Universalism is the hottest thing in religion today. The call to put doctrinal issues away –or at least on the back burner-- is the cry of those who want all within Christendom to put aside their differences and join under the universal embrace of “love.” Jesus, after all, prayed that we would all be one, as He and His Father are one, in the priestly prayer of John, chapter 17, is their reasoning.

The death of John Paul II and the subsequent world-wide immersion in the mourning/worship for the late pontiff, and the Catholic system of religion he championed moved the world to reach farther –much farther.

Following up on Pope John Paul II’s own tremendous efforts to strive toward true ecumenism, inclusive of most all religions of the world, even some who have always maintained unshakable adherence to sound Bible truth seem to have jumped into the flow toward a one world church. At least, some of the stalwarts of the faith once delivered, by their praise for the departed pope, seem to say Amen to the growing flood that sweeps us toward the Tribulation hour.

I have been castigated for speaking against those who are my Christian brothers and sisters within the Catholic Church, and who are members of “seeker-friendly, seeker-sensitive” churches, when I’ve pointed out the unsound, unscriptural foundations upon which those organizations are based.

Let me make it clear. I’m not speaking out against those who are Christians within those bodies. I’m speaking out against those systems that are counterproductive to the cause of Jesus Christ, in my view, and I believe, in the view presented by the Word of God.

That said, I do believe that Christians who are willing to put aside sound Bible doctrine in order to gather great numbers of people into the alluring settings that aren’t noticeably different from worldly venues –even if this is ostensibly for the purpose of, hopefully, eventually getting around to presenting the Gospel—are deluded at best, and entrapped by the spirit of Antichrist at worst.

Here is what God has to say about the matter of mixing God’s truth with the world’s influences. "Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God" (James 4:4).

The “church growth movement” is moving within the world today in a mighty way. Question is: Which church is the vehicle doing the moving? The Church of Matthew 16: 18, or the “church” of Revelation, chapter 17?

The next of the troubling issues that are rushing this generation toward apocalypse is the powerful rearrangements forcing Europe toward becoming the heart of the beast seen first by Daniel the prophet in Daniel, chapter 7, then by John in Revelation, Chapter 13.

Many in recent days have tried to say what it all means, but it is a confusing mixture of geopolitical alchemy no one can understand to any extent. The gyrations and contortions of the reviving Roman Empire will likely not end until Christ calls His Church to be with Him at the Rapture. The great upheaval caused by the sudden disappearance of millions will quite possibly be the catalyst that causes the European continent’s leaders and peoples to settle into an arrangement that will serve as the incubator for Antichrist.

The EU Constitution, for the moment, is a loser. The refusal by the voters of France to approve the document in the recent referendum doomed it to failure. France was the document’s chief initiator, and when the French people expressed their objection to bending to the will of the EU leaders on the matter, the movement toward true European integration died in front of the eyes of the world.

So, what does it mean? Does this mean the track Planet Earth was on toward Bible prophecy fulfillment now points in a different direction? I don’t think so…

The division now so blatantly apparent, to my way of observing, indicates more strongly than ever that the Armageddon train continues on the track that will take the world to the consummation of the age. The key to this fact is found, I believe, in the following reference.

“And the fourth kingdom shall be strong as iron: forasmuch as iron breaketh in pieces and subdueth all things: and as iron that breaketh all these, shall it break in pieces and bruise. And whereas thou sawest the feet and toes, part of potters' clay, and part of iron, the kingdom shall be divided; but there shall be in it of the strength of the iron, forasmuch as thou sawest the iron mixed with miry clay. And as the toes of the feet were part of iron, and part of clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong, and partly broken. And whereas thou sawest iron mixed with miry clay, they shall mingle themselves with the seed of men: but they shall not cleave one to another, even as iron is not mixed with clay” (Dan. 2: 40-43).

In this symbolic, prophetical language, God tells us that the last human government that will aspire to world dominion will be marked by great, brutal strength, but will have a weak infrastructure consisting of many peoples not easily governed because of diverse interests. This seems to fit well within the European milieu while the continent continues to churn in preparation for fulfilling its destiny.

Yet, it remains quite likely that final rearrangements for the last form of the revived Roman Empire won’t take place until a dynamic of some sort forces them. Will this be the Rapture of the Church? I believe that is the likely event that will cause the Europeans to agree to ban together in a strong, though less than totally unified, configuration.

At the top of current issues that push this generation toward the Tribulation era is the world’s pressure on Israel to agree to a peace that is against God’s will. The most chilling point to be made in considering this developing end-time pressure is the fact that U.S. President George W. Bush recently and openly declared that all the initiatives achieved, and in place, involving Israel’s dealing with its enemy neighbors should now be scrapped, and everything returned to pre-1949 conditions.

Prophecy teacher and author Hal Lindsey wrote of this: “President Bush's astonishing and unexpected statement reversed long standing American policy. In his joint statement with Abbas, he declared that any final status changes in the peace agreement between Israel and the Palestinians must be mutually agreed to on the basis of the 1949 armistice lines. To my horror, this statement is the greatest betrayal of Israel committed by any American president in history” (WND Exclusive Commentary, "Bush's 3 little words, 1 big betrayal," Posted: June 2, 2005).

In effect, the President’s statement commits the U.S. to backing the proposition that things go back to the way they were right after Israel won its independence. The declaration is both ludicrous and dangerous. Ludicrous because no nation in the history of man should, logically, be expected to voluntarily go back to square one after more than a half-century of hard-won victories, having been the recipient of unending aggression. Dangerous –possibly even fatal—because to voluntarily give such concessions, simply in the smoke-and-mirrors hope that those they are trying to placate won’t continue to send suicide bombers to murder their civilian citizens or attack again once a Palestinian national entity is established, flies in the face of reason when dealing with such murderous fanatics as surrounds Israel.

Those of us who watch for developments that might indicate prophetic significance have long looked at the international community’s growing hostility toward Israel, in favor of Israel’s angry neighbors, suspecting things would eventually boil down to such unreasonable demands in light of Zechariah 12:1-3 and other prophecies. However, we didn’t foresee America as leading the way in pushing God’s chosen nation into the prophesied end-time corner.

I believe that most of us who observe issues and events of our time in light of God’s prophetic Word, agree with Hal Lindsey’s bottom-line assessment in this matter of America’s President putting such pressure on Israel.

“…I have believed for decades that God has protected America despite our growing sin. He has done so because the USA has been a base for world evangelism and we have supported Israel's right to exist in the land God promised them. This betrayal, if followed through, will effectively remove God's protective shield. May God help us” (WND Exclusive Commentary, "Bush's 3 little words, 1 big betrayal," Posted: June 2, 2005).