Every book of the New Testament, with the exception of Philemon, warns believers of false teachers. The battle between truth and error has been raging ever since Genesis 3.
Rev. Rodgers Atwebembeire, The Gospel Coalition, Africa
Do you want to know more about Jesus? See my page Who Is Jesus?
Jesus said, “Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves.” Matthew 7:15 NIV
My thoughts: False prophets and false teachers look like Christians on the outside. You can read 100 more Bible verses that warn about false teachers here.
In His Love, Cindy
Do you want to know more about Jesus? See my page Who Is Jesus?
PRAY FOR ISRAEL
RealChristianWomen.blog
“But [in those days] false prophets arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you, who will subtly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing swift destruction on themselves. Many will follow their shameful ways, and because of them the way of truth will be maligned. And in their greed they will exploit you with false arguments and twisted doctrine.” 2 Peter 2:1-3a AMP (emphasis mine) Read full chapter
In His Love, Cindy
Do you want to know more about Jesus? See my page Who Is Jesus?
PRAY FOR ISRAEL
Why do people believe a lie?
Many times, people believe a lie when that lie is something they want to be true. Sometimes people believe a lie because they have heard it so many times. In fact, a study at Villanova University proved just that. If a person hears something often enough, they will start to believe it’s true.
Is there any way to know what is really true and what is not? There is! God’s Word is true. The longer you study it, the more you will realize how true and relevant it is today!
One of the best things you can do to protect yourself is to commit to a “Read the Bible in a Year” chronological reading plan. The reason I recommend it so highly is that you will be exposed to “the whole counsel of God’s Word” and begin to see God’s Word as the complete story of Christ.
At the very least, read the New Testament cover to cover at least once a year (although twice a year would be better). But remember that the Apostle Paul encouraged Timothy saying,
“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” 2 Timothy 3:16 NIV
Paul is talking about the Old Testament! It must not be neglected because it has much to teach us! Some preachers have said the Old Testament is not relevant today, but that is clearly a contradiction of 2 Timothy 3:16.
Many preachers claim God wants you to be wealthy and rich. That’s called the “Prosperity Gospel” and it’s very popular. (Possibly one of those things people believe because they want it to be true.) But the Bible says something different.
“These are the things you are to teach and insist on. If anyone teaches otherwise and does not agree to the sound instruction of our Lord Jesus Christ and to godly teaching, they are conceited and understand nothing. They have an unhealthy interest in controversies and quarrels about words that result in envy, strife, malicious talk, evil suspicions and constant friction between people of corrupt mind, who have been robbed of the truth and who think that godliness is a means to financial gain.” 1 Timothy 6:2-5 NIV
Errant teaching thrives when specific verses are taken out of context, as in the two examples above. We can pray for discernment, but we must still check what is preached against the Word of God.
Let’s take Harriet as an example. Harriet goes to church on Sunday, has a devotional at home (usually a passage from Psalms, and reads random verses for encouragement. She even attends a Ladies’ Bible Study in which they study the latest best-selling book of a well-known Christian author. For the most part, Harriet gives well-known Christian personalities a lot of respect and she trusts their teaching. She has attended church her whole adult life.
Here’s the question I have for you: Is Harriet a mature Christian woman? Is she safe from false teaching? She thinks she is. But is she? Is she developing discernment? Take another look at Harriet’s habits. She depends almost entirely on Bible teachers to guide her beliefs. She has never read the whole Bible, not even the entire New Testament. Is she well-equipped to recognize false teaching or is she vulnerable? You decide.
In his book, The Discipline of Spiritual Discernment, Tim Challies compares spiritual discernment with identifying counterfeit currency.
Challies writes, “We can best know what is wrong by first knowing what is right. Experts on counterfeit currency know this as well. They train others first to know the traits of genuine currency… Experts in counterfeit money study every aspect of their currency including how it feels and every detail of its appearance and color. Only after they do this are they shown counterfeit currency. And guess what? They know immediately what is not real!”
In the same way, the better we know the Bible the easier it will be to discern truth from error.
“I delight in your decrees; I will not neglect your word.” Psalm 119:16 NIV (emphasis mine)
Learn more about discernment in the following articles:
How To Be a Discerning Christian
Why Do Christians Listen to False Teachers?
In His Love, Cindy
Do you want to know more about Jesus? See my page Who Is Jesus?
Photo by Kristina Paparo on Unsplash
RealChristianWomen.blog
“Remember that for three years I never stopped warning each of you night and day with tears.” Acts 20:31
What was Paul so passionately warning the believers about? This:
“I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock. Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them.” Acts 20:29-30
My Thoughts: Does this still happen today? Absolutely.
In His Love, Cindy
Do you want to know more about Jesus? See my page Who Is Jesus?
All Scripture references are from the NIV unless otherwise noted.
Photo by Adriaan Greyling: https://www.pexels.com/photo/beige-and-gray-wolf-on-the-green-grass-755447/
RealChristianWomen.blog
Some say I’m too picky. But as a person who was once deceived by NAR and Word of Faith teaching, I know firsthand how dangerous false teaching is. Satan is very tricky and he would like nothing more than to lead Christians down a dangerous road of deception. He is very good at what he does and it won’t be obvious. You can be sure of that.
Women’s Bible Studies often center around a popular Christian author and teacher. I began to notice that many of their teachings were based on their personal experiences. They weren’t really teaching the Bible. Instead, it was more about them, what God had “told” them, and their fascinating experiences. I remember thinking, “Wait! Where’s that in the Bible?”
For me, red flags go up when a “Bible teacher” says, “God told me…” or “God said…”. I haven’t always seen that as a red flag, but I do now. Here’s why:
These “Bible teachers” are often funny and entertaining, so you can see why they would be popular. The word gets around. Hungry believers, seeking to learn about God, consume their books and videos. The motives of these believers may be pure, but pure motives aren’t enough. We must study the Bible for ourselves or risk being misled.
I know this is true because it happened to me. The problem is this: if you learn from the wrong teachers you will undoubtedly be led into error. Of course, they get a lot right, but it’s what they get wrong that is the problem.
You can usually find out a lot about popular teachers on their own websites. Who do they learn from? What books and/or teachers have influenced them? If they are influenced by the New Age, Mystics, NAR, or Word of Faith that’s all I need to know. I don’t listen to their teaching and neither should you. Jesus said,
“Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it. Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves.” Matthew 7:13-15
I’m afraid this kind of advice isn’t very popular today. It would be more acceptable if Jesus would have said not to be concerned about who we listen to as long as it has a Christian label on it. But that is not what He said. In fact, the Bible says,
“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. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.” 2 Timothy 4:3-4
Nowhere is this more evident than in the “Prosperity Gospel” teaching of preachers like Kenneth Copeland, Benny Hinn, Jesse Duplantis, Joel Osteen, T.D Jakes, and others. The Bible clearly teaches that anyone who teaches these things has been robbed of the Truth.
So-called “Bible teachers” are standing in line to say what people want to hear. According to Publisher’s Weekly, one popular teacher (that I won’t name) generates over 30 million dollars a year in book sale revenues!
“If anyone … does not agree to the sound instruction of our Lord Jesus Christ and to godly teaching, 4 they are conceited and understand nothing. They have an unhealthy interest in controversies and quarrels about words that result in envy, strife, malicious talk, evil suspicions 5 and constant friction between people of corrupt mind, who have been robbed of the truth and who think that godliness is a means to financial gain. 6 But godliness with contentment is great gain. 7 For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. 8 But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. 9 Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. 10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.” 1 Timothy 6:3-10
I don’t know how it could get any clearer than that. Yet “Prosperity preachers have huge followings and live in great abundance and wealth.
“Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. It is not surprising, then, if his servants also masquerade as servants of righteousness.” 2 Corinthians 11:14b
And in case you aren’t convinced yet, remember these words of Jesus:
“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’ Matthew 7:21-23
Final Word: The Bible is more precious than silver and gold because God’s Word, and God’s Word alone, will keep you on the narrow road. Don’t neglect this precious gift from God.
“Your word is a lamp for my feet,
a light on my path.” Psalm 119:105
In His Love, Cindy
Do you want to know more about Jesus? See my page Who Is Jesus?
All Scripture references are from the NIV unless otherwise noted.
RealChristianWomen.blog
I was once deceived by false teachers. Now I realize that the Word of God is my greatest treasure because knowing God’s Word is our protection against deception. If you know the Bible well you will recognize false teaching when you hear it.
That’s why I warn others to read the Bible before reading books about the Bible. That’s exactly how I was led astray by false teaching: by reading books written by false teachers. Of course, I didn’t know they were false at the time, but in my enthusiasm to learn, I was led astray. And so were many others.
Learning God’s Word takes time and discipline, but it is essential for knowing the only true God. If you want to know God, turn to His Word. Can you imagine how many pages of notes it would take to write down everything the Bible teaches us about God, His attributes, and character?
Countless books have been written about how to intimately know God. Unfortunately, many of these books refer to mystical practices, such as contemplative prayer. But these practices are based on New Age, Hindu, and Buddhist beliefs. I come across these books or quotes by New Age teachers all the time.
If you don’t know the person being quoted, try this. Google: “Is ______ a false teacher?” If a discernment ministry has researched this person it will pop up. This is how I have discovered that several “Christian” writers were in fact steeped in occult beliefs. Of course, you must evaluate what is said and use discernment.
Pagan practices may result in a “feeling” of supernatural power which some mistake for the presence of God. One example is to repeat a mantra, to empty your mind, and to listen for God to speak. However, you will find this nowhere in the Bible. In fact, this is a dangerous practice based on the occult which the Bible warns us against.
“The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons.” 1 Timothy 4:1
People want to experience the supernatural. They look for it and are enticed by it.
The Apostle Paul wrote, “[For my determined purpose is] that I may know Him [that I may progressively become more deeply and intimately acquainted with Him, perceiving and recognizing and understanding the wonders of His Person more strongly and more clearly].” Philippians 3:10 AMPC
But Paul also said this, “For if someone comes and proclaims another Jesus than the one we proclaimed, or if you receive a different spirit from the one you received, or if you accept a different gospel from the one you accepted, you put up with it readily enough.” 2 Corinthians 11:4
That tells me that some will come preaching a different Jesus, calling on a different spirit, and proclaiming a different gospel. This is not the Jesus we want to know. We want to know the only true and living God and Jesus His Son.
What is this different Jesus? It is one who doesn’t proclaim the truth of Scripture and is often in conflict with Scripture. It might be enticing and sound exciting but don’t be fooled by your emotions. Our emotions can lead us to believe what we want to be true instead of what IS true.
In these perilous times and in the days ahead, the truth of God’s Word is our most precious treasure and protection against evil. Do not look to mystics or pagan religions, like Buddhism or Hinduism, to learn how to know God. The Bible will teach you everything you need to know.
You can learn more about the dangers of contemplative prayer here.
“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. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.” 2 Timothy 4:3-4
“Great peace have those who love your law,
and nothing can make them stumble.” Psalm 119:165
In His Love, Cindy
Do you want to know more about Jesus? See my page Who Is Jesus?
All Scripture references are from the NIV unless otherwise noted.
Photo by Tim Riesner on Unsplash
RealChristianWomen.blog
“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. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.” 2 Timothy 4:3-4 NIV (emphasis mine)
My thoughts: A myth is simply a false belief or idea (Oxford Dictionary). May we love Truth more than what our flesh desires. We’ve been warned.
In His Love, Cindy
Do you want to know more about Jesus? See my page Who Is Jesus?
RealChristianWomen.blog
When I was young and “on fire” for God, I was enticed by churches that were alive with enthusiasm and praised God with energy and emotion. I’m not saying that’s a bad thing, but unfortunately, my enthusiasm led me to the Word of Faith movement.
I learned a lot about the Bible during those years. Sadly, much of what I learned was false, very false. I just didn’t know it. God rescued me from this false teaching about 25 years ago. I am so thankful for His mercy and faithfulness.
Today, I want to talk about a subject that is crucial for us to understand correctly. That is the subject of faith. Because I was taught the wrong definition of faith, it was very difficult to “unlearn” in later years when I realized I had been deceived.
So let’s start with the Biblical definition of faith.
“Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.” Hebrews 11:1
The rest of Hebrews 11 goes on to explain this in more detail by giving examples of people who were commended for their faith (Noah, Abraham, Sarah, etc.) Verse 13 says,
“All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance, admitting that they were foreigners and strangers on earth.”
They trusted God. When we study Hebrews chapter 11, it becomes clear that faith is trusting God to do what He has promised. Period. This is where the Word of Faith doctrine of faith differs from the Biblical definition.
They say that Hebrews 11:1, (“Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.”) is referring to a force that we can use to gain prosperity and health. This verse is taken out of context and is clearly in conflict with the rest of the chapter.
The supporters of this movement believe that faith works like a mighty power or force. Through faith, we can obtain anything we want — health, wealth, success, whatever. However, this force is only released through the spoken word. As we speak the words of faith, power is discharged to accomplish our desires.”
BereanResearch.org
This is contrary to God’s Word and is rooted in New Age teaching. Hebrews 11:1 is taken out of context and used by Word of Faith preachers to propagate a New Age belief.
The word faith appears 458 times in the New International Version (NIV). So when I realized I had to unlearn my wrong definition of faith and reread the Bible with the correct definition, I faced a monumental task!
My first response upon realizing the deception I had embraced was to reread the New Testament three times. Every time I saw the word faith, I substituted the words trust in God. I based this on the meaning of the Greek word for faith used throughout Hebrews 11.
That word is pistis. It means “firm persuasion … used in the New Testament of faith in God or Christ”. (Vine’s Expository Dictionary)
The relearning process was long and arduous because in all the 458 times I read the word faith in my Bible, the verse now took on a completely different meaning.
This is why discernment is so important. New believers can be easily swept away if sound doctrine is not preached. Why am I writing this? What is the call to action?
#1 Study your Bible so you won’t be deceived by false teachers. The Bible warns us many times about the danger of false teachers.
“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. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.” 2 Timothy 4:3-4
“For such people are false apostles, deceitful workers, masquerading as apostles of Christ. 14 And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. 15 It is not surprising, then, if his servants also masquerade as servants of righteousness. Their end will be what their actions deserve.” 2 Corinthians 11:13-15
#2 Examine the Scriptures to see if what is taught is true. Check everything. There are many times when I have heard a popular “Bible teacher” teach something and I thought, Where does the Bible say that? Many Christians are too trusting, especially when the teacher is popular, well-known, and entertaining.
“Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.” Acts 17:11
“I urge you, brothers and sisters, to watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching you have learned. Keep away from them. 18 For such people are not serving our Lord Christ, but their own appetites. By smooth talk and flattery they deceive the minds of naive people.” Romans 16:17-18
The Greek word translated as naive is akakos. It means unsuspecting. We don’t like to think of ourselves as naive, but are we unsuspecting? Everyone who claims to be a Christian isn’t automatically teaching Truth! The fact that they draw huge crowds means nothing. The fact that they have written popular books means nothing.
The important thing is, are they teaching Truth? There is only one way to know. Jesus prayed,
“Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth.” John 17:17 (emphasis mine)
In His Love, Cindy
Do you want to know more about Jesus? See my page Who Is Jesus?
All Scripture references are from the NIV unless otherwise noted.
RealChristianWomen.blog
Today, Christians sometimes mix New Age practices with their faith in Christ. This is exactly what the Israelites did after their miraculous deliverance from slavery in Egypt.
We can learn a lot from the Scriptures about Moses, Aaron, and the Golden Calf. Aaron’s bull was a mixture of the true God and the pagan methods of worship that were borrowed from the people around them.
“When the people saw that Moses was so long in coming down from the mountain, they gathered around Aaron and said, “Come, make us gods[a] who will go before us. As for this fellow Moses who brought us up out of Egypt, we don’t know what has happened to him.” Exodus 32:1 NIV
The people don’t like waiting, so they demand an idol who will fit their selfish desires. Aaron is pressured into giving the people the kind of god they want.
2 “Aaron answered them, “Take off the gold earrings that your wives, your sons and your daughters are wearing, and bring them to me.” 3 So all the people took off their earrings and brought them to Aaron. 4 He took what they handed him and made it into an idol cast in the shape of a calf, fashioning it with a tool. Then they said, “These are your gods,[b] Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt.” Exodus 32:2-4 NIV
5 “When Aaron saw this, he built an altar in front of the calf and announced, “Tomorrow there will be a festival to the Lord.” 6 So the next day the people rose early and sacrificed burnt offerings and presented fellowship offerings. Afterward, they sat down to eat and drink and got up to indulge in revelry.” Exodus 32:5-6 NIV
Aaron calls this idol “the Lord”. Why? Because he isn’t giving them a new god. He is making God fit the image of God they want. This corruption leads to revelry.
“The Hebrew word rendered indulge in revelry … can refer to words that have sexual implications. Here it implies sexual acts done in the worship of pagan gods. Immorality often accompanies idolatry, even today.” David Jeremiah
“Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like a mortal human being and birds and animals and reptiles. Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another.” Romans 1:22-24 NIV
7 “Then the Lord said to Moses, “Go down, because your people, whom you brought up out of Egypt, have become corrupt. 8 They have been quick to turn away from what I commanded them and have made themselves an idol cast in the shape of a calf. They have bowed down to it and sacrificed to it and have said, ‘These are your gods, Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt.’” Exodus 32:7-8 NIV
Do we mold God into who we want Him to be, rather than seeking out who He truly is through His Word?
When God’s people create an image of God to fit what they want Him to be, (but still call that image “God”, even “Jesus”), are they worshipping the true Jesus, or a counterfeit Jesus? Paul warned Christians concerning false apostles who would preach about a Jesus who is not the real Jesus of the Bible.
“But I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent’s cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ. 4 For if someone comes to you and preaches a Jesus other than the Jesus we preached, or if you receive a different spirit from the Spirit you received, or a different gospel from the one you accepted, you put up with it easily enough.” 2 Corinthians 11:3-4
“For the time will come when people will not tolerate sound doctrine and accurate instruction [that challenges them with God’s truth]; but wanting to have their ears tickled [with something pleasing], they will accumulate for themselves [many] teachers [one after another, chosen] to satisfy their own desires and to support the errors they hold” 2 Timothy 4:3 AMP
Not everything being taught in Christian circles today is “sound doctrine”. There is only one way to recognize false teaching when you hear it, and it is this: You must read and study the Bible for yourself. That means reading the Word of God every day. It means reading the Word of God more than you read books about the Word of God.
When you read a popular Christian author more than you read the Bible, you begin to interpret the Bible through their “lens”. If it is false, it can take years to “unlearn” what you have been taught. On the other hand, if you read and study the Bible for yourself, you will immediately recognize false teaching.
I know this to be true from experience. Having once been deceived myself by the Word of Faith teachers, it took many years for me to recover. Many of the Word of Faith teachings are rooted in New Age beliefs. I could refer you to numerous Bible teachers who can expound on this, but I would rather you recognize false teaching for yourself. That is the most powerful kind of discernment.
When listening to a Bible teacher, do you ever think, “Where is that in the Bible?” or even more importantly, “That’s not what the Bible says!”
Sometimes new Christians, in their excitement of knowing Christ as their Savior, read many books about the Bible. I believe the devil takes advantage of their hunger for God to lead them astray through false, yet entertaining, books that are so widely available today. This is what happened to me.
Lest you think, “I could never be deceived”, think about this:
“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ 23 Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’” Matthew 7:21-23 NIV
The only real protection against this is to read and study the Bible for yourself, love the Truth, and follow Jesus. Jesus said,
“God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.” John 4:24 NIV (Emphasis mine)
With Love, Cindy
Click this link to learn more about Jesus: Who Is Jesus?
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