False Prophets & Prophecies In Your Midst (Part 1) - Beware!
Dear Saints,
A prophet speaks from God. If you speak and it's not from God and claims it's from God, and what you said did not come to pass, then you are a false prophet.
As we continue our study of 2 Peter, apostle Peter warns his audience about false prophets/prophecies already in their midst and more coming. In the previous chapter, he said a true prophet speaks from God. Listen to Peter:
"But there were also false prophets in Israel, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will cleverly teach destructive heresies and even deny the Master [Lord Jesus] who bought them. In this way, they will bring sudden destruction on themselves.
2 Many will follow their evil teaching and shameful immorality. And because of these teachers, the way of truth will be slandered. 3 In their greed they will make up clever lies to get hold of your money. But God condemned them long ago, and their destruction will not be delayed." 2 Peter 2:1-3
You never can tell the counterfeit if you have never seen a legitimate dollar bill.
We have come to know fake news in our culture. Politicians and social media have perfected it. Now artificial intelligence (AI) has taken it a step further. Well, nothing is new. There is also fake news in the church and all other religions claiming to know and speak for God.
BE WARNED: Jesus himself warned us:
"Beware of false prophets who come disguised as harmless sheep but are really vicious wolves. 16 You can identify them by their fruit, that is, by the way they act. Can you pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles?" Matthew 7:15-16.
What are we to do about false prophets and prophecies?
1. Know the Truth in the person of Jesus Christ. Let Jesus be your Lord and Savior by confessing your sin, repenting, and asking for forgiveness. Jesus will baptize you and fill you with His Spirit. "When He, the Spirit of Truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come." John 16:13. Woo! Did you hear that? We have the Holy Spirit living in us already. Let us listen to Him.
2. TEST. "Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world. 2 By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, 3 and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world." 1 John 4:1-3.
3. WATCH. "Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons, 2 speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron, 3 forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from foods which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth." 1Timothy 4:1-3.
4. STOP listening to known false prophets and channels. Many would be stoned on the pulpit if the Old Testament standards were applied today (Check out Deuteronomy 18:20). By now, every prosperity teacher would be dead because you did not receive the double return promised on giving your hard-earned money to a thief/seducer in the pulpit/TV/radio/online. Run from that church, preacher or channel.
5. False prophets/prophecies will send themselves and people to hell. Very serious. We are warned, and we must warn others. We must tell people the Truth – Jesus Christ, Him crucified—the Gospel. What will you do differently going forward?
Lord, thank you for warning us with your truth; please deliver us from the evil one and his lies through people. Amen.
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