· Hypocrites
· Travel across the world to make a single convert, making him twice the son of hell
· Blind guides
· Inside are filled with greed and self-indulgence
· Whitewashed tombs
· Brood of vipers
Whitewashed tombs! That was mocking them worst than Elijah mocked the 850 false prophets of his day! Modern day churchianity has portrayed this lovey-dovey, only encouraging Jesus but the truth is He had no tolerance for those who would preach falsely. If we follow throughout the Old Testament, we find He has never tolerated such:
Then the LORD said to me, "The prophets are prophesying lies in my name. I have not sent them or appointed them or spoken to them. They are prophesying to you false visions, divinations, idolatries and the delusions of their own minds. - Jeremiah 14:14 (NIV)
This is what the LORD Almighty says: "Do not listen to what the prophets are prophesying to you; they fill you with false hopes. They speak visions from their own minds, not from the mouth of the LORD. - Jeremiah 23:16 (NIV)
The word of the Lord came to me: "Son of man, prophesy against the prophets of Israel who are now prophesying. Say to those who prophesy out of their own imagination: 'Hear the word of the Lord! This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Woe to the foolish prophets who follow their own spirit and have seen nothing! Your prophets, Israel, are like jackals among ruins. You have not gone up to the breaches in the wall to repair it for the people of Israel so that it will stand firm in the battle on the day of the Lord. Their visions are false and their divinations a lie. Even though the Lord has not sent them, they say, "The Lord declares," and expect him to fulfill their words. Have you not seen false visions and uttered lying divinations when you say, "The Lord declares," though I have not spoken? - Ezekiel 13:1-7 (NIV)
Prophesying lies in my name. False visions, divinations, idolatries, and delusions of their own minds. Trying to fill you with false hopes! Prophesying out of their own imaginations. Following their own spirit because they have seen nothing! They are like jackals and woe to those that follow them! Are we getting the overall sense of how God views that which is false? The worst thing is that no one ever handles the word correctly in their criticism. Discernment can be wrong. But you better come at me with bible verses properly exegeted and in context. It has been offered that there is a proper "time" to call out the wolves in sheep's clothing and to that I say rubbish. Just look at the plethora of scripture provided in this one devotional and believe me when I say that this took no time to pull together as the entire bible is just replete with support for calling out false teachers to protect the people of God. The last argument I always here is that discernment doesn't "win anyone" for Jesus. To this I respond twofold. First, the false teachers not only do not win anyone to Jesus, but they win them for the other team! Just read Matthew 7 and realize all the people saying Lord, Lord on the Day of Judgement thought they were serving Christ. This is not a game beloved. The eternal destination for the souls of men lie in the balance. There is a reason why narrow is the way, and few are those who find it. I have had plenty of people email me that what God has written through me or other discernment ministries has led them out of darkness and into the glorious light. I will leave this for now with the final word from the Beatitudes, often neglected: