Note: This article is related to the article "Jeremiah Johnson, false prophecy, and the state of the church in America", which at present is accessible here: http://discipleshipnetwork.ning.com/forum/topics/jeremiah-johnson-false-prophecy-and-the-state-of-the-church-in?xg_source=activity. It is not necessary to read one of these articles to understand the other.
Earlier this week the Christian watchdog organization MinistryWatch published a report by Steve Rabey entitled "Prophets’ Political Words Bring Division, Derision".
Before I read it, I believed that false prophets and false prophecies are a serious problem for the church in America.
While I was reading it, I changed their status from "serious problem" to "plague".
Here is an excerpt:
Loren Sandford, a Denver prophet, acknowledged and apologized for his erroneous predictions about Trump, and has experienced a humbling from God. He says prophets who owned up have also received significant pushback, online attacks, death threats, and diminished audiences, while at least some pro-Trump prophets have seen audience numbers and incomes rise.
The article brought to my mind the following words of Jeremiah--a true prophet who delivered true prophecy:
A wonderful and horrible thing is committed in the land;
The prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests bear rule by their means; and my people love to have it so: and what will ye do in the end thereof?
--Jeremiah 5:30-31 (AV/KJV)
In Jeremiah's day, the Kingdom of Judah was plagued by false prophets who dared to speak their false prophecies in the name of the LORD. Although Jeremiah opposed them, and repeatedly spoke against them, they led that kingdom away from the LORD--and, thus, toward destruction. Even worse: they brought dishonor to the name of the LORD. Because Jeremiah faithfully conveyed the word of the LORD, he was opposed not only by false prophets, but by other Israelites who had an appetite for falsehood and a repugnance for truth.
As in Jeremiah's day, so in ours there is an audience which has an appetite for false prophecy ("my people love to have it so"). Yea, as the report relates, in ours there is not just that, but a lucrative market which hungers for and demands it. Thus as in Jeremiah's day, so in ours, the false prophets themselves are not the only ones to blame for false prophecy--and for the consequences thereof.
If one would like to learn more about the current plague of false prophets and false prophecy, I recommend one read the new report about it from MinistryWatch--and also the passages of the Book of Jeremiah and other books of the Bible which pertain to false prophets and false prophecy.
Prophets’ Political Words Bring Division, Derision
By Steve Rabey
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