And How Does A Sheep Go? “Ah-ooooooo!”?

Here’s a rule of thumb in deciding if someone is from God. If he howls at the moon he’s probably not a sheep. Good chance he’s a wolf.

Now most false prophets refuse to howl at the moon in our presence. As a matter of fact, I’m convinced that most false prophets have convinced themselves they are telling the truth.

I think lie-tellers usually end up believing what they say, especially if they repeat the lie often enough. And usually believing a lie oneself is incremental. You compromise the truth just a bit until you are used to that, then just a bit more and on and on.

So, how do I know if someone is a false prophet or teacher?

1.    Look closely. You’ll usually see the seam in his sheep costume. That’s the problem with television and big meetings. Most of us can’t get close.

2.    Listen to his voice. Wolves speak “sheep” with a wolf accent. Even that airhead Red Riding Hood heard something strange when the wolf spoke “grandma.”

3.    Does prophesying, doing miracles or casting out demons prove that a person is real and not false? These can all be excellent things but it’s not a proof. Even constantly evoking the name of the Lord offers no proof.

4.    Pay attention. Does the prophet or teacher live according to the Word of God? Does he teach God’s Word as it is or does he bend it to make himself look good or slip his hand into your pocket book? It’s not always easy to tell. 

We shouldn’t be people who constantly look for the smallest deviation from how we interpret the Bible, then trash that person on Internet. That’s dangerous to the “trash-er.” But, if practicing a teacher’s doctrine leads us away from the simplicity of the Gospel in Jesus, we jump away as if we touched a hot stove. Don’t be naïve or stupid. 

Don’t get led into something just because it feels good.

5.    Unfortunately, false teachers appeal to something false in us. If we let ourselves be duped, maybe it’s because our ears were itching to hear something like the person is saying.

Look at the fruit. Is this God fruit? Is Jesus honored or is a man or men honored? Does this cause us to serve and love others and preach the Gospel to the lost? Lots of good questions.

Don’t reject something just because we don’t understand it. Don’t gobble down everything you hear either, or you might find a hook in that worm.

Matt. 7: 18, NIV “A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.”

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Saying Dumb Stuff

“You can’t be safe and brave at the same time.”