As we ended 2022 so we begin 2023 — attacking the devil and his agents and seeking to refute their lies and warn sinners of their need of Christ.
This article on the late Pope Benedict centres upon his wicked attack on the gospel and the allying ecumenical church leaders here in Ulster with him and his perverted notions of God and His Truth.
The many news link I have included were sent to me by a friend who keeps a watch out for such items that may be of interest to me and you, the readers of “The Burning Bush”.
May it please the Lord to bless the article to many hearts.
Sincerely in Christ’s name,
Ivan Foster
Pope Benedict a wiser man now BUT LOST!!!!
Ex-Pope Benedict, like all his predecessors who have entered upon death, has crossed a threshold to a realm of knowledge of a degree he never experienced while alive!
He was one who, during his time on earth, descended to the utter depths of pagan darkness to an extent few others did, with the exception of his fellow popes.
Under the guise of his self-proclaimed role as ‘God’s chief representative on earth’, he propagated the most vile perversion of Christianity. I believe that it can be proved that the ‘institution’ of which he was head, distorted, corrupted and degenerated every truth of the Bible. In the place of plain gospel doctrine as set forth in God’s Word, he and his ilk set forth nothing better than the corruptions of ‘Babylonianism’. Indeed, it was ‘Babylonianism’!
He is now paying the price in hell of his life-long embracing of popish nonsense and rejecting the truth of God.
His View of Protestants
Back in July 2007, he infamously said: “Protestants aren’t proper Christians.”
It must be said that ’nominal’ Protestants, of which there are sadly all too many, are not ‘proper Christians’. Indeed they are not Christians at all!
Only those Protestants of the school of thought of which Martin Luther, John Calvin, John Knox, Hugh Latimer, Nicolas Ridley, Thomas Cranmer and many many others, were faithful exponents, are true Protestants and true Christians. They are those who believe the Bible and embrace by faith the Christ offered within its pages.
This statement the now dead Benedict issued in 2007, is but a mere shadow of the true view he and his fore-bears had of Protestants. The actual attitude of Popery toward Protestants is seen in the ashes to which they rendered tens of thousands of God dearest saints, the prison cells in which many more were tortured and the millions terrorised out of home and country.
That is the measure of Benedict’s true view of Protestants.
Deceived Deceivers
In the wake of his death, the dealers in lies and myths that occupy pulpits in so-called Protestant denominations here, issued statements that indicated that that they had no regard whatever for TRUTH and that they were willing to ‘whitewash’ one of their own genre!
A headline in the ‘Belfast Telegraph’ of December 31st 2022, declared: “Pope Benedict XVI: Irish church leader pays tribute to his reaction to abuse scandal after death of former pontiff.” The Presbyterian Moderator was among the local religious figures offering condolences. He is a professed ‘evangelical. As Dr Paisley of old would have said, ‘better called a evanjellyfish’!
They propagate lies when they speak of ‘his reaction to abuse’ within the institution he once headed. The truth is he ignored and sought to cover over the abuse in his own ‘back yard.
Consider these headlines:
Pope’s brother linked to sex abuse
Pope Benedict’s ‘fanatical, merciless’ brother led German boys choir embroiled in sex abuse scandal
Decades of sexual abuse reported in choir once led by retired pope Benedict’s brother
One more: Pope’s brother asks for forgiveness over violence at school
I will leave you to peruse the information these reports provide and I am sure that you will see that the local church leaders here in Northern Ireland are engaged in duplicity and deception! Condemnation rather than ‘tributes’ should be directed at the late pope.
Pope Died with Sins Unforgiven
It is reported in the ‘Belfast Telegraph’ article already mentioned, that Eamon Martin, the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of All Ireland, said he would pray for the former pontiff, “asking God to forgive his sins and human failings, while rewarding his generous service and complete dedication to the Gospel and to the Church”.
This shows the prevailing ignorance of Romanism. The Bible makes plain that if a man’s sins are not forgiven before he dies, then there is NO FORGIVENESS for that man.
The only person who will get into heaven is the one who has his sins forgiven before he dies. That excludes Pope Benedict for his fellow priest, Eamon Martin, says he has yet sins to be forgiven!
Listen to the Word of God:
“And when he saw their faith, he said unto him, Man, thy sins are forgiven thee,” Luke 5:20. “I write unto you, little children, because your sins are forgiven you for his name’s sake,” 1 John 2:12. “Wherefore I say unto thee, Her sins, which are many, are forgiven; for she loved much: but to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little,” Luke 7:47. “And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you,” Ephesians 4:32. “If thou, LORD, shouldest mark iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand? But there is forgiveness with thee, that thou mayest be feared,” Psalm 130:3-4. “But rise, and stand upon thy feet: for I have appeared unto thee for this purpose, to make thee a minister and a witness both of these things which thou hast seen, and of those things in the which I will appear unto thee; delivering thee from the people, and from the Gentiles, unto whom now I send thee, to open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me,” Acts 26:16-18.
These verses are but some of the many that refute the notion propagated by popery and its allies that no one can know this side of eternity that their sins are forgiven.
The gospel is a message explaining to mankind how to know forgiveness of sin. “Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren, that through this man (the Lord Jesus Christ) is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins,” Acts 13:38. “In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace,” Ephesians 1:7. “Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son: In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins,” Colossians 1:13-14. “And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book: but these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name,” John 20:30-31. Here is the purpose of the Bible!
The forgiveness of the sins of those who have come in faith to Christ is part, an essential part, of that redemption which Christ by the shedding of His blood on the cross purchased.
Benedict did NOT have forgiveness of sin we are told, therefore he was not one redeemed by the blood of Christ and is now in a lost sinner’s hell!
I don’t say that lightly nor rejoice in that everlastingly tragic fact but I would strive to have Roman Catholics to understand just WHAT THE WORD OF GOD TEACHES! It does not teach what they have been wickedly taught to believe.
Salvation is not found in works, self effort, acts of kindness, church-going etc. Please note, if it were the thief of the cross could never have been told, a very short time before he died and while his feet and hands were nailed to the gibbet and he was utterly incapable of performing any religious acts other than confessing his sin to Christ and asking for pardon and deliverance from Him.
Doing just that brought him the most perfect assurance that when he would die, but a short time later, he would be with Christ. Listen to the gospel narrative.
“And one of the malefactors which were hanged railed on him, saying, If thou be Christ, save thyself and us. But the other answering rebuked him, saying, Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation? And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss. And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom. And Jesus said unto him, Verily (very truly) I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise,” Luke 23:39-43.
He wasn’t baptised, he gave no offerings, he never attended a church, he did no works as they are understood today BUT HE MOST ASSUREDLY DIED A SAVED MAN WHOSE SINS WERE FORGIVEN.
Paul taught: “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,” Titus 3:5. He also plainly stated: “Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified,” Galatians 2:16. “But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith,” Galatians 3:11.
This I say is the gospel and not that which Rome preaches and which poor foolish Benedict depended upon to the loss of his soul! This is evident in the words of the Roman Catholic Archbishop when speaking about the death of Pope Benedict. He says that he will pray that God will reward “his generous service and complete dedication to the Gospel and to the Church”. His works, such as they were, will gain him heaven despite his unforgiven sin. That is .a total rejection of the teaching of the Bible. I repeat the words of Paul, which inspired by the Holy Spirit. “Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified,” Galatians 2:16.
Nothing could be plainer than that Rome and the Bible are at a variance!
A Question for You!
Where will you spend eternity? Not in heaven if you embrace the teachings of Rome rather, you will die unforgiven and be lost forever.
I close with the words of Moses and apply them to the circumstances we are dealing with.
“O that they were wise, that they understood this, that they would consider their latter end!” Deuteronomy 32:29.