Points from the Pastor

As the senior pastor of New Bethel Baptist, I count it an honor to serve Christ Jesus here in Hardinsburg. We are a local body of believers with deep roots and a vision of the future. Believing that God’s word is the basis for all that we are and do as Christians. Faith in Jesus is the foundation of all work with prayer in the beginning, middle, and end.

     Here in Ezekiel chapter 13 there is a condemnation against those who would falsely represent God. Verse 3 begins this discourse with a woe against false prophets (men) “This is what the Lord God says: Woe to the foolish prophets who follow their own spirit and have seen nothing”. These false prophets do not follow the Holy Spirit of God instead they follow their own direction. They say they speak for God but clearly they do not belong to Him. This is shown in verse 9 where these “foolish prophets” are said not to be a part of the “fellowship of My  people…”.     

     Then the discourse turns to the condemnation of the women who would give a false prophesy. In verse 17 God states that it is from their own imagination that they speak. Again, God shows that they are in no way speaking for Him. He continues by showing in verse 22 that these prophetesses had encouraged wicked / evil people not to turn from their ways and save their lives.  Then He says in 23 that He is going to deliver His people from these women.

In today’s hectic world there are still some that have followers that I am positive fit into these two categories as seen in Ezekiel chapter 13. There are men who say they represent God but in fact someone in their family was more likely the one who called them to ministry. You can often tell who they are because they would be more easily categorized as self help gurus than as one who professes the truth of God. They bring a feel good ear tickler message and side step the deeper things of God. Then there are others who say a lot like “God loves you” which is not a false statement because we can see that in John 3:16 that He truly does love us so much that he sent His only Son to die for our salvation. However, they take it too far by stating that there is no need to change their sinful traits, in fact they direct that God is ok with it. This causes people not to turn to God in faith through Jesus the Christ and allow them to find and have salvation. We need to remember that sin is still sin; God is still holy; and that salvation still only comes through Jesus.

All scripture quotes are from the HCSB

Please be aware that many a false prophet is still teaching today, they take on the airs of truth but from their mouths spew poison. Now I could quote some of them but instead I will let one of them speak for himself and you can hear the false spews in his own words.  

"Our prayer and God's mercy are like two buckets in a well; while one ascends, the other descends" - Arthur Hopkins