Prophet or Profit? PT2
In part one of this topic post, The Holy Spirit challenged the Bride of Christ to question and understand what the role of a true prophet of Yah is anointed to do.
Various scriptures revealed that Yah’s prophets are to hear His word, Receive His word and then release His word. We learned that Yah will often communicate His word to His prophets through dreams and visions.
A False prophet was defined as anyone claiming to speak for Yah, that releases a word that contradicts Yah’s.
Next will will come to know the differences between false prophets and Yah’s prophets.
How can we know the difference?
We have to discern the fruit!
Luke 6:43-44 says “For a good tree does not bear bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. For every tree is known by its own fruit. For men do not gather figs from thorns, nor do they gather grapes from a bramble bush.”
If a tree is called by its fruit, that is how we should examine and identify people.
Let’s explore scripture to see what type of fruit a prophet of Yah should produce.
The first test that should be applied is the testing of the spirit.
1 John 4:1-3:
“Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world. 2 By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, 3 and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world.
Fortune tellers, psychics, or any type of mediums often operate under the Antichrist spirit and therefore receive false prophecy from that same spirit.
The second evaluation should be based on if this person produces the fruit of the Holy Spirit:
Galatians 5:22-26:
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. 24 And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. 26 Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.
Even when believers are anointed by Yah as a prophet, if they aren’t producing the fruit of the Holy spirit it indicates that they aren’t being led by the Holy Spirit and therefore can not speak by revelation of the Holy Spirit.
Another test is one that requires more discernment and biblical application.
During Jesus’ earthly ministry, He was known by many to be a prophet. He was treated similarly to the prophets in the Old Testament. They were all rejected and persecuted by their own people. The very people they were sent to prophesy to.
Luke 4:23-24:
He said to them, “You will surely say this proverb to Me, ‘Physician, heal yourself! Whatever we have heard done in Capernaum, do also here in Your country.’ ” 24 Then He said, “Assuredly, I say to you, no prophet is accepted in his own country.
John 15:18-20
“If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. 19 If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. 20 Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they kept My word, they will keep yours also.
As we can see, evidence of Yah’s prophets is that they are persecuted and rejected by the world, while false prophets are promoted and celebrated.
The next sign of a false prophet may be a trigger for some people who have been indoctrinated by them. Let’s just read what Yah’s word says:
Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out demons. Freely you have received, freely give. 9 Provide neither gold nor silver nor copper in your money belts, 10 nor bag for your journey, nor two tunics, nor sandals, nor staffs; for a worker is worthy of his food.
False prophets will continually be motivated by profit and how they can benefit from serving Yah’s people. The entire time that Jesus was on the earth, it is never recorded that He asked people to sow money into His ministry, teaching, or prophecy. We know that people donated money because the scripture tells us that Judas, the betrayer, was in charge of the money bag.
John 13:29 Since Judas was their treasurer, some thought Jesus was telling him to go and pay for the food or to give some money to the poor.
Instead of requiring that His followers pay for benefiting from His ministry, He taught His disciples to trust/depend on Yah for their needs to be met.
Matthew 6:31-33
“Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.
The word of Yah instructs us to accept hospitality but also that money should not be our master.
Matthew 6:24
“No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.
Any person who is lead by their love of money more than their love for Yah will produce fruit of a false prophet.
Any person who is more obedient to Yah than they are to man will produce fruit of a true Prophet.
Lastly there needs to be more discernment concerning false prophetic words.
In the Bible we can find examples of prophetic words released by Yah’s prophets.
Most of the time they either released words of judgment, instruction, or warnings about things to come in the future.
In today’s society we unfortunately see a lot of self-proclaimed prophets releasing a lot of prosperity words and sadly not enough words leading Yah’s people into correction and repentance.
This trend is hurting the Body of Christ because the word of Yah tells us in Proverbs 29:18 Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he.
The Body of Christ needs to know what Yah is saying and doing so that we can be in alignment with His will.
The Body of Christ needs to hear what Yah is saying so that we won’t be confused or deceived by satan and his lies.
The Body of Christ needs to be led by the Spirit of Truth and set free by the Truth.
I pray in the Mighty name of Jesus Christ that we experience the spirit of Prophecy which is the testimony of Jesus.