The scriptures make plain to us that there is a true Jesus, and there’s a counterfeit, because for every good thing God has provided for humanity, the evil one has produced a counterfeit. For instance, there is a true Sabbath, and a false; there is God-ordained baptism, and then there is sprinkling; there is true repentance, and then there’s counterfeit sorrow for sin, such as Esau’s and Judas’; there is true healing, through the supernatural power of Christ, and then there are counterfeit miracles; there is also a God- given diet, and then there are alternatives which fall short of His ideal for us.
There is true worship, and then there is counterfeit worship that is not acceptable to God. There is the true Holy Ghost, and there is a counterfeit spirit in many churches, who is accepted as the real deal. Then there is speaking in tongues, and there is false speaking in tongues. There is wealth given by God, and then there are riches given by satan. There are true disciples, and there are false disciples. And the list goes on and on and on.
There are true preachers, and then there are many counterfeit preachers who specialize in prophesying smooth things, who can also be identified by their willingness to suppress inconvenient truths that are not palatable to the multitudes, but instead present doctrines, and teachings tailormade for itching ears. The same is also true of Christ, as He is portrayed in the scriptures, for there is a true Jesus, and there is a false Christ brought to view. For every good thing God has given there is a counterfeit. Let us examine several examples of the true and the false. Let’s read:
On repentance:
2nd Corinthians 7:9 Now I rejoice, not that ye were made sorry, but that ye sorrowed to repentance: for ye were made sorry after a godly manner.
10 For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation: but the sorrow of the world worketh death.
Matthew 27:3 Then Judas, which had betrayed him, when he saw that he was condemned, repented himself, and brought again the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders,
4 Saying, I have sinned in that I have betrayed the innocent blood.
5 And he cast down the pieces of silver in the temple, and departed, and went and hanged himself.
Hebrews 12:16 Lest there be any fornicator, or profane person, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright.
17 For ye know how that afterward, when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected: for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears.
On worship:
John 4:23 But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him.
24 God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.
Psalms 119:142 Thy righteousness is an everlasting righteousness, and thy law is the truth.
Matthew 15:8 This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me.
9 But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.
On Wealth and prosperity:
Deuteronomy 8:11 Beware that thou forget not the Lord thy God, in not keeping his commandments’ and his judgments, and his statutes.
12 Lest when thou hast eaten and art full, and hast built goodly houses;
13 And when thy silver and thy gold is multiplied, and all that thou hast is multiplied;
14 Then thine heart be lifted up, and thou forget the Lord thy God.
17 And thou say in thine heart, My power and the might of mine hand hath gotten me this wealth.
18 But thou shalt remember the Lord thy God: for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth.
Luke 4:5 And the devil, taking him up into an high mountain, shewed unto him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time.
6 And the devil said unto him, All this power will I give thee, and the glory of them: for that is delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I will I give it.
7 If thou therefore wilt worship me, all shall be thine.
On miracles:
John 6:1 After these things Jesus went over the sea of Galilee, which is the sea of Tiberias.
2 And a great multitude followed him, because they saw his miracles which he did on them that were diseased.
Revelation 16:13 And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet.
14 For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty.
On speaking in tongues:
Acts 2:1And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.
4 And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.
6 Now when this was noised abroad, the multitude came together, and were confounded, because that every man heard them speak in his own language.
7 And they were all amazed and marvelled, saying one to another, Behold, are not all these which speak Galilaeans?
8 And how hear we every man in our own tongue, wherein we were born?
1st Corinthians 14:10 There are, it may be, so many kinds of voices in the world, and none of them is without signification.
11 Therefore if I know not the meaning of the voice, I shall be unto him that speaketh a barbarian, and he that speaketh shall be a barbarian unto me.
23 If therefore the whole church be come together into one place, and all speak with tongues, and there come in those that are unlearned, or unbelievers, will they not say that ye are mad?
27 If any man speak in an unknown tongue, let it be by two, or at the most by three, and that by course; and let one interpret.
28 But if there be no interpreter, let him keep silence in the church; and let him speak to himself, and to God.
On ministers and televangelists:
Matthew 10:5 These twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded them, saying, Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not:
7 And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand.
8 Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give.
2nd Corinthians 11:13 For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ.
14 And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.
15 Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.
Galatians 1:6 I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel:
7 Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ.
8 But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.
2nd Corinthians 11:3 But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.
4 For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him.
This brings us to the core of our study, for it is quite evident that there are counterfeits for every good thing God has given. The same is true with Christ, for very many Christians are now following a Jesus who is not endorsed in the scriptures. Therefore, our narrative begins in the little town of Galilee, by the seaside, where several thousand men, women, and little children, have gathered to hear the words of Christ, as He teaches, and heals the diseases of the people, en-masse. Every known, and unknown type of disease and affliction is brought to Jesus, and He heals them all.
Finally, late in the evening, after hearing the words of Christ, and after witnessing His miracles all day, they are now ready to be dispersed, but Jesus tells them to wait, for they were hungry, and needed to be fed. The multitude is seated in groups of fifty, and before their eyes, a miracle takes place which leaves them dumb-founded, for Jesus takes a few loaves of bread, and two fishes, and now feeds the entire multitude until all are satisfied.
This miracle finally seals the deal in the minds of the multitude, for this is the Jesus they were looking for since He can cure every type of disease, He can also provide unlimited groceries, thus putting Walmart, and Publix out of business, He can cast out demons, He can control the weather bringing global warming to a halt, and He can defeat their foes, such as the Romans, whose rule over them had been deeply resented. In their excitement, they try to seize this Jesus to make a king, but for some unknown reason He refuses.
Thinking that is was His mild manners which were moving Him to refuse, they presently resort to force to make Jesus their king, but again He refuses, and then, in a demonstration of divine authority He had not exhibited before, He commands the multitude to disperse. From there He departs alone up into a mountain and spends the entire night in prayer and bitter crying, because a great misunderstanding of His primary mission to the human family has taken
deep root in the minds of the people.
This misunderstanding must be signally, and quickly uprooted, lest the Jesus the multitude is expecting, is not the one endorsed in the scriptures. Thus, it is from this point we take up the narrative in the Bible because from here on out, very great changes in the attitudes, commitments, and excitements of many people, are going to disclose their real purpose in desiring the Jesus of their imagination, for it will be discovered that it’s not Jesus, but Santa Claus they were looking for. Let’s read:
John 6:25 And when they had found him on the other side of the sea, they said unto him, Rabbi, when camest thou hither?
26 Jesus answered them and said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Ye seek me, not because ye saw the miracles, but because ye did eat of the loaves, and were filled.
27 Labor not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him hath God the Father sealed.
28 Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God?
29 Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.
30 They said therefore unto him, What sign shewest thou then, that we may see, and believe thee? what dost thou work?
It’s funny that the people would ask for additional signs, for they had both experienced, and eaten the signs the previous day. But Christ’s request that they believe on Him raises serious questions as to the nature of His kingdom, whether it is spiritual or temporal in nature, and so the discourse continues.
John 6:57 As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father: so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me.
58 This is that bread which came down from heaven: he that eateth of this bread shall live for ever.
63 It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.
When the multitude finally realized that Christ’s kingdom was spiritual in nature, and that the health wealth gospel was not His primary reason for His visit to our planet, a disturbing change of attitude began to surface, and soon escalated to the point of total rejection of Christ, for if He would not exercise His power to benefit them materially, then they would have nothing to do with Him. Let’s read:
John 6:60 Many therefore of his disciples, when
they had heard this, said, This is an hard saying; who can hear it?
61 When Jesus knew in himself that his disciples murmured at it, he said unto them, Doth this offend you?
66 From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him.
Now, it is not that The Lord does not take a deep interest in our temporal affairs, but He is gravely concerned with the way in which many Christians have made the physical, and material concerns of life, all-absorbing, to the point where the work of salvation, and our personal relationship with Him, hinges directly on guaranteed, material blessings. Whenever this is the case, our priorities become reversed, and the loaves and the fishes are the main reason for our commitment to Him. This order of priority must then be signally reversed. Let’s read:
Matthew 6:30 Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?
31 Therefore take no thought, saying, what shall we eat? or, what shall we drink? or, wherewithal shall we be clothed?
32 (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.
33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. 34 Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.
A very interesting, and important commentary is written by the servant of the Lord, pertaining to this very incident, and it’s ramifications to the close of time, for very many Christians in our day have been taught to expect, and accept, a Jesus of our own desires, and not the One brought to light in the scriptures. This is the reason why, in many minds, the relationship with Christ is tethered to material blessings primarily, whilst the work of salvation, and cleansing us from all unrighteousness, sits idly by on the back-burner. Let’s read:
"Christ had spoken a sacred, eternal truth regarding the relation between Himself and His followers. He knew the character of those who claimed to be His disciples, and He declared that they were to believe and act upon His teaching. All who received Him would partake of His nature, and be conformed to His character. This involved the relinquishment of their cherished ambitions. It required the complete surrender of themselves to Jesus. The test was too great. The enthusiasm of those who had sought to take Him by force and make Him king grew cold.
In their minds His words were a direct confession that no earthly rewards were to be realized from connection with Him. They had welcomed His miracle-working power; they were eager to be freed from disease and suffering; but they would not come into sympathy with His self-sacrificing life.
They were greatly displeased, and wishing to wound the Savior, they turned their backs upon Him, and left Him with disdain. They had made their choice,—had taken the form without the spirit, the husk without the kernel. Their decision was never afterward reversed; for they walked no more with Jesus". [D.A pp 391>392].
This brings us to a few soul-searching questions which ought to be addressed by each, and every follower of The Lord Jesus: [1] Is our relationship with Christ primarily based on the material blessings He bestows? And if so, are we too, also in danger of switching sides, if these blessings were removed for any reason? [2] Do we love Jesus because of His character, because of who He is, or because of what we may get from Him? In other words, if the reward of heaven was removed, would it be still worthwhile to follow Christ in the principles displayed in His life.
If the glories, and riches of heaven were removed, would it then be preferable, and acceptable to lie, steal, and commit adultery? [3] What is our real motivation for accepting Christ as Lord and Savior? To be cleansed and saved, or to be delivered from our financial hardships and diseases? Our answers to these questions, and others like them, determine to a great extent whether we will accept the mark of the beast, or whether we will follow where Christ has led the way.
Thus, in closing there are some passages from the Bible, and from the pen of inspiration, pertaining to these issues, which it will do us well to ponder very seriously, as we look forward to the future. Let’s read:
Luke 14:25 And there went great multitudes with him: and he turned, and said unto them,
27 Whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple.
28 For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it?
29 Lest haply, after he hath laid the foundation, and is not able to finish it, all that behold it begin to mock him,
33 So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple.
[G.C pp 624>626] As the crowning act in the great drama of deception, Satan himself will personate Christ. The church has long professed to look to the Savior's advent as the consummation of her hopes. Now the great deceiver will make it appear that Christ has come. In different parts of the earth, Satan will manifest himself among men as a majestic being of dazzling brightness, resembling the description of the Son of God given by John in the Revelation. [Revelation 1:13-15.]
The glory that surrounds him is unsurpassed by anything that mortal eyes have yet beheld. The shout of triumph rings out upon the air., “Christ has come! Christ has come!” The people prostrate themselves in adoration before him, while he lifts up his hands, and pronounces a blessing upon them, as Christ blessed his disciples when he was upon the earth. His voice is soft and subdued, yet full of melody.
In gentle, compassionate tones he presents some of the same gracious, heavenly truths which the Savior uttered; he heals the diseases of the people, and then, in his assumed character of Christ, he claims to have changed the Sabbath to Sunday, and commands all to hallow the day which he has blessed.
By the sifting of temptation, the genuine Christian will be revealed. As the decree issued by the various rulers of Christendom against commandment-keepers shall withdraw the protection of government, and abandon them to those who desire their destruction, the people of God will flee from the cities and villages, and associate together in companies, dwelling in the most desolate and solitary places. Many will find refuge in the strongholds of the mountains. Like the Christians of the Piedmont valleys, they will make the high places of the earth their sanctuaries, and will thank God for the “munitions of rocks.” [Isaiah 33:16.]
John 6:66 From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him ….. The mark of the beast is also 666. Think about it!
God bless!