Tuesday, June 1, 2021

Following False Prophets is a Lack of Faith

Matthew 16:4 "A wicked and adulterous generation demands a sign, but none will be given it except the sign of Jonah.” This is the sign of Jonah as a picture of Christ dying, being buried and rising from the dead.
The dreamer of dreams and those who will have visions are the Jewish people in the tribulation. God does a special work in them for the last days when He will fight for their nation with many miracles.
We do not have need of signs and visions because we have the Bible. We are commanded to walk by faith. We trust Christ for each day not salvation only.
When we trust Christ we have no need to know the future we know He already has control of that for us.
If we, as human beings, were to know the future we would make our own plans, even trying to thwart what is coming to make it come out the way we want.
We need not prepare except for what is normal to live our lives. God will tell us what to do when it is needed, if we are accustomed to obeying Him we will do as He has instructed without even knowing why we are doing it.
When the future comes we will be ready, but not because we figured it all out, but because Christ already knew and set things up for us. We must obey Him all the time. If we do not have the habit of obeying Him we will not be prepared for what is coming because we will not hear His voice within us.
All we need to know is what the Bible tells us and to be able to hear from the Holy Spirit at the time He speaks to us.
Those who want dreams and visions will see things God never said, it is happening all the time. Many people base their interpretations about visions and even just about life on how they feel and what they desire, these dreams and visions are tainted with a wish to be elevated above others. They are tained with personal desires.
I probably couldn't count the number of times someone has had a dream or a vision that did not come to pass but they never came back to say that they had not really heard from God. Their lack of response to the failed vision was to ignore that it failed and hope everyone forgets. We see a lot of this in these last days of self-promotion.
Deuteronomy 18:22 "When the prophet speaks in the name of the Lord, and the thing does not happen or come true, that is the thing which the Lord has not spoken. The prophet has spoken it presumptuously; you are not to be afraid of him.'"
When someone has a dream or vision that does not come true it is foolish to keep trusting in that "prophet." This person is not a prophet and cannot be trusted to bring words from the Lord ever again.
Many people who love their dreams and visions are not obeying His Word the Bible. First and foremost a prophet of God is one who is already obeying God's Word as a lifestyle.
If you love Christ and He lives in you then you are content to trust His Word the Bible and leave all the tomorrows up to Him.

From the "Daily Heartbeat" Love Worth Finding

The Book of Acts tells the story of a man called Barnabas, which translates to, “son of encouragement.” Five characteristics of Barnabas’ “gift of encouragement” show us how to be encouragers for others.
First, encouragers see needs that they can meet and meet them. (See Acts 4:36.)
Second, encouragers find lonely people and include them. (See Acts 9:26-30.)
Third, encouragers find a misunderstood person and affirm him or her. (See Acts 11:19-26.)
Fourth, encouragers develop disciples. Barnabas found buried gifts in new disciples and helped them develop their talents.
Fifth, encouragers help failures find second chances. (See Acts 15:26-41.)
Barnabas was a good man, full of the Holy Ghost; it was God in Him. We can all be encouragers like Barnabas. Ask God to fan the Holy Spirit in you to meet needs, befriend lonely people, affirm the misunderstood, develop disciples, and offer second chances.