Searching for the Truth in the King James Bible;
Finding it, and passing it on to you.

EDITOR:
Steve Van Nattan

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TEXAS COUNTRY PREACHER

Kent "Cowboy" Treadwell

I have lived, worked, pastored, all over Texas. Denver City, Seminole, Midland, Blanket, Eastland, Stamford, Ft. Worth, Brenham, and others. I have ranched, rough necked, drove a big truck, all while trying to preach the gospel to poor folk who could not afford a big shot. I hauled gravel out of the big pit near you. Retired now, due to heart problems. If you're ever out this way give us a shout and we will put out the feed bag and talk about the only one worth talking about. JESUS.

You may contact Kent of Debra Treadwell at kentndebra@msn.com

Brother Treadwell wrote me the following the other day.

BEWARE OF PSEUDO PROPHETS

 

BELOVED, BELIEVE NOT EVERY SPIRIT, BUT TRY THE SPIRITS WHETHER THEY ARE OF GOD; BECAUSE MANY FALSE PROPHETS ARE GONE OUT INTO THE WORLD. I John 4:1.

The two words in this passage, "false prophets", is one Greek word, pseudoprophetes.

It means a spurious prophet, pretended foreteller, or religious impostor.

First I would like to describe what they look like.

The first time we find the word "pseudoprophetes", is in Matt. 7:15. It is here Jesus warns of their pseudogarments. "Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheeps clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves."

In other words they look like the real article but are not. They have their sheep skins, their Ph. D's, D.D's, Th.'s, their lofty titles, Bishop, Apostle, Prophet (Ps. 62:9), but Jesus made it clear, inside they are evil, they come to use you, feed off you, eat you up and spit out your bones.

Many are duped by their unusual powers. They ask, "How can they be so wrong if they can heal, prophesy, and draw tremendous crowds?"

Well, Jesus mentioned this in Matt. 24:24 "For there shall arise false Christ, and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders," (Remember: Satan employs preachers too! See II Cor. 11:13-15).

What are they after? What is their motive? Jesus answers this in Mark. 13:22, "For false Christ and false prophets (pseudoprophetes) shall rise, and shall show signs and wonders, to seduce if it were possible, even the elect." They want to use you to build their private kingdom, finance their fortune, and in the end, destroy your soul.

False prophets are accomplished people, always! They are truly charming, they crow and strut like barnyard roosters, boasting and bragging. Jesus promised they would be successful. "And MANY false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive MANY" Matt. 24:11. They convince, fascinate, entertain, impress, and pressure you!

False prophets are always well accepted, they gather large crowds, much praise and popularity. Plus, they rake in money like there is no end to it. When Jesus was pronouncing WOES on certain ones in Luke 6, He said, "Woe unto you, when all men speak well of you! For so did their fathers to the false prophets (pseudoprophetes)."

What should you do concerning false prophets?

The answer I will give in brief but the import is absolutely essential.

1. Beware of them. Matt. 7:15

2. Know them, not by their signs or success, but by the fruit of the Spirit. Matt 7:20

3. Judge them by the word of God. Is. 8:20

4. Don't believe them! Matt 24:23

5. Prove (test) them and have NO fellowship with them, do not participate with them. Eph. 5:10-11

6. Stay away from them and their followers. II Tim 3:5

7. Look only to godly, humble, sweet spirited leaders. I Pet. 5:15

8. Follow your Saviour, Jesus Christ, He won't lead you astray. John 10:1-5

Remember in the Bible the true prophet was often rejected. Is 53:3

Bro. Kent

Editor: Steve Van Nattan:

When I was growing up a missionary kid in Kenya in the 1950s, my school was behind barbed wire with sand bag bunkers. We kids were guarded day and night by a unit of the King's African Rifles, a crack British military group that saw combat in Belgium and Burma during WW II. They were guarding us because the terrorist rebels, the Mau Mau, were determined to kill us kids and discourage our parents into leaving Kenya and not preaching the Gospel.

Kent's term "pseudo" reminds me of a trick the British used with the Mau Mau. They recruited young British men who had grown up all their lives in the Kenya Highlands, mostly the sons of British White plantation settlers. These young men were called "pseudos." They spoke fluent Kikuyu, the language of the Mau Mau. They knew the physical moves, the emotions, and the idioms of the Mau Mau. They often thought of themselves as White WOGS. [WOG (Worthy Oriental Gentleman) was a term given to Africans by the British.]

These pseudos infiltrated the Mau Mau at night, joining around their camp fires, bringing home made weapons along, and they ate the African food and talked late into the night about strategy. They were even given rank in the Mau Mau.

There was one thing they could NOT do-- join the Mau Mau during the day. Why? They had blue or other colored eyes that did not look like an African. They dared not let the Mau Mau see the color of their eyes.

They were very convincing, and none of them ever got caught by the Mau Mau. They reported back to the British troops what they learned, and many Mau Mau were killed as they set up an ambush.

This is so much like Kent's pseudos above, and the ones Jesus and the Apostles warned about. But, all pseudos have a vulnerable trait. It will not show up if they are careful, but we need to learn to ask anyone who is new and wonderful in our local churches not to join in various activities.

We had a pseudo in a church I pastored. He and his wife turned out to be Roman Catholic plants. We never caught them until after we left the church, and they were part of the church life for about ten years. There was one instance when I should have figured something was out of whack.

There was a hippy Catholic priest in Michigan who was trying to join Protestants with Catholics. I knew he was now sincere. He was trying to destroy Protestant zeal. This priest called for a convocation of Protestants and Catholics to preach the Gospel to the lost. He used all of our vocabulary. I was not fooled.

Well, our pseudo also claimed to be a friend of this Catholic priest, and the pseudo claimed he was witnessing to the priest every week at regular visits. So, believing this story, I invited the pseudo to join us and hand out tracks about Catholic heresy at the church where the priest was holding his ecumenical convocation.

The pseudo declined. He was terrified that someone would see the color of his eyes, so to speak, and his cover would be blown. He was, in fact, probably being handled by that very priest, and he was terrified that some other Catholics attending would recognize him and we would see them glad handing etc.

I failed to see this as a very serious piece of information. The pseudo was famous in our assembly for handing our tracts and witnessing. The fact that he would decline to do so at a Catholic event (he claimed to have been saved out of the Catholic Church) was an obvious red light.

I blew it, and this pseudo and his wife did much damage in the end. I had to add this to show that Brother Kent is not just being dramatic. This sort of thing happens all the time, and most pastors and local church leaders are gullible and vulnerable.

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