Tonight on The Hal Lindsey Report
Between 2007 and 2014, the number of people in the United States who identified themselves as Catholic fell over 3%.
Nationwide, only 24% of Catholics attend mass on an average Sunday. In 1965, 55% attended mass.
In New York, where Catholicism was once so strong, only 15% attend mass. In Boston, only 12%
And these numbers are far worse among young Catholics.
Last week, Pope Francis came to America like an old-time evangelist with a big tent, hoping for a Catholic revival. From glorious choirs to his cute little Fiat limo, his showmanship was extraordinary. It seemed like all of America was watching.
The crowds were enormous and enthusiastic. And although it was often buried beneath layers of ritual, I credit Pope Francis with speaking the Word of God to those crowds on several occasions.
But I also know from watching the media coverage, that much of the interest in the Pope's visit was generated by his 2013 remark about homosexuality. When a reporter asked a question about gays in the church, Francis replied, "Who am I to judge?"
Many have viewed that simple remark as representing a sea change in the Catholic church's attitude toward homosexuality. Sadly, I think that many of those who turned out to see the Pope were like those who showed up to watch the Berlin Wall being torn down.
They wanted to see something historic -- the man who is in the process of dismantling those parts of the Catholic faith they found oppressive.
I pray that even though they came to see something being destroyed, when they heard the Word of God pronounced, it struck a chord in their hearts. After all, God promises that His Word "will not return to Me empty, without accomplishing what I desire, And without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it." (Isaiah 55:11 NASB)
In his time on American soil, Pope Francis said some good things about the sanctity of life and the nature and importance of family. But in his political speeches before the Congress and the United Nations General Assembly, he said some extremely dangerous things. In fact, I think that many of his political ideas portend disaster.
Perhaps more alarming than anything else was his promotion of the United Nations and his endorsement of the 2030 Agenda.
The UN's 2030 Agenda is an attempt to completely rearrange the power structure of Planet Earth over the next 15 years. It is huge!
It promotes a movement toward the unification of the world under the authority of an entity that will be able to enforce its provisions. Probably the United Nations. And it will no doubt give that entity the power to tax the nations.
It will need to because the cost of the 2030 Agenda is projected to be $100 Trillion over the next 15 years!
Remember Agenda 21? That was a list of "goals" proposed by the UN in 1992. It was adopted by representatives to the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro.
It pales in comparison to the 2030 Agenda, which was adopted unanimously by all 193 member states of the UN General Assembly. It is a plan for every man, woman, and child on the face of the earth, like it or not.
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon noted that the goal of the 2030 Agenda is "to end poverty in all its forms...." And it seems to me that it will be impossible to make everyone on the face of the earth rich, so the plan will probably be to make everyone on the face of the earth poor. But, then, poor people are more easily controlled!
On this week's program I will discuss several prominent points from the 2030 Agenda.
I will also examine what the Bible warns about this world's system of thinking and acting, organized and arranged to function without God.
It is imperative that true believers recognize that there is a world system and that it is not of God. In fact, the Apostle John warns that "if anyone loves the world (system), the love of the Father is not in him." (I John 2:15)
As Planet Earth convulses more violently and the powers that be struggle to control it, it will become easier and easier to buy in to the reasoning behind submission to the world system.
But the Bible warns us against that.
James said that "Friendship with the world (system) is hostility toward God." (James 4:4)
In my book, Satan is Alive and Well on Planet Earth, I write, "In the future, old institutions are going to change so rapidly that people will reach a tremendous state of instability and emotional disturbance resulting in psychological problems. Nothing will be dependable, stable, or certain."
That is precisely what we are seeing today!
But it's comforting to know that in the midst of the incredible upheaval and turmoil erupting around us, God is still waiting to receive, comfort, and bless those who desire to know Him. In Jeremiah 29:13, God Himself promises, "And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart."
Do that today.
Don't miss this week's Report here Sunday.
God Bless,
Hal Lindsey
