PROPHESYING MONEY OUT OF PEOPLE’S POCKET?

Years ago I knew a number of couples who got married because some so-called prophet prophesied to them, telling them they should marry. Every single one of those marriages failed because they looked to a so-called prophet to guide them instead of the Holy Spirit residing within. Don't marry someone just because some so-called prophet prophesies to you.

For example, forty years ago one fellow I knew married a woman because someone prophesied that he should. It wasn't God's will, and it got him off track with God. He's been out of the ministry all these years and just recently got back in the ministry God had for him all those years. People are in danger when they go around trying to regulate other people's lives from the prophet's office.

I remember one fellow I knew several years ago who was called to the office of the prophet. But he got off into error because he thought he should prophesy all the time; he put prophesying before the Word! He had a message for practically everyone he met. He'd even stop people on the street to give them a "word" from God.

He didn't have a message from God for all those people! I tried to help him and tell him about the scriptural operation of prophetic office, but he wouldn't listen. God had mightily used him at one time when he was walking in the light of the Word. One of my own board members told me how God had used this prophet in his own life. This board member was in one of this prophet's meetings. The board member told me, "That man didn't know a thing about me. But suddenly in the middle of his sermon, he stopped, pointed to me, and said, 'Come up here.' Then he told me exactly what was wrong with me physically, laid hands on me, and I was instantly healed."

God had used this prophet mightily along that line. Later I had an opportunity to meet him because we were both staying in this board member's home for a short time. Every few minutes this "prophet" would prophesy to me. He had been in the house about twenty minutes, and he prophesied to me nineteen times! I didn't pay any attention to it. Not a word of it was so.

I told him, "You've distorted the office of the prophet. It's not what you think it is. The prophet doesn't just go around giving personal prophecies to everyone. He is first and foremost a preacher or a teacher of the Word of God." But he wouldn't listen to me. He even tried to give personal messages to every church member in every church where he preached! He did that even when the Holy Spirit wasn't manifesting Himself through prophecy. In other words, he did it in the flesh, and evil spirits began to accommodate him and speak through him.

As this man's ministry got further and further from God, he began to prophesy money out of people's pockets into his. You'd better watch out for those ministers who are always talking about money.

When any so-called prophet starts prophesying about money — watch out! They aren't doing it by the Spirit of God. Sooner or later they will get into trouble because that isn't scriptural. You can't find that in the Bible. This man was misled about the true function of the prophetic office. By misconstruing and misusing the prophet's office, he went bankrupt spiritually. He finally died at an early age. It's a pity because he could have been such a blessing to the Body of Christ.

We can see why it's so important to heed what Jesus said to me in the vision: "The prophet is first of all a preacher or a teacher. His main ministry is to preach or teach the Word. Prophesying is not his main ministry." A prophet who bases his ministry on personal prophecy instead of on preaching or teaching the Word will get into error and wreak havoc in the Body of Christ. (Kenneth Hagin)