(OPINION) Charisma – We’re all familiar with the televangelist who pressures and manipulates viewers to sow a large seed so God will bless them or give them breakthrough. Or, the so-called prophet who is peddling “miraculous” oil or selling anointed clothes promising immediate healing or some kind of supernatural result.
That’s especially true now, with the rise of influence with social media, fly-by-night “prophets” and “teachers” who are rising up and deceiving the flock of God with flattering speech, self-promotion, and greedy strategies to rob God’s people, using the name of Jesus all the while.
The best way to recognize a counterfeit prophet is by knowing what a real prophet looks like. Just as bank tellers learn what a real $100 bill looks like so they can recognize a counterfeit bill when it’s given to them, we must dig into the Scriptures and rightly define the gift of prophecy and the role of a prophet for the body of Christ.
In this day and age, it’s paramount because too many believers are being deceived worldwide and being hurt and abused because of it. Jesus is very passionate about this subject, and we know by His statement in the Gospels it’s better if a man has a millstone tied around his neck and tossed into the bottom of the sea than deceive one of his children. CONTINUE
