Have you ever looked back on something you said or did and thanked the Lord for correcting you in your sin and error, when you rightfully deserved judgment? We all have moments, even on a daily basis, where we thank God for His grace and mercy toward us, and many of us could say that such sin and error are not available for public scrutiny. Over the past several years, one of the things that became painfully clear personally was my egregious actions in being a false prophet in the New Apostolic Reformation. It would seem that some may have a different definition of what is a false prophet, particularly within this movement, but Scripture is quite clear (Deuteronomy 13:1-5, 18:20-22). I spoke things that did not come to pass. I led people astray with visions and dreams to a god of my own vain imagination, no matter how sincere I was in the process. Sincerity is not the standard for Biblical truth.

In 2017, I wrote a blog post titled The Lord said, “Get the Snake Out of the Garden and Make It History!” This blog post was published by Charisma Magazine/Charisma News and The Elijah List. (The original blog post has been removed.) It was also featured on a local show to highlight prophetic words.

From time to time, I critique my past writings because it seems only fair to do so. There were many claims of hearing God’s voice for myself and speaking on behalf of God with a “Thus sayeth the Lord”. I thought I was hearing God speak to me and that I was receiving revelation concerning Bible verses, but I was horribly deceived. Now realizing the serious error and sin of my former ways, I believe that many do not understand the sobriety and gravity of claiming to speak for God. It would seem that there is an epidemic dissatisfaction with the written Word of God, a longing for “more”. Those who claim to be prophets today are doing similar things as noted in the time of Jeremiah; they are saying things God never told them, and they are even prophesying the desires of their own hearts.

This particular word from years ago started with a dream I had that I perceived as spiritual warfare from the enemy. From there, I claimed that God told me to “Get the snake out of the garden and make it history, not his story.” The word was centered around not making the devil the focus, which is ironic because he became the focus. I told those who would read it, “When we entertain his notions and accusations, we consider eating from a tree that is forbidden, and we turn the garden into a battlefield. But when we address the serpent, and we place him under our feet as the body of Christ, we send him slithering out of the garden, and we run to Abba as we hear Him walking in the cool of the day.”

As I read it with a more Biblical perspective, it is glaringly obvious how much focus there is on the sovereignty of Satan and little to any focus on what should be central: the gospel of Jesus Christ. The savior in this word is us. Yes, the name of Jesus is mentioned, but man/woman is placed at the center of it, all while Jesus is on the sidelines. Emphasis was placed on our defeat of Satan, which contradicts Scripture. God has delivered His children from the domain of darkness, and we are now citizens of His Son’s Kingdom. We have been forgiven of our sins, and we have been redeemed (Colossians 1:13,14). Jesus has defeated the devil (Hebrews 2:3,4). He is our refuge and our Savior. He is Lord over all.

The greatest prophetic word is the glorious gospel of Jesus Christ. From the first prophetic word in the garden telling of the Messiah who would come to crush the head of the enemy to Jesus Christ coming to earth as truly God and truly man, born of a virgin, living a sinless life, and drinking the cup of God’s wrath on the cross so that the penalty of sin would be paid in full for those who placed their faith in Him alone for salvation, the gospel is more than enough for us to know the richness of His mercy and grace toward us. Such good news brings peace, comfort, and joy beyond comprehension. We cannot undo the fall in the garden and the sin and death Adam brought to the human race through one trespass. But Jesus Christ has defeated the serpent by His one atoning sacrifice. He paid the debt we owed for sin against God. The message people need to hear is centered upon His death, burial, and resurrection, the good news to their bad news.

Sometimes, I wish I could travel back in time to tell the old me to stop the foolishness and to repent. Sometimes, I wonder why I was deceived for so long, but then I think on God’s grace, His timing, and His ways. He is faithful to His Word, and He rescued me. I will never get over the gospel. Never. Many of you reading this can say the same. But for the grace of God, there go I. There is such thankfulness in knowing that God does not depend on me to defeat Satan. He has already done that very thing.

Listen to this in-depth episode testing the claimed prophetic word from 2017: The Lovesick Scribe Podcast: A Prophecy, A Snake, and An Absent Gospel on Apple Podcasts