Devotionals
Be Cautious
1 John 4:1-2
Dear friends, do not believe everyone who claims to speak by the Spirit. You must test them to see if the spirit they have comes from God. For there are many false prophets in the world. This is the way to find out if they have the Spirit of God: If a prophet acknowledges that Jesus Christ became a human being, that person has the spirit of God.
Discernment is the process of exhibiting keen insight and good judgment. It is the ability to understand and use discretion. It is recognition, perceptiveness, and caution.
Spiritual discernment is necessary to perceive what is of God and what is not of God. This world has many false prophets and teachers who are ready to deceive. They appear holy and anointed. They are given power from the devil, literally possessed with evil. They are charming, charismatic, and manipulative. These "sunshine" speakers love to tickle the ears of the listener. They teach self-improvement or prosperity. They know the right words to say to seduce the listener and captivate the audience. They prey on the weak, immature, and unlearned. Sometimes, even the elect of God are deceived. We always want to see the good and forget that this world is full of corruption.
Don't be naive. The Bible speaks of the wolves in sheep's clothing. Those who have the appearance of good, but evil is lurking within. These people are motivated by selfish reasons: praise, status, wealth, and power. They use their victims to reach their goals. It is scary to know how many people are led astray daily. The number would be staggering.
Attentively examine the atmosphere, speech, actions, and attitudes. Distinguish if it aligns with the truths given to us by God's word. If something just doesn't seem right, it probably isn't. This happens when the Spirit is in disagreement with what is taking place. Discernment is for our protection.
PLEASE ENCOURAGE AUTHOR BELOW LEAVE COMMENT ON ARTICLE
Reader Count & Comments
Date
They are going to come so close to the Word of God that even the elect may be decieved and you are so right about trying the spirits.I wonder if people realizes how close we are going to have to be to the Word so it doesn't happen to us! Wonderful convicting article!
A wonderful and extremely important word - thank you for sharing it.
A message that is absolutely VITAL in this age of deception! May you coninue to encourage, inspire, and WARN the flock for "...the end of all things is at hand...(I Peter 4:7 KJV)"
The opinions expressed by authors do not necessarily reflect the opinion of FaithWriters.com. This is especially true with articles that
deal with personal healthcare and prophecy. We encourage the reader to make their own decision in consultation with God, His Word, and others as needed.
This article has been read 868 times < Previous | Next >
Read more articles by Cindie York or search for other articles by topic below.
This article has been read 868 times < Previous | Next >
Search for articles on: (e.g. creation; holiness etc.)
Read more by clicking on a link:Free Reprints
Main Site Articles
Most Read Articles
Highly Acclaimed Challenge Articles.
New Release Christian Books for Free for a Simple Review.
NEW - Surprise Me With an Article - Click here for a random URL
God is Not Against You - He Came on an All Out Rescue Mission to Save You
...in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them... 2 Cor 5:19
Therefore, my friends, I want you to know that through Jesus the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you. Acts 13:38
LEARN & TRUST JESUS HERE
FaithWriters offers Christian reading material for Christian readers. We offer Christian articles, Christian fiction, Christian non-fiction, Christian Bible studies, Christian poems, Christian articles for sale, free use Christian articles, Christian living articles, New Covenant Christian Bible Studies, Christian magazine articles and new Christian articles. We write for Jesus about God, the Bible, salvation, prayer and the word of God.