TEST ALL THINGS, HOLD
FAST WHAT IS GOOD 
I Thes. 5:21 Matt. 24:24 "For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. Matt. 7:22-23"Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ "And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’ In the above verses we are warned that just because someone performs a supernatural act or preaches in the name of the Lord does not mean they are in the will of the Father. We are told that our enemy is more cunning than any beast of the field (Gen. 3:1). The measure of truth in a lie and the believable appearance of a counterfeit will increase as time grows short Rev 12:12 Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time. Although the context of II Cor. 2:11 is speaking of the advantage Satan gains by our unforgiveness, I believe God would not have us ignorant of any of his devices. God gives us everything we need that pertains to life and Godliness in His Word. It is important that we test all things so that we will not be decieved. I. GUIDELINES FOR TESTING: John 5:31-46 31"If I bear witness of Myself, My witness is not true. 32"There is another who bears witness of Me, and I know that the witness which He witnesses of Me is true. 33"You have sent to John, and he has borne witness to the truth.
There is safety in a multitude of counsel and God given gifts of apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers to equip and bring unity and knowledge to the people of God. (Pro. 11:14, Eph. 4:11-16) God has ordained that we, the body of Christ, need one another as the human body needs all it’s parts to be complete. The elders should teach the young in the Lord. God will provide mentors and teachers guided by the Holy Spirit.
34"Yet I do not receive testimony from man, but I say these things that you may be saved. "...I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance." Mk.2:17 35"He was the burning and shining lamp, and you were willing for a time to rejoice in his light. 36"But I have a greater witness than John’s; for the works which the Father has given Me to finish—the very works that I do—bear witness of Me, that the Father has sent Me.
We know from the warnings in Matthew that this test is not enough by itself. The Pharisees did many good works but their heart motive was pride and an attempt to bribe God. In the 15th chapter of John, (v. 8) he describes the works of the Spirit as fruit. The works of a true disciple will bring life as a fruit contains the seed for reproducing the plant.
37"And the Father Himself, who sent Me, has testified of Me. You have neither heard His voice at any time, nor seen His form.
I have heard this expressed as an inward witness or the inborn conscience. This method of testing must be developed and exercised to grow in accuracy. (Rom. 2:13, Heb. 5:14)
38"But you do not have His word abiding in you, because whom He sent, Him you do not believe. 39"You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me.
I always ask God for at least 2 scriptures or examples from the Word to confirm a doctrine or event I am unsure of; preferably one from each Testament. "...by the mouth of 2 or 3 witnesses the matter shall be established. (Deut. 19:15) Be sure to apply all the verses around your proof text and view then in context of the entire Word.
40"But you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life. 41"I do not receive honor from men.
Even the Holy Spirit will not bring glory to Himself but to Jesus (Jn. 15:26, 16:14-15). Be cautious of anyone who will take credit from God for He will not give His glory to another (Isa. 42:8)
42"But I know you, that you do not have the love of God in you.
I John 4 explains this test very well. God is love and what He does through us should come from the motive of love.
43"I have come in My Father’s name, and you do not receive Me; if another comes in his own name, him you will receive.
The many names of God describe His character. His greatest desire is that we know Him. The closer you get to truly knowing Him the harder it will be for you to be fooled by a clever counterfeit. (Jn. 17:26) Pride will kill any ministry. (See Ezek. 28:12-19, Isa. 14:12-15 fall of Lucifer)
44"How can you believe, who receive honor from one another, and do not seek the honor that comes from the only God? 45"Do not think that I shall accuse you to the Father; there is one who accuses you—Moses, in whom you trust.
Beware of anyone who stands in accusation for this is a definition of our enemy (Rev. 12:10) God loved us while we were still in our sin. May He help us to offer the same grace to all others that we received from Him.
46"For if you believed Moses, you would believe Me; for he wrote about Me. 47"But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe My words?"
Faith without works is dead. (James 2:17-18) To believe is to act on what you know to be true. We believe in gravity which we cannot see, therefore we do not jump off tall buildings. We believe in God whom we cannot see, therefore we live our life by His standard.
II. PROPHETS OF GOD: Deuteronomy 13:1-10, 18:18-22 Deu 13:1 If there arise among you a prophet, or a dreamer of dreams, and giveth thee a sign or a wonder, Deu 13:2 And the sign or the wonder come to pass, whereof he spake unto thee, saying, Let us go after other gods, which thou hast not known, and let us serve them; Deu 13:3 Thou shalt not hearken unto the words of that prophet, or that dreamer of dreams: for the LORD your God proveth you, to know whether ye love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul. Deu 13:4 Ye shall walk after the LORD your God, and fear him, and keep his commandments, and obey his voice, and ye shall serve him, and cleave unto him. Deu 13:5 And that prophet, or that dreamer of dreams, shall be put to death; because he hath spoken to turn you away from the LORD your God, which brought you out of the land of Egypt, and redeemed you out of the house of bondage, to thrust thee out of the way which the LORD thy God commanded thee to walk in. So shalt thou put the evil away from the midst of thee. Deu 13:6 If thy brother, the son of thy mother, or thy son, or thy daughter, or the wife of thy bosom, or thy friend, which is as thine own soul, entice thee secretly, saying, Let us go and serve other gods, which thou hast not known, thou, nor thy fathers; Deu 13:7 Namely, of the gods of the people which are round about you, nigh unto thee, or far off from thee, from the one end of the earth even unto the other end of the earth; Deu 13:8 Thou shalt not consent unto him, nor hearken unto him; neither shall thine eye pity him, neither shalt thou spare, neither shalt thou conceal him: Deu 13:9 But thou shalt surely kill him; thine hand shall be first upon him to put him to death, and afterwards the hand of all the people. Deu 13:10 And thou shalt stone him with stones, that he die; because he hath sought to thrust thee away from the LORD thy God, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage. Deu 18:18 I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee, and will put my words in his mouth; and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him. Deu 18:19 And it shall come to pass, that whosoever will not hearken unto my words which he shall speak in my name, I will require it of him. Deu 18:20 But the prophet, which shall presume to speak a word in my name, which I have not commanded him to speak, or that shall speak in the name of other gods, even that prophet shall die. Deu 18:21 And if thou say in thine heart, How shall we know the word which the LORD hath not spoken? Deu 18:22 When a prophet speaketh in the name of the LORD, if the thing follow not, nor come to pass, that is the thing which the LORD hath not spoken, but the prophet hath spoken it presumptuously: thou shalt not be afraid of him. God demands that the prophet that would lead His people astray or speak in the name of another god would die. There are prophecies in the Bible that were spoken by true prophets that have yet to be fulfilled. These we are commanded not to fear. (Deut.18:22) It is imperative that we test the prophecy by the above methods and that which we are unsure of file away for further meditation or reject as coming from the prophet and not from God. The spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets and God is not the author of confusion but of peace, (I Cor. 14:32-33). If you are without sin than you can cast the first stone at the prophet otherwise sift the wheat from the chaff and just eat what is from God and pray for the prophet. (Eph. 1:17-23)
FURTHER READING: Deut. 4:2, Matt. 7, Jn. 16:1-15, Eph. 4:11-32, I Jn. 5:6-12 Deut. 13, 18:9-22
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