Deuteronomy 13:4
It is the Lord your God you must follow, and him you must revere. Keep his commands and obey him; serve him and hold fast to him ~ Deuteronomy 13:4
A warning had been issued to the Israelites about following a false prophet, a “dreamer of dreams” he is called, which speaks to them about serving other gods. “You are to follow God only,” they are told, “it is Him you are to love with all your heart and with all your soul.” I am sure to many, the words of the false prophet would be readily heard and believed. Perhaps he was a smooth talker, or had a steady but confident air, seeming to be one with great authority. People would follow him. How to know if one is a false prophet is by their doctrine. Evil men can do wonders which deceive many people, as even Paul in the New Testament spoke of the “lying miracles” which were to be displayed in the Thessalonian Church (2 Thessalonians 2:9). It is said by commentators God would allow false prophets to display some signs of credibility so that He could “test” the true loyalty of the people. Sometimes a false prophet would predict accurately, but the real issue is not if he predicted accurately, but does he, or she, promote the teachings of Jesus Christ? Do they follow the will of the Lord, or their own will? Jesus told us there are two commandments, for all the ten could be summarized into these two: to love God with all your heart, your soul, and your mind, and to love others as yourself. That is the doctrine of God. A false prophet will not be able to preach this, or display this love, for their heart will be dark. It is the enlightening of the Holy Spirit of God that we can and do love as God loves. The Word of God tells us we shall know them “by their fruit.” If you are following someone, do not be fooled by falsehoods, test them and their doctrine, test them by their actions, but most of all, ask the Lord God to reveal to you His truth. He alone is God, He is above all!
Pastor Julia
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