Words from the Message Translation (MSG).

Acts 20:35 ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’
from the New King James Version (NKJV)

There's a man going 'round claiming to preach the word of God. He is constantly in the company of prostitutes, thugs, and criminals. They say he's a teacher and a preacher, but I wonder how any preacher can allow himself to be surrounded by people like that. On top of that, he's constantly criticizing religious leaders. Some say he loves to eat and drink and even turned water into wine! That's all we need—more wine. Others heard him say to eat his flesh and drink his blood. Man, is this guy for real?! This has to be a false prophet!

You see where I'm going with this? This could very likely have been the response of people in the time that Jesus walked the earth.

I'm not denying that there are false prophets, but be careful who you call a false prophet. You can find fault with just about anybody when you put a microscope on their lives. Just because someone believes in healing and you don't, doesn't automatically make them a false prophet. Just because someone claims to hear the voice of God and you don't, doesn't automatically make them a liar.

It's nothing new. Mark 9:38-40 says this: “Teacher, we saw someone using your name to cast out demons, but we told him to stop because he wasn’t in our group.” “Don’t stop him!” Jesus said. “(..) Anyone who is not against us is for us."

"Wasn't in our group." Rings a bell?

I've said it before, and I'll say it again: without the Holy Spirit, there is no discernment—only paranoia and fear.

And we've not been given a spirit of fear, or of paranoia for that matter. 😉

I don't think it was ever Jesus' intention to publicly shame our brothers and sisters.

And you have to take into account that Paul in Acts 20 was talking to the leaders of that church, not the congregation as a whole. It was a warning for their church. He didn't urge them to go looking for false teachers on the other side of the sea.

Again, I'm not disputing the fact that there are false prophets nowadays, just that we handle the term "false prophet" waaay too loosely.

So what's the best remedy for false prophets?

Stay awake. Stay in the Word. The Word is life; the Word is truth.

You're responsible for the oil in YOUR lamp, not your neighbor's.

Yes, guard your heart, but don't build a wall around it. You know how Paul ends his warning? "It's more blessed to give than to receive."

I believe that in that lies the antidote. You see, false prophets are driven by pride and greed, looking to boost their own ego and glorify themselves.

When you start giving and placing the needs of others before your own, you will, by default, expose the "vicious wolves." 😉