Tag Archives: False Prophets

Called to God’s Shalom

Living in the Spirit

June 25, 2020

Scripture Reading: Jeremiah 28:5-9
Then the prophet Jeremiah spoke to the prophet Hananiah in the presence of the priests and all the people who were standing in the house of the Lord; and the prophet Jeremiah said, ‘Amen! May the Lord do so; may the Lord fulfill the words that you have prophesied, and bring back to this place from Babylon the vessels of the house of the Lord, and all the exiles. But listen now to this word that I speak in your hearing and in the hearing of all the people. The prophets who preceded you and me from ancient times prophesied war, famine, and pestilence against many countries and great kingdoms. As for the prophet who prophesies peace, when the word of that prophet comes true, then it will be known that the Lord has truly sent the prophet.’

Listen to the prophets who speak of peace, for they are indeed sent by the Lord. Note that the questionable prophets from ancient times are the ones who prophesied war, famine, and pestilence against many countries and great kingdoms. The Amos’s and the Hosea’s accosted their own people with bringing destruction on themselves. The Israelites failure to follow God’s ways did lead to their exile. False prophets divide and conquer; God’s prophets seek peace. False prophets only care about themselves; God’s people care about all God’s creation.

Watching the political antics of our day could be entertaining in a slap-stick sort of way if it were not so dangerous. Caught off guard, we are drawn to inertia in stopping the damage being done. Followers of God cannot let that happen. God can and will provide the light we need to find our way to God’s Shalom—wholeness and peace.

Prayer: Lord, grant us your peace that we may be peace in a chaotic world. Amen.

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.

Manipulated Faith

Lent
March 4, 2018

 Scripture Reading: John 2:13-22

He told those who were selling the doves, ‘Take these things out of here! Stop making my Father’s house a market-place!’ His disciples remembered that it was written, ‘Zeal for your house will consume me.’ The Jews then said to him, ‘What sign can you show us for doing this?’ Jesus answered them, ‘Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.’ The Jews then said, ‘This temple has been under construction for forty-six years, and will you raise it up in three days?’ But he was speaking of the temple of his body. After he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this; and they believed the scripture and the word that Jesus had spoken. –John 2:16-22

One of the greatest travesties of our time is the use of regular people including people of faith to further the greed of others. Through fear mongering and divide-and-conquer technics, politicians further their cause and the causes of those who back them financially at the expense of everyone else. No one trusts anyone anymore. We no longer trust the media. The very rich get richer and the rest of us get along, many barely. I think it is a very strange situation indeed when our unemployment rate is at a very low level and our poverty rate is high. What is wrong with that picture?

Jesus was doing justice when he cleared the temple of the money changers. He was sending a very clear message that God is not to be used for personal aggrandizement. When I first moved to Oklahoma City and searched for a church, someone I worked with mused that a church near my home was a good resume’ church. I had never heard that phrase before, but I also had never considered choosing a church to advance my career.

The Bible speaks of false prophets manipulating people to follow them most likely for the false prophet’s gain. People of faith today are barraged by politicians using highly emotional, sharply focused issues in the hopes of gaining votes distracting voters from the stands those same politicians hold on dozens of other issues that impact negatively the lives of most people.

During Lent, we would do well to expand our knowledge of what true righteousness, true justice is as we seek to do justice on behalf of Jesus Christ.

Prayer: O Lord, let justice roll down like waters,
   and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.* Amen.

*Amos 5:24

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.

Right Our Compass

Eastertide
May 6, 2017

Scripture Reading: John 10:1-10

‘Very truly, I tell you, anyone who does not enter the sheepfold by the gate but climbs in by another way is a thief and a bandit. The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep hear his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice. They will not follow a stranger, but they will run from him because they do not know the voice of strangers.’ Jesus used this figure of speech with them, but they did not understand what he was saying to them. –John 10:1-6

Beware the false prophet! Many Christians seem to be confounded if not lost in the maize of discord among peoples of faith and the political rhetoric resulting from it, perhaps causing it, or at the very least benefiting from it. Houses divided do fall. I believe a review of history will show that all the great nations that eventually failed dissolved first from within. Greed and lust for unlimited power seem to be the primary drivers in our society, both sins. Our compass appears to be drawn by the wrong magnet.

How do we regain our focus, right our compass? We listen for Jesus Christ’s voice gently leading us down the path of justice, what the Bible also calls righteousness. Jesus never railed at regular people along the byways. Certainly, he never tried to scare them to death. He saved his ranting for the religious leaders of the day whose compasses were not working well either.

Jesus fixed things. He healed the sick, including those mentally ill; fed the physically hungry; quenched spiritual thirsts; forgave criminals restoring them to wholeness even as they are being executed; and welcomed strangers in his midst. These activities would seem to be a great place for us to focus.

A lot of refocusing is letting go of wrong or outdated visions that block our ability to find those things on which we can agree and on which our combined efforts multiply greatly without the need to disagree.

Prayer: Lord, fix us too. Make us whole, guide our journey, enhance our ability to love like you. Amen.

All scriptures are quoted from the new Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.