Phony Prophets

Matthew 7:15-20 “15 Constantly be on your guard against phony prophets. They come disguised as lambs, appearing to be genuine, but on the inside they are like wild, ravenous wolves! 16 You can spot them by their actions, for the fruits of their character will be obvious. You won’t find sweet grapes hanging on a thorn bush, and you’ll never pick good fruit from a tumbleweed. So if the tree is good, it will produce good fruit; but if the tree is bad, it will bear only rotten fruit and it deserves to be cut down and burned. 20 Look at the obvious fruit of their lives and ministries, and then you’ll know whether they are true or false.”

How are phony false prophets discerned?
‭‭verse 16 states that you can spot them by their actions. “You won’t find find sweet grapes hanging on a thorn bush.”

Thorn bush and weed in the Bible can be represented with worries and concerns of the world rather than the fruit of the spirit. Such false prophets draws people or a ministry using fear, emotions, and hysteria to trap people. As ravenous wolves, they seek, and there are an abundant types of these people, a people who are living defeated, destitute, unable to overcome, and desperate people who want the world to end so their miserable lives can end and they can hurry up and go to heaven rather than doing the Will of God.

“You’ll never pick good fruit from a tumbleweed.” What is a tumbleweed? They are dried up round dead branches rolling across country highways. They are false prophets whose lives are dried out, broke, family messed up, own lives messed up, never have overcome anything, and self appointed looking for miserable people to say “God saith!”

How can a messed up life help another messed up life? How can a homeless person help another homeless person get back on their feet? By the way, many self proclaimed prophets are homeless and jobless.

I ask my church, if you can really hear God, then why is your life so messed up? That is the million dollar question for these self proclaimed “prophets.”

They are not experiencing blessings but curses. That is the fruit you need to discern. Are they blessed bearing fruit of the Spirit or cursed and bearing fruit of bad things?

God's ways are higher

Mark 7:33-34 tpt So Jesus led him away from the crowd to a private spot. Then he stuck his fingers into the man’s ears and placed some of his saliva on the man’s tongue. Then he gazed into heaven, sighed deeply, and spoke to the man’s ears and tongue, “Ethpathakh,” which is Aramaic for “Open up, now!”

Many Christians expect to be healed like Naaman who wanted to be dipped in the rivers of the upper class rather than the common river. But in order to be healed, Naaman has to go dip himself in the Jordan river which was where many commoners used. In fact, he may have looked foolish to himself as he dipped himself seven times as he was high class ranking officer.

In order for the deaf/mute person to be healed, he had to have an open heart and mind desperate enough to allow Jesus to do what appeared to be strange. Jesus stuck his fingers in the man’s ears and put his salvia on his tongue.

Both Naaman and the deaf/mute man had to put down their pride and try something different. It was a test of obedience. Our obedience no matter how strange or ridiculous it may appear may lead us to the healing and deliverance.

When God says His ways and thoughts are higher, you must expect Him to come in a direction you are not looking and watch for God to do things you are not expecting. Your own thinking of how HE should come and do are your own thinking within your own boxes. Unless you can come out of your boxes, you may miss Him when HE is near.

Pastor Steve

God is a consuming Fire

Isaiah 6:2 EXB "Heavenly creatures of fire [L Seraphim; C the word means “burning ones” and points to purity, power, or judgment] ·stood above [or attended] him [Rev. 4:6–9]. Each creature had six wings: It used two wings to cover its face [C as a shield from God’s awesome glory] , two wings to cover its ·feet [or body; C indicating humility; “feet” can be a euphemism for genitals] , and two wings for flying."

We have heard that a Seraphim is an angel. But to expand on this definition a seraphim means “burning ones” and points to purity, power, or judgment.

God is a consuming Fire. On Mount Sinai, HE spoke in the midst of Fire. Elijah said let the real God answer with Fire.

First be passionate

“If you want to test my teachings and discover where I received them, first be passionate to do God’s will, and then you will be able to discern if my teachings are from the heart of God or from my own opinions.”
‭‭John‬ ‭7:17‬ ‭TPT‬‬

Even today and through the generations, many cannot discern the move of God as they themselves are lethargic to doing His Will. Until you come to full surrender, your own fear, self center motive/heart, goals, and ideas/opinions will prevent you from seeing the truth.

What is full surrender? Can you uproot and relocate? Can you give up your jobs/business? Can you move away from your families? Do you have to wait until your children graduate from college before taking a risk with God? Do you have to wait until you retire before you fully commit to God? Are you not able to take any risk with God? Are you afraid of what people may say if you seek God outside the box? Can you start something with God with little or no money? As the Bible says, when HE returns, will HE find faith?