Can You Prove That?

It was is Gadston, Alabama. It was night. I was in a band of 7 people – the sound and lights guy. I was 19. I was stupid, unsaved but claiming to know God, living a double life of intentional sin full of guilt because I had been exposed to the truth. A “prophet” asked us to kneel at the altar. Suddenly many of the leaders of this church that were hosting us began to pray over us and the “prophet” began to give great claims for each person in the band. I don’t remember mine specifically but I remember feeling weird and thinking, “These sound like horoscopes in the paper…they could come true no matter what and they are all good.”

I hate to put the word “prophet” in quotes but as much as I don’t want to shame God if he was a prophet, I don’t know if he was a true prophet. Since those days, I have become a follower of Christ, a disciple and have grown into Christian Leadership. I have heard many prophets – some would be prophets – along the way. A few people have spoken to me what they believe the future to be for me. Some have come to tell me the “unspoken” things of God about my life. Always looking for inspiration – even for God to work by teaching me through a “false prophet” – I have often found some good in their messages. However, mostly, it has been clear that most are just people trying to make a point or people who sound programmed by their tradition to give a “word of truth”.

Prophecy unveils something that one could only know by the wisdom of God (or the enemy’s whispers) about the current condition or the future. Prophecy is not discernment. Prophecy is not the ability to read people and situations and then figure it out. Prophecy is supposed to be the direct communication of God to a person who will be his voice to someone else at a time and in a way as determined by God. True prophecy is never for the benefit of the prophet, never comes with a price or seeks honor of its own. True prophecy usually gets the prophet banned or killed but true prophecy does not seek to divide, separate or cause offense. True prophecy seeks reconciliation with God. A true prophet is measured by the accuracy of his diagnosis or prediction.

Leaders should ask, “Can you prove that?” when the “prophet comes in their office. “If we do this, then this is going to happen and then…this (good or bad) is going to happen…” Is it fact? How does one know that all of “this” is going to happen? If they can prove it, then they are not a prophet but perhaps a shrewd or wise partner in leadership or analysis. If they cannot prove it, then you must ask, “So if we can’t prove it, is it fact or fabrication?” The average leader knows that such an analysis can be almost impossible even if the argument proposed is plausible. The foolish leader dismisses anything that can’t be immediately proven. The emotional leader accepts great “proposals” on the value of the moment – sadly using phrases like, “We must accept this on faith.”

So how do you avoid the extremes while not ruling out the very real “gut instinct” as they call it in the secular world? How do you make sure that you aren’t missing something important? What if God sent this person as a prophet to help you improve or show you the future?

"When a prophet speaks in the name of the LORD, if the thing does not come about or come true, that is the thing which the LORD has not spoken. The prophet has spoken it presumptuously; you shall not be afraid of him."

Deuteronomy 18:21-22 NASU

Does the person have a solid track record of “getting it right”? Have their messages worked for or had the focus of working for the betterment of the effort? Do they stand to gain? What is their motive for delivering the message? What are their claims for this message that can’t be factually proven? Is their life a life that God could work through (in the secular world, “Do they really have the character to asses you?”)? Is there a price for their prophecy? Are they deep or just blowing smoke?

In the end, a prophet can only be proven by their character, who they serve and the accuracy of their messages. If they are not a true “prophet”, do not follow them. If the cannot provide fact for their message, then test them according to the laws of the prophet. Passing such a test is the only way in which they can provide any “proof”. Ask them, “Why should I believe this prophecy? Do you pass the test of a prophet? You know that without fact this message can only come from three sources: you; the enemy; or God. Who do you claim it came from?” Do not listen to false prophets – demand fact from them. Only the weak leader finds himself blown by every wind of claimed supernatural word.