The title may have intrigued you to click on this article. In light of the tension surrounding the inaguration of a new president in the United States today, I want to encourage you to rest assured that the Lord is in control. As Romans 13 teaches us, the authorities that exist have been appointed by God and for His purposes. Having concern about a socialist agenda is one thing, being terrified that the world is ending is another. Jesus is still on the throne. This world will one day end but it will be eclipsed by the greatest blessing – the Lord Jesus returning to sit upon the throne over all the earth!
I want to turn the “alarm” toward a far more troubling matter than the election and that is the Charismatic-Pentecostal Prophesies of Trump. This really has nothing to do with the person of Donald Trump, but everything to do with the individuals who claimed to speak in God’s name regarding Trump’s re-election.
I know this post will find different friends of mine shocked, gleeful, or hurt (and I urge you to weigh all those emotions at the foot of the Cross in light of the Word of God). But this is a serious matter and a movement and individuals that are doing things in the name of Christ needs to be compared to Scripture. This is far more serious than any of the headlines and fearful predictions you have heard today. Let me begin by sharing my own story: I understand the feelings of Believers in the churches I am going to address here because I grew up in the charismatic-pentecostal movement, in one of its largest, if not its largest, denomination. I grew disillusioned on several doctrinal points while in a Pentecostal ministry school as a young pentescostal preacher. Ultimately, it led me to leaving that denomination and going through a few years of comparing my beliefs and doctrines I had trusted to the Scriptures. The Lord was gracious and I had to repent of errors I had believed and taught. I wrote of this several years ago in a piece called “Repenting of Denominational Prejudice, Addressing False Doctrine.” It was a process of comparing prophesies I had grown up hearing and testing “revelations” of “heavenly doctrine” sensational teachers and preachers had taught, and “Holy Spirit told me-statements” of individuals in contrast to The Word of God – the Scriptures that led to ultimately putting in my resignation and leaving the movement. I witnessed first hand the Gospel jettisoned in a church in favor of the doctrine of Joseph Prince, Joyce Meyer and Steven Furtick. Please do not misunderstand me, I pray for the day when false teachers will be saved by the true Gospel and reject their underhanded ways… several glimmers of hope have occurred in recent years through Pentecostal Platformers “repenting” yet sadly little lasting repentance seems to have stuck. I remain optimistic that the Lord can save even the false teacher through the power of The True, Biblical Gospel: that Jesus Christ came in grace to save sinners through no effort of our own but by His gracious gift, even the faith we place in Him is not our own but a gift from God (Ephesians 2:8-10). After all, the Lord did so for religious zealot Saul who became the Apostle Paul after he encountered the risen Jesus.
Believers in a Pentecostal-Charismatic church, I believe in the Holy Spirit and the miraculous, but I believe we can both agree that the Scriptures teach that God performing a healing is not for the benefit of the pocketbook of an arrogant person, nor is the Holy Spirit supernaturally working in our lives an experience greater than than the Gospel. The greatest miracle is the salvation of your soul by the power and blood of Jesus Christ —
“Then the seventy returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name.” And He said to them, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you. Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven.””
Luke 10:17-20 NKJV
I am not saying that your pastor or your church represents all I am about to say but our standard of truth is Scripture—the Bible—and not the teachings or “revelations” of a human teacher. The history of the Charismatic Movement is troubling to say the least. There are disturbing accounts of experiences that have nothing to do with Biblical Christianity. And while the movement has grown dramatically, that does not mean that it is biblically faithful nor that it is blessed by God. I do believe the Lord has saved souls through many a Pentecostal pulpit but that is because of the faithfulness of the Spirit of God to the Word of God (Isaiah 55:11), not because of the greatness or godliness of the preacher (1 Corinthians 2:1-5).
“Some indeed preach Christ even from envy and strife, and some also from goodwill: The former preach Christ from selfish ambition, not sincerely, supposing to add affliction to my chains; but the latter out of love, knowing that I am appointed for the defense of the gospel. What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is preached; and in this I rejoice, yes, and will rejoice.”
Philippians 1:15-18 NKJV
In these troubling times we are all faced with the reality, the fact that Donald Trump did not get a second term. I was hoping he would, but that’s another discussion for another time. Put simply, I’m a one-issue voter: the protection of the lives of murdered children through abortion. Agree or disagree, that’s my conviction founded upon the Scriptures. Trump did not become President today, that is fact despite numerous “prophesies” of false teachers. They have not come true.
Biblically, a false prophecy = a false prophet.
I urge you to consider the scriptures. Resist the cultivated urge if you were taught as I was in such circles, never to question the “Lord’s anointed.” That is a tactic to deceive. Yes, biblically, doctrine is to be questioned. If it doesn’t line up with the Bible, it is time to respectfully but firmly move on to a Bible-teaching fellowship, even if such a one doesn’t have the “wow” factors we’ve grown accustomed to receiving in worship and preaching. It’s not about the personality of the messenger but The Word; not about the largeness of the gathering, but the Truth of the Word; not about the “dynamicness” of the message but it’s faithfulness to the text of Scipture.
Character matters – look for a church where it’s elders are humble recognizing their own sinfulness and Christ’s mercy; are men of character willing to stand for the truth regardless of whether it’s hip, popular or advantageous; men who take seriously the call to feed the congregation the Word and watch over souls as one who must give an account to Christ; men who admit their sin and are continually working out their own salvation in fear and trembling of repentance before the Lord. Doctrine matters. Biblically, false prophets are to be shunned, exposed, and defected from. To stay is compromise. They will give an account and so will you and I. Give me fellowship with broken sinners knowing they are nothing but Jesus Grace, who love the Bible and keep on trudging by His Grace rather than the flashy, showy, me-centered theology and best life now quacks. Here’s a sampling of Scripture, don’t be afraid of these quacks, these wolves in sheep’s clothing.
False prophets should not be listened to. They bring in damnable heresies and prosperity Gospel is leading people to hell – it is a cancer spreading not just in USA but sadly Latin America, South America and Africa. It is fact that the Word of Faith movement (a branch of the Pentecostal-charismatic movement) has spread tremendously in those three areas mentioned above. Refusing to give these leaders money, refusing to buy their books, leaving their “churches” —It’s more than throwing a baby out with the bath water. No, it is contending for the Gospel. I’ve said enough. Don’t merely trust my “speech” consider for yourself what God has said….
Jude 1:3-4 NKJV
“Beloved, while I was very diligent to write to you concerning our common salvation, I found it necessary to write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints. For certain men have crept in unnoticed, who long ago were marked out for this condemnation, ungodly men, who turn the grace of our God into lewdness and deny the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Deuteronomy 18:20-22 ESV
But the prophet who presumes to speak a word in my name that I have not commanded him to speak, or who speaks in the name of other gods, that same prophet shall die.’ And if you say in your heart, ‘How may we know the word that the Lord has not spoken?’— when a prophet speaks in the name of the Lord, if the word does not come to pass or come true, that is a word that the Lord has not spoken; the prophet has spoken it presumptuously. You need not be afraid of him.
Note: vengeance is the Lords, not yours or mine. Death will come and judgement from the hand of the Lord.
Jeremiah 23:16 ESV
Thus says the Lord of hosts: “Do not listen to the words of the prophets who prophesy to you, filling you with vain hopes. They speak visions of their own minds, not from the mouth of the Lord.
Romans 16:18 ESV
For such persons do not serve our Lord Christ, but their own appetites, and by smooth talk and flattery they deceive the hearts of the naive.
Jeremiah 14:14 ESV
And the Lord said to me: “The prophets are prophesying lies in my name. I did not send them, nor did I command them or speak to them. They are prophesying to you a lying vision, worthless divination, and the deceit of their own minds.
2 Peter 2:3 ESV
And in their greed they will exploit you with false words. Their condemnation from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep.
2 Timothy 4:3-4 ESV
For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths.
Ezekiel 22:28 ESV
And her prophets have smeared whitewash for them, seeing false visions and divining lies for them, saying, ‘Thus says the Lord God,’ when the Lord has not spoken.
Jeremiah 5:30-31 ESV
An appalling and horrible thing has happened in the land: the prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests rule at their direction; my people love to have it so, but what will you do when the end comes?
I Timothy 6:3-8 NKJV
“If anyone teaches otherwise and does not consent to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which accords with godliness, he is proud, knowing nothing, but is obsessed with disputes and arguments over words, from which come envy, strife, reviling, evil suspicions, useless wranglings of men of corrupt minds and destitute of the truth, who suppose that godliness is a means of gain. From such withdraw yourself. Now godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content.”
Matthew 7:21-23 NKJV
““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?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’”
And there are many more Scriptures. But listening to, sitting under and spreading these proven snakes leaves you contending with Scripture.
Dear brothers and sisters it is time to choose. This is a much more serious matter than politics. Unity within the church should only be founded upon Jesus Christ. Not based upon unity with everyone who claims to do something in Jesus’ name.
“Now I plead with you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.” I Corinthians 1:10 NKJV
“Whoever transgresses and does not abide in the doctrine of Christ does not have God. He who abides in the doctrine of Christ has both the Father and the Son. If anyone comes to you and does not bring this doctrine, do not receive him into your house nor greet him; for he who greets him shares in his evil deeds.” II John 1:9-11 NKJV
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