“Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. – Matthew 7:15

It’s a day I will never forget.

Loaded with my brand-new 50k note in my wallet, I entered a mini supermarket in Kamwokya to do a little shopping on my way home.

I picked a few groceries and headed for the counter to pay.

The total bill was about 30k. The moment I handed over the money, the cashier, an Indian, put it under the blue light.

“Sir, sorry but your banknote is fake,” he told me.

“What? Really? How?” I responded in shock.

Then he pulled out another 50k note from the drawer and put it under the same blue light.

There was no doubt that my note was a counterfeit.

There and then, the guy put the note in a punching machine and punched holes in it! He pointed at a number of other notes that had faced a similar fate.

A little embarrassed, I sauntered out of the shop, wondering how I, a so-called ‘city-born’ – could be so gullible.

I am almost sure that at one time, every one of us has been a victim of something fake – a quack doctor, a fake news story, a counterfeit brand name (buying a Chinese SQNY thinking it is a Japanese SONY), a misleading AI-generated video or image, the list is endless.

Heard of a gullible army General who was conned of dozens of millions of shillings by being sold something that appeared to glitter like gold?

Today, God admonishes us to be ever on the alert and put suspicious doctrines and ‘prophets’ under the blue light of God’s truth and then ‘punch holes’ in them should we confirm that they are fake.

Undoubtedly, you simply can’t afford to put your guard down, indeed even when it comes to spiritual matters.

The Greek word translated ‘false’ in our meditation today is pseudēs.

It is from this word that the English word ‘pseudo’ was derived. For example, a ‘pseudonym’ means a false or fictitious name.

“Watch out for false prophets,” Jesus warned.

This was in reference to people who come in God’s name as messengers of God, but inwardly they are harboring ulterior if not harmful motives.

If you’re not alert and discerning, you could end up being led astray, cheated or abused.

The warning emphasizes the importance of testing teachings against God’s true word and being spiritually alert lest you end up with regrets.

Later, Jesus warned that in the last days, many would come saying they are the Christ.

Now, if Jesus could warn His own apostles when He was still with them, how about us today?

In 2 Peter 2:1, the apostle Peter echoes His Master’s warning: “Now there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them—bringing swift destruction on themselves.”

Similarly, the apostle John warned: “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God. For many false prophets have gone out into the world.” (1 John 4:1).

The apostle Paul also repeatedly warned believers to be on the alert.

In Acts 20:29-30, he told the Church: “I know that after my departure, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock. Even from your own number, men will rise up and distort the truth to draw away disciples after them.”

1 Timothy 4:1-2 adds: “Now the Spirit expressly states that in later times some will abandon the faith to follow deceitful spirits and the teachings of demons, influenced by the hypocrisy of liars, whose consciences are seared with a hot iron.”

Today, God admonishes us to be ever on the alert and put suspicious doctrines and ‘prophets’ under the blue light of God’s truth and then ‘punch holes’ in them should we confirm that they are fake.