When to Stone Your Prophet

“Thus says the LORD of hosts: “Do not listen to the words of the prophets who prophesy to you, filling you with vain hopes. They speak visions of their own minds, not from the mouth of the LORD.”- Jeremiah 23:16

Don’t you just love it when people get your hopes up? That moment when someone builds something up so big that you just can’t wait to see it and the hype is so huge and your anticipation has you ready to bust out of your skin and when that moment hits you like a surprise flatulence in an elevator.

Unpleasant, uneventful and nothing like you had expected. Like you had been sold Wrestle-mania 17 but were given Wrestle-mania 9. This is what it’s like when today’s so-called “prophets” speak on behalf of the Lord and it doesn’t come to fruition. They build you up, because if what they’re saying is true it’s a check you can take to the bank. Supposedly, it’s from God’s mouth to their ear. But that’s just not how it works is it?

Who are the usual offenders? Kenneth Copeland for one. He claimed to have “blown the wind of God” onto COVID-19 when all he really did was spit on anyone in the first three rows. This man would have people think that he can command a virus in the same way that our Lord could command the wind and the seas. Outrageous! Then there was Paula White who in the middle of prayer said “The Lord said it is done” moving it into the realm of prophecy and then started claiming “Angels from Africa and South America” would help President Trump to maintain the White House.

That didn’t happen and what does that even mean? She’s not the only one to have claimed revelation from the Lord regarding a Trump victory in the election only to have been exposed as a fraud, she’s just the funniest. I’m not mentioning this to stir commentary about chicanery in the election, I’m just citing the facts. These so-called prophets, and you can go on YouTube and find compilation videos loaded with examples go out and speak in the name of the Lord, come back as liars and yet they still have massive followings. Why?

“For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths.” (2 Timothy 4:3-4) Paul warned Timothy of an age that would beset him when people would no longer listen to the truth but rather seek out clever liars. Today is no different. If someone claims to have the ear of God, it doesn’t matter what nonsense they spew, they will get an audience.

The tragedy in this country is that we have access to more bibles in our language than any other nation, we’re so blessed we even have designer bibles and yet most of us don’t really know what’s in it. If we did, these false prophets wouldn’t have an audience.
In the ancient Israel, there would have been no tolerance for one who spoke in such a blasphemous way. “But the prophet who presumes to speak a word in my name that I have not commanded him to speak, or who speaks in the name of other gods, that same prophet shall surely die.” (Deuteronomy 18:20).

Why are American Christians ok with charlatans fleecing the flock like this? Why do we accept it? While the covenant of grace doesn’t grant us to actually stone a fraud, we don’t have to listen to them, and we can start naming names and leading people away from them. “See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ.” (Colossians 2:8)

Rob Porter is a contributor for The Daily Brief and host of Project World View a podcast that gives a philosophical and religious view to complex issues in a easy to digest format in bite size increments. It can be heard of spotify, apple podcasts, or wherever you listen. Click the image below to follow him on Facebook