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Mike's Observations of the First Jesuit Pope
Within minutes after appearing for the first time to hundreds of thousands of Catholics in St. Peter's Square, Pope Francis, the first Jesuit pope, announced that he would be praying to Mary for the protection of Rome. Not once did he mention the name above all names, the name of Jesus. The Vatican released this statement about his first official act: "Francis began his first day as pope with a visit to a Roman basilica dedicated to the Virgin Mary and prayed before an icon of the Madonna." No one must have told him that praying to anyone other than God is forbidden by the Word of God (Ex. 20:4; 1 Tim. 2:5).
During his first papal Mass, his message was not about the Lord Jesus Christ, but on Joseph, the husband of Mary. He asked, "How does Joseph respond to his calling to be the protector of Mary, Jesus and the Church?" "By being constantly attentive to God, open to the signs of God's presence and receptive to God's plans." Delegations from 33 Christian denominations and 132 national governments or international organizations, as well as Jewish, Muslim and Buddhist leaders, came to Rome for his inauguration mass. Among the many religious leaders who attended was the spiritual head of the world's Orthodox Christians, Bartholomew I. He became the first patriarch to attend a papal ordination since the two branches of Christianity split nearly 1,000 years ago. Also attending for the first time was the chief rabbi of Rome. Their presence underscores the broad hopes for the pope's ecumenical and interfaith dialogue for unity.
The next day, the new pope met representatives of other Christian communities and other religious groups, including Jewish, Muslim and Jain communities. He described the spiritual bond between Catholics and Jews as "very special" and expressed gratitude to Muslim leaders. He also said he feels close to atheists, even praising them as allies; "who, although not claiming to belong to any religious tradition, still feel themselves to be in search of truth, goodness and beauty."
The election of the new pope has polarized many evangelicals on the issue of Roman Catholicism. Many do not know whether Catholics should be treated as our brothers and sisters in Christ or as unbelievers who need to be evangelized. Evangelist Louis Palau, megachurch leader Rick Warren, former presidential candidate Gary Bauer and others have enthusiastically welcomed Pope Francis and his calls for ecumenical unity. Others such as Pastor John MacArthur, Mike Gendron and Tom McMahon of the Berean Call have released strong warnings against the ecumenical compromise of the Gospel. John MacArthur gave a "must hear" message on the new pope entitled Usurping the Seat of Christ.
It is a message that every evangelical and Catholic needs to hear.
When Argentina was on the verge of approving gay marriage, the Roman Catholic Church stood in firm opposition to it, with one notable exception. Cardinal Bergoglio, who is now Pope Francis, supported the idea of civil unions for gay couples. This is a telling insight into the leadership style he brings to the papacy. Critics say he will continue his role as a deal maker who is willing to compromise, which is a sharp contrast to his predecessor.
Evangelicals must be ready to contend earnestly for the faith because this Jesuit pope's primary agenda is to bring undiscerning separated brethren back home to Rome. He will use Catholic mysticism, apparitions of Mary, social gospels, liberation theology, unity accords and deceptive propaganda to accomplish his objectives. The glory of God and the purity of the Gospel is at stake if Christians refuse to fight the good fight of faith.
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A Humble Pope? Article by Jason Hauser
When Pope Benedict XVI's successor, Jorge Bergoglio, was announced as the new Pope, the one word that many used to describe him was "humble." The Italian born pope from Argentina is of the Jesuit order which is known for their vows of poverty and work among the poor. Pictures and articles have surfaced revealing that as an archbishop, Bergoglio took the public bus and cooked his own meals. When it was announced that he would be known as Pope Francis I, the connection was quickly made to St. Francis of Assisi, who renounced his wealth to live a life of poverty and service to others. Many have rejoiced that this is just the kind of humble leader that will further ecumenical relationships and win greater favor for Roman Catholicism.
There is great irony, however, with the premise of a humble Pope. The papacy overseeing and affirming the teachings of Roman Catholicism has long been anything but humble. In the 14th century, Pope Boniface VIII was so bold as to claim in his papal bull, Unam Sanctum: "We declare, say, define, and pronounce that it is absolutely necessary for the salvation of every human creature to be subject to the Roman Pontiff." Fifty years later, Pope Clement VI declared in his writing, Super Quibusdam,"...no man of the wayfarers outside of the faith of this Church, and outside the obedience of the Pope of Rome, can finally be saved...all who have raised themselves against the faith of the Roman Church and have died in final impenitence have been damned and have descended to the eternal punishments of hell." Just before the turn of the 20th century, Pope Leo XIII declared, "He who would separate himself from the Roman Pontiff has no further bond with Christ." These papal declarations, by popes who claim to speak infallibly on faith and morals, couldn't be more clear: that salvation is dependent upon obedience and submission to popes. The Biblical response to this nonsense can be found in Acts 4:12; Col. 1:18, 1 Tim. 2:5; John 14:6 and Eph. 5:23. Read the rest of Jason's article here.
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The Roman Catholic Church's Enormous Wealth
It is impossible to calculate the wealth of the Roman Catholic Church. Its investments and spending are kept secret. Its real estate and art have not been properly evaluated, since the church would never sell them. There is no doubt, however, that between the church's priceless art, land, gold and investments across the globe, it is one of the wealthiest institutions on Earth. Since 313 A.D., when Catholicism became the official religion of the Roman Empire, its power has been in near-constant growth. For the next thousand years, non-Christians and even fellow Christians were killed and their property confiscated. Read more. |
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Letters from Around the World
I don't know what happened to you in the RCC, but your comments about Warren's statement are such bigoted tripe. I wouldn't know where to begin with you. People like you make the job of people like me, who witness to people every day in life impossible. You may think you have some moral and necessary high ground purpose, and in fact I'm sure that is the engine behind the hubris exhibited in that comment, but according to scripture, unity will come through acts of love, or WORKS, not through theology. You are arguing theology, an intellectual pursuit to claim who is king of the mountain, proving the adage that knowledge puffs up. I grew up Baptist and have to tell you, Rome is more biblically correct than protestant churches. I could start a full time ministry of addressing the public outcries of bigotry that people like you make in public which makes anyone who claims the faith look as much a bigot as you are. Brad, Internet
Brad, Thank you for your humble opinion of my response to Rick Warren. The only negative experience I had in the RCC was being woefully deceived about life's most critical issue - the salvation of my soul. Perhaps you might repent (change your mind) about true biblical unity after reading the Lord's high priestly prayer in John 17.
Dear Mike and Jason, It was a pleasure to meet you both at Shepherd's Conference. Jason I've enjoyed your faithfulness in your recent blogs and look forward to your future writings. Mike, you are an inspiration as one who speaks God's Word in contrast to Catholicism's official teachings with gentleness and boldness. I was blessed by your book, Preparing for Eternity as it so clearly points out the different gospel Catholics believe. For anyone who may struggle with theological topics such as election, predestination and depravity, your DVD message Why Evangelize if God Has Already Chosen addresses them so clearly with God's word, not man's opinions. This is a "must see" for anyone wanting to know the truth about those topics! I also don't know of any better tract than The Greatest News Ever Told since it contains only God's Word, Your teaching at Newtown Bible Church encouraged our pastor not to be part of the growing ecumenical movement and to remain sanctified. Please pray that believers in our area would be stirred up to take the Gospel to the lost. Praise be to Jesus. - Jesse R., Sandy Hook, CT
One of my daughters was really having a hard heart this morning, arguing and making excuses. I had her sit on my bed and read a few of the Gospel Cards to me: Man, Sin, The Cross, The Gospel, and Repentance. Halfway through reading The Cross, she broke down crying and struggled to read the rest. After she finished that card, we stopped and prayed. We talked about Phil. 1:6 "He who began a good work in you. . ." and then I had her read the rest of the cards. She thanked me and told me she loved me. What a glorious morning! What a merciful Lord I serve. G.C. Richardson, TX
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Crosstalk Radio Interviews Mike on Catholicism
Mike Gendron joined Jim Schneider, host of Crosstalk Radio, on March 11th to discuss numerous aspects of Catholicism including the following questions. Why Catholics believe their bishops are successors to the apostles? What influence do the spirits have in the decision making process of finding a new pope? Do the cardinals actually use God's Word to see who is qualified for the papacy? What are the contrasts between the apostle Peter and Pope Benedict? Listen here.
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False Converts and Biblical Assurance
 Pastor Jesse Barrington of Grace Life Church of Dallas recently gave an excellent message exhorting all professing Christians to examine their faith to see if it is genuine saving faith. The message also shows how you can walk someone through biblical assurance. You can hear the message here. |
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Prophecy Today
Mike Gendron was interviewed by Jimmy DeYoung on his March 19th weekly Prophecy Today broadcast. The two discussed the election of the first Jesuit pope and his goal for a one-world religion. Click here for the interview.
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Mike Rebukes Rick Warren's Ecumenical Tweet
As the Cardinals gathered in Rome to elect a new pope, Rick Warren sent out the following disturbing message to 900,000 of his followers on Twitter: "Join me today in fasting and prayer for the 115 Cardinals seeking God's Will in a new leader." Christian News Network interviewed Mike Gendron, a former Roman Catholic about Warren's Tweet. He said it is harmful in two ways. "Rick Warren is doing a disservice to the Roman Catholic Church because he is putting the Gospel off-limits to over one billion Catholics who need to hear the truth." "Ultimately, it's a real tragedy," he said before delving into his second point. "It's unfortunate because we have a ministry that is dedicated to equipping and encouraging the Body of Christ to reach out to Roman Catholics, and it's because of people like Rick Warren and other highly visible evangelicals that are signing unity accords with Roman Catholics ... that we are getting friendly fire from the evangelical Church." Many evangelicals are wrongfully being led to believe Catholicism is a valid expression of Christianity.
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Rick Warren Endorses Catholic Book
A new book calling separated brethren back home to Rome has been endorsed by Rick Warren. His endorsement of Catholics Come Home, shows once again that he is either ignorant of the false Gospel of Catholicism or he is ignorant of the exclusivity of the Gospel of grace. His endorsement follows: "The mission of Tom Peterson and Catholics Come Home to bring souls home to Jesus and the church is critically important during this challenging time in our history. I fully support this New Evangelization project."-Rick Warren, author of The Purpose Driven Life. Read more
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Catholics and Muslims: Beacons of Hope
The Vatican's commission for relations with Muslims is set to discuss over the next four years the theme "Christians and Muslims: Beacons of Hope." Read more. The Vatican's efforts to reconcile with the Islamic world have not been welcomed by all. Italy's most famous Muslim convert to Catholicism, Magdi Allam, announced last week he was leaving the church because of its "soft" stance on Islam. Allam was baptized by Benedict XVI in 2008 during the high-profile Easter Vigil service. There has been no Vatican comment on his about-face. |
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Moody Bible Students Praise New Pope
Brandon Robertson, junior pastoral studies major, remarked on Pope Francis' theological leanings. "Francis is an Evangelical Catholic with great theological positions that are leading the Church back to its historical theological roots and closer to ecumenical unity with Protestants. His agenda is to reground the church socially and theologically in its roots." For other comments, Read more. |
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May God be glorified as we share the light of His Gospel! Let us know how we can serve you.
Mike Gendron and Jason Hauser (972) 495-0485 PO Box 940871, Plano, TX 75094 www.ProclaimingTheGospel.org |
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Mid-America Prophecy Conference
Tulsa, OK
April 4-6
Join us for the Mid-America Prophecy Conference at the Marriott Tulsa Southern Hills for three days of teaching from God's Prophetic Word. The theme for the conference is The Kingdom, the Power and the Glory of Jesus Christ and will include speakers: Ed Hindson, Mark Hitchcock, Mike Gendron, Daymond Duck, Paul Wilkinson, Wayne House and others. Call 918-748-1806 to register or click here. |
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Worldview Weekend Conference
Indianapolis, IN
April 7
Join Brannon Howse, Mike Gendron and Justin Peters from 5 to 8:30 pm at Harbour Shores Church, Cicero, IN. to register
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One True God Conference
April 11-13
Calvary Chapel South Denver, CO
The theme for the
Evangelical Ministries to New Religions
Conference this year is One True God?
Mike Gendron will join speakers from Denver Seminary, Biola University, Cedarville College and Houston Baptist. For more information
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Worldview Weekend Branson, Missouri
April 26, 27, 28
Join Brannon Howse, Ken Ham, Mike Gendron, Jesse Johnson, Bodie Hodge, Jason and Jared Carlson, Chris Pinto, Jimmy DeYoung, Marty Goetz and Carl Telchrib for a 3-day conference in
Branson, MO.
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Evangelism Conference
May 24,25,26
Grace Life Church of Dallas
Mark your calendars; more information will follow next month.
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New DVD Message
With all the hoopla surrounding the election of the first Jesuit pope in the history of the vatican, these two messages provide you a vivid contrast between biblical prophecy and Roman Catholic eschatology. Order here. |
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Visit Us On Facebook
Proclaiming the Gospel Ministry has an active Facebook page. Join our discussions with people lost in religion. Help us sow the imperishable seed of God's Word. 
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Archived Monthly Newsletters
If you missed any of our previous monthly newsletters, they are all archived on our web site. Click here. |
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Hundreds of questions about life's most critical issue - the salvation of our souls - are answered by the power and authority of God's Word. Click here to order.
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To schedule Evangelists Mike Gendron or Jason Hauser to speak at your church or event contact us at 972-495-0485 |
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Our mission
is to glorify Jesus Christ by encouraging the saints to
sow the
imperishable seed
of God's Word
and call sinners
to repent and
believe the Gospel.
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Visit Our Dynamic Web Site
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Let us know how we can continue to improve the
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With the election of the new Jesuit pope, it's a wonderful opportunity to share this Gospel tract with Roman Catholics. Order a pack of 50 here.
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The 12 Most Important Words of the Gospel
An excellent resource to sharpen your Gospel presentation and to use as an effective witnessing tool. Each of the 12 words are displayed graphically on a card, then defined and explained with Scriptures on the back. Order here. |
The Shepherd's Conferences Messages Are Available
Nearly 4000 pastors, elders, and laymen from all over the world attended the 2013 Shepherds' Conference last month at Grace Community Church in California.
John MacArthur, Steve Lawson, Phil Johnson and Tom Pennington were among the speakers who delivered God-glorifying and Christ-exalting messages that will edify and encourage everyone who hears them.
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