Dr Tseibu Rutsa
False prophets are becoming more prominent in today’s age of tolerance and rebellion against God. This culture is eager for an easy religion – one that requires no effort and offers no consequences. This generation more than any other wants to live however they’d like, without boundaries or authority. Unfortunately, there are plenty of pastors, teachers and preachers eager to give the people what they want to hear—and usually, they end up making a large sum of money off it. From feel-good prosperity preachers, to teachers who deny the literal existence of eternity, to religious leaders of the popular earn-your-way-to-heaven efforts; false prophets are everywhere. It has already merged into some Naga churches. So let us look at the Bible so as to see distinction between who serve God and those who do not. Malachi 3:18.
2 Timothy 4: 3-4, "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." Here are five ways to detect a modern false prophet.
1. False prophets preach the gospel of prosperity
False teachers will lead their congregation to believe that God wants them to be happy and wealthy. Some teachers even take it further, and declare that if a Christian isn’t financially rich, they just are not praying hard enough” or “need to increase their faith” by giving more to the church. This type of teaching is dangerous and inaccurate. The Bible clearly states otherwise about the expectations of what this world has to offer. Mark 10:25, "It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God."
Matthew 6:19-21, "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." Getting rich and powerful is a sin, however if those comes from corruptions and wicked ways its is wrong.
2. False prophets refuse to call out sin
False teachers don’t like to offend anyone, so they gloss over sin in order to keep their members and fans happy. They often do this by stating a particular controversial sin such as homosexuality, fornication, adultery, or greed etc isn’t a sin after all, so there’s no need to worry or change. They don’t realize that by condoning sin, they’re leading their congregation happy as they might be but straight to hell.
The Bible teaches that sin is a real issue. It’s what separates us from God. It’s what condemns us to hell. Without the intercession of Christ, we would have never been able to get to Heaven or to a right relationship with God. This is the message of the Gospel.
Romans 3:23, "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." Colossians 3:5-6, "Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. On account of these the wrath of God is coming." To ignore sin is to ignore our need for a Saviour. And to ignore the Saviour is to reject Jesus Christ..
3. False prophets don’t believe in hell or the need for repentance
False prophets are content to preach that hell is figurative. They believe there’s no need for repentance because Jesus died for everyone. They teach that we should just be grateful and that’s all there is to it. God is full of grace, he never leave us in Hell. God is merciful. .
This lie is especially tricky, because it sounds true at first. Jesus did die for the sins of the world. But salvation isn’t head knowledge alone. After all—James 2:19, “You say you have faith, for you believe that there is one God. Even the demons believe this, and they tremble in terror.”
The Bible teaches that to be saved, we must repent. Acts 2:38, “And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”
Hell is real—a real place, with real fire, and real separation from God. Isaiah 5:14, “Therefore hell hath enlarged herself, and opened her mouth without measure: and their glory, and their multitude, and their pomp, and he that rejoiced, shall descend into it.”
4. False prophets don’t believe Jesus is the only way
“Multiple paths, one destination” is a common belief in today’s society. For the sake of being tolerant and for fear of offending, Recent generations are content to believe that everyone will make it to the same eternal destiny, via whichever religion they choose. The problem with this belief is that it is directly contradicts the Bible teaching.
John 14: 6, “Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” Jesus made it perfectly clear that He is the way—the only way, to have relationship with God. Without His sacrifice on the cross and the resurrection from the grave, the veil would have never been torn and we would have never gained access to our Heavenly Father.
5. False prophets don’t believe in the Pure Truth of Bible
False prophets will teach that the Bible contradicts itself, or has “holes.” This simply isn’t true. Any alleged contradictions in Scripture are a misunderstanding on the part of the reader, or is an intentional spin away from proper context in an attempt to deceive.
The truth is found in 2 Timothy 3:16-17, "All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work." Isaiah 40:8, "The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever."True Christians stand on the foundation of the Word of God
6. False Prophets do not administered water baptism correctly
Peter the Apostle says to the Jews on the day of Pentecost when the first Holy Spirit revival came on them. When they asked the Apostles what can they do to remove their recent sins of crucifying their Messiah. Peter said, “REPENT and be Baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for forgiveness of your sins.” Acts 2:37-38 Many false pastors and servant of God are baptizing many people without been concern of the Word, “Repentance.” Unless an individual personally repent of their sins and been baptize it is a wrong conversion. “False repentance leads to false conversion”. Most people without a slide changes in their lives believing they are Christians and will go to Heaven when they die, because water baptism had been administered to them by pastors and Reverent etc. According to the Bible teaching Repentance should take place as soon as God the Holy Spit convicts us of our sins. 2 Cor 6:2, John 16:8. “To day is the day of Salvation.”
