What are the traits by which we can identify them? How do they operate?  Where are they?

False prophets could wreak off signs and wonders but introduce and emphasize some other means or other means or other gods.

Deut 13:1-3, 2Cor.11:13-15.

Please note that false prophets are in the world and are not far from us. They are all around us. We are trusting God that you are not already one of them.

They perform miracles, they prophesy and it comes to pass but they do all these to turn people’s hearts to other gods. They are capable of transforming themselves, disguising and masquerading as ministers of Christ but their lives do not resemble that of Christ.

What are the other ‘gods’ of our time that false prophets point men to today? Some use candles, blessed hankies, ‘anointing oil’, holy water, blessed stone, etc. in ministering and praying for people.

These divert people’s hearts from trusting God. These little ‘gods’ become the object of their trust and they are not able to trust God except these material things are used. They therefore do not differ in any way from the gods of animists and idol worshipers.

Examine your life. Are you not involved in such practices? Do you not prescribe these ‘gods’ for others? Watch out!

False prophets release ‘profaneness’ into the body of Christ, speak ‘visions’ of their own hearts (personal ambition, etc.) assure sinners and compromisers of peace and prosperity. Jer 23:15-17, 25-28, 31-32.

False prophets pronounce blessing on disobedient people; they tell dreams and visions of their own heart and ambition; they fill people with false hopes, for example, asking you to give so that they will pray for you, that in three months, you will become a millionaire. He is a false prophet who promises peace to those who despise the Lord in their lives.

They hardly ever preach repentance from sin. False prophets place an undue emphasis on dreams and revelations rather than God’s word. They deceive people by their light-heartedness. They exhibit lightness (no weight, no gravity, no seriousness) in the way they handle God’s word.

This is a scriptural description of false prophets. Are you one? Or are you one of those that have already been deceived by false prophets? Watch out!

(c.)  False prophets can be very zealous and active, often sounding loud and bogus. Jer 23:21-22, 1Kg. 22:6, 10-12, 21-24.

You will discover from these scriptures that false prophets are so zealous that they often run with their messages, even though they have no message from God. They are like soothsayers almost always with a positive message. Their message does not change people’s lives. False prophets seem to be in the majority and often, they do not contradict one another. When you see a preacher fighting the truth, and threatening people, he is a false prophet.

Do you preach what you do not receive from God? Do you preach to soothe people and promise something contrary? Maybe you are becoming a false prophet. There is only a step between life and death. Watch out!

False prophets tell people what they want to hear, instead of what God wants to say to them. They are often loud and they come outb to be noticed. They are often found in corridors of power, around ‘big men.’ Beware!

(d.)  False prophets do not stand in the counsel of God (i.e. the whole counsel of the scriptures). They pick few words here and there mainly from second-hand sources.  Jer.23:18, 22, 28-30; Acts. 20:27-30, Lk. 7:30.

Note that he is a false prophet who carves out an empire for himself (even in the Body of Christ) and draws disciples after himself rather than after Christ. They do not spare the flock as long as they can get their selfish gain. They often arise from among the believers. They sometimes collect information from ‘around’, not from above, but they come and speak it to the brethren as if it is from the Lord.

Examine your heart again and again. Are you a false prophet and you do not know it? If you are, then be honest with God and with yourself. Repent! A little more delay may be dangerous. Watch out!

(e) False prophets cause divisions and offenses… (Contrary to scriptures). Rom.16:17-18, Acts 20:30.

False prophets are good speakers, speaking flatteries. They speak to deceive the simple hearted Christians who cannot see through their flatteries. They are not serving Christ but their own ambitions. Watch out for such men and women. Avoid them.

(f) False prophets are false teachers, bringing in heresies into the Church. 2Pet.2:1-3 (LB).  Discuss their common methods. Have you encountered any in your walk with the Lord? 2Pet. 2:1-3(LB).

“But there were false prophets, too, in those days, just as there will be   false teachers among you. They will cleverly tell lies about God, turning against even their Master who bought them; but theirs will be a swift and terrible end. Many will follow their evil teaching that there is nothing wrong with sexual sin. And because of them, Christ and his way will men scoffed at. These teachers in their greed will tell you anything to get hold of your money. But God condemned them long ago and their destruction is on the way.”

This scripture is very clear. Are you a false prophet or have you fallen prey to their hands? Watch out!

Many false prophets do not begin as false. They start as any normal Christian but only BECOME false prophets, ignorantly or willfully TURNING against the Lord their Master, who bought them. Except you watch your life and stay on track with Jesus and His lifestyle, you will soon become a false prophet. Take heed to your life.

(G) False prophets are greedy, feeding on the flock. Mic.3:5 (NAV, LB), Isa.56:10-12, Matt.7:15b.

A false prophet is one who is greedy of gain, always wanting more, never having enough. He feeds ‘on’ the flock instead of feeding the flock. You must not be ignorant. Watch out! Are you a preacher who is greedy for gain? Do you labor over the souls of men to shepherd them properly for the Lord, giving them their portion of meat in due season? Or do you feed ‘on’ them instead of feeding them? Beware! The chief Shepherd, our Rewarder is coming. He will reward every one according to his deeds.

By:Hadassah Omoniyepe