Historic 'Covenant of World Religions' sees Pope Francis openly commit Apostasy, equate Islam with Christianity

"Historic covenant with leaders of the world’s major faiths, [pushes] us much closer to a one-world religion, one of the major goals of the New World Order. 

"...The signing of this covenant was done 'in front of a global audience of religious leaders from Christianity, Islam, Judaism and other faiths'."

This is a shocking followup report to this story by Leo Hohmann which I posted on 7/26/19. The sources adduced in this news report make it clear that this was a global event, attended and signed by world religious leaders, and kept out of the mainstream media, which makes this far more disturbing than had I had previously thought. This is ominous in the extreme, unleashing demonic forces of apostasy upon Christians around the world. I will try to find more info on the attendees, and especially if there were Orthodox bishops who signed this covenant of apostasy.

We live in dark times indeed. Be forewarned and watchful, as many false prophets and false, hireling shepherds have gone out into the world, deceiving the flock. Time again to re-post what I had warned in my book, Facing Islam (p.87):

Against the Different Gospel — the Same God Heresy we have identified in this chapter — put forth by Islam and promoted by unwitting Christians, the Holy Apostle Paul warns us today most urgently:

"As we said before, so say I now again: If any preach any other gospel unto you than that which you have received, let him be anathema" (Galatians 1:8-9). 

"Now the Spirit expressly says that in the latter times some will depart from the Faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons, speaking lies in hypocrisy" (1 Timothy 4:1-2 ). 

And the Beloved Disciple and Evangelist, John warns just as severely: 

"Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world. Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God, and every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God; and this is the spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come, and even now already is it in the world" (1 John 4:1-3).

Pope Francis Claims Islam And Christianity Are Equal In The Eyes of God

by Baxter Dmitry, NewsPunch, February 25, 2019:

Pope Francis, who has previously called for a “one world government” to “save humanity”, has now signed a historic covenant with leaders of the world’s major faiths, pushing us much closer to a one-world religion, one of the major goals of the New World Order.

According to the document produced by Pope Francis and published on the Vatican’s official website, all religions must be considered equal, and Islam is as acceptable to God as Christianity.

Disturbingly, world religious leaders are also now coming together as one to preach from the same hymn sheet as Pope Francis, instructing their sheep to accept the final components of the New World Order’s one world government.

The historic interfaith covenant was signed by leaders of the world’s major faiths in the Middle East this month, and despite the extraordinarily high-profile nature of the attendants, the mainstream media has entered almost complete blackout mode and is refusing to report on the story.

Sheikh Ahmed al-Tayeb, the most important imam in Sunni Islam, arrived at the signing ceremony in Abu Dhabi with Pope Francis “hand-in-hand in a symbol of interfaith brotherhood”, exactly as foretold in prophecy regarding the rise of the Antichrist.

But this wasn’t just a ceremony for Catholics and Muslims. The reality is much darker than that.

After 1 Million Views, What's Next?

This landmark on the Facing Islam Blog calls for a little reflection, and looking towards what lies ahead.

First of all, my sincere thanks to all my readers and visitors, who have helped put this blog over 1,000,000 views, and to be ranked #35 in the 2019 list of Islam blogs.

That number includes at least one DOS attack, when malicious bots tried to overwhelm the servers and shut down my blog, but that merely resulted in a spike in my numbers, and no loss of service. I am proud to have been attacked on the internet. It is a badge of honor and a sign of the integrity of this site, which speaks Truth to the Enemy, and warns about the threats from Islam.

What now?

Having passed 1 Million page views, and having been posting only sporadically over the past year or so (while working on an unrelated project), I am striving to ramp things back up here, emphasizing more consistent output and focus.

Here are my goals, which I hope to diligently work towards, if the Lord doesn't return first, and if He grants me time, health and energy:

Islam, Totalitarianism, and the 'catastrophic spiritual ruin ahead of us'

"I am begging you to pray that if there is catastrophic spiritual ruin ahead of us, that God would open our eyes to it before it is too late. If you have not been praying with heartfelt sincerity and desperate dependence on God – start tonight."

~ Rev. Peter Sanlon, Church of England

Rod Dreher has posted an interview with Rev. Peter Sanlon, a young CofE pastor, over at his blog at The American Conservative, which is startling for its unflinching honesty and penetrating insights concerning the frightening rate of the post-and ever more stridently anti-Christian sentiment sweeping the West, and the immanent collapse of establishment Christianity as a result.

Rev. Sanlon identifies three movements, which he states are "certain to sink the ship": "Radical sexual gender ideologies, Islam, and governments’ totalitarian instincts." How he describes the dynamics of these three forces shows he has thought deeply on contemporary trends, and is not spinning hastily composed conspiracy theories.

It may well be the case that the Orthodox Church, due to our smaller numbers, may fare better than mainline Protestant denominations, Evangelicals, and Roman Catholicism. On the other hand, because Orthodoxy is by its nature more traditional and less subject to change with the times, it may be especially singled out and targeted by the forces of the spirit of Antichrist, as described in the most significant Christian book of the 21st century so far.

I cannot do justice to Rev. Sanlon's incisive and prophetic analysis, and urgently recommend you read the entire interview. Key excerpts below. I have made a few comments, which are bracketed and not indented.

Christian Life In Exile

by Rod Dreher, The American Conservative, March 5, 2018:

DREHER: Dr. Sanlon, you’ve mentioned to me that the situation for faithful small-o orthodox Christians in the West today is a lot like passengers on the Titanic refusing to believe that the ship is sinking. What do you mean?

SANLON: The Titanic was believed to be the ‘unsinkable ship’ – yet 1,503 souls perished in the icy Atlantic waters. The designers, financiers, media, crew and passengers held that the ship was unsinkable — and therefore were unable to consider or prepare adequately for her sinking. People are shaped and formed by their beliefs: if you believe something cannot occur, you will not think about it or prepare for it. This is all the more true if the thing you believe cannot happen is something that would be deeply unpleasant to you. 

"I do not believe the Church itself will be sunk. What I do mean is that the public, easy, culturally acceptable way we do church is sunk." — Rev. Peter Sanlon

The human heart has an astonishing capacity for self-deception, and together with those who are similarly disposed we have almost infinite abilities to participate in mass delusion. Consider how the shudders of the Titanic liner impacting the iceberg were dismissed as insignificant. Those down in the hull of the ship could see water pouring in — but those in the restaurants and cabins above them would not believe warnings. Those bringing the warnings were uncouth, less cultured, not as intelligent — and crucially theywere bringing warnings of tragedy that were unpalatable. The mind rationalizes what the heart desires. 

What then do I mean when I say that orthodox Christians in the West are like passengers on the Titanic? 

I mean that the Church in our Western nations has already hit the iceberg. Water is flooding into the hull — the ship will sink. The grinding judders of our ship impacting the iceberg have been felt — but the majority of Christians will do what the Titanic passengers and crew did — explain the evidence away and refuse to help one another prepare to save one another’s spiritual lives. 

The iceberg that has has ripped open the Church is composed of not frozen water, but three things. Radical sexual gender ideologies, Islam and governments’ totalitarian instincts. 

Why is it that these three movements are so certain to sink the ship? The reason is that the mainline churches in the West are deeply compromised. Over many decades our leaders have fostered the hope that by political action, legal efforts or even by embracing the cultures’ ideologies in these three areas, that it can prosper or survive. This has severely weakened the Churches and leaves us unprepared for the future. 

2017 - The Year the Great Apostasy swept across Europe

"More troubling are the growing efforts to Islamize Christmas. The re-theologizing of Christmas is based on the false premise that the Jesus of the Bible is the Jesus (Isa) of the Koran. This religious fusion, sometimes referred to as 'Chrislam', is gaining ground in a West that has become biblically illiterate..."

Apostate Western Christian "churches" in Europe and the British Isles are falling all over themselves to not just avoid offending Muslims, but to affirm Islam, inviting Muslims to read from the Koran — in the churches.

Western Christians would rather deny Christ than deny Muhammad. Such apostates show that they have been signed with the Mark of the Beast on their foreheads, as they assent to a blasphemy which completely removes the grace of Christ from their hearts. 

The below extensively documented and cross-linked article tracks the collapse of Western Christian Europe.

What will 2018 bring? This is not a Happy New Year. This is a new year which screams for weeping and repentance. Lord have mercy...

Europe: The Islamization of Christmas

by Soeren Kern, Gatestone Institute via Creeping Sharia, December 25, 2017:

This year’s Christmas season has been marked by Islam-related controversies in nearly every European country. Most of the conflicts have been generated by Europe’s multicultural political and religious elites, who are bending over backwards to secularize Christmas, ostensibly to ensure that Muslims will not be offended by the Christian festival.

Many traditional Christmas markets have been renamed — Amsterdam Winter Parade, Brussels Winter Pleasures, Kreuzberger Wintermarkt, London Winterville, Munich Winter Festival — to project a multicultural veneer of secular tolerance.

More troubling are the growing efforts to Islamize Christmas. The re-theologizing of Christmas is based on the false premise that the Jesus of the Bible is the Jesus (Isa) of the Koran. This religious fusion, sometimes referred to as “Chrislam,” is gaining ground in a West that has become biblically illiterate.

In Britain, for instance, the All Saints Church in Kingston upon Thames recently held a joint birthday celebration for Jesus and Mohammed. The “Milad, Advent and Christmas Celebration” on December 3 was aimed at “marking the birthday of Prophet Mohammed and looking forward to the birthday of Jesus.” The hour-long service included time for Islamic prayer and was followed by the cutting of a birthday cake.

The prominent Christian blog “Archbishop Cranmer” rebuked the church for its lack of discernment:

“Note how this event is ‘Marking the birthday of Prophet Mohammed,’ but not looking forward to the birthday of the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God. Mohammed gets his prophethood, while Jesus gets neither his prophethood nor his priesthood; neither his kingship nor his messiahship. It’s the exalted Prophet Mohammed along with plain old Jesus, because to have added any of his claims to divinity would, of course, have alienated many Muslims (if they hadn’t already been alienated by the haram [forbidden by Islam] celebration), which wouldn’t have been very interfaith or sensitively missional, would it?”

The blog added that exalting Mohammed in churches effectively proclaims that Mohammed is greater than Jesus:

“Every time a church accords Mohammed the epithet ‘Prophet,’ they are rejecting the crucifixion, denying the resurrection of Christ, and refuting that the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us, for Mohammed denied all of these foundational tenets of the Christian faith.”

Google enforcing Sharia Law, blocking ads containing the keyword 'jihadwatch'

At some point this blog will no doubt be shut down by Google. Before that happens I hope to have an independent hosting service lined up to host Facing Islam. But no matter what we do,  the 'powers and principalities' will do all they can to stamp out any public presentation of True, Apostolic, Orthodox Christianity, and any true, Apostolic, Patristic, Christian criticism of Islam. 

I have not experienced any problems yet of this nature. That is no doubt due in large measure to the fact that I have never tried to monetize this blog. I have been criticized by some family members for not doing so, but to me, it is far more important to do all I can to expose the lie of Islam and advance the Truth of Jesus Christ as lived and experienced in the Orthodox Church, than to try to make a few dollars from your clicks on distracting ads.

I do hope at some point to offer some ebooks of my writings for sale here. We'll see what happens when the time comes.

True Christianity itself is being criminalized. We are heading into a period of intense persecution even in the West, and a time for Christians to retreat to the catacombs.

Google is now disapproving ads containing the keyword “jihadwatch”

by Robert Spencer, Jihad Watch, September 17, 2017:

I heard from two writers Saturday who told me that Google had banned their book ads because they contained the keyword “jihadwatch.” Note that both writers say that their ads had not been active for years.

I’ve written a great deal lately about how the Left is using Charlottesville as its Reichstag Fire moment to crush all dissent, and this is yet another manifestation of that effort. They’re doing everything they can to deny all access to the means of communication to those whose opinions they hate. It’s a frankly authoritarian agenda.

On Saturday morning, I received this email from Mark Durie, the author of The Third Choice and many other excellent books about Islam, Sharia, and jihad. Durie subsequently wrote me: “It seems that even googling ‘jihadwatch’ is deemed an act of hatred.”

VIDEO: Preparing for Martyrdom in our Apocalyptic Times, by Metropolitan Hierotheos Vlachos

"The work of the Church is not exclusively to battle with heretics [and heresies - like Islam, and those who say Muslims worship the same True God as we do], but also to train the faithful so that at the appropriate moment they might become confessors of Christ and martyrs out of their love for Him..."

See also: Perfected by the Sword - The Way of Martyrdom in Our Times, by Metropolitan Hierotheos Vlachos





Posted to YouTube by Nicodemos Hagiorite

Charlottesville: An Apocalyptic Moment

Charlottesville reveals the demonic forces behind our horrific times, where the center does not hold, and the spirit of the Destroyer has been unleashed. 

The Holy Synod of Bishops of the Orthodox Church in America has issued a clear and strong statement regarding the recent events in Charlottesville VA, denouncing all forms of hatred, bigotry and racism, while at the same time offering forgiveness and reconciliation for haters who repent. It is such a well worded message that any attempt to lift a 'sound byte' from it would not do it justice. I would simply urge you to read it all.

However, it is especially worth noting one of the scripture passages they chose to include:

Jesus rebuked his disciples when they suggested that he violently retaliate against his enemies. "You do not know what manner of spirit you are of. For the Son of Man did not come to destroy men’s lives but to save them."  (Luke 9:55-56)

This is precisely one of the key scripture passages I reference in my book, Facing Islam, for it reveals the spirit of Islam, the spirit of the age, the spirit of the Destroyer:

Muslim Prayers at Hagia Sophia - A Sign Calling Us to Repent

Islamic prayers were recently held at the Hagia Sophia in former Constantinople in a televised event attended by Turkish officials and strongly condemned by the Greek Foreign Ministry. 

This is yet another highly symbolic event inked to this great and ancient church building, which we Orthodox Christians must respond to...

There has been a growing movement within Turkey for several years demanding the re-conversion into a mosque of Hagia Sophia — for centuries the greatest church in all of Christendom. The great church was turned into a mosque in 1453 after the Muslim Turks conquered Constantinople and subjugated the surviving Christian inhabitants. Following the defeat of the Ottoman empire in World War I, the new leader of the secular state of Turkey, Kemal Ataturk, in 1935 put a stop to Islamic prayers in Hagia Sophia, and had it converted into a museum.

Ever since Recep Tayyip Erdogan came to power in Turkey in 2003, calls for turning Hagia Sophia back into a functioning mosque have been steadily increasing. Following one such occurrence in May 2014, I wrote the following:

Muslim Prayers at Hagia Sophia - A Sign Calling Us to Repent 

Erdogan has set his sights on Hagia Sophia, to turn the once luminous church structure into a dark and oppressive mosque again. Such a symbolic achievement would appear to Muslims as a second conquering of Christendom, bolstering Erdogan's push to reinstitute the Islamic caliphate, with Turkey at its head. 

Islam must have such temporal victories and exert political and military domination in order to justify its existence, as Muhammad's successes in battle, culminating in his retaking of Mecca ten years after being driven out in weakness and disgrace, forever set the example for Muslims to follow. 

But worldly success and temporal victories and kingdoms are not the Christian way. 

Christians follow Jesus the Christ, the Son of the Living God, who "had no place to lay His head," who emptied Himself, taking the form of a servant, and who submitted Himself fully to the divine will of the Father, even to the point of death on the cross. Here we have no city, but are called to be pilgrims and aliens, journeying to our heavenly homeland. In the radical words of our Lord Jesus Christ, we are called to take up our cross and follow Him. As Fr Seraphim Rose put it:

"Let us not, who would be Christians, expect anything else from it than to be crucified. For to be a Christian is to be crucified, in this time and in any time since Christ came for the first time. 

"His life is the example—and warning—to us all. We must be crucified personally, mystically; for through crucifixion is the only path to resurrection. If we would rise with Christ, we must first be humbled with Him—even to the ultimate humiliation, being devoured and spit forth by the uncomprehending world. 

"And we must be crucified outwardly, in the eyes of the world; for Christ's Kingdom is not of this world, and the world cannot bear it, even in a single representation of it, even for a single moment."

If the Muslims convert Hagia Sophia into a mosque a second time, then we Christians must see in this God's providential will. If God allows the enemy to reconquer Christian symbols, then we must take it as a warning to not place our trust in mere symbols, but in the Real and True Son of God Himself. We must allow such calamities to spur us on to ever deepening faith and ever more fervent repentance.  

As Islam and the other forces of evil wage open warfare against Christ and His Church in these last times, we are called to be faithful to the end. And if we remain faithful, then, like the Lord, we shall find our victory mystically concealed in our Golgotha.

Scroll down for the latest news story in this drama which extends back to the early Islamic sieges of Constantinople...

VIDEO: 'Was Islam ever a religion of peace?'

While it is still possible to post theological refutations of Islam on the internet, let us not hesitate to do so, for the day is fast approaching when Truth will be banned from the public square, as seen in the recent sharia law enacted in Minneapolis, and in the new resolution criminalizing free speech put forth in the US Senate.

Was Islam ever a religion of peace?

Excerpted from the writings of St Sophronius of Jerusalem and St Gregory Palamas
From the YouTube Channel of Gregory Decapolite, February 22, 2015.

Follow these links for more on the writings of St Sophronius and St Gregory Palamas on Islam...




Let us repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand...

'Breaking of the Crosses' in North Carolina: Christian leaders welcome conversion of church into mosque

"Helping to open the mosque will be local Christian clergy, hoping to strike a welcoming and respectful tone for two faiths of similar origins in a shared community..."

Similar origins???

"Pastor Jim Melnyk, who leads St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Smithfield, will be one of the Christian church leaders taking part in Saturday’s ceremony. He said Christianity and Islam share common origins and scriptures..."

Common origins and scriptures???  Dhimmitude and Ignorance have kissed each other.

This pathetic, deceived 'pastor' should be severely reprimanded by his bishop, if not defrocked and excommunicated for deceiving his flock and denying Christ in such a blatant manner. Read my book Facing Islam for a clear explanation of why the 'Same God Heresy' (which this pastor Jim Melnyk undoubtedly follows) presents a "different gospel", a "different Jesus" and a "different Spirit" (cf. Gal 1:6-8 and 2 Cor 11:3-4).

Whether done through violent jihad by ISIS, or through stealth jihad by American Muslim groups, the 'breaking of the crosses' is an act of Islamic supremacism with eschatological and prophetic significance for Muslims.

Christians also need to be warned that observant Muslims see the removal of crosses from churches as a prophetic sign of the ultimate triumph of Islam over Christianity, and of Christianity's ultimate destruction. As the mosque organizer himself said:

“Part of it is destiny; it’s the will of God that we’re here...”

That sense of destiny is what drives Islamic jihad, whether violent or stealth, throughout the world. It is the belief in Islam's ultimate victory over Christianity.

Islamic eschatology holds that when Isa (the Islamic Jesus) returns, he will be a “good Muslim,” and will direct his followers to the Mahdi, the Muslim messiah, before taking a subservient position somewhat behind the Mahdi. Muhammad, as related in Islamic scriptures, prophesied that Isa will “fight the people for the cause of Islam. He will break the cross, kill the swine and abolish jizya” and establish the rule of Allah throughout the world (Hadith from Sunan Abu Dawud, Book of Battles, 37:4310).

See also:

• SIGN OF THE APOCALYPSE: Muslim 'Breaking of the Crosses' in Syracuse NY
• 'Breaking of the Crosses' in Syracuse Part 2: The Sharia Doctrine against the Cross

North Carolina: Crosses removed as Smithfield church becomes a mosque
Mosque moves into former Pentecostal church in Smithfield, NC | News & Observer, via  Creeping Sharia, May 14, 2017:

SMITHFIELD – It won’t be the first mosque in Johnston County, but for now it’s the only one.

On Saturday morning, the Islamic Center of Smithfield will open up in a vacant Pentecostal church, taking over the four-acre property and parsonage on Brightleaf Boulevard with future plans for a worship and community center and school. Helping to open the mosque will be local Christian clergy, hoping to strike a welcoming and respectful tone for two faiths of similar origins in a shared community.

Crosses have been removed from the former church’s facade and steeple, and Ali Mohammad, an organizer of the mosque and a Smithfield business owner, said they’ll be handed over to the group of pastors as a show of good faith.

Sign of the Times: US Catholic Church punishing priests for speaking truth about Islam and jihad

In our age of worldliness and ever-spreading Christian apostasy, the US Conference of Catholic Bishops and Rome itself is siding with Islam against Catholic priests (and even against Catholic saints!) who speak forthrightly about Islam, Muhammad, and jihad.

Robert Spencer writes:

"The highly dubious proposition that Islam is a religion of peace has become a kind of superdogma that the U.S. bishops enforce with a stringency (and even ruthlessness) that they never display regarding actual Church teaching."

Will this Catholic Apologia for Islam — and its attendant persecution of faithful priests who serve as conscience to Rome's pan-ecumenist dreams — manifest itself in a dogmatic declaration of solidarity with Islam, a doctrinal embrace of the 'Same God Heresy', and a final shameful denial of Jesus Christ by formally affirming Muhammad as a prophet?

Time will tell, but this deeply disturbing trend in Roman Catholicism points only to one end: the Great Apostasy and the Religion of the Future, warned against by Blessed Hieromonk Seraphim Rose some forty years ago.

Our task? Be faithful unto the end, enduring criticism, mocking and persecution, willing to confess Jesus Christ even unto death, as the Lord Himself said:

"He who endures to the end shall be saved." (MT 10:22) 

"Whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him the Son of Man also will be ashamed when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels." (MK 8:38)

Another Day, Another Apology to Muslims

by Susan D. Harris, American Thinker, May 2, 2017 (via Creeping Sharia):

“Don’t listen to liberals, because the Muslims will cut your heads off.” That’s the comment that warranted the KRQE headline, “Parents accuse Belen priest of making discriminatory comments against Muslims.”

Apparently no one had a problem with the “don’t listen to liberals” part. Instead, being well trained in political correctness, it was the moment Fr. Jonas Romea, a priest in Belen, New Mexico, told a group of pre-K to eighth grade Catholic kids that there were Muslims terrorists that caused the problem.

Specifically mentioning Muslims cutting “heads off” was when parents became terribly offended on behalf of Islam. The next thing you know, a reporter at KOAT Action News was asking Fr. Romea if he didn’t think his remarks were “Islamophobia?” Fr. Romea said that he denied that label, and strengthened his point by saying:

“Recent reports out of the Middle East show that Catholics around the world are under attack. The news pieces that we get… from there tell us that actually, Christians are being slaughtered.”

KRQE reported that after receiving complaints about Fr. Romea’s remarks (made during a homily to students at Our Lady of Belen Church,) the “Archdiocese of Santa Fe sent out a letter to parents saying the homily didn’t fully embrace the message of Jesus Christ.”

Londonistan: 423 New Mosques, 500 Closed Churches, tell story of rise of Islam, collapse of Christianity in England

How long before the black flag of Islam flies over Buckingham Palace? The advance of Islam and the collapse of England and the West is accelerating, and will soon pass a tipping point, shocking the world.

The below report on the Islamization of London is hardly surprising to regular readers of this blog, as these related posts document:

• Islam rapidly forcing out Christianity in the UK (May 2015)
• Photos dramatize the Collapse of Christianity and the Rise of Islam in England (May 2013)
• The Islamization of Britain in 2013 (Jan. 2014)
• Islam's 'Rule of Numbers' and the London Beheading (May 2013)
• The Westminster Jihad Attack: 'Europe will be Islamic by the end of the century' (March 2017)
• London: Muslim Mayor’s Ties To Muslim Terrorists (March 2017)

Gatestone Institute: 423 New Mosques, 500 Closed Churches in London
by Breitbart London, April 2, 2017:

Muslim Friday Prayers in London, circa 2013.

The Gatestone Institute reports Sunday on the striking rate of closures of churches in the United Kingdom’s capital city, a trend mirrored elsewhere in Europe, and the blooming number of mosques that have been established in their stead.

Reporting on the change in religious observation in London, the Gatestone Institute writes:

“London is more Islamic than many Muslim countries put together”, according to Maulana Syed Raza Rizvi, one of the Islamic preachers who now lead “Londonistan”, as the journalist Melanie Phillips has called the English capital. No, Rizvi is not a right-wing extremist. Wole Soyinka, a Nobel Laureate for Literature, was less generous; he called the UK “a cesspit for Islamists”. 

“Terrorists can not stand London multiculturalism”, London’s mayor Sadiq Khan said after the recent deadly terror attack at Westminster. The opposite is true: British multiculturalists are feeding Islamic fundamentalism. Above all, Londonistan, with its new 423 mosques, is built on the sad ruins of English Christianity. 

'At Risk Is Nothing Less Than the Right Ever to Resist Again'

"If Trump fails, your right to speak or act against the tide of fascist Progressivism will disappear, likely forever, barring a truly awful and cataclysmic social collapse, which no one should desire."


by Jeffrey T. Brown, American Thinker,  November 7, 2016:

We have witnessed a series of cultural storms over the last several decades, many of which have altered our landscape.  Most have been artificial storms, created and powered by an ideology that seeks complete control over this nation and its future, set in motion to create the chaos in which to implant "progress."  These storms have eradicated our family structures, our nation's history, our ethical standards, our moral standards, our legal frameworks, our borders, our Constitution, and our discourse.

However, they have been mere precursors to the tsunami that Mrs. Clinton represents.  She is the culmination of socialist, fascist Progressivism.  She has come to complete the transformation, unless we stop her.  We will probably not get another chance.

Subtly but unmistakably, the left have been eroding our ability and our right to object to their ideology, to resist their forced implementation through politics, the courts, entertainment, and the media, all of which is presently under their sway.  This social coup has been a long time in the making, and it isn't going away anytime soon even if Mr. Trump prevails on Tuesday.

If Mr. Trump fulfills his potential as not only an obstacle to the left's victory, but as a vehicle for improvement, there is hope of a counter-revolution, philosophically speaking.  If he fails, your right to speak or act against the tide of fascist Progressivism will disappear, likely forever, barring a truly awful and cataclysmic social collapse, which no one should desire.

This overthrow started in small ways, with tactics such as political correctness and the focus upon "feelings" as equivalent to protected rights.  In all things done by the left, the goal is to exert control over resistance, to shame and embarrass those who have the sense to know the difference between absurdity and reality.

Political correctness has never been anything more than a method by which to prevent those with sense from revealing the lies to those without it.  But look how it has grown and metastasized into a justification for violence and illegality.  The left's irrational hatred for their opponents' resistance to almost all forms of control has become a justification for physical assaults, for character assassination, and for open lawlessness.

St John the Baptist - Forerunner of those 'beheaded for their witness to Jesus Christ'

The prophetic significance of Muslim beheadings of Christians.

The Beheading of St John the Forerunner, commemorated August 29 in the Orthodox Church.

[Originally posted August 31, 2014]

John the Baptist’s rich and descriptive title in the Orthodox Church is, “The Holy, Glorious Prophet, Forerunner and Baptist, John.” He is much more than “John the Baptist.”  He is a sign, a mystery. 

As “The Forerunner” he is a clear sign of the First Coming of Christ, but also of the Second Coming; he is a mystery of the fulfillment of this age, and of its trials and woes.

Jesus Himself called John “the greatest born of woman” and “more than a prophet.” The Church considers him to be the fulfillment of the Old Testament prophets, just as the Virgin Mary  — the Mother of God — is the fulfillment of righteousness through the Old Testament lineage in preparation for the Messiah. 

As the Messiah Himself spoke to the crowds after John’s disciples came and saw the signs He was doing:

Jesus began to say to the multitudes concerning John… “What did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I say to you, and more than a prophet. For this is he of whom it is written: 

‘Behold, I send My messenger before Your face, Who will prepare Your way before You.’ [Malachi 3:1]

“Assuredly, I say to you, among those born of women there has not risen one greater than John the Baptist; but he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force.”  (Matthew 11:7-12)

John is the Forerunner of Christ, fulfilling the prophecy of Elijah coming to restore all things:

“Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet Before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord…”(Malachi 4:5-6)

“For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John. And if you are willing to receive it, he is Elijah who is to come.”  (Matthew 11:13-15)

John the Forerunner was beheaded “for righteousness sake,” for warning and calling the corrupt and dissipated King Herod to repentance. Yet this is not some dark and dire event, but a radiant, joyous, shining witness (Greek: martyria) for us to emulate.

St. Justin Popovich teaches that St. John "had become the first of all the Holy Martyrs of the New Testament":

See how he suffered for God's truth in this world! He suffered joyously! In today's principal hymn and prayer to him it is said that he went to his death rejoicing, and that he suffered rejoicing. [See John 3:29.]  Thus he became the first example and inspiration to all the Holy Martyrs in the New Testament, beginning with St. Stephen the Protomartyr and through today. 

All of the Holy Martyrs go to their death rejoicing...

As the first one beheaded for righteousness sake — that is, for his witness to Christ, for Christ is our righteousness — John is shown to be the Forerunner of the last great wave of martyrs for Jesus:

“Then I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the word of God…” (Apocalypse 20:4)

Catholic Priest beheaded in France during Mass by Muslims linked to Islamic State

We are deep into a New Age of Christian Martyrdom under the Sword of Islam. How will we respond? 

My first reaction to this story, after the initial horror and shock, was to imagine it in a personal context.

My dear friend, Fr Thomas, an Orthodox Christian priest in Pennsylvania, recently concelebrated the Divine Liturgy with his beloved uncle, Fr. Igor, at the latter's home parish. Fr. Igor is 91 years old, and has been faithfully serving his parish for 58 years, the Church for much longer.

Pick the most venerable and faithful priest you know, and imagine he is the martyr, beheaded by a Muslim for his faith in Jesus Christ. Imagine Muslims attacking your church during the Divine Liturgy and taking hostages. Imagine them screaming "ALLAHU AKBAR!" and "DAESH!" as they shoot, stab and assault the faithful in your church.

Recall the horrific atrocities Muslims have committed against Christians and people everywhere: Beslan, Egypt, Libya, Iraq, Syria, France, Belgium, San Bernardino, Chattanooga, Indonesia, Pakistan, Nigeria, Moscow, and so on.

Muslim jihad attacks against Christian churches during the divine services can happen anywhere, anytime, including in America and Canada.  God forbid, but they almost certainly will as Islam continues its global advance.

Obama's Post-Orlando Tirade: Islam is Sacred and Beyond Reproach

By refusing to name the enemy, the President continues to advance a new Edict of Milan, granting preferred status for Muslims and Islam over all other groups and religions.

President Obama advocates for Islam at terror-linked mosque, Feb. 2016.

Three years ago, Barack Hussein Obama was sworn in for his second term as President of the United States. That same year — 2013 A.D. — marked the 1700th anniversary of the Edict of Milan in 313 A.D., the historic guarantee of religious liberty to Christians by the Roman Empire.

Prior to the Emperor Constantine’s key role in forming the Edict’s stance of tolerance towards Christians, they had been persecuted for centuries for not honoring the Roman gods. 

The Edict was of explicitly universal significance in the Empire, as it was agreed upon by both Constantine (who controlled the West) and Licinius (in the East) upon their meeting in Milan in February, 313A.D. Constantine was already more than favorably disposed towards the Christian Faith; the Edict therefore was a key step in his role as advocate and protector of the Church. Less than seventy years later, in 380 A.D., Christianity had become the official state religion of the Roman Empire under Theodosius I.

(Keep that in mind, you young folk, when by 2050 you start hearing talk of making Islam the state religion of the United States, following after Europe's lead in 2025.)

The Edict protected Christians’ rights to worship freely, organize, and to build churches, and it provided for the return of confiscated property to Christians. If the wording of these rights sounds familiar somehow, it may be because we see their explicit reversal under Islam, via the harsh and demeaning terms of the Conditions of Omar and the dhimma contract of ‘protection’, which forbids Christians from publicly displaying signs of their faith or worshipping openly, from building new churches or repairing existing ones, and requires payment of the crippling jizya tax, together with an assortment of other demeaning restrictions designed to sap the will and vibrancy of the Christian populace under Islamic rule.

Islam, beginning with Muhammad and the Koran, and further codified by the caliph Omar, offers three choices to conquered Christians: reject Christ and convert to Islam; if not that, accept second class status under Islamic rule and pay the jizya tax; if they refuse even that then it is death. Per the Koran and key hadiths about Muhammad:

Fight against those who believe not in Allah, nor in the Last Day, nor forbid that which has been forbidden by Allah and His Messenger and those who acknowledge not the religion of truth [i.e. Islam] among the people of the Book [Jews and Christians], until they pay the jizya with willing submission, and feel themselves subdued. (Koran 9:29) 

Muhammad said, “I have been commanded to fight people until they testify that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, and perform the prayer, and pay zakat. If they say it, they have saved their blood and possessions from me, except for the rights of Islam over them. And their final reckoning is with Allah.” (Bukhari, 1:2:25, also Sahih Muslim, Book of Faith, 1:10:29-35)

Islam’s demeaning treatment of conquered Christians thus abrogates the Edict of Milan, and specifically reverses and denies the rights conferred by that landmark Roman ruling.

Nativity Message of Bishop Paul, OCA Diocese of the Midwest

"Whenever the Church is in danger of being extinguished, it is always the faithful martyrs who guarantee its ongoing life."

His Grace, Bishop Paul, has delivered us a prophetic message of hope and encouragement, just at this time when the global persecution of Christians is worsening, when Islam seems to be poised to eradicate Christianity from the Middle East, and darkness is settling across the United States and all around the world (except in Russia, where the Orthodox Church continues its miraculous renewal).  Bishop Paul asks,

"Is Christianity in trouble?  Is it in danger of becoming extinct?  I don’t believe so..."

His reasons are challenging, for he bases his answer on The Apocalypse, and on what it means to be a faithful Witness — a Martyr — for Jesus Christ. This is the Gospel, being proclaimed by a Faithful Shepherd of the Church... Let us heed his call!

2015 NATIVITY MESSAGE OF HIS GRACE, BISHOP PAUL

Beloved Clergy, Monastics, and Faithful of the Diocese of the Midwest:

Christ is Born — Glorify Him!

Recently, I have been thinking about how there is so much happening in the Middle East that has impacted the lives of the region’s Orthodox Christians.  We have heard reports of bishops kidnapped (and maybe slain), Coptic Christians martyred in Egypt, and Christians fleeing Iraq and, most recently, Syria.  Various Orthodox Churches and other groups have made efforts to contact governments to call attention to the fact that a form of genocide against Christians is occurring in the Middle East.  This is a difficult time for Christians there.  Many of our churches are offering regular and necessary prayers for those who are suffering and being persecuted for their faith.

The current situation could be interpreted as very discouraging.  The public media does not consider such things to be newsworthy enough to report.  One might question whether Christianity is in trouble (and whether it will survive) in the region.  Something needs to be done to end this genocide by government intervention to protect those being persecuted merely because of their faith in Christ.  There is much about the above thought I share.  But I do ask the question, is Christianity in trouble?  Is it in danger of becoming extinct?  I don’t believe so.

As I reflect upon this in light of our approaching celebration of the Lord’s Nativity, I offer the following thoughts.

VIDEO: The Nine - Overcoming ISIS (The Great Persecution of our Time is Here)

Watch this powerful mini-documentary about nine confessors of Jesus Christ in Iraq...

Lord Jesus Christ, grant us all this faith and courage to bear our crosses and confess You before the world, to love and forgive our persecutors, and to follow You even to Golgotha. And to give You thanks and glory through it all!

video by Mighty LA, the ones who brought you 'Who Would Dare to Love ISIS? (A Letter from the People of the Cross)':




“Who would dare to love ISIS?” was the question asked in the first film. Now, come and hear the testimonies of 9 refugees who fled ISIS and left everything behind. They dare to love ISIS and they dare to bring a message of hope - to counter ISIS’s message of hate. In light of global terrorism, millions of displaced refugees, and a complacent western church, their testimony and faith, forged by fire, will bring healing to the nations. God has shaken the Middle East and from its ruins, deep faith is stirring in the hearts of the persecuted. They are the nine, and all of heaven is cheering them, and us, on.

All of the refugees are still currently living in the Middle East.

Russian New Martyr's Prophecies offer Warnings, Consolations, for our Darkening Times

The saints always call us to repentance, call us to a deeper, more authentic life in Christ, without guile. They may rebuke us for our sins, our laziness, our erratic and inconsistent following of the Lord, but at the same time, they offer great consolations and comfort for those who do struggle, who do labor in repentance, who do persevere to the end.

The persecutions facing us today are subtle (for the most part), cultural pressures, but with increased legalized marginalization of traditional Christian life and morality. Now Christians are being prosecuted for saying no to sin, and for not saying yes to the demands of the lost, who want the entire world to affirm their sins and lifestyle. This will likely metastasize into open persecution in the months and years ahead.

Our brothers and sisters in the Middle East, Africa, Central and South Asia, and around the world are suffering horrific open persecution from Muslims energized by their excitement over Islam's global resurgence. A new, "great cloud of witnesses" for Christ, New Martyrs of the 21st Century under the Sword of Islam, is being raised up. You can learn about some of them through the links on the left-hand column of this blog.

Truly, we live in a new age of martyrdom, in which we must be prepared to be faithful to Jesus Christ and confess Him to the end. The martyrs who lived through earlier persecutions can help us, by their examples, by their words, and by their intercessions.

Holy Hieromartyr Seraphim (Chichagov) of Petrograd warned of the trials to come upon the Russian Orthodox Church and the Russian people as early as 1910, and before he was killed by the Soviets in 1937, sought to encourage his scattered flock with these words:

“The Orthodox Church is undergoing serious trials. Whoever remains faithful will be saved. Because of the persecutions many are leaving the Church, others are even betraying it. There have been other periods of persecution in history, but they all ended in the triumph of Christianity. That is how it will be with these persecutions. They will end, and Orthodoxy will triumph once again. Now many are suffering for the faith, but they are the gold that is purified in the furnace of persecution. There will be more new martyrs suffering for the Christian Faith than there ever has been throughout the history of Christianity.”

Bishop Tikhon Shevkunov has presented us here with a powerful icon of a prophetic witness for Christ, and urges us to seek the intercessions of Hieromartyr Seraphim and all the new martyrs:

"We need to pray [to the holy new martyrs, and] especially to Holy Hieromartyr Seraphim (Chichagov) that he would enlighten our minds; that we would see life as it really is before God and not before people; that we would understand the signs of the times, and be able to make sense of the complicated, contradictory world in which we live, in which God has judged that we must live."

A Prophetic New Martyr: St. Seraphim (Chichagov)

by Bishop Tikhon (Shevkunov) of Egorievsk, Pravoslavie, December 11, 2015

In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

Today we commemorate a nearly unknown yet great saint, Holy Hieromartyr Seraphim (Chichagov) of Petrograd. This was a man born in the second half of the nineteenth century, to an aristocratic family. He received a brilliant education, graduated from the Page Corps, became a well-known scholar, received a humanitarian as well as a natural sciences education, and was part of the upper echelons of society. He had a brilliant military career, having fought in several wars, but he left all this and became a priest. He did more than anyone else for the canonization of St. Seraphim of Sarov. (1)  This was his particular service.

Holy Hieromartyr Seraphim was not only a priest (later a bishop)—he was a true prophet. 

If we turn to the new martyrs with prayers for help—prayers to those who live in the kingdom of heaven for those who live here on earth—they can provide that help, because they once lived as we do, here on earth. Thus, Holy Hieromartyr Seraphim possessed a remarkable gift—the ability to recognize the signs of the times.

Elder Paisios' Prophecies of the Russia-Turkey Conflict

Turkey shoots down a Russian jet fighter, tensions rise, and in Greece, some are turning again to the prophecies of Elder Paisios of Mount Athos, who reportedly wrote,

“There will be war between Russia and Turkey. In the beginning the Turks will believe they are winning, but this will lead to their destruction. The Russians, eventually, will win and take over Constantinople. After that it will be ours. They will be forced to give it to us.”

There is no doubt we are living in dire times. We may even be living in apocalyptic times, foretold in the Scriptures and through prophecies of holy people of God. At the same time, looking for signs and fulfillment of prophecies in certain events should not be our main concern. When the Apostles asked the Risen Lord if He was now to restore the kingdom to Israel, He told them, "It is not for you to know..." 

Rather, these words from Hieromonk Seraphim (Rose) of Platina may be a trustworthy guide for us when "wars and rumors of wars" and other ominous "signs" begin to spread:

The time of the end, though it seems to be near, we do not know. However close, it is still future, and in the present we have only the same age-old fight against the unseen powers, against the world, and against our own passions, upon the outcome of which our eternal fate will be decided. Let us then struggle while it is still day, with the time and the weapons which our All-merciful God has given us!

Our times, above all, call for humble and quiet labors, with love and sympathy for other strugglers on the path of the Orthodox spiritual life and a deep resolve that does not become discouraged because the atmosphere is unfavorable. We Christians of the latter times are still called to work persistently on ourselves, to be obedient to spiritual fathers and authorities, to lead an orderly life with at least a minimum of spiritual discipline and with regular reading of the Orthodox spiritual literature... to watch over our own sins and failings and not judge others. If we do this, even in our terrible times, we may have hope—in God's mercy—of the salvation of our souls. 

(Fr. Seraphim Rose, Blessed Paisius Velichovsky, St Herman of Alaska Press, Platina CA, 1976, pp 17, 20.)

Perhaps Elder Paisios would tell us similarly, not to worry about times and signs, but to repent and pray, and to struggle with philotimo.

Related Articles:

• The Antichrist and 666 was not the primary message of Elder Paisios
• Greeks Seek Strength in Predictions of Elder Paisios
• Caution Regarding the "Prophecies" of Elder Paisios
• Mischievous Designs and Problematic Personalities

Some Greeks turn to Elder Paisios' Prophecies on Russia-Turkey Conflict
Greek Reporter via Pravoslavie, November 25, 2015

The tension that was created after the shooting down of a Russian jet fighter by Turkish warplanes has led several Greeks to refer to Elder Paisios‘ prophecies about war between Russia and Turkey.

The ascetic monk Paisios, who became Saint Paisios by the Holy Synod of the Greek Orthodox Church in January, was known for his prophecies and predictions. One of them was that Istanbul, once the capital of the Byzantine Empire Constantinople, will become Greek again.

Specifically, Paisios wrote: 

“Events will start that will culminate with us taking back Constantinople. Constantinople will be given to us. There will be war between Russia and Turkey. In the beginning the Turks will believe they are winning, but this will lead to their destruction. The Russians, eventually, will win and take over Constantinople. After that it will be ours. They will be forced to give it to us.”

The text reads further, “(The Turks) will be destroyed. They will be eradicated because they are a nation that was built without God’s blessing. One third of the Turks will go back to where they came from, the depths of Turkey. One third will be saved because they will become Christians, and the other third will be killed in this war.” This is based on the Saint Kosmas prophecy.