The Catholic Threat To The Biblical Church World
We are clearly living in the last days of the church dispensation. The times of the Gentiles is quickly being completed. You cannot study one Gentile nation and what is happening to the culture within that nation without seeing finality written everywhere. The death signs are evident of the end. Nothing within the world cultures is more evident of radical change than the death rattle that is so visible within the church system.
There is a modernization occurring that makes every theological or historical idea open and preparing for change. The “Robert Schuller” mystique of positive Christianity is the dominant shift. Along with this shift is a fresh delusion that this modern church is destined to set up the Kingdom of God on this earth. To a Bible believing fundamentalist it is all insanity; but to the modern church, the only crowd that is insane are the fundamentalists. It’s all raw, unfettered “apostasy.” The Bible said it had to happen. “Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition. And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming.” (2 Thessalonians 2:3,8)
There are several streams within the modern theological systems that are quickly coming together. The dominant stream is the Catholic system, but it is by no means the only one. There is no stream that is merging with the Catholic stream more devotedly or quickly than the Charismatics. They are sweeping almost the total world of what were Pentecostal or Full Gospel churches and ministers and leading them to hell, right to the bowels of Catholicism. The third stream is the “positive thinking” evangelical ministries that have gathered steam and influence until they are very close to being as full of deception as the Charismania. The fourth stream is “Reformed Theology”, and it is divided between those that are post-millenial and ready to call the Catholic system “Christian”, and those that cling to the pre-tribulation and pre-millenial theology. These are the four mainstreams, with many smaller groups that are modernizing quickly and will soon join the “one world revival crowd.” This so-called “revival” is no revival at all, but a religious conglomeration.
Bible believing fundamental churches and ministers are the hated and rejected holdouts of the world. Like the three Hebrew children “we will not bow, we will not bend and we will not burn.” Literally, millions in the church world are leaving these modern churches to meet in homes, storefronts, and in mostly small, faithful churches. While it would suit the Catholic Church and her harlot daughters to close us down, the Bible makes it plain that it cannot happen. This glorious Gospel of transforming power will be preached until the end. Jesus Christ promised, “But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.” (St. Matthew 24:13-14)
The primary force behind this destruction of the church is Catholicism. This mammoth system is organized to the core. Its faithful troops are spread over this globe; they infiltrate every religious system, and they are determined to create a one-world church, a one-world system, and to control the religious, the political, and the economic world. The ignorance of the church world to the mammoth drive for a unity of religion so distant from a “book of Acts” revival is amazing and cannot be understood without the word “apostasy.” You cannot investigate one, big religious event or fad over the last few years without seeing how distant it is from the infallible Word of God. The church world seems to think that you can sanctify any religious event as long as you say the name of Jesus Christ. Do not forget that you cannot sanctify error by using the name of Jesus Christ over it.
The Catholic Church is clearly either leading or manipulating the religious forces driving the church world. Using their resistance to abortion-on-demand and a handful of moral issues, they are being heralded as hope for change, both politically and culturally. At the same time, their resistance to bedrock truths of Biblical Christianity is as dark as hell. “Replacement theology” is a primary doctrine of Roman Catholicism. They believe that God has divorced Israel, and that they are the spiritual Israel. Many within the Evangelical church are preaching the same doctrine. The Jews are presently being used by the Catholic Church to aid them in acquiring control over the coveted city of Jerusalem, but it is all a fluke. The present revival of “preterism” is nothing but warmed over Catholicism. The Catholic Church now owns Benny Hinn, TBN, Charisma magazine, and many other large Charismatic ministries or Protestant ministries.
The “Passion of the Christ” was the box office success of Catholicism and the one world church. The death of Pope John Paul II was the greatest media event this harlot system has ever orchestrated. In spite of the crisis of a multitude of immoral priests, they were able to raise the level of acceptance to a new height. The harlot system is the living drama of Revelation chapter seventeen in motion. “So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns. And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication.” (Revelation 17:3-4) John was chided by the angel because he wondered at this “mother of harlots” and the glory she was able to manifest. “And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus: and when I saw her, I wondered with great admiration. And the angel said unto me, Wherefore didst thou marvel? I will tell thee the mystery of the woman, and of the beast that carrieth her, which hath the seven heads and ten horns.” (Revelation 17:6-7)
His glorying at this system is being repeated by the world. It is impossible not to glory at a worldwide religious entity so rich, so full of human glory, and so capable to demand the attention of the most high and mighty of our day. The unconverted church world full of educated leaders so utterly void of absolute confidence in truth cannot understand the fulfillment of prophecy as is occurring at break-neck speed. The Catholic Church will succeed. They will become the dominate force of the church, and the multitude will drink her poison and fornicate with her “names of blasphemy.” The remnant of the godly and the sanctified will reject her overtures, refuse her poison, and be hated for it. But we will be faithful until the King comes, and we will go with Him to the Marriage Supper. Millions will realize too late and miss the Rapture.
It is imperative that you come out of every religious system that is playing church with Catholicism. The NIV Bible is a Catholic Bible, the Purpose Driven program is a tool of deception, and the TBN worldwide television outreach is worse than dangerous. Your only hope of escape is to devour the infallible Word of God and walk in abandonment to the Lordship of Jesus Christ. You must refuse to sit under a pastor or preacher that is willing to fit into the modern church world. If he is not willing to speak the truth at all costs, he is not a man of God regardless of how nice he may be. We are near the end and faithfulness to the truth is our lifeline.
Joseph R. Chambers