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Observations from today’s readings and today’s S-WOD, Thursday, 28 March 2024:
John 7:6, 7, 18, 19 — Jesus said to them…. “The world cannot hate you, but it hates me because I testify about it that its works are evil…. The one who speaks on his own authority seeks his own glory; but the one who seeks the glory of him who sent him is true, and in him there is no falsehood. Has not Moses given you the law? Yet none of you keeps the law. Why do you seek to kill me?” The crowd answered, “You have a demon! Who is seeking to kill you?”
- Ezekiel 13:3, 6, 10 — Thus says the Lord God, Woe to the foolish prophets who follow their own spirit, and have seen nothing! …They say, ‘Declares the Lord,’ when the Lord has not sent them, and yet they expect him to fulfill their word…. Precisely because they have misled my people, saying, ‘Peace,’ when there is no peace….
Jesus describes the natural division which will occur between false prophets or teachers and God’s true messengers. The false prophet seeks to validate the wicked deeds of the rebellious, calling them good and acceptable before God, moral, just, and true. Whereas God’s true messenger exposes evil for what it is, calls for repentance, and proclaims grace to those who turn to Jesus. The world praises the false prophet which God condemns, and the world hates God’s true messenger who God commends. Today, Jesus points out that the false prophet or teacher has no real moral authority, seeks his own glory, and appeals to those who also seek their own glory too, while God’s messenger speaks under God’s authority and seeks to glorify God alone.
The Bible tells us that the first test of a prophet or teacher is what they proclaim about Christ – those who aren’t genuinely following Christ are inevitably misguiding those who would follow them – “Who is the liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, he who denies the Father and the Son. No one who denies the Son has the Father. Whoever confesses the Son has the Father also.” (1 John 2:22-23) Consider the top influencers in the world today. What are they proclaiming about Christ? This should be your first filter.
Jesus also said that a true prophet or teacher who has the gifts of the Spirit will also produce the fruit of the Spirit (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control) in a clearly visible way — “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. (Matthew 7:15-18) There are some teachers who proclaim Christ, but the Truth is not really in them; they are not rooted in Christ, so they can’t bear the fruit of Christ. They may be able to pretend for awhile like an actor (the Greek word for actor is hypocrite), but they will reveal the truth of who they really are eventually. What is the fruit being revealed from today’s top influencers?
Fueled by their own pride, selfishness, and hatred, false prophets preach and inspire divisiveness and hate, often in the name of righteousness, peace, and even love. Have you observed this among today’s top influencers?
- 1 Timothy 6:3-10 — If anyone teaches a different doctrine and does not agree with the sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ and the teaching that accords with godliness, he is puffed up with conceit and understands nothing. He has an unhealthy craving for controversy and for quarrels about words, which produce envy, dissension, slander, evil suspicions, and constant friction among people who are depraved in mind and deprived of the truth, imagining that godliness is a means of gain. But godliness with contentment is great gain, for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world. But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content. But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs. (Read also 2 Peter 2)
- 2 Timothy 2:22-26 — So flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart. Have nothing to do with foolish, ignorant controversies; you know that they breed quarrels. And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil, correcting his opponents with gentleness. God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth, and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, after being captured by him to do his will.
God’s true prophets and teachers hold fast to the Gospel message and proclaim Truth, exposing sin while proclaiming the free gift of salvation by grace through faith in Christ alone, and not by any human merit. Christians proclaim the only way to peace which is in Christ, and they proclaim a message of reconciliation with God while living out a ministry of reconciliation, demonstrating the truth of Christ and the love of Christ in their attitudes, words, and deeds (2 Corinthians 5:18-19), all through the power and authority of Jesus Christ, and all to His glory alone. Jesus warned that this message would be unacceptable to those who stood opposed to the will of God, even to those who had convinced themselves they were godly and righteous. Not only did the world hate Jesus because He exposed the truth of sin, called for repentance, and preached no other way for salvation but through Him, they called Him evil, possessed, crazy, paranoid, and dangerous. In their self-righteous delusion, they actually accused the Son of God of being the enemy of God, which was, in fact, what they were. True love speaks the truth on love, but don’t be surprised with loving words are characterized as hate.
What is your testimony to those around you, and how is it being accepted? Will you seek to influence others by your own authority and with your own message, or will you serve as Christ’s ambassador and remain faithful with the message of reconciliation to Him – the Gospel? Jesus said, “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you. You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet. You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” (Matthew 5:10-16) “Go your way; behold, I am sending you out as lambs in the midst of wolves.” (Luke 10:3) “And you will be hated by all for my name’s sake. But the one who endures to the end will be saved.” (Mark 13:13) “Blessed are you when people hate you and when they exclude you and revile you and spurn your name as evil, on account of the Son of Man!” (Luke 6:22) “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:18-20)
- Luke 14:27-33 — Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple. For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it? Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish.’ Or what king, going out to encounter another king in war, will not sit down first and deliberate whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand? And if not, while the other is yet a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks for terms of peace. So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple.
“Cross” Fit S-WOD (Spiritual Workout of the Day) – 28 March 2024: Declare your identity in Christ and Christ alone. Avoid all identity politics which distract from unity in Christ. Proclaim the Gospel today at all cost.
Defenders Bible Reading Plan 