“And many false prophets will appear and deceive many people.” (Matthew 24:11)
I watched 60 Minutes last Sunday night in utter amazement. How could anyone believe that eternal life would first come on an alien spacecraft shadowing the tail of a comet?
Well, 39 intelligent men and women gave their lives for such a belief and here sat another believer from their camp telling 60 Minutes reporter Leslie Stahl how much he regretted that he had not joined them.
What transpired last week in San Diego County, California was not an isolated event that occurs every 15 years or so. Television, because it gravitates towards the unusual or outlandish, would have us believe that the last time something like this happened was when Jim Jones’ followers committed mass suicide in 1979. Yes, the Heaven’s Gate cult bordered on the absurd, but other cults, with strong beliefs, are right here in our own community. We don’t hear about them because they are small, relatively unorganized, and lack the finances to make any noise. Yet, they are just as destructive.
The Bible is quite outspoken about such false teachings. Both Old and New Testaments devote considerable attention to false teachings and the false prophets who often mask their teachings under the thin veil of Christianity. That’s why Jesus said, “Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves.” (Matthew 7:15) That’s pretty strong language from our Lord and Savior, isn’t it?
The Apostle John also gave the matter his undivided attention. In fact, the whole book of 1 John, which took the form of a letter in the first century, was largely written to dispel doubts and build assurance by presenting a clear picture of Christ.
John warned believers everywhere, “Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.” (1 John 4:1) He also offered some great advice when we question if what we see, hear or feel is God: “This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God. Every Spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world.” (1 John 4:2-3)
It’s not unusual for a Christian to be drawn to those things that we think are godly. But we need to make sure that God is where we think he is. Even Paul reminds us that the devil often “…masquerades as an angel of light.” (2 Corinthians 11:14)
There is no doubt that demonic forces are at work in this world, all in an effort to see that good does not triumph over evil. In fact, even Jesus once told Satan, “You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men.” (Matthew 16:23)
It’s a shame that we may not be able to recognize whether God is involved in causes or movements with which we want to associate, but Satan is going to do everything in his power to convince us that the ungodly is godly and that what appears to be wrong is right. Our challenge is to remember that if the “…Son of God appeared to destroy the devil’s work” (1 John 3:8), then the victory has already been won. The task at hand is, as Paul advised, “Put on the whole armor of God so that you can take you stand against the devil’s schemes.” (Ephesians 6:11)
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