Do you hate snakes?

 

Stephanie hates snakes. She doesn’t like pictures of snakes, videos of snakes, or anything else associated with snakes. If they have a reptile house when we visit a zoo, she waits outside. I have to say I am not fearful of snakes, but I don’t particularly like them. I remember one time playing in the woods near our home as a kid and crawling under a barbed wire fence only to be confronted face to face with a brightly colored snake of some sort. This incident has been more than fifty years ago, but as I recall the snake looked like the one above. Come to find out it is not venomous, but in my eyes, it was a deadly killer!

Jesus referred to the teachers of religious law, the Pharisees, and the hypocrites as snakes and vipers:

“So you testify against yourselves that you are the descendants  of those who murdered the prophets. Go ahead, then, and complete what your ancestors started! You snakes! You brood of vipers! How will you example being condemned  to hell?” (Matthew 23:31-33)

Jesus was pretty direct and had no tolerance for false prophets and leaders who were guiding people down the wrong path. I watch and listen to a lot of preaching and I have heard some amazing sermons. My list of good preachers continues to grow. But, wow, when you find someone who gets it wrong and leads others astray with his false teaching, it is hard to listen to. 

Yesterday, I was listening to a podcast of a TRUE religious scholar debating a social media influencer who claimed HE was a religious expert. I was pumped at the skill of the religious scholar and his methodical, calm approach to dismantling the false teaching of this internet sensationalist. Stories about Jesus having a wife, not dying on the cross, and not being born of a virgin, were destroyed by the historical biblical and extra-biblical evidence. 

Beware of the snakes that are out there spewing false teaching about Jesus. But, more importantly YOU need to search the scriptures yourself, seek true experts, don’t just listen to anyone who has a huge list of followers. I have grown to really appreciate Wes Huff. His handling of Billy Carson. The video below is a great example of someone spewing false teaching that is easily refuted. 

The point is simple, be careful, pray for discernment, verify claims and teachings. Be confident in your faith. Jesus really lived. He really died, He really rose from the grave. He died for the sins of the world after living a sinless life and he is coming again for the final judgment. The Bible is real, it is relevant, it guides us in truth because it is the inerrant word of God. Anyone who claims anything against these truths is a false prophet. There are other things but these are the foundations of our faith!