Crestwood Church Blog

For false messiahs and false prophets will rise up and perform great signs and wonders so as to deceive, if possible, even God's chosen ones. See, I have warned you about this ahead of time. "So if someone tells you, 'Look, the Messiah is out in the desert,' don’t bother to go and look. Or, 'Look, he is hiding here,' don’t believe it! Matthew 24:24-25

Not too long ago a well known international evangelist announced on TV that Jesus Christ would personally appear before thousands of people in Kenya, Nairobi. Many thousands of "Christian" viewers ploughed vast sums of money into his ministry, because they saw this man as God's anointed - despite the fact that this is impossible! The next time the Lord Jesus appears, it will be to rescue his people and judge those that rejected him. Nevertheless, this amazing claim was still made. Obviously the event took place without the appearance of the Lord.

Meanwhile, other "Christian Stars" portray the work of the Holy Spirit with all kind of strange occurrences: like gold dust from heaven and barking like a dog, to name but a few of the un-God like "signs" and "wonders" that occur in certain sectors of the church.

But the problem is thousands of people still regularly hold the latter as God's anointed and follow after these so called Prophets and seers of the modern church. There are many references to false teaching and false prophets in God's Word and especially concerning the days before the Lord's return, which the verses above are making reference to.

The sad truth to me is the statement in v24, "to deceive, if possible, even God's chosen ones." These people are not just leading non believers astray; but those who love the Lord. When the Lord is seemingly silent with miracles, some feel that they need to imitate the work of the Holy Spirit with these counterfeit signs. Today's church needs to ask the Lord for the gift of discernment so that which is false can be exposed for what it is. Ultimately we have the Word of God, (which the early church never had) and anything that contradicts it, has to be false.

John writes "You must test them to see if the spirit they have comes from God. For there are many false prophets in the world." 1 John 4:1

I wonder how alert we are and how easily led we are. Let us not be led away by the latest new thing, just because it seems miraculous, but let us seek God's Word and in the Spirit discern the truth. Because often these false things can lead us away from the truth and cause us to miss out on the real miracles that the Lord wants to bestow on his children.

"Do not stifle the Holy Spirit. Do not scoff at prophecies, but test everything that is said. Hold on to what is good." 1 Thess 5:21

Labels: Discernment, Falsehoods, Miracles

posted by Andi - Sunday, 10 June 2007, 10:45
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Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. So do not be attracted by strange, new ideas. Your strength comes from God’s grace Hebrews 13:8-9

Ever since the beginning of time, mankind has been led astray by false teaching or by Satan himself. The lies started at the dawn of time in the garden of Eden. The serpent said: "Did God really say...?" bringing doubt and confusion to man, who fell because of it.

Israel was led astray over and over again, even by High Priests who were in privileged positions. The early church went through many difficulties with heresy and doctrinal divisions.

Peter writes: "...but there were also false prophets in Israel, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will cleverly teach destructive heresies and even deny the Master who bought them...Many will follow their evil teaching and shameful immorality. And because of these teachers, the way of truth will be slandered. In their greed they will make up clever lies to get hold of your money."

The bible gives us clear ways of discerning who these people are. They may:

• Teach destructive heresy
• Deny the truth about God
• Live immoral lives
• Slander the truth
• Make up lies to get hold of your money

"I am the Lord, and I do not change, Malachi 3:6. He will always be the same. His Word and the person of the Holy Spirit will always testify the truth about Jesus.

Labels: Discernment, Falsehoods, Teaching

posted by Andi - Sunday, 4 March 2007, 20:31
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Beware of false prophets who come disguised as harmless sheep, but are really wolves that will tear you apart. You can detect them by the way they act, just as you can identify a tree by its fruit. Matt 7:15-16

Sadly we live in a world filled with counterfeits, whether it is things of a material nature or the more sinister; those that are out to copy the things of God.

Cults like the Jehovah's Witnesses and Mormons are publicising their false truths and even so-called churches are doing and teaching things that are not honouring God's church or even God himself.

How can we stand against these and how can we discern whether they are for God or against him? There are two main ways.

1. To learn and understand God's Word so that it becomes a part of you.
2. To use God's Word to learn the kind of behaviour we should see from those that are his.

When we ourselves are in a close relationship with Jesus, these falsehoods will very quickly lead us to dissatisfaction or make us feel very uncomfortable. As God becomes alive in us through the person of the Holy Spirit, he unites with his Word to reveal his truth to us. Once the truth is known we can stand against these wolves with the authority of the Lord.

Labels: Bible, Discernment, Falsehoods

posted by Andi - Sunday, 17 September 2006, 22:32
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