And I replied, "Oh no, Lord GOD! The prophets are telling them, 'You won't see sword or suffer famine. I will certainly give you true peace in this place.' " But the LORD said to me, "These prophets are prophesying a lie in My name. I did not send them, nor did I command them or speak to them. They are prophesying to you a false vision, worthless divination, the deceit of their own minds.
Jeremiah 14:13-14
Since I am a preacher these verses are particularly stinging to me. The ministry has always received it’s share of criticism. And, to a degree, it is deserved. Lying preachers are out there. They have always been around.
They speak without hearing from God. They do not take the time to listen. They are too busy with other things—too distracted. Nothing is more important to a man who declares God’s message than time he spends alone with God. He must wait quietly before the Lord. He must read God’s Word and pray. It is easy to take short cuts. “I’m too busy; I don’t have time to study—so I get my sermons off the internet.” We are hearing from other preachers instead of hearing from God! It takes time to hear from God. It takes discipline.
They tell the people what they want to hear. We are tempted to fall into the “popularity” trap. We all want to be loved, but we must remember God’s call. When God spoke to us He did not say, “I want you to be popular and loved.” He said, “I want You to preach My Word.”
Preaching God’s Word is serious business. It requires, not so much a higher level of education, but a higher level of commitment.
Lord, give us men who will pay the price to hear You speak!
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