It has been proven time and time again:

Once you BELIEVE something...it becomes increasingly more difficult to CHANGE those beliefs.

Therein lies the danger...as it is POSSIBLE a WOLF may "reach" the SHEEP before the SHEPHERD can even ARRIVE on the SCENE.

Matthew 7:15 Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves.

Consider:

Those raised in the religion of Islam were raised to BELIEVE Islam...and it was the FIRST gospel they every heard.

While many can readily admit the statement above is TRUE...many cannot understand that this principle plays out in OTHER ways.

I am OFTEN asked WHY I focus on the DANGERS of FALSE TEACHING...and it is because of this "first gospel" principle.

The Church OFTEN fails to comprehend the TRUTH regarding the DANGERS of FALSE TEACHING when it fails to CONSIDER the REALITY of the example stated above...as what people are FIRST taught to BELIEVE greatly influences what they are then WILLING to ACCEPT.

So...as we begin to realize that the MAJORITY of CHURCHES are now being led astray by PULPITS of DECEPTION...what HOPE can be offered to those who FIRST heard a FALSE gospel...and...sadly...they BELIEVED it?

For those of us RAISED to believe TRUTH...spotting ERROR is a much easier task.

But...

---What about the child being raised to believe the "Prosperity gospel"...the teachings claiming God PROMISES that all Christians CAN be and SHOULD be FINANCIALLY WEALTHY...is true?

---What about the child being raised to believe the god of Islam is the same God who has a Son named Jesus who died on a cross and was raised from the dead...as He now sits at the right hand of the Father...soon to return as King of Kings and Lord of Lords?

---What about the child being raised to believe his sin does not truly matter because he now lives under GRACE...leading him to believe he can SIN without CONSEQUENCES...and that REPENTANCE is UNNECESSARY?

---What about the child being raised to believe WORSHIP is about MUSIC and ENTERTAINMENT and LIGHT SHOWS and all that is PLEASING to the LISTENER?

---What about the child being raised to believe preaching on SIN, CONFESSION of SIN, REPENTANCE, and ABSTAINING from SIN is "judgmental" and "negative?"

---What about the child being raised to seek SIGNS and WONDERS...raised to believe that "gold dust" and "angel feather" manifestations are TRUE revelations of God?

---What about the child being raised to believe Joel Osteen and Beth Moore and Kenneth Copeland and Joyce Meyer and T.D. Jakes and Christine Caine and Steven Furtick are "deep theologians?"

---What about the child being raised to believe you can lay on the graves of dead "heroes of the faith" and receive "impartations?"

---What about the child being raised to believe a "Bible Study" consists of studying BOOKS written by famous TV "ministers?"

---What about the child being raised to believe DISCERNMENT is "judging?"

---What about the child being raised to believe LIES are "truth"...and TRUTH is "unloving?"

---What about the child being raised to believe being a Christian is all about SELF SATISFACTION...what we can GAIN from God...and all that God will do to MAKE and KEEP us HAPPY?

---What about the child being raised to believe being GAY is NORMAL...that people are "born gay" and...therefore...it CANNOT be a SIN?

---What about the child being raised to believe ABORTION is an ACCEPTABLE form of "birth control"...that it is a "woman's right to choose?"

---What about the child being raised to believe the Bible contains ERRORS...and we CANNOT be SURE of its TEACHINGS?

The DANGER of it all?

Once a person BELIEVES...it is hard to DISBELIEVE.

Thus...MOST who are being TAUGHT to believe LIES will CONTINUE to believe lies.

You see...we are a PRODUCT of the TEACHING of those who came BEFORE us...and...if their teaching is in ERROR...our BELIEF in that teaching remains likely...and...we then view the teachings "handed down to us" as "truth."

So...if we ONLY evaluate FALSE TEACHING as if it is some SUBSEQUENT addition PARTNERED with TRUTH...we have GREATLY overlooked the DANGER of the "first gospel" principle.

Thus...the Biblical COMMAND to REFUTE and REBUKE false teaching becomes more CLEAR and more URGENT!

Often...WHOEVER reaches the sheep FIRST...whether the SHEPHERD or the WOLF...is the one who gains the EAR and TRUST of the SHEEP.

And then...many SHEEP merrily walk into the SLAUGHTER HOUSE of FALSE TEACHING...never even SUSPECTING that their "shepherd" is a WOLF.

2 Corinthians 11:12-15 But what I do, I will also continue to do, that I may cut off the opportunity from those who desire an opportunity to be regarded just as we are in the things of which they boast. 13 For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ. 14 And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light. 15 Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness, whose end will be according to their works.

Our primary concern should be simple when dealing with this issue:

We must "cut off the opportunity from those who desire an opportunity" to be seen as SHEPHERDS when they are actually WOLVES.

You see:

Lives are a stake.

https://www.facebook.com/ron.smith.bama.fan/posts/10214912020936446

We in religions are victims of this. The funny thing is that every religious group / denomination is defending it's own bias and territory claiming they each is the only correct path to God. Even Satanists claim this.[size=8pt][/size]

Let's then propose a test , something like the contest between the prophets of Baal and the Jewish God.