Different Jesus to Believe In?

Different Jesus to Believe In?
By David Van Biema Wednesday, May. 09, 2007


Read more: http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1618968,00.html#ixzz13b5djHyO

To whom do you compare Jesus Christ? Or at least someone who says he is Jesus Christ, and claims thousands of adherents who agree?
After all, Jose Luis de Jesus Miranda, 61, who preached before several hundred followers and a clutch of more conventional Christian protesters at an Orlando-area amphitheater last weekend, would seem to be a true original. By his own account a former heroin addict and thief, he still imbibes hard liquor ("Jesus drank wine because he didn't have Dewar's," he told ABC's Primetime in March), surrounds himself with beautiful women despite being married, wears a $11,000 Rolex and drives a BMW, and says that for members of his Miami-based Creciendo en Gracia (Growing in Grace) movement, there is no such thing as sin. Over the years, his religious persona has continually evolved: having once claimed to be a kind of John the Baptist figure, then "Jesus Christ, hombre" ("Jesus Christ, the man"), he most recently added the title "antichrist," (although apparently without any Satanic intention) and his apostles have taken to tattooing "666" on their hands. Along the way, he has developed adherents — he claimed "millions" of followers to ABC in what his website says are 30 countries, although no expert feels competent to pin a number on them — while making his fair share of enemies; he is reportedly banned in several nations, in one case because his movement disrupted services by Roman Catholic churches.

Thus far, perhaps because he preaches in Spanish yet fits into neither of the two current major hispanic religious niches — Roman Catholic or evangelical Protestant — De Jesus has escaped a full-dress scholarly analysis. But experts are beginning to close in on him, even if they cannot accurately say how popular his idiosyncratic movement really is or predict any more than anyone else whether it will continue to grow.

De Jesus, says Anthony Stevens-Arroyo, religion professor emeritus at Brooklyn College and co-author with his wife of the book Recognizing the Latino Resurgence, is in some ways a familiar export from Puerto Rico, where he was born and lived until age 20. Stevens-Arroyo and some other scholars believe that the island's original colonial inheritance of Spanish Catholicism, combined with subsequent exposure to American Protestantism and its constitutionally mandated religious open market, created a a culture of religious seekers and corresponding "enthusiasms for overnight sensations." "This guy" says Stevens-Arroyo, "is one among Heinz's 57 varieties" on the island, some of whom inevitably reach the Latino community on the mainland. He describes one Miami predecessor from the 1930s known as "La Diosa," who claimed to be an incarnation of the Holy Spirit. Her followers founded spiritual cooperatives: small businesses like laundromats dedicated to her, he says, are still in operation in the city.

Whereas La Diosa was something of an ascetic, however, scholars say that De Jesus's message is more typical of the branch of Pentecostal Christianity called Prosperity Gospel, which enjoys modest success here but is vastly popular in the developing world. De Jesus' literature is studded with recurrent use of the phrases "prosperidad," (prosperity), "felicidad" (happiness), and his movement's name, which means "Growing in Grace" in English. Such catchwords are reminiscent of Prosperity's assertion that God wants to showers gifts upon his followers — provided that they tithe liberally to their church. So is De Jesus' unabashed enjoyment of material trappings, which prosperity preachers attribute to God's desire that his believers be rich and that his representatives on earth be good examples.

Still, his claim that his followers are incapable of sin because of a verse in Paul's biblical letter to the Roman church would stretch even Prosperity's sometimes liberal scriptural readings to the breaking point. And any prosperity church, indeed any Christian church, would regard de Jesus's claim to be THE Jesus as heretical. Almost as suspicious, says Miguel De La Torre, a professor at Denver's Iliff school of Theology and co-author of the introduction to the primer Latino Theology, is the way Creciendo's leader has run through self-descriptions over the decades: from "the Apostle" in 1998 to "The Other," a kind of Christ-precursor figure in 1999, to Jesus Christ in 2004 to this year's "antichrist." Concludes De La Torre, "I think he's a con man" whose theology has "no rhyme or reason" beyond marketing. "I'm writing an encyclopedia of Latino religion and culture," he continues. "And I can tell you right now, this individual will not be part of it."

Others are not so quick to dismiss. Says John Green, Senior Fellow at the Pew Forum on Religion & Public LIfe, "There isn't a well-developed theology, a set of propositions. He appears to have traveled a lot in Latin America, but my colleagues say he doesn't have much of an international following. But really, we have no way of knowing whether or not it may ultimately spread beyond this." Thomas Tweed, Chair of the religion department at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, and an expert in Miami's religious history, doubts, as do several other scholars, that de Jesus' renown will extend much beyond the Latino community unless he preaches more regularly in English or finds someone to do it for him. But then again, these days a phenomenon does not need to break out of the Latino world to be a force in the U.S. "The question people ask about new religions," he says, is 'is this just a silly group or is this a group we should be scared of?'"

He refuses to regard De Jesus as silly: Tweed is impressed with its use of Spanish language media and even YouTube. But at the same time, he thinks it is nothing to be afraid of. Technically, Tweed notes, Crecienda en Gracia is a cult, a small group in some tension with the world at large and organized around a single magnetic leader. But it is not a cult as understood in the popular sense: Jim Jones or the Branch Davidians, who in deep self-imposed isolation, honed a violent apocalyptic element that eventually led to murder or suicide. Those at last weekend's rally and throughout De Jesus' following, he says, do appear to believe we may be approaching the Millennium (or else why indulge in a Second Coming?), but they lack a fire-and-brimstone End Times scenario and their leader shows no appetite for isolation — or self-sacrifice, for that matter.

"If he says he's taking his group to the Andes to establish the kingdom of God on earth," says Tweed, "that's when I'd start to worry." Until then, those not too put off by de Jesus' exalted self-image can do no more than marvel at him and wonder what his next transformation will bring.



Read more: http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1618968,00.html#ixzz13b5kllul

http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1618968,00.html

Jose De Jesus Miranda Is Not Jesus: A Biblical Response

Jose De Jesus Miranda Is Not Jesus: A Biblical Response
Introduction
Lately, there has been a guy by the name of Jose Luis de Jesus Miranda whose claim to be Jesus has been on the spotlight of the national media, from Fox news to NBC’s Today Show. His group is called Creciendo en Gracia. We will critique a video clip that propagates this error on YouTube produced by his followers. This video clip as of October 1st, 2006 is located at this URL address: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3VNz8I-ZDMo&eurl.

1.) “Finally, the wait is over, the Lord of the Christian has reincarnated, in a Puerto Rican Man.?(00:15-00:20)

RESPONSE: Do not believe it.

“At that time if anyone says to you, 'Look, here is the Christ!' or, 'Look, there he is!' do not believe it.?/font>

(Mark 13:21; emphasis added)

2.) “He came back through this Puerto Rican man, through Jose Luis de Jesus Miranda, the man Christ Jesus.?(00:24-00:32)

RESPONSE:

“For false Christs and false prophets WILL APPEAR and perform great signs and miracles to deceive even the elect—if that were possible.?/font>

(Matthew 24:24; emphasis added)

3.) “Jesus of Nazareth, as we know him, said he would return a second time and everyone expects for him to come flying down. But no, he would return the same way he came the first time, in a body and preaching.?(00:35-00:45)

RESPONSE: Jesus second coming will be from the sky.

“They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. ‘Men of Galilee,? they said, ‘why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.?

(Acts 1:10-11; emphasis added)

4.) “I was able to interview, Jesus Christ.?(00:47-50)

RESPONSE: Did Jesus come down from the sky to interview the news reporter? No.

?Yes, it is as you say,?Jesus replied. ‘But I say to all of you: In the future you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven.?

(Matthew 26:64)

5.) “He is God.?(00:53)

RESPONSE: Since Jose Luis de Jesus Miranda is a false Christ, he can not be from God, not to mention being God himself.

6.) “For me to dare say that I am the man Christ Jesus, I have much proof of what is written and this is what gives me peace.?(01:09-01:18)

RESPONSE: No Proof was offered by Jose Luis de Jesus Miranda that satisfied the Biblical Criteria.

“Jesus answered: "Watch out that no one deceives you. 5For many will come in my name, claiming, 'I am the Christ, and will deceive many.?(Matthew 24:4-5)

7.) “After two thousand years, the world is being witnessed to the second coming of Jesus Christ on the earth.?01:22-01:29)

RESPONSE: Is the whole world mourning and is Jose Luis de Jesus Miranda on the sky’s cloud?

No.

"At that time the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky and all the nations of the earth will mourn. They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky, with power and great glory.?/font>

(Matthew 23:30; emphasis added)

8.) “The Apostle Paul wrote that he would return the second time without relation to sin. That’s why he said he would come a second time without a relation to sin because it no longer exists!?01:34-01:46)

RESPONSE: This appears to be a reference to the verse in Hebrews 9:28 about Christ return would be chiefly for the purpose of those He will saved.

But how does this show that Jose Luis de Jesus Miranda is Jesus Christ?

9.) “He also wrote, ‘To he who could confirm you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ.?(01:52-01:58)

RESPONSE: This is a rough wording of the verse Romans 16:25 that Jose Luis de Jesus Miranda used to show that in Christ second coming, he would be preaching, which is what Jose Luis de Jesus Miranda happened to do. Four quick points must be noted.

(A) Nowhere in the Context of the surrounding passage are there any references to Jesus?second coming.
(B) This passage talks about Christ ministry of preaching and teaching before his death.
(C) If Jose Luis de Jesus Miranda were to interpret the surrounding verses and context as in the future, then Paul’s ministry with the gospel (mentioned in this sentence) would be a future event too; but Paul has been dead for thousands of years!
(D) Even if we give Jose Luis de Jesus Miranda this use of this verse to show that Christ would be preaching when he comes back, it does not establish him as Christ, for other false Christ also preaches!
10.) “He never self-proclaimed to be Jesus Christ. It was the church that recognized that what came out of his mouth was prophesied in the Bible.?(02:02-02:09)

RESPONSE: Did Jose Luis de Jesus Miranda really never proclaimed to be Jesus Christ? Even within this video clip, we see him claiming this himself one minute into the clip: “For me to dare say that I am the man Christ Jesus, I have much proof.?/em>

11.) “Jesus Christ is already on the earth, teaching, consoling and edifying his church.?(02:17-02:24)

RESPONSE: Do not believe it.

“At that time if anyone says to you, 'Look, here is the Christ!' or, 'Look, there he is!' do not believe it.?(Mark 13:21; emphasis added)

12.) “Welcome to the Government of God!?(02:25-02:28)

RESPONSE: God’s Government, being His Kingdom, is already here before Jose Luis de Jesus proclaimed, “I will be president of the biggest government that this earth has experienced.?/em> (See http://cbs4.com/topstories/local_story_254163721.html)

"In the time of those kings, the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed, nor will it be left to another people. It will crush all those kingdoms and bring them to an end, but it will itself endure forever. (Daniel 2:44; see context for clarity)

It is also spiritual in nature.

13.) “And I shall live and move amongst them, and be their God. And they shall be my people.?(02:31-02:38)

RESPONSE: Jose Luis de Jesus Miranda, being a false Christ, is not from God, nor is he God.

From http://cbs4.com/topstories/local_story_254163721.html and many news sources, we know that Jose Luis de Jesus Miranda is served by human hands so that he enjoys a life of luxury.

This is not the God of the Bible.

“And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything, because he himself gives all men life and breath and everything else.?(Acts:17:25)

14.) “If this book is truth for the people who are watching, if this is the truth, then I am the Lord.?/font>

RESPONSE: If you read the Bible, on the contrary you would reject Jose Luis de Jesus Miranda’s claim to be Christ.

“Jesus answered: "Watch out that no one deceives you. 5For many will come in my name, claiming, 'I am the Christ, and will deceive many.?(Matthew 24:4-5)

By Jimmy Li

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Last Edited March 30, 2009 0:07





http://teamtruth.com/articles/art_responseto_jose_de_jesus_miranda.htm

Al-Qaeda would blow up ‘Christ’s burial site’ says Israeli election favourite Net

Al-Qaeda would blow up ‘Christ’s burial site’ says Israeli election favourite Netanyahu


By Damien McElroy in Jerusalem

Telegraph

Benjamin Netanyahu, the favorite to win next month’s Israeli general election, yesterday predicted al-Qaeda would blow up the purported burial place of Jesus Christ, if the country relinquished control of Jerusalem.

Mr Netanyahu, who claimed to have forecast the destruction of the Twin Towers by Islamic extremists in 1995, said terrorists would target the Church of the Holy Sepulchre - Christianity’s holiest site.

“Radical Islam is willing and will want to attack the symbolic heart of the Christian religion,” he said. “This will incur a chain reaction we can’t even envision. We will witness an escalation of religious conflict above and beyond the regional conflict we have now.”

The leader of the Right-wing Likud opposition recalled that he had warned Islamic terrorists would detonate a nuclear device in the Manhattan World Trade Centre complex in a 1995 book, six years before the September 11 attacks.

He claimed that the destruction of the Holy Sepulchre would trigger a clash between religions, much greater than the “regional conflict” that currently wracks the Holy Land.

Israel annexed Jerusalem after the 1967 war and has overseen a massive expansion of the city’s Jewish population.

The church on the Hill of Calvary is the site of the death and resurrection of Jesus and the Holy Sepulchre, according to the New Testament. It attracts tens of thousands of pilgrims each year and is a spiritual focal point for all the Roman and Eastern rite churches in the city.

Any discussion of returning part of Jerusalem to the Palestinians, who also claim it as their capital provokes sharp divisions in Israeli politics. The February elections were called after Tzipi Livni, the foreign minister and new leader of the Kadima party, failed to form a government to replace outgoing Prime Minister Ehud Olmert because she would not rule out negotiations on the division of Jerusalem.

Mr Netanyahu, who boasts of closing down Palestinian offices in Jerusalem and expanding the number of Jewish building projects during previous terms in government, said Likud would not discuss sovereignty over Jerusalem.

But he forecast that the most radical groups among Israel would gain a foothold to wage attacks on Israel. He said: “If we move out of even one piece of Jerusalem, Hamas moves in, Iran would have a base to attack us in the heart of our capital.” It emerged yesterday that the size of Jewish settlements on the West Bank had grown by 69 per cent in 2008. Activists with Peace Now reported that Israel’s army was quietly promoting the establishment of new settlements, as well as the expansion of existing outposts.

The development appears to violate Israel’s official promises to restrict the unrestrained growth of the settlements.

It is another damaging blow to Tony Blair’s credibility as international envoy to the conflict. Since taking up office Mr Blair has negotiated the dismantlement of just one Israeli army checkpoint but the total number has gone up to 699 from 521.

http://wakeupfromyourslumber.com/node/10407

A large sculpture of Christ on the cross has been removed from outside a church in West Sussex after its vicar said it was "scaring young children".

Church removes 'scary crucifix'
A large sculpture of Christ on the cross has been removed from outside a church in West Sussex after its vicar said it was "scaring young children".

The Reverend Ewen Souter said the 10ft crucifix was "a horrifying depiction of pain and suffering" which was also "putting people off".

The sculpture, located at the side of St John's Church in Broadbridge Heath, has now been given to Horsham Museum.

It will be replaced with a new stainless steel cross.

In a survey carried out by the church, every comment about the sculpture was negative.

'Sense of hope'

Mr Souter said: "Children have commented on how scary they find it and how off-putting they find it as a symbol outside the church.

"As a key exterior symbol for us it was putting people off rather than having a sense of hope and life and the power of the resurrection."

He said rather than undermining the work of the cross, the church wanted to portray "an accurate biblical picture of the crucifixion as a moment of hopefulness for the world, and not one of despair".

The sculpture was designed in the 1960s by former Royal Society of British Sculptors president, Edward Bainbridge Copnall, and made out of coal dust and resin.

It was removed from the church just before Christmas and will be mounted on a large wall in the grounds of Horsham Museum.

Jeremy Knight, curator, said the powerful image portrayed by the figure was that of Christ in pain.

"That today isn't an image which a lot of churches want to follow. They'd much rather see an empty cross where Christ has risen," he said.


Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/uk_news/england/sussex/7816941.stm

Published: 2009/01/07 21:32:33 GMT

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/sussex/7816941.stm