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Attacks on the Gospel's Exclusivity
The greatest attacks on the Gospel today are the frequent attempts by evangelicals to make it more inclusive to everyone who has ever been baptized. Many are seeking to broaden the narrow road by embracing and promoting apostate forms of Christianity. Some undiscerning Christians have been seduced by the pope's aggressive ecumenical agenda to
reverse the Reformation and unite all professing Christians under the papacy. Part of the pope's strategy is to look for soft targets within the evangelical church who will promote Roman Catholicism as a valid expression of Christianity.
Tragically, his strategy has been successful and is gaining a great deal of traction. Most recently,
Al Mohler,
Carl Truman, Russell Moore and
Matt Chandler have recommended a disturbingly popular book written by Rod Dreher, who is a major promoter of Roman Catholicism, ecumenical unity, and contemplative prayer. Dreher is a former Catholic who converted to the Eastern Orthodox religion, not because of Rome's false gospel, but because of its sexual abuse scandal. His book,
The Benedict Option
, calls people of faith to emulate a sixth-century Catholic monk as an example of how to live in a collapsing culture. Almost all the heroes of The Benedict Option
are Catholic monks who lived solitary lives in a monastery while participating in the daily sacrifice of a
Eucharistic Christ
.
Like most proponents of ecumenism, Dreher promotes subjective spiritual experiences over the objective truths of Scripture. He said he never had a problem with praying the rosary as a Catholic, and he now encourages his readers to practice contemplative prayer and mysticism. He said "my life is shaped around liturgy that's been in our church for 1500 years" and "on all kinds of sensual ways that embody the faith." His Eastern Orthodox religion preaches the same works-righteousness salvation as Catholicism and other religions. We are not to affirm or receive "anyone who goes too far and does not abide in the teaching of Christ" (2 John 9-10).
For evangelical leaders to recommend a book that applauds the heretical people and traditions of Roman Catholicism during the 500th anniversary of the Reformation is lamentable. The prevailing influence of these leaders, along with their reluctance to guard sound doctrine and reject false gospels, have left many Christians confused. They do not know if the Roman Catholic Church represents a huge mission field that needs to be evangelized or if it represents a valid expression of Christianity. They need to know that
Catholicism has long been a bitter enemy of the Gospel of Christ. The apostate religion has not only condemned those who believe the Gospel, but
brutally tortured
and
killed hundreds of thousands of those who refused to compromise it. Evangelical leaders who are sanctioning ecumenical unity with Catholics must be lovingly confronted in their error with the truth of God's Word.
In a troubling
interview with Al Mohler
, Dreher said, "the West owes an incalculable debt to those Benedictine monks." Mohler does acknowledge there are differences between their two faiths, but he said evangelicals can learn from people of the Orthodox and Catholic faith who embrace a different gospel. The apostle Paul did not encourage Christians to learn from the Judaizers who were distorting the Gospel and leading them away from Christ (Gal. 1:6-9). Mohler
says the book encourages living together in a way that is "truly Christian" yet he never defines what a true Christian is, or the Gospel that a true Christian must believe. Mohler stated, "The book is very important. I want to commend it to every thinking Christian. We ought to read this book, and we ought also to read far beyond the title." Yet, there was a glaring omission both in the book and in the interview by Mohler and Dreher. Neither one referenced the most powerful tools Jesus Christ gave us to fight the cultural wars - His Word and His Gospel (Hebrews 4:12; Romans 1:16).
Evangelicals who endorse a book that obfuscates the lines that once separated biblical Christianity from apostate Christianity are minimizing the powerful effect of error. The accommodation of doctrinal error and falsehood will always be dangerous to the life of the Church that is called to be sanctified by the truth (John 17:17). God's Word warns us to "be on your guard so that you are not carried away by the error of unprincipled men and fall from your own steadfastness" (2 Pet. 3:17). The critical issue in the church today is the purity of the Gospel. It is the rudder that must guide us through stormy waters that have been stirred up by every wind of doctrine (Eph. 4:14). Either we seek the approval of God by protecting the purity of the Gospel or we seek the approval of men by applauding those who peddle another gospel. There is no "option."
As blood-bought Christians, we must contend earnestly for the faith and challenge those who embrace a false gospel. If we fail to fight the good fight of faith, we leave our own convictions and beliefs open to question. There is so much more at stake than winning cultural wars. We are also fighting the age-old war against truth waged by the powers of darkness. The truth of God's Word is our only hope in in a world spinning out of control. We must endeavor to defend the glory and honor of our Lord Jesus Christ, the purity of His Gospel, and the sanctity of His Church.
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Praying as Ambassadors for Christ
by John Fallahee
It is a great privilege to answer the call of God to be His ambassadors. Indeed, there is no greater honor than to represent our Holy God by proclaiming His glorious Gospel for the forgiveness of sin. By God's grace we can be a vessel for honor, sanctified, and useful to the Master, prepared for every good work related to the Great Commission. However, being an effective ambassador requires a commitment to study and obey the Word of God. Once equipped with the truth of Scripture, we can lovingly point the lost to the only Mediator between them and God, the Lord Jesus Christ. But this endeavor requires much prayer. So how does one effectively pray as an ambassador for Christ?
A fascinating pattern emerges when examining all the prayers of believers and Jesus in the Bible. All genuine, God-honoring prayer reflects the glory of God. This pattern can be summed up with the following acronym: R.E.F.L.E.C.T. When we pray, we need to R.E.F.L.E.C.T. the glory of God in prayer. With these principles of prayer, we can enrich our prayer time and rightly guide our prayers to ensure that we will never grow cold or indifferent to our Lord, His Word, or His will.
Here is a step by step summary of these praying principles:
Step #1
REMEMBER THE GLORIES OF GOD
Step #2
EXAMINE YOUR MOTIVES AND MANNER
Step #3
FACE LIFE THROUGH SCRIPTURE
Step #4
LOVE GOD
Step #5
EXPECT SUFFERING AND PERSECUTION
Step #6
CONCERN YOURSELF WITH THE KINGDOM
Step #7
TAKE EVERY OPPORTUNITY
Let us look at each one with support from Scripture.
Step #1 REMEMBER THE GLORIES OF GOD
Desire to see the Glory of God (Exodus 33:18)
Desire for others to see the Glory of God (Ephesians 1:18)
Meditate often on the glory of God's Character (2 Chronicles 6:14)
Meditate on the glory of His Works and His Written Word (Psalm 19)
STEP #2 EXAMINE YOUR MOTIVES AND MANNER
Watch Your Ways and Words (Matthew 6:5-7)
Be aware of Lack of Faith and Lusts (James 4:1-3)
Pray for one another (James 5:16)
Pray Earnestly (James 5:17)
Ask (Matthew 7:7, Luke 11:9)
Look at the Disciples' Prayers for guidance (Matt. 6:9-13)
Be Watchful for Prayer Answers (Colossians 4:2)
Be careful of the Wrong Manner and Motive (James 4:3)
Avoid being Sinful towards your spouse (1 Peter 3:7)
For steps three through seven and the complete article,
click here.
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One Priest and One Finished Sacrifice for Sin
As a devout Roman Catholic for over 34 years, I was utterly dependent upon Catholic priests for salvation. The reliance on priests to avoid the fires of hell is common among all Catholics. All Catholics are enslaved and in bondage to these men in the following ways: to baptize them with water for regeneration and justification, to hear their confession and absolve their sin, to impart the Holy Spirit in the sacrament of Confirmation, and to transubstantiate a wafer into the physical body and blood of Jesus in the Eucharist so that He can be offered on an altar and consumed. Not only are Catholics utterly dependent on their priests in this life, but also in the next life. The priest ministers Last Rites to prepare them for eternity and then offers Eucharistic sacrifices that are purchased by loved ones to get them out of purgatory. No priest will say how many sacrifices must be offered before they can be released from purgatory. This keeps the money pouring into Catholic coffers.
By God's grace, I began reading His Word and discovered there is a perfect High Priest who is able to save forever those who draw near to God through Him (Heb. 7:25). When Jesus cried out "It is finished," the curtain of the temple was torn open, giving believers direct access to God (Mat. 27:51). I soon realized there is no need for Catholic priests offering the same sacrifices repeatedly, which can never take away sins (Heb. 10:11). Jesus appeared once to do away with sin; then He entered the holy place, once for all, having obtained eternal redemption (Heb. 9:12, 26). He offered Himself once as one unrepeatable sacrifice for sins for all time (Heb. 10:10, 12). His offering made perfect forever those who are sanctified, and there are no more offerings for sin (Heb. 10:14, 18). No longer would I rely on priests
continuing on an altar what Jesus
finished on the cross. Th
ere is only one mediator between God and man, the man Christ Jesus (1 Tim. 2:5).
These glorious truths from Scripture are what God used to set me free from the bondage of religious deception (John 8:31-32). I soon realized the Catholic priesthood is completely unnecessary, superfluous, and unbiblical. According to the Bible, the only priesthood that is now present on earth is the priesthood of all believers, the royal priesthood that offers sacrifices of praise and thanksgiving to God (1 Pet. 2:9; Heb. 13:15).
Catholics will continue to be utterly dependent upon their priests until they come to know the Great High Priest who is so gloriously revealed in His Word.
May God give us all a greater compassion and more courage to make these truths known to those who are perishing in their misplaced trust.
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Letters from Around the World
As a devout Catholic, I agree with some of the discussion points in
your video on Pope Francis. As you zeroed in on the ways Francis is looking to incorporate atheists and Muslims into his one world church, we cry. At first I didn't understand Francis, but then I read his book,
God's Name is Mercy. It was tragically incoherent and utterly unreadable. A piece of trash that gives entree into this man's mind. He has very little understanding of who God is
and what God requires of us. As much as Obama was an abomination, he is as well. It is truly remarkable how Protestant preachers detail how the anti-Christ will rule from the seven hills of Rome, I can see it now. This pope is a humanist in the truest sense. He is a Marxist with a mitre. So, from this perspective as a committed Catholic, I accede all your points regarding Francis. It is tragic, but Catholics will not accept any criticism of him. E.H., Internet
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Conference Explores Deposing the Pope
A conference of canon lawyers, theologians, and scholars explored the extraordinary question of the mechanisms for deposing a pope on March 30-31 at the University Paris-Sud in France. A letter signed by 23 scholars sounded an ominous warning about the future of the Church.
With the reigning Pontiff now sounding a very uncertain trumpet in this battle against the "principalities and powers" of the Enemy, the barque of Peter is drifting perilously like a ship without a rudder, and indeed, shows symptoms of incipient disintegration. In such a situation, we believe that all Successors of the Apostles have a grave and pressing duty to speak out clearly and strongly in confirmation of the moral teachings clearly expounded in the magisterial teachings of previous popes and the Council of Trent.
Read more.
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Evangelicals and Catholics Unite in Germany
An ecumenical penance and reconciliation service was held in Hildesheim, Germany March 11. The service was jointly promoted by the Chairman of the Roman Catholic German Bishops' Conference, and the Chair of the Council of the Evangelical Church in Germany. This was a historical coming together of the Protestant and Catholic Churches that had split at the time of the Reformation 500 years ago. Catholic and Protestants have decided to share ecumenical celebrations of the Reformation anniversary during 2017 in different parts of Europe and the world.
Read more.
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NEW! More Video Messages Available to Stream
You can now stream PTG video messages by ordering them on our website. This will save you money, as each message is only $6. You can have instant access from any device. We'll be rolling out more videos in the months to come. These messages are only to be streamed and are not downloadable. The following messages are now available for streaming:
New this month!
Last Days for Catholics (50 min.). Order Here for $6
Recently Released:
Evangelicals Reversing the Reformation? (64 min.). Order Here $6
Catholicism's Drift into Apostasy (82 min.).
Order Here for $6.
The Controversial Bread of Life (47 min.). Order Here for $6.
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We hope this month's newsletter challenges you to fight the good fight of faith. If we don't protect the purity and exclusivity of the Gospel our future generations will suffer.
Mike and Jane Gendron and John Fallahee
(817) 379-5300
2829 Veranda Lane, Southlake, TX 76092
www.ProclaimingTheGospel.org
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