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False prophets in the church of Jesus Christ

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Biblical Prophecy

        The Bible provides fulfilled prophecy for us to verify its divine inspiration. As the centuries unfolded we have been able to see from the Bible itself and from secular history and evolving archaeological findings that what the Bible has prophesied has come to pass with one hundred per cent accuracy. Times, dates, places, names and countries specifically stated have provided historians and archaeologists with the information necessary to verify the inerrancy of the Bible. In times past there are those who have denied the truth of the Bible based upon the limited historical and archaeological knowledge then available. But each passing year provides more and more proof of the Bible account.
        There is no allowance for prophetical error in the Bible. Over 600 biblical prophecies have been fulfilled. 300 Old Testament prophecies pertain to Jesus Christ Himself.
        Although there are more false prophets to be counted in the Bible than there are true prophets, the record of biblical accuracy was not generated by the false prophets. The false prophets are noted, and their marks and characteristics are recorded as guidance for us today. In spite of this, false prophets continue to abound today, just as Jesus warned us.
        Again, note that the true prophets of God have provided us verification of its divine inspiration. Also note that the many false prophets of today are a continuing reminder of the facts about them that Jesus provided for us.
        An article in my archive files states:

Prophecy Fulfillment Cannot Be Accident
        An engineering professor at Wichita State University says that Christ’s fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies cannot be attributed to coincidence, chance, or accident.
        The professor, well-schooled in mathematics and the laws of probability, gave the following explanation:
        If 1,048,567 people each flipped a quarter 20 times, only one of them would get 20 consecutive “heads.” What about 40 straight coincidences? Here’s what you would need to do. Imagine 200 planets like earth. Put 5 billion people on each of them. Only one person out of 5 billion on all 200 planets would get 40 straight “heads.” Is it even reasonable to believe that Christ fulfilled 40 prophecies by accident or by chance?
        What would be the odds of Christ fulfilling 109 prophecies by accident? The explanation: NASA now says there are 100 billion galaxies like our Milky Way. These galaxies average 100 billion stars each. If we could put 5 billion people on each of the 100 billion stars in each of the 100 billion galaxies and give each person a quarter to flip, no one would get 100 “heads” in a row.
        The professor concluded: “This is why I believe Christ is a fulfillment of Bible prophecy. When Jesus Christ came, He fulfilled 109 very specific prophecies. Prophecy is God writing a sure word, not just the guesses of men.”

Tabloid False Prophecy

        I think that makes it clear that those who say that today’s prophets who are not one hundred per cent accurate are to be excused on the grounds that they are learning or inexperienced are lies made by false prophets to excuse themselves. Sorry, guys and gals, but God is not mocked!
        God’s gifts do not come in a “baby” size, or “immature” size or “percentage” size. If so, we could “excuse” false prophets from responsibility and discipline in stating false prophecies as being a “baby” prophecy, or an “immature” prophecy” or a “65 per cent accurate” prophecy” (which would mean that 35 per cent of it is OK to be a false prophecy).
        The Bible says in John 3:34: “For he whom God hath sent speaketh the words of God: for God giveth not the Spirit by measure unto him.”
        The italicized words “unto him” were added by the translators. Vine’s Dictionary makes this comment:

        MEASURE (NOUN AND VERB)
        A. Nouns.
        1. metron denotes (I) “that which is used for measuring, a measure,” (a) of “a vessel,” figuratively, (Matt. 23:32; Luke 6:38) (twice); in (John 3:34), with the preposition ek, “(He giveth not the Spirit) by measure,” RV (which is a necessary correction; the italicized words “unto him,” KJV, detract from the meaning). Not only had Christ the Holy Spirit without “measure,” but God so gives the Spirit through Him to others. It is the ascended Christ who gives the Spirit to those who receive His testimony and set their seal to this, that God is true. The Holy Spirit is imparted neither by degrees, nor in portions, as if He were merely an influence, He is bestowed personally upon each believer, at the time of the New Birth ...

It’s clear that God does not give the gift of the Holy Spirit by measure. If you don’t understand that God doesn’t give any gift by measure, then you’re simply not open to the truth of what God says.
The Bible says in Deuteronomy:

        Deuteronomy 18:20-22:
        20 But the prophet, which shall presume to speak a word in my name, which I have not commanded him to speak, or that shall speak in the name of other gods, even that prophet shall die.
        21 And if thou say in thine heart, How shall we know the word which the Lord hath not spoken?
        22 When a prophet speaketh in the name of the Lord, if the thing follow not, nor come to pass, that is the thing which the Lord hath not spoken, but the prophet hath spoken it presumptuously: thou shalt not be afraid of him.

        Is that open to “interpretation” or is it simply a plain statement of God’s truth concerning false prophets?
        The statement has been made publicly by one false prophet relative to Deuteronomy 18:20-22 that it’s an erroneous “interpretation” to think that God says what He means, and means what He says and that “No one could step out in the faith required to walk in his calling if he knew that a single mistake would ruin him for life.”
        However, when I read my Bible, I don’t see that mindset. In fact, that is exactly what every truly called prophet of God in the Bible did, isn’t it? And those false prophets who missed it were identified as false prophets. Weren’t they?
        Paul, the apostle wrote in 1 Corinthians:

        1 Corinthians 6:1-5:
        1 Dare any of you, having a matter against another, go to law before the unjust, and not before the saints?
        2 Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world? and if the world shall be judged by you, are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters?
        3 Know ye not that we shall judge angels? how much more things that pertain to this life?
        4 If then ye have judgments of things pertaining to this life, set them to judge who are least esteemed in the church.
        5 I speak to your shame. Is it so, that there is not a wise man among you? no, not one that shall be able to judge between his brethren?

        The phrase “are least esteemed” in 1 Corinthians 6:4 is the word xoutheneo in the Greek, which means literally, “to make of no account.”
        Did you know that even the saints that others feel are “of no account” shall judge the world?
        Did you know that even the saints that others feel are “of no account” shall judge angels?
        But to your shame, is there not a wise man among you? No, not one that shall be able to judge between false prophets and true prophets?
        Think about this: with the level of the spiritual gift of discerning of spirits having become an unpopular spiritual exercise and unused spiritual gift to the point that many of the saints can’t even discern false prophets, how can they possibly discern which percentage of a prophecy to believe? And what percentage to reject? So what’s the result? Those same saints swallow the big lies, hook, line and sinker, and when the prophecy fails they defend their false prophets by stating that they “discern” that, in some mystical way, the false prophecy either has been, or will be, fulfilled! Wisdom is justified by her children! Selah ... pause and calmly think of that.
        There are those who use the lame excuse that they didn’t “prophesy” something which failed to come to pass after they went on record as saying it would happen. Oh, no, they say, they were misquoted as saying they “prophesied” it, because all they did was to “predict” it. Therefore, they say, they are not false prophets.
        Say what?
        When the people have wrongly established and maintained a person as a “prophet” in their eyes, then what they say to them is considered prophetic, isn’t it? They cannot split hairs by an arbitrary definition to excuse their failings. Why do you allow the false prophets to get away with this?
        Then we have the argument that a true prophet may utter a false prophecy.
        Say what?
        I think somebody had better read, and attempt to understand what the Bible says, and not listen to the human “wisdom” of these tabloid false prophets. James says human wisdom is earthly, sensual and demonic. Did you want to edit that out of the Bible, along with the clearly stated marks of false prophets?
        The Bible makes it clear that those who utter false prophecies are false prophets.
        Those false prophets of today can correctly be called tabloid false prophets who utter tabloid false prophecies. They are of the same caliber as the predictions in the tabloid publications at the grocery store check out lines. Find an old issue—from a week to years old—and see how their predictions never materialized. Do the same with your favorite false prophets, beloved. Research their publicly stated words, laughingly called “prophecy” and you will see for yourself that they never materialized. But the prophecies in the Bible were made thousands of years ago and continue to be proven accurate and correct. Every one of them. Every part of them. One hundred per cent of them.
        The tabloid false prophets utter sensational, contrived, after the fact hoaxes in their tabloid prophecies. They are particularly adept at “judgment prophecies” [read “gloom and doom”] which reveal no understanding of world events or the heart of God. A constantly recurring theme is that God is doing a “new thing.”
        False prophets lack of the gift and/or usage of discerning of spirits is extraordinary. False prophets also strongly discourage their adherents from exercising that Holy Spirit gift. Instead, they respond to those who question their non-biblical teachings, doctrines and practices by the ad hominem argument (attack upon the person instead of responding to their scriptural statements and guidelines) that they are “Jezebel spirits” or worse. Critics and discerners of biblical error are classified as “heresy hunters.” Any analysis of their track record reveals in addition to false prophecies, their unbiblical teachings and practices, extra-biblical revelation and lack of accountability and discipline.
        False prophets prophecies are cheap and sleazy, exaggerated and distorted, exploiting the hearers and producing fear and terror. Some are educated guesses, opinions, hunches, or statements of “God told/showed me ...” The emotions subsequently invoked cause doubt, division and disturbances—which are all tools of the devil and his crowd—in individuals, their families, and in the body of Christ. False prophets prophecies are tremendously sub-standard compared to true prophetical utterances. They are made palatable to the biblically illiterate by appending a “Thus sayeth the Lord” (stated, implied or inferred) to their counterfeit prophesies so that they have a superficial resemblance to a true prophetical utterance.
        Wouldn’t it be honest for the secular tabloid publications and the tabloid false prophets in the institutional church system to issue public apologies and publicly repent of their lies when exposed?
        Followers of these tabloid false prophecies place undue credence in their geo-political and socio-economic comments and predictions. They are looking for spiritual insight, assurance, goal, purpose, direction, entertainment, and etc. Anything except attempting to become a true disciple of Jesus Christ and learning of Jesus, following Jesus and imitating Jesus. And reading and studying the Bible, particularly the New Testament.
        A big problem here is that these prominent and influential false prophets defeat the purpose of local ekklesias because they are, for the most part, in a far distant physical location. Those in the local ekklesias who are truly called by God as prophets and teachers are ignored in favor of the “big-time” status of those false prophets who are wider known and wrongly followed as not only prophets and teachers, but as spiritual advisors. So, in effect, they become spiritual gurus to millions of saints who are members of local gatherings whose corporate spiritual functions are now guided by long-distance false prophet messengers.

Tabloid False Prophets Have Hidden Agendas

        In more cases than not, there is a hidden agenda behind these tabloid prophecies uttered by false prophets. It is to intimidate and manipulate the saints of God to control them to stay within the institutional church system and its attendant bondage. The fear and terror generated by these tabloid false prophets has motivated many a saint of God to stampede into unnecessary action which has caused tremendous emotional, economic and spiritual upheaval in their lives and the lives of their family and friends.
        Has God gifted these individuals? In many cases, yes, in some apparently not. More realistically there is a mixture of God’s gift and human flesh and its desires attempting to quench the Holy Spirit’s leading. The Jezebel spirit is particularly adept at masquerading as a prophet of God. This opens up the door to many errors in true biblical doctrine and practice. Unfortunately, as someone has said, error always rides in on the back of truth. Failure to exercise the gift of discerning of spirits is a responsibility of the hearers. It could get you into a lot of hot water ... or other hot stuff.
        One prominent and influential false prophet recently made a statement that “... multitudes of Christians who are not in vital church relationships are in jeopardy.” It was also stated that “The primary warning that the Lord has been giving me over the last few years has been to Christians who have left the fellowship of the church.” And “The deception that we do not need to be a part of a local congregation is keeping many from the vital relationships of true church life which are necessary for true Christian maturity.”
        I, personally, am so grateful that this person wrote about this in their religious publication. Because, in effect, false prophets coming out of the closet is a healthy thing for the well-being of the body of Christ. Those in the body of Christ who continue to operate in the gift of discerning of spirits will recognize the fact that God does not want His people, the true disciples of Jesus Christ, back under the bondage of humanly devised spiritual abusive and controlling organizations that are conducive to the full manifestation and expression of the controlling spirits of Jezebel.
        And no, I won’t name names because (1) unless I feel it’s necessary to name names, I refuse to give false prophets publicity by naming them and (2) my focus is on what false prophets are on public record as having said and/or done, and not on them personally.
        Curious as to why such an unbiblical statement was included in a religious publication, I did some research. Here is what I found:
        Advance reviews of the book “Revolution” by George Barna were published in early and mid-August, 2005. The religious publication of which I spoke was published in September, 2005. The book was available in October, 2005.
        Here’s information on the book “Revolution” from the web site: Tyndale House Publishers - Product Details at: http://www.tyndale.com/products/details.asp?isbn=1-4143-0758-6

Revolution
George Barna
List Price: $17.99
Binding: Hardcover
Page Count: 160
Trim Size: 5½ x 7½
ISBN: 1-4143-0758-6
CPC Sub Category: Emerging Church
Release Date: October 2005
Summary
        World-renowned pollster George Barna has the numbers, and they indicate a revolution is already taking place within the Church—one that will impact every believer in America. Committed, born-again Christians are exiting the established church in massive numbers. Why are they leaving? Where are they going? And what does this mean for the future of the Church? Using years’ worth of research data, and adhering to an unwavering biblical perspective, Barna predicts how this revolution will impact the organized church, how Christ’s body of believers should react, and how individuals who are considering leaving (or those who have already left) can respond. For leaders working for positive change in the church and for believers struggling to find a spiritual community and worship experience that resonates, Revolution is here. Are you ready?
Back Cover Copy
        Millions of believers have stopped going to church...and chosen to be the church instead.
        Research by renowned pollster George Barna points to a hidden Revolution—one that will impact every Christian believer in America. Millions of committed Christ-followers, dissatisfied with the church experience, have stopped attending on Sunday mornings. Why are they leaving? Where are they going? And what does this mean for the future of the church?
        In this groundbreaking book, Barna examines the state of the church today—and compares it to the biblical picture of the church as God intended it to be. He documents how and why a new brand of devout “Revolutionaries” is abandoning the local church building while attempting to become the church that Christ commissioned us to be.
        This Revolution will challenge you with

the straightforward biblical guidelines for the church

7 core passions of a Revolutionary

a daring redefinition of the church as we know it.
        Maybe you’re afraid of the changes to come. Maybe you’ve been waiting for this moment to arrive. Either way, the Revolution is here.
Front Flap Copy
        rev-o-lu-tion \rev-e-lü-shen\ n—repudiating tepid systems and practices of the Christian faith and introducing a wholesale shift in how faith is understood, integrated and influencing the world.
        A Revolution is a fundamental change. A paradigm shift in the way a person views and interacts with his or her world. According to years’ worth of data collected by George Barna, the church is about to see the biggest Revolution of our time.
        For thousands of years, Christians have been inventing church, but neglecting to be the church Christ commissioned. Droves of committed believers are foregoing Sunday mornings to live a 24/7 faith unfettered by the clutter and bureaucracy within the church walls.
        In stark contrast to both the stuffy, formulaic religiosity sometimes found in the established church and the feel-good, invent-your-own spirituality, the Revolution is casting off anything that hinders a full, vibrant life of discipleship to Christ.

Tabloid False Prophets Hidden Agenda Exposed

        As I said, advance reviews of the book were published in early and mid-August, 2005.
        It’s obvious that the article from the September religious publication is a fleshly knee-jerk reaction to the advance reviews of the book “Revolution” by George Barna and not a God inspired word of caution.
        Is it clear to you that this person is attempting to increase dwindling institutional church attendance and the tithes and offerings that continue to fuel their lifestyle? And the lifestyle of other false teachers, false prophets and false shepherds? In other words, they are utilizing the very same manipulation and intimidation to control others that I have spoken against on this web site. Aren’t they? And attempting to perpetuate an ungodly humanly organized system that is based upon self-centeredness, death and bondage. This person and their contemporaries are deliberately attempting to rob you and all of the body of Christ of the lifestyle of the disciple of Christ in enjoying the love of the Father, the abundant life in Jesus Christ, and the liberty of the Holy Spirit. And true fellowship (Greek, koinonia) of sharing with, socializing with and supporting, other members of the body of Christ.
        The institutional church system of today is an illegitimate, paganized, Romanized, pope-modeled, traditional, man-made system that has violated the very will and purpose of God for His ekklesia. As such, it has no place in God’s economy other than as a spiritual Babylon from which the overcoming remnant bride of Jesus Christ will exit as they realize the truth of God’s eternal purpose. Why would you want to involve yourself in it? Especially because of utterances by false prophets?
        This person and others in his organization are proven false prophets. I don’t make that statement lightly.
        Why doesn’t someone go back through the years and check out the accuracy rate of these tabloid false prophets? And test them against what scripture says? But, no, there’s too many other, fresh, new and titillating false prophets and false prophecies coming out every day to keep focused on. Aren’t there?

Marks of False Prophets

Dave Hunt, quoted in The Berean Call, Bend, Oregon, March, 1997, p. 1:

Any one of the Bible’s six marks of false prophets is sufficient identification:
1. through signs and wonders they lead astray after false gods (Dt. 13:1-4);
2. their prophecies don’t come to pass (Dt. 18:20-22);
3. they contradict God’s Word (Is. 8:20);
4. they bear bad fruit (Mt. 7:18-20);
5. all men speak well of them (Lk. 6:26);
6. they deny that Jesus, the one and only Christ, has come once and for all in the flesh (I Jn. 4:3).

Excerpts from Holman’s Bible Dictionary:

        “While the term “false prophet” does not occur in the Old Testament, references to false prophets are clear. The pages of the Old Testament are filled with men and women who fit the description of a false prophet given in Jer. 14:14 (NASB): “The prophets are prophesying falsehood in My name. I have neither sent them nor commanded them nor spoken to them; they are prophesying to you a false vision, divination, futility and the deception of their own minds.”
        “The true prophet must be loyal to the biblical faith directing one to worship Yahweh alone (Deut. 13:1-3). A second test required that the words of a true prophet be fulfilled (Deut. 18:22; Jer. 42:1-6; Ezek. 33:30-33).
        “Accurate prediction was not a final test. Other tests included agreement with previous prophets’ words (Jer. 28:8), good character (Mic. 3:11), and a willingness to suffer because of faithfulness (1 Kings 22:27-28; Jer. 38:3-13). Similarly, the New Testament believers had to distinguish true prophecy (1 John 4:1; 1 Cor. 14:29).
        “The apostles instructed believers to be diligent in faith and understanding of Christian teachings, in order to discern false prophets when they arise (2 Pet. 1:10; 1:19-2:1; 1 John 4:1). The tests of a prophet are:
        “1) Do their predictions come true (Jer. 28:9)?
        “2) Does the prophet have a divine commission (Jer. 29:9)?
        “3) Are the prophecies consistent with Scripture (2 Pet. 1:20-21; Rev. 22:18-19)?
        “4) Do the people benefit spiritually from the prophet’s ministry (Jer. 23:13,14,32; 1 Pet. 4:11)?”

        I took the time to check out the track record of this tabloid false prophet and compare it against the scripture quoted above. In the process I also discovered the facts on many other prominent and influential persons whose teachings and prophecies are widespread. I have nothing against this person or their associates. However, I violently oppose what has been stated publicly, inferring that they are speaking for God, or speaking the mind of counsel of God. I see a clear and distinct contradiction between what has been said publicly and the heart of My Father, the God and Creator of the universe and all that’s in it.
        And I don’t buy into this “percentage of allowable error” crap for false prophets, because if you state or imply that you are speaking the mind and counsel of God, be assured that God doesn’t operate on a hit and miss schedule. God is one hundred per cent accurate all of the time. How many of you understand that?
        Do your own homework, saint, just search for “false prophets” on the internet and spend some time checking out your results. And read them with fear and trembling. Or are you trying to avoid working out your own salvation with fear and trembling?
        The many other speculative statements made in their religious publication concerning future events are actually disguised tabloid prophecies, aren’t they?

Techniques And Strategies Of The Tabloid False Prophets

        The Bible did not prophesy the obvious as the tabloid false prophets do today. Wars, rumours of wars, plagues, hurricanes, earthquakes, floods, death, doom, destruction, terrorists, the end of the world, ad nauseam are all existing conditions which we understand from the Bible as not only historical, but also on-going. Why do these tabloid false prophets wait until these things either happen or are expected to happen to “prophesy” about them? And how do they reconcile their silly statements with the “testimony of Jesus?”
        The Bible also did not prophesy events after they happened, as so many false prophets do today. Nor did the Bible bunch up a number of utterances—seeking safety in numbers—hoping that by chance one, or some, of them would probably be fulfilled, or partially fulfilled, in which case God could claim credibility and encourage His people to await the fulfillment of the others at some future date as today’s false prophets do.
        God did not prophesy that something will happen if enough people don’t pray for it not to happen. And then, if it happens, blame the body of Christ for not praying. And if it doesn’t happen, then credit the body of Christ for praying. As Vine’s Expository Dictionary says: “... however, God remained faithful to His absolutes of righteousness in His relation to and with man.” The false prophets of today have no concern with absolutes of righteousness in their relationship with others.
        Excerpted from Vine’s Expository Dictionary:

REPENT, TO
God usually changed His mind and “repented” of His actions because of man’s intercession and repentance of his evil deeds. Moses pleaded with God as the intercessor for Israel: “Turn from thy fierce wrath, and repent of this evil against thy people” (Exod. 32:12). The Lord did that when He “...repented [changed His mind] of the evil which he thought to do unto his people” (Exod. 32:14). As God’s prophet preached to Nineveh, “...God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God repented of the evil, that he had said that he would do unto them...” (Jonah 3:10). In such instances, God “repented,” or changed His mind, to bring about a change of plan. Again, however, God remained faithful to His absolutes of righteousness in His relation to and with man.

        God did not prophesy multiple events in one prophecy with no specific events, names, deadlines, or nothing that could be identified specifically. That is a practice of the false prophets of today. Then when one, or more events “happen” (or close enough to claim they prophesied it) they claim partial fulfillment and encourage their devotees to wait until more, or all, parts of their “prophecy” happen.
        God did not make a claim that some then current happening was a fulfillment of a vague prophecy full of symbolism which can be interpreted in many different ways, prophesied in the past. God’s prophecies are specific in every way. False prophets make such claims.
        God is not the Author of unverifiable prophecy. If a natural event doesn’t happen as today’s false prophets prophesied, they claim that it was fulfilled supernaturally and it simply can’t be verified until we all get to heaven. Or they claim that it obviously refers to yet another natural event in the future. Or it was fulfilled by some other event which is very similar to what they prophesied. False prophets claim the problem isn’t their prophecy, it’s in the timing of its fulfillment.
        God did not use the portions of prophesies that people think are credible to build up a testimony file for Himself. Today’s tabloid false prophets do so to build up the confidence of the people as well as their own. And simply ignore those that have been proven to be false. After all, those skeptics and critics and doubters simply don’t understand the mystical elements involved in speaking the mind of God, do they? Do you believe that?
        God did not rationalize, alibi and defend prophesies by paraphrases that leave room for doubt as to the original interpretation and meaning. God’s prophecies are clear and understandable. Today’s tabloid false prophets utilize the technique of the best defense being a strong offense. They feel they don’t have to prove that they were right, they simply challenge critics to prove that they’re wrong.
        God never claimed He was quoted out of context and that somebody left out the qualifiers. That’s a trick of the tabloid false prophets when they are proven to be false prophets. Then they invent the “qualifiers” and rationalize themselves out of trouble.
        Watch out for those tabloid false prophets who state that those who touch God’s anointed, and do harm to God’s prophets (speaking of themselves in defense of their flaky prophecies and those critics who see through their falsity) will meet an untimely end. It’s guaranteed that somebody, somewhere, sometime, will die from some cause and then they can claim that they prophesied their death as God’s punishment on them for having criticized false prophets. Pretty sick, huh?
        I strongly urge you to read three postings on this web site:
        (1) The article “True And False Prophecy-true prophecy the testimony of Jesus” in which I discuss that Jesus, as God, and His testimony, is the true spirit of prophecy. False prophecy doesn’t have the revelation of Christ. This is teachings of the Bible.
        (2) “The Purpose Of The Five-Fold Gifts from God through Jesus” where I show biblically that God—under grace through Jesus Christ—gifts His New Testament body of Christ with prophets and apostles who are to be teachers of the truth of His Word in the Bible. I also bring out what Jesus meant when He said: “For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John” (Matthew 11:13—see also Luke 16:16), and Daniel 9:24: “Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy.”
        Scripture makes it clear that the dispensational function of Old Testament prophets ceased when Jesus came and that New Testament prophets (including today’s prophets) have a different function than the Old Testament prophets.
        But our tabloid prophets continue to live and teach a variant of Mosaic law thinking they are supposed to imitate Old Testament prophet functions and failing to recognize that they have a new gifting from Jesus and that “... the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy” (Revelation 19:10).
        The article also explains from scripture what is meant by the phrase “present truth” made by Peter in 2 Peter 1:12.
        (3) In the book “Prophets And Prophecy” under the subhead “False Prophets” I discuss the points listed below:

False Prophets
        Every Believer Is Capable Of Being Deceived
        False Prophets Look And Sound Real
        False Prophets Are Well Received
        False Prophets Are Not Assessed, Accountable Or Disciplined
        False Prophets Will Tell You Exactly What You Want To Hear
        They Are Like Chameleons And Blend In With Their Environment
        They Love Attention And Credentials
        They Value Praise For Themselves
        They Are Rebellious
        False Prophets Are Numerous
        God Will Test You Through False Prophets

        I urge you to read at least that part of the book.
        The bottom line:
        Why is it so important that you recognize false prophets and stay away from them? Because God is testing you, beloved.
        Excerpted from the book “Prophets And Prophecy:”

God Will Test You Through False Prophets
        God allows false prophets to flourish in order to test your love for God.
        Deuteronomy 13:1-4:

        1 If there arise among you a prophet, or a dreamer of dreams, and giveth thee a sign or a wonder,
        2 And the sign or the wonder come to pass, whereof he spake unto thee, saying, Let us go after other gods, which thou hast not known, and let us serve them;
        3 Thou shalt not hearken unto the words of that prophet, or that dreamer of dreams: for the Lord your God proveth you, to know whether ye love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul.
        4 Ye shall walk after the Lord your God, and fear him, and keep his commandments, and obey his voice, and ye shall serve him, and cleave unto him.

        “Proveth” in verse 3 is nacah meaning “to test.” God will test you to know whether you love Him with all your being.
        In what way is that a test? You will transfer your love for and dependency upon God to false prophets. Their teachings and prophetic utterances will begin to control you. This is a step into witchcraft, using intimidation and manipulation to control others.
        The Holy Spirit leads, He does not control.

        I repeat: Do your own homework, saint, just search for “false prophets” on the internet and spend some time checking out your results. And read them with fear and trembling. Or are you trying to avoid working out your own salvation with fear and trembling?
        The really sad part about this “false prophets” syndrome is that there are many of you who will read this article, and maybe even the suggested references above, and will find excuses for the false “prophet person” to whom you are devoted and will continue to be their disciple—learning of them, following them, supporting them and imitating them.
        How can I say that? Because human history verifies that devotees of false prophets find exotic methods to exonerate their erring prophets. They simply pardon them and excuse them from true biblical accountability and discipline and forget their false prophecies and then dwell on something they said which has a slim air of authenticity about it. And so the inept tabloid false prophets continue to sensationalize their false sayings and continue to be enshrined as idols in the hearts of the many.

Cognitive Dissonance

        These exotic methods are identified by what psychologists call “cognitive dissonance.” Those who follow false prophets actually become stronger in their devotion when their prophecies fail. They have to cope psychologically with their values and reality to maintain order in their life when it’s obvious there’s a conflict. So they have to convince themselves they are acting according to their own self-image and values. The working dynamics are controlling (1) behavior, (2) thoughts, (3) emotions and (4) information. Since each one of these factors effects the others it’s necessary only to change one and the others will also change to minimize the contradictions.
        This happens because a person can’t tolerate this type of internal discrepancy and must resolve it to eliminate the tension it generates. Psychologist Leon Festinger summarized the basic principle with the statement: “If you change a person’s behaviour, his thoughts and feelings will change to minimise the dissonance.” Cults create this cognitive dissonance to create inconsistency in order to exploit and control their members. In effect, the mind is programmed to accept what the cultist or false prophet says by the above psychological processes.
        Do your own research on cognitive dissonance. You’ll have to explain it to Jesus as the reason why you were disciples of false prophets in spite of His warnings about them on that day when you stand before Him. Won’t you?

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•“Americans religious faith in self and church, not Christ.” Americans religious faith is in self and church, not Christ, the Bible or God as biblically illiterate people obey flesh strongholds not the Holy Spirit.