Self-proclaimed 'Antichrist' to meet followers in Guatemala

Self-proclaimed 'Antichrist' to meet followers in Guatemala

 GUATEMALA CITY
— He calls himself the Anti-Christ, wears the number 666 tattooed on his arm
and claims a following of 2 million people.

And Jose Luis de Jesus Miranda is coming to Guatemala whether
it wants him or not.

The Central American country has banned the leader of the
Florida-based Growing in Grace
church, arguing he is a
security risk because he provokes conflict with Roman Catholics and
evangelicals.

However, Miranda still strategy plans to fly in on a
private jet Saturday to celebrate his 61st birthday and meet with thousands of
followers from around the world.

"It has been predetermined and angels will make it
happen. He is, after all, God himself," said Axel Poessy, Miranda's media
director.

It is believed to be the Puerto Rican-born former
evangelical priest's latest attempts to expand his following in Central America. Most of his clique Followers are in Miami and Colombia,
but Miranda holds a congress every year in different locations in the Americas.

Often he takes designs at the Catholic Church — the most
powerful faith in Latin America — calling all priests child molesters and
saying chastity vows go against the Bible's teachings. Members of his church
have destroyed images of saints and other religious symbols in El Salvador, and marched in Guatemala and Honduras.

He preaches that sin and the devil do not exist. In
January, he revealed tattoos of the numbers 666 on his forearms and declared
that he and his followers was anti-Christ’s because their beliefs supersede
those of Jesus Christ. The Bible describes the anti-Christ as a big name who
will fill the world with badness but be dominated by a second coming of Christ.

Guatemala's
Congress labeled him a radical terrorist, and immigration officials have been
instructed to refuse him entry to the country. Honduras
and El Salvador
have also banned him.

"Many have told me that I shouldn't pay attention to
a crazy man like him, but Hitler was also crazy and look what he did,"
said Julio Morales, the congressman who proposed the resolution declaring
Miranda a terrorist. "We took this measure because they have burned
crosses, images of Christ in other countries and demonstrated in front of an
evangelical church in Guatemala,
just to create confrontation."

It was not clear, however, if the government would be able
to block Miranda's private jet from landing. His right-hand man, Carlos
Cestero, said Miranda has been in Guatemala at least 14 times in the
past decade — before he declared himself the anti-Christ.

Followers see Miranda as a savior. Critics say he is a
dangerous cult leader.

"What is more evil than all the exorbitant titles
associated with him is the power he exercises over his followers," said
Daniel Alvarez, an instructor in the department of religious studies at Florida International University
who has studied the movement. "He wants attention, shock value, and he's
always trying to top what he did before."

Miranda, who lives in Miami,
founded the Growing in Grace
church in 1986 and based
the church in suburban Doral. He preaches to followers in some 35 nations,
mostly in Latin America.

Hundreds have followed his lead by getting "666"
tattoos. The number 666 is often associated with the Anti-Christ or the devil.

In a tidy shop in an upscale, Guatemala City neighborhood, 18-year-old
Andrea Recinos hunched over as a tattoo artist carved "666" across
her back, decorating the number with angel wings.

"I wanted to show my love to the apostle," she
said, referring to Miranda. "I wanted to show the whole world that I am an
anti-Christ."

Other followers get "SSS" tattoos, referring to
Miranda's motto of "Salvo, siempre salvo," or "Saved, always
saved." He believes sinning is impossible because Christ died for the sins
of mankind.

Cestero said some of the sect's members donate 50% to 80%
of their earnings to Growing in Grace, often in gratitude of the church's
message that nothing is sinful.

"When someone is thankful, they show it by giving a
gift, and the people are thankful for the liberty given to them," he said.

In view of all of the  information listed, to some this is a personal matter taken to heart and to those who feel as tho it is please feel free to speak out. 

Where is Miranda leading his follower’s ? Is he
another Jim Jones? Speak out for the lives of many.