I wanted to write a cheery, encouraging post today, but God had other plans for me. My last few posts have revolved around the topic of doctrinal error, and I feel that today the Lord would have me issue a warning.

You know the old saying "a half-truth is a whole lie"? Well, that's what we're facing today. It's in our churches, our songs, our books, and our sermons. It's all part of that "feel-good Christianity/health and wealth" movement.

To hear the messages proclaimed, everything sounds good, but if you know your Bible, you'll see it for what it is -- false doctrine. It's like rat poison. Did you know that rat poison is only 1% poison? The other 99% is honest-to-goodness food. That's why the rats eat it. The same poison is killing our churches today. A small percentage of error is being taught within messages of truth. But what does the Bible say? "A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump."

The problem is that many Christians don't see it because it is woven into the message and surrounded by truth. These false teachers are sly, yet eloquent. (Hmm, who does that remind me of?) I think that many of them knowingly deceive people because there's great profit in it. Others, I believe, are truly deceived themselves.

So, how do we, as Christians, avoid being deceived by these false doctrines? I've heard it said that the easiest way to spot a counterfeit is to truly know the original. If we want to be able to spot false doctrine, we must know the Word of God, and the only way to know it is to study it and meditate on it.

Please be careful what you read and listen to. Make sure it checks out with the Bible before you accept it as fact. Satan can't steal our salvation, but he can certainly confuse us and cause us to doubt everything we once believed.

I don't know why this topic has been so heavy on my heart lately, but I beg of you, beware of false teachers. They're everywhere, and they're on the lookout for easy prey.

Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them. - Matthew 7:15-20