Matthew 7:15-20
“Be wary of false preachers who smile
a lot, dripping with practiced sincerity. Chances are they are out to
rip you off some way or other. Don’t be impressed with charisma; look
for character. Who preachers are is the main thing, not what they say. A
genuine leader will never exploit your emotions or your pocketbook.
These diseased trees with their bad apples are going to be chopped down
and burned.
Scripture
quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002
by Eugene Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs,
CO. All rights reserved.
In
recent weeks, political pundits have noted that quite a few candidates
for major public offices sign on to run with a fair amount of confidence
that they will not be able to get elected. But they go ahead and
engage in a campaign that keeps their names and faces in the public
eye…and bolsters the amount that can be charged for speaking
engagements. More than a few pen at least one book and use the campaign
trail as an opportunity to raise a copy in the air and suggest that
people purchase it.
If we stop and think about this, it’s pretty
upsetting to realize that people play on our emotions…and ask for our
contributions – in order to line their own pocketbooks and/or boost
their own egos. But it happens more than we think in all walks of
life. And if you believe that this doesn’t also go on in Christian
circles at all levels, you are sadly mistaken. From the musicians who
get more caught up in their Sunday morning performance than engaging
churchgoers in corporate worship and praise…to the televangelists who
stand behind the pulpit and urge supporters to give generously toward
the purchase of a 70-million-dollar jet that is deemed “necessary in
order to fulfill the mission of the ministry”…to the pastor who feels
the pressure from his/her deacons, elders and church body to add to the
membership roll by any and all means necessary…the devil is busy
creating opportunities for insincerity and disingenuousness - if not
downright Spiritual fraud.
How do we know who is the “real
deal”…in any area of life? Jesus is telling us to stay awake and
alert…to guard our hearts and minds against misplaced loyalties and
hidden agendas. If we stay focused on Jesus and carefully examine every
person and situation through the lens of prayer and Godly wisdom, we
have a far better shot at avoiding some of these pitfalls. There will
still be people who abuse their position…or misrepresent their faith.
But God will reveal them to us for who they really are…and we can pray
for them and offer them His grace and mercy – while we avoid getting
caught up in their deceptions.
Jesus wants us to be smart and
safe (mentally, physically, and Spiritually)…to know who we are dealing
with and how to handle these situations. If we stay close to God by
studying His word and communicating with Him through prayer, we can
operate with confidence that we are serving in His will and not serving a
hidden agenda – the other guy’s, or our own. This is our goal – or it
should be. How are you doing these days?
©2016 Debbie Robus
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