Not All Christians are
The apostle Paul wrote,
“Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves.
By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thorn bushes, or figs from thistles?
Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit.
A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit.
Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.
Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.
“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.
Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’
Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’”
Matthew 7:15-23.
What the apostle Paul is saying in the above scripture is watch out. There are many who will call themselves Christians who are not.
Paul notes,
“Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’
Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’”
Sadly I have known a lot of Christians over the years who have followed evangelist and pastors who were not true Christians. They claimed a lot of miracles were done but it was nothing but deceit and lies.
I know of one evangelist who was suppose to be a healer. He came to the church I attended and claimed to heal people. Sadly he fooled a lot of people even the pastors for a time.
He’d been at our church for a couple of days before I seen him and I admit he was convincing. However he was nothing more than a fake.
He convinced a friend of mine who had bipolar disorder that he was healed. My friend stopped taking his medication and was found a few days later, looking for a place to commit suicide. All because of this false preacher.
This man made a lot of outrageous claims.
I’m a magician/clown. I’ve spent a good deal of my adult life not only making people laugh but making them think I’m the biggest idiot in the room.
I amaze children, and adults who know I’m using illusion, think I can produce things from thin air.
I do it by constantly talking and distracting people. I talk a good talk and distract my audience with words and actions.
This so called miracle worker that came to our church did the same thing. I could see it from the outset and went to my pastor about it. As apparently did others. Sadly by the time things were taken care of the man had left.
The good thing in it all was he was eventually disgraced and closed his ministry in Canada. I don’t know what happened to him after that.
One positive thing that came out of it was the church from then on required anyone claiming a healing, had to have it confirmed by a professional. Which is how it should be.
Sadly there are many others out there claiming to be faith healers. Many who claim to be preaching the word of God but are not.
They talk a good talk. They even quote scripture and make it sound good. In doing so they lead people astray.
We as Christians need to be on guard with respect to who we follow or listen to. We need to check out claims of healing. Ask the person who claims to have ministered the healing if they have independent verification.
We should if we know the person that has been healed ask them how they know they were healed.
We need to check out the pastor, evangelist, teacher and see that they are teaching the word of God correctly.
I know when it comes to teaching there are a lot of variations in interpretation among Christians still there is a common set of beliefs all Christians have.
The apostles creed while not written by the apostles is a good example of those common beliefs. The apostle creed states,
We need to hold all preachers both in the media and out to account for their actions and what they preach.
The apostle Paul wrote,
“What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside?
God will judge those outside. “Expel the wicked man from among you.”
1 Corinthians 5:12,13
Please think about it.
The apostle Paul wrote,
“Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves.
By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thorn bushes, or figs from thistles?
Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit.
A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit.
Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.
Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.
“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.
Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’
Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’”
Matthew 7:15-23.
What the apostle Paul is saying in the above scripture is watch out. There are many who will call themselves Christians who are not.
Paul notes,
“Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’
Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’”
Sadly I have known a lot of Christians over the years who have followed evangelist and pastors who were not true Christians. They claimed a lot of miracles were done but it was nothing but deceit and lies.
I know of one evangelist who was suppose to be a healer. He came to the church I attended and claimed to heal people. Sadly he fooled a lot of people even the pastors for a time.
He’d been at our church for a couple of days before I seen him and I admit he was convincing. However he was nothing more than a fake.
He convinced a friend of mine who had bipolar disorder that he was healed. My friend stopped taking his medication and was found a few days later, looking for a place to commit suicide. All because of this false preacher.
This man made a lot of outrageous claims.
I’m a magician/clown. I’ve spent a good deal of my adult life not only making people laugh but making them think I’m the biggest idiot in the room.
I amaze children, and adults who know I’m using illusion, think I can produce things from thin air.
I do it by constantly talking and distracting people. I talk a good talk and distract my audience with words and actions.
This so called miracle worker that came to our church did the same thing. I could see it from the outset and went to my pastor about it. As apparently did others. Sadly by the time things were taken care of the man had left.
The good thing in it all was he was eventually disgraced and closed his ministry in Canada. I don’t know what happened to him after that.
One positive thing that came out of it was the church from then on required anyone claiming a healing, had to have it confirmed by a professional. Which is how it should be.
Sadly there are many others out there claiming to be faith healers. Many who claim to be preaching the word of God but are not.
They talk a good talk. They even quote scripture and make it sound good. In doing so they lead people astray.
We as Christians need to be on guard with respect to who we follow or listen to. We need to check out claims of healing. Ask the person who claims to have ministered the healing if they have independent verification.
We should if we know the person that has been healed ask them how they know they were healed.
We need to check out the pastor, evangelist, teacher and see that they are teaching the word of God correctly.
I know when it comes to teaching there are a lot of variations in interpretation among Christians still there is a common set of beliefs all Christians have.
The apostles creed while not written by the apostles is a good example of those common beliefs. The apostle creed states,
1. I believe in God the Father, Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth:
2. And in Jesus Christ, his only begotten Son, our Lord:
3. Who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary:
4. Suffered under Pontius Pilate; was crucified, dead and buried:
He descended into hell:
5. The third day he rose again from the dead:
6. He ascended into heaven, and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty:
7. From thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead:
8. I believe in the Holy Ghost:
9. I believe in the holy catholic** church: the communion of saints:
10. The forgiveness of sins:
11. The resurrection of the body:
12. And the life everlasting. Amen.
(**that is, the true Christian church of all times and all places)
As a Christians we need to be on our guard against those who would claim to be Christians and doing things in the name of God but are not.We need to hold all preachers both in the media and out to account for their actions and what they preach.
The apostle Paul wrote,
“What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside?
God will judge those outside. “Expel the wicked man from among you.”
1 Corinthians 5:12,13
Please think about it.
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