Look Out for False Teachings

Today we’re taking note of Bible verses that warn us of false prophets. False prophets are judged by their words, and the accuracy of those words.

Their words must always be measured against and compared to the teachings of Jesus Christ as shown in the Bible, and to the teachings of true disciples of Jesus Christ.

Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. ¹⁶You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thorn bushes or figs from thistles? ¹⁷Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. (Mt 7:15-17) This passage from Scripture reminds us to be cautious with those who claim to be prophets, and reminds us to judge them by their words and the fruit of their words. Every good tree–the ones that are connected to the true Savior, Jesus Christ—produces GOOD fruit fit for the kingdom of God. Observe the fruit and works of those who desire to teach you “new” things. If they are not operating in the fruit of the Spirit and the gifts of the Spirit, then it’s best to avoid them.

For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. (Mt 24:24) The goal of the false prophet, in spite of performing apparent miracles, is to deceive God’s chosen ones. Deception is a work of the devil.

The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, ¹⁰and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. (2 Thess 2:9-10) False prophets may receive power and ability to perform lying wonders from satan, so these things cannot be the determining factor in our judgment of a prophet. We must compare their words and their teachings, to the clear teachings of Jesus Christ, our Savior. If the so-called prophet’s teachings do not agree with and line up with those of Jesus (shown in the Bible), then we must not follow their words or their teachings.

Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless as doves. (Mt 10:16)

If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. (Jam 1:5)

Let us endeavor to have the wisdom that is spoken of in the Bible, and which is given to everyone who asks the Lord for it. Ask the Lord for wisdom, and He will surely give it to you. God bless you.

Sheep without a Shepherd

Sheep who have no shepherd will die. The shepherd protects his sheep, keeps his flock intact and leads them to still waters and grassy fields where they can feed. He keeps watch over them and guards them from predators and thieves.

But the multitudes saw them departing, and many knew Him and ran there on foot from all the cities. They arrived before them and came together to Him. ³⁴And Jesus, when He came out, saw a great multitude and was moved with compassion for them, because they were like sheep not having a shepherd. So He began to teach them many things. (Mk 6:33-34) The multitudes ran to Jesus, because they heard so much about Him and they wanted to hear what He had to say. Jesus responded to them with compassion, knowing that they needed a spiritual and moral shepherd.

But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd. (Mt 9:36) Jesus saw that the people were weary and that they were scattered in their beliefs and faith. He felt concern and yearned to show mercy toward them.

Oh, fear the Lord, you His saints! There is no want to those who fear Him. ¹⁰The young lions lack and suffer hunger; but those who seek the Lord shall not lack any good thing. (Ps 34:9-10) Those who seek the Lord do not lack ANY good thing! What a promise and what a blessing!

What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? (Rom 8:31) No one can successfully oppose the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords.

But when the multitudes knew it, they followed Him; and He received them and spoke to them about the kingdom of God, and healed those who had need of healing. (Lk 9:11) Jesus taught the multitudes about the kingdom of God and the love of the Father. He also healed all of those who needed any form of healing. Praise God!

We, as the sheep of His pasture (Ps 95:7; 100:3), have the blessings of God’s protection, provision, and leadership. Glory to God!

How Does God Oppose an Enemy?

Why would we want to know how God opposes an enemy? One reason is that God fights FOR us (Deu 3:22; 20:4) and our enemies become His enemies! So, it’s sometimes enlightening to notice how God deals with His enemies so that we can recognize when and how He fights against OUR enemies.

There is no one like the God of Jeshurun, Who rides the heavens to help you, and in His excellency on the clouds. ²⁷The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms; He will thrust out the enemy from before you, and will say, ‘Destroy!’ (Deu 33:26-27)

The Lord fights our enemies to help us; He is our refuge and support. God drives our enemies away from us and gives the command to destroy them. Wow!

In that day the Egyptians will become weaklings. They will shudder with fear at the uplifted hand that the Lord Almighty raises against them. (Isa 19:16 NIV)

The Lord causes His enemies to become weak with fear and trembling when they realize that He is their opposition.

For surely I will shake My hand against them, and they shall become spoil for their servants. Then you will know that the Lord of hosts has sent Me. (Zech 2:9)

When God shakes His fist against a nation or a tribe, they become as the spoils of war for their servants to plunder. It is wise to remain God’s friend.

For thus says the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel: “In returning and rest you shall be saved; in quietness and confidence shall be your strength.” But you would not, and you said, “No, for we will flee on horses”— therefore you shall flee! And, “We will ride on swift horses”— therefore those who pursue you shall be swift! One thousand shall flee at the threat of one, at the threat of five you shall flee, till you are left as a pole on top of a mountain and as a banner on a hill. (Isa 30:15-17)

In this passage, the Lord was trying to give His people wise advice to return to their faith in Him, but they wouldn’t obey. He was offering the tribe of Judah the promise of protection from Assyria. Instead, His people decided to run away, and the Lord removed His blessings and protection from them.

Based upon this study, we can understand why the Bible says:

It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. (Heb 10:31)

For our God is a consuming fire. (Heb 12:29)

We can rejoice that God fights for us, and gives us supernatural and miraculous abilities to defeat the enemy.

One man of you shall chase a thousand, for the Lord your God is He who fights for you, as He promised you. (Josh 23:10) Let us rejoice that our God and Savior fights for us every single day!

Ask, Seek, Knock

So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. (Lk 11:9)

This verse of the Bible tells us to ASK, SEEK, and KNOCK—with persistence. In the original language the implication is to ask and to keep on asking, to seek and to keep on seeking, and to knock and to keep on knocking! And when you ask, it will be given to you. When you seek, you’ll find. When you knock, it will be opened to you. This is not only a representation of the goodness and mercy of God, but also a model of persistence in faith as well as tenacity in believing that God is good and generous, and that He will answer prayers.

Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them. (Mk 11:24)

The message to us in this verse is that our faith in God and in the fact that He cannot lie gives us the spiritual, anointed obstinacy to patiently wait—in hope and constant expectation—that our prayers have already been answered.

If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. (Joh 15:7)

As we memorize the Word of God, honor it, and obey it lovingly and joyfully, the Lord tells us in this verse that we may ask for our hearts’ desires and they shall be done for us. What a blessing!

And whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do those things that are pleasing in His sight. (1 Joh 3:22)

This Scripture reminds us that as we please the Lord with our lives and actions by doing what is beautiful to Him, the Lord gives us whatever we ask from Him.

Here are a couple more faith-building verses from God’s Word upon which to meditate:

No good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly. (Ps 84:11b)

And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. (Joh 14:13)

When we read the Bible with a heart full of love and connection to God, the promises that He has given to us shine like the genuine treasures that they are! So, keep on asking, seeking and knocking, and our loving Father God will look upon our faith and trust in Him with favor. Have a blessed day.

Encourage & Build

Have you ever heard this saying? “Be somebody who makes everybody feel like a somebody.” Such a person is an ENCOURAGER!

Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing. (1 Thes 5:11 NIV)

There are at least thirteen passages in the New Testament alone about encouragement. Encouragement means inspiration, reassurance, and support. Encouragement is a combination of all three. It has great potential for fostering and advancing critical moments in a person’s, a church’s, and or a nation’s history.

But command Joshua, and encourage him and strengthen him; for he shall go over before this people, and he shall cause them to inherit the land which you will see. (Deu 3:28 NKJV) As this verse in the Bible demonstrates, encouragement is able to strengthen a person’s soul (mind, will, and emotions) and help them to push ahead to accomplish their goal. Thanks to encouragement and God’s grace, Joshua accomplished great things for God.

When he came and had seen the grace of God, he was glad, and encouraged them all that with purpose of heart they should continue with the Lord. (Acts 11:23) This is when Barnabas visited the church at Antioch: He supported them in their faith in God and emboldened them to continue in it.

Here is something interesting to know about Barnabas

“Barnabas” wasn’t his birth name (it was Joseph); Barnabas was his nickname meaning “Son of Encouragement” (Acts 4:36). This rather obscure Bible character was so encouraging that it became his name.” ~ Source: https://www.leadershipresources.org/who-is-barnabas-in-the-bible-10-things-to-know.

. . . that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, and attaining to all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the knowledge of the mystery of God, both of the Father and of Christ . . . (Col 2:2) These words of the Apostle Paul’s are inspiration to the church of his day—as well as to us. He is nurturing our unity, our faith in and understanding of the Gospel, and our perseverance in faith.

. . . and sent Timothy, our brother and minister of God, and our fellow laborer in the gospel of Christ, to establish you and encourage you concerning your faith . . . (1 Thes 3:2) The Apostle Paul is writing from Antioch about sending Timothy to confirm, reassure and to strengthen the faith of the Thessalonian church during persecution.

As these passages reveal to us, encouragement is powerful! It has the potential to build (develop, shape, and foster) a person’s faith in God as well as a confidence in their calling to such an extent that they are enabled to accomplish mighty deeds and to produce pivotal moments in history.

Boldly encourage someone that you care about today. Blessings upon you!

Yes & Amen

For all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us. (2 Cor 1:20)

This is a wonderful, blessed, and encouraging Bible verse. It means that every promise in the Bible is fulfilled through, and guaranteed by, Jesus’ life, death and resurrection.

But what does that mean, in everyday life, to a believer?

First, the key is to remember that all of God’s words are reliable. They are firm, constant, and steadfast. God cannot lie. (Num 23:19; 1 Sam 15:29; Heb 6:18; Tit 1:2)

These promises are fulfilled IN JESUS so it’s crucial to remember that Jesus never changes. (Heb 13:8) Neither will His promises nor His support of God’s Word ever change.

God is consistent and His love is consistent. That means that He, His love and His words NEVER FAIL.

But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation. (Ps 13:5)

For with God nothing will be impossible. (Lk 1:37)

He gives his king great victories; he shows unfailing love to his anointed, to David and to his descendants forever . . . (Ps 18:50)

And you know in all your hearts and in all your souls that not one thing has failed of all the good things which the Lord your God spoke concerning you. All have come to pass for you; not one word of them has failed. (Josh 23:14)

The Lord loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of his unfailing love. (Ps 33:5)

. . . so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it. (Isa 55:11 NIV)

So, our question from the top of the article is what does this mean for the believer. First, here are the definitions of the words: The word Yes means “certainly, absolutely, and positively.” The word Amen means “I agree” or “Yes, indeed.”

In everyday life, this means that you may choose a Bible verse or several that you would like to come to pass for you in your life. As you meditate upon the verse (or verses) and keep it in front of your eyes, know that through Jesus, the Lord has already answered: “certainly; I agree; absolutely; yes, indeed; and positively” to your need.

How glorious! We serve the God of the impossible!

The Way, the Truth & the Life

Why did Jesus connect Himself with these three words and how does it impact a life of faith?

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life.
No one comes to the Father except through Me. (Joh 14:6)

Jesus said this to His followers the night before He was crucified. He was preparing them for the challenging days that were ahead of them.

Jesus asserts that He is the Way which suggests that faith in Him is the open door to salvation and to eternal life. This is the truth that the Good News is based upon, and we need to share it with everyone. God has made the plan of salvation clear, and we have been given the honor of sharing His Gospel with everyone.

I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture. (Joh 10:9) This is the Lord saying that He is to Door to Salvation and Eternal Life. “Finding pasture” means that the Lord will supply all of our needs just as a shepherd cares for all of the needs of his sheep.

. . . that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. (Joh 3:15) Believing in Jesus Christ as our Savior is the only road to God.

Jesus says that He is the Life because He is also the author and source of all of life.

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. ²He was in the beginning with God. ³All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. ⁴In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. (Joh 1:1-4) Jesus is the Word made flesh and this verse is the foundation for that truth.

Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. ²⁶And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?” (Joh 11:25-26) Jesus makes His claim clearly here that He is the resurrection and the life.

For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. (Col 1:16) All forms of life were created by the Lord.

No one would care about or remember Jesus’ claim to be the Way and the Life if He was not also, in reality, the Truth of God. Jesus’ actions and entire life demonstrate the love, mercy, forgiveness, and miracle-working power of the Father God. It is no wonder then, that Jesus prays the following prayer:

I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one. ¹⁶They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. ¹⁷Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth. ¹⁸As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world. ¹⁹And for their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they also may be sanctified by the truth. (Joh 17:15-19, emphasis added)

Jesus prayed, “Your word is truth.” Jesus is known as the living Word of God. (John 1:1, 14)

He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. (Rev 19:13) This verse is referring to Jesus Christ and says that He is called The Word of God.

Jesus is the living Word of God and God’s Word is truth. Jesus was speaking the truth about Himself! Praise the Lord!

We Are Friends of God

We are friends of God. Does that blow your mind? This truth fills me with joy.

And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” And he was called the friend of God. (Jas 2:23)

Abraham’s faith in God qualified him to be called the friend of God. All who have accepted Jesus as their Lord and Savior are also friends of God, as the Scriptures teach us.

And I say to you, My friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. (Lk 12:14) Jesus warns us, His friends, to beware of those who can harm us spiritually rather than physically.

A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity. (Pro 17:17) Jesus is the Friend who loves each one of us at ALL times! And in adversity or trouble, He will fight for us.

Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends. (Joh 15:13) Our Friend, Jesus, has laid down His life for each and every one of us. Glory to God!

You are My friends if you do whatever I command you. (Joh 15:14) When we obey Jesus and His teachings, we may rest assured that we are indeed His friend.

No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you. (Joh 15:15) Jesus has taught us everything that He heard from His Father God; and in doing so, has made us His friends. Rejoice in the knowledge that each of us who have accepted Jesus as our Savior and Lord has become a friend of the Most High God–the Living God!

No Longer a Slave

A slave is a person who is held in a permanent position of servitude to another; a person who is the legal property of another and is forced to obey them. Imagine being the legal property of another human being? The idea brings up a tremendous sense of outrage in those of us who have been blessed to live in a nation renowned for freedom, as well as a sense of regret, shame and deep sorrow over our nation’s past history.

As followers of Jesus Christ, we have been set free from all types and forms of bondage or slavery. Hallelujah!

And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. (Joh 8:32) Jesus is the Truth who sets us free. Jesus tells us that He IS the Truth in John 14:6.

The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed . . . (Lk 4:18, emphasis added) Jesus read these words in the temple in Nazareth. In Luke 4:21, Jesus went on to say: And He began to say to them, “Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.” Jesus clearly states that HE is the fulfillment of this passage originally found in Isaiah 61. Jesus sets at liberty ALL who are oppressed.

Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed. (Joh 8:36) This Scripture could easily read: “Therefore SINCE the Son makes you free, you are free indeed.”

Think about this: Jesus has set us free from all bondage, both external and internal.
In Jesus we have been set free from:

Fear – Fear involves torment. The perfect love that Jesus bestows upon us casts out fear. (1 Joh 4:18) Our Savior and King does not use fear as a tool–ever.

For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.” (Rom 8:15) Please see also 2 Timothy 1:7.

Sin – We have been set free from sin. (Rom 6:18) We are not under the rule of law but we are under the rule of GRACE. (Rom 6:14) There is only one thing it is permissible for us to serve, and that is righteousness. “Sin is a power within that is trying to draw you away to worship idols, to compromise, to go and make yourself God rather than submitting to the living God.” ~ Andrew Wilson
Death – In Christ, we have received eternal LIFE. For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. (Joh 3:16)
In the way of righteousness is life, and in its pathway there is no death. (Pro 12:28)

Rejoice in and appreciate the liberty that our Savior has given to each of us.

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You are the Deciding Vote! In your life, you can make decisions that will help you and bless you.

Month: July 2020