1st John 4:1 Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.
This passage of scripture calls upon us to test the many spirits and prophets that are in the world, for many counterfeits do exist, and are known to thrive on the vulnerable and ignorant, who are rendered incapable of discerning their true nature without the help of God and a knowledge of the scriptures. Trying or testing the spirits is not a manifestation of a lack of faith, but is instead a sacred duty which devolves upon the shoulders of every Christian.
There are several "Tests" given in the scriptures, whereby we may know for certain whether a prophet is sent from God, or whether he or she is a self-made "Wanna be". But we will focus our attention on the first and foremost test, which is the word that proceeds out of their mouths, for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. The tendency to prophesy smooth things which do not disturb the carnal mind, and also the habit of lulling the multitudes into a false sense of security, constitutes one of the foremost red flags pointing to false prophets. On the other hand, the disposition and tendency to deliver the plain truths of God's word without fear or favor, represents one of the main characteristics of a true prophet.
These two opposing qualities were brought prominently to view when Ahab, king of Israel tried to convince Jehoshaphat, king of Judah to join forces with him in going to battle against the king of Syria. But before going, the king of Judah demanded that a prophet of the Lord be brought in to give divine guidance. Ahab tried in vain to fulfill this request by bringing in not one, but four hundred so-called prophets, who told the king exactly what he wanted to hear. Being time-servers on Ahab's payroll, they first ascertained the kings desire, and then honed their prophecies to line up with Ahab's wishes. Let's read:
1st kings 22:6 Then the king of Israel gathered the prophets together, about four hundred men, and said unto them, Shall I go against Ramoth-gilead to battle, or shall I forbear? And they said, Go up; for the Lord shall deliver it into the hand of the king.
But Jehoshaphat observed that there was something fundamentally wrong with the sheer number of prophets who unitedly with one voice prophesied in harmony with Ahab, therefore he asked if there was at least one true prophet of God, who might perhaps give a different point of view. At this second request, Ahab became noticeably uneasy, for he was worried that the prophet Micah might say something altogether different. And so he sent his servants to get Micah, with the instruction that he also should prophesy "Smooth things" that were in line with the kings desires. Let's read:
1st Kings 22:8 And the king of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat, There is yet one man, Micaiah the son of Imlah, by whom we may enquire of the Lord: but I hate him; for he doth not prophesy good concerning me, but evil. And Jehoshaphat said, Let not the king say so. 9 Then the king of Israel called an officer, and said, Hasten hither Micaiah the son of Imlah. 13 And the messenger that was gone to call Micaiah spake unto him, saying, Behold now, the words of the prophets declare good unto the king with one mouth: let thy word, I pray thee, be like the word of one of them, and speak that which is good. 14 And Micaiah said, As the Lord liveth, what the Lord saith unto me, that will I speak.
Here is where the paths of true and false prophets diverge, for the true prophet does not allow fear of ridicule, or the pressure of popularity to enter in and distort God's message, whereas the false prophet's words are calculated to please the carnal heart and quiet the disturbed conscience. These two prominent characteristics must of necessity be brought into the equation when evaluating the credibility of anyone claiming to be a spokes-person for God, and if after careful consideration, a prophet is found to be motivated by popularity or the majority opinion, then we should flee from the words of that person, for they are not of God. Let's read:
Isaiah 30:1 Woe to the rebellious children, saith the Lord, that take counsel, but not of me; and that cover with a covering, but not of my spirit, that they may add sin to sin: 10 Which say to the seers, See not; and to the prophets, Prophesy not unto us right things, speak unto us smooth things, prophesy deceits: 11 Get you out of the way, turn aside out of the path, cause the Holy One of Israel to cease from before us.
In our day there is found to be a preponderance of smooth talking prophets, who teach and preach that which the sin-loving multitudes are clamoring for, and day by day their viewpoints on the various issues of morality are going through a metamorphosis of sorts, so as to be in line with the mainstream media and the majority opinion. But the word of God has declared with certainty that those prophets who lead the multitudes down the broad road, where any and everything goes, will one day meet with an untimely end, for the blood of millions will be found to be dripping from their doorsteps, and that's why Christ Himself gave us the following warning about the two paths which ultimately define our eternal destiny. Let's read:
Matthew 7:13 Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: 14 Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it. 15 Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. 20 Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them. 21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.
As we ponder these words of sacred writ, we sincerely hope and pray that our spiritual eyes may be enlightened to discern between the true and the false, between good and evil for the time is at hand. God bless!