“1 If there arise among you a prophet, or a dreamer of dreams, and gives you a sign or a wonder,
2 And the sign or the wonder come to pass, whereof he spoke unto you, saying, Let us go after other gods, which you have not known, and let us serve them;
3 You shall not hearken unto the words of that prophet, or that dreamer of dreams: for the Lord your God proves you, to know whether you love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul.
4 You shall walk after the Lord your God, and fear Him, and keep His Commandments, and obey His Voice, and you shall serve Him, and cleave unto Him.” Deuteronomy 13:1-4
Satan’s use of false preachers and teachers to turn God’s people away from Him has proven to be quite successful. He is very good at deceiving people to believe that what is actually of God, isn’t, and what isn’t of God, is.
Regrettably, God’s people repeatedly support these false prophets because they know very little of the Word of God and therefore they cannot discern right from wrong; truth or error. If it seems right in their eyes, then it must be right. Their moral authority is their deceitful heart and not the Word of God.
To be sure, the Lord allows these false teachers and preachers to prosper for a while in order to test His people. This test, which is always for our benefit, will reveal to us our own heart if we choose to see. Having been led away from God’s precepts and unto the precepts of the world, we often do not realize how far we have strayed until we are sleeping with the swine. The two edged sword of false doctrine cuts deep.
“3 For the lips of a strange woman (false doctrine) drop as an honeycomb, and her mouth is smoother than oil:
4 But her end is bitter as wormwood, sharp as a two-edged sword.
5 Her feet go down to death; her steps take hold on hell.
6 Lest you should ponder the path of life, her ways are moveable, that you cannot not know them.” Proverbs 5:3-6
There are many who have rested comfortably in the Laodicean church. They are indeed rich, increased with goods and in need of nothing. The Lord has allowed this church and in fact told us of this church in His Word.
“19 As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.
20 Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear My Voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with Me.
21 To him that overcomes will I grant to sit with Me in My Throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with My Father in His Throne.
22 He that has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says unto the churches.” Revelation 3:19-22
The Lord has allowed the false teachers to prosper. The Endtime church is upon us. He is testing his people to show them their wicked ways. He is bringing them the Gospel of Jesus Christ and Him crucified so that they may choose in whom they will serve. Is it Jesus Christ, Who HE is and what HE has done for whosoever will believe, that we love with all of our heart and all of our soul or is it our church organization?
The Lord is proving each and every person who claims to belong to Him. Discern the test. Examine yourselves…each and every one of us, whether you be in the faith. Is the preaching of Jesus Christ and Him crucified for daily living unto God foolishness unto you? If so, you are perishing and need to repent.
Jesus stands at the door of the apostate Endtime church knocking. As many as He loves, He rebukes. He is seeking to prove our love…not for His sake but for ours. To those who overcome, He will grant a seat with Him.
He that has an ear, let him hear. Discern the test.
Jesus Christ and Him crucified…be determined to know nothing else among you.
-Donna Clark Warren
Living in The Spirit 