Our Integrity Gives Credence To Our Christianity

Devotion for Saturday May 19, 2018

Topic: Our Integrity Gives Credence To Our Christianity

Text: Matthew 7: 15 – 20 

One thing that prevents men from choosing the strait and narrow way that leads to heaven is false doctrine that guarantees them freedom to live the way they want so they can fulfill their lustful desires. Today, there are many people who believe that the teachings of Paul, Peter, John, and other parts of the bible against homosexuals were wrong. Some of these false prophets brought the gay movement into the Church of God. This is the reason behind the warning Jesus gave in Matthew 7:15. You will know these false teachers by the way they drift from one position to another on doctrinal issues and the effects of their doctrines on morality. We cannot know the nature of a man until his fruits (his deeds) starts manifesting. Therefore, the way to detect false prophets is by their deeds. A person’s speech will not always correspond to his true nature (Matthew 7:21). Good teachers consistently exhibit good behaviour, integrity and high moral character as they attempt to live out the truths of Scripture. When Jesus spoke about bad trees, he meant teachers who deliberately teach false doctrine. We must examine the teachers’ motives, the direction they are taking, and the results they are seeking. Those who should not be teaching will be recognizable by their fruits. As Christians, we are teachers of the Bible by our words and action. Do we show integrity in all we do? If we do, that will give credence to our confession of faith. Let us be known for integrity and not for falsehood and deceits.

Sing SS&S 601

Food for Thought: Matthew 3:10

Memory verse: Matthew 7:20

Prayer: My God and my Father, help me to develop virtue of integrity in my words and action before you and men in Jesus name.

THEY WERE NOT FROM GOD

THEY WERE NOT FROM GOD       Thursday May 28, 2015

Text: Micah 3:1 – 7             Memory verse: v 7

The men of the East prided themselves on their beards and mustaches; to cover them was a sign of shame and remorse (Leviticus 13:45; Ezekiel 24:17, 22). These seers will be ashamed for the false visions of comfort and prosperity which they pretended to see. The false prophets would be so ashamed of themselves and so afraid of what was happening that they would not be able to open their mouths again to prophesy. False prophets gave false messages, perhaps due to political pressure (2 Kings 22:13), personal immorality (Isaiah 28:7), greed (Ezekiel 13:19), or even confusion (Jeremiah 14:14). Micah never calls these prophets false; their prophecies do it for him.

We still have similar prophets around who are not from God. You know will know them by their prophecies. Because their messages are not from God, it will all fail. God did not send them, Jeremiah 29:9.  The Bible says that by their fruits you shall know them. That they preach and pray does not mean they are of God. Be cautious and test every spirit that says he is of God (1 John 4:1). They are comfortable now in their lies and deceits. Soon and very soon, they will be exposed.

Food for Thought: Our deeds will always speak what we are to others.

Prayer: Lord, grant me grace and wisdom not to fall into the net of these false prophets in Jesus name.

TO DECEIVE PEOPLE

             

TO DECEIVE PEOPLE           Thursday April 30, 2015

Text: Matthew 24:11 – 14       Memory verse: v 11

False prophets have existed before Jesus Christ came to this earth (Isaiah 30:10; Jeremiah 5:31; 14:14; Ezekiel 13:17). False prophets portend danger for the body of Christ. This is one of the reasons why Christ warned us about them. When the disciples asked Jesus when the destruction would come (Matthew 24:3), he warned them to be on their guard against religious deception and against false prophets with false interpretations of natural or human catastrophes as signaling the end of the age.

Today they are many, found everywhere in churches, prayer houses, miracle centers and streets. In the Bible, false prophets fell into three general categories: (1) those that worshipped false gods and served Idols; (2) those who falsely claimed to receive messages from the Lord; and (3) those that wondered from the truth and ceased to be true prophets.

A reoccurring characteristic of the false prophets is that they often are in the employment of the powerful men/women and that they are careful to speak pleasing, positive and flattering words. Remember what Jesus said in (Matthew 24:11, 24). Watch out and be not deceived by false prophets, they are around and living among us. Beware!  

Food for Thought: Matthew 7:15

Prayer: My God and my Father, grant me the discretionary spirit so that I will not be deceived by false prophets in Jesus name.