Discerning Words & Prophets

DISCERNMENT

The fine art of discernment is something that you can learn and that we all must learn if we are to keep the Nest a safe site for Erin, the Moderators and all our members.  We view Scripture as illuminated by the Holy Spirit to be our underlying gauge for all discernment.

The following pages are a collection of wisdom gleaned from many people with many years of experience in discernment. We view this to be a living document that will grow as we learn more.  As we analyze words, dreams, visions and writings here on the Nest, we will be using the following “rule numbers” as reference markers in our discussions as per the following sections:

• Rule O   Discerning Words from Others  (Rule O.x)
• Rule M  Discerning Your Own Words      (Rule M.x)
• Rule D   Dream References                         (Rule D.x)
• Rule B   Bible References                            (Rule B.x)

If you spend time reading the Nest Forum section for “Member’s Dreams, Words and Visions”, we recommend that you read and understand this document thoroughly in order to discern the messages posted there.

However, as a Nest Forum Member posting any of your dreams, words and visions to the Nest Forum section for “Member’s Dreams, Words and Visions”, you are required to read and understand this document thoroughly and you must comply with the rules as outlined.  If we find that any of your postings in this section are inconsistent with the rules as outlined in this document, we will at first help you get back on the right track, but you must remember that the ongoing safety of our members is of paramount importance to the Moderators here.  Repeated violations after being warned will result in the immediate removal of your membership as a Nest Forum Member.

Rule O – Discerning Words from Others

When we read a “Word of Knowledge”, how do we know if it is truly from God? Here are some strong indications to look for when reviewing these that they may not be from the Lord, but rather from a false shepherd:

O.1   When the enemy gives a word, it is usually self-edifying or condemning. When someone claims to speak for God but edifies themselves, this is a red flag. We need to look for the following:

a.  Does the person use a lot of me’s and I’s?

b.  Do they call themselves “humble” instead of praying for humility?

O.2  If someone claims to speak for God, but then quickly reveals a hidden agenda of oppressiveness meant to condemn, shame or manipulate believers or lure them away from Scripture, then this would be from the enemy as this would be opposite of what God would want us to do.

O.3  Confusing text: Watch for whether someone’s writing is either convoluted or jumbled as the Lord’s Words are clear and concise.

O.4  Out of context: Watch for whether someone’s writing is carefully scripted by using select bits and pieces of Scripture taken out of context for the purpose of harming or manipulation.

O.5  Has someone’s past words ‘from the Lord’ mysteriously changed without any announcement in order to correct something that no longer fits with their agenda? Mistakes can happen and improved revelation may change a past message, but any such changes should be widely announced to the entire viewership in a transparent manner as best as one can so as not to be deceptive. However, even if such correction is transparent, one should still watch this person with even more discernment as a Word from the Lord should not materially change simply because the Lord we serve does not make mistakes.

O.6  Is there a very specific event with very specific timing included that has now come and gone? Prophecies that did not come true, particularly the “in 3 days, xyz will happen” or “in the next few weeks, but not months, this will happen” are huge red flags. More specifically, this should be viewed as ‘red’ as in Stop Listening to This Person!

O.7  Is there anything that contradicts the Bible? This is a red flag and prayer and discernment needs to be applied.

O.8  Is there anything that contradicts the prophet’s own past words? Since we know that the Lord never contradicts Himself, then we know that these words simply cannot be from the Lord.

O.9  Is there a point to the communication? The Lord does not waste His time. Therefore, if it is the same thing as everyone else is saying, this message was most likely simply for the person being talked to by the Lord and was probably not meant for general distribution.

O.10  Does the person writing the message seem to elevate themselves to a higher level? This is a HUGE red flag. In comparison, Erin is told she is loved by the Lord, but she has never been compared by the Lord to others as if she is better than them.

O.11  Is there questionable material mixed in with truth? This is the favorite way that the enemy works as he loves to fool you into believing the whole message is one of truth by sprinkling some truth in with it to take you off guard.

O.12  Is the message operating with a ‘Spirit of Fear’? In comparison, Erin’s dreams foretell of frightening things to come as these are coming and matches the Bible, but then the Lord specifically tells us not to worry as He has it under control.

O.13  Messages given should not sound like believers are being yelled at or being strongly rebuked by God. Though understandable that He would be justified in doing this as we all sin, and even though Erin has received gentle rebukes, there is a kind and loving way in which God does this with Erin that seems in direct contrast to some of these other harsh messages we have reviewed in the past.

O.14  Does the message seem to have a secondary motivation? If it seems that the message is meant to chastise someone the writer has a problem with or perhaps meant as a way to raise money for the person giving the message, this should be a red flag to the reader.

O.15  Do you see one person posting a word that is extremely similar to someone else’s word? This may be just fine as it could simply be confirmation from another source. However, if the messages are similar AND the messengers are in frequent communication with each other, we should be suspicious that they may have pre-discussed their words and may have even altered them to be similar. This may not have even been on purpose but may have occurred due to a psychological process called “Group Think”. When it comes to words supposedly from the Lord, this is something to be avoided.

O.16  Speaking in third person is a huge yellow flag and can also be a red flag. For example, when someone starts with “Daughter, tell My beloved children…” or “Daughter, write My words for those who receive My Holy Spirit …” this is worth sitting up and taking notice.

O.17  Whenever a person is supposedly speaking for God, but then says “your Earth” or “your world”, as in “destruction will come to your Earth”, one should seriously wonder why the god they are hearing from would ever declare His creation as someone else’s. This is another red flag.

We believe that too many today use the term prophecy too lightly and give a ‘common’ word “from the Lord” for the wrong reasons. Instead, we believe that a true prophet is still rare and called from the beginning of time. This is why discernment is more important now than ever as we are warned in Scripture that wolves will come in sheep’s clothing and especially in the end times.

An increasingly popular belief is that everyone can ‘hear’ and anyone who ‘hears’ can give a word from the Lord and call it prophecy so long as it is a ‘good word’. However, this used to be properly called encouragement or discipleship as ‘disciples’ would share the Good News and the Gospel, but they did not call this ‘a prophecy from the Lord’. Sadly, people seem to merge the two more and more these days, either intentionally or unintentionally, but we all must remember that we will all be held accountable for what we say and write.

Indeed, we will be held accountable for not only producing our own words presumptuously in the name of the Lord, but we will also be held accountable for spreading the false words of others that leads to the deceiving of others. At the very least here on our website, it is our jobs to discern whether we are drinking the Living Water or poisonous gall and to help others to tell the difference between the two.

Can a Prophet ‘Sometimes’ be Wrong and Still Speak for the Lord?

It is the opinion of the Moderators on the Nest that once a false word is discerned, all words should not be trusted from that particular ‘prophet’. Indeed, once a person gives one false word, you will never truly know if his or her future words will also be false.

Always remember that the enemy is cunning and frequently mixes truth with lies so as to lead the sheep astray. The Lord never gives a false word so the deception therefore must be occurring on the prophet’s end.  This essentially means that the prophet is not doing a good job of discerning the voice they are listening to so their words need to be avoided.

Learning to discern the One True Voice of the Lord is a vital learning process and our responsibility. Should a person not adequately discern and instead speaks a proven false word, they must repent publically of their error.   Such a person must then make sure that they do the proper diligence required before listening to the Lord in the future in order to avoid being deceived or deceiving others again.

This person may receive words from the Lord in private from then on, but the posting of these on the Nest Forum will be actively discouraged until comprehensive discernment has been performed on any such future prophetic words from this source.

O.18  In conclusion, a true prophet is never in error for one simple reason: They are actually hearing from the Lord. Anyone who has error even once is not to be feared as a true prophet as per God’s instructions directly in Scripture. Now this does not mean that they cannot or do not hear from the Lord ever, but just that we are not to fear their words or follow them. Again, this is right from Scripture. True prophets do not hear things a typical person would as he or she should be shown revelations that only God can reveal. We must also look to the Bible and constantly compare the prophet’s words to the Gospels. The Bible teaches, encourages and reveals things to come without error and is always straight and true as the Lord is never a ‘god of confusion’.

O.19  God gave us these simple instructions so that His people are not steered wrong. He separates those that He speaks to by us finding no errors in their messages from Him. If there is error, you have great reason for concern and should not count anything they say as being from Him as per His direct instructions to you. However, if AFTER they give a word from the Lord but then misinterpret what they believe it meant themselves, yet the word itself given has no error, then that is completely different and only caution is required.

O.20  As an important clarification to the last sentence of Rule 0.19, prophets can have personal opinions and these can be wrong and they often are and this even happens with Erin’s opinions. However, a prophecy or word forwarded as being directly from the Lord can never be wrong ‘lest the Lord who gave it was wrong’ as the Lord being wrong is impossible.

Rule M – Discerning My Own Words

M.1  When listening for God’s Voice, there are actually three possible voices you may hear:

• Your voice, which is from your flesh;
• A false spirit, which is from the enemy; or
• The Holy Spirit, which is from God, which is obviously the only one we should be listening to

When you sit down to talk to God specifically to listen to what He has to say, it is important, actually critical, to do these things first:

M.2  Find a quiet place: Find a place where you can have a conversation with God. Remove distractions like the TV or noisy people. Some people like to start with praise music. However, if you do that, you should consider selecting music without singing or voices so that you can clearly hear God when He speaks and not have these outside voices accidentally mix in.

M.3  Have something to write with. For example, Erin uses journals to write in and these also serve as a record and evidence of the chronological order that the dreams and visions have been received.

M.4  Remove the false spirits: This means you must get rid of any false spirits that are hanging around waiting for the chance to steer you wrong and then us as well if these words are posted. Start by “casting them out” out loud by saying something like, “In the name of Jesus Christ, I command any spirit that is not sent by God to leave right now.” If you sense a particular spirit, like the spirit of false prophecy or any other spirit from the enemy, cast it or them out by name. If you desire to specifically hear from God, this is of critical importance as you do not want to inadvertently hear from an entity impersonating Him, which is always evil.

M.5  Communion: Communion is a spiritual warfare tool and a means of connecting with God. Communion can simply consist of a small piece of bread and wine. The point of communion is to focus your mind on the sacrifice that Jesus made on the Cross for you. You should acknowledge that His body was broken when you eat the bread. You should then thank Him for His sacrifice and acknowledge His blood that was spilled washing you clean in His blood and providing for your atonement as you drink the wine. If you are adverse to wine, grape juice is a perfectly suitable and acceptable substitute.

M.6  Pray: Ask the Lord to open your ears and/or your eyes to hear from Him and/or to see what He wants you to see.

M.7  Words should NOT simply be received ‘casually’: You can have casual conversations with the Holy Spirit throughout your day, but these are of a casual nature. For example, if you are seeking to make a purchase, you can ask the Holy Spirit to guide you or to help you find the best price. Or perhaps you have a question you want to bring before the Lord wherein He will respond to you as thoughts in your mind that seems like you are even “having a conversation with yourself” in your thoughts. As He causes things to happen as He tells you that they would, you will learn to trust that this is the Holy Spirit and not just you talking to yourself. However, while these things should and do happen and is good, it would be very dangerous for you to believe that you would receive a ‘formal word or prophecy’ under these circumstances. As such, you should do steps in M.2 thru M.6 first to see if you have confirmation of what may have been said to you by the Lord before making any public declarations. You need to take this VERY seriously!

If at any time during your conversation with the Lord you suspect you might be hearing from a false spirit, do these things immediately:

• In your mind, ask the Lord to confirm what you are hearing or to repeat it (as the enemy has not been allowed by God to be able to read our thoughts as only He can)
• Out loud, remove the false spirits again (explained above)
• Out loud, ask the ‘spirit’ or Spirit to confirm that Jesus Christ came in the flesh and rose from death. “By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God.” – 1 John 4:2-3

How do you know if you are hearing from a false spirit?

M.9  Does the voice demand that you stop what you are doing in order to “listen” or “write” what they have to tell you despite not properly preparing yourself to hear from the Lord in such a manner?

M.10  Does the voice ever seem demanding or oppressive?

M.11  Does the voice exhibit the opposite of the fruits of the Spirit?

M.12  Does the level of anger in the ‘word’ you received seem out of proportion to the level of compassion?

M.13  Do you ever feel a physical “oppression” that comes with the voice, perhaps like a pressing down, heaviness or even a type of paralysis?

M.14  Are there ever any unpleasant odors or fear that accompanies the voice?

M.15  Is the voice overly flattering of you or does it use highly endearing names or pet names?

M.16  Does it elevate you and/or your position above others, making you feel exceptional or special for hearing the voice?

M.17  When you do the acts told to you by this voice, do you find yourself doing the fruits of the Spirit, which is reflective of God’s true nature, or do you find yourself doing the opposite of the Fruits of the Spirit, which is reflective of the enemy’s true nature?

M.18  Are you exhibiting anger, jealousy, fear, etc.? “For a tree is known by [its] fruit.” – Matthew 12:33b

If the answer is yes to any of the questions in M.9 to M.18 above, then you are hearing from the voice of a false shepherd and not God. First working this out with God completely will be critical and you should not post any of the ‘words’ related to this.

Rule D – Dream References:

   D.1  Dream 31 – Home – December 21, 2012

Jesus: “Did the modern day prophets not say, ‘Woe the trials of 2012, woe to 2012’?  Well, how many days are still left?”

Me: “There are ten days, Lord.”

Jesus: “Correct.  Now be strong and take courage.  Call on Me and I will answer.  I will not just answer one or two of you, but whoever calls I will answer.”

Me: “How will others know it is You?”

Jesus: “My voice will bring you peace immediately, but the enemy will draft heightening fear as he grows stronger when you are afraid.”

    D.2  Dream 32 – Christmas Eve – December 24, 2012

Me: “What about the woes of 2012?”

Jesus: “This is the truth, Erin, but not all things are visible.  However, make no mistake, the woes that have occurred and are about to unfold are the beginnings of a new era for Earth.  These modern prophets were correct about this as they heard this from Me.”

Me: “Lord, I guess I was expecting…”

Jesus: He stopped me immediately with His finger raised.  “Erin, expect the unexpected as things are not as they appear.  You have seen the birth pains of what is to come.  Now look closer.”

    D.3  Dream 73 – Jesus, Job, & Jeremiah – June 29, 2013

Jesus: “Now, others will have you focus on believing in the false prophet’s section because they haven’t taken the time to know Me.  So, do not be surprised when horrible things are said of you, understand?  They said worse about Me.  These are the same people that claim to know Me.

“They write to read reviews about themselves and revel in their great wisdom. I tell you the truth, not one would stand up to their own standards, not even God Himself.  These are the ones that, when the trouble comes, will curl up as in the womb and cry out:

“‘Why? Why, Lord?  Did I not point out the false prophets?  Did I not publically rebuke in Your Name?  Did I not give to the ‘big name’ relief agencies?  Did I not go to church and worship You front and center and show my commitment to all with my tithes and communion?’

“What will I then say to these who judged My friends using Scripture and My Good Name? I will say, ‘I do not know you.’  Yes, pray for them, but they will still be unprepared during the time of wrath.  Yet they should be thankful that they will still be given another chance to repent.”

   D.4  Dream 75 – Tour of Heaven Part 1 – July 14, 2013

Jesus: “Who is without sin?  What human could have miracles then?  Erin, it is the ability to love the Lord with all your heart, soul, and strength.  Then it is to love your brother as yourself.

“False prophets, false messiahs and false witnesses have something in common; a hidden agenda that glorifies themselves or another god contrary to truth. They will begin to use “I” in reference to their demonic abilities.”

Me: “Lord, I talk about myself a lot.  I am guilty of this.”

Jesus: “The dreams are not being created by you or your own abilities.  You are not making self-declarations.  Just relating personal stories is not what I am referring to.  The enemy is not patient and drawn out.  Red flags are raised immediately via the Holy Spirit.

“A counterfeit says what you want to hear and tickles the ears so much that when or if the truth is mentioned, it is subtle and notably a diversion. At first you note it.  Then, by popularity, set it aside.

“Then the discrepancies glare, but pride keeps men from admitting error until an outside source is sent to expose the obvious. This divides churches and destroys ministries.

“It is the same as finding out about an affair in a marriage; same betrayal, same diversion and the same pain. Then, because of the fallout, people move away from God altogether and blame God.”

Me: “So there are signs with counterfeits?”

Jesus: “There are always warnings, safety measures and open exits.  The Holy Spirit and Heaven’s armies will not leave you unaware and clueless.  This is certainly not the ways of God at all.  It is the same illustration for your own children.

“As a parent, you set up a safe household. When something enters that is unsafe, you give warnings of discernment or have it removed with a gentle rebuke.  Children learn discernment here to navigate when you are not present.

“The difference is, with you and other children of God, the Gift of Counsel via the Holy Spirit. You have a best friend, parent and Husband inside you and guiding you.”  He smiled.

Me: “Lord, thank You for this.”

Jesus: “One last thing on this matter.  Someone void of the Holy Spirit uses ‘I’, ‘me’ and ‘myself’ beyond normal.  Humility removes self.  A humble heart references Jesus and removes ‘I’s.  When you become a new creation, you run after what is good; things of the Holy Spirit and things that honor the Lord.

“You reference your past errors to testify of God’s grace, but always knowing it is by God’s grace that you are here to begin with. You have done nothing on your own, understand?  False witnesses speak of themselves 80% of the time and reference God 2% because the other 18% is convincing the crowd why they should believe them.”

Me: “Lord, I could have used this lesson a long time ago.”

Jesus: “Erin, you have this ability to discern.  The Holy Spirit is a gift, a life line and a cell phone with unlimited minutes directly to Me anytime.  I never left any of you alone without reserves for some will need to hear more clearly soon.  False will become more common before My return to confuse.”

   D.5  Dream 90 – Patterns, Obstacles & Obedience – October 6, 2013

Me: “So, if I had seen those obstacles and knew they were detours and traps, I could have altered my walk?”

Jesus: “Both yes and no, but this is the difference; you now know My voice.  You recognize My voice as One calling out to you in the wilderness.  I am the good Shepherd and My sheep hear My voice.  I say, “This is the way; walk in it, understand?”

Me: “Lord, You are right.  I did not know it was You then.  I thought it was an angel or even a dead relative.”

Jesus: “You did not know who to look for.”

   D.6  Dream 91 – Training and Elijah – October 12, 2013

Jesus: “Erin, you will be protected supernaturally on the day of trouble, but what comes is a true test of faith.  You must love and recognize the voice of the Shepherd, the One calling in the desert.  Do not be insecure.  I have not retracted My promises to you; not one.

“Erin, I will keep you safe and you and your children will be delivered. Remember, there is deception everywhere.  Even Job’s friends had a voice of the accuser.  Now the things of Heaven will not be contrary to each other.  Remember: a house divided against itself will not stand.

“You have been given several gifts. The Holy Spirit is your counselor; God in you.  If you are unsure, wait on the Lord; wait on Me.  I will lead you in the way you should go.  When things originate from the Throne, these things will work together harmoniously; all things will work together.

“Where there is envy, strife, boastfulness, jealousy, hatred and other such things, this is the fruit of the enemy; a fox, bat or wolf. These devour.”

   D.7  Dream 93 – Faith & The Gate – October 19 2013

Jesus: “Now, you must forgive as those whom the enemy has used have no idea that the voice in their ears is nothing more than the enemy using a voice like a shepherd.  Remember, the enemy is cunning.  The enemy is a scholar and a graduate in the fine art of deception.  My sheep hear My voice.”

   D.8  Dream 143 – God’s Mountain & the Archangel with a Quiver – December 16, 2014

Angel: “Erin, give warning to your friends as there are false prophets amongst you.  Remember to test the spirits.  Remember that false prophets work to glorify themselves and run toward the promise of power and high esteem.

“Words that are detestable to God or opposite of the fruits of the Spirit must be gauged so that you are not led so far away from truth that you find yourself in desert places.

“Pray for those who have been innocently deceived as these are double-minded men. Erin, while you are to pray for them, you are not to take the time to read these things, but rather to spend that time focusing on Jesus and Scripture instead.”

   D.9  Dream 159 – God, the Archangel & Breakthrough – April 12, 2015

Me: “How can we tell what real prophecy is and what false prophecy is?”

Angel: “First, what does a prophet speaking falsely desire?”

Me: “Attention and power.”

Angel: “This all begins when the opposite of the fruits of the Spirit are operating in the life of the prophet doing it and you will know such a man by his fruit.  False prophets will start out something like this:

“They will read a prophecy and decide it is from God. Then they will keep it and covet it personally.  Then they will take several things which sounded good to them based on the confirmation and praise of others and chew on it for a while like a cow chews their cud.

“Then they will run the prophecy by others in order to gain approval. Then they will begin using several words of others, both false and true, and will stir it together with their prior prophecy to come up with a blended prophecy.

“They will then begin to hear from demons exactly how you were shown where they will be able to tickle one ear and bend another ear.

“Then when a date or prophecy does not come out as they stated, they will quickly make excuses such as ‘oh, I must have heard wrong’ or ‘oh, I must have been distracted’.”

Me: “Surely I have done this before as I too have been distracted.”

Angel: “Yes, but the difference is that you only release that which God tells you to release and you have learned to wait on Him.  However, because false prophets are anxious to have the first word before anyone else, they are quick to jump even when they do not have God’s leading.

“Erin, God has limited your technology for both you and your children. He keeps you away from television and from the prophecy of others.  You are tucked away.

“Now when you go to the bookstore and see other books about Heaven, you worry that your books have lost favor. However, this is not the case as your books are for an appointed time.  Erin, do not envy the appointed time for another and remember that the enemy has appointed some as well, even in plain sight.”

   D.10  Dream 161 – God, Tempest & Valor – April 26, 2015

Me: “So we are low compared to the enemy?”

God: “No, Erin, you are precious in My sight and this makes the enemy hate you, but this is good.  Now, Peter was given a wise word about false prophets and their wickedness and you must remember what Peter shared about them.

“False prophets malign the truth and their greed causes them to exploit you with their false words. Remember that Peter was found able to testify to this because satan had asked to sift him as wheat.”

Me: “So Peter was able to speak about the kingdom of darkness?”

God: “Those who have been tested and remained victorious against the enemy’s schemes have a great victory, but also experience the ability to testify as such.  These victors then are enabled to warn saints of the enemy’s plots and to remind you to keep your eyes focused on Me and to finish with a strong race.  Erin, I used Peter to share this with all of you.”

   D.11  Dream 174 – God, Call to Repentance & the Snake – September 13, 2015

Me: “My dream was odd.  In this dream, there was a city like the West Village in New York.  There were beautiful townhouses lining the street.  In the middle of the street was a long line of beds or bedroom vignettes of all different styles and all were open air and exposed to those living in the townhouses.  The townhouses seemed to have gatherings in them taking place behind closed doors.”

“In my dream, I walked to the edge of the city to find my bed there. It was in a quiet part of the neighborhood and I remembered in my dream that I wanted privacy and not full exposure.  As I lay in my bed there to sleep, I asked God to move me to a private area above the top of some cute shops where there was a flat for sale.  Although it was tight for us in livable square footage, I knew we could be safe there.  What does this dream mean?”

Uriel: “God will reveal more, Erin, but this dream has layers and the exposed beds are those of the prophets.  These prophets lay down on these beds to sleep and they are fully exposed to those around them.  In turn, each of the townhouses is filled with people who invite these prophets and their prophecies into their homes.

“These townhouses are also like websites, ministries and churches, but they can also be individual homes. Since many of the prophets actually enjoy this exposure, they spill out many words in order to be invited into all of these townhouses.  In turn, the people in the townhouses happily open their doors to their words and celebrate them.

“These prophets rarely lay down and rest as they are too busy mingling with each other. Very few of them take the time to hear and seek God and are more often prone to the flattering tongues that meet flattering ears.

“Your bed is in a private area along with the others who desire time to rest in God’s Words and breathe in His Scriptures. This is good, Erin, as God is showing you in this that He will keep you safe, but the positions of the beds are where the popularity of the prophet’s words are like honey to ears.”

Me: “I do not understand.”

Uriel: “As your words are different, they will not be well received, but do not be discouraged.”

Me: “But I thought all of us would have the same messages from God.”

Uriel: “Some of you will and it will be very clear and concise, but others will be inconsistent and meant to confuse.   At this time, God will have you speak less and say more.”

   D.12  Dream 182 – Jesus, Roots & the Garden – November 28th 2015

Me: “Am I out of favor?”

Jesus: “No, it is given to you so you understand that you cannot see everything unless God allows it.  Just because you are given a gift, it doesn’t mean, at times, you are given all the knowledge in full.  Sometimes you are given parts and then others are given different parts.  Then, when placed together, it all fits.

“Now a body has many parts. Very few of the prophets knew each other personally, but they knew of each other.  You are reading the prophecies in the Bible.  Each one is fitting together now at this time.”

Rule B – Bible References:

While some of these Scriptures were already cited above, we have also compiled them here with other related Scriptures for ease of future reference.

Jesus Warning Against Deception

B.1  “Beware of false prophets who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits.” – Matthew 7:15-16

B.2  “Take heed that no man deceives you.” – Matthew 24:4

Test the Spirits

B.3  “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world. You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. They are of the world. Therefore they speak as of the world, and the world hears them. We are of God. He who knows God hears us; he who is not of God does not hear us. By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error. “ – 1 John 4:1-6

Grounded In the Word

B.4  “For the word of God is living and powerful and sharper than any two edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts of men and intents of the heart.” – Hebrew 4:12

B.5  “But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil.” – Hebrews 5:14

Be Diligent

B.6  “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. But shun profane and idle babblings, for they will increase to more ungodliness.” – 2 Timothy 2: 15-16

Ask God

B.7  “If any if you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God who gives to all liberally and without reproach and it will be given to him.” – James 1:5

False Prophets

B.8  But there were also false prophets among the people, even as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Lord who bought them, [and] bring on themselves swift destruction. And many will follow their destructive ways, because of whom the way of truth will be blasphemed. By covetousness they will exploit you with deceptive words; for a long time their judgment has not been idle, and their destruction does not slumber.” – 2 Peter 2:1-3

B.9  “For many deceivers have gone out into the world who do not confess Jesus Christ [as] coming in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist. Look to yourselves, that we do not lose those things we worked for, but [that] we may receive a full reward. Whoever transgresses and does not abide in the doctrine of Christ does not have God. He who abides in the doctrine of Christ has both the Father and the Son. If anyone comes to you and does not bring this doctrine, do not receive him into your house nor greet him; for he who greets him shares in his evil deeds.” – 2 John 1:7-11

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