(N.K.J.V used throughout).
Introduction: Test this for yourself. Someone kept encouraging me to
write an article warning about Catholicism and the interfaith movement.
After two weeks of struggling with this I finally asked the Lord for
His help. To my surprise the Holy Spirit, (I believe), then directed
me to write about the way in which the following four components will
polarise towards a One World Religion in the last days.
The One World Religion
in scripture: The bible tells us that this global religion will ultimately
enforce the worship of the antichrist in the
end times. Concerning the antichrist scripture tells us; “authority
was given him over every tribe, tongue and nation. All who dwell on
the earth will worship him,” (Rev
13; 7, 8), as he “exalts
himself above all that is called God or that is worshipped, so that
he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God,” (2
Thess 2; 4). I did not feel led to look into the issue of a single
individual false prophet who many believe will head up this antichrist
religion but instead at the religion itself. These are the four components,
(the analysis is my own):
I) The Catholic Church: I saw that this will provide
the structure for this new global religion, how it will function and
be organised internally.
Outwardly this new religion will also appear more like Catholicism
than any other religion but with the core Christian doctrines missing.
II)
The Interfaith Movement. Satan will use this movement to draw all the
world’s religions together into one with promises of ending
religious violence and the birth of a “new age” of peace
on earth.
III) The New Age/occult: This will be the spiritual power behind
this new One World Religion.
IV) Apostate, neo - charismatic ministers: Apostate “Christian” leaders
from this group will be raised up more than those from other religions
and will move in the most occult power within this religion.
I) The Catholic
Church: [I am looking here at the Catholic Church as an organisation.
This will slide into increasing apostasy over time
but I believe that many individual Catholics will be saved as they
move away from this]. The dominance of the Catholic Church as a religious
and political power was founded on spiritual compromise as its Bishops
submitted to the leadership of the Roman Emperor Constantine. This
was despite the fact that Constantine had a dubious conversion experience,
never turned away from his immoral lifestyle and insisted on leading
their denomination whilst continuing as leader of two pagan religions
at the same time. In 316 A.D Constantine also started the first inter
Christian persecution which the Catholic Popes perpetuated for centuries
afterwards. The Catholic Bishops effectively submitted to the authority
of a multifaith leader in order to avoid further persecution themselves
and to obtain political power within the Roman Empire. I believe something
similar but even more extreme will happen due to spiritual pressures
that will exist in the end times.
The Catholic Church has always believed
that the Pope is called to be the Sheppard over Gods entire flock not
just the Catholic denomination.
This is probably why they are making such stringent efforts to link
to as many protestant groups today as possible. The Catholic Bishops
and Popes believe they are Gods main representatives on earth and will
therefore seek supremacy in all spiritual matters in this world. As
the interfaith movement continues to grow as a religious influence
they will therefore seek to dominate this as well as the Christian
church. In the process Catholicism will compromise its Christian stance
in order to acquire a controlling influence over all the other religions
in the world.
The core Christian doctrine of salvation is a major stumbling
block to this as it teaches that only faith in Christ’s sacrifice
on the cross can bring us forgiveness and peace with God. Catholicism
will
eventually set this aside in order to be able to influence and dominate
all the worlds other religions. By then it will accept these as alternative
paths to God. New Age influences will also continue to infiltrate the
Catholic organisation. Because of the dominance of the Catholic church
the coming One World Religion will have the outward appearance of Catholicism
more than any other religion.
II) The Interfaith Movement: The devil will
use this movement to draw all the world’s religions together
as a stepping stone towards the formation of his One World Religion.
Several factors guarantee
the popularity and growth of the interfaith movement in the coming
years. It provides a solution to the religiously inspired violence
which is escalating around the world today. It could help solve the
Israel Palestinian problem in the Middle East. It can provide a means
by which people of different religions can come together to tackle
problems caused by climate change. It could also help the western powers
win the battle for hearts and minds within the Islamic community in
their war on terror. The vast political influence of the western world
is therefore likely to be thrown behind promoting this movement in
the future; we are in fact already already seeing the early stages
of this.
Misguided influential western politicians and Christian ministers
are already emerging as leading figures within the interfaith movement
already. Tony Blair, who has also recently converted to Catholicism,
is also now the peace envoy to the Middle East, (link
to his interfaith site), and evangelical leader Rick Warren, known by many as “America’s
Pastor,” are both now leading figures within the interfaith movement.
They plan to use good works, for example programs to help eradicate
malaria from around the world, to gain support and draw people from
different religions together. Many other influential people and organisations
are now linking to these ventures and becoming involved in interfaith
as a result. Many other Christians in the western world are already
being drawn to this movement which looks set to continue. We are only
in the early stages of this at present but a great momentum has now
started and is almost certain to continue to expand, and at an accelerating
rate in the coming years.
Whilst interfaith aims are often noble in themselves
any Christian who becomes involved with this movement will expose themselves
to powerful
political and spiritual influences that can compromise or undermine
their Christian faith. Their emphasis will subtly shift from walking
the narrow road of faith in Christ as the only way to God to seeking
common ground with other religions instead. As a result many will come
under pressure to accept that other religions are also valid paths
to God. This effectively contradicts the core Christian doctrine of
salvation which teaches that forgiveness and reconciliation with God
can only be found through faith in Christ’s death on the cross.
Like Catholics many Protestants will come under pressure to compromise
as this movement becomes popular.
Interfaith involvement will also expose
many Christians to New Age teachings. We can see this in the ministry
of Rick Warren who has now introduced
his vast church network to three New Age gurus as advisers for his
churches interfaith based health campaign. Between them these three
men also teach various eastern meditation techniques and occult Reiki
healing. As the saying goes “the path to hell is paved with good
intentions” and the noble interfaith aims of achieving world
peace and harmony between religions will fall right into the hands
of those with an occult agenda.
III) The New Age/occult: The interfaith
movement provides the perfect stepping stone toward an occult unified
belief system incorporating
and controlling all the world religions. There is ample evidence that
leading occultists, New Agers and Satanists are already attempting
to work toward the development of such a One World Religion. They aim
to use this to promote and then enforce their occult belief that each
person has their own path, own morality and is in fact a god themselves.
Many, (perhaps most), of them believe that when enough people in the
world accept this occult belief then their occult messiah will come,
(who we know as the antichrist), who they claim will bring in a New
Age of peace and harmony on earth. This of course is all based on deception
from the devil.
The pursuit of wealth and power is a major influence within
witchcraft and many believe that occultist have already infiltrated
and now influence
powerful organisations such as the Freemasons, the World Bank’s,
for example the Eurozone Central Bank, the European Union and even
the United Nation’s, (Satanist Alice Baileys Lucis Trust, originally
called the Lucifer Trust, is said to have a permanent seat on some
U.N committees). Some Catholics even claim that occultists and Satanists
have already infiltrated positions within the Catholic Church and some
protestant groups as well. I don’t want to drift into conspiracy
theories here but the point is that the people who pursue the occult
agenda are not just a disparate group who meet in small covens on the
outskirts of society but include many who hold positions of power in
the mainstream as well, people who will be keen to influence the direction
of the interfaith movement in the future. Whatever the case the occult
agenda itself is well known and available for anyone who wishes to
study it, no one disputes it existence and so in that sense it is not
controversial.
The deceased Satanist, Alice
Bailey, (1880-1949), claimed
that her “spirit
guide” had given her a strategy to help bring about the occult
agenda of a one world government and religion. She is perhaps the most
influential occult teacher of all time and was responsible for coining
the phrase “New Age". Most people involved in the New Age/occult
will therefore be familiar with her writings and many will already be
promoting this strategy. The Christian doctrine of salvation in Christ
is a major obstacle to their occult agenda as it directly opposes the
idea that there are many ways to God/paradise. The Christian church is
itself a major obstacle as it identifies witchcraft as a sin. A central
cornerstone of Bailey’s strategy is therefore to oppose, attack
and undermine Christian values in every area of society, particularly
the Christian churches influence on the youth, so that over time Christianity
will have less influence on each subsequent generation. Is it a coincidence
that this is exactly what has been happening in the western world over
the past few decades?
Interestingly Bailey predicted that a new enlightened
age would soon come, not around the Christian church, but through
it.
She foresaw
the Christian church, or large parts of it, taking on board New Age
ideas and then being used to promote these on the way toward the full
introduction of an occult One World Religion later on. Today we can
see how Christians like Rick Warren and others already appear to be,
inadvertently, moving in line with this, as they endorse New Age teachers.
Alice Bailey claimed that the outer layers of Christianity would
initially be kept intact with Christian terminology still being used,
but that
changes would take place obscurely from the inside of the church leading
it down the occult route. This already appears to be happening within
many Christian streams today as we get nearer the end times, (many
now think they have already started).
IV) Apostate, protestant, charismatic
leaders: Many of these leaders are already receiving deception and
a counterfeit occult anointing
as are some of the largest Christian sites online, (see other articles
on this site for more details). Many well known ministers are already
seeking messages from demonic spirits claiming to be departed saints,
(which is spiritualism), or from fallen angels which masquerade as
angels of light. Some claim to be able to visit heaven whenever they
want, but instead experience the equivalent of occult astral projection.
All sorts of New Age visions, occult beliefs and spiritual practices
are already being promoted by these ministries, things which have no
scriptural foundation. Sometimes these deceptions are also accompanied
by occult healing power.
Many churches in the western world have been open
to the deceptive New Age anointing for decades and this is now spreading
fast. Scripture
warns us that as the end draws near Satan will move “with all
power, signs, and lying wonders,” (2
Thess 2; 9), and that “false
prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if
possible, even the elect,” (Matt
24; 24). This means that toward
the end times Christians will be targeted and churches infiltrated
by these deceptions. We already see this happening today. Unfortunately
many Christians think that if healing power is present that this must
be of God, however so this is not necessarily the case as Satan also
has the power to heal. Many people are already receiving the occult
anointing due to this error.
The counterfeit occult anointing is leading
to all sorts of bazaar manifestations in some Christian meetings, things
that neither Jesus nor any believer
in New Testament times ever experienced when the Holy Spirit came upon
them. Manifestations such as animal noises, (as in shamanism), shaking
and convulsions, (as when a demon is manifesting according to scripture),
hysterical laughter and intoxication as if high on drugs or alcohol,
are now often accepted as manifestations of the Holy Spirit despite
this being completely unbiblical. This is particularly prevalent in
the western world where many do not attempt to test the spirits, (1
Jn 4: 1), or weigh these influences against scripture. Not surprisingly
such manifestations also take place in occult cults, paganism and Hinduism,
(interesting video). This is all evidence of the infiltration of occult
deception into sections of the church as the devil paves the way for
the emergence of his deceptive One World Religion.
Many of the deceived
ministries are also linking to the Catholic Church and submitting to
the authority of the Pope which brings this article
full circle. People like Paul Cain and Rick Joyner for example, along
with others, have already joined the Catholic Order of the Knights
of Malta and therefore submit to the spiritual authority of the Grand
Master of that Order, who has authority equivalent to a Bishop within
the Catholic Church and reports directly to the Pope. Joyner himself
has now been given authority to Knight anyone who he sees fit, and
ordain them into this Order, so we could see a sudden increase in its
membership in the future amongst those he associates with.
Satan likes to
use backslidden, deceived “Christians” more
than anyone else and unless such ministers gain discernment or repent
many will eventually become apostate and then be used by the devil as
key promoters of the occult strategy. Many of them will also be used
more powerfully than leaders from any other religion in occult signs
and wonders in the coming One World Religion.
Conclusion: If things accelerate
we may witness the emergence of this One World Religion far sooner than
many of us are expecting. No one
knows the day or hour but if these things start to take place in the
world around us it will be important to remember that this will only
be for a short season, lasting only a few years, and will be followed
by the Second Coming and physical return of Jesus Christ to earth,
when the kingdom of God and His rule will be established. Praise God!
[See
also Rev Ch’s 13, 17 and
19 and Daniel Ch’s 7 and 12].
S.
Dobbs, June 2011.
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