BEWARE OF FALSE PROPHETS

 ANCHOR OF LIFE DAILY DEVOTIONAL GUIDE For FRIDAY, 24th FEBRUARY, 2023.

Author: PASTOR DR. SAMUEL AYORINDE – General Overseer

Anchor of Life & Redemption Ministry Int’l

Topic: BEWARE OF FALSE PROPHETS 

MEMORIZE: “And Jesus answered and said to them: "Take heed that no one deceives you. "For many will come in My name, saying, 'I am the Christ,' and will deceive many.” Matthew 24:4-5.

SCRIPTURE READING: Matt. 7:15-20.

"Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. 16 "You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles? 17 "Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 "A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. 19 "Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 "Therefore by their fruits you will know them.”

EXPOSITION:

Our Lord Jesus warned us to beware of false prophets, not to be deceived and imposed upon by them. Prophets are properly such as foretell things to come; there are some mentioned in the Old Testament, who pretended to that without warrant, and the event disproved their pretensions, as Zedekiah, 1Ki 22:11, and another Zedekiah, Jer 29:21. But prophets did also teach the people their duty, so that false prophets here are false teachers.  Christ being a Prophet and a Teacher come from God, and designing to send abroad teachers under him, gives warning to all to take heed of counterfeits, who, instead of healing souls with wholesome doctrine, as they pretend, would poison them. 

They produce false commissions, and pretend to have immediate warrant and direction from God to set up for prophets, and to be divinely inspired, when they are not so. Though their doctrine may be true, we are to beware of them as false prophets. False apostles are those who say they are apostles, and are not (Re 2:2); such are false prophets. "Take heed of those who pretend to revelation, and admit them not without sufficient proof, lest that one absurdity being admitted, a thousand follow." 

They preach false doctrine in those things that are essential to religion; and teach that which is contrary to the truth as it is in Jesus, to the truth which is accordingly to godliness. 

REASONS FOR THIS CAUTION TO BEWARE OF THEM

1. They are wolves in sheep's clothing, Mt 7:15. Because their pretences are very fair and plausible, and such as will deceive us, if we be not upon our guard. They come in sheep's clothing, in the habit of prophets, which was plain and coarse, and unwrought; they wear a rough garment to deceive, Zechariah  13:4.

2. Under these pretensions their designs are very malicious and mischievous; inwardly they are ravening wolves.  Every hypocrite is a goat in sheep's clothing; but a false prophet is a wolf in sheep's clothing; not only not a sheep, but the worst enemy the sheep* has, that comes not but to tear and devour, to scatter the sheep (Joh 10:12), to drive them from God, and from one another, into crooked paths.

THE RULE TO GO BY IN THIS CAUTION

1. We must prove all things. 1 Thessalonians 5:21 – “Test all things; hold fast what is good.”, 

2. Try the spirits. 1 John 4:1 “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world.”, 

3. You shall know them by their fruits, Mt 7:16-20 “"Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. 16 "You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles? 17 "Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 "A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. 19 "Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 "Therefore by their fruits you will know them.”

Well, beware of them, suspect them, try them, and when you have discovered their falsehood, avoid them, have nothing to do with them. Stand upon your guard against this temptation, which commonly attends the days of reformation, and the breakings out of divine light in more than ordinary strength and splendour." When God's work is revived, Satan and his agents are most busy.

PRAYER POINT: Lord, expose and disgrace every false prophet and defend your name in Jesus name.

DAILY BIBLE READING IN A YEAR –  Deuteronomy 22-24.

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ANCHOR OF LIFE is the daily devotional guide of ANCHOR OF LIFE & REDEMPTION MINISTRY (ALRM), written by PASTOR DR. SAMUEL AYORINDE. It is an extraction of God’s word designed to draw the sincere seekers closer to God on a daily basis through an insightful exposition and analysis of God’s Word.

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