True or False?

Have you ever heard someone say “whatever feels right for you” or words to that effect? This is called Relativism – the belief that different things are true or right for different people – either individually or as a group.  Is truth really relative? Or is there Ultimate Truth?  Is there a STANDARD of what is Truth that has already been set? YES!  As believers in Christ Jesus, we can be CONFIDENT in HIM.

The Lord Jesus said…

“I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”     John’s Gospel 14 v.6

The source of Truth is God.  The standard has been set!

Satan likes to attack Truth. The Lord Jesus has warned His disciples about false prophets (Matthew’s Gospel ch.24 v11 & 24).  Satan is a master counterfeiter… he seeks to copy and pervert what is true, to lead people away from the Truth.  He tried to use Truth as a weapon against our Lord Jesus in the wilderness temptation (Luke’s gospel ch.4 v9-11)  If satan can pervert Truth in people’s minds, he can corrupt their hearts into false worship.  If satan was brazen enough to try to tempt the Son of God Himself, he will certainly try to tempt us away from Truth! So, are there false prophets today? You better believe it!
Here is one such example:-

*Please note I am not of a ‘name and shame’ mentality.  I realise some preachers out there may have started out in Truth but unfortunately backslide into carnal ways again.  However, when it is obvious that someone is leading God’s people astray, I felt at liberty in the Lord’s grace in this instance.

Interestingly, this ‘Master Prophet’ uses a Bible verse to justify himself, as seen here:-
about-bishop-jordan/
However, it is quite clear to see that the proceeding comments are simply self-promotion.  Is there any clear declaration of the gospel of Jesus Christ? Or is it all about the Bishop’s ‘ability’ to help you to ‘prosper’?  The TRUE prophets of God in the Holy Bible – Isaiah, Jeremiah, Malachi etc, did not ‘big-up’ themselves!  They WARNED God’s people, and gave promises of God’s restoration on GOD’S TERMS, not what man wanted to hear! God’s true prophets were not POPULAR…
Also interestingly, this false prophet and his ministers wear brown robes like monks – a thought comes to mind of a pagan perversion of the Biblical examples of mourning in ‘sackcloth and ashes’.  However, in the case of this Bishop, it takes on a different meaning.

Holiness or pride?

The Creator God is Holy & Righteous.  It is a serious thing to set oneself up – or to set others up – as a ‘Master Prophet’ or any other title that elevates self, instead of giving glory to the One True God.  I don’t know this man’s life story, his upbringing, how he became so deceived, but we are all vulnerable to deception if we don’t abide in Christ and His word us in (John’s Gospel ch.15). Those who follow this man are being led away from the Lord of glory.

Perhaps you might say “but he’s just talking about helping people to prosper, does that really make him a false prophet?”  Let’s look a bit more closely, so there can be no doubt. On the ‘news’ page of his internet site, Bishop Jordan says the following about how you may have a closer walk or ‘connection’ with God:-

“So how can you have a deeper connection with God? What are you doing wrong? You’re not doing anything wrong, especially if you’re main goal is have a pleasant relationship with the Father. But there are more ways in order for you to have a deeper connection with Him.  Create a connection with the Master Prophet and open opportunities for you to see the light. The prophet will give you the proper steps in order for you to have a deeper walk with God.” (emphasis added by me)

Do you see that?  If you want a deeper connection to God, you are advised to ‘create a connection with the Master Prophet’.  Which of God’s true prophets and apostles in the Holy Bible ever enticed the people towards themselves to get to God? None. The apostle Paul said “Imitate me just as I also imitate Christ” (1 Corinthians ch.11 v1). God’s true servant-leaders would only want you to follow them to the degree they are following Christ Himself! However, there is a distinct lack of authentic Biblical truth of the message of salvation coming from Bishop Jordan’s site, and his church ministry site (Zoe Ministries).  Now here’s where the more subtle deceptions are exposed… for there are indeed Bible verses and declarations about the Lord Jesus Christ on his church website, but if you look carefully, there is a manipulation of words to bring it to focus on money and getting a prophecy from this false prophet (http://zoeministries.com/obedience-is-key.html).

If you or perhaps another believer you know have any tendency to be drawn to dynamic-sounding leaders and easily forget to test the spirit of what that person presents, please consider these very sobering words from Deuteronomy ch.13 v1-5:- 

“If there arises among you a prophet or a dreamer of dreams, and he gives you a sign or a wonder, and the sign or the wonder comes to pass, of which he spoke to you, saying, ‘Let us go after other gods’ – which 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 know whether you love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul. You shall walk after the LORD your God and fear Him, and keep His commandments and obey His voice, and you shall serve Him and hold fast to Him. But that prophet or that dreamer of dreams shall be put to death, because he has spoken in order to turn you away from the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt and redeemed you from the house of bondage, to entice you from the way in which the LORD your God commanded you to walk. So you shall put away the evil from your midst.“

The words “let us go after other gods” is not only limited to molded images or other obvious false objects to supplant God.  “Other gods” can be in the form of the love of money, which is the idol of materialism, or even the false prophet himself whom people actually start idolising.  If the dynamic preacher entices people to draw close to himself in order for them to ‘connect’ with God, this is “going after other gods”.

Our Lord Jesus said this, in Mathew’s Gospel ch.7 v21-22:-

 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.  Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?”

As stated earlier in this post, satan counterfeits what is true.  As we are considering false prophets here, this obviously means that there are true prophetic ministries today.  Otherwise, why would satan be working overtime to raise up false prophets?  Unfortunately, there are certain teachings in parts of the Church that promote ‘cessationist theology’ which declares that the spiritual gifts of prophecy, words of knowledge etc have ceased today. This is wrong. There is no indication of this in God’s Word.  On the most basic level of argument, if God is really NOT speaking to us today, except through the written Word – the Holy Bible which I highly respect – then that means we would be having a relationship with the Bible, but not God Himself. It then would follow that we are only having an intellectual awareness without any spiritual experience to confirm that which has been written.  However, we are given the Holy Spirit – the Spirit of God – to dwell in us who believe in Christ (John’s Gospel ch.14 v17, 25-26).  This alone should make clear to us that God wants us to have intimate communication with Him and specific guidance as we follow and serve Him, not rely on our own carnal wisdom to work it all out.

If our parents didn’t ever speak to us but only left us written notes to tell us what they wanted us to know, what kind of relationship would that be? Does God not wish to give us personal revelation of how Biblical truth will be applied in our lives of service? I can say from my own spiritual journey with Christ that he does indeed want us to have insights into His will for us, even as we walk by faith.  True prophetic ministry does not ‘add to the Bible’ but it illuminates the truths already there, and gives us strategy for how God wants us to move forward in these last days until His coming.  True prophecy builds us up:-

“… the one who prophesies speaks to people for their upbuilding and encouragement and consolation”  1 Corinthians 13.v4

The true prophetic ministry would inspire us to live holy lives in obedience to our Maker, and warn us if we are not being faithful to the Lord.  If we are called to preach or teach, we need God to show us what would be appropriate for that particular time, unless we think that God is uninterested in what His Church is facing or struggling with? Didn’t God give the apostle John insights for those 7 churches, as stated in Revelation? Whatever ministry we are called into to serve God, we need the Spirit of God to lead us and empower us.  If you are praying for someone who is struggling with personal issues, God may want to give some insight on that person’s struggles, to show His power to set them free.  True, authentic ‘heavenly strategy’ would not violate Biblical principles.  So let us be careful not to “throw the baby out with the bathwater” when it come to the obvious false prophets out there who focus on the things of the flesh.

“I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.” Galatians ch.5 v16