The times haven’t changed. Infighting, friendly fire within the church has become a great hindrance to the Gospel work and has resulted in many discouraged, disappointed, depressed and defeated, once-motivated servants of Christ. Satan will muster all of his forces to oppose God’s work. Quite often he will use Spiritless people from within to hinder the work of Spirit-filled people. Tragically, sometimes our greatest opponents can be those within the household of faith simply because they are critical, bitter or jealous.
Randy Smith

John Michael Talbot

John Michael Talbot

JOHN MICHAEL TALBOT

From TROUBADOUR FOR THE LORD by Dan O’Neill. “Here is the inspiring story of a rock and roll star who left the fast lane for a Franciscan retreat – and never looked back. John Michael Talbot – an extraordinary artist and man of faith who has dedicated his life and music to God and has become one of the most innovatine voices in contemporary Christian music – a new Troubadour for the Lord.

Ibid, p. 58. “Somehow I wasn’t the same after that. I felt I was flooded with the Holy Spirit.”

Ibid., page 130. “I believe we’ll find unity one day – at least a significant measure of it. But this, in my opinion, will only come through a full philosophical, historical and scriptural unity. This is the tripod on which a unified church must stand. If any one leg is removed, it will collapse,” John asserts.

Ibid., page 131. “(Father Ecklecamp, executive secretary of the Englishspeaking Conference of the Provincial Ministers of the Order of Friars Minor) has ruled that Protestants may become ecumenical Franciscan members, opening the door to virtually all interested parties.

From SIMPLICITY, John Michael Talbot, page 54. “Care must be taken, though, that the Scriptures not be studied in isolation from the ongoing teaching of the church. True, we have the Spirit of God within us to guide and direct us. We have an objective body of teaching in the Scriptures. But remember: it was the church that authenticated these Scriptures, and it is the teaching office of the church which provides the commentary or the instruction to interpret these biblical documents. A balance must be maintained between tradition and Scripture.

From SIMPLICITY, John Michael Talbot. “Personally, I have found praying the Rosary to be one of the most powerful tools I possess in obtaining simple, childlike meditation on the life of Jesus Christ. CHRISTIAN COMMENT THE REGATHERING by Bill Jackson

“The Regathering. A call, to gather the dispersed traditions of our Christian heritage to evangelize the world.”

Thus begins the description of John Michael Talbot’s album; the art work includes pictures of Martin Luther, St. Peter’s Basilica, St. Bernard, Zwingli, Calvin, St. Paul, John Wesley, Ignatius of Loyola (founder of the Jesuits) and two Roman Catholic popes, Gregory the Great and Leo the Great. Talbot is a Franciscan monk whose cassettes are often sold in “Christian” book stores.

Talbot’s explanation of this work is that it “is a musical work for Christian unity. Christians must stand together as a unified people to face the awesome challenges of our world. They are too great to face alone, or even as fragmented denominations, fellowships or groups. This is a time that demands unity.”

Some of the lyrics appear to give glory to God, but when you read Talbot’s explanations, it becomes apparent what the hidden motives really are. In his song, ONE FAITH, Talbot says he “drew from Ignatius of Antioch’s ecclesiology of apostolic succession.” He makes special mention of Simon Peter’s having received the keys of the Kingdom, and speaks of regathering His people back home, into one fold and one faith. Those familiar with Roman Catholic ecclesiology know to what home, fold and faith Talbot is referring.

The theme of BUILD UP is the regathering that will take place as a result of God’s forgiving our sin, which occurred in ONE FAITH when God caused the scattering because of false shepherds.

SAY TO THE PRISONER is a call from “Mother” Church, who will not forget her wandering child, to come, as during the trek home they will find green pastures. SEE MY SERVANT, according to Talbot, is meant to usher us through a door to actual fulfillment of the goal of the (prophetic) call; the unified worship. LORD HAVE MERCY contains the actual words of the Kyrie Elieson of the Mass, thus establishing a link between Talbot’s ecumenism and the theological center of Roman Catholicism. ALL WHO ARE THIRSTY is a call to the individual for commitment to unity, and symbolizes, for Talbot, “the mingling of water and wine in the Eucharist.” The ending is supposed to remind us, says Talbot, “that the work of unity is not complete. It is only beginning.”

I urge Christians to visit their local religious book store and if this title is available, to bring the contents to the attention of the owners. Some boycott stores that sell liquor or pornographic books; certainly this poison is even more deadly because of its ecumenical implications.