About Those Facebook Self-Appointed Prophets

Posted on by Dr. Linda Agnes Knowles

I make NO apologies for what I am going to say.

What kind of mumbo jumbo generic hypnotic garbage are these self-proclaimed, self-anointed Facebook prophets prophesying?!

LET ME CLARIFY SOMETHING TO THE SIMPLEMINDED WHO ARE BUYING INTO THIS GARBAGE: If you are living like the devil, God ain’t gonna bless your sorry self who is living a life of wickedness! Give me a break with the generic puffed-up wealth toting prophecies! Where are the messages from these so-called prophets preaching repentance, the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the power of the blood of Jesus, and the story of Redemption?! Oh, wait! No, no, that is not what those who CLAIM to have a relationship with God want to hear. People would rather hear lies than hearing that disobedience does not bring about the blessings of God! (Isaiah 30:10)! No one wants to hear the truth: Living a life of sin brings destruction and sets you on the broad road to destruction. For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 6:23).

No, I’m not keeping my mouth shut on this. Overflow and increase falling into your bank account? Your income will double this year? February is your month of favor?!!! What a load of codswallop!

The Bible is quite clear in Psalm 5:12 when it tells us that the Lord blesses the righteous and His favor is their shield; therefore, favor doesn’t have to locate you if you are truly a child of the Living God. According to Psalm 5:12, you already have favor because His favor is your shield. The Bible is also quite clear when it states the poor in spirit are blessed (Matthew 5:3), and it is because the poor in spirit are those who realize they are in need of God.

2 Timothy 4:3-4 makes it clear, “For the time will come when men will not tolerate sound doctrine, but with itching ears they will gather around themselves teachers to suit their own desires. So they will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.”

Most of the so-called prophecies of Facebook push money, income, and wealth higher than God (Matthew 6:23, Luke 16:13), and yes, I have read the so-called prophecies from these so-called prophets. God lavishes those who truly love Him with His divine favor and grace (Deuteronomy 5:10, 1 John 3:1). These charlatans who have run amuck with false prophecies are greedy, self-serving, haughty, arrogant, and filled with pride (2 Peter 2:2-4). The truth does not give a flying fig about anyone’s feelings! God’s truth does NOT change.

I have no problem with people being used in the gift of prophecy.

What I do have a problem with is the false prophetic charlatans who would rather lead people straight to hell instead of telling them the truth. These charlatans are perverting the Word of God and they are lovers of self. In the Books of Jude and 2 Peter, these charlatans are called unthinking animals (Jude 1:10-19, 2 Peter 2:12).

Look at the book of Proverbs and observe carefully how things ended up for the simpletons, for those who are simpleminded. (“Only simpletons believe everything they’re told!”-Proverbs 14:15; “For simpletons turn away from me—to death. Fools are destroyed by their own complacency.” -Proverbs 1:32; “The iniquities of a wicked man entrap him; the cords of his own sin entangle him.” -Proverbs 5:22; “”How long, O simple ones, will you love simplicity? How long will scoffers delight in their scorn and fools hate knowledge?”)

God will not be and is NOT mocked.

(“For such people are not serving our Lord Christ, but their own appetites. By smooth talk and flattery they deceive the hearts of the naive.” -Romans 16:18)

It Will Cost You Everything

Posted on by Dr. Linda Agnes Knowles

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“‘I have not troubled Israel,’ Elijah replied, ‘but you and your father’s house have, for you have forsaken the commandments of the LORD and have followed the Baals.'” 1 Kings 18:18(BSB)

Will serving and loving God cost you anything?  Yes, it will cost you everything (Luke 14:25-34), but the results are so worth it.  It is not enough to call yourself a believer.  It is not enough to be exposed to the Word of God.  You must be loving the Lord Your God with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength.  You must be applying His Word to your life and obeying God and His Word out of that love for Him.  It really does come down to choosing whom you will serve.

When leaders choose to worship other gods, it causes problems for the nation or church or organization or households.  Why?  Because whatever the leader’s spirit is will be what the leader will be ministering with.  Don’t get me wrong.  God used a donkey to get His point across to Balaam the prophet in Numbers 22:28.  After all, nothing is too difficult for God. 

Either a leader will lead with the guidance of the Holy Spirit or a leader will be leading by the flesh.  When one leads with his/her flesh, there will always be major issues and problems.

With that being said…

There is one God, but Ahab and Jezebel worshiped Baal (most popular of the Canaanite gods).  However, Elijah was in the midst of the people, and eventually, Elijah challenged the people to take a stand. Either they would choose God or remain Baal worshipers.

When people have to give up their sinful pleasures in order to serve God, you can see their reluctance and walking away because they are not willing to surrender to God.  Their actions will make it quite clear whether they served God or not.  If you take a stand for God, you cannot live the way you want to.

You may be thinking, “I’m not a leader.”  Yes, you are.  All of us lead someone at some point.  Even if you think you are not a leader, you are being watched by someone (children, spouse, professors, teachers, supervisors, co-workers, list goes on).  How you act, what you say, and whether or not you stand for truth matters to whoever watches how you are living your life.  There are those who will watch to see if your walk and your talk line up with each other.  Make sure you keep yourself in right relationship with God, keeping Him first in all things.

 

Just like Elijah had challenged the people so did Joshua.  The Word of God gives this account in Joshua 24:24-27(BSB):  

“Now, therefore, fear the LORD and serve Him in sincerity and truth; cast aside the gods your fathers served beyond the Euphrates and in Egypt, and serve the LORD. But if it is unpleasing in your sight to serve the LORD, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living. As for me and my house, we will serve the LORD!”

The people replied, ‘Far be it from us to forsake the LORD to serve other gods!  For the LORD our God brought us and our fathers out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery, and performed these great signs before our eyes. He also protected us all throughout our journey and among all the nations through which we traveled. And the LORD drove out before us all the nations, including the Amorites who lived in the land. We too will serve the LORD, because He is our God!’

But Joshua said to the people, ‘You are not able to serve the LORD, for He is a holy God; He is a jealous God; He will not forgive your rebellion or your sins. If you forsake the LORD and serve foreign gods, He will turn and bring disaster on you and consume you, even after He has been good to you.’

‘No!’ replied the people. ‘We will serve the LORD!’

Then Joshua told them, ‘You are witnesses against yourselves that you have chosen to serve the LORD.’

‘We are witnesses!’ they said.

‘Now, therefore,’ he said, ‘get rid of the foreign gods among you and incline your hearts to the LORD, the God of Israel.’

So the people said to Joshua, ‘We will serve the LORD our God and obey His voice.’

On that day Joshua made a covenant for the people, and there at Shechem, he established for them a statute and ordinance. Joshua recorded these things in the Book of the Law of God. Then he took a large stone and set it up there under the oak that was near the sanctuary of the LORD.  And Joshua said to all the people, ‘You see this stone. It will be a witness against us, for it has heard all the words the LORD has spoken to us, and it will be a witness against you if you ever deny your God.'”

 

Taking a stand is never easy.  However, either you will choose to serve God and live for Him, or you will reject Him.  When it comes to living for God, there is NO neutral ground.  This is not the time to be backing down.  It is time to rise up and move forward doing whatever task God has called you to do.  You may be in this world, but you are not of this world.  Be a godly influence in this world, but do NOT let the world influence you. 

Linda A. Knowles

“Because the Sovereign Lord helps me, I will not be disgraced.  Therefore, I have set my face like a stone, determined to do his will.  And I know that I will not be put to shame.” –Isaiah 50:7(NLT)

 

 

 

Does God Still Speak?

Posted on by Dr. Linda Agnes Knowles

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Yes, God does still speak to His children today.

As children of the Most High God, we do not take on the beliefs of those in the world whether they are the ordinary unbelievers you come across every day or secular actors, athletes, singers, and the like  who believe that if you talk much about God they consider you to be a good Christian but then consider you to be crazy if you say God speaks to you.   The vain imagination of man and the world’s philosophy is contrary to the nature and character of God and is in direct opposition to what the Word of God says.

Our God is THE personal God.  He is so personal that you are fearfully and wonderfully made complex (Psalm 139:14).  There is nowhere you can go that you can flee from His presence (Psalm 139:7-10).  God knit you together in your mother’s womb (Psalm 139:13).  You CANNOT get more personal than that.  He wants to talk to you (Isaiah 1:18, James 4:8, Hebrews 4:12), and He wants you to talk to Him (Jeremiah 33:3, John 10:27-28, 1 John 1:3).  Having a relationship with God involves communication with Him, and you can talk with God anytime even if you are shopping, cooking, cleaning house, doing yardwork, tending to your children, and taking care of other responsibilities or anything you are doing in your leisure time (Joshua 1:9; Psalm 16:8, 145:18).  You’re not limited in when you can talk to your Heavenly Father or in how often you can speak with your Heavenly Father.

“GOD DOESN’T SPEAK TO ME LIKE HE DOES TO YOU; WHY DOESN’T GOD SPEAK TO ME LIKE HE DOES TO YOU…”

Do you want to hear God’s voice?  If yes, what are you doing to nurture your relationship with God in order to hear His voice?   Are you being quiet enough to listen to Him?  In other words, are you going into your prayer closet where it is just you and God alone, in place of solitude, where He can speak to you without you being distracted?  Are you willing for God to interrupt you at anytime no matter what you are doing so He can talk to you?  If you have a relationship with God, you should be daily spending time in the Word, developing discernment about what is right and what is wrong, and hearing Him speak to you through His Word.  If you have a relationship with God, then you should be spending time in prayer, seeking His Kingdom and His righteousness.  If you have a relationship with God, you should know the Word is clear when it states that “God is not a man, so he does not lie. He is not human, so he does not change his mind. Has he ever spoken and failed to act? Has he ever promised and not carried it through?”  (Numbers 23:19 NLT)   Since God does NOT change, the phrase “God doesn’t speak” is incorrect, and, therefore, does NOT line up with the Unchanging God the Bible speaks of. God uses various ways to speak to His children.

It is important to note this: Do NOT complain God doesn’t talk to you (1) if you are not opening your Bible to study or read it, (2) if you are practicing a life of sin that is drowning out His voice, (3) if you are not paying attention to Him because you’re too “busy” to give Him your attention, (4) if you are complacent, non-committed, indifferent, or stagnant when it comes to God and the things that concern God such as His Will and His Ways, or (5) if you have cut yourself off from Him by actually choosing to be disobedient, disloyal, and have chosen your ways and your will rather than God’s.

“SO GOD SPOKE TO YOU AUDIBLY?”

Usually when someone says, “God told me” or “God spoke to me,” the automatic assumption and conclusion on the part of the listener is that the person heard God speak audibly.  However, the Bible is filled with metaphoric language, which is “the changing of form or nature of a person or thing into something different by natural or supernatural means,” and anthropomorphic language, which is “ascribing human attributes to God.” For instance, in the New Testament, we are told “God is spirit,” (John 4:24) yet at the same time, we speak of being in the hands of God (Deuteronomy 7:8, Isaiah 49:16) and talk about God holding the waters of the earth in His hand (Isaiah 40:12), and we see, in Genesis 1:1, God spoke things into existence such as the heavens and the earth, and in Genesis 3:8, we see Adam and Eve heard God walking in the garden in the cool of the day (Genesis 3:8).

BAR OF MEASURE FOR THE BELIEVER

Within the pages of the Bible, we see the standard of morality and the standard of ethics are set forth by God, and therefore, any preaching or teaching is measured by the Word of God. If a teaching or preaching does not line up with the Word of God, then it must be thrown out.   With that being said, since the Bible is the Authoritative Word of God for those who are believers, it should be no surprise to believers when their fellow brothers and sisters use phrasing often used within the pages of the Bible which they cherish to give them instructions for how to live a life pleasing to God.  God speaks to us through both the Old and the New Testaments.  If you believe in the New Testament, you must also believe in the Old Testament.  The apostles and disciples did not have the New Testament you hold in your hand today.  They got their teaching from the Law and the Prophets as well as those who were in the very presence of Christ and walking with Him during Christ’s time on earth as well as through the disciples who went forth into all the world to make disciples of all nations preaching the Good News of Jesus Christ and the testimonies of those who were witnesses and were saved through the hearing of the message of the cross.

“HOW DOES GOD SPEAK?”   GOD SPEAKS IN VARIOUS WAYS.

  • GOD SPEAKS through the Scripture either by multiple verses or even just a single verse:  “All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right.” (2 Timothy 3:16 NLT)  “For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires.”  (Hebrew 4:12 NLT)
  • GOD SPEAKS in Gentle Whisper/Small Still Voice. “And after the earthquake there was a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire there was the sound of a gentle whisper.” (1 Kings 19:12 KJV)  “While you were doing these wicked things, says the LORD, I spoke to you about it repeatedly, but you would not listen. I called out to you, but you refused to answer.” (Jeremiah 7:13 NLT)
  • GOD SPEAKS in Your Personal Quiet Time With Him.  Jesus spent time in prayer, before God, and spoke with God regularly in a place of solitude.  “But Jesus often withdrew to the wilderness for prayer.”  (Luke 5:16 NLT) “In those days, Jesus went out to the mountain to pray, and He spent the night in prayer to God.” (Luke 6:12 BSB)  And if Jesus spent time in solitude with God, how much more should we to hear what God has to say?
  • GOD SPEAKS Revealing His Thoughts To Mankind.  “For the LORD is the one who shaped the mountains, stirs up the winds, and reveals his thoughts to mankind. He turns the light of dawn into darkness and treads on the heights of the earth. The LORD God of Heaven’s Armies is his name!” (Amos 4:13 NLT)  “‘Her husband Joseph was an honorable man and did not want to disgrace her publicly. So he decided to break the marriage agreement with her secretly.  Joseph had this in mind when an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream. The angel said to him, “Joseph, descendant of David, don’t be afraid to take Mary as your wife. She is pregnant by the Holy Spirit.  She will give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus [He Saves], because he will save his people from their sins.'” (Matthew 1:19-21 GW)
  • GOD SPEAKS by Natural/Supernatural Means.  God used a donkey, a burning bush, a bright light, and has used all of creation.  “Then the LORD gave the donkey the ability to speak. ‘What have I done to you that deserves your beating me three times?’ it asked Balaam.” (Numbers 22:28 NLT)  “When the Lord saw Moses coming to take a closer look, God called to him from the middle of the bush, ‘Moses! Moses!'” (Exodus 3:4 NLT)  “Now as he went on his way, he approached Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven shone around him.” (Acts 9:3 ESV)  “For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them.  For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.” (Romans 1:19-20 ESV)
  • GOD SPEAKS by The Word Of HIS Testimony. “The law of the LORD is perfect, restoring the soul;  The testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple.” (Psalm 19:7 NASB)
  • GOD SPEAKS in Dreams & Visions.  Examples:  Peter, Paul, Ananias. “It will come about after this that I will pour out My Spirit on all mankind; And your sons and daughters will prophesy,  Your old men will dream dreams, Your young men will see visions.” (Joel 2:28 NASB)  “He saw the sky open, and something like a large sheet was let down by its four corners.” (Acts 10:11 NLT) “That night Paul had a vision: A man from Macedonia in northern Greece was standing there, pleading with him, ‘Come over to Macedonia and help us!'” (Acts 16:9 NLT) “In Damascus there was a disciple named Ananias.  The Lord spoke to him in a vision, ‘Ananias!’  ‘Here I am, Lord,’ he answered.” (Acts 9:10 BSB) “About the ninth hour of the day he saw clearly in a vision an angel of God come in and say to him, ‘Cornelius.'” (Acts 10:3 ESV)
  • GOD SPEAKS through People.  “For it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.” (Matthew 10:20 ESV)
  • GOD SPEAKS through His Son Jesus Christ. “but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world.” (Hebrew 1:2 ESV)  “Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people.” (Matthew 4:23 HCSB)
  • GOD SPEAKS through the Prophets.  “He has sent us a mighty Savior from the royal line of his servant David, just as he promised through his holy prophets long ago.  Now we will be saved from our enemies and from all who hate us.” (Luke 1:69-71 NLT)  “I want you to remember what the holy prophets said long ago and what our Lord and Savior commanded through your apostles.” (2 Peter 3:2 NLT) “Are not these the words which the LORD proclaimed by the former prophets, when Jerusalem was inhabited and prosperous along with its cities around it, and the Negev and the foothills were inhabited?” (Zechariah 7:7 NASB)
  • GOD SPEAKS through His Holy Spirit. “And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Advocate to be with you forever — the Spirit of truth. The world cannot receive Him, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him. But you do know Him, for He abides with you and will be in you.” (John 14:16-18 BSB) “Then He remembered the days of the past, the days of Moses and his people.  Where is He who brought them out of the sea with the shepherds of His flock?  Where is He who put His Holy Spirit among the flock?” (Isaiah 63:11 HCSB) “For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.” (Romans 8:14 NASB)  “If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit.” (Galatians 5:25 NASB) “Then the Spirit said to Philip, ‘Go up and join this chariot.'” (Acts 8:29 NASB) “which things we also speak, not in words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit, combining spiritual thoughts with spiritual words.” (1 Corinthians 2:13 NASB)  “But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come.” (John 16:13 ESV)
  • GOD SPEAKS through Godly counsel.  “The godly offer good counsel; they teach right from wrong.” (Psalm 37:30 NLT)  “Listen to advice and accept instruction, that you may gain wisdom in the future.  Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand. (Proverbs 19:20-21 ESV)
  • GOD SPEAKS through Circumstances.  “Daniel said to the king, “Your Majesty, may you live forever!  My God sent his angel and shut the lions’ mouths so that they couldn’t hurt me. He did this because he considered me innocent. Your Majesty, I haven’t committed any crime.” The king was overjoyed and had Daniel taken out of the den. When Daniel was taken out of the den, people saw that he was completely unharmed because he trusted his God.” (Daniel 6:21-23 GW)

 

Linda A. Knowles