The best description I have ever heard of Christian Nationalism is, draping the gospel in an American flag.

A gospel draped in an American Flag is a false gospel, and this is the sin of the evangelical church in the United States at this hour. Nowhere is patriotism for one’s earthly country taught in the New Testament. There is nothing wrong with being patriotic if it’s kept in check under the fruit of the Spirit of self control, but we must understand that as Christians, this world is not our home and our true citizenship is in Heaven.

We are first and foremost ambassadors for Christ, living as in a foreign land. We are the children of Abraham, and like fathers in the faith, we are strangers and pilgrims on the earth. ~ Hebrews 11:13

As sojourners we are to pass the time of our journey in this world in the fear of the Lord (1 Peter 1:17), and as strangers and pilgrims we are to abstain from fleshly lusts which war against our souls (1 Peter 2:11). We are to live honestly among the Gentiles (the world) so that they will glorify God in the day of their visitation (1 Peter 2:12). The manner of life we life before the world matters. And becoming a political, Christian Nationalist who demonizes everyone who is of the opposite political party while behaving with attitudes of malice and strife, is not of the Kingdom of God and Christ

According to Paul’s gospel, salvation is the free gift of God’s grace through faith in Jesus Christ. Was Paul’s doctrine of faith in Jesus consistent with, or foreign to the gospel preached by Jesus and the original apostles whom Jesus commissioned with the gospel? Did Jesus, and the original apostles preach salvation through faith?

To begin, consider that Jesus emphasized faith before Paul ever did. Jesus preached the gospel of the Kingdom, telling people to repent and believe the gospel (Mark 1:14-15). And it was Jesus who commissioned his disciples to go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature (Mark 16:15). Jesus declared “He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned (v.16).

In his gospel, the apostle John highlights the importance of faith in Jesus in relation to salvation. John begins his gospel by declaring that Jesus was the Word of God made flesh, and says the following in his prelude:

He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. He came unto his own, and his own received him not. But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. ~ John 1:10-13

Belief in Jesus, the Son of God, is the central message of John’s gospel who wrote the things he did that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name. ~ John 20:31

John makes this statement in view of Thomas’s encounter with Jesus after his resurrection. Thomas, who was one of Jesus’s disciples did not believe the reports of Jesus’s resurrection by those who had claimed he was alive.

But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came. The other disciples therefore said unto him, We have seen the Lord. But he said unto them, Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe. ~ John 20:24-25

John tells us that eight days later Jesus appeared to the disciples and Thomas was there with them. When Thomas saw Jesus, Jesus said to him, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing (v. 27). 

Next we are told the following:

And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God. Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed. And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book: But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name. John 20:28-31

As I close this first post on this topic, I want you to notice that John says “by believing you might have life through his name.” Faith in Jesus is not merely a get out out hell free card, or a free pass into Heaven. Instead, it is life from the dead. Genuine faith in Jesus changes us, and that change begins because God’s Spirit fills our hearts through our faith in Jesus.

Blessings…

This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief. Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might shew forth all longsuffering, for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting. Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honour and glory for ever and ever. Amen. ~ 1 Timothy 1:15-17

Evangelicals need to be reminded that Christ came into the world to save sinners. Paul refers to this as “a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation…” 

A faithful saying is a timeless message, and an enduring truth. Worthy of all acceptation means it’s it something we must never forget and always be mindful of.  I think this is why Paul says in the next breath, “of whom I am Chief.” Paul did not view himself as the chief of sinners because of a sense of guilt, but rather from a heart of gratitude.

Paul never wanted to forget that he once was lost and God had mercy. Paul then tells Timothy, that his own salvation was a pattern of God’s great salvation to those whom God would save after him. Paul understood the depth of his sinful past, and even so God was merciful, for Christ had come into the world to save sinners. 

In his letter to Titus, Paul tells Titus to remind the people to be examples of godliness with regards to governing authorities, and to speak evil of no man, and not to be brawlers (abusive, fighting, etc.) but rather be gentle, showing meekness to all men (not only to Christians, but all men) because we too were at one time foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving different lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another. 

Too many evangelicals are sending the wrong message of us vs. them. We are not an exclusive group whom God favors and while hating sinners. God forbid! Instead, we are people who have been saved by the grace of God and at one time we too were lost and we should never forget it. If we do, we forget our calling and our purpose.

Christ came into the world to save sinners and has called us as co-laborers with him so that through us the savor of the knowledge Christ might be known in every place, so that the world can taste and see that the Lord is gracious. 

Many who claim to be prophets lack the basic Biblical qualifications required to hold the office of a deacon, much less that of a prophet.

In 1 Timothy 3, the apostle Paul gives the qualifications needed to hold the office of bishop and deacon. A bishop is an overseer, which would include the responsibilities of a Pastor.

Back in the early 2000’s it became very popular among evangelical ministers to call themselves Bishop. Much like the craze over the titles apostle and prophet in recent years, bishop was the in thing to be called if you wanted to flaunt your spiritual credentials. Evangelicals tend to fawn over titles and are prone to give themselves impressive titles to appear more spiritual than they actually are,

However, true spirituality requires maturity and responsibility and this is precisely what is missing from so many who claim to be prophets. They lack maturity and fail to understand that those who minister the word of God are going to be judged more severely if they lead God’s people into error. Speaking on behalf of God, especially if you are claiming to have a direct message from God, is something that must be done with godly fear and reverence.

If Christians would simply learn the qualifications that Paul set forth for bishops and deacons, they could quickly learn to identify those who aren’t truly prophets, regardless if the predictions of “those prophets” come true or not. Correctly predicting who will win an election doesn’t make a person a prophet, especially when they have a 50/50 chance of being right.

Paul tells Timothy exactly why he gives the qualifications for bishops and deacons – that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth ~ v. 15

Accountability among Christian leaders is extremely important, because the church is the pillar and ground of truth for the Living God, but “if the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do?” ~ Psalm 11:3. The errors of the Trump prophets strike at the very foundation of the witness of the church as the pillar and ground of truth. If our foundation is compromised by hypocrisy and lies, then we lose all credibility as representatives of Christ. Immediately after giving Timothy the qualifications for those in church leadership, Paul tells Timothy the following (keep in mind this is in context with qualifying leaders within the church):

Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron; Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth. ~ 1 Timothy 4:1-3

Now consider the qualifications for a bishop (an overseer) given by Paul in 1 Timothy 3 (I will be citing from the Holman Christin Standard Bible):

This saying is trustworthy: “If anyone aspires to be an overseer, he desires a noble work.” An overseer, therefore, must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, self-controlled, sensible, respectable, hospitable, an able teacher, not addicted to wine, not a bully but gentle, not quarrelsome, not greedy— one who manages his own household competently, having his children under control with all dignity. (If anyone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he take care of God’s church?) He must not be a new convert, or he might become conceited and fall into the condemnation of the Devil. Furthermore, he must have a good reputation among outsiders, so that he does not fall into disgrace and the Devil’s trap.

Notice that among other things an overseer or bishop must be above reproach, self controlled, sensible, respectable, hospitable, and have a good reputation among those outside the faith. Identifying false prophets wouldn’t take very long if Christians would just simply learn to hold ministers to these biblical standards. The truth is, many who call themselves prophets openly defy these standards

For example, I recently heard one “so-called prophet” angrily retaliate against those who believe he and others are false prophets because they were wrong about Donald Trump’s reelection. Instead of humbly admitting he was wrong, or at the very least expressing an understanding as to why people disqualified him and others as prophets, he lashed out from his pulpit saying “God hates you!” His rationale was that his critics were bearing false witness, so he used a text from Proverbs 6 to vent his own personal anger and tell them, “God hates you!”

Is this how any leader within Christianity should behave and respond to opposition? Does it in any way conform to the standard of behavior that Paul gives to Timothy for those in Christian leadership? In contrast to his retaliation, consider the instructions given in the New Testament regarding how we should respond when we are criticized, judged, or evil spoken of:

Not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing: but contrariwise blessing; knowing that ye are thereunto called, that ye should inherit a blessing. ~ 1 Peter 3:9

Bless them that curse you, and pray for them which despitefully use you. ~ Luke 6:28

Bless those who persecute you. Bless and do not curse. ~ Romans 12:14

See that none render evil for evil unto any man; but ever follow that which is good, both among yourselves, and to all men. ~ 1 Thessalonians 5:13

For this is thankworthy, if a man for conscience toward God endure grief, suffering wrongfully. For what glory is it, if, when ye be buffeted for your faults, ye shall take it patiently? but if, when ye do well, and suffer for it, ye take it patiently, this is acceptable with God. For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps: Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth: Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously: ~ 1 Thessalonians 2:19-23

If this so-called prophet thought he was being wrongfully accused, he should have responded with understanding and grace so that Christ could be glorified through him. People do have a legitimate right to question anyone claiming to have a prophetic word from God when those prophecies fail. In fact they have the responsibility to test the spirits of those claiming to be prophets (1 John 4:1-4).

Now consider Paul’s qualifications for a deacon:

Deacons, likewise, should be worthy of respect, not hypocritical, not drinking a lot of wine, not greedy for money, holding the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience. And they must also be tested first; if they prove blameless, then they can serve as deacons. Wives, too, must be worthy of respect, not slanderers, self-controlled, faithful in everything. Deacons must be husbands of one wife, managing their children and their own households competently. For those who have served well as deacons acquire a good standing for themselves, and great boldness in the faith that is in Christ Jesus. ~ 1 Timothy 3:8-13

The qualifications for deacons are almost the same as those of overseers, the obvious difference being an overseer must be an able teacher, because overseers hold more of a ministering the word position. Being gifted to preach, prophesy, speak with tongues, sing, dance, or any other expression of gifts does not qualify anyone to be a prophet or leader in ministry. Those who are leaders within the Church must esteem character and represent the truth of God with godliness and integrity. 

For those of you who believe Kat Kerr, and her claims of how she sees into the spirit realm so very often, and has supposedly been to Heaven many times and how she claims to have seen God, I want you to consider the following scriptures:

Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory… ~ 1 Peter 1:8

No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God remains in us, and His love is perfected in us. ~ 1 John 4:12

If anyone says, “I love God,” but hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen. ~ 1 John 4:20

No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is Himself God and is at the Father’s side, has made Him known. ~ John 1:18

Before we proceed further, I want you to notice a point of emphasis about Jesus in relation to the gospel. Jesus is the one in whom God is revealed to humanity. No one has ever seen God (literally seen his person), only the Son whom God sent can reveal God. This is a fundamental truth with regards to the message of the gospel. Anyone claiming otherwise is promoting another gospel. God is revealed to us in Christ alone!

In the Old Testament, God himself told Moses, “Thou canst not see my face: for there shall no man see me, and live.” ~ Exodus 33:20

Now consider Paul’s words:

He alone is immortal and dwells in unapproachable light. No one has ever seen him, nor can anyone see him. To Him be honor and eternal dominion! Amen. ~ 1 Timothy 6:16

Earlier in 1 Timothy, Paul refers to God as “invisible” in a doxology of praise – Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen. ~ 1 Timothy 1:17

Remember, a fundamental truth about the gospel is that Christ alone can reveal the Father. Thus Paul says of Jesus, “who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature.” ~ Colossians 1:15

Those who in scripture saw the Lord, such as the prophet Isaiah (Isaiah 6), did not see God’s face. Instead they saw his majesty and glory, in similar fashion as Moses when God allowed him to see his goodness and glory, but Moses was not allowed to see God’s face. In the New Testament, the apostle John references Isaiah’s experience: “These things said Esaias, when he saw his glory, and spake of him.” ~ John 12:41

Now, I want you to think of Kat Kerr’s claims about Heaven where cows drive tractors, where five and six foot rabbits wear aprons, and where a city made of jello can be found. In comparison to this “Alice in Wonderland” and “spiritual Disney World”  description of Heaven, consider the reverence of Moses, Isaiah and the apostle Paul who each had divine encounters with the Holy One.

When God’s presence overshadowed Moses he immediately bowed down to the ground and worshiped (Genesis 34:8). When Isaiah saw the Lord he cried, “Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts.” ~ Isaiah 6:5

Now consider Paul’s description:

I knew a man in Christ above fourteen years ago, (whether in the body, I cannot tell; or whether out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;) such an one caught up to the third heaven. And I knew such a man, (whether in the body, or out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;) How that he was caught up into paradise, and heard unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter. ~ 2 Corinthians 12:1-4

In contrast to Kat Kerr and others who make claims of regular trips to Heaven, Paul cautiously references an experience 14 years prior, and contextually this was something Paul did not boast in but only mentions it to make his point in refuting the false apostles which were seducing the Corinthians.

In scripture those who had divine encounters with God, or even angels of God, displayed holy reverence. Even the apostle John who walked with Jesus in the flesh and was personally ordained an apostle by Jesus was overcome with in awe (reverence and holy fear) in the presence of the Heavenly glory of Jesus: “And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead.” ~ Revelation 1:17a

The claims of Kat Kerr and others who make similar claims reduce the glory of the Lord to the commonality of human imagination, but God is not common and can not be crafted by human imagination. God is Holy! God is greatly to be feared in the assembly of the saints, and to be had in reverence of all them that are about him. ~ Psalm 89:7

You can believe Kat Kerr and others who make outlandish claims of regular trips to Heaven if you so chose, but if you do, you are choosing their words over the holy scriptures. Kat Kerr, and others who make similar claims, have neither seen God, nor had a genuine experience of Heaven. Kat Kerr is appealing to the itching ears of those who are turning away from sound doctrine to fleshly ideas of spiritual realities.

For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables. ~2 Timothy 4:3-4

KATT KERR ~ Part Two

I recently received a very good question in response to my article on Kat Kerr. I have decided to answer it publicly. Hopefully it will be helpful for those who want the truth. Here is the commenters response to the article:

Hello, I have read your post. It seems your main argument is about SEEING GOD. And it’s clear from your standpoint that no one can see God.

The first thing I would like to understand is, what is SEEING GOD in this context? Is it about seeing all the details of his face? If a man sees the form of God in his brilliance, can we say he has seen God or he hasn’t?

Like if a man stands before God’s throne, and he beholds the brilliance of his essence, is this enough for us to say he has seen God or not?

So help me define well the context in which we are looking at the aspect of SEEING GOD. Thank you.

Here is my reply:

Thank you for the comment, and that is a very good question. Before I answer it I want to say there are many reasons why Christians should reject Kat Kerr’s claims but the most obvious one ought to be her claims of having seen God. 

There were instances in the Bible where people saw God (his form, and/or his glory), not many but only a few, and no one saw his face. I will address this momentarily, but before I do, consider the following:

First, the fact that only a few in scripture had such encounters with God ought to be an indicator to us that such experiences are rare.

Secondly, those who had such experiences with God did not have recurring experiences like Kat Kerr claims to have. Unfortunately, it’s becoming all too popular among false teachers to boast of trips to Heaven. One of them claims to have been to Heaven some ridiculous amount, something like 700 times or so.

Thirdly, those in scripture who had such experiences were deeply affected by God’s glory and power. Their experiences were holy and sacred, unlike today’s false teachers who describe Heaven like a mystical Candy Land or Disney World. The descriptions by Kat Kerr and others who make such claims are in stark contrast to those who had encounters with God in scripture. There is absolutely nothing they have in common.

Fourthly, heavenly experiences in scripture were according to God’s sovereign will in contrast to today’s Heaven travelers who profit from their tales speaking as if they can take off and go to Heaven any time they want to. In fact I recently watched one among them teaching people how to have Heavenly trips.

Now to answer your question. In scripture there were people who had visions of God, but never once does any of them see God’s face. When Moses asked God to see his glory, God specifically said to Moses, Thou canst not see my face: for there shall no man see me, and live. Notice that God uses the expression see my face and see me interchangeably. This holds true throughout the entirety of scripture, as no one has ever looked on the face of God except his only begotten Son, Jesus.

No man hath seen God at any time, the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him. ~ John 1:18

It might be of some help to mention that not even Jesus ever mentioned what God looks like. If anyone is qualified to tell us what God looks like, it was Jesus, and he never did.

There is not a single place anywhere in scripture that describes God’s face, and no one who had a vision of God ever described his face, or even claimed to have seen his face. A case could be made that doing so is forbidden by the second command “thou shalt make no  graven image”, yet Kat Kerr claims she could draw a picture of God’s face from her photographic memory if she were an artist. She is lying.

Consider that if God himself said to Moses “no man can look on my face and live”, and no one in scripture, not even Jesus describes what God’s face looks like, then who is Kat Kerr to claim she could draw the face of God because of her photographic memory? This is the kind of question that Christians should ask rather than being gullible and believing this woman. There is an atheist who has a blog who refuted this woman’s claims with scripture. It truly is shameful when an atheist will take the time to appeal to scripture to refute the lie of a false teacher while a sect of Christians will not, but would rather believe a lie over the scriptures.

I have have an article addressing the visions of God in scripture:
https://rootedandgroundedinchrist.com/2021/07/25/what-does-the-bible-teach-about-visions-of-god/

I am writing this on the morning of Tuesday, January 12, 2021. There continues to be those within the evangelical community who are prophesying and claiming that God has told them that Donald Trump will still win the election and be President. This simply is not going to happen and they will be proven wrong once again. How many times does a person have to be wrong before they will admit they did not hear from God?

It is especially egregious because they are promoting prophecies that puts God at odds with the foundation of our governing laws on which our freedoms and democracy are established. Under the constitution of the United States Joe Biden was confirmed as the winner of the election. All 50 States have certified their votes and the Congress has certified the votes of the electoral college. It is over!

Their prophecies are not only a display of defiance for our governing laws, but defiance of God’s Holy Word, because their prophecies sanctify Trump as God’s man, even though Donald Trump’s character is at odds with everything scripture reveals about our faith. According to scripture, Christians should reject a man of Trump’s character.

“ Lord, who shall abide in thy tabernacle? who shall dwell in thy holy hill? He that walketh uprightly, and worketh righteousness, and speaketh the truth in his heart…In whose eyes a vile person is contemned…” ~ Psalm 15:1 & 4

Donald Trump is vile person, and those who dwell in God’s presence do not sanctify him as God’s chosen. Even the world sees the evilness of Donald Trump and they marvel at evangelical support of this man. Even after Donald Trump incited a mob of far right extremist to commit domestic terrorism, these so-called prophets continue to double down and claim God is speaking that Trump will continue as President.

At this point they are not simply making a mistake of thinking they have heard from God. At this point they are sinning against God with their false prophecies. They are bearing false witness and undermining the truth of God.

Prophecy within the church is subject to the doctrine of God and is to be judged accordingly.

The written Word of God is authoritative and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works. There is nothing in these Trump prophecies that aligns with the sound doctrine of scripture. The truth is, their prophecies are inspired by the words of Donald Trump, and not God.

It is DonaldTrump who was claiming long before the election that it was rigged. It is Donald Trump who has sown division and who has constantly refused to accept the results and who has stirred up many of his followers to turn on their country’s democracy. If DonaldTrump had never made such a claims, and would have accepted the results of the election and agreed early in the process to a peaceful transition of power, many of these prophecies would have never been uttered.

Their prophecies are inspired by Trump, and not God. And that is why they are false and will be proven false, yet again in 8 days from the time of my writing this post.

They have not heard from God!

Within the apostolic & prophetic movement there has been a reimagining of Jesus from that of a lamb to a roaring lion. This trend is also occurring within the music associated with the apostolic and prophetic movement. For example, the lyrics in one worship song says, “Let the Lion roar, let the Lion roar, split the heavens…”

The modern day apostolic & prophetic movement is obsessed with authority, government, dominion, and Christian nationalism. Thus the image of Jesus as a roaring lion (dominant and powerful) rather than a lamb (meek and humble) is more desirable for their message. It has been said that Jesus came as a lamb the first time, but he will return like a lion when he comes again. The teachings and prophecies of the apostolic/prophetic movement reflect this notion. In fact one meme on a social media platform shows the face of a lion with the words, “I am returning but not as a lamb.”

Is this a correct biblical message that should be preached about Jesus? Is he no longer to be worshipped as the lamb of God? Is he not returning as the lamb of God? Is he not returning as the lamb of God but as a lion? What does the Bible teach us?

The scripture that is cited to portray Jesus as a lion is Revelation 5:5, where Jesus is mentioned as “the lion of the tribe of Judah.” This is the only text in all of the New Testament that uses the description “lion” in reference to Jesus. In context it has to do with Jesus’s physical descendancy, thus the description “lion of the tribe of Judah” and can be traced to Jacob’s prophecy in Genesis 49:8-10. Jesus is the ruler, the King, and priest who came from the tribe of Judah and from the linage of David, and as a lion is strong in prevailing over its enemies. so Jesus prevailed over sin and death in his flesh.

Then one of the elders said to me, “Stop crying. Look! The Lion from the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has been victorious so that He may open the scroll and its seven seals. ~ Revelation 5:5

Notice that there is no mention of the second coming of Jesus in Revelation 5:5. It is said, “the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book…” (Rev 5:5 KJV).

The Lord of glory, who descended from the linage of David from the tribe of Judah, prevailed over sin like a lion prevailing over his enemies, and because he conquered sin and death, he alone is/was worthy to open the sealed book which contains the judgments of God. No one else in heaven, nor in earth, neither under the earth was found worthy? Only Jesus!

In the very next verse after Jesus is referred to as the lion of the tribe of Judah he is referred to as the slain lamb in the midst of the throne, the four living creatures, and the elders.

Then I saw One like a slaughtered lamb standing between the throne and the four living creatures and among the elders. He had seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent into all the earth. ~ Revelation 5:6

As mentioned already, only once do we find the word lion used to describe Jesus in the New Testament (Revelation 5:5). In contrast, the word lamb is used more than 20 times in the book of the Revelation alone, to describe Jesus.

In the book of the Revelation, Jesus is worshipped as the lamb (5:12-13). As the lamb, he opens the seals which reveals God’ judgments (6:1). His wrath is referred to as “the wrath of the lamb” (6:16). He is redeemer as the lamb ( 7:9-10,17; 12:11). The book of life is called the “book of life of the lamb” (13:8). The 144,000 witnesses follow the lamb (14:1,4). Those who follow the beast, and reject God will suffer God’s wrath in the presence of the lamb (14:10). Those who are victorious over the beast, sing the song of Moses and the song of the lamb (15:3). The 10 kings who serve the beast make war against the lamb, and the lamb overcomes them because he is Lord of lords and King of Kings (17:14). The righteous are gathered to the marriage of the lamb (19:7,9). The bride (God’s people) is the lamb’s wife (21:9). The city of God (in Heaven) has 12 foundations, and the names of the 12 apostles of the lamb are on the foundations (21:14).

Finally, the Lord God and the lamb are the temple within the heavenly city, And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof. (21:21-23).

The overriding message of the book of the Revelation is that Jesus is the lamb of God. The King that would arise from David’s linage is the meek and humble Savior, Jesus. He is Lord of lords and King of kings. He is the one who redeemed us with his precious blood, and the only one worthy to reveal God’s judgment on his enemies. The lion of the tribe of Judah, the root of David, is the holy lamb of God.

And looking upon Jesus as he walked, he saith, Behold the Lamb of God! ~ John 1:36

In the book of the Revelation it was Jesus who shut churches down and not the government. Jesus told the church at Ephesus, “Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen , and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly,  and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent.” ~ Revelation 2:5

In Revelation 1:13 John saw Jesus in the midst of seven candlesticks. According to verse 20, the seven candlesticks were the seven churches that John saw. Tribulation was coming and John was writing to the 7 churches to warn them about things which must shortly come to pass. It wasn’t worldly governments, persecution, or tribulation which would remove any of the candlesticks (the churches), it was Jesus. Jesus threatened to remove the candlestick of the church of Ephesus if they did not repent.

We would do well to heed Jesus’s message to the seven churches. In fact we are commanded to do so. Seven times in the second and third chapters of the book of Revelation we are commanded, “He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.“

Yet in our world today many evangelical ministries in the United States have gone far from the truth of the gospel and are convinced that a “deep state” within the federal government is actively at work, attempting to shut down churches through covid restrictions. They never consider that just maybe their failing plight has to do with the judgment of the Lord because they have fallen from the truth of the gospel, and are responsible for turning so many away from Christ.

Jesus said “upon this rock (Jesus is the Christ) I will build my church; and the gates of hell will not prevail against it.” ~ Matthew 16:18.

In the book of Acts, the church of the Lord Jesus Christ grew under persecution and God did great miracles, and history shows that the true church of the Lord Jesus thrives in growth under persecution. Those among American evangelicals who have turned the gospel into a political warfare need to wake up and realize that God is not happy with the message they are communicating to the world, and judgement does begin in the house of the Lord.  

I am writing this briefly, as I don’t have much time this morning to expound on it. I want give you 4 reasons why the evangelical “prophets” who got it wrong about Trump’s second term , are not true prophets.

1. They are not true prophets because their message about God is not the gospel, and is not in accordance with the gospel of Christ, and is not sound speech according to New Testament doctrine.

2. They do not speak truth to power. They speak what they think is the truth against those whom Donald Trump opposes: Joe Biden, the democrats, the media, and anyone Donald Trump may throw under the bus. Rather than holding Trump to a righteous standard, they pander to him and even follow his lead.

3. They have no real discernment with regards to the manner of man Donald Trump is. They elevate him as God’s chosen to save Christianity and to save America (and in some cases, even the world), and promote him as such in their prophecies. One of them recently prophesied to Donald Trump telling him that he was the apple of God’s eye. They do not discern the truly vile human being that Trump actually is – his arrogance, his constant lying, his con artistry, his bullying, his meanness, his potential to be a dictator, nor his efforts to undermine the very democracy of the United States. Donald Trump is a divisive human being and he uses people for his purposes. Anyone who stands up to him or even stands up for that which is right, if it’s in opposition to Trump, he will turn on them. He has done this with many.

4. Their predictions were wrong. It doesn’t matter that they were right 4 years ago. They were wrong this time. I am sure there are plenty of people who got it right both times who aren’t even Christians. Predicting who will win a presidential election does not make you a prophet. In fact, predicting anything and getting it right does not make you a prophet, but if you are a prophet you don’t go around making false predictions then doubling down and pulling scriptures out of context to cover your error – no republicans are not at the Red Sea, with the election results about to be overturned in Trump’s favor. He lost! It’s over, and his prophets missed it.

If your message about Christ and about the doctrine of Christ is not according to the gospel, you’re not a prophet, and their’s is not. Their message is Christian Nationalism, promoting the gospel of America as a kind of covenant nation to rescue the world from a one world government. This is not the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ.

I am going to tell you why there are so many false prophets among evangelicals, why so many evangelicals are bewitched by them, and why these “prophets” were wrong about Donald Trump in the recent election.

First, many of the evangelical ministers who are staunch Trump supporters, and many of the so-called prophets who falsely prophesied that Donald Trump would win the election have fostered and nurtured carnel, fleshly attitudes with their teachings, rhetoric, and prophecies.

When a minister teaches people to hate their enemies, curse their fellow Christians, and demonstrate undivided loyalty to a political figure, they have abandoned the teachings and ways of Christ. The most glaring mark of a false prophet is not whether or not they correctly predict who will win an election in-which there is a 50/50 chance of being right or wrong. The most glaring mark of a false prophet is their message about God.

The message of the Trump prophets is not the message of Christ, and that above all else is why they are false prophets. It doesn’t matter if a prophet’s prediction comes true or not, if they lead you away from Christ, they are a false prophet. 

If there arise among you a prophet, or a dreamer of dreams, and giveth thee a sign or a wonder, And the sign or the wonder come to pass, whereof he spake unto thee, saying, Let us go after other gods, which thou hast not known, and let us serve them; Thou shalt not hearken unto the words of that prophet, or that dreamer of dreams: for the Lord your God proveth you, to know whether ye love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul. Ye shall walk after the Lord your God, and fear him, and keep his commandments, and obey his voice, and ye shall serve him, and cleave unto him. ~ Deuteronomy 13:1-4

In Jeremiah, God says the following:

I have not sent these prophets, yet they ran: I have not spoken to them, yet they prophesied. But if they had stood in my counsel, and had caused my people to hear my words, then they should have turned them from their evil way, and from the evil of their doings. ~ Jeremiah 23:21-22

Secondly, many of these “so -called prophets” have turned prophecy into a money making enterprise, and they merchandise evangelicals who follow them. They promote themselves as the spiritual ones who hear from God, and many of them sell their prophecies in books, videos, and by other various means of financial profit.

They are able to garner large followings among susceptible evangelicals who are not grounded in the doctrine of Christ, who become “the market” for these for profit, prophets, who lead them into error. The apostle Peter says that the way of the truth is evil spoken of because of them – And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of the truth shall be evil spoken of. ~ 2 Peter 2:2

The word “pernicious” means having a harmful effect, especially in a gradual or subtle way. Even now, many of these prophets and unfortunately many who have esteemed them as prophets, have doubled down with claims that they will still be right and the election will be overturned. What will be their excuse on January 20, 2021?

Now is not the time to double down. Now is the time to humbly repent of speaking falsehood under the guise of prophecy. Now is the time to repent of indoctrinating others with their errors.

The sad reality is American evangelicalism has been hijacked by those who are involved in a type of sorcery. When you make prophecy a “for profit enterprise,” the result is witchcraft and divination.

In the Old Testament (2 Kings 5), Gehazi, the servant of Elijah thought he could take advantage of Elijah’s gift as a prophet of God and use it for profit, and was consequently cursed with leprosy.

In the New Testament, Simon the Sorcerer wanted to maintain control over the people who had come to Christ and received the Holy Spirit. After Simon saw that the apostles had the gift of ministering the Spirit of the Lord to the people, he offered them money for this gift and was rebuked by Peter – ” Your money perish with thee, because you have thought the gift of God may be purchased with money. You have not part nor lot in this matter: for your heart is not right in the sight of God.” ~ Acts 8 20-21

Notice what Peter says next: Repent therefore of this thy wickedness, and pray God, if perhaps the thought of thine heart may be forgiven thee. ~ v. 22

Peter refers to Simeon’s offer of money in relation to the gift of God as wickedness which Simeon needed to repent from. On more than one occasion, the New Testament writers make reference to Balaam (an Old Testament prophet who perverted his gift for bribery). The story of Balaam can be found in Numbers 22-24

In Numbers 31:16 the counsel of Balaam is spoken of as “committing trespass against the Lord.” In Joshua 13:22 Balaam is called a soothsayer. In the New Testament, Balaam is mentioned in connection with false ministers who forsake the way of righteousness for financial gain, and who place stumbling blocks before the children of God so that they stumble from truth into error.

Which have forsaken the right way, and are gone astray, following the way of Balaam the son of Bosor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness… ~ 2 Peter 2:15

Woe unto them! for they have gone in the way of Cain, and ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward, and perished in the gainsaying of Core. ~ Jude 1:11

But I have a few things against thee, because thou hast there them that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balac to cast a stumblingblock before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed unto idols, and to commit fornication. ~ Revelation 2:14

Those who pervert the gifts of God, such as prophecy into a business enterprise, have turned to corruption and no longer abide in the truth of the gospel. God’s gifts are not to be marketed and sold. 

Finally, there are others among the “evangelicals prophets” who are in error because of a flawed understanding of the gospel, and of New Testament doctrine, and the role of prophecy within the church. Prophets were not given to the church to guide believers, nor to hear from God for believers, nor to foretell the future for believers.

The true ministry of any true prophet is first and foremost to preach/teach the written Word of God and to draw men to Jesus. The gift of prophecy reveals the secrets of men’s hearts so that they glorify God and Christ (1 Corinthians 14:23-25).

Isn’t it interesting that the New Testament gives us the qualifications for those desiring the office of bishop (an overseer) and the qualifications for a deacon, but everyone seems to want to be a prophet nowadays, and many of them don’t even meet the qualification for bishops and deacons.

Do you really want to know the truth?

Many who think they are prophets, do so because they desire a place of spiritual prominence. A true prophet doesn’t have to tell you he is a prophet, and he doesn’t have to go around defending false prophecies. A true prophet is interested in speaking the truth of Christ, so that the secrets of men’s hearts are confronted by the power of Christ. This is what many of the evangelical prophets simply do not understand or even pursue. Prophecy is for edification of the body of Christ, but the evangelical “Trump prophets” have other aspirations.

And that is why the evangelical prophets got it wrong, It is time for them to repent and not double down.

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IDENTIFYING FALSE PROPHETS – PART ONE

https://rootedandgroundedinchrist.com/2021/01/27/identifying-false-prophets-part-one/

TOLERATING FALSE TEACHERS

https://rootedandgroundedinchrist.com/2017/03/24/tolerating-false-teachers/

THEY HAVE NOT HEARD FROM GOD – AN HONEST RESPONSE TO THE TRUMP PROPHETS

https://rootedandgroundedinchrist.com/2021/01/12/they-have-not-heard-from-god-an-honest-response-to-the-trump-prophets/