Good morning,
When is a good message a bad message? We live in a world where a gifted speaker or writer can have a world wide audience. The media, including the internet, is now being used to give information and teaching to anyone anywhere in the world who has the right equipment. In the last two years, people in America have been bombarded by words from politicians wanting to be in a position of power in our country. They often use the right words to get people to vote for them, but they are often exposed as word twisters, for their own benefit. Building powerful words on a dream is very different from telling the truth for the benefit of their fellow citizens. Sadly, our church leaders and teachers often take the same approach when leading the churches they have been asked to serve. Teachers and pastors who are focused on success can find wonderful resources that they can claim for their own. In fact, some well known speakers encourage others to take their material without mentioning where they got it and use it to move people to action. When those who call themselves God’s servants get involved in this kind of ministry, they are getting their ideas from one another, not God. They may be successful, but their power will not be from God. They may use God’s word, but they use these holy words just for their own benefit.
Jeremiah was surrounded by gifted prophets and priests just like this. The people they led were involved in idol worship and rebellion against God, but their leaders were very gifted in helping them to feel good about who they were and what they were doing. God did not approve of these leaders or their followers. So he sent Jeremiah to confront them. He was commanded to give the people the exact message that God had given him to speak. He was to speak for God, not borrow or leave anything out from the message.(Jer.26:2) When Jeremiah did what he was told, it almost cost him his life. The false followers of God were actually God’s enemies so they thought it was a terrible lie, but it was God telling them the truth. The false prophets said they were telling the truth, but they were only borrowing from each other and building on their own dreams. May the Lord help us to give his lessons and messages based on his truth and not some gifted writer or speaker who is out of touch with the God who gave us these words.
Jeremiah 23: 30 "Therefore," says the LORD, "I am against these prophets who steal messages from each other and claim they are from me. 31 I am against these smooth-tongued prophets who say, 'This prophecy is from the LORD!' 32 I am against these false prophets. Their imaginary dreams are flagrant lies that lead my people into sin. I did not send or appoint them, and they have no message at all for my people. I, the LORD, have spoken!
Roy Wisner
