Modern Prophecy

[AimlessEMF]

What is the difference between modern day "prophetic" christians and psychics? I've seen "prophets" come in to church and pray over someone and then tell them that they will lift up God's name in some way. Essentially they seem to be trying to tell someone's future with a christian slant. Does this seem odd?

Also psychics that I've heard of and encountered usually use cold reading techniques to simulate some sort of extra sensory power. Are these christians pullings the same scam?

This may not be the case with all "prophetic" christians but it's what I've encountered. If it is stircitly my experience please let me know.

[twistedsketch]

Some of these Christians are false prophets. There was this one guy -a street preacher- who when I approached him said I had this gift and that gift and how God was going to use me with respect to those gifts. I thought about it a minute and it sorta made sense. A few months later I had gotten to know someone who was involved with his ministry and bumped into him and a few minutes later the same street preacher. This time I had a couple different gifts that didn't make as much sense to me and quite honestly I was surprised that he saw them in me. I resolved next time I visit him to ask him whether I had the same gifts he said I had beforehand (after he tells me that I have another gift or two). I never got the chance because he was discredited for being too charismatic and emotional - so much that he had been teaching heresy. He had appointed a couple people to keep him grounded in Scriptures when he talked because he knew he could get hyped up - but one of these people hardly knew the Bible at all (he was the guy I knew).

He's a living example of why I've always been skeptical of prophesies. If I hear a prophesy, I'll just wait and see:

"You may say to yourselves, 'How can we know when a message has not been spoken by the LORD ?' If what a prophet proclaims in the name of the LORD does not take place or come true, that is a message the LORD has not spoken. That prophet has spoken presumptuously. Do not be afraid of him." - Deuteronomy 18:21-22

Furthermore, we need a doctrine check:

"If a prophet, or one who foretells by dreams, appears among you and announces to you a miraculous sign or wonder, and if the sign or wonder of which he has spoken takes place, and he says, 'Let us follow other gods' (gods you have not known) 'and let us worship them,' you must not listen to the words of that prophet or dreamer. The LORD your God is testing you to find out whether you love him with all your heart and with all your soul. It is the LORD your God you must follow, and him you must revere. Keep his commands and obey him; serve him and hold fast to him." - Deuteronomy 13:1-4

"To the law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, they have no light of dawn." - Isaiah 8:20

[vinc]

No, it is not only your experience, but, my experience too and i guess most christians experience too of encountering such Men and Women of God who prophecy falsely.

I wholeheartedly agree with twistedsketch's reply.

And as twistedsketch has mentioned some of these men or women hardly know the Bible. They have no in-depth understanding of the Bible. This is the main reason we encounter Men and Women of God prophecying falsely. They Prophecy good things concerning the people whom they like and they may prophecy bad things concerning the people whom they do not like. They prophecy good things concerning people who bestow gifts/money/favours on them and they may prophecy bad things concerning people who do not give them gifts/money/favours. They prophecy good things concerning people whom they fear (usually those who have wordly power and influence) and they may prophecy bad things concerning people whom they do not fear much. Some of them already do some groundwork and get to know some background history about the people whom they are going to minister to (or prophecy to or pray to or preach to) from someone else. And then they surprise the gullible people with some revelations of their past and present and prophecy their future. The innocent christians usually fall into their trap and believe them. The False Prophet in-turn gets an image as a Man/Woman who has some extra-close connections with God. A Man of God said that nowadays "Christian Prophesyings has become more like soothsaying and fortune-telling". This is really sad as even Astrologers, Palmists, Witch-Doctors, Spirit-Mediums etc. can also do the same.

Some of them unknowingly commit such mistakes of falsely prophecying. They think that they are prophecying correctly but wise and mature christians can easily detect them. Some of them are genuinely good christians but when it comes to prophecying, they prophecy falsely. Even highly regarded and famous Men and Women of God can prophecy falsely at times. Some of them prophecy falsely simply to encourage another brother or sister in Christ as we long to know what God has in store for us. This weakness of anxious christians is clearly exploited by such Men and Women of God (sometimes unknowingly though). Some of them might have recently recieved the "Gift of Prophecy" and start exercising their "Gift" usually on a trial-and-error basis.

Some examples of false prophecyings which go on today -

Stable Job or Employment i.e prophecying whether one would get a stable job or employment in future,

Marriage-Alliances i.e prophecying the right life-partner in God's will,

Gender of Foetus i.e prophecying whether it would be a girl or a boy,

Travelling Abroad i.e prophecying whether one would go abroad or travel to other countries,

Full-time Ministry i.e prophecying whether one would go for full-time ministry in the future.

All the above are a some of the genuine concerns of christians and they look forward to hear what God has in store for them concerning the above points. This weakness is clearly exploited by Men and Women of God. Some of the prophecies regarding the above points for some people may be genuine i do not want to deny that but there are chances of them being false too.

A study of Ezekiel Chapter 13 will clearly save us from believing such False Prophets or False Prophecies.

1 Kings 22:22 - And the LORD said unto him, Wherewith? And he said, I will go forth, and I will be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets. And he said, Thou shalt persude him, and prevail also: go forth, and do so.

According to the above verse, there are "lying spirits", up there, which can make Prophets to prophecy falsely down here.

I am glad that this topic is being discussed so that we may all be aware of this stupidity which is happening in christendom today.

Today, i personally consider one as a True Prophet if s(he) speaks directly to my heart or if Lord Jesus Christ speaks through him/her in a way that really touches my heart and makes me improve the quality of my christian life. A True Prophet is one who gives the hard message of God bluntly and directly without much dilution so that there is a change in my life as a result of his/her preaching the message (unlike a religious bible-thumper). A True Prophet kindles a holy fire or a holy zeal in you to live a victorious christian life. This is not really possible if the Prophet himself/herself is not living such a victorious christian life. Only if s(he) has such a life can s(he) impart such a life to us.

I believe that every truly born-again christian who has the Holy Spirit in him/her is a Prophet or a Priest of the Most High God.

On the other hand, the christian who has the "Gift of Prophecy" is one among the Members of the Body of Christ who has recieved one particular gift (among other gifts of the Holy Spirit) for the spiritual edification or benefit of all.

The Bible says in 1 Corinthians 13 that though we have the Gift of Prophecy if we do not have Godly Love in us then we are like empty vessels which make more noise.

Matthew 7:22,23 - Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? 23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

The above verse clearly shows that there are bound to be Christians who will try to vainly convince Lord Jesus Christ that they prophecied in His name.

Lord Jesus Christ did not say "By their Gifts you shall know them" rather He said, "By their Fruits you shall know them" in Matthew 7:20.

[Jody7818]

I believe that false prophecy is a bad problem nowadays. Whenever someone begins to speak prophecy, I always search the scriptures to make sure that the prophecy doesn't contradict the Bible. I do this for someone who teaches as well. If their message contradicts the Bible, then I totally reject it.

In the New Testament, there was a group of people called the Bereans who always searched the scriptures to make sure Paul wasn't contradicting the Bible. I believe he called them "just and noble" for doing this. If these people searched the scriptures to prove Paul (a man we know who was righteous and spoke truth), how much more should we be proving modern day prophets and preachers?