Jesus said, Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. (Matthew 7: 15)
Two problem areas that can happen to us, as humans, include: (1) the power of assumption, and (2) the power of human emotion.
As such, it is our own assumptions as well as our emotions that can mislead us on the path that leads us to truth, and we, therefore, can be deceived by our own assumptions and emotions.
False prophets are masters of deception. They are highly capable to lead us to making decisions based on our own assumptions and our emotions. In fact, they play on our assumptions and emotions because their purpose is to deceive us from knowing truth. The truth is not in them, but because of their power to deceive us, they can have us eating out of their hands and believing exactly every word that proceeds out of their mouths.
The purpose of false prophets is not to tell us the truth, but to speak words that sound like truth.
Just because a person wears a nice suit with cuff links, or a black robe with a white collar, does not necessarily mean they are trustworthy. If we, however, believe they are truthful based on their apparel, then we can be deceived by our own eyes (sight), at which time we assume they are truthful without ever considering the possibility that he or she could be a false prophet.
Just because a person holds a doctorate from a theological seminary, Bible college, or any institute of higher learning, this does not automatically mean that he or she is trustworthy.
Just as there are false prophet teachers and preachers, there are also false prophet musicians and singers in the arena of Christian music. By their power to deceive, they can write music and songs that sound like songs and music that should be in churches; and by their power to persuade, people can be deceived by sights and sounds: and then, by the deception of our own assumptions, we can believe that their songs and music are from the Lord. They also have the power to play on our emotions: getting us "stirred" or "pumped up" and we get thrilled by their performances because they become entertainers.
Remember, too: if God's messengers must change their appearance by changing their garments in order to appease or to relate with certain groups of people, why must they do that? To show that they are as cool as their audience? For it is our relationship with Christ that matters most and not our relationship with the messengers we watch on pulpits.
False prophets, however, turn pulpits to platforms and stages for their performances and they become the stars of the show---and not Christ! And then we flock to buy their CDs and DVDs instead of going home to read our Bibles.
For if we look to people to thrill us, instead of Christ to feed us, then our faith is misplaced: as we are deceived by not only sights and sounds, but also by our own emotions. After which, when trials and testings come, we fall by the wayside because our faith was build on shifting sand instead of on the fundamentals of God's Word.
Know, too, that not every person we meet is a false prophet just because this blog today is about false prophets; for there are many, many people who are trustworthy, and they are teaching and preaching Christ as honestly as they know how to teach and preach. Likewise, neither is every church a false prophet church, and neither are all Christian singers and musicians false prophets of music and songs.
To know the difference, however, becomes our responsibility if we will seek God's truth from the pages of God's Word, the Holy Bible, which will help us to remove the stumbling blocks of our decisions based on sights and sounds as well as assumptions and emotions.
It is written, Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. (II Timothy 2: 15)
Amen.
Two problem areas that can happen to us, as humans, include: (1) the power of assumption, and (2) the power of human emotion.
As such, it is our own assumptions as well as our emotions that can mislead us on the path that leads us to truth, and we, therefore, can be deceived by our own assumptions and emotions.
False prophets are masters of deception. They are highly capable to lead us to making decisions based on our own assumptions and our emotions. In fact, they play on our assumptions and emotions because their purpose is to deceive us from knowing truth. The truth is not in them, but because of their power to deceive us, they can have us eating out of their hands and believing exactly every word that proceeds out of their mouths.
The purpose of false prophets is not to tell us the truth, but to speak words that sound like truth.
Just because a person wears a nice suit with cuff links, or a black robe with a white collar, does not necessarily mean they are trustworthy. If we, however, believe they are truthful based on their apparel, then we can be deceived by our own eyes (sight), at which time we assume they are truthful without ever considering the possibility that he or she could be a false prophet.
Just because a person holds a doctorate from a theological seminary, Bible college, or any institute of higher learning, this does not automatically mean that he or she is trustworthy.
Just as there are false prophet teachers and preachers, there are also false prophet musicians and singers in the arena of Christian music. By their power to deceive, they can write music and songs that sound like songs and music that should be in churches; and by their power to persuade, people can be deceived by sights and sounds: and then, by the deception of our own assumptions, we can believe that their songs and music are from the Lord. They also have the power to play on our emotions: getting us "stirred" or "pumped up" and we get thrilled by their performances because they become entertainers.
Remember, too: if God's messengers must change their appearance by changing their garments in order to appease or to relate with certain groups of people, why must they do that? To show that they are as cool as their audience? For it is our relationship with Christ that matters most and not our relationship with the messengers we watch on pulpits.
False prophets, however, turn pulpits to platforms and stages for their performances and they become the stars of the show---and not Christ! And then we flock to buy their CDs and DVDs instead of going home to read our Bibles.
For if we look to people to thrill us, instead of Christ to feed us, then our faith is misplaced: as we are deceived by not only sights and sounds, but also by our own emotions. After which, when trials and testings come, we fall by the wayside because our faith was build on shifting sand instead of on the fundamentals of God's Word.
Know, too, that not every person we meet is a false prophet just because this blog today is about false prophets; for there are many, many people who are trustworthy, and they are teaching and preaching Christ as honestly as they know how to teach and preach. Likewise, neither is every church a false prophet church, and neither are all Christian singers and musicians false prophets of music and songs.
To know the difference, however, becomes our responsibility if we will seek God's truth from the pages of God's Word, the Holy Bible, which will help us to remove the stumbling blocks of our decisions based on sights and sounds as well as assumptions and emotions.
It is written, Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. (II Timothy 2: 15)
Amen.
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