Beware of False Prophets!

Devotional for Friday ~ 5-6 January 2018 / 19-20 Tevet 5778

1 Timothy 4:1 "Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;"

Matthew 24:24 "For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect."

I don’t think there is any doubt among those who are watching that we are living in the “latter times.” Jesus even warned His disciples in His day, "Take heed that no man deceive you. For many shall come in My name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many." Matthew 24:4b-5

I used to believe, in my youthful ignorance, that if someone claimed to be a Christian, I would not even question their profession, but according to God’s word, as Real Christians, we must test all things by the word of God, as we are led by the Spirit of God.

1 John 4:1 "Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world."

I was once deceived in a major way many years ago, and the only reason why I am still standing is because I truly loved God back then, and I still do today! I know that I am not beyond being deceived should I allow the sin of pride and self-righteousness to creep back into my life, and I earnestly pray that I won’t ever allow that to happen again!

1 Corinthians 10:12 "Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall."

The Scriptures reveal that the "final days" will be marked by great deception, even among the "elect" or chosen of God. This is why we, as Christians, must remain vigilant and keep a check on our hearts and our true intentions. And realize that only the incorruptible Word of God can expose "the thoughts and intents of the heart."

Hebrews 4:12 “For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.”

Sadly, there are those who hate God, and love their sin and unrighteousness; and for those who have totally rejected God and His truth, He will allow them to believe the lies and live out their wickedness unto their own damnation.

2 Thessalonians 2:10 “And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.

And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.”

For those who truly love God, and desire to walk in His truth, God will do whatever it takes to get through to us if we are innocently believing the lies and deceptions of the Devil. I am just so thankful for God’s grace, mercy, forgiveness, and long-suffering until we get there!

Soon before Jesus was crucified, Peter begged Him not to go to Jerusalem because he knew it would be the death of Him. But had Peter known, and understood the TRUTH, that he was actually listening to the Devil at that moment, he would not have tried to stop Jesus from fulfilling prophecy.

Mark 8:31-33 “And He [Jesus] began to teach them, that the Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders, and of the chief priests, and scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again. And He spake that saying openly.

And Peter took Him, and began to rebuke Him. But when He had turned about and looked on His disciples, He rebuked Peter, saying, Get thee behind Me, Satan: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but the things that be of men.”

Peter was no match against the Devil, and neither are we! But Peter was still trusting in himself, rather than fully trusting His Saviour, and because Peter did not understand how weak he was without Christ, he was able to deny the LORD, just like Jesus said he would. Undoubtedly, Peter was very deceived in his thinking, but there is no denying his great love for Jesus!

If you are of the opinion that a person can't be deceived unless they want to be, as some people claim, then I say YOU are deceived. But I won’t say your love for God is not true, as a man once said to me. To be deceived is not the sin, but it is if you hold onto the lie after you know the truth in your heart.

For those of us who truly love God, and His Truth, God WILL expose the lies and deceptions that Satan and his evil workers try to lead God’s people into believing. And for those who are in Satan's web of deception, please realize that only the truth of God's Word, not men's opinions, will set them free!

Only those men and women who have God’s Holy Spirit residing within them will know God’s wisdom, and have accurate judgement. And true faith in Jesus Christ is vital in order to be able to “discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him that serveth God and him that serveth Him not.”

Christians can be susceptible to an evil influence, if they have a divided heart, or if they value the words of men over the word of God. And what is even worse is if a Christian falls under the evil influence of those who serve the Devil, but claim to be of God. That is a very dangerous place indeed, but I see that many well meaning Christians are in the very place that I used to be!

2 Corinthians 11:13-15 "For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.

Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works."

I was a target of the Devil, mainly because of my genuine love for the LORD, and my desire to worship God in Spirit and in Truth. And because I fully trusted those who falsely claimed to be "Christians," I was adversely affected and greatly misled by their false teachings. That is, until God rescued me!

Even when I was walking with the Enemy, my love for God was growing stronger every day because my love for Him was true from the very beginning. And when I look back on that time, and see what God did for me, in spite of what the Devil intended, I have such an overwhelming love and gratitude in my heart for God. And I believe I always will!

The more I know God through His word, by prayer, and by His Spirit, the more I love Him. The more I love God, the more I want to please Him. And as I continue to experience God's love and grace in my life, my love for God, His dear Son, and His people grows stronger. I pray that is your testimony too!

1 John 4:19 "We love Him, because He first loved us."

One last passage that I hope you will ponder:

1 Peter 1:17-25 "And if ye call on the Father, who without respect of persons judgeth according to every man's work, pass the time of your sojourning here in fear:

Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers;

But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:

Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you,

Who by Him do believe in God, that raised Him up from the dead, and gave Him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God.

Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently:

Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.

For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away:

But the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you."

I pray that you will earnestly seek God and ask Him to show you any area in your life that is contrary to God's word and is not pleasing to Him. And may you be willing to repent of any sin that He brings to your attention, and forsake anything that is not of Him! God bless and keep you and your loved ones as you walk with the LORD God in the True Light of His word!

With the love of Christ,
C. Read

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