WOLVES IN SHEEP'S CLOTHING

Matt. 7:15 - "Beware of FALSE prophets which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are RAVENING WOLVES."

2nd Tim. 3:6 - "For of this sort are they which creep into houses and lead captive silly women laden with sin, led away with divers lusts, ever learning, and (yet) never able to come to the knowledge of THE TRUTH." ( To know JESUS as he IS THE TRUTH.)

Jer. 23:32 - "Behold I am against them that prophesy false dreams - and tell them and cause my people to err by their lies and by their lightness; yet I sent them not, nor commanded them: therefore they shall NOT profit this people at all, saith the Lord."

Micah 3:11 - "The heads thereof judge for REWARD, and the prophets thereof divine for MONEY, and yet they will lean upon the Lord, and say, Is not the Lord among us? None evil can come upon us."

Perhaps it might prove helpful to consider the (nature of wolves). They have a voracious and insatiable appetite. They run in packs. They prey on the weakest victims they can find. They learn the art of the kill by observing their parents. Their motivation has always been, and will always be the same.

1st. Tim. 6:10 - "For the LOVE of MONEY is the ROOT of ALL evil; which while some coveted after, they have erred, (been seduced) from the faith and pierced themselves through with many sorrows."

Only two verses back in this very same chapter - God has instructed believers - "And having food and rainment - let us therewith be CONTENT."

The head wolves will teach on the other hand - that anyone who believes what God has so plainly said in verse 8, is being totally selfish - because they care only for their own paltry needs.

To further prove their case - Many wolves are even so brazen as to say that the Gospel of God's Kingdom can Not be preached in all the world without fortunes in money, satelite television, and jet planes. How foolish must a wolf be to believe that anything is impossible for God?

The first RED FLAG to watch for is simple. When any man tells you that anything is impossible For GOD - That Should Automatically tell you, That man was NOT Sent By GOD. God's Prophets are Never Sent by GOD to contradict HIS WORD.

These same wolves would have you believe that if you don't entrust them with YOUR MONEY - that the gospel won't get preached - and that God will hold you accountable. How convenient for the wolves - how sad for the sheep.

Jesus said in Matt. 24:24 - "And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and THEN the end shall come." Jesus also said in John 10:4-5 - "the sheep KNOW my voice & the voice of a stranger they will not follow." (Paraphrased)

The most foolproof test as to whose voice is speaking - Neither Jesus or any True Prophet sent by GOD, Will ever tell you to do or believe anything contrary to what God saw fit to have in his written Word. Wolves apparently can NOT read very well - whereas the TRUE sheep of God's pasture Have a most Excellent teacher in the Person of The HOLY SPIRIT.

A wonderful end times prophecy is found in Dan. 12:10 - "And NONE of the wicked shall understand; but the wise SHALL UNDERSTAND." (partial)

Should you find yourself wondering exactly what it is that the wise Will understand that the wicked Will Not - you need only back up to verse 4 of same chapter. Here God says that "knowledge will be increased" (partial) The wolves would have you believe that this speaks of WORLDLY knowledge - you need only consider that in James 3:13-15 - that ALL earthly KNOWLEDGE & WISDOM is sensual and devilish." (partial) All wolves live & operate by copying the methods and beliefs learned from observing other wolves.

On the other hand this KNOWLEDGE which God said will increase - speaks of 'THE KNOWLEDGE of God'. God said speaking thru Jesus that the gospel SHALL BE PREACHED then you need to believe that 'it SHALL BE PREACHED'. No matter what any man does or does NOT do - IT SHALL BE PREACHED!

All wolves are expert at adding the "buts", But nothing - God is neither a man or a wolf that he should lie.

    Jesus paid an awesome price for the redemption of mankind. The blood of Jesus is FAR MORE than enough. All of humanity now has the freedom to follow the voice of the Shepherd or the cry of the wolves. Those who would be WISE would do well to heed the warning from the only TRUE SHEPHERD, Jesus - "BEWARE of FALSE PROPHETS which come to you in sheep's clothing".

Remember also - that wolves run in packs and their most frequent and beloved cry is - "God told me - to tell you - to give ME - your money".

Of course - just as the father of all wolves has always done - they can quote chapter and verse as proof that they have heard from God and are thereby God's authorized channels through which all money MUST FLOW. Once again - How convenient for the wolves but how sad for the sheep.

Two of the best examples of this are the stories of Elijah and the widow, and Jesus and the rich young ruler.

Take for example the story of Elijah - we can know that God did send Elijah to this woman's house and in 1st Kings 17:9 we read God said - "Behold I HAVE COMMANDED a widow woman there to sustain you." Don't these words 'to sustain you' sound exactly as 1st Tim. 6:8 ? When Elijah's work there was finished did he leave with great herds of sheep and cattle? Even more importantly - Did God say he had commanded the widow to sustain Elijah - or - did he tell Elijah to go and say to the woman - "God told me to tell you". God does not change.    If any person feels it necessary to come to you saying 'I am a prophet' You can rest assured that that man - is a prophet of sorts - but it is spelled - PROFIT -

In the second favorite story concerning MONEY - the wolves love the story of Jesus and the rich young ruler. Wolves are very clever when it comes to adding to and taking away from God's Word as written. Luke 18: 22 - Here we find Jesus saying "Sell ALL that you have and give it to the POOR - Notice also what he did NOT say. He did NOT say give it to the preachers - nor did he say give it to my disciples - and Jesus did not even say give it unto me. He did say - "Give it to the POOR".

In neither story do you find Elijah or Jesus saying "God told me to tell you".

The wolves would have you believe that God can bless you only if you believe and obey them. God's Word on the other hand teaches that his blessings are upon those who HEAR, BELIEVE, and OBEY him and him alone.

Jer. 23:21-22 - " I have not sent these prophets (wolves) yet they ran: I have not spoken to them, yet they prophesied." "But if they had stood in MY counsel, and caused my people to hear MY words, then they should have turned them from their evil ways, and from the evil of their doings."

Hebrews 5:6 speaks of those who should be teachers but rather need to have someone teach them again the first principles of the oracles of God.

A recent example of a wolf in sheep's clothing is a so-called minister and prophet of God - teaching over world-wide television - that the doctrine of 'repentance has absolutely no application to anyone in the Body of Christ. (The Church) How strange does that make it seem that Jesus commanded the Apostle John in Rev 2:5, 2:16, 2:22, 3:3, & 3:19 - to instruct and warn certain people to repent. In each and every verse listed above - every one had something in common. They were all addressed to "The Church". Apparently 'wolves' believe that they know more than Jesus. Should any christian believe that a man is a 'prophet of God' and that he was sent 'by God' to contradict God's own Son? This leads me to two certainties - Jesus is for sure and for certain "God's Son and secondly - NO wolf is.

What would a prophet of God look like and where would he most likely be found? In Luke 7:24-25 - Jesus asks a question concerning John the Baptist - "But what went you out to see? A man clothed in soft rainment? Behold, they are georgeously apparelled, and live delicately, are in King's courts." In 1st. Cor. 1: 26-28 - we see that God has chosen the foolish things, the weak things, the base things, but not many noble." (partial)

It is highly unlikely that a true prophet of God will be found living in luxury or dressed in a 1500 dollar suit.    The very successful wolf will seek to use this very obvious contradiction to God's Word and pervert this same Word you just read and cite this is a manifest token of their right-standing with God.

If the abundance of material possessions were proof of being sent by God - then Bill Gates would probably be the most righteous man who ever lived - including Jesus. A ridiculous example to be sure - but not nearly so as a WOLF who believes that not even God can see them for what they really are.

The law of Genesis is still true and forever will be true. Every creation of God still reproduces after it's own kind. Believers are taught in God's Word that we are to walk even AS Jesus walked - 1st. John 2:6 - and in so doing become followers (imitators) of God as found in Eph. 5:1 (Partial).

Jesus NEVER charged any man, woman, boy or girl, any price of any kind - for anything he ever did or said. His commandment as found in Matt. 10: 7-8 - "Freely you have recieved - FREELY give."

Wolves apparently have no understanding of the words 'FREELY GIVE'. Their concept of the words 'freely give' means God gives them something for free and then has commanded them to turn this free gift into merchandise - a product to be bought and sold.

Rather than to pattern themselves after Jesus, our example, they choose rather to pattern their lives after whoever they have chosen to make their SPIRITUAL FATHER. If this person preached on radio and/or television then so must they. If he owned his own plane - then so must they. If he took that which was freely given him by God and turned it into a product to be made merchandise of - then so must they. Who then do they walk like and who then do they imitate? A clue here - it's NOT GOD or Jesus but in reality just a man who is dressed in sheep's clothing but is in reality only a WOLF in Sheep's clothing. These are the very ones Jesus warned of.

There is great danger in following ANY MAN. If you follow him very closely and far enough you will, without a doubt, end up exactly where he does. Would it not be far wiser to follow only the very one who gave his very own life for you? We know where Jesus ended up and it's not very hard to look in the Word and see the final destination for the False Prophets. God is no respecter of persons and you can simply read Rev. 19: 20 to see where the 'Beast and the False Prophet' end up.

A wolf pack lives and operates by hierarchy. There are dominate males and dominate females. The lesser ranking newcomers must pay homage to to leaders of the pack. In the animal realm this is done by cowering in a manner demonstrating submission. These wolves of the two-legged variety do so by exalting those whom they have chosen to follow and to imitate. In Matt. 23:9 we find one tell-tale sign of this wolf nature.  Here Jesus says very plainly - "And call 'NO MAN' upon the earth your FATHER: For (ONLY) ONE is your Father (Spiritual Father) , and that is the one who is in Heaven." (paraphrased) This is some really BAD news for the wolves, yet really great news for those who love and believe God's Word rather than the howling of some wolf.

All people who have ever lived are allowed ONLY ONE spiritual Father. He is the one of whose seed you were conceived. For all those who have chosen to ignore and disobey Jesus' words have every right to do so. Jesus paid the price that we could have that right. Every person who has ever lived will spend eternity with the God (Spiritual Father ) of their own chosing. How much more fair could God be? If you have chosen an earthly man as your Spiritual Father then the Father of Jesus can not be yours also. Matt. 6:24 - Jesus said " No man can serve two masters: for he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will hold to the one and despise the other, you can Not serve both God and Mammon."  In like manner you are allowed only ONE God - ONE Spiritual Father. There is a great deal of difference between esteeming others more highly than yourself - and giving an honor that belongs to God and God alone unto any man who is but flesh and blood.

Exodus 20:3 - "Thou shalt have NO OTHER GOD'S before me." God did not permit that in the beginning and he will not permit that NOW. He will not permit that in the future. Any and all who have chosen to disreguard God's Commandment have only identified themselves as the very ones Jesus warned us of.

A horse is a horse, of course, of course - and a wolf is a wolf if he's born of a wolf.

In Matt. 12:34 - Jesus left a message for the wolves - "O generation of vipers, how can you being evil, speak good things: for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh."  Here Jesus uses the analogy of a poison serpent because their words are full of deadly poison.

1st. John 2: 3-4 - "We can know that we know Jesus IF we keep his commandments - and if we do not keep his commandments we are a liar." One of his commandments is 'that we call NO Man on earth our Father. Jesus did not say that this was a suggestion and we could take it or choose to disregard his words. All who have made this regretable decision will learn too late that this commandment of Jesus was indeed very important. To be or not to be - Wolf or Sheep - Every man must choose for himself.

Should God choose to send a prophet to you - It will NOT be necessary for that man to say "I am a prophet" . If God does not tell you beforehand - then you had better look and listen very closely. Compare that man's every word with those things you KNOW Jesus has already said. It may well be that that person is a prophet but not one sent by God - but rather the ones Jesus warned of in Matt. 7:15

This is not some strange new occurence because these Wolves in Sheep's Clothing have existed since of old. They will continue until the time for their reward from God. These wolves have an almost uncanny ability to twist almost ever Word of God into the conclusion that God is solely dependent on men and money rather than the TRUTH that tells us plainly that men are totally dependent upon God. They will say that their God meets all their needs but can ONLY do so through you.

In Isa. 59:1 - God has already said that his arm is not shortened that he cannot save - but along comes the wolves saying - "if you don't place everything you have into their trust - that you will be guilty of amputating God's hand.

It is indeed a wonderful thing to give into and for the preaching of the gospel - BUT - it is not the gospel when the WOLVES say that God can't get the job done unless or WITHOUT anything.

One simple TRUTH can put these wolves' theory to rest once and for all. If the preaching of the gospel will be and can only be - accomplished by men - then why does God find it necessary to send an angel preaching the EVERLASTING GOSPEL - at or at least very near the end of the Great Tribulation?

Rev. 14:6-7   "And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the EVERLASTING GOSPEL to preach to ALL on the Earth." Could the reason be found in verse 7? "Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give Glory to HIM (not to some wolf) for the hour of his JUDGEMENT is come." Could God's Words as found in Jer. 8:7 be the reason God would find this necessary? Has something very important been left out? Matt. 23:23 tells of some who omitted the weighter matters of the law - the first one mentioned being - JUDGEMENT.

1st Peter 4:17 says that "JUDGEMENT will begin FIRST at the house of God." ( partial) Of course a wolf much prefers NOT to believe that as the House of God (the church) is his favorite habitation and feeding ground. They also don't want the sheep believing that either as that would make the sheep much more difficult to control and manipulate. Exactly as the false prophets teach that repentance has no application to or for the church - so do they likewise reject the idea of God's JUDGEMENT has anything to do with the church (The Body of Christ)

A WOLF in sheep's clothing loves to preach about the LOVE of God, the FAITH of God, the BLESSINGS of God, the PROSPERITY of God - BUT - they want no part concerning God's JUDGEMENT.

   These wolves Jesus warned us of - consider God's pasture and God's sheep to belong to them and if you listen closely you even hear them say as much. My Church, My Congregation, My Flock, My Followers, - MY - My _ My.

It is the nature of all wolves to dominate, to exercise control over others, to feel the lusts which comes to all who love power and authority over others.

It must be said that this desire was come by honestly because after all - this is the exact nature of the ORIGINAL BIG BAD WOLF. That nature was found in him and revealed when he said - "I will be like God."

Keep in mind - that no matter in what form he chooses to appear - be it serpent, or lion, or as an angel of light, or as a Wolf in Sheep's Clothing - his method of operation will always be the same. He will always seek to change the TRUTH into a lie - either by adding to or by taking away from - omission or addition. Any and all things Jesus said do - he'll attempt to get you not to do. Anything and everything Jesus said not to do - He will try every trick at his disposal to try and decieve you into doing.

And now you should understand why knowing and understanding God's Word is so important. One of the main reasons is so that we can distinguish between the voice of Jesus, the only true Shepherd, and the wailing of Wolves. I conclude this study with these words - not my words - but the words of He who gave his life for the ransom of MANY.

"Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly, they are ravening wolves."

The End