False Shepherds
There are many false shepherds in the land. This is going to increase dramatically in the coming years, but it is already surprisingly common right now .
Many of these leaders are very popular, because they sound "relevant." They can turn a phrase that makes them sound so anointed, but it is important to know the well you are drinking from. Relevant and witty is not always the same as true. Often, these popular teachers say things that appeal to the flesh...they are impatient and our impatient hearts respond with a "yes brother!" They teach that anyone can be great outside of the narrow road of greatness Jesus described, which is a commitment to holiness. They measure greatness here...like the rest of the world, where Jesus said secret obedience is the true measure of greatness. They are more interested in convincing you that you can write books, start public ministries, and change the world in a public way, rather than teaching you to overcome sin, draw near to Jesus, and be powerful and great now, even in the sphere of "ones and twos"....which Jesus described as true greatness forever.
These false prophets sound like they are empowering people, but they are actually cunningly using a perverse concept of "grace" to keep people in their place...to keep people comfortable with their sin and actually shackled to their past, rather than reaching to overcome both. This is so they grow in popularity as they give people what they want to hear...they say essentially "you can have God's presence, even greatness representing Him, without growing in submission to His leadership." This is not possible.
Jesus said MANY false Christian teachers...they won't be athiests, or buddhists, or some other religion...many false teachers claiming to represent Jesus...will come into prominence as the "valley of decision" draws near. This how Peter described them:
II Peter 2:18-20 For when they speak great swelling words of emptiness, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through lewdness, the ones who have actually escaped from those who live in error. While they promise them liberty, they themselves are slaves of corruption; for by whom a person is overcome, by him also he is brought into bondage. For if, after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and overcome, the latter end is worse for them than the beginning.
This prophecy is being fulfilled right before our eyes:
Matthew 24:11-13 Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many. And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold. But he who endures to the end shall be saved.
This is truly a relevant concept. Be discerning. If I promote a false teacher, I am actually sharing in his or her work, which will contribute to the great falling away that is already beginning to take shape.
How to identify a true teacher:
1. They will reflect the heart of the True Shepherd. Just like Jesus said that if you see Him, you would see the Father; If you see a true shepherd, they should be reaching to be a clearer and clearer reflection of the KIND and TENDER Shepherd, Jesus. They should be patient with people and willing to be known...vulnerable to making themselves accessible to people:
John 10:11 “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd sacrifices his life for the sheep.
John 10:14 “I am the good shepherd; I know my own sheep, and they know me,
Matthew 18:12-14 “If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them wanders away, what will he do? Won’t he leave the ninety-nine others on the hills and go out to search for the one that is lost? And if he finds it, I tell you the truth, he will rejoice over it more than over the ninety-nine that didn’t wander away! In the same way, it is not my heavenly Father’s will that even one of these little ones should perish.
2. The main quality we are to look for are the fruit of the Spirit manifest in the words and actions of a true teacher: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, self control, gentleness, and faithfulness
Matthew 7:15-20 “Beware of false prophets who come disguised as harmless sheep but are really vicious wolves. You can identify them by their fruit, that is, by the way they act. Can you pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? A good tree produces good fruit, and a bad tree produces bad fruit. A good tree can’t produce bad fruit, and a bad tree can’t produce good fruit. So every tree that does not produce good fruit is chopped down and thrown into the fire. Yes, just as you can identify a tree by its fruit, so you can identify people by their actions.
3. They will be friends of the bridegroom. You can easily know them by their loyalty to Jesus' reputation at the cost of their own. Those charged with raising up a bride...groomsmen...shouldn't be flirting with the bride to build up their own reputation:
John 3:29-30 He who has the bride is the bridegroom; but the friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom’s voice. Therefore this joy of mine is fulfilled. He must increase, but I must decrease.
4. By their motivation. If you really believe something, you would be willing to stand for it and teach it for free. Often, Jesus' ministers get paid, and should, but if a teacher doesn't have some way for anyone to access their "truth" regardless of means, then you should question whether or not they truly believe they have life giving truth. If I know how to free hearts so they can love Jesus more fully...and I am really loyal to Jesus...money would never stand in the way of me releasing that truth so that Jesus could have His full inheritance. A false shepherd feeds on the sheep...a true shepherd that loves Jesus feeds the sheep:
John 21:17 He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?” Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, “Do you love Me?” And he said to Him, “Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You.” Jesus said to him, “Feed My sheep.
Matthew 7:15 “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves.
The "edginess" of a ministry is often a dead give-away of bad fruit. Edginess is often contrary to several of the fruits you are supposed to look for. Money is the other big tell-tale. Now is the time to be jealous for the Groom and absolute loyalty to Him. I want to love what He loves, and hate what He hates!
The deacon Nicolas, and his followers, known as Nicolatians, taught a message of false grace in the name of Jesus...they made the people comfortable with their sin, rather than gently and patiently teaching them to overcome sin, which is the foundation for any true greatness:
Revelation 2:6 But this you have, that you hate the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.
Matthew 5:18-19 For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled. Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
Many of these leaders are very popular, because they sound "relevant." They can turn a phrase that makes them sound so anointed, but it is important to know the well you are drinking from. Relevant and witty is not always the same as true. Often, these popular teachers say things that appeal to the flesh...they are impatient and our impatient hearts respond with a "yes brother!" They teach that anyone can be great outside of the narrow road of greatness Jesus described, which is a commitment to holiness. They measure greatness here...like the rest of the world, where Jesus said secret obedience is the true measure of greatness. They are more interested in convincing you that you can write books, start public ministries, and change the world in a public way, rather than teaching you to overcome sin, draw near to Jesus, and be powerful and great now, even in the sphere of "ones and twos"....which Jesus described as true greatness forever.
These false prophets sound like they are empowering people, but they are actually cunningly using a perverse concept of "grace" to keep people in their place...to keep people comfortable with their sin and actually shackled to their past, rather than reaching to overcome both. This is so they grow in popularity as they give people what they want to hear...they say essentially "you can have God's presence, even greatness representing Him, without growing in submission to His leadership." This is not possible.
Jesus said MANY false Christian teachers...they won't be athiests, or buddhists, or some other religion...many false teachers claiming to represent Jesus...will come into prominence as the "valley of decision" draws near. This how Peter described them:
II Peter 2:18-20 For when they speak great swelling words of emptiness, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through lewdness, the ones who have actually escaped from those who live in error. While they promise them liberty, they themselves are slaves of corruption; for by whom a person is overcome, by him also he is brought into bondage. For if, after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and overcome, the latter end is worse for them than the beginning.
This prophecy is being fulfilled right before our eyes:
Matthew 24:11-13 Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many. And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold. But he who endures to the end shall be saved.
This is truly a relevant concept. Be discerning. If I promote a false teacher, I am actually sharing in his or her work, which will contribute to the great falling away that is already beginning to take shape.
How to identify a true teacher:
1. They will reflect the heart of the True Shepherd. Just like Jesus said that if you see Him, you would see the Father; If you see a true shepherd, they should be reaching to be a clearer and clearer reflection of the KIND and TENDER Shepherd, Jesus. They should be patient with people and willing to be known...vulnerable to making themselves accessible to people:
John 10:11 “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd sacrifices his life for the sheep.
John 10:14 “I am the good shepherd; I know my own sheep, and they know me,
Matthew 18:12-14 “If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them wanders away, what will he do? Won’t he leave the ninety-nine others on the hills and go out to search for the one that is lost? And if he finds it, I tell you the truth, he will rejoice over it more than over the ninety-nine that didn’t wander away! In the same way, it is not my heavenly Father’s will that even one of these little ones should perish.
2. The main quality we are to look for are the fruit of the Spirit manifest in the words and actions of a true teacher: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, self control, gentleness, and faithfulness
Matthew 7:15-20 “Beware of false prophets who come disguised as harmless sheep but are really vicious wolves. You can identify them by their fruit, that is, by the way they act. Can you pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? A good tree produces good fruit, and a bad tree produces bad fruit. A good tree can’t produce bad fruit, and a bad tree can’t produce good fruit. So every tree that does not produce good fruit is chopped down and thrown into the fire. Yes, just as you can identify a tree by its fruit, so you can identify people by their actions.
3. They will be friends of the bridegroom. You can easily know them by their loyalty to Jesus' reputation at the cost of their own. Those charged with raising up a bride...groomsmen...shouldn't be flirting with the bride to build up their own reputation:
John 3:29-30 He who has the bride is the bridegroom; but the friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom’s voice. Therefore this joy of mine is fulfilled. He must increase, but I must decrease.
4. By their motivation. If you really believe something, you would be willing to stand for it and teach it for free. Often, Jesus' ministers get paid, and should, but if a teacher doesn't have some way for anyone to access their "truth" regardless of means, then you should question whether or not they truly believe they have life giving truth. If I know how to free hearts so they can love Jesus more fully...and I am really loyal to Jesus...money would never stand in the way of me releasing that truth so that Jesus could have His full inheritance. A false shepherd feeds on the sheep...a true shepherd that loves Jesus feeds the sheep:
John 21:17 He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?” Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, “Do you love Me?” And he said to Him, “Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You.” Jesus said to him, “Feed My sheep.
Matthew 7:15 “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves.
The "edginess" of a ministry is often a dead give-away of bad fruit. Edginess is often contrary to several of the fruits you are supposed to look for. Money is the other big tell-tale. Now is the time to be jealous for the Groom and absolute loyalty to Him. I want to love what He loves, and hate what He hates!
The deacon Nicolas, and his followers, known as Nicolatians, taught a message of false grace in the name of Jesus...they made the people comfortable with their sin, rather than gently and patiently teaching them to overcome sin, which is the foundation for any true greatness:
Revelation 2:6 But this you have, that you hate the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.
Matthew 5:18-19 For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled. Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
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