15 “Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. 16 By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? 17 Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.REFLECTIONSWritten by Keith Hengpoonthana There is a well-known saying that comes from this Bible passage: “Beware a wolf in sheep’s clothing”. In nature, wolves look nothing like sheep. But when it comes to people who say they have a message from God, a ferocious wolf can look remarkably disguised as a meek and gentle sheep. They might look like sheep on the outside, but the problem is on the inside, in the true intentions of their hearts.Jesus warns us to beware of false prophets who would mislead us, Bible teachers whose intentions are self-serving rather than God-serving. Jesus tells us one way to discern whether a prophet is true or false, with the analogy of a good tree bearing good fruit and a bad tree bearing bad fruit. Often, the problem inside will show itself in their behaviour.However, sometimes we only find out later, after we have already picked and eaten the fruit that it is rotten and inedible. If that has happened to you – and it can happen to anyone – you might feel discouraged or disappointed that you have been tricked into believing that the fruit was good and tasty. More importantly, if you do realise that you have been fed false teaching, it would make absolutely no sense to pick from the same tree and try to eat the foul-tasting fruit again! The wise thing to do is to cut down the tree – or stop listening to a false prophet.This passage should encourage us to do three things. First, pray that God may provide you the wisdom to recognise those that say or do things that will take you away from God’s Word.Second, read the Bible regularly, since “all Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness” (2 Tim 3:16), remembering that anyone who preaches anything other than the gospel is a false prophet.Lastly, distance yourself from any false prophets or those who would seek to turn you away from the love of God. Sometimes it can be hard to do this without help, so talk to another Christian for support if you need to.ABOUT THE AUTHORKeith Hengpoonthana is married to Kylie with 2 daughters, Jade and Ruby. He’s learning to rejoice and praise the Lord daily no matter what happens.