This week, we received a letter to the editor that alerted us to plans for a “2020 Global Year of the Bible.” As you read the information below, please keep in mind, Lighthouse Trails does not oppose the idea that “billions” of people in the world could potentially read the Bible. Of course not! The underlying and significant story here is the ecumenical, “let’s-all-come-together-no-matter-what” aspect and the unspoken but obvious objective ” to “engage in a global conversation” about the Bible in order to draw followers into specific belief systems.
The letter to the editor says:
To Lighthouse Trails:
I just read an article today on the Christian Post regarding a new initiative called “A.D. 2020 Global Year of the Bible.”
[LTRP Note: The CP article begins:
“Missionary leaders from over 34 countries convened at the Museum of the Bible on Monday morning to launch A.D. 2020 Global Year of the Bible, a first-of-its-kind evangelical initiative endorsed by Roman Catholic Pope Francis. . . . In a recorded video endorsement from the Vatican, Pope Francis praised the Global Year of the Bible initiative and told those leading it to ‘be encouraged.’”]
Promoters include over 500 leaders and organizations from 200 countries, YWAM, American Bible Society, Wycliffe Bible Translators, the World Evangelical Alliance and Call2All. Many other Bible translation and missionary groups from around the world are involved. One should read the entire article to get the full scope; it is staggering. And groups like PULSE and others who stage enormous gatherings of youth are also involved. The piece de resistance, however, comes at the end of the article which states that the entire endeavor is being heartily endorsed by Pope Francis in a recorded video from the Vatican.
We are seeing it folks, the one-world religion, not only forming, but gaining momentum and almost at the point of culmination. I do not know how any Bible-believing Christian can be in agreement with such a clearly ecumenical agenda. The Pope will very likely be the head of the false church described in Revelation. He is not “officially, visibly” that yet, but it is there, just waiting in the wings. Millions of evangelicals now eagerly agree with the Catholic Church and going along with what seem to be endless initiatives and efforts to “Christianize the world.” It is dominionism and the one-world religion—there is no other conclusion to come to.
Heidi
The 2020 Global Year of the Bible website is registered with the University of the Nations in Hawaii. Loren Cunningham (YWAM’s leader) is the International Chancellor of that school. You may remember a 2018 article from Lighthouse Trails titled “YWAM—Wants Every YWAMer to Practice Contemplative Prayer!” YWAM has been a big promoter of contemplative prayer and emergent missiology for several years. A “natural” outcome of contemplative/emergent spirituality is a change in spiritual outlook that takes on ecumenism—with all faiths.
In a September 16, 2019 article from Religious News Service titled “WEA launches curriculum for the AD 2020 global Year of the Bible,” it also discusses the “2020 Global Year of the Bible”:
Bishop Efraim Tendero, Secretary-General of the World Evangelical Alliance (WEA), today launched a global campaign to mark 2020 as the “Year of the Bible”. Founded in 1846, the WEA represents over 600 million Christians worldwide with national alliances in 130 nations.
Projected to be one of the most collaborative movements in Christian history, the Year of the Bible is also supported by His Holiness Pope Francis of the Catholic church, the global Lausanne network, Youth With A Mission, the United Bible Societies, The Seed Company, Biblica and many more.
The year-long initiative is expected to achieve the greatest global Bible engagement in history, as billions follow a call to read the Bible and engage in a global conversation on its message. (emphasis added)
Lighthouse Trails can’t help be nervous about this “global conversation” with which “billions” might be involved. If organizations like YWAM and the Roman Catholic Church are instigators of this global conversation with billions, then we can easily speculate what this conversation will look like given that YWAM and the Catholic Church are leaders in promoting the interspiritual, panentheistic contemplative prayer movement (not to mention YWAM’s “new missiology” views that often leaves the Gospel out of missions and the Catholic Church’s overwhelming emphasis on the Eucharist that re-crucifies Christ at every Mass). All the while, Christian leaders either stand by passively and silently or join in helping to bring about a global “revival.”
It’s ironic, to say the least, that the Roman Catholic Church would endorse the 2020 Year of the Bible when the RCC discourages their members in reading the Bible. Historically, the RCC leadership has not wanted Roman Catholics to read the Bible but has taught them to leave the reading and interpretation of the Bible up to the popes and priests. So why would the present Pope endorse such an initiative, unless his reasons are to use the occasion to “bring back the lost brethren” into the “Mother Church”? And tragically, evangelical leaders are helping to accomplish the task, whether they realize it or not.
See Related YouTube video below Related Articles.
Related Articles:
Christian Leaders – A New Openness . . . by Ray Yungen
“One World Religion: Pope Francis Signs Historic Covenant With Islam”
Related Video:
First Video: One year ago, the Vatican proposed that 2020 would be the Year of the Bible in honor of St. Jerome who first translated the Bible into Latin (for the Catholic Church). 2020 is the 1600th year anniversary of Jerome’s death.
(photo from bigstockphoto.com; used with permission)
Paulina,
Are you saying that Lighthouse Trails seems to have a lot in common with the Eastern Orthodox Church? That’s an interesting statement. Can you explain what you mean? Wondering if maybe you meant to say “they” instead of “you.”
Have you guys heard of Eastern Orthodox Church? You seem to have a lot in common, obviously not everything. Right now, there seems to be a big trend toward that, since everything else seems to be imposing. Consider reading “orthodoxy and the religion of the future”.
Thank you for alerting us to this, JC.
Like a majority of Christian organizations today, Wycliffe is being influenced by contemplative spirituality. Once an organization starts in this direction, in time, it becomes unrecognizable.
And now Wycliffe has added Spiritual Formation heresy to its ranks. Sue Russell, the Spiritual Formation ‘specialist’ now has two Webinars on the website. One is about ‘hearing God’ (without the Scriptures) and two, entering God’s presence in “The Silence.” Yes we are to enter in with reverence and awe and confession in Jesus name, but the phrase, “The Silence’ is now the universal platform for all to enter in no matter what faith. I also personally talked to a missionary from Wycliffe who said he reads Dallas Willard and feels people just have ‘misunderstood’ Spiritual Formation. (October 2022)
Dear Tereese – I appreciate your heart. Most Christians are not aware of what has been going on for many years. The latest term is convergence. There is a fast paced agenda racing towards the New World order, which includes one world religion. It sounds so inviting, as it presents a unity based on having “more in common then we don’t.”. It is well organized, and well executed. The Lord Jesus Christ, Peter, Paul, Jude, have one major common message. In the last days deception would run rampant, leading into the great falling away from the faith that was once delivered to the saints – apostasy. Unless one is truly grounded in the word of God, it is very very difficult to see through the maze. It will suffice to simply direct your attention to these two WORTHY ministries (also on YOUTUBE):
[1] Proclaiming the Gospel, Mike Gendron. (a former Catholic); and, [2] rogeroakland.org, and, understandthetimes.org. (Both Roger Oakland)
(Book) Another Jesus?: The eucharistic christ and the new evangelization Paperback – May 25, 2020
by Roger Oakland
Tereese, May the Holy Spirit open your understanding as you genuinely seek to know THE Truth..
Sincerely, and respectively, submitted….
DMC
Mary, when you say “Grace Church,” are you referring to Calvinist churches?
The Roman Catholic church belongs to satan, as does all the Evangelical church that practices a subtle form of works. Come out of her my people, gather together in a group and forget most churches, if you have a Grace Church go to it. The churches have all been taken over by Satan and he is using his ministers to do it, they are all marching towards Rome, all Roads lead to Rome.
The romanist church places a curse on anyone who believes in Justification by grace alone through faith alone. These are found in canons 9 and 12
What else is there to say except romanism is a false cult and satan’s church
Dear Aaron,
To be born again in the spirit is to admit we are all sinners, Romans 3:23; According to God’s law, the penalty for sin is death, but God gives us another option, eternal life 6:23; God loves us so much that he sent His only Son Jesus Christ to be crucified in our place on a Roman cross, even though we are sinners Romans 5:8; and whoever repents and calls on Jesus shall be saved, Romans 10:13. John 3:16 says that God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Jesus lived a perfect life doing His Father’s will to the end, even death on a cross. Jesus arose from the dead on the third day and will come for those who love Him soon, which we call the Rapture. Aaron, may you have a blessed new life in Christ! Read a King James Version of the Bible daily. I try to read the entire Bible through every year. It is a blessing and joy.
Wondering how you might be saved [born again]? Thx!
Tereese
It’s sounds like you’re serving another Jesus which Paul warned about in 2 Corinthians 11:4. You’re supposed to come out of the harlot Roman Catholic Church (RCC), abandon all its doctrines and practices, not stay in it. That’s what ex-priests Charles Chiniquy (50 Years in the church of Rome) and the recently deceased Richard Bennett did (bereanbeacon.org). You can also see ex-Catholic father and son duo, Patrick and James, at excatholicsforchrist.com/. On Berean Beacon’s website there are testimonies of former priests and nuns which found the real Jesus Christ and rejected the RCC.
Please study about what Eugene Peterson really believed. Please stay away from his so called Bible.
Absolutely agree.
Amen! Bible believers should never join the Catholic Church or be a part of this global movement. May our God deliver us from all deception, which is moving into our churches. Let us study the Word! Our only protection from these false teachers, like Rick Warren who are leading the way!
I am a Roman Catholic and I study Scripture. Not only I, but most of the Catholics I know do as well. Please don’t make the mistake of thinking Catholics don’t read or study scripture…”Ignorance of Scripture is ignorance of God.” St. Jerome said that and he was responsible for translating the Greek (language of the elite and educated) into the Latin which was the language of the regular people. I believe in Jesus Crist as my Lord and Savior…He is everyone’s Lord and Savior and your job and my job is to help people know,love and serve God via His son Jesus Christ – because (as hard as it is to believe) there are many many people in the United States that have never heard of Jesus and we don’t help them by arguing about Him as Christians.
For those of us that read the Bible in the English language we need to stick with the authorized version KJB. Also, for commentaries get one that predates Wescott and Hort. There are some great ones by Matthew Henry and John Gill.
Henry Guinness and Charles Spurgeon we’re warning people in the late 1800s about the deceptions they saw creeping in.
Hendrickson publishers sell them.
Also, YouTube both Reg Block at His channel labelled “rescuing the church” as well as John Doerr who came from a Roman Catholic Jesuit educated family and is the coo producer of three films.. a lamp in the dark, Tares among the wheat and a bridge to Babylon.
God bless you
The authorized 1611 King James Bible
I would not endorse any movement supported by the Pope or YWAM. It is ironic that the Pope is calling for the whole world to read the Bible when he does not. Very few R. Catholics read the Bible. I know because I lived in Spain for 5 yrs. The Spaniards were surprised when they found out I read the Bible. They called me a practicing Christian. Most monks and nuns do not read the Bible. During the Middle Ages people were burned at the stake for owning a Bible. Translators were burned at the stake for putting the Bible into the language of the ordinary people. The R.C. church insisted the Bible had to be in Latin. This Year of the Bible event is an attempt to lure evangelicals into the R. C. Church and the Pope is succeeding.
Which Bible are they wanting us to read??? The Catholic bible, the Passion bible, the Message………what days these are……
Yes, thank you Lighthouse Trails. One must ask also, what version of the Bible will be promoted. No doubt, The Message will be in the mix. And that is not the Bible.
Jesus; If you love me you will keep my commands, Man is to live by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God. Jude: Boldly defend the faith. Paul: Be diligent to present thyself unto God, a workman that not need be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
Today all too many are well pleased to do the exact opposite. I hear from BSF defenders is that they love it because they avoid all controversy. BSF demand that no one defends the faith or tries to evangelize the lost and the confused.
Pastors boast that they want people to know what they are for, not for what they are against. They unashamedly name drop false teachers. Is this out of willful ignorance or lack of discernment or sinister motives? Irrespective they are harming Gods flocks.
Church growth and unity is the, golden calf of today.
Jesus preached the truth in John 6 and thousands of followers walked away from him. Is this today’s pastors biggest fear? Should it not be giving an account on the day of judgment instead?
rev 17 mystery babylon