By Steve Lumbley of Apostasy Watch, republished with permission

Mark 13:4-5  And Jesus answering them began to say, Take heed lest any man deceive you: For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.

Shortly before his arrest and crucifixion, Jesus was asked by his disciples “what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?” The first sign he gave them was the sign of false Christ’s

In the quote above taken from Mark 13:4-5 you see that most bible versions place the word Christ in italics. That means the word was not in the original manuscripts but was added by the translators for clarity. The original language here (and in Luke 21:8) would read:

For many shall come in my name saying I AM, and shall deceive many

The phrase I AM is important because that is the name used by God in Exodus 3:14. Moses asked God His name.

And Moses said unto God, Behold, when I come unto the children of Israel, and shall say unto them, The God of your fathers hath sent me unto you; and they shall say to me, What is his name? what shall I say unto them? Ex 3:13

This was Gods reply:

And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you. Ex 3:14

I AM, is the name that God has chosen for Himself, the very first name revealed to Moses in the wilderness. So when Jesus warned of false teachers his warning was not just that they would claim to be Christ but that they would even claim Godhood for themselves and others.

One example of a modern false teacher using this term is Kenneth Copeland from his Believers Voice of Victory broadcast July 9 1987

And I say this with all respect, so that it don’t upset you too bad. But I say it anyway: When I read in the Bible where He says, “I AM,” I just smile and say, “Yes, I AM, too.”

By using this term Copeland is claiming a form of Godhood which is not surprising since he has long taught that Christians are “little gods” on the earth.

Now we have another example of a modern false teacher using the same term to deceive many.

Source

Joel Osteen has joined up with Oprah Winfrey for a Lifeclass presentation on the power of words. In particular the words I AM. Notice the opening invitation from Oprah;

Start making the best out of the life you are living with two simple words: I AM

According to Oprah and Osteen, the words I AM can be invoked like a mantra to improve your life. What they are really saying is that when you recognize the godhood within you your life will magically begin to change. Some of the comments from her viewers are startling:

Joel S: Oh yes I am and nothing will change that, I am and I’ll always be, with the power of almighty within that’s why I am…….. I am what I am now because of my I am of the past and my I am now will make my I am in the future. I am got 2 sides (Positive and Negative) I am inspired.

Alberta W: I AM is the basic truth of God. “I AM that I AM” said God on the Mount to Moses. Jesus is French for I AM – (Je suis). ISIS is the original human concept concept of I AM – Is Is. “Yahweh” is “I AM that I AM” and the very breath of God that was breathed us into BEing. It all boils down to BE. BEcome (the coming), BElive(the living), BEhold (the holding of faith), BEcause(the cause), etc.

Travelista73: I AM ready to be all I am meant to be. I AM ready to live in love and light. I AM ready to continue exploring, evolving and enlightening my spirit and mind. I AM ready for the AHA… Journal is ready and so am I Oprah!!!!

Terry M: “I am” are two very powerful words, they are words that we should teach to our children with self empowering words following them….I am smart, I am beautiful, I am all that my God has made me. Love your Super Soul Sundays, they are the favorite part of my week…my youngest has mentioned to my husband that they should not interrupt me while I am watching this show..lol. Keep up the great work!

AD: This brings me back to the lineage (bloodline of Christ)..there were various personas in The DNA whom God created to bring forth His will…when I reflect and look at the various characteristics in my own persona for any given situation that evolves into highet awareness..i hear, I am That I am for such a time as this.

All in all the comments reflect a massive ball of confusion yet the underlying idea is that we all can become gods or that we have godhood within us.

Conspicuously missing from all this God talk is any mention of sin, righteousness and judgment. As always with Osteen there is never any mention of the cross or redemption from sin or the fact that unredeemed men and women are actually enemies of God. Jesus is nowhere to be found in any of this, rather all that is offered is the blasphemous teaching that we can all be Gods equal once we discover the godhood within.

Many would consider this a new age teaching but the idea of inner godhood is as old as mankind himself.

Gen 3:4-5
And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.

You shall be as gods. The great deception, the original lie repackaged for our modern narcissistic generation. Godhood lies within if only you will eat this fruit, say these words, repeat this mantra, understand this truth, etc, etc etc. There is truly nothing new under the sun.

Now we see prophecy literally fulfilled before our very eyes, Using modern technology, false teachers are with us today saying I AM and they are deceiving many. Do not be deceived. You are not a little god upon the earth. You do not have “god within”  you. You have been created by God but you are not a son of God unless you are born of His spirit.

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it………..
He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

Only those who repent of their sins and receive Christ Jesus as Lord and savior have the right to be called sons of God. Only those born of the will of God are in right standing with him. All of the chanting and positive confession in the world will not change the fact that you must be born again to enter into the kingdom of God.

The oldest lie known to man, propigated today by Osteen and Oprah, two of the slickest serpents the world has ever known. Appearing to all the world as angels (messengers) of light but in reality they are both ministers of satan sent to deceive many, just as Jesus promised

Copyright 2012 Apostasywatch

Further reading

• RICK WARREN, JOEL OSTEEN TO APPEAR ON OPRAH’S ‘LIFECLASS’
• JOEL OSTEEN DECLARES HUMAN WORDS HAVE CREATIVE POWER
• OPRAH WINFREY IS NOT A CHRISTIAN