Protestantism. Is it over?

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TMS

Senior Member
Mar 21, 2015
3,921
1,254
113
Australia
#1
The Catholic church ruled the world for many years and then people like Martin Luther, John Calvin, Huldrych Zwingli, John Wycliffe and more stood up against the tradition and stared to obey the bible.
The protestant reformation was founded on justification by faith alone and sola scripture.

Has the world forgotten this and is the Catholic church regaining its power?
 

Hakawaka

Active member
Jul 1, 2021
308
157
43
#2
The reformers were diet version of catholicism.

Today as you said the reformation is dead and gone, all mainstream churches are apostate and are part of the "world council of churches".

Its hilarious as they all disagree and their creeds even condemn other views, yet they disregard all that and work together nowadays. Why? Because ecumenical apostasy. This probably won't turn out well for people's souls in these churches as Jesus stated: Shall He find faith on earth when He returns?
 

Cameron143

Well-known member
Mar 1, 2022
19,184
6,604
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62
#3
Jesus has the keys to death and hell. He is ruling and reigning. History has always been under Divine control and is following a Divine timetable. Everything is going as planned.
 

Pilgrimshope

Well-known member
Sep 2, 2020
14,137
5,720
113
#4
Jesus has the keys to death and hell. He is ruling and reigning. History has always been under Divine control and is following a Divine timetable. Everything is going as planned.
God planned this ? Or man caused it ?

“And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.

And it repented the LORD that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart.


The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence.

And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth.


And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth.”
‭‭Genesis‬ ‭6:5-6, 11-13‬ ‭KJV‬‬


Gods plan was to create mankind then cause then to sin and die and become corrupt , so he could then , repent over what he had created and destroy it all because we grieved his heart ?

i don’t think God planned death and violence and sin to fill the earth through mankind it seems to be the opposite of his plan. Once this happened na kind became a part of the equation

“And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.”
‭‭Genesis‬ ‭1:26‬ ‭KJV‬‬

man now has a functional position in the kingdom of God he is the ruler over earth God created and gave them

“The heaven, even the heavens, are the LORD's:

But the earth hath he given to the children of men.”
‭‭Psalm‬ ‭115:16‬ ‭KJV‬‬

man’s responsible for the course of destruction on earth God gave us paradise we made it a kill zone and swoop for wickedness and violence that’s not what God created its what we caused to the world he gave us

Gods plan was life and still is life , it’s why he warned then it to eat the fruit and die and earns man still to repent and live
 

ResidentAlien

Well-known member
Apr 21, 2021
8,309
3,617
113
#5
The Catholic church ruled the world for many years and then people like Martin Luther, John Calvin, Huldrych Zwingli, John Wycliffe and more stood up against the tradition and stared to obey the bible.
The protestant reformation was founded on justification by faith alone and sola scripture.

Has the world forgotten this and is the Catholic church regaining its power?
There's no question that Roman Catholicism and Orthodox Catholicism are gaining traction; but it's about power, not the Lord. Roman Catholicism is getting a lot of help from the NAR (or Independent Network Christianity as some of them prefer to be called). Young people especially who are dissatisfied with churches that practice expository Bible preaching and teaching are leaving and going where there's more fun stuff. They are impressionable and when leaders in the NAR/INC tell them Roman Catholicism is just great they buy it. A lot of them are in search of mysticism, which Catholicism has plenty of.
 

Cameron143

Well-known member
Mar 1, 2022
19,184
6,604
113
62
#6
God planned this ? Or man caused it ?

“And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.

And it repented the LORD that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart.


The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence.

And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth.


And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth.”
‭‭Genesis‬ ‭6:5-6, 11-13‬ ‭KJV‬‬


Gods plan was to create mankind then cause then to sin and die and become corrupt , so he could then , repent over what he had created and destroy it all because we grieved his heart ?

i don’t think God planned death and violence and sin to fill the earth through mankind it seems to be the opposite of his plan. Once this happened na kind became a part of the equation

“And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.”
‭‭Genesis‬ ‭1:26‬ ‭KJV‬‬

man now has a functional position in the kingdom of God he is the ruler over earth God created and gave them

“The heaven, even the heavens, are the LORD's:

But the earth hath he given to the children of men.”
‭‭Psalm‬ ‭115:16‬ ‭KJV‬‬

man’s responsible for the course of destruction on earth God gave us paradise we made it a kill zone and swoop for wickedness and violence that’s not what God created its what we caused to the world he gave us

Gods plan was life and still is life , it’s why he warned then it to eat the fruit and die and earns man still to repent and live
Sure men do things for evil purposes, but God intends them for good. Noone is frustrating God and His purposes. Things are going as planned.
 

Seeker47

Well-known member
Aug 7, 2018
1,128
962
113
#8
There's no question that Roman Catholicism and Orthodox Catholicism are gaining traction; but it's about power, not the Lord. Roman Catholicism is getting a lot of help from the NAR (or Independent Network Christianity as some of them prefer to be called). Young people especially who are dissatisfied with churches that practice expository Bible preaching and teaching are leaving and going where there's more fun stuff. They are impressionable and when leaders in the NAR/INC tell them Roman Catholicism is just great they buy it. A lot of them are in search of mysticism, which Catholicism has plenty of.
Where is "expository Bible preaching" happening? Surely not main-line protestant churches nor evangelicals...
I am not trying to be deliberately argumentative, but in my community there are none. There is tons of grace and love being preached, but not an ounce of judgement and wrath. We are following the pattern of Israel/Ephraim very closely, all the while praying against the same outcome. God always gives his people time to repent and turn, he gave Canaan 400 years; Ephraim less.
 

Nehemiah6

Senior Member
Jul 18, 2017
26,074
13,774
113
#9
The protestant reformation was founded on justification by faith alone and sola scripture.
There have been many attacks on Bible Christianity since then. Theological Liberalism entered into the seminaries in the 19th and 20th centuries, Higher and Lower Criticism attacked the Bible, and more recently the mainline denomination embraced the LBGTQ agenda. So those churches which were from the Reformation all disappeared, and now we have apostasy in those churches. At the same time, many evangelicals went along with the Catholic Church.

But there are still some churches which preach the true Gospel and hold to sound doctrine.
 

SomeDisciple

Well-known member
Jul 4, 2021
2,266
1,049
113
#10
The Catholic "church" was/is a cult, with a lot of its membership having fragile loyalties. It didn't even really rule Europe, let alone the actual world.

"Protestantism" Is a mostly outdated moniker. The Pope rules inside his little city-state, and his rulings are freely contradicted and ignored by his own ministers outside. I'm not even sure the RCC itself has ever been less relevant- let alone the idea that it's regaining it's power.
 

Nehemiah6

Senior Member
Jul 18, 2017
26,074
13,774
113
#11
Things are going as planned.
There's a HUGE DIFFERENCE between "as planned" and "as prophesied" and you need to keep that in mind. God did not plan that churches calling themselves "Christian" would deviate from Scripture. But it was prophesied by Christ and the apostles that there would be many false teachers, false apostles, and false prophets, and that there would also be a turning away from the truth. That is what we are seeing right now.
 

Cameron143

Well-known member
Mar 1, 2022
19,184
6,604
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#12
There's a HUGE DIFFERENCE between "as planned" and "as prophesied" and you need to keep that in mind. God did not plan that churches calling themselves "Christian" would deviate from Scripture. But it was prophesied by Christ and the apostles that there would be many false teachers, false apostles, and false prophets, and that there would also be a turning away from the truth. That is what we are seeing right now.
All you speak of isn't new. It's been happening since the church began. And so has Christ been growing His church. Through all the heresy, apostacy, and apathy, Christ continues to prevail. Your view, in my opinion, is too myopic.

Christians should be the most optimistic people on earth. Christ cannot fail. And everywhere He is at work, there is life and hope. Smile...Jesus is still large and in charge, and God is on the move, on the move. Catch the Jesus train.
 

Nehemiah6

Senior Member
Jul 18, 2017
26,074
13,774
113
#13
The Pope rules inside his little city-state, and his rulings are freely contradicted and ignored by his own ministers outside. I'm not even sure the RCC itself has ever been less relevant- let alone the idea that it's regaining it's power.
Have you been following the shenanigans of Pope Francis (who is not recognized as a true pope by many Catholics). He has undermined Catholicism, is trying to ban the Latin Mass (which many Catholics want to retain), and put his full weight behind Globalism, the Green Agenda, the LBGTQ agenda, and other false narratives. We should not assume that the Catholic Church has no relevance, since there are millions of Catholics all around the world, and they continue to cling to their false religion.
 

Eli1

Well-known member
Apr 5, 2022
4,758
2,054
113
46
#15
The Catholic church ruled the world for many years and then people like Martin Luther, John Calvin, Huldrych Zwingli, John Wycliffe and more stood up against the tradition and stared to obey the bible.
The protestant reformation was founded on justification by faith alone and sola scripture.

Has the world forgotten this and is the Catholic church regaining its power?
I don't think it's anything new tbh.
These things are like waves throughout history. Sometimes you have a big revival and sometimes you have a lot of walking away (like it's happening now).

We also need to factor-in each country's default settings when it comes to religion.
For example if you are born in USA, your default setting is Protestant or Catholic.
If you're born in Greece your default setting is East Orthodox.
And in both places there are waves of atheists and agnostics coming and going.
 

Cameron143

Well-known member
Mar 1, 2022
19,184
6,604
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#16
Since when was LBGTQ supported by some denominations? How recent is this movement? So yes, there is much that it new.
Just separating the sheep from the goats. Judgment begins at the house of God. A few tables being overturned from time to time is a good thing.
 
Jan 6, 2024
45
22
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#17
"9 If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved. 11 As Scripture says, “Anyone who believes in him will never be put to shame.” 12 For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, 13 for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” (Romans 10:9-13)

What does this passage teach? It teaches those who believe Jesus Christ is Lord/God and believe in His Resurrection will be saved. Well, what do Catholics profess in the Mass? The Apostle's Creed which confesses: "I believe in Jesus Christ, His Only Son, Our Lord ... On the Third Day He Rose Again". Therefore, putting the two together, it is evident Catholics will be saved.
 
Jan 6, 2024
45
22
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#18
Catholicism's Incredible Growth Story, 8 Sep 2016, Philip Jenkins.

"It is strange then to realise that this Church – which is already, by far, the largest religious institution on the planet – is in fact enjoying global growth on an unprecedented scale. In 1950, the world’s Catholic population was 437 million, a figure that grew to 650 million by 1970, and to around 1.2 billion today. Put another way, Catholic numbers have doubled since 1970, and that change has occurred during all the recent controversies and crises within the Church, all the debates following Vatican II and all the claims about the rise of secularism.
Nor does the rate of growth show any sign of diminishing. By 2050, a conservative estimate suggests there should be at least 1.6 billion Catholics.
I spoke about global growth, and that “global” element demands emphasis ...

In 1900, the whole of Africa had just a couple of million Catholics, but that number grew to 130 million by the end of the century, and today it approaches 200 million. If current trends continue, as they show every sign of doing, then by the 2040s there will be some 460 million African Catholics. Incredibly, that number would be greater than the total world population of Catholics as it stood in 1950."

https://catholicherald.co.uk/catholicisms-incredible-growth-story/
 

Nehemiah6

Senior Member
Jul 18, 2017
26,074
13,774
113
#19
Christians should be the most optimistic people on earth. Christ cannot fail. And everywhere He is at work, there is life and hope. Smile...Jesus is still large and in charge, and God is on the move, on the move. Catch the Jesus train.
There is a difference between optimism and realism. There is no doubt that the power of the Gospel cannot change, and that people's lives are changed through the preaching of the true Gospel. Many are being saved, and many will continue to be saved.

At the same time, the sober reality is that the world is moving towards the reign of the Antichrist. Of course, God and Christ are sovereign in all things, but they will ALLOW sin and evil to increase until divine judgments are poured out.

So the focus of Christians should be on getting the true Gospel and the true bibles out to everyone. Salvation is only through Christ and the Gospel must present Christ "and Him crucified" and also resurrected.
 

Nehemiah6

Senior Member
Jul 18, 2017
26,074
13,774
113
#20
Well, what do Catholics profess in the Mass? The Apostle's Creed which confesses: "I believe in Jesus Christ, His Only Son, Our Lord ... On the Third Day He Rose Again". Therefore, putting the two together, it is evident Catholics will be saved.
But then the Catholic Church moves away from justification by grace through faith, and teaches salvation through the sacraments, while elevating Mary to become Queen of Heaven and making her the advocate while replacing Christ. Also a careful examination of the Mass shows that it is a travesty of the one final sacrifice of Christ. It is a complete rejection of the Lord's Supper. So there are in fact many issues with Roman Catholicism.