CULTURE PROPHETS - REVISITED
      How Do I Recognize and Die to Culture Prophecy?

          NOTE H

          One of the key requirements for spotting and exposing the errors of culture prophecy is a spirit of circumspect humility. By humility, I mean

          1. the recognition that as one who is prophetic, I myself am subject to the snare of culture prophecy simply because I have my own soul life to deal with,
          2. that in this light I must come to a careful appraisal of my own stage of purity before I attempt to expose this in others, not prosecuting beyond the measure of what I have personally overcome, and
          3. my prosecution of the error is grounded in my priesthood on behalf of the offenders. Our Heavenly High Priest first identifies with us in our frailty before He judges us for our offenses.

          So it must be with us toward our brethren. It is only as we are walking in this attitude that we have the authority to speak for the Lord on this error outside of our own hearts.


          There is a tendency upon first tasting truth to come to a premature presumptuous prosecution of it in others. This is especially so in "desert" prophetic movements (People in the "deserts" know who they are.) In the course of sharing these writings with you, I have received responses from some who show a certain self-confidence in their ability to recognize and expose culture prophecy with a jaded tinge of spite towards those they perceive as promoting it. They question how I can doubt in any way the "obvious" clarity between "true prophets" and "false prophets." Quoting one reader: "the line for discerning the true and exposing the false is as clear as it has always been and that line is the Word of the Living God."


          Frankly, friends, I've never met a Christian movement, a Christian Pharisee or a Christian cult that did not also confidently believe in this "clear" scriptural line and that they were on the right side of it. Did not satan himself quote "the Word" to Jesus?


          It is precisely because words are chariots for spirits and God's words can be hijacked by false spirits that culture prophecy is possible, and self-confident first glance perceptions of Scripture are not adequate for judging it. It is why Baal (meaning "Lord") was able to coexist for centuries under Jehovah's shadow. It is why the Lord of the field warns His messengers not to try pulling up tares at first detection. And it is why the Lord's first response to end time questions was "see that you be not misled," noting that, due to corrupted anointings, even the elect would barely escape deception!


          [Note: It is due to this very slipperiness that I have carefully avoided the label "false prophecy." The term "false prophecy" as commonly used by prophetic prosecutors implies an obvious clarity that culture prophecy may not have. Those who use the term generally fail to acknowledge the element of true anointing at the heart of much culture prophecy, and center almost entirely on the issue of factual accuracy for measuring it.]


          The problem in the world of culture prophecy is that no one judges anything, despite the fact that we have all been commissioned to prove all things and to judge righteous judgment. But the danger in presumptuous prosecution is that 1) it throws out the good with the bad, failing to recognize and redemptively appeal to others on the basis of their true anointing, and 2) it blinds them to recognizing any remaining soulishness mingled with their own anointing, leaving themselves as targets for the very error they try to prosecute in others.


          Priestly prosecutors are more careful than this in their attitude and in their understanding of the deeper issues that cloud the discernment of truth from error. Priestly prosecutors make sure they have sackcloth on before they call down fire from heaven (Rev. 11:3-5). They first redemptively prosecute error before prosecuting people, and when they finally must prosecute people, it is with great caution and not outside their sphere of authority.


          Therefore, let those who think they stand take heed lest they fall.