I just read the three part article “Seven Things You Have To Know To Understand End Times” by Jack Kelley. I thought it was the best article I ever read explaining the end times.
I was wondering if you might consider writing an article on the role of the prophet in today’s church as described in Ephesians 4.
What is the role of the prophet in today’s church? How prevalent are they? How do we discern a false prophet from true prophet of God? How do we discern false, deceiving signs and wonders from the true miracles of God?
When I witness to people this comes up and I don’t have a good explanation. My only explanation is: If the prophecy or signs and wonders do not line up with scripture or if the prophet is not 100% right, then it is not from God.
The Lord Himself has answered your question. Here’s what He said.
A prophet who presumes to speak in my name anything I have not commanded him to say, or a prophet who speaks in the name of other gods, must be put to death.
You may say to yourselves, “How can we know when a message has not been spoken by the LORD ?” If what a prophet proclaims in the name of the LORD does not take place or come true, that is a message the LORD has not spoken. That prophet has spoken presumptuously. Do not be afraid of him. (Deut. 18:20-22)
For a New Testament illustration, Hebrews 1:1-2 says that while in the past God spoke through the prophets at different times and in different ways, in these last days He has spoken through His Son. That tells us that everything God has to say to us has already been said by Jesus. Anything that a so-called prophet says today has to be consistent with what Jesus told us, and can only serve to explain it more fully.
I make it a practice to wait until I’ve heard the same prophetic message from two independent sources before considering that it might be from the Lord.