[3]Thou shalt not hearken unto the words of that prophet, or that dreamer of dreams: for the LORD your God proveth you, to know whether ye love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul.
[4]Ye shall walk after the LORD your God, and fear him, and keep his commandments, and obey his voice, and ye shall serve him, and cleave unto him.
The message of a false prophet is contrasted in Deut. 13:3-4 with loving the true God with all of our heart and soul (life), walking after Him, fearing Him, keeping His commandments, obeying His voice, serving Him, and holding fast to Him. These elements indicate what God wants His people to be focused on, helping to define whether a man claiming to speak for God is truly doing so or not.
Verse 4 mentions obeying God's voice and keeping His
commandments . This is a regular theme with God's true prophets: They always have God's law undergirding their messages. When the Old Testament prophets were sent to warn or inform Israel and Judah, they always pointed out the grievous ways in which the people had transgressed God's law.
False prophets, on the other hand, will not hold the
moral line that God requires. Lamentations 2:14 says that the false prophets "have not uncovered your iniquity, to bring back your captives, but have envisioned for you false prophecies and delusions." False prophets will not connect the dots between the sinfulness of a nation and national calamity. They instead focus on something other than God's standard of righteousness.
This same principle appears in Isaiah 8:19-20 . Both houses of Israel were guilty of seeking out mediums and wizards for spiritual guidance, and God's response is very telling: And when they say to you, "Seek those who are
mediums and wizards, who whisper and mutter," should not a people seek their God? Should they seek the dead on behalf of the living? To the law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, it is because there is no light in them. God gives us a standard by which to measure the words of a prophet, pastor or any minister of God, it is the Law and Testimony—His Word. If the prophet's message contradicts what is already established as God's Word, it is evidence that he lacks spiritual understanding. If his words do not line up with God's law and testimony, he is not speaking the truth.
In summary, the hallmark of a true prophet is his upholding of the Word of God, while false prophets dodge moral teaching and instead preach a message that appeals to the masses. Teachings that people want to hear (especially prosperity, leadership, financial breakthrough, relationship, business, blessings and e.t.c). Yes, they are good but why will some church now specialise in that only as if thats the only doctrine in the Bible. They know what they are doing but the sheep are ignorant because they won't sit down with the Word of God to study for themselves.
If the Word of God tells us to take heed and to beware in the last days then why don’t we do it? Why do we go on as if this Scripture doesn’t apply to us? We seem to think that the leaders will do it for us. But the leaders, in many cases, lack discernment. In fact, in some cases, the leaders are the ones who approve of false teachings. Why don’t we test our doctrines and beliefs? Why are these Scriptures in the Bible? Are we to ignore them and assume that we, of all people, cannot be deceived?
No, it’s time to sharpen up the Sword of the Spirit — the revelation of Jesus Christ — and be on guard. It would be better for us to be on guard than to remain ignorant of God’s Living Word. "See, I have told you beforehand" (Matthew 24:25). Jesus didn’t say there would be just a few deceivers in the last days. He said there would be many. "For many shall come… and shall deceive many." This indicates that deception in the latter times is going to be common. There won’t be just a few isolated cases. It will be all around us.
God's truth is abhorrent to the natural mind (Romans 8:7 ), and thus it is quite common for God's prophets to be persecuted, hated and even killed while the false prophets enjoy widespread popularity and support. The current trend of outcome-based churches serves as a good example. Their leaders preach a widely popular message, and thousands of people follow them. Yet, Jesus says in Luke 6:26 , "Woe to you when all men speak well of you, for so did their fathers to the false prophets." Popularity is not a good measurement of
God's pleasure with a leader! Jesus Christ, the Almighty God Himself, when he came to the World, he only had about 120 true followers when His ministry ended (Acts 1:15). This was not due to failure on His part, but because His message could be wholeheartedly believed only by those whose minds God had already prepared to accept it.
"Purpose-Driven" church leaders will not preach the unadulterated Word of God because they know it is divisive. They will not preach or teach the 100% Word of God because they know it would thwart their goals of a large following and a large income. They wont even mention the message of the hour, the Rapture and the coming of the Lord, their messages do not involve repentance, sound doctrine that will make ready their members for the Rapture, rather they focus on messages that will keep their members focus more on earthly things as if Jesus Christ is coming no more. Their messages do not remind people of their moral responsibilities to God and brother, and thus if they claim to speak for God or say that God sent them, we can know from biblical patterns that they are, in fact, false prophets. Their large churches, as amazing as they might seem, are not accurate indicators of God's involvement or blessing. If you find yourself in such gathering or church, then thats Babylon and the only solution is to come of out of her and come unto Zion, lest you shall partake in her punishment.
Revelation 18:4-5
[4]And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.
[5]For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities.
Our next teaching will be on Understanding the woman called Babylon, The Great. What did Scripture say about her, who is she and what's her plan?
For our previous teachings on this topic, log on to
Understanding who a False Prophet and Deceiver is - Part 2
http://understandingeverywordofgod.blogspot.com.ng/2016/10/victims-of-prophecies-understanding-who_27.html?m=1
Understanding who a False Prophet and Deceiver is - Part 1
http://understandingeverywordofgod.blogspot.com.ng/2016/10/victims-of-prophecies-understanding-who.html?m=1
Deception and Deceivers in the End of time - Part 2
understandingeverywordofgod.blogspot.is/2016/10/victims-of-prophecies-deception-and_25.html?m=1
Deception and Deceivers ceivers in the End of time - Part 1
understandingeverywordofgod.blogspot.is/2016/10/victims-of-prophecies-deception-and.html?m=1
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