The thing that grieves my heart so badly is watching young believers get dragged away by the lies of false teachers!
Really... I've watched it over and over again. Just recently my heart was broken watching a married couple who fell so in love with the Lord but then they were taken by a false teacher, getting them to doubt and question... and they were not grounded well enough to know better. They were dragged away by Satan...
Knowing that it happened to Jesus and the Apostles does not make me feel any better about it. It grieves my soul!
The biggest lie, one that I have recently learned the magnitude of it's power, is that even though there are huge obvious lies like Islam and the false copy-cat prophecies; the big, big lie, the one that creates doubt and division so often, is the one that uses the mystery of God to create doubt. The identity of Jesus. When a false teacher creates doubt about God becoming a man in Christ, Satan has won 90% of the battle.
The mystery of God really, truly separates the truth seekers from all others. And, it gives men the excuses they want to go their own way.
The Mystery of God - click here to read more
I HATE false teachers! I know I'm not supposed to hate anyone, but I can't help but hate those who drag souls off and deliver them to Satan.
This was the biggest warning of Jesus and the Apostles concerning that last days! The abundance of deceit! Many false teachers! Many false prophets!
We need to HEED THAT WARNING!
How? Be grounded in Truth. Read your Bible. Not just once. One full read from cover to cover gives you a foundation to then build your knowledge in subsequent readings. Four or five full reads will give most people understanding when you're truly seeking the Truth and letting the Bible teach you and dispel the lies of Satan. Then, as you continue to read and study, the Bible will interpret itself and the mystery will unravel.
Then, be very, very careful who you listen to!
I can't say it loud enough or strong enough! It is very dangerous to listen to false teachers!
Just because they have a flashy web page or youtube channel with cool graphics does not mean they are teaching the truth! And just because they make an argument that wows you, or that you can't refute becaue you don't understand scripture well enough, doesn't mean they are teaching truth!
Listen to the warnings from Paul!
Colossians 2:8 Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.
2 Corinthians 11:3 But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.
I watch people as they're led away by liars and I can relate to Paul in his lament to the Galatians.
Galatians 1:6 I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ.
I try to tell them but usually they have no discernment to know a lie when they hear it.
2 Peter 1:16 For we have not followed cunningly devised fables.
This is why we MUST use the scriptures to test everything we hear!
And we MUST be first grounded thoroughly in the scriptures!
Going and listening to podcasters and youtubers without first having a very good understanding and knowledge of scriptures is the most dangerous thing anyone could possibly do!
Matthew 7:15 Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.
1 Timothy 4:16 Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee.
Hebrews 3:12 Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God.
Listen to the instruction and warnings from Peter, Paul and Jesus.
Why would you risk making such a terrible mistake by listening to some man or woman without first knowing how to tell a lie from truth?
Matthew 16:6 Then Jesus said unto them, Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees ... 11 How is it that ye do not understand that I spake it not to you concerning bread, that ye should beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees? Then understood they how that he bade them not beware of the leaven of bread, but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees.
Take heed and beware, Jesus said! Doctrine is teaching... beware false teachers!!!
Paul, again, laments false teachers and instructs Timothy to tell the false teachers to stop teaching false doctrine.
1 Timothy 1:3 When I was on my way to Macedonia, I urged you to stay in Ephesus so that you could instruct certain people to stop teaching false doctrine and occupying themselves with myths and endless genealogies. These things promote controversies rather than God's ongoing purpose, which involves faith. The goal of this instruction is love that flows from a pure heart, from a clear conscience, and from a sincere faith. Some people have left these qualities behind and have turned to fruitless discussion. They want to be teachers of the Law, yet they do not understand either what they are talking about or the things about which they speak so confidently. Of course, we know that the Law is good if a person uses it legitimately, that is, if he understands that the Law is not intended for righteous people but for lawbreakers and rebels, for ungodly people and sinners, for those who are unholy and irreverent, for those who kill their fathers, their mothers, or other people, for those involved in sexual immorality, for homosexuals, for kidnappers, for liars, for false witnesses, and for whatever else goes against the healthy teaching that agrees with the glorious gospel of the blessed God, which he entrusted to me.
Jude also warns of how certain men creep in unawares and teach lies after their own lusts and lead people astray!
Paul, John and Peter warn of these evil men:
3 John 1:9 I wrote unto the church: but Diotrephes, who loveth to have the preeminence among them, receiveth us not.
2 Peter 2:1 But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction.
2 Timothy 2:16 But shun profane and vain babblings: for they will increase unto more ungodliness.
With so many warnings, we should take it very seriously!
BEWARE!!! Don't listen to false teachers!!!
James 1 says that if you waver, you will receive nothing of the Lord! You must stand on the Truth and not waver.
Ephesians 4:14 That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;
Galatians 4:11 I am afraid of you, lest I have bestowed upon you labour in vain.
I am afraid of so many... I've taught the truth, but so many turn away to false teachers. It's the saddest thing in my life.
I am literally wracked with tears and grief every time this happens. It's so sad to watch it happen!
If I had a dollar for every person that told me, "God sent me to you", but then they didn't like what I said and left, well, I'd have a few bucks... It's just so awful to watch!
Alas, there is nothing I can do, however. I can only tell you the truth. You are the one who has to listen.
2 Peter 3:17 Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things before, beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own stedfastness.
1 John 4:1 Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.
Deuteronomy 11:16 Take heed to yourselves, that your heart be not deceived, and ye turn aside, and serve other gods, and worship them.
Islam, Judaism, Trinitarianism, Catholicism, Hindu Buddhism, Churchianity, Evolutionism, Atheism, etc... These are all false belief systems that Satan uses to lure people away from Truth, and the One True God, Jesus Christ.
Those are the obvious, right?
But don't be fooled. False teachers will lure you will truth and mix their lies into it and claim to be followers of Jesus, but they are ravening wolves, seeking whom they may devour!
Again, Matthew 7:15 Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.
In the end time, the time we’re living in right now, Jesus says that there will be many false prophets (men who don’t teach the truth but pretend to come in the name of Jesus) and they will deceive many.
Matthew 24:4 And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you.
Matthew 24:11 And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many.
Matthew 24:24 For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.
Take heed that they don't deceive you!
The first thing Satan asked Eve - did God really say that?
If someone is trying to explain away scriptures with some philosophical doctrine, you should RUN AWAY from that man.
This is maybe the most important thing you can gain wisdom and knowledge of, after salvation.
Salvation is when Satan will take notice of you, because before that he had no need to bother with you. After salvation he will send liars and deceivers with cunningly devised fables that will deceive you if you let them.
We must be grounded in Truth, and we must walk in the Spirit 24/7 and put off the flesh, or Satan will find a chink in your armor and seek to destroy you.
This is a very pivotal time! We can't toy with God, nor play games with our salvation!
Luke 6:26 Woe unto you, when all men shall speak well of you! for so did their fathers to the false prophets.
Avoid mega-church pastors and youtubers with large followings. If they're speaking words that people like, they are almost certainly teaching lies.
John 6:66 shows us that Jesus Himself was shunned by those who didn't truly believe... many of His disciples left Him when He taught things they didn't like.
In fact, even small churches today are dens of devils, speaking lies in hypocrisy...
1 Timothy 4:1 Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron...
This appears to be pretty much all churches today, across Europe and the USA, Africa and everywhere else.
It's churchianity, catholicanity, trinitanity, etc... anything but true Christianity!
John 20:28 And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God.
Jesus must be your Lord and your God, or you are worshiping a false god!
If someone tells you otherwise, run as fast as you can!
I could go on and on, but I hope you have seen what I'm driving at. There's only one Truth, and God preserved it for us in the Bible. Read it from cover to cover, and then read it a few times more, and seek God. Make it your number one priority! And then you will know the truth. And then, keep reading seeking Him in everything you do!
Click this link to read my notes on the Truth of God's Word.