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THE VICTIMS OF FALSE PROPHETS IN THE CHARISMATIC CHURCH

THE VICTIMS OF FALSE PROPHETS IN THE CHARISMATIC CHURCH

With what I went through in 2019 I ended up working with lots of victims of ministers. The ministry I was working with at the time even created a whole new ministry out of this called "Voice for Victims", because they saw that this was such a problem in our movement. During that time I learned a lot about this form of demonic abuse that takes place in the church, and I learned a lot about how victims respond and react to ministers and ministries that have abused them.

One of the things that psychologists have documented after studying abuse victims and their victimizers, particularly in the church, is that when a minister falls or is exposed as an abuser, there are always primary victims and secondary victims. In a case of sexual abuse, the primary victims are the ones who were directly enticed or seduced by the minister to give themselves sexually to the minister. The secondary victims are the ones that are a part of the minister's flock or global following who are hurt over the ordeal.

In the case of primary victimization there is never a case to be made for the minister which says the relationship was "consensual" if it, 1) began on the minister’s spiritual turf, and 2) it involved sin, such as fornication or adultery for instance. Why? Because the parishioner comes into the church or ministry where the minister is in a place of authority. The parishioner does not come in on equal footing, therefore nothing can be deemed consensual.

Not only is the minister in a place of ecclesiastical or organizational authority, they are also in a place of "spiritual" authority which makes the situation all the more grievous. It creates an environment for much greater abuse because spiritual manipulation by someone who is received as representing God is the worst and most deceptive kind. Add to that the operation and manifestation of proven spiritual gifts and power that's operating in charismatic ministers, you create an environment in the charismatic church for the worst kind of abuse and victimization in my opinion. There are myriads of people out there that would do just about anything for their charismatic idols who have proven gifting, including if it came down to it, various sins if they're called upon to do so. It's happened in history over and over, and it's happening today as well, unfortunately.

SECONDARY VICTIMS

As I stated before, secondary victims are usually composed of the broader following of the minister who falls, who may not have any physical interaction with the man or women of God, but they follow their teachings/ministry and have been greatly impacted by them. They become victims as well because they are hurt by the minister’s fall and exposure, even if they weren’t directly victimized physically or psychologically.

Now the interesting thing that studies have shown, when people have investigated follower’s reactions to their idols falling, is secondary victims will almost always defend the abusive ministers and attack the primary victims that have exposed their abusers. This is quite odd when you really think about it, but it’s been proven time and time again when these situations occur. Secondary victims are almost always completely prejudiced, unwilling to be objective, and unable to hear the victims out or respond with rationality to evidence that surfaces. Why is this? It’s because denial is always the first step in grief. Denying the reality of what’s happened is a built in survival mechanism that human beings have, for whatever reason, and many times when traumatic things happen our own hearts will lie to us because we’re not ready to face the painful reality of what’s happened or what’s been happening for years right under our noses. We cannot face the fact that evil was happening right in front of us and we could never see it or discern it.

(Jer.17:9)

“The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; Who can know it?


Now for this article I’m not going to get into all of the theological implications of such a verse. Many Christians believe that they’ve received a new heart just like they believe that they’re “fully saved/redeemed”, and although it’s true that we are saved and we have been given a new heart, it’s clear to me that we’re still in process. It’s clear to me that we still have to “work out our salvation daily with fear & trembling” (Phil.2:12). It’s clear to me that we have to keep choosing the new heart, the new nature, and the ways of God day after day, and we have to continue to be transformed by the renewing of our minds and not be conformed to the ways of this world (Rom.12:2). It’s clear to me that good men/women in the church can still end up doing wicked and evil things if they allow themselves to be drawn away and enticed by their own lusts (Jam.1:14).


It’s still clear to me that many secondary victims deceive themselves when their heroes are exposed because it’s too painful for them to face the truth about what’s happened. What does it say about their discernment? What does it say about their overall faith in Christ if they’ve followed a minister for years who turns out to be an absolute wolf. What does it say about a person’s judgment of character if someone they thought was the closest to the throne of God turns out to be a charlatan? What does it say about the hundreds of hours and many years possibly wasted sitting at the feet of this man or woman who has betrayed them and God? It’s not an easy thing for anyone to go through, so you can expect a certain amount of emotion and irrationality to be exhibited, at least for a period of time after exposure occurs.


HOW DOES THIS RELATE TO WHAT’S HAPPENING CURRENTLY IN THE PROPHETIC MOVEMENT?


I wish it wasn't the case, but I’m sorry to say I see the same patterns of victimization and victimhood being exhibited by many of the false prophets and their followers today. I’m no way saying that there's sexual sin happening with any of the prophets who have been exposed by the Lord recently, but nonetheless I still see patterns of abuse in what’s happening now that’s similar to other situations of abuse that arise in the church. I see men and women who are too big to be judged or corrected for their demolishing of people’s precious faith in all this. I see a cult following that has been so abused spiritually by the spirits that control these false prophets that they cannot bring themselves to face the painful truth about their idols and what’s happened.


I’m not saying that every prophet who prophesied falsely today is a false prophet, but some of them are false prophets who have prophesied falsely. Some of them have been proven to be false prophets through many things which they’ve done and said, which I’ll reserve for another written work. But for this article I’m addressing the false prophets and their followers.


Followers of false prophets have been taken advantage of. False prophets have siphoned off millions and millions of dollars since the Trump era began, using the charisma and optimism of President Trump as He’s spoken of a new America, a new day, and change for the better never considering the sins of America. The false prophets today, like the false prophets in the glory days of ancient Israel, have convinced the people that no matter what sins they have committed against a Holy God that the golden era of America would continue uninterrupted because after all God is good and God is love.


(Jer.23:16-17)

16 Thus says the Lord of hosts: “Do not listen to the words of the prophets who prophesy to you. They make you worthless; They speak a vision of their own heart, not from the mouth of the Lord.

17 They continually say to those who despise Me, ‘The Lord has said, “You shall have peace” ’; and to everyone who walks according to the dictates of his own heart, they say, ‘No evil shall come upon you.’ ”


They continually say to a people, to a church, and to a nation that has “despised the Lord” and “walked according to the dictates of their own hearts” that no evil shall come upon this them. It’s been false prophecy plain and simple. Donald Trump’s message of “Making America Great Again” has been adopted by prophets and ministers in the charismatic church and has become a false prophecy campaign and a false gospel of sorts. Trump’s message blended very well with hyper-dominionism (which means to go beyond the biblical authority of the believer in this age). His message blended very well with hyper-grace teachers (teachers who go beyond biblical grace and tell people that there’s no consequence for sin based on what happened two thousand years ago). His message blended very well with preterist teachers/prophets in the charismatic church (teachers who tell the body that all of the harsh prophecies of scripture are behind us and all that’s left to fulfill in bible prophecy is the kingdom takeover of the nations). I’ve always known of the dangers of this blending, but I never dreamed that it would get as bad as it’s gotten. Lord have mercy on us.


THE MIXTURE OF MAGA WITH FALSE PROPHECY


I personally love Donald Trump. I love many of the things He’s done for this nation. I loved many of his policies. I loved the fact that He was the most pro-Israel, pro-life, pro-America President possibly in history. But I’ve always known, based on what the Lord has shown me from the beginning of his rise, that his presidency would not be a true solution to America’s problems. I always knew it would be a mercy from God, to give us more time to prepare for what was inevitable for a covenant nation that has turned from God. But over the years as I have tried to sound that alarm it’s felt at times like my words were drowned out by the bull horn that’s been the false prophecy message. It’s been very disheartening at times. But having read my bible and having been made aware by the Lord of the biblical realities of what was happening, I knew that God would use all of this for his glory and for his ultimate purposes, even if the church has been smothered by the spirit of the false prophet.


These false prophets, whether they performed with malicious intent or not, it does not change the consequence of their abuse. They have abused God’s people. They have preyed on the hopes and the fears of a church who loves this nation. The church misses the good ole’ days of America where businesses were closed on Sundays and religious persecution against the church was never even thought of. The church fears what has happened and fears for what might happen if God doesn’t intervene or we don’t see a miracle of some kind. The false prophets have used that heightened emotional state of the church to manipulate out of the Lord’s beloved millions in followers, fan-fare, and money. People’s very souls have been assaulted as millions have given themselves over to the delusion that’s been promised in place of reality. True prophets have offered the sobering endtime biblical message, and false prophets have served sugar honey ice tea on every broadcast. God will hold these false prophets accountable for this. They will stand before God one day for this abuse of the word, for the abuse of their office, and for their abuse of God’s people.


The reaction is the same as I saw in 2019 when many people’s hero was exposed as an abuser. The rabid following of the false prophet not only attacked me viciously and mercilessly, someone who was trying to stand up for the weak and the hurting, but they also mercilessly and viciously attacked the primary victims of this man. They seemed to care not about the hard copy evidence, the hundreds of hours of first hand eye witness testimony, the phone screen shots, the audio recordings, or the validation to my claims that came from an independent private investigator. The followers of this man attacked his victims because they themselves were victims. They themselves were hurting from the exposure. They themselves didn’t want to face what it would mean for them if the reports were true. Denial and attacking the ones who were exposing the truth was easier than facing the reality. This is exactly what’s happening currently in the prophetic movement.


JEZEBEL’S TABLE THAT’S BEEN SET UP FOR THE COMMERCE OF FALSE PROPHECY AND FALSE HOPE


The spirit of the false prophet that has gotten into the prophetic movement has set up Jezebel’s table. Jezebel’s table is the economic system that is set up through the commerce of false prophecy, false hope, and the vault of ear tickling false teachings that Satan has been stocking up since the beginning. Like in the days of Elijah in biblical times, prophets who refuse to tap into this economy and tow the Jezebelic spiritual party lines end up eating scraps out of caves and running for their ministerial lives. How they and their messages survive is truly a testament to the grace of God.


Jezebel’s table was set up in this movement and there was a very lucrative false prophecy economy that was created in conjunction with the “Make America Great Again” and “Q Anon” movements. But it was always a house of cards allowed to be set up by the Lord for his mysterious purpose and will. When we are fooled by our own hearts and when we depart from scripture, thinking that there will not be any consequence for our sin; when we become convinced that one man’s charisma and optimism is greater than the spiritual laws of God’s own righteous judgment and justice, then we are doomed to be a part of a movement that builds Ezekiel’s weak wall laced with the untempered mortar of false prophecy (read Ezek.13:1-14). The false sense of security, the wall with untempered mortar that’s been created through false prophecy will eventually break down, and God himself will orchestrate it just like He did in the days of ancient Israel. That is exactly what’s happened with the failed Trump prophecies, and we’re currently dealing with the fallout.


CONCLUSION


I appeal to you, my brothers and sisters in the Lord, hear reason. Do the best you can to separate yourself from the emotions of the hour and see and hear what the lord would say through this article and through the scriptures I’ve presented you with today. You’ve been duped. You’ve been played. You’ve been fooled by a spirit of false prophecy that has not helped to restore America. It has only given us more over to the domain of the Evil One because it never addressed the real issue that is tearing down America, which is sinning against a Holy God.


I appeal to you to see that which the Lord has made plain. Prophets prophesied that Donald Trump would win his second consecutive term and that Joe Biden would never step foot in the White House. They prophesied falsely. Whether it was by malicious intent or through self-delusion or personal deception, I know not. I don’t know their hearts. But the damage and consequence of their actions and false prophecy is still just as devastating. Hold them accountable. Don’t listen to them anymore if they don’t repent. Repent for your part in perpetuating their false prophecies and false hopes, and give yourself grace too. A lot of us were caught up in this and couldn’t see clearly what was really happening until the Lord brought down the house of cards.


I appeal to you to do what’s hardest now and face the truth. The truth is you were deceived and you were used in aiding an evil spirit which has perfected the art of blame-shifting. We blamed the democrats and radical left for the condition of our country when really they are just a symptom of the real problem. The house of God has been overrun with Baal and Jezebel. The house of God is full of sin and wickedness. We protect false prophets and sexual predators in the church, while treading over victims and precious children of God many times without thought or conscious. We tolerate sin, worldliness, compromise, and immoral lifestyles from our leadership, from our pastors, and from our people. We delude ourselves into thinking that because God is love and God is good that God will not judge us for our sin and wickedness. Oh how wrong we’ve been.


I appeal to you to do what’s hardest and break the spiritual bond that you may still have with these prophets and the spirits animating them. You are not turning from God if you turn from them. You are not losing faith if you choose to no longer trust people who have lied to you. You are not betraying your country if you choose to accept that your country is under judgment from God because of her sins. You are not weak if you choose to humble yourself, repent, and change your mind on something. That’s what repentance means, to change your mind. It’s time to change your mind about these prophets. It’s time to change your mind about Donald Trump. It’s time to change your mind about MAGA and Q. You have been a victim of false prophecy and prophets but you don’t have to stay a victim. If you accept the truth and hold your victimizers accountable then they can no longer hold sway or power over you. The only question is are you willing to face the cold hard truth and leave the warm blankee of your lies and delusion behind? Are you willing to be misunderstood, misrepresented, called a leftist sympathizer, a Trump betrayer, or someone who’s betrayed God by these false prophets and their rabid cult followings if you do what you know in your heart is right at this time? Are you willing to be like Elijah and trust God for your bread, which at times will come from ravens or through miracles in the widow's house, if you dare to cross Jezebel? If you are willing then you can really know freedom and peace at this time. If you’re not then you will continue to be a victim and you will continue to be a part of the problem with the church and America and not a part of the solution. You choose. Just know God will hold you accountable for your choice.


In His Service,

Stephen Powell

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P.S. On one final note I would like to add: If the boot doesn’t fit then don’t wear it. Maybe you’re someone who doesn’t feel this applies to you, doesn’t feel like this has affected you in a significant way, and that’s fine. Don’t take any false burdens that aren’t yours to bear. But if this does bear witness and I did strike some cords with some of the things written here today just bring it to the Lord. I trust him that he’ll lead you and guide you moving forward as you trust him in all your ways!

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