News from Evangelist Mike Gendron
  March 2016
Justified by Works and Not By Faith Alone?

As we share the Gospel of grace with Roman Catholics, there is one particular verse they often quote to justify their position. It is James 2:24, "You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone." When this verse is taken out of context, it appears that James is teaching something inconsistent with the rest of Scripture. However, when we study the context of chapter two, we see that James is not teaching us how to be justified, he is contrasting two kinds of faith - a faith which saves and one which does not. There is spurious faith and genuine faith. There is intellectual faith and heart faith, a man-generated faith and a God-given faith. There is dead faith and living faith. 

James is dealing with a problem that is widespread in the church. We have many professors of Christ who do not possess Christ because they have never been born again. They are victims of the worst kind of deception, believing they are Christians when they are not. The most terrifying words professing Christians could ever hear would be Jesus saying, "Depart from me, I never knew you" (Mat. 7:23). That's why James exhorts his readers to "be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves" (Jas. 1:22). 

James is making it clear that a mere profession of faith does not result in salvation. But he is not teaching that salvation is earned by works. In fact, he already wrote in chapter one: "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights" (1:17). Faith and salvation are included in that perfect gift of God's grace (Eph. 2:8-9). That is why he says, "show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works" (James 2:18). Since faith is an invisible relationship between God and man, its only visible evidence are the works produced by faith. James is declaring that genuine faith will be accompanied by good works. We are justified by faith alone, but faith that justifies is never alone! Those with God-given faith have also been given a new heart and a new nature that produces a changed life which, in turn, bears fruit for the glory of God (John 15:4-8).

True believers may have times of unfruitfulness in their lives, but the pattern and direction of their lives will be characterized by an increasing pattern of righteousness and a decreasing pattern of sin. This process of sanctification is not about sinless perfection, but a righteous direction. Righteous behavior is what distinguishes counterfeit faith from genuine faith. We enter into salvation by faith apart from works (Eph. 2:8-9), but after we are saved then we do the works God has prepared for us (Eph. 2:10). 

We also need to know that the word "justified" has two meanings. One is an act of God's grace whereby He pardons and declares a person righteous. It is a legal or forensic declaration by God to those who have faith. Paul wrote: "having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ" (Rom. 5:1). The other meaning is "to vindicate" or "to show" that someone is righteous. Abraham was justified (vindicated) "when he offered up his son Isaac on the altar" (James 2:21). His obedience to God vindicated or displayed his genuine faith. Abraham did not need to be legally declared righteous again because God had justified him by faith many years before (Gen. 12:1-7; 15:6). 
 
Some will ask why does James appear to contradict Paul who wrote: "For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast" (Eph. 2:8-9). We need to explain that Paul is dealing with the means of salvation, whereas James is dealing with the outcome of salvation. Paul is dealing with the nature of justification, while James is dealing with the nature of faith. When Catholics say that James 2:24 is the only place in the Bible where the words "faith alone" appear together. We must explain that James is not teaching how to be justified. He is declaring that believers are vindicated by their works as a demonstration of their living faith. 

Listen to Mike's complete audio message on James 2:14-26 here.

Pope Defies the Authority of God Again!
 
Pope Francis recently nominated over 1,000 priests to be "super confessors" and forgive sins that only top level officials would normally claim authority to forgive. According to reports, such sins include plotting violence against the pontiff, defiling communion, violating the secrecy of a confession or ordinating a bishop without authorization. However, some disagree with the practice, stating that confessing before a priest is not necessary now that mankind can go to the one and only High Priest, Christ Jesus. "There is only one mediator between God and man and that is the Lord Jesus (1 Tim. 2:5)," Mike Gendron of Proclaiming the Gospel Ministries in Plano, Texas, told Christian News Network. He said, "The Lord Jesus, the perfect high priest, put an end to the sacerdotal priesthood when He offered Himself the perfect sacrifice for the forgiveness of sins to all who would repent and believe His gospel." Read more of Mike's interview here.
 
Pausing Before an Image in Mexico Was Pope's Most Intimate Wish
 
Pope Francis said his "most intimate wish" was to pause in silence before the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe. He said, "it has been studied and studied and there aren't human explanations, this is a thing of God." Laying a bouquet of yellow roses in front of the image, the pope sat down in prayerful silence for 20 minutes. 

Built in 1976, the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe is located near the site of Mary's apparitions to St. Juan Diego in 1531. With some 12 million people visiting each year, it is Catholicism's most popular Marian shrine. The pope said, "Christians are called to be Mary's ambassadors and console those who are overwhelmed by trials and sufferings."  

Juan Diego was told by an apparition of Mary to go to the top of a hill and he found roses growing, even though it was winter. He collected them in his tulpa, a traditional cloth garment, and when he arrived at the bishop's residence, he opened the cloak revealing that the roses had left an imprint on the garment. It's that 500-year-old cloth that Pope Francis venerated on Sunday.

It is a mystery of how the image of the Virgin of Guadalupe came to be imprinted on the cloth. The name "Guadalupe" comes from the indigenous word "Coatlaxoepuh," which means "the one who defeated the serpent," as the image in the cloth portrays.

When Pope Francis met with the bishops of Mexico, he highlighted the intercessory power of Our Lady of Guadalupe. He said, "I know that by looking into the eyes of the Blessed Virgin, I am able to follow the gaze of her sons and daughters who, in her, have learned to express themselves." He underscored the profound impact of Our Lady of Guadalupe, saying "no other voice can speak so powerfully to me of the Mexican heart... she guards its highest aspirations and the most hidden hopes." 

Mike's Comment: The depths of the supernatural blindness that keeps the pope in spiritual darkness is beyond comprehension. Tragically, religious indoctrination is one of the most powerful tools the devil uses to blind people from the light of the Gospel and the glory of Christ (2 Cor. 4:4). We know that Satan will use lying signs and wonders to deceive the world (Mat. 24:24). For the pope to attribute apparitions of Mary and miraculous paintings on cloth to "a thing of God' is pure blasphemy! Furthermore, Christians are never called to be ambassadors for Mary, but the pope rarely speaks from the authority of Scripture. Born again Christians are ambassadors for Christ (2 Cor. 5:20). Many Catholics still believe Mary is "the one who defeated the serpent." This is because the first Catholic Bible, that was translated into English, used the feminine pronoun "she" as the one who would bruise the serpent's head (Genesis 3:15). 
Pope Praises Abortionist as a "Forgotten Great"

Pope Francis praised Italy's leading proponent of abortion, Emma Bonino, as one of the nation's "forgotten greats. At 27, Bonino had an illegal abortion and then worked with the Information Centre on Sterilization and Abortion which boasted over 10,000 abortions. There are famous photos of Bonino performing illegal abortions using a homemade device operated by a bicycle pump. Responding to the Pope's praise of Bonino, pro-life leaders in Italy expressed disbelief. Read more.

Mike's Comment: Where is the outrage from Roman Catholics? When are Catholics going to say enough is enough? How many more lies and ungodly comments are they going to tolerate from this "infallible" false prophet? It seems like every week the pope comes out with another bombshell that goes against Catholic teaching and the inspired, authoritative Word of God.
Pope Seeks to Ban Death Penalty

Pope Francis has called on Catholic leaders to seek a ban on the death penalty exclaiming that 'Thou shall not kill applies to the guilty as well as the innocent'. The Pontiff asked politicians around the world to make 'a courageous and exemplary gesture' during the Church's current Holy Year. He said: 'I appeal to the consciences of those who govern to reach an international consensus to abolish the death penalty. He said: 'All Christians and men of good will are called on to work not only for the abolition of the death penalty, but also to improve prison conditions so that they respect the human dignity of people who have been deprived of their freedom.' In the past, the pope also denounced life imprisonment, calling it 'a hidden death penalty' and saying that more should be done to try to rehabilitate even the most hardened of criminals. Read more.
Mike's Comment: Once again, the pope shows either his ignorance of God's Word or his unwillingness to submit to its authority. Before the law was given, God established and ordered capital punishment upon any man who took another man's life unlawfully. His infallible Word declares: "Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed, for God made man in his own image" (Gen. 9:6). By divine authority, the government has the right and responsibility to inflict capital punishment (Rom. 13:1-4; Acts 25:11).
Letters from Around the World
 
I am 67 years old and have been a cradle Catholic. My wife converted to Catholicism and is Director of Religious Education at our church. The issue I have, is that I have finally woken up to all of the man-made Catholic doctrines that rule all Catholics. None of them follow Scripture as I am sure you are most aware. Plus, I do not trust the Jesuit pope we now have. I believe he is a false pope who keeps spouting off ridiculous statements whenever he seems to open his mouth. I want to walk away from Catholicism because I want to be truly saved in Jesus Christ. I am in the middle of a real gut-wrenching situation here. How do I distance myself from a religion that my family believes in without hurting them? My wife absolutely loves the pope and feels that people are just misinterpreting his foolish statements. Since she attended a Jesuit college, I can understand her attitude about him. I truly believe the Bible is the inerrant Word of God but the rest of my family does not. I know you must be busy, but I feel your website is the only resource I have. I do not want to remain in an organization that has been influenced by doctrines of demons. Any thoughts you have on this would be greatly appreciated. Thank you, Dave, MA

Dear Dave, Your only hope is to speak the truth in love with compassion and humility and pray for God to open their hearts. There is more at stake here than maintaining peace with your family; their precious souls need to be directed to the narrow road that leads to eternal life. The only way they will be willing to let go of all they are doing to save their souls is to embrace Christ for who He is - the all-sufficient Savior who saves repenting sinners completely and forever. I would highly recommend you sit down with an open Bible and show your family my DVD Where Will You Spend Eternity? In the message, I never mention the word "Catholic," but I clearly explain what the Gospel is and what it is not. I would also recommend my book Preparing for Eternity which will give you all the Scriptures that will lead them to eternal life. Please call if I can be of further help. Blessings, Mike

You need to read Scott Hahn and Tim Staples. Look them up, I defy you. You are just another bible thumper who drank the cool aid. Go back and read the church fathers. You left the Catholic Church for your own personal reasons not because you studied it and found errors, I guarantee it. If you had done the work you wouldn't have left the body of Christ. You're just another protester! The Lord never wanted 30,000 different churches that cannot agree on what the bible says. So me tell why so much chaos? Isn't that the work of the devil? None of you Christians can agree. I am so tired of all the ignorance about my church and what we believe; its just anti-Catholic propaganda. Prove me wrong go ahead ! Name withheld.

Mike's Comment: Wow! This guy is pretty bold as long as he can withhold his name. One of the arguments Catholics use to show that their church is the one true church is to say Protestants have 30,000 churches which cannot agree on what the Bible teaches. This number was recently debunked by a Roman Catholic who sets the record straight in this article.  
 
I watched you and Dr. Reagan discuss the pope and Catholicism on TV. When you were speaking of how they offer up Christ as a sacrifice every day, I remembered something when I was a Catholic. When you ask Catholics where Christ is at this very moment and they were true to their teaching, they would have to admit they have Him locked up in the tabernacle on the altar. The people can't get to Him, and He can't get out. A brother in the gospel of Jesus Christ, W.O., Internet
Wheaton College Creates Scholarship Over Muslim Controversy
 
The professor who said Christians and Muslims worship the same God will leave Wheaton College after eight years of teaching. As part of the agreement for her to step down, the President of Wheaton College will create an endowed scholarship in her name. The controversy began when the professor said she was wearing a hijab in a demonstration of solidarity with Muslim women. This is what she wrote in her Dec. 10 Facebook post:

"I stand in religious solidarity with Muslims because they, like me, a Christian, are people of the book. And as Pope Francis stated last week, we worship the same God. As part of my Advent Worship, I will wear the hijab to work at Wheaton College, to play in Chi-town, in the airport, and on the airplane to my home state that initiated one of the first anti-Sharia laws (read: unconstitutional and Islamophobic), and at church." Read more.

Pope Meets with Russian Orthodox Patriarch

Pope Francis has met with the head of the Russian Orthodox church, Patriarch Kirill. It was the first encounter between a Catholic pope and a Russian Orthodox patriarch in 1000 years. The pope said, "We spoke as brothers who have the same baptism." He praised the patriarch's humility, brotherhood, and desire for unity.

Russian media have speculated that the meeting was actually a political mission to reduce the country's isolation amid western sanctions over Ukraine and criticism for its Syria bombing campaign. Patriarch Kirill and Russian president Vladimir Putin have an especially close relationship, with the patriarch calling Putin a "miracle from God." However, Orthodox websites have branded Kirill a "heretic" for agreeing to speak with the "antichrist" pope.

According to analyst Alexei Makarkin, the only reason the patriarch agreed to the meeting was because Putin wanted him to. The main topic of the discussion - persecution of Christians in the Middle East - plays to the Russian president's advantage, he said. "Russia is now being criticised by the west and the Arab world for its position on Syria, and so any societal forces that won't condemn Russia are useful to it," Makarkin said. Read more.
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Mike and Jane Gendron

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A Gospel Tract for Professing Christians


The most terrifying words Christians could ever hear would be if Jesus Christ said to them, "I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness" (Matthew 7:23). On judgment day, those horrifying words will be heard, not by a few, but by many who called Jesus "Lord" but never repented of their iniquities. This tract will encourage people to test their faith. (2 Cor. 13:5). Order here.

Preparing for Eternity Should We Trust God's Word or Religious Traditions?


This book pleads with those lost in religion to trust Christ and His Word over the teachings and traditions of their religion. After many years of experience in witnessing to Catholics, author Mike Gendron answers over 100 commonly asked questions by Catholics. Each question is answered with the power and authority of God's Word. Any Catholic who is earnestly seeking the truth will welcome a copy of this book. Order here.
 
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