The Great Smoky Mountain Journal

OUR VIEW EDITORIAL

Posted: Sunday, January 21, 2018 06:36 PM

OUR VIEW: SPECIAL FAITH OPED: 500 Years Later The Just Still Live By Faith, Not Works

Today marks the 500th year anniversary of what some have called the greatest church split in history when Martin Luther published his 95 Theses and nailed them to the walls of the Catholic Church in Wittsburg, Germany.

What Luther did caused more than just a church split, it caused an earthquake that shook the most corrupt religious system in history to its core and changed forever the way men viewed faith.

On October 31, 1517 Luther's actions ushered in what most Church historians have called through the years "The Reformation" and in doing so split in two what we know as the institutionalized church today. All sects that were not Catholic after Martin Luther's efforts became what are known as "Protestants"

The word “Protestant” is based on the root word “protest.” Luther protested Catholic practice, and as a result of widespread abuses by the Catholic Church, a chorus of others joined in to likewise "protest" against the seat of the one of the bloodiest and corrupt religious systems the world had known up until Luther's day.

Between the New Testament era and the 1500s, Roman Catholicism had established a monopoly on Christianity in Western Europe. They abused their position with such practices that even modern-day Catholics look back on their own church history with disgust.

The celebration of Mass was performed in a language most church members did not understand. The text of the Bible was unknown to parishioners in hopes that any "interpretation" of Scripture would have to come from the hierarchy of the Catholic Church, not the inspiration of the Holy Spirit or God-fearing men who would teach men to seek God, not submit themselves to control-hungry systems and men.

Governments were subject to the Pope. Most of the land was owned by the Catholic Church. Bishops lived with aristocratic privileges, while peasants supported the Church under a feudal system that exploited their labor. Critics were labeled heretics, while being tortured and executed.

For many common “Christians,” the Catholic Church's traditions, icons, statuary, tapestries, and paintings that sought to redefine “Christianity” became very offensive. Instead of promoting the truth through the Words of Scripture in the Bible, the Catholic Church sought to pressure all people into a relationship with the Vatican instead of a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ.
Some 500 years later, most Christians still feel the Catholic Church and it's doctrines are completely alien to what one would define as True “Christianity.”

Luther's courage sparked other "protests" against Catholicism and quickly spread throughout Europe and eventually America. The Colonists and initial inhabitants of North America were initially fleeing Protestants.

The government of the United States reflected Protestant values. The American political example birthed from this movement then in turn, changed European rule.
In time the entire world was influenced, directly or indirectly, by the changes that began with the Protestant Reformation.

These protests so shook the Roman Catholic Church to its core they responded in 1545 with what some called a "Counter-Reformation."

The Council of Trent convened in 25 sessions between 1545 and 1563 to address needed church reform. In addition to condemning Protestantism, the council clarified Roman Catholic doctrine, reformed church administration, abolished some abuses affecting the sale of indulgences, established more rigorous clergy education and residential rules, affirmed that the Catholic Church was the ultimate arbiter of the meaning of scripture, and explained the relationship of faith and works to counter Luther’s doctrine of salvation by faith alone.

The entire Council of Trent was a complete fallacy and lie in light of true Biblical Christianity.

It also reaffirmed many occultist and demonic practices that were then and still are now full of false doctrine and error, including the veneration of saints and relics, pilgrimages, indulgences, and the deification of the Virgin Mary.

Whereas before mere superstition informed most “Christian” beliefs, afterwards Christians were expected to understand, even debate, the meaning of Christ’s teachings. Once the Protestant leaders translated and published the Bible in the language of the common man, an aloof and educated clergy in the Catholic world lost their monopoly over access and the right to interpret scripture.

Just a side note. In the book of Revelation, Jesus condemned the church at Thyatira for "holding to the doctrine of the Nicolaitans," a thing He said, He "hated." The doctrine of the Nicolaitans was similar to the doctrines of the Roman Catholic Church. Every soul, past, present, and future, is entitled and expected to read the Bible for themselves.

They don't need a hierarchy to go through to reach God. They can reach God themselves - through true faith in Christ!

So what Luther did was more than just brand a piece of paper on a door. Through God's help, he brought an end to what many historians and myself would clearly call "The Dark Ages" of history by shattering the grip the Catholic Church held on this world.

Any period of history without the Light of Christ being shown to mankind will always be dark!!

The basis for Martin Luther's protest speaks to the heart of the gospel and the eternal destination for millions of souls. Man cannot save himself by his good works, something the Catholic Church still teaches 500 years into the future to this very day.

Some modern-day church leaders would have you believe however, it was Luther, not the Catholic Church, who was the evil one in splitting the church in two. As a result, many are seeking to "reconcile" the two branches of the faith back together.

In 2014 at a Charismatic Evangelical Leadership Conference hosted by TV Mega Preacher Kenneth Copeland, and Tony Palmer, an Anglican Bishop, both declared: “The protest is over”, and encouraged Protestants to "unify" with the Catholic Church. The audience of many charismatic Christian leaders seemed to embrace this message.

The Catholic Church was all ears.

On their website, www.vatican.va, there is an article called From Conflict to Communion, written together with Lutherans, talking about how they successfully shall unite.
In two separate attempts, one in 1959 during the Vatican II Conference, and in 1999, during another joint conference between Catholics and Protestants, the attempt to "narrow" the theological divide between the two faiths grew.

The fact is there CAN BE NO reconciliation between light and darkness! The Harlot of Rome has been trying to get Christians to renounce the true faith and come back under her skirt.
Do we not understand the history of the Catholic Church?

The same ones screaming for reconciliation forget that the Roman Catholic Church has tried for centuries to eliminate authentic Christianity with oppression and bloodshed Since that didn't work, now the same church hierarchy have turned to a devilish, palms-up approach of coaxing back into her fold those who she once called, and still does, an anathema, or curse.

Charismatic evangelicals in the West seem eager once again to adopt Roman Catholics in an ecumenical embrace on the grounds of their shared charismatic sentiments.

Nothing demonstrates this better than the latest attempt to merge American Charismaticism and Roman Catholicism than the "Kairos 2017" event that was held in Kansas City just a few days ago from October 24-26 at IHOP, the ministry headquarters of Rev. Mike Bickel.

The “International Meeting of the Kairos” was invented by the Roman Catholic Church as a part of it’s “Great Jubilee” in the year 2000. It's goal of the ecumenical organization was to – very explicitly – merge together both Rome and charismatics. To many this was not simply an ecumenical event among many, but it was considered a new "ecumenical Pentecost."

The speakers-list were like a roll-call of many house hold names from Christian television including Kenneth Copeland, Bickel of course, Lou Engle (NAR Apostle), Gordon Robertson (son of Pat Robertson), Billy Wilson (of Oral Roberts University), and a whole hive of Roman Catholic officials and Eastern Orthodox leaders, who have done nothing but seek to mix their false Catholic doctrine with true Christian doctrines in hopes of influencing the church.

Here is the statement of "faith" from the gathering.

“The awareness is dawning on Lutherans and Catholics that the struggle of the sixteenth century is over. The reasons for mutually condemning each other’s faith have fallen by the wayside. Thus, Lutherans and Catholics identify five imperatives as they commemorate 2017 together.”

“In 2017, we must confess openly that we have been guilty before Christ of damaging the unity of the church. This commemorative year presents us with two challenges: the purification and healing of memories, and the restoration of Christian unity in accordance with the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ (Eph 4:4–6).”

They also invite all Christians to study this report open-mindedly and critically, and to come along “the way to a deeper communion of all Christians.”

Let me make it clear today. What you just read from these so-called Christian leaders is nothing but spiritual hog-wash!!! It is a demonic attempt to hide again the true nature and deception of Catholicism.

During our interview today with Chuck Christiansen, a Lutheran historian, Chuck too expressed his feelings that from the perspectives of most Christians there is NOTHING which true Christianity will ever be able to reconcile with the Catholic Church over!!

"500 years later the JUST STILL LIVE BY FAITH! And no matter what these leaders say or do to reconcile, the two doctrines will ever change that. There is no other center ground other than the Bible. The Bible doesn’t say those things and I just don't see how it could happen," said Christiansen. "At least not on this side of heaven," he added.

There is no reconciliation between light and darkness. The two cannot coexist together on ANY LEVEL! A movement that has promoted for centuries a grace by works faith will never be reconciled with the Biblical declaration “the Just shall live by faith!"

500 years after the beginning of one Reformation, there is still a need to PROTEST against this modern attempt to destroy the true faith. Apostate Christianity, and this demonic effort to bring false doctrine onto the same level as God's infallible Holy Word, must be confronted in no uncertain terms!

While today's "brand" of Christianity has become a fragmented, quarreling, and inconsistent patchwork of denominational sects, the attacks on the true faith have never been greater than they are in this hour!

What the Apostate Church is doing right now is no better than what Rome sought to do 500 years ago. The Protestant movement has become just as evil as the Catholic movement in many ways.

There is a need for another Reformation and "protest" in these last days! We need more Martin Luthers full of courage to declare once again "THE JUST SHALL LIVE BY FAITH!"
Unity for the sake of unity is NOT true Biblical unity!

If we do not have unity based upon truth – we have NO unity at all! When the Body of Christ comes together, as the catch phrase today is, and yet what it is endorsing is compromise with the world or doctrines that have diluted the Word of God, we have made mockery of the Cross of Christ and what Jesus accomplished there 2,000 years ago.

The Bible was not written to bring about unity, it was written to bring about TRUTH!
The issue is not and never has been having unity just to have unity. It is being sure we have borne witness to the TRUTH of the Word of God and embraced it.

Truth is the touchstone upon which we will sink or swim, live or die. There is not one single command in the Bible where the preacher of the gospel is commanded to preach "unity." They are commanded to preach TRUTH, or as Paul exhorted Timothy, "Preach the Word!" (2 Tim. 4:2)

Not all paths lead to God. Not all who say they are Christian are Christian. There is a difference between Christians and Catholics even though many Catholics have true Christian faith. The truth is most Catholics who truly become born again leave the Catholic Church because they recognize the heresy of the church's teaching.

There are, sad to say, entire Christian networks where speaking against the evils of Islam or Mormonism, or Christian Science, or Buddhism, or Catholicism are strictly forbidden. The cry today is that nothing should be done to bring division to the Body of Christ.

But the problem is many religions or movements that claim they are on the same page as Jesus really aren’t. Most are of the devil! Those are strong words but it's the TRUTH!

Jesus warned those who followed Him, He was not seeking to bring all the heathen religions of Rome into His camp or those of the world. He came, He declared, to bring a SWORD!

Matthew 10:34-36 (KJV) - Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword. For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law. And a man's foes shall be they of his own household

Any unity not centered around the cross of Christ is false! And no matter what man tries to do with his conferences and declarations, this is one Church split of which God whole heartedly approves!!

500 years after a lone Catholic monk shook the Catholic Church and the world itself, “The Just still live by faith.”

So in the meantime, I guess we "protestants," or "protesters" will just keep on protesting and fighting for the faith.

To speak the truth in times of apostasy will require another Martin Luther. God send us plenty in these last days!

Christopher McDonald, Publisher, Editor in Charge

Great Smoky Mountain Journal

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