What is a False Prophet?

When I moved to Australia to attend Bible College, it was a culture shock to say the least. I learned very quickly just how sheltered I was at my home church once I was exposed to so many different ideas and mindsets. Methods that would never be used in my church were permissible and excepted, and visa versa. I didn’t want to spend the next two years with my nose in the air being skeptical sally. So instead, I decided to let it be a learning process. And here’s what I discovered.

Nothing they did was ever sinful or contrary to the word of God. The gospel presented was not changed or twisted in any way. In fact, once I got past the pomp and circumstance, I realized just how powerful the preaching was. My life was changed from the inside out, not because they had loud music and smoke machines. Not because they had mascots and skits. But because the spirit of the Lord was present in the place. I spoke in tongues for the first time just a few weeks after my arrival. I watch hundreds of people get baptized in one service alone. I saw the anointing during the healing services. I saw God move as a result of the mega prayer nights.

The city was in the midst of a drought, and so the entire congregation got together to pray, and it started raining before we left the building. I attended a conference with one of the greatest evangelists of our time. People poured out of their seats, running to the altars to get saved. I understand they won’t be everyone’s cup of tea, but do you know what I learned about that culture? They are hungry for God. They don’t complain when there’s a night service at church. Instead, they line up an hour before the doors open to guarantee a seat in the front. They dedicate all their time and resources towards finding ways to promote Jesus. The train and equip leaders to go out and plant churches everywhere and anywhere.

I don’t know, but I think we can learn something from them.

Listen I understand why there is criticism. We’re talking about a big church, with a lot of money. A church with famous celebrity friends and methods the likes of which we’ve never seen. Did you know that the Australian culture isn’t as rigid as ours? Did you know they are much more laid back, and less stern? No, you probably wouldn’t have known that just by reading an article bashing them.

I don’t want to start defending a church, though you might think that’s the case. The reality is, I don’t need to defend them. Because the hand of God is upon that ministry in such an incredible way. The salvation’s, the changed lives, the transformations, the fruit in general, speaks for itself. Would I do everything they do? No, because I don’t think it’s all necessary, and I know it wouldn’t fly in my culture. But that doesn’t mean they’re wrong.

Let me explain something very carefully here. We like to throw around the phrase “false prophets” because it makes us seem extra holy and more discerning. But if we really knew what that meant, we wouldn’t treat it so lightly. It’s amazing that any church or pastor who is different, or rich, or happy, is automatically a false prophet. That’s remarkable. But let’s see what the Bible says about it. Here are the characteristics:

1. They don’t believe the Bible is the authoritative word of God
2. The message of Jesus isn’t essential to their teaching
3. They claim there are alternate ways to get to heaven
4. People are more prone to sin after hearing their message
5. The focus is on self and flesh rather than on Jesus
6. There is no fruit that follows them, or the fruit is negative
7. They believe they are saved but they actually don’t know Jesus at all
8. They don’t teach the need for repentance or change

You can read further in 1 and 2 Peter. I hate to burst your bubble, but the church I was a part of only taught the Bible. They only promoted Jesus. They preached about sin and hell. They believed in the move of the Holy Spirit, and power through prayer, and divine healing. A false prophet leads people astray. Don’t you suppose that a true false prophet would want to be a little more subtle, rather than expose themselves to the entire world? Don’t you suppose they would be a little more sneaky, and quiet, like the frog in a pot of boiling water, rather than live completely in the public eye?

The Bible teaches us that all hidden sin will be exposed, and everything that’s done in darkness will be brought to light. And not by keyboard warriors with too much time on their hands, but by Jesus himself. If there is a church or ministry that is purposely leading people astray, you can be assured they will be exposed. I think there is a distinct line between actually having discernment, and just flat out not liking something because it makes you uncomfortable, or it goes against your own personal interpretation of scripture.

We are held accountable for the words we say. And if your mission is tear down your brothers and sisters in Christ, and expose every church and ministry you don’t agree with, I would tread carefully. I would also be weary of websites and publications that wait around for someone to pounce on, thereby getting a weird satisfaction out of it. The whole, “I told you so, look what they’re doing”. But 99% of the time, the people writing these articles don’t know the full story, have never even been to the church, and don’t have any kind of valid sources. But yet they’re the ones we listen to.

Do we really discern for ourselves or do we just read stuff and get righteously outraged? How sad that our immediate thought is to believe the negative and assume the worst, rather than give someone the benefit of the doubt? We put more effort into exposing so-called false prophets than we do promoting Jesus.

At the end of the day, we are in big trouble if we’re looking to any man or woman to be our source rather than God himself. People will fail you. They’ll mess up and make bad decisions. No human being will ever be totally perfect. And when you have a large church that people are salivating to take down, everything they do will be heavily under a microscope.

Do you know what our job is? To ask the Lord for true discernment. Try to learn and understand instead of just believing everything you read on the internet. Everyone will be accountable for what they have done and said. I’d rather be known for promoting what’s right than being a heresy head hunter. If we preach the true the gospel and tell others about the true Jesus, they’ll be able to know what’s right and wrong. By sharing false information, you may be unknowingly deceiving them. So share the word of God rather than the words of man. Only one has transforming power.

*

“Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.” – Matthew 7:15-20

“Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye”. – Matthew 7:1-5

“And many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.” – Matthew 24:11-14

“For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect”. – Matthew 24:24

“For such people are false apostles,deceitful workers, masquerading as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. It is not surprising, then, if his servants also masquerade as servants of righteousness. Their end will be what their actions deserve.” – 2 Corinthians 11:13-15