Date: 03-16-2021

Title: False Prophets

(S) cripture:
    Deuteronomy 13:1-5 (NLT2) “Suppose there are prophets among you or those who dream dreams about the future, and they promise you signs or miracles, 2 and the predicted signs or miracles occur. If they then say, ‘Come, let us worship other gods’—gods you have not known before— 3 do not listen to them. The LORD your God is testing you to see if you truly love him with all your heart and soul. 4 Serve only the LORD your God and fear him alone. Obey his commands, listen to his voice, and cling to him. 5 The false prophets or visionaries who try to lead you astray must be put to death, for they encourage rebellion against the LORD your God, who redeemed you from slavery and brought you out of the land of Egypt. Since they try to lead you astray from the way the LORD your God commanded you to live, you must put them to death. In this way you will purge the evil from among you.

(O) bservation:
    Not every prophet is from the Lord. The test is not just whether what they say comes about but also the god they worship. If a prophet encourages you to worship a god other than Jehovah, then that prophet is a false prophet. That prophet must be removed immediately.

(A) pplication:
    It seems to me that we have a cavalier attitude toward false prophets today. In the name of tolerance, we allow them to influence the church. Often, we see these false prophets promoting their own selfish gain and fame. My desire is to be true to the Word that God has given and to continually point people to Jesus. I also want to help protect the people I serve from being taken in by the false prophets around us.

(P) rayer:
    Lord give me discernment to correctly identify and challenge the false prophets around me. My desire is to be true to You and Your Word when I preach and teach. Let me continually point people to Jesus. Amen