Pantheism: Belief in and service to multiple gods.  The ancient Romans offer a perfect example of pantheism.  During her reign over much of Europe the mighty Roman Empire conquered many societies, some large, some small.  Following a conquest of a people the Romans would examine the defeated peoples’ gods, beliefs and customs, find those parts they liked and incorporate them into their religious system.  Catholicism being the religion of Rome following the supposed conversion of Emperor Constantine, the government forced all conquered people to “convert” to the Catholic faith.  In order to keep the heathen masses happy, church leaders embraced their pagan beliefs and traditions by incorporating them into her catechisms.  It is from this practice that the Sunday sabbath, Christmas, Easter, along with many other abominations became foundational principles (“Bible truths”) to those in the church.  When the so-called “Protestants” left the mother church they took her paganisms with them.  Though each heathen religion had its own god, those gods were figments of their imaginations-the brainchildren of the god of this world–Satan (2 Cor. 4:4).  This inventor of gods is the subject of this series.  We understand how Catholicism became pantheistic and how Protestantism simply took her various gods, beliefs and practices with them when they left her in “protest.”   Let us now examine the process by which Protestantism has remained pantheistic since 1517 when the supposed “church split” took place.

The key to understanding how an organization that claims to serve the one and only God of the Holy Scriptures could become a multi-god, religious corporation is found in the first four verses of the 13th chapter of the Book of Jeremiah.  Here Moses is warning the nation of Israel about the lure of idolatry.  One will note that the prophet is speaking to every Israelite, which today equates to everyone in “the church.”  The use of the word “you” means that each and every Israelite was being addressed personally.  The same is true for all who identify themselves as Christians today.  The modern church is a chip off the old Israelite block when it comes to idolatry.  God spoke to Israel through Moses and the other prophets.  Today His written Word speaks to the church by way of His apostles who warn one and all to be diligent and vigilant for Satan will use their own people to separate them from Him and keep them separated.  I have spent most of my life separated from God because I did not understand what I am telling you on this website.  Let us return to Jeremiah 13:1-4.

Notice that in verses one and four Moses speaks about a “prophet.”  Scripturaly, the word is used in the ministerial sense, either for good or for ill.  The problem with the two types of prophets is that they both speak about the same subject and use the same words.  False prophets change the Lord’s message by altering His Words ever so slightly, usually adding to them or taking from them.  Small changes can totally reverse a message.  A prime example of such a ruse took place in Eden when the Serpent inserted one word–“not”–when referring to what God had said.  After perfectly repeating what God had said, the serpent added that one word that reversed the meaning of the statement (Gen. 2:16,17; 3:3,4).  Moses is warning the people to be vigilant and discerning when listening to a “prophet,” FOR EACH WORD IS IMPORTANT.  Jesus said that they would be so persuasive that they would “deceive many” (Mat. 24:4,5).

In verses one and two Moses tells the people that a “prophet” might rise up from among them (one of their own) who might have received a dream concerning a sign/miracle.  Note that the miracle (sign) WOULD COME TO PASS.  No problem here, for God prophesied that His men would see visions and dream dreams (Acts 2:17), perform miracles, signs and wonders (Jn. 14:12).  I have dreamed prophetic dreams, seen prophetic visions and heard the “voice” of the Lord revealing tonme what He was going to do and, in one case, how He was going to do it.  In every case the “sign” came to pass exactly as He had revealed it to me.  During those days I was known as a healer and a deliverer of demons.  Yet I WAS NOT YET CONVERTED.  I was in league with Judas who preached the gospel, cast out demons and healed the sick, EVEN THOUGH HE WAS A THIEF.

Verse two tells us how a problem can evolve when a prophet’s dream comes to pass.  Upon the sign being manifested (the dream coming true) for all the people to see, the prophet, having convinced the people that he is truly God’s messenger, tells them to follow him in serving other gods.  This deception seems easy to uncover.  The problem is that the prophet would not tell his audience to worship known heathen gods, animals, heavenly bodies, etc.  He would tell them to worship and serve a familiar god, one which the people were acquainted.  Not knowing the truth about the gods of the different church systems, people tend to do what the preacher tells them to do.  The gods are those of Catholicism/Protestantism which have been created by Satan–the pantheistic potentate.  Satan has a “god” to fit the need of every one of the 2.5 billion god seekers on earth today.  All the seeker has to do is join “the church of your choice” and worship and serve the god of that organization.  One’s choice of church and god is usually the one with which the miracle worker, popular preacher, etc. , is affiliated.

The fact that those within the groups–Biblicly called “divisions” and today called “denominations”–professes to believe in the one Biblical God (1 Cor. 1:10).  The reality is that they neither believe nor serve the Biblical God.  They serve the god Satan has assigned to lead their specific religious group (denomination).

In the Scriptures we are told that there is ONE WORD, TRUTH, GOSPEL, LAW, ETC., and that there is ONE GOD AND ONE LORD WHO DICTATED THAT ONE GOSPEL.  We are also told in Scripture  that there is ONE TRUE CHURCH OF GOD, and that ONE CHURCH professes, believes and obeys that ONE WORD.  Professing Christendom, however, proclaims that there are MANY CHURCHES that believe and preach MANY WORDS, TRUTHS, GOSPELS, ETC.  who dictates his on words, truths, gospels, etc.  However, IT IS THE SAME GOD THAT ALL THE OTHER GROUPS SERVE.  Never underestimate the power Satan holds over the Institutional Church.  I have had people agree that what I told them was Bible Truth, yet declare that they are staying their denominational course.  Unbelievable, but true.

Let us do what is never done.  Let us apply some common sense to the issue.  If all the churches believe in the SAME GOD, and that ONE GOD has only ONE GOSPEL–ONE TRUTH, how can there be hundreds of denominations?   If they were all serving the same God and acknowledging the same gospel, how can there be more than one church?  Each church’s doctrinal beliefs reflect the specific theology of that one denomination.  If there is only ONE TRUTH, as Jesus said in John 17:17, and ONE GOD AND ONE SON, as Paul said in Ephesians 4:4-6, HOW CAN THERE BE MORE THAN ONE CHURCH?  HOW CAN THERE BE DIVISIONS/DENOMINATIONS, EACH WITH ITS OWN TRUTH-DETERMINING GOD?

The answer to those question is: Satan.  The god of this world provides each division/denomination/church/faith/order, etc. with its own god, whose particular gospel is designed to scratch the itching ears of certain people who have formed a group with others of like mind.  For each group he provides a specially trained leader whose job it is to convince those in their respective church/faith/denomination, etc. THAT THEY ARE THE TRUE CHRISTIANS WHO ARE TRULY SERVING GOD.  Why is God allowing this to take place?

Verses three and four: “You must not listen to the miracle worker, for THE LORD YOUR GOD IS TESTING YOU to see if you will love Him with all your heart and soul.  You must walk (live) after the Lord your God, fear Him, obey His commandments and His voice (of the Holy Spirit).  You must serve only Him and cling only to Him.”  As the Apostle Peter said, the church is being judged now, and only the righteous will be saved (1 Pet. 4:17,18).

Today Satan has smooth-talking hirelings who perform miracles, signs and wonders.  Others lead mega-churches with global congregations, etc.  Evangelists have masses of god-seekers coming to their services where people are healed and demons are cast out.  Television, radio and the world wide web have brought “God’s Word” into the homes of billions of people.  But just as Satan brought his gospel into Eden where it was used to pervert God’s Word, he is today using that “information highway” to “tweak” God’s Word and to entice god seekers to believe his version of it.  It worked in Eden and still works today.  Over two billion people attest to that fact.

Satan’s false prophets are his weapons of mass spiritual destruction.  They fill the airwaves with his poison.  We must “test the spirits” of those who teach us (1 Jn. 4:1) to see if they are of God.  There is only one testing instrument–God’s Word.

Notice in the focal passage that it is God who allows Satan’s prophet to preach beautiful sermons, perform miracles, built huge churches, conduct global ministries, etc.  He is testing us to see if we will go the way of Abel or the way of his parents.  Abel believed and obeyed God.  Adam, Eve and Cain went their own way–they became their own denomination.  They were religious (Cain brought an offering to God just as Abel did.)  Satan got to Cain, but not Abel.  God warns the Cains of the church world:  “Beware, the devil goes about as a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.”  The problem with Catholics and Protestants is that they do not know they are being devoured.   As did Adam and Eve, they are eating of the forbidden tree.  L.J.