|
|
An International Missionary Outreach Dedicated to Evangelizing the Lost and Equipping the Church for Discernment
Monitoring The News
|
|
||||||||||||||
|
|
Books 
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||
|
|
|||||||||||||
|
|
|||||||||||||
|
Kingdom Now Or Apocalypse Next |
|||||||||||||
|
Some news headlines attract my attention. This one certainly did: “Lutheran leader calls for ecumenical council to address growing biblical fundamentalism.” [1] Now, to explain what this headline means, I will quote from the article: The leader of the nation’s largest Lutheran denomination has called for a global Christian council to address an identity crisis on how churches interpret and understand the Bible. Presiding Bishop Mark Hanson of the Evangelical Church in America called for Catholics, Eastern Orthodox, Anglican and Lutheran churches to come together to combat a fundamentalist-millenialist-apocalypticist reading of the Scripture.” [2] Perhaps you may be wondering: How significant is this statement? Who is Bishop Mark Hanson and what is he really advocating? |
|||||||||||||
 |
 |
||||||||||||
|
Bishop Mark Hanson |
|||||||||||||
|
Here’s the answer. Hanson called for the
formation of a “global ecumenical council”
during the Evangelical Lutheran Church of
America’s Assembly in
Hanson’s message contained other statements that
indicate his disdain for Bible believing
Christians – particularly those who take Bible
prophecy seriously and see
Mainline churches traditionally are uneasy with
literal readings of Scripture, particularly in
fundamentalist churches, regarding the end of
the world and political unrest in the Now, let’s evaluate Bishop Hanson’s statement. He said that if you are a believer in a biblical end-times scenario that is based on taking the Bible literally, you are dangerous and counterproductive to the cause of Christ. He would like to form a council made up of Roman Catholics, Orthodox, Anglicans and like-minded Lutherans to investigate and deal with this “crisis”. In other words, Bishop Hanson views those who reject “Kingdom Now” and believe in “apocalypse next” as fundamentalist-millenialist-apocalypticist crackpots.
But there is more. Hanson seems to believe the
Reformation was without cause and that the
church must join with the Roman Catholic Church
and embrace the Eucharistic Jesus in order to
bring about an ecumenical unity and the Quoting once more from the article:
Hanson also urged the What does this mean?
Eucharistic Unification |
|||||||||||||
 |
|||||||||||||
|
Roman Catholic |
|||||||||||||
|
However, there are those who study Bible prophecy who have grave concerns. They believe the Scriptures warn about a time of great spiritual deception that will occur before Jesus returns. They believe deception takes place in His name and many will be deceived. When they hear statements made by leaders saying “unity at any cost” without giving regard to “the finished work of the cross,” they are urged to sound a warning. Thus the reason for this commentary!
Further, Bishop Hanson, not only called for a
“global committee” to discuss “dangerous”
Christians, he has also called upon the
Hanson reminded the assembly that “the unity of
the church as the Body of Christ is not a goal
to be attained, but in fact to be recognized…”
In that regard, Hanson referenced the ecumenical
work of the ELCA in establishing five full
communion partnerships and the recommendation
for an interim Eucharistic Sharing agreement
with the Eucharistic Ecumenism Today the word “Reformation” is merely a word without meaning for most Christians. They have no idea what the Reformation was about or the fact that some of the reformers died as a result of standing up for biblical truth. For example, author J. C. Ryle made this point clear. In a book titled Light for Old Times, published in 1890, Ryle stated: The point I refer to is the special reason why our reformers were burned. Great indeed would be our mistake if we supposed that they suffered in the vague charge of refusing submission to the Pope, or desiring to maintain the independence of the Church of England. Nothing of the kind! The principal reason why they were burned was because they refused one of the peculiar doctrines of the Romish church. On that doctrine, in almost every case, hinged their life or death. If they admitted it, they might live, if they refused it, they must die. The doctrine in question was the real presence of the body and blood of Christ in the consecrated elements of bread and wine in the Lord’s Supper…[6]
Perhaps some who read this article will not
understand what this previous statement
means. Let me explain in simple words what
Ryle documented. He said that Reformers were
burned at the stake during the Reformation
because they refused to believe that a
priest could turn a wafer into the presence
of Jesus during |
|||||||||||||
 |
|||||||||||||
| Reformers Burned At The Stake | |||||||||||||
|
Now of course, that was then, and such barbaric practices are not happening now. But, it is important to mention that the Roman view of the presence of Jesus in the Eucharist is still required to be a member of the Roman Catholic Church: If anyone denies that in the sacrament of the most Holy Eucharist are contained truly, really and substantially the body and blood together with the soul and divinity of our Lord Jesus Christ, and consequently the whole Christ, but says that He is in it only as in a sign, or figure or force, let him be anathema. [7] This is why I am amazed when I hear about a Lutheran Bishop promoting ecumenical unity with the Vatican focused on a Eucharistic unification. It is very clear that the Vatican has no intentions of revising their view on the presence of Christ in the Eucharist. In order for Eucharistic ecumenism to be a reality - that would mean those who are not Roman Catholic will have to become Roman Catholic by accepting that Jesus Christ is present in the Communion wafer – if there is going to be “Christian unity” Rome’s way. So, if Eucharistic ecumenism happens by the year 2017, look for a unification of the “separated brethren” with Rome – according to Rome’s rules. Second, there will be more and more pressure on those who resist this ecumenical agenda. Remember, while Hanson is promoting Eucharistic unification with Rome, he is also concerned about those who resist such unification. |
|||||||||||||
 |
|||||||||||||
| "Mother Of All Churches" | |||||||||||||
|
I for one will be on a road headed in the opposite direction. I believe in unity, but at the foot of the cross – the empty cross, where Jesus said as He died, “It is finished!” – no more sacrifices required. Finally, with regard to human beings establishing the Kingdom of God here on planet earth - this will never happen. The Bible states that the Kingdom of God will be established by King Jesus alone, after there has been an apocalypse.
[1] http://news.ucc.org/index.php/option=cpm_content&task=view7id=2977Itemid=54,
Religion News Service, August 11, 2005. Emphasis
minne.
|
|||||||||||||
|
Understand
The Times P.O. Box 1160
|
|||||||||||||
