False Prophets versus Messengers of the Lord
Many people will not believe in God, no matter what you say or do, simply because belief is not in them. The Lord has the ability to speak with each one He created simply because He made us and gave us the abilities we have. The ability to reach us has never been at issue for God. At issue for us could be our inability to rightly hear Him to the degree that we might convince others it was Him who spoke with us. The question here is regarding those who claim to be messengers of the Lord. And Yes! That would include me. Please judge me by the fruit I bring to you.
There is so much confusion within the body of believers that it can be overwhelming for someone sitting on the outside who wants to give God a try. If the Lord sent you such a messenger, what did they reveal to you? Was it something that benefits them or you? Was it something for increasing the kingdom of God or their ventures? If it is for increasing God’s kingdom, they were merely a vessel God uses to achieve His stated purposes. God uses all sorts of means of increasing His kingdom, including people, places, and things. He can even use some of those charlatans to achieve some of His stated purposes.
There are so many false prophets that are out to benefit themselves, using you as a mark to achieve their stated goals. They could want your money or just your support in following them. So many feel-good churches are popping up, growing in large numbers because people are attracted to things that feel good. Many times their agenda is not based upon God’s truth, just stuff that makes you feel good inside. It is the same thing some of the most potent illegal drugs do. They give you a temporary high, but your life did not really change for the better. The fact is, you woke up a little bit poorer.
How does one separate the wheat from the chaff? For those of you who are not familiar with farming terms. The grains of wheat grow on a stalk, and the chaff grows around the grain. When you harvest the crop, you separate the wheat, the grain, from what is holding it. The chaff is useless, but the grain is precious. This means to separate what is worthless from what is priceless.
False teachers give you a bunch of worthless stuff, just like the temporary high you would get from using drugs. Rather than just wrecking your physical body, they also damage your eternal soul. Don’t worry, what they do to the least of God’s people they do unto Him and will have an eternal price to pay.
There appears to be a popular trend that works for the megachurches that smaller churches are attempting to mimic because they want to be popular as well and fit into what people like. When you are merely trying to get people to like you and feel good, is that what God wants? He wants to save you from fleshly feelings and bring you into the light of truth.
When you are stuck in feeling good as your reference point, you would probably ignore the truth even if it smacked you dead in the face. The truth of God is centered around the Word of God. If someone is bringing you the Word of God as the primary dish on the menu, then it is usually made from truth. If they are just telling you things that make you feel good inside the flesh, I would question them.
If it appears I am judging others, I beg to differ. I am stating what the bible tells us to do. Jesus told us to watch out for false prophets. He said you will know them by their fruit. Just as an apple tree produces apples, a fig tree produces figs, and a lemon tree produces lemons, if the fruit coming out of these people is not from the word of God, I would question them. That presupposes that you are familiar with the Word of God in the first place because if you are not, then they can sell you a whole bunch of lies and you wouldn’t even know the difference. That is why we are encouraged to study the Word to show yourself approved.
It’s not a matter of how many people attend your worship services or about feeling good while you are there. It’s about having the Word of God convict your heart and compel you to live a more righteous life rather than just feeling good. God wants to save you from your sinful ways and cut you away from those who are pulling you into unrighteous ways. If what those false prophets are telling you does not convict your heart to become a better person and to live a more righteous life, then you might be in the wrong place.
Are your clergymen encouraging you to be transformed into the likeness of God’s Son; to repent from their sinful ways; and to allow the Holy Spirit to remake you into a new creature, one who walks with the Lord and listens to His guidance? Do they encourage you to repent, turn away from sinful things, and turn towards God, seeking His forgiveness for your past sins? God hates sin. If you are walking willingly into sinful things, you are not on God’s side.
Feeling good is the last item on the menu for the Lord. He would rather you feel convicted to change your sinful ways. He would rather you be willing to go through the refining fires of transformation, which is not usually a good feeling to the corrupted soul because it requires a change of heart and mind.
If you are in the clergy, are you the sort of Shepherd that is willing to say the things the Lord commands even if it is unpopular among the sinners? Are you willing to address the tough social subjects that God commands? They hated Jesus for doing just that, but God knew it because His Son had to die for the cause. He was crucified. They hated Him before they even knew you existed.
Lest you think more highly of me than my self-righteous report, I am a dirty rotten sinner myself. God’s Word is the only thing that keeps me from burning in eternal hell through the end of time. I am not of pure heart. My heart and mind have been corrupted by sin. I seek the Lord’s forgiveness daily. I pray continually, knowing God will forgive me when I come humbly to His throne seeking His forgiveness. For some reason, the Lord has given me a voice to speak. I need to use that voice to tell His truth at all costs. You might not like me. Most of you don’t even know me. If what I say has a ring of truth in it, then go to a source that is not of man but of God. Call upon the name that God recommends to His people if you want to reach Him.
“Therefore God exalted Him to the highest place and gave Him the Name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” Philippians 2: 9-11. New International Version (NIV)
Yes, I too have used the statement referencing that the Lord gave me a message to pass along, but I have already told you that I am a sinner saved only by the transforming power of the Holy Spirit, who is my confidant. Don’t believe me. Believe in God’s own word and turn directly to Him so He will be the one to tell you all these unsearchable things you do not know. I am only the mouthpiece, not even the horn.
To almighty God be the glory… Selah!