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August 30th

The bible reading today is in Ezekiel chapters 13-15.

“For my will is that there be no more (any) false vision or (ocultish) flattering divination (concerning the future) within the house of Israel.”

‭‭Ezekiel‬ ‭12:24‬ ‭ESV‬‬

God told the prophet that the false visions and false messages given by the false prophets must not be ignored. “Son of man, “prophesy against those prophets of Israel”...and say to those who prophesy from their “own hearts...and not Mine”: ‘Hear the word of the Lord!’ Thus says the Lord God,“Woe to the foolish prophets who follow their own spirit, and have seen nothing!”

‭‭Ezekiel‬ ‭13:2-3‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Preach against them Ezekiel, your truthful messages will reveal the falsehoods in their oracles. Remember the preaching of Jesus to the false teachers in Jerusalem...in Matt. 23...?...

“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, “hypocrites”! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness. “You serpents, you brood of vipers, how are you to escape being sentenced to hell?”

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭23:27, 33‬ ‭

Jesus followed his own instructions to Ezekiel. False teaching and false preaching must not be ignored. It must be exposed as lies from hell. Jesus apparently felt like the false teaching had reached a threshold that deserved the boldest and strongest rebuke.

One of the main reasons why our elders teach the gospel alongside the tenets of other world views is so that we won't ever get comfortable with philosophies and religions that preach a different gospel than Jesus. As Americans, we pride ourselves in being the open and tolerant nation. And since every citizen can believe and promote their own God as “the God”, we who believe that Jesus is the Way the Truth and the Life must never be without a burden, to tell the truth that sets people free...The gospel of the death, burial, and resurrection and coming again of the Lord Jesus Christ!

Let us continue to listen to God’s description of false prophets...“Your prophets have been like jackals (foxes) among ruins, O Israel. (Like Jackals, they hide from other creatures in abandoned places for their own survival, not anyone else's...these false prophets were out to help themselves, not Israel).

These prophets were not concerned to stand in the gap for the people. And God says about them...”You have “not” gone up into the breaches, you have “not” built up a wall for the house of Israel, that it might “stand” in battle in the day of the Lord.”

‭‭Ezekiel‬ ‭13:4-5‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Instead, you have prophesied peace when there is no peace promised now by God. And instead of strengthening the walls and fortifying them with beams and stone and mortar, you simply decorated the walls with paint. “Therefore thus says the Lord God: Behold, I am against your magic bands with which you hunt the souls like birds, and I will tear them from your arms, and I will let the souls whom you hunt go free...you have disheartened (discouraged) my people with your false teaching...

‭‭Ezekiel‬ ‭13:20-22‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Did you hear it...? God described the false prophets as “hunters of souls”. Remember Peter’s warning to the church in 1Peter5:8?

“Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him, firm in your faith...”

‭‭1 Peter‬ ‭5:8

God reminded Ezekiel that false prophets were hunters of souls, just like he described the devil to and through the apostle Peter...the evil hunter of eternal souls.

Resist the devil and his hunters standing firm in the faith.

Have a great day