CHASING PROPHECY
Embedded in Pastor Marvin’s message in January regarding family were WORDS OF WARNING that each of us needs to take to heart personally and to apply in our daily life. (And what is more appropriate to come from a watchman on the wall than words of warning?) He made several important points:
1. “I want to be vigilant to guard my heart and my ears.”
2. “How we hear is important.”
3. “You need to be vigilant about what you’re watching, what you’re listening to.”
4. “Don’t listen to everything on the internet that says it’s from God.”
5. “Don’t let everybody prophesy to you.”
6. “Don’t read everything; don’t follow everything on youTube.”
7. “Guard your heart. Protect your heart. Guard it.”
8. “Protect your relationship with God.”
These days with so much occurring in our world and with so much regarding Biblical prophecy being fulfilled, it can become a temptation to chase after prophecy from others. And it is nowhere more readily available than on the internet, especially youTube.
There are at least three tests that need to be applied to any person posting videos on youTube before any of us listens to them:
1. Find and read their Statement of Faith or Statement of Beliefs. Any deviation from the following renders them unacceptable:
We believe the Bible to be the inspired, the only infallible, authoritative Word of God.
We believe that there is one God, eternally existent in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
We believe in the deity of our Lord Jesus Christ, in His virgin birth, in His sinless life, in His miracles, in His vicarious and atoning death through His shed blood, in His bodily resurrection, in His ascension to the right hand of the Father, and in His personal return in power and glory.
We believe that for the salvation of lost and sinful people, regeneration by the Holy Spirit is absolutely essential.
We believe in the present ministry of the Holy Spirit by whose indwelling the Christian is enabled to live a godly life.
We believe in the resurrection of both the saved and the lost; they that are saved unto the resurrection of life and they that are lost unto the resurrection of damnation.
We believe in the spiritual unity of believers in our Lord Jesus Christ.
2. Take note of their denominational affiliation and do the research to know what that denomination believes and stands for.
3. Take note of persons with whom they are affiliated and do the research to know what these persons believe and stand for.
If the person can pass these three tests, then it MAY BE acceptable to follow them, but not necessarily.
DANGERS IN SEARCHING FOR PROPHECY
II Timothy 4: 3-4 “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.”
The warning here is not about false teachers, but about false hearers. The danger of having itching ears toward prophecy is that it becomes easy to be deceived and led astray.
CANDIDATES FOR DECEPTION
• Those who rely on subjective impressions. Example: “when he prophesied over me, I felt it.” Beyond feeling, how does the word given line up with the Word of God?
• Those who look only to human leaders. Example: “If prophet so-and-so says it, then it must be true.”
• Those who accept supernatural signs as a guarantee of truth. Miracles can and will be usurped by Satan.
Revelation 13: 14 “And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast…”
• Those who through personal ambition are susceptible to flattery.
• Those unwilling to endure suffering or persecution.
• Those who are ignorant of scripture.
• Those who would say, “if they get it right then they are a prophet and if they don’t get it right, they are a false prophet”.
While in general it is important that any true prophet have a record of accuracy, a word can be given and then God can shift it based on the repentance of the people. Prophecy is often conditional.
Jeremiah 18: 7-10 “At what instant I shall speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to pluck it up, and to pull down, and to destroy it; If that nation, against whom I have pronounced, turn from their evil, I will repent of the evil that I thought to do unto them. And at what instant I shall speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to build and to plant it; If it do evil in my sight, that it obey not my voice, then I will repent of the good, wherewith I said I would benefit them.”
The order to look for God to speak to you:
1. His Word
2. Your conscience (the Holy Spirit)
3. Leadership
We don’t look for prophets to guide us. We have the completed Word of God. And in addition to the completed Word of God, we have the Holy Spirit living inside of us. So the purpose of a prophet is not to lead us, but to confirm what the collective of the body has been hearing and what they know to be true. The Bible says to let the other prophets in the house judge whether it is correct. In addition to that, if you judge a prophecy based on accuracy, half the time you don’t even know whether you fully understand what they said.
There is another situation in which you may have an accurate prophet that is wrong for you. They are accurate; they are doing what God has called them to do, but they are not talking to you! There are different messages that go to different parts of the body and at different times. The danger of youTube and social media is that you can go out there and find great ministries that should have nothing to do with you.
What do we do to avoid being a candidate for deception?
Jude 20-22 “But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost, keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. And of some have compassion, making a difference:”
• Build yourself up.
• Pray in the Holy Spirit.
• As you receive God’s mercy for yourself, share it with others.
• Have compassion.
• Get involved. The more we get engaged, the more discernment rises up.
Ask yourself these questions:
• Is that prophet committed to the Word of God?
• Are they calling the church to repentance?
• Do they direct the church to Jesus Christ?
• What is their heart, their intention?
Some Ways to Discern False Prophets
• Beware of prophets that are not operating in faith, or do not inspire faith.
• Be watchful for those who have a bloodless gospel, who pervert the gospel of Jesus Christ.
• Be wary of those who will alter their message for personal gain. You must run from them.
• Be wary of any prophet that is indignant to leadership, who seeks to give and receive words outside of the covering of leadership and the multitude of counselors. Pay attention to the voices that are approved by the leadership of your house.