The Guardian Liberty Voice asks the prophetic question: "Could Pope Francis Be a Modern-Day Jesus?"

There is no doubt that Pope Francis is the rock star religious celebrity of the day. His humble attitude, message of tolerance and unity, and his rapport among people have endeared him to millions, despite his tenure has so far lasted less than one year. He was chosen man of the year by Time Magazine. He has an 88% approval rating among US Catholics. Why is he so popular? And why is he being likened to a modern day Jesus?

Catholic Online wondered the same thing about his popularity, and wrote yesterday, "The secret to Pope Francis' fame REVEALED"

They like that he doesn't act like a televangelist, megachurch pastor, or a king (though Pope Francis is a king) by succumbing to the lavish lifestyle so many in his position or level of wealth take as their due.

"He deliberately lives as impoverished a lifestyle as possible, lives in a Vatican guest house, eats with the staff, and mingles with the public far beyond what his security detail thinks prudent. He has expressed, on several occasions, his desire for the Church to be "a poor church, for the poor."

This is a strange statement coming from a man who accepted the globe's only absolute monarchy worth an estimated 110 billion dollars today (source Time Magazine estimation of the Vatican's worth in 1965, adjusted for 2013 dollars). I wonder if the Pope would give away 100 billion of the money, keeping "only" 10 bn for expenses? Or alternately, how can a poor church help the poor, if it's poor? So it seems that the people like that Pope Francis pretends to be poor.

"There seems to be no end to the public fascination with Pope Francis. While the Pope is the Vicar of Christ and is expected to serve as God's representative on Earth, complete with splendid regalia, Pope Francis actually walks and talks like a living saint. ... Why does he capture our attention? The ordinary man, the person who has no hope of incredible wealth or power, sees Pope Francis who has all the access, money and power that a man can have, and he watches Francis turn away from it. Pope Francis chooses humble garments, lunch with homeless men and their dog, to ride in the back seat of a compact car, and to make sandwiches for the people who are meant to wait on him. Has the modern world seen a better example of a holy man?

Pope Francis has not turned away from incredible wealth. He is the the only absolute monarch on the planet and sole manager of the largest amassed wealth and treasure on the planet. Turning away from it would mean he declined to be Pope. "I do not seek, nor will I accept..." But no, Pope Francis accepted the papal office and all the wealth, luxury, and power that comes with it.

Anyway, that is a slight bit of background as to this new religious rock star we have on our hands. On to the article that asked if he is a modern-day Jesus, though the previous article asked pretty much the same question already. The people love Pope Francis because he brings a message the lost and carnal world wants to hear. Jesus came to bring a sword, to show the way was narrow and exclusive. To show we are condemned in our sins but He is the Good News. Pope Frances says he brings a white flag of peace, a message of love and unity for all who are all on one broad path, holding hands and singing kumbayah. To the lost, this is a better Jesus.

Pope Francis gave a speech in St. Peter's Basilica balcony the other day. It was his first Christmas message. The article below pounced on the Pope's message of love, tolerance, and unity, digging in like a lion on a wildebeest.

"In a world where many of today’s clergy seek to tear down anyone or religion that doesn’t line up completely with what they believe, the Pope is sweeping through the world like a breath of fresh air. Francis has chosen not to waste time with different persuasions of belief or religions; instead he focuses on what’s most important in the world: a message of love, hope and peace. ... While the fallen nature of mankind loves religion, since it bolsters the ego and boots one’s self esteem, Jesus came to bring the gift of relationship which includes a message of love, hope and peace; much like Pope Francis." (source)

Oh my.

The false, satirical message "Pope declares all religions are true" that Snopes recently debunked, and the real message Pope Francis has consistently brought so far this year, are hard to tell apart because essentially, the pope does say all religions are true. He even says atheists and unbelievers can get in. "He realizes that atheists and agnostics are people of good intentions and good morals with whom we want to work closely,” said Martin," explained the culture editor of 'America Magazine.'

BTW, Billy Graham said the same thing. If you have good intentions and good morals and lived a sincere life, you're in. I am not making this up.

Here is the snopes-debunked satirical Pope message:

"...because Muslims, Hindus and African Animists are also made in the very likeness and image of God, to hate them is to hate God! To reject them to is to reject God and the Gospel of Christ. Whether we worship at a church, a synagogue, a mosque or a mandir, it does not matter. Whether we call God, Jesus, Adonai, Allah or Krishna, we all worship the same God of love. This truth is self-evident to all who have love and humility in their hearts!"

It doesn't sound so different from the real pope's message, does it?

Shortly after he took papal office, Pope Francis said that peoples from different faiths are united under God, it sent shock waves throughout the Catholic Church. This is because for two thousand years, the Catholic Church said said anyone who is not a Catholic is anathema (cursed) and is going to hell. Now the RC message -via Pope Francis- has changed. Don't overlook the significance of that.

The bible says that the entire church age will be filled with false teachers and the spirit of antichrists (1 John 2:18) but it will get a lot worse by the end of the end. This following verse could be speaking to all popes from then until now!

"And he said to them, “Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written, “‘This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’ You leave the commandment of God and hold to the tradition of men.” And he said to them, “You have a fine way of rejecting the commandment of God in order to establish your tradition!" (Mark 7:6-9)

The Pope is a false prophet, having the spirit of antichrist, and with his popularity and his espousing of the prophesied message of peace and ecumenism we know will come to fruition in the Tribulation, he is certainly a good candidate for the Antichrist. He is laying the groundwork anyway.

As the antichrist will be, Pope Francis is also concerned with the economy, with the poor and disenfranchised, and wants to stop their exclusion from the economy and include them. Just a few weeks ago. Daily Kos said "Pope Francis has attacked unfettered capitalism as "a new tyranny", urging global leaders to fight poverty and growing inequality in the first major work he has authored alone as pontiff," calling it "a scathing critique of modern capitalism in an 84-page document, known as an apostolic exhortation, and which amounts to an official platform for his papacy and the Roman Catholic Church."

Pope Francis is setting the platform for all the precepts the antichrist is prophesied to espouse.

We know that in the Tribulation one man will hold sway. It will be his dictates on economy, finance, and religion that will cause the entire world to worship Him and swear allegiance (except for the people who come to faith after the rapture and become martyrs, the Tribulation Saints).

It is a hard thing to see the sweep of popery come across the world with such renewed vigor. It is a worse thing to see popery, Catholicism, and its Roman mysticism intertwine within the precious walls of the Christian evangelical faith, heresies brought in by many, including Beth Moore!

We mourn for Pope Francis in his lost state, and all the Catholics who are also lost. See how Spurgeon puts it. Charles Spurgeon said of popery:

It is the bounden duty of every Christian to pray against Anti-Christ, and as to what Anti-Christ is no sane man ought to raise a question. If it be not Popery in the Church of Rome there is nothing in the world that can be called by that name…because it wounds Christ, because it robs Christ of His Glory, because it puts sacramental efficacy in the place of His atonement, and lifts a piece of bread in the place of the Saviour, and a few drops of water in place of the Holy Ghost, and puts a fallible man like ourselves up as the Vicar of Christ on earth; if we pray against it, because it is against Him, we shall love the persons though we hate their errors; we shall love their souls though we loath and detest their dogmas, and so the breath of our prayers will be sweetened, because we turn our faces towards Christ when we pray.

We turn our faces toward the true Christ, His message, and His statutes. He is the One whom all knees will bow, including all kings, sultans...and popes. (Revelation 6:15-17).

Comments

  1. I am just astounded by what transpired this year. The previous pope gave up his position because he claimed to have a "mystical experience". And we saw how the new pope won over the liberals because he leaves "Jesus" out of his message. I've never for once seen him talk about the need to accept Jesus and seek forgiveness. But he preaches something that the Bible warned about: the concept of universalism - All roads lead to God. What an interesting time we're living in!

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    1. Me too Anonymous. I thought that Pope Benedict should have been Man of the Year, for resigning...

      I agree about the pope's message leaving out Jesus. He mentions Jesus in passing but the bulk of the message is always focused on God. It is much easier for false people to think about God than it is about Jesus, who speaks of sin and judgment. Before I was born again, I knew there was a God. I hated the thought of Jesus though. I agree, it sure is an interesting time!

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    2. This pope also seems to accept homosexuality saying, "Who am I to judge"? His position on homosexuality is a direct, clear and blatant contradiction of Scripture.

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    3. he Doesn't accept Homosexuality. There was an article in Huffington Post that said 'Breakthrough, Pope Francis OK with Gays. He Did not say that he was OK with Gays. The reporter did a Horrible reporting job, totally Twisted his words. Type in POPE FRANCIS ON GAYS, AND IT'S NOTHING NEW. The article was put out by Fox News. They said that the reporter did a real bad reporting job, totally twisted the Pope's words. The Pope is Against Homosexual sex. He simply said that we should be Kind to gays. The reporter for Huffington post may have had an Agenda? Maybe they were Pro-Gay, and heard what he/she Wanted to Hear. The Pope, the Catholic Church,. is Not For Homo sex---Don't believe Everything that you hear. Hopefully when you hear things like that, you Look them Up Yourself, and Don't believe Everything that you hear. Someone recently told me that the Pope Embraces Abortion. Also Not true. He spoke against Abortion, called it a "Horrible Crime" but said that we should be kind to the women who Had Abortions---then it is said that he Embraces Abortion---Totally Untrue! And the Pope never said that Atheists can get to Heaven. he said that Jesus Died for All of us,Even Atheists. he Never said that you can get to Heaven Without Christ. Another lie told about him. Don't believe Everything that you Hear. If you hear things, Look them Up.

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    4. The Pope said that atheistswho do good will go to heaven., Thsi was widely reported and the Pope's quoted words are in the articles. Here is just one example

      Francis continued, “We must meet one another doing good. ‘But I don’t believe, Father, I am an atheist!’ But do good: we will meet one another there.”
      http://religion.blogs.cnn.com/2013/05/23/heaven-for-atheists-pope-sparks-debate/

      This same quote is explained, and in the same way, at Catholic.org, here
      http://www.catholic.org/news/hf/faith/story.php?id=51077

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  2. quote from anonymous: "I've never for once seen him talk about the need to accept Jesus and seek forgiveness." /end quote

    That's b/c this pope has called evangelizing others "bunk" (my word), TOO!!!!

    He called evangelizing others (how then will they hear the real gospel??) pope's words: SOLEMN NONSENSE!!

    Following picked up from ncregister (only part of it)
    The Pope smiles and says: "Some of my colleagues who know you [Scalfari] told me that you will try to convert me [to atheism]."

    It's a joke I tell him. My friends think it is you [the Pope] want to convert me [to Christianity].

    He smiles again and replies: "Proselytism is solemn nonsense, it makes no sense. We need to get to know each other, listen to each other and improve our knowledge of the world around us."

    Later, this exchange occurs:

    [Pope Francis:] "Do you know what agape is?"

    [Scalfari:] Yes, I know.

    [Pope Francis:] "It is love of others, as our Lord preached. It is not proselytizing, it is love. Love for one's neighbor, that leavening that serves the common good."
    //END...

    Elizabeth: I long have noticed that, too -- that my cath. inlaws will speak highly & kindly of "God", but rarely ever about Jesus!! (unless He is STILL a baby in the manger.... or STILL hanging on the cross!!)

    Unfortunately, I get concerned about my step mother, too (Church of Christ) as they are also big on referring to "God" but rarely ever Jesus. Before anyone puts words into my mouth, I am NOT calling Ch. of Christ a false religion! I simply do not know enough about them. But to act sheepishly about mentioning His name...?

    Back to the pope though, personally I do not think he'll become the antiChrist -- I tend to think that person will be a prominent world leader.... pope IS a great candidate for false prophet though!

    Time will tell. We'll be looking over heaven's balcony before we know for sure!
    MARANATHA!
    Reva

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  3. The antichrist is a military political leader not a religious leader. The false prophet is a religious leader. So the Pope could and most likely will be a false prophet not a antichrist. He has no might army as the antichrist has read revelations. Get it right

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    1. Thanks, Crook. Input is welcome, no need to be huffy though :)

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  4. BTW Reva and Crook, I agree with you both about the pope more likely being a prototype for false prophet than antichrist, now that you bring it up. Yet we see in the pope's rise in popularity how easy it would be for a popular man who has access to infrastructure such as government, wealth and allies to rise tot he level the bible says will happen when the time comes. But you're both right, as far as speculation goes, he'd more likely act as FP to the AC. As a matter of fact with all his "humility" and "shyness" he'd make a good straight man behind the scenes, spurring people to look at AC rather than himself, yet perpetrating evil deeds since He doesnt' have the Spirit...

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  5. Catch a Crook you need to check history - Popes have been "Military leaders" in the past. Pope Julius II was nicknamed "The Warrior Pope" and "Fearsome Pope". He was an example of a military political leader. So it has happened and could happen again.

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    1. Very true, Anonymous. Here is the wili link to papal militaryhistory

      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Military_in_Vatican_City

      Also the Vatican hosts the Swiss Guard, which protects the pope. The Italian Military is responsible for defending Vatican City from aggressors.

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  6. For many will come in my name, claiming, 'I am the Christ, ' and will deceive many. … and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people (Matthew 24:5, 11).

    For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and miracles to deceive even the elect--if that were possible. See, I have told you ahead of time (Matthew 24:24-25).

    In Revelation, Jesus warned us about the Great Deception that is coming.

    Then I saw another beast, coming out of the earth. He had two horns like a lamb, but he spoke like a dragon. He exercised all the authority of the first beast on his behalf, and made the earth and its inhabitants worship the first beast, whose fatal wound had been healed. And he performed great and miraculous signs, even causing fire to come down from heaven to earth in full view of men. Because of the signs he was given power to do on behalf of the first beast, he deceived the inhabitants of the earth (Revelation 13:11-14).

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  7. Hi again, Elizabeth!
    Oh my ~ this guy is WORSE than I thought! While surfing (actually for something else) while ago ~ here are his latest TWISTED anti-Biblical beliefs:

    Pope Francis perverts Christianity, Says There Is No Hell Fire, Adam and Eve Not Real
    “Hell is merely a metaphor for the isolated soul, which like all souls ultimately will be united in love with God.”...

    Wow.... we must be sooo close to the rapture!!!

    How many thousands.... even MILLIONS of poor catholics [and non] are gonna' hang on to every word that proceeds out of this man's mouth!! ~ to their own destruction!!

    Even if he does not become THEE false prophet (although sure looks that way, doesn't it?!) ~ but certainly he is A false prophet....no doubt! And one of the worst of the lot since people the world over believe this man.

    *sigh*

    Lord Jesus, PLEASE come quickly! Amen!

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  8. I'm put all my faith in the false prophets and anti-christ! Christian ARE the problem with all their hate and hypocrisy. I think the new pope is a great man.

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    1. Anonymous, can you help me understand further what you mean? Can you give some recent examples of Christian hate? And are you saying that everyone else *except* Christians are never hypocrites? Specifically why do you believe the pope is a great man, and not say, a Christian leader like Al Mohler? Thanks.

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