Monday after Epiphany

Whenever we come across someone who claims to have received a message from God, or perhaps a testimony which sounds quite extraordinary, how would you respond? Some may be quite easily taken in by such messages or testimonies, and take the person's word for it, thinking that the Holy Spirit has touched or spoken to the person. Some may be quite skeptical or doubtful about such messages or testimonies. But how should we as Christians respond to such messages or testimonies?

In today's reading, John cautions us: "It is not every spirit, my dear people, that you can trust; test them, to see if they come from God, there are many false prophets, now, in the world. You can tell the spirits that come from God by this: every spirit which acknowledges that Jesus the Christ has come in the flesh is from God; but any spirit which will not say this of Jesus is not from God, but is the spirit of Antichrist, whose coming you were warned about." While there are instances of genuine messages from God, we should not be so easily accepting of just any message. It may be wise and prudent, as the reading tells us, to "test them" thoroughly, cautiously and diligently, so as not to be duped or taken in by those whose intention may be to lead others astray.