" Let these false prophets tell their dreams, but let my true messengers faithfully proclaim my every word. There is a difference between straw and grain! - Jeremiah 23: 28 (NLT)
I have to admit it. When I first watched the video from someone claiming to be "Apostle" David E. Taylor prophesying the winner of last week's Super Bowl I chuckled because of the sheer lunacy of it all. Even though the false apostle appeared to be very sincere in sharing that the upcoming game was going to be a Denver victory. He was detailed in claiming that this vision came to someone close to him in a dream from God and that the Holy Spirit confirmed it in his own spirit. He wasn't sure about the score, saying another person he knew dreamed the final as 24-21 but that the "spirit" hadn't confirmed the score for him. Despite that uncertainty however, he was certain that God wanted to show His ability to forecast by imparting the immovable fact that the Denver Broncos were going to be Super Bowl Champions.
Then the Seattle Seahawks won the game. Oh, and it wasn't even close. Wait a minute...yep the "spirit" has just confirmed in me that the Seahawks won the game 43-8. Seems the "apostle" must have been confused. God didn't want to show off His ability to forecast as much as He wanted to show off His ability to expose false prophets for what they are. Normally that would be the end of this amusing yet sad tale but then I decided to visit the "apostle's" website. It seems making a fool of himself is not all Mr. Taylor has been up to.
http://www.joshuamediaministries.org/node
That's right folks. The wannabe apostle and false prophet apparently runs a large fake healing ministry. How can I be so sure that it is fake? Well despite the fact that he proudly proclaims to be following in the footsteps of renowned fake healers such as Benny Hinn; I watched the Super Bowl. God does not use people like this beloved. The prophets of God speak from God and God is never wrong. In fact, God seems to take these matters very seriously:
But any prophet who falsely claims to speak in my name or who speaks in the name of another god must die.' - Deuteronomy 18: 20 (NLT)
Now I know this flies in the face of the modern false prophets from Kansas City and Bill Johnson out in California. To hear scam artists like Rick Joyner or Cindy Jacobs tell it, 65% accuracy is respectful for a "prophet" of God. Despite the utter stupidity of that notion these charlatans make quite a living pretending to be speaking for God. Digging further into the website however reveals that Mr. Taylor has authored a book claiming that he can ensure that Jesus Christ visits you personally!
http://www.joshuamediaministries.org/facetoface/thebook
On this page Taylor actually claims that Jesus told him in a visitation that anyone who hears this message or reads his book will receive a visitation from Jesus as well. That's right, who needs a marketing representative when you have the Almighty as your agent? If you buy his book, he assures you that somewhere within the next 3-4 months Jesus will visit you too. Considering one of his heroes is Benny Hinn, who once falsely prophesied that Jesus would physically appear at one of his meetings, this blasphemy is hardly surprising. What is more surprising however is that his follow up book, entitled "My Trip to Heaven" further compounds the blasphemy. In this book, Taylor doubles down on his heresy to claim that Jesus took him to the throne room in the third heaven where he met Father God face to face. I guess the "apostle" never read the Old Testament:
The Lord replied, "I will make all my goodness pass before you, and I will call out my name, Yahweh, before you. For I will show mercy to anyone I choose, and I will show compassion to anyone I choose. But you may not look directly at my face, for no one may see me and live." - Exodus 33: 19-20 (NLT)
This apparently is just one of his many visits to heaven but at least he saved the most blasphemous for his book. His promises for us who read this book include but are not limited to:
1) Experiencing Jesus coming to you face to face personally
2) Being taken by the Lord personally on a tour to see Heaven
3) Meet God the Father in person
Wow, that is some publishing deal he got from God! He actually has the nerve to put this on his page that sells his book! But then again snake oil salesmen do not care about the brashness of their claims. They have no fear of God. Our key verse today come from the Lord through the Prophet Jeremiah, who for the record would have known the Seahawks were going to win the Super Bowl. True messengers who can move in the prophetic gift of God are still at work in the Kingdom. Unfortunately it is people like this false prophet who give credence to the arguments of cessationism. But God spells it out for us clearly here through Jeremiah. False messengers tell their own dreams as if God caused it but in the end it is nothing but straw to us. We cannot eat it. It cannot sustain us. It cannot build us up. True messengers faithfully proclaim the Word of God and that will be like grain to us. It can be eaten. It can sustain us. It will build us up. Beloved there is a difference between straw and grain. One can give us life and is from the Lord. The other however may look more sparkly. It may sound more ostentatious. But at the end of the day it is like straw in our mouths.
Don't tell me the dreams of man when I have the Word of God. Don't try and sell me your demonic visitations as a move of of the Lord when I have His Holy Spirit inside of me. Lastly, don't tell me the Broncos are going to win the Super Bowl. Everyone knew the Seahawks had a much better defense and defense wins championships. There is nothing prophetic about that.
Rev. Anthony.
