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Monday, November 30, 2015

TRAITOR: SPEAKER PAUL RYAN REVERSES COURSE, CONTINUES CONSOLIDATION OF POWER~MORE CATHOLIC SUBTERFUGE UNDERMINES CONGRESS

CATHOLICS UP TO NO GOOD: SEIZING POWER FROM THE PEOPLE & THE PEOPLES' REPRESENTATIVES

TOO BAD, I HAVE THE POWER NOW!
AND I'LL DO THE POPE'S BIDDING TOO!

Speaker Ryan Reverses Course, 

Continues Consolidation of Power

republished below in full unedited for informational, educational, and research purposes:

Within three weeks of being elected the speaker of the House, Paul Ryan reneged on a promise to return to the rules of the House and re-enshrine representative government to the people’s branch.
Ryan promised that he would restore “regular order” to the House of Representatives and would fix the “broken” system that was both hedging up the path to passage of some legislation and giving preferential treatment to other (pet project) legislation. His promise was undoubtedly intended to help secure the support of constitutionally minded congressmen for his grab for the speaker’s gavel.
Typically, as we all learned from watching Schoolhouse Rock, a bill has to wend its way along a well-marked, but difficult path from being offered by a representative to being presented to members for a vote for or against. That’s not quite the way it has worked in recent years, however.
Under the Boehner regime, bills would be vetted by the leadership and those he or his lieutenants liked would be given what might be described as “most favored legislation” status, finding their way to the floor without being submitted to committee consideration or being opened for amendments.
While working his whisper campaign to replace Boehner, Ryan criticized this cloakroom-cum-committee system, saying, “The committees should retake the lead in drafting all major legislation. When we rush to pass bills, a lot of us do not understand, we are not doing our job.”
Well, guess who’s decided now that he’s in control, that some bills need to be rushed through and that things aren't quite as broken as he thought?
As reported by The Atlantic on November 24: "In the wake of the Paris attacks, Ryan brought the American SAFE Act — a bill to rewrite refugee vetting rules — to the floor without committee hearings, without input from experts or agencies, and without opportunities for amendment from members of the House."
Ryan’s rejection of the rules in favor of consolidating his control of the legislative process is symptomatic of a disease that is pandemic around Washington, D.C. — Potomac Fever.
All too often, as seems to be the case with Paul Ryan, erstwhile friends of the rule of law will draw nigh unto the Constitution with their lips, while their hearts, sadly, remain far from it. 
Too often, once the candidate becomes the congressman, or in this case, once the member of the House becomes the speaker of the House, he channels Procrustes — who in Greek mythology stretched or cut the legs off strangers to get them to fit his iron bed — by stretching or slashing the Constitution and the rules of the House to make them more closely conform to (or to justify) his decisions. 
There seems to be an amnesia that afflicts elected officials once they cross the Potomac into the halls of the national government. The fidelity they swore to the Constitution is abandoned, and the Constitution is forced, like the weary pilgrims who ended up in Procrustes' iron bed on their way to Eleusis, to endure painful tailoring according to the whims of the one who promised such comfort.
This disconcerting centripetal trajectory of power away from the people and toward a few federal officials — speaker of the House, president, Supreme Court justice, to name a few — is anathema to the centuries-old Anglo-American principle of the consent of the governed as the sine qua non of legitimate government.
When a government official (elected or appointed) usurps authority and acts outside the pre-arranged boundaries of his office, then he has voided those acts and renders them, as Thomas Jefferson once wrote, “ab initio, null, void, and of no force or effect.”
In the case of Paul Ryan, he was correct when he said just a few weeks ago that the American people expect their elected representatives to adhere to an orderly system of lawmaking, a system that will offer ample opportunity to rank and file members to read, consider, and change legislation that will ultimately affect all of them.
In the article in The Atlantic, the authors blame the “24-hour news cycle” for compelling Ryan to flip flop on his preference for taking the traditional tack in the road to enacting legislation:
Under pressure to act, Paul Ryan scheduled an immediate vote on the American SAFE Act, positioning House Republicans precisely within the zeitgeist of their constituencies. The alternative — wading through the detailed legislative requirements of regular order — would have put the congressional GOP behind the news cycle and behind the headline-grabbing GOP presidential candidates and governors who had been dominating the airwaves with talk of banning Syrian refugees.
What is it about the allure of key lights that makes otherwise honorable people do things they once regarded as inimical to sound order and good government?
More importantly, how are the media able to effect such rapid reversals?
The manifold federal campaigns and elections are broadcast in brilliant color using smart boards, iPads, and virtual reality displays. One appointed expert after another analyzes every word — sometimes every syllable — spoken by candidates and they do it with cloying glee. The Left chides the Right and the Right bashes the Left with moderators doing their best to play the disinterested straight man in this pantomime of power whose plot is nothing but a series of formulaic set-ups followed by equally predictable punchlines.
What is the point of the show? The point of the show is to keep the federal government circus constantly whirling before the eyes and screaming loudly in the ears of every American, entertaining them with a show that is so simplistic as to merit constant mockery yet so sophisticated that many in the audience actually pay attention to the melodrama. 
The lasting effect is that after the curtain falls (and until it rises again in a couple of years) the audience hears the words “government” or “power” and they think of Washington, D.C. It doesn’t matter to the producers of the show if the audience fears, laughs, loves, or loathes the federal government as long as they recognize its supremacy and remain in awe — whether with reverence or rebellion — of its power.
This is why issues of state importance or acts of state nullification are never covered on the news channels so many of us watch. The monied cabal that funds those companies realizes that any substantive mention of state government might draw attention away from Washington, and that would never do.
How’s the plan working out? The Atlantic sees it playing out quite according to the script:
According to a remarkable report by Karen DeYoung in the Washington Post this summer, the decades-old trend of centralization in executive-branch national security decision-making has dramatically accelerated in recent years. High-level officials throughout the federal government complain of increased micromanagement from the National Security Council, which grew from a staff of 25 during the Carter administration toapproximately 400 today.
For now, Ryan is playing his role and reading his lines exactly as they were written. It is up to his constituency to let him know how much they value the rule of law and the Constitution. If they fail to hold him accountable for his lapses, it is likely that the show will go on, only with a new company of actors every few years.

MIDWEST CHRISTIAN APOSTASY SPREADS, CAUSING SOME TO STOP ATTENDING "UNSAFE" CHURCHES~NARCISSISTIC, CONTROL FREAK, 501C3, PURPOSE DRIVEN PASTORS BLAME DISCERNING CONGREGANTS

MIDWEST CHRISTIAN APOSTASY SPREADS;
UNSAFE SPIRITUALLY, MENTALLY, PHYSICALLY
SEE: http://www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com/newsletters/2015/newsletter20151130.htmrepublished below in full unedited for informational, educational, and research purposes:
Letter to the Editor: Alone and Dismayed By Condition of Churches in a Midwest Town
Dear Lighthouse Trails Editors:
I live in the Midwest, and one would think that the apostate church has not infiltrated us here.  Nothing could be further from the truth.  My husband and I have stopped attending church due to previous churches attended now being mega seeker sensitive.  Recently we decided to try two churches.
The first church is a non-denominational.  I felt the Lord was leading me to attend Sunday school, which I did.  The pastor led the class, and it was during the time of the Pope’s visit.  The pastor stated, “The people are attracted to his anointing.”  Another lady stated, “It is a good thing he is not running for public office, or he would be easily elected.”  She spoke highly of him. This was also during the time of the “blood moon.” This church was watching John Hagee’s series concerning the Blood Moons on Wednesday nights.  They were starting a series of studying a book written by Bill Johnson of Bethel Church of Redding, California.  Needless to say, we did not return. I know a couple who attended the same Sunday we did, and they continue to attend because they “like the music.”
We tried another church.  I again attended Sunday school, and they do not study the Bible like I do.  Very basic, milk instead of meat.  The church has a new pastor who invited my husband and I to lunch.  He shared his love of Andy Stanley’s books and said he had plans to “grow the Church” and “if anyone disagrees with my methods, they can leave.”  His preaching is very “feeling’ focused. He is a former banker who became a pastor later in life.  He clearly is using the techniques learned in the business world to woo the people. During his sermon, he stated, “Sometimes I even use the Message Bible for my sermons.” I was amazed at the people’s response.  Many laughed, and one man mockingly stated, “blasphemy” as he laughed.  A cold chill ran down my spine as I looked at these people, some whom clearly love the Lord but are being led astray.
A friend and her husband attend an ELCA Lutheran church and have been asked to leave because of their views against homosexuality—they believe in the biblical view of homosexuality being a sin.  The leaders of that church say, “the Bible got it wrong.”  They also do not believe in what they call “decision theology”—people responding to altar calls and making a conscious decision for Christ; they believe people are saved because of their church attendance.
The pastor of another ELCA church resigned due to pressure to perform gay marriages.
A fellowship here that is aligned with Bill Johnson’s Bethel Church has grown into a church, and it is growing each Sunday.
A church here has started a Yoga class. I sent her [the teacher] the booklet on “Christian Yoga” along with a letter. No response, and the class continues.
I am saying all this to say that if anyone would have told me I would see this in my town ten years ago, I would have not believed it; now I find myself at a loss for words when I watch the falling away before my eyes.
It is lonely here when you seek to walk in truth.  Words fail me as I see that the church is not a safe place. Also, I see that people are not checking if what is being preached is God’s Word, man’s word, feelings, or just plain dangerous to their faith.  As Christ said to Peter, I pray that your faith fail not.
Thank you for your contending for the Faith.
Blessings to you all.
M.D.
______________________________________________________

FLORIDA: 

Reply to a Pastor about a Family That Left His Church

SEE: http://www.wayoflife.org/index_files/reply_to_a_pastor_about_family_that_left.htmlrepublished below in full unedited for informational, educational, and research purposes:

reply_to_a_pastor_about_family_that_left
Several weeks ago I received the following communication from a pastor in Florida:
“A few weeks ago a family started coming to my church and told me the reason they left their former church was because of the music standards falling. I am not a proponent of one leaving their church but I do understand that standards are very important and many are falling by the wayside. I feel that I am very conservative in music, dress, preaching, preachers,  etc so I figured that maybe this family would find a place to settle down. After a few weeks of them coming and saying how much they enjoyed everything we had a 3 day meeting with an evangelist we have used for years. 

“All of a sudden this family flew the coop! They won't answer the phone or return a call so I said oh well, easy come easy go! Today I received a letter explaining that they would not be back because the evangelist sang ‘he touched me’ which he says was written by Bill Gaither. I don't know and don't really care;  it's not a song that I will defend or detract. As far as Bill Gaither is concerned I've never knowingly listened to him or his group, and never will, I don't listen to long haired hippies sing. I have gone over the song in my head and cannot find anything blatantly wrong with it other than it's a little vague. 

“My biggest issue is that he says in his letter that I need to come to you so that I can learn about music. Now while I am no academic I do study and pray and think about issues like this and I see that this family will almost certainly be going the ‘home church’ route due to their stringent following of what they have read and seen on your website. 

“Please don't misunderstand me, I agree with most of what I've seen, but if it is driving families away from the local church something is wrong! 
“I know that Bill Gaither is no good,  as well as many other songwriters but does that mean that God cannot use them? If so why did God use Baalam? Did he not prophesy of Christ? Was his prophecy invalid because of his own failure; I think not. I believe this is the reason why we can use hymns by the Wesleys, Luther, Faber, and others, because they were simply the instruments an omnipotent God chose to use. This same man told me about Stuart Townend, who I would not probably have a lot to do with, but did he not write a hymn with more truth than even Amazing Grace? 

“I am not here to defend him either! I know as a pastor that sometimes what we say has unintended consequences so we must be very careful in all that we say either to encourage or to discourage. I think that we go too far in our discouraging and some will feel as if they are the only ones who have it right.  

“These dear people have two children who are no longer in church while living in the Bible belt because of one song that a man sang! I believe it is far more important to be in church than to divide over something as trivial as that,  but that is the end result from what I can see of all the purifying of all things musical. Again I appreciate the information but we must be careful of the unintended consequences.”


REPLY FROM BROTHER CLOUD
Hello, Pastor. 

Thank you for taking the time to write about that situation.  

Since I don't know you, your church, or the family in question, there is not much I can do other than offer a couple of general comments:

1. If this family doesn't honor the local church properly, and if they go "the home church route," it is not because of me and my teaching. You would not charge me with such a thing if you would read my book “
The House Church” or my report “I Am Not Your Pastor” or my free eBook “Keys to Fruitful Church Membership.” I have been a strong supporter of the local church since I was saved 40+ years ago. I am a pioneer Baptist church planter in South Asia, where my wife and I live. The church is the pillar and ground of the truth. I teach people that the church is so important that if they can’t find a good one within commuting distance, they should find a way to relocate. I have never given any encouragement to perpetual church hoppers. 

2. I assume that this family found your church in the first place through my church directory. Since you filled out the questionnaire and listed on our directory (that's the only way a church can be listed), that family doubtless assumed you would be likeminded with us on the matter of music. We consider the music issue to be so important that there are five questions on our questionnaire about it, as follows:  

* Do you use contemporary praise music in any aspect of your church life (youth meetings, worship services, etc.)? 
* Are you opposed to the practice that is being popularized by churches such as Lancaster Baptist Church in Lancaster, California, in "adapting" contemporary praise music by toning down the rhythm? 
* Are you opposed to using songs by worldly one-world church ecumenists such as Stuart Townend, Don Moen, Chris Tomlin, Hillsong, Darlene Zschech, Jack Hayford, Graham Kendrick, Casting Crowns, MercyMe, etc.? 
* Are you totally committed to traditional sacred music? 
* Do you reject contemporary Southern Gospel? 

Being likeminded with us on the matter of music would mean that you are 100% opposed to contemporary Christian music, that you are well-informed as to its nature and danger, and that you make no excuses for and have no sympathy with those who are using it. I must say that I don’t discern that from your e-mail.

3. I can’t be blamed for any lack of wisdom on the part of people who read my writings, no more than you can be blamed for lack of wisdom on the part of your church members. I would not leave a church just because of a couple of questionable songs, and I would not counsel anyone to leave a church for such a reason. Exceptions don't make rules. What I look for in a church is that the pastor and the music people are properly educated in the music issue, that they understand what contemporary music is and why it is spiritually dangerous, that they are educating the church members in this issue, and that they are committed unhesitatingly and publicly to keeping contemporary music out. 

4. Along this line, it appears by your comments in the email that you could benefit by pursuing better education in this important matter. None of the arguments you used get to the heart of the issue of contemporary music. For example, you cite the use of hymns by Wesley and Luther, but contemporary worship hymns are of an entirely different character. The people who are writing the contemporary hymns represent and promote the end-time, one-world “church.” Practically all of them (including Stuart Townend and the Gettys) are in fellowship with Rome. I have never known of a Baptist church that has become Lutheran by using Luther’s hymns, but I have known of dozens that have become contemporary by using contemporary hymns. 

Could it be that this family discerned that you are dangerously uneducated in this issue and that you aren’t open to being educated? I don't know. I’m just throwing that out as a possibility. As I said, I don’t know any of the parties concerned, and I only have your side of the matter. It appears from your email that you are rather flippant about potential dangers in music (e.g., “I don't know and don’t really care”). You should get better educated about music for your family’s sake and your church people’s sake and for the next generation’s sake. One reason I care so deeply about the music issue and its effect on churches is because of my grandkids and the fact that I desire that there be sound Bible-believing churches when they are grown. We are witnessing a wholesale collapse of biblical separatism among fundamental Baptist churches. For example, Highland Park Baptist Church, where I was educated in the 1970s, is a full-blown contemporary church today, and music was at the heart and soul of that change. I have documented many examples of this in my free eBook 
The Collapse of Biblical Separatism

I will be glad to send you a gift copy of my new book 
Baptist Music Wars, with the two video presentations that accompany it. This contains research that you won't find anywhere else. All you have to do is promise me that that you will read the book and watch the two videos carefully with an open and prayerful heart. 

I have prayed for you and wish you the best in God's will. From my perspective, the greatest need of the hour is for godly, biblically-qualified, well-informed, courageous church leaders, and no one can make such a man but God. As Dr. Lee Roberson used to say, "Everything rises and falls on leadership." 

David Cloud


CONCLUSION
The pastor never replied to my offer.

____________________________________________________
Two Types of Terrorism

FROM MIKE GENDRON OF http://www.proclaimingthegospel.org/republished below in full unedited for informational, educational, and research purposes:

While the world is focused on the deadly terrorists attacks by radical Muslim jihadists, there is another terrorist attack that has been going on much longer and is much more dangerous because of its ETERNAL consequences. As we mourn over the loss of physical life and grieve with those who lost loved ones, we realize these tragedies are occurring far too often and in far too many places. It is good to know that some governments have finally declared war on ISIS and are pooling their resources to destroy them before they destroy us.

Wouldn't it be nice if the Body of Christ could unite against the spiritual terrorists that are attacking the Gospel of Jesus Christ?There are far too many of them in our churches that are leading people down the broad road to destruction. These terrorists are destroying spiritual lives with their perversions of the Gospel and they get away with it because they disguise themselves as servants of righteousness (2 Cor. 11:15). As deceitful workers, they raise doubts about God's Word, undermine its authority and deceive people with a false and fatal gospel. The only defense against such deadly activity is to expose their evil deeds of darkness (Eph. 5:11). They need to be identified by name so that gullible people will not be caught in their web of deception. Unmasking terrorists is critical for the glory and honor of our Savior and the sanctity of His Church..
Tragically, the evangelical church seems oblivious, unconcerned and indifferent to Satan's army of terrorists who have infiltrated the church with the objective of destroying lives. There is a war going on inside the church that is being ignored because the enemy is disguised as an angel of light and clothes himself in sheep's clothing. As we look as the recent history of the church, we see the great destruction that has been caused by the fiery darts of spiritual terrorists. Satan has planted these terrorist with little or no resistance. The terrorists who are hidden in the church are much more dangerous than the terrorists who are hidden in the neighborhoods of the world because those terrorists can only cause physical death. The terrorists in the church can cause eternal spiritual death with their damnable lies. More than ever we need to contend earnestly for the faith (Jude 3). Our armor and strategy to defend the Body of Christ against spiritual terrorism is found in Ephesians 6:10-20. All of us need to be faithful soldiers for Christ.


RICK WARREN'S DANGEROUS ECUMENICAL PATHWAY TO ROME AND HOW ONE INTERVIEW REVEALED SO MUCH

VIDEO: INTERVIEW OF RICK WARREN BY RAYMOND ARROYO

RICK WARREN'S DANGEROUS ECUMENICAL PATHWAY TO ROME AND HOW ONE INTERVIEW REVEALED SO MUCH 
SEE: http://www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com/newsletters/2015/newsletter20151130.htmrepublished below in full unedited for informational, educational, and research purposes:

NEW BOOKLET TRACT: Rick Warren’s Dangerous Ecumenical Pathway to Rome And How One Interview Revealed So Much by Roger Oakland is our newest Lighthouse Trails Booklet Tract.  The Booklet Tract is 16 pages long and sells for $1.95 for single copies. Quantity discounts are as much as 50% off retail. Our Booklet Tracts are designed to give away to others or for your own personal use.  Below is the content of the booklet. To order copies ofRick Warren’s Dangerous Ecumenical Pathway to Rome And How One Interview Revealed So Much, click here.
Rick Warren’s Dangerous Ecumenical Pathway to Rome And How One Interview Revealed So Much
By Roger Oakland
In 2014, Rick Warren (called “America’s Pastor) was interviewed by Catholic T.V. network host Raymond Arroyo. The interview took place at the Saddleback Church campus and was posted on YouTube by EWTN in April of 2014. Because I had written previously in 2013 about Rick Warren’s connections to Rome and to the Catholic convert Tony Blair (former prime minister of Britain), I was very aware that Rick Warren was heading down the path toward Rome. But not until I saw this interview did I realize just how far he has gone in that direction.
When I wrote the 2013 commentary titled “What is Next for Rick Warren?,” I provided evidence to show that Warren and Britain’s prime minister Tony Blair were partnering together with the Roman Catholic Church to form a P.E.A.C.E. Plan that would lead toward the creation of a global religion in the name of Christ. While many who read that commentary were skeptical that such a Warren-Rome connection existed, the 2014 interview clearly reveals it does.
EWTN made this statement about the interview on their YouTube station:
Part II of our exclusive interview: Rick Warren, pastor of Saddleback Church in Southern California. Rick talks about the expansion of his ministry abroad, the Vatican delegation that recently came to Orange County to study his church’s style of evangelization, and which television channel he finds himself watching most often and the show that draws him.1
If you have access to the Internet, I highly recommend you watch the entire thirty-minute interview as it is filled with information that provides further insight into Rick Warren’s pathway to Rome—one he has actually been supporting for quite some time. For instance, in 2005, Warren created the Purpose Driven Life Catholics program. And in his best-selling book, The Purpose Driven Life (released in 2002), Warren makes several favorable references to well-known Catholics: page 88 (Brother Lawrence, a Catholic mystic); page 108 (Catholic priest and contemplative mystic, Henri Nouwen and Catholic panentheist St. John of the Cross); and twice he mentions Mother Theresa (pages 125 and 231).
But in this EWTN interview, Warren takes his views of the Catholic Church to even “greater” heights and admits he is in favor of the Roman Catholic New Evangelization program (set up to win the “lost brethren” back to the Mother Church).2
The Warren-Arroyo Interview
What did he say?! This is exactly the direction we predicted he would go! It will be crucial that skeptics hear and see this interview. These were the thoughts running through my head when I first watched the EWTN interview with Rick Warren and Raymond Arroyo. The comments by Rick Warren in response to Arroyo’s questions were stunning. They left no room for doubt in my mind—Warren is marching towards ecumenical unity with Rome, and it has become clearer than it ever was before.

The interview opened with the following question by Arroyo:
The Purpose Driven Life is the best-selling book in the world—36 million plus copies. It’s been translated more than any book except the Bible. What is the key to that success? Why were so many people touched by that book and continue to be?3
To Arroyo’s question, Warren responded:
You know, Ray, there is not a single new thought in Purpose Driven Life that hadn’t been said for 2,000 years. I’ve just said it in a fresh way. I said it in a simple way. When I was writing Purpose Driven Life it took me seven months, twelve hours a day. I’d get up at 4:30 in the morning. I’d go to a little study. Start at 5 a.m. I was fasting til noon, and I would light some candles, and I would start writing and rewrite, rewrite, rewrite. One of the things I did before I wrote the book was, um, I’d ask the question—How do you write a book that lasts 500 years? For instance, um, Imitation of Christ by Thomas Kempis, Practicing the Presence of God by Brother Lawrence. Ok? The Desert Fathers, St. John of the Cross, Teresa of Avila. All of these great, classic devotional works. Any one of them—I just realized that in order to be timeless you have to be eternal.4
Warren’s answer certainly provides some understanding as to where his spiritual affinities lie, and it associates him with the Catholic contemplative prayer movement brought into the evangelical church through Richard Foster and Dallas Willard. Interestingly, in Warren’s first book, The Purpose Driven Church, he identified (and promoted) Foster and Willard as key players in that movement.5
In the interview with Raymond Arroyo, Warren’s exalting of the writers he refers to is disconcerting to say the least. They are all mystics. Brother Lawrence talked of “dancing violently like a mad man” when he went “into the presence.”6 Teresa of Avila levitated and often wrote about her numerous esoteric mystical experiences.7 St. John of the Cross (author of the contemplative favorite, Dark Night of the Soul) was panenthestic in his belief that God was in all creation.8  The Desert Fathers were ancient hermits and monks who embraced the mystical prayer practices of those from pagan religions.
For Rick Warren to list the writings of these Catholic mystics as “great” insinuating they are “eternal” is more than revealing. The Bible is the inspired word of God. As the apostle Paul states, “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness” (2 Timothy 3:16). While the Bible is great and is eternal, the books written by Roman Catholic mystics are the works of fallible humans who were misled by the fallen spiritual dimension. They can promote doctrines of demons and lead Bible believers away from the faith.
Raymond Arroyo then asked Rick Warren the following question:
What is your secret to reaching people every day, every week, not only in your writing but when they speak to you? What is it? What is this communication gift, if you will, if you could decode, because a lot of preachers would like to know.9
While Warren mentions Pope Francis several times throughout the interview with the EWTN host, he answers this question by directing attention to the pope, stating:
Well, the main thing is love always reaches people. Authenticity, humility. Pope Francis is the perfect example of this. He is a—He is doing everything right. You see, people will listen to what we say if they like what they see. And as our new pope, he was very, very symbolic in, you know, his first mass with people with AIDS, uh, his kissing of the deformed man, his loving the children. This authenticity, this humility, the caring for the poor, this is what the whole world expects us Christians to do. And when we—when they go, oh, that’s what a Christian does—In fact, there was a headline here in Orange County—and I love the headline. It said, if you love Pope Francis, you’ll love Jesus. That was the headline! I showed it to a group of priests I was speaking to awhile back.10 (emphasis added)
While loving others is a quality all Christians should embrace and promote, using Pope Francis as the perfect example seems somewhat opportunistic. For Rick Warren to call Pope Francis “our new pope” suggests that Rick Warren has accepted the pope not only as the head of the Catholic Church but as the head of the Christian church as well. Either Rick Warren believes that or he was indeed being opportunistic.
His comments about the Orange County headline, “If You Love Pope Francis, You’ll love Jesus,” is no less reason for scrutiny. Can you imagine the apostle Paul referring to the head of a false religion as “our” leader and comparing this false teacher to Jesus Christ.
Rick Warren, Religious Liberty, and Catholics & Evangelicals Together
It is a well-known fact, based on Bible prophecy, that the last-days one-world religion called the “harlot” will be a counterfeit to the true church, which is the Bride of Christ. Bible scholars who take this position believe the ecumenical gathering of religions together for the cause of peace will be the prerequisite. One of the key events bringing this about is when a declaration is made that the Reformation is over, and the “separated brethren” will be welcomed back into the fold (i.e., the Catholic Church).

This booklet you are reading deals with aspects of the Rick Warren-Raymond Arroyo EWTN interview that provide some significant clues indicating this scenario is presently underway. I am making reference to a portion of the interview that deals with the topic of religious liberty.  In fact, it was revealed that Rick Warren may have a plan laid away for the future of promoting a “religious liberty movement” that will be the equivalent of the “civil liberties movement” of the past. When Raymond Arroyo asked Rick Warren what he thought about the separation of church and state and how the Supreme Court would rule on this topic in the future, Warren responded:
Now it’s interesting that phrase today means the exact opposite of what it meant in Jefferson’s days. Today people think it means keeping religion out of government or out of politics. But actually, the separation of church and state was we are going to protect the church from the government. I believe that religious liberty may be the civil rights issue of the next decade. And if it takes some high profile pastors going to jail, like Martin Luther King did with civil rights, I’m in. So be it. I mean, as Peter said and the apostles that we must obey God rather than men.11 (emphasis added)
It may seem surprising to some that “America’s Pastor” would be so outspoken and willing to take such a strong stand for religious liberty—especially when he shows his passion for this topic by stating he is personally willing to go to jail for such a cause. These are passionate words. Does this mean that the Purpose Driven Church model may have a broader agenda than previously advertised?
Arroyo then asks Warren:
Do you think events like this, moments like this, are actually sources of unity and moments of unity, particularly for Catholics and Evangelicals?12
When I first listened to Warren’s response, I was somewhat surprised by what he said. However, after thinking about it further and comparing his answer with other statements Warren previously made about his willingness to work together with various faiths  and belief systems for the common cause of good, his response made perfect sense. Warren states:
Well, obviously we have so much in common in protecting our religious rights—and really the religious rights of other people who we disagree with on beliefs and behaviors. Muslims, for instance, don’t drink alcohol. If all of a sudden they made a law that said every Muslim restaurant has to serve alcohol, I would be there protesting with that. If they made a law that said every Jewish deli in New York City has to sell pork, I’m going to be there protesting. I don’t have a problem with pork. But I am going to protest that. If they make a law that says every Catholic school has to provide contraceptives, if you’re morally convinced you shouldn’t have contraceptives, I stand with you, firm with you on your belief on that because you have a right to train your children the way you want to.13
It is difficult to challenge Warren’s argument as he states his case. Religious freedom is a major pillar that America was founded upon. To attack religious freedom or rights could well spark a religious liberty movement if this is the direction political leaders are headed.
However, it is also possible that a so-called “religious liberty” movement championed by America’s Pastor, who is willing to go to jail for standing up for the religious rights of all religions, could be a stepping stone to something else. Especially when it is so obvious this would be another effective way to join evangelicals and Catholics together, the current common trend is going that direction with each passing day.
While it may be a stretch to suggest Rick Warren will become the pied piper who unites all the world religions for a common cause, it is certainly within the realm of possibility that Warren could be a major spokesperson for persuading evangelicals to join together with Roman Catholics. This whole movement has been in place for some time and has received endorsements from such well-known leaders as Bill Bright, J. I. Packer, and Charles Colson.
In the past, Rick Warren has made numerous statements about his willingness to join forces with Rome in order to establish the kingdom of God here on earth. In a message Warren gave at the Pew Forum on Religion in Key West Florida, May 23, 2005, he stated:
Now when you get 25 percent of America, which is basically Catholic, and you get 28 to 29 percent of America which is evangelical together, that’s called a majority. And it is a very powerful bloc, if they happen to stay together on particular issues. . . . I would encourage you to look at this evolving alliance between evangelical Protestants and Catholics.14
Without question, Warren’s “evolving alliance” with Rome has come a long way since he made this statement. The interview with Raymond Arroyo of EWTN is proof of that. When a pastor of Warren’s stature and influence refrains from warning his followers about the dangers found in the extra- and non-biblical teachings of Roman Catholicism, discerning Christians should not remain silent.
Rick Warren, Jean Vanier, and the New Evangelization
One significant revelation that was brought to light during the interview was that Rick Warren and Saddleback Church had hosted a delegation from Rome to discuss the New Evangelization program. According to the interview, a number of Roman Catholic delegates were observing the Warren-Saddleback Purpose-Driven model in order to gain ideas and insight for the Roman Catholic New Evangelization plan initiated by Pope John Paul II and continued by Pope Benedict and Pope Francis. I have discussed this New Evangelization plan and the serious implications of it in several articles over the years as well as in my book Another Jesus: the eucharistic christ and the new evangelization.

With regard to the Catholic delegation visit to Saddleback, Raymond Arroyo asked Rick Warren the following question:
The Vatican recently sent a delegation here to Saddleback—the pontifical council—the academy for life. Tell me what they discovered and why did they come? This is a sizable group.15
Rick Warren enthusiastically answered:

They were about thirty bishops from Europe. One of the men had been actually trained and mentored by Jean Vanier, which is an interesting thing because we have a retreat center here and my spiritual director, who grew up at Saddleback, actually went and trained under Jean Vanier too. So I am very excited about that.16
While the term “spiritual director”* or the name Jean Vanier may not mean much to you unless you are versed on contemplative mystical spirituality, this admission by Warren provides conclusive evidence of his endorsement of Roman Catholic monastic mysticism (i.e., contemplative prayer). The fact he mentions he has his “own” spiritual director located at Saddleback who was trained under the leadership of Jean Vanier is even more significant and further unveils Warren’s journey to Rome.
Let’s take a brief look now at Jean Vanier, the man who trained Rick Warren’s spiritual director. This will provide important insights. Vanier (b. 1928) is the Canadian Catholic founder of L’Arche, which is a humanitarian community for disabled people. It is L’Arche where Catholic priest Henri Nouwen spent the last ten years of his life. Vanier is a contemplative mystic who promotes interspirituality and interfaith beliefs, calling the Hindu Mahatma Gandhi “one of the greatest prophets of our times”17 and “a man sent by God.”18  In the book Essential Writings, Vanier talks about “opening doors to other religions” and helping people develop their own faiths be it Hinduism, Christianity, or Islam.19 The book also describes how Vanier read Thomas Merton and practiced and was influenced by the spiritual exercises of the Jesuit founder and mystic St. Ignatius.
Now think about this. To learn through Rick Warren’s interview with Raymond Arroyo that Warren’s own “spiritual director” was trained under Jean Vanier is, at the very least, a key to understanding the long history where Rick Warren has expressed support for contemplative mystics and ecumenical/interspiritual efforts. In Ray Yungen’s book, A Time of Departing, he points out that both Rick and Kay Warren very much admire the writings of Henri Nouwen. As a matter of fact, Yungen has devoted an entire chapter to Rick Warren’s contemplative propensities including his instructions in The Purpose Driven Life on breath prayers. Now that Warren has revealed that his own spiritual director was trained under someone like Jean Vanier, we can better understand the direction Warren is heading.
The New Roman Catholic Evangelization
If the delegation sent to Saddleback from Rome consisted of thirty Bishops, obviously this was a very significant event. What were the delegates discussing with Warren and his team? Warren provides the answer to that question in the interview:

[T]hey were talking about the New Evangelization, and Saddleback has been very effective in reaching [the] secular mindset. Our church is 33 years old. Easter 2014 at Saddleback is our 34th anniversary. And in 34 years, we’ve baptized 38,000 adults. Now, these are adult converts. People with no religious background. People who say, “I was nothing before I came to Saddleback.” So we figured out a way to reach that mindset.And I fully support your Catholic Church’s New Evangelization which basically says we’ve got to re-evangelize people who are Christian in name but not in heart. And they need a new fresh relationship to our Savior.20 (emphasis added)
While Warren provides his stamp of approval on the Roman Catholic New Evangelization program and makes it sound like the purpose is to win converts to Christ, there is much more to the picture than Warren describes. The Roman Catholic New Evangelization program is dedicated to winning converts to the Roman Catholic Eucharistic Christ and obedience to the sacraments of the Roman Catholic Church. While Warren may call this “a new fresh relationship to our Savior,” he is overlooking what Catholics must believe in order to be a member of the Catholic Church. Either he is oblivious to this fact or he is ignorant of it. For a man who claims to be a voracious reader and who has a doctorate degree from a theological seminary, it’s hard to believe it’s the latter.
In a commentary I wrote called “Mysticism, Monasticism, and the New Evangelization,” I was able to document that contemplative mysticism provides the catalyst for the New Evangelization. Thus, Rome and Babylon join together to form a new ecumenical Christianity that fits the description of the harlot—the counterfeit bride—described in the book of Revelation, chapter 18.
The facts stare us in the face. Warren’s pathway to Rome is dangerous! Why do so few recognize what is happening? Do you know someone who is caught up in the deception but does not see what is going on? Maybe this would be a good time to pray God’s grace would open their eyes, and they would see the truth of God’s word.
Rick Warren and the Chaplet of Divine Mercy
Some who are reading this report may be asking the question: Why spend so much time and energy on this topic? What is wrong with “America’s Pastor” expressing his support for the Roman Catholic Church and what it stands for?

The answer is simple. Bible-believing Christians are called to “contend for the faith” (Jude 3). When a Christian leader publicly makes statements or endorsements by saying or doing things that contradict the Bible, the leader needs to be addressed in a public manner so those who have been influenced can be put back on track. While many professing Christians who embrace full-blown ecumenical unity with Rome remain silent and see no harm with the direction Warren is heading, we are compelled to sound the alarm.
Thus far in this booklet, I have addressed several critical topics indicating Warren is headed down the road to Rome. Now, I would like to address what is possibly the most blatant endorsement of Roman Catholicism revealed in Warren’s entire interview with EWTN. It was so revealing that even Raymond Arroyo expressed surprise when he asked Warren to comment on the following topic:
Tell me about your—the little breather you take in the day when you watch television. When we first met, you came up to me afterwards—I can’t believe you watch Chaplet of Divine Mercy.21
In response to Arroyo’s comment, Rick Warren expounded:
I’m an avid fan of EWTN. I make no bones about it. I probably watch it more than any Christian channel. Well, you know what? Because you have more, more, uh, shows that relate to history. And if you don’t understand the roots of our faith, that God had been working for 2,000 years, regardless of what brand of believer you are, God has been working for 2,000 years in His church. And if you don’t have those roots, you’re like the cut flower syndrome. Or you’re a tumbleweed.22
If Warren’s main reason for watching the Roman Catholic Eternal Word Television Network is to gain a knowledge and understanding of Christian history, then there is no question he is getting a biased one-sided view. While I admit I do not watch EWTN as much as Warren apparently does (and certainly not for the same reasons), I do know that a major part of Christian history dealing with the Reformation and the Counter-reformation is not one of the favorite topics presented. Perhaps a quick review of Fox’s Book of Martyrs would be a good balance for Warren and a reminder of what happened to Christians who stood up against the pope of Rome and his Jesuit enforcers in the past for believing the Word of God rather than the word of man. People were burned at the stake for saying that Jesus could not be found in a wafer (the Eucharist).23
In the interview, Warren not only stated that EWTN was his favorite Christian television network, he further offered that he had a favorite program he and his wife watch regularly on that network. When I first watched the entire EWTN interview, it was the statement Warren made at this point that primarily motivated me to do this report. If Arroyo was shocked by this revelation, the best way to describe my reaction to his response would be astonished and angry. In Warren’s own words:
One of my favorite shows, which you repeat often is the Chaplet of Divine Mercy, which I love. And when I’ve had a very stressful day, I’ll come home, I’ve got it taped, and Kay and I will both, we’ll listen. We’ll put it on and just sit back, relax and worship. And in the time of reflection, meditation and quietness, I find myself renewed and restored. So thank you for continuing to play the Chaplet of Divine Mercy.24
Arroyo responds to Warren’s statement, “Thank Mother Angelica.”
Warren then echoes, “Thank you, Mother Angelica.”
“Mother” Mary Angelica (b. 1923) is the founder of the Eternal Word Television Network. Among the programs making up the daily broadcasting schedule is “The Chaplet of Divine Mercy.” A description of this program provides background information:
The Chaplet of the Divine Mercy is a Christian devotion based on the visions of Jesus reported by Saint Mary Faustina Kowalska (1905-1938), known as “the Apostle of Mercy.” She was a Polish sister of the Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy and canonized as a Catholic saint in 2000. Faustina stated that she received the prayer through visions and conversations with Jesus, who made specific promises regarding the recitation of the prayers. Her Vatican biography quotes some of these conversations. As a Roman Catholic devotion, the chaplet is often said as a rosary-based prayer with the same set of rosary beads used for reciting the Holy Rosary or the Chaplet of Holy Wounds, in the Roman Catholic Church. As an Anglican devotion, The Divine Mercy Society of the Anglican Church states that the chaplet can also be recited on Anglican prayer beads. The chaplet may also be said without beads, usually by counting prayers on the fingertips, and may be accompanied by the veneration of the Divine Mercy image.25
Note the reference to “the veneration of the Divine Mercy image,” which is an essential component of the Chaplet of Divine Mercy. Consider this further documentation that will clarify that idolatry is the only way to describe what is taking place:
The earliest element of the Devotion to the Divine Mercy revealed to St. Faustina was the Image. On February 22nd, 1931 Jesus appeared to her with rays radiating from His heart and said, Paint an image according to the pattern you see, with the signature: Jesus I trust in You. I desire that this image be venerated, first in your chapel, and throughout the world. (Diary 47)
I promise that the soul that will venerate this image will not perish. I also promise victory over its enemies already here on earth, especially at the hour of death. I myself will defend it as My own glory. (Diary 48) I am offering people a vessel with which they are to keep coming for graces to the fountain of mercy. That vessel is this image with the signature “Jesus, I trust in You.” (Diary 327)26
One could contend that Warren was just “making conversation” with Arroyo or even making a joke when he made the claim that The Chaplet of the Divine Mercy was his favorite “Christian” television program. But he has never made a public statement refuting or withdrawing his statements. Plus, he gave such detail in his account. If this is what he truly believes, if he was speaking the truth to Arroyo, then he is defying the God of the Bible and willingly ignoring the commandment in the Bible that states:
Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. (Exodus 20:4)
I took the time to watch several Chaplet of the Divine Mercy programs posted on the Internet. Staring at images of “Christ” or worshipping a monstrance containing the supposed body of Christ while repeating the rosary did not bring peace and relaxation for me as Warren claims it did for him. It does not take a great deal of discernment to realize these unbiblical practices are rooted in paganism.**
The Bottom Line
There’s no other way to put it, Rick Warren is on a dangerous path away from sound biblical doctrine toward an ecumenical apostate form of Christianity with Rome that has the potential to lead many astray.

What does it mean “to earnestly contend for the faith”? Is sound biblical doctrine being compromised for the sake of unity in the church today? When a pastor endorses a television program that promotes idolatry, shouldn’t that pastor be called out or at least asked to give a public repeal of his earlier endorsements?
The facts have been presented and a hypothesis can be formulated that leads to a reasonable conclusion. My prayer is that the damage done to biblical Christianity can be corrected through open repentance and public statements that set the record straight by Warren himself and those who follow him.
The Warren-Arroyo EWTN interview that first aired on YouTube on April 11, 2014 provides many insights regarding the “New Evangelicalism” that is presently unfolding. Rather than lines being drawn in the sand, walls are coming down, and ecumenical unity is being established. If Rick Warren and his followers represent the direction many Protestants are heading, it is only a matter of time for the coming one-world ecumenical religion to be established. The Jesuit plan to bring the “separated brethren home to Rome” will have been accomplished. Those who refuse to follow will be singled out and considered “heretics” who are ruining the P.E.A.C.E. process. Is it possible that persecution for these “resistors” is in store.
To order copies of Rick Warren’s Dangerous Ecumenical Pathway to Rome And How One Interview Revealed So Much, click here.
* A term used in contemplative spirituality as one who can help you “discern” the voices you are hearing in the contemplative “silence.”
** I have decided the best way to confirm this point is to provide an Internet link to an actual Chaplet of Divine Mercy service so you can see with your own eyes what Warren and his wife Kay consider a “Christian” devotional. This is only one of many programs that you can watch that all show the same thing. Please check out this 8 minute video clip of a Chaplet of the Divine Mercy program. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=__RbWgxA2G0.
Endnotes:
1. The interview can be viewed by clicking on the following link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dVCY8pW-ACs.
2. For more information on the Roman Catholic Church’s New Evangelization program, read Roger’s book, Another Jesus.
3. You can see a transcript of this portion of the interview, Section 1, here: http://www.understandthetimes.org/commentary/transcripts/rwinterview1.shtml.
4. Ibid.
5. See Faith Undone (Roger Oakland), A Time of Departing (Ray Yungen), and Deceived on Purpose (Warren B. Smith) for documented information.
6. Gerald May, The Awakened Heart (New York, NY:Harper Collins, First Harper Collins Paperback Edition, 1993) p. 87, citing from The Practice of the Presence of God by Brother Lawrence, translated by John Delaney, Image Books, 1977, p. 34.
7. For numerous actual quotes by Teresa of Avila, read Castles in the Sand by Carolyn A. Greene (a Lighthouse Trails novel based on the life of Teresa of Avila and a modern-day college girl).
8. See http://www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com/johnofthecross.htm.
9. Transcript, section 1, op. cit.
10. Ibid.
11. Transcript, section 3: http://www.understandthetimes.org/audio%20commentary/transcripts/rwinterview3.shtml.
12. Ibid.
13. Ibid.
14. Rick Warren, PEW Forum, Key West, Florida, May 23, 2005, http://pewforum.org/events/index.php?EventID=80.
15. Transcript, section 4: http://www.understandthetimes.org/audio%20commentary/transcripts/rwinterview4.shtml.
16. Ibid.
17. Jean Vanier, Essential Writings (Orbis Books, 2008), p. 62.
18.  Ibid., p. 76.
19. Ibid.
20. Ibid.
21. Transcript, section 5: http://www.understandthetimes.org/audio%20commentary/transcripts/rwinterview5.shtml.
22. Ibid.
23. See the story of Mrs. Prest in the Lighthouse Trails edition of Foxe’s Book of Martyrs. Some editions of Foxe’s Book of Martyrs have omitted stories of papal persecution.
24. Transcript, section 5, op. cit.
25. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chaplet_of_Divine_Mercy.
26.  http://www.ewtn.com/devotionals/mercy/image.htm.

Editor’s Note: Since Roger Oakland wrote this report in 2014, several high prolific Christian leaders, including Rick Warren, have moved further along the dangerous ecumenical path to Rome. You may find articles about these situations written by Lighthouse Trails authors in our print research journal (see copyright page of this booklet) as well as our research site (www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com).
To order copies of Rick Warren’s Dangerous Ecumenical Pathway to Rome And How One Interview Revealed So Much, click here.



WARMONGER RUBIO: SIDE WITH TURKEY AND ISLAMIC STATE IN CONFRONTATION WITH RUSSIA~HELPS RECREATE OTTOMAN CALIPHATE EMPIRE

TREASON
"RINO" NEOCON RUBIO SIDES WITH OBAMA, MCCAIN, & OTHERS TO SUPPORT & PROTECT ISIS, RECREATION OF OTTOMAN CALIPHATE 
Rubio: Side with Turkey and Islamic State in Confrontation with Russia
RUBIO: SIDE WITH TURKEY AND ISLAMIC STATE IN CONFRONTATION WITH RUSSIA

Turkey strives for a resurgence of the Ottoman Empire

BY KURT NIMMO
for informational, educational, and research purposes:

Republican presidential candidate Marco Rubio told Fox News earlier this week if push comes to shove the United States must side with Turkey in a confrontation with Russia.
“They are a member of the NATO alliance,” Rubio said, “and if we were not to come to Turkey’s defense in any instance, it would undermine the NATO alliance and that is something we need to understand.”
“This is a critical moment,” Rubio continued. “If Russia believes they can respond and retaliate against Turkey and NATO is not going to do anything about it, what they are basically doing is making the argument NATO is no longer viable, that it is a feckless alliance. So it is important for us to be very clear that we will respond and defend Turkey as they come under assault by the Russians. Otherwise the entire NATO alliance comes into question.”
In other words, according to Rubio, the United States and NATO must support Turkey’s regional ambitions, including Erdogan’s desire to reestablish the Ottoman Empire and a caliphate.
Erdogan’s New Ottoman Empire
Erdogan’s desire to resurrect the Ottoman Empire is hardly a secret. Earlier this year during the Turkish elections his ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) marched under the banner “Yeniden Dirilis, Yeniden Yukselis,” meaning, “Resurrection Again, Rising Again.”
erdogan-pol-posterDuring the election campaign “AK Party luminaries took to the stage to invoke the greatness of the Ottomans, a legacy they promised the New Turkey would revive under the leadership of the Great Leader Erdogan,” writes Adnan R. Khan.
Erdogan plans to rewrite Turkey’s Constitution and transform the country from a parliamentary democracy into a presidency. “His grip on power would be assured and most experts agree he would use that power to expand his project of reclaiming Turkey’s historical role as leader of the world’s Sunni Muslims.”
On November 1 the AK Party won a parliamentary majority after two suicide bombers killed 102 people at a peace rally. The pre-election attack resulted in opposition parties canceling their political campaigns and thus ensuring an overwhelming AK Party victory.
Syria and Iraq are key to realizing this Ottoman resurgence. “Turkey’s goal is to try and revive the Ottoman Empire that was earlier divided into provinces. There were the provinces of Damascus, Mosul, Aleppo, Jerusalem, Beirut, and so on, and it is this main goal that’s leading to the wish to divide Syria and Iraq into emirates or provinces that would exist under the protectorate of the empire and in its interests,” claims Syrian Information Minister Omran al-Zoubi.
DIA Plan for an Islamic Principality
This plan dovetails with a Defense Information Agency scheme tocreate an Islamic protectorate in Syria.
“If the situation unravels [in Syria] there is the possibility of establishing a declared or undeclared Salafist principality in eastern Syria… and that is exactly what the supporting powers to the opposition want, in order to isolate the Syrian regime,” the recently declassified documents from 2012 states.
Rubio knows the score. He sits on the Senate’s Committee on Foreign Relations and the Select Committee on Intelligence. He also knows Turkey supports and funds the Islamic State. Turkish support for the terrorist army is admitted by numerous experts on the Middle East, the Kurds, the Iraqis and even Vice President Joe Biden.
“All along there’s always been the idea that Turkey was supporting ISIS in some way,” former NATO Supreme Allied Commander Gen. Wesley Clark said recently. “Someone’s buying that oil that ISIS is selling, it’s going through somewhere, it looks to me like it’s probably going through Turkey, but the Turks haven’t acknowledged that.”
“Let’s be very clear: ISIS is not just a terrorist organization, it is a Sunni terrorist organization. It means it blocks and targets Shia, and that means it’s serving the interests of Turkey and Saudi Arabia even as it poses a threat to them,” Clark said.
The financial ruling elite want the secular states of the Middle East—Iraq, Libya and Syria—dismantled and the resultant ethnically balkanized mini-states fully under the control of Sunni overlords. A new corporatized Sykes-Picot arrangement has an ideal partner in Turkey, a NATO partner with a modern military backed up by the rhetoric of American politicians like Marco Rubio.