The ecumenical movement is a mess. It claims to promote unity among the world’s Christian churches. In the book of Jeremiah we see the Jews had their temple, however they began making side altars and bringing in idol worship. They liked to claim they had the temple of the Lord however Jeremiah said: “Trust ye not in lying words, saying, The temple of the LORD, The temple of the LORD, The temple of the LORD are these.” [Jeremiah 7:4] Yes, they still had the temple for the time being but the Lord warned them of the destruction to come if they didn’t amend their ways. The Lord hates the mixture of lies with Christianity. There were many warnings in the Old Testament: “Her priest have violated my law, and have profaned mine holy things: they have put no difference between the holy and profane, neither have thy shewed difference between the unclean and the clean, and have hid their eyes from my sabbaths, and I am profaned among them.” [Ezekiel 22:26]
Today we see much of the same things with the ecumenical movement mingling the things of God and the things of the world among God’s people. What I see is, spiritual discernment is gone and the spirit of compromise is at an all-time high. Church services have turned into circus affairs. Reminds me of when P.T. Barnum invited the famous Charles Spurgeon to come to America. He told Spurgeon he could put up a special tent along side of the circus so Spurgeon could preach to the multitudes and that there would be no restrictions on what he preached. If I remember the story correctly he offered him one thousand dollars per message! I wonder how many of the evangelist of today would jump at that offer, especially since today many of the church services now resemble a circus. Spurgeon sent a reply back to Mr. Barnum. He said he could find his response in the Book of Acts of the Apostles: “And said, O full of all subtilty and all mischief, thou child of the devil, thou enemy of all righteousness, wilt thou not cease to pervert the right ways of the Lord?” [Acts 13:10]
As a preacher there are places I won’t go to preach because I look at what their church stands for. If I believe they are wrong in the doctrine taught in the Word of God I just won’t go there. I have a church to preach in and I don’t need to go and to receive an offering for preaching there. We’ve been given the warning: “Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you,” [2 Corinthians 6:17] Also we are told: “And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them.” [Ephesians 5:11] When people add the things of the world into the church service it usually starts with the music, then comes some more minor changes in what they stand for. Remember the ecumenical movement is trying to appease everybody’s religion without offending anyone. Paul warns us: “Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them. For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple. For your obedience is come abroad unto all men. I am glad therefore on your behalf: but yet I would have you wise unto that which is good, and simple concerning evil.” [Romans 16:17-19] Beware of the ecumenical movement!!
Rev. Gregory A. Albright, Pastor
