MEM

Because we should all seek after prophecy (MEM Issue 223) not all will be true (Having divine revelation, by Gods Spirit)

Numbers 11:29 "… Oh, that all the LORD's people were prophets and that the LORD would put His Spirit upon them!"

1Cor 14:1 Pursue love, and desire spiritual gifts, but especially that you may prophesy.

Matthew 7:15 " Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves.

Matt 24:11 "Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many.

Matthew 24:24 "For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.

1John 4:1 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.

Acts 13:6 Now when they had gone through the island to Paphos, they found a certain sorcerer, a false prophet…

Why do we need to "Test" (examine, prove, scrutinize; to see whether a thing is genuine or not) the veracity of prophets?

Jeremiah 29:8 For thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: Do not let your prophets and your diviners who are in your midst deceive you…

Jeremiah 27:15 "for I have not sent them," says the LORD, "yet they prophesy a lie in My name…"

2 John 1:7 For many deceivers have gone out into the world who do not confess Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist.

Gen 3:1 Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said to the woman, "Has God indeed said, 'You shall not eat of every tree of the garden'?" …4 Then the serpent said to the woman, "You will not surely die.

John 8:44 "You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it.

Revelation 12:9 So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world…

Revelation 13:14 And he deceives those who dwell on the earth by those signs which he was granted …

2Cor 11:14 And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light.

2Thess 2:9 The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders,

1Tim 5:15 For some have already turned aside after Satan.

Revelation 20:2 He laid hold of the dragon, that serpent of old, who is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years;

Job 12:11 Does not the ear test words And the mouth taste its food?

Ephesians 5:6 Let no one deceive you with empty words…

Luke 6:26 Woe to you when all men speak well of you, For so did their fathers to the false prophets.

Jeremiah 6:14 They have also healed the hurt of My people slightly, Saying, 'Peace, peace!' When there is no peace.

2 Peter 2:1 But there were also false prophets among the people, even as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Lord who bought them, and bring on themselves swift destruction.

Matt 24:4 And Jesus answered and said to them: "Take heed that no one deceives you. 5 For many will

1 John 2:18 Little children, it is the last hour; and as you have heard that the Antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come, by which we know that it is the last hour.

Revelation 2:2 "I know your works, your labor, your patience, and that you cannot bear those who are evil. And you have tested those who say they are apostles and are not, and have found them liars;

1Cor 14:29 Let two or three prophets speak, and let the others judge.

To help distinguish between the true and the false prophecy and prophets

False prophesying (taken from ISBE**)

• related itself to the national ideal independently of any spiritual quality, while the true prophesying ever kept uppermost the spiritual conception of the national life.
• the ones who spoke after "the deceit of their own heart" (Jeremiah 14:13-14);
• those who without real prophetic gift borrowed a message and assumed the speech of prophecy (Jeremiah 23:28, 31);
• those who sought the prophet's role in order to gain the material gifts which came from the people to their prophets (Mic 3:5).
• however, false prophesying’s from men who honestly believed themselves to have a message from YHVH.
• prophecies from self-deceived prophets often led the people astray. The dream of national greatness was substituted for the voice of YHVH. It was against such prophesying that the true prophets had to contend.
• The only test here was the spiritual character of the utterance, and this test demanded a certain moral or spiritual sense which the people did not always possess. Consequently, in times of moral darkness the false prophets, predicting smooth things for the nation, independent of repentance, consecration and the pursuit of spiritual ideals, were honored above the true prophets who emphasized the moral greatness of YHVH and the necessity of righteousness for the nation. C. E. Schenk

Matt 7:15 (by their fruits) " Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. 16 "You will know them by their fruits…

Revelation 2:20 (allowing immorality) "Nevertheless I have a few things against you, because you allow that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, to teach and seduce My servants to commit sexual immorality and eat things sacrificed to idols.

1 John 4:2 (the test of Christ being Messiah) 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.

1 Corinthians 12:10 (A Spiritual gift) to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits….

TDNTa 5. The True and False Prophet in Deuteronomy. Dt. 13:2. offers the criterion that a prophet who summons the people to idolatry is false. Dt. 18:20 offers the further criterion that a prophet is false if he speaks in the name of other gods. Whether what is proclaimed comes to pass or not is another test in 18:22.

1. In the NT the word pseudoprophḗtēs covers various kinds of false prophets, e.g., Jewish prophets in Lk. 6:26; 2 Pet. 2:1, the magician in Acts 13:6, and false Christian teachers in 2 Pet. 2:1; 2 Jn. 7; 1 Jn. 2:18 (cf. Jezebel in Rev. 2:20). False prophets are common in the last days (Mt. 24:11). The second beast of Rev. 13:11 is at their head.

2. Prophets must be tested, not rationally, but spiritually and charismatically (1 Cor. 12:10) by other prophets (14:29). False prophets may perform miracles (Mk. 13:22; Rev. 13:13). Christological confession forms a test (1 Jn. 4:2-3). So do fruits (Mt. 7:16; cf. Rev. 2:20).

The LORD’s people should all be prophets (have divine revelation, by Gods Spirit)

Numbers 11:29 Then Moses said to him, "… Oh, that all the LORD's people were prophets and that the LORD would put His Spirit upon them!"

It is Messiah that appoints Apostles and prophets

Bottom line there will be prophets in the body of Christ (the church) and we should all desire to prophecy - Yet it is our responsibility to test, examine or prove if these prophets are God sent.

1Kgs 22:6 Then the king of Israel gathered the prophets together, about four hundred men, and said to them, "Shall I go against Ramoth Gilead to fight, or shall I refrain?" So they said, "Go up, for the Lord will deliver it into the hand of the king." 7 And Jehoshaphat said, "Is there not still a prophet of the LORD here, that we may inquire of Him?" … 10 The king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah, having put on their robes, sat each on his throne, at a threshing floor at the entrance of the gate of Samaria; and all the prophets prophesied before them. … 12 And all the prophets prophesied so, saying, "Go up to Ramoth Gilead and prosper, for the LORD will deliver it into the king's hand." 13 Then the messenger who had gone to call Micaiah spoke to him, saying, "Now listen, the words of the prophets with one accord encourage the king. Please, let your word be like the word of one of them, and speak encouragement." … 22 "The LORD said to him, 'In what way?' So he said, 'I will go out and be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets.' And the LORD said, 'You shall persuade him, and also prevail. Go out and do so.' 23 Therefore look! The LORD has put a lying spirit in the mouth of all these prophets of yours, and the LORD has declared disaster against you." (Until there is no remedy)

* The use of Us, Our or we, will normally refer to those that have chosen to be the children of God

** International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

Proverbs 6:19 A false witness who speaks lies, and one who sows discord among brethren.

Prov 12:17 He who speaks truth declares righteousness, But a false witness, deceit.

Prov 14:5 A faithful witness does not lie, But a false witness will utter lies.

Prov 17:4 An evildoer gives heed to false lips; A liar listens eagerly to a spiteful tongue.

Prov 19:9 A false witness will not go unpunished, And he who speaks lies shall perish.

Prov 25:14 Whoever falsely boasts of giving Is like clouds and wind without rain.

Prov 25:18 A man who bears false witness against his neighbor Is like a club, a sword, and a sharp arrow.

Psalm 4:2 How long, O you sons of men, Will you turn my glory to shame? How long will you love worthlessness And seek falsehood? Selah

Ps 7:14 Behold, the wicked brings forth iniquity; Yes, he conceives trouble and brings forth falsehood.

Ps 119:78 Let the proud be ashamed, For they treated me wrongfully with falsehood…

Ps 119:118 You reject all those who stray from Your statutes, For their deceit is falsehood.

Ps 119:128 Therefore all Your precepts concerning all things I consider to be right; I hate every false way.

Ps 144:8 Whose mouth speaks vain words, And whose right hand is a right hand of falsehood.

Ps 5:6 You shall destroy those who speak falsehood…

Ps 119:104 Through Your precepts I get understanding; Therefore I hate every false way.

"Assassination is murder, but you can assassinate someone's character by accusation without actually killing them. This is the work of the devil, who is the accuser of the brethren. This is killing the soul and spirit without killing the body. Beware that you do not join in this activity…"

Do you make it a matter of principle not to judge or criticize? Do you extend this even to your adversary the accuser of the brethren? God’s people accuse him freely, but the archangel would not bring a railing accusation against him, but said, "The Lord rebuke thee". The Lord has given us authority over all the works of the devil, we are free to exercise it, let the Lord Judge him. He is totally evil with no redeemable aspect… We can resist and defeat the devil and even minister deliverance to others without pronouncing judgment on him.

"My God, Sweetness beyond words, make bitter all the carnal comfort that draws me from love of the eternal and lures me to its evil self by the sight of some delightful good in the present. Let it not overcome me, my God. Let not flesh and blood conquer me. Let not the world and its brief glory deceive me, nor the devil trip me by his craftiness. Give me courage to resist, patience to endure, and constancy to persevere. Give me the soothing unction of Your Spirit rather than all the consolations of the world, and in place of carnal love, infuse into me the love of Your name."
― Thomas ΰ Kempis

Can you find the names of 25 books of the Bible in this paragraph?

This is a most remarkable puzzle. Someone found it in the seat pocket on a flight from Los Angeles to Honolulu, keeping himself occupied for hours. One man from Illinois worked on this while fishing from his john boat. Roy Clark studied it while playing his banjo. Elaine Victs mentioned it in her column once. One woman judges the job to be so involving, she brews a cup of tea to help calm her nerves. There will be some names that are really easy to spot...that's a fact. Some people will soon find themselves in a jam, especially since the book names are not necessarily capitalized. The truth is, from answers we get, we are forced to admit it usually takes a minister or scholar to see some of them at the worst. Something in our genes is responsible for the difficulty we have. Those able to find all of them will hear great lamentations from those who have to be shown. One revelation may help, books like! Timothy and Samuel may occur without their numbers. And punctuation or spaces in the middle are normal. A chipper attitude will help you compete. Remember, there are 25 books of the Bible lurking somewhere in this paragraph.