The Narrow Way

This isn’t a post I really want to write, rather one I feel compelled to write. Give me a little grace as you read and please, feel free to ask if you have questions (email).

What I want to address specifically are “wolves in sheep’s clothing.” If you’ve read your Bible, it’s a familiar phrase. Just after talking about entering through the narrow gate, Jesus says:

“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thorn figs from thistles? So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus you will recognize them by their fruit.” Mat 7:15-20

I want to be EXTREMELY careful as I write this, because some of folks would looooove to point a finger at someone in the church. 🤦‍♀️🙄 Please go back and read the former parts of Matthew 7 😬🤭😁 I’m not trying to start a witch hunt here. However, I thought it worth it to address some red flags you might see if someone is a false prophet. To do this, I’ll tell you two very general stories without delineating between mine and my friends in case there are any connections out there 😉 My goal is not to shame any person or persons, but to expose the works of darkness.

Story 1: A young person is pursuing God. Through a family member they meet an older person who impresses them. This person boasts of such incredible experiences with God. As time goes on, a relationship develops and this person becomes a mentor. The younger person holds them in high regard. The older person begins to have “words” for the younger, starting to give some direction, etc. Some of these words speak to the youngers deepest desire–for a spouse–and the older actually states God has shown them who the spouse is. The younger eventually leaves home to be near the mentor in hopes of meeting this person. Only that never happens. The older begins to change and treats the younger poorly. Tension builds. The mentor tells the younger that worship music is bad, as is the church. The mentor makes large hyper-spiritual claims and goes so far as to telling the younger they have demons all the time. The older begins to make threats “if you do this or that you’ll burn in hell.” It becomes a very “my way or the highway” situation. The younger is increasingly uncomfortable. The mentor continues to act as though God is revealing what the younger must do, only the younger is not receiving the same things from God. The older applies pressure to the younger trying to get them to do what they want. On and on to the point the younger begins to question if they can hear God at all, or if only the mentor can 🤷‍♀️😔

Story 2: A young person is pursuing God. They have attended regular churches when they stumble upon one that seems different. These people really seem to “get them.” They’re way more into the things of the spirit. They do worship and preach the word, but it’s often de-railed and turns into a spiritual rally. At the same time, the young person finds it refreshing thinking “these people really want the things of God.” After some time, the young adult is involved in the ministry’s inner workings. The character of leadership begins to show. The younger is a bit alarmed but reasons that “they’re only broken people like me…” As time goes on, some close friends leave the church, never stating details of the fallout but trying to save face for all, they remain silent. Pressure builds. Leadership becomes uncomfortable with anyone who has ties to those who have left and begin addressing this head on. An email is sent “anyone who continues to fellowship with such people won’t be able to continue on with us,” as they site some spiritual things that God is doing and how the enemy is trying to cause division and destroy things. People begin to feel uncomfortable with some of this, but at this time no one says a word to another, because you don’t quite know who you can trust and no one wants to speak against leadership. The young person continues to feel uncomfortable with claims of leadership, visions, encounters, etc. coupled with bad character. Eventually the young person moves, it seemed like the only way out 😕 No hard feelings that way and they wouldn’t be slandered. As time goes on, others find moving to be the easiest way to exit the ministry as well…

Do you remember what Jesus said? “You will know a tree by it’s fruit…” The fruit in both of these situations is bad. So, are they false prophets? 🤨 I wouldn’t jump to that. But I would say, something is clearly wrong. In each of these there is an absence of love for the young person. Instead there is fear, intimidation, and manipulation. The mark of a godly person is love, because God IS love (1 John 4:8). No matter how spiritual and impressive someone may seem, if love is lacking, go slow.

In both of these situations, the young adult was drawn in by a hope to be closer to God. Unfortunately, their desperation left them vulnerable so when people gave the impression that of being super spiritual, the young person was drawn in. These hyper/spiritual people often speak in tones of “God said,” versus “I felt led,” which leaves no room for error and humility on behalf of the speaker. The “God said,” folks may mean well, it may be semantics, but it can also be a sign of pride and seeking admiration. Learn to question anyone who makes everything a spiritual matter. As scripture says “test all things.” To be very clear–not everyone who says “God said,” is a false prophet either. What I’m saying here is zoom out, look for humility, look for room for you to hear God too or for the person to admit if they make a mistake.

So here’s some themes I’ve gathered between these stories and one more that I’m choosing not to share. A few red flags 🚩 for possible wolves in sheep’s clothing include:

• Manipulation. Gas-lighting–making you think you’re crazy or wrong and they’re always right. This is often accompanied by extreme forms of flattery.
• Isolation. Suggesting or slowly causing you to avoid other believers/the church, often by accusing these individuals or entities of being demonic or demonically influenced.
• Hyper-spiritualization. Everything is “the enemy” if it’s not for them or what they say, they’re never wrong. They often claim excessive spiritual encounters including: spirit travel, visions, dreams, and God speaking with them. There may be angelic encounters as well. These things aren’t wrong, HOWEVER, if coupled with some of these other signs, be extremely cautious. Do not allow their encounters to carry more weight than scripture.
• Giving direction. More direct than manipulation, they will often claim to know God’s will for your life, or for certain aspects of your life. You may not be asking for direction and they will come to you with a word for you. Be careful. DO NOT make decisions without God confirming to you and possibly through others as well.
• Pride and polarity. It is often their way or the highway. They are the ultimate truth. They’re never wrong and there’s no ability to concede or apologize. If there are others close to them, they create a strong sense of “us and them.” They are the only ones with the truth.
• Dependency. They need you, and you think you need them. They foster dependency rather than helping you mature. They need you for your support and to make them feel and appear more important. It’s a creepy visual, but thinking of the original analogy—you’re their food 😬

At the risk of making this a longer than usual blog, I want to expound on some of what I shared above because I’m trying to be REALLY careful here.

Of the above situations and even the third one that I didn’t share—I only have the boldness to call ONE of those entities a false prophet. I’m extremely careful to not speak against Gods people because the truth is, many (likely most) are not false prophets, rather they’re “just a little off.” 🤷‍♀️ They may lack character, they may have impure motives or demons of their own, but they’re aren’t full blown false prophets. In most cases God still uses them despite their faults. In most cases, they DO mean well. And in some cases, the person or persons are simply immature. They’re young in the Lord, still growing, and error prone. Give grace. Anyone can make mistakes!!

That being said, what I’m warning against is red flags 🚩 . You can’t put your finger on it but something is off. 🤔 God cautions you over and over again. There’s small issues, which you may dismiss in an effort to be gracious. Pay attention to red flags!! I can’t tell you how many times God had warned me and I later see why.

I’m warning against ignoring the red flags while simultaneously seeing a pattern of bad behavior as listed (which is not exhaustive). If you’re concerned, step back. Generally speaking, there’s no harm in waiting. Wait on the Lord. 🛑 ✋🏻 Be cautious about anything that plays on fear “if you don’t do this, you’ll miss that!”.

Lastly, spiritual experiences and encounters are not wrong or fake. Scripture gives many accounts of dreams, visions, and encounters with angels and demons. Jesus’s life was spared multiple times as a baby as God warned Joseph in dreams of what was coming, which led him to move. We see Jesus clearly demonstrate supernatural power over and over as He ministered anointed by the Holy Spirit (Acts 10:38). Visions are common in both the Old and New Testament. These things are not wrong or to be feared! We can expect that a God whose presence on earth right now is spirit—to manifest in spiritual ways. I can testify to having some of these kinds encounters. Outside of the manifestation of spiritual gifts, on about a dozen occasions God has given me dreams of warning or prophecy—but it’s not common nor do I control it. I want to make sure to make room for the legitimacy and even the pursuit of spiritual matters.

My warning regarding spiritual encounters is this: test it. That’s Biblical. Test not only the spirit behind it (love or not?), but the fruit! Pay attention as people share these encounters and ask if it’s Biblical. Ask yourself if it is being done in love and if the vessel is increasing in love. While we know not everything was written (see end of John), we have many examples recorded. Is whatever the person is claiming a little far reaching? If so, it may not be false, but be extremely careful how much credit you give it. Hold it loosely. Keep scripture as supreme.

“Do not quench the Spirit. Do not treat prophecies with contempt but test them all; hold on to what is good, reject every kind of evil.” 1 Thes 5:19-22

In closing, I’m not writing to incite fear or paranoia. I’m writing to encourage diligence in the word, obeying scripture by having fellowship and testing the spirits, and to remind of the need to follow the Holy Spirit as He leads you. God is for you, and He is able to keep you from evil, but you must be wise. Jesus said “wise as serpents, innocent as doves…” Beware church, they’re out there. There are people who are so strongly influenced by demonic forces that they are for your destruction. Thankfully, God is not unaware. It may be confusing, it might get messy, but trust Him. Follow good counsel, and if something seems off—it just might be so. Take a step back, watch, wait, and examine the fruit for yourself.

I pray you’re validated by this if you’ve experienced these characters, whether immature ministers, prideful people, or true false prophets. It’s damaging. It’s confusing. But thankfully, God makes a way through it and He will keep you as you follow Him.

If you’ve never experienced things like this, I pray you never have do, but I want to remind you—it’s real. They’re out there. Your safeguard is in the Word and fellowship. It’s the lone sheep that the wolves pick off.

The wolves are out there, but you my friend, be wise, especially in these times as we see a rise in the supernatural on the earth. The devil’s time is short and he’s raging. Don’t believe me, look into the recent Travis Scott concert “Astroworld,” in Huston 😕 Demons are real, manifesting and seeking to steal, kill, and destroy (John 10:10). Don’t be ignorant of spiritual things, be wise and test everything. Look for love, that’s the mark of God.

As always, thanks for stopping by.