The Vatican Deception -- A Most Controversial Film

The Vatican Deception (2018)

Directed by: Paul Stark    Produced by: Mark Terry

Official Website: http://www.thevaticandeception.com

                                                                      

A Most Controversial Documentary

I had the privilege of viewing an advance copy of The Vatican Deception, produced and directed by Paul Stark prior to its North American premiere (January 25, 2018) in Toronto. The film is produced by award-winning producer, Mark Terry [best known for The Polar Documentaries (The Antarctica Challenge: A Global Warming, The Polar Explorer)]. The topic captivated my interest for the full length of the film (99 minutes) as it dealt with issues of considerable interest – the Roman Catholic Church, bishops, and popes including those in power today, Russia and Putin, miracles and prophecy, apostasy, and apocalypse.  The main premise is that apocalypse may be averted if the apostasy stopped and the Roman Catholic church returns to its true, traditional tenets, and simply followed the “order” of the Blessed Virgin to formally and unequivocally “consecrate Russia”.  Now, who wouldn’t want to know about that – especially if it can be shown that the super forces at the top of the Roman Catholic body are actually blocking this from happening, contrary to the wishes, at times, of the Pope himself.

If there’s a cover-up, we’d want to know about it. At best, we want to know that there may well be a cover-up. This film works diligently to convince us there is.

The main character in the film is “Our Lady of Fátima, is a Catholic title of the Blessed Virgin Mary based on the famed Marian apparitions reported in 1917 by three shepherd children at the Cova da Iria, in Fátima, Portugal” as Wikipedia describes her.  She is also at the center of the controversy. Was there another document that she dictated to the children and in particular, Sister Lucia, the eldest of the three children involved and the only one who lived to write about it? If so, where is it?  And if so, why is it being kept from the people?  Lucia died in 2005.

As you watch it, you will be reminded of events that took place during your lifetime – events that you saw on television. While the director initially takes you as far back as 1634 to provide the proper context of the Fatima mystery, he very quickly brings you to the first and second world wars, Hitler, Khrushchev, and the more recent assassination attempt on a Pontiff.

For history buffs focusing on religion, the film gives great insights into what happened at the Second Vatican Council that effectively changed the Roman Catholic church forever, and who is in charge now. Those who see the film may be shocked to the Pope does not have a veto on what happens in the church.

The second main character is clearly Father Nicholas Gruner who had until his death in 2015 led the fight for the Vatican to release the so-called missing document. His is an intriguing story.  

Meanwhile, the Vatican refuses to answer questions about a seemingly endless list of evidence pointing to this ‘lost’ or ‘non-existent’ document never revealed to the public.

And the story is not over yet. The film concludes with a plea to have others take up the cause of Father Gruner.

As a non-Catholic, I learned much about the Roman Catholic Church and unfortunately, it wasn’t all too pleasant. At times, I felt I was watching the American Senate except that the players weren’t wearing either red or black from head to foot.

The film also left me with some questions. As a Christian, can I really accept the fact that

a)     the Virgin Mary spoke to these children

b)    that she would speak vs. the church as it seems she did (if she did)

c)     that apostasy (the work of the arch-enemy of Christianity) could ever be stopped

d)    and if so, could it be stopped by the simple consecration of Russia by the Pope

e)     and finally, can the world really avoid the apocalypse spoken of in the Gospel?

Having said that, I highly recommend this film. Catch it wherever you can and ask your local suppliers – at the theatres, and later through DVD’s, online, or on various television networks, to air it.  It will challenge your thinking and beliefs, as well as provide you with some special portals through which to view history. It may also be a great means of providing a segue by which Protestants and Catholics may engage each other in meaningful discussion.  Sure beats the weather, sports, automobiles, and politics.

[North America premiere is January 25 at the Isabel Bader Theatre in Toronto, followed by a two-week run at the Kingsway Theatre in Toronto.]

·      Ken B. Godevenos, President, Accord Resolutions Services Inc., Toronto, Ontario, January 24, 2018, www.accordconsulting.com

It would be great if you would share your thoughts or questions on this blog in the comments section below or on social media.

A Surprising Result of the Egyptian Affliction Exodus 1:12-14

But the more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied and the more they spread out, so that they were in dread of the sons of Israel.  And the Egyptians compelled the sons of Israel to labor rigorously; and they made their lives bitter with hard labor in mortar and bricks and at all kinds of labor in the field, all their labors which they rigorously imposed on them.

The text says that the harder the Egyptian slave masters worked the Hebrews, the more they multiplied in numbers and caused the Egyptians to fear them.  Now, as far as I understand human biology there is no direct connection between working someone harder and their ability to reproduce.  I suppose that if one is young and hardy as a result of hard work, it may be said that he or she is more likely to reproduce infants that are more strong and hardy and thus can survive birth better, with the result being that the population grows faster.  But short of that, this was clearly a “God-thing”.  It reminds me of how the Church of Jesus Christ today has been growing much stronger and bigger under adverse circumstances in countries were it is disallowed – China being the foremost example that comes to mind.  God has a way of using difficult times for us as individuals and as pockets of the Church for our own good and for His glory.  And today the Church, while it is not dreaded from the standpoint of physical fear, it is feared as an enemy of the state’s ideological goals.

Now, here’s the funny thing.  The Egyptians didn’t change their ways when they saw this extra growth spurt among the children of God.  They kept on addressing their fear in the same manner – by piling on even more work on the Hebrews.  Today we all know that we can’t solve a problem or a concern by doing the same thing day after day, especially if that is the very thing that may well have been the cause of the problem.  The Egyptians had not yet advanced to that level of business management acumen.  But even today some of the world’s strongest regimes seem to be guilty of the same old habit.  Their only approach to fighting believers in Christ is to murder them, burn their churches, and ridicule them.  And the Church keeps on growing worldwide.

The text informs us that the Hebrews were being worked like slaves in both the Egyptian construction, as well as their agricultural, industries.  In short, they supplied the laborers and the farmhands.  Today these two categories of employment, as honorable as they may be before God and those that appreciate the end results of their efforts, are still deemed as menial work by many, primarily because of how physically difficult and mentally undemanding they are.  In Canada, for example, the majority of laborers are immigrants from other lands or those that have not progressed in school beyond the minimal requirement.  When it comes to farmhands, Canada like other countries tends to call on migrant workers from other nations (mostly Mexico in our case) to come and work seasonally for low wages in order to grow and harvest the crops.  Things have not changed that much in the thousands of years that have passed since the time of our text.

Here are the questions for you and I today.  First, how much adversity are we prepared to suffer in this life?  Second, when adversity comes will we collapse or will we see it as part of God’s will for our lives and His Kingdom?  Given what is going on in the world today – the attack on the Church by the State and liberalism; the progress of Islam (which ultimately believes it has the duty to eliminate both Jews and Christians as infidels from the world in its service to Allah); and the progress of secularism – these indeed are very serious and meaningful questions we need to give some heed to now.

And let us not for a moment think by being ‘godly’ we can avert suffering.  On the contrary, the Apostle Paul writing to the Corinthians clearly tells us, in his first letter to them, that suffering is central to being godly.  It’s well worth the read.  I believe we need to accept that fact and when adversity comes we need to be able to apply Philippians 4:6,7: “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.  And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, shall guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Each of us would do well to start practicing that advice now rather than waiting until real adversity is upon us.

[Are you looking for a speaker at your church, your club, school, or organization? Ken is available to preach, teach, challenge, and/or motivate. Please contact us.]

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It would be great if you would share your thoughts or questions on this blog in the comments section below or on social media.

Yes, Love, Pray, Present the Truth to Win Them; but How Do We Stop Them from Getting Killed?

I wrote this email to a Middle-Eastern Christian Leader today and am eagerly waiting his reply.  I would appreciate your thoughts on the topic as well.  I am seriously seeking an answer and would welcome serious reflection from those that care to respond.  Here's my letter . . .

"Dear _____:  I had the pleasure of hearing you speak very recently and was impressed with what God has done and can do and is doing in your part of the world.   As a committed Christian, involved actively in mission work both in Canada and Africa, I am fully aware of the need to love our enemies; pray for them; and releasing the truth unto them.  God does the rest.

"I understand the need for that in order that many may come to a full knowledge of HIM.  I commend you for what you and your team are doing in the midst of the situation you are in.

"My question, however, has to do with the "other aspect" of what may also be our responsibility, but I am not sure.  And that is this:

"While we have a responsibility to do all the Bible empowers us to do to introduce men and women to Christ, do we as "Body of Christ" also have any responsibility in utilizing our influence to stem the genocide (for that is what I believe it amounts to if we collectively are aware of all Christians that are persecuted and killed by others) that we see before us around the world?   Do we have a responsibility to take stronger action together to convince the non-Islamic countries that we must act to stop this globally before it is too late?   Do we have a responsibility to act like those who acted to protect Jews against Hitler, for example?  I fear the "boot" of intolerant radical Islam is making big gains and is marching and stomping across the face of the earth.  

"As one who works with those in Africa, I see it annually coming down from northern Africa to south of the Sahara dessert and having a great influence with its power, money, and fear-causing approach.  I simply ask "Is it time for some of the Church's well-known leaders to come together to discuss what can be done to influence those global leaders that will still hear us?"

"I realize the simple answer may be "We cannot do that, only God can".   I know that, and I must admit I find it difficult to share my feelings on this topic with so many that have no idea of what is going on across the face of the earth these days.  The devil is working 24/7 and he has undertaken an incredible recruiting program, as well as a major initiative to lie to the world.   Yes, only God can -- but what can we do with God, for God, and for our children and grandchildren for the sake of God's Kingdom?   I am not yet ready to believe the answer is "nothing".   Perhaps you or others can convince me otherwise.

"Please understand I am asking about the "other side" of the equation -- you have well handled the Christian's responsibility to "the Great Commission".  I have no quarrel with that and am on board.  My heart yearns to discover what God would have us do for those that are Christians already, to keep them from perishing at the hands of the enemy.    Think of it as the difference between "witnessing to slaves" in the days of slavery and protecting the slaves that have been freed after England and the United States abolished slavery.   Are we doing anything for the latter situation including those Muslims that are being converted to Christianity even today?  (The young lady you mentioned in your talk comes to mind.)

"That is my sincere question.

"I would appreciate your thoughts on this and I would be happy to correspond with you on this issue.  If there was some interest as to how an ordinary man like me could be involved in helping bring this about, I would be happy to devote myself to it.

"In His Service with you, Ken B. Godevenos, Toronto."

[Are you looking for a speaker at your church, your club, school, or organization? Ken is available to preach, teach, challenge, and/or motivate. Please contact us.]

Thanks for dropping by. Sign up to receive free updates. We bring you relevant information from all sorts of sources. Subscribe for free to this blog or follow us by clicking on the appropriate link in the right side bar. And please share this blog with your friends. Ken Godevenos, Church and Management Consultant, Accord Consulting.

It would be great if you would share your thoughts or questions on this blog in the comments section below or on social media.

Rex Murphy on Obama’s war against Christianity: When the Church Struck Back.

As usual Rex Murphy does a great job on telling it like it is. However, his story sticks with how we got there in the first place and ends simply with the 'shift' of the onus to provide free contraceptives to the insurance companies.

What he does not write about and I wish he would, is: First, the lameness of the B.O.'s about-face -- I mean, phrases like, "and as a Christian" -- oh, please, give me a break in life. And second, and perhaps more importantly that what he has done is really smoke and mirrors. In essence, the insurance companies will recover these increased costs by passing them on to the employers (perhaps especially religious ones) through increased rates for current programs minus the contraceptives. So you'll still have the Catholic institutions and others who object to paying for them, doing so indirectly but not being guilty of actually providing them. To those who are sincere in their beliefs -- this slight of hand just is not sufficient.

And finally, I would not put it past this administration to have even suggested to the insurance companies to take the 'virtual' hit (after all, look at what this administration has done for them with obamacare), but pass the costs on as they see fit. I mean, do you really hear any of them screaming blue bloody murder? I don't.

Here's Rex. . . 

Rex Murphy on Obama’s war against Christianity: When the Church struck back | Full Comment | National Post

[Are you looking for a speaker at your church, your club, school, or organization? Ken is available to preach, teach, challenge, and/or motivate. Please contact us.]

Thanks for dropping by. Sign up to receive free updates. We bring you relevant information from all sorts of sources. Subscribe for free to this blog or follow us by clicking on the appropriate link in the right side bar. And please share this blog with your friends. Ken Godevenos, Church and Management Consultant, Accord Consulting.

It would be great if you would share your thoughts or questions on this blog in the comments section below or on social media.

Catholics Reject Obama's Orders and Take Him On

This looks good on Obama. More components of Christianity should have the guts to stand up against this administration on many issues. This one alone is enough to defeat Obama -- not because it's about abortion, but because it's about a President who is basically saying, "I don't give a da__ about your religion."

Enough is enough. Didn't someone in part of Europe who was the cause of two world wars say something like that to a whole race once and then proceeded to try and annihilate them? I think so. Let's not go there. If Americans who do believe (or who believe in the right to believe if one so chooses) do not commit to doing all they can to defeat this current president in the next election, we can all kiss our right to faith good-bye.

The Catholic Church Has Launched A Fight Against Obama That's Unprecedented In American History

[Are you looking for a speaker at your church, your club, school, or organization? Ken is available to preach, teach, challenge, and/or motivate. Please contact us.]

Thanks for dropping by. Sign up to receive free updates. We bring you relevant information from all sorts of sources. Subscribe for free to this blog or follow us by clicking on the appropriate link in the right side bar. And please share this blog with your friends. Ken Godevenos, Church and Management Consultant, Accord Consulting.

It would be great if you would share your thoughts or questions on this blog in the comments section below or on social media.