False Prophets, Part I

When I was young I used to think of Matthew 24:12 as an observation from Jesus to his followers, not so much as a stern warning. I listen to Christian speakers on the radio and television as much as I possibly can. I also encourage the people I know to do the same. You would think it is more useful to support these programs compared to anything else the media has to offer.

Often times, however, I shudder when I hear certain interpretations of the scripture that do not agree with the Bible. These are the times I feel guilty for encouraging others to listen with their innocence to some of the speakers whose information is tragically misleading. Only knowledgeable Bible students can detect the counterfeit details. Years ago I had a retail business that handled a large sums of cash on a daily basis. One day my brother who was an executive at the bank came to visit, and I had him recount the cash for me. In the process he pulled out a twenty-dollar bill and informed me that it was counterfeit. In anger I protested and tried to challenge him, but he simply told me that he knew what to look for and that I did not know. He showed me that the simplest variation in the design nullified the value of the bill, although everything else looked the same. That is exactly what is happening in the evangelical media, much of what is being preached and promoted matches what is in the Bible except for the slightest variation that nullifies everything they are teaching.

There are entire denominations that read the Bible and talk about Jesus as I do, but the challenge begins when I speak of his Jesus’ Deity. They tell me yes Jesus is a god but with lower-case lettering. Others proclaim that Jesus is the savior but we need to read a certain other book to help us reach heaven. Others say that everything in the New Testament is accurate and fine; but we need to perform certain duties in the Law of God for salvation. I must say that these teachings are sending many to hell along with the teachers because the truth is not in them (2 Timothy 3:7). These are not the only teachings which are counterfeit, because there are dozens of examples that I will be presenting in future posts which will not be popular, but will be Biblical. I know the trend today is to be politically correct at any cost, but my teachings will remain loyal to the Word of God, and I pray that others will be supportive to the end (2 Timothy 4:2-4 and 1Timothy 4:16).

I want Easter to be a new start for many of you in your spiritual walk. We know that Jesus died on the cross once, and was risen from the grave. The celebration of Easter needs to be a reminder that each one of the believers will have his/her own Easter. We can thank Christ for His love, mercy and grace displayed on Calvary’s cross.