When someone acts like a Christian, talks like a Christian and looks like a Christ, how can you tell if they are really who and what they appear to be? The Bible says that you will know them by their fruit.

The fruit of the Spirit of God is pure, undefiled love for God and others. Agape love is the first fruit of the Holy Spirit and seed sown in God’s love will be loving, kind, faithful and true.

Jesus knew that many would come in His Name and deceive many, and so He gave His people a way to tell the good from the bad. You cannot tell by the outward appearance as the enemy comes as an Angel of light, and so you must kow them by their fruits. What are they producing in their own lives, and what are they producing in the lives of others.

Matthew 7:15-21, "Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them. Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of My Father which is in heaven."

We need to be followers of Jesus Christ first and foremost, and we must know His Word and have It hidden in our hearts. We need a love for God and others, and we also need a love for the Truth in these last days.

Matthew 15:14, "Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch."

Many have fallen away from their first love because of the doctrines of men. These doctrines bring strife, division and confusion into the Body of Christ. We need to start preaching and teaching the pure, holy and unadulterated Gospel again.

We, Christians need to become like the Bereans who checked out every word spoken to them with the Word of God so that they would not fall into error and eventually fall away from the true and living God.

Acts 17
¹¹Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.

When the Scriptures have become polluted, distorted or changed the result is devastating to the Christian as they have believed a lie. We must understand that the enemy puts his lies in very beautiful and well-wrapped packages.

2 Peter 2:1-3, "But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction. And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of. And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not."

Read Romans Chapter 1 as this Scripture is speaking to Christians who once knew the Truth, but have believed a lie of Satan. They knew God, but they did not glorify Him and stay close to Him.

Romans 1:25, "Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen."

Christians today must not fall into the trap of the enemy and believe the lies of satan who tells what we should believe, do and think, and it doesn't line up with the Word of God. These lies will bring an ensnarement in your life that will end in disaster.

2 Thessalonians 2:10, "And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved."

Those Christians who take their salvation lightly, and those that do not have a love for the truth will be led astray. The Bible says that it is better that they never knew the Truth because when they turn from The Truth (Jesus Christ); it is like they are crucifying Him again.

Hebrews 6:4-6, "For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame."

Dearly Beloved, we need to study the Scriptures for ourselves, and we need to know when some message is not the true Word of God. When we have the Word of God hidden in our hearts daily then we will get a warning in our Spirit when the message is not right.

2 Timothy 2:15, "Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth."

We must be very cautious in these last days, as if it were possible the very elect would be deceived. We must be among the very elect who will not be deceived because they follow the Lord and His Word very closely.

We are to be Disciples of Jesus Christ, and then we are to make disciples of Jesus Christ. Unless we are true disciple of Jesus Christ ourselves, we cannot teach others to become His disciples. Paul could make disciples because he was a true disciple, and he could say, "Follow me as I follow Christ".

John 8:31-32, "Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on Him, If ye continue in My word, then are ye My disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free."

The Word of God, which is the Truth, will make us free from all deception so that we can become true winners in Christ. It is Christ in us that
is the hope of glory.

You can go from glory-to-glory as you seek Him first, His Kingdom and His righteousness. Do not seek after the things of the world that are transient, fleeting, and are destined to be burned up. Seek God, and His Truth and you will never fail.

This is our prayer for each one of you:

Ephesians 1:17-23, "That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him: The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of His calling, and what the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, And what is the exceeding greatness of His power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of His mighty power, Which He wrought in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead, and set Him at His own right hand in the heavenly places, Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come: And hath put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be the head over all things to the church, Which is His body, the fulness of Him that filleth all in all."