False Teachers and Prophets

 Jesus said that we would know them by the fruits they bear (Matthew 7:15-20).
    Laws written to hurt the poor and most vulnerable, out of a sense of entitlement for those who exploit, use and abuse others for their own gain.
  
Paul distinguished quite clearly between works of flesh and the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5), because it is all about what we put out there in the world around us.
   Will we put out things that destroy and tear down, or things that build up and produce growth?  Laying off workers, as "job creators", and then crying foul when being taxed of their abundance?  Killing laws that would put people back to work, so that the President looks bad and will have a harder time getting re-elected?  Cutting funds for education, denying healthcare and deporting sojourners in the land?  Ending the funding for programs that help the most vulnerable and the poor in the land?

Jesus said, "Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also."  Matthew 6:19-21
   You can tell where our hearts are when we treasure profits above people, parochial power over what is best for the nation and our own position over the well being of others.  You can tell where our hearts are when we treasure consumption over the creation's sustainable life.  You can tell where our hearts are when we treasure money over the health of others.  You can tell where our hearts are when we treasure our own "standard of living" over those who have little or nothing in our own land and in the world.  Our hearts are far from God and far from our brothers and sisters.

Paul wrote that we have gifts of ministry "so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the cunning of others, by craftiness and deceitful wiles." Ephesians 4:14
   "Speaking the truth in love", I must say that being "highly favored over others" is a wind of doctrine born of a love of prestige, that being blessed with great prosperity is a wind of doctrine born out of greed, and that any idea that Christians have superiority over anyone else is born out of the love of power over others and bigotry.  Being duped into believing that being a "real, American Christian" means counting morality only in terms of sexuality and procreation, while ignoring the blatant immorality of greed and the lust for power, while hurting (or killing) countless others in our own land and abroad is childish and a wind of doctrine.

Paul also wrote that "the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own likings, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander into myths."  II Timothy 4:3,4
   I only disagree with Paul on one thing.  The time is HERE.  When we embrace personal prosperity over the well being of our brothers and sisters in need, we fail to "feed the hungry and clothe the naked", and we, the goats, have abandoned the teachings of Jesus for something that pleases our selves.  When we believe we cannot do wrong because we claim the name of Jesus, we have adopted a belief in our own righteousness apart from Him, and deny the Cross of Christ, instead of "denying (our selves), taking up the cross and following Him.  When we push people out who just want to make a living for their families, we fail to "welcome the stranger" and push Jesus out.  When we exploit others in the world for cheap goods for our own families, we fail to "love (our) neighbor(s) as (our) selves."  When we invade other lands for oil or power or revenge (or all of these), we fail to "love our enemies and pray for (them)."  We ignore what Jesus taught because we don't like what Jesus taught.  We like what we get when we ignore what Jesus taught.  And Jesus says, "Why do you call me 'Lord, Lord' and do not do what I tell you?"  (Luke 6:46)

False Teachers and Prophets are a dime a dozen right now.
There is only ONE Savior, who is Lord.
Which will you follow?  Which will we follow?

Pastor Jamie