Expert: Pastor Don Carpenter - 6/16/2011

Question
Mr. Carpenter,



In June of 2009, you commented on a message that I wrote concerning  “...for he shall magnify himself above all gods”.



In your comments you wrote....

" I believe that before Daniel's 70th week, there will be a great war over religion, possibly involving radical Islam  I believe that the bloodshed will be so great that the peace maker that immerges, the anit- chirst, will proclaim that any radical exclusive religious belief is the evil.  It will be the universal elevation of the fellow man that will unite all into a one world system void of absolute truth."



In  your comment you write that you believe that a physical war may happen in the middle east against Islam, from which the anti-christ will rise.



I am sure that you have followed the events in the middle east. You have seen that not only dictators have been conquered but that their way of life has also been conquered by the "belief / way of life" of the king of the north.



Given the scripture in revelations that predicted that the 8th of the 7th beast would have 2 horns (strengths), one as a lamb ( appearance of peace and righteousness) and the other as speaking as the dragon ( the belief in self-rule, self-will, the desire to serve one's own interest), the battle in the middle east has not been a physical war against Islam ( since according to the belief of freedom of rights and religion the religion of Islam is as valid as that of the Christian religion) but a spiritual war, of prinicipalities, of conquering the beliefs of the non democratic nations. The desire for the way of freedom of rights has caused the people to conquer their own rulers with its advancement  and glorification by the USA and other democtaric nations.



This is part of what you wrote, "the peace maker...will proclaim that any radical exclusive religious belief is the evil.  It will be the universal elevation of the fellow man that will unite all into a one world system void of absolute truth."

The key word in your statement is "exlusive".



Now compare to Daniel....


“....and he will advance the glory of this god of fortresses.....Thus he, the king of the north, shall act against the strongest fortresses with a foreign god, which he will acknowledge and advance its glory...The king of the north will stretch out his hand into Egypt, and Libya and Ethiopia will follow at his heels....and he shall plant the tabernacle of his palace between (and above) the seas and the glorious Holy mountain.”

....note these fortresses will still exist but under the belief of this "god that magnifies himself, his self-will"  (the god of freedom of rights).


A Unifying World Belief...Worshipped by All!  .....it is happening now!

There is a wind of unification blowing across all nations and all peoples. How can all nations and all peoples be united in peace by the same belief? This has never happened in history. Given the variety of cultures, the existence of some 40 recognized religious beliefs within 10 main religions (including atheism), and the individuality of each person’s values, how can it be possible that everyone will believe and prioritize the same supreme fundamental belief. What belief is it?

It can only be the inclusive belief in man’s freedom of human rights and universal values. In other words, it is the foundation of all democracies. This is presently being witnessed in the glorious land.

President Obama has portrayed the belief in universal values as the new religion, or tree, from which all other religions (as branches) have the “right” to be worshipped. It is the “umbrella belief” or “god of fortresses” that protects and unites all other beliefs through a set of universal values.  The “golden rule” or law of loving your neighbor as yourself originated with God, the Father of Jesus Christ. However, He is no longer seen as the Most High. He has been now positioned on the same level as one of the other “gods”, as a religion among other religions. It will be decreed that the declaration that Christ is the Only Way is exlusive, divisive, anti-democratic, and illegal. However, the True God, and His Christ, is not a religion. Man’s way and laws will not stop the return of Christ as the Only King of kings, to bring forth God’s Kingdom and His Way of Truth.

This belief in rights and universal values is the image, mark, name, and number that will cause “even the elect” to willingly accept, live by, worship, and advance this belief, as already seen within all Christian churches. This is the belief that is referred to by the last king in the prophecy found in Daniel 11:36-39, “...for he shall magnify himself (self-will) above all gods...and he will advance the glory of this “god of fortresses”.”

This is the tribulation that God has allowed to come upon "Christians" to be tested. To test their faith to stand without compromise for Christ as the one and Only Way of life, only belief to Him.

Soon, this preeminent belief in “man’s way of peace” will be planted in Jerusalem (the city of peace) as the belief above all beliefs, as the belief above Christ and above the True and Only God. This will be done when President Obama will orchestrate, via the demands of the Arab and Jewish youth, the peace between the Israelis and the Palestinians.

In His message to the seven churches, Christ, the Anointed One who is like God and is the Only Way to Him, warns the churches that they have left their first love. This is the common failing. This means that Christians have placed another way of life before and above the True and Only God. Christians have made Christ and the True God into a religion amongst other religions.

Christians embrace the "freedom" to preach Him and pray to Him.... but as per the belief in one's personal self-choice. This choice is part of their primary belief in their desire to live according to one's own interest.

Choice of "religion" will not be worshipped when Christ returns.

I pray that you will recognize this deception and stand instead for Christ, the One and Only Way to the Only Father and Creator.



John Stefanyszyn

 // (514)746-9312

Answer
Hi John,

Just to be clear, I do not believe that we have the freedom to worship God is just any old way, there is only one true way to God and that is through Jesus.  I was only speculating with the possibility of a war before Daniel's 70th week. I do believe that the world will unite under one large unifying false global religion during Daniel's 70th week and under the reign of the anti-christ. We have not seen it yet, so I dont believe anything has been fulfilled yet.  You offer an interesting perspective... I still watch events with interest and we will see what happenes next.

In Christ
Pastor Don