Here was one whose title as Pontiff (“The Bridge”) demonstrated Rome’s determination to gather her wandering chicks beneath her wings; and, even sought to unite world’s disparate religions under Rome’s ecumenical umbrella, alleging that diversity of faith could be tolerated and understood in context of Lord’s high priestly prayer found in John 17. Listen to John Paul II’s convincing exhortations:

“There I stated that believers in Christ, united in following in footsteps of martyrs, cannot remain divided. If they wish truly and effectively to oppose world's tendency to reduce to powerlessness Mystery of Redemption, they must profess together same truth about Cross. The Cross! An anti-Christian outlook seeks to minimize Cross, to empty it of its meaning, and to deny that in it man has source of his new life. It claims that Cross is unable to provide either vision or hope. Man, it says, is nothing but an earthly being, who must live as if God did not exist.

“With grace of Holy Spirit, Lord's disciples, inspired by love, by power of truth and by a sincere desire for mutual forgiveness and reconciliation, are called to re-examine together their painful past and hurt which that past regrettably continues to provoke even today. All together, they are invited by ever fresh power of Gospel to acknowledge with sincere and total objectivity mistakes made and contingent factors at work at origins of their deplorable divisions. What is needed is a calm, clear-sighted and truthful vision of things, a vision enlivened by divine mercy and capable of freeing people's minds and of inspiring in everyone a renewed willingness, precisely with a view to proclaiming Gospel to men and women of every people and nation.” (Ut Unum Sint)

Toward Pope John Paul II’s conclusion and final exhortation he implores:

“When I say that for me, as Bishop of Rome, ecumenical task is ‘one of pastoral priorities’ of my Pontificate, I think of grave obstacle which lack of unity represents for proclamation of Gospel. A Christian Community which believes in Christ and desires, with Gospel fervor, salvation of mankind can hardly be closed to promptings of Holy Spirit, who leads all Christians towards full and visible unity. Here an imperative of charity is in question, an imperative which admits of no exception. Ecumenism is not only an internal question of Christian Communities. It is a matter of love which God has in Jesus Christ for all humanity; to stand in way of this love is an offence against him and against his plan to gather all people in Christ. As Pope Paul VI wrote to Ecumenical Patriarch Athenagoras I: ‘May Holy Spirit guide us along way of reconciliation, so that unity of our Churches may become an ever more radiant sign of hope and consolation for all mankind.’” (My Emphasis)

I present this material to demonstrate intensity and irrevocable commitment that Roman Catholic Church, through efforts of Pope John Paul II, has toward ultimate “unity” of all believers who claim Christian label and towards “outward manifestation of Kingdom of God” here on earth.

Thus, death of Pope John Paul II, and his drive to unite world’s religions (especially “Christian religion”) could be summed up in these remarks:

“John Paul II ushered in ‘the globalization of religion,’ said John Esposito, founding director of Georgetown University Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding in Washington. ‘He increased exponentially dialogue with . . . people of all faiths.’” (Louis Meixler, Buffalo News, April 8, 2005, Unprecedented Number of Faiths Drawn to Funeral)

Thus, before us this past week was death and burial of world’s greatest religious proponent of ecumenism—ecumenism on a scale heretofore unknown within confines of Christendom and greater religious communities of planet. His universal, Catholic legacy abides . . . perpetuation on behalf of “manifested Christian unity” and embrace of all who affirm faith—even outside bounds of Christianity!

In The Later Times . . . Some Will Apostatize

“But Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from faith (i.e., “Apostatize”), paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons, by means of hypocrisy of liars seared in their own conscience as with a branding iron, men who forbid marriage and advocate abstaining from foods, which God has created to be gratefully shared in by those who believe and know truth” (I Timothy 4:1-3).

We initiated this conversation by quoting passages from Revelation,....

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Today, Holy Spirit is after an INWARD TRANSFORMATION of heart—not an OUTWARD expression of religious compliance having nothing to do with original intent of SOUND DOCTRINE!

I don’t know if you can follow my rambling here—but remember guy holding on to rat’s tail and declaring discovery of his elephant; even so, they who extract “bits and pieces” of God’s Word and extend their discoveries into doctrinal absurdities for their own purposes are guilty of very charge to which Paul bespeaks in I Timothy chapter 1 and of which Apostle Peter derides in II Peter:

“No prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation” (II Peter 1:20).

The word “private” in Greek connotes “one’s personal interpretation” as in “idios” (from whence word “idiosyncrasy” is derived). Here, we discover that prophetic Scriptures are not only isolated one from another—they become “personal fiefdom” of those who manipulate them for their own idiosyncrasies; and, thereby obscure both their meaning and intent. Is there any wonder that Peter follows up this explanation of prophetic Scriptures with following exhortation:

“But there were also FALSE PROPHETS among people, even as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying Lord who bought them, and bring on themselves swift destruction. And many will follow their destructive ways, because of whom way of truth will be blasphemed. By covetousness they will exploit you with deceptive words; for a long time their judgment has not been idle, and their destruction does not slumber” (I Peter 2:1-3).

In sum, “Gospel of Grace of God” has been turned into a “system of outward works” having absolutely nothing to do with “the Lord who bought them!” Instead, these FALSE PROPHETS/TEACHERS “blaspheme . . . way of truth” and for “covetousness they will exploit you with deceptive words.” I hate to beat a dead horse (or donkey)—but if you carefully read II Peter 2, you will discover these FALSE TEACHERS inevitably covet “yours not you.”

“They have a heart trained in covetous practices . . . they have forsaken right way and gone astray, following way of Balaam son of Beor, who LOVED THE WAGES of unrighteousness (and we’re talking about MAMMON here—money!) . . . but he was rebuked for his iniquity: a dumb donkey speaking with a man’s voice restrained madness of prophet. These are wells without water, clouds carried by a tempest, for whom is reserved blackness of darkness forever” (II Peter 2:14b-17).

“The Way of Balaam” is nothing more than a “prophet gone false” for he has “sold his soul to devil” for filthy lucre—having been bought by wealthy to perform whatever services deemed appropriate (in this case Balaam was “hired” to prophesy against Israel and to do so under idiosyncrasies of Balak, King of Moab (Numbers 22-24) (Note: “Though Balak were to give me his house full of silver and gold, I could not go beyond word of Lord my God, to do less or more” 22:18). This strange and contorted couple (Balaam and Balak) conspired to curse Israel—instead all gold and silver could not keep Balaam from blessing Israel and foiled “Way of Balaam.”

Notwithstanding Balaam’s claims that “he could not be bought” – “The Way of Balaam” would be forever denounced in Holy Write, especially in context of prophetical Scriptures: WOE TO THEM! FOR THEY HAVE GONE THE WAY OF CAIN, HAVE RUN GREEDILY IN THE ERROR OF BALAAM FOR PROFIT . . . .” (Jude 10).

FROM TETZEL TO TBN

Tragically, history past and present is littered with WAY OF BALAAM.....

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