I’m Not God but I Play Him in Your Life

I’m not God but I play Him in your life.

Do you know people like that?

Some Christians have the gift of exhortation. And some are just busybodies who think they know how to run everyone’s world.

Some Christians have the gift of prophecy. And others are just full of crap. They make pronouncements based on their own delusions. Maybe they have dreams and visions but most were more likely inspired by the pepperoni pizza they ate before bed than the Holy Spirit.

Some Christians have the gift of teaching. And then there are know-it-alls who wield scripture like a baseball bat to club their victims into submission.

Some Christians have the gift of knowledge. And then there are posers who always seem to hear from God what YOU should do or how you should do it but God’s never speaking to them about their issues. Mmmm.

Jesus preached it this way in Matthew 7:

“ 15″Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. 16By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? 17Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. 18A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. 19Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.
21″Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’ 23Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!‘”

By their fruit you will recognize them. We’ve all met bad apples in the house of the Lord, haven’t we?

Now, some Christians are just conversational klutzes. I’m not talking about them.

These are people who love the Lord and love you and sometimes they put their foot in their mouths or step on your toes but really it’s all about them trying to be obedient and trying to love you to the right decisions in life. Don’t be hard on those people. Filter their fumbling comments through headphones of love.

I’m talking about those other people. The soul killers. The spirit crushers. The people who maybe approach you with honey in their tone but end up sticking it to you every time. The super spiritual giants who talk like preachers but live like politicians – one face behind closed doors and another for the crowd.

Watch out for these people and don’t let them keep you from Jesus.

We will know them by their fruit, Jesus says. Sounds a little tricky but here’s part of the key to that code:

The fruit of the Holy Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. People who are alive in Christ are not perfect but they are growing, maturing and increasing in these attributes as they submit their lives to the Holy Spirit.

Pride, arrogance, self-righteousness, smugness, smart mouths, sarcasm, brow-beating, anger, outbursts of rage, violence, bullying, criticism, deception, meanness, and hypocrisy – these things are not on the list. These things are bad fruit.

Believers who love Jesus will sometimes fall into these behaviors but their lives should not be marked by them. When they appear, they should be removed by the roots through the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives.

So, what is our defense against these false prophets and teachers when some of them are very hard to spot?

There is no better defense than to KNOW JESUS for yourself. Spend time with Jesus one-on-one through reading the Bible and praying and obeying what you read. Be familiar with His voice so you can distinguish it from the false ones out there.

Gather with believers who exhibit the fruits of the spirit. They’re out there. They may be few but they exist. Find them and become friends with them.

Don’t allow yourself to be bullied by anyone in the name of Jesus.

If someone confronts you or gives you a “message from God”, take it all to God and sort it through with Him. Talk it over with a mature believer you trust. If someone is harming you on a regular basis “in the name of Jesus”, it’s wise to take a mature believer with you to confront that person and if they won’t change, to limit your contact with them.

The worst thing you can do is allow false prophets or false teachers to rob you of the joy of a true relationship with Jesus Christ. Don’t let that happen!

You need the real deal. God. Undiluted, unfiltered, straight up God. Don’t settle for anything or anyone less.

And those of us who love the Lord need to be careful that we aren’t trying to play God in anyone else’s life. It’s a temptation but, wow, do we stink at it!

The good news of the gospel is that Jesus made a way for us to be in a relationship with God. That is the headline story of the universe! It’s the daily tweet on Heaven’s twitter account. It’s God’s Facebook status every moment of everyday “I Am and I want you to be with me. Love, Your heavenly Father.”

Tell the God impersonators to try their hand at Elvis. You know the true God and He’s the only one who can pull off that act.