing of the Memories" session:
Ibegan to visualize myself as a boy of eightstartled to seemyself carrying alarge bundle on my back [of] needs and worries. "Now see if you can imagineJesus appearing" [I was] instructed. "Let him walk toward you." Much to myamazement, I-an ordained Reformed clergyman with a doctorate inpsychology-foundJesus moved slowly toward meextend[ing] His hands toward mein a loving, accepting manner. I no longer was creating the scene. Christreached over and lifted the bundle from my backwith such forcefulness that Iliterally sprang from the pew.[115]
Wise was sure it was not his imagination-and we know itwas not Jesus-so it could only have been a demon impersonating Christ that camealive in this occult experience. Yonggi Cho (pastor of the world's largestchurch with some 750,000 members) writes, "We should always try to visualizethe end result as we pray [or] it cannot become a reality. Through visualizingand dreaming, you can incubate your future and hatch the results."
Cho and Rick Warren recently had breakfast together. Inresponse to Rick's question concerning his ministry, Cho replied, "As aminister, you should know that prayer is the foundation of church growth andrevival. [Y]ou should have visions and dreams because [these] are the vesselsthrough which God works."[117]He failed to tell Rick that his occult practice of visualization has been thekey to his success. Cho has some good teachings, but that only commends hisheretical and occult teachings and makes them all the more appealing. Lutheranpastor William Vaswig writes: "I believe imagination is one of the mostimportant keys to effective prayingGod touches me through my imagination."
Having been mentored by Norman Vincent Peale, RobertSchuller (who journeyed to Rome with an artist's rendering of the CrystalCathedral to get the Pope's blessing before it was built) is a primary exampleof an apostate and a master of "religiously correct" doubletalk. He declares,"That's what sets me apart from fundamentalists, who are trying to converteverybody to believe how they believe. We know the things the major faiths canagree on. We try to focus on those without offending those with differentviewpoints, or without compromising the integrity of my own Christiancommitment." Of course, the major faiths do not agree on, but deny, who God is, who Jesus Christis, the way of salvation, and all other biblical fundamentals. One can onlywonder what "Christian commitment" it is that Schuller isn't compromising. Hehas declared that if he came back in 100 years and found that all of hisdescendants were Muslims it would not bother him.
But Schuller is not alone in his blatantly bold apostasy.A Barna poll about this time revealed that 71 percent of Americans, 64 percentof those who call themselves born again, and 40 percent of self-proclaimedevangelicals rejected the idea of absolute truth. And Pat Robertson, respondingto those asking why he had signed ECT, declared: "People of faith [in which heincludes Catholics, Mormons, Moonies, Jews, et al.] are under attack as neverbeforeby forces which wish to destroy all religious values, all worship, andall freedoms for Christians like you and me [so] we must lay aside certainProtestant differences to join hands to support those things upon which we allagree."[121]
For nearly two decades, Karen Mains, author of more than20 books and popular conference speaker, was co-host with her husband, David,of The Chapel of the Air. In herbook, Lonely No More (InterVarsityPress), she tells of a Jungian therapy session with her spiritual director at aCatholic retreat center, where she is visited by the mental image of an"idiot-childtotally bald head lolled to one sidedroolingeight years ofageemaciated and malnourished" which communicates with her and reveals that itis her inner "Christ child," her "spiritual authority." David and Karen Mainswere on the Board of Reference of Renovar.
Incredibly (or is it to be expected?), some of the worstheretics and practitioners of the occult have gotten together in what they callthe Chrysostom Society. It began with Richard Foster, Calvin Miller, and KarenMains, joined later by Eugene Peterson and others. "They felt it was reallyimportant to just get together, write together, and believe in each other aspractitioners of a craft to the glory of God."[122]The society has included Luci Shaw, English stylist for The Message: Psalms and the gender-neutral languageToday's New International Version, and co-author of Prayerbook for SpiritualFriends and Friendsfor the Journeywith Madeleine L'Engle, also a member.
Peter reinforces the warnings by Christ and Paul:"there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnableheresies, even denying the Lord that bought them and many shall follow theirpernicious waysand through covetousness shall they with feigned words makemerchandise of you."[123]The language is remarkably prophetic. It is covetousness on the part both ofthe false prophets and those who believe their lies that allows the former to"make merchandise" of the latter. We see this in the "seed faith" teachinginvented by Oral Roberts and followed by most of the other false prophets: "Sendin your 'seed faith' offering to get the miracles started. I have a letter fromOral Roberts with my name in it declaring that he has been up all night prayingjust for me and that God has promised 33 specific miracles to me if I will sendin the "seed faith" offering. Of course, more than a million others received asimilar letter with each of their names put in by the computer declaring thatRoberts has been praying all night for them and, amazingly, God has promisedthe same 33 miracles for each of them, and a "seed faith" offering is required to startthe miracles flowing. It would take minimal common sense to recognize Roberts'unconscionable lie (has he no fear of God?), but it is the covetousness ofrecipients that blinds them to the truth in their desire to get "miracles fromGod" by feeding the covetousness of the "miracle worker."
Oral Roberts' many lies are legendary. There was theclaim that if supporters didn't give him $8 million God would kill him. He saidit would be used for scholarships for students at his medical school so theycould go to the mission field. Not a dime went for that but into the attempt tosalvage his hospital. And that debacle began with Roberts' claim that he'd hada seven-hour conversation with a 900 -foot-tall "Jesus" who had commanded himto build a hospital that the secular planning department knew Tulsa couldn'tsupport. Nevertheless, the "man of God" prevailed over objections, with his"partners" pouring more than $200 million into the project. The miracles andcure for cancer this "Jesus" had promised never materialized; the 777-bedhospital never even had more than 148 patients at its peak, and it wentbankrupt, a monument to a lying false prophet who, nevertheless, is highlyhonored in the church to this day. In 1989 (the year he began shutting down thehospital, overwhelmed with unpaid bills) Roberts was named "Christian Leader ofthe Year" by the International Christian Leaders organization.
Joyce Meyer says, "You cannot go to heaven unless youbelieve with all your heart that Jesus took your place in hell."
The gospel is "to the Jew first"[127]and Paul always preached it in the synagogue before going to the Gentiles. Yetsome Christian leaders have claimed that there is a different gospel for Jews.John Hagee has said, "The Jewish people have a relationship to God through thelaw of God as given through Moses. I believe that every Jewish person wholives in the light of the Torahwill come to redemption."[128]In 1987, when Pat Robertson was running for president, he was interviewed byPhil Donahue, who asked him, "Do Jews go to heaven?" Pat replied, "The Jews goto heavenif they keep all the commandments of the Jewish Law. For the Jews it's a different deal."
When Robertson failed to get the Republican nominationfor president, he was asked, "If God called you to run, then why did you failto get the Republican presidential nomination?" Pat responded, "I suppose wecould ask the same question of Jesuswhy did He fail the first time around andget crucified?"[130]
One of the most shocking evidences of apostasy is theacclaim given to Sir John Marks Templeton by evangelical leaders. Rick Warrengave a speech and was one of five judges to determine the prizewinner in the recent"Power of Purpose" Essays contest (obviously inspired by his "purpose-driven"crusade) that was sponsored by Templeton. Norman Vincent Peale, RobertSchuller, and Billy Graham have been among Templeton's foremost promoters.
Templeton's books are New Age to the core and blatantlyproclaim a false god and false gospel. Yet one of his major works, Discoveringthe Laws of Life,was promoted in a full-page back cover ad in Christianity Today, 4/24/94, headlined, "WILLINSPIRE MILLIONS OF READERS." The ad contained endorsements by Norman VincentPeale (who also wrote the foreword), Robert Schuller, Billy Graham, and twoprominent Catholic New Age leaders, Theodore M. Hesburgh (former president ofNotre Dame University) and J. Peter Grace (head of the Knights of Malta, swornto defend the Pope). In that book, Templeton declares: "The basic principlesfor leading a 'sublime life'may be derived from any religious tradition.Astronauts traveled into outer space [and] did not bring back any evidence ofheaven. And whereas drills had penetrated the earth, they'd found oil, nothellspiritual theorists are inclined to conceive of [heaven and hell] asstates of mindwe create our own heaven or hell right here on earth. Ourinnate goodness is an essential fact of our existencethe God within usthegodhood within youis in a state of becoming perfect."
He has made no secret of his anti-Christian,anti-biblical beliefs which include:
As the religious forms of traditional Judaism andChristianity are losing their powers to inform the contemporary mind, the Westdesperately needs religious geniuses who can create new imaginal forms.Theologians must begin to explore the vast unseen dimensions of our evolvinguniverse. I am hoping to develop a body of knowledge about God that doesn'trely on ancient revelations or scripture [such as the Bible!]that isscientificand is not disputed because of divisions between religions orchurches or ancient scripture. The truly humble shouldwelcome religious viewsfrom any place in the universe that is peopled with intelligent lifethe humbleapproach to theology is ongoing and constantly evolving.[131]
Christiansthink God appeared in Jesus of Nazareth two thousand years ago for oursalvation. But we should not take it to mean thatprogress stoppedthat Jesuswas the end of change. God is billions of stars in the Milky Way. Time andspace and energy are all part of God. God is five billion people on Earth.God is untold billions of beings on planets of millions of other stars. God isin all of you and you are a little part of Him. The next stage of human divineprogress on the evolutionary scale needsgeniuses of the spirit, blazing trailsfor the rest of us to follow. To encourage progress of this kind, we haveestablished the Templeton Foundation Prizes for Progress in Religion.
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever;Christianity is not a religion and it does not "progress" toward a better form.No Christian could possibly accept the Templeton Award as the person who hadcontributed the most during the year toward the Antichrist religion thatTempleton is promoting. Yet Billy Graham did (1982), as did Chuck Colson (1993)and Bill Bright (1996). Colson gave his acceptance speech at the 1993 WorldParliament of Religions in Chicago to an audience of cultists and occultists.On the stage behind him were representatives of many religions in their variousrobes. The meeting was opened with a Muslim chant and closed with a Buddhistprayer. These deluded people desperately needed to hear the gospel, but Colsondid not give it to them.
Bill Bright received the Templeton Prize for Progress inReligion in a Roman Catholic Church in Rome on May 9, 1996, with four cardinalspresent. He began his acceptance speech with, "Your Eminence Cardinal Cassidy."Cassidy was the Pope's representative who was the guiding hand behind RichardJohn Neuhaus (apostate Lutheran minister turned Catholic priest) and Colson inwriting ECT (Evangelicals and Catholics Together). Bright continued, "Theprestigious Templeton Prize, to me, because of the nature of its objective, isgreater than any other prize that could be given for any purpose. I would liketo thank and commend Sir John Templeton for establishing this prize!" Sadly,Bright failed to present the gospel that his audience desperately needed tohear. His lengthy speech was filled with "religiously correct" ecumenicalterms: moral standardsunseen hand of God in my lifefalling in love withJesuspersonal spiritual journeyworldwide spiritual awakening, etc. He came so close to thegospel (Christ had "an elaborate plan to redeem me") but didn't explain thatplan.[133] Bright referred to "His free gift oflove and forgiveness" but never explained that the forgiveness is for our sins and is only possible becauseChrist paid the penalty we deserve.
Constraints of time and space have prevented a fullrecitation of apostasy and examples of the church's abandonment of the Word ofGod-the words of life itself. Just as His people Israel, to whom He sent Hisprophets to warn them of their apostasy and its dire consequences, would notlisten, so it is today with many professing Christians. Glad to follow any piedpiper who plays an enticing tune, and unwilling (and one day unable) to hearthe Lord ("who is my strength and my song"-Exodus 15:2), they dance merrily onto judgment.
"When the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on theearth?"[134] Time onthis earth is quickly drawing to a close. Let us determine once again to remaintrue to and earnestly contend for "the faith once delivered unto the saints."And in that perseverance, may our example give renewed courage and convictionto many others-and may we rescue many before it is forever too late.
[1] Jude 3.
[2] Acts 20:30.
[3] Jude 16.
[4] Matt 24:6-10; Mk 13:7-13; Lk 21:9-19.
[5] Matt 24:3.
[6] Matt 24:4-5.
[7] Matt 24:11.
[8] Matt 24:24.
[10] Isaiah 53:6-10.
[11] Jn 14:9.
[12] 1 Tim 3:16.
[13] Washington Post, 7/30/96; 8/1/96; Washington Times, 8/1/96.
[14] 1 Cor 15:3-4.
[15] Jn 3:17.
[17] "A Conversation with Eugene Peterson," MarsHill Review, Fall 1995, Issue No. 3, 73-90.
[18] Richard J. Foster, ed., The RenovareSpiritual Formation Bible(HarperSanFrancisco, 2005), General Introduction, xxxi.
[19] Ibid., 14-15.
[20] Ibid., 13-15.
[21] Ibid., From the introduction to Daniel,by James M. Rand, 1245.
[22] Foster, Renovare, 22, 32, 1375, 1377-78, 1384, etc.
[23] Lk 24:25-27, 44; Acts 9:22; 10:43;13:15-41; 17:2-3; 18:28; Rom 1:1-5; 1 Cor 15:1-4, etc.
[24] Ibid., 997.
[25] Ibid., 982-83.
[26] Ibid., 982, 1068.
[27] Ibid., 984.
[28] Ibid., 1079.
[29] Ibid., 1080.
[30] Eph 1:7; Col 1:14.
[31] Ezek 37:11.
[32] Foster, Renovar, 2284.
[33] Ibid., 2287.
[34] Ibid., 2288.
[35] Deut.8:3
[36] Matt 4:4, etc.
[37] 1 Pet. 1:23.
[38] H.J. Schroeder, trans., The Canonsand Decrees of the Council of Trent (TanBooks and Publishers, Inc., 1978), Seventh Session,Canons on the Sacraments in General, Can 4.
[39] Ibid., Seventh Session, "Canons onBaptism," Can. 5.
[40] Ibid., Twenty-second Session, "Canonson the Sacrifice of the Mass," Cans. 1, 3.
[41] Christian News, July 10, 1995, 1.
[42] The Gastonia Gazette, November 22, 1967.
[43] TheCanons and Decrees of the Council of Trent, ed. and trans. H. J. Schroeder, O.P. (IL: Tan Books, 1978), Sixth Session, Can. 30,p. 46.
[44] Chuck Colson, The Body, (W. Publishing Group, 1994), 271.
[45] Second Vatican Council, ApostolicConstitution on the Revision of Indugences, Indulgentiarum Doctrina, January 1, 1967.
[46] Paul VI, Indulgentiarum Doctrina, Norm 12.
[47] Our Sunday Visitor, June 2, 1996, 6-7.
[48] Halley's Bible Handbook, (Zondervan Publishing House, 2000), 997.
[49] Ibid., pp. 1009-1010
[50] Letter on file with author.
[51] http://www.traditioninaction.org/Cultural/d003cpKnighthood.htm.
[52] Saturday Evening Post, January/February 1980.
[53] Ad for Sheen Gems: The Best ofFulton J. Sheen (video), vol. 1-2, quotingBilly Graham.
[54] Billy Graham, Just As I Am: TheAutobiography of Billy Graham(HarperSanFrancisco/Zondervan, 1997), 692-93.
[55] The Woman I Love video (Clifton NJ: Keep the Faith).
[56] Nashua Telegram, December 10, 1079.
[57] Take Heed Ministries, Belfast, NorthernIreland, March 1999.
[58] Christianity Today, May 17, 1985.
[59] Arthur Johnston, Battle for WorldEvangelism (Wheaton: Tyndale House, 1978),328.
[60] Christian News, May 12, 1997, 11.
[61] Norman Vincent Peale, Plus: TheMagazine of Positive Thinking, Vol 37, no.4 (Part II), May 1986, 23.
[62] Norman Vincent Peale, The Power ofPositive Thinking (Fawcett Crest, 1983)52-53.
[63] Norman Vincent Peale, The Power ofPositive Thinking (Center of PositiveThinking, 1987), 17.
[64] Hour of Power, April 12, 1992.
[65] Robert Schuller, Living PositivelyOne Day at a Time (Hour of Power, 1983),201; Robert Schuller, Self-Esteem: The New Reformation (Waco, TX: Word Publishers, 1982), 115.
[66] McCalls, January 1978.
[67] Adelle M. Davis, Religion News Service,April 11, 2005.
[68] Larry King Live, February 24, 2005.
[69] Larry King Live, January 21, 1997.
[70] The New York Times, February 1, 1990, B4.
[71] The Philadelphia Inquirer, February 16, 1975.
[72] Newsweek, June 23, 1969.
[73] Plains Baptist Challenger, May 1975.
[74] Lawrence Elliott, I Will Be CalledJohn: A Biography of Pope JohnXXIII (NY: Readers Digest Press, 1973).
[75] Adelle M. Banks, Religion News Service,April 11, 2005.
[76] Pat Robertson, The Turning Tide (Word, 1993), 279.
[77] Romans 1:16.
[78] The Orange County Register, 1993.
[79] Christianity Today, November 14, 1994.
[80] Peter Kreeft, Ecumenical Jihad (Ignatius Press, 1996), 96,
[81] Ibid., 96-111.
[82] Ibid., 158.
[83] Ibid. 144-45
[84] http://www.jewishjournal.com/home/preview.php?id=13922
[85] http://www.youaregood.com/yonggicho_english_yskim.htm
[86] Our Sunday Visitor, November 13, 1988.
[87] San Francisco News, November 11, 1957.
[88] The Gastonia Gazette, November 22, 1967.
[89] The Gazette, October 17, 2005.
[90] Mt 7:22-23.
[91] 1 Tim 4:1-2
[92] 2 Tim. 3:1, 2, 8.
[93] Ex 7:22; 8:7.
[94] Ex 8:18.
[95] James Rutz, Megashift (Colorado Springs: Empowerment Press), 2005, 1-2,27, 41.
[96] Praise the Lord, TBN, January 25, 1993; March 14, 1993.
[97] TBN Newsletter, August 1993.
[98] TBN, March 14, 1993.
[99] www.cuttingedge.org/news/n1194.cfm.
[100] 2 Tim 4:8; 1 Jn 3:2.
[101] G. Richard Fisher and M. KurtGoedelman, The Confusing World of Benny Hinn, St. Louis, MO: Personal Freedom
Outreach,2002, 199-200.
[102] Ibid., 34.
[103] Ibid., 33.
[104] Ibid., 33.
[105] Praise the Lord Newsletter, March 1993.
[106] TBN Praise-a-thon, April 1990.
[107] Mike Thomas, Florida Magazine, 11/24/91.
[108] Morris Cerullo World Evangelism, "TheEnd Time Manifestation of the Sons of God," tape 1.
[109] 1 Tim 4:1.
[110] Norman Vincent Peale, PositiveImaging (Fleming H. Revell, 1982), etc.
[111] Yonggi Cho, The Fourth Dimansion (Bridge-Logos Publishers, 1979), Vol I, 83.
[112] Richard Foster, Celebration ofDiscipline (Harper & Row, 1978), 26.
[113] Foster, Celebration, 26-27.
[114] Calvin Miller, The Table ofInwardness (Inter-Varsity Press, 1984),93-94.
[115] Robert L. Wise, "Healing of theMemories: A Prayer Therapy for You?," Christian Life Magazine, July 1984, 63-64.
[116].Yonggi Cho, The Fourth Dimension(Plainfield NJ: Logos International, 1979 ), 48.
[117] http://pastors.com/articles/ChoInterview.asp.
[118] William L. Vaswig, I Prayed, HeAnswered (Augsburg Press, 1977), 72.
[119] Jer 13:10.
[120] Gen 6:5.
[121] Pat Robertson in form letter on TheChristian Broadcasting Network, Inc. letterhead, 4/19/94.
[122]"A Conversation with Eugene Peterson," MarsHill Review, 1995.
[123] 2 Pet. 2:1-3.
[124] Charisma & Christian Life, January 1990, 22.
[125] Joyce Meyer, The Most ImportantDecision You Will Ever Make (HarrisonHouse, 1991), 3.
[126] Kenneth Copeland, TBN, April 21, 1991;"The Price of it All," Believer's Voice of Victory, September 1991, 4.
[127] Rom 1:16.
[128] Julia Dunn, Houston Chronicle, April 30, 1988, Religion, 1.
[129] Donahue, NBC Television, June 1987.
[130] Bob Slosser, "The Election According toPat Robertson," Charisma & Christian Life, October 1988, 56.
[131] John Marks Templeton, The HumbleApproach (Contiuum, 1981, revised in 1994),130.
[132] Ibid., 48, 53.
[133] Eph 1:7; Col 1:14.
[134] Lk 18:8.