“Son of man, prophesy against the prophets of Israel who are now prophesying out of their own imaginations; this is what the lord says, ‘Woe to the foolish prophets who follow their own spirit, yet have seen nothing; whose visions were empty and deceptive.’
“Woe to the shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep of My pasture!” declares the Lord. “Because you have scattered my flock and driven them away and have not bestowed care on them, I will bestow punishment on you for the evil you have done,” declares the Lord.” Jeremiah 23: 1-2
Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God. For many false prophets have gone out into the world. 1 John 4:1
This is what the Lord Almighty says: “Do not listen to what the prophets are prophesying to you; they fill you with false hopes. They speak visions from their own minds, not from the mouth of the Lord. The prophets are prophesying lies in My name,” says the Lord. “I did not send them or appoint them or speak to them. They are prophesying to you a false vision, a worthless divination, the futility and delusion of their own minds. They will prophesy but their prophecy will not come to pass.”
There are easy ways to know the false prophets. They are not really dressed in sheep’s clothing but their actions and words reveal to us who they truly are. They may tote the Bible all day long and speak the word of God on their lips, but know that a true prophet is of God and speaks eternal truth. Be not deceived. Put them to the test.
Scripture reminds us, that, any true prophet of God acknowledges that Jesus came to earth as a man in the flesh. No true prophet of God will encourage you to put your faith in people other than Jesus, a prophet will not live a life of sin but is committed to God, a true prophet is not motivated by greed nor is consumed by the things of the world, and when the prophet speaks, it’s all in the name of Jesus and no other name; because Scripture reminds us, that, a prophet of God will be chosen by God, and that He will put His words in his mouth and he will reveal everything that God commands. My brothers and sisters in Christ, if the prophet does not encourage you to be a better person, if the fruits you garner from his storehouse are causing you to do wrong in the sight of God, watch out!
Jesus while speaking to them on the Mount of Olive warned, that, in the end times false Christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive. My brothers and sisters in Christ, we are living in the end times as we are seeing prophesy fulfilled day by day.
Jesus warns us in Matthew chapter seven and verse fifteen, “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thorn bushes, or figs from thistles? Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit will be cut down and thrown int the fire. Therefore, by their fruits you will know them.”
“And they went out and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them and confirming the word through the accompanying signs.”
My brothers and sisters in Christ, God is working in us and through us every day, He has called us, everyone of us to speak His truth without fear or shame. But be careful, because many will come in His name but who are not of him. There will be false prophets, and how will you know. Scripture reminds us that by their fruits we will know them.
He who believes and is baptized will be saved, but he who does not believe will be condemned. Mark 16:16
Jesus spoke to them and said, “And these signs will follow those who believe. In My name they will cast out demons, they will speak with new tongues, they will take up serpents, and if they drink of anything deadly it will by no means hurt them, they will lay hands on the sick and they will recover. So then, after the Lord had spoken to them, He was received up into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God.”
Do you believe that the Lord is risen? Are you telling the world the Good News?
This is what Jesus commands to us do, to tell the world the Good News that he is alive. “Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
After Jesus rose from the dead it was hard for others to believe. He first appeared to Mary Magdalene, out of whom he had driven seven demons. She went to the disciples, who were grieving and weeping, and told them what had happened. But when she told them that Jesus was alive and she had seen him, they didn’t believe her. Perhaps they had forgotten his promise.
“Afterward, Jesus appeared in a different form to two of his followers who were walking from Jerusalem into the country. They rushed back to tell the others, but no one believed them. Later Jesus appeared to the Eleven as they were eating; he rebuked them for their lack of faith and their stubborn refusal to believe those who had seen him after he had risen. And then he told them, to go into all the world and preach the Good News to everyone.”
Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here, but has risen. Luke 24:5
On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb. They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them. In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, “Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee that the Son of Man must be delivered over to the hands of sinners, be crucified and on the third day be raised again? Then they remembered his words. When they came back from the tomb, they told all these things to the Eleven and to all the others. Luke 24:1-9
ALLELUIA! DEATH COULD NOT HOLD HIM, THE TOMB COULD NOT HOLD HIM, HE IS RISEN, THE LORD IS RISEN INDEED!
He is risen! The Lord is risen indeed? Alleluia! Let us celebrate the joys of Easter!