.001-Degree Slant

Matthew 7:15-20 says, “Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves. 16 You will know them by their fruits. Grapes are not gathered from thorn bushes nor figs from thistles, are they? 17 So every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a bad tree produce good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 So then, you will know them by their fruits.”

Most of us have heard these verses before, but can we really identify the false prophets? Just incase you’re confused about the word prophet; it literally means someone who speaks out publically. When many people hear the word prophet, they think back to the Old Testament to those who would interpret God’s word and tell the people what God is about to do. However, in this context, you can basically substitute prophet in for teacher or pastor. Both proclaim the Word of God publically, which is the main idea for this passage.

Now, how do we figure out whether a teacher or prophet is telling the truth or not? Well, we have to see if they are truly proclaiming the Word of God. Is what they are saying coherent with the Truth of God’s Word? In the Old Testament, there was little written about God, so when someone heard prophets speak, it took a lot more faith to listen and believe to what he or she was saying. However, now we have the written Word of God, so when we hear someone preaching, we must go back to the Bible to see if what they are saying is, indeed, true.

Technology is an amazing thing if you are easily optimistic. When people go to church, they can simply touch their phone several times and the entire Bible is in the palm of their hands. However, Churches in America have gotten used to the fact that since technology is so advanced, they don’t even need to use their phones to read the Bible in church, because it is on the big screen. Projection is another wonderful tool, but it should never take the place of everyone bringing his or her Bible to church.

This is not to slam churches, but when they are projecting a Bible verse on a screen, they have the Bible in a form that can be changed or altered. If the pastor of a church needs to change a word or two to make his point clear and true, then he can go into the passage, add, subtract, or alter a word to help him make a point. However, if people in the church each have their own Bible, then they quickly approach the teacher with their translation to figure out the difference in texts.

The Devil uses the closest things to the truth to set off pace, and I believe He can use the altering of even the smallest words in our Bible to accomplish his goal. Think of two parallel lines that look like = . These lines well never touch either, by definition. However, for the lines to intersect, all they is the smallest change in angle, and eventually, they will hit each other. Is it a sudden 90-degree turn? No, it’s a small .001-degree slant that we don’t really think anything of, because it’s so small. But nonetheless, we have been knocked off course, and we won’t reach our destination unless realigned.

Be very careful when listening to people talk about Christ, even myself. When you read these posts, read with discretion, but also a willingness to listen and change. – Forsake All