Watch out for false prophets.

by their fruits you will recognize them

Jesus illuminated life in the most amazing ways and we get to experience the brilliance of Jesus not as a historical story, but as a present tense reality. In Matthew 7:15-20 Jesus gave us a window to evaluate and filter some things in life.


Jesus also gave us a mirror to look into and to discover some truths about ourselves. Because the simple truth is that we need to be careful about who we let speak for God in our lives because not everything is what it appears to be. Jesus told His people, "watch out for false prophets." This isn't about being suspicious or critical consumers, rating people on their speaking ability, style or emotions. Jesus is just saying I want you to watch out for false prophets. I want you to filter and receive what is true and reject what is false!

So, you will hear people speak with great charisma and profound eloquence and I say to you that you need to watch out for false prophets! One of the distinctions we have, is that we believe in the power of the Word of God to speak to every believer. We call it the priesthood of the believer. What that means is that you read the Word of God for yourself and you don't have to have a priest other than Jesus standing between you and His word!

Jesus will speak through people who have given Him their broken hearts and who are letting Him rebuild their lives. So, as you read the Word and as you hear it, know that the people that listen to Jesus, the teachers that you should invite into your life, even though they are broken and imperfect, everybody is broken and everybody needs to be redeemed. We're all in this together.

It's just broken people who know Jesus and broken people who don't, but we're all broken. People who listen to Jesus are going to sound like Jesus, they are going to serve like Jesus, they are going to love like Jesus, they are going to live like Jesus, and give like Jesus; because they have the heart of Jesus!

So, until He comes, we as His followers will listen to those whose lives show that they are listening to Jesus and they are letting it cost them in a way that is real and from the heart because it's all about the heart and not appearances! When Jesus has your heart, the whole spirit of your life begins to change and you don't have to work at looking Christian and acting Christian, you'll just be what you are! -Dr. Drew Shofner

Posted by Dr. Drew Shofner with
