I
get a lot of fraudulent emails from friends in my contacts list.
Well,
actually I don’t.
I
get a lot of fraudulent emails from con artists using the names of friends in
my contacts list.
But
I don’t get taken by the deception. I
right-click on any suspicious email preview and use a simple feature called
VIEW MESSAGE SOURCE.
The
VIEW MESSAGE SOURCE command shows me the email in a safe, coded version that
displays the real email address and the path the email followed to get to my inbox. The identity of the source determines whether
or not I receive the message.
The identity of the source
determines whether or not I accept the message.
The
ancient people of God were as inundated with self-proclaimed experts,
theologians, and prophets as we are. God
anticipated the confusion they would experience and gave them a VIEW MESSAGE SOURCE command.
And
if you say in your heart, ‘How shall we
know the word which the Lord has not spoken?’
When a prophet speaks in the name of the Lord, if the thing does not
happen or come to pass, that is
the thing which the Lord has NOT spoken; the prophet has spoken it
presumptuously; you shall not be afraid of him. (Deuteronomy 18: 21-22)
When a speaker claims a prophetic revelation, just wait
and watch whether what they declared and decreed actually
happens. If it doesn't, then God is not the
Source of their message. Send
their teachings to the spam folder.
Delete their sermon from your mental cache. Continue browsing.
Some
spiritual spammers are so clever that they can pull off what looks like a real miracle. In
Deuteronomy 13, the Lord explained what to do about them.
If there arises among you a
prophet or a dreamer of dreams, and he gives you a sign or a wonder, and the
sign or the wonder comes to pass, of which he spoke to you, saying, ‘Let us go
after other gods’—which you have not known—‘and let us serve them,’ you shall
not listen to the words of that prophet or that dreamer of dreams.... (Deuteronomy 13: 1-3)
Some fradulent emails will include links to legit looking websites and official documents confirming "your award of 1 million dollar USD." But when those messages ask you to do what you know you shouldn't do (like surrender your banking account or credit card number), it's a sure sign of fraud.
When a message places other gods, philosophies, or priorities before or on the same level with Jesus; that's your big red notification of malicious software. The messenger may show evidence of a mighty anointing, but don't grant them access to your soul. Delete their message before you get stuck with a forcibly downloaded, inappropriate, or malicious theology.
The
message may show up "in the name of Jesus."
The messenger may use the church itself as an inbox. But before you let their words infect your
spiritual operating system, you have to VIEW MESSAGE SOURCE.
Compare their statements with the Bible. Read the context. Cross-reference to other Scriptures. Do the necessary study to keep your mental system updated on the Word of God. Then you’ll spot suspicious messages more quickly. VIEWING MESSAGE SOURCE will become a reflex.
In
the days of the prophet Jeremiah, the people of Judah failed to view the source of their religious messages and the consequences were catastrophic.
Spiritual
scammers had done disgraceful things in
Israel, have committed adultery with their neighbors’ wives, and have spoken
lying words in My name, which I have not commanded them. Indeed I know, and am a witness, says the Lord. (Jeremiah
29: 22-23)
False
teaching infected their culture so deeply that God had to shut them down and
send them off to Babylon to be reset.
Thus says the Lord of hosts,
the God of Israel, concerning Ahab the son of Kolaiah, and Zedekiah the son of
Maaseiah, who prophesy a lie to you in My name: Behold, I will deliver
them into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and he shall slay them
before your eyes. (Jeremiah 29: 20-21)
Christians receive a lot of messages from a lot of different sources. Every one claims to be coming from Jesus. Some of them---a lot of them--- are lying. When you accept and receive a "Word" that looks good but is from the wrong source, you compromise your spiritual security. And that is a major reason why the modern church is so weak, divided, and confused. We have allowed malicious doctrine to creep in unawares.
Test every message, including this one.
Don’t let scammers further compromise our network.
Open your Bible. Pay attention to what you’re taught, but never just take their or my word for it. Go back to the Scriptures. VIEW MESSAGE SOURCE.
Test every message, including this one.
Don’t let scammers further compromise our network.
Open your Bible. Pay attention to what you’re taught, but never just take their or my word for it. Go back to the Scriptures. VIEW MESSAGE SOURCE.
---Anderson T. Graves
II is a writer, community organizer and consultant for education, ministry,
and rural leadership development.
Rev.
Anderson T. Graves II is pastor of Miles Chapel CME Church in Fairfield,
Alabama; executive director of the Substance Abuse Youth Networking
Organization (SAYNO); and director of
rural leadership development for the National Institute for Human Development (NIHD).
Email atgravestwo2@aol.com
You
can help support Rev. Graves’ work by visiting his personal blog and clicking the DONATE button
on the right-hand sidebar.
Support
by check or money order may be mailed to
Miles
Chapel CME Church
P O
Box 132
Fairfield,
Al 35064
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