‘MANY SHALL COME IN MY NAME’
LUKE 21:8
UNTIL the commencement of the present century, the denominations and sects which diversified the great company of professing Christians was by present reckoning fairly small. The main divisions of the official ‘Church’, although they were not numerous, included the vast bulk of the followers of Yahshua.
The position today is substantially reversed. Whereas the old denominations are losing churches by the hundred each year for lack of congregations, and whilst the orthodox religious assemblies are falling rapidly in numbers, new sects and groups, many of them extreme in their exotic outlook, are springing up in every so-called Christian land. These range from Christian and near Christian to near-Satanism.
One thing they strangely have in common. Most of them invoke the Name of Jesus (Yahshua) as they pursue their own particular expositions of His Gospel, upon which to superimpose the line of thought which their own group enjoins. Also in common are their fervent protestations that the basic structure of their credo is Love, although never in the history of Christendom has this noble word been so shockingly misused as it is today.
Those who are familiar with the teachings of Yahshua and His Apostles are well aware of the fact that our Saviour issued a forthright warning on this subject when He briefed the Twelve, shortly before His Crucifixion. This was on the occasion when He stood with them beside the Temple walls. His disciples had questioned Him specifically with regard to His prophecy regarding the coming destruction of the Temple, which He had just announced to them, and also concerning events which would occur at the end of the Age. These matters, naturally, held an absorbing interest for them. The precise character of His reply ought to ensure much greater attention from Christians than it at present enjoys. Our Saviour’s pre-vision has been vindicated, down to the smallest details. As He foresaw, the Age is ending with a veritable maelstrom of unprecedented hostility and disruption in every field of human thought and action.
One highly significant feature of Yahshua’s warning has of late been manifesting itself to a remarkable degree. This is His prophecy to the effect that ‘many shall come in My Name, saying “I am Messiah” …and there shall arise false Messiahs and false prophets and shall show signs and wonders to seduce, if it were possible, the very ‘elect’. He made it clear that fulfilment of His words of warning, would herald the near approach of the Climax of the Age.
The emergence of strange sects throughout the countries of the western nations is made plain for all to see in the almost daily mention of their activities, via the media. It is lamentable that, as the congregations of the faithful diminish through the death or infirmity of Christian worshippers, the ranks of younger claimants to His Name and power are swelled by the attractions offered by purveyors of the exciting and the occult, offered in New Testament guise. The stock-in-trade seems to derive much from the ‘transcendental’ practices employed in the garbled faiths of the East.
It is hard to understand why our Saviour’s stern admonition has been so largely ignored by religious leaders. He was tersely emphatic that His words should be cried from the housetops in order to ensure that urgent notice should be taken. The folly of this unaccountable lassitude is that, at this time of rampant world distress and chaos, the flow of enthusiastic young people who should be coming along to replace their departed and departing elders is being drained away on false religious trails, exciting in varying degrees, under the inspiration of the source of all Evil.
Despite the intensive coverage given by the media to the rash of strange sects now using the Name of Jesus, their rapid multiplication and their increasing attraction for our young people, who might otherwise be drawn into normal Christian worship, have not produced the urgent reaction from religious hierarchies which they are expected to show on such grave issues. Our Saviour’s directive said that this disturbing phenomenon of Messiah-named sects would occur at this time — and so it has.
His words clearly could not refer to groups of believers who associate together for the laudable purpose of true worship and missionary endeavour under the code laid down by Him. Such enthusiasts will have no difficulty in answering the crucial question ‘What think ye of Yahshua?’ in the correct manner. Nor will there be any danger that they will invoke His Name or make mention of His redeeming Blood in profane rites or unlawful experiments in the occult.
But such things are already happening elsewhere and, on the authority of Yahshua, they will increase in illicit fervour and intensity until the body of believers, confused and harried by views and counter-views, and lacking instruction from their shepherds, will not know what to accept as the True Faith unless there comes clear, forceful direction from the ‘top’.
Christians should make no mistake on this. Yahshua’s words were intended to stir them into positive action at this very time. Yahshua knew and said that, as the Climax approached, His Gospel would diminish in face of an upsurge of counterfeit worship. This is happening before our eyes. Why is it then that, apart from sporadic, exasperated outbursts here and there, the damaging diversion continues without powerful reproof? The speakers and writers chosen for religious broadcasts and Press articles seem predominantly to be drawn from the ranks of near-humanists and half-hearted adherents of the faith delivered to the Saints. They should be reminded that there is a time coming when ‘Judgment will begin at the house of Yahweh.’ – (I Peter 4:17)
Courtesy: Destiny
