In His Sermon on the Mount message to those who want to spend eternity with Him, Jesus warned that false prophets would rise up among them, proclaim Him as the promised Messiah, then lead many into the two-headed, multi-bodied, Scripture-hating beast known as the Catholic/Protestant Church.  As a former minister within that religious quagmire, I repeatedly warn salvation seekers about it, which Jesus does in Matthew 7:13-27.  Let us return there.

In verse 21 the Lord focuses on the fate of false prophets, of which there are tens of thousands globally.  In verse 21 He says: “Not every one who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord’ will enter into the kingdom of heaven.  Only he who does the will of My father who is in heaven (will enter it).  Read Two Kingdoms, Two Locations, Two Eras: One Entity.  Key word–Locations.  Many will say to Me on that (judgment) day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, and in your name have cast out devils, and in your name have done many wonderful works?”  And then I will profess to them, ‘I NEVER KNEW YOU.  Depart from Me you workers of iniquity (Gr–Lawlessness).”  As instructed, let us STUDY this important statement CAREFULLY in the same spirit in which Christ spoke it.

“Ninety-nine percent of church ministers will face Christ on Judgment Day and remind Him of the works they have done IN HIS NAME (POWER).  In His name (power) they will have PROPHESIED, CAST OUT DEVILS AND PERFORMED MIRACLES.  They will have built mega-churches, baptized thousands, served on mission fields, etc.  Check the radio and t.v. schedules, count the number of local churches, read the religious writings in the local paper, count the books and recordings produced.  Each reference will have as its central figure a “minister of righteousness,” each of whom will claim to be “called of God” to preach “His Word” to the masses for the purpose of winning them to “the ________ church (fill in the blank with the name of the appropriate “church,” “faith,” “order,” “denomination,” cult, sect, etc.) which, they tell us, is THE ONLY CONGREGATION REPRESENTING GOD ON EARTH.

Globally, millions flock to hear these men and women proclaim their group’s version of “Bible truth,” for which they are well paid.  And, for a “love gift” they will send the follower some written or recorded material.  This “in-depth” wisdom from on high will be advertised as “must have” information which only ________ (fill in the blank with the minister’s name) can provide.  Those who cannot physically be in the presence of their exalted leader watch him/her on t.v. or listen to him/her on the radio.  Their bookshelves carry their guru’s writings and recordings, along with the trinkets they have bought from them.  One false prophet sold “holy water.”  Others sell blessed crosses, fish symbols, etc.   Read Religious Symbols.  Key word–Symbols.

“… and in Your name (we) have cast out devils ….”  If someone has the spiritual power to cast evil spirits out of people, he/she MUST BE A TRUE MAN/WOMAN OF GOD, RIGHT?  God responds. In the Book of Acts we find the Apostle Peter speaking to the 120 or so disciples gathered in Jerusalem to celebrate Pentecost.  He is speaking to the 11 apostles about the need to replace Judas who had committed suicide.  Peter reminds them that Judas had been “… numbered with us and had obtained (an equal) part of this (God’s) ministry (1:17).”  The apostles needed to choose someone to “… take (the equal) part of this ministry and apostleship from which Judas fell ….” (1:25).

In Luke 10 we find that Jesus had earlier sent out 70 disciples to minister to the people.  In verse 17 we find that the 70 have returned, proclaiming: “Lord, even the devils are subject unto us in Your name (power).”  In verse 20 Jesus confirmed that Satan’s evil spirits were indeed subject unto (must obey) them.  JUDAS WAS ONE OF THOSE WHO CAST OUT DEVILS.  All except 12 of those apostles would later leave the ministry and return to the world, one of those who remained with Jesus was Judas.

The disciples did not have jobs.  Peter was married and probably had children.  They all survived solely on donations received from the people to whom they ministered.  Judas was in charge of the bag in which the donations were kept.  In John 12:6 we are told that he was a thief, and that he stole money from the bag.  He was also one of those who proclaimed: “Even the devils are subject unto us in Your name.”

In Matthew 10:1-8 we find the names of the 12 apostles recorded.  Judas was one of the 12 whom Jesus sent out with instructions to: “… preach, saying, ‘the Kingdom of heaven is at hand,’ heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils ….”  JUDAS–THE THIEF WHO WOULD BETRAY CHRIST–PREACHED GOD’S WORD, HEALED THE SICK, CLEANSED THE LEPERS, REAISED THE DEAD AND CAST OUT DEVILS.  Today there are many miracle- working ministers.  Many other preachers have huge congregations and magnificent church buildings.  Some have international followings and draw large crowds when they travel.  I was one such miracle worker for many years.  Though I was unconverted and separated from God,  I “knew” that I was one with Him because I could preach beautiful sermons, heal the sick and cast out demons.  I had the power to know things about people I had never met.  I some cases I told them what they had done or what had been done to them as God revealed such information to me.  He would show me in vision what was going to happen to people if they did not listen to me.  In two cases two people rejected my message about God’s Saturday Sabbath.  Those people died shortly thereafter for no medical reason.  One man dropped died for no medical reason because he would not heed my warning from God about his alcohol addiction.  I cast out many demons and healed many infirmities (not me personally, but by the Lord working through me).  In one case a section of a woman’s spine that had dissolved was quickly replaced after I prayed for her.  ALL THIS WAS TAKING PLACE WHILE I WAS AN UNCONVERTED SINNER.  It would be many years before I would become converted.  

Let it be understood that, though the 12 disciples/apostles were sent out to “preach the gospel, heal the sick, cast out demons and raise the dead,” they would not be converted until after Christ died.  Though He lived among them, they had not received the Holy Spirit internally–been spiritually baptized.  They did their mighty works by the power of the Spirit who was working with them from outside them.  This would later change.  In Acts 1:4,5 the resurrected Jesus Christ told all 12o or so disciples to go to Jerusalem and wait for “… the promise of the Father” which was the Holy Spirit which would enter them when they were spiritually “baptized.”  In verse 8 Jesus tells them that they would receive power when the Holy Spirit “came upon” (entered) them.  This took place on the Day of Pentecost, 31 A.D. in the “upper room.”

Finally, let us allow Moses to explain why God allows false prophets to perform miracles, preach, etc. in His name.  In Deuteronomy 13:1-8 he is speaking to the people of Israel.  He says to them that if a prophet rises up among them and performs a miracle, then asks them to go after other gods, they are to reject that prophet.  He then tells them why the Lord would allow a false prophet to perform a miracle–“the Lord your God is proving (testing–1 Cor. 11:19) you so that He will know whether you love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul.  You must walk after the Lord your God, and fear Him, and keep His commandments, and obey His voice, and serve Him and cleave unto Him” (vss 3,4).  Nothing has changed.  This is the way God’s true saints we show their love for Him.  The “other gods” the false prophet would entice believers to follow included Satan–the god of the Catholic/Protestant Church System.  Today’s false prophets entice people to embrace “another god”–Satan.  Neither the prophets nor the parishioners know whom they serve.  They refuse to preach God’s Word because they despise It, proving that they despise both Him and His Christ (Lk. 10:16).  In the eyes of God, those who follow false prophets are false Christians.  His warning in Matthew 7:21-27 applies equally to both prophets and parishioners.

Such is the spiritual condition of the billions who have heeded the voices of Satan’s ministers who come as sheep but who are inwardly ravening wolves.  Ironically, THEY DO NOT KNOW THAT THEY ARE FALSE PROPHETS SERVING A FALSE GOD.  Refusing to study God’s “fine print,” they do not know that they serve, honor and obey God’s premiere enemy–Satan.  Those who follow them are also God’s enemies (Rom. 5:8-11/ Phil. 3:16-19).  Read God’s Enemies.  Key word–Enemies.  Both prophets and parishioners will be told by Jesus on Judgment Day: “I NEVER KNEW YOU.”  Why?  Because they worked INIQUITY–LAWLESSNESS (vs 23).  GOD’S LAW, SUMMARIZED IN THE TEN COMMANDMENTS, PRESENTS HIS RULES OF ENGAGEMENT ONE MUST OBEY IN ORDER TO BE HIS SON OR DAUGHTER.  THE CHURCH NAILED HIS LAW TO THE CROSS, THEREBY REJECTING HIS RULES.  HAVING NO LAW TO OBEY, THE  PEOPLE WERE THEN FREE TO MAKE THEIR OWN RULES.  THOSE RULES ARE KNOWN AS CHURCH DOCTRINE.    

Today’s false Christians have a god of their own making and rules of their own liking.  Having created their god, they force him to accept their rules.  Or so they believe.  Their real god smiles as he watches them dutifully file into his citadels of sin on his Sunday sabbath where they hear his gospel, sing his hymns and pray to him.  A couple of hours later they leave his dens of darkness, “knowing” without a doubt that they are saved, sanctified and rapture-ready.  Read The Rapture.  Key word–Rapture.  L.J.