Watch Out

WATCH OUT THAT YOU ARE NOT DECEIVED. FOR MANY WILL COME IN MY NAME, CLAIMING, 'I AM HE,' AND, 'THE TIME IS NEAR.' DO NOT FOLLOW THEM. Luke 21.8.

Lately, I heard of a large healing crusade to be held by an African prophet. Another international prophetic conference is scheduled where hundreds of participants from around the world are supposed to attend. Thank God for everything that takes place that are biblical, authentic and spirit-led.

I attended a Bible seminar on the Book of Jude sometime ago. Jude cautioned believers of the danger of ‘false teachers’ coming in to the Church and deceiving believers. The Bible expositor took some time to teach and describe the character of the false teachers. I thought to myself that today we do not have many false teachers as opposed to the days of Jude and the early church!

As I was driving back home I had second thoughts! I scanned the Christian horizon of the past three decades. I suddenly realised that we need to exercise much caution for the Lord warned us about false teachers and prophets who would even do miracles in His name and mislead us in the last days. There will always be ‘false teachers’ but only ‘the false teachings of today may be different from that of the early church! The false teachers of yesteryears introduced ‘false doctrines about the fundamental issues of our faith – like questioning the uniqueness of Christ or salvation only by faith not works or worship of angels etc.!’

But, what do we see today? Undoubtedly, we have seen in the latter half of the last century a new move of the Holy Spirit in the church which brought a refreshing freedom in all the areas of spiritual worship and practice. But, many are using this liberty to establish their own ‘principles and practices within the church’. There is an increasing influx of teachers who spread ‘all kinds of human-founded and established practices of religion and worship!’

For example, we had a spate of ministers introducing their own but not Biblical ‘Super-techniques’ of ministry as in ‘anointing, prophesy, healing, laying of hands, slaying, laughing, dreams and visions, and even bringing the world into the church!’ Like immature believers of the early church, we too have become so gullible not only to accept without discernment these men but even venerate them!

I am positive and prophetic in my outlook and ministry and I embrace new things readily. But with one important proviso – all must be biblical to the core and spiritually sound to every detail! Dear believer, you and I must be like the Berean believers. We must endeavor to follow their trait in accepting all ‘new teachings and practices’. “They were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so” (Acts 17.11).

Pray and practice with me: Dear Lord, teach me to prove all things and hold fast that which is good. Help me to be on my guard and distance myself from all teachings and practices which do not adhere to Your written Word. Amen.