I have lost count on the people I have heard about that have been betrayed, or emotionally hurt by other people, which includes friends, business partners, a spouse, and Christian leaders. Some have asked me how do you know if someone is reliable, honest, or not a “false prophet.” Well, first of all we all make mistakes and are capable of falling into an error of our ways. However, my typical recommendations come from my own experiences, knowledge, and, of course, the bible. Here is some of my advice and my recommendations:

~ “FOOLS RUSH IN”:

Do not confuse obsession or chemistry for love. True love will persevere the test of time and adversity. Date a person of like faith, goals and passions.(“Be equally yoked”). Men look for a Proverbs 31 woman. Women look for a true man of faith, and virtue. However, what is love? (I now here the song by Haddaway, “What is love” ; D ). Do you want to know what love is? (now I hear the song by Foreigner, “I want to know what love is” ; D ). Well the bible does describe/define what love is in 1 Corinthians 13:4–7 “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.”

~ CHOOSE YOUR INNER CIRCLES WISELY:

It is said and known that you become the average of your 5 closest friends. If this is true, which I believe and know it to be true, I would choose wisely. You don’t need a certain number of friends, just a number of friends you can be certain of. Proverbs 12:26: “The righteous choose their friends carefully, but the way of the wicked leads them astray.”, Proverbs 27:17: “As iron sharpens iron, so a friend sharpens a friend.”, Proverbs 13:20: “Walk with the wise and become wise; associate with fools and get in trouble.”, Proverbs 18:24: “One who has unreliable friends soon comes to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.”

~ CHOOSE PARTNERS WISELY:

I have owned several business and have been involved in having “partners” in such endeavors. I have learned that you must treat a partnership in a near marriage fashion. What I mean about that is that the honesty, integrity, like mindedness, and passion similarities need to be present. And if you are not wise in your choices, it can be financially, emotionally, and mentally damaging similar to many divorces. If you can succeed in your goals and objectives without a Partnership, I would do it alone and eventually grow in to a S-Corp or C-Corp and then hire the talent you need to grow, and advance, and/or leverage a low interest loan that you can manage and pay back quickly.

~ BEWARE OF UNSOUND TEACHING:

The bible is rather clear of being careful of following unwise leadership, to identify and call out False Prophets. “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thorn bushes, or figs from thistles? So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus you will recognize them by their fruits.” — Matthew 7:15–20. See also Deuteronomy 13.

So how do you do that? What are their “fruits”. In otherwise do they walk their talk? Are they consistent in their daily each day of the week as they are on Sunday, class, the boardroom, or from the pulpit? So what are these “fruits”, characteristics, or character traits? You may find an explanation of what is called “The Fruits of the Spirit” in this article: https://bromartin.medium.com/are-you-fruity-e2592d1395aa which are Love, Joy, Peace, Forbearance (Patience), Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness, Self-Control.

In addition, if you attend a church that is not biblically sound, does not speak, teach the truths of the bible, then that is not a true church. Here is another summary of “7 signs” that you may want to consider if it may be time to address it, help to change it, or move on: https://bromartin.medium.com/7-signs-that-it-may-be-time-to-respectfully-address-your-church-or-your-pastor-5c97f427d47e