Of Steamrollers and Broadroads

This seems to be the year of new roads in North Idaho. The main north-south highway in Idaho is getting a face-lift and expansion. Also, the road going to where our family used to live is now going from winding and graveled, to winding and paved.

I’ve always been fascinated by the amount and size of equipment, not to mention the time, required to build a new road. There are layers of gravel put down and firmly embedded by a gigantic steamroller. Is it really steam? I don’t know, but it sounds good, doesn’t it?  The huge roller weighs about ten tons and flattens and permanently embeds anything and everything in its way. It’s necessary for this preparation to take place so we can drive our shiny new cars, and old clunkers, without fear of accident. Except, of course for the deer; they can’t pave them out!

What results is a broad new highway, in the case of highway 95, wide enough for four lanes of traffic. We like to see such growth and convenience in our world, don’t we? We can get to Coeur d’Alene a lot faster now than we did just last week. I’m sure that must be important somewhere in the grand scheme of things.

I see we are getting somewhere else a lot faster this week, also. It even looks like that old steamroller is sputtering to a start to help pave the broad road to perdition with the blood and bones of the saints.

The papal church will never relinquish her claim to infallibility. All that she has done in her persecution of those who reject her dogmas, she holds to be right; and would she not repeat the same acts, should the opportunity be presented? Let the restraints now be imposed by secular governments be removed, and Rome be re-instated in her former power, and there would speedily be a revival of her tyranny and persecution (GC88 564.1).

Yesterday morning I started receiving the first of a number of emails from concerned friends about the Pope’s latest announcement. I scanned through several pages of headlines—there are almost 500 headlines from around the world. It seems significant to me in light of Biblical prophecy and the clear statements from the Spirit of Prophecy, that we are seeing a momentous and meaningful resurrection of “her former power.” Can the “revival of her tyranny and persecution” be far behind?

Even secular reporters are aware that the sleeping giant is awakening. Words like “primacy,” “supremacy,” “lust for power,” “persecute,” and “death” are not chosen just to get you to read their articles. This Pope was the head of the Office of the Inquisition; renamed to whitewash it for our modern sensibilities, but still the same old persecuting power inside the door.

Let’s see what Ellen White has to say: 

There are many who are disposed to attribute any fear of Roman Catholicism in the United States to bigotry or childishness. Such see nothing in the character and attitude of Romanism that is hostile to our free institutions, or find nothing portentous in its growth. Let us, then, first compare some of the fundamental principles of our government with those of the Catholic Church (GC88 564.3).

The Constitution of the United States guarantees liberty of conscience. Nothing is dearer or more fundamental. Pope Pius IX., in his Encyclical Letter of August 15, 1854, said: “The absurd and erroneous doctrines or ravings in defense of liberty of conscience, are a most pestilent error—a pest, of all others, most to be dreaded in a State.” The same pope, in his Encyclical Letter of December 8, 1864, anathematized “those who assert the liberty of conscience and of religious worship,” also “all such as maintain that the church may not employ force” (GC88 564.4).

Yesterday, the Pope said that other churches are mere “ecclesial communities” and “their ministers in effect phonies.” He says they cannot even administer communion. Hey, Pastor, when the next communion time comes around, guess you’ll have to call in the local priest to get it right. Puts a whole new meaning on “open communion” doesn’t it?

Lest we be misunderstood, let me hasten to clarify:

It is true that there are real Christians in the Roman Catholic communion. Thousands in that church are serving God according to the best they have. They are not allowed access to his Word, and therefore they do not discern the truth. They have never seen the contrast between a living heart-service and a round of mere forms and ceremonies. God looks with pitying tenderness upon these souls, educated as they are in a faith that is delusive and unsatisfying. He will cause rays of light to penetrate the dense darkness that surrounds them. He will reveal to them the truth, as it is in Jesus, and many will yet take their position with his people (GC88 565.2).

Popery is just what prophecy declared that she would be, the apostasy of the latter times. [2 THESS. 2:3,4] It is a part of her policy to assume the character that will best accomplish her purpose; but beneath the variable appearance of the chameleon, she conceals the invariable venom of the serpent. “We are not bound to keep faith and promises to heretics.” She declares. Shall this power, whose record for a thousand years is written in the blood of the saints, be now acknowledged as part of the church of Christ (GC88 571.1)?

As the Protestant churches have been seeking the favor of the world, false charity has blinded their eyes. They do not see but that is right to believe good of all evil; and as the inevitable result, they will finally believe evil of all good. Instead of standing in defense of the faith once delivered to the saints, they are now, as it were, apologizing to Rome for their uncharitable opinion of her, begging pardon for their bigotry (GC88 571.3).

And yet the Protestant world seeks to allay its fear and breathes in the assurance from yesterday’s announcement that will not interfere with the ecumenical talks that seek to unite Christendom.

If the reader would understand the agencies to be employed in the soon-coming contest, he has but to trace the record of the means which Rome employed for the same object in ages past. If he would know how papists and Protestants united will deal with those who reject their dogmas, let him see the spirit which Rome manifested toward the Sabbath and its defenders (GC88 573.2).

Will history be repeated?  As the papacy became firmly established, the work of Sunday exaltation was continued. For a time the people engaged in agricultural labor when not attending church, and the seventh day was still regarded as the Sabbath. But steadily a change was effected. Those in holy office were forbidden to pass judgment in any civil controversy on the Sunday Soon after, all persons, of whatever rank, were commanded to refrain from common labor, on pain of a fine for freemen, and stripes in the case of servants. Later it was decreed, that rich men should be punished with the loss of half of their estates; and finally, that if still obstinate they should be made slaves. The lower classes were to suffer perpetual banishment (GC88 574.3).

An official stated to us that he would believe the Sunday Laws were coming when President Bush signed the papers. Well, hold on to your seat, sir; Sunday’s coming.