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Resting In Him
May 5th, 2006, 01:56 AM
Embracing the God-given Ministry of False Prophets
05/04/2006
By K. Jentoft

False prophets have an important ministry in the Kingdom of God. They bring us miracles and fill their God-given role in the church to the benefit of God’s people and help clarify the message of the gospel. The legitimate ministry of the false prophet is detailed in Deut 13 and 18 and confirmed in 2 Thess:

“If a prophet or a dreamer of dreams arises among you and gives you a sign or a wonder, and the sign or the wonder comes true, concerning which he spoke to you, saying, ‘Let us go after other gods (whom you have not known) and let us serve them,’ you shall not listen to the words of that prophet or that dreamer of dreams; for the LORD your God is testing you to find out if you love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul. “You shall follow the LORD your God and fear Him; and you shall keep His commandments, listen to His voice, serve Him, and cling to Him.

From 2 Thess 2: because they did not receive the love of the truth so as to be saved. For this reason God will send upon them a deluding influence (with all power and signs and false wonders) so that they will believe what is false, in order that they all may be judged who did not believe the truth, but took pleasure in wickedness.

2 Chron 18 details God’s plan to filter out the house of Ahab from Israel. A spirit sent from God empowers 400 prophets to deceive Ahab so that he would go out to His judgment.

I saw the LORD sitting on His throne, and all the host of heaven standing on His right and on His left. “The LORD said, ‘Who will entice Ahab king of Israel to go up and fall at Ramoth-gilead?’ And one said this while another said that. “Then a spirit came forward and stood before the LORD and said, ‘I will entice him.’ And the LORD said to him, ‘How?’ “He said, ‘I will go and be a deceiving spirit in the mouth of all his prophets.’ Then He said, ‘You are to entice him and prevail also. Go and do so.’ “Now therefore, behold, the LORD has put a deceiving spirit in the mouth of these your prophets, for the LORD has proclaimed disaster against you.”

Deuteronomy 13 reveals that God gives false prophets to His people and empowers them to perform miracles. Clearly, false prophets have an important role to fill in the economy of God. They are a filter. They are the shepherds of the apostate nurturing them with false assurance and “Peace, peace where there is no peace.” God raises up false prophets to filter His church and remove those who don’t love Him and come to Him on His terms. Their role is to offer a different gospel and an altered message to tempt those who will not love the truth and to lead those who do not love the truth out from God’s people. They offer miracles, a comforting message and peace with God – a message based on their own words and their authority.

Cont'd... (http://www.worldviewweekend.com/secure/cwnetwork/article.php?&ArticleID=699)

SeaDreamer
May 6th, 2006, 10:27 AM
Excellent article. I've often wondered if false prophets and teachings are God's way of filtering His children.

CountryPerson
May 6th, 2006, 11:44 PM
Yes, RI Him, you are right--false prophets and their aberrant teaching serves as a "magnet" for the ones who do not really love God from a pure heart and desire to serve Him, no matter the cost. If folks really know the God of the Bible (from careful regular searching of the Scriptures with no particular agenda in mind except to know God and to humbly submit to Him), they will recognize a false teacher and reject him/her, because they will sense that "something" is just not right about a particular teaching. Usually, pride and love of self is at the inner core of false teaching; a pure, submissive attitude with a desire to serve God unselfishly is the response that true teaching seems to call forth.