“A Deluding Influence” XVI

{I have decided, from time to time, to post certain items that I sense (through my Spirit, hopefully) speak to many of the issues I write on. These will be short snippets (NOT ALWAYS), and I’ve decided to call them, “A Deluding Influence” (2 Thessalonians 2: 11)}

The following articles exhibit, once again, the corrupt and pagan nature of Catholicism. It seems that Pope Benedict XVI is very “double minded”, he speaks out of both sides of his face: the political and the falsely religious:

June 11, 2010

Pope begs forgiveness, promises action on abuse

by Nicole Winfield

The Associated Press

VATICAN CITY (AP) — Addressing the clerical abuse scandal from the heart of the Roman Catholic Church, Pope Benedict XVI begged forgiveness Friday from victims and promised to “do everything possible” to protect children at a Mass celebrated by 15,000 priests from around the world.

While symbolic, Benedict’s pledge failed to satisfy victims groups who said promises were useless without a clear-cut action plan to root out pedophile priests, expose the bishops who protected them and change the Vatican policies and culture that allowed abuse to continue.

His comments came during a Mass at St. Peter’s Square marking the Vatican’s Year of the Priest – a year marred by revelations of hundreds of new cases of clerical abuse in Europe, Latin America and elsewhere, as well as cover-ups by bishops and evidence of long-standing Vatican inaction. (emphasis added)

via Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life.

The Modern Hierophant: The Keeper of Mysteries

“…Pope Benedict XVI begged forgiveness Friday from victims and promised to “DO EVERYTHING POSSIBLE” to protect children…” Remember the pope’s promise, here, as you read this next article:

June 11, 2010

Pope Benedict rejects calls to end celibacy rule

by Mitchell Landsberg

Los Angeles Times

Reporting from Rome — Standing before more than 10,000 Roman Catholic priests, Pope Benedict XVI on Thursday strongly reaffirmed the Vatican’s commitment to priestly vows of celibacy, cutting off speculation that he might reconsider the issue in light of the church’s sexual abuse scandal.

At an outdoor vigil in St. Peter’s Square that veered between moments of deep reverence and outbursts of enthusiasm more characteristic of a soccer game, the pope told the gathering of priests, believed to be the largest in history, that celibacy “is made possible by the grace of God … who asks us to transcend ourselves.” Celibacy would be a “scandal,” he said, only in “a world in which God is not there.” (emphasis added)

via Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life.

The Ancient Pagan Hierophant: The Keeper of Mysteries

Yes, the pope promised to “DO EVERYTHING POSSIBLE” to stop the abuse of children, everything, that is, except allowing priests to marry: celibacy is the primary cause of rampant homosexuality in the Priesthood, and homosexuality, in the priesthood, has led, I believe, to the abuse of children. As with everything else in Catholicism (EVERYTHING), the priesthood and celibacy have their origins in The Ancient Mysteries, or paganism.

Celibacy, as well as the pope (hierophant), the Vatican, the Eucharist, and the priesthood, is of Satan’s design, not, as the pope claims, by the Lord’s grace:

But while Constantine thus essayed to make the Christian Community respectable in the eyes of the world, and to swell the number of its adherents, he also endeavoured to impart to its Churches and services an external magnificence and splendid scenic effects, which should, not merely rival, but even surpass, the pagan temples and their ceremonies. He gave to the Christian bishops, for conversion into churches, several imposing buildings called Basilicas, which had been used for Royal Courts of Justice, and at the same time was lavish in his gifts of money for the elaborate decoration of the new places of worship, and for the provision of superb vestments for the clergy. And soon the Christian Bishop, exalted on his lofty throne in the apse of the Basilica, clad in costly vestments, surrounded on a lower level by his presbyters, and with a marble alter, adorned with gold and gems, on a still lower level in front of him, had no reason to fear comparison with the Flamen Dialis, or with any other of the great Pagan priests in Rome…

(The Great Prophecies of the Centuries concerning the Church Volume 4: [pages 537-39] G.H. Pember)

And so the abuse, delusions and outright lies of Christendom continue on!

Here are some older posts on the subject of pagan Catholicism:

The True Church of Christ Does Not Exist To “Make The World A Better Place”!

The True Church of Christ Does Not Exist To “Make The World A Better Place”! Part II

The True Church of Christ Does Not Exist To “Make The World A Better Place”! Part II

This is a follow up post (2 of 3) to The True Church of Christ Does Not Exist To “Make The World A Better Place”!, so you might want to read the initial post first.

As the Lord had withdrawn from the Hebrew nation, when the pharisees and scribes blasphemed the Holy Spirit…

Then a demon-possessed man who was blind and mute was brought to Jesus, and He healed him, so that the mute man spoke and saw. 23 All the crowds were amazed, and were saying, “This man cannot be the Son of David, can he?” 24 But when the Pharisees heard this, they said, “This man casts out demons only by Beelzebul the ruler of the demons.”

25 And knowing their thoughts Jesus said to them, “Any kingdom divided against itself is laid waste; and any city or house divided against itself will not stand. 26 “If Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself; how then will his kingdom stand? 27 “If I by Beelzebul cast out demons, by whom do your sons cast them out? For this reason they will be your judges. 28 “But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you. 29 “Or how can anyone enter the strong man’s house and carry off his property, unless he first binds the strong man? And then he will plunder his house.

“He who is not with Me is against Me; and he who does not gather with Me scatters.
31 “Therefore I say to you, any sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven people, but blasphemy against the Spirit shall not be forgiven. 32 “Whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man, it shall be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it shall not be forgiven him, either in this age or in the age to come. (Matthew 12)

…so the Lord had also withdrawn from the nominal “church”, Christendom, when she (the harlot), some nineteen-hundred years ago, began to reject the Way, Truth, and Life, of her Lord and Savior and turned aside, instead, to pagan-inspired worship and ritualism (gnosticism). This apostate transformation would be completed, then, when the nominal “church” turned fully away from her Lord and, instead, turned to Rome (Constantine): the nominal “church” had thus become a Godless, state-run world-power which served Satan, and his world system:

Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and spoke with me, saying, “Come here, I will show you the judgment of the great harlot who sits on many waters… (Revelation 17: 1)

After these things I heard something like a loud voice of a great multitude in heaven, saying,

“Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God; 2 BECAUSE HIS JUDGMENTS ARE TRUE AND RIGHTEOUS; for He has judged the great harlot who was corrupting the earth with her immorality, and HE HAS AVENGED THE BLOOD OF HIS BOND-SERVANTS ON HER.” 3 And a second time they said, “Hallelujah! HER SMOKE RISES UP FOREVER AND EVER.” 4 And the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God who sits on the throne saying, “Amen. Hallelujah!” (Revelation 19)

"Woe to you, Scribes and Pharisees, Hypocrites..." (Matthew 23)

The pharisees and scribes, in their desire to keep their political/religious power, had blasphemed against the Spirit of Jehovah: the Hebrew leaders had accused Jehovah’s Spirit of producing evil through His Son’s miraculous works. So, from this point forward, until his crucifixion and resurrection, Jesus only spoke in parables his disciples could discern. In essence, the Hebrew leaders had caused Jehovah to turn away from His chosen nation, because of their rejection of His Christ. Therefore, His Son, from that time forward, would turn to serve, and save, the gentile nations, and raise up His Body (His True Church), His Bride:

This was to fulfill what was spoken through Isaiah the prophet:

18 “BEHOLD, MY SERVANT (Jesus) WHOM I HAVE CHOSEN;
MY BELOVED IN WHOM MY SOUL is WELL-PLEASED;
I WILL PUT MY SPIRIT UPON HIM,
AND HE SHALL PROCLAIM JUSTICE TO THE GENTILES.
19 “HE WILL NOT QUARREL, NOR CRY OUT;
NOR WILL ANYONE HEAR HIS VOICE IN THE STREETS.
20 “A BATTERED REED HE WILL NOT BREAK OFF,
AND A SMOLDERING WICK HE WILL NOT PUT OUT,
UNTIL HE LEADS JUSTICE TO VICTORY.
21 “AND IN HIS NAME (Jesus) THE GENTILES WILL HOPE.” (Matthew 12)

And the disciples came and said to Him, “Why do You speak to them in parables?” 11 Jesus answered them, “To you it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them (Hebrews) it has not been granted. 12 “For whoever has, to him more shall be given, and he will have an abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has shall be taken away from him. 13 “Therefore I speak to them in parables; because while seeing they do not see, and while hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. 14 “In their case the prophecy of Isaiah is being fulfilled, which says,

‘YOU WILL KEEP ON HEARING, BUT WILL NOT UNDERSTAND;
YOU WILL KEEP ON SEEING, BUT WILL NOT PERCEIVE;
15 FOR THE HEART OF THIS PEOPLE HAS BECOME DULL,
WITH THEIR EARS THEY SCARCELY HEAR,
AND THEY HAVE CLOSED THEIR EYES,
OTHERWISE THEY WOULD SEE WITH THEIR EYES,
HEAR WITH THEIR EARS,
AND UNDERSTAND WITH THEIR HEART AND RETURN,
AND I WOULD HEAL THEM.’

16 “But blessed are your eyes, because they see; and your ears, because they hear. 17 “For truly I say to you that many prophets and righteous men desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it. (Matthew 13)

Almost the same thing would happen with the Church of the Christ. Constantine the Great, Emperor of Rome, would take Christianity and morph it into a state-operated, pagan-based “religion” (Catholicism): although the corruption of the Christ’s (true) Church had begun almost two centuries earlier, while most of the Apostles were still living. G.H. Pember gives us some historic insight into how this corruption of our Lord’s Way, Truth, and Life came about:

“…Constantine the Great, became Emperor of the countries [Roman territory] to the west of the Alps. The [Christian] persecutions were still raging intermittently in other parts of the empire; but Constantine did not sanction the cruel treatment of the Christians. For his own countries, Britain and Gaul, were full of professed members of their faith, and his legions were recruited from them. Moreover, for reasons which have been stated elsewhere, he seems to have conceived the idea of establishing Christianity as the religion of the Empire; but was anxious, at the same time, to do so without causing offence either to pagans or Christians…

…How should he [Constantine] persuade the [Roman] pagans to join a community [Christian] which they had been accustomed to despise and maltreat, which was, for the most part, made up of obscure persons, plebeians, and slaves, whose places of worship were mean, indeed, if compared with the grand temples of the pagans, whose ministers displayed no gorgeous vestments like to those worn by the pagan priests, and whose services were usually dull and uninteresting.

This difficulty he proposed to surmount by bribes of state-offices and large sums of money to the upper classes [patricians]; and by suitable gifts to others. And, as a specimen of his mode of action, Gibbon tells us, that, in one year, no less than twelve thousand men, together with a proportionate number of women and children, were baptized into the Christian Church at Rome, to each of whom a white robe and twenty pieces of gold had been promised by the Emperor. Such a patronage, of course, caused multitudes of insincere persons to flock into the Church: the real believers were swamped, and the Bishops and Presbyters [elders] elected by nominal Christians.

But while Constantine thus essayed to make the Christian Community respectable in the eyes of the world, and to swell the number of its adherents, he also endeavoured to impart to its Churches and services an external magnificence and splendid scenic effects, which should, not merely rival, but even surpass, the pagan temples and their ceremonies. He gave to the Christian bishops, for conversion into churches, several imposing buildings called Basilicas, which had been used for Royal Courts of Justice, and at the same time was lavish in his gifts of money for the elaborate decoration of the new places of worship, and for the provision of superb vestments for the clergy. And soon the Christian Bishop, exalted on his lofty throne in the apse of the Basilica, clad in costly vestments, surrounded on a lower level by his presbyters, and with a marble alter, adorned with gold and gems, on a still lower level in front of him, had no reason to fear comparison with the Flamen Dialis, or with any other of the great Pagan priests in Rome… (emphasis mine)

These weren’t the only pagan changes made to the Church of our Lord and Savior. No, not at all! Satan didn’t stop with the destruction of just the external, he also went after the most important feature of Christianity, the internal, the Word of God, as Pember goes on to descibe:

Of course, the preaching, also, was changed at this time, as well as the buildings, the robes, and the congregations: it became a mere display of oratory and flowery language; for manifestly one could not utter narrow or severe sentiments before a fashionable and aristocratic audience, which, with very few exceptions, were not really Christian at all. Moreover, there was the duty of praising the Emperor, the giver of the beautiful things which appealed to them on every side. And so, the Church became, practically, a place of entertainment, and people went to it as to the theatre, and signified their approval of the preacher by a clapping of hands.

(The Great Prophecies of the Centuries concerning the Church Volume 4: [pages 537-39] G.H. Pember)

Pember goes on to show how Constantine, then, introduced the pagan festivals into his new state-operated “religion”, pagan festivals that would become the “Christian” holidays we still celebrate today: Christmas and Easter, just to name a few. Pember also dispels the false historic notion that Constantine was a “born again” believer. Pember sites that the Emperor wasn’t baptized, nor did he make a profession of his faith in Christ, until some twenty years after his supposed revelation in the sky; just before his death. Constantine was no more a Christian than Adolph Hitler: both of these men merely used Christianity to further their own worldly political desires.

Thus we can begin to see how this false “church”, built on Roman paganism, could promote such a scripturally-incorrect notion as its mission is to “save the world for Christ!”

I will finish this in Part III.

“A Deluding Influence” XI

{I have decided, from time to time, to post certain items that I sense (through my Spirit, hopefully) speak to many of the issues I write on. These will be short snippets (NOT ALWAYS), and I’ve decided to call them, “A Deluding Influence” (2 Thessalonians 2: 11)}

The spirit of anti-Christ is alive and well in all of Christendom: the nominal “church”. But in particular, it’s alive and well in pagan Catholicism, as the following Pew Forum article reveals.

January 25, 2010

Why some Americans mix Christianity, Eastern religions

by Mark Guarino

The Christian Science Monitor

Because she attends Catholic mass every Sunday and observes all the religious holidays of her faith, Angela Bowman may well exemplify the Latin root of the word “religion,” which is “to bind.”

But the Chicagoan also meditates several times each day and practices yoga every other week. She knows Catholicism, Hinduism, and Buddhism have contradictory elements but is unfazed by her multiple observances because, to her, “it’s all pretty much the same thing.”

“The biggest part of praying is opening yourself up to a connection with God, and I perceive clearing your mind in meditation as another form of receptivity,” says the 30-something textbook editor. Although she is a devoted Roman Catholic, she says she doesn’t “believe it’s the one true path and anything else is flirting with the devil.”

Ms. Bowman’s attitude tracks with those in a study released last month, which found that large numbers of AMERICA’S FAITHFUL do not neatly conform to the expectations or beliefs of their prescribed religions, but instead freely borrow principles of Eastern religions or endorse common supernatural beliefs. (emphasis added)

via Religion News: Why some Americans mix Christianity, Eastern religions.

"Religion is all relative, man! Be cool!"

Angela Bowman (one of “America’s faithful”?) is bound by her “religious” beliefs alright, she is the living and breathing example of “carnal Christianity” (false Christianity). Ms. Bowman doesn’t believe that the Christ is the ONLY WAY to God, yet she professes to be a Christian. She is so confused, as are so many others, that she honestly believes she can follow and serve Buddha (a demon inspired “religion”) and the Lord at the same time; as Bowman states, “it’s all pretty much the same thing.” In her absolute Spiritual and intellectual ignorance (her “delusional” state), fostered by the apostate doctrines and ritualism of pagan Catholicism (Christendom), Ms. Bowman believes she has it (“religion”) all figured out, Spiritually. But, in Truth and reality, she is just another mere pawn, a “religious” fool of Satan. Ms. Bowman, like so many other religionists, has been blinded by the god of this age:

Therefore, since we have this ministry, as we received mercy, we do not lose heart, 2 but we have renounced the things hidden because of shame, not walking in craftiness or adulterating the word of God, but by the manifestation of truth commending ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God. 3 And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, 4 in whose case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving so that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. (2 Corinthians 4)

Ms. Bowman, like most politically-correct Americans today (relativists), is very “open-minded”: here is what scripture has to say about this “open-mindedness”, this cultural/”religious” relativism:

Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. 2 By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God; 3 and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God; this is the spirit of the antichrist, of which you have heard that it is coming, and now it is already in the world. 4 You are from God, little children, and have overcome them; because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world. 5 They are from the world; therefore they speak as from the world, and the world listens to them. 6 We are from God; he who knows God listens to us; he who is not from God does not listen to us. By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error. (1 John 4)

I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom: 2 preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction. 3 For THE TIME WILL COME when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires, 4 and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths (Buddhism, Hinduism, New Age relativism). (2 Timothy 4)

Well THE TIME HAS COME, and it’s here and now!

Ms. Bowman, of course, is most likely unfamiliar with these scriptures, or any other portion of the word of God. Like Bill Clinton, and most other escapees from the lunatic ward that was 1960s America, Ms. Bowman probably would claim that the word of God is “ambiguous”. She, like Bill Clinton and the others, confuses ambiguity with not having the Spirit; without the Spirit to lead us, we cannot discern the word of God, so without the Spirit the word will appear to be ambiguous:

“But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you. (John 14: 26)

Yet we do speak WISDOM among those who are MATURE; a wisdom, however, NOT OF THIS AGE NOR OF THE RULERS OF THIS AGE, WHO ARE PASSING AWAY; 7 but we speak GOD’S WISDOM in a mystery, THE HIDDEN WISDOM which God predestined before the ages to our glory; 8 the wisdom which none of the rulers of this age has understood; for if they had understood it they would not have crucified the Lord of glory; 9 but just as it is written,

“THINGS WHICH EYE HAS NOT SEEN AND EAR HAS NOT HEARD,
AND which HAVE NOT ENTERED THE HEART OF MAN,
ALL THAT GOD HAS PREPARED FOR THOSE WHO LOVE HIM.”

10 For to us God revealed them through THE SPIRIT; for the Spirit searches all things, even the depths of God. 11 For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so the thoughts of God no one knows except the Spirit of God. 12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may know the things freely given to us by God, 13 which things we also speak, not in words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit, combining spiritual thoughts with spiritual words.

14 But A NATURAL MAN (the unregenerate, pagan, and apostate believer) does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because THEY ARE SPIRITUALLY APPRAISED. 15 But he who is spiritual appraises all things, yet he himself is appraised by no one. 16 For WHO HAS KNOWN THE MIND OF THE LORD, THAT HE WILL INSTRUCT HIM? But WE HAVE THE MIND OF CHRIST. (1 Corinthians 2)

Satan loves the “open-minded” (especially the hypocritical, “open-minded” and “tolerant” religionists like Ms. Bowman, Bill Clinton, and the like), since there’s always loads of room, in these folks’ minds and hearts, for his disembodied spirits (demons) to move in and do their best work! The fruit of these demons’ work will be the messed up, Godless, and/or apostate, lives they produce: adulterers, liars, pedophiles, murderers, or even just plain old corporate criminals!

Just as the Hebrew nation offered up sacrifices to other gods (idolatry), and, in so doing, incurred the wrath of God, many modern “Christians” offer themselves up to other gods today (third-world and “new-age” demon-inspired religions, post-modernism, Darwinism, feminism), and they will, on the coming day of judgment, incur their just punishment: which will be, depending on Spiritual salvation (“being saved”), either loss of reward, or the same punishment as the pagan, the unregenerate, and Satan: the lake of fire.

“Behold, I am coming quickly, AND MY REWARD IS WITH ME, to render to every man ACCO0RDING TO WHAT HE HAS DONE. 13 “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.”

14 Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter by the gates into the city. 15 OUTSIDE (of the New Jerusalem) ARE THE DOGS and THE SORCERERS and THE IMMORAL PERSONS and THE MURDERERS and THE IDOLATERS, and everyone who loves and practices lying (LIARS). (Revelation 22)

Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat upon it, from whose presence earth and heaven fled away, and no place was found for them. 12 And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened; and another book was opened, which is THE BOOK OF LIFE; and the dead were judged from the things which were written in the books, according to their deeds. 13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead which were in them; and they were judged, every one of them according to their deeds. 14 Then death and Hades were thrown into THE LAKE OF FIRE. This is THE SECOND DEATH, the lake of fire. 15 And if anyone’s name was not found written in THE BOOK OF LIFE, he was thrown into THE LAKE OF FIRE. (Revelation 20)

The lost folks on the “outside“, will consist of the unregenerate, the pagan, and those like Ms. Bowman, who chose to live an idolatrous spiritual life of convenience and hypocrisy; she had to have her worldly and spiritual cake, and eat it too, and soon her cake will turn and eat her up. These folks chose their heaven here and now, so they have no right to expect anything in the coming ages; except, that is, the judgment which will involve “loss of reward”, for the saved, and rejection, and the wrath of God, for the rest!

For more information on Catholicism and Paganism, I suggest the following text (chapter 48 to end of book):

The Church the Churches and the … – Google Books.

“The Teachings of Demons” (1 Timothy 4: 1)

The Apostle John states,

Everyone who practices sin also practices lawlessness; and sin is lawlessness. 5 You know that He appeared in order to take away sins; and in Him there is no sin. 6 No one who abides in Him sins; no one who sins (willfully) has seen Him or knows Him. 7 Little children, make sure no one deceives you; the one who PRACTICES righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous; 8 the one who PRACTICES sin is of the devil; for the devil has sinned from the beginning. The Son of God appeared for this purpose, to destroy the works of the devil. 9 No one who is born of God PRACTICES sin, because His seed abides in him; and he cannot sin, because he is born of God. 10 By this the children of God and the children of the devil are obvious: anyone who does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor the one who does not love his brother (in Christ). (1 John 3)

Unlike Pat Robertson, I will make no claim for God’s judgment on the small country of Haiti, after the cataclysmic earthquake that occurred over two days ago. {After all, who am I to sit in judgment of anyone?} But I will say that Mr. Robertson brought up a valid point when he spoke of the “voo-doo ceremony” that initiated the Haitian revolution, at the end of the 18th century. Although, in my estimation, Mr. Robertson used this horrible catastrophe simply to condemn others, and, more importantly, to bring attention and money, from his right-wing, “religious” followers, to his scripturally-incorrect “700 Club”.

Below are quotes from a Wikipedia article which establish the historical fact that Mr. Robertson so callously stated two days ago:

The Haitian Revolution (1791–1804) is the period of violent conflict in the French colony of Saint-Domingue, leading to the elimination of slavery and the establishment of Haiti as the first republic ruled by people of African ancestry. Although hundreds of rebellions occurred in the New World during the centuries of slavery, only the revolt on Saint-Domingue, which began in 1791, was successful in achieving permanent freedom. The Haitian Revolution is regarded as a defining moment in the history of Africans in the new world…

Historians traditionally identify the catalyst for revolution as a Vodou ceremony in August 1791 performed at Bois Caïman by Dutty Boukman, a Voudo priest…

Boukman was born in Jamaica, and later sold by his British master to a French plantation owner, who put him to work as a commandeur (slave driver) and, later, a coach driver. His French name came from his English nickname, “Book Man,” which he earned due to his ability to read…

Bois Caïman (Haitian Creole: Bwa Kayiman) is the site of the Vodou ceremony presided over by Dutty Boukman on August 14, 1791. The purpose of the ritual was to attempt to expel the French occupation, which were using the Haitians as slave labor.

According to the official “History of Haiti and the Haitian Revloution”[2], in 1791 the following events occurred:

A man named Boukman, another houngan, organized on August 14, 1791, a meeting with the slaves in the mountains of the North. This meeting took the form of a Voodoo ceremony in the Bois Caiman in the northern mountains of the island. It was raining and the sky was raging with clouds; the slaves then started confessing their resentment of their condition. A woman started dancing languorously in the crowd, taken by the spirits of the loas. With a knife in her hand, she cut the throat of a pig and distributed the blood to all the participants of the meeting who swore to kill all the whites on the island. On August 22, 1791, the blacks of the North entered into a rebellion, killing all the whites they met and setting the plantations of the colony on fire. However, the French quickly captured the leader of the slaves, Boukman, and beheaded him, bringing the rebellion under control.

It is widely accepted as the starting point for the Haitian Revolution. (emphasis added)

via Haitian Revolution – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

As anyone should be able to see, then (if they haven’t been “blinded by the god of this age”), when we turn to the enemies of the Lord (false religions, demons) to force our own fleshly will, we not only take the risk of dealing with “the father of lies”, but we also take the risk of alienating the Lord, so that He turns away from us:

For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 6: 23)

Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap. 8 For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. (Galatians 6)

For if we go on sinning WILLFULLY after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, 27 but a terrifying expectation of judgment and THE FURY OF A FIRE WHICH WILL CONSUME THE ADVERSARIES. 28 Anyone who has set aside the Law of Moses dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. 29 How much severer punishment do you think he will deserve who has trampled under foot the Son of God, and has regarded as unclean the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has insulted the Spirit of grace? 30 For we know Him who said, “VENGEANCE IS MINE, I WILL REPAY.” And again, “THE LORD WILL JUDGE HIS PEOPLE.” 31 It is a TERRIFYING THING to fall into the hands of the living God. (Hebrews 10)

The Apostle Paul warns us, in his first letter to Timothy,

But the Spirit EXPLICITLY SAYS that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons, (1 Timothy 4: 1)

We live in a very superstitious time, and yet most people refuse to believe in a Sovereign and loving Creator (Christ the Lord) and His enemies: Satan, his (fallen) angelic officers, and a myriad of disembodied spirits (demons).

The apostle also exhorts and warns,

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. 11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm AGAINST the schemes of the devil. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but AGAINST the rulers, AGAINST the powers, AGAINST the world forces of this darkness, AGAINST the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. (Ephesians 6)

These angelic forces and demons prow around looking for souls to steal and devour:

Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time, 7 casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you. 8 Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. 9 But resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being accomplished by your brethren who are in the world. 10 After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you. 11 To Him be dominion forever and ever. Amen. (1 Peter 5)

Note that the Apostle Peter doesn’t speak here of the Lord’s blessings, and that we can have it all here, as well as in the coming ages. No, Peter speaks the truth:

But resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being accomplished by your brethren who are in the world. 10 After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you.

The Roman “church”, and its spin-offs, preach a false gospel, a gospel that we are of this world system, and that we can take part in this system at the same time we are serving the Lord. But this is a lie! We cannot love our temporal lives, and this world system, and still love and serve the Lord: we must choose whom we will love and serve. This is why the Lord warns us:

“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 “But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; 21 for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

22 “The eye is the lamp of the body; so then if your eye is clear, your whole body will be full of light. 23 “But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light that is in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!

24 “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth (the trappings of this evil world system). (Matthew 6)

Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me. 25 “For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. 26 “For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? 27 “For the Son of Man is going to come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and WILL THEN REPAY EVERY MAN ACCORDING TO HIS DEEDS. (Matthew 16)

Below is an article that describes life in the nation of Haiti:

Haiti: Rape, murder and voodoo on the Island of the Damned

By Andrew Malone

For tourists on cruise ships plying the Caribbean, Haiti appears a beguiling, mysterious place.

The first independent black state, set up 200 years ago after a rebellion by African slaves against colonial France, the mountainous island is home to exotic birds and animals and mist-shrouded tropical forests.

But it is no paradise for the country’s nine million people. Indeed, the devastating earthquake now bringing death and heartbreak is the latest in a long line of tragedies to befall a place dubbed the Island of the Damned.

Those with the misfortune to be born in Haiti – part of the island of Hispaniola, shared with the Dominican Republic – have long endured a living hell.

With one in ten under-40s infected with HIV, and millions living in squalor and destitution, thousands try to flee each year to the U.S. by hanging on to anything that will float.

While hurricanes, floods and earthquakes have all devastated the landscape over the years, the biggest threat has come from humans.

Successive dictators have raped, murdered and even reputedly eaten their enemies.

Described by one commentator as an ‘international crime scene’ rather than a country, Haiti became infamous around the world during the reign of Francois ‘Papa Doc’ Duvalier, a former doctor who murdered 100,000 people and formed a private band of killers called the Tonton Macoutes.

Wearing their trademark mirrored sunglasses and designer T-shirts, these murderers and cannibals were named after a terrifying bogeyman from Haitian mythology, who carried off naughty children into slavery… (emphasis added)

via ANDREW MALONE: Rape, murder and voodoo on the island of the damned | Mail Online.

“The island of the damned.” “A living hell.” “An international crime scene.” This certainly sounds to me like making a deal with the devil (through voo-doo), in order to force a nation’s or individual’s deliverance from slavery, might not be the best course of action to take. If, two-hundred years ago, the Haitians had sought the Lord, and accepted their suffering, as Jesus and His disciples had, then, perhaps, the country might not be in the demonic and disastrous position it is in today.

With all of this, then, it should be no surprise, to those who have escaped the rampant paganism in the Roman “church”, to find that 80% of Haitians are Roman Catholic. It would seem, then, with 80% of the Haitian population being Catholic, that, just maybe, the Roman “church” may not be a part of Christ’s Church (ecclesia of God: the Body of Christ): the Catholic “church”, as well as its spin-off “churches” (denominations, non-denominations), may well be, as the Lord says, in Revelation 3, the “Synagogue of Satan.”

So as much as I disagree with the way Mr. Robertson made his statement, over two days ago, I must admit that there may have been some truth in what he said, Spiritually as well as historically.

Voo-doo, as well as all other pagan and false religion, is the result of Godless, superstitious people following after “the teaching of Demons”, period! There are not “many ways to God”, as the unregenerate pagan claims, there is but One Way, and His name is Jesus the Christ!

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me. (John 14: 6)

Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, 6 who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. 8 Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 9 For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus EVERY KNEE WILL BOW, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Philippians 2)

“A Deluding Influence” VIII

{I have decided, from time to time, to post certain items that I sense (through my Spirit, hopefully) speak to many of the issues I write on. These will be short snippets, and I’ve decided to call them, “A Deluding Influence” (2 Thessalonians 2: 11)}

Jesus tells us that we will come to know those professing His Truth by their “fruits”: if they are of our Lord and Savior, then the proof will be in their actions and outcomes (actions and their outcomes speak louder than words).

“Beware of the FALSE PROPHETS, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are RAVENOUS WOLVES. 16 “You will know them BY THEIR FRUITS. Grapes are not gathered from thorn bushes nor figs from thistles, are they? 17 “So every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 “A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a bad tree produce good fruit. 19 “Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 “So then, you will know them by their fruits. (Matthew 7)

Here is another example of the bad fruit of Christendom: bad fruit is evidently all it has to offer!

December 10, 2009

Survey finds complexity in U.S. religious beliefs

by William Wan

The Washington Post

Can you believe in Jesus and in astrology? The answer is a resounding yes, according to a study that shows Americans’ beliefs to be more complex than might be expected.

The survey — one of the first by a major polling group to tackle Americans’ belief in such things as “the evil eye” and “spiritual energy in trees” — was conducted in August by the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life.

The goal was to explore the complexity of faith in the modern world and the overlap between religions and other supernatural beliefs.

According to results released Wednesday, the overlap is considerable. Researchers found that 24 percent of U.S. adults sometimes attend services of a faith different from their own. (That figure doesn’t include people who go for special events such as weddings and funerals or attend services while traveling.) (emphasis added)

via Religion News: Survey finds complexity in U.S. religious beliefs.

It seems that most “God fearin’ Americans” really have no idea of what they believe. In this hedonistic and Godless society, is it any wonder that Sunday-morning pew-sitters would be attracted to a mix of ungodly religiosity, since Americans are always seeking to get what they want, when they want it, and with little regard for the overall outcome!

Here is yet another example of this apostate bad fruit of Christendom:

Image courtesy of Pew Forum

December 10, 2009

More U.S. Christians mix in ‘Eastern,’ New Age beliefs

by Cathy Lynn Grossman

USA Today

Going to church this Sunday? Look around.

The chances are that one in five of the people there find “spiritual energy” in mountains or trees, and one in six believe in the “evil eye,” that certain people can cast curses with a look — beliefs your Christian pastor doesn’t preach.

In a Catholic church? Chances are that one in five members believe in reincarnation in a way never taught in catechism class — that you’ll be reborn in this world again and again.

Elements of Eastern faiths and New Age thinking have been widely adopted by 65% of U.S. adults, including many who call themselves Protestants and Catholics, according to a survey by the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life released Wednesday. (emphasis added)

via Religion News: More U.S. Christians mix in ‘Eastern,’ New Age beliefs.

The Apostle Paul prophesied of the people and the times that we live in:

I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom: 2 preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction. 3 For the time will come when they (believers) will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires, 4 and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths. (2 Timothy 4)

Jesus warned,

“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. 22 “Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’ 23 “And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS.’ (Matthew 7)

The institutionalized “church” (worldwide, not just America), through Spiritual ignorance, deception and arrogance, has managed to raise up millions of apostate believers who are Spiritually ignorant of the truth found, through the Spirit, in the word of God. Is it any wonder, then, that most American pew-sitters can be easily manipulated by pagan, ritualistic thinking and believing: eastern religions and new-age gurus? Just consider the paganism and ritualism involved in Catholicism alone!