True Prophets vs. False Prophets--How Can You Tell Them Apart?

Dr. Shirley Cheng, Blind Author with Vision

By Shirley Cheng

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What is a prophet? A prophet is a person who receives a prophecy, message from God, and then communicates that message to others. A divinely inspired message is always direct, specific, and tells exactly what will happen, to whom, and precisely what people should do. Moreover, a true prophecy from God always comes true in every detail. Predictions that "mostly" come true are not good enough.

Two opposite forces operate in our world: the good force and the evil force. The good force is lead by the one and only true God Almighty, whose personal name is Jehovah; His Son Jesus Christ, our Messiah; and the Holy Spirit, which is God's active force that He uses to perform every and any miraculous sign. Angels also belong to this good group, as they do the will of Jehovah both in the heavens and on Earth.

The evil force is run by Satan, the devil, and his demons, which were originally good angels who chose to rebel against God. Many people laugh at the idea of demons, dismissing them merely as part of children's ghosts stories. But demons are no laughing matter; they're real, and unless we take them seriously, we will fall victim to their schemes. These evil spirits' purpose is to go against God in every way, so it is important to know their tactics lest we are deceived. And one of their tactics is imitating God's prophets and prophecies.

How can you tell a true prophet of God from the false prophet of Satan? The below basic guidelines will assist your discernment:

• True prophets always speak in God's name with the authority given by God. False prophets speak in a name other than Jehovah's. This is the first and foremost test whether a prophet is from God or Satan. If someone cannot pass this test, there's no other reason to go on to the other tests.

• True prophecies, as mentioned, always come true exactly as they are told. False prophecies, on the other hand, do not come true, even if they are spoken in God's name. Some prophecies may appear to be fulfilled when they are told in an ambiguous way. For instance, if I say, "A dog will bark in two hours," and a dog does bark two hours later, does that make me a true prophet? No, because I did not indicate a specific dog. What I predicted could have spoken by anyone. A true message from God would have named a specific dog, giving no doubt to whether the prophecy had come true when it did indeed come true.

• True prophets exhibit godly qualities: true love, peace, joy, longsuffering, faith, goodness, gentleness, meekness, and temperance, which are the fruit of the Holy Spirit working in believers. (Read Galatians 5:22-23 in your Bible.) True prophets do good works and speak good words. False prophets do not possess this good nature. Even though Satan and the demons can perform miracles, they do not imitate God's good qualities, so this is one of the best ways to differentiate the true from the false prophets.

• True prophets glorify God through their words, action, and any supernatural signs they perform. They credit Jehovah for the power they receive. False prophets glorify spirits other than God.

• True prophets lead people to God and His teachings. False prophets do not.

Since false prophets (also known as fortune-tellers, mediums, and psychics) have powers from Satan, Jehovah God strictly forbids people to be psychics and mediums:

"There shall not be found among you anyone who makes his son or daughter pass through the fire, or who uses divination, or is a soothsayer, or an augur, or a sorcerer, Or a charmer, or a medium, or a wizard, or a necromancer. For all who do these things are an abomination to the Lord, and it is because of these abominable practices that the Lord your God is driving them out before you. You shall be blameless [and absolutely true] to the Lord your God. For these nations whom you shall dispossess listen to soothsayers and diviners. But as for you, the Lord your God has not allowed you to do so." (Deuteronomy 18.10-14, Amplified Bible)

"You shall not eat anything with the blood; neither shall you use magic, omens, or witchcraft [or predict events by horoscope or signs and lucky days]." (Leviticus 19.26)

"Turn not to those [mediums] who have familiar spirits or to wizards; do not seek them out to be defiled by them. I am the Lord your God." (Leviticus 19.31)

"A man or woman who is a medium and has a familiar spirit or is a wizard shall surely be put to death, be stoned with stones; their blood shall be upon them." (Leviticus 20.27)

False prophets will not be a part of God's Kingdom after resurrection: "But as for the cowards and the ignoble and the contemptible and the cravenly lacking in courage and the cowardly submissive, and as for the unbelieving and faithless, and as for the depraved and defiled with abominations, and as for murderers and the lewd and adulterous and the practicers of magic arts and the idolaters (those who give supreme devotion to anyone or anything other than God) and all liars (those who knowingly convey untruth by word or deed)--[all of these shall have] their part in the lake that blazes with fire and brimstone. This is the second death." (Revelation 21.8)

We have no need for Satanic powers and fortunetelling abilities, for every person who puts trust in Jesus will be able to personally connect with God, without needing a middleman, besides Jesus, God's Son; Jesus is the only mediator we need.

Jesus specifically said, "Not everyone who says to Me, Lord, Lord, will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father Who is in heaven." (Matthew 7.21) Thus, if we want to reflect the goodness of God, we must do God's will to the best of our ability. Jehovah said, "Ye shall be holy; for I Jehovah your God am holy." (Leviticus 19.2, ASV) So if we desire to serve Him and reflect His goodness, we must be holy, and the way to be holy is do what He says and conform to His standards, not our own standards.

While Jehovah loves all of His creations, He does not condone people when they go against His will and standards. As our Creator and Heavenly Father, He has every right and duty to set standards and laws for us to live by, to maintain order and to do what He knows is best for us. He knows what is best for us since He created us. Like a responsible human father who disciplines his children and who appropriately punishes them for bad behavior, Jehovah disciplines and punishes His children--us--when we misbehave. Those who willfully go against His will are abominations to Him, but that does not mean that He will not show them mercy once they truly repent (feel sorry for what they did and never commit the same errors again). In fact, Jehovah loves all sinners so much that He let His only Son Jesus Christ die for us! Those who do God's will and have faith in God and Jesus will have eternal fellowship with God. If Jehovah does not love sinners, He would not have let His Son die for us; instead, we would all eternally perish, with no hope of life after resurrection. Why did Jesus have to die to save us? What does "saving us" mean? To learn about salvation, read my easy-to-read article at:
http://blog.shirleycheng.com/2009/10/15/what-is-salvation-why-did-jesus-...

Our government sets certain laws to govern our lives, and police forces are established to make sure all people comply with their laws. Those who violate laws are criminals, are "abominations" and are punished according to law. Jehovah has the same system of governing people. Would He love us if He does not set laws for us to live by? He tells us not to murder, not to steal, and not to be psychics and mediums. We are only "abominable" when we defiantly disobey Him. But again, He is merciful and will forgive those who truly repent. Many people wrongly believe that God approves everyone, no matter what errors they committed. That is a falsehood that will eventually lead people to eternal destruction: "Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God." (I Corinthians 6.9-10, NIV)

If you would like to learn more about Jehovah and His ways, I strongly advise that you pick up a copy of the Bible. If you need a bit of guidance before and during your Bible study, I'm here to help! So feel free to contact me via my site.

Author's Bio:

Shirley Cheng (b. 1983), a blind and physically disabled award-winning author (with twenty book awards, including nine Parent to Parent Adding Wisdom Awards), motivational speaker, self-empowerment expert, poet, author of nine books (including "Do You Love Jehovah? God Almighty's Infinite Love & Wisdom to Propel You to Greatness"), contributor to seventeen, and a parental rights advocate, has had severe juvenile rheumatoid arthritis since infancy. Owing to years of hospitalization, she received no education until age eleven. Back then, she knew only her ABCs and very simple English; other than that, her book knowledge was non-existent. However, after only about 180 days of special education in elementary school, she mastered grade level in all areas and entered a regular sixth grade class in middle school. Unfortunately, Shirley lost her eyesight at the age of seventeen. After a successful eye surgery, she hopes to earn multiple science doctorates from Harvard University. Visit http://www.shirleycheng.com for more inspiration.

Stuart Young (Inspiration)

How would you know if you met a new prophet?

Dr. Shirley Cheng, Blind Author with Vision (Motivation)

Hi, Stuart, thank you for your question. To see if a person you just met is a true prophet, you can do the following: a) If the prophet instructs you to do something, saying that it is from Yahweh (Jehovah), then you should check the Bible to see if the instruction is in accordance with God's principles or precepts. If it's in contrary to God's principles/precepts, then that "prophet" was not sent by God. Yahweh does not contradict Himself. b) If the prophet predicts something, wait and see if it comes true. If it doesn't come true, then the "prophet" was not from God. c) If the person claims to be a prophet but does not deliver any message from God, then again, you'd have to wait and see the fruits they bear. A true prophet lives according to God's will, generally speaking. Of course, this does not mean that he/she would be sinless. It just means that the prophet will not deliberately lead people away from the only true God, Yahweh. Thank you.

Stuart Young (Inspiration)

By that logic you must believe that new prophets are possible?

Dr. Shirley Cheng, Blind Author with Vision (Motivation)

Hi, Stuart, absolutely, as Yahweh did not say that He will stop using human spokesperson to deliver His message. During the Great Tribulation, God will have two powerful prophets to represent Him (Revelation 11). Thank you.

Stuart Young (Inspiration)

So I have 2 questions: 1. Why do you think God doesn't speak to ALL of us rather than just a few select individuals - surely that would be easier for him/her? 2. If you believe the Bible is factually true then you must believe that at some point God's advice was for us to stone our children to death for not believing in him - does that sound like a loving God to you?

Dr. Shirley Cheng, Blind Author with Vision (Motivation)

Hi, Stuart, a) God does speak to all people--through His Word, the Bible, which is accessible to most people; those who can read/listen to it can pass on its message to those who can't. It's only under unique circumstances does God use a spokesperson, just as a national leader sends out their ambassador to another country, not millions of copies of a letter to every individual citizen in that country. By His sovereignty, God can choose what methods to communicate with people, just as He has the sovereignty to choose to make the grass green. b) Please show me the "advice" in the Bible where you claim that God advised people to stone their children to death for not believing in Him. Thank you.

Stuart Young (Inspiration)

God is not a human ambassador and therefore does not need to act like one. It would be easier for him to speak to everyone collectively rather than ask a few individuals to pass on the message third hand. The Bible acts as a great excuse to those that follow it blindly, to say God IS communicating with them. As for the texts I mentioned, read Deuteronomy and Leviticus - you'll find it written there.

Dr. Shirley Cheng, Blind Author with Vision (Motivation)

Hi, Stuart, a) since you don't believe in God, why would you bother to judge what would be "easier" for Him to do? God is not a human; His thoughts and ways are not our thoughts and ways, so whichever method He chooses to communicate with people is up to him. Nothing is too difficult for the Creator of the universe to do. While you may think it's easier for God to communicate to everyone simultaneously rather than speaking through one prophet, the issue of easiness/hardness is not an issue with God. God chooses whatever He wishes to do, in whichever methods He desires. We cannot judge the methods of God, just as tiny ants cannot judge our ways/methods. b) I'm a Bible teacher who is teaching the Torah in depth. The "advice" you mentioned does not exist in Leviticus-Deuteronomy. God never commanded His people to stone their children for not believing in Him.

Stuart Young (Inspiration)

Which Bible are you teaching from Shirley. Deuteronomy 21:18-21 King James Version (KJV) 18 If a man have a stubborn and rebellious son, which will not obey the voice of his father, or the voice of his mother, and that, when they have chastened him, will not hearken unto them: 19 Then shall his father and his mother lay hold on him, and bring him out unto the elders of his city, and unto the gate of his place; 20 And they shall say unto the elders of his city, This our son is stubborn and rebellious, he will not obey our voice; he is a glutton, and a drunkard. 21 And all the men of his city shall stone him with stones, that he die: so shalt thou put evil away from among you; and all Israel shall hear, and fear. Seems pretty clear to me. So, do you believe that God once wanted people to act that way?

Dr. Shirley Cheng, Blind Author with Vision (Motivation)

Hi, Stuart, you had said, "At some point God's advice was for us to stone our children to death for not believing in him." However, the ordinance you cited concerned the general constant rebellion against the authority of one's parents, not a child's belief or disbelief in God. God promised long life for those who honored their parents (Exodus 20:12). Thus, honoring one's parents brought life, while dishonoring one's parents brought death. Such death penalty was to uproot evil from the land; when an evil person was put to death by stoning, a) that evil was removed and b) others who witnessed or even participated in such execution would be afraid to commit the same sin themselves, thus preventing the sin from spreading or overwhelming the land. All of God's laws are perfectly just and righteous.

Stuart Young (Inspiration)

So you DO believe that it was OK for God to instruct people to stone their children to death - whatever the reason? Sorry Shirley, if you think that is OK in any circumstance then you are insane. We're back to this blind faith that some have being incredibly dangerous! These passages in the Bible are more indicative of what the Devil might say if he were 'pretending' to be God. What merciful, omnipotent, all loving being would instruct ANYONE to do that heinous thing. It seems to me those that believe the Bible puritanically have actually been tricked into following the very thing they have been trying to avoid.

Dr. Shirley Cheng, Blind Author with Vision (Motivation)

Hi, Stuart, you believe that an all-loving God would not order people to stone their children to death--the thing is, you are judging God according to your own moral standards. You are using your own morality as the measuring stick to judge your Creator. Does an ant have the right to use their own morality as the standard to judge us?

Stuart Young (Inspiration)

Using that logic Shirley, how can you judge the moral character of the Devil by your own standards. We can only make a judgement based on what we know is wrong. Under no circumstances is it right or has it ever been right to stone ANYONE let alone your own children - to death. That is just CRAZY, and if you believe that it must have been ok because God said so - then you are totally misunderstanding God or following the wrong one!

Dr. Shirley Cheng, Blind Author with Vision (Motivation)

Hi, Stuart, you said, "We can only make a judgement based on what we know is wrong." How do we know what we "know" is right? Let's look at one moral issue that concerns all classes of people: adultery. Some of us think it is immoral under any circumstances. Some say it is justifiable in certain situations. Still others do not think too much of it, where they even practice "open marriage." In America (a "Christian" nation), it is not a crime, but in China (a non-Christian nation), it is punishable by law (at least I know it used to be). Tell me whose morality should be the standard and why. How should we determine who "knows" what is right? How do we choose or determine our moral standard for just this single issue, and how can we absolutely "know" it is absolutely the right standard?

Stuart Young (Inspiration)

You actually make my point with this answer. Someone could worship the devil and use this argument that we can't 'know' what is morally right. So why worship God and not the devil. Why not worship Hitler - if we can't know what is morally wrong. If you honestly believe that God was RIGHT to encourage people to kill their own children then there is no hope for you.

Dr. Shirley Cheng, Blind Author with Vision (Motivation)

Hi, Stuart, my points prove that our judgment can't always be trusted or correct. We're like a sheep without a shepherd if we do not live by one standard, and that one standard cannot be determined by ourselves since we have conflicting moral standard and personal views. I believe in the Bible for the reasons I already stated, and fully agree with God's justice system and set its principles as the standard to govern my life. God has the right to destroy this entire universe this minute if He so chooses. This is His sovereignty and His right. You are free to believe otherwise and live according to your own morality. Our beliefs don't change any facts. It's only our loss when we fail to believe in the truths. Someday, you will know there is a God and His truths. I pray we will all know His truths fully for His glory.

Stuart Young (Inspiration)

Possibly. One thing I am totally sure of is that IF there really is a God, he/she will be nothing like you describe in your Bible. I firmly believe ALL of the major religions have misunderstood who/what God is.

Aaron Smith (Business Accounting Software and QuickBooks)

A perfect article. I really enjoyed reading it.

Ryan D

Thanks for this great content. Really Inspiring! By the way, are you familiar with Michael Beckwith, the founder of the Agape International Spiritual Center Cult? I've never been at the Agape International Spiritual Center, but I only heard good words about it. It seems that Rev. Michael Beckwith is really inspiring. I've read some of his books and listened to his audio programs, but I've never been there. Anyway, thanks for sharing this content with us! Keep on.

Zane

I am in your head! so here we are! Assignment | Book Report Writing | Term Paper | Thesis Writing

Akio Ito

I had no idea that psychics and mediums are actually the existance of evil prophets. I must be careful. Huskies for Sale

Guest

sorry it put those 2 in revers .

Guest

put some words together and call him Jimbob. Also for the showing here we will say that the dad hasn’t been much of a dad to that child that child is more than likely going to call him Jim or Bob or yes even Jimbob. See my point? If one truly believes that the new covenant is for all then the Pray that Jesus tells his disciples is true Our FATHER that art in heaven. Remember who he is talking to here. Jesus is talking to followers of the new covenant ones that have been baptized into the new covenant and are sons of GOD the FATHER and now have the right to speak with him intimately as a son / daughter should to their father (it’s the short version but u get my point)

Guest

Well the fact you say Jehovah scares me, we get one spiritual father and if you believe in the new covenant which means ( the adoptions of sons) which make us sons to your father and that gives us the personal relationship with God which gives was the right to say abby father. So in calling him Jehovah you’re telling him that you don’t have that relationship with him. See we have one earthly father yes in some cases we have 2 sure but out of respect we call him Daddy or Father as a sign of who he is to us we don’t call him Jim or Bob and we defiantly don’t

Dr. Shirley Cheng, Blind Author with Vision (Motivation)

Of course, when I pray to God, I call Him, "Father." But my articles are for all people, whether or not they're Christians. Can I introduce God as "Father" to those who have not accepted Him as their Father yet? When an envoy who happens to be the son of the country's leader travels to a foreign country and demands their allegiance to the leader, could he say, "You must listen to father?" Wouldn't he instead command, "Listen to President Jones"? In my articles, I can't always call God "God" either, for that would be the same as calling our friends and family "humans." Now, the Almighty One isn't nameless; the Bible proclaims His name nearly 7000 times. Shouldn't we follow the example of Biblical writers and representatives of Jehovah? Jehovah Himself declared, "I am Yahweh. That is my name. I will not give my glory to another, nor my praise to engraved images." (Isaiah 42:8, WEB) Amen! (To those who don't know, "Yahweh" is God's name in Hebrew.) (continued below)

Dr. Shirley Cheng, Blind Author with Vision (Motivation)

Moreover, we must remember that even though we as Christians are God's children through our faith in Jesus Christ, we are also God's servants. So Jehovah is not only our Father but He is our King as well. Would it be disrespectful of us to proclaim our King's great Name to the ends of the earth? For all the days of my life, I shall joyfully shout, "Hallelujah!" which means "Praise Yahweh/Jehovah!" Jehovah Himself said, "I have sworn by myself, the word has gone out of my mouth in righteousness, and will not return, that to me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall take an oath. They will say of me, 'There is righteousness and strength only in Yahweh." (Isaiah 45:23-24, WEB) Amen!

Guest

IS THE NEW COVENANT ONLY FOR A GROUP OF 144,000 PEOPLE? Show me 2 or 3 witnesses IE Vs in a bible that prove that (find me even one 1 VS that says thats true)

Dr. Shirley Cheng, Blind Author with Vision (Motivation)

Hi, thank you for your question. No, the New Covenant, which was ushered in by Jesus, is for absolutely *anyone* who accepts Jesus into their heart, not just the 144,000. Anyone who believes in Jesus and does the will of God will receive eternal life. To read more about the topic of salvation, please read my articles at http://www.shirleycheng.com Thank you.

Guest

IS THE NEW COVENANT ONLY FOR A GROUP OF 144,000 PEOPLE? Show me 2 or 3 witnesses IE Vs in a bible that prove that (IE find me even one 1 VS that says thats true)

Guest

Are you a Jehovah's Witness, because you used key words that Jehovah Witnesses use. If so, in their past and in their present they have violated your article in a number of ways.

Dr. Shirley Cheng, Blind Author with Vision (Motivation)

Hi, thank you for your comment! No, I'm not a Jehovah's Witness if you're referring to the organization by that name, so I can't speak for them. However, I'm a Jehovah's witness (see the difference?). Jehovah desires all to be His witnesses to set godly examples after which others can model. He chose the nation of Israel for this very purpose--to bless all the nations of the world through them, and through them came Jesus our Messiah, the Savior of the world.

Guest

how to discern the voice of god? i would like to know. THANK YOU.

Dr. Shirley Cheng, Blind Author with Vision (Motivation)

Hello, thank you for your excellent question! In order to discern the voice of Jehovah God Almighty, you need to first develop an intimate, love-filled relationship with Him. People recognize the voices of those they know well--the more you know someone, the easier it will be for you to recognize their voice. Likewise, in order to know the voice of God, we need to have a relationship with Him first, as Jesus, the Son of God, says: "He who is of God hears the words of God." (John 8:47, WEB)

Dr. Shirley Cheng, Blind Author with Vision (Motivation)

To develop a relationship with God, you need to 1) read His book, the Bible, on a regular basis; 2) study the Bible carefully; 3) follow what the Bible teaches and live according to its principles; 4) pray constantly to Jehovah and talk to Him as you would with a good friend; 5) repent of any wrongdoing you've ever done and live a new life by accepting God's principles; and 6) accept Jesus Christ as your Savior. Remember, you are aiming to have a good relationship with God; so as you would treat your human friends well and make them happy, you will need to show honor, praise, and respect to your Creator, who has given you your very life. Once you have a relationship with Jehovah, you'll be able to discern His voice. Let me know if you have any other question! I'm always glad to answer any Bible-related questions. For more Bible answers, visit my site www.ShirleyCheng.com Thank you, and may God bless you!

Stuart Young (Inspiration)

When you say read HIS book 'the Bible' it seems you exclude ALL other books inspired by him but written by man. Are you saying a Hindu is not reading the word of God, or Muslims, or Jews, or Buddhists, or Sikhs, or Jains etc. etc.? This is mankind's biggest problem - people egotistically getting fixated with their choice of belief and excluding others as being wrong or incorrect. This creates separation, division, misunderstanding and hate. Pretty much all of the vices ailing humanity at the moment. The sooner religions of all types come together to rejoice their similarities and put away their differences the sooner the world will be a kinder place.

Dr. Shirley Cheng, Blind Author with Vision (Motivation)

Hi, Stuart, I believe in the Bible because it's historically accurate, scientifically sound, and prophetic. The Bible proves itself as the Word of God. If other book can measure up to it, then I would certainly like to know. While I can't speak for other religions/faiths, I can speak for my Christian faith: the Bible does not cause troubles, only those who abuse it do, just as a knife that is used to murder a person should not be locked up in prison for the crime, only the one who misused the knife should.

Stuart Young (Inspiration)

Unfortunately it's full of repugnant texts that those with that intention can interpret as God's word and therefore his Will.

Dr. Shirley Cheng, Blind Author with Vision (Motivation)

Hi, Stuart, since the Bible proves itself to be the Word of God, it does reveal God's will and plans. It's unfortunate that you find some of its text repugnant. I can only speak for myself: proper application of the Bible's principles have made me a much better person. I'm a living example what faith in, love for, gratitude toward, and hope in Yahweh can do for you. Something that is truly repugnant couldn't have brought so much good.

Stuart Young (Inspiration)

Thankfully, you are one that reads it with a beautiful eye. Sadly, others can read the terrible parts and feel they must act that way because God has said it's ok. If any other book incited such hatred and violence towards others it would be banned in a civil society. WHY do we continue to teach the parts that are so obviously evil?

Dr. Shirley Cheng, Blind Author with Vision (Motivation)

Hi, Stuart, I see the beauty in the entire Bible because it is entirely beautiful. The only evil parts in it are the evil things and the people who do such evil things (i.e., rebellion against parental authority, murder, adultery, prostitution, idolatry, bestiality, etc.) that God hates. It is a great loss to those who cannot see this. If God does not control sin, what kind of just and righteous God would He be?

Stuart Young (Inspiration)

We're back to the argument that IF God 'really' wanted to control sin - he could just speak to each of us 'audibly' and tell us personally. But he doesn't. And to say that we simply don't understand his motives for not doing so is a cop out. It makes no sense. What's really going on is a patriarchal society wished to control everyone using fear, so they invented a God in order to have a personality that gave us the rules. Actually those patriarchs made up the rules. That's why the Bible is so contradictory - it's been written by many people over hundreds of years, edited, re-edited, and re-edited again to suit whichever Pope was in power at the time. Peace, Love and Understanding - but stone your kids to death if they are disresepectful - are you MAD!!??

Dr. Shirley Cheng, Blind Author with Vision (Motivation)

Hi, Stuart, we have the Septuagint and the Dead Sea Scrolls to prove that the Hebrew Scriptures have been preserved for millennia, and any textual differences do not affect its doctrines. The Hebrew Scriptures (Tanakh) existed long before any pope was ever even born. Again, the Bible is prophetic; its ability to foretell events hundreds and thousands of years prior to their fulfillment is unique to only this book. If the Bible was the creation of man, then you'd have to believe that these men sure had supernatural knowledge of the future. I'll say this only once more: how God chooses to communicate with us is entirely up to Him. It is not up to us to determine how God should communicate with us. BTW, the Bible does not have any doctrinally contradictions. Most of the minor "contradictions" are simple copyist errors, such as concerning numbers. I've read the Bible fifteen times.

Stuart Young (Inspiration)

You may have read it 15 times but you, like all puritanical followers, use confirmation bias to interpret it. You make it right no matter how crazy it sounds. There are NO verifiable passages that indisputably prophesise ANY events - it's all conjecture. It seems like you are closed to questioning the 'truth' of the Bible as are all indoctrinated people - therein lies the danger. Some child listening to you today may get the impression that it's ok to kill people that don't believe in the same thing as them - because God has done the same thing. Such a great book but such a terrible book too.

Dr. Shirley Cheng, Blind Author with Vision (Motivation)

Hi, Stuart, you said, "There are NO verifiable passages that indisputably prophesise ANY events - it's all conjecture." Then it's your words against the words of both secular and religious historians and scholars, and against the history, past and present, of Israel. When I said I read the Bible 15 times, I meant to testify that the Bible is not "so contradictory" as you incorrectly claimed. Anyone who can read the Bible can easily disprove your statement.

Mary Lembi.

Do you believe in Prophets, and is a prophet, to tell people they are prophets. Thank you, Mary Lembi.

Dr. Shirley Cheng, Blind Author with Vision (Motivation)

Hi, Mary, thank you for your comment! Yes, quite a few prophets existed during Biblical times. Prophets were simply those who passed a message from God to other people. They were God's spokespeople. Now, however, I'm not sure if there are true prophets. There are many, many false prophets today--those who falsely claim to speak for God. So if you meet a "prophet," be sure to test them by following the guidelines set in the Bible which I summarized in this article. Only God chooses whom to be His prophets; no one can determine to become prophets themselves, or decide for others.

Guest

Thank you very much. your answer is very helpful. I would like to win my family souls for the kingdom of God Jahovah, what is the best way to encourage them to give there lives to Jesus,especially letting them know that going to church and doing good is not enough to inherit the kingdom of God Jehovah..except they accept Jesus Christ as there personal saviour. They are Catholics. Thank you and may God continue to bless you .

Dr. Shirley Cheng, Blind Author with Vision (Motivation)

Hi, you are more than welcome! Since your family members are already church-goers and believe in God, the best way to let them know the truth is to point them directly to the Scriptures. I have an article titled "The Gift of Salvation" and is at http://snipurl.com/upnqv Read it, write down the verses, and explain to them what they need to know in order to be a part of Jehovah's Kingdom. Urge them to carefully study the Bible to get the truths, and let them keep in mind that we can't enter God's Kingdom just for calling Jesus, "Lord, Lord!" as he said. Read my article, and let me know if you have any further questions! May God help you teach the Bible to your family, and may God help your family open their hearts and eyes to the truths.

Penelope Seago (General Self Help)

thank you

Mark

I have a question if you have had sex with someone and your friend told you to put their name in the bible follow by a brief message stating to not let any negative spirits come into your home. Is that a positive pratice?