Note: The follow excerpt is from Kris Vallotton’s Basic Training for the Prophetic Ministry curriculum.
1. Does the prophet believe in the redemptive work of the Son of God? One thing to note is that false prophets are antichrist in nature. They are not anti-Jesus. The word Christ is the Greek word Christos and it means “the anointed one.” The anointing is always related to the power of God. Beware of people who try to tell you that Jesus doesn’t do miracles anymore. This is dangerous, since Scripture tells us “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever” (Hebrews 13:8). The Jesus we serve was anointed yesterday, is anointed today, and will be anointed forever!
2. False prophets do not like to listen to anyone; they believe that God tells them everything. False prophets often make statements like, “the Lord is my Shepherd.” But the truth is if we are really submitted to God, then it must manifest in submission to real spiritual authority. If we claim to follow Jesus but do not follow the leaders He has put in authority in our lives, than we are deceiving ourselves. There are many times in our lives when we need another voice to give us guidance, direction, and maturity-producing discipline. When we resist authority we rob ourselves of an opportunity for spiritual growth, which ultimately hinders the effectiveness that the Holy Spirit wants to release through our lives.
3. False prophets are not motivated by love, but are motivated by a need to be noticed. “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God, and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, for God is love. In this way the love of God was revealed to us, that God sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him” (1 John 4:7-9, MEV).
The central theme of all ministries must be the love of God. We must ask ourselves: Am I in the ministry for the purpose of bringing out the best in people? Do I have the kind of love that covers a multitude of sins? “We love Him because He first loved us. If anyone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar. For whoever does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen? We have this commandment from Him: Whoever loves God must also love his brother” (1 John 4:19-21, MEV).
The irony is, this test is from a false teacher. Why no mention of accuracy?