King Jesus Says – Beware False Prophets

You know it’s serious when the word ‘beware’ is used.

As purity is such an important element of the Kingdom, as this quality is at the heart of what defines those who inherit the Kingdom, understandably it’s something that is to be cherished dearly. Anything that can contaminate that purity, anything that jeopardises the sanctity of this collective is something to take very seriously indeed.

As ever, the King does not sugar-coat His warning,

Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will recognize them by their fruits

Matthew 7:15-16

What are ravenous wolves looking for? What are they hoping to feed on? How are they going to sink their teeth into the meal that will satiate their ravenous tendency?

They will approach though and they are clear in their intention and will not hide too much in their disguise because there will be a clear giveaway about who they really are. And this is where the fruit test comes in.

The fruit test can indeed assess if what they have to prophesy comes true. That’s a help. What’s an even bigger help is to see if the fruit lines up with what Kingdom folks tend to produce. Are they peacemakers promoting righteousness and mercy through a meek lifestyle marked by humility? Are they the sort to love their enemies? Is it their desire to see others brought into a Kingdom where the King rules in this way?

These are not things you can fake for long. Smooth talk only goes so far. Charismatic and charming persona can seduce for only so long. Eventually, the real fruit emerges. We don’t have to assess them on sales, education, numbers of followers, prestige, position or popularity. That’s not the check – it’s all about if these people who claim to be mouthpieces of the Prince of Peace make peace.

Jesus is clear that the fruit tells all and we can ensure that we are not being suckered into being dinner for the wolves, by applying the fruit test. Applying it from a desire to maintain this wonderful purity we have because of the King who rescued us from the clutches of someone even more ravenous than those wolves.

With so many voices having platforms to declare their words, it can be easy to be taken in with the compelling and soothing words. Will we be carried along with every trend and wind that sounds good and tickles our fancy? Will we take it on ourselves to follow the fools into foolhardy endeavours wasting time, resources and energy? Will we allow ourselves to be consumed by those wolves that won’t think twice about taking advantage?

Or will we hear, obey and teach others to observe what King Jesus says?

(Photo by Markus Spiske on Unsplash)

For His Name’s Sake

Shalom

C. L. J. Dryden