Author: Amanda Richardson

False prophets, leaders, and teachers are more prevalent today than ever before. We live in a culture that wants an easy religion – a society without consequence or sacrifice. We want the benefits of God without the effort of righteous living. 2 Timothy 4: 3-4 says, “For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching but having itching ears, they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths.” There are many false teachers and “prophets” conveying a word that’s easy to the ears; those quick to preach prosperity, yet not condemnation.

So, what is a false prophet? It’s a person who spreads false teachings or messages while claiming to speak the Word of God. We see a clear depiction of this in the book of Jeremiah. “Then the LORD said to me, ‘The prophets are prophesying lies in my name. I have not sent them or appointed them or spoken to them.”

Jesus taught about false prophets in his Sermon on the Mount. “Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit” (Matthew 7:15–18). Jesus warned us that “false Christs and false prophets” will come and will attempt to deceive even God’s elect (Matthew 24:23-27).

So, what’s the difference between a true prophet and a false prophet? A true prophet gets his or her information from God. False prophets originate information in their own hearts and minds (Jeremiah 23:16; Jeremiah 14:14). Not only is the source of their information different, but their motivation is, too. Many times, false prophets are motivated by deception and greed. “Her leaders judge for a bribe, her priests teach for a price, and her prophets tell fortunes for money. Yet they look for the LORD’s support and say, ‘Is not the LORD among us? No disaster will come upon us’” (Micah 3:11).

This is no different today. We see people who claim to be psychics and prophets and claim to get their information or “gift” from God, but then they ask you for money once they’ve given you the message. That’s an example of bad fruit. A true prophet will give you a message not out of financial gain or greed, but out of obedience to God.

The Apostle Paul also gives a warning against such false teachers in 2 Corinthians 11:12-15, “And what I do I will continue to do, in order to undermine the claim of those who would like to claim that in their boasted mission they work on the same terms as we do. For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. So it is no surprise if his servants, also, disguise themselves as servants of righteousness. Their end will correspond to their deeds.”

True prophets do not always preach prosperity and good news. We see this in the book of 1 Kings, when King Jehoshaphat suspected that the prophets were just providing information to please him. Sure enough, that proved to be the case. They had no real concern for speaking the word of God, just for collecting a profit. When Ahab called for the prophet Micaiah to give a second opinion, he said he hated the prophet because he always prophesied bad things about him. King Ahab was killed in battle, just as Micaiah had predicted.

A true prophet’s words will be fulfilled, (Deuteronomy 18:21–22; Jeremiah 28:8–9) and his or her teachings will be consistent with Scripture (2 Peter 1:20–21; Revelation 22:18–19). He or she will encourage righteous behavior and walk in obedience to God.

The scriptures teach us to be diligent and devoted to Christ’s teachings, so we can spot false prophets and teachers. (2 Peter 1:10; 1:19—2:1; 1 John 4:1). To be able to spot what’s false, we must know what’s true, and that comes from studying God’s word for ourselves.

I had a dream a few months ago where one of my church sisters said, “We want you to teach about consecration.” I was immediately jolted awake, knowing it was a prompt from God.

To be honest, I had to research it. Not that I didn’t have a general understanding of it, but I really didn’t have much context. The more I researched consecration through the Bible, the more I realized the depth of its significance.

The dictionary definition of consecration means “dedicated to a sacred purpose.” It’s the separation of sin and anything that would come between us and our relationship with God. God wants our dedication. He wants to be the head of our lives, but to do that, we must surrender to His will and consecrate ourselves to Him.

Why is consecration so important?

1. For Him to receive us – God says we must come out from the world and be separate for Him. “Whoever is united with the Lord is one with Him in Spirit.” (1 Corinthians 6:17).  
2. To please Him – Romans 12:1-2 says, “Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God – this is your true and proper worship.”
3. To walk in the fullness of God – We can’t live an unconsecrated life and expect to reap the benefits of God. If we want to reach our full potential in Him, it requires consecration and sacrifice.

What are the benefits of consecration?

• Freedom from Condemnation (Romans 8:1) – “There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”
• Confidence in Prayer – “This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.” (1 John 5:14)
• Spiritual Power – “Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you.” (Luke 10:19)
• Bearing Fruit of Righteousness – “Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.” (John 15:16)
• Overflowing Blessings – “And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.” (2 Corinthians 9:8)
• Overflowing Anointing – “As for you, the anointing which you received from Him abides in you, and you have no need for anyone to teach you; but as His anointing teaches you about all things, and is true and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you abide in Him.” 1 John 2:27
• Ever-Abiding Presence of God – “By this we know that we abide in Him and He in us, because He has given us of His spirit.” 1 John 4:13

So, how do we consecrate ourselves? We must prioritize our spiritual lives over our physical lives. 2 Peter 3:18 tells us to “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” Growth is our responsibility. We must take the initiative to spend time with God and cultivate our relationship with Him.

 It’s amazing how the more time we spend with God, the things of earth tend to fade into the background. Not to say we won’t still struggle because consecration is not a one-time thing. It’s a way of living, and trials and temptation will happen. God will help us to leave behind the things that are not pleasing to Him if we stay the course.

“Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body” (1 Corinthians 6:20). “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” (Galatians 2:20).

Many times, I hear people say, “I just need a vacation,” or “I just need a night out” like it is going to fix whatever situation is plaguing them at the time. Don’t get me wrong, we all need time to ourselves, and we all need a break sometimes. The issue is that when we rely on those things as solutions to our problems, it never works, or at least, it never lasts.

When I was living for the world, I would do this all the time. I would say, “I just need a night of partying, or a ‘girls’ night,” or whatever method I felt was best to cope with life at the time. It was fun in the moment, but the next day, not only were my problems still there, I had a hangover to add to it.

I’d like to say life gets easier once you establish a relationship with God, but it doesn’t. Why else would the bible say, “small is the gate and narrow the way that leads to life”? If being a Christian was always easy, wouldn’t more people follow that path?

The more you seek God, the more the devil comes after you. He knows your weak points, and he doesn’t fight fairly. I know the devil has really been battling me lately. It’s like all my joy was just zapped in an instant, and I started to feel this old, familiar feeling of depression encroach upon me. I didn’t feel like praying or reading my bible, and some days, I didn’t feel like even going to church, but I pressed on. I knew if I didn’t, I was going to fall back into a place that I didn’t want to be.

In Mark 4:15-19, Jesus explains, “Some people are like seed along the path, where the word is sown. As soon as they hear it, Satan comes and takes away the word that’s sown in them. Other’s like seed sown on rocky places, hear the word and at once receive it with joy. But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. Still others, like seed sown among thorns, hear the word; but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful.”

Notice that Jesus says, “when trouble or persecution comes BECAUSE of the word.”  The word “because” reveals that you will undergo trouble and persecution. It’s inevitable, but Paul said, “The sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us” (Romans 8:18).

Satan’s goal is to snatch the word that was sown in you, so it doesn’t take root. Just like a garden, if you don’t cultivate your spiritual roots, then whatever spiritual seed was sown in you won’t flourish or bear fruit. We must consider what kind of fruit we are bearing. Are we bearing the fruit of the Holy Spirit, or are we like the seed sown among the thorns that bear the fruit of our flesh?

 The devil wants you to feel hopeless and condemned, but that’s not what God wants for you, and that’s not what He wants for me. We can’t escape our reality, but we do have a loving, merciful God who promised to always be with us, who has plans for us of good and not evil, to give us a hope and a future.

Have you ever been so thirsty that you just couldn’t wait to get a drink of water? I think all of us have at some point in our lives. We get so busy, so distracted, that we don’t take proper care of ourselves.

When a person does not frequently replenish his or her natural body with water, dehydration sets in, and eventually death. It’s only possible to survive without water for a matter of days. Just as our natural bodies need water, our spiritual bodies do, too, and that comes from the source of the living water – Jesus.

One of my favorite moments in the Bible is when Jesus meets the Samaritan woman at the well. She was an outcast who avoided others by drawing water during the most miserable time of day. She didn’t understand why Jesus, a Jew, would ask her, a Samaritan, for a drink of water.

He told her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, ‘Give me a drink,’ you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water” (John 4:10). “Whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life” (John 4:13-14).

He could see the parched places of her soul and the brokenness of her heart. She had tried unsuccessfully to quench her thirst with the well water the world offered – the water of seeking love, men, and approval. Jesus offered her a well that never runs dry. She then dropped her waterpot, symbolically leaving it behind, so she could go into town and tell the news of Jesus.

 Jesus is the source of living water from which our souls can freely drink and be satisfied. This water is available to “whosoever will” (Revelation 22:17). Just as someone’s natural body can die from dehydration, if we don’t replenish ourselves spiritually, we can become weak and spiritually dead. It’s vital that we drink of the living water to replenish the thirst of our souls and remain spiritually alive in Him.

Satan aims to clog up our spiritual flow by putting sin in our hearts and to distract us by whatever means necessary. He wants to restrict the flow by using our weaknesses to build sediments of sin in our spring of water, to keep us from growing spiritually, and to get us to turn away from God.

By maintaining a relationship with Jesus, His water can always flow through and sustain us.  Jesus said, “He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, from his innermost being will flow rivers of living water” (John 7:38). Like the woman at the well, we must admit our sins and need for salvation, believe in Him, and remain in truth. A change must be made. She didn’t just pick up her water jug and go back to her old life. She drank the living water.

We all experience difficulties in life. When these situations occur, it’s easy to question why something is happening. In the moment, sometimes we wonder why God allows certain things to happen, but what we must remember is that God never promised exemption from trials and hardships. We live in a world where the enemy is constantly trying to attack and destroy us, but God promised that He would be with us through it all if we let Him.

It’s during our struggles that God STRENGTHENS us. Isaiah 41:10 says, “Do not fear, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous hand.” God promises us his strength. As his children, we have a right to call upon that strength at any time. Paul said in 2 Corinthians 12:10 “When I am weak, then I am strong.” God reminds us that his grace is always sufficient for us. God reminded me of that scripture before I went through a trying time. He’s such a good father that He will even prepare us for the trials ahead.

It’s during our struggles that God HEALS us. Jeremiah 33:6 says, “Behold, I will bring it health and healing; I will heal them and reveal to them the abundance of peace and truth.” There are so many examples of healing in the Bible, like the woman with the blood issue. She spent all her money on physicians, and no one could cure her. At the time, Jesus was surrounded by a crowd of people, undoubtedly many people touching Him, yet when she touched the hem of His garment, He felt the power flow out. Why? Because she had faith.

We all need healing at some point in our lives, and God wants to heal us. It may not happen exactly when we want, but if He said it, He will do it. He healed my body and my mind in a supernatural way. God told me He was healing my back, and He did. When I broke my thumb, I had faith God would heal it, and He did. No surgery needed. The Specialist couldn’t believe it was ever broken, though the x-rays showed otherwise. Once I was physically healed, God said He was healing me mentally, and He did. I no longer need anti-depressants. All it took was me having a little faith.

God provides PEACE. John 14:27 says, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not be afraid.” No matter what situation we face, even when all seems hopeless, our hope is in Him. He will give us a peace beyond all understanding.

God LIGHTENS OUR BURDENS. Matthew 11:28-30 says, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” When we stop trying to do everything in our own flesh and walk in the Spirit, we can lean on God to carry our burdens. When we feel overwhelmed, angry, sad, or anxious, we can call on God to help us, and he will.

Last night at church, the message resonated with me about the importance of being in church and how the enemy will twist scripture to justify our fleshly nature. Salvation comes through a relationship with Jesus, but if you’re never amongst a body of believers, how can you maintain that relationship? How can you grow in your faith if you’re never hearing the Word? Suddenly, you have less desire to pray, to read the bible, and then before you know it, you have fallen from grace. The bible says, “faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (Romans 10:17).

There are so many times that this has happened in my life. I was hell-bound and didn’t even know it because I had a false assurance of faith. My Baptist upbringing had me clinging to this false hope that when I was saved at 12 years old, I was always going to be saved. Thankfully, God opened my eyes. If I hadn’t studied the Word for myself, I wouldn’t have questioned this “once saved, always saved” philosophy that was so engrained in my upbringing, and I wouldn’t have taken the question to my Pastor for further guidance. Don’t get me wrong, there are those who believe in that philosophy that have never tested it. They have always strived for righteousness and kept a relationship with God, but I know for me, I fell away. It wasn’t even once. It was all throughout my life.

Why did I fall away? Because I never grew my faith. I never built the foundation needed to sustain my salvation. I grew up in church. I had glimpses of the love of God. I had even felt God’s presence, yet I was one of the people that said, “Oh, God knows my heart,” as if that was an excuse to stay in sin. Well, the bible says the heart is deceitful and wicked (Jeremiah 17:9). It’s only through the help of the Holy Spirit that our hearts can be truly changed.

2 Corinthians 5:17 says, “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation.” When you truly accept Christ as Lord and Savior, you don’t want to continue those same sinful behaviors. I’m not saying the desire will go away, at least not overnight, but the Holy Spirit will help you. For me, I notice the closer I get to God, the less I desire my old ways. The desire for drinking is completely gone. I used to enjoy gambling immensely, yet the desire to go to the casino is now gone. This is not to say that I do not still undergo temptation. We all do because the devil knows our vices. We all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23), but the key is that we can’t stay in that place. We must repent and keep seeking Him.

We can’t use scriptures of God’s love and mercy as an excuse to stay in sin. Romans 6:1-7 says, “What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? Therefore, we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection: Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. For he that is dead is freed from sin.”

I’ve made up my mind that I’m not going backward. There’s nothing this world can offer me that is greater than the love of Jesus. It’s like the old song says, “Jesus paid it all. All to him I owe.” He died on the cross so we can have a chance of salvation. We need to be assured in our faith and salvation, and that comes through denying ourselves daily, taking up our crosses, and following Him.

When we think of circumcision, we often think of the physical procedure, but did you know that to truly please God, you must undergo a heart circumcision?  

In the Old Testament, circumcision marked the Jewish people as God’s chosen people and the covenant established with Abraham. Before Isaac was born, God directed Abraham to circumcise all the males of his house, including himself, Ishmael, and his servants (Gen. 17:1-14). This was a tradition that repeated throughout the generations. So much value was held in this external rite that many Jews had the misconception that it was the mark of salvation, but Paul says that Abraham wasn’t justified because he was circumcised. God justified Abraham because he had faith (Romans 4:9-12).

To me, this is so powerful because sometimes, we place so much emphasis on external traditions to the point that we can turn people away from Christianity. We tell them how to look, how to dress, and what rules they need to follow, but 1 Samuel 16:7 says, “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.” Righteousness doesn’t go from external to internal. It starts in the heart. Once our hearts are changed, then any external signs are to promote and provide evidence of the internal change, i.e., the fruit we bear.

For me, a tradition that I had to ask God about was my clothing. I know that many churches, depending on the denomination, expect women to always wear skirts or dresses, but that’s never been something I have done exclusively, nor have I found that requirement in the Bible. I recently asked God to give me confirmation either way because I want to please Him and to do his will. He gave me the confirmation that I needed not only through the scripture in 1 Samuel, but through one of my Pastor’s sermons that same week.

Don’t get me wrong, it’s perfectly fine to wear dresses exclusively, but it’s also perfectly fine to choose not to, as long as we are dressing modestly. We can’t get so wrapped up in the external that we put our faith in that instead of Jesus, or hold on so tightly to tradition that we judge others and turn them away.

God has always wanted more from His people than just external conformity to a set of rules. He wants us to possess a heart to love, know, and follow Him. No one becomes a Christian through good works or participating in religious ceremonies. People become a Christian by placing faith in Jesus Christ (John 3:16-18, 36; Ephesians 2:8-9).

True circumcision happens when we surrender ourselves fully to God and allow him to change our hearts. As Paul said, true circumcision is a matter of the heart, performed by the spirit of God.

All throughout the bible, we see instances where God fights for his children. In the book of Exodus, the Israelites were terrified as the Egyptians encroached upon them, yet Moses told them “The Lord will fight for you, you need only to be still” – Exodus 14:14. You see, they didn’t know that the exact situation they were in was divinely orchestrated for God’s glory. God had hardened Pharoah’s heart so that he would pursue the Israelites, but all they saw was the dire situation before them. They complained to Moses and questioned why he brought them to the desert to die. What they didn’t see was the angel of God who had been traveling in front of them the whole time.

Sometimes when troubles come, we go into panic mode. We can only see the situation before us. The enemy is fierce and doesn’t give up. He wants to destroy us. He hates truth, so if we’re living it and standing on the Word of God, we will be targeted. The good news is there’s a powerful hope in Jesus. The bible says the one in us is greater than the one in the world (1 John 4:4), and just like God fought for the Israelites, he fights for his children still today. The problem is that many times we don’t let him. We don’t want to be still. We try to resolve things on our own instead of letting the Lord guide us through situations. Because we don’t see the results in the timeframe we feel is appropriate, we take matters into our own hands. When we do this, we limit God by not surrendering fully to him.

So, what does it mean to be still, anyway? How do we let God fight our battles, and how does being still affect his ability to move in our situations? First, we must trust God, and that comes through faith and through a relationship with him. We must also repent. Sin separates us from God, and if we want him to move for us, our hearts need be clean. 1 John 1:9 says, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” We also must pray and stand on God’s word. Read scriptures of God’s promises, speak life over our situations, and be patient. No matter what timeframe we feel is appropriate, God’s timing is perfect. He will fight for us, if only we be still.

We know the enemy seeks to destroy us every day, but did you know he also gives gifts? Mind-blowing, I know. One night in bible study, my pastor was teaching on spiritual gifts, and we explored how the devil can give gifts, too. It got me thinking about things from a different perspective.

We see multiple bible verses about being tempted and avoiding temptation, but temptation is not always in the form of something negative. Temptation can sometimes masquerade as a blessing. Unlike the blessings of God, the gifts of the devil are meant for our ultimate destruction.

When Jesus was tempted in the wilderness, Satan offered Jesus all the kingdoms of the world in return for worshipping him (Matthew 4:8-9). Having power and wealth can be a blessing, but we must consider the source and the associated repercussions.

We hear stories of celebrities “selling their souls” to the devil for fame and fortune, which may be hearsay, but at its root, there may be some truth. Even if they haven’t formally dedicated themselves to Satan, if they aren’t living for God, then for whom are they living? The devil will give fame, wealth, and fortune not because he wants to bless us, but because he wants to keep us. He wants us to covet material things more than we covet God. 1 Timothy 6:9 says, “But those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a snare, and many foolish and harmful desires which plunge men into ruin and destruction.”

Now, this does not mean Christians have to be poor to be saved. God desires us to prosper. 1 Kings 2:3 says, “And keep the charge of the Lord your God, walking in his ways and keeping his statutes, his commandments, his rules, and his testimonies, as it is written in the law of Moses, that you may prosper in whatever you do and wherever you turn.” The key is, for Christians to be prosperous, we must follow the requirements of the Lord. The devil has no requirements, which is why so many follow that path. The bible says wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction (Matthew 7:13).

The enemy will bless you for a time, but at a cost. God wants to bless you because he loves you. Ephesians 3:20 says he’s able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think. While the enemy can deceive you through temporary blessings, God’s blessings are everlasting.

As I was sleeping the other night, I was given some words, and the words that stuck with me were “Resting in Him.” The Lord wasn’t talking about physical rest that involves taking a break from an activity, but a spiritual rest. Psalm 37:7 says, “Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him.”

In the Old Testament, God promised the Israelites rest in his presence (Exodus 33:14; Joshua 1:13-15), but the peaceful existence depended on the Israelites remaining faithful and obedient to God’s covenant. This is the same with us. We can find rest in the Lord, but there’s a requirement.

To rest in the Lord requires dwelling in the Lord, and to dwell in the Lord, we must consecrate ourselves to him. We must surrender our lives to him and let him lead us. Isaiah 32:17 says, “The fruit of that righteousness will be peace; its effect will be quietness and confidence forever.”

As a society, we are a restless people. We are expected to go above and beyond in work and life. We gain our self-worth from our achievements. There’s a natural inclination for us to always be productive, to handle things on our own, but that’s not God’s will for those who belong to him. Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light” Matthew 11:28-30.

As believers, we aren’t immune from life’s storms. In fact, it’s quite the opposite. Once you decide to live for Christ, the enemy does everything he can to try to throw you off course. The key is to keep focused on God. Talk to God. Give your burdens to him in prayer, and thank him for what he is doing. Sometimes, we even have to go a step further.

When the war broke out on Ukraine, I was crying at least once a day. It’s not that I didn’t believe God would move for them. I have the utmost faith that he is, but the images, particularly of the children, were taking a toll on my mental state. Then, in bible study, my pastor said something that resonated with me: When we give something to God, we also must ask for a peace about it. So, I did, and God gave me a peace about the situation.

Once I had a peace about that situation, the enemy tried to use something else to attack me, but I pushed through. I still made it to church that night, and I prayed about it, and asked God for peace. That night at church, I may have cried most of the service, but God gave me exactly the message I needed to hear, and the next day was better. Psalm 30:5 says, “Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.” Put your trust in Him, no matter the situation, and He will give you rest.