Climate Summit
By Pastor Hal Mayer
Dear Friends,
Welcome to Keep the Faith Ministry. Thank you for joining me again today as we study yet another amazing development in fulfilling prophecy. I can hardly believe we are nearing the maturing of so many key issues in our own times. And it is happening at a very rapid pace. Yet, it is happening, and it is vitally important that we yield our lives to Jesus so that He can perform His work of transformation in our hearts and lives so that we won’t be caught unawares and unready when the crisis finally comes. All things earthly are building up to the final battle. Christ was the victor at the cross for us, so that He can stamp His image on us, His last generation and expose us to the full onslaught of Satan’s temptations in his last gasp to grab even the last remnant into his deadly designs. So many signs indicate the nearness of the coming of Christ. I don’t know how long we have, but we must work while it is day, for the night cometh when no man can work. Many lost souls need what you know.
The world changed on 9/11/2001. It paved the way for the destruction of the U.S. Constitution and the constitutions of other western nations. This was essential so that papal principles of the New World Order can be implemented. There can never be a universal Sunday law if Western constitutions, and the U.S. Constitution in particular, were still active and protecting the religious minorities. Over the last decade and a half the steady and rapid erosion of these bulwarks of freedom have left them almost pointless. They have been chipped away and undermined by presidents, prime ministers and other western leaders. Yet God’s people are still largely asleep. They think tomorrow will be the same as today. But if you are paying attention, you can see that our world is preparing for a very different tomorrow. It is preparing for the final conflict between the forces of good and evil. And that’s changing everything.
Secularism, in more recent times, has also changed the world as western nations have dramatically turned their backs on God’s law and moved further away from the principles of freedom. Gay rights are now very strong in most western nations. And their priorities are far different from yours – and from God’s, for that matter. As western nations move closer to the precipice of God’s judgments, just like Sodom, most people are not aware of the visitation of the mighty angels upon the cities and nations of this world. I don’t know how long the mercy of God will prevail. I think it is ironic that Pope Francis has proclaimed a year of Jubilee in the name of mercy; a false and illusionary mercy. But, at some point, God will give permission to the angels of destruction to weak havoc on the wicked cities of the world. I urge you to find another place to live than in the big cities. They are destined for destruction. While you still can, if you live in a city, this would be the time to make the move and follow God’s counsel.
And now it is time for the next big change. The Papacy is rising to sit as a queen over the whole earth. She has been aiming at this for a long, long time. Over more than two centuries she has gradually worked herself into popularity and power. And now the nations cannot do what they want without considering the opinions and manipulations of Rome.
And that is what our lesson is about today. On a global scale, nations now look to Rome for guidance. And Rome is obliging them and providing it. For more than two centuries, the Holy See has been working, planning and engineering for this day. She has been doing all in her power to regain control of the world and undo all the Protestantism has done. The stakes have never been so high. The great controversy between Christ and Satan has nearly reached its peak. The whole world is at stake, and every man, woman and child on the planet will be confronted with a question. Will they be loyal to God, or to man?
There is one issue that the Papacy is using to establish herself as the world’s moral guide. Until recently it was merely a political and economic issue. But now that the pope has weighed in on the crisis, it has taken on a moral and religious dimension that stunningly propels the pope to the top of the New World Order as its guide.
And the whole thing has been orchestrated by Rome itself, in collaboration with one key nation, the United States of America. Your family and friends need to realize that world events are about to take on a new and dramatic direction, directly where the Bible says they will go. What kind of world should we expect to arise? What will the merchants of the earth, and the religious leaders and the kings of the earth be doing in a few more years? What will happen to God’s people in the new globalization? These are some of the questions we will try to address today in my message.
But before we begin, let me urge you to get your copy of our 12-part, 6 DVD set called Prophetic Secrets of the New World Order. It’s only $69.95 plus 10% postage for U.S. and Australian subscribers (20% for all others). You won’t want to miss these excellent presentations that were done at Secrets Unsealed. Pastor Bohr asked me to come to their studios in Fresno, CA and record this series so that you can watch these important messages. This compelling series will inspire and strengthen you. Order extra sets for your family and friends.
Also, make sure that you join our free email list for daily briefings on fulfilling prophecy, if you haven’t already. One briefing, almost 5 days a week, will come to your inbox so that you can start or end your day thinking about the unfolding drama and the second coming of Christ.
Also, we are in need of volunteers again with building skills to help us with renovations at both of our health retreats in Australia, at Highwood Health Retreat and Amaroo Water Gardens Health Retreat. Soon we will start renovations of the school building at Highwood. We are planning to start a medical missionary training program in 2017 and we need that building ready to go. We will install offices and redesign some other rooms. That project will start very soon. So, let us know if you can come and help.
And as soon as we are ready at Amaroo Water Gardens in the next few weeks or months, we will install offices, therapy rooms, doctor’s office and other amenities to start the health retreat in South Australia. So, if you are able to help in 2016 and you have building skills, please contact us. You have to be from a country that has electronic visas for visitors to Australia, such as the United States, Canada, Europe, Scandinavia, New Zealand, etc.
We are well into the New Year, and 2016 will, no doubt, have a huge influence on the way you live your life. You can never go back to the “good old days.” They are gone forever. Now, we must think about our own eternal destiny like never before. Christ will stand by your side in the troublous times ahead if you are rooted and grounded in Him. Being in Christ, means that you live so much in harmony with Him that He can trust you with His Holy Spirit in latter rain power. So, as we begin let us bow our heads in prayer and ask for the precious influence of the Holy Spirit upon us today as we study.
Our Father in heaven, we sense the importance of the hour. We sense that our world is changing in dramatic ways, and it will never be as simple and carefree as it once was. Now, huge issues impose their weight upon us, and we cannot hide from them. Yet, You have promised to hide your people in the secret place of the Most High. Oh God, as we think about our times, and the importance of living for Christ, I pray that we will understand like never before. Please send Your Holy Spirit to enlighten and inspire us as we study. In Jesus name, amen.
Turn with me in your Bibles to Isaiah 60. Let us start with a little Bible study. It will tell us something about those who will be living in the last days. Beginning with verse 1 we read, “Arise, shine; for thy light is come and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee. For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the Lord shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee. And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising. Lift up thine eyes round about, and see: all they gather themselves together, they come to thee: thy sons shall come from far, and they daughters shall be nursed at thy side. Then thou shalt see, and flow together, and thine heart shall fear and be enlarged; because the abundance of the sea shall be converted unto thee, the forces of the Gentiles shall come unto thee.”
These verses, my friends, are talking about the latter rain. In these verses is the secret of the power of God’s people in the last days. As darkness, even gross darkness covers the earth God’s people will arise and shine under the strength and influence of the Holy Spirit. At the very time, when Satan’s power is most manifest; at the very time when the people of the earth are in deep, deep spiritual darkness and blindness; at the moment when there is a hopelessness and despair, God’s people will rise to shine like the brightness of the noon day. People in darkness will see them and be drawn to them to ask what they know. How do they have such happiness? When they understand the message God gave us to give them, something dramatic will happen. The forces of the Gentiles shall come to thee. That’s talking about the wealth of the Gentiles. If you look in your margin, you will see that is what is being referred to. They will be moved upon by the Holy Ghost to help God’s cause with their assets and the wealth of their influence. They will give of their resources to God’s people to finish the work that God must complete.
You see my friends, as the darkness gets deeper and the Holy Spirit is poured out upon God’s people, they will become the center of attention. The contrast will be stark. Those who have not known Christ, and those that have not had full light will now see clearly. The “scales” will come off of their eyes and they will see things they’ve never seen before. They will see the glorious Bible truth that has escaped them. Horded wealth will now be loosened, and they will pour their wealth on those that they see are truly working with God. Many will come weeping to God’s people, telling them that they have never been so impressed by the light before, and they now have nothing holding them back; no family ties, no social pressure, no work obligations will keep them from their duty to work for God and get their resources into God’s work. These verses are talking only about those God can trust with His resources. Only those who are surrendered and humble before Christ, whose lives are totally dedicated to His service, and who will use those resources correctly can be recipients of those gifts. Do you want to be faithful so that your light will arise and shine upon the Gentiles?
Now think about this. This very attention on God’s people; the light, honor and glory will bring heavy persecution upon them. Satan will fight the light with all his might. He will not yield the ground easily. Yet Christ will stand by the side of His people to defend them, and overthrow the enemy. They will be strengthened by His presence because they love Him and love His law.
Oh friends, what a privilege to live in Christ! I need the Holy Spirit to teach me and guide me every day. I hope you sense this need too, my friends. Just imagine what God is going to do! The work that has languished and struggled for so many years will suddenly be able to move forward. And it will win many souls. It will miraculously open many doors of opportunity to reach the higher classes that will then pour themselves into God’s work. Like Nicodemus, once they understand the truth for this time, they will sacrifice all they have in the service of Christ, to win souls and to have a place in God’s kingdom. That’s what Isaiah 60 is talking about.
Oh friends, I don’t know about you, but I want a place in God’s kingdom more than ever. If you are listening to this message today, please surrender yourself to God. Surrender all you have to His cause. I have done that myself. I want to be an example of self-surrender and self-denial. May God help us all, is my prayer.
The darkness is getting deeper. Have you noticed? As sin abounds, the spiritual blindness of the world is becoming more dense and determined. Everywhere you look there is wickedness and evil. Men’s hearts are continually pursuing corruption and violence. It seems relentless. Every thought and imagination of his heart is only evil continually. Yet, God has a faithful few who are seeking His righteousness and His grace to live in harmony with His law.
Most people have rejected God’s law. They are being led by the papal power that is foremost in turning its back on God’s law, particularly the fourth commandment, but it is by no means the only commandment.
To many people, the rise of the Papacy to geopolitical heights is a mystery. They are confused about it. How can a corrupt organization with so many scandals be so popular and so well received? After all, though Rome has covered with apologies the iniquities of her past, she is still the same corrupt organization. They cannot understand or discern this. Nor can they understand how the Vatican can continue to rise to new heights each day.
Students of Bible prophecy, however, understand these things. The Bible tells us that Rome is to be cut down (See Revelation 18:7). That means she has to rise. God allows her to reach the pinnacle in order to expose her wickedness and demonstrate the contrast between loyalty to her versus loyalty to God.
The kings and merchants of the earth are corrupt themselves and in Rome they have found an ally. The Bible makes this very clear doesn’t it? The kings of the earth have committed fornication and the merchants of the earth have been made rich by her, the Bible says in Revelation 18.
But what these kings and merchants don’t want to know what the consequences are of their illicit relationship with the Vatican. They are happy to continue on as before, benefitting by their collaboration as much as ever. As month after month has gone by, and year after year has passed into eternity, they have gotten closer and closer to Rome. Rome now manipulates and even controls them in some cases. At the same time, Rome has wrapped them in a web of entanglement, deception and manipulation so that they cannot escape her power, politically, economically and socially.
Meanwhile, Rome calls for peace, but she does not call for breaking away from sin. Rome calls for helping the poor, which means to give them money, but she does not call for humanity to follow the law of God. In the name of Christ, the Virgin Mary, and the saints, she calls on them to break God’s law, and live in opposition to the God of heaven. This is serious my friends. The world is headed for a showdown.
But we are told in scripture that Rome will ascend to become queen of the earth. Revelation 18:7 discusses why Rome is going to be punished. The reason is because “she saith in her heart, I sit a queen, and am no widow, and shall see no sorrow.” And when she does, watch out. Persecution will come upon God’s people. Revelation 13:7 says that “it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations.”
Notice the inclusive language in the word “all.” If Rome is going to have power over ALL kindreds (that’s all families, the most intimate of relationships), and tongues (that’s culture and social networks), and nations (that’s political power), she has to have universal power. How does she get that power? Rome identifies with the poor and helpless (which is most of the world’s population). She calls on nations to help the poor, which endears vast numbers to Rome. But the Papacy is not going to have partial power. She will have so much power that she will be able to overcome the saints. This is talking about global power. Rome is predicted in scripture to rise to ultimate global control. And the nations will fanatically follow her and do her bidding and bring everyone to her feet. To overcome means to remove their cherished liberties.
Listen to this statement from Great Controversy, page 565. “But Romanism as a system is no more in harmony with the gospel of Christ now than at any former period in her history. The Protestant churches are in great darkness, or they would discern the signs of the times. The Roman Church is far-reaching in her plans and modes of operation. She is employing every device to extend her influence and increase her power in preparation for a fierce and determined conflict to regain control of the world, to re-establish persecution, and to undo all that Protestantism has done. Catholicism is gaining ground upon every side.”
Did you hear that? Rome is “employing every device to extend her influence and increase her power.” That’s important. We need to watch that carefully. Rome is using political, educational, religious and economic tools. She is using the deceptive Jesuits, the ecumenical movement, the emerging church movement and a host of other tools in her toolbox that she is employing to increase her power. And now, she is almost there; almost at the peak. She knows there is coming a fierce and determined conflict for the control of the whole world. The stakes are enormous.
Did you notice that it is not just talking about Europe, which was once her empire? It was called the Holy Roman Empire in the dark ages, meaning that the church ruled the state. But the Vatican is pursuing something much bigger. The Catholic Church is angling to rule the whole world in a new global Holy Roman Empire. And because the Bible uses inclusive language to describe it, it confirms that all people and all nations will be involved. Everyone on the planet will come under this new world order of control. Your nation will give up its sovereignty. Your land will no longer be your land. Your nation will no longer be your nation. It will belong to Rome. And Rome will be its moral guide. The UN will be its political arm, and the United States will be foremost among the nation states of the world in giving homage to the pope and the Papacy and enforcing her decrees and aims.
The stunning reality is that every man, woman and child on the planet will have to make a decision. Will they go live under the power of the queen of the new world order, or will they hew their own course and follow the Bible? Friends, I hope you are planting your feet solidly on the Bible. You will be up against incredible forces that only the sure word of God can withstand. So, you have to know and follow your Bible if you plan to survive.
Jesus said to the devil, “It is written, man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.” Matthew 4:4. These words apply to all the true followers of Christ in every age, but especially in the last days.
Pope Francis believes that all the world must come under the moral influence of Rome and support the “common good.” To support the common good means that you must give us some of your individual sovereignty, or individualism, or freedom in the interest of providing good for everyone. Ultimately, under the pressure of huge disasters and war, it means that you will have to give up your convictions, like the seventh-day Sabbath or other distinctive beliefs so that there can be solidarity in society for the good of all.
The pope believes he has but a short time to accomplish this on a global scale, and is bending every effort to place the Papacy at the head of the nations as the moral guide of the world. He collaborates with the nations and their leaders to accomplish this.
There are many developments that have lead us to the point where the pope can now push for the Catholic Church to be the moral guide of the world. Previous popes have believed this and have worked for this. But Pope Francis has actually nearly accomplished it.
So how will the pope rise to become the queen of the earth? Friends, this is not easy, particularly when the angels holding back the winds of strife have many tools in their toolboxes that they can use to prevent it. Since he is working against the king of kings, he has to overcome amazing odds. In fact, the Catholic Church can only achieve the status of queen of the earth if Christ gives her permission. He is doing that, my friends. We can see it.
Look what has happened with the ecumenical movement. All the churches, almost, are engaged in it with Rome. One by one, Rome has picked them off, until there are only a few remnants left of those true Protestants that oppose papal supremacy. The ecumenical movement is nearly mature.
Look at the violence in the world through crime, war, injustice, etc. It has reached epic proportions. And there is a sense of desperation and even hopelessness among many. Terrorism is rampant. Strife is constant. And Rome continually inserts herself as the peacemaker in major conflicts. She calls for peace giving her enormous credibility with the average person. By her emphasis on peace Rome is leading them, step by step, away from God’s principles and His law. This is predicted in Daniel 8:25, which says that, “by peace he shall destroy many.” And it will only bring more violence. Satan stirs the passions of the soul. He loves war. His agents will do the same. Popes have fomented wars for centuries. Do you think they have changed?
Look also at the near global collaboration between the rulers of nations and the Papacy. While collaboration with the United States is key to the rise of papal power, it is not the only front. The leaders of Europe, the leaders of Africa, the leaders of Asia and Oceania, must also come along for the success of papal projects in its quest to become queen of the earth.
With these key developments and many more already in place, the pope sees that his time has come to press for Rome to become the recognized moral leader of the world. He intends to control the world. And he found an issue by which to do it. If he has the power to get all the nations of the world to agree on something he will have demonstrated his pre-eminence above them.
Climate change is a persistent theme as world weather patterns are changing, ecosystems are deeply stressed, and essential natural resources are being polluted. Climate change is a universal global issue, and Pope Francis has placed himself in the middle of it with a powerful moral message that has taken the climate change issue to a new level. After a long series of climate change summits that have failed to yield an agreement, the pope saw his opportunity to establish a supranational world authority to guide the nations in addressing climate change and reduce the global carbon footprint. And he used his moral pulpit to do it. The pope will sit atop the new global bureaucracy.
The pope has taken the propaganda campaign on climate change out of the hands of the scientists, and has orchestrated the first global agreement of its kind on the basis of its morality, not on a scientific or political basis alone. Political solutions haven’t worked in climate change summit after climate change summit. Scientific alarmism hasn’t convinced the vast majority of the world’s citizens. Disappointment after disappointment at the many climate change summits had left many with little hope of ever coming to an agreement that works in order to “save the planet.”
Pope Francis came upon climate change like a jet engine in full power. Pope Francis is immensely popular. He is the people’s pope, and by his bully pulpit he convinced a large portion of the world’s citizens that climate change is now an important issue. He influenced national leaders through their people. Once the masses now sense a moral imperative to deal with climate change, the pope knew that he could then get their leaders to make a deal at the climate change summit in Paris in December of 2015.
And global leaders were in Paris in full force, from U.S. President Barack Obama to Chinese President Xi Jinping, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Nkosazana Dlamini-Zums, head of the African Union Commission, Brazil President Dilma Rouseff, South African President, Jacob Zuma, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Masoumeh Ebetar, Iran’s vice-president, Al Gore, former U.S. Vice-President, Angela Merkel, Chancellor of Germany, arguably the most powerful woman in Europe, British Prime Minister David Cameron, Charles George, Prince of Wales and many government ministers. There were more than 150 world leaders there, which made it the largest diplomatic meeting in France since 1948. It was also a huge meeting with 45,000 participants from 195 nations, all of them anticipating something different from previous climate summits. They were all there to help the pope (whether they knew it or not) and bring about the first-ever international agreement to fight climate change.
COP21: world leaders at Paris climate talks – in pictures
Some 150 World Leaders Gather In Paris For U.N. Climate Conference
But the pope’s vision goes beyond climate change. He knew that if he could orchestrate a climate agreement after so many years of failure, he would score a major victory for the church and place the church and its moral message, at the center of influence of the whole world. This was the crown jewel. This was the real reason for his push to get an agreement in Paris. He wants to guide the world morally, not just in climate change, but in every other area as well. The climate change summit was a useful and powerful tool to establish the Papacy as the global broker and deal maker. And Pope Francis was prepared to do what he had to pressure world leaders to support the agreement.
The pope embarked on an unprecedented campaign leading up to the climate change summit in Paris. And his energy and power were on full display for anyone that was watching. We need to understand this because for the first time in history, a record number of nations gathered together and negotiated and navigated an historic agreement that places them all under a global authority – the United Nations, guided by Pope Francis himself – to address a global issue that affects them all.
First, the pope began by writing an encyclical that laid out a compelling moral argument in favor of protecting the climate. He did not get into the arguments on how much human activity has caused the climate to change. He took the moral ground and said that humans have a responsibility to do something about it.
ENCYCLICAL LETTER LAUDATO SI’ OF THE HOLY FATHER FRANCIS ON CARE FOR OUR COMMON HOME
The pope had laid a strong foundation by arguing powerfully over the first couple of years of his pontificate for wealth redistribution and the need to care for the vulnerable. During his travels he openly denounced unbridled capitalism as a disease like cancer that must be eradicated. He called for rich nations to help poor nations to mitigate the effects of poverty.
While preparing the encyclical he called a conference at the Pontifical Academy of Sciences in April of 2015 that focused on the relationships connecting poverty, economic development, and climate change. The meeting included presentations and discussions by scientists, religious leaders, and economists from around the world. Ban Ki-Moon, the Secretary General of the United Nations delivered the keynote address.
Then on June 18, 2015, Francis published the encyclical, Laudato si. He criticized the “structurally perverse” global economic system and argued that a global authority, presumably with the power to compel compliance, was needed to help the nations limit climate change. He argued that climate change would affect every man, woman and child on the planet, especially the most poor, which live in the most vulnerable places on the planet. He even advocated a day of rest for nature, which he identified as Sunday. And he tied Sunday worship of the Eucharist as part of the way in which to address climate change. And while many people are not going to accept the papal worship claims just yet, he put it into the encyclical so that future generations will eventually respond to that segment. In fact, this is the principle object and the reason for papal desire for global power – to bring about a Sunday law, in part to benefit the planet. There are even those that suggested that. One group is trying to get everyone to taking one day a week rest, and letting the planet have a Sabbath. It would save, they say, 15% a year in greenhouse gasses. That would eliminate the need for billions in wealth redistribution over a matter of seven years.
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The encyclical was addressed not only to Catholics, but also to everyone on the planet. It was publicized in advance, and Cardinal Peter Turkson, who helped the pope draft the document, gave interviews to the press before its release. This created much anticipation in the minds of the global public. When the encyclical was finally released it created interest world wide and made a huge impact on the thinking of national leaders the world over.
The pope also gave a copy of “Laudato si” to Bolivian President Evo Morales, when he visited Bolivia. And while in Ecuador, he called on the nation to help protect the Amazon rain forests, which have been the subject of much debate. And he stressed the importance of sustainable and equal development.
Then, to keep up the pressure on world leaders to act in December, and to promote the encyclical further, Pope Francis invited 60 big-city mayors from around the world to the Vatican barely a month later, to sign a declaration about protecting the environment. No doubt virtually all of them were Catholic. It was the photo-op of a lifetime for most of the mayors who flocked to the two-day conference. Many of them announced new measures to fight global warming locally and bask in Pope Francis’ ecological star power. Climate change is real, they said.
The mayors had, in fact, taken their task very seriously. After all, urban areas are the prime causes of environmental pollution accounting for 75% of human carbon emissions. Mayor after mayor pled for action, some by giving anecdotes of their own experience with natural catastrophes worsened by environmental degradation. Others spoke of social emergencies made worse by climate change. The pope and the mayors each signed a declaration stating that “human-induced climate change is a scientific reality and its effective control is a moral imperative for humanity.”
Francis told the gathering “You are the conscience of humanity.” Cities are huge climate busters, and are key to reducing global warming. They account for approximately three-quarters of human emissions.
“We have a very powerful opposition that, at least in my country, spends billions on trying to keep from office people such as yourselves and elect troglodytes and other deniers of the obvious science,” said California Governor Jerry Brown, to a rousing applause. Brown, who was also in attendance at the conference, is a former Jesuit seminarian.
Many of the mayors made individual pleas for the world to change its ways. For instance, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio announced that New York City is going to reduce its emission by 40 percent by 2030. He urged other cities to follow suit. Saying that Pope Francis is the most powerful voice on the planet for those who have no voice, “His Holiness did not convene us here to ratify the status quo, but in fact to upend it,” he said. “It’s increasingly clear that we, the local leaders of the world, have many tools, more than we may have in fact realized, and we must use them boldly even as our national governments hesitate.” De Blasio argued. He urged the mayors to take every possible measure to reduce carbon emissions in the coming months to encourage national leaders to take “bold” action in Paris. De Blasio is a founding member of an alliance of world cities that have committed to reducing emissions by 80 percent by 2050 or sooner.
De Blasio Discusses Climate at Vatican
San Francisco Mayor Edwin Lee announced that his city would complete the transition of its municipal fleet of fire trucks, buses and trucks from petroleum diesel to renewable energy sources by the end of this year.
Stockholm Mayor Karin Wanngard said that the Paris “climate negotiators must dare to push boundaries and exclude fossil fuels as an option and reward solutions that are long-term, sustainable and renewable.” She is aiming to make Stockholm, the Swedish capital fossil fuel free by 2040.
The climax of the meeting was an audience with Pope Francis, who has become a hero of the environmental movement. Francis told the gathering that he had “a lot of hope” that the Paris negotiations would succeed…” The Vatican conference also discussed the UN’s new Sustainable Development Goals that were finalized late in September of 2015.
World mayors at Vatican urge ‘bold climate agreement’
“Of course the Vatican’s erudite contribution doesn’t add much to the scientific debate, but it has a great media power; said Enrico Brugnoli, director of the Department of Earth System Science and Environmental Technologies at Italy’s National Research Council. “No politician can completely ignore it,” he added. And, since the mayors are local leaders, many people saw the conference as Francis’ commitment to reaching out to ordinary people. It also shows just how strategic Pope Francis was in pushing for radical changes to the way the world does its business.
Furthermore, the pope’s encyclical called for ordinary people to press for a “grass-roots transformation of politics, economics and individual lifestyles to confront environmental degradation… The Vatican wants to create proximity between what the pope says and people’s everyday life…,” said Paolo Rodari, a Vatican expert with the Italian daily newspaper La Repubblica.
Alberto Melloni, a liberal scholar and Vatican historian, said the aim of the conference was to “call for action for mayors, for those who are really close to ordinary people, and make them responsible as well.”
“We need a moral dimension to the climate change debate, and Pope Francis is providing that,” Mr. Brown said. “That would add weight and force to the cause of dealing with climate change effectively.”
Concluding his speech to the mayors, the pope said, “I have great hopes for the Paris summit in December. I have great hopes that a fundamental agreement is reached and that the United Nations takes a strong stand on climate change.”
At Vatican, Mayors Pledge Climate Change Fight
Pope Francis views gained traction and momentum with a broad cross-section of society before the Paris conference in December, including Nobel laureates, faith leaders, the United Nations and law enforcement. Pope Francis’ campaign rallied a global movement in support of the environment and his aim to be the moral guide of the nations.
Vatican keeps up eco-pressure, invites mayors to see pope
Mayors flock to Vatican for climate declaration
Then the pope visited the United States where he and U.S. President Barack Obama have common views concerning protection of the climate. During his White House speech, President Obama said, among other things, “Holy Father, you remind us that we have a sacred obligation to protect our planet, God’s magnificent gift to us. We support your call to all world leaders to support the communities most vulnerable to changing climate, and to come together to preserve our precious world for future generations.”
The pope responded in kind by saying, “Mr. President, I find it encouraging that you are proposing an initiative for reducing air pollution. Accepting the urgency, it seems clear to me also that climate change is a problem, which can no longer be left to our future generation. When it comes to the care of our common home, we are living at a critical moment of history. We still have time to make the change needed to bring about a sustainable and integral development, for we know that things can change.”
Remarks by President Obama and His Holiness Pope Francis at Arrival Ceremony
Then, when the pope spoke before the United Nations General Assembly for the opening of their 70th anniversary session, which also coincidentally coincided with the beginning of a UN conference on sustainable development, he brought it up again, powerfully arguing that even the environment has “rights.”
“First,” he said, “because we human beings are part of the environment… Any harm done to the environment, therefore, is harm done to humanity.” Second,” he added, “because every creature, particularly a living creature, has an intrinsic value, in its existence, its life, its beauty and its interdependence with other creatures. We Christians, together with the other monotheistic religions, believe that the universe is the fruit of a loving decision by the Creator, who permits man respectfully to use creation for the good of his fellow men and for the glory of the Creator; he is not authorized to abuse it, much less to destroy it. In all religions, the environment is a fundamental good… Consequently, the defense of the environment and the fight against exclusion,” he said, “demand that we recognize a moral law written into human nature itself…”
United Nations Sustainable Development Summit 2015
MEETING WITH THE MEMBERS OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE UNITED NATIONS ORGANIZATION: ADDRESS OF THE HOLY FATHER
His language was a winning formula for politicians the world over. President Obama spoke to the United Nations in September as well, urging the nations of the world that the pope’s message is “a moral calling” to all of them.
VISIT TO THE JOINT SESSION OF THE UNITED STATES CONGRESS: ADDRESS OF THE HOLY FATHER
The Obama administration collaborated with the pope and made environmental protection a bread-and-butter issue. The United States did a number of things that would prepare for and strengthen its own stature and arguments at the summit in favor of an agreement. For instance, EPA Administrator, Roman Catholic Gina McCarthy went on the road with the pope’s message, speaking at two flagship Catholic Universities, Jesuit run Georgetown University and the University of Notre Dame. She also co-authored an op-ed with Blase Cupich, Pope Francis’ handpicked archbishop of Chicago in which they said that Americans had a “moral obligation to act on climate.”
Opinion: We have a moral obligation on climate change
Wikipedia: Gina McCarthy
President Obama claimed credit for the United States in negotiating the agreement, having shuttled his secretary of State John Kerry between China and India for the last year, by signing a climate deal to limit greenhouse gasses with China, and by adding substantially stronger carbon emissions goals for U.S. coal plants through the Environmental Protection Agency. The collaboration between the two top emitters of carbon sent a strong message to the conference in Paris as well.
Dense smog in and around major cities of Europe, China and the United States offered additional incentive for the climate negotiators in Paris.
Italy’s smog crisis may embolden Pope Francis on the environment
Collaboration between China and the United States was seen by many as absolutely essential to getting an agreement in Paris. “As long as policy makers in Washington and Beijing didn’t put all their political capital behind the adoption of ambitious carbon-emission capping targets, the laudable efforts of other G20 governments often remained in the realm of pious wishes,” said the World Pensions Council (WPC). Signing an agreement on emissions with China in 2014 was very important in sending the right message to Paris.
Wikipedia: 2015 United Nations Climate Change Conference
The United States could not have achieved a global agreement without the help of the pope and the Catholic Church. But, as Time magazine said, “there is a new player in town this year who could change everything: Pope Francis.” But the pope could not have likely achieved an agreement in Paris without the help of the United States either. However, with the two collaborating together, just as the Bible predicted they would in Revelation 13, they finally succeeded.
World Leaders Must Listen to Pope Francis on Climate Change
World leaders arrive in Paris for climate conference
Because of the Pope’s popularity, his message on climate change gives domestic and global leaders political cover to take new actions to address climate issues. And on September 11 House Republicans did just that, writing a resolution citing the pope in their call for the Republican Party to get serious about climate change.
11 Republicans vow to fight climate change
House Republicans Plan to Call for Action on Climate Change
These House Republicans Are Joining The Pope And Calling For Climate Action
But Pope Francis wasn’t finished with his efforts to get an agreement. Just before the Paris conference, Francis said, “It would be sad, and I dare say even catastrophic, were particular interests to prevail over the common good and lead to manipulating information in order to protect their own plans and projects.”
Then, on the first day of the conference Francis said, “I am not sure, but I can say to you ‘now or never.’ Every year the problems are getting worse. We are at the limits. If I may use a strong word I would say that we are at the limits of suicide.”
Pope Francis Says World Nearing Climate-Change ‘Suicide’
Though Paris banned demonstrations and marches in the wake of the terrorist attacks, activists put 20,000 pairs of shoes in the Place de la Republique to symbolize absent marchers on the eve of the summit. Pope Francis sent a pair of his shoes too, so he could show solidarity with protestors against climate change. Incidentally, Ban Ki Moon, Secretary General of the United Nations followed suit and sent a pair of jogging shoes as well.
Pope Francis puts his shoes in the centre of Paris to protest against climate change
Pope Francis laid the groundwork for action in Paris and pointed the way forward. He has changed the discussion. Instead of happening from above it is now happening from below by popular demand in response to the papal appeal. “Francis has given the leaders gathered in Paris the vision and the space to make change,” said Time magazine. And they could not resist his powerful moral voice.
UN Secretary General, Ban Ki Moon, echoing the pope said, “We have never faced such a test. Political momentum like this may not come again… you have the power to secure the well-being of this and succeeding generations. The time for brinkmanship is over.” He further described COP21 as “a pivotal moment for your countries, your people and our common home, your planet. Let me be clear,” he said, “the fate of the Paris agreement rests with you. The future of our planet is in your hands, we cannot afford indecision… You have the moral and political responsibility for this world… history is calling, I urge you to answer with courage and vision.”
Those grand-sounding words were designed to encourage a deal in response to papal moral leadership, and to help poor nations in decarbonization
COP21: Hitting the climate change targets agreed in Paris ‘will cost $16.5trn’
But not only did the pope get the nations to work together on climate change, he also brought the religious world in collaboration as well. So much so, that even the leader of the World Council of Churches (WCC), Rev Dr. Olav Fykse Tveit spoke at the conference representing the voice of the poorest communities who are worst affected by climate change. In his speech to the conference in Paris Tveit echoed Pope Francis.
“We who represent faith-based communities around the world,” Tveit said, “look to you in these days… COP 21 must offer clear signals and regulations to drastically reduce the carbon emissions from human-based activity. You can. We also believe that you can put the interests of the whole of humanity and creation before your own national interests. We believe that you will serve the world by showing the best of human creativity and capacity.”
Following the Paris climate conference, Tveit was interviewed by Vatican Radio. Tveit said the agreement in Paris is an “important symbol… that politicians, business leaders, researchers, the civil sector and the religious communities now need to ‘speak the same language’ to press for monitoring and implementation.” In other words, the whole world is involved, including business and economy, religion, science, and the civil government. And the whole world is wondering after the beast.
Tveit said the religious discourse – especially Pope Francis’ encyclical – has had an impact and “now it’s time to follow up.” The WCC is an organization designed to bring all churches into harmony and alignment with Rome.
WCC leader says faith groups must follow up on climate deal
COP21 High Level Dialogue
But Pope Francis would not have just let the climate conference in Paris lose the momentum. He knew there would be last minute objections and resistance. He carefully watched what went on at the conference from Rome, and was prepared to intervene if necessary.
Cardinal Peter Turkson, who was at the conference, said Pope Francis has “deep trust” that negotiators in Paris will get the job done. But, just in case they don’t, the pope might possibly send a gentle message. “If it gets to a stalemate or whatever, he may utter a statement or make a comment or whatever, but he will refrain from exercising any coercive power on the things over here, because that would not belong to his style,” Turkson said at the Paris conference.
Imagine that! The pope had “deep trust” that the negotiators would get the job done. That’s incredible! And it says volumes. Climate change summit after climate change summit had failed because of deep-seated political and practical problems between the nations at the negotiating table. Yet, this time, the pope had “deep trust” that they would do something. In other words, the pope knew that he had so many of the negotiators in his camp already, that he could actually have “deep trust” that they would sign an agreement.
One does not have to think very deeply about this to clearly understand what Cardinal Turkson said. Turkson said that Pope Francis did not have to worry too much that a climate change agreement would not be reached. There is only one reason why that could be. Through his diplomatic back channels he already knew that the key players and even those likely to oppose an agreement were prepared to sign an agreement within reasonable bounds.
But if there was a stalemate, the pope would only need to make a gentle statement to nudge any remaining world leaders over the line. That suggests that so many of the world’s leaders were already lined up behind the concept of an agreement, that no one would want to hold up the historic moment and be shamed in public for doing so, particularly with so much grass roots support and attention to climate change.
Joe Ware, a protestant spokesman for Christian Aid, welcomed Turkson’s remark, saying such an action “would give that final nudge to the negotiations.”
But apparently the pope did a little intervention privately with a few world leaders when matters got bogged down toward the end. A couple of nations dug their heels in. For instance, Turkey felt that the UN requested too much of them, an issue resolved by a promise of the conference chairman to hear their appeal later. Nicaragua was upset that there was some sort of mismatch in the agreement. That, apparently, triggered a phone call from the pope himself to the Nicaraguan President to persuade him to approve the agreement in spite of some incongruities.
COP21: Did the Pope save the climate deal?
Some observers saw the rather obvious connection between the pope’s intervention and the UN agreement. Alison Doig with the UK-based group Christian Aid, who was in Paris monitoring the talks, told Vatican Radio on Dec. 11 that the pope’s role had been “transformative” in mobilizing religious support for stronger environmental protection.
Climate summit after climate summit over the years has yielded no agreement. But because the pope weighted in so strongly, publically and persistently on the matter, world leaders took notice and acted. The climate change agreement is a powerful testament to the global influence of Pope Francis and the Vatican on world politics and economics. The pope is leading the world into globalism. No one can talk about climate change, environmental protection or its rather broad social consequences without considering the pope and the Vatican. This will elevate the pope to be the moral and ethical leader of the world, which is exactly the place for which the Papacy has been angling for more than half a century.
But for the Papacy, the climate agreement is not primarily about the climate, and its not really about the poor. It is about something far more grand, far more consequential. It is about universal papal control of the world. The Bible says that “all the world wondered after the beast” in Revelation 13:3. We’ve seen glimpses of it over many years, but now we can see it openly and powerfully. And we can understand how it is happening.
Cardinal Turkson said that the Vatican has “great interest” in the success of the negotiations, namely getting the world to stop using carbon power by mid-century to save the earth. Why would there be such interest? It’s because there are other aims. The Vatican wants to be the moral voice of the world. If the pope can orchestrate something as significant as a climate agreement in Paris on the basis of her moral authority and influence, then she has certainly achieved a very important moment in her history. Her deadly wound is healed, and now all the world is under the managing influence of the Papacy at least in terms of the climate. But protecting the environment is only the beginning. Rome is getting the nations used to responding to her moral authority, and thereby yielding to her pre-eminence in geopolitical affairs.
After the Paris conference, the Jesuits in Britain jubilantly proclaimed “We have a Deal!” And another page of the same website said the “Jesuits add their voice to COP21.”
COP21 – WE HAVE A DEAL!
JESUITS ADD THEIR VOICE TO COP21
Obviously, the Jesuits were very close to the negotiations. Why were Pope Francis and the Jesuits so involved in the climate change summit? It is because the pope sees the global agreement as his great opportunity to legitimize the Vatican as the moral guide of the new world order. His time had come. The agreement is the first truly global achievement in the 21st century. And since the Vatican was at the core of it, with the pope taking a leading role in guiding it into existence, the Papacy stands to gain a pre-eminent position of global influence.
Even though the Jesuits admit that there are limitations and faults in the agreement, it is nevertheless, the first of its kind and will lead to others, for which they are jubilant. It was clearly papal influence negotiating, demanding, and cajoling the nations that led to the tipping point for the Paris agreement.
Italy’s smog crisis may embolden Pope Francis on the environment
World leaders arrive in Paris for climate conference
The environmental agreement is the first global supranational agreement of its kind. All nations that signed it, must give up some of their sovereignty in doing so. That is a crucial point. They must transfer some of their power to the United Nations eventually. The controlling political power is the United Nations, which the Vatican views as inferior to itself. The Vatican is using the United Nations and the United States as its political tools in laying the foundation for its ultimate goal, of which the climate agreement is but the foundation – a universal law linking the environment (or creation) to worship on the only day that Rome promotes for worship – Sunday. Keep in mind that the pope’s influential encyclical “Laudato si” stresses Sunday worship as an important element in protecting the climate, even alluding to a law of Sunday rest for the environment. The Jesuit pope is clearly now leading the new world order partly from behind the scenes, partly out in front.
Notice this statement from The Great Controversy, page 235, “Under various disguises the Jesuits worked their way into offices of state, climbing up to be the counselors of kings, and shaping the policy of nations.” The Jesuits are certainly shaping the policies of nations all over the world through the climate deal.
JESUITS ADD THEIR VOICE TO COP21
COP21 – WE HAVE A DEAL!
Assessing the Paris Agreement
Nations Approve Landmark Climate Accord in Paris
ENCYCLICAL LETTER LAUDATO SI’ OF THE HOLY FATHER FRANCIS ON CARE FOR OUR COMMON HOME
The Paris Agreement: Successes, disappointments, and the road ahead
The deal, signed by 195 nations is to cut global greenhouse gas emissions by about half of what will be necessary to stave off an increase in atmospheric temperatures of 2 degrees Celsius or 3.6 degrees Fahrenheit. The partly legally binding agreement will take effect in 2020.
But the agreement is just the beginning. In order for it to come into force 55 parties that produce 55% of greenhouse gasses must ratify the agreement. This will be difficult, but you can be sure that the pope and the bishops will be working very hard on this process.
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Friends, this is the stuff of Bible prophecy. Without globalization, without the help of the United States and without universal “solidarity,” Rome will never be able to insert herself in world affairs or press for universal Sunday laws. But now, in the name of climate change, Pope Francis has merged the plight of the vulnerable poor with degradation of the environment to effect a powerful argument and placed the political and moral weight of the Vatican above global decision makers insisting on a moral dimension that provided them with the political instruction they needed, and brought almost all the nations of the world into the agreement. What an achievement!
For those who thought that the papal intervention in the rapprochement between the United States and Cuba was significant, the agreement on the environment was the masterstroke. While the Vatican gloated in public after the success of the new agreement between the United States and Cuba, the gloating over the Paris agreement, however, is quietly measured inside the Vatican. Yet the world knows that Pope Francis and the Vatican achieved a core victory and that papal stature is greatly increased.
The pope praised the agreement and urged that the nations implement it as soon as possible. But the pope was not alone in his praise. Political leaders, like President Obama, President Holland of France, and many others praised the agreement. But even the pope’s colleagues in arms, Evangelical leaders, also praised the agreement. Worldwide, there was euphoria when the agreement was announced. This had never been done before. It was an unprecedented achievement!
Pope Francis praises ‘historic’ Paris climate change agreement
Not Just Pope Francis: Evangelicals Praise Paris Climate Talks
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Friends, can you see it? We are near the end of time. Your soul needs Christ’s righteousness to cleanse you of all sin, so that Christ can use you to oppose this powerful and overwhelming force with the unlimited power of the Holy Spirit. Friends, if you have not really thought that much about your salvation, perhaps this message has helped you realize that we are very near the end of time. And while we must not reform our lives from fear, we should prepare to receive the Holy Spirit in latter rain power. As Rome rises, so must God’s people. If not you, whom? And if not now, when? May God bless you and keep you is my prayer.
Please bow your heads with me. Our Father in heaven, thank you for the message we’ve heard today concerning the rise of the Papacy to a world-class power. Thank you that we have Jesus to stand by our side in the time of trouble. But Father, we need Your protection. We need Your Holy Spirit to purify us, and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. May your spirit thrive in our souls today? In Jesus’ name, amen.