Deuteronomy 18:20
But any prophet who falsely claims
that his message is from me shall die. And any prophet who claims to
give a message from other gods must die.
The
Living Bible copyright © 1971 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by
permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois
60188. All rights reserved.
One of my new “favorite” TV shows is ABC’s Shark Tank.
Maybe it’s because Greg and I were entrepreneurs who started our own
business “from scratch”…and I see a lot of “us” in the contestants. I
hear the “sharks” give advice that rings familiar and true…and I
understand the passion of those who are pitching what they feel is the
“next big thing” - and hoping that these business moguls will sign on to
invest!
Kevin O’Leary is one of the “sharks” who appears
regularly on this program. This mega-millionaire has several
businesses, including a mutual funds company and his own wine label.
Show producers have cultivated his persona as a hard-nosed grump. One
of O’Leary’s favorite phrases is, “You’re dead to me.” If he doesn’t
like what a contestant says or how he/she presents the “spiel”, he will
say this. Worse yet, if a person contradicts him, their presentation
time with him is over…they may as well pack up their wares and go home.
At least for the sake of this TV program, if you mess with “Mr.
Wonderful” (O’Leary’s on-air nickname), “You’re dead to me.”
Yes,
this is harsh talk…and no, Kevin O’Leary is not my favorite “shark”.
He is not nearly as wonderful as he is made out to be…and I am sure that
there is a healthy mix of truth and “showbiz” going on there. But
Kevin O’Leary is not God - or anyone worthy of worship. So we can take
his “act” with a grain of salt and move on. But we dare not do this
with our Heavenly Father!
We have to be very careful about
believing everything we hear. A message is circulating on social media
that says that Muslims are going to somehow be exempt from certain
charges under the Affordable Care Act…that the specifics of this are
buried in the language of this health care legislation. It’s totally
untrue, but well-meaning believers are sharing this post…and muddying
the water. Perhaps you have passed this along, thinking if XYZ shared
it, there must be some truth to it. This is but one example of
countless falsehoods and half truths that get passed on and fuel the
fires of fear and mistrust…and make the devil jump up and down for joy.
We
must thoroughly investigate everything we read and hear. We must dig
deeply into God’s word to find HIS truth…and we must act responsibly on
His behalf and make sure we have all of the facts and are hearing a
truthful message before we react and respond…in all situations and
circumstances. Do not be an agent for false prophets…do not buy into
their ploys to sway you and pull you away from God. Do not listen to
those who distort God’s message…or hide behind His name to serve their
own agendas.
No one wants to be told, “You’re dead to me.” But
when a TV personality utters this phrase, we have the luxury of
dismissing it as a gimmick – or ratings hype. Hearing this from God
would ultimately be the worst thing ever. Be careful…there are “sharks”
among us, and some are nicer than others. Know who you are dealing
with, and when they are feeding you a line. Make sure you never confuse
the words and actions of imposters with those of God. Check your
sources…and make sure that in everything you say and do, you represent
God…and no one else!
©2015 Debbie Robus
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