PROPHECY HUNTERS, GOOD OR BAD?

Before I get into this post, let me start off by saying that I believe in the gifts of the spirit, I believe that God is still doing miracles, signs, and wonders in 2024. I am not a sceptic of such things, I serve a supernatural God, so it would be quite foolish of me if I didn’t believe in these things. But how do we stop it from becoming something that damages the church? It seems to be a sensitive subject to talk about and is usually met with negativity if you dare to voice your concerns. You are labelled as someone who doesn’t believe in the gifts of the spirit for being cautious and, in my humble opinion, wise! Now, I know that not all people who raise their concerns are coming from a place of spiritual discernment. Instead, they are scoffers and unbelievers of the gifts given to us by the Holy Spirit. They say that such things are no more, that they ended with the apostles of the bible. This is why I made it a point to start this post with where I stand on the matter. I love to be a part of a church that believes in the gift of prophecy. It’s super encouraging and even more awe inducing when you get multiple prophecies from different people confirming the same message! When God speaks, you listen! So why can something that seems to be a message from God be negative?

If your main focus is prophecy, and you start to seek out a word of knowledge, you start to use your spiritual discernment less because you become enamoured by the gift itself. A man can walk into your church, with all the theatrics of an entertainer, claiming to have a prophetic gift, and because you seek prophecy, you give him a voice in your church, you allow him to speak over your congregation, the congregation that God has intrusted you with to shepherd. You allow this man to speak into people, to have some sort of impact in their lives. All because he says he has a prophetic gift. Then, months later, you discover that this man doesn’t even read his bible. This man has become puffed up by the position he has been put in so quickly, he loves that the congregation looks at him like he has a direct line to God that nobody else has, he loves that his words have started to hold weight. Because of your desire to have prophecy, you let a wolf in amongst your sheep!

The bible tells us not to despise prophecies, so please do not misunderstand where I am coming from, I welcome prophecy, I love to hear it, but I also test it, like the bible tells us to. 1 JOHN 4:1 “DEAR FRIENDS, DO NOT BELIEVE EVERYONE WHO CLAIMS TO SPEAK BY THE SPIRIT, YOU MUST TEST THEM TO SEE IF THE SPIRIT THEY HAVE COMES FROM GOD. FOR THERE ARE MANY FALSE PROPHETS IN THE WORLD.” It’s the same as people who claim to be believers. People who quote the bible at any given opportunity, who always talk like they are so spiritual. But when you examine their lives or their fruit, it doesn’t align with the word of God they like to quote. They live like children of the world instead of children of God. Jesus tells us that we will know who belongs to Him by their fruit, not just by what they say.

I believe we are living in the last days, and Jesus has warned us what to expect in this time. It’s quite clear in the bible that many people will fall away from the faith. When I look at what is going on within the church today, it is easy to see how that will come to be. Many false doctrines are in circulation, birthing new churches that affirm what the bible condems. There are people claiming to be the messiah, all things we are warned about in the bible. So this is a time we have to be more vigilant than ever! This is why it is important that churches don’t get carried away by seeking such gifts. Churches have an even greater responsibilty to make sure they teach God’s truths to the flock, so that the flock know how to discern what is to come, for we already know things will get much worse, so we have to make sure we have on our armour! But if you teach churches to seek prophecy instead of Jesus, you leave them open to be devoured by the wolves of the world. MATTHEW 24:24-25 “FOR FALSE MESSIAHS AND FALSE PROPHETS WILL RISE UP AND PERFORM GREAT SIGNS AND WONDERS SO AS TO DECEIVE, IF POSSIBLE, EVEN GOD’S CHOSEN ONES. SEE, I HAVE WARNED YOU ABOUT THIS AHEAD OF TIME.”

My concern is that seeking the gifts of the spirit has become more important than seeking Jesus. People coming to church are coming to see all these signs, miracles, and wonders, instead of coming to see Jesus, to understand why we need Him, why everything is about Him! Church is becoming a broadway show, where people come to be entertained, instead of meeting Jesus and having a real heart change. I am always reminded of the tarrot card readers and mediums who claim to give a word of knowledge. If you don’t know what Spirit is in operation, what is the difference?

Jesus tells us believers to go into all the world and preach the good news to everyone. That should always be the focus of the church, equipping believers to be bold and share in a world that is losing all morality. When we believe, the signs and wonders follow us! We don’t have to chase them. They become a normal part of what it means to be a believer! But if we are not making believers, then it’s safe to say that maybe we will see these things less in the church, then satan will easily have a doorway to slip into the church showing these signs and wonders, and then we are hypnotised by these gifts that we are not seeing within the body, and because we start to look to these gifts we allow ourselves to be led astray. MARK 16:17-18 “AND THESE SIGNS SHALL FOLLOW THEM THAT BELIEVE; IN MY NAME SHALL THEY CAST OUT DEVILS; THEY SHALL SPEAK WITH NEW TONGUES; THEY SHALL TAKE UP SERPENTS; AND IF THEY DRINK A DEADLY THING, IT SHALL NOT HURT THEM; THEY SHALL LAY HANDS ON THE SICK, AND THEY SHALL RECOVER.”Maybe I am being dramatic. Maybe there is something that I just don’t understand. All I am trying to say is that we must tread carefully. Be cautious and use wisdom! Don’t make it so easy for the enemy to devour you. Test the spirit before you let people hold weight in your life, check their fruit! Know what the word of God says for yourself! Don’t give people authority in your life to lead you astray. Don’t dispise the gifts, but test them all!

Do you agree or disagree? Is there something I am not seeing? I genuinely want to know! What is your experience? Let’s discuss…..