Chapter 21
BEWARE OF FALSE PROPHETS AND TEACHERS
(Matthew 7:15-23)
Before we begin let us pray and ask for our Lord's blessing upon this study of His Word,
Dear Heavenly Father, Almighty God,
We come before You in Jesus Christ's holy Name. Father we thank You for this day and we thank You for this time with You and Your Word. Father please open our eyes, our ears and our hearts so we can better understand Your Word and come to a better understanding of You and Your ways. Please Father grant us the discernment to know who You have sent to us and those You have not. We ask this for Your Holy Name's sake.
Amen
We begin by reading the following text for the theme of this study. It is in,
Matthew 7:15-23
[15] Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. [16] By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? [17] Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. [18] A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. [19] Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. [20] Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them. [21] "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. [22] Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?' [23] Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!'"
To receive additional insight into what we have just read we will
1. Review the fruits or tests we are not to use to determine whether or not a prophet or teacher has been sent by God.
2. Explore the fruits or tests we are to use to determine whether or not a prophet or teacher has been sent by God.
3. Quickly review the example of Balaam.
4. Summarize the message or point of this study.
With this introduction let us begin by exploring,
THE FRUITS WE ARE NOT TO USE TO DETERMINE WHETHER OR NOT A PROPHET OR TEACHER HAS BEEN SENT BY GOD
The first fruit or test we are not to use to determine who has been sent by God is,
A LARGE FOLLOWING OR CONGREGATION
In reading the New Testament we find that when Jesus healed the sick, performed miracles and fed the multitude, crowds of people followed Him. In fact Jesus made this observation after He fed the 5.000 men in addition to the women and children. His observation is recorded in,
John 6:26
"[26] Jesus answered, "I tell you the truth, you are looking for me, not because you saw miraculous signs but because you ate the loaves and had your fill."
Jesus told the people they were only following Him for what He could or would do for them. In other words, Jesus told them they were not following Him because of the miraculous signs that bore witness to the fact that He was the Son of God. He told them the only reason they followed Him was for what he could physically do for them, such as provide them with food, etc.
The truth of what Jesus said to the people became very evident after Jesus told them He came from Heaven to give them eternal life. To teach them this truth, Jesus told them that He is the Bread of life and those who eat this Bread, namely be devoted to Him, would posses eternal life. To see this let us read an excerpt from what Jesus said to them as recorded in,
John 6:48-59
[48] I am the bread of life. [49] Your forefathers ate the manna in the desert, yet they died. [50] But here is the bread that comes down from heaven, which a man may eat and not die. [51] I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world." [52] Then the Jews began to argue sharply among themselves, "How can this man give us his flesh to eat?" [53] Jesus said to them, "I tell you the truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. [54] Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. [55] For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink. [56] Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in him. [57] Just as the living Father sent me and I live because of the Father, so the one who feeds on me will live because of me. [58] This is the bread that came down from heaven. Your forefathers ate manna and died, but he who feeds on this bread will live forever." [59] He said this while teaching in the synagogue in Capernaum."
Let us notice the following verses,
48-51 … Jesus explained He is not like the manna which was physical. No, instead He is the One who gives everlasting life. He pointed out that even though the Israelites ate the manna in the desert, they died. However, whoever partakes of Jesus will live forever and ever.
52 … The people are confused and questioned; “How can Jesus give His flesh for them to eat?”
53-58 … Because of its extreme importance, Jesus again reaffirmed the truth that unless we eat His flesh and drink His blood we will not be raised up to eternal life.
To see that Jesus did not mean they were to literally eat His flesh or drink His blood let us read His response to those that did not understand. To do this we go to,
John 6:60-63
"[60] On hearing it, many of his disciples said, "This is a hard teaching. Who can accept it?" [61] Aware that his disciples were grumbling about this, Jesus said to them, "Does this offend you? [62] What if you see the Son of Man ascend to where he was before! [63] The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life.
Let us notice the following verse,
63 … This is the key verse. It is the Holy Spirit who gives life not the flesh. As Jesus said, the words He spoke were spirit and life and not earthy or physical. Thus, they must be spiritually understood or discerned.
Upon hearing these words many who were following Him left. To see this let us read from,
John 6:64-65
[64] Yet there are some of you who do not believe." For Jesus had known from the beginning which of them did not believe and who would betray him. [65] He went on to say, "This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless the Father has enabled him." [66] From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him."
Thus, we discover that Jesus after He preached and taught the essence of the Gospel, Jesus lost many of His followers. As we read further in the New Testament we find that the Apostle Paul reminded Timothy that he too experienced a large number of people that deserted him. To see this let us read from,
2 Timothy 1:15
"[15] You know that everyone in the province of Asia has deserted me, including Phygelus and Hermogenes."
And again in,
2 Timothy 4:14-16
"[14] Alexander the metalworker did me a great deal of harm. The Lord will repay him for what he has done. [15] You too should be on your guard against him, because he strongly opposed our message. [16] At my first defense, no one came to my support, but everyone deserted me. May it not be held against them."
On the other hand, we find many so called Christian teachings, such as the Word of Faith Movement, or anti Christian teachings, such Islam, Buddhism, etc., and many heretical cults, such as Jehovah Witness, the Latter Day Saints, etc., have very large followings or congregations. Thus, we discover that a large congregation or following is not the fruit that illustrates whether or not a prophet or teacher has been sent by God.
If this is the case then what about,
SIGN AND WONDERS
As we saw with the case of Jesus, at times God will use signs and wonders to bear witness to a person who has been sent by Him. However, the sign and wonders in of themselves are not to be used as the determining factor. The Bible teaches us that by the hands of a false prophet, sorcerer, enchanter, etc. great signs and wonders may be produced. To warn us about falling into this trap, Jesus teaches us that in order to try and deceive us, many false prophets and false Christs would perform great signs and wonders.
To read what Jesus said we go to,
Matthew 24:24-25
"[24] For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and miracles to deceive even the elect--if that were possible. [25] See, I have told you ahead of time."
This brings us to the third topic, which is,
ELOQUENT SPEECH OR A GREAT ORATOR
To address this question let us read what the Apostle Paul said in regards to the time he spent teaching and preaching in Corinth. It is recorded for us in,
1 Corinthians 2:1-5
"[1] When I came to you, brothers, I did not come with eloquence or superior wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God. [2] For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. [3] I came to you in weakness and fear, and with much trembling. [4] My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit's power, [5] so that your faith might not rest on men's wisdom, but on God's power."
Let us notice the following verses,
1 … Paul did not preach or teach with eloquent speech.
3 … When Paul taught or preached in Corinth he did it in fear and trembling. In other words Paul did not preach or teach as a great and eloquent orator.
4 … Paul's preaching and teaching was not with persuasive words motivated by human wisdom or logic. Instead, Paul relied upon the Holy Spirit to speak and work through him.
5 … The reason a true prophet or teacher of God relies upon the Holy Spirit to speak and work through them is so that the people's faith would not rest upon the flawed wisdom of man but in God and His power.
Clearly eloquent speech is not the fruit to determine whether or not a prophet or teacher has been sent by God.
The fourth criteria to not use is,
PROSPERITY, MATERIAL SUCCESS AND POPULARITY
To address this criterion let us read what Paul wrote to the Corinthian church as recorded in,
1 Corinthians 4:8-16
[8] You are already full! You are already rich! You have reigned as kings without us—and indeed I could wish you did reign, that we also might reign with you! [9] For I think that God has displayed us, the apostles, last, as men condemned to death; for we have been made a spectacle to the world, both to angels and to men. [10] We are fools for Christ’s sake, but you are wise in Christ! We are weak, but you are strong! You are distinguished, but we are dishonored! [11] To the present hour we both hunger and thirst, and we are poorly clothed, and beaten, and homeless. [12] And we labor, working with our own hands. Being reviled, we bless; being persecuted, we endure; [13] being defamed, we entreat. We have been made as the filth of the world, the off scouring of all things until now. [14] I do not write these things to shame you, but as my beloved children I warn you. [15] For though you might have ten thousand instructors in Christ, yet you do not have many fathers; for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the gospel. [16] Therefore I urge you, imitate me.
Hence, we see that financial prosperity, material success or popularity are not the fruits we should use to determine whether or not a prophet or teacher is from God.
This brings us to the following question,
If a large following, signs/wonders, eloquent speech, prosperity and/or popularity are not the fruits by which we are to test and determine who has or has not been sent by God, then what are they?
To answer this question we find that the Bible teaches us that the following tests must be used to determine whether or not a prophet or teacher has been sent by God. These tests are:
1. The spirit of the prophet or teacher must bear witness to the Jesus Christ of the Bible
2. The spirit of the prophet or teacher must bear witness to the Gospel of the Bible
3. The fruit of the Holy Spirit is to be present and growing in the prophet or teacher's life.
With this in mind, let us now begin our study of,
THE FRUITS THAT MUST BE USED TO DETERMINE WHETHER OR NOT A PROPHET OR TEACHER HAS BEEN SENT BY GOD
The first test we must use is that,
THE SPIRIT OF THE PROPHET OR TEACHER MUST BEAR WITNESS TO JESUS CHRIST
With respect to the test of bearing witness to Jesus Christ, the spirit must bear witness to the fact that: (1) Jesus is Lord, (2) Jesus came in the flesh and (3) Jesus is our savior.
To insure that the prophet or teacher has been sent by God, Jesus Christ must be proclaimed to be Lord. The reason for this is recorded in,
1 Corinthians 12:1-3
"[1] Now about spiritual gifts, brothers, I do not want you to be ignorant. [2] You know that when you were pagans, somehow or other you were influenced and led astray to mute idols. [3] Therefore I tell you that no one who is speaking by the Spirit of God says, "Jesus be cursed," and no one can say, "Jesus is Lord," except by the Holy Spirit."
Let us notice the following verse,
3… This does not mean that just because a person says that, “Jesus is Lord” means that it was said by the Holy Spirit through them. To illustrate this point, let us consider some of the ways a person can tell you that they love you.
a. They can say they love you just for the sake of getting on your good side. In other words, they are just trying to lower your resistance to get you to accept them or to do something for them. Does this mean that their spirit is bearing witness or proclaiming their love for you? No!
b. They can say they love you out of admiration for what you may have done or said. Again, does this mean that their spirit is proclaiming their love or devotion to you? Or, was it just a nice way of telling you, “A job well done?”
c. They can say they love you out of intimidation, which means they just did not have the courage to tell you they don’t.
The list goes on. Thus, for this and all other tests we must listen to or hear what the spirit is saying. In other words, the person’s whole being and circumstance created by the individual or individuals must bear witness to the Lordship of Jesus Christ.
The second criterion for a person to bear witness to Jesus Christ is that their spirit must bear witness to the fact that Jesus Christ came to earth in human flesh. To see this, consider,
1 John 4:1-3
"[1] Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. [2] This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, [3] but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world."
This test will usually expose the deceptions created through teachers and prophets that will acknowledge Jesus as a great prophet or teacher, but will not acknowledge Him as God who has come in human flesh.
The third criterion to bearing witness to our Lord Jesus Christ is that the spirit must proclaim that Jesus Christ is the one and only Savior of mankind (see Chapter 20). To see this let us consider,
1 John 2:22-23
"[22] Who is the liar? It is the man who denies that Jesus is the Christ. Such a man is the antichrist--he denies the Father and the Son. [23] No one who denies the Son has the Father; whoever acknowledges the Son has the Father also."
Let us notice the following verses,
22 … To help better understand the implications of this verse, we must remember that Jesus' title of: “The Christ” means “The Messiah” or “The Anointed One.” We must also remember in this position of "The Messiah: or "The Christ", He (Jesus) is the only way to God the Father.
To see this we begin by read from,
Romans 1:1-4
[1] Paul, a bondservant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated to the gospel of God [2] which He promised before through His prophets in the Holy Scriptures, [3] concerning His Son Jesus Christ our Lord, who was born of the seed of David according to the flesh, [4] and declared to be the Son of God with power according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead.
Let us now read what Jesus once said to Thomas and now us as recorded in,
John 14:6
[6] Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.
To summarize this portion of our study let us read what Peter said to the Sanhedrin and now us,
Acts 4:12
[12] Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”
Thus, when one denies that Jesus is "The Christ", in effect the spirit within that person is saying that Jesus is not the one and only savior of mankind. Specifically, he/she is being motivated by the antichrist.
As one reflects upon this test, we can see that it will expose the deception of any prophet or teacher that teaches or implies all religions lead us to God. It also reveals the deception of the teaching that states that there are many paths to salvation.
The second test or fruit we are to use to determine whether or not a prophet or teacher has been sent by God is that,
THE SPIRIT OF THE PROPHET OR TEACHER MUST BEAR WITNESS TO THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO JESUS CHRIST
Paul clearly identifies this test when he admonished the church in Galatia for following teachings that were not consistent with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. His admonition is recorded in,
Galatians 1:6-9
"[6] I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you by the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel-- [7] which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ. [8] But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let him be eternally condemned! [9] As we have already said, so now I say again: If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let him be eternally condemned!"
Let us notice the following verses,
8-9 … In other words, anyone who preaches or teaches a Gospel that deviates from the one presented in the Bible has not been sent by God. This instruction is so important and serious that to insure we get the message, the Holy Spirit repeats it. Thus, it is in our best interests to heed His warning.
The third and last test or fruit we are to use in our determination of whether or not a prophet or teacher has been sent from God is that,
THE FRUIT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT IS TO BE PRESENT AND GROWING IN THEIR LIVES
This raises the question as to: "What is the fruit of the Holy Spirit we are to look for?" We get a hint by reading again what Jesus said about the false prophets and teachers in Matthew 7:21-23. Since I believe the New King James Version of the Bible provides a clearer translation for this portion of Jesus' sermon, it is from this translation that is quoted below.
Matthew 7:21-23
""[21] Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of my Father in heaven. [22] Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name and done many wonders in Your name?' [23] And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!'"
In other words, if a prophet or teacher was sent by God they would be doing His will and not be practicing lawlessness, which is habitual sin. Perhaps another way to see this is by noting that those who claim to be sent by God would love Him and love those to whom God sent to them. To see this let us read from,
1 John 5:1-3
"[1] Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves the father loves his child as well. [2] This is how we know that we love the children of God: by loving God and carrying out his commands. [3] This is love for God: to obey his commands. And his commands are not burdensome,"
Let us notice the following verses,
1(a) … Whoever believes Jesus is the Christ is born of God.
1(b)-2 … Those who belong to God love Him, obey His commands and will also love those who are His, that is His children.
3 … We love God if we truly desire to obey His commands.
Another way to see this is by noting that those who have been sent by God love Him with all their heart, strength and mind. In addition, they love God's children as they love themselves. Thus, in them Jesus' two commandments are being fulfilled. To read these commandments let us go and read how Jesus answered a lawyers' question of: "Which is the greatest commandment?" Jesus' response to the lawyer is recorded in,
Matthew 22:37-40
"[37] Jesus replied: "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' [38] This is the first and greatest commandment. [39] And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' [40] All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.""
It is noted that it is this love for God and His children that enabled the Apostle Paul to endure all the sufferings, hardships and persecutions that came his way for preaching and teaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Hence, it was not the trials and tribulations in themselves that bore witness to Paul's Apostleship but it was his love for God and God's children.
As one reflects upon the above teaching one might ask, "How can a person do this?" (Or) "How can a person be filled with the love and power to live this way?" The answer to these questions is simply by walking in the Holy Spirit and allowing His fruit to come forth from within us. To see this let us read from,
Galatians 5: 16-17
"[16] So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. [17] For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want."
Let us notice the following verses,
16 … If we give God the Holy Spirit control of our lives, His love will flow from within us. This in turn will prevent us from gratifying our sinful nature. As a result, we will be fulfilling all the requirements of the Law.
17 … Our sinful nature wants to do things that are contrary to the desires of the Holy Spirit, that is gratify self. Whereas, the Holy Spirit wants to do things that are contrary to the desires of our sinful nature. This is the Christian conflict.
To help determine when or when we are not walking or living by the Spirit, our God provides us with some examples of the two types of fruits. Thus, when we examine the fruit of our lives with those that follow we will be able to determine when we are yielding to our sinful nature and when we are yielding to the Holy Spirit.
Let us first read some of the fruits of our sinful nature,
Galatians 5:19-21
"[19] The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; [20] idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions [21] and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God."
For this study, let us notice the following verse,
20 … One of the fruits of the sinful nature is “selfish ambition.” The appearance of this fruit is a red flag warning us that we may have a false prophet or teacher.
In contrast to the sinful nature, let us now read about of the fruit of the Holy Spirit. To do this we go to,
Galatians 5:22-23
"[22] But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, [23] gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law."
SUMMARY
In summary, the fruit that Jesus Christ instructs use in determining whether or not a person has been sent by Him is the fruit of the Holy Spirit. The reason for this is because,
1. It is only by God the Holy Spirit can a person proclaim or bear witness to the fact that “Jesus Christ is Lord.” This is recorded in,
1 Corinthians 12:3(b)
"[3] … and no one can say, "Jesus is Lord," except by the Holy Spirit."
2. It was by the Holy Spirit that the New Testament was written, that is the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Hence, the true prophet or teacher from God speaking under the anointing of the Holy Spirit will always bear witness to the Biblical Gospel of Jesus Christ. To see this let us read from,
2 Peter 1:20-21
"[20] Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet's own interpretation. [21] For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit."
3. It is only by the Holy Spirit can we put to death our sinful nature and lawless deeds and live a life worthy of God's call.
Galatians 5:16
"[16] So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature."
Why? Why is it so important for us to determine whether or not a prophet or teacher has been sent by God? The importance of this determination is realized by noting that at times a false prophet or teacher can speak or teach God's Word. However, since they have not been sent by God and hence are not motivated by their love for God or His people, this false minister will eventually lead his followers away from God and God's commandments. To see this let us consider,
THE PROPHET BALAM
The Old Testament teaches us that Balaam was enticed by the money and prestige he would receive from the Moabite King Barak to place a curse upon Israel (See Numbers 22:1-24:25). Thus, the Holy Spirit, through the Apostle Peter, tells us that Balaam was a false prophet. He reveals this to us by using Balaam as an example to warn us about not following or listening to false prophets or teachers. The passage of interest for this study is in,
2 Peter 2:15-16
"[15] They have left the straight way and wandered off to follow the way of Balaam son of Beor, who loved the wages of wickedness. [16] But he was rebuked for his wrongdoing by a donkey--a beast without speech--who spoke with a man's voice and restrained the prophet's madness."
To illustrate what the ultimate consequence can be for following or listening to a false prophet or teacher we go to the Old Testament to read the horror Balaam ultimately did to the people of Israel. Specifically, he was instrumental in enticing the men of Israel to sin through sexual immorality with the Moabite women. These Moabite women then enticed the men to worship the Moabite’s god … Baal.
This is recorded in,
Numbers 25:1-3
"[1] While Israel was staying in Shittim, the men began to indulge in sexual immorality with Moabite women, [2] who invited them to the sacrifices to their gods. The people ate and bowed down before these gods. [3] So Israel joined in worshiping the Baal of Peor. And the Lord's anger burned against them."
Let us now read the resulting consequences as recorded in,
Numbers 31:16
[16] "They were the ones who followed Balaam's advice and were the means of turning the Israelites away from the LORD in what happened at Peor, so that a plague struck the Lord's people."
Thus, we find that yes, a false prophet or teacher can speak the Words of God. However, if we do not discern that they are really not God's servants and continue to follow them, they will eventually lead us away from God and from following His commandments.
THE MESSAGE OR POINT OF THIS STUDY IS TO STAY AWAY FROM FALSE PROPHETS OR TEACHERS
This instruction or warning is clearly recorded for us in,
Romans 16:17-18
“[17] I urge you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching you have learned. Keep away from them. [18] For such people are not serving our Lord Christ, but their own appetites. By smooth talk and flattery they deceive the minds of naive people.”
And again in,
2 Timothy 3:1-5
“[1] But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. [2] People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, [3] without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, [4] treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God—[5] having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them.”
In other words, our Christianity is not measured by what we say or by our popularity or by the physical or spiritual gifts we operate in. Our Christianity is measured by what is within us. Specifically, our Christianity is measured by whether or not the fruit of the Holy Spirit is present and growing within our lives.
CLOSING
Let us close this study by prayerfully considering the message of the parable about the vine and its branches. It is recorded in,
John 15:1-17
“”[1] I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. [2] He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. [3] You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. [4] Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. [5] “I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. [6] If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. [7] If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you. [8] This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples. [9] “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. [10] If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father’s commands and remain in his love. [11] I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. [12] My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. [13] Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. [14] You are my friends if you do what I command. [15] I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. [16] You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit—fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. [17] This is my command: Love each other.”
Blessed be the Lord forever,
AMEN and AMEN