Watchout For WOLVES: Keys To Discerning Authentic Ministries & Evaluating Doctrinal Trends

walk in their own ways. 17 Nevertheless He did not leave Himself without witness, in that He did good, gave us rain from heaven and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness.”18 An d with these sayings they could scarcely restrain the multitudes from sacrificing to them. Acts 14:8-1 Because these men performed a miracle the crowds were ready to proclaim them as gods. Only a few verses later they were persuaded by others to stone these messengers. Does the phrase “fickle followers” come to mind? Then Jews from Antioch and Iconium came there; and having persuaded the multitudes, they stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, supposing him to be dead. However, when the disciples gathered around him, he rose up and went into the city. And the next day he departed with Barnabas to Derbe. Acts 14:19 20 If people are drawn by the sensational, they will always want the more and the more sensational if they are to remain loyal. The second characteristic of God’s people as s heep is that they have a thirst or an appetite for that which is new or novel. Paul makes reference to this in his second letter to his spiritual son, Timothy (2 Tim. 4:3-4). For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables. 2 Timothy 4:3-4 Somehow in the culture of our times, we have this idea that “new” is the same thing as “better.” I have seen people who were willing to get any new car rather than getting an older, but more reliable car.

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