This post contains Mike Gendron’s monthly newsletter. Mike was a practicing Roman Catholic for 37 years before being born again. He and his wife thereafter began their ministry ‘Proclaiming the Gospel’ to witness the biblical Christ to Roman Catholics.
I highlighted some words from Letters to Mike that speak to the Alistair Begg matter of the past week. Mike stated those words when questioned as to whether to attend a RCC wedding.
I want to say that if anyone from the RCC is troubled by Mike’s message, then they should take the time to study the initial 5 chapters of Romans and the epistle of Galatians. Therein, it is made clear that the only way of salvation is by grace alone by the imputed righteousness of Jesus Christ, the only one whose merit can save another, per God.
| Guarding the Glorious Gospel of God |
The greatest attack on the Christian faith today is on the exclusivity and purity of the Gospel. That is because the exclusivity of the Gospel is a declaration that all other faiths are false. No one can come to God except through the atoning death of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (John 14:6; Acts 4:12). No other religion offers a savior and no other religion offers salvation by God’s grace alone. The Willful Compromise of the Gospel Tragically, many pastors are compromising the exclusivity of the Gospel. They want to make it more inclusive in order to draw a larger following, gain more influence and be loved by more people. This man-pleasing gospel makes people comfortable in their sin but it has no power to save them because there is no call to repentance. It has gained popularity because it exalts man and his importance while diminishing God and His significance. It also overemphasizes God’s love while underemphasizing His attributes of holiness, justice and righteousness. Why Do Christians Put Up With It? Tragically, those who embrace this diluted gospel are woefully deceived and remain dead in their sins. Equally tragic is the willingness of born-again Christians to put up with another gospel. Paul exhorts them to repent of such apathy with a sharp rebuke: “If someone comes and proclaims another Jesus than the one we proclaimed, or if you receive a different spirit from the one you received, or if you accept a different gospel from the one you accepted, you put up with it readily enough” (2 Cor. 11:4). The only thing worse than a Christian without discernment is one who has discernment but refuses to use it to contend for the truth. Apathy has no place in a Christian’s life. The false converts who have been deceived with a compromised gospel will never know it until they are lovingly confronted with the truth. Making Judgments Is a Christian’s Responsibility Many Christians are unaware of their responsibility to judge and test all things. Paul commended the Bereans for rightfully judging his teaching. “They received the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily, to see whether these things were so” (Acts 17:10-11). The apostle John exhorted Christians to make judgments concerning doctrinal and spiritual issues: “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” (1 John 4:1). Clearly, all Christians are called to judge righteously by using the Word of God as the plumb line for discerning truth from error. And judge we must, because the Father of Lies deals in half-truths, and his fatal lies are often coated with a thin veneer of truth to deceive the unsuspecting. When doctrinal truth is being withheld, ignored, denied, or rejected, it will produce fertile ground for deception. The only way people will know if they have true faith or a false hope is to discern the true Gospel from a false gospel. It is the responsibility of every born-again Christian to make disciples and challenge false converts to examine their faith. Discernment is a Discipline for Disciples Discernment is a spiritual discipline and a privilege that only born-again Christians can exercise. Paul wrote: “But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. But he who is spiritual judges all things” (1 Cor. 2:14-15). The ability to make judgments is a mark of Christian maturity. “Solid food is for the mature, who because of practice have their senses trained to discern good and evil” (Hebrews 5:14). By practicing discernment we are able to guard and protect the Gospel for the next generation. As we practice discernment we must make sure our motives are Christ-honoring. Our objective must be to obey God’s Word for the purpose of helping, healing, correcting, warning and sharing in the spirit of love. When our motives are pure, people will be encouraged to love the truth and hate what is false (Psalm 119:104). Pure motives will result in contending for the purity of the Gospel and the sanctity of our Lord’s Church! Guarding the Purity of the Gospel There is no more critical issue in the Church today than guarding the purity of the Gospel. It is the rudder that must guide the Church through stormy waters that have been stirred up by every wind of doctrine (Eph. 4:14). Churches that do not provide a steady diet of God’s Word will become entertainment centers for goats instead of sanctuaries for the Shepherd’s sheep (Mat. 25:32). There is much at stake if we don’t practice discernment and contend for the faith – the glory of our Savior, the sanctity of His Church and the eternal destinies of those who are being deceived. |
|
| Letters to Equip and Encourage the Saints |
Mike, What are your thoughts on going to a family’s Catholic baptism? I want to support my family, however I want to stand with Christ and truth more. These Catholic events are a point of contention for me since my family is very devout. A.C., Internet Dear A.C., Christians, who have been saved by the grace of God, should avoid going where the Lord Jesus Christ is blasphemed or dishonored. To do so would be equivalent to giving approval to a false religion. Let us never forget what the Reformation was about. The Reformers did not suffer excruciating pain, suffering, torture and death because Roman Catholicism is merely another form of Christianity with inconsequential differences. Rather, they saw this false religion stands opposed to Christ and His glorious offer of salvation by grace. We must recognize that when we get invited to these events, they are wonderful opportunities to teach and share the truth of the Gospel. Explain how Catholic teachings stand in opposition to God’s Word. After the discussion you can say: “As much as I love you, I hope you understand that my love for my Savior is far greater. I desire to please Him in all that I say and do.” This will explain the reason why you cannot attend. Mike, I am so glad the Holy Spirit brought your YouTube teaching to me! I left the Catholic Church when I was 18 and was born again thereafter! Praise God you are getting this message out. I know so many Catholics who are deceived and I share your videos and books with them. Thank you for your boldness! I am the oldest of 7 children and when I got saved, my family disowned me. Jesus made me bold after my salvation and now 4 of them and my parents have received Christ! Hallelujah! These biblical references will help the others. M.K., Drumbo, Canada Sir, You demonstrate your ignorance of the Bible with your false information. You do it to cause division. I pray that God will have you cross paths with someone who can tell you about the real Jesus, who he was and what he came to do. Karen, Internet Karen, If you will be specific of any “false information” that is not supported by the infallible Word of God, I will repent. I pray you will do the same and test everything with the supreme authority of Scripture (Acts 17:11). Hi Mike, I ordered your audio book last night after we spoke and it is amazing. My husband and I cannot watch enough of your videos! I cannot believe how deceived and blind we were. B.M., Vernon, Canada Hi Mike, Thank you for the complementary book you gave me and your note. Glory to God that Jesus has delivered me out of darkness and your video message on the false teachings of Catholicism helped me begin the journey. I am thankful God is using your ministry to help people caught in the lies of the enemy. What helped the most was the use of Scripture to show what is false. This gave me the courage to finally break free! Keep fighting the good fight in Jesus name! J.C., Manly, New Zealand Dear Mike, I will always be grateful to you for your amazing testimony of true faith that has changed my life! May God forgive me for not rejecting Catholicism sooner. Your true explanation of Jesus and the Gospel set me free definitely. I wish you would come soon to Italy to expose the devilish men that pretend to be the representative of our Holy Christ on Earth. Thank you with all my heart. C.M., Italy Mike, The more I listen to your messages, I am learning truth rather than tradition and lies. Thank you for your love for others. People need to learn from you, especially pastors who support Catholic doctrines and ecumenical unity. BTW, I was shocked when you reported Mother Theresa was an agnostic. Yet, the pope canonized her anyway. K.M., Internet |
|
| Mike Responds to Pope on Crosstalk Radio |
Mike’s interview by host Jim Schneider on the nation-wide Crosstalk Radio program offers biblical responses to several controversial statements by Pope Francis. Mike said, we should not be surprised that both the pope and Joe Biden support the blessing of same sex unions since they both have rejected the supreme authority of God’s Word. However, there is a stark contrast between the lies of Joe Biden and the lies of the Pope. When Biden lies, there are only temporal consequences for those he deceives; when the pope lies, there are eternal consequences. Listen to the complete interview here. |
|
| Priest Excommunicated for Calling Pope “Usurper” |
An Italian priest was excommunicated for calling Pope Francis a “usurper” in his homily marking the first anniversary of the death of Francis’s predecessor Benedict XVI. The priest was excommunicated by his local bishop for telling his flock that the Argentine pontiff, who took over after German pope Benedict sensationally quit in February 2013, “is not the pope, he’s a usurper”. The priest said that it was a “mark of pride to be out of this Church, which is a tyranny”. Read more. |
|
Vatican’s Doctrinal Chief Under Fire |
A book by Cardinal Fernández that blends theology with sexually-charged themes has added further controversy to the leadership of Pope Francis. Fernández was appointed to head the Doctrine of the Faith by the pope last year. The Argentine theologian had been known as Francis’ theological ghostwriter and has already shaken up the Catholic Church with a flurry of official decrees on hot-button issues such as allowing transgender people to serve as godparents. Read more. One archbishop has called for the arrest of Pope Francis. Read more. |
|
|