Readings for today: Jeremiah 21-24
One of the things that makes my job more difficult is the popularity of so many false prophets in our world today. The internet is replete with them. Social media amplifies their voices to unprecedented heights. Their platforms are enormous and cut across all kinds of different demographics. I spend a lot of time sitting down with people I know and love and serve helping them discern whether or not the message they’ve heard from this prophet or that preacher or that person claiming to hear from God is actually true or not. Tragically, most of it is nonsense. I think of all the predictions from so-called “prophets” post-election promising God would overturn the results. I think of all the language of “winds shifting”, “earth shaking”, “movements rising”, etc. and yet none of it ever seems to come to pass. Of course, a lot of it is just general enough to keep the person from ever being held accountable. Too many Christians have ignored the clear teaching of Scripture (Deuteronomy 18:21-22) that if a prophet claims to speak for God and what they say doesn’t come to pass, they are to be rejected and never given any kind of influence ever again.
False prophets are nothing new, of course. Jeremiah had to deal with them in his own day. In fact, most of chapter 23 is a fiery sermon against such people. Jeremiah doesn’t hold back in his harsh critique as he delivers God’s judgment upon them. It’s worth reading again. “You prophets who do nothing but dream— go ahead and tell your silly dreams. But you prophets who have a message from me— tell it truly and faithfully. What does straw have in common with wheat? Nothing else is like God’s Decree. Isn’t my Message like fire?” God’s Decree. “Isn’t it like a sledgehammer busting a rock? I’ve had it with the ‘prophets’ who get all their sermons secondhand from each other. Yes, I’ve had it with them. They make up stuff and then pretend it’s a real sermon. Oh yes, I’ve had it with the prophets who preach the lies they dream up, spreading them all over the country, ruining the lives of my people with their cheap and reckless lies. I never sent these prophets, never authorized a single one of them. They do nothing for this people—nothing!” God’s Decree. “And anyone, including prophets and priests, who asks, ‘What’s God got to say about all this, what’s troubling him?’ tell him, ‘You, you’re the trouble, and I’m getting rid of you.’” God’s Decree. “And if anyone, including prophets and priests, goes around saying glibly ‘God’s Message! God’s Message!’ I’ll punish him and his family. Instead of claiming to know what God says, ask questions of one another, such as ‘How do we understand God in this?’ But don’t go around pretending to know it all, saying ‘God told me this. . . God told me that.. . . ’ I don’t want to hear it anymore. Only the person I authorize speaks for me. Otherwise, my Message gets twisted, the Message of the living God-of-the-Angel-Armies. You can ask the prophets, ‘How did God answer you? What did he tell you?’ But don’t pretend that you know all the answers yourselves and talk like you know it all. I’m telling you: Quit the ‘God told me this. . . God told me that. . . ’ kind of talk.” (Jeremiah 23:28-38 MSG)
Perhaps you’ve found yourself under the influence of a potential false prophet. Perhaps a friend or family member has sent you a link of someone they listen to regularly. Pay close attention. Too many pastors and preachers have merged the gospel with partisan politics. Too many pastors and preachers claim divine authority despite the number of ways they divide and damage the Body of Christ. Too many pastors and preachers refuse to humbly admit where they have made mistakes or gotten off track. Too many pastors and preachers practice revisionist history in an attempt to make themselves look good. Too many pastors and preachers glibly string together all sorts of “prophetic sounding” language from the Bible in order to make themselves seem more credible. It takes a lot of prayer and wisdom and a relentless commitment to testing everything according to the truth of Scripture to discern in our day and age.
Readings for tomorrow: Jeremiah 25-28