So many church leaders take every opportunity they can find to mingle with the deceits of Rome.
Rather than proclaiming the truth of the gospel message and how we must all come to Christ as a penitent sinner for salvation, they prefer to cuddle up with the representatives of the Church of Rome, which denies the precious gospel message.
The Easter period was no different and, while we appreciate it was some weeks ago, we believed it wrong to let the ecumenical betrayal carried out by the outgoing Presbyterian Moderator, Rev Charles McMullen (pictured, top), go unchecked.
For he was the star attraction as the leaders of all the major churches in the city of Lisburn, near Belfast, cosied up in one great big ecumenical compromise on Good Friday.
The allegedly Protestant clerics in attendance, leading this charade, were Rev John Brackenridge (1st Lisburn Presbyterian Church), Dean Sam Wright (Lisburn Cathedral, pictured, below), George Hilary (Lisburn Christian Fellowship), Archdeacon Paul Dundas (Christ Church, Church of Ireland) and the Rev Mervyn Ewing (Seymour Street Methodist Church).
And they were, of course, accompanied by an architect of Papal deceit, ‘Father’ Dermot McCaughan of St Patrick’s Roman Catholic chapel in the city.
He, according to a report on the Diocese of Connor’s website, read the story of the crucifixion of Christ.
Given that Rome denies the all-sufficient blood atonement of Christ on the cross at Calvary, it is frankly bizarre and indeed outrageous to have such a character reading the story of Christ’s sacrifice at Calvary.
This is what the Roman Catholic Church teaches, and states in the Council of Trent, regarding justification.
“If any one saith, that the sacraments of the New Law are not necessary unto salvation, but superfluous; and that, without them, or without the desire thereof, men obtain of God, through faith alone, the grace of justification; though all (the sacraments) are not indeed necessary for every individual; let him be anathema.”
Rome pronounces its anathema, or curse, on any who believes that salvation is obtained by faith alone.
This is what the Bible says in Ephesians 2:8-9: “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.”
Titus 3:5-7 reiterates this, saying: “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; Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour; That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.”
Rome teaches we must follow their ordained sacraments in order to merit heaven, yet this is clearly contradictory to the Word of God.
It is certainly not what Jesus taught. He taught that we are saved by faith.
Luke 7:48-50 says: “And he said unto her, Thy sins are forgiven. And they that sat at meat with him began to say within themselves, Who is this that forgiveth sins also? And he said to the woman, Thy faith hath saved thee; go in peace.”
Luke 18:40-42: “And Jesus stood, and commanded him to be brought unto him: and when he was come near, he asked him, Saying, What wilt thou that I shall do unto thee? And he said, Lord, that I may receive my sight. And Jesus said unto him, Receive thy sight: thy faith hath saved thee.”
These people hadn’t earned their salvation by good works, Jesus freely granted them salvation because of their faith, he explicitly states that to be the case.
We can see this, too, through the salvation of one of the thieves beside Jesus on the cross.
Luke 23:42-43 says: “And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom. And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise.”
This thief most certainly hadn’t had the time to go through the rituals that any church might impose, he placed his faith in Christ and that was enough for him to be granted a place in heaven with Christ.
Indeed, this passage also puts the lie to another false teaching of Rome – that of purgatory.
But there was ‘Father’ Dermot McCaughan being put forward to the people of Lisburn as a commendable religious leader and guide, despite the fact he is a representative of the church which denies the only way to salvation.
Our land cannot hope to see a revival when there is wilful compromise and ecumenical affiliations with that which is repugnant to God.
Indeed, the 39 Articles of the Anglican Church, which supposedly govern the Church of Ireland, state, in Article 19, that “the Church of Rome hath erred, not only in their living and manner of Ceremonies, but also in matters of Faith.”
It further states in Article 22: “Romish Doctrine concerning Purgatory, Pardons, Worshipping and Adoration, as well of Images as of Relics, and also Invocation of Saints, is a fond thing, vainly invented, and grounded upon no warranty of Scripture, but rather repugnant to the Word of God.”
And in Article 25, it says: “Those five commonly called Sacraments, that is to say, Confirmation, Penance, Orders, Matrimony, and Extreme Unction, are not to be counted for Sacraments of the Gospel, being such as have grown partly of the corrupt following of the Apostles, partly are states of life allowed in the Scriptures, but yet have not like nature of Sacraments with Baptism, and the Lord’s Supper, for that they have not any visible sign or ceremony ordained of God.”
So the 39 Articles state that many Romish teachings are “repugnant to the Word of God” and that the system of sacramental merit espoused by Rome is errant.
So why do the likes of Dean Sam Wright of Lisburn Cathedral and Archdeacon Paul Dundas of Christ Church, who supposedly subscribe to those very articles, mingle with such religious error?
They appear to have forgotten the Biblical charge to be separated from error.
2 Corinthians 6:14-17 says: “Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you”.
And what of the outgoing Presbyterian Moderator, Rev Charles McMullen?
His compromise, indeed enthusiastic compromise, with Popery is well established.
One of his first actions when it was announced he was to take over as Moderator was to practically invite himself to fawn over that “man of sin”, the Pope at his then planned visit to Dublin.
He then eagerly raced down to Dublin to cower before the Pope in August, though the Pope didn’t even deem him important enough to actually speak to him.
Despite being fully aware of absolutely proper theological objections to his giving credence to the leader of that anti-Christian system, he engaged in ecumenical betrayal of true Christianity.
Rev Charles McMullen is warned by the words of James 4:17, which says: “Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.”
And he entrenched himself still deeper in this disobedience by speaking at the Good Friday ecumenical ‘walk of witness’ in Lisburn.
Dear Christian, if you or anyone you know is involved with any of the churches specified in Lisburn or if you or your family or friends are involved with the Presbyterian Church, won’t you even share this with them or take this to heart and speak out against such grave departure from God?
2 Chronicles 7:14: “If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.”
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