backYet another sign of the proceedings of the end times...
Again it happened: the world has a new "false Christ", as Jesus Himself predicted in Matthews 24:5, "For many will come in ny name, claiming, 'I am the Christ,' and will deceive many."
The fact that the world likes being lulled by those frauds is the ever growing distance to God, because He is being taken less and less for serious. Nevertheless, we all have this intuitiveness of God in us, which is the reason why so many people run after those seducers as it sounds so very "spiritual" what they say, because they don't know God's Word any more.
But Jesus also told us when we can be sure that it is really HIM: "For as lightning that comes from the east is visible even in the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man," Matthews 24:27.
Once again, we will ALL know when the time has come! Not only a few in need of convincing the world first, claiming to be the only ones in possession of the truth. When Jesus returns, even his greatest oponents will recognize Him and bow before Him (Philippian 2:10-11)!
Let me make it clear: if this self-appointed Christ mentioned below, was really our Lord, then it wouldn't have taken such a long time for us to get the info about it. Within just a fraction of a second we ALL would have known it, in fact even without the media like tv, internet and the like!
You can read can read on his webside: "The Man Christ Jesus, Apostle José Luis De Jesús Miranda President - Founder of the International Ministry Growing In Grace, Inc."
Please, don't read the following article criticizing it, but prayingly. Try to figure out how Jesus is reacting on this and pray that God will open people's eyes and that not more people will fall for these allurements!
A False Messiah in Miami
February 21st, 2006 by Lee Grady of Charisma Online
The leader of a new cult in South Florida claims he is God. Many Hispanics are falling for his deception - and lining his pockets.
Puerto Rican preacher José Luis De Jesús Miranda says a wondrous thing happened to him in 1976 when he was living in Massachusetts. He claims that two heavenly beings took him to a marble hall where an apparition merged with his body and began to speak inside of him. De Jesús believes that he and Jesus Christ became one and the same in that instant.
"Ever since that day, I can't learn from anybody - and I mean no one," De Jesús recently told Miami New Times, a weekly South Florida newspaper.
De Jesús fits the classic profile of an egotistical religious con man.
The voice inside De Jesús' head later told him to move to Miami, where he founded his controversial "Creciendo en Gracia" (Growing in Grace) church along with a TV studio. He attracts a relatively small following in Miami, only 500 members, but the group has spawned 300 additional congregations with 100,000 members, mostly in Latin countries. Meanwhile his TV program reportedly reaches 2 million.
De Jesús sounds like another David Koresh in the making.
All his followers call him Daddy. Many of them wear T-shirts with De Jesús' face and a bold slogan, "GOD HAS COME". Their cars are adorned with license plates that say: "Creciendo en Gracia: The Government of the Kingdom of God." De Jesús began calling himself "El Otro" (The Other) in 1999, and then in 2004 he announced that he is Jesus Christ.
His doctrines are bizarre. He tells his followers they can live any way they want to because sin doesn't exist and the devil is dead. He also teaches that Christian churches are led by "ministers of Satan," and he encourages members of his organization to stage protests at church services and Christian events. Creciendo en Gracia members are encouraged to scream at people and carry placard with messages such as "THE DEVIL WAS DESTROYED."
According to New Times reporter Mariah Blake, such protests have grabbed headlines in Miami and throughout Latin America. In Colombia, for example, De Jesús' followers recently staged simultaneous protests in 22 cities.
De Jesús does not hide his intentions. "My purpose is to close down every church so the true church can begin," he told the Miami paper. "You could say I'm leading the greatest reformation that has ever happened."
I guess you could say that. Or you could say that another deceiver is on the loose - and this one is targeting the Spanish-speaking world.
De Jesús fits the classic profile of an egotistical religious con man. He lives in a mansion, drives a BMW, wears lots of diamonds and spends $300,000 a year on bodyguards. Meanwhile many of his staff volunteer their time and give up to 80 percent of their income to the church.
One member of Creciendo en Gracia, Miami businessman Alvaro Albarracin, told New Times that his Internet company was divinely blessed because he gave $12,000 a month to the church. After making millions he sold the business to work for De Jesús. Now he buys and sells businesses and gives all the proceeds to the group.
Albarracin said: "I wanted to devote my life to Dad. I truly believe he's my God, my Creator."
The newspaper also reported that Albarracin's involvement in the cult triggered a breakup with his first wife. Interestingly, De Jesús left his own wife in 1999, and he later married a Colombian woman he was living with.
What is most alarming about Creciendo en Gracia is the level of blind loyalty his followers display. The group's Web site proclaims: "We are going to shut the mouths of those dogs [speaking of Christian churches.] We are ready to give our lives for this!"
Sounds vaguely like what the Branch Davidians said of Koresh.
Even though there are unconfirmed reports that a protest in Colombia last December resulted in a stabbing, De Jesús insists that his church is nonviolent. Yet the leader of this bizarre sect also claims that his church will one day rule the world.
Mr. De Jesús is wrong. Jesus is still on the throne, sin is still sin and Satan is not dead. The devil is still pulling the same tricks out of his bag to deceive the masses using human stooges who claim they are messiahs. Let"s pray for Miami and all the people who have been brainwashed by this false prophet.
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