Today I write about the last doctrine
taught by Jesus in Matthew Chapter 7. Jesus said, “Beware of false prophets who come disguised as harmless sheep but are really vicious wolves. You can identify them by their fruit, that is, by the way they act. Can you pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? A good tree produces good fruit, and a bad tree produces bad fruit. A good tree can’t produce bad fruit, and a bad tree can’t produce good fruit. So every tree that does not produce good fruit is chopped down and thrown into the fire. Yes, just as you can identify a tree by its fruit, so you can identify people by their actions.” This is written in Matthew 7:15-20, right between his teachings on The Narrow Gate and True Disciples. As I am writing this I feel the weight of its importance. Holy Spirit, give me a deeper understanding of what you mean. This is what I hear... "This passage is about discerning truth. False prophets will look like sheep but be wolves. They will appear to do all the right things. They will baptize people in My name. They will feed the poor and cast out demons in My name. They will prophecy about future things. But they are not My sheep. They are not listening to My voice." The Lord says, “Remember what I said in Matthew 7 21-23. I will tell many people who do these things in MY name to depart from Me.” The fruit that Jesus speaks of is not necessarily the works that we see; it’s the reason behind why the fruit is happening. The Lord is speaking about Kingdom trees, and the fruit that grows from Kingdom seeds. Let’s Dig. There are four types of human hearts; and only one produces a Kingdom result. Each of us has spiritual ground, and each of us will experience the voice of God, the question is... Will His Seed Grow? Scripture says, “For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities - his eternal power and divine nature- have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.” Romans 1:20 Good soil hears the Voice of God and responds. God's rain gives life to their bones, and their thirst is quenched from His unending cup. Then there’s those who have hard hearts, they hear God’s voice but they don’t receive it. Many people are just like that: they come to church, hear the Word, and seem to like it, but the Word is ON their hearts, instead of In it. Some have hearts of stony ground. The soil is shallow and superficial. These are the the people who say they know God, but when push comes to shove, they give up on Him. Finally, there’s hearts that are full of weeds, They tend to be double-minded and preoccupied with money. These are the people who are very worldly. To me, these are the ones that are most scary! These hearts have lost their first love, because the weeds of the world get out of control and before you know it Satan is suffocating their souls. We see this in the church today, Pastors who are driven by what people say. They are the ones who speak about God’s love, and hold on to the culture that pushes being progressive. Unfortunately, they choose not to speak the truth in love, and they omit the scripture that speaks about correction and discipline. The gospel they teach is limited, because they don’t share ALL that Jesus said. They sow into a worldly kingdom, and Satan certainly rewards them. Many grow in worldly success, attaining money and many possessions. These are the the ones who behave like Ananias and Sapphira, who gives some but not all of them. It’s very rare to hear Christians preaching the truth in love, because of what Jesus said in Matthew 10 - “Look, I am sending you out as sheep among wolves. So be as shrewd as snakes and harmless as doves. But beware! For you will be handed over to the courts and will be flogged with whips in the synagogues. You will stand trial before governors and kings because you are my followers. But this will be your opportunity to tell the rulers and other unbelievers about me. When you are arrested, don’t worry about how to respond or what to say. God will give you the right words at the right time. For it is not you who will be speaking - it will be the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.” “A brother will betray his brother to death, a father will betray his own child, and children will rebel against their parents and cause them to be killed. And all nations will hate you because you are my followers. But everyone who endures to the end will be saved.” “Don’t be afraid of those who threaten you. For the time is coming when everything that is covered will be revealed, and all that is secret will be made known to all.” “What I tell you now in the darkness, shout abroad when daybreak comes. What I whisper in your ear, shout from the housetops for all to hear!” “Don’t be afraid of those who want to kill your body; they cannot touch your soul. Fear only God, who can destroy both soul and body in hell.” “Everyone who acknowledges me publicly here on earth, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven. But everyone who denies me here on earth, I will also deny before my Father in heaven.” “Don’t imagine that I came to bring peace to the earth! I came not to bring peace, but a sword.” “I have come to set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. Your enemies will be right in your own household!’ “If you love your father or mother more than you love me, you are not worthy of being mine; or if you love your son or daughter more than me, you are not worthy of being mine. If you refuse to take up your cross and follow me, you are not worthy of being mine. If you cling to your life, you will lose it; but if you give up your life for me, you will find it.” “Anyone who receives you receives me, and anyone who receives me receives the Father who sent me.” “If you receive a prophet as one who speaks for God, you will be given the same reward as a prophet. And if you receive righteous people because of their righteousness, you will be given a reward like theirs.” “And if you give even a cup of cold water to one of the least of my followers, you will surely be rewarded.” Matthew 10:16-42 You see, a prophet is one who speaks what they hear, the seed of the Word that is planted in their heart, a prophet is one who hears from their "god / GOD” and then speaks what they hear into the world. Either the soil of the heart of the prophet is good and they speak the truth in love, or the soil of the heart of prophet is bad and speak to the twisted word of Satan. “When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching, for he taught with real authority - quite unlike their teachers of religious law.” Matthew 7:28-29 May those who have ears to hear, respond. This is the way we bring the light of God into this dark world.
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