In this issue of The Prophetic Messenger we will discuss how many are being deceived in these last days.

1. Many Are Deceived For Not Believing And Knowing The Word Of God
a) Jesus
Jesus Christ warned us about not being deceived by man in Matthew 24, when talking about the end of the world. In Matthew 24:3-5 it says "3 And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world? 4 And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you. 5 For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many." Notice that before Jesus spoke about wars, famines , earthquakes, etc., He warned us to not be deceived. Jesus continues his warning to the church in verses 11 and 24. In Matthew 24: 11 and 24 it says "11 And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many...... 24 For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect." In an article titled "The Man Who Claims To Be Jesus; Followers Claim Doral Man is God On Earth; Jose Luis deJesus Claims There Is No Heaven, No Hell; Followers Believe All Other Religions Must Be Destroyed" says "DORAL His name is Jose Luis de Jesus Miranda; his followers call him everything from apostle to Dad, or simply Jesus Christ Man. De Jesus Miranda himself believes he's the living incarnation of 'Jesus Christ Man,' 'the second coming of Christ.' A follower of his believes 'he is God, he is God.' She also lavishes him with money and gifts. 'I don't have one Rolex,' de Jesus Miranda said, 'I have 3 because they want to give it to me. It's like that woman that came to Jesus with the expensive perfume and put it on his feet. He didn't reject it, so when someone gives me a watch or a gift, I receive it. I like them too, they're nice.' This self-proclaimed Son of God is a 60 year old former heroin addict and convict. The divorced father of 4 was born in Puerto Rico and now lives in South Florida with his second wife. From a warehouse in Doral, near Miami, he presides over the 'Creciendo en Gracia' or Growing in Grace Ministry which he also calls 'God's Government On Earth.' As any other head of state, he is protected by a security detail that mimics the U.S. Secret Service. In an interview with the self-proclaimed Messiah, CBS4's Ileana Varela asked de Jesus if he was able to do some of the things Jesus Christ did like performing miracles, healing the sick and walking on water. De Jesus said not necessarily. 'My life is my church and what I'm doing worldwide,' he said. What De Jesus is doing at more than 300 centers in Central and South America, Cuba and the U.S. is preaching a message of "freedom to indulge" because according to this modern messiah, there is no sin, no devil and no hell to pay. De Jesus says, 'It doesn't exist. The devil was destroyed two thousand years ago'............ "What disturbs me is that he fits into the typical mold of a cult leader, total complete submission to his authority," FIU Religion professor, Daniel Alvarez said. Alvarez has a Masters Degree in Theology from Harvard Divinity School, and is among those who fear "Creciendo en Gracia" has the makings of a destructive cult. 'He destroyed my family,' said former member Regina Albarracin, who left the church about 5 years ago. Her husband soon followed but their son Alvaro remained to become one of the ministry's biggest financial backers, donating more than $1 million to the church."(Note 1)

This is an abomination. If they would study and know the Word of God (Old King James Version), they would not be deceived. For more about the old King James Version versus the New Bible Versions see our back issue May/June 2005 titled "Apostasy." This article is one example of what Jesus spoke about regarding many people being deceived all over the world.

b) The Apostle Paul
The apostle Paul was concerned about false teachers which existed in his time and which also exist today. In II Corinthians 11:1-5,13-15 it says "1 Would to God ye could bear with me a little in my folly: and indeed bear with me. 2 For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ. 3 But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtlety, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. 4 For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him. 5 For I suppose I was not a whit behind the very chiefest apostles.........13 For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. 14 And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. 15 Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works."

An article titled "Ukraine attacks 'charlatan' and his booty-shaking babes" says "The Orthodox Church in Ukraine is not quite sure which part of Sunday Adelaja's weekly services it likes the least. The dubious Russian pop and the pom-pom-waving Cossack dancers are certainly contenders. The hot babes in choir dress swaying to the music might win the vote of its many older and weaker-hearted clergymen. Or it could be the thousands of Ukrainian teenagers squealing as the diminutive Nigerian pastor preaches the word of God..........But never before has it had to see off an intruder who encourages his congregants to "shake their booty and praise the Lord." Mr Adelaja is a serious threat, even if it took the Church a while to realise it. Twelve years ago, his Embassy of God church consisted of seven fellow Africans who used to gather in his Kiev flat........ 'Our main problem is that Sunday Adeleja has created a personality cult around himself,' said Fr Evstratiy, a spokesman for the Kiev Patriarchate. 'Experts say he uses conscience manipulation techniques. He starts his sermons in a low, ingratiating voice, and gradually gets heated up to the point where he is running round the stage screaming.' At a recent service at a Kiev ice hockey stadium 14,000 people crammed in to experience the effect. As 'Pastor Sunday' prepared to make a grand entrance, the choirgirls shook their pompoms, the disco lights started to flash and a fanfare sounded. The lights cut out, and Mr Adelaja emerged from a shroud of dry ice. Children holding flags of the world wafted round him and the choir bellowed 'Sanctus!' " We see from this article that many are being deceived all over the world.

2. Many Are Deceived For Not Knowing God's Voice
In the gospel of John, Jesus speaks of Christians as sheep. He tells us that "My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:" In John 10:1-14 Jesus says "1 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber. 2 But he that entereth in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. 3 To him the porter openeth; and the sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out. 4 And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice. 5 And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers. 6 This parable spake Jesus unto them: but they understood not what things they were which he spake unto them. 7 Then said Jesus unto them again, Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep. 8 All that ever came before me are thieves and robbers: but the sheep did not hear them. 9 I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture. 10 The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. 11 I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep. 12 But he that is an hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth: and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep. 13 The hireling fleeth, because he is an hireling, and careth not for the sheep. 14 I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine." Notice in verse 5 that the sheep (which is symbolic of a Christian) will not follow the voice of strangers. In John 10:5 it says "5 And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers."

We see a prophet who was deceived by a lying prophet and who was killed as a result of his disobedience. In I Kings 13:1-26 it says "1 And, behold, there came a man of God out of Judah by the word of the LORD unto Bethel: and Jeroboam stood by the altar to burn incense. 2 And he cried against the altar in the word of the LORD, and said, O altar, altar, thus saith the LORD; Behold, a child shall be born unto the house of David, Josiah by name; and upon thee shall he offer the priests of the high places that burn incense upon thee, and men's bones shall be burnt upon thee. 3 And he gave a sign the same day, saying, This is the sign which the LORD hath spoken; Behold, the altar shall be rent, and the ashes that are upon it shall be poured out. 4 And it came to pass, when king Jeroboam heard the saying of the man of God, which had cried against the altar in Bethel, that he put forth his hand from the altar, saying, Lay hold on him. And his hand, which he put forth against him, dried up, so that he could not pull it in again to him. 5 The altar also was rent, and the ashes poured out from the altar, according to the sign which the man of God had given by the word of the LORD.
6 And the king answered and said unto the man of God, Intreat now the face of the LORD thy God, and pray for me, that my hand may be restored me again. And the man of God besought the LORD, and the king's hand was restored him again, and became as it was before. 7 And the king said unto the man of God, Come home with me, and refresh thyself, and I will give thee a reward. 8 And the man of God said unto the king, If thou wilt give me half thine house, I will not go in with thee, neither will I eat bread nor drink water in this place: 9 For so was it charged me by the word of the LORD, saying, Eat no bread, nor drink water, nor turn again by the same way that thou camest. 10 So he went another way, and returned not by the way that he came to Bethel. 11 Now there dwelt an old prophet in Bethel; and his sons came and told him all the works that the man of God had done that day in Bethel: the words which he had spoken unto the king, them they told also to their father. 12 And their father said unto them, What way went he? For his sons had seen what way the man of God went, which came from Judah. 13 And he said unto his sons, Saddle me the ass. So they saddled him the ass: and he rode thereon, 14 And went after the man of God, and found him sitting under an oak: and he said unto him, Art thou the man of God that camest from Judah? And he said, I am. 15 Then he said unto him, Come home with me, and eat bread. 16 And he said, I may not return with thee, nor go in with thee: neither will I eat bread nor drink water with thee in this place: 17 For it was said to me by the word of the LORD, Thou shalt eat no bread nor drink water there, nor turn again to go by the way that thou camest. 18 He said unto him, I am a prophet also as thou art; and an angel spake unto me by the word of the LORD, saying, Bring him back with thee into thine house, that he may eat bread and drink water. But he lied unto him. 19 So he went back with him, and did eat bread in his house, and drank water. 20 And it came to pass, as they sat at the table, that the word of the LORD came unto the prophet that brought him back: 21 And he cried unto the man of God that came from Judah, saying, Thus saith the LORD, Forasmuch as thou hast disobeyed the mouth of the LORD, and hast not kept the commandment which the LORD thy God commanded thee, 22 But camest back, and hast eaten bread and drunk water in the place, of the which the LORD did say to thee, Eat no bread, and drink no water; thy carcase shall not come unto the sepulchre of thy fathers. 23 And it came to pass, after he had eaten bread, and after he had drunk, that he saddled for him the ass, to wit, for the prophet whom he had brought back. 24 And when he was gone, a lion met him by the way, and slew him: and his carcase was cast in the way, and the ass stood by it, the lion also stood by the carcase.
25 And, behold, men passed by, and saw the carcase cast in the way, and the lion standing by the carcase: and they came and told it in the city where the old prophet dwelt. 26 And when the prophet that brought him back from the way heard thereof, he said, It is the man of God, who was disobedient unto the word of the LORD: therefore the LORD hath delivered him unto the lion, which hath torn him, and slain him, according to the word of the LORD, which he spake unto him." We are entering into the most demonic times the world has ever seen. Do you know the voice of Jesus Christ? Your spiritual life will depend on it. For more information about knowing God's voice, see our back issue from The Prophetic Messenger March/April 2005 "Knowing God's Voice".

3. Let No Man Deceive You
How can a Christian not be deceived in these last days? Jesus said in Luke 18:8 "I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?" Many people are being deceived for the following reasons:

a) Christians Need To Be Students Of The Word Of God
The apostle Paul said in II Timothy 2:15 "Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth." Many Christians have never read through the entire Bible. In I Peter 3:15 it says " But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:" If the Holy Ghost is dealing with you about this area in your life, start today to study through the whole Bible from the gospel of John in The New Testament through Revelation and then read Genesis through the gospel of Luke.

b) Christians Need To Have Discernment
In Acts 17:10-11 it says "10 And the brethren immediately sent away Paul and Silas by night unto Berea: who coming thither went into the synagogue of the Jews. 11 These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so." Notice that even though the speakers were the apostle Paul and the prophet Silas, the people still "searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so." In Hebrews 5:12 -14 it says "12 For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat. 13 For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe. 14 But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil."

c) Christian Need To Pray
Spirit-filled Christians must pray every day in the Spirit and English. In I Corinthians 14:18 Paul said "I thank my God, I speak with tongues more than ye all:" In Jude 1:20 it says "But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost,"

Jesus Christ said in John 10:27-29 "27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: 28 And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. 29 My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand."

In closing, if we have a living relationship with Jesus Christ, which means we are in the Word of God and praying and being led by the Spirit, we will not be deceived in this hour of great test.

NOTES
Note 1: http://cbs4.com/topstories/local_story_254163721.html
Note 2: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2006/05/13/wukra13.xml

God's Holy Angels. Read this article in the next issue of The Prophetic Messenger.

As Christians if we want to live in victory and if we want to be able to share the Word Of God with others we must know the Word of God ourselves. Let's see what the Bible says about this. "Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee." Psalm 119:11. " If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you." John 15:7. "Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed." John 8:31. We encourage you to put the following scriptures in your heart: Colossians 2:7-8, I Samuel 8:6-7, Psalm 109:7-8, Ephesians 3:16-19, Matthew 7:13, I Samuel 1:27-28, Genesis 6:3, Luke 10:41-42, Proverbs 6:16-19, I Peter 3:10-12.Use only the Old King James version of the Holy Bible. (If you have any questions about this please see the book New Age Bible Versions, by G.A. Riplinger ©1993, ISBN 0-9635845-0-2.)

To order the book Why Are So Many Christians Confused About Bible Prophecy? send a check or money order for $20.00 with your name and address to: Mysteries From The Word Of God Ministries, P.O. Box 6391, Vancouver, WA 98668. You can also order on-line at www.bookonprophecy.org or order it at your favorite book store ISBN 0-9711584-0-1

We invite you to worship with us on Sundays! Our church is called The Ingathering Fellowship. We meet at 9400 NE 72nd Ave, Vancouver, WA (The Barberton Grange). Sunday School is from 12:30 pm to 1:30 pm. Church service begins at 1:45 pm. If you would like a map, please send a self-addressed stamped envelope to: Mysteries From The Word Of God Ministries, P.O. Box 6391, Vancouver, WA 98668.