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2 Peter 2:1-2 (KJV)1 But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction. 2 And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of.

2 Peter 2:17 (KJV) These are wells without water, clouds that are carried with a tempest; to whom the mist of darkness is reserved for ever.

The Apostle Peter – under the inspiration of God the Holy Spirit – takes a complete chapter in this small 3 chapter epistle to discuss and condemn false prophets.

Before we can ever discuss “false prophets” we need to define them. In the previous chapter Peter wrote:

2 Peter 1:19-21 (KJV) We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts: 20 Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. 21 For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.

Prophecy is a teaching of absolute truth that comes not from man, but from GOD. The Church (which is Christ’s people saved by Grace) has a more SURE WORD of prophecy. God called and spoke through people to make our Bible. They spake as they were moved by the Holy Spirit, the third Person of the Godhead.

Prophecy is absolute truth clearly expressed
from our Almighty God.

False prophets are therefore people – whether believer or not – who speak saying they represent truth but who in reality are promoting non-truth or opinion as truth. You may say “What does this have to do with me? I don’t listen to false prophets.” Beloved, yes you do.

False prophets are on the radio, television,
and movies.
False prophets are in newsrooms spinning truth.
False prophets speak without God’s blessing.
False prophets teach our children in schools.
False prophets are in our government.
False prophets permeate our churches.
False prophets are in “Christian” publications.
False prophets focus on “I” and not God.
They tickle the ears rather than teach truth.

What the false prophet says effects our worldview, and therefore effects how we live. They look good, and what they say sounds good. Yet their message cannot be tied to Scripture. Peter – a true Prophet of God – tied the false prophets to two vivid illustrations:

2 Peter 2:17 (KJV) These are wells without water,
clouds that are carried with a tempest …

They are “wells without water” and “passing clouds without water”.

In my front yard is a “wishing well” that I made for my wife. When we moved into our home she told me she’d love to have a wishing well. So I made her one. The base of the well is red brick, and there is a small tin roof over it, with a steel bucket hanging from a rope. The “wishing well” looks, in my opinion, very nice. Sherry is satisfied with it. It looks like a well. But when you get up close to it you will see it’s a well without water. I didn’t even dig a hole to make the well. It just sits on the ground. The inside is filled with bricks, spiders, and I think a bird’s nest or two. The wishing well has no practical value whatsoever. If we didn’t have running water in the house and depended on this well, we’d WISH we had a real well. It’s pretty. It looks good. But it’s nothing.

In the days when Peter was moved by the Spirit to write this letter there was no such thing as running water in a home. People need water. You need water, I need water. We need water to drink. We use water to cook our food. We use water to bathe our bodies. The average person’s body is 60% water. The brain and heart are 73% water, the lungs 83% water, muscles and kidneys are 79% water. Even your bones are 31% water.

A person can live without food for 21 days – and some longer.
A person can live without sleep for 11 days, but ..
But a person can live without water for only 3-4 days.

We need water to live. A well with water blessed the community. A cloud with water blessed the farmer. Wells and clouds without water look good, but bring no blessing, only cursing.

Peter said that these false prophets …

2 Peter 2:13-14 (KJV) …. shall receive the reward of unrighteousness, as they that count it pleasure to riot in the day time. Spots they are and blemishes, sporting themselves with their own deceivings while they feast with you; 14 Having eyes full of adultery, and that cannot cease from sin; beguiling unstable souls: an heart they have exercised with covetous practices; cursed children:

America has been sold on the idea of sexual contact without the marriage contract. False prophets come into our homes through godless media, telling us and our children that what we feel is more important than what God has said.

Sin enslaves it’s host. We read “EYES FULL OF ADULTERY, and that CANNOT CEASE FROM SIN”. Jesus warned us of the danger of rejecting God’s standard. He told the Pharisees:

John 8:34, 36 (KJV) …. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin. … 36 If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.

And the Apostle Paul reiterated:

Romans 6:16 (KJV) Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?

Sin enslaves. The false prophets of modern media invade our households and tell us that “it’s all about how I feel. If I am in love then hook up with my lover. Put the I first, and you will be blessed.” This type of message has radically effected our families and our communities.

Back in 1939 Elmo Roper – considered the forefather of modern surveys and polls – asked whether sexual relations for young people before marriage were all right, unfortunate, or wicked. Only 10% to 11% of women and men said that pre-marital sex was “all right”. That meant that in Billy Graham’s world about 90% of adults believed in what God’s Bible said about sex. Compare this to today. In a Gallup survey (June 2018) 69% of Americans believe that sex between an unmarried man and woman is “morally acceptable”. What happened? The false prophets spoke, and Americans listened.

When Adam was introduced to Eve what did he say?

Genesis 2:23-24 (KJV) … This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man. 24 Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.

Jesus used this very illustration when He was asked about marriage. He said:

Matthew 19:4-6 (KJV) … Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female, 5 And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh? 6 Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.

Regardless as to what your favorite television show promotes, physical contact without the wedding contract does not bless anyone. The effects of sexual sin are:

broken hearts
broken homes
aborted babies
broken children
and has promoted a broken society!

The “Sure Word of Prophecy” – our Bible says:

1 Corinthians 7:2 (KJV) … to avoid fornication, let every man have his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband.

Hebrews 13:4 (KJV) Marriage is honorable in all, and the bed undefiled: but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge.

Marriage as defined by the Scripture is
one man and one woman bound together
in a contract relationship.

Galatians 5:19 (KJV) … Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,

Those engaged in sexual sin are warned that their activities rob them of blessing in THIS life as well as in the NEXT life.

Sexual contact outside of the wedding contract is strongly forbidden in Scripture (see Galatians 5:21; 1 Corinthians 6:9-11). God will judge sin, Beloved! But God will save and heal those who come to Him by Christ.

2 Peter 2:4-6 (KJV) For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment; 5 And spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly; 6 And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes condemned them with an overthrow, making them an ensample unto those that after should live ungodly;

• God judged angelic sin. When the angels revolted against God, the Lord cast them into a hellish pit (see Jude 6; Revelation 20:3).

• God judged heterosexual sin when He brought a flood on the entire world. The sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair, and they took of them wives of all which they chose (Genesis 6:2). The righteous mingled with the unrighteous, and the marriage contract was not observed.

• God judged homosexual sin when He destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis 19:5). The mob saw the angelic messengers who came to Lot’s home and cried out “Where are the men which came in to thee this night? bring them out unto us, that we may know (intimately know) them.”

God judges sin, & sin has a consequence.
Angels were imprisoned because of sin.
A world was flooded because of sin.
Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed because of sin.

2 Peter 2:3 (KJV) And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not.

Right after Jesus rose from the grave He met with Peter and asked him in John 21:15-17):

“Simon, do you love Me?”

Peter answered “Lord, You know that I love You”. Jesus told Peter “Then FEED My sheep”. The mark of the true Prophet is that he feeds the Child of God. He promotes the Word of God. He tries to build a Christian worldview in your heart. The false prophet wants POWER and MONEY. He does not love you, nor the God he claims to represent. The false prophet …

2 Peter 2:10 (KJV) … walk after the flesh in the lust of uncleanness, and despise government. Presumptuous are they, self willed, they are not afraid to speak evil of dignities.

They do not want to be a part of God’s Kingdom, nor of any kingdom. They want to be their own Lord, anarchists, doing evil and darkness rather than coming to God’s light. Like their father satan they desire to be in charge. God declares of them:

2 Peter 2:12 (KJV) But these, as natural brute beasts, made to be taken and destroyed, speak evil of the things that they understand not; and shall utterly perish in their own corruption;

These false prophets will ultimately self destruct. They have forsaken the way of Christ. They …

2 Peter 2:15-16 (KJV) … have forsaken the right way, and are gone astray, following the way of Balaam the son of Bosor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness; 16 But was rebuked for his iniquity: the dumb ass speaking with man’s voice forbade the madness of the prophet.

Balaam was an Old Testament false prophet who sold his services to the highest bidder. He did not love people. He did not love Jesus. He loved money. When Balaam went to prophecy against God’s people one day the Bible says “the Lord was very angry with him” (Numbers 22:21-39). The Lord caused Balaam’s donkey – his jackass – to crush his foot against the wall. Let’s read the text cited by Peter:

Numbers 22:28-33 (KJV) And the LORD opened the mouth of the ass, and she said unto Balaam, What have I done unto thee, that thou hast smitten me these three times? 29 And Balaam said unto the ass, Because thou hast mocked me: I would there were a sword in mine hand, for now would I kill thee. 30 And the ass said unto Balaam, Am not I thine ass, upon which thou hast ridden ever since I was thine unto this day? was I ever wont to do so unto thee? And he said, Nay. 31 Then the LORD opened the eyes of Balaam, and he saw the angel of the LORD standing in the way, and his sword drawn in his hand: and he bowed down his head, and fell flat on his face. 32 And the angel of the LORD said unto him, Wherefore hast thou smitten thine ass these three times? behold, I went out to withstand thee, because thy way is perverse before me: 33 And the ass saw me, and turned from me these three times: unless she had turned from me, surely now also I had slain thee, and saved her alive.

That jackass saved Balaam’s life. God was going to kill Balaam for what he – as a false prophet – was getting ready to do.

The false prophet will be judged. Do not stand with the false prophets.

2 Peter 2:19-21 (KJV) While they promise them liberty, they themselves are the servants of corruption: for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage. 20 For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning. 21 For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them.

Stand with Jesus.
Stand with the Living Word.
Seek God’s Will in His Scripture.
This is the way to life everlasting!

One day Jesus met a woman at a well. “Give Me to drink” He said. She replied, “I am a Samaritan. Why would You ask me for a drink of water?” Jesus said “If you knew who I was, you’d ask Me for water, and I would have given you LIVING WATER”. Christ is not a well without water. He is a well flowing with divine and supernatural water. To drink of Him and His word is to “never be thirsty again”. Jesus told her “Go, call your husband, and come back with him”. The woman replied:

John 4:17-18 (KJV) The woman answered and said, I have no husband. Jesus said unto her, Thou hast well said, I have no husband: 18 For thou hast had five husbands; and he whom thou now hast is not thy husband: in that saidst thou truly.

This woman was living as many live today. She had heard the word of the false prophet, and was living without satisfaction or blessing. She had been with five men, and now was with a sixth. But once she met Jesus her life changed.

John 4:28-29 (KJV) The woman then left her water pot, and went her way into the city, and saith to the men, 29 Come, see a man, which told me all things that ever I did: is not this the Christ?

She went back to her home and told the MEN that had previously known her that she had met the Messiah. Her life was changed. She was now in contract with the Living and Eternal Savior.

Jesus can change your life, too! You will never find power for living in the false prophets of this world. Power for living is possible only for those who come to the Living Savior and then – in the power that God grants you – to read and study His Holy Word. May God lead your hearts to follow Him wholeheartedly!