Wolves/False Teachers (part 2)

<sup>Acts 20:29-31 (New Living Translation)

29</sup> I know that false teachers, like vicious wolves, will come in among you after I leave, not sparing the flock. ³⁰ Even some men from your own group will rise up and distort the truth in order to draw a following. ³¹ Watch out! Remember the three years I was with you—my constant watch and care over you night and day, and my many tears for you.

The bible uses a wolf to symbolize a false preacher/teacher/pastor/minister (whatever word you want to use). Wolves EAT sheep! The are carnivores ~ meat eaters. He or she, the false teacher, feeds on sheep and sees them as nothing more than a resource for his selfish purposes and agendas. But they are very clever at disguising themselves because if the sheep KNEW they were following a wolf, they wouldn't hang around waiting to be devoured. Sooner or later being devoured is exactly what happens to the sheep because wolves only think of themselves.

They are NOT a true shepherd. They are greedy for personal gain and a hireling. They mislead the sheep by drawing them in with words that sound biblical and true but they draw them only to themselves, not to God. They are not submitted to or in the service of Christ, The Messiah, Son of God. Rather than a servants heart, they merely put on a show of service to get what they want, which usually consist of money or things that money can buy. To them ~ the end justifies the means.

They are a cruel lot and in the end they are more than willing to feast on God's precious sheep.

False Teachers Video

Wolves/False Teachers

Matthew 7:15-20 (NLT)

15 “Beware of false prophets who come disguised as harmless sheep but are really vicious wolves. 16 You can identify them by their fruit, that is, by the way they act. Can you pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? 17 A good tree produces good fruit, and a bad tree produces bad fruit. 18 A good tree can’t produce bad fruit, and a bad tree can’t produce good fruit. 19 So every tree that does not produce good fruit is chopped down and thrown into the fire. 20 Yes, just as you can identify a tree by its fruit, so you can identify people by their actions."

Jesus warned us to Beware of false teachers. But a false teachers doesn't just jump out on stage and say "Look at me, I'm a false teacher!!!" Too bad it's not that easy to spot one, but it's not, because they are disguised. Which means they come across as someone that is very likable, friendly, thoughtful, inspirational and even genuine.

We are told to beware of these teachers for a reason. They lead people to believe that they are on the straight and narrow path that leads to life but they are really leading them down the broad and wide highway that ends in destruction. Matthew 7:13-14

The true Gospel of Jesus Christ points you toward HIM, toward BELIEVING IN HIM, TRUSTING IN HIM and LOVING HIM with all your heart, mind and soul. Anything else is not truth. It is a false gospel and those that teach another gospel is a false teacher and a vicious wolf.

Wolves

I write this as a semi response to an e-mail that I received from a friend.

He wanted me to pass on an e-mail to my old pastor. What would make him think that I still have some sort of on going relationship with the pastor, I couldn't say. But throughout his email, my friend addressed many aspects of the pastors ministry. Aspects or teachings that I long ago became aware of as being false and have since moved away from entirely.

My friend, however, insists that this teaching is proper and therefore will not even consider leaving the system. But what I found in his own email (addressing this pastor about his ministry) was the very same language used in the bible that addresses false teachers/prophets.

I didn't understand at first why his e-mail bothered me so. I simply thought it was the fact that he sent it to me in the first place. I mean, why would I want to have anything to do with that church or that pastor? And then, after I read it several times over several days, it began to dawn on me. My friend has rebuked the pastor, actually seeing his "fruit" and yet is still eating from the tree.

I have warned him several times that it's the system of Word of Faith that is wrong and not just individual pastors. The whole thing stinks! But he has gone his own way and still listens and participates in the WOF movement. This is what makes me sad. He can see that it's wrong in this one pastor but can't see that it's the same in all of them. He can't see the forest for the tree.

By his own e-mail and his own description of what is wrong in this persons ministry he has stumbled upon the very thing that the bible warns us about ~ WOLVES. He has identified ONE wolf but has ignored the pack. I feel for him. First because he thinks that an e-mail will change the wolf. Ha! And second because he's striving so hard to make something false into truth.

Twist it all around and you can make scripture say anything you want or whatever fits into your agenda. But twisted scripture will never be truth.

(Matt.7:15-16)
15 “Beware of false prophets who come disguised as harmless sheep but are really vicious wolves. 16 You can identify them by their fruit, that is, by the way they act. Can you pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles?

New Living Translation (NLT)