July 8, 2006

Ecumenical Poisoners

The recent revelation that well-known apologist Ravi Zacharias (see original story by Cecil Andrews) is seeking his spiritual inspiration from the Roman Catholic Church has inspired me to put together this roster of ecumenical poisoners. What influential "Christian" leaders are the biggest compromisers with Rome? Who are the ones who influence the most believers to embrace the Roman Catholic Church as just another one of many Christian denominations? I’ve been keeping track of them for quite some time – here is a quick glance.

Let’s begin with the dead ones:

• Kathryn Kuhlman: Ecumenical healer whose rallies were frequently attended by a variety of priests and nuns some of whom she would have on her television broadcast. {Result: Most advocates of faith healing are ecumenical.}
  
  
• Dennis Bennett: An Episcopalian priest credited by many to be the one who brought the tongues movement into the RCC resulting in the charismatic renewal within the Catholic Church in the 1960s. {Result: Most charismatics are ecumenical.}
  
  
• Agnes Sanford: She introduced Catholic inner healer, Francis McNutt to her craft of visualization/healing of memories. Charisma magazine reported, "MacNutt was baptized in the Holy Spirit in 1967 through the influence of charismatic healing pioneer Agnes Sanford. She prophesied that the enthusiastic Dominican priest would take supernatural healing to the Catholic Church worldwide--and the prediction rapidly proved accurate." {Result: Most inner healing advocates are ecumenical.}

And the almost dead ones:

• Billy Graham – "Billy Graham had never met a pope until John Paul II invited him to Rome in 1981. Ushered into the papal apartments by the Vatican's famous Swiss Guard, Graham marveled at the pomp. He and the pope chatted like long-lost friends for half an hour, swapping photos, gifts, and travel stories. Before Graham left, John Paul II reached over, clutched Graham's thumb, and told him, ‘We are brothers.’" (From June, 2005 CT) {Result: "Christian" America is ecumenical}
  
  
• Robert Schuller – In the side entrances to his Crystal Cathedral are giant bronze statues of Schuller’s heroes. On the one side are his primary heroes – one statue of himself (self-love and all that) across from one of Norman Vincent Peale. In the other entrance are Billy Graham across from the statue of Roman Catholic TV pioneer Bishop Sheen. {Result: Nominal Christians are ecumenical.}

And the fading fast ones:

• Paul & Jan Crouch: Crouch often denies being a Protestant, saying "I’m not protesting anything." TBN has had two-hour specials singing the praises of the late Pope John Paul II and Mother Teresa, of whom Jan Crouch has said that in her presence all she could do is bow. {Result: Most "Christian television" viewers are ecumenical.}
  
  
• Jack & Rexella VanImpe - Rexella: "So Protestants should love Protestants, we should love Catholics, Catholics should love Protestants, we should love the Greek Orthodox." Jack: We're all members of the one body. All the different denominations represent these different fingers. But some folks won't let us do this: get together." {Result: Many prophecy students are ecumenical.}
  
  
• Chuck Colson -- One of the originators and signers of the ECT (Evangelicals and Catholics Together) document that promises not to target Catholics for evangelism. Of course, Colson is married to a practicing Roman Catholic and sees no problem with it. {Result: Mainstream Protestant denominations are ecumenical.}
  
  
• James Dobson -- Catholics have served on his board and are frequently his guests on his radio program "Focus on the Family." His books can easily be found in Catholic bookstores. {Result: "Christian" psychology proponents are ecumenical.}
  
  
• Vinson Synan --the dean of the divinity school at Regent University (CBN's Pat Robertson's college) is infamous for his ecumenical conferences during the 1970s and 1980s. His Congress on the Holy Spirit conferences filled major stadiums and had equal representation from both Catholic and Evangelical components of the charismatic renewal. These conferences, attended by multi-thousands of people, tore down walls between both sides and castigated those who held to the concerns of the Protestant Reformation. {Result: The Religious Right is ecumenical.}

And the alive and kicking ones:

• Benny Hinn – sings the praises of the Roman Catholic Church and made the arrangements for TBN president Paul Crouch to have a face-to-face introduction to the late Pope John Paul II. He has boasted of sharing communion with the nuns who frequent his meetings. Hinn is critical of those in the church who point out the unbiblical errors that rightly divide Christians and Catholics. {Result: Most Pentecostals are ecumenical.}
  


• Bill McCartney – "It has become clear to me what God has in mind for Promise Keepers. The answer is found in the Sermon on the Mount: ‘Blessed are the peacekeepers, for they are the sons of God.’ A peace-maker is one who brings warring factions together. The reason there isn't a Catholic men's group filling stadiums around the country is because God wants us together." (Quoted from the Denver Post) {Result: Neo-Evangelicalism is ecumenical.}

Up-and-Coming Trend-Setters:

• Dan Kimball – author of "The Emerging Church: Vintage Christianity for New Generations." His "vintage Christianity" embraces the art of Roman Catholicism along with all the outward décor such as stained glass windows, pictures of saints with halos, and the stations of the cross. He has an impact on young people who think he is cool and trendy when in fact he is shallow in his deemphasis of the study of Scripture in exchange for an outer experience. {Result: Rockabilly music fans are ecumenical.}
  
  
• Chuck Smith Jr. – When on a sabbatical recently he sought refuge in a Catholic hermitage and utilized a Catholic monk as a spiritual guide for teaching him contemplative prayer and meditation. Transformed his former Calvary Chapel in Capo Beach to resemble a Catholic or Eastern Orthodox friendly place by adding icons, candles, and incense. And he began blessing his congregation with the sign of the cross. {Result: Some hip Calvary-Chapellites are ecumenical.}
  
  
• Lee Grady – Charisma Magazine’s editor who frequently promotes ecumenical relationships with Roman Catholics. Lee is a big defender of the Catholic charismatic renewal and embraces any of them that speak in tongues. {Result: Charismatic readership of Charisma Magazine is ecumenical.}
  
  
• U2’s Bono – Ecumenical good-deed doer who, according to Christianity Today magazine, is a fan of former Franciscan priest Brennan Manning, author of The Ragamuffin Gospel, one of many books he has written that has led a number of Christians into the contemplative prayer movement. Manning got his foot in the door thanks to contemporary Christian musicians such as Rich Mullins and Michael Card who featured Manning at large outdoor music fests. {Result: Young Christian music listeners are ecumenical.}

This is just a partial list of those within the "church" who influence millions of people who name the name of Christ. The great falling away is in full swing and the visible "church" is now fully prepared to blend right into the prophesied Mystery Babylon. The devil has done his work and the enemy has taken over while men slept. I am not saying that the Roman Catholic Church is the Whore of Babylon – at least not all by herself. She is the Mother of Harlots. There are many harlots represented by all the denominations that go into apostasy and join back to their Mother. The time is coming to heed the call to "Come out of her, my people."

♥♥♥

"With what indignation must the Lord look down upon that apostate harlot, called the Romish Church, when, in all her sanctuaries there are pictures and images, relics and statues, and poor beguiled beings are even taught to bow before a piece of bread. . . I have seen thousands adore the wafer, hundreds bow before the image of the Virgin, scores at prayer before a crucifix, and companies of men and women adoring a rotten bone or a rusty nail, because it’s said to be a relic of a saint." -- Charles Spurgeon, "A Jealous God"