“For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and they will lead many astray” (Matthew 24: 5)

  For many will come in My name saying I (Jesus) am the Christ and they will lead many astray. (EPV)

  Some of the worst deceivers in history have pretended to come ‘in His name’. Jesus Himself warned, “Many will come in My name, saying I am the Christ, and will deceive many”.  Some people have interpreted this as meaning that many will come saying that they’re the Christ and would deceive many.  I don’t believe this is what He was saying!  He warned that many would come declaring that He, Jesus was indeed the Christ and yet be deceivers.  History testifies that this has certainly been true.  Some of the most detestable atrocities ever committed by man were done by those who claimed to be ‘the church’ during the middle ages.  It’s just as so today! People are still killing people in the name of ‘God’.  We forget history too quickly and satan continues to come as an ‘angel of light’.

  As Christians we often are pulled toward and esteem most the ‘churchy’ people.  (Beware of wolves in sheep clothing.)  Jesus did not!  Sinners didn’t crucify the Lord!  Israel’s most moral and upstanding (the ‘churchy’, the religious) did.  The Lord declared to such that the publicans and harlots would enter the Kingdom of God before they would.  These people, those who consider themselves good, moral and righteous may be further from the Kingdom than the lowest pervert.  The first will be last and the last first. The lowly will be the higher.  Humble yourselves before the Lord and He will raise you up.

  Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’ “And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS.’ (Matthew 7:22,23)

  Sinners and even the demon possessed humbled themselves before the Lord; the religious and upstanding people held Him in contempt, (calling Him a liar and a deceiver) as not being righteous as they were. Who is the enemy? As I once heard a pastor say, “We have met the enemy and HE IS US”.  We are our own worst enemy!

God have mercy on our souls!

In His Love,
Elizabeth