False Prophets
The institution of the Church as we know it has been descending into a death spiral for decades, its devotees are getting old and dying off with few following to replace them. Many Churches have combined through necessity and will cease to exist as their numbers continue to decrease over the ensuing years. Although large mega Churches are often portrayed as examples of growth in the Church they are mostly filled with migrating Christians and continue with the same religious construct that orchestrated the decline from the beginning. I’m not speaking about Christianity, but a denominational religious system that evolved and bought on itself a man-made social catastrophe. Many leaders believe, that with the right structures, the right leaders, the best music team, and the most professional presentation, they can grow the Church, thus they prophecy great things from their positions of authority. Add to this a general lack of accountability, and we have all the makings of a religious implosion.
The Prophetic ministry has also been subjected to the limitations and controls of human endeavour. For years, I’ve listened to the mind-numbing nonsense that emanates from those claiming a Prophet’s authority, or those given the title because their statements meet an appropriate standard that’s pleasing to the ear. I've also listened to those who speak in a spirit of edification, encouragement, comfort, or words of knowledge, all of which, are praiseworthy, but again, don't rise to the level of a prophet's anointing. Those with public profiles often love to tell us what we want to hear, they speak lofty words about the next “new thing” God is about to do, or some imminent move of the spirit that’s about to descend and take the Church to new heights. These speakers don't always claim to be Prophets, but claim a “strong prophetic voice”, whatever that means. The allusion to the Prophetic anointing is a subtle dissembling, often conveyed with a resounding shout to the immanence of God’s return. This can be highly attractive for those looking for a man to lead rather, than God. I can’t remember when I last heard someone who spoke with the blunt clarity of God’s authority, one that resonated with God’s love, but nested inside correction, direction rebuke, and encouragement. Most who claim a prophetic authority spend more time conveying subjective theological cliches, and visions that support the religious endeavours of “their” Church. The genuine Prophetic anointing has been replaced with vague spiritual platitudes to comfort our ever-increasing sensitivities. We demand that prophets act like Pastors, those who bandage our emotions, even if it means a false expression of love and care.
There are many False Prophets in local Churches IF we define a False Prophet as one who makes a mistake. We must be careful about rushing to judgment because making mistakes doesn’t necessarily make the messenger false, nor does it make a Prophet false, or anything less than genuine Christians who convey God’s instruction incorrectly. There’s a danger in shooting the messenger rather than addressing the message. The gift of a Prophet, and ministering in the spirit of prophecy are completely different anointings, but the two have been so conflated that most cannot distinguish one from the other. How do I know this? Many Christians would struggle to define the difference and often believe that one who regularly speaks out in the assembly, is a Prophet, or at least demonstrates the anointing of the ministry. However, the ability of any Christian to convey the spirit of God’s word holds little comparison with the purpose and message of a genuine Prophet. This lack of clarity when identifying what and who Prophets are is concerning, and it’s little wonder, that deception will enter the Church and cause many to stumble.
False Prophets are recognised by the subtlety in their contradictions, and their charismatic ability to influence and divert Christians from the truth. They lift themselves above those they serve, and pride seeks personal gratification. How can a false prophet mislead the Church unless their message is sufficiently true to deceive even the most spiritually mature Christian? This is a profound conundrum. False prophets water down sin and say what the Church wants them to say. They tickle the ears of the ignorant, with visions and dreams that appeal to prideful emotions, but demonstrate little concern for the truth. False Prophets use mind games, dreams, and fanciful stories, to sound like they speak God’s word to the assembly. God will take care of all our wants, revival is coming, and nothing but blessing will come upon the Church. Sadly, these visions arise from the spirit of divination and witchcraft. Some want things their way, others want their rights met, few want responsibility, and False Prophets satisfy this proclivity for sin. We live in the days of woke, diversity, equity, inclusion, victims, and tribal separation, and the Church is not immune to the deception nested in this group-identifying, morally deficient, global pandemic.
The Church is captivated by large, well-organised Christian conferences that teach us how to be better Christians, how to pray, how to hear from God, and how to become Prophets. Christians flock to them because we want leaders to lead us and knowledge to fill our spiritual poverty. We want a conference to make us all Prophets, whatever that means. Does completing a course turn Christians into Prophets, or move God to install anyone as a Prophet? NO. They have more in common with secular self-improvement crusades.
It astonishes me that so many Christians blindly accept the idea that a Prophet's gift and function have somehow changed between the Old and the New Testament. I've never heard any credible argument in support of this idea. I believe this is because no evidence exists and the argument has more to do with maintaining a position consistent with control of the institutional religious endeavour. The general narrative implies a Prophet's gift or ministry is not the same today, and not distinguishable from the spirit of prophecy. Any Christian can prophesy therefore, the ministry of the Prophet resides in every born-again believer, not a calling set apart. This notion conveniently avoids the real question, what then is a Prophet? However, the rejection of prophets has left the Church more vulnerable than ever.
A true Prophet's message is to keep God’s people on a straight path, to warn about impending danger, and to confront error and sin. It brings correction and nothing suggests this has changed. All said and done, this remains the primary function of a Prophet today, just as much as it was in the Old Testament. Prophets wrote scripture in the OT, but this is largely irrelevant to the ministry of the gift itself. If the Church cannot accept this, it would do better to reject the existence of Prophets altogether, instead of conflating it with the spirit of prophecy. We see this catastrophe in the secularisation of many denominations today. The prophetic voice is unheard, but false prophecy is alive and well and not being exposed for what it is. As already stated, the word of a true Prophet will always be confrontational and confront anything that draws Christians away from God. Second, a Prophet's word will also provide direction and consequence. Unfortunately, a Prophet's word can bring pain, and we suffer if we don’t change or turn away from the message. Again we see this in many Churches today.
Finally, a true Prophet leans into spiritual loneliness and often observes spiritual consequences in isolation. They wrestle with the weight and implication of God's word which is compounded by the restrictive environment, in which they’re forced to confront. A Prophet's word does not come to them like an orchestrated demonstration of fortune-telling, or like those who hold attention like performing seals. God's word is stern, appropriate, specific, and uninterrupted by the emotions of humanity. This is one of many reasons a Prophet should never be asked: “What is the word of the Lord”. Some treat the prophetic in this manner but this has more to do with secular mysticism than biblical Christianity. Christians cannot be made into Prophets by reading an instruction manual or attending a course. The Prophet’s anointing is apportioned by God, as the fruit of God’s will, NOT the will of Man. It’s mentored in isolation, through time and patience, like that found in the story of Samuel. Prophets are either Prophets or not. Many Prophets may be called, but few uplift the ministry. Public commissioning does not make anyone a Prophet either. Prophets should be judged according to the truth in their message, whether it comes true, and its clear consistency with the biblical account.
Be careful of those who prophecy revival; God is doing a new thing; imminent growth; coming peace; prosperity; harmony; vagaries about agreement and unity; all religions are equal; or the demanding of submission.
