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NOTE: This article or series has not been updated recently. As such, it may possibly contain some outdated information, and/or ideas and beliefs which I no longer embrace, or which have changed to some degree.



This is the key problem with each of the individuals who I have mentioned in this article. Every single one of them, from Oprah Winfrey, to Billy Graham, to Pope Benedict XVI, to Barack Obama, has strayed from the truth of God's Word, and has replaced it with their own value system, and their own human wisdom, and that is very dangerous. The writers of the Bible offer us some serious admonitions regarding this very danger, as we see by the following verses:

"And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power: That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God."


"Let no man deceive himself. If any man among you seemeth to be wise in this world, let him become a fool, that he may be wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, He taketh the wise in their own craftiness."


". . . we know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge puffeth up, but charity edifieth. And if any man think that he knoweth any thing, he knoweth nothing yet as he ought to know."


"Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ."


As I explain in the series "Cardinal Ratzinger's Rebellion", as well as in other articles, the minute that we elect to eliminate Jesus Christ as the Central Figure of our faith, and remove His Sacrifice as the Cornerstone of our Salvation -- which is exactly what the aforementioned people have done -- our Christian faith becomes essentially meaningless; and it is in fact not much different from any other religion which promotes peace, love, kindness and good will towards men.

Please don't misunderstand what I am saying here. Naturally, all of these qualities are good, and we should endeavor to reflect them in our personal lives, but without the Atoning Sacrifice of Jesus Christ, our faith becomes a dry religion of self-righteous works, which offers no realistic hope of ever obtaining Salvation and Eternal Life. We might as well all become Buddhists if we are going to remove the necessity of Christ's Atoning Sacrifice for sin. As I explain in such articles as "Message to the World", that is what makes our faith different from all of the rest. We have hope in Jesus Christ, while they have nothing, even if they don't realize it yet.

To reiterate, there is a major problem if we decide to take Jesus Christ out of the equation; and any Christian person who really understands their faith knows exactly what the problem is: we cannot be, and will never be, saved by our own so-called "good works". The Bible makes it quite plain that we are all saved by the Grace and Mercy of God alone, through our faith in the Atoning Sacrifice of Jesus Christ, and not by any other means. There is simply no other means, and there are definitely not "many paths to God". Consider the following verses:

"For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast."


"Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;"


"And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work."


I began warning my readers about the false ecumenical spirit years ago. While on the surface it may seem like a very good thing from a secular point of view -- bringing unity, peace, harmony, understanding and tolerance between the world's different religions -- in a spiritual sense, it is in fact a very deadly recipe which comes at a very great price for all Christian believers everywhere. Even the Apostle Paul was in favor of ecumenism, as we see by the following verse; but the kind of ecumenism that Paul supported was doctrinal unity between the various Christian congregations that comprised the Body of Christ during the First Century:

"Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment."


No one in the New Testament Church supported compromise with the false Christ-rejecting religions of that era, yet that is precisely what is being proposed today. You see, many global leaders, politicians, economists, social engineers, etc. -- in other words, the globalists -- recognize that as long as there remains friction between the different world religions, world peace, as well as global governance -- i.e. a New World Order or One World Government -- will never become a reality. Any honest person recognizes that historically-speaking, the world's religions have played a major role in the many wars and conflicts which have plagued our planet. And yes, that most certainly includes Christianity as well, or at least what claims to be Christianity.

Even today, it continues to be a major problem. For example, George W. Bush was certainly encouraged by certain Right Wing Christians to attack Iraq. Some people even claim that Bush had some kind of messianic complex. Of course, Saddam Hussein viewing himself as a modern Nebuchadnezzar didn't help the situation either. The Israeli-Palestinian conflict is likewise based on religious differences. Iraq is in the process of being ripped apart due to religious differences between the Shi'ites, Sunnis and Kurds. In fact, the whole Middle East is carved up between Shi'ites and Sunnis. Then there is Muslim Pakistan and Hindu India which have long been at odds with each other. Look at what Catholicism and Protestantism have done to Ireland. We are told that the so-called "war against terrorism" is not a religious war, but I would have to disagree. And on and on it goes.

The fact of the matter is that there are religious wars going on all around us, but some of them are disguised as something else. People have to be lied to, and told that their safety and their freedoms are in jeopardy, before they will back the foolish wars of their governments. Of course, trying to find nonexistent WMD's also works. Excuse my sarcasm.

So again, by slowly working towards an ecumenical One World Religion, the globalists hope to eventually establish their New World Order, or One World Government. If such a global One World Religion ever comes about, it will no doubt be a total compromise, and an utter abomination in the sight of God.

The message that seems to be promoted by these globalists is "It's okay; you can be spiritual and follow your own path, but you need to leave Jesus out of the picture, because it is your adamant belief in His name that is causing so much division." Well, what kind of spirituality is it if we leave Jesus out of it, if not a false, secular spirituality? Quite frankly, I suspect that some of these sad compromisers have chosen to use the word "spirituality" instead of saying what they really mean -- "Christianity" -- either because they are ashamed of their faith, or because they are worried about offending people; so they have taken the politically correct route instead.

Let me remind my readers again that Jesus very clearly warned us that the day would arrive when our Christian faith would not be accepted or tolerated by the children of the world. In fact, as we all know, it began to happen even before Jesus was crucified on the Cross. Jesus clearly told His followers that believing in Him would result in division at every level of society, beginning within individual families. He candidly told His followers that He didn't come to bring peace, but a sword; not a physical sword, but a spiritual one; that is the divisive sword of the truth of God's Word. Please consider the following verses:

"Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword. For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law. And a man's foes shall be they of his own household. He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me."


"Now the brother shall betray the brother to death, and the father the son; and children shall rise up against their parents, and shall cause them to be put to death. And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake: but he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved."


"Suppose ye that I am come to give peace on earth? I tell you, Nay; but rather division: For from henceforth there shall be five in one house divided, three against two, and two against three. The father shall be divided against the son, and the son against the father; the mother against the daughter, and the daughter against the mother; the mother in law against her daughter in law, and the daughter in law against her mother in law."


"For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart."


If you stop to think about it, compared to "Christianity", the word "spirituality" is a much more non-offensive, neutral word. It does not come loaded with the baggage of religious doctrines or concrete truths. In this modern day and age, if one says that he is spiritual, it can mean anything from the idea of practicing Wiccan rites in a forest, to reading tarot cards and predicting the future, to engaging in some form of eastern meditation techniques, to attending a seance. We can all be spiritual in our own personal way these so-called New Age "lightworkers" claim. "There are many paths to God" they claim. "In fact, you don't even have to call it God. You can just refer to it as spiritual enlightenment" they tell us.

Isn't this precisely what Oprah Winfrey and other New Agers are promoting? "Call it what you like. It doesn't matter what path you take to get there; just as long as you get there." The question is, what exactly is their ultimate destination? Is it Forgiveness, Redemption, Salvation and Eternal Life, or is it something else?

That is why this new spirituality is so dangerous, and why it is so appealing to so many people. It is precisely because it does not have a set belief system, and its interpretation is left to the individual, that so many people become deceived by it. In other words, your truth doesn't necessarily have to be my truth, and my truth does not have to be your truth. We can each create our own personal reality, and truth can be whatever we each want it to be. There are no absolute truths with this modern spirituality. Truth is totally subjective, as is the moral compass that accompanies it.

That is the danger of this new spirituality that has become so popular in recent years. It is a spiritual smorgasbord of ideas, beliefs and practices, and everyone is free to choose whatever they want to believe. It is so unlike Christianity which has a firm foundation; that is, a set of established tenets, as well as a thick manual which serves as our guide to understanding God's Will and Purpose for our lives. That manual -- the Bible -- informs us that there is only one way, one truth, and one means to obtaining Eternal Life; and that is through Jesus Christ. Bible-based Christianity does not believe or teach that there are "many paths to God".

That is why some people view the Christian Gospel as being so offensive; because they refuse to accept the fact that there is only one way to God, and one way to Salvation and Eternal Life, just as Oprah Winfrey has done. Remember her words that I shared with you in part one: There couldn't possibly be just one way . . . There couldn't possibly be."

So am I suggesting that all of these people who promote the "many paths to God" doctrine are part of a sinister, global conspiracy to neutralize Christianity and create a One World Religion? No I am not. Some of them may possibly be, such as certain world leaders -- both political and religious -- but I suspect that most regular people are just individuals who have been deceived by these New Age adherents and gurus. As far as Oprah Winfrey is concerned, I am not sure if she is truly aware of what she is doing or not. From her own words, it is obvious that she is aware of the power and influence that she wields, but I seriously doubt that she recognizes, or much less believes, that she has become a tool of Satan.

Exactly how far this woman has strayed from her former faith in the Atoning Sacrifice of Jesus Christ is revealed in the following quote that is taken from another one of her shows:

----- Begin Quote -----

". . . I thought Jesus came, died on the cross, that Jesus' being here was about His death and dying on the cross, when it really was about Him coming to show us how to do it, how to be . . . show us the christ consciousness that He had, and that consciousness abides with all of us. That's what I got. That's what I got."

----- End Quote -----

Please notice that she starts out with the words "I thought". In other words, as the rest of her statement reveals, she no longer thinks or believes that Jesus came to die for the sins of the world. According to Oprah, Jesus came to reveal this so-called "christ consciousness . . . that abides with all of us". If you are at all familiar with New Age teachings, then you will know how pervasive that phrase is. In so many New Age websites that I have visited over the years, and in so many of their commentaries that I have read, they speak of this so-called "christ consciousness". Some of them even say that we are all christs.

But here is the question that we all need to ask ourselves: What is this so-called "christ consciousness"? Exactly what is this consciousness? What is this spirit? If these people reject Jesus Christ being the Son of God, and the Savior of the world, who died for the sins of mankind, then it stands to reason that this "christ consciousness" cannot possibly be the Spirit of God; that is, the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Truth, which Jesus Himself promised to send us in the Gospels. Consider these verses:

"And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high."


"But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you."


"Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come."


"And, being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me."


"Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear."


"That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith."


"In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,"


As the previous verses plainly reveal, the anointing of the Holy Spirit is a Special Gift from the Father, which is only bestowed upon the followers of Jesus Christ. Its purpose is to teach us, to comfort us, and to empower us so that we can boldly preach the Christian Gospel. These are the primary reasons why we Christians receive the in-dwelling of the Holy Spirit. It stands to reason then, that if a person does not even believe in Jesus Christ, or recognize Him as the Son of God, the only Savior of the world, the only mediator between God and men, and the one and only path to God, then he can't possibly be endowed with the Holy Spirit, because God views him as an unclean thing which has not been cleansed by the Blood of Jesus Christ.

That being the case, what then is this "christ consciousness" which so many New Agers talk about which denies the necessity of the Sacrifice of Jesus Christ? Allow me to share with you a direct Scriptural response:

"Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world . . . And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world."


"Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son."


"For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist."


"Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it."
.

Can the answer be any clearer than that? Even if they do believe that Jesus Christ came in the flesh, if they deny who He is, and what He did for us, then they are still antichrist, plain and simple. They are the tools of the Devil himself, whether they recognize it or not!

As if Oprah Winfrey's level of apostasy isn't already deep enough, in addition to publicly telling her viewers that Jesus Christ cannot possibly be the only way to the Father, and that we must all recognize this "christ consciousness" in us, and that there are "many paths to God", and that just being good, kind and gentle will get us to where we want to go, in total contradiction of the Scriptures, she likewise claims that our feelings are more important than faith and belief, as you can see by the following quote that is taken from another one of her shows:

----- Begin Quote -----

". . . What you're saying is that God, in the essence of all consciousness, isn't something to believe, God is. God is. God is a feeling experience, not a believing experience . . . and if your religion is a believing experience, if God for you is still about a belief, then it's not truly God."

----- End Quote -----

Not only is Oprah's statement far out in left field, but it is extremely dangerous as well. Contrary to her claims, the Bible makes it very plain that faith and belief are central to our Redemption and Salvation. In fact, in the eleventh chapter of the Epistle to the Hebrews, we are told that God uses our faith and belief as a measuring rod, and that He will reward us according to our level of faith and belief, as we see by the following verses:

"Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. For by it the elders obtained a good report . . . But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him."


Please notice that we are told "must believe that he is". Oprah tells us the exact opposite. She says "God . . . isn't something to believe, God is. God is." Yes, God is, but we must believe that He is. So will you believe the Bible, or will you accept Oprah Winfrey's delusion? As I said a moment ago, there are so many verses in the Bible which emphasize the important role that faith and belief play in God's Plan of Salvation, that it absolutely astounds me that Winfrey could even say such a thing. Consider the following prime examples:

"He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned."


"But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:"


"He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God . . . He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him."


"And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst . . . Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life."


"He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water."


"Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:"


"Jesus cried and said, He that believeth on me, believeth not on me, but on him that sent me."


"Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father."


"And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house."


"That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation."


"Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded."


"Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God? . . . He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself: he that believeth not God hath made him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son."


To reiterate, Oprah Winfrey's claim that "God is a feeling experience, not a believing experience" is not only an outright lie, it is in fact very dangerous. Why? Because our feelings change from day to day. One day we may be inspired and happy, while the very next day we may be totally down in the dumps. One day may go very well for us, while the very next day may prove to be extremely difficult. One day we can be healthy, while the next day we can be sick. All of these things affect our emotional state, and how we feel from day to day can in turn affect how we view God. If we accept the lie that is being promoted by Oprah Winfrey, we will be on an emotional roller coaster ride, on a seesaw, in our relationship with God every single day.

Faith, on the other hand, rises above all of these things, because it is based on the immutable, unchanging Word of God. Regardless of what is going on around us, or even in us, God, and His truth, and the promises of His Word, remain forever constant. They are our rock and our anchor. Thus, even if at certain times in our life, God deems it fit to let us pass through the storm, we have the assurance of knowing that there is always a light at the end of the tunnel. Feelings alone cannot offer us this assurance. Please consider the following verses:

"For I am the LORD, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed."


"Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever."


"Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning."


". . . For ever, O LORD, thy word is settled in heaven."


"Thy word is true from the beginning: and every one of thy righteous judgments endureth for ever."


"The counsel of the LORD standeth for ever, the thoughts of his heart to all generations."


"Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me, Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure:"


"God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?"


"Wherein God, willing more abundantly to shew unto the heirs of promise the immutability of his counsel, confirmed it by an oath: That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us: Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast, and which entereth into that within the veil;"


Please go to part three for the conclusion of this series concerning the apostasy of Oprah Winfrey.

⇒ Go To The Next Part . . .

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