“That this is a rebellious people, lying children, children that will not hear the law of the LORD: Which say to the seers, See not; and to the prophets, Prophesy not unto us right things, speak unto us smooth things, prophesy deceits: Get you out of the way, turn aside out of the path, cause the Holy One of Israel to cease from before us. Wherefore thus saith the Holy One of Israel, Because ye despise this word, and trust in oppression and perverseness, and stay thereon: Therefore this iniquity shall be to you as a breach ready to fall, swelling out in a high wall, whose breaking cometh suddenly at an instant.” Isaiah 30:9-13

“The prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests bear rule by their means; and my people love to have it so” Jeremiah 5:31a

What would you think of a doctor who knew you were quite ill yet continued to give you a good prognosis? What if you had a deadly but curable disease and your physician would pat you on your shoulder and say; “You’re in fine shape, don’t worry about a thing.” That would be criminal. He would be a liar of the worst sort.

Well not really. There is a liar that is worse than a lying physician. It is a lying preacher. Preachers who pat people on the back and tell them they are okay while they are in reality standing on the precipice of Hell.

Physicians often must tell people things they would rather not hear. But that is what a good doctor must do.

Depraved human nature demands preachers who will prophecy “smooth things”. Lie to us please.  God said, “The prophets prophesy falsely… and my people love to have it so”

Please consider the following quotes from A.W. Tozer and C. H. Spurgeon:

“Could it be that too many of God’s true children, and especially the preachers, are sinning against God by guilty silence?…I for one am waiting to hear the loud voices of the prophets and reformers sounding once more over a sluggish and drowsy church. They’ll pay a price for their boldness, but the results will be worth it.

To be right with God has often meant to be in trouble with men. This is such a common truth that one hesitates to mention it, yet it appears to have been overlooked by the majority of Christians today.”

“Apart from God nothing matters. We think that health matters, that freedom matters, or knowledge or art or civilization. And but for one insistent word they would matter indeed. That word is eternity.” A. W. Tozer

“Now for these last few solemn words. I will not be guilty this morning, of speaking any smooth falsehoods to you, I would be faithful with each man, as I believe I shall have to face you all at God’s great day, even though you heard me but once in your lives. Well, then, let me tell you that if you have a peace to-day which enables you to be at peace with your sins as well as with God, that peace is a false peace. Unless you hate sin of every sort, with all your heart, you are not a child of God, you are not reconciled to God by the death of his Son. You will not be perfect; I cannot expect you will live without sin, but if you are a Christian you will hate the very sin into which you have been betrayed, and hate yourself because you should have grieved your Savior thus. But if you love sin, the love of the Father is not in you. Be you who you may, or what you may,—minister, deacon, elder, professor, or non-professor—the love of sin is utterly inconsistent with the love of Christ. Take that home, and remember it.”

C. H. Spurgeon from the sermon, A Blast of the Trumpet Against False Peace

God help us to deal honestly with people.

Brother Shawn