                        FALSE PROPHETS
                                                           
                          PART NO 1:                 
                        
                          THE DANGER

    In the seventh chapter of Matthew there is a warning 
given by our Lord:

         "Beware of false prophets, which come to
         you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly
         they are revening wolves."       Matt 7:15

To quote A. W. Pink on the subject;

         "If there be any verse in Holy Writ where 
         it is deeply important to observe (and heed)
         its connection it is surely the one at
         which we have now arrived."

     
    Why are these false prophets so dangerous?  Is it
because they may fleece the Christian of his or her
money?  Is it because the attempt and succeed in bizarre
acts?  No none of these are at the heart of why the warn-
ing was given.  One of the major reasons is that the false
prophets are one of the chief factors in the apostasy and
destruction of Israel in the Old Testament days and the 
church at the present time.  Jesus declared that

         "many false prophets will appear and deceive many
          people.                        Matt 24:11

And some more 

         "For false Christs and false prophets will
         appear and perform great signs and miracles
         to deceive even the elect--if that were        
         possible."

    I do believe here is where some of those ideas of the
bizarre come from; "great signs and wonders".  But with
this also comes a far more subtle and dangerous teaching.
It could even be called their general characteristic.  This
is  that they try to make vital godliness and holiness to
be less strict and appear to be an "easier" thing and along
with this make it more agreeable to the fallen nature and
far easier to accept and be satisfied than with the True
Grace.  In the words of St John:

         "They are of the world: therefore speak
         they of the world, and the world hearth
         them"                       I John 4:5
           
The obvious is expressed by  A. W. Pink when he stated
   
         "People think they are teaching them the
         way to Heaven, when if fact they are
         conducting the way to Hell."

In addition to their subtlety there is still another danger 
for the Christian.  This is the willingness of something
inside of many Christians to not only hear but to accept
the "destructive heresies" as they are called by St Peter
in II Peter 2:1--3. 

     In the next section we will discuss some of the 
heresies that have entered in the modern church and 
some of their results.   Be up in about two weeks.

     As a parting remark may I please quote the Lord
on this subject;

           "Enter through the narrow gate.  For
           wide is the gate and broad is the
           road that leads to destruction, and
           many enter through it. But small is
           the gate and narrow the road that
           leads to life, and only a few find
           it."

                  FALSE PROPHETS PART 2                      
           
     Some of the false prophets use modern philosophy and 
psychology to move the person's mind from finding the truth.  
Let me touch on one area, that of meditation.  First, let's 
define what meditation is.  In Psa 1:2 the word "hagah" is 
used, meaning "to ponder", and in Tim 4:15; the word 
"meletao" is used meaning "to carefully revolve in one's 
mind".  All through the scriptures we see places where 
meditation is used.  In every case, though, and this is 
IMPORTANT, "It is NOT OUR thinking OUR thoughts about God" 
but "It is the transforming of OUR THOUGHTS by God's Word".  
This concept is brought out by four important scriptures:

John 15:3

         "Now you are clean through the word which
         I have spoken to you"

Ephesians 5:26
         
          "....... and cleanse it with the washing
         of water by the word"

James 1:21
       
         "Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and super-
         fluity of naughtiness, and receive with meek-
         ness the engrafted word which is able to save
         your soul"

Romans 12:2

         "....:but be ye transformed by the renewing
         of your mind that ye may prove what is that
         good and acceptable, and perfect will of
         God. "

     The false prophet teaches that we must EMPTY our minds 
so that God can fill it with His thoughts.  What takes place 
is not what the person or God wants to happen.  It is 
generally an invitation to some disastrous events.  This 
type of teaching of the advanced techniques of meditation 
involve many weird manifestations of the spirit world APART 
from God.  This type of meditation usually leads into one of 
the basic eastern religions such as Zen Buddhism and 
Hinduism which are supposed to help one reach greater 
understanding.  All of this generally results in many forms 
of changing the level of consciousness or altering of it.  
What happens to the subject is that he reaches various 
transcendental states, where he feels like he is being drawn 
closer to God.  

      For this is what, he is told, is the purpose of all of 
this.  Some of these Self-realization Fellowships will even 
go so far as to admit to the existence of Jesus and will use 
some selected teachings of His to make the experience more 
real and that the person is experiencing a position much 
closer to God.  This use of selected teachings allows the 
group to draw people to what they believe is very close to 
Jesus, but yet by leaving out just enough so the person can 
not experience the real Jesus or His love for them.  The 
experience of receiving the Holy Spirit can be, and is, 
CLOSELY DUPLICATED.  In some areas it may even seem to 
exceed those feelings of the real experience.  However, in 
every case the result is that the person experiencing this 
comes out of it with one of two feelings.  The first is to 
have severe frustration later on when the truth is realized 
or, secondly, to end up thinking he or she has a form of 
deliverance which is NOT a real form of salvation or 
deliverance at all!  Leaving the person with a false form of 
security.
     
     There is still another form or result of this type of 
meditation, which in the present form or time is far more 
frightening or dangerous.  This is when the meditation is no 
longer controlled by the individual involved.  In some cases 
this form of emptying one's mind coupled with the use of 
drugs renders the person involved totally under the control 
of an UNWANTED spirit.  Where this spirit leads the person 
to can be even a more frightening experience.  The problem 
is that once this stage is reached escape is most painful 
and not an easy thing to do.  Many times those who are 
hooked find that rather than experiencing the satisfaction 
and peace they wanted, they find just the opposite.  

     In the next section we will look at another form of a 
false prophet.  This one appears to be very orthodox and to 
have a real burden for souls.  But in reality is leading 
people NOT to Jesus Christ but to an eternal Hell.


                    FALSE PROPHETS 3

     Here we are going to meet the worst of the bunch.  They
appear to be the most orthodox and pretending to have a burden 
and fervent love for souls, yet they fatally deludeboth the 
Gospel and the multitudes concerning the way of salvation. 

     These people paint an easy road to salvation contrary to       
what Jesus says in Matt 7:13,14... 

   "Enter ye in at the strait gate; for wide is the gate
   for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth
   to destruction, and many there which go in thereat. 
   Because strait is the gate and narrow is the way, which 
   leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it."

It is the purpose of these people to distract people from 
the narrow way and Jesus and cause them to focus on the 
broad way which does not lead to anywhere.  Some would take
the idea of a narrow way to be difficult,but this is not
true either.  For Jesus said in Mark 10:15...      

    "And said Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted
    and become as little children, ye shall not enter in
    to the kingdom of heaven."

So simple that a child's mind can understand and embrace it 
yet so narrow that in confounds many.                      
                                                              
   These false prophets make it seem so easy.  One doesn't
have to forsake his or her evil ways. They do not have to
give up their worldly ways.  Just set back and enjoy is the
message these proclaim. 

    Still another group has the idea that man through his
works and doing good can earn his place in heaven.  Rituals
and special prayers and the good conduct or life of the 
person is the key to heavens gate.  Sometimes this is made
very subtle and convinces many.

    Jesus says in John 14:6...

    "Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and 
    the life: no man cometh unto the Father but by me."

Jesus proclaimed it and all the substitutes in the world
and its prophets can make will not measure up to Him.
They may make big temples and churches, they may perform
many wonderful things, they may even do wonders and 
appear as the most holy.  But in the fact they do not have
Jesus all they can offer is sadness,defeat, and eternal 
Hell.  The Bible says flee from them!!!!!
