Take Heed that No Man Deceive You

Mat 24:4 And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you.
Mat 24:5 For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.

The Word Christ means Annointed.

Now if someone came up to you and said, "I am Christ." would you believe it? What if someone came up to you and said, "Jesus Christ is in the field, let's go listen to him." Would you consider it? Maybe you would if you were unstable or blown about with every wind of doctrine, like some may be. But if you were a well-adjusted Christian, you would just shake your head at the stupidity of such a claim.

So why would Jesus say that? I believe there is an error here in translation. I believe what Jesus is saying here is "Many shall come in my name, saying, I am Annointed." There are alot of people who come in Jesus name, (say they are Christian), even going so far as say they are Annointed (claim to be born again filled with the Holy Spirit). They are the ones I think Jesus was trying to warn us about. They are the ones that will deceive many.

The last time I went to the little pentacostal church I was going to for a while, a traveling minister came to preach there. He stood on stage with his microphone and jumped up and down saying, "I feel the Annointing coming on" and he would speak in tongues, as if to prove his point. (Notice no interpretation which is not according to the Word.) He kept jumping up and down as if the Holy Spirit was a carbonated beverage you had to shake up in order to activate it. Like it would just get shaken up enough to pop and you would be filled with the Holy Spirit (it's bubbling, it's bubbling, it's bubbling in my soul.) That man came down and put his hand on a young girls head and tried to get her to be slain in the spirit and I was standing near praying that the Lord would protect her from any demonic impartation. Finally the man had to stop and nothing had happened and I thanked the Lord for His hedge of protection on her. I never went back to that church.

Jesus warned us against false brethren, wolves in sheeps clothing He called them. 1st John also warns against them. Testing the spirits is not putting your finger in your mouth and then up to the air to see which way the wind is blowing. It is testing the spirits of the brethren, whether they are of God or not.

A mistake I have made repeatedly on this trip is to openly trust people who say they are Christian. We are to love the brethren and our enemies, but that does not mean we have to open our hearts to them and tell them every detail of our lives. Satan has infiltrated every organization and there are many anti-christs out in the world posing as real Christians. It's not the pew-warming Laodician Christians I'm talking aobut either. It's the Christians that appear like strong spirit-filled talking the talk and walking the walk people, who are only spying out your liberty in Christ so they can turn and rend you when you least expect it.

Mat 24:9 Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake.
Mat 24:10 And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another.
Mat 24:11 And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many.
Mat 24:12 And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.
Mat 24:13 But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.

Who is the they? The people who come in Jesus name and say they are annointed. They shall be offended and shall betray and hate one another.

This is why it is so very important to seek the Father. Learn to hear His voice, because we are in dark days and you will not be able to trust the people around you to be true brethren or not. I don't mean being overly suspicious or anything! Just guard your heart and only fully trust in the Lord Almighty. He will communicate to you where you should be and what you should be doing. Pray for those people around you to be saved, everyone you meet you should pray for and especially pray for the people who give you trouble and persecute you. The fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.

Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for always being trustworthy. Thank you for your many blessings and protections in our lives. In the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.