Tag: False teachers

Understanding False Messengers, And Learning How To Help Them per Jeremiah 29

On By Ed AlgreenIn Accept Jesus NOW, Acknowledge God, All have sinned, Awesome God, God Cares For Us, God’s WordLeave a comment

DATE POSTED
Wednesday, June 4, 2025, and I was blessed to be at Mariposa at Hunter Road, San Marcos, TX when God inspired me to prepare this devotional. My Footnote will tell you how to find and read any and all episodes that I have shared over the years.

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE
Read Jeremiah 29:24-32 in your Bible or click on it to read it online in the New Living Translation (NLT).

APPLICATION – as inspired by the Holy Spirit
I was flabbergasted by the boldness of the priest, Shemiah, to ridicule the prophet Jeremiah before the people that God supposedly sent them to minister to. As in the case of earlier chapters of the book of Jeremiah, it seems very obvious that God was working mightily through Jeremiah to inform His people the joys that lie ahead for those who obey God, and the disaster that lies ahead for those who refuse to obey God’s commands. I am of the impression that Jeremiah had earned the trust of the people, just like we would learn to love, trust, and obey the teachings of our beloved pastors today. However, in the middle of these sobering warnings by Jeremiah, and his wonderful messages of hope for the Israelites in captivity, then comes another Priest who had an opposing/contradicting message for the people. This must have been a very confusing time for the people, and this must have caused the people to doubt all messages coming from God’s supposed messengers. You see, when an audience is distant to God and His commands, they are undoubtedly numb to discerning God’s call to recognize the true and genuine messenger sent by God, and the accurate message that God had intended for them. The same remains true today, for judging God’s message and His purpose for our lives. This can only be discerned by those who are faithful and consistent in their walk with the Lord. I believe a good rule of thumb for us to follow is that if we are confused by the message from God, then it is probably an indicator that we are not close enough to God as we should be. If we were, then God would speak to us and direct us in the path He would have us go. Why not take this as an opportunity to renew your commitment to God and ask for His strong power to help you stay consistent and intimate in your relationship with Him? Prayer is our medium for communicating with God. Reading God’s Word and reminding yourself of what He teaches in His Word is the primary tool we use to hear back from God. If you question how this might be, let me assure you that God left His living Word, the Bible, for us to receive instruction and direction in our walk here on earth. If you have surrendered your life to the control of Jesus Christ, then the Holy Spirit is embedded in you, and His purpose is to keep us on track as believers in the Father, Son and Holy Spirit – our triune God. Notice that Shemiah didn’t go to Jeremiah directly to clear the matter up but instead went to the people with his false message. This kind of deliberate circumvention could only serve to cause division, unbelief and mistrust in God’s messengers. The Bible tells us that our God is not a God of confusion nor One who leads us to mistrust in our God. So, when we see this occurring, we must become more diligent in prayer with the only One who could open our eyes and minds, while also dealing in the heart of the one Satan is leading to divide God’s people. Something that is very personal to me, and causes me much agitation is when I hear a messenger of God putting down another who claims to be God’s messenger. Yes, the people should be warned of false teachers, but I pray that our messengers of the Gospel will stick to obeying their calling to challenge the lost unto salvation and disciple/teach believers so that they might grow deeper in their faith. Seeing that we (believers) are all commanded to go and preach the Gospel, then this challenge also applies to us. Tell the lost about Jesus, not how awful the church down the road is about obeying the Bible. One finger pointed at them, leaves four pointed back at self!! When we listen and obey the voice of God, He will open the eyes of discernment of each believer to detect false teachers. There is so much for us to teach and preach without having to prop ourselves up by putting others down. ‘Your Word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path‘ (Psalms 119:105). Imagine the disappointment in unbelievers when they hear believers putting one another down, for it shows that we are no example for them to follow. Lord, please take charge of your messengers so that Your Word might be extended to the whole world and bring forth fruit.

PRAYER
Thank You Lord for Your messengers who are obedient to Your call and minister to us each week. You spoke through the prophets of old, and I have no doubt that You continue to enlighten the hearts and minds of our pastors, evangelists, elders, and even us believers, so that we may extend the Gospel to everyone we come into contact with. Without the ministry of the Holy Spirit, we are like clanging cymbals – useless for extending the heart and mercies of our God. Lord Jesus, I am pleading with You today for a special touch that will embolden us to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ, without seeing the need to put others down in order to build ourselves up. The Gospel speaks for itself, and I am convinced that no amount of special emphasis by us will enhance its effectiveness. I love the ministry of the late Billy Graham, who, in spite of very large stadium gatherings, or the extra special gospel singers who performed, yet he spoke the very simple gospel of Jesus Christ and You brought forward the fruit. Please Lord, we need more of that in ourselves, our churches, our evangelists and our missionaries, for You are always the main event and Your Word is sufficient for saving the lost and opening the eyes of the fallen. Help us to hide behind the cross as we speak of the One who once hung on that cross for our salvation. Speak to the one reading this devotional who needs the Savior and encourage and embolden the saved looking for a closer walk with You. AMEN!

FOOTNOTE
If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading this devotional, please take advantage of the information provided on my page ‘To Know Jesus’. Alternatively, consider speaking with a local Bible Teaching Pastor, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com. One of God’s servants will pray with you and offer help and encouragement as you begin, or continue your walk with Jesus. If you would like to read more of my devotionals or subscribe to receive a daily email containing each new devotional, please visit NuggetsFromGodsWord.org. Friends, I encourage you to find a Bible teaching church home near your residence and attend as frequently as possible. Get to know God and allow His people to encourage and strengthen you in your Christian walk while you make every effort to be a blessing to them. God is at work among His people! Please consider being a part of that while also growing in your faith as you worship with fellow believers!

Slaves to Anything That Controls Us

On By Ed AlgreenIn Committed, Control, Control your tongue, Totally committedLeave a comment

SCRIPTURE  FROM:   2 Peter 2:18-20 (ERV)

TEXT: 18 They boast with words that mean nothing. They lead people into the trap of sin. They find people who have just escaped from a wrong way of life and lead them back into sin. They do this by using the evil things people want to do in their human weakness. 19 These false teachers promise those people freedom, but they themselves are not free. They are slaves to a mind that has been ruined by sin. Yes, people are slaves to anything that controls them.  20 People can be made free from the evil in the world. They can be made free by knowing our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. But if they go back into those evil things and are controlled by them, then it is worse for them than it was before.

OBSERVATION:   God used Peter to speak to his people at the time, and to also warn us today of the danger of false teachers sneaking in among us. Of course, no one reading this devotional will probably know of any ‘false teachers’ that have made their way into your churches, although you may have heard of this happening before at the churches across the street! Peter’s warning in these verses today shows us how easily this could happen in your own church, and how well accepted it might be, especially if they start opening up the doors, that are normally restricted or barred from typical Bible believing churches. So let’s stop and meditate on this for a little time today friends…

APPLICATION:   I remember attending a very small church at one time, and as they moved into their time of Holy Communion, my wife and I chose not to participate, because of our understanding of where our hearts should be in order to take part in this holy, sacred practice. From the pulpit, we were told that there’s nothing wrong with participating, because all have sinned. After some 50 years, I still remember the guilt feelings of giving in to that preacher in spite of where we felt we were with God at the time. Now in no way am I accusing that preacher of being a fase teacher, but I believe from our focal verses today, we could see where some teachers might easily convince us that it’s ok to do certain things, that we have always being taught is off limits for the believer. Friends, there is no better way to deal with this, than to have your Bible in hand at each service and/or Bible teaching class. If the preacher has announced a Scripture that supports his sermon, then turn in your Bible to that passage, and try to support what he is saying against what is written in the Word. If you can’t support it, then please get with the preacher after the service and ask him for the reference upon which he based his statement. Let me encourage you to do this. It will not only help you to stay true to the Word, but it will also help keep that preacher accountable to his calling. This will also encourage the preacher to thank God that at least one person was listening to the sermon/teaching! The other major thing that God got my attention on, was the fact that anything that controls us, we could easily become slave to. This really caused me to stop and ponder the things that tend to control me. While I really want you to think carefully about what might be controlling you, I believe that for me it might be things like work; church work; food; computer based programs and technology-based wonders, etc. To apply the Word of God, I believe it is my responsibility to make sure that none of the above enslaves me or interferes with my relationship with God. What about you friend, are there things that keep you for your daily time with the Lord, or opportunities to grow spiritually? Think about it, and will yourself to let nothing draw you away from God – the only One that loved you enough to sacrificially provide the means of you getting to heaven, and the only One who has the ability to help you overcome the evil things of this world and draw you to Himself.

PRAYER:   Lord, You won us to Yourself through Your precious Word. Please deepen our commitment to always seek the Word when we feel like something is separating us from You. Please help us to feed ourselves on Your Word daily, so that our souls might be fed with things that are holy, things that are righteous, and things that will draw us even closer to Yourself. Please keep us accountable to our commitment to serve You all the days of our life here on earth. May Your Word be a rock and a firm foundation on which we could stand as we face the evil of this world. AMEN!

FOOTNOTE: There are two more pages on my blog that will provide you with additional information, one of them being ‘To Know Jesus’.  If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading this devotional, please click on the above page, or speak with a local Bible Teaching Pastor, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com. Please allow someone to pray with you and give you help and/or encouragement as you begin, or continue your walk with Jesus. Words underlined in my blog could indicate a link to a song that came to mind as I wrote the devotional. Feel free to click on the link and listen as you continue to read or pray. If this devotional was forwarded to you and you would like to see more, please go to Nuggets From God’s Word and read more, or you may freely to subscribe for a daily email conveniently containing each day’s devotional. If you are anywhere near the Sebring, Florida area and do not have a church home, I would be thrilled to welcome you at Bible Fellowship Church, located at 3750 Hammock Rd, Sebring, FL 33872! Click the link to check out service times and/or other special activities. God is at work among us! Please consider coming to worship with us!

Warning! Be Alert!

On By Ed AlgreenIn Ready, Ready to Go, The Return of JesusLeave a comment

Post Date:

 Monday, 2017-03-20
SCRIPTURE

From:

 Matthew 24:23-28 (MSG)

Text:

23-25 “If anyone tries to flag you down, calling out, ‘Here’s the Messiah!’ or points, ‘There he is!’ don’t fall for it. Fake Messiahs and lying preachers are going to pop up everywhere. Their impressive credentials and dazzling performances will pull the wool over the eyes of even those who ought to know better. But I’ve given you fair warning.

26-28 “So if they say, ‘Run to the country and see him arrive!’ or, ‘Quick, get downtown, see him come!’ don’t give them the time of day. The Arrival of the Son of Man isn’t something you go to see. He comes like swift lightning to you! Whenever you see crowds gathering, think of carrion vultures circling, moving in, hovering over a rotting carcass. You can be quite sure that it’s not the living Son of Man pulling in those crowds.
OBSERVATION:
In this Scripture it was obvious that Jesus saw clearly how easy it was for the people to be persuaded about the return of the Lord, so He gave some clear signs for children of God to look for, and he gave warnings for things that might sway them towards misrepresentations of the return of Christ.
APPLICATION:
Unfortunately we still see lots of examples like those Jesus warned of in this passage, for we know of the glamourous attractions of various public ‘ministries’ that easily get the attention of thousands and thousands, who will travel hundreds of miles to be miraculous touched by them. Friends, I hate to burst your bubble, but these ‘men’ or ‘women’ can merely lead you to the cross for healing from the Master himself, and as the Word of God says, it’s because of your faith in God, that will heal you, nothing more, nothing less. We’ve heard the predictions of many about the day of the return of Jesus. Not possible, for the Word of God declares that Jesus Himself doesn’t have that date or hour, only the Father Himself. Do pray tell me why someone would declare that they are closer to the Father than His very own Son! Please don’t misunderstand, as I am not saying that you shouldn’t be encouraged by a public ministry figure. However, should they cross the line and meet the criteria that Jesus is warning us to look out for, please be diligent enough to know that it is time for you to move on. Know also that the only way you will know TRUTH, is to study the Word of God yourself, for if you don’t, then everything will sound right to you that may come from every teacher – true or false. In conclusion, let me assure you that the Word of God is clear that Jesus will return again to take His bride – the church, home to be with He and the Father. ‘The Church’ is made up of born again believers in Jesus Christ, so in some households or churches, one might graduate to heaven while their friend right next to them may have never surrendered their life to the Lord Jesus. When will this occur? Jesus said that He is unaware of the date or the hour, for only the Father in Heaven knows that. Being ready to go now is the only way of assuring you that should He return in the very next minute, or later in the year, or just at a future date, it doesn’t matter, for you will be ‘ready’ to go! I hope that you can share and appreciate the excitement of that return with me friend! When we’re excited about a trip or any future event, we become impatient with delays, oh that Jesus will keep us excited about our journey as we share with others today and every day!
PRAYER:
Having just taken a trip, the impatience of delays and disruptions are fresh on my mind, so Lord Jesus I pray that You will be with Your children as we standby for the trumpet sound and the gates opening wide as You return to take us home to glory with You! We can hardly contain ourselves as we think about that! Now may we be bold enough to share that excitement with others, so that they too might catch a glimpse of the day of Your return and accept Your invitation to join the throng as we await Your return. Oh, ‘What a Day That Will Be, when My Jesus I shall See, when I look upon His face….’. Lord, may the excitement of Your return incent your children to witness to others today and every day until You return! AMEN!
FOOTNOTE:
There are two more pages on my blog that will provide you with additional information, one of them being ‘To Know Jesus’.  If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading this devotional, please click on the above page, or speak with a local Bible Teaching Pastor, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com. Please allow someone to pray with you and give you help and/or encouragement as you begin, or continue your walk with Jesus. Words underlined in my blog could indicate a link to a song that came to mind as I wrote the devotional. Feel free to click on the link and listen as you continue to read or pray. If this devotional was forwarded to you and you would like to see more, please go to Nuggets From God’s Word and read more, or you may freely to subscribe for a daily email conveniently containing each day’s devotional. If you are anywhere near the Highlands County, Florida area and do not have a church home, I would be thrilled to welcome you at Bible Fellowship Church, located at 3750 Hammock Rd, Sebring, FL 33872! Click the link to check out service times and/or other special activities. God is at work among us! Please consider coming to worship with us!