I Was Saved From An Ecumenical Question Put To Me By God Himself
A Flashback!
As I was listening to a video about the ecumenical service held at the 9/11 Memorial yesterday (September 25, 2015,) I saw the line of clergy standing on each side of the pope, representatives from all the different religions. As I watched, I had a flashback. It was as vivid as the day it happened. And I'm still shaking from this flashback.
I was taken back to the day when the Lord first approached me, before I was born again. I was in my home on an ordinary day and very suddenly a voice which I did not recognize spoke to me inside. This is what the voice said:
"How do you know that your religion is the right one?"
"Huh???" I said.
The voice went on:
"There's A LINE of people, each representing one of the religions of the world." And as he spoke, I "saw" the line. He went on, "In it there'a a Buddhist, a Hindu, a Muslim, a Jew, a Jehovah's Witness, a Mormon, and one from each of the protestant denominations, a Baptist, a Methodist, an Anglican, and so on. And there you are in that line. You represent Catholicism. Now. There is only one truth, so if one of these is right, all the others are wrong. Their teachings all contradict each other. How do you know that you are the one representing the right religion and that all the others are wrong?"
I saw it on that day back then, and I was so stunned that I felt nauseous. I saw my foundation crumbling under me, because I realized that the only reason I believed as I did is because I lived in one of those religions and had been taught its teachings from my youth. And it's the same for each of these. Each of them believe what they believe because it's what they've been taught. ...But they contradict each other. There is only one truth. So how does one know his is the true one?
I staggered for three days, pacing back and forth trying to find a way to dismiss this question because if my foundation crumbled I'd have nothing. My whole life, the life of my family, all the years of my religious education, it would all be worthless. The emotion was tearing me apart because I saw it, and I didn't WANT to see it. I saw that my foundation was sand, and I couldn't bear it. But ...I did. It was unavoidable. I saw it. I was standing on sand, and it was crumbling from under me.
Finally, on the third day, I stood before God and said to him:
"I don't even know if you exist. The only reason I've believed in you is because that's what I've been taught since my youth. How do I know that my learning is right when everyone thinks that about his own religion? Who are we that we should be right and all those others wrong? I'm sinking, my foundation is crumbling all around me. I'm falling!"
And then I said, "God, I see that I have no valid reason to believe that you exist, but I'll say this one thing: if you do, I want to know who you are. Please tell me which religion is the right one if there is any that is the right one. I have no way to live if I don't know who you are. If you're Allah I'll become a Muslim. If you're the God of the Jews I'll become a Jew. If you're the God of the Christians, then which Christian denomination is the right one? I can do nothing until you tell me who you are ...IF you are."
And now on this September day as I watch this ecumenical service in New York, I am physically seeing exactly what that voice showed to me that day, and it's like I'm back there in all the emotional distress that I felt then when I did not know the Lord. I look at these men and it's deja vu for me, the very picture, the EXACT picture I saw on that day many years ago.
And I weep for them, because it is obvious they have never asked the most important question one can ask in life: "God, who are you?"
And now these foolish religious men have come together to be united in tolerance and good will and to achieve as much unity as they can with each other. And they actually think this is "good." This pope is willing to embrace the false god of Islam, and receive all these others who worship all manner of "gods," unaware that he's leading those who believe in them right down the road to hell, because NO! NOT all religions lead to God! NO! Not all religions will bring you to heaven as long as you're "good!" No! No! How can I shout it loud enough, NO!!! NO!!! NO!!! You're leading men to hell!!!!!
And THIS is the problem with "ecumenism." Unity in error. Unity in tolerance. Unity in all that is false and abominable to the one true God. This is WRONG! And this is ...FATAL.
People, there is only ONE God, and he is the God of the Bible. From Genesis to Revelation he has revealed himself to us. He's explained to us who he is, why we're here, where we're going, and how we are to get there. Sixty six books make up the Bible, written over centuries, yet they all carry the same message because each was God-breathed, written by the inspiration of God, from beginning to end. "In the beginning was the WORD, and the WORD was with God, and the WORD was God." The aleph and the omega, from start to finish, it's all his revelation to us. (John 1:1)
The Scriptures tell us that man is fallen because he was deceived into sin, but God provided the atonement for the sins of all who would receive it. But there's only ONE atonement. There's only ONE "lamb of God."
If there were many ways to God, then the torture and crucifixion of Jesus Christ the Son of God would not have been necessary. If there were any other way, would God have required that from him? There must be something terrible to be avoided for Christ to have to pay such a terrible price.
I hope and pray that people who are confused about religion will read this, and I pray that the Spirit of God will speak the truth through this and convince man of the importance of getting this right. Eternity is a long, long time to spend in regret. You must get this right! Your entire eternity depends on it. And there's only one way to discover the truth, and that is to ASK HIM to reveal it to you.
When Jesus asked his disciples who men thought he might be, they answered naming several. But then Jesus asked who THEY believed him to be. Peter said, "You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God." YES! YES! He got it right. But HOW did he get it right? Jesus said to him, "Blessed are you Simon son of Jonah, because flesh and blood (men) did not REVEAL this to you but my Father who is in heaven." (Matthew 16:13-17) Jesus did not found his church upon a man, God forbid! He founded it on the REVELATION of who he is. THIS is that solid rock upon which he has built his church, he said it comes by REVELATION. It cannot come from man, it cannot come from theology, it cannot come from books, no, it is REVELATION, and must come from God himself. Every person has to receive this revelation from God himself, and that is what being "born again" is all about.
“Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again,
he cannot see the kingdom of God.”
John 3:3
Here is some information for anyone who is searching:
Who Is Jesus Christ?
What does it mean to be "born again?"
