False Teachers….

Now-a-days, false teachers are every where. It’s like you can’t throw a rock in any direction without hitting one. God has said, will say, that He hates the lies that are spread through these deceitful, selfish pretenders. Here in Jeremiah 29, we find what God does to people who speak for Him, that have no connection with Him. God says he will punish these false prophets. God says He will punish them with war, famine, and disease. He will scatter them around the world. He will make them objects of condemnation, horror, contempt and mockery. This is the fate of those that speak for God without permission. You ask yourself why would God even allow this to happen? Why scatter them instead of killing them off? I can’t give you the exact reason, but I can say that these false prophets cause true seekers to focus their efforts to know God better. When something false is said about God, it makes me want to find out if it’s true or not. It makes discernment more of a virtue. It weeds out the pretenders from the authentic believers. Yes, these false prophets deceive, and lead people away from God, but they help separate the sheep from the goats as well. The moral to this passage is “don’t speak for God, when you’re not sure what you’re saying is true. Period. Speak only what you know to true. It will always point people toward God, not away from Him.

18 Yes, I will pursue them with war, famine, and disease, and I will scatter them around the world. In every nation where I send them, I will make them an object of damnation, horror, contempt, and mockery. 19 For they refuse to listen to Me, though I have spoken to them repeatedly through the prophets I sent. And you who are in exile have not listened either,” says the Lord. Jeremiah 29:18-19

23 For these men have done terrible things among My people. They have committed adultery with their neighbors’ wives and have lied in My name, saying things I did not command. I am a witness to this. I, the Lord, have spoken.” Jeremiah 29:23

30 Then the Lord gave this message to Jeremiah: 31 “Send an open letter to all the exiles in Babylon. Tell them, ‘This is what the Lord says concerning Shemaiah the Nehelamite: Since he has prophesied to you when I did not send him and has tricked you into believing his lies, 32 I will punish him and his family. None of his descendants will see the good things I will do for My people, for he has incited you to rebel against Me. I, the Lord, have spoken!’ ” Jeremiah 29:30-32