Great Post by Brannon Howse at worldviewweekendfoundation.com
Glenn Beck Rally Set Stage for "Christians" to Accept Paganism, and Mormons Say Beck Achieved 200 Year Goal of Getting Evangelicals to Declare That Mormons Are Christians by Brannon S. Howse
www.worldviewweekend.com
I tried to warn evangelical leaders about Glenn Beck's rallies but most of them laughed at me. Now Satan is the one laughing at them as "Christians" run head-long into embracing non-Biblical theology and call it "Christian". Greg West in the Mormon LDS Examiner validates my pre-Beck rally warnings to Evangelical leaders on my radio program, columns, e-mails, and phone conversations. I told them that partnering with Beck in a spiritual enterprise would send the message that Mormons are Christians.
Greg West writes:
As a Mormon, I have to consider an unintended message throughout Beck's work, which has culminated in this event. That message is: "Mormons are Christian believers." Despite nearly two centuries of misrepresentation and religious envy by sectarian Christianity, Beck has achieved the visibility, prominence, and has had the time day after day, week after week, to speak openly and truly about his core beliefs. Those statements of faith have disoriented and confused those who had previously believed the lies about Mormons.
Jim Garlow, a popular and influential pastor who partnered with the Mormon faithful in California to defend traditional marriage was quoted recently in CNN's Belief Blog, saying, "I have interviewed persons who have talked specifically with Glenn about his personal salvation - persons extremely well known in Christianity - and they have affirmed (using language evangelicals understand), 'Glenn is saved...' He understands receiving Christ as Savior."
Hallelujah! The light bulb has been switched on after nearly two centuries! Every single member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints believes that a person must be "born again" and receive Jesus Christ as his Savior and Redeemer. Our holy books teach that salvation comes only in and through the atonement of Christ and that there is no other way a person can be saved…Glenn Beck's beliefs are mainstream Mormon beliefs. Joseph Smith, the Church's founder, was a Christian prophet. He was an apostolic witness of the resurrection of Jesus Christ.http://www.examiner.com/lds-church-in-national/glenn-beck-and-the-restoring-honor-rally
Notice that West admits that what Beck has said on his broadcasts about his faith has "disoriented and confused" people who thought that Mormonism was not consistent with Christianity. However, Beck has now convinced them that Mormonism and Christianity are compatible with the help of America's Christian leaders.
The actor Kirk Cameron is the only one I personally know of that took to heart my pre-Beck rally warnings and reversed himself. Kirk really encouraged me when I needed it by calling to thank me for the column and sharing with me how it helped him understand why he must not take part in Beck's 8-27 event. Kirk even had the courage to come on my national radio program and speak about this issue publically. The irony is rather thick. Kirk played "Buck Williams" in the Left Behind Movies. Buck was a famous secular journalist who became a believer and then set out to warn Christians not to accept the demonic spirituality of a one-world religion that was unfolding through national and international figures.
I believe what happen over the weekend was a seismic shift within evangelicalism; an historic event that will go unnoticed by most Christian leaders. A few leaders may eventually understand the nature of what happen but it will be weeks if not months before they respond. Many of these leaders waited years to provide the defense against Oprah's pagan spirituality and when they did it was too late for many of the goats within their flock of sheep that had already consumed Oprah's spiritual poison.
Sadly, most Christian leaders and pastors are completely deficient in understanding the ideas and philosophies that have, and continue, to be the force behind the rushing cultural stream. As a result; the members of their own congregation hear no advanced warning of the coming spiritual undertow nor do they acquire the needed Biblical knowledge that keeps them from being children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, (Ephesians 4:14).
The compromise by evangelical leaders and pastors by spiritually uniting with "all faiths" with the theme of "looking to the one god", as described by Beck, has laid the foundation for untold numbers of self-professing Christians to now embrace pluralism and pagan spirituality. Pastors and evangelical leaders literally locked arms with all faiths, including Imams, in a spiritual endeavor despite the clear Biblical warnings of II Corinthians 6:14.The Mormon Church is now rejoicing over the public relations success that these undiscerning evangelical leaders have handed the Mormon Church by uniting with Glenn Beck in the two events that were promoted as spiritual.
I believe that Beck does not only embrace the pagan spirituality of Mormonism but also Cosmic Humanism. Cosmic Humanism is known by most as the New Age Movement. Cosmic Humanism says that man is god. Mormonism says that man can become god. See the similarities? Before you react listen to what Glenn Beck said on Fox News Sunday with Chris Wallace on the Fox News Channel. Glenn Beck said that his rally was not political and the reason for his rally was because "there's nothing that we can do that will solve the problems that we have and keep the peace unless we solve it through God, unless we solve it in being our highest self. Be your higher-self."
Beck used the phrase "higher self" three times in the interview with Chris Wallace. No one talks that way unless they know exactly what they are saying. One New Age website says:
There are many great words to describe Who or What your highest identity or Self truly is. Below are just a few: Higher Self, I am Presence, I Am That I Am…Cosmic Consciousness, God, Christ, Holy Spirit And the list goes on…
Notice that "I AM that I AM" is another word for "higher self". Last week on his radio program Beck said, "I Am That I Am is the most powerful phrase in any language as it is the name of god, never use it in vain; use it to create who you want to be. I AM blank."
I AM is a title that is to be reserved for God Himself. In Exodus 3:13 God told Moses that when the people of Israel ask for My name tell them, "I AM WHO I AM." And He said, "Thus you shall say to the children of Israel, 'I AM has sent me to you.'" In John 8:58 we read, "Jesus said to them, 'Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM.'"
"I AM" is to be reserved as a title for God yet it is being blasphemed in the pagan practice of what is called "the law of attraction." In the book The Secret, that was promoted by none other than Oprah Winfrey, Rhonda Byrne wrote:
· The law of attraction is the law of creation….You create your life through your thoughts." [p. 15.]
· There isn't a single thing that you cannot do with this knowledge. It doesn't matter who you are or where you are, The Secret can give you whatever you want. [P. xi]
· With this powerful knowledge, you can completely change every circumstance and event in your entire life…" [p. 17]
The fact that people like Beck on the right and Oprah on the left are proclaiming the "I AM" message is a sign that we are living in the last days according to Jesus Himself in Luke 21:7-8:
And they asked Him, saying, Master, but when shall these things be? and what sign will there be when these things shall come to pass? And he said, "Take heed that yet be not deceived: for many will come in My name, saying, I am Christ; and the time draweth near; go ye not therefore after them."
Former New Ager, now Biblical Christian, Ray Yungen writes:
Notice, "Christ" is italicized in verse 8, meaning that it was not in the original manuscript. The translators of the King James Bible probably thought it awkward that it said "Many shall come saying, I am." Probably for the sake of clarity and to be consistent with Mathew 24, the translators added the word "Christ."
Did you catch that? Jesus was saying that when people say they are god by using the title "I AM" it is a sign that we are living in the end times. We are also told to run away from the people saying "I AM". Sadly, many of our nation's pastor's and Christian leaders did not run from Glenn Beck but ran to join him in a spiritual service and enterprise.
Beck on his radio program last week also declared, "Hell is an eternity of regret not being able to forgive yourself." This is a completely unbiblical statement. Nowhere in the Bible do we see instruction to "forgive yourself" because it is impossible. 2 Corinthians 5:15 says, "He died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again." Verse 17 is what brings me peace since I have repented of my sins and placed by faith and trust in the Jesus of the Bible. "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new."Grace and forgiveness is provided to those who repent and therefore there is no need to believe the lie that you can "forgive yourself" of your sins.
Glenn Beck has accomplished what neither Oprah Winfrey nor Shirley McClain could. I believe that Beck used his conservative veneer and doublespeak to co-opt leaders of the religious right. Beck and these evangelical leaders have sent the message that it is acceptable for millions of "Christians" to embrace humanistic spirituality and paganism for the purpose of social activism and social change. These pastors should re-read Luke 17:2 where we read; "It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were thrown into the sea, than that he should offend one of these little ones."
Beck has set the stage for "conservatives" to accept a one-world religion and numerous leaders of the religious right pulled the ropes that raised the curtain on this ecumenical stage. Christian leaders that should have known better nodded in agreement and provided the backdrop as Beck preached his sermon of pluralism and universalism on 8-27 and 8-28.Perhaps sooner, rather than latter, the world will be in massive economic, political, and spiritual chaos and a leader will step on to the world stage and this anti-Christ will call for the religions of the world to unite and embrace spirituality. He will declare that he is not about politics but about bringing peace, unity, faith, hope, charity, stability, freedom, and prosperity under the common god of all religions. This world leader will perform counterfeit miracles signs and wonders and those who reject Biblical truth will follow him [2 Thessalonians 2:9-12] and embrace his plan for restoring honor.
If I had told you five years ago that a "conservative" radio and TV personality would have millions of viewers, would talk about the spiritual battle being waged in America, would be a self-confessed member of a cult, would quote New Age phrases, would call for Christians and conservatives to look to the "one god", would seek to unite all faiths and would convince dozens of evangelical pastors and leaders to support him in a spiritual service-you would say I was writing fiction and that this would never happen.
Do you now understand the magnitude of the spiritual shift that occurred this past weekend? The millions that see nothing wrong with the messages of Beck's 8-27 and 8-28 rallies reveal that the religious left and the religious right will be easily merged together in the coming one world religion under the coming one-world spiritual leader as prophesied in Revelation 17:8.
Ephesians 5:11 commands all Christians to "have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them." That is exactly what we have done and will continue to do in spite of e-mails and voice messages that are filled with cursing and insults. Our response must simply be, "Have I become your enemy because I tell you the truth?" [Galatians 4:16]
