"Woe
unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and
light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!"
Isaiah 5:20
As I
write this, Pope John Paul II is near death. Once he draws his last breath, a
Vatican official will lightly tap three times upon the deceased pontiff's
forehead with a golden hammer and call his name. Upon receiving no reply, the
cardinal chamberlain will remove John Paul's fisherman's ring and smash it.
Thus begins the pagan Romish spectacle of choosing and crowning a new
pope.
The pope's death is the dawn of a defining moment for all
who claim to be born-again followers of Jesus Christ, whether they call
themselves Protestant or evangelical or just plain Christian. It does not take a
prophet to state that the passing of Pope John Paul II will trigger a flood of
statements and discussions among Christian pro-family leaders, talk show
hosts, and nationally known preachers. It also does not take a prophet to know
that the dead pope will have mountains of compliments heaped upon him by many of
those same individuals. Going a step further, it is safe to say that the
presupposition underlying those eulogies and the recurring theme at the heart of
them will be that the pope was a wonderful, godly man, a Christian who is now in
heaven.
As I said, this is a defining moment. It is, in fact, an
evangelistic moment catching the attention of virtually the entire world. What
should any true follower of Jesus say about such a man as Pope John Paul
II? What should one who has assumed a role as a shepherd of Christ's flock
or a spokesman for His Church say about the pope? Plainly and simply put, they
should say that John Paul II was a counterfeit, a minister of Satan (2
Corinthians 11:13-15). They should tell the truth that he was an accursed man
who deceived millions. Those who cannot tell the truth should not say anything.
Those evangelical leaders who feel so compelled to express their affection and
respect for Pope John Paul II do not seem to know or care that they are at the
same time showing anything but love for the Roman Catholic people whom the
pope has deceived and enslaved. They are certainly not showing respect for
the Word of God which the pope, that man of sin, trod underfoot and the blood of
Jesus which he counted as an unholy thing.
The pope preached the
false Roman Catholic gospel which features a false Christ who cannot save
without the aid of priests practicing pagan rituals and penitents performing
works and a pagan goddess sharing her favors. The pope blasphemed the Lord Jesus
Christ as a way of life, most especially during the mass when he claimed to call
down our Great High Priest from the right hand of the Majesty in heaven and turn
Him into a wafer and a goblet of wine. The pope blasphemed against the Holy
Spirit, claiming to displace Him as Christ's substitute and voice on this earth.
The pope championed the cause of the Roman Catholic Virgin Mary goddess. He
prayed to her, worshiped her, and adored her. He consecrated the nations
to her. He endorsed and reveled in her demonic apparitions. He credited her with
saving his life.
There is so much which could be said about Pope
John Paul II, about his corrosive, damning influence and his pagan practices.
But why belabor the point? The truth has been apparent for all to see for
twenty-six years. And simply put, the pope was a pope. The nature of popes is
the nature of antichrist because they are antichrist just as the Roman
Catholic Church is the woman who rides the beast as described in Revelation
chapter 17. That the pope and his church are evil is an understatement. The Word
of God shows the pope to be an accursed man no matter what good causes he may
have championed.
The tragedy which is upon us is not the death of
the pope, although neither will we revel in the death nor damnation of any
man. The tragedy which is upon us and which the pope's death will clearly
emphasize once more is the dearth of integrity, discernment, and courage among
evangelical-or should I say neo-evangelical-leaders in our nation. Remaining
silent at this time, as reprehensible as that is, would be a vast improvement to
the message many such leaders will feel the need to proclaim. The world's
impression that Pope John Paul II was a true Christian man leading the true
Christian Church, teaching the true Christian gospel will be strongly reinforced
by the accolades heaped upon the pope by evangelical leaders. At the same time,
the great milling mixture of sheep and goats which fill up the evangelical
churches in our land will be further compromised and confused. The death of Pope
John Paul II is a defining moment which will reveal the hearts of many who
present themselves as born-again, blood-washed followers of Jesus Christ but by
their words will reveal that they are either not His or that they should not
publicly represent Him.
Reams of paper could be expended
documenting the heresy of Pope John Paul II and citing the Scripture verses
proving that such a man is not a Christian, not a servant of God, and not now in
heaven. But in reality, Galatians chapter one, verses eight and nine should
settle that matter:
"But though we, or an angel from heaven,
preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let
him be accursed. As we said before, so say I now again, if any man preach any
other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be
accursed."
