I am not a fan of people who claim to teach the truth on God’s behalf, but actually spew lies. If I were to be blunt, I hate them. I have Biblical basis for this:
“Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves.” – Mathew 7:15
In my life, as I have searched for spiritual fulfillment for my troubled soul, I have fallen for the con of one or two false prophets. They nearly destroyed me, and I have seen them ruin the lives of many trusting souls. Sadly, but I feel rightly so, I’m suspect of anyone who claims to be a direct agent for The Almighty.
It used to make me sad to be so skeptical. I’m sure it’s hugely affected my relationships with teachers and preachers who, for some reason, tripped that internal switch that said “don’t trust them.” I spent years doubting my faith, spiraling into total disarray wondering if I were the one who was wrong.
Were those teachers that I found so abhorrent actually speaking for God? It was part of my time wandering the desert.
But then during a quiet, searching point in my life, I read a verse telling me I should be skeptical:
“Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.” – 1 John 4:1
This chapter goes on to tell us how we can identify false prophets. In truth, it’s a lot easier than expected. As the result of a lot of practice, I’ve gotten pretty good at picking them out.
The place to start is by recognizing their most common shared quality.
False prophets are masters of telling us things we want to hear, often in total disagreement with truth or fact. They know that once you fall for those untruths, their grip is locked and you are theirs. You are in that place, you will do anything they ask.
I find this quote from Voltaire very compelling:
“Certainement qui est en droit de vous rendre absurde est en droit de vous rendre injuste.”
Translated, this says: “Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities.”
Yes, this is not of the Bible but history proves it’s true.
A false prophet wants to own and control you, convincing you that they are the way, they are the truth and they are the light.
They want you to put them on the same level as God, if not higher. But like every other dark figure, they lose their power and their mystique when you drag them out into the light.
We gladly choose to believe certain falsehoods because it fits what we want to believe is true. But before we choose to follow someone or some thing that claims to be Divinely appointed, we need to ask ourselves a few questions. Most important being:
Is what they’re preaching of God or of man? Is what they preach Biblically sound?
The Bible and history both have lots of stories of those claiming to be prophets of God. But in reality, they were out for themselves.
Any basic Google search can lead you to other ways to recognize a false prophet. The writer, Heather Adams, wrote an incredible article that lays out the ten simple ways to recognize a false prophet. If you are struggling with the question of “are they really for real?’ remove yourself emotionally from the prophet and start asking some simple questions:
Who ultimately benefits from our blind devotion to them?
What kind of life do they lead when no one is looking?
Do they have the desire to unite us or divide us?
Do they preach to the glory of The Lord or themselves?
I get it. We want to believe, we need to believe. When someone so deftly and passionately convinces us that they have the answers, it’s all too easy to blindly follow them. But the cost is turning away from God for the one who professes to be His number one.
What does all this lead to? The reality is that there’s only one thing we all need to do: look to Him, not them.
If this makes you uncomfortable, I would encourage you to ask yourself why. Is there someone that you’ve allowed to influence your heart and mind more than God? Before you begin railing at me, make sure that the person you worship and follow is Jesus.
So, that’s where my heart is right now. It hurts and I don’t like it. Understand, I am no prophet, no evangelist, no theologian. I’m a guy who talks on the radio. I am a guy in search of truth, His truth. I am a lover of The Lord and I look to Him.
Be Brilliant!
Skip Mahaffey
Morning Show Host, STAR 99.1
Unlock weekly devotionals, contests, and
more in your inbox – Become a STAR 99.1 Insider today!
