Faith or Fable

“Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons… Have nothing to do with irreverent, silly myths. Rather train yourself for godliness….” [1 Timothy 4:1, 7 ESV]

“For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths.” [2 Timothy 4:3-4 ESV]

“But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them–bringing swift destruction on themselves. Many will follow their depraved conduct and will bring the way of truth into disrepute. In their greed these teachers will exploit you with fabricated stories. Their condemnation has long been hanging over them, and their destruction has not been sleeping.” [2 Peter 2:1-3 NIV]

“A little yeast works through the whole batch of dough.” [Galatians 5:9 NIV]

myth /miTH/ noun:

1. a traditional story, especially one concerning the early history of a people or explaining some natural or social phenomenon, and typically involving supernatural beings or events.

2. a widely held but false belief or idea.

Have you ever played the popular party game where the guests line up and the person at the head of the line, say Bill, tells the next person in line a short but factual account of his day, and that person in turn tells the next person, and so on, and by the time it reaches the last person in the line it is so far off from the original account that it sounds more like an awful soap opera plot rather than Bill’s ordinary day? Due to our lack of attentiveness, bad memory, and perhaps a bent toward embellishing, a truthful account can turn into a full blown fable. While this may be fun and entertaining at a get-together, I see the danger of a similar phenomenon happening in churches that takes truth and twists it. Man’s lack of attentiveness, our bad memories, and our desire to exaggerate to make something more exciting is leaving its mark on the apostate church today, just as prophesied. And it wants to spread. If you are a young or relatively new believer, please heed this warning. Like Galatians 5:9 warns, “A little yeast works through the whole batch of dough.”

The bible often casts yeast in a negative light for its propensity to spread when using only a little bit. Yeast is a common, tiny plant-like microorganism. It is known as the oldest plant cultivated by man. When bread is made, yeast is used to cause a chemical reaction with the flour. The yeast feeds on the sugars in the flour and creates carbon dioxide gas, causing bubbles to spread quite rapidly throughout the batch of dough and making it rise. It can double the size of the lump so that when it is baked, the texture of the bread is light and airy. In the bread world, this is good. However, in the spiritual world, Jesus used it to illustrate how fast and thoroughly a little bit of falsehood can taint our minds and hearts.

It is interesting that in the Bible, unleavened bread is symbolic of righteousness and truth, and yeast is symbolic of sin and, in my focus today, false teaching. For example, Jesus warned His disciples, “How is it you don’t understand that I was not talking to you about bread? But be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” Then they understood that he was not telling them to guard against the yeast used in bread, but against the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” [Matthew 16:11-12 NIV]

Brothers and sisters, we need to pray for discernment more than ever these days. We are being bombarded with falsehood by many megachurches, a plethora of authors and speakers, major publishing houses, popular music, and “family-oriented” movies, all claiming to wear the Christian hat. It is like the entertainment industry is being appropriated by the apostate church. We are even being subjected to the same marketing schemes of the world. Most of us are naturally spiritually hungry, and the newest Christian best-seller seems like it will satisfy. Beware. Many times it is like grabbing junk food when what we really need is the pure milk of God’s Word: “Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation.” [1 Peter 2:2 ESV]

We need to be aware that our flesh likes to be entertained. Think about it. Is it easier to watch an emotionally manipulative and heretically-influenced episode of The Chosen, or sit down with your Bible to learn that your gossip habit is ungodly and unkind? The latter lovingly corrects, the former merely placates. Realize that the more we get sidetracked by these seemingly good things, the less time we spend in God’s Word with our Lord. This is especially vital to realize for young Christians so that they can learn truth and then be able to recognize the falsehood. I liken spiritual falsehood today to the color black navy. When you look at black navy, it looks black. Until you hold it up to black. Then you can see it’s blue! It’s the same with all the deceptive teachings of today. It looks pretty true until you hold it up to the Truth in God’s Word. I think one of the main tactics of the devil these days is to distract us away from the power of scripture: “For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” [Hebrews 4:12 ESV] Friends, don’t be seduced!

So far, I’ve been talking about some of the more subtle ways we can be deceived. However, more and more people are being misled by blatant error. For example, I read an account from the Bethel megachurch in Redding, California, about a woman in their School of Supernatural Ministry who thought she “heard” from God to yell, “Wakey, wakey” in the sanctuary. She did this and nothing happened until she started crossing a street and heard a tumultuous rumbling. Looking behind her she said she saw a huge angel yawning. She asked it who it was, and he claimed he was the “angel of revival,” and that he had been asleep until now because no one was praying for revival. This should (!) send up red flags for every true believer. First, there is no such thing as an “angel of revival,” as if the repentance and conversion of a soul were his responsibility. Jesus clearly states that “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day.” [John 6:44 ESV] Jesus also tells us that it is the Holy Spirit who convicts of sin: “Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you. “And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment.” [John 16:7-8 NKJV] And again, Jesus credits His Father with the work of saving souls: “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.” [Matthew 9:37-38 ESV] Note that the Lord of the harvest is who we pray to. We do not pray to angels!

Secondly, we would need to believe that angels sleep, and can sleep for years on end. This sounds a lot like the ancient Greek myths of gods taking on human characteristics, like sleep, or drunkenness, or falling in love followed by much intrigue and treachery. No. The Bible clearly states what angels are: “Are they not all ministering spirits sent out to serve for the sake of those who are to inherit salvation?” [Hebrews 1:14 ESV]. We know that angels are spirit creatures, and as such do not need sleep like humans. In many places, the Bible describes angels and other spirit creatures, like seraphim and cherubim, as constantly ministering before God: “See that you do not despise one of these little ones. For I tell you that in heaven their angels always see the face of my Father who is in heaven.” [Matthew 18:10 ESV]

Thirdly, we would have to somehow believe that no one within recent years has prayed for revival other than this Bethel student. While this is absurd, it is also good to note that the Bible never promises a revival in the last days. But it does prophecy a great apostasy: “Let no one in any way deceive you, for [it will not come] unless the apostasy comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction.” [2 Thessalonians 2:3 NASB95] Jesus warns us that in the last days things will get worse, not better: “At that time many will fall away and will betray one another and hate one another. Many false prophets will arise and will mislead many. Because lawlessness is increased, most people’s love will grow cold. But the one who endures to the end, he will be saved.” [Matthew 24:10-13 NASB95] Beloved, the end times will be marked by hardship, persecution, and difficulty for a true believer. Do not believe so-called prophets who promise a glorious end times awakening in direct contradiction to Christ, our King of Glory! Jesus told us these things so that we would not become disillusioned and lose heart. And we will not lose heart, because He is with us always: “And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” [Matthew 28:20 ESV]

This is just one example of the fables and myths being bought into these days. Another key trend I see, especially in women claiming to be prophets, is a highly irreverent relationship with Jesus. I tend to think it began more subtly, years ago, when people started calling Jesus, “lover of our souls.” Today it is often shortened to just, “lover,” which in our society here in the United States has the connotation of a romantic and sexual relationship. How odd! I cringe when people call God our lover. There are many reasons, but suffice it to say it leads down a slippery slope of sloppy and self-centered eisegesis. There are some theologians that liken the erotic imagery in the Song of Solomon to Christ’s relationship to His Church, His bride, which likely fed fuel to this modern romantic fire. My stance is that the Song of Solomon is poetically a beautiful expression of erotic love between a husband and wife. To go beyond that is just plain weird and highly irreverent. A popular evangelical author has written about her union with Christ as “making love” to God. Hello? I mean, our God is described as a consuming fire! “Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire.” [Hebrews 12:28-29 ESV] There’s another popular evangelical women’s teacher that claims she goes on dates with Jesus. I’ve even seen a YouTube video of a woman describing going out on a “date” with Jesus and having the waitress set a place for two, all the while interacting with her imaginary beau. Please. Just please. Let’s not model cra-cra to the world. The reproach that is brought upon the Church and Christ just breaks my heart.

This whole idea of a romantic relationship between God and humans comes specifically from the female point of view. A man would recoil at such a thought. A lot of this is rooted in Catholic mysticism and the idea that a cloistered nun is married to Christ. I would like to point out that all the language in the Bible that uses marriage as a symbol of the relationship between God and His people is corporate. Hosea likens Israel’s false worship to an unfaithful wife, and the Lord Himself as a faithful husband to the nation. Christ’s bride, the Church, is the whole church, not each of us individually. The intended symbolism is to infer faithfulness, of Christ to us, and of us as a body of believers to Him. It is not in the least bit our idea of romantic love, especially in a day and age when it is so fickle.

We are further overpopulated with prophets who have supposed visions of God the Father and Jesus, yet fail to exhibit any reverence or decorum toward their imagined visitations. They are so focused on their own reflections and their own agendas that they fail the test, beloved. One such prophet envisions herself in a gown bedecked with jewels, dancing with Jesus in a golden ball room. Yep. Can you see how a “vision” like this appeals to the flesh? It’s all about the so-called prophet, her imagined elevated place, and ultimately Jesus supposedly speaks to her in a way that confirms her own agenda, usually along the line of some great revival theme. If you are listening to anyone like this, please, please pray and read your Bible. Read about how the prophets in the Old Testament interacted with God and their utter reverence and awe. How these true prophets weren’t looking for a way to monetize God and build their bank accounts. These modern-day false prophets and their fables should not be equated with faith, brothers and sisters. Yes, our God can and still does supernatural things, but not what these grossly deceived charlatans peddle. There’s always the next prophetic book, this year’s exciting conference, online classes, on-campus schools–there’s always a new breakthrough just around the corner, all for the low, low price of only…but wait, there’s more!

I just watched a YouTube video of a woman who claims to see visions of Jesus and hear prophetic words from Him. Both the video and the ad hawking her book on how to “activate the seer anointing” and peer into the invisible spirit realm have the vibe of a dollar-a-minute psychic hotline. We are told that she has a word for us, but it is up to us to ask the Lord how it applies to us specifically. The so-called “word” she “releases” is that the year 2022 is a year of building. She bases this on a vision of Jesus handing out hard hats and turning to her with the enigmatic phrase, “creative explosion.” We are told that some parts of her prophetic word will apply to us and some may not. How convenient! We get to pick and choose what suits our fancy and she gets to play prophet by uttering vague and cryptic nonsense, just like any palm reader’s psychological tricks. Brothers and sisters, please do not fall for these false prophets just because they say a few true things and throw the name of Jesus around a lot. Beloved, look at the godly examples in the Bible.

Didn’t Isaiah, when he saw the sublimely beautiful image of our Lord say, “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts!” [Isaiah 6:5 ESV] Is this the attitude of our modern prophet waltzing with Jesus?

Didn’t Daniel near faint away at his vision of the pre-incarnate Christ?

“I lifted up my eyes and looked, and behold, a man clothed in linen, with a belt of fine gold from Uphaz around his waist. His body was like beryl, his face like the appearance of lightning, his eyes like flaming torches, his arms and legs like the gleam of burnished bronze, and the sound of his words like the sound of a multitude. And I, Daniel, alone saw the vision, for the men who were with me did not see the vision, but a great trembling fell upon them, and they fled to hide themselves. So I was left alone and saw this great vision, and no strength was left in me. My radiant appearance was fearfully changed, and I retained no strength. Then I heard the sound of his words, and as I heard the sound of his words, I fell on my face in deep sleep with my face to the ground. And behold, a hand touched me and set me trembling on my hands and knees.“ [Daniel 10:5-10 ESV]

What about the apostle John? Listen to his description of our glorious Lord and his humble response:

“I turned around to see the voice that was speaking to me. And when I turned I saw seven golden lampstands, and among the lampstands was someone like a son of man, dressed in a robe reaching down to his feet and with a golden sash around his chest. The hair on his head was white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were like blazing fire. His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of rushing waters. In his right hand he held seven stars, and coming out of his mouth was a sharp, double-edged sword. His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance. When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. Then he placed his right hand on me and said: “Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last.“[Revelation 1:12-17 NIV]

Brothers and sisters, this is the reverence missing from the modern-day false prophet circuit. Paul warned Timothy that in the last days some people will turn away from the faith and follow deceitful teachings and doctrines of demons! Mark Paul’s words. This is what we are seeing today. I appeal to you all to be on your guard. Paul goes on to tell Timothy: “Have nothing to do with irreverent, silly myths. Rather train yourself for godliness; [1 Timothy 4:7 ESV] The Greek word for irreverent here is bebēlos which means “unhallowed” or “common” and has the implication of heathenish and wicked. The Greek word for myth is mythos which means a “fiction, fable, invention, or falsehood.” Brothers and sisters, there is nothing new under the sun. Just as the Old Testament is littered with examples of false prophets, so we are today. It is good to read the Lord’s opinion on this matter. The entire thirteenth chapter of Ezekiel is devoted to this subject. I am including it here in its entirety for your reading convenience and because it is so important not to skip over.

“The word of the LORD came to me: “Son of man, prophesy against the prophets of Israel, who are prophesying, and say to those who prophesy from their own hearts: ‘Hear the word of the LORD!’ Thus says the Lord GOD, Woe to the foolish prophets who follow their own spirit, and have seen nothing! Your prophets have been like jackals among ruins, O Israel. You have not gone up into the breaches, or built up a wall for the house of Israel, that it might stand in battle in the day of the LORD. They have seen false visions and lying divinations. They say, ‘Declares the LORD,’ when the LORD has not sent them, and yet they expect him to fulfill their word. Have you not seen a false vision and uttered a lying divination, whenever you have said, ‘Declares the LORD,’ although I have not spoken?”

Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: “Because you have uttered falsehood and seen lying visions, therefore behold, I am against you, declares the Lord GOD. My hand will be against the prophets who see false visions and who give lying divinations. They shall not be in the council of my people, nor be enrolled in the register of the house of Israel, nor shall they enter the land of Israel. And you shall know that I am the Lord GOD. Precisely because they have misled my people, saying, ‘Peace,’ when there is no peace, and because, when the people build a wall, these prophets smear it with whitewash, say to those who smear it with whitewash that it shall fall! There will be a deluge of rain, and you, O great hailstones, will fall, and a stormy wind break out. And when the wall falls, will it not be said to you, ‘Where is the coating with which you smeared it?’ Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: I will make a stormy wind break out in my wrath, and there shall be a deluge of rain in my anger, and great hailstones in wrath to make a full end. And I will break down the wall that you have smeared with whitewash, and bring it down to the ground, so that its foundation will be laid bare. When it falls, you shall perish in the midst of it, and you shall know that I am the LORD. Thus will I spend my wrath upon the wall and upon those who have smeared it with whitewash, and I will say to you, The wall is no more, nor those who smeared it, the prophets of Israel who prophesied concerning Jerusalem and saw visions of peace for her, when there was no peace, declares the Lord GOD.

“And you, son of man, set your face against the daughters of your people, who prophesy out of their own hearts. Prophesy against them and say, Thus says the Lord GOD: Woe to the women who sew magic bands upon all wrists, and make veils for the heads of persons of every stature, in the hunt for souls! Will you hunt down souls belonging to my people and keep your own souls alive? You have profaned me among my people for handfuls of barley and for pieces of bread, putting to death souls who should not die and keeping alive souls who should not live, by your lying to my people, who listen to lies.

“Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: Behold, I am against your magic bands with which you hunt the souls like birds, and I will tear them from your arms, and I will let the souls whom you hunt go free, the souls like birds. Your veils also I will tear off and deliver my people out of your hand, and they shall be no more in your hand as prey, and you shall know that I am the LORD. Because you have disheartened the righteous falsely, although I have not grieved him, and you have encouraged the wicked, that he should not turn from his evil way to save his life, therefore you shall no more see false visions nor practice divination. I will deliver my people out of your hand. And you shall know that I am the LORD.” [Ezekiel 13:1-23 ESV]

I am not done. This may be long, but it is worth the read. The reproach brought upon the Lord’s name by these apostate prophets fills me with anger because it stumbles the lost into thinking that the precious truths of God in His word and His gospel are associated with their own utter nonsense. It fills me with great sadness that their petty and common prophecies pervert truth and dishonor our Lord of Glory.

Another giveaway to our modern-day deceptions is that false prophets make it sound like they are getting so-called revelations daily or weekly. Prophets in the bible did not wake every day to supernatural visions, and often went years without any new revelatory messages from the Lord. Ezekiel’s prophecies were often spaced a year or more apart. The apostle John was an old man when he had his vision recorded in the book of Revelation, and this was his only record of a supernatural vision in his entire life! Paul spoke of being caught up to the third heaven, and had several visions pertaining to direction in ministry, but these were many times years apart. There are prophets today who claim frequent visits to the third heaven. Note Paul states in his account that his vision was fourteen years ago–certainly not a common occurrence! Also note his humility:

“I must go on boasting. Although there is nothing to be gained, I will go on to visions and revelations from the Lord. I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven. Whether it was in the body or out of the body I do not know–God knows. And I know that this man–whether in the body or apart from the body I do not know, but God knows– was caught up to paradise and heard inexpressible things, things that no one is permitted to tell. I will boast about a man like that, but I will not boast about myself, except about my weaknesses. Even if I should choose to boast, I would not be a fool, because I would be speaking the truth. But I refrain, so no one will think more of me than is warranted by what I do or say.” [2 Corinthians 12:1-6 NIV]

Please understand that in the context, Paul is not “boasting” to be thought of as more spiritual or superior to others. He is trying to make the point that false teachers in the church were trying to rob him of his authority, and that his visions and revelations, along with much persecution, which sum up his life’s curriculum vitae, were proof of his authenticity in the Lord and the truth of his gospel message. Note that he calls his discussion of his qualifications as “a little foolishness” in the previous chapter. Note his desire is not to have people think of him with undue adulation, but proper respect so that they will hear his admonishment and so that they know he truly loves them without any guile. He is not trying to establish his authority to lord it over them, but to safeguard them from false shepherds. Also note that this is the only letter out of all his letters in which he makes these claims. In other words, he is not “advertising” himself or his ministry, or promoting himself, but his focus in rather on love for the sheep and honor for his Lord.

We could also do well to pause here a minute to recognize that Paul did not have a publishing house and receive royalties from his writings. Do you realize that it is estimated that Joel Osteen has raked in 25 million in book sales since 2005, and that Rick Warren has netted about 100 million with his Purpose Driven Life and spinoff books? My purpose is not to point out their personal avarice here. My line of reasoning is this: if an author makes about twenty percent of the wholesale price of each book sold, how much do the publishing houses make on their retail sales of these books? And are they concerned with truth, or what is popular, what will sell? I will leave you quickly decide! Remember what our Lord told His disciples, “As you go, proclaim this message: ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.’ Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give.” [Matthew 10:7-8 NIV]

I will bring this to a close by saying that if you have been following a false prophet like those described here, please stop and pray to find a good shepherd for your soul. Please ask for spiritual discernment. Also, if you yourself have been having visions that replicate those of the false prophets you follow, please repent and renounce this so-called gift in the name of Jesus Christ, our King of kings and Lord of lords. It is better to seek the Lord Himself than to chase after the miraculous. Paul warned that “The coming of the lawless one is by the activity of Satan with all power and false signs and wonders, [2 Thessalonians 2:9 ESV] I am not saying that all signs and wonders are wrong or bad. I am saying that we need to recognize false signs and wonders. It is Satan’s tactic to counterfeit the authentic, and he goes to great lengths to make his knockoffs look like the real deal. Just like there is counterfeit money in the world today, we do not stop using the genuine. So please learn, with the help of the Holy Spirit, to discern. I write this for your eternal welfare. The Bible is to be our guide in all things, and if what you are practicing subverts God’s truth, you need to admit your error and humble yourself before the Lord Almighty. Amen.

“Thus says the LORD of hosts: “Do not listen to the words of the prophets who prophesy to you, filling you with vain hopes. They speak visions of their own minds, not from the mouth of the LORD. They say continually to those who despise the word of the LORD, ‘It shall be well with you’; and to everyone who stubbornly follows his own heart, they say, ‘No disaster shall come upon you.'” [Jeremiah 23:16-17 ESV]

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