We Have Been Warned

II Timothy 4:3-4 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables.

Today's devotional should serve as a grave warning. We are seeing, first hand, how more and more people are flocking toward preachers who only preach a "feel good" and "prosperity" message. In essence, they are enticing people to worship them and worship the riches of this world. Today's warning is for both the preacher and the follower. Because we live in an age of grace, right now, we do not truly understand how much God hates false teachers, and false prophets. I always say that we, as God's children, need to spend just as much time in the Old Testament as we do in the New Testament, in order to get a complete picture of who our God is. If we want a better understanding of how much God eschews false teaching and false prophets, who lure His people toward worshipping someone or something other than Him, then we must look back and see what God said about how they should be treated. Let us go back and take a look at the Book of Deuteronomy, chapter 13. God instructed Israel not to listen to false prophets, or dreamer of dreams, if they attempted to lure them away from the Lord. Instead, they were to be put to death immediately. Listen to what God told them to do, even if the person is a brother, son, daughter, wife, or best friend, beginning in verse 8, "You shall not consent to him or listen to him, nor shall your eye pity him, nor shall you spare him or conceal him; 9 but you shall surely kill him; your hand shall be first against him to put him to death, and afterward the hand of all the people." As a matter of fact, in that same chapter, the Lord commanded them to utterly destroy entire cities, kill the inhabitants, and destroy all that is in them, burning the plunder, and forbidding that the cities be rebuilt, if they followed false prophets. Is there any question at all as to how God feels about false teachers, and those who follow them? We must stay away from false teachers! Do not entertain their teachings! Most of all, do not...I repeat...do not be a false teacher! Be careful about what you proclaim to be the Word of God! We must be students of God's Word, and verify what we hear from those who claim to represent Jesus. We have been warned!

Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His free gift of salvation (Rom 6:23). Will you accept it? Anyone who calls on Jesus, by faith, in repentance, confessing your sins, will receive eternal life. Do not put off calling on Him, and receive Him and His free gift of salvation today (Rom 10:13).