By Jeff Wehr
“The Catholic bishops of Brazil announced that almost 11 million people visited the country’s National Shrine of Our Lady of Aparecida in 2011.” EWTN News, January 10, 2012

“Cardinal Angelo Amato told attendees at a major Marian conference in Rome that ‘if you get lost, take the hand of Mary and she will lead you to Jesus. . . For conversion to Christ you must go to the Virgin Mary so that she leads us back to Him.” EWTN News, Oct 5, 2011

“Satan has long been preparing for his final effort to deceive the world. The foundation of his work was laid by the assurance given to Eve in Eden: ‘Ye shall not surely die.…in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.’ Genesis 3:4, 5. Little by little he has prepared the way for his masterpiece of deception in the development of spiritualism. He has not yet reached the full accomplishment of his designs; but it will be reached in the last remnant of time.” Ellen G. White, The Great Controversy, 561.

“Through the two great errors, the immortality of the soul and Sunday sacredness, Satan will bring the people under his deceptions. While the former lays the foundation of spiritualism, the latter creates a bond of sympathy with Rome.” Ibid, 588.

The Bible says, “For such [are] false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.” 2 Corinthians 11:13–15.

Just prior to the close of human probation and the falling of the seven last plagues, Satan will pretend to be Jesus and endeavor to counterfeit His second coming. Jesus had warned us, “Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not. For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect. Behold, I have told you before. Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the desert; go not forth: behold, he is in the secret chambers; believe it not. For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.” Matthew 24:23–27.

Through hundreds of apparitions of Mary and other acts of spiritualism Satan is preparing for his deception to personate Christ. We know that it is not Mary because the Bible says, “the wages of sin is death.” Romans 6:23. Therefore we know that Mary died because the Bible says “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.” Romans 3:23.

Mary herself admitted in being a sinner, saying, “My soul doth magnify the Lord, And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour.” Luke 1:46, 47.
Only sinners need a Savior. This does not in any way detract from Mary being chosen of God to be the mother of Jesus. But it does leave Mary in the grave like all other faithful believers awaiting the resurrection. See 1 Corinthians 15:51–54.

The Marian movement is one of the fastest growing movements within the Christian community today.

“The late 20th century has become the age of the Marian pilgrimage. Examples: At Lourdes, the biggest of France’s 937 pilgrimage shrines, annual attendance in the past two years has jumped 10%, to 5.5 million… one tenth of the faithful these days are 25 or younger.

“In Knock, Ireland, where 15 people saw the Virgin a century ago, the lines of the faithful lengthened dramatically after Pope John Paul II paid a visit to the shrine in 1979. Since then, attendance has doubled, to 1.5 million people each year. To handle the influx, a new international airport was opened at Knock in 1986.

“At Fatima, Portugal, the shrine marking the appearance of Mary before three children in 1917 draws a steady 4.5 million pilgrims a year from an every widening array of countries. One million devotees turned out last May when John Paul made his second visit.

“In Czestochowa, Poland, attendance at the shrine of the Black Madonna has increased to 5 million a year, rivaling Fatima and Lourdes, since John Paul’s visit in 1979.

“In Emmitsburg, Maryland, attendance has doubled in the past year, to 500,000, at one of the oldest of 43 major Marian sites in the U.S., the National Shrine Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes.

In Medjugorje, Yugoslavia, “more than 10 million pilgrims had flocked to the mountain village since the apparitions began in 1981.” Time, December 30, 1990, 63, 64.

Even though this is not Mary, “The Vatican reports receiving more than 200 accounts of apparitions yearly. . . . Mary seems to be popping up everywhere.” Arizonia Republic, November 13, 1994.

By Jeff Wehr
The Tennessee House of Representatives unanimously voted in favor of HR 107, a resolution which urges the counties of Tennessee to post the Ten Commandments in their respective courthouses.

Part of the resolution reads, “WHEREAS, the Supreme Court has repeatedly recognized the historical importance of these sacred texts and even upheld Sunday closing laws, which originated in the fourth commandments exhortation to remember the Sabbath Day and keep it holy.”

Mathew Staver, founder and chairman of Liberty Counsel and dean of Liberty University School of Law, said, “The Ten Commandments are part of the fabric of our country and helped shape our laws. They are as much at home in a display about the foundations of law as stars and stripes are in the American flag. The founding fathers would be outraged that we are even debating the constitutionality of the Ten Commandments.” WND, June 4, 2011.

The terms “God,” “Christianity,” “Ten Commandments,” and the “Bible” are not mentioned in the Constitution of the United States. “Religion” is mentioned only twice. The first occurrence is in our First Amendment, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.” The second occurrence is found in Article VI, Clause 3, “. . . no religious test shall ever be required as a Qualification to any Office or public Trust under the United States.”
There were some who opposed “the religious test” clause because they did not want to see a Roman Catholic, Jew, Muslim, or some heathen hold public office. States such as North Carolina opposed the prohibition. But the majority believed that the people of these United States should have the right to employ any capable and good citizen to execute the various offices of the government.

This battle over posting the Ten Commandments in a state court building became a national issue nearly a decade ago when an Alabama judge, Roy Moore, faced pressure from the ACLU and other groups to remove a monument featuring the Ten Commandments in the Alabama Supreme Court building.
It is evident that behind these initiatives there is an attempt to lay a foundation for the government to legislate religious faith.

By Jeff Wehr
During 2011, a number of global events affected the US economy. There was the “Arab Spring,” and some feared it may affect the flow of oil. The Japanese earthquake and tsunami also created global fears. Then there were all those record-breaking natural disasters in America. There was the Standard and Poor’s downgrade in August. Throughout the year, stress levels went up as we discovered that many European countries had poor economic viability. With less confidence in US greenbacks, and even less confidence in the Euro, we may begin to see people store their money in physical assets like soybeans that can be stored for three to four years. As people become more and more wary of insurmountable government debt and paper currencies with no physical assets behind it, we may begin to see the financialization of food. This would raise the question, How will it affect food prices?

The dramatic rise in the value of gold can serve as an example. In March, 2011 gold hit $1,400 an ounce. Then it nearly hit $1,900. But you cannot eat gold. It doesn’t pay dividends. So why do people buy it? It is because they have lost their trust in paper currency and find gold to be a more reliable asset.

Paper currency is only as valuable as people are willing to believe it is worth. If people lose confidence, they reduce their spending, which slows down the economy, which leads to unemployment, and the downward spiral continues. The government then prints more money, which decreases its value even more. People lose even more trust in paper currency and start buying things that have apparent value like gold, soybeans, and other commodities which will always be in demand. Again the question arises, What will this do to food prices? We will have to wait and see.

But we do know what will happen to gold. “Men are heaping up treasures of gold and silver to be consumed by the fires of the last days.” Ellen G. White, Review and Herald, June 2, 1903.

“In that day a man shall cast his idols of silver, and his idols of gold, which they made each one for himself to worship, to the moles and to the bats; To go into the clefts of the ragged rocks, for fear of the LORD, and for the glory of his majesty, when he ariseth to shake terribly the earth. Cease ye from man, whose breath is in his nostrils: for wherein is he to be accounted of?” Isaiah 2:20–22.

By Jeff Wehr

“’A group of about 150 conservative Christian leaders and political activists emerged today from a two-day meeting at a Texas ranch and endorsed former Pennsylvania senator Rick Santorum for president.… The issues most important to the group are to repeal the health-care reform law passed under President Obama, reduce government spending, and return the nation’s focus to family values and an anti-abortion stance,’ said Tony Perkins, president of the Family Research Council.” Political Intelligence, 1/14/2012.

There were 114 leaders that voted. Santorum received 85 votes, and Gingrich received 29. Santorum, a Roman Catholic, lost his senate seat by a wide margin of 18 points in his 2006 reelection campaign. But what will be interesting to follow is to see how powerful and persuasive these Christian leaders will be in electing Santorum as the Republican nominee. Without them flexing their political muscle, Romney looks like the sure nominee. We will have to watch the developments as the nomination process moves forward.

Religious Conservative asks Michele Bachmann to drop out of the race in Iowa and endorse Rick Santorum.
This anti-Romney position began before the Iowa caucus. Bob Vander Plaats, president of The Family Leader, said, “The goal for The Family Leader and other like-minded social conservatives is to avoid splitting the evangelical vote by coalescing around one conservative candidate who could stop Mitt Romney from winning the Republican nomination.”

One thing is very clear, they are certainly putting their confidence in one individual. Now consider these inspired words. “We cannot with safety vote for political parties; for we do not know whom we are voting for. We cannot with safety take part in any political scheme. We cannot labor to please men who will use their influence to repress religious liberty, and to set in operation oppressive measures to lead or compel their fellow-men to keep Sunday as the Sabbath. The first day of the week is not a day to be reverenced. It is a spurious sabbath, and the members of the Lord’s family cannot participate with the men who exalt this day, and violate the law of God by trampling upon His Sabbath. The people of God are not to vote to place such men in office; for when they do this, they are partakers with them of the sins which they commit while in office.” Ellen G. White, Gospel Workers, 391, 392.

By Jeff Wehr

As we watch the steady trend of events foretold in Scripture, we are admonished, “Despise not prophesyings. Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.” 1 Thessalonians 5:20, 21. If there ever was a time for us to keep our attention in prophecy, it is now. “There is need of a much closer study of the word of God; especially should Daniel and the Revelation have attention as never before in the history of our work.” Ellen G. White, Testimonies to Ministers, 112.

World Conditions: “The present is a time of overwhelming interest to all living. Rulers and statesmen, men who occupy positions of trust and authority, thinking men and women of all classes, have their attention fixed upon the events taking place about us. They are watching the strained, restless relations that exist among the nations. They observe the intensity that is taking possession of every earthly element, and they realize that something great and decisive is about to take place—that the world is on the verge of a stupendous crisis. Angels are now restraining the winds of strife, until the world shall be warned of its coming doom; but a storm is gathering, ready to burst upon the earth, and when God shall bid his angels loose the winds, there will be such a scene of strife as no pen can picture.” Review and Herald, Nov. 23, 1905.

People are afraid of the present state of affairs. They have concerns about wars and conflicts around the world, the unstable economy, the threat to social security, job security, immigration, access to health-care, being the a victim of crime, having your identity stolen, and much more.

The Economy: “Money will soon depreciate in value very suddenly when the reality of eternal scenes opens to the senses of man.” Ellen G. White, Evangelism, 63.

“The value of global financial assets including stocks, bonds and currencies probably fell by more than $50 trillion in 2008, equivalent to a year of world gross domestic product.” Bloomberg, March 9, 2009.
“The crisis is the first truly universal one in the history of humanity,” said, Michel Camdessus, former International Monetary Fund (IMF) Managing Director. Bloomberg, March 9, 2009.

We are to move from the cities to the country: “More and more, as time advances, our people will have to leave the cities. For years we have been instructed that our brethren and sisters, and especially families with children, should plan to leave the cities as the way opens before them to do so.” Review and Herald, Sept. 27, 1906.

“The time has come, when, as God opens the way, families should move out of the cities. The children should be taken into the country. The parents should get as suitable a place as their means will allow. Though the dwelling may be small, yet there should be land in connection with it, that may be cultivated.… Parents can secure small homes in the country, with land for cultivation, where they can have orchards and where they can raise vegetables and small fruits to take the place of flesh meat, which is so corrupting to the life blood coursing through the veins. On such places the children will not be surrounded with the corrupting influences of city life. God will help His people to find such homes outside the cities.… More and more, as time advances, our people will have to leave the cities. For years we have been instructed that our brethren and sisters, and especially families with children, should plan to leave the cities as the way opens before them to do so. Many will have to labor earnestly to help open the way. But until it is possible for them to leave, so long as they remain, they should be most active in doing missionary work, however limited their sphere of influence may be.” Ellen G. White, Country Living, 24, 25.
“Men in responsible positions will not only ignore and despise the Sabbath themselves, but from the sacred desk, will urge upon the people the observance of the first day of the week, pleading tradition and custom in behalf of this man-made institution. They will point to calamities on land and sea—to the storms of wind, the floods, the earthquakes, the destruction by fire—as judgments indicating God’s displeasure because Sunday is not sacredly observed. These calamities will increase more and more, one disaster will follow close upon the heels of another; and those who make void the law of God will point to the few who are keeping the Sabbath of the fourth commandment as the ones who are bringing wrath upon the world. This falsehood is Satan’s device that he may ensnare the unwary.” Signs of the Times, January 17, 1884

Angel Protection: In that day, multitudes will desire the shelter of God’s mercy which they have so long despised. “Behold, the days come, saith the Lord God, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the Lord: and they shall wander from sea to sea, and from the north even to the east, they shall run to and fro to seek the word of the Lord, and shall not find it.” Amos 8:11, 12. The people of God will not be free from suffering; but while persecuted and distressed, while they endure privation and suffer for want of food they will not be left to perish. That God who cared for Elijah will not pass by one of His self-sacrificing children. He who numbers the hairs of their head will care for them, and in time of famine they shall be satisfied. While the wicked are dying from hunger and pestilence, angels will shield the righteous and supply their wants. To him that “walketh righteously” is the promise: “Bread shall be given him; his waters shall be sure.” “When the poor and needy seek water, and there is none, and their tongue faileth for thirst, I the Lord will hear them, I the God of Israel will not forsake them.” Isaiah 33:15, 16; 41:17. Ellen G. White, The Great Controversy, 629.

“In the day of fierce trial He [Christ] will say, ‘Come, my people, enter thou into thy chambers, and shut thy doors about thee: hide thyself as it were for a little moment, until the indignation be overpast.’ What are the chambers in which they are to hide? They are the protection of Christ and holy angels. The people of God are not at this time all in one place. They are in different companies, and in all parts of the earth. I saw the saints leaving the cities and villages, and associating together in companies, and living in the most solitary places. Angels provided them food and water, while the wicked were suffering from hunger and thirst.” Ellen G. White, Maranatha, 270.

“The heavenly sentinels, faithful to their trust, continue their watch. Though a general decree has fixed the time when commandment keepers may be put to death, their enemies will in some cases anticipate the decree, and before the time specified, will endeavor to take their lives. But none can pass the mighty guardians stationed about every faithful soul. Some are assailed in their flight from the cities and villages; but the swords raised against them break and fall powerless as a straw. Others are defended by angels in the form of men of war.” Ellen G. White, The Great Controversy, 631

By Jeff Wehr

On May 31, 1998, Pope John Paul II issued the apostolic letter Dies Domini (on keeping the Lord’s Day holy) in his attempt to encourage Sunday worship. In article 67, paragraph 2, the Pope admonished, “Therefore, also in the particular circumstances of our own time, Christians will naturally strive to ensure that civil legislation respects their duty to keep Sunday holy. In any case, they are obliged in conscience to arrange their Sunday rest in a way which allows them to take part in the Eucharist, refraining from work and activities which are incompatible with the sanctification of the Lord’s Day, with its characteristic joy and necessary rest for spirit and body.”

Since the release of Dies Domini, church leaders, both bishops and priests, have heeded the call to push for Sunday worship. In Croatia, a country that is about ninety percent Catholic, a national Sunday law passed on January 1, 2009. While the law lacked support from the populace, influential leaders from the church pressured Parliament to pass the law.

In the book, The Great Controversy, page 592, we read, “The dignitaries of the church and state will unite to bribe, persuade, and compel all classes to honor the Sunday. The lack of divine authority will be supplied by oppressive enactments. Political corruption is destroying love of justice and regard for truth; and even in free America, rulers and legislators, in order to secure public favor, will yield to the popular demand for a law enforcing Sunday observance.”

In the same year of 2009, debate on Sunday legislation escalated in Germany. Berlin has passed legislation allowing stores to be open for ten Sundays a year, per contra the national law. Catholic and Lutheran churches had opposed Berlin’s law and the case made its way to Germany’s Constitutional Court, which ruled against Berlin’s law of leniency. The court’s ruling went into effect on January 1, 2010. Germany’s protection of Sunday is found in article 140 of Germany’s Basic Law, a holdover from the Weimar Constitution of 1919.

While these steps were being taken in Croatia and Germany, the Commission of Bishops for the European Community (COMECE) had given hearty approval and support to the proposal by five ministers of state to the European Parliament, arguing in favor of a Sunday law for all of Europe since Sunday served as a proper “cultural patrimony and social model” for European society. They argued for recognition of Sunday as a day of rest for the well-being of society.

Other support for Sunday rest has come from pro-labor and pro-family organizations, from numerous European countries such as Germany, Austria, Denmark, Croatia, Spain, France, and Italy.

The question which must be asked is, What is the real motivation behind the Sunday laws? Is it really about rest from labor? For some of those in the pro-labor camp it might be.

According to the Book of Revelation, chapter thirteen, it is all about worship and control. We know that the dragon, Satan himself, is behind the Sunday movement. It is his endeavor to have the governments of the world pass a law against the law of God, so that the true worshippers of Him who created heaven and earth might be persecuted and destroyed.

The Papacy is longing to regain her lost ascendency when she once ruled over the conscience of men, both civilly and religiously. Clearly, Revelation chapter thirteen, points out her desire for a new world order of church and state.

The Sunday movement is in progress. Not so long from now Sunday laws will be passed in America, the deadly wound of the Papacy will then be healed, and the final events will be rapid.

By Jeff Wehr

House Speaker John Boehner plans to push for the subsidizing of religious schools in the District of Columbia. While some would question the timing of such a plan with the current federal budget deficit, there is a bigger concern. Is such a proposal even constitutional? Should Americans be taxed to support religious institutions? According to the primary author of our American Constitution, James Madison, the answer is clearly, “No.”

In February of 1811, James Madison, fourth president of the United States, had to deal with such a bill, a proposed legislation that contained sections detailing how a certain Episcopal church was to be organized to help the disadvantaged and to offer schooling to poor children.

Madison wrote, “The bill exceeds the rightful authority to which governments are limited, by the essential distinction between civil and religious functions, and violates, in particular, the article of the Constitution of the United States, which declares, that ‘Congress shall make no law respecting a religious establishment.’”

Madison did not believe that churches need permission from the government to help the poor or to educate poor children. Churches are free to do these things with private donations. Religious establishments are not to be set up by the civil government, but by religious bodies. Therefore, public funds were not to aid the church to do what the church already had the freedom to do.

The majority in the House of Representatives saw the wisdom of Madison’s actions and upheld the veto by a vote of 79-21. This vote shows that 79 members believed in the separation of church and state. But there were 21 who disagreed with Madison’s veto of the bill.

A month later, on March 2, 1811, Madison vetoed a House bill granting a plot of federal land to a Baptist church in Mississippi. He told Congress the bill “comprises a principle and precedent for the appropriation of funds of the United States for the use and support of religious societies, contrary to the articles of the Constitution which declares that ‘Congress shall make no law respecting a religious establishment.’”

The majority of the House voted 55-33 in agreement with Madison’s veto. Madison believed in the total separation of church and state. There were those who did not. But the majority of our Founding Fathers, like George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and James Madison, firmly supported the complete separation of church and state.

In the book, The Great Controversy, a time is foretold when the civil government would not only support Sunday legislation, but also financially support the institutions of the church.

“When the leading churches of the United States, uniting upon such points of doctrine as are held by them in common, shall influence the state to enforce their decrees and to sustain their institutions, then Protestant America will have formed an image to the Roman hierarchy, and the infliction of civil penalties upon dissenters will inevitably result.” GC, 445

by Jeff Wehr

By Jeff Wehr

Ralph Reed, former executive director of the Christian Coalition, said, “The future of American politics lies in the growing strength of Evangelicals and their Roman Catholic allies. If their two core constituencies, Evangelicals comprising the swing vote in the South, and Catholics holding sway in the North, can cooperate on issues and support like-minded candidates, they can determine the outcome of almost any election in the nation.” Politically Incorrect, 16

Former Ambassador to the Vatican, Melady, stated, “And I believe that, just as the Evangelicals have become the base vote of the Republican party, Catholics are now today the swing vote in American politics. Any candidate who wins the Catholic vote will be able to govern America. . . . The Catholic vote holds the key to the future of America. And I believe that if they can unite, if Catholics can unite with the Evangelical Christians, the Protestants, who share their views on the sanctity of innocent human life, on the need of religious liberty and school choice and common sense values, I believe if Catholics and Evangelicals can unite there is no person who runs for office in any city or any state in America that can’t be elected and there is no bill that can’t be passed in either house of Congress or any state legislature chamber anywhere in America. It is the emerging force in the electorate today.” Sunday’s Coming, Edward Reid, 71.

Transferring from the Episcopal Church, now “Father” Bergman and 60 other parishioners came over to join the Catholic Church.

Bergman predicts a mass movement toward Rome. He said, “Wherever there are Anglicans, there will be people who want to enter the Holy Mother Church.
“If we look at histories, heresies run themselves out after about 500 years. I believe we are seeing the last gasp of the Reformation in the mainline Protestant groups.” The Wall Street Journal, February 26, 2010.

But why would Evangelicals and other Protestants return to Rome?
1. They misapply Scripture to promote unity amongst the different churches or even different religions.
2. They do not go by the Bible and the Bible only—sola scriptura.

Which scriptures do they misapply?

“Endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” Ephesians 4:3

“And he gave some, apostles, and some, prophets, and some, evangelists; and some pastors and teachers; for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ. Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.” Ephesians 4:11–13

Did Paul envision a single universal church, headed by one man in these passages? No.

“The Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.” Acts 2:47b

“The Lord knoweth them that are His. And, let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity.” 2 Timothy 3:19

“Unto the church of God which is at Corinth.” 1 Corinthians 1:2

“Moreover, brethren, we do you to wit of the grace of God bestowed on the churches of Macedonia.” 2 Corinthians 8:1

“Salute the brethren which are in Laodicea, and Nymphas, and the church which is in his house.” Colossians 4:15

These verses testify that God’s church operates everywhere, even in homes while embracing one true gospel. Church traditions that contradict the Word lead people astray. The gospel leads people closer and closer to Christ, and leads them away from sin.

Ecumenism commonly assumes that the enemy of unity is strongly-held beliefs. By minimizing doctrines, and agreeing only upon a few broadly-defined beliefs, those who promote ecumenism hope that a visible, unified church can be produced.

But as I reread Ephesians 4:13, it is not organizational unity between denominations holding a few doctrines in common, but unity of the faith that God wants.

“Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.” Ephesians 4:13

by Jeff Wehr

By Jeff Wehr

“When the leading churches of the United States, uniting upon such points of doctrine as are held by them in common, shall influence the state to enforce their decrees and to sustain their institutions, then Protestant America will have formed an image of the Roman hierarchy, and the influence of civil penalties upon dissenters will inevitably result.” The Great Controversy, 445.

We have been witnessing the uniting of the churches for some time. Let us consider the trends toward unity.

1964 Vatican II, Decree on Ecumenism

“The restoration of unity among Christians is one of the principal concerns of the Second Vatican Council. Christ the Lord founded one Church and one Church only.” Decree on Ecumenism, Vatican II, 1964

For centuries Protestants and Catholics had distanced themselves. But beginning around the 1980s, the Catholic Church was able to pull the Protestant churches into the political process through pictures of aborted babies. In time, these social issues superseded doctrinal beliefs, and the evangelical churches were in full swing with the Catholic power on social and political issues. They found a common enemy in the secularists and pro-choice advocates.

1994 Evangelicals and Catholics Together

The document, Evangelicals and Catholics Together (ECT), was signed by leading evangelicals and Catholics that formed a spiritual ecumenism. As the document opens,

“As Christ is one, so the Christian mission is one. That one mission can be and should be advanced in diverse ways. Legitimate diversity, however, should not be confused with existing divisions between Christians that obscure the one Christ and hinder the one mission. There is a necessary connection between the visible unity of Christians and the mission of the one Christ.”

Is the mission between Evangelicals and Catholics the same? No. The mission is as different as the doctrines are different. True unity is based on truth, not by pretending that there are no theological differences or by minimizing those theological differences. Yet this approach will inevitably lead all false religions to will bind together on two great errors, Sunday sacredness and the immortality of the soul.

The document reads, “. . . It is neither theologically legitimate nor a prudent use of resources for one Christian community to proselytize among active adherents of another Christian community.” ECT 22, 23

I had always assumed that one of the major reasons behind this ECT document, and ecumenism in general, was to keep evangelicals from proselytizing Catholics into Protestant churches, especially in South and Central America, where Catholics were going into Protestant churches by the millions.

ECT seems to be Rome’s attempt to stop the mass exodus out of the Catholic Church and to draw Protestants back to the fold of Rome.

It does this by focusing on the evils of our age—pornography, abortions, and such. But nowhere in the document is the gospel defined.

But what is the solution for the evils of our day? It is the gospel, not political religious action groups. So ECT turns Evangelicals and Catholics more into a political machine than true unity in Christ.

1995 “That All May Be One,” by John Paul II.

1997 Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification issued between the Roman Catholic Church (RCC) and the Lutheran World Federation.

1998 The seventh meeting between the Catholic Church and the World Council of Churches.

2003 International dialogue between the RCC and the Mennonite World Conference.

2005 Dialogue Between Catholic Church and the World Alliance of Reformed Churches

2006 Joint Commission for Dialogue Between Roman Catholic Church and the World Methodist Council.

2007 Growing Together in Unity and Mission: Building on 40 years of Anglican and Roman Catholic Dialogue.

2010 The Seventh Meeting of the International Joint Commission for Theological Dialogue Between the Catholic Church and the Oriental Orthodox Churches.

by Jeff Wehr

By Jeff Wehr

The memories of death and destruction that hit New Orleans are fresh in the minds of Americans. They saw, along with all others, how natural disasters can cause all systems associated with city life to fail: the levees, the power grid, the sewer system, the water system, the transportation system, and the telephone system. They witnessed the work of the police, firefighters, and hospitals hindered. They remembered praying for all those people without food or drinkable water.

But as time goes on, will we fall into a slumber and forget New Orleans? Did not Katrina open our eyes to how vulnerable city life can be? For the first time in American history, we witnessed an entire major city needing to be evacuated. We know that more hurricanes are coming. But are there more than just hurricanes that threaten our cities in these last days?

Millions of God’s people all around the world recognize that we are living in unprecedented times, that last day events have already been set in motion. They understand that the culmination of these events will bring us to a “time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation.” Daniel 12:1. They also know that the culmination of these events will lead to the second coming of Jesus Christ. These students of Bible prophecy are keenly aware of both the coming crisis and the coming Christ.

How about you? Are you aware that Satan is at work even now to bring disease and disaster upon thousands of cities? Satan knows that he has but a short time before Jesus returns, therefore, he is very busy in causing an increase of earthquakes, hurricanes, tsunamis, floods, hailstorms, tornadoes, and famines. See Revelation 12:12. He is working towards bringing cities to ruin all around the world. Why does Satan focus on destroying cities in these latter days? By striking heavily populated areas with natural disasters, conventional war, the spread of disease, or even a nuclear terrorist attack—he can send many more people into Christless graves.

This is why we cannot simply focus on the coming crisis. We must be spiritually prepared for the coming Christ. Both the crisis and Christ are coming. Therefore, we must seriously ask ourselves: Am I ready for the coming crisis that will predominantly hit the cities? Am I prepared spiritually for the coming Christ?

Now, some Christians are not concerned about the coming crisis because they believe in the concept of a secret rapture. Let me be clear about this one thing, Christians will face the coming crisis. The concept of a secret rapture is not sound Biblical teaching. Both believers and non-believers will live during the time of the coming crisis.

Throughout history God had always forewarned His people to leave a city before it was destroyed. The Bible never records that they were secretly raptured out of those cities of doom. Consider Lot and his family being warned to leave Sodom and Gomorrah before those wicked cities were visited by fire. They were warned and then they needed to cooperate with God in their escape to safety.

Concerning the destruction of Jerusalem, Jesus said, “When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:) then let them which be in Judea flee into the mountains.” Matthew 24:15, 16. When the Roman armies surrounded Jerusalem, followers of Christ knew that it was time to leave the city. Then by the mighty hand of God, the Romans mysteriously left for a short season. During that brief period of time, every Christian left Jerusalem. As a result, not one Christian lost his life when the Romans returned and completely destroyed the city and murdered its inhabitants.

In more recent years, people were warned to leave New Orleans due to Hurricane Katrina. Many heeded the call, left the city, and saved their lives. Some waited too long, others chose to stay, and still others remained helpless. When the hurricane hit, they were trapped in the city. Of these, many had tragically lost their lives. You and I are saddened by these events. We see the loss of life, the trauma experienced by Katrina’s survivors, people battered and bruised, the looting and devastation of personal property, and a growing list of missing children. But Satan exalts over such disasters. He loves human carnage and human suffering. Remember, his goal is many Christless graves.

How about you? Are you thankful that you were not trapped in New Orleans when Hurricane Katrina hit? But where are you now? Are you living in a coastal city where hurricanes are frequent? Do you live in a city where a major earthquake is likely? Do you live in one of those top ten cities that al-Qaeda has targeted for a nuclear weapon?

Please understand that I am not singling out certain cities for immediate destruction. I do not know the when and where of Satan’s designs. But we do know is that Satan plans to destroy thousands of cities. The events of 9/11, the tsunami of Sumatra, and Hurricane Katrina tell us that Satan has already begun his assaults on the cities of this world.

What I am asking you to do is to allow God to lead you out of the large cities before it is too late. The whole of the eighteenth chapter of Revelation is a warning of what is coming on the earth. It is not a pretty picture. Millions will suffer and millions will die.

You ask, “When will all this happen?” The words that first come to mind are “imminent” and “soon.” Yet, even now God is holding back the four winds of strife, to give us time to prepare for the coming crisis and the coming Christ. See Revelation 7:1–4.

You ask, What should I do with this little time of peace? I would answer, If you have property in the city, put it on the altar of God. Allow God to sell it in His time. Many who live in the city have not given God permission to sell their property and to guide them into the country. They are still held by what they consider to be city life advantages.

Many equate city life with higher levels of income and education, greater social mobility, and cultural opportunities. However, city life seems to create less stable marriages, higher rates of alcoholism, drug abuse, crime, suicide, and mental illness. Ultimately, it is up to you to place values on the above items. In view of eternity, what kinds of things have the greatest worth? Is the opportunity for higher wages in the city more important than finding simplicity and quietude in the country? Is the close proximity of higher education more important than spending time in learning the lessons that nature’s Creator has for you?

One of the greatest decisions you will ever make is where to live. Home should be where you have the greatest opportunities to prepare for heaven. Consider the noblest of the human race such as Abraham, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, Elisha, and John the Baptist. They all fulfilled their duties in uplifting humanity. They knew little of luxury. They were not caught up in amusements. They refrained from the use of drugs and alcohol. They protected themselves from the most subtle and dangerous temptations that daily assail those in the cities. Sheltered in a great degree from evil associations, they were blessed by more wholesome associations and the simple things in nature. They learned to depend upon God, to make use of the resources available to them, to face difficulties, and to surmount obstacles. But because they were not surrounded by the artificial, the extravagant, and the confusion of city life, their noble characters were molded in part by being simple in tastes, temperate in habits, and governed by godly principles.

It was not God’s ideal that people should be crowded in the cities, huddled together in apartments and surrounded by concrete. In the beginning, God placed Adam and Eve in the midst of a beautiful garden with its living green, the fragrant flowers, the birds that fill the air with song, and those amazing animals, both great and small. Indeed, the most favorable environment for all men, women, and children to secure health of body, mind, and soul is in the country.

Do not consider it a great loss in leaving the cities where there are higher rates of crime, drug and alcohol abuse, delinquency, rape, and aggravated assault. Indeed, a higher percentage of people who live in the city live in fear of being a victim.

Do not consider it a great privation when you are encouraged to leave the cities where you are tempted by a thousand more evils. Is not nature a better influence than nightclubs and the infamous French Quarter of New Orleans?

I urge you to seek the highest possibilities of safety and spirituality for your family. You may yet need to live in the city for a little while until God opens the door for your departure. In the mean time, gather your family together for family worship, form associations that are positive, and seek opportunities to witness where you are. As you place your job and home on the altar of God, and daily consecrate your time and talents as ambassadors for Him, He will place you where you will not be constantly surrounded by the temptations of city life.

Over a period of time we may forget the devastation of Hurricane Katrina and reason that it is safe to remain in the city. But I encourage you, do not forget New Orleans. Jesus said, “And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. All these are the beginning of sorrows.” Matthew 24:6, 7.

We are only in “the beginning of sorrows.” More calamities will come as men depart further and further from God. Destruction will follow destruction as Satan is permitted to have more sway over the disobedient. Already rivers and oceans have overflowed their boundaries. Flood and fire have destroyed life and property. Pestilences, plagues, and famines will increase. Soon strife among nations will break out. And the time will come when there will be so much strife and confusion in the cities that it will be too late to leave.

Again, I say, “Do not forget New Orleans! The crisis is coming! Christ is coming!” Peter says, “The end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer.” 1 Peter 4:7.

by Jeff Wehr