Friday, March 7, 2014

Bishop Palmer Presses Forward

Apparently Tony Palmer, bishop and international ecumenical officer for the Communion of Evangelical Episcopal Churches was deadly serious about his mission to unite the Protestant world with Catholicism. He has issued another video message wherein he underscores his desire to see visible unity amongst Christians. In his carefully written rally call, he says that Protestant Christians have spiritual racism. He proclaims that in the Post-Protestant era we live in anything that causes division must go.
He clearly describes who Joseph is and who the lost brothers are in Pope Francis' iPhone message to Evangelicals. In unambiguous terms, Palmer says we (the Evangelical world) are hungry and we will find what we are looking for in the arms of the Pope. Is this famine for bread a famine caused by the watering down of the message for so many years? Does the Pope have the bread the Protestant world is looking for? Interestingly enough, the analogy of Joseph used by the Pope of himself, is of Joseph in Egypt. [For those who have not yet seen the iPhone message from the Pope and Copeland Conference, click here] In the Bible, Egypt represents sin. If the Pope styles himself as Joseph - then we find him certainly in a fitting place - Egypt. As the woman that rides the beast in Revelation and the beast itself in Bible prophecy, the Papacy certainly fits all that Egypt represents and more.
In his message, Palmer claims that the bread is secondary to brotherhood. It is a profound statement - for as bread signifies the Word of God - Jesus, the bread of life, then Palmer is stating exactly what the agenda has been all along - the world does believe that Jesus Christ is secondary to brotherhood. There has been a total onslaught on Jesus Christ to downgrade Him to a level that will be suitable for everyone. And most definitely the Word of God is being set aside in order to gain the brotherhood that they are looking for. The Word of God would reveal the disunity of their doctrines, and so it must be set aside.
Palmer goes on to say that "The first step to deal with spiritual racism is to abolish the law which empowers it." What law would that be?
But apparently, truth is out the window. Only brotherhood matters. According to Palmer, "This is what we have been waiting for. We must seize this moment. This is a new day for Christianity."
And those who do not "seize this moment" are "out of sync with reality".
According to Palmer it is this enforced unity, led by the babble of the gift of tongues through their "Spirit" that will get atheists to believe. When Protestants and Catholics are united, all the world will believe, he claims.
But the most interesting statement of all is Palmer's assurance that "no one is coming home". Doing away with all of the Protestant worries that they have to "submit" to the Pope and come "home" to the Mother church, Palmer assures all viewers that they need not humble themselves so far that they come all the way "home". No, no. "We are journeying towards each other and we will meet in the middle," he says. How assuring. Which point will the Papacy compromise on or is it as always nothing more than a game of words with them? Pope Francis makes it easy for anyone to lay down their weapons and come to the "middle" - only perhaps this middle is slightly off-centre.
Watch the video to the end for the full message from Tony Palmer, the Pope's right-hand man: HERE

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