Bible League: Living His Word Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world.— 1 John 4:1 ESV Every Christian is a prophet, just like every Christian is a priest and a king. But there are also Christians who have the special gift of prophecy and who are specifically called to exercise it on a regular basis. Ordained ministers and evangelists are examples of such men. Although there are prophets in the church, not every prophet is a true prophet. Our verse for today tells us that there are many false prophets. What is a false prophet? A false prophet is one who falsely claims to receive special revelations from the Lord, or who claims to receive special revelations from a source other than the Lord. Although they may be capable of performing great signs and wonders (see Matthew 24:24), their inspiration and power comes from Satan rather than the Holy Spirit. Instead of leading people into the truth, they lead them into the lies of Satan. Hence, you can't simply believe whatever a person who claims to be a prophet tells you. You can't naively accept someone as a prophet simply because he or she claims to be a prophet. Jesus Himself said we should "Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves" (Matthew 7:15). His point is that false prophets may come in the name of the Lord, may look good on the surface, but in actuality are tools of Satan trying to use the church for selfish and nefarious purposes. That's why we must, as our verse for today tells us, test the spirits to see whether they are from God. How do we test the spirits? Here are some ways: First of all, a prophet must come in the name of the Lord and not some other name. Second, a prophecy must be in harmony with the Bible. Third, a prophecy that denies Jesus is Lord is a false prophecy (See 1 John 4:2-3). Fourth, a prophet that says "I am the Christ" (Matthew 24:5), or that says "Look, here is the Christ" (Matthew 24:23), is a false prophet. Fifth, if a prophecy predicts the future, it must come to pass (Deuteronomy 18:22). Finally, false prophets can be recognized by their fruit. False prophets bear bad fruit (Matthew 7:16-20). Beware, then, the false prophets. Make sure the leaders you are listening to come from God. Bible in a Year Old Testament ReadingPsalm 82, 83, 84 Psalm 82 -- God presides in the great assembly. He judges among the gods. NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB Psalm 83 -- God, don't keep silent. Don't keep silent, and don't be still, God. NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB Psalm 84 -- How lovely are your dwellings, O Lord Almighty! NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB New Testament Reading Romans 8:19-39 Romans 8 -- No Condemnation for those in Christ Jesus; We Are More than Conquerors NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB Reading Plan Courtesy of Christian Classics Etherial Library. Tyndale Life Application Daily Devotion “For God is Spirit, so those who worship him must worship in spirit and in truth.”Insight “God is Spirit” means he is not a physical being limited to one place. He is present everywhere and he can be worshiped anywhere, at any time. It is not where we worship that counts, but how we worship. Challenge Is your worship genuine and true? Do you have the Holy Spirit's help? How does the Holy Spirit help us worship? The Holy Spirit prays for us, teaches us the words of Christ, and tells us we are loved. Morning and Evening by Spurgeon Isaiah 59:5 They weave the spider's web.See the spider's web, and behold in it a most suggestive picture of the hypocrite's religion. It is meant to catch his prey: the spider fattens himself on flies, and the Pharisee has his reward. Foolish persons are easily entrapped by the loud professions of pretenders, and even the more judicious cannot always escape. Philip baptized Simon Magus, whose guileful declaration of faith was so soon exploded by the stern rebuke of Peter. Custom, reputation, praise, advancement, and other flies, are the small game which hypocrites take in their nets. A spider's web is a marvel of skill: look at it and admire the cunning hunter's wiles. Is not a deceiver's religion equally wonderful? How does he make so barefaced a lie appear to be a truth? How can he make his tinsel answer so well the purpose of gold? A spider's web comes all from the creature's own bowels. The bee gathers her wax from flowers, the spider sucks no flowers, and yet she spins out her material to any length. Even so hypocrites find their trust and hope within themselves; their anchor was forged on their own anvil, and their cable twisted by their own hands. They lay their own foundation, and hew out the pillars of their own house, disdaining to be debtors to the sovereign grace of God. But a spider's web is very frail. It is curiously wrought, but not enduringly manufactured. It is no match for the servant's broom, or the traveller's staff. The hypocrite needs no battery of Armstrongs to blow his hope to pieces, a mere puff of wind will do it. Hypocritical cobwebs will soon come down when the besom of destruction begins its purifying work. Which reminds us of one more thought, viz., that such cobwebs are not to be endured in the Lord's house: he will see to it that they and those who spin them shall be destroyed forever. O my soul, be thou resting on something better than a spider's web. Be the Lord Jesus thine eternal hiding-place. Daily Light on the Daily Path Proverbs 4:18 But the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn, That shines brighter and brighter until the full day.Philippians 3:12 Not that I have already obtained it or have already become perfect, but I press on so that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus. Hosea 6:3 "So let us know, let us press on to know the LORD. His going forth is as certain as the dawn; And He will come to us like the rain, Like the spring rain watering the earth." Matthew 13:43 "Then THE RIGHTEOUS WILL SHINE FORTH AS THE SUN in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear. 2 Corinthians 3:18 But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit. 1 Corinthians 13:10,12 but when the perfect comes, the partial will be done away. • For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face; now I know in part, but then I will know fully just as I also have been fully known. 1 John 3:2,3 Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we will be. We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is. • And everyone who has this hope fixed on Him purifies himself, just as He is pure. New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. For Permission to Quote Information visit http://www.lockman.org. |
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