This is what the Lord Almighty says: “Do not listen to what the prophets are prophesying to you; they fill you with false hopes. They speak visions from their own minds, not from the mouth of the Lord. They keep saying to those who despise me, ‘The Lord says: You will have peace.’ And to all who follow the stubbornness of their hearts they say, ‘No harm will come to you.’ But which of them has stood in the council of the Lord to see or to hear his word? Who has listened and heard his word? (Jeremiah 23:16–18, NIV 1984).
My Musings – From health and wealth, to many paths to God, to Christian nationalism, and all the “isms” in between. Have they not “listened and heard His word?” Or have they “stood in [some] council of the Lord to see [and] hear” some other divine revelation the majority of believers are not privy to?
No. Such things only serve to “to fill [the uninformed] with false hopes.” We “must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation. For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.” (2 Peter 1:20–21, NIV 1984). The “Book” is closed.
Health and wealth – “Everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, while evil men and impostors will go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived.” (2 Timothy 3:12–13, NIV 1984). “Everyone,” except of course those enjoying health and wealth? Then it would not be everyone, would it?
Many paths to God – Jesus said, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6, NIV 1984). Any other path is the wrong way, a lie, and leads to death. They are the spirit of anti-Christ.
Christian nationalism – “Jesus said, ‘My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jews. But now my kingdom is from another place.'” (John 18:36, NIV 1984). That Kingdom will come. But not by the efforts of any man, movement, or nation. Even if well intentioned, they are ill-advised. Christ-followers have a different commission, a different agenda.
My Advice – The “isms” movements are proliferating. One of the latest being the New Apostolic Reformation. We shouldn’t be surprised. It is a sign of Christ’s return, when “many false prophets will appear and deceive many people…even the elect—if that were possible.” (Matthew 24:11, 24, NIV 1984).
How do we guard against being deceived, since many of the lies will seem “good…and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable?” (Genesis 3:6, NIV 1984).
First, we must remember who is “the father of lies,” (John 8:44, NIV 1984). As he was at the dawn of creation in the garden, so he remains as we await the new creation, “[prowling] around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. (1 Peter 5:8, NIV 1984). So, be alert, for “he is filled with fury, because he knows that his time is short.” (Revelation 12:12, NIV 1984).
Second, we must remember how to detect a lie. “[examine] the Scriptures every day to see if what [the ‘ism’] said was true.” (Acts 17:11, NIV 1984). The best way to spot a counterfeit is to be intimately familiar with the real deal. To know what the “mouth of the Lord” sounds like in order to detect the impersonators.
The Brew Is A Musing 