DECEIVED

Jesus made a statement that “the love of many would grow cold.” Here is a statement from the same chapter. In Matthew 24:11 we read, “And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many.” Paul tells us the same thing in 11 Timothy 3:13 with the phrase, “deceiving and being deceived.” This would be true of the last days.

I think the first thing we think of, and rightly so, are the cults. The cults were very successful but at the same time they were too obviously unbiblical. What we are seeing today is something much more subtle. As an example, Rick Warren’s book, “The Purpose Driven Life” has much in it, which is very helpful, and to the point. But if you will look at page 17 you will see that he quotes from the Message Bible; quoting Colossians 1:16. Notice the words, “above and below.” This same Bible uses this phrase in Matthew 6 in the Lord’s Prayer where it says “as above, so below.” This is a New Age phrase which began in ancient Egypt: As above, so below simply means that God is the Creator (above) and the created (below) which is, of course, pantheism. In Ephesians 4:5 the KJV reads “One God and Father — in you all” – a wonderful doctrine. The Message reads, “in all,” leaving out the ‘you’. This is, also, pantheism. The phrase “as above, so below” is construed by the New Agers as the foundation of all magic. The last two verses of the Bible use the phrases Lord Jesus and Lord Jesus Christ. The Message reads (both times) Master Jesus. There is, supposedly, a man named Maitreya who has returned to earth. He was on earth when the “Master” Jesus was here. Maitreya is the true Christ and the Master Jesus is one of his disciples. Maitreya’s spokesperson is Benjamin Crème. Supposedly, someone claiming to be Maitreya will soon surface.

Maitreya, Benjamin Crème, Jampolsky, Walsch and others are the leading New Age figures of the day. Now, no evangelical will believe them. They are working through Robert Schuller, whom the evangelicals don’t trust. Robert Schuller is Rich Warren’s chief mentor. The evangelicals, by the millions, are swallowing Rich Warren’s Purpose Driven Life along with a good level of New Age philosophy. If you want all the facts, they are in a book by a former New Ager, “Deceived On Purpose” by Warren Smith. A statement by Warren Smith is, “you can take 100% arsenic; or 99% water and 1% arsenic but either one will kill you 100%.” You’re just more likely to drink the latter. Generally speaking, I think the more recent the Biblical translation the more danger of it containing poisonous doctrine. And more and more people are going to read them.