Our Lord warned us that many false teachers would be performing miracles, casting out demons, and preaching in the name of Jesus (Matt. 7:21-22). Peter, the leader of the apostles, told us that false prophets who love money would be very common as well as popular (2 Pet. 2:1-2, 14). John says that “many false prophets are gone into the world,” and because of this we must test every pastor (1 John 4:1). Paul warns us that false pastors “plunge men into ruin and destruction.” (1 Tim. 6:5, 9-10) The founders of our faith all warned us about false teachers. So who are these false teachers?
We have been warned, but most people want us to think that we must live in a cloud without any chance of really knowing who these people are. ”Brethren, do not be children in your thinking; yet in evil be infants, but in your thinking be mature.” (1 Cor. 14:20)
Last Friday I went to another crusade—I have been to many in the past. But I tried to ask some questions during the evening such as:
- “Why are so many people tricked by this?”
- “How can the average Christian discern when he is dealing with a false teacher?”
To answer those questions, I have compiled a list of eight observations to discern when an angel of light is really a tool of Satan. The marks are ranked according to their danger. The worst are at the end. Secondly, not every false teacher shows all these marks all the time, but they all show many of these marks often.
We can know who false teachers are. We can identify them, and we must identify them because the souls of men and the glory of God are at stake.
Our Lord told us,
“Do not think that I came to bring peace on the earth; I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. 35 “For I came to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; 36 and a man’s enemies will be the members of his household. 37 “He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; and he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me.” Matt. 10:34-37
Do we love Jesus Christ enough to stand against those who twist His words?
I’ll post one per day for the next week or so.
Identifying Prosperity Preachers
Mark #1: They Do Not Stay Long in a Single Verse
Mark #2: They Are Intentionally Vague
Mark #3: They Consistently Disobey Explicit Scriptural Teaching About Tongues
Mark #4: They Prostitute the Old Testament
Mark #5: They Assume Their Listeners Are All Born Again
Mark #6: They Ignore the Great Themes of Scripture
Mark #7: They Have an Aversion to Humility
Mark #8: They Draw the Affections to Earth
