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Pope Francis: Most Influential & Dangerous False Teacher :: By David Reagan

Published on: by RR10

Doctrines Of Demons: Pope Francis Dies as the Most Influential and Dangerous False Teacher

Jorge Mario Bergoglio was born to Italian parents in Buenos Aires, Argentina, in 1936. He was elevated to the papacy in March of 2013 at the age of 76.

He was a first in several respects. He was the first Jesuit to become pope. He was also the first from Latin America. Further, he was the first to be born and raised outside of Europe, since the Syrian Pope Gregory III in the 8th Century.

Pope Francis

Bergoglio was also the first pope to select the name of Francis. He did so because he so highly respected Saint Francis of Assisi, who devoted his life to the poor. As Bergoglio put it, “Saint Francis brought to Christianity an idea of poverty apart from luxury, pride and vanity…”

The name fit the new pope well because he had developed a reputation for being a humble man who had a heart for social justice and who devoted himself to caring for the poor. Accordingly, after he was elected pope, he refused to live in the luxurious Apostolic Palace. He resided instead in the Vatican guest house. He came to be known as the “No Frills Pope” due to his common touch and his accessibility.

Pope Francis’ focus on the poor and social justice grew out of his involvement in Liberation Theology, which swept the Catholic Church in Latin America during the 1960s. It proved to be a more radical form of what was called “The Social Gospel,” which captivated many of the mainline Protestant denominations in the United States during the 1920s. In both cases, concern for social justice ended up triumphing over evangelism.

Vocal Blunders

It did not take long for Pope Francis to develop a reputation for “shooting from the hip.” This tendency on his part kept the Vatican busy because every time he would make an off-the-wall statement, the Vatican would have to call a press conference to explain that he did not mean what he said!

Many of his bizarre statements were just downright silly, as when, in May 2014, he proclaimed that he would be willing to baptize aliens from Mars. Or, when in July 2016, he said, “I do not believe it is right to identify Islam with violence.”

It was his theological declarations that caused the most concern — among both Catholics and Protestants. Many of these were so weird that Mike Gendron, a former Catholic and now a missionary to Catholics, was prompted to write a scathing essay titled, “Is the Pope Still Catholic?” Mike concluded that essay with this observation: “Pope Francis has become the most influential and dangerous false teacher in the world.” Was that overkill? I don’t think so.

Let’s consider some of the pope’s statements over the past 12 years:

>In May of 2013, Pope Francis said that atheists could go to Heaven “if they lead good and honorable lives.”

>In July of 2013, when asked if homosexuals could serve as priests, he replied: “If someone is gay and he searches for the Lord and has good will, who am I to judge?”

>In October of 2013, he declared that proselytism is “solemn nonsense.”

>In June 2015, he proclaimed pollution to be a sin and called for an international agreement to combat global warming.

>In September 2015, he slammed Capitalism, calling it an “economy of exclusion and inequality.” He also said that Capitalism is the “dung of the devil.”

>In November of 2015, he proclaimed that “Christians and Muslims are brothers and sisters.”

>In June 2016, Pope Francis issued his first video. In it, he expressed his belief that all the major religions are different paths to the same God. Following this shocking revelation, the video featured persons from different world religions expressing confidence in their various gods. The video then closed with the pope expressing his belief that regardless of religious profession, “we are all children of God.”

>In October 2020, the pope issued an encyclical in which he called on people to ditch Capitalism, support open borders, and reject the traditional Christian doctrine of “Just War.”

>In May of 2023, he emphasized “doing good” as the principle that unites all humanity. He added, “The Lord has redeemed all of us, all of us, with the blood of Christ — not just Catholics. Everyone! Even the atheists. Everyone! … We must meet one another doing good.”

>In December 2023, he authorized priests to bless same-sex couples.

>In September 2024, he declared that those who “kick out migrants” are against life as much as “the ones that kill babies.”

Still Relying on Good Works

These many statements indicate clearly that Pope Francis is still captivated by the traditional Catholic doctrine of salvation by good works. But he goes even further by applying the principle to all religions! This gross violation of biblical teaching reminds me of a statement I once heard Skip Heitzig make. He is the pastor of Calvary Chapel in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Pastor Heitzig said, “Heaven is not for good people. Heaven is for saved people.”

The apostasy of Pope Francis was reinforced recently when he boldly proclaimed that there are many different roads to God. He made this declaration while speaking in Singapore in September of 2024. Specifically, he said, “There’s only one God, and each of us has a language to arrive at God. Some are Sikh, Muslim, Hindu, Christian, and they are different paths [to God].” Actually, this was nothing new for him. It was simply a more precise definition of what he had proclaimed in his infamous video of June 2016.

A Long Apostate Trend

When you combine his belief in people earning salvation through good works with his conviction that all religions lead to the same God (including Atheism), it appears that he is actually a Universalist — that is, a person who believes in the ultimate salvation of all people.

Actually, the pope’s endorsement of “many roads to God” is not all that much a radical departure from actions by the popes who preceded him. Francis simply made clear what his predecessors had implied for the previous 50 years.

The apostate shift began in October of 1958 when Pope John XXIII took over the papacy. Shortly after his election, he called for the convening of a Vatican Council. His purpose was to revitalize the Catholic Church by adapting its doctrines and liturgical practices to modern times. After three years of preparations, the Council convened in October of 1962. The first session continued until the death of Pope John in June of 1963. The second session resumed immediately after the election of Pope Paul VI in the same month and continued until December of 1965.

In one of the Council’s most important declarations, Lumen Gentium, the following proclamation was made: “…the plan of salvation also includes those who acknowledge the Creator. In the first place amongst these there are the Muslims, who, professing to hold the faith of Abraham, along with us adore the one and merciful God, who on the last day will judge mankind.”

This statement represented a profound departure from the Scriptures. It granted salvation to members of a religion that denies the divinity of Jesus and also denies that He died on the Cross for the salvation of Mankind. Further, it equates the false god of Allah with the true biblical God of the Bible named Yahweh.

This blasphemous document continued to extend the possibility of salvation to other non-Christians as well: “Those also can attain to salvation who through no fault of their own do not know the Gospel of Christ or His Church, yet sincerely seek God and, moved by grace, strive by their deeds to do His will as it is known to them through the dictates of conscience.”

Again, these statements seemed to offer salvation to anyone living a life of good works. Both concepts were actually added to the revised Catholic Catechism of 1992.

Section 847 extended salvation to those who were unaffiliated with any religion, based upon “their actions.”

Pope Paul VI died in August of 1978 and was succeeded by Pope John Paul, who died 33 days later of a heart attack. He, in turn, was succeeded by John Paul II, who shifted the Catholic Church into high gear regarding ecumenism with other religions.

Pope John Paul II

John Paul II, who was only 58 years old when he became pope, was to have a profound influence on the Catholic Church, not only because he was a progressive but also because he reigned longer than any pope in modern history — a total of 27 years (1978-2005). During that time, he took his message personally to 129 countries!

In his early years, Pope John Paul II expressed his admiration of Islam on several occasions, stressing that “both of us [Muslims and Christians] believe in one God, the only God.”

He muddied the waters further when he addressed 30,000 pilgrims in St. Peter’s Square in December 2000. He told the multitude that “all who live a just life will be saved, even if they do not believe in Jesus Christ and the Roman Catholic Church.” The pope added, “The gospel teaches that those who live in accordance with the Beatitudes … will enter God’s kingdom.” He concluded by observing that all that is needed for salvation is “a sincere heart.”

Of course, no Scripture references were given to substantiate these completely unscriptural opinions.

The Assisi Conferences

John Paul’s radical commitment to ecumenism shifted into high gear in 1986 when he suddenly issued a call for all the religious leaders of the world to join him in Assisi, Italy, in October to pray for world peace. He emphasized that the participants would be free to pray to their own gods — as if other gods exist besides Yahweh!

A total of 160 religious leaders from all over the world accepted the pope’s invitation. There were Catholic, Protestant and Orthodox Christians, as well as representatives of Hinduism, Judaism, Islam and Buddhism. The Dalai Lama, whose followers considered him to be a god, showed up, as did an African animist witch doctor. The person who stole the show was a Crow Indian from Montana named Pretty-on-Top. He was dressed in his full native attire and chanted prayers to his sky god as he danced.

John Paul repeated the bizarre event in January of 2002 — again, in Assisi. That time, over 200 religious leaders were present.

In June of 2011, Pope Benedict XVI decided to renew the “spirit of Assisi” by calling for a celebration of the 25th anniversary of the first gathering. It was held in Assisi in October, and for the first time, agnostics were invited to attend. Explaining this unusual invitation, Pope Benedict said, “Even though they have not received the gift of faith, they are nevertheless on the lookout for truth, searching for God.”

Pope Francis gave the “spirit of Assisi” his endorsement in September of 2016 when he convened a 30th anniversary celebration.

The Climax of Catholic Apostasy

These outreaches to world religions, regardless of the gods they worship, have now come to a climax with Pope Francis’ proclamation that all religions are roads to the same God.

This proclamation makes a mockery of the sacrifice of Jesus. It also makes Jesus a liar when He proclaimed, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but though Me” (John 14:6). Further, it is directly contrary to the Apostle Peter’s declaration that “There is salvation in no one else [except Jesus]; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men, by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12). It also renders all mission work irrelevant since it maintains that a person can be saved through any religion, whether it be by Buddha or the sky god of the Crow Indians.

In short, Pope Francis is guilty of blaspheming the blood of Jesus!

The movement of the Catholic Church in the direction it is now going is a fulfillment of Bible prophecy. The Bible teaches that the Church of the end times will be wallowing in apostasy, proclaiming “doctrines of demons” (1 Timothy 4:11). And the book of Revelation teaches that the Antichrist’s rise to power will be aided by the leader of a false world religion, pictured in Revelation as a harlot (Revelation 17:1).

I have always believed the leader of the one world church will be the pope, and I am now more convinced than ever before. Revelation reveals that this religious leader will grow in power and influence until the Antichrist decides to rid himself of him. In Revelation 18:16, we are told the Antichrist will destroy this church and replace it with a new one-world religion headed up by his False Prophet.

As is the case with the end-time signs of society, weather, technology, world politics, and Israel, the spiritual signs are coalescing before our very eyes, indicating that we are the terminal generation who will experience the Lord’s return. Maranatha!

***

Dr. David Reagan founded Lamb And Lion Ministries in 1980, which he led for 41 years; he is a well-known author, writer, and speaker, with his latest work featured on DocReagan.com. He is also a contributor to Harbinger’s Daily.

 

Can God Change His Mind about Israel? Or About Us? :: By Jonathan Brentner

Published on: by RR10

What I’m about to write may seem unlikely. How is it possible that a topic seemingly unrelated to Bible prophecy could further validate the Lord’s promise to restore a glorious kingdom to Israel?

I’m fully persuaded that Scripture confirms the nation’s continuing place in God’s sovereign plan for the future. But long ago, what I learned as I worked on my master’s thesis in seminary led to a deeper conviction of why this must be the case.

The title was “Roman Catholic Justification in the Light of Scripture.” My understanding of what Paul wrote about justification by faith, first of all, solidified my belief in eternal security. The message of Romans 8:31-38 is clear: If God pronounces us righteous, it’s a done deal. No one can overturn His judicial verdict upon our lives. It’s impossible.

Consider this: if the One who brought the heavens and earth into existence with just a word goes on record declaring that we are righteous, then that is surely what we are. If God, in view of our entire lives, declares us not guilty, who is to say otherwise? At the moment of our rebirth, our salvation is a done deal. No one can overturn His verdict, which is the substance of Paul’s argument in Romans 8:31-38.

Long ago, Roman Catholic theologians moved God’s justification of the sinner from the time of regeneration to the end of his or her life. I suspect they did this to add uncertainty to the lives of believers, which enabled the church to demand unwavering loyalty and exert almost total control over them. Perhaps they understood the finality of justification, and if it happened at the moment of our rebirth, as Paul taught in the book of Romans, then absolutely nothing could change our rock-solid place of favor in God’s sight. The Holy Spirit thus becomes the driving force in the life of a believer, not the church.

Satan’s tactics remain the same today; he still seeks to inject insecurity into the final outcome of our faith. He loves to make us feel as though we need to keep earning the Lord’s favor despite what the Bible says about us.

What does our security in Christ have to do with the future restoration of Israel? Paul sums up this vital link in Romans 11:29, “For the gifts and calling of God are irrevocable.”

Please stay with me as I connect the dots between God’s forever promises to Israel and our security as New Testament saints.

The Lord Cannot Renege on His Promises

While I was writing my thesis critiquing Roman Catholic justification by faith, I read a book by Erich Sauer, The Triumph of the Crucified. In it, he wrote:

The question of the Millennial kingdom is therefore not only a question of final history, but touches at the same time the very heart of the gospel (freedom from law, universality of the gospel, gift by grace). To deny it makes either God a liar in relation to His prophesies or Paul a false witness to us. Romans 9–11 is no mere justifying of God, but a justification of Paul’s doctrine of justification.[1]

In Romans chapters 9-11, Paul uses Israel’s secure place in God’s redemptive program as confirmation that God can’t change His mind regarding those whom He justifies (Romans 8:31-39). The final outcome of His promises to both us and Israel rests securely with His character as a promise-keeping God. Human behavior can never negate God’s decrees, whether it be our righteous standing before Him, or that of a gloriously restored kingdom for Israel.

Because God can never renege on His covenants with Israel and David, we can know with certainty that we will bring all those He declares to be righteous to glory. His word guarantees both outcomes with absolute certainty.

Nothing, not even Israel’s rejection of their Messiah in the first century AD, can alter His love for His chosen people or cancel His oft-repeated statements through the Old Testament prophets whereby He solemnly pledged to restore a still-future kingdom to Israel.

This does not mean, as some errantly suggest, that all Jewish people will receive eternal life or secure a place in Jesus’ future kingdom on the earth. No. Forgiveness of sins and eternal life have always come through faith in Jesus. In the Old Testament, saving faith consisted of believing what God revealed about His Son and His future sacrifice for their sins. Today, we look back with a clear picture of all that His death and resurrection signify for our deliverance from the penalty of sin and our receipt of eternal life.

Scripture reveals that the time will come when a Jewish remnant will turn to Jesus as they recognize Him as their Messiah and Savior. Zechariah wrote about a great repentance of a remnant of the people of Israel, which will happen during the last days (12:10-13:1). Paul likely had this passage in mind when he confidently predicted the salvation of the Jewish people that would happen after the church age (Romans 11:25-36).

God’s Amazing Mercy

God’s continuing mercy toward the nation of Israel despite its past and, I might add, their current state of unbelief and waywardness, also speaks to the depths of His amazing mercy toward us as New Testament saints. In Romans 11:30-32, the apostle wrote about God’s matchless mercy to both Israel and the Church:

“For just as you were at one time disobedient to God but now have received mercy because of their disobedience, so they too have now been disobedient in order that by the mercy shown to you they also may now receive mercy. For God has consigned all to disobedience, that he may have mercy on all” (Emphasis added)

The “all” refers to both New Testament saints and Israel.

For Israel, God’s mercy signifies that His covenants and promises are “irrevocable” (Romans 11:29). He will not fail to bring the nation to the place of repentance that Zechariah said would happen after their rejection of Him. This will happen during the last half of the Tribulation.

For us, it means that regardless of our behavior, wrong turns, sins, or failures, the words of Ephesians 1:3-14 will always define those who are truly born again. Once God pronounces us righteous in His sight, nothing whatsoever can diminish the unfailing and unending favor we enjoy in His sight. Who is able to overturn God’s decree concerning us?

It’s the Lord’s amazing mercy toward all that motivates us in our walk with Him, as Paul wrote in Romans 12:1:

“I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.”

Do you see it? The phrase “mercies of God” is plural. Paul’s instructions for Christian living in Romans chapters 12-16 flow from God’s unalterable and steadfast love for both us and the nation of Israel.

Our response of service and sacrifice for the Lord flows from the realization that it’s not possible for Him to change His mind about those He chooses, whether it be us or Israel. We begin our walk with the Lord as those whom He has declared to be forever righteous. It’s the enabling presence of the Holy Spirit that prompts us toward obedience based upon all that our Savior has done for us.

In his book, New Morning Mercies, Paul David Tripp wrote the following on the message of Lamentations 3:23, “His mercies are new every morning”:

Not only does God lavish on you love that will never cease and grace that will never end, and not only is he great in faithfulness, but the mercy he extends to you and to me is renewed each morning. It is not tired, stale, irrelevant worn out, ill-fitting, yesterday mercy. It is formfitted for the needs of your day. It is sculpted to the shape of the weaknesses, circumstances, and struggles of each and every one of his children.

Is it any wonder that Paul sets our walk as believers in the context of the Lord’s amazing mercy that permeates all His dealings with both Israel and us?

Contradiction

Many Bible-believing pastors correctly teach the finality of our salvation, yet deny that same unfailing grace and mercy for the nation of Israel. Is it not contradictory to proclaim God’s unending love toward believers and yet deny it for the people that God chose long ago and with whom He established everlasting covenants (i.e., Psalm 105:7-11)?

Many pastors teach the eternal security of the saints, yet tell us this same steadfast love and mercy don’t apply to the descendants of Jacob. Is it not God’s unalterable word that guarantees both outcomes? Do they think they are more worthy of His unfailing love than Israel?

Likewise, it’s equally contradictory to teach that God will restore a kingdom to Israel and then say that believers can walk away from their salvation or lose it in another way.

Over-the-Top Comfort

Is there not unspeakable comfort and energizing encouragement in knowing that the Lord can never change His mind toward us? Such grand assurance flows from His character as a covenant-keeping God who will not fail to keep all His promises to all those He loves, whether it be the nation of Israel or us whom He has redeemed with His precious blood.

Why did my master’s thesis on biblical justification confirm my belief that the Lord will someday restore a kingdom to Israel?

It did so because I saw the connection between Romans 8:31-39 and chapters 9-11. The God who can never change His mind about His promise of a kingdom to the nation of Israel is the same One can never change His mind about those whom He declares to be forever righteous in His sight. Both unalterable outcomes flow from His great mercy and love.

Our security in Christ is never about us; it’s always about Him and solely because of Him. Likewise, the future of the Jewish people is not about them or their behavior. As the Lord proclaimed in Ezekiel 36:22-38, the restoration of a kingdom for Israel is all about Him and defending His Holy Name.

My next book, Invitation to a Lavish Feast – Wisdom’s Path to the Pre-Tribulation Rapture, will be available for pre-order in early May. In it, I take the reader on a journey showing how the words of Scripture verify our beliefs in not only the restoration of Israel, but also our hope in Jesus’ soon appearing to take us home to glory. The above article is a sample chapter from the book as a part of how I build the case for the necessity of Jesus’ millennial rule upon the earth.

Note: Please consider signing up for my newsletter on the home page of my website at https://www.jonathanbrentner.com/. It will greatly help me in reaching more people. Thanks!

[1] Erich Sauer, The Triumph of the Crucified (Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, Grand Rapids, MI, 1952), p. 150.