“Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.”

Acts 17:11

The year 2020 will end shortly, and another year will dawn on us. As Christians worldwide gather in Churches to welcome 2021, many so-called prophetic messages will come from pulpits to worshippers. Unfortunately, many people will believe what they hear without taking the time to examine their sources to validate them. Some will be laughable, while others will be ridiculous to consider. That is why it is appropriate today to sound this warning and encourage every Christian to scrutinize every message they hear for authentication and scriptural validation from the Bible. Why should anybody endanger themselves with false prophesy and half-truths to begin the year?

Social media will spew tons of information into our domain without the basic journalistic courtesy of fact-checking. Unfortunately, people believe whatever they hear without scrutiny. No wonder there is so much chaos around, and everything is falling apart in our world. We treat the books and magazines we read with the same carelessness. But worse of it all is how Christians treat the sacred word of God with the same contempt. This year, can we stop to check the sources of the messages from our pulpits and on the airwaves?

The congregation of Berea has given us a model that the Holy Spirit calls noble. “For they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true” (Acts 17:11). If the Berean Christians scrutinized what the great apostle Paul said by examining the Old Testament scriptures, why should we not do the same? Why should we not validate what these self-appointed apostles and prophets say with the Bible? Zerubbabel and the whole remnant examined the message the prophet Haggai brought to them to assure themselves that it came from the Lord their God before they obeyed (Haggai 1:12). They validated his message to make sure they stood on solid ground.

May we also care more and pay attention to the sources of messages we hear on 31 December night and in the coming year. For your good, please make time to review every prophecy in the light of God’s written word. The sound of the message and the oratory of the preacher should not replace sound doctrine.

Finally, I pray with Paul that the Spirit of God may enlighten your hearts for understanding (Eph. 1:18) so that you may understand what you hear and know whether it is from God before you believe and give yourself to it.