How to Witness Using the Self-Proclaimed 'Anti-Christ'
'Antichrist' Brother Calls Him a Phony
How do you share your faith using a man who claims to be Jesus?
Six months ago, Jose Luis De Jesus Miranda had claimed to be Jesus, after first having announced that he was the reincarnation of the Apostle Paul. He leads a global movement that boasts 287 radio programs and a 24-hour Spanish-language TV network that's available to two million homes.
"Would you know how to evaluate his claims and determine whether he's the founder of an outrageous cult or the next best thing in God's plan for humanity?" asks Jane Dratz, project coordinator of Dare 2 Share Ministries, a national youth organization.
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"Look at what the guy is teaching and how it measures up against what the Bible has to say," she stated in a column.
De Jesus tells his followers that sin and the devil were destroyed when Jesus died on the cross and that God's chosen already have been saved. Therefore, his followers can indulge in all they want.
Dratz cited a recent interview where the preacher said murder and theft are crimes but not sins.
"Not quite in line with what the first century Jesus taught his disciples!" Dratz stated.
De Jesus, however, now calls himself the Antichrist. And his brother, Carlos, spoke out last week, calling the preacher a phony.
Backing the suspicions of critics, Carlos said he is a cult leader.
"He's not a Christian church or a Christian pastor," said Carlos de Jesus Miranda, according to South Florida's CBS4 News. "He doesn't adhere to any of the fundamentals of the Christian church."
Despite the critics, his followers say he has brought them happiness and spiritual fulfillment. Last month, they tattooed "666" on their bodies to brand their commitment to De Jesus who has the tattoo on his forearm. The "666," which Christians associate with Satan, is meant to mark their absolute faith in De Jesus.
De Jesus has become a wealthy man around his claim to divinity. His followers give him up to 40 percent of their salaries along with other gifts. But his brother Carlos says they are being brainwashed to give money to a slick salesman.
Carlos' comments were made in hopes that his brother's followers will realize his preaching is only making him rich, according to CBS4.
"I told him he knows he is not Christ and he knows he is not the Antichrist," Carlos told the local news agency.
Self-proclaimed Christ or Antichrist, De Jesus provides a conversation starter for Christians to talk about their faith in the real Jesus Christ, said Dratz.
