Jared engagement rings
There is a television commercial that we are "treated" to every year around Christmas time. Jared Jewelry Galleria wants to present itself as an upscale jewelry store, the only place that you should consider buying your fine jewelry, especially diamond engagement rings. They want you to know that they consider themselves the be-all, end-all, pinnacle of jewelry. They believe there is no other name in jewelry. Once the gal knows "he went to Jared," she melts, giggles, and the deal is sealed. Or proposal. Whatever.
We should start a new meme. "He went to Rome."
Pope ring. "He went to the Vatican"
Over the past few years, when receiving the call from Rome to come to the Vatican, we have seen leaders who call themselves Christian or evangelical, giggle and melt like the girls in the Jared commercials. The Vatican presents itself as the only place that you should consider buying your religion. They want you to know that they consider themselves at the Vatican Galleria the be-all, end-all, pinnacle of religion. They believe there is no other name in religion. Once they know "he went to Rome" Christian leaders melt, sigh, and that seals the deal.Here are some 'Christian' leaders who in the recent past have gone to Rome to meet with the Pope.
The topic was marriage.
Rick Warren
Russell Moore
NT Wright
About the ecumenical meeting, Russell Moore said,
But all of us in this room share at least one thing in common,” said Moore. “We recognize that marriage and family is a matter of public importance, not just of our various theological and ecclesial distinctive communities,"
The topic was unity.
Joel Osteen
Mormon Senator Mike Lee
(Disgraced) CA pastor Tim Timmons
As to the above trio's meeting,
"The ecumenical meeting was a part of Pope Francis' on-going efforts to bring unity among Christians, previously stating in public remarks, "Divisions among us, but also divisions among the communities: evangelical Christians, orthodox Christians, Catholic Christians, but why divided? We must try to bring about unity."
The topic was (evangelical) Protestant-Catholic unity in Jesus' name.
James and Betty Robison Beth Moore's mentor and broadcasts weekly on LifeToday
Kenneth Copeland
Reverend Geoff Tunnicliff, CEO of the World Evangelical Alliance
Rev. Brian Stiller, from the World Evangelical Alliance
Rev. Thomas Schirrmacher, from the World Evangelical Alliance
Rev. John Arnott and his wife, Carol, co-founders of Partners for Harvest ministries in Toronto, Canada.
As to the above 'evangelicals' meeting,
It was "an unprecedented moment between evangelicals and the Catholic Pope."The topic was unity in Christ's name:
Pastor Giovanni Traettino
350 Pentecostals
Of the above meeting held in Caserta, Italy
Francis is particularly keen on establishing good relationships with evangelicals, convinced that even though disagreements exist over doctrine, it is still possible to love Christ and witness to him together.
In addition to the deeds of self-proclaimed 'evangelical' leaders going across the world to meet with Pope Francis, are the number of 'evangelical' leaders who ally with Rome in word.
Spoken this month by Pastor Robert Jeffress, senior pastor of First Baptist Dallas, a Southern Baptist Convention affiliated church, to Fox News host Bill O'Reilly Friday, February 6, 2015, about President Barack Obama's controversial remarks at the 63rd annual National Prayer Breakfast in Washington and Muslims extremism, is the following startling declaration-
"And I believe that Christians ought to be on the forefront of fighting this evil, and this is unmitigated evil … burning people alive … and that is why tonight, I am calling on Christians everywhere, Catholics and Protestants together, to join with our Jewish friends and demand that this president do whatever is necessary, including boots on the ground, to eradicate this cancer of ISIS and radical Islam before it destroys us." [emphasis mine]
Sadly, Catholics are not Christians. Yet sentiments like Jeffress' are becoming commonplace. Calls for partnerships, pleas for unity, and combining our efforts are the order of the day. And not from fringe sects but high-end supposedly conservative leaders.
The question is, if a religion or individual calls on the name of Jesus, is that all there needs to be to accept them as a brother? No. There are different Jesuses and there is This Same Jesus. (Acts 1:11). Here is John MacArthur in Declaring and Defending the Deity of Christ
If you’re believing in a false Jesus, you’re damned. You preach any other Christ than the true Christ, you’re damned, that’s Galatians 1. If you fail to love the true Lord Jesus Christ, 1 Corinthians 16, you’re cursed. We have to be loving and believing in the true Christ, not a false Christ, not a Christ of our own imagination, not some sentimental Jesus, not the Jesus of liberalism, not the Jesus of liberation theology, not the Jesus of Mormonism, not the Jesus of Islam, not the Jesus of private invention. Now, all false religions—listen--all false religions reject the true Jesus Christ of the Bible. They all do. That’s what constitutes them as false religions to start with. From Islam to Mormonism, if you want to go from something that is non-Christian to something that calls itself Christian, they all reject the true Christ. But, they all honor a false Christ.But can't we all just get along, even partner briefly for a one-off? For Jesus' sake? No. MacArthur again-
Billy Graham met with Pope John Paul II in 1993.
It is ludicrous to imagine that Christians and Jews and Muslims, or Christians and anyone else in any other religion, can get together. It's impossible because all other systems of religion are against Christ. When that effort is made, the only thing that ever results is the loss of true Christianity. ~John MacArthur
That document circulated 20 years ago was an overt, visible leap of this dastardly move toward Rome. It was called Evangelicals and Catholics Together document, 1994. MacArthur explains why we do not partner with Rome, or any false religion, even briefly for a 'common' mission.
A recent document entitled “Evangelicals and Catholics Together: The Christian Mission in the Third Millennium,” signed by a number of prominent evangelicals, has neglected the wide doctrinal breach that separates evangelicalism and Roman Catholicism. It declares the unity of the two participating groups, emphasizes their common faith, allows for doctrinal differences, but states that the two nevertheless have a common mission. A fatal flaw in the document is its assumption that a common mission is possible in spite of the doctrinal differences.
Religion News Service did a 20-year retrospective on the document:
Evangelicals and Catholics Together marks 20 years, Feb 2014
(RNS) When evangelicals and Catholics set aside centuries of mutual suspicion 20 years ago, the idea was fairly simple: Even if we can’t always work together, at least let’s not work against each other.But that's wrong. We are working against Rome, and every other principality that comes against the faith and against the faithful of the true Jesus Christ.
For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. (Ephesians 6:12)
We DO fight against the evil forces. We never stop. Why?
For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, (Colossians 1:13)
We do not partner with Rome, or any false religion's leaders, or accept any part of their faith itself, not even for pragmatic reasons. Not even for reasons that we ourselves deem to be 'good.' If that was acceptable, Paul and Silas would have allowed the demon-possessed slave girl to keep following them and shouting-
These men are servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to you the way of salvation. (Acts 16:17)
Was there anything wrong with what she said? No, technically it was accurate. Paul and Silas were serving God, who is most high, and their message was salvation. All true. Just as Rome's message is that Jesus came to seek and save the lost, or that Jesus is the incarnated God, or that He is Messiah...none of those statements or beliefs are wrong. What is wrong is the source.
Paul did not need the dominion of hell and darkness to proclaim Light. It would be hypocritical in the extreme to say that hell is bad- except when it helps us, except when it's convenient. Never! We never partner with hell when it's easy, or convenient, or helpful. Because it never is.
It would have been insensitive in the extreme to mourn over this poor girl's bodily use by demons to sell fortunes for profit, and then cravenly use that same poor girl's body to proclaim the message of the cross.
From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so. (James 3:10)
And the most important reason is that we do not partner with evil to bring good. God forbade such partnerships and blessed the congregation that stays apart from them. Even when satan's throne is set in the city.
I know where you dwell, where Satan’s throne is. Yet you hold fast my name, and you did not deny my faith even in the days of Antipas my faithful witness, who was killed among you, where Satan dwells. (To the church at Pergamum, Revelation 2:13)
Test these things, stay true to the purity of the bright Gospel of the true Shepherd!
Gold actually is dull. Fool's Gold in raw form reflects substantially more light and is often mistaken for gold. But it isn't.
All that glisters is not gold; Often have you heard that told:
Many a man his life hath sold
But my outside to behold:
Gilded tombs do worms enfold.
Had you been as wise as bold,
Young in limbs, in judgment old
Your answer had not been inscroll'd
Fare you well, your suit is cold
Merchant of Venice, William Shakespeare
Hold fast to the name of Jesus, the Jesus whose identity is specifically described in the bible. Not the Mormon Jesus. Not the Islamic Jesus/Isa. Not the Coptic Jesus. Not the Catholic Jesus.
And for the sake of all that is holy, don't go to
(Top, gold. Bottom, fool's gold AKA pyrite)
Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness? (2 Corinthians 6:14)
One Ring to rule them all,
One Ring to find them,
One Ring to bring them all
and in the darkness bind them
