The Rise of the Crazies; Hitler to Steven Furtick

     19 We know that we are from God, and the whole world lies in the power of the evil one. (1 Jn. 5:19 ESV)

    Have you ever wondered how crazy people like Adolf Hitler came to power? How you ever wondered how crazy people like Jim Jones rose to power? Have you ever wondered how egregiously heretical people like Kenneth Copeland and Jesse Duplantis and Jim Bakker and Creflo Dollar and T.D. Jakes and Steven Furtick rose to power? Well, if you have, you are in good company; so have I and a gazillion others. In fact, a thousand books have been written addressing that very question. All one need do is Google the names of these deceivers.

3 And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing.

 4 In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.

 5 For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus' sake.

 (2 Cor. 4:3-5 ESV)

So, there ya go; it's that simple. The apostle Peter put it this way,  2 Peter 2:1 But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction.

 2 And many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of truth will be blasphemed.

 3 And in their greed they will exploit you with false words. Their condemnation from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep. (2 Pet. 2:1-3 ESV)

    But those who are in Christ have a built-in safeguard, He is our Shepherd, and we follow His voice. The voice of strangers we do not follow.  4 When he has brought out all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice.

 5 A stranger they will not follow, but they will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers." (Jn. 10:4-5 ESV)


14 I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me,

 15 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep.

 16 And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd.

 (Jn. 10:14-16 ESV)

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