15 “Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. 16 By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? 17 Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them. -Matthew 7:15-20
This blog series is mostly an attempt for me to gather information about the many false teachers out there. I myself don’t really know the extent of it as I have been fortunate to be part of solid Bible believing, God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit centered churches, with Jesus-chasing-after- pastors, my entire life. This is more of a research project than an attempt to tear anyone down. I’ll say it, I just want to know who of the fancy people can be trusted, if any, and who needs to be avoided As you know, nobody reads my blog anyway. Being a part of small Church culture my whole life, I haven’t really paid attention to the Mega Church culture that is becoming more and more popular everywhere you go. With streaming and video sharing, these fancy “pastors” can be anywhere at any time. Not literally, but If you spend any time on YouTube, you know what I mean. This isn’t even bashing YouTube or streaming. Streaming never takes the place of real fellowship, but it’s super helpful when you’re sick and want to keep up wiht what’s going on Sunday morning. With all the good that can come of it, people can get any message they want out there, and we have to be careful.
But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them—bringing swift destruction on themselves. 2 Many will follow their depraved conduct and will bring the way of truth into disrepute. 3 In their greed these teachers will exploit you with fabricated stories. Their condemnation has long been hanging over them, and their destruction has not been sleeping. -2 Peter 2:1-4 NIV
As I urged you when I went into Macedonia, stay there in Ephesus so that you may command certain people not to teach false doctrines any longer
-1 Timothy 1:3
3 For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. -2 Timothy 4:3
I just want to make sure I’m not being tricked. It is not even my original intent to convict any of you who might be reading this. If you do feel convicted, that’s probably the Lord, and you should probably listen to Him. I’m not trying to tell you what to do. That answer has to come from God.
The major false teaching has been Prosperity Gospel, as if God is some magic genie who gives you everrything you could possibly want and constantly says yes about everything you do all the time. There’s nothing in the Bible about that, even though people want to believe it. God provides for all our absolute needs all the time the things we nee to do what He wants us to do while we are here on earth. The whole self promotion thing and building your own brand is quite a mess though. Are you confused? Good, so am I. The short answer to this confusion is that God is about what we really truly need. Not every little thing we want. We’ll get more into this later. After all, this is just the introduction.
I can tell this one is going to be a wild ride.