The following is an excerpt taken from the article:
Beware of False Prophets, False Prophecies, and False Visions!
Posted on March 1, 2017
"Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves (Matthew 7:15).
Have you been troubled or puzzled by the proliferation of “new prophecies” and “new revelations and teachings” on TV, Internet websites, or social media, many which are touted as “true” visions, dreams, prophecies, and messages from Jesus Christ? While in the past false prophets had to go to great lengths to publicize their messages, today’s advances in technology allow anyone to effortlessly craft their messages, whether true or false, and at the click of a button the message will be “shared” to their clueless and gullible “followers” and forwarded further to the masses within minutes.
In the opening Scripture above, the Lord Jesus Christ Himself warned us to watch out for false prophets who appear harmless, but are actually voracious, ravaging and savage wolves. The Lord further warned that in the last days, “many” false prophets will arise and lead many people astray (Matthew 24:11). With most people nowadays oblivious to, or ignorant of, God’s Word—the Truth (John 17:17), when a lie is repeated often and long enough, they believe it is truth, and are thereby enslaved by the enemy because only God’s Truth can truly set us free (John 8:32).
False prophets and false teachers have the audacity to twist God’s word and make pronouncements that don’t have a solid Scriptural foundation, yet in both the Old and New Testaments, the Bible sternly warns against adding or deducting from the Word of God".
Dear Viewer: In the above video Troy Black, who has been proven to be a false prophet in the past endorses Jonathan Cahn's book the JOSIAH MANIFESTO ALONG WITH IT'S ANCIENT MYSTERIES as a prophetic sign of the future. He advised his viewers to filter what he is sharing through the written word of God. Well I decided to follow his advice and put his so called prophetic word through the acid test and here's what I have uncovered.
At the outset let me begin by stating the following: God may sometimes speak audibly to people. It is highly doubtful, though, that this occurs as often as some people claim it does. Again, even in the Bible, God speaking audibly is the exception, not the ordinary. If anyone claims that God has spoken to him or her, always compare what is said with what the Bible says. If God were to speak today, His words would be in full agreement with what He has said in the Bible (2 Timothy 3:16–17). God does not contradict Himself.
2 Peter 1:20-21 New King James Version
knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.
This brings me to a very important question: is there such a thing as ANCIENT MYSTERIES taught in the word of God by Jesus Christ or any of the biblical authors? The answer is ABSOLUTELY NOT! And here are the facts:
Definition of Ancient Mysteries
Secret
rituals of pagan religions, known only to select initiates who had
qualified for higher spiritual development. Such mysteries were kept
apart from popular worship, and initiates had to take a binding oath of
secrecy, so that even today our knowledge of the mysteries is partly
conjectural. Typical mystery cults were those of Eleusis in Greece from about 1500 B.C.E., in turn deriving from the mystery religions of ancient Egypt and the mysteries of Mithras, a Persian deity. Traces of Mithraism existed in Britain. Many secret societies in modern times have claimed that their rituals are a descent of an ancient tradition.
I
did an exhaustive search to see if this term ANCIENT MYSTERY is found
in the bible. Nowhere is this term found either in the Old or New
Testaments. But the Word of God uses the term Pagan/Paganism . It's a
synonymous term for what is known today as Ancient Mystery.
However I did find a list of Ancient Mystery Religions in the book "ESSENTIALS OF BIBLE HISTORY" pages 564-567 as follows:
1) THE ELEUSINIAN MYSTERIES
2) THE CULT OF DIONYSUS
3) ORPHISM
4) THE CULT OF CYBELE ATTIS
5) SYRIAN MYSTERY CULTS
6) MITHRAISM
7) THE CULT OF ISIS AND SERAPIS
8) EPICUREANISM & STOICISM.
Need more evidence? At your earliest convenience watch the following 30 minute documentary video below:
Ancient Mystery Cults: The Real History of Secret Societies"
ANCIENT
MYSTERIES ARE CLASSIC NEW AGE EXPRESSIONS WHICH HAVE BEEN USED FOR
CENTURIES BY ALL OCCULT GROUPS OF FREEMASONRY, THEOSOPHY AND NEW AGE
RABBINICAL SAGES FROM THE JUDAIC BRANCH OF KABBALAH.
Ancient
Mystery is not biblically based but has a direct correlation to Ancient
pagan religions. It is obvious to me that Mr. Cahn's concept of Ancient
Mysteries has distorted & influenced his theological and critical
thinking through MYSTICAL HERMENUETICS.
Conclusion According
to the Sacred Text, the usage of MYSTERY is not a puzzle or a secret
knowledge or wisdom that leaves a person in ignorance, but a truth that
God reveals to man. It usually refers to something that man would not
normally know, but that God in his grace makes known to him cf:
Ephesians 3:4-5, Col 1:26, Rev 17:17. They
are secret counsels which govern God in dealing with the righteous,
which are hidden from ungodly and wicked men but plain to the godly.
Dear viewer: If Troy Black was really a true prophet of God as he claims throughout his videos, then the Spirit of God would have revealed to him the above historical and biblical facts concerning Mr. Cahn's claims of unlocking ANCIENT MYSTERIES in his latest book(books) and condemned it for what it really is; A FALLACY!
There is no doubt in my mind that this video is nothing more than a verbal ploy designed to emotionally hype your curiosity in order for Troy Black to make a sales pitch for Jonathan Cahn to his audience. And it's plausible that Mr. Cahn probably gave Troy a complementary copy in order to advertise this book in the form of a book review to his viewers. Clever plot if you ask me.
Please Note: I don't know exactly how much income Troy Black is currently generating from his You Tube Channel. But I do know that his channel currently has a B rating and as of this current posting 362k followers; which means that it's plausible he is generating a decent income. Is it any wonder to you dear viewer why he keeps creating videos of so called prophetic revelations anywhere between 2-3 times every week? The more viewers, followers and Ads from his sponsors, the higher the rating and the greater the cash flow.
False prophets gather crowds with the intention of manipulating or exploiting them for personal financial gain. Their motives are selfish in order to build their own kingdom rather than advancing the Kingdom of God. They use charisma, clever marketing on social media or emotional appeals to draw people in, but their focus is strictly on themselves rather than serving the needs of the people.
When a false prophet resorts to using so called prophecies as a money making scheme, it not only compromises the integrity of the Gospel of Christ but also preys on the vulnerability and desperation of those seeking divine intervention. It exploits people's faith & emotions for personal gain by profiting from their sufferings. This is a grave misuse of God's divine authority.
True ministers of the Gospel are driven by a genuine desire to serve and minister to people's needs. Their focus should be on leading others to a deeper relationship with God, not enriching themselves through manipulation. The Bible warns against false prophets who peddle God's word for personal profit, and as believers, we should be vigilant in discerning such practices.
The Bible is clear that freely we have received, and freely we should give. Jesus never charged anyone money for the miracles he performed. He healed the sick, gave sight to the blind, and even raised the dead out of love and compassion, and not for the purpose of soliciting money. His ministry was about setting the captives free and bringing them closer to God and not making a profit from their sufferings.
Genuine prophecies come from God and they are not for sale.
(Excerpt taken from the above book From Pulpit to Profit by Jeremiah T. Zulu chapter 4).
IMPORTANT UPDATE: AS OF SEPT 2023, TROY BLACK'S NET WORTH IS NOW 5 MILLION DOLLARS.
As of May 18th, 2023 Jonathan Cahn's current net worth is approximately $3 million.
https://oneworldinformation.com/jonathan-cahn/.
Many so called prophets like Troy Black are nowadays prophesying on various social media platforms for financial gain. These You Tubers remind me of the Psychic Hot lines that were very popular during the decades of the 1980's & 1990's.They have fallen into the same sin as the False Prophet Balaam cf with Jude verse 11. Jude's letter to the church was written primarily as a warning about those who are false prophets and how the believer should respond to them. Balaam's name means devourer of the people or conqueror of the people. He represents those false prophets who fleece the flock/sheep or use the people of God for their own personal financial gain. The New Testament mentions Balaam three times, all negatively. Both Peter and Jude describe him as the personification of greed in using religion for personal gain (II Peter 2:15; Jude 11).
In the Old Testament, the actual term false prophet does not occur, but references to false prophets are evident and abundant. In the book of Jeremiah, we encounter a clear description of false prophets: “Then the LORD said to me, ‘The prophets are prophesying lies in my name. I have not sent them or appointed them or spoken to them. They are prophesying to you false visions, divinations, idolatries and the delusions of their own minds’” (Jeremiah 14:14; see also 23:21–33; Zechariah 10:2).
The primary difference between men like Jeremiah—a true prophet of God—and false prophets was their source of information. Rather than speak the Word of the Lord, false prophets delivered messages that originated in their own hearts and minds: “This is what the LORD Almighty says: ‘Do not listen to what the prophets are prophesying to you; they fill you with false hopes. They speak visions from their own minds, not from the mouth of the LORD’” (Jeremiah 23:16; see also 14:14; 23:25–32; Ezekiel 13:1–7). God distances Himself from all false prophets: “I did not send these prophets, yet they have run with their message; I did not speak to them, yet they have prophesied” (Jeremiah 23:21).
Another difference between true prophets and false prophets in the Bible is motivation. True prophets are motivated by loyalty to God above all else, whereas false prophets are motivated by self-interest and a desire to be popular among the people (1 Kings 22:13–14). While Jeremiah foretold the grim truth of coming desolation upon Jerusalem (Jeremiah 4), the false prophets promised peace (Jeremiah 6:14; 8:11). Naturally, the people of Judah preferred the pleasant messages of the false prophets: “Don’t tell us what is right. Tell us nice things. Tell us lies” (Isaiah 30:10, NLT).
Often false prophets were hired for payment or spoke their messages for financial gain: “Her leaders judge for a bribe, her priests teach for a price, and her prophets tell fortunes for money. Yet they look for the LORD’s support and say, ‘Is not the LORD among us? No disaster will come upon us’” (Micah 3:11; see also Nehemiah 6:12–13; Jeremiah 6:13–14; Ezekiel 13:19; 2 Peter 2:1–3).
GOD DOES NOT VALIDATE THE WORDS OF FALSE PROPHETS!
DONALD STAMPS IN THE LIFE STUDY BIBLE PAGE 1,995
WRITES:
"THE FALSE PROPHETS/TEACHERS WILL COMMERCIALIZE
THE GOSPEL, BEING EXPERTS IN GREED AND IN GETTING
MONEY FROM BELIEVERS TO ENHANCE THEIR MINISTRIES
AND AFFLUENT LIFESTYLES. BELIEVERS MUST BE AWARE
THAT ONE OF THE CHIEF METHODS OF FALSE MINISTERS IS
TO USE FEIGNED WORDS TO TELL IMPRESSIVE STORIES THAT
ARE NOT TRUE , OR TO GIVE EXAGGERATED STATISTICS IN
ORDER TO INSPIRE GOD'S PEOPLE TO GIVE MONEY. THEY
GLORIFY THEMSELVES AND ENHANCE THEIR MINISTRIES WITH
THESE FABRICATED STORIES (cf 2nd Corinthians 2:17). THUS,
THE UNWARY AND SINCERE CHILD OF GOD BECOMES AN
OBJECT OF EXPLOITATION. BECAUSE THESE MINISTERS
DEFILE GOD'S TRUTH AND PEOPLE WITH GREED AND DECEIT,
THEY ARE ASSIGNED TO ETERNAL DOOM AND
DESTRUCTION".
2 Corinthians 2:17
"You see, we are not like the many hucksters who preach for personal profit. We preach the word of God with sincerity and with Christ's authority, knowing that God is watching us".
DEAR VIEWER: BEFORE YOU PROCEED WITH THE ARTICLE BELOW, I JUST WANT TO SHARE MY PERSONAL CONTACT WITH MR. ROB WILSON THE AUTHOR OF THE ABOVE VIDEO ON HIS YOU TUBE CHANNEL WITH REGARD TO TROY BLACK:
Good morning Brother Rob Wilson. Last night I had the privilege of watching this video with regard to Troy Black. I felt very uneasy about what he was sharing especially when he endorsed Jonathan Cahn's new book THE RETURN OF THE GODS here are the links:
Troy of course used Cahn's book to validate his so called prophetic word about Ancient God's being present in America and how it's influencing the culture war. Nothing new of course. Mr. Cahn by biblical definition is a false prophet. I know that all too well because I was a member of his church for many years. Eventually I defected because of Cahn's MYSTICAL HERMENUETICS. I attempted several times to share this with Mr. Black but he never responded. That's when a red flag went off in my head. This young man apparently has produced close to 500 videos. That speaks volumes to me because in essence he is implying that he has received prophetic revelations that rival any prophet, apostle or biblical authors combined together from the Old to the New Testaments! So with that being said I want to leave here a link where I actually endorsed your above video to my viewers. Feel free to use any material in my blog for future reference. I do not have any FINANCIAL INTEREST OR GAIN in sharing this material. It's just a labor of love for the world to benefit from. God Bless and keep up the good work!
The Bible records God speaking audibly to people many times (Exodus 3:14; Joshua 1:1; Judges 6:18; 1 Samuel 3:11; 2 Samuel 2:1; Job 40:1; Isaiah 7:3; Jeremiah 1:7; Acts 8:26; 9:15—this is just a small sampling). There is no biblical reason why God could not speak to a person audibly today. With the hundreds of times the Bible records God speaking, we have to remember that they occur over the course of 4,000 years of human history. God speaking audibly is the exception, not the rule. Even in the biblically recorded instances of God speaking, it is not always clear whether it was an audible voice, an inner voice, or a mental impression.
God does speak to people today. First, God speaks to us all the time PRIMARILY through His Word (2 Timothy 3:16–17). Isaiah 55:11 tells us, “So is my word that goes out from my mouth: it will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.” The Bible is God’s Word, and it contains everything we need to know in order to be saved and live the Christian life. Second Peter 1:3 declares, “His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of Him who called us by his own glory and goodness.”
God can also “speak” to us through events—i.e., He can guide us through arranging our circumstances. And God helps us to discern right from wrong through our consciences (1 Timothy 1:5; 1 Peter 3:16). God is in the process of conforming our minds to think His thoughts (Romans 12:2). God allows events to occur in our lives to direct us, change us, and help us to grow spiritually (James 1:2–5; Hebrews 12:5–11). First Peter 1:6–7 reminds us, “In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.”
God may sometimes speak audibly to people. It is highly doubtful, though, that this occurs as often as some people claim it does. Again, even in the Bible, God speaking audibly is the exception, not the ordinary. If anyone claims that God has spoken to him or her, always compare what is said with what the Bible says. If God were to speak today, His words would be in full agreement with what He has said in the Bible (2 Timothy 3:16–17). God does not contradict Himself.
2nd Peter 1:19:
We also have the prophetic message as something completely reliable, and
you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a light shining in a
dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your
hearts.
The fact that Mr. Troy Black asserts that God's Spirit told him to endorse Jonathan Cahn's book as a confirmation to the so called prophetic message given to him is highly questionable and problematic. As stated above, Mr. Cahn by biblical definition is a false prophet without question. God does not validate the words/ministries of false prophets. THAT IS NOWHERE TO BE FOUND IN THE SACRED TEXT. NO WHERE! Any discerning Christian with a well grounded knowledge of the Sacred Text will easily see that this so called prophetic word supposedly by God; is an ELABORATE FABRICATION by Troy Black because as I already stated above God does not contradict himself.
CLICK ON THE LABEL JONATHAN CAHN AT TOP OF THE PAGE EXPOSING CAHN'S FALLACIES.
16 Signs of a False Prophet/Teacher
What does the Bible say about false prophets/teachers?
What does the Bible say about false prophets and teachers? Jesus said in Matthew 7:15-16, “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will recognize them by their fruits.” Whenever Jesus tells us to “beware,” he means this in the most literal sense. As Christians we must be on guard, for wolves dress in sheep clothing, trying to masquerade as innocent pastors but in reality are dangerous false prophets and teachers. Wolves are cunning, they prey on sheep rather than on other wolves, and therefore Christians must know how to detect a dangerous leader, for they will not be obvious, especially if you are an accepting person. 1 John 4:1-3 tells us that anyone who does not confess Jesus Christ has come in the flesh from God is a false prophet. This sign of a false prophet is the most obvious. But again, as Jesus warned us, false prophets are crafty and they won’t always reveal themselves this easily. This is why 1 John 4:1 tells us, “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world.” So here are 16 signs of a false prophet and teacher.
1. Many false prophets/teachers are gifted communicators but poor expositors. The requirement of an elder (pastor) is not gifted communication but the ability to teach the word of God accurately. If someone is pretending to be a good teacher of the Bible when in actually they are simply a gifted orator who uses Christian ideas in their talks, which are presented as sermons, this person is a false teacher/prophet. Twisting a passage of Scripture to mean something other than its intended meaning is the defining mark of a false prophet or teacher. But because they are cunning, they mask this deception with brilliant communication style. (1 Timothy 3:2)
2. False prophets/teachers love large crowds rather than deep growth. There’s nothing wrong with wanting to preach to a lot of people. This is a good desire if the motivation is to help many know God more through your preaching. However, a false prophet/teacher loves large groups of people rather than “loving people.” Individuals are a nuisance. They love crowds for the sake of being admired and praised. (John 12:18-19)
3. False prophets/teachers hate being rebuked and disciplined. You can always know how authentic someone’s faith really is when they get corrected and disciplined. False teachers/prophets love to be seen as the leader, model, and the one doing the rebuking. But their faith is not genuine if they cannot receive corrections because all Christians will at times be in need of loving discipline by others. (Matthew 15:12-14)
4. A false teacher/prophet loves money. The mark of a true prophet or Bible teacher is not a hatred of money or a vow of poverty. But most false prophets/teachers love money and use the gospel for personal gain. (2 Corinthians 2:17, Titus 1:7, 1 Timothy 3:3) Please Note: I don't know exactly how much income Troy Black is currently generating from his You Tube Channel. But I do know that his channel currently has a B rating and as of this current posting 362k followers; which means that it's plausible he is generating a decent income. Is it any wonder to you dear viewer why he keeps creating videos of so called prophetic revelations anywhere between 2-3 times every week? The more viewers, followers and Ads from his sponsors, the higher the rating and the greater the cash flow.
IMPORTANT UPDATE: AS OF SEPT 2023, TROY BLACK'S NET WORTH IS NOW 5 MILLION DOLLARS.
5. False prophets/teachers hide problems in their family life. One of the qualifications for being an elder/pastor is that you manager your own household well. This does not mean, however, there will never be problems in a qualified pastor’s home. Sometimes he can lead well while his family is following poorly. However, when his poor leadership (which he does not repent of) is the cause of ongoing problems, this is when he is disqualified. A false prophet/teacher knows this, and so they hide the problems in their family. When a good pastor has family issues, he will seek the help of others, overcoming his fear of people judging him. (1 Timothy 3:4)
6. A false prophet/teacher is often accompanied by a spiritually immature spouse. Having an immature spouse does not mean you are a false teacher/prophet. And being a false teacher/prophet does not automatically mean your spouse is also a problem. Typically, however, people with similar character and values flock together (which is also why false prophets/teachers have bad marriages since both have bad character). (1 Timothy 3:11)
7. A false prophet/teacher will be adored by his followers but despised by many “outsiders”. If everyone hates you, it probably means you are a cruel person who advances your own agenda at the cost of others. If everyone loves you, it probably means you fear telling people the truth and want the approval of man more than God’s approval. A good teacher, however, will be loved by some and despised by others. He will have a good reputation with outsiders. A false prophet will have a bad reputation with people who are not his followers. He will create an “us verse them” mentality in his church (cult). Those who don’t support him will be blacklisted by him and his followers. A true Christian leader desires his local church to be united with other local churches and leaders for the sake of supporting the universal church and being a witness to the world through Christian unity. (1 Timothy 3:7, John 17:20-21)
8. Pride fuels false prophets/teachers. Satan was brought down by his own pride. So many times pastors start out with good intentions, but over the years their own pride corrupts them. They may not have started out as a false leader in the church, which makes it difficult for people who have been around them along time when suddenly they realize this person has changed. The mark of maturity is humility, and only mature Christians should seek to be leaders in the church. A false prophet/teacher is not motivated by love for God and people but by pride and the desire for self-exaltation like Satan. (1 Timothy 3:6)
9. A false prophet/teacher knows the Bible just enough to twist it towards their own ends. A false Bible teacher will know some doctrines, but they will not love doctrine. They will know some Bible, but they will not love reading it. They will preach passionately but not live for Christ passionately. They will have an appearance of godliness, but they will lack real power in applying God’s word for his glory. (2 Timothy 3:5, 1 Timothy 4:16)
10. A false prophet/teacher avoids strong elders. A pastor who picks elders rather than a pastor picked by elders is a red flag. Certainly there are times for church-planters to pick elders to start a church, but even these elections should not be his sole decision. A good pastor will seek strong elders before seeking large numbers of congregants. A good pastor is eager to empower elders and be submissive to them. Trying to build a church without strong elders is like building a house on a weak foundation. It’s like starting construction before getting your loan approved. A New Testament Church must be elder led, where everyone, including the pastors and other elders are held accountable to the group of elders. A false prophet knows this but avoids other strong leaders because he wants all the control and hates being corrected. He sets up figurehead “yes men” as elders to have an appearance of a New Testament church but in actuality he alone is still able to keep control. He surrounds himself with weak leaders who will struggle to discipline him (which is also why a false prophet/teacher often puts family in leadership). (1 Timothy 1:5, Acts 14:23)
11. A false teacher/prophet will have a life that looks nothing like his sermons. A false teacher/prophet primarily errs in preaching the word of God accurately. But another significant mark of an unfit pastor is one whose life contradicts the content of their own sermons. It’s possible to fake your faith for an hour in the pulpit. But it’s impossible to fake your faith throughout your whole week. Faith is expressed through your deeds. A false prophet will have a life full of evil deeds, hidden from the public of course. Don’t expect a false prophet/teacher to open up his home life to his church. There are too many secrets there for that. (Matthew 5:19-20, 1Timothy 4:12)
12. A false prophet/teacher often points to their past “ministry successes.” Again, many pastors turn into a false prophet/teacher over a period of time. Just because God did good through someone in the past does not mean they are for sure a true pastor pleasing to the Lord. God is so powerful, he can bring about converts and develop true Christians even through false teachers/prophets (Philippians 1:15-18). Overtime, however, the fruitfulness usually fades, and thus they typically talk about the glory days of the past and remind people often of their past “successes” in ministry. (Matthew 7:22-23)
13. A false prophet/teacher will often preach the same message over and over again. John Stott said, “Every heresy is due to an overemphasis upon some truth, without allowing other truths to qualify and balance it.” By zeroing in on one doctrine, they often misrepresent other doctrines. A false teacher/preacher also steers clear of expository preaching because he wants to avoid parts of Scripture that do not advance his personal agenda or that he feels personally convicted by. Many false preachers try to preach through books of the Bible, but they reveal their falseness through turning every passage into a sermon about what they want to say rather than what the point of that specific passage actually is. (2 Peter 2:1-3, Matthew 6:7)
14. A false prophet/teacher will surround himself with weak willed people. A wolf maybe evil, but he is not stupid. False pastors love power, therefore they try to fill their churches with people who are easy to manipulate and control. If you are an “easy going person,” a false prophet/teacher will butter you up with titles, compliments, promises of promotions, and through confiding in you as a friend. But don’t be mistaken, this is all about getting control over you.
15. A false teacher/prophet seeks to “please God” in return for “blessings” and “success.” A false teacher/prophet is often very religious. They might fast often, pray long public prayers, and perhaps have never even taken a drink of alcohol in their life. While doing such pious acts can be great benefits for any pastor, a false pastor does these things as a way of appeasing God. A false pastor makes sacrifices because he thinks God will bless him with power, ministry success, financial gain, or a bigger following (Acts 8:18). A false prophet/teacher seeks to “glorify God” so he can be successful in ministry (followed by a lot of people for his ego) rather than seeking to be successful in ministry for the glory of God. If a false prophet/teacher like this does achieve some “success,” you will know he is false because he will take the credit for the success, sometimes blatantly but always in the heart. He will give himself credit because he believes that through his religious acts God has blessed him and his ministry. (1 Corinthians 3:5-7, 1 Corinthians 4:6-7, Acts 8:18-23)
16. False prophets/teachers are led by their desire to be worshiped. So what does the Bible say about false teachers, prophets, and pastors? Ultimately a false church leader is just that – false. The theme of their life will be deception, hiding, and lies. They distort the word of God in preaching and they distort the example of Christ in their behavior. They tell people what their itching ears want to hear so that they will receive from the people what they want in return – power, fame, finances, and other worldly pursuits. In short, a false prophet/teacher does what he does because he desires to be worshiped by people rather than lead the people in worshiping God. He does not want to serve God. He pretends to serve God so people will serve and worship him. (2 Timothy 4:1-5)
DONALD STAMPS IN THE LIFE STUDY BIBLE PAGE 1,995 WROTE THE FOLLOWING: "THE FALSE PROPHETS/TEACHERS WILL COMMERCIALIZE THE GOSPEL, BEING EXPERTS IN GREED AND IN GETTING MONEY FROM BELIEVERS TO ENHANCE THEIR MINISTRIES AND AFFLUENT LIFESTYLES. BELIEVERS MUST BE AWARE THAT ONE OF THE CHIEF METHODS OF FALSE MINISTERS IS TO USE FEIGNED WORDS TO TELL IMPRESSIVE STORIES THAT ARE NOT TRUE , OR TO GIVE EXAGGERATED STATISTICS IN ORDER TO INSPIRE GOD'S PEOPLE TO GIVE MONEY. THEY GLORIFY THEMSELVES AND ENHANCE THEIR MINISTRIES WITH THESE FABRICATED STORIES (cf 2nd Corinthians 2:17). THUS, THE UNWARY AND SINCERE CHILD OF GOD BECOMES AN OBJECT OF EXPLOITATION. BECAUSE THESE MINISTERS DEFILE GOD'S TRUTH AND PEOPLE WITH GREED AND DECEIT, THEY ARE ASSIGNED TO ETERNAL DOOM AND DESTRUCTION". 2 Corinthians 2:17 "You see, we are not like the many hucksters who preach for personal profit. We preach the word of God with sincerity and with Christ's authority, knowing that God is watching us".
Some final thoughts from the Christian Warrior:
Many
so called prophesiers use the following verse of scripture as a DISCLAIMER to justify their false predictions when it fails to come to fruition from 1
Corinthians 13:9:
Paul
begins a thought that he will conclude in the following verse. For now,
"we know in part and we prophesy in part." He is referring to the
spiritual gifts of knowledge and prophecy and showing that they are only
partially effective.
Any
knowledge given to the church by God through someone with the gift of
knowledge is just a tiny slice of all there is to know of God. In a
similar way, any revelation from God to the church through someone with
the gift of prophecy only reveals a small window on the enormous picture
of all there is to be told about who God is and what He will
accomplish.
Our
understanding of what is knowable, even as Christians in churches with
gifted prophets during Paul's day, is incredibly small. We know only "in
part."
The underlying reason why these false prophets predictions fail to come to pass is due to the following:
Prophetic accuracy: This is a term that defines the
prophet's skill in accurately delivering a prophetic word from the Lord
with 100% accuracy. The meaning of the term includes the obligation to
not veer from the word given by the Lord in order to assure the
cooperation and compliance of his Angelic delegation. An example of this
in scripture is the Prophet Samuel. The Bible says that the Lord never
allowed Samuel's words to fall to the ground cf with 1 Samuel 3:19-20.
Also God warns his people about the consequences for following false
prophets cf Jeremiah 23:28-40.
Numbers
23:19 “God is not human, that he should lie, not a human being, that he
should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise
and not fulfill?”
If God speaks something it WILL come to pass. For with God nothing is ever impossible and no word from God shall be without power or impossible of fulfillment. Luke 1:37 AMP
God, Himself, stands over and watches over His own Word, making sure it is fulfilled. Jeremiah
1:12 AMP says, “Then said the Lord to me, You have seen well, for I am
alert and active, watching over My word to perform it.”
The following is an excerpt from the book "DISCERNMENT TOOL KIT BY APOLOGIST SANDY SIMPSON page 252:
If a prophet does not tell the truth while claiming to have a direct pipeline of communication from God, that prophet is to be avoided like the plague. It doesn't matter if he can bring down fire from heaven and raise the dead. HE IS NOT TO BE TRUSTED"!
Does God still speak to us today?
The Bible records God speaking audibly to people many times (Exodus 3:14; Joshua 1:1; Judges 6:18; 1 Samuel 3:11; 2 Samuel 2:1; Job 40:1; Isaiah 7:3; Jeremiah 1:7; Acts 8:26; 9:15—this is just a small sampling). There is no biblical reason why God could not speak to a person audibly today. With the hundreds of times the Bible records God speaking, we have to remember that they occur over the course of 4,000 years of human history. God speaking audibly is the exception, not the rule. Even in the biblically recorded instances of God speaking, it is not always clear whether it was an audible voice, an inner voice, or a mental impression.
God can also “speak” to us through events—i.e., He can guide us through arranging our circumstances. And God helps us to discern right from wrong through our consciences (1 Timothy 1:5; 1 Peter 3:16). God is in the process of conforming our minds to think His thoughts (Romans 12:2). God allows events to occur in our lives to direct us, change us, and help us to grow spiritually (James 1:2–5; Hebrews 12:5–11). First Peter 1:6–7 reminds us, “In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.”
God may sometimes speak audibly to people. It is highly doubtful, though, that this occurs as often as some people claim it does. Again, even in the Bible, God speaking audibly is the exception, not the ordinary. If anyone claims that God has spoken to him or her, always compare what is said with what the Bible says. If God were to speak today, His words would be in full agreement with what He has said in the Bible (2 Timothy 3:16–17). God does not contradict Himself.