JUL 5

Matthew 24:15-28
Memorise 2 Peter 2:1-3
“For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets”

WHAT IS THE ECCLESIASTICAL SIGN? (I)

A third sign of Christ’s Second Coming is in the ecclesiastic sphere. It occurs right in the church. As famines are a result of breakdown of the economic system, so apostasy from the faith has brought in many false Christs and false prophets.

Today Christian pastors and teachers are denying doctrines such as the Virgin Birth of Christ and His Blood Atonement and Resurrection. Bible Colleges all around the world have turned modernist and liberal. Are these not false Christs and false prophets? The Apostle Peter warned, “But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction” (2 Peter 2:1). These are what our Lord has termed, wolves in sheep’s clothing.

We see one such example of heretical and blasphemous teachings in one of America’s leading Charismatic evangelists—Benny Hinn. Benny Hinn said things such as: “God has a body, soul, and spirit, Jesus has a body, soul, and spirit. Holy Spirit has a body, soul, and spirit,” “Christians are little gods,” “Jesus at death became one with Satan,” “You want to prosper? Money will be falling on you from left, right, and centre. God will begin to prosper you, for money always follows righteousness,” confessing you are a sinner saved by grace only insults God with such garbage … Jesus could not have remained sinless without the Holy Ghost … I’m gonna read one Scripture, and then I’m gonna preach, and the devil is gonna drop dead”. Despite all these erroneous teachings and malicious accusations against Christ, Benny Hinn continues to have a worldwide following.

Benny Hinn is a great deceiver, a false prophet, and a blasphemer. Do you know that tens of millions of people still attend his crusades every year? It was reported that he had 7.3 million people (in three services) who once attended one of his healing rallies in India. See how many people are still being deceived today. The warning is simple; we need to beware of subtle false teachings and false teachers even today.

Thought: Beware the pretenders and the deceivers—the wolves in sheep’s clothing.
Prayer: Lord protect me from false pastors and false teachers.