An abundance of natural disasters and calamities resulting from human error, negligence and poor maintenance have resulted in an eruption of “after-the-fact” statements from prophet-land.
If you have investigated their publically stated prophecies you already know that most, if not all, of their “before-the-fact” statements are also not scriptural, nor have they proven to be factual, accurate, correct, true or substantiated.
Posted here are excerpts from articles regarding the prophetic with warnings and guidelines to prevent our being led astray from the Bible as our source of reference.
Beware of prophetic foolishness ...
Excerpted from: “5 Warning Signs That Prophetic Ministry Has Gone Awry, Lessons from a 16th Century Revival Movement,” by Eddie L. Hyatt
(Complete article at: www.eddiehyatt.com).
Warning Signs:
Danger Looms When:
#1 ... prophecy is used to enhance the status of a movement and its leaders.
#2 ... prophecy becomes the means for determining the will of God.
#3 ... prophecy is preoccupied with images, numbers and symbols.
#4 ... those prophesying are not open to testing and/or correction.
#5 ... prophecy becomes a replacement for the scriptures and common sense.
Conclusion:
This sad account highlights the need to “test the spirits” and to judge the prophetic according to Scripture. These sincere believers suffered much grief, and even death, because they neglected this Biblical admonition. May we learn from their example and not repeat their mistakes.
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Beware of prophetic falsity ...
Excerpted from: “How to Discern a False Prophet,” by Rayola Kelley
(Complete article at: www.gentleshepherd.com).
There are some good ways to test these “so-called” prophets or blowhards:
If:
... a prophet refuses to be scripturally tested, such a person is a fake and hiding behind a title.
... a prophet’s main agenda is his or her prophecies more than the preaching of the cross, that person is nothing more than a wolf in sheep’s clothing. Run the opposite direction.
... a prophet lacks humility by insisting that people have to agree with him or her on the basis of position alone, flee, for this person is a heretic.
... a prophet has to stretch an event to fulfill a prophecy or is general about events that would normally happen, flee because the person is a liar.
Finally, keep in mind prophets are a dime a dozen today. It seems they are climbing out from underneath every rock and hole. The fact that there are so many so-called prophets running around robbing real servants of God money and resources establishes 98% of these people’s real identity. In fact, a legitimate prophet will not claim to be one for it is really up to God to confirm such a person. Jesus gave us this warning in Matthew 24:11 and 24: “And many false prophets shall arise, and shall deceive many ... For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.”
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Beware of lack of true prophetic focus ...
Excerpted from: “Prophets Today?” by Dennis Bratcher
(Complete article at: www.cresourcei.org).
A truly prophetic voice is one who has the courage, perhaps even in some sense the calling of God, to look around at the community of faith in its status quo and say, “Not everyone who says ‘Lord, Lord’ will enter the kingdom of heaven.” A prophetic voice is one who calls God’s people to return to their calling as His people. A prophetic voice is one that will not settle for the status quo, not for the sake of stability, or security, or comfort, or even for the sake of conserving the tradition. A truly prophetic voice is a radical voice, a liberal voice that calls for change, even if that change is a return to a vital tradition long obscured by false piety and self-righteousness.
A prophetic voice will not gloss over injustice or oppression, will not be silent in the face of bigotry or prejudice or false pride, and will not compromise faithfulness for practical ends no matter how noble those ends may be in themselves. A truly prophetic voice is one that will sweep away all the trappings of religion and simply ask, “What does God require?”, and answer simply, “do justice, love mercy, walk humbly with God.” Or simply “love God, love others.” A prophetic voice is one that will settle for nothing less than holiness of heart and life as the result of faithful obedience to the voice of God. In a real sense, a prophetic voice even today is the voice of God.
In our culture, and with our history, it is easy to claim the role of a prophet. But it is also easy to claim that role as its own form of ambition and power. It is perhaps too easy to claim to speak prophetically, but to do so with arrogance, anger, and bombast as David Koresh well demonstrated. A truly prophetic voice speaks in love, not anger, even when it cries “Woe to you hypocrites!” Jeremiah spent 40 years of his prophetic ministry telling the people, sometimes in the harshest and coarsest language possible, that they were sinners and were going to die. But he took no joy in that message. At the same time that he stood firm as the lone prophetic voice against the tyranny, injustice, and idolatry of God’s people, he was weeping. He told them they were going to die for their sins, but he did so with tears in his eyes (e.g., Jer 8:22-9:1)!
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