because such people do not serve our Lord Christ but their own appetites. , They deceive the hearts of the unsuspecting with smooth talk and flattering words.
This is what the Lord says concerning the prophets who lead my people astray, who proclaim peace when they have food to sink their teeth into but declare war against the one who puts nothing in their mouths.
These people are discontented grumblers, living according to their desires; their mouths utter arrogant words, flattering people for their own advantage.
These people are dangerous reefs at your love feasts as they eat with you without reverence. They are shepherds who only look after themselves. They are waterless clouds carried along by winds; trees in late autumn #– #fruitless, twice dead and uprooted.
For am I now trying to persuade people, or God? Or am I striving to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ.
Instead, we have renounced secret and shameful things, not acting deceitfully or distorting the word of God, but commending ourselves before God to everyone’s conscience by an open display of the truth.
The report of your obedience has reached everyone. Therefore I rejoice over you, but I want you to be wise about what is good, and yet innocent about what is evil.
‘No one can serve two masters, since either he will hate one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.
You profane me among my people for handfuls of barley and scraps of bread; you put those to death who should not die and spare those who should not live, when you lie to my people, who listen to lies.
those prophets of Israel who prophesied to Jerusalem and saw a vision of peace for her when there was no peace.’ This is the declaration of the Lord God.”
They keep on saying to those who despise me, “The Lord has spoken: You will have peace.” They have said to everyone who follows the stubbornness of his heart, “No harm will come to you.” ’
So the king of Israel gathered the prophets, four hundred men, and asked them, ‘Should we go to Ramoth-gilead for war or should I refrain? ’ They replied, ‘March up, and God will hand it over to the king.’
Why, then, do all of you despise my sacrifices and offerings that I require at the place of worship? You have honoured your sons more than me, by making yourselves fat with the best part of all of the offerings of my people Israel.”
The revelation of Jesus Christ that God gave him to show his servants what must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John,
‘I wish one of you would shut the temple doors, so that you would no longer kindle a useless fire on my altar! I am not pleased with you,’ says the Lord of Armies, ‘and I will accept no offering from your hands.