INFLUENCE OF FALSE PROPHETS

“Because with lies you have made the heart of the righteous sad, whom I have not made sad; and you have strengthened the hands of the wicked, so that he does not turn from his wicked way to save his life” (Ezek. 13:22 NKJV).

God had nothing good to say about false prophets. Ezekiel’s message was meant to expose their evil influence upon the people. Our verse speaks of their evil influence in two ways: they discouraged the righteous but encouraged the wicked.

Discouraged the righteous - “You have made the heart of the righteous sad.” False prophets do not encourage righteous living. Their message brings persecution to the righteous and discourages their faith. Their destructive ministry grieves the righteous. Judgment will be severe for those who have discouraged the righteous.

Encouraged the wicked - False prophets encouraged the wicked in a threefold way: Power: “Strengthened the hands of the wicked.” False prophets encourage the doing of evil. They help the wicked to have power in society by supporting laws that favor evil conduct. This only makes evil strong.

Prevention: “That he does not turn from his wicked way.” False prophets do not encourage repentance. They tell the wicked they do not need the Gospel, and do nothing to discourage them from sinning. They say the cross was a martyrdom, not a necessity for salvation.

Promise: “To save his life.” False prophets tell the wicked he is going to heaven and that he need not worry about hell. They preach a false peace which appeals to the hearts of the wicked. They promise life to the vilest of unrepentant sinners and mock the truth about Divine judgment. But God’s judgment is upon these false prophets and preachers, and they will experience a judgment they mocked.

(Adapted from Butler's Daily Bible Reading 3)

Soli Deo Gloria (To God Alone Be The Glory)

Quotation of the Week

“The task of the preacher is to comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable!”

Vance Havner (1901 – 1986)

American Author and Preacher

Word Study

Due / Duty

In Rom. 13:7 we read, “Render therefore to all their due: taxes to whom taxes are due, customs to whom customs, fear to whom fear, honor to whom honor” (NKJV).

Due / duty is the Greek word opheilē (ὀφειλή =of-i-lay'). It means that which is owed; a debt. Literally, opheilē refers to a debt of goods or money (Matt. 18:32); figuratively it refers to an obligation or duty (Rom. 1:7).It was also used as a euphemism for sexual intercourse that becomes a duty after a marriage vow what should be done (1 Cor. 7:3). In classical Greek opheilē literally means a debt as in a monetary debt. Opheilē is not used in the Septuagint. In the New Testament opheilē also conveys the idea of a debt as in a monetary debt. It is a specific obligation.

Prophecies Fulfilled by Jesus

Old Testament Prophecy – Messiah would bring salvation (Zech. 9:9).

New Testament Fulfillment – Luke 19:10

Did You Know…

The Lord Jesus commands Christians to pray in His name (John 14:13).

Bible Quiz

What were God’s initial instructions to Moses before He would speak to him at the burning bush?

**Answer to last week’s Bible Quiz: What kind of clothing was Elijah known to wear? A hairy coat and a leather belt (2 Kings 1:8).

Names For God Found in the Bible

“Yahweh Elohav”

"Then you shall flee through My mountain valley, for the mountain valley shall reach to Azal. Yes, you shall flee as you fled from the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah. Thus the LORD my God will come, and all the saints with You” (Zech. 14:5).

1. Meaning – Yahweh Elohav “The Lord my God” speaks of the personal relationship that we can have with God.

2. Insights – In context, the Lord will visibly stand on the Mount of Olives, in the same location where He ascended into heaven after His resurrection (Acts 1:9-12). When Christ’s feet touches the Mount of Olives, it will split apart, forming a valley that will provide an escape route for the people of Jerusalem. The phrase “the Lord my God will come” means that after all that the world has endured, God will finally arrive in the person of the Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ, and bring order, peace, security, joy, and the utopian age that human beings have long dreamed of.

Did You Know...Christian History

William Fox was born February 14, 1736 in Clapton, England. He was the founder of the Sunday School Society.

Fox, the youngest of a large family was left fatherless in early his childhood. He was an extraordinary child who developed his first business plan at the age of ten and completely fulfilled it. Concerned with the plight of the poor, he tried unsuccessfully, to move the government in their behalf. In 1784 when he became wealthy, Fox began his humanitarian work, clothing the poor of the parish as well as founding a free day school.

Earlier, Robert Raikes, owner and printer of the Gloucester Journal, had also pondered the fate of the children of the poor. Visiting the prisons, he saw how easy it was for the children to slip into crime. Raikes knew that the parents of these children were so steeped in sin themselves they had no intention of training them to do better. Some other means of teaching these youngsters must be found or many more would end up in prisons.

Raikes hired four women to teach the children to read in schools that would run on Sunday. The teachers gave the children reading lessons from ten to two, with an hour break for lunch. Then they marched them to church, after which they were taught the catechism until 5:30 P.M. Good behavior was rewarded with small prizes.

Impressed by the Sunday school work of Robert Raikes, Fox wrote to him calling for an association to assist and promote Sunday schools. His plan was to form Sunday schools under volunteer teachers and to focus on Bible studies rather than secular subjects. Raikes was very supportive, and he and other prominent philanthropists gathered to implement Fox’s idea. The result was the first Sunday School Society for Britain.

Before eight months had passed, thirty schools had been established, containing 1,110 students, and by the following January (1787) the number of schools had increased to 147 schools with 7,242 children. In 1797 the Baptist Home Missionary Society was formed, with Fox as treasurer.

It is hard to overemphasize the value of this society: it coached the poor each week, educating thousands who otherwise would have had no schooling. The society established rules, provided textbooks and offered funding. Close to 4,000 Sunday schools were formed. This spelled relief for many communities in England.

Fox died on April 1, 1826, and was buried at Lechlade beside his wife and daughter. Among the friends and supporters of Fox were Granville Sharp and William Wilberforce.

A Little Humor

Tom and Bill’s road trip took them on various U.S. highways. Along the side of the road were many shrines marking the spots where people had died in auto accidents. Almost all the shrines included a cross, while only a couple had the Star of David. Turning to Bill, Tom commented, there is only one possible explanation: Jews are better drivers than Christians.

Thought Provoking Church Sign

“A life given to God is a life well spent; a life not given to God is a life wasted!”