Old Testament Scripture Reading:(Deuteronomy 13:1 – 4 KJV)
Deu 13:1 If there arise among you a prophet, or a dreamer of dreams, and giveth thee a sign or a wonder,
Deu 13:2 And the sign or the wonder come to pass, whereof he spake unto thee, saying, Let us go after other gods, which thou hast not known, and let us serve them;
Deu 13:3 Thou shalt not hearken unto the words of that prophet, or that dreamer of dreams: for the LORD your God proveth you, to know whether ye love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul.
Deu 13:4 Ye shall walk after the LORD your God, and fear him, and keep his commandments, and obey his voice, and ye shall serve him, and cleave unto him.
New Testament Scripture Reading: (1 John 4:1 – 4 KJV)
1Jn 4:1 Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.
1Jn 4:2 Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God:
1Jn 4:3 And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.
1Jn 4:4 Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.
1Jn 4:5 They are of the world: therefore speak they of the world, and the world heareth them.
1Jn 4:6 We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error.
Transforming Power Statements:
1) There have always been people who either believe God, or they don’t believe Him, which is manifested in the reality of if they “believe what God has said” and act on what He has said, rather than acting based on anything else.
2) In the old covenant we can see that there can be, and there were false prophets who are by God’s permissive will capable of speaking a prophetic vision, however, they are doing it for some other reason or motivation which is to mislead people to walk I disobedience to the Word of the true God, much like the devil did to Eve, just before the fall of man.
3) Learning from God the Holy Spirit is the blessing afforded for each believer in Jesus the Christ which is received at the point of salvation, and imparts a “supernatural” ability to discern in each situation and to have access to prayer which is heard directly by God, giving all who believe a major advantage to display God’s super-natural love in all cases.