FALSE PROPHETS

 

FALSE PROPHETS

I John 4:1 Dear friends, do not believe everyone who claims to speak by the Spirit. You must test them to see if the spirit they have comes from God. For there are many false prophets in the world. NLT

I don't know if I have ever heard anyone preach about God who did not claim to be a messenger of God. No matter what religion a person may adhere to, every speaker claims to understand God and speak for Him. We are plagued by a lot of voices in and outside the Church who would have us believe that they are led by God to speak. There is a great confusion amongst men as to who is telling the truth and who isn't. Some voices are obviously not of God. We can recognize them as false prophets because what they say is not in agreement with the Scriptures. But, what about those voices in the Church? Everyone who speaks in the Church about God can't be right. There are a lot of differences in what people are saying God says. Who are we to believe? How can we be sure that we are hearing the truth?

We must test the things we hear in light of the Scriptures. We have to examine what we hear for ourselves and think about what the Scriptures really say about the matter. It is so easy to abuse the Scriptures and make it say what it doesn't say. It is our responsibility to study it, meditate upon it, and pray over it before we embrace it. Our understanding of truth is not based on what church we grew up in or the faith of our parents. We have to think for ourselves and embrace truth based on the leading of the Spirit in us.

There are many false prophets (and spirits) in the world and in the church. They are exposed only as we examine them in light of the Word. We won't recognize them for who they are until we do. It is critical for the well-being of our souls that we do not let the false prophets lead us astray. If you suspect that you are surrounded by false prophets, do not stick around. Either get rid of the prophets or get out of the environment where they are at. Eternity is at stake.