The Catholic Church claims that the pope is “God on earth”. It claims that he has the power to forgive sins. It claims that he is infallible. All of these attributes belong to God only.
Verse 37 and 38 show that, unlike the apostles who lived humbly and without money, he would live in a palace and with lots of money. His god would not be the God of the fathers. Go on line and look at the wealth of the Catholic Church.
I believe Verse 40 has to do with Islam joining forces against the “West” in an all out-war to defeat the “Christian” West. I believe that the “king of the North” will be the Western “Christian” powers under the spiritual control of the Catholic Church. That they will “invade many countries and sweep through them like a flood.” Many Muslims believe that we, the West, are already “sweeping through them like a flood”. That is one reason why so many terrorist attacks are pointed towards the West.
I believe that the Islamic nations will be defeated (vs. 42,43) and will accept the “god” of the “Christian” West as their god. That is when the Catholic Church will build a temple in Jerusalem on the “Temple Mount”. In verse 45 it says, “He will pitch his royal tents between the seas at the beautiful holy mountain.”
I believe the plans have already been drawn up by the Vatican to place a temple for the pope on the holy mount in Jerusalem. The nation of Israel, I believe, has invited the pope to set up residence there in order to keep the peace. I believe that even the Muslims have accepted this plan. Both Israel and the Palestinians believe that the Temple Mount should be placed under religious and international control and not political.
This report is from U.S. News & World Report, May 11, 1998. “There is strong support among the prelates, for example, for strengthening the church’s efforts under John Paul II to reunite the Christian churches and to improve relations with other religions. ‘The world will never believe if we are divided’ says Cardinal Francis George of Chicago. Church leaders in the years ahead, he says, ‘will have to look at the divisions among Christ’s disciples’ and seek to resolve them. This suggests that the strongest papal candidate may be one with solid credentials in ecumenical affairs…”.
And to whom are the priests, Cardinals and subjects of the Catholic Church bound to? Is it Christ? No! Listen to what the pope says. “With a trembling hand, Pope John Paul II leans forward and places a red silk biretta on the bowed head of the Chilean archbishop who kneels before him. The crimson color, the pope reminds the prelate, is a sign of ‘the dignity of the office of cardinal, signifying that you are ready to act with fortitude, even to the point of spilling your blood’ for the sake of the church.” U.S. News & World Report, May 11, 1998.
And that is the problem with “church”. Our loyalties have been given to our churches and not to God. All churches today are “anti-Christ” or “stand in the place of Christ”. That is why the Bible tells us to get out of them.
And what about all those ceremonies? Why are they needed? Did God command us to have all those ceremonies that our churches are involved in? No! Listen to what Napoleon said: “Is it not a fact that the Catholic religion appeals more strongly to the imagination by the pomp of its ceremonies than by the sublimity of its doctrines? When you want to arouse enthusiasm in the masses you must appeal to their eyes.” The Age of Napoleon: Durant
This is what Revelation 13 is all about, the church becoming more powerful than God in our lives. That is what happens when mankind gives its allegiance to the church instead of to God. We are to have no other gods before us. We are to make no allegiance to any other power in the universe. We are only to give our blood for Jesus, who gave His blood for us. “For My own sake—Yes, for My own sake!—I’m doing it; indeed, how can I be profaned? Furthermore, I won’t give My glory to another.” Isaiah 48:11.
It is the Catholic Church and its prostitutes, the Protestants, that will force the world to bow down at its feet and worship it. All who refuse will be persecuted, jailed, imprisoned, tortured and killed.
That church, the Catholic Church, is in the process of uniting all Christian churches under its satanic power. That is why we are told throughout the Bible that we are to come out from all these institutions and churches. We are to serve God and God alone.
I would like to share with you what Joseph Ratzinger, Pope Benedict XVI, who was elected the 265th pope in 2005, said as quoted from U.S. News & World Report – May 2, 2005 “He warned that the use of Scripture to evaluate church teaching ‘was one of the most dangerous currents to flow out of Vatican II.’”
Plainly stated, he is saying that the church and tradition are to be our “God” and Scripture is of no value if it disagrees with church dogma. The Catholic Church believes your salvation lies in the church, not in the teachings of Jesus.
A final note. On October 31, 1517, Martin Luther nailed the 95 theses to the door of the Catholic Church, challenging it on doctrines of salvation. That one act separated the “Lutheran Church” from the Catholic Church. Many Lutherans gave their lives for the truth. On October 31, 1999, the Lutheran Church and the Catholic Church signed a statement agreeing on the doctrines of salvation. How sad. All churches are “coming home” to the Catholic Church, just as the Bible predicted. I even know of a major Sabbath keeping denomination that has signed the same agreement.
Please, recheck your church’s doctrine. Plainly ask your pastor. Write your General Conference President and other leading men of your denomination or church. Find out if they are still believing and teaching the teachings of Jesus:
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- Be Perfect
- Stop Sinning
- Keep the Ten Commandments to “get” your eternal life.
If they are no longer teaching these truths that Jesus taught then you must come out of your church. It is no longer of God! You may be intimidated to stay by peer pressure. But don’t give in. They may call you a “separatist”. So what?! Listen to the Bible.
“Therefore come out from them and be separate, says the Lord. Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you.” 2 Corinthians 6:17
Folks, it is time to be known as “separates”. It is time to stand up and be counted. Walk out of any church, which does not teach the teachings of Jesus, with your head held high. Your eternal life depends on it.
After all, isn’t that what your church is asking members of other churches to do? To walk out of their church and join yours? To be “separates” from their church to join yours? Then why not walk out of your church and join the final movement of God by obeying the teachings of Jesus as He commanded us to: perfectly?