Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world. 1John 4:1

This is one of the most important passages for the church today. It is also one of the most misunderstood. Many in today’s lukewarm church make no effort to test the spirits. They swallow anything fed to them. Any teacher, preacher, or so called apostle or prophet that comes along is accepted as long as they have some kind of credential or some type of endorsement from the majority.

Some believe that they are testing the spirits but they test by the flesh. When a preacher draws large crowds, has a large church, or sells lots of books he is assumed to be operating by the spirit of God. His success in worldly terms is seen as God’s stamp…