At the church in Ephesus, there were people calling themselves apostles that were not. In Smyrna, there were people that called themselves Jews that were not. In Thyatira, there was a woman who called herself a prophetess that was not. Are you starting to see a pattern here? Spiritual imposters abound. They are wolves in sheep’s clothing. They prey on God’s people and while they gain some short-term ground, their deception is actually to their own peril and to the peril of those who follow them. How can we be protected from this kind of deception? KNOW the Lord and KNOW His Word. When people speak of “new revelations” or a “new interpretation” that alters the content that has been considered orthodox since the early church, we should ask questions and be aware. We have the Word of God and the Spirit of God to help us discern truth from error. Tolerance is often called for by people in our culture, but it was tolerance that got the church in Thyatira in trouble. Remember that Jesus came full of grace and truth. Always gracious and characterized by love and mercy yet never departing from the truth of the Word. This is the safest path forward. Let’s pray together to that end.