Oprah...The Antichrist?

It's interesting how subtle and clever the deceiver is in counterfeiting Christ. Oprah Winfrey now has a new "church" called the New Earth. Apparently, it's supposed to bring the world closer by unifying us spiritually and calling God whatever one chooses. "All path's lead to God", "You are the light; therefore, God", "There is no sin", "Heaven isn't a place...don't concern yourself with it". Unfortunately, this doctrine is nothing new. In researching the New Age Movement, everything the New Earth stands for mimics this philosophy. It appeals to the egos of individuals leading them to think that that they are God and can enhance their lives through their own person. If this is thought through, it becomes quickly apparent that this is impossible. We are born, grow up, live awhile on planet earth and die. Humans are finite. We can never be God. Since I am an imperfect, fallible and a mortal human being (using only 8% of my brain capacity), thinking of myself as God is scary, ridiculous and foolishly narcissistic.

Through my spiritual journey, I have studied other religions and philosophies. I came to realize that the ONLY truth is the Holy Bible. No other "religion" has a savior who died for our sins, and through grace, not works, a person is saved. Romans 1:19-21 contains the biblical explanation for why there are so many religions: "...what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities—His eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse. For although they knew God, they neither glorified Him as God nor gave thanks to Him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened.” The meaning of these Scriptures is clear. The truth of God is clearly seen and known by every human being because God has made it so. Instead of accepting the truth about God and submitting to it, most human beings reject it and seek their own way to understand God instead. But this leads not to enlightenment regarding God, but to futility of thinking. Here is where we find the basis of the “many religions.” Many people do not want to believe in a God that demands righteousness and morality, so they invent a God who makes no such requirements. Many people do not want to believe in a God that declares it impossible for a person to earn his/her own way to heaven by his/her own good deeds. So they invent a God who accepts people into heaven if they have completed certain steps, followed certain rules, and/or obeyed certain laws. Many people do not want a relationship with a God who is sovereign and omnipotent.

The decision to embrace the truth about God is an important one for a simple reason: eternity is an awfully long time to be wrong. This is why right thinking about God is so critical. My suggestion to Oprah's followers is to ask the Holy Spirit to help you recognize a counterfeit philosophy. Jesus warned us that “false Christs and false prophets” will come and will attempt to deceive even God’s elect (Matthew 24:23-27; see also 2 Peter 3:3 and Jude 17-18). To best guard yourself against falsehood and false teachers - know the truth. To spot a counterfeit, study the real thing. Any believer who is, “rightly dividing the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15), and who makes a careful study of the Bible, can identify false doctrine. For example, a believer who has read the activities of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit in Matthew 3:16-17 will immediately question any doctrine that denies the Trinity. Therefore, “step one” is to study the Bible and judge all teaching by what the scripture says. Jesus said “a tree is known by his fruit” (Matthew 12:33). When looking for “fruit,” here are three specific tests to apply to any teacher to determine the accuracy of his or her teaching: What does the teacher say about Jesus? Does this teacher preach the gospel? Does this teacher exhibit character qualities that glorify the Lord? For further study, review those books of the Bible that were written specifically to combat false teaching within the church: Galatians, 2 Peter, 2 John, and Jude. It is often difficult to spot a false teacher / false prophet. That is what a “wolf in sheep’s clothing” is all about. Satan and his demons masquerade as “angels of light” (2 Corinthians 11:14), and his ministers masquerade as servants of righteousness (2 Corinthians 11:15). Only by being thoroughly familiar with the truth will we be able to recognize a counterfeit.

Click here to find out more about the counterfeit New Earth: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JW4LLwkgmqA