If anyone tries to flag you down, calling out, ‘Here’s the Messiah!’ or points, ‘There he is!’ don’t fall for it. Fake Messiahs and lying preachers are going to pop up everywhere. Their impressive credentials and dazzling performances will pull the wool over the eyes of even those who ought to know better. So watch out. I’ve given you fair warning. [Mark 13:21-23 (MSG)]
Last spring, thrilled to see a beautiful goldfinch gracefully perched on a decorative bird feeder, I turned on my camera and moved closer. Surprised that the bird remained so still, I knew why it didn’t fly away once I’d focused in on it; it was a fake! I’d been fooled briefly but recognized the bird for what is was, a fraud, and quickly walked away. Yesterday, I walked by the same house and noticed that the summer storms had knocked the feeder on its side and the once bright yellow bird is now faded and covered with mold.
My experience with the phony bird reminds me of the Biblical warnings about false prophets. Like the fake goldfinch, they, too, can be appealing and look quite authentic. When browsing through a bookstore or channel surfing the TV, it’s easy to come across today’s false prophets. Their messages are often about self, not selflessness; being spiritual, not the Holy Spirit; and wealth in this world instead of riches in the next. They may refer to Jesus as a good man instead of Jesus being God as man or speak of Him as a prophet instead of the fulfillment of prophecies. There may be just enough truth in their ideas to make them appear believable and correct. Before accepting anything, we need to examine their message closely to see if it breathes of God’s word. Beware of false prophets and their messages; they may look good at first glance. Like the fake bird, however, they won’t hold up to the test of time. Storms will batter them, the bright light of day will fade them, and they’ll eventually decay and rot.
