“Beware of False Prophets”
“15 “Beware of false prophets who come disguised as harmless sheep but are really vicious wolves. 16 You can identify them by their fruit, that is, by the way they act. Can you pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? (Matthew 7:15–16, NLT)

I believe this commandment of Christ is a warning to pastors, preachers, and teachers of God’s word. Here, Jesus gives His disciples the permission to critique the lives and actions of their teachers. Do they bear “good” fruit? Are they seasonal or temporary? Are they sheep or wolves? Does their message bring true, lasting conviction or just momentary happiness? Do the words that they speak measure up to real evidence in their lives?

We must pray for wisdom in order to truly follow our Lord’s commandments. Without it, we are prone to follow a blind, false prophet off a mountain. Despite the Lord’s appeal and prayer for our unity as a church, most of modern Christianity is a religion of disunity. Today, we have a denomination for every disgruntled, selfish, church-hoppin’ complainer. Still, the beauty of it all is God uses it. Just as we are directed to use wisdom and discernment when following a pastor or teacher – we must use the same spiritual intelligence in picking our church membership.

May we never forget that because of His unfailing love, our awesome God specializes in taking broken things and making them “beautiful.” He took the repenting heart of an adulterer, deceiver, and murderer, and made him the greatest King in Israel’s history. Furthermore, He graced him with the ancestral lineage to Jesus Christ.

Thank You Father! You are sovereign! You are slow to anger. You are abounding in love. Thank You for Your mercy and grace! Thank You for Jesus!