What would a pastor whose church is next door to Hollywood have to say about the current movie media frenzy surrounding occult-themed films? There are many pastors in southern California with national and international fame, but none of them have delivered the sobering message you’ll read in today’s Herescope.
The Great Betrayal
Judas sold Jesus for 30 pieces of silver. Was that the greatest betrayal? I am not so sure. At least he got some money for his dastardly deed. But this last week “Christian” leaders handed over almost two million souls to the Devil. No, this time they were not paid to commit this atrocity, they paid the Devil over 100 million dollars to drag these poor souls to hell!
I am referring the movie The DaVinci Code. I suppose I should have written this article last week as this would seem to be an effort to lock the stable door after the horse has bolted. But I felt it necessary to make some comments in the aftermath of the box office success of the movie because there is worse to come.
The success of the movie at the box office is almost unprecedented. In the US alone, it brought in $77 million on the first week-end and in the first four days grossed $224 million world-wide. A huge proportion of this money came from Christians who were being encouraged by the “Christian” media and leaders to see the movie in order to “use it as a platform to preach the Gospel.” If half of these viewers are “Christians” (and it is probably more) then it means that in the last four days, “Christians” have paid Hollywood 112 million dollars to attack their faith! Can you imagine the outcry if the US decided to send Bin Laden $112 million so he can finance his attacks on America! Yet that is exactly what the churches are doing. They are financing the Devil’s undermining of the Bible and the Truth and paying the Devil to rob souls from the Kingdom!
Oh, but it is just a movie and entertainment, I hear them say. Is it? Why does Brown (the author of the book) start by saying that “the facts in the book are true”? The thesis of the book/movie is that the Bible is not true, that Jesus never died on the Cross, that He had a child by Mary Magdalene etc. This is not entertainment. This is a full-frontal and brutal attack against the essence of our faith.
George Barna, the “Christian researcher” says that 45 million people read the book and that “only 5% of them changed any of their religious beliefs” as a result. Only 5%? That translates to two million souls lost for eternity! Only two million people for whom Jesus died burning in Hell? That is many more than will be saved through every message preached from Christian pulpits in many many months. Jesus said “But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to sin, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were drowned in the depth of the sea” (Matthew 18:6).
What would Jesus have to say about those preachers who encourage people to see the movie, and as a result, millions are deceived and cast into hell? Could there be a punishment big enough for them? If the book succeeded in deceiving two million to turn from the faith, then the movie will do much more damage.
We all know that movies are much more powerful in changing people’s minds than books but even at 5%, this last weekend will have seen another one point eight million people turn from the faith! (And don’t tell me these folk were weak or not really true believers to start with, they remain precious souls that cost an awesome price to redeem)
This is not just another movie that happened to come on the scene. It was written, designed and inspired in Hell. It has one purpose and that is to deceive and draw people from the faith. Nor is it an isolated event. It is part of a strategy and a grand scheme. Just think back over the last year. First there was The Passion. It contained a lot of Bible but also a lot of mystical Romanist traditions. Not only did preachers encourage people to see this movie, they bought millions of tickets and bussed people to the theaters.
Then came The Chronicles of Narnia. This contained no Bible, was written by an unbeliever masquerading as a theologian. Again the churches encouraged millions to see, what was an alternative to the true Gospel.
But now the stage had been set. People have been conditioned to believe that Hollywood is harmless and has our best interests at heart and that we can actually learn from, and strengthen our faith by seeing these “spiritual” movies. But this time it was a full on assault against the faith. Of course the leaders knew that when they promoted it. Of course they also knew that many would be shaken in their faith and that millions of luke-warm “believers” would be shaken from The Faith and that millions more who were considering believing the gospel, would be turned away from The Truth for ever.
So why did they promote the book and the movie? I can only guess that they are not for the truth but against the truth and that they are secret agents posted by Satan to work “behind the lines.” What else? “…it is no great thing if his (Satan’s) ministers also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness…” (2Corinthians 11:14).
And yet it is not the end. The next assault against the faith will be launched in less than a week, on 06/06/06, when The Omen 666 will be released. This movie which glorifies the Antichrist and shrouds the coming world ruler with mystique and power will, no doubt, develop a cult following.
There is a definite progression from The Passion to Narnia to DaVinci to The Omen. Will preachers encourage people to watch this one? I am sure some will, but there will be no need. The trend has been established: “Hollywood is a legitimate source of spiritual experience and doctrinal truth.” Millions who would never have considered seeing The Omen will do so because of the conditioning process that has been going on over the past year.
This is not the end of the matter – it is merely the beginning. The waters have been tested. Hollywood and the spiritual forces behind it have tasted blood – the blood of the saints. Now they know that the church will pay them money and the preachers will send millions of “Christians” to pay so their faith can be destroyed. Off course Hollywood will continue to foment violence and immorality but the real battle has only begun. The stage is being set for the revelation of the Man of Sin and the churches are ready and waiting to crown him and to bow before him.
Why won’t we be satisfied with the simplicity of the faith, with the joy of knowing a personal and real relationship with our Lord Jesus Christ and the fulfillment and purpose that comes from living a life of obedience to His Word? Why are we so gullible?
The Truth:
“And Jesus answered and said to them: “Take heed that no one deceives you. For many will come in My name, saying, `I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many… Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name’s sake. And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another. Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many. And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold. But he who endures to the end shall be saved.” (Matthew 24:4,5,9-14)
[Anton Bosch is Senior Pastor of Burbank Community Church, Burbank, California.]