“No one has ever seen God…”, according to John 1:18 of the New International Version of the Bible. Yet, there are people who claim to ‘know’ God and claim to speak to God, and claim to have been sent by God to tell you all manner of things. A lot of what we hear in the media in recent times from these so-called prophets, pastors and archbishops, border on putting fear in people about the future, in order to dominate and control them, and use that domination and control to extract every pesewa or cent from these scared souls. And whenever people who are more aware and knowledgeable raise questions, religious fanatics are quick to shout, “touch not my anointed”, quoting the Bible.
But the same Bible says, no one has ever seen God. In my mind, God, knowing there exists and would always exist false prophets, preachers and fanatics, provided clues in the same Bible. 1 John 4:1 (NIV) reads: “Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.” Also, Matthew 7:16 (NIV) reads: “By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles?”
The truth is that the Bible provides so many characteristics of people who are truly sent by God and who are truly following the footsteps of Christ, for which reason they are called Christians. Don’t be afraid to challenge or criticize these so-called prophets and preachers based on how the Bible say they should conduct themselves. If their conduct goes contrary to what the Bible says, don’t be afraid to call them out, even if they carry the title of Archbishop or Prophet! They can rant and rain curses on you, but none will come to pass because they are not of God, and God has not sent them.
Ezekiel 13:3 (NIV): “This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Woe to the foolish prophets who follow their own spirit and have seen nothing!”
Ezekiel 22:28 (NIV): “Her prophets whitewash these deeds for them by false visions and lying divinations. They say, ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says’—when the LORD has not spoken.”
