Roman Catholicism Spawned the Current Apostasy in Evangelicalism

Apprising Ministries brings out that the Vatican II document Nostra Aetate birthed from apostate Roman Catholicism would open the door for Trappist monk Thomas Merton, one of most highly prized Golden Buddhas of Contemplative Spirituality/Mysticism (CSM), to openly pursue his own antibiblical interspiritual “dialogues.” As we show you he wasn’t alone and, just as previously pointed out in the piece Doug Pagitt, Rob Bell, Dalai Lama and the Interspiritual Seeds of Compassion Event, this lunacy in the Lord’s Name is ongoing still.

Because of this we see an antichrist reversal of the Reformation being led by leaders within postevangelicalism like Purpose Driven Pope Rick Warren and Emerging Church spokesman Brian McLaren. And the vehicle through which this tridentine “transformation” is being accomplished is supposed Spiritual Formation, which is only neo-pagan CSM from the antibiblical monastic traditions of Roman Catholicism lightly sprayed with Protestant terms. Do not let yourself be fooled.

The Evangelical Manifesto: Poison In The Pot

This is Part II of the examination of the recently released Evangelical Manifesto...

14. Fourth, as stressed above, Evangelicalism must be defined theologically and not politically; confessionally and not culturally ... As such, it should not be ... confused with, or reduced to political categories such as ― conservative and ― liberal, or to psychological categories such as ― reactionary or ― progressive.

Good point...To define a movement or manifesto theologically is to test it's teachings by the Word of God. So Evangelicalism or any other movement can be weighed by this one simple question...

Is it Biblical?

15. Sixth, Evangelicalism should be distinguished from two opposite tendencies to which Protestantism has been prone: liberal revisionism and conservative fundamentalism. Called by Jesus to be ―in the world, but not of it, Christians, especially in modern society, have been pulled toward two extremes. Those more liberal have tended so to accommodate the world that they reflect the thinking and lifestyles of the day, to the point where they are unfaithful to Christ; whereas those more conservative have tended so to defy the world that they resist it in ways that also become unfaithful to Christ.

Alan Jacobs of the Wall Street Journal said it best...

Once all the self-description is out of the way, it turns out that the heart of the document is a kind of urgent appeal: Please don't call us fundamentalists or confuse us with them.

This strikes me as a regrettable tack, for two reasons. First, it is defensive, and manifestos should never be defensive. Second, it suggests a concern for labels and public perception that is not attractive in Christians. Besides, people who make the kinds of theological statements found in this document -- for instance, "We believe that the only ground for our acceptance by God is our trust in Jesus Christ" -- are
going to be called fundamentalists no matter what else they say.

16. In short, for all their purported sincerity and attempts to be relevant, extreme proponents of liberal revisionism run the risk of becoming what Søren Kierkegaard called ―kissing Judases – Christians who betray Jesus with an interpretation.

With all the Biblical references of "lip service" faith in the Old Testament, why did the writers of the manifesto choose to favorably quote an mystical existential philosopher by the name of Søren Kierkegaard?

Here's a glimpse of Kierkegaard:

Soren Kierkegaard had an interest in mysticism as well. In a dissertation at Purdue University called "Faith and nothingness in Kierkegaard: A mystical reading of the God-relationship," the writer says of Kierkegaard: "[H]e has marked structural similarities to mystics such as [Miester] Eckhart, who is warmly received by the Japanese philosophical tradition, particularly in the writings of its Zen and Pure Land Buddhist representatives." (from chapter 2, Faith Undone by Roger Oakland) Oakland adds about Kierkegaard: "[Peter] Drucker attested to Kierkegaard's mystical affinities, saying he "stands squarely in the great Western tradition of religious experience, the tradition of ... St. John of the Cross," a mystic in the 1500s" (Faith Undone, p. 25).

Here's another Kierkegaard quote from another manifesto...The Emergent Manifesto of Hope

Soren Kierkegaard argued that the moment one decides to become a Christian, one is liable to idolatry. (Samir Selmanovic, An Emerging Manifesto of Hope, p. 192-193)

Once again, why did the writers of the Evangelical Manifesto choose to favorably quote an mystical existential philosopher? Perhaps it was an emblem of secular or intellectual appeal. Perhaps it was a signal to the world that these evangelicals are truly cosmopolitan.

Interesting to note the teachings of Kierkegaard are embraced by proponents of the heretical Emerging church movement.

17. Fundamentalism has become an overlay on the Christian faith and developed into an essentially modern reaction to the modern world. As a reaction to the modern world, it tends to romanticize the past, some now-lost moment in time, and to radicalize the present, with styles of reaction that are personally and publicly militant to the point where they are sub-Christian.

For such a carefully crafted document, this broad brush statement seems awkward. "Personally and publicly militant" certainly would fit "Christian" terrorist Eric Robert Rudolph.

Do Bible-believing Christians belong in the same boat as Rudolph? Did the writers intentionally worked the language to plant such a seed? Ironic how the Manifesto was published to help break the stereotype of Evangelicals, while it stereotypes fundamentalist Christians, otherwise known as Bible-believing Christians.

Is this an example of how "we love our neighbors as ourselves..." and "ethical holiness in life ".

No doubt, these words appealed to the worldly ears from whom the writers are attempting to garner attention this election year.

To be continued...

See Part I Decoding The Evangelical Manifesto's Call For Global Ecumenism

See related post Purpose Driven Power Politics

China Quake: Death Toll Nears 15,000

China Troops Dig for Quake Survivors as Death Toll Nears 15,000 by William Bi and Aaron Sheldrick

May 14 (Bloomberg) -- The death toll from China's strongest earthquake in more than half a century has risen to almost 15,000 as disaster officials, battling bad weather and rubble-strewn roads, try to reach 25,000 people trapped under debris.

Ambulances and double-decker buses packed with rescue workers streamed along the main highway from Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan province, to Dujiangyan, the center of relief operations. The 7.9-magnitude quake two days ago killed at least 14,866 people, according to state-run China Central Television.

See related posts China Earthquake Death Toll To Hit 5,000 , China Quake Update: 9,000 Dead

Way of The Master Reckons Warren's Warped Words

Rick Warren - "Sermons DO NOT Produce Spiritual Maturity"

Listen to Todd Friel of Way of The Master test Warren's scripture twisting...



Watch the second half at Truth Matters.

Romans 10
14 How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? 15 And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, "How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!" 16But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, "Lord, who has believed what he has heard from us?" 17 So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.

See related posts U.S. Christianity: D.O.A. , The Smell of Purpose Driven Ecumenism Is In The Air

Vatican: Space Aliens Might Actually Exist

From WorldNet Daily:

'This is not in contradiction with our faith, because we cannot establish limits on God' Believing that there are little green men who one day will land on earth does not contradict Catholic doctrine, according to the chief of the Vatican's Observatory.

Fr. Jose Gabriel Funes told L'Osservatore Romano, the Vatican daily, that such extraterrestrial life "is possible, even if until now, we have no proof. But certainly in such a big universe this hypothesis cannot be excluded," he told the newspaper.

Editor's note: Is it a coincidence that the Vatican press release comes before the Mars landing of the NASA Phoenix probe on May 25, 2008? One of the three Phoenix mission objectives is to answer the question: "Can the Martian Artic Support Life?"

Why has the Vatican been operating an observatory? Is it a coincidence that the University of Arizona is partnered with NASA Phoenix mission and has also been hosting the Vatican Observatory Research Group?

As one of the world's oldest astronomical research organizations, is the Vatican aware of some kind of discovery announcement on the horizon?

Luke 21:10 Then he said to them, "Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. 11There will be great earthquakes, and in various places famines and pestilences. And there will be terrors and great signs from heaven.

See related articles:
Astronauts say there must be life in space
World's Oldest Living Microbes May Cast Light on Aging & Life on Mars
If Ruins Of An Ancient Civilization Are Discovered On Mars, Will You Lose Your Religion?

China: Quake Left 18,000 Buried In One City

Official temblor death toll tops 12,000, but figure likely to rise - AP /MSNBC

DUJIANGYAN, China - The toll of the dead and missing soared as rescue workers dug through flattened schools and homes on Tuesday in a desperate attempt to find survivors of China's worst earthquake in three decades.

The official Xinhua News Agency said the death toll exceeded 12,000 in Sichuan province alone, and 18,645 were still buried in debris in the city of Mianyang, near the epicenter of Monday's massive, 7.9-magnitude quake.

The Sichuan Daily newspaper reported on its Web site that more than 26,000 people were injured in Mianyang.

See related posts: China Earthquake Death Toll To Hit 5,000 , China Quake Update: 9,000 Dead

Italy's Mount Etna Spews Lava

From Terra Daily by Staff Writers Rome (AFP) May 10, 2008

Lava spewed Saturday from the southeastern crater of Mount Etna, the highest active volcano in Europe, into an uninhabited area, the Palermo Geophysics and Vulcanology Institute said.

The last eruption of Mount Etna, on the island of Sicily, was in November last year, two months after another eruption forced a temporary closure of nearby Catania airport due to flying lava and clouds of ash.

Chaiten, Chile Volcanic Video

A Giant Awakens May 2, 2008 and again on May 6 2008



Exodus 20:18 Now when all the people saw the thunder and the flashes of lightning and the sound of the trumpet and the mountain smoking, the people were afraid and trembled, and they stood far off

Deuteronomy 5:22 "These words the LORD spoke to all your assembly at the mountain out of the midst of the fire, the cloud, and the thick darkness, with a loud voice; and he added no more. And he wrote them on two tablets of stone and gave them to me.

See related post: Asleep For 9,000 Years, Volcano Erupts

China Quake Update: 9,000 Dead

By CHRISTOPHER BODEEN CHONGQING, China (AP) —

One of the worst earthquakes in decades struck central China on Monday, killing nearly 9,000 people, trapping about 900 students under the rubble of their school and causing a toxic chemical leak, state media reported.

The 7.8-magnitude earthquake devastated a hilly region of small cities and towns. The official Xinhua News Agency said 8,533 people died in Sichuan province and more than 200 others were killed in three other provinces and the mega-city of Chongqing.

Xinhua said 80 percent of the buildings had collapsed in Sichuan province's Beichuan county after the quake, raising fears the overall death toll could increase sharply.

State media said a chemical plant in Shifang city had cratered, burying hundreds of people and spilling more than 80 tons of toxic liquid ammonia from the site.

The earthquake sent thousands of people rushing out of buildings and into the streets hundreds of miles away in Beijing and Shanghai. The temblor was felt as far away as Vietnam and Thailand.

See earlier report: China Earthquake Death Toll To Hit 5,000

The Way Of Escape

The Power of His Presence Daily Devotions from the Writings of Ray Stedman

READ: Genesis 6:13-22
But I will establish my covenant with you, and you will enter the ark—you and your sons and your wife and your sons' wives with you (Genesis 6:18).

Whenever you see this word covenant in Scripture, do not think of it as a contract that God makes with people. It is that, in one sense, but it is primarily a new basis for life, an arrangement for living. This covenant here goes further than simply saving Noah; it is to govern his life and the life of the world after the flood is over. It requires but one attitude on Noah's part, that of obedience.

I am disturbed by the ease with which many seek to use the Lord Jesus as a Savior to save them from going to hell when they die, but they have no intention of allowing Him to govern their lives while they live. But here the story of Noah is very clear. It was not merely the fact that God brought Noah into the ark that saved him; it was that Noah was obedient to a new arrangement for living. Noah obeyed God...

Read the rest here.

The Evangelical Manifesto Casts The Next Stone

The Evangelical Manifesto makes the subtle shift from fundamentalism to the political correctness of the faith sector...

From The Wall Street Journal by Alan Jacobs:

Once all the self-description is out of the way, it turns out that the heart of the document is a kind of urgent appeal: Please don't call us fundamentalists or confuse us with them.

This strikes me as a regrettable tack, for two reasons.
First, it is defensive, and manifestos should never be defensive.
Second, it suggests a concern for labels and public perception that is not attractive in Christians. Besides, people who make the kinds of theological statements found in this document -- for instance, "We believe that the only ground for our acceptance by God is our trust in Jesus Christ" -- are going to be called fundamentalists no matter what else they say.

See also Decoding The Evangelical Manifesto's Call For Global Ecumenism

Global Day of Prayer For Transformation

In addition to the natural disasters that plagued this past weekend, The ecumenical Global Day of Prayer (GDOP) was observed by around the world in 212 countries.

London's GDOP site promoted the event with the tag line of:
PRAYER, UNITY , TRANSFORMATION...Come and experience a foretaste of heaven by joining 30,000 others at Millwall Football Stadium and millions around the globe for a time of worship, repentance, celebration and prayer - praying for our communities, our nation and the world.

The GDOP website offers how-to guidlines for churches to organize for the event:

GLOBAL DAY OF PRAYER COMMITTEE GUIDELINES
We suggest the formation of a Global Day of Prayer Committee to manage both the event and process. The committee should consist of the following: A number of local pastors or ministry leaders that represents various denominations and contains at least one respected senior church leader.

Representatives of existing community initiatives that incorporates interdenominational & intercultural Christian leaders from various sectors of the community (e.g. church, business and government). The precondition is that they must have a passion for prayer.

A small Program Committee should be set up by the local Global Day of Prayer Committee to plan and coordinate all aspects regarding the program for the Day of Repentance and Prayer (e.g. choir, band, dance group, speaker, theme, prayer topics, intercessors, etc).

It is critical that the Program Committee will be representative of as many denominations and sectors of the community as possible.

A well-structured program for the Day of Repentance and Prayer is important. Not only will it determine the duration of the event, but it will also bring discipline to the day and ensure that the goals set for the day will be achieved. This will ensure that the people participating in the Day will have a positive experience.

At the 2005 GDOP event in Dallas, Rick Warren promoted his global PEACE plan and his call for a new Reformation, "one of deeds not creeds." Jack Graham, pastor of the Prestonwood Baptist Church and T.D. Jakes, pastor Potter's House in southwest Dallas, served as co-chairs for the event.

Learn more of the seduction within the Global Day of Prayer here at Kjos Ministries.

Matt 7:21 (KJV)) Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. 22Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? 23And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

China Earthquake Death Toll To Hit 5,000

From the UK Telegraph
The powerful earthquake that rocked much of China today killed 3,000 to 5,000 people in one county alone, according to state media.

Prime Minister Wen Jiabao described the quake, which measured 7.8 on the Richter scale, as a "major disaster" and appealed for calm.

The estimated death toll covers just one county - Beichuan - in the south-western province of Sichuan that was worst hit by the quake. Ten thousand people are feared injured in the county.
Fatalities have also been reported in neighbouring provinces and the death toll is expected to jump as contact is made with regions cut off by the disaster.

Tornadoes Continue To Rip Through USA

From Los Angeles Times: Tornado toll at 22, could go higher
HOUSTON -- Search-and-rescue teams looked desperately for survivors Sunday after the latest barrage of tornadoes barreled through several states, killing at least 22 people. The outbreak of devastating twisters Saturday evening -- at least the fourth major tornado disaster this year in the U.S. -- took its heaviest toll in Missouri, where 13 were killed in rural Newton County and two elsewhere in the state.

From USA Today: Tornado season deadliest in a decade
The USA has been ravaged through mid-May by a near-record number of tornadoes that has pushed the death toll — including 47 killer twisters over the weekend — to a 10-year high.
The deaths of 98 people attributed to tornadoes this year has made 2008 the deadliest year thus far for tornadoes since 1998 and the seventh deadliest since modern recordkeeping began in 1950, The Weather Channel said.

Decoding The Evangelical Manifesto's Call For Global Ecumenism

Since the passing of Jerry Falwell, it seems that politically motivated religious groups are competing for the attention of the American electorate during this campaign season.

First, Red Letter Christians announced that we are trying to create a new movement that seeks to make faithfulness to Biblical Christianity an imperative for progressive politics. With media exposure, the group recasts the image of a "Christian" in the 21st century, i.e. sympathetic toward the bondage of homosexuality and inclusive toward other religious belief systems. The Red Letter Christians misrepresent Biblical Christianity to the general public.

Now, another self appointed "non-group" of public square Christians step up to the podium at the National Press Club to act as spokesmen ( though the event is described as an invitation to join the effort ) for Evangelicals to announce:

" We're different, we're sorry, and we'll change for the global good."

The Evangelical Manifesto claims it does not represent a formal organization though it has assumed the responsibility of redefining what it means to be a globally responsible Evangelical.

The expressed intent of the Manifesto claims to “depoliticize” faith or “take religion out of politics.” Which is interesting, giving the venue of the National Press Club.

The Proponents of the Manifesto

Liberal "theologians" such as:

• Dr. Richard Mouw, President of the man-centered, humanist Fuller Theolgical seminary


• Leith Anderson, president of the National Association of Evangelicals


• Dallas Willard, contemplative guru for the Emerging church movement.

America's pastor, Rick Warren has been rumored as a participating architect, but has not officially stepped up as a signatory.

What's embedded in the Manifesto?

1. The stage setting of the crisis-state-of-the-world :

"...momentous challenges that face our fellow humans on the earth..."

2. Staking the claim of the new American Evangelical Identity:

"we who sign this declaration do so as American leaders and members of one of the world’s largest and fastest growing movements of the Christian faith: the Evangelicals...We are therefore a small part of a far greater worldwide movement..."

3. Initiating the Evangelical Identity Makeover for improved public image and global good :

"we boldly declare that, if we make clear what we mean by the term, we are unashamed to be Evangelical and Evangelicals...Evangelicals has its own contribution to make, not only to the church but to the wider world; and especially to the plight of many who are poor, vulnerable, or without a voice in their communities."

4. The Call For Global Pluralism for Survival:

"...we Evangelicals in America, along with people of all faiths and ideologies, represent one of the greatest challenges of the global era: living with our deepest differences. This challenge is especially sharp when religious and ideological differences are ultimate and irreducible, and when the differences are not just between personal worldviews but between entire ways of life co-existing in the same society."

5. The Call for Global Ecumenism for Survival:

"Learning to live with our deepest differences is therefore of great consequence both for individuals and nations. Debate, deliberation, and decisions about what this means for our common life are crucial and unavoidable."

6. Redefining Christ's Command to be Salt and Light:

"...we Evangelicals should be defined theologically, and not politically, socially, or culturally."

7. Global Ecumenism For Global Good:

"We fully appreciate the defining principles of other major traditions, and we stand and work with them on many ethical and social issues of common concern..."

8. Cooperation Despite the Reformation ( a la Roman Catholicism):

"Like them, we are whole-heartedly committed to the priority of ―right belief and right worship, to the ―universality of the Christian church across the centuries, continents, and cultures, and therefore to the central axioms of Christian faith expressed in the Trinitarian and Christological consensus of the early church..."

9. Roman Catholic Saint Illustrates What It Means to be a Christian:

"Evangelicals are therefore followers of Jesus Christ, plain ordinary Christians in the classic and historic sense over the last two thousand years... The heart of the matter for us as Evangelicals is our desire and commitment, in the words of Richard of Chichester and as Scripture teaches, to ―see him more clearly, to love him more dearly, and to follow him more nearly.

10. Biblical Christianity Not The Only Way; Reduced to a Principle of Civility:

"We do not claim that the Evangelical principle — to define our faith and our life by the Good News of Jesus — is unique to us. Our purpose is not to attack or to exclude but to remind and to reaffirm, and so to rally and to reform. For us it is the defining imperative and supreme goal of all who would follow the way of Jesus."

11. Strong Theological Statement of Faith:
See bottom of page 5 of Manifesto. No mention of repentance or hell but references good works toward others. (Pt. 6 implication of not offending others with the scandal of the Cross or the error of other belief systems)

12. More Confusion - Strong Ecumenical Statement

"Evangelicals adhere fully to the Christian faith expressed in the historic creeds of the great ecumenical councils of the church..."

13. Resultant Statement of Christian Universalism?

"...Evangelicals are followers of Jesus in a way that is not limited to certain churches or contained by a definable movement. We are members of many different churches and denominations, mainline as well as independent, and our Evangelical commitment provides a core of unity that holds together a wide range of diversity. This is highly significant for any movement in the network society of the information age, but Evangelicalism has always been diverse, flexible, adaptable, non-hierarchical, and taken many forms."

See Part II The Evangelical Manifesto: Poison In The Pot

See related post Purpose Driven Power Politics

MacArthur on Warren’s Apostate “Gospel”

Dr. John MacArthur examines the false gospel of The Purpose Driven Life...




HT: The Bororean

Israel, Linchpin of Bible Prophecy

by Jack Kinsella - Omega Letter Editor

Events in Israel are of particular importance to Bible prophecy. As a consequence, the crisis in Israel dominates our coverage of events relative to the unfolding of Bible prophecy in this generation.Israel is the linchpin in studying Bible prophecy. Jesus' description of the signs of His Return [Matt 24:3] are given from the perspective of someone standing on the Mount of Olives.

Without Israel, Bible prophecy doesn't make sense. That is one reason that Christians who believe Israel was replaced by the Church have no use for prophecy.

Kinsella highlights the prophetic components concerning Israel and the end times:

• Israel, Center of Global Attention
• The Eternal Generation
• Bible Prophecy Demands A Jewish State
• Bible Prophecy Demands A Global Government
• Bible Prophecy Demands a Global Economy
• Bible Prophecy Demands a Global Religion
• What is a Fundamentalist?

Matthew 24:32"From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts out its leaves, you know that summer is near. 33So also, when you see all these things, you know that he is near, at the very gates.

The Miracle Of Israel's Existence

Christ in Prophecy: The Miracle of Israel

Dr. David R. Reagan and Dennis Pollock on the show Christ in Prophecy discuss live from Israel what a prophetic miracle the rebirth of Israel is...




See more videos on the 60th anniversary of Israel by Dr. David Reagan here.

Myanmar: Death Toll Feared at 100,000

Myanmar Survivors Face Disease as Relief Awaits by Demian McLean

May 7 (Bloomberg) -- Survivors of the Myanmar cyclone, now estimated to have killed as many as 100,000, are at risk of cholera and other infectious diseases as the United Nations urges the military government to accept foreign help.

More than 1 million people may have been left homeless since Tropical Cyclone Nargis hit the country formerly known as Burma on May 3. Teams from aid group Doctors Without Borders found 80 percent of houses damaged and meter-high (3-foot) flood waters in some areas of Daala and Twante townships, where 300,000 people lived, in the Irrawaddy River delta area.

Why Evangelicals are Returning to Rome

The Abandonment of Sola Scriptura as a Formal Principle by Bob DeWaay of Critical Issues Commentary:

The February 2008 edition of Christianity Today ran a cover story about evangelicals looking to the ancient Roman Catholic Church in order to find beliefs and practices.1 What was shocking about the article was that both the author of the article and the senior managing editor of CT claim that this trip back to Rome is a good thing. Says Mark Galli the editor, “While the ancient church has captivated the evangelical imagination for some time, it hasn’t been until recently that it’s become an accepted fixture of the evangelical landscape. And this is for the good.”2 Chris Armstrong, the author of the article who promotes the trip back to the ancient church, claims that because the movement is led by such persons as “Dallas Willard, Richard Foster, and living and practicing monks and nuns,” that therefore, “they are receiving good guidance on this road from wise teachers.” This he claims shows that, “Christ is guiding the process.”3

Apparently, contemporary evangelicals have forgotten that sola scriptura (scripture alone) was the formal principle of the Reformation. Teachings and practices that could not be justified from Scripture were rejected on that principle. To endorse a trip back to these practices of ancient Roman Catholicism is to reject the principle of sola scriptura being the normative authority for the beliefs and practices of the church. In this article I will explore how modern evangelicalism has compromised the principle of sola scriptura and thus paved smoothly the road back to Rome…

See Bob DeWaay’s article on the Dangers of Spiritual Formation and listen to his radio broadcasts on the Dangers of Contemplative Prayer and Mysticism. Visit Pastor DeWaay at Twin Cities Fellowship.

See related posts.