A Generation of Simon the Sorcerers Is Rising
http://www.charismamag.com/spirit/prophecy/22844-a-generation-of-simon-the-sorcerers-is-rising
I see more of a hunger in the prophetic movement to obtain power than to walk in intimacy. I see more of a desire to live under the anointing than to demonstrate Christlike character. I see more of an appetite to publicly prophesy over thousands than to privately pray to the Father in heaven. I see more of an obsession to chase after someone else's prophetic mantle than to giving our time to discovering our own unique divine design given by the Father alone. I see more of an urge to chase gold dust, feathers and angels than to encounter the person of Jesus Christ.
All of these pursuits lead to one terrifying end: The rise of a generation of "Simon the Sorcerers" who are currently operating in illegitimate authority!
These individuals carry an appearance of walking in deep relationship with Jesus, but in reality, they are collateral damage to the body of Christ. These men and women are dangerous, their motives are impure, and what they primarily pursue and emphasize causes them to live in continual dysfunction. One of the main reasons the prophetic movement is headed for shipwreck is because we are continuing to honor and give individuals positions of authority that have quit on intimacy. These prophetic individuals consistently tear down with their character what they have built with their gifting.
The Story of Simon
The account of Simon the Sorcerer is told in Acts 8:9, when it says, "Now a man named Simon was previously in the city practicing sorcery and astonishing the nation of Samaria, saying he was someone great, to whom they all listened, from the least to the greatest, saying, 'This man is the great power of God.' They listened to him, because for a long time he had astonished them by his sorceries."
Phillip began preaching the good news of the kingdom in Samaria and many men and women were baptized. Even Simon the Sorcerer himself believed and was baptized and immediately started following Phillip because he was amazed at the miracles taking place. When Peter and John heard that Samaria was receiving the word of God, they came down and began to pray that people might receive the Holy Spirit. Laying hands on the new believers, many of them began to be filled and touched by God.
In Acts 8:18-24 it says: "When Simon saw that through the laying on of the apostles' hands the Holy Spirit was given, he offered them money, saying, 'Give me also this power, that whomever I lay hands on may receive the Holy Spirit.' Peter said to him, 'May your money perish with you, because you thought you could purchase the gift of God with money! You have neither part nor share in this matter, for your heart is not right before God. Therefore repent of your wickedness, and ask God if perhaps the intention of your heart may be forgiven you. For I see that you are in the gall of bitterness and in the bond of iniquity.' Then Simon answered, 'Pray to the Lord for me that nothing you have spoken may come upon me.'"
One of the keys to understanding the deception Simon the Sorcerer lived in is to identify what he hungered for. He said to Peter and John, "Give this authority to me as well." Simon's desire for a position of influence and attention was the driving force behind his request to have the apostles lay hands on him. He was quickly becoming addicted to ministry and it was becoming an idol in his life.
When this deadly deception overtakes an individual, destruction is right around the corner. Simon was not interested in deep union with Jesus. He was only interested in the miracle-working power of Jesus. All activity in the kingdom of God that is not born out of intimacy is unauthorized by heaven!
Peter and John had not only walked with Jesus, but as the crowds noted in Acts 4:13 as the lame crippled beggar had been healed, "they had been with Jesus." Peter and John had waited in the Upper Room to be filled with power from on high, but Simon the Sorcerer was looking for a quick impartation to launch him into ministry.
Peter responds to Simon's request and says, " May your silver perish with you because you thought you could obtain the gift of God with money!" In other words, Simon wanted authority and power so badly that he was willing to use soulish means to obtain them. Peter continues and says, "You have no part or portion in this matter, for your heart is not right before God. Therefore, repent of this wickedness of yours, and pray the Lord if possible, the intention of your heart may be forgiven you."
I see thousands of Christian young adults in America who, like Simon the Sorcerer, are hungry for the supernatural and are therefore looking for an impartation, prayer or touch from a well-known leader in the body of Christ to launch them into their ministry. Rather than seeking intimacy with Jesus Christ and walking in true legitimate kingdom authority like Peter and John, many, just like Simon, are seeking a drive-thru experience because they are hungry for authority, but aren't willing to obtain it legally through intimacy.
Empowering Illegitimate Authority
We who are prophets and leaders have placed so much emphasis on activation and impartation in our prophetic and supernatural schools in America, and so little time connecting people to the character and nature of God and what Jesus is really like, that we ourselves have blessed and commissioned a generation of Simon the Sorcerers who are operating in illegitimate authority in the body of Christ.
Because intimacy and deep union with Jesus Christ are no longer a focus in the prophetic movement, our horrendous levels of discernment have built stages for these Simon the Sorcerers and given them platforms. We have been incredibly gullible as leaders and therefore produced extremely gullible prophetic people.
Peter told Simon the Sorcerer that his heart was not right before God. I believe Simon's desires for power and authority were not only not pleasing to God, but I believe deep within Simon's heart was an impure motive to have the apostles' hands laid on him: He was full of jealousy!
The Spirit of Jealousy
We are witnessing a mass production of parrots, echoes and mimics in the prophetic and supernatural movements in America. Too many prophetic people are forfeiting authenticity and originality for formulas and models, even in the supernatural. A large portion of immature and young prophetic people are worshipping well known names in the body of Christ and are hungry for them to have hands laid on them by these individuals. Simon the Sorcerers are signing up for their conferences, their ministry schools and their meetings. The motive behind this crazy frenzy is not a love for Jesus, but a jealousy of others possessing what we do not carry and a total disregard for the need for deep union with Jesus.
I believe that the fuel behind this rapidly growing movement is the spirit of jealousy cloaked in a desire for impartation and activation. Simon did not want the Holy Spirit and power from a pure heart that can only be found in those who spend time with Jesus. He was jealous of the power and authority that Peter and John walked in out of an insecure and wicked heart.
Deep Union
The new prophetic generation rising in the earth will walk in legitimate authority because of their deep union with Jesus Christ and central pursuit of His character and nature. They have been trained and raised up by prophetic fathers and mothers who saw and understood early on that God was more interested in changing them than using them. This new prophetic generation is not obsessed by or enamored of another's mantle or gifting, but simply enthralled by the invitation to come sit at the feet of Jesus.
The Coming Distinction
There is a divine confrontation quickly approaching the prophetic movement. I see a collision between a breed of Simon the Sorcerers who are going to be exposed for the illegitimate authority that they walk in and a new prophetic generation who walk in true kingdom authority birthed out of intimacy. Beware of these Simon the Sorcerers. They are addicted to ministry and crave the power and anointing of God from an impure heart of jealousy and a selfish desire to be famous.
Instead of carrying a living and active spirit of revelation, Simon the Sorcerer types have to borrow revelation because they have no prayer life. Simon told Peter and John in verse 24, "Pray to the Lord for me yourselves, so that nothing of what you have said may come upon me." The greatest distinction between this breed of Simon the Sorcerers and the new prophetic generation rising in the earth will be deep intimacy with Jesus that can only be birthed through deep intercession and travail. Simon the Sorcerers are looking to get launched into ministry by another's touch, but the new prophetic generation is looking to grow in humility under heaven's touch. This can only be accomplished through prayer, fasting and time in the secret place where private battles are won.
A New Prophetic Generation Is Rising
Editor's Note: This the second part in a series. For part one, click here: A Generation of Simon the Sorcerers Rising.
I was in the Garden of Gethsemane while visiting Israel last May and as I was deep in prayer and meditation, the Holy Spirit spoke to me and said, "If you do not deal with your flesh privately, your flesh will deal with you publicly. This is what has happened to many prophets that have gone before you."
I believe God the Father is raising up a new prophetic generation that is going to seek to put to death every idea in people's minds regarding words that are associated with prophets and the prophetic movement. I see strategic days in the body of Christ that are quickly approaching where synonyms for a new prophetic generation that carries the glory and anointing of God will be: holy, uncompromised, righteous, loving their spouse as Christ loved the church, above reproach, not lovers of money and—most of all—radically given over to character transformation.
One of the most grievous sins of the prophetic movement in the past has been the acceptance of powerful gifting and huge moral flaws as a packaged deal. We have been deceived into believing that we cannot walk in the anointing of the Holy Spirit and the power of God without having huge character issues that must be addressed. This type of thinking does not reflect the ministry of Jesus Christ in any way.
How many more Christian leaders are going to use the example of David and Bathsheba as to why their affair is OK? Do we realize that the Bible is full of flawed individuals to show us how much we really need Jesus, the model of perfection, instead of using the sin of a Bible character to excuse our sin? The new prophetic generation is going to fix its eyes upon Jesus and His sinless life and example like no other generation before them. They will define success in the prophetic ministry not based on how accurately they can prophesy or how many dreams and visions they've had, but on how well they are submitting to being conformed to the image and likeness of Jesus Christ.
The new prophetic generation will be taught by a new breed of prophets who will accurately instruct them in the revelation that God is more interested in changing them than using them. Some of the most prophetically gifted individuals that I personally know are also some of the most emotionally unstable people that I know. These men and women have been wounded by numerous leaders and family members and are convinced that God is more interested in opening up ministry doors for them than leading them to the foot of the cross to find inner healing and deliverance.
Holy Father
There is a direct connection between our revelation of who God is and its immediate application in our lives. In other words, people operate their lives according to their revelation of who God is. Much of the immorality and sin that we are currently witnessing and have witnessed in the prophetic movement is directly connected to a misunderstanding and oftentimes distorted perception of who God is. Many are currently voicing a revelation of God being "Father" that somehow now excuses their sin, rather than confronting it in love. Connecting the revelation of "Yahweh" in the Old Testament and "Father" in the New Testament has proven to be a very difficult task for this current prophetic culture.
In the midst of the confusion of who God is in the 21st century and its direct effect upon the lives of people, Jesus Christ Himself gave us revelation and insight into who God really is in John 17:11 as He said, "Holy Father, keep them in your name which you have given me, that they may be one, even as We are" (ESV). We must understand as the new prophetic generation that God is not just "Holy," nor is He just "Father." He indeed must be embraced, received and related to as "Holy Father."
As our Holy Father, He invites us into a love relationship where He tenderly and affectionately affirms and speaks destiny over our lives. But make no mistake about this: He is also the same God who will remove everything in our lives that hinders His love because He is Holy. I warn you, beware of false prophets in the earth who are divorcing the "Holy Father." He is not one or the other, He is both/and.
Hallowed Be Thy Name
I believe the very reason why the greatest need in the prophetic movement right now is to embrace every aspect of God's character and nature is because it is directly affecting the moral decisions that prophetic people and the body of Christ are making. Paul appealed to the believers at Ephesus in Ephesians 5:1 and said, "Therefore be imitators (mimics) of God, as beloved children" (parenthesis added). Why? Because what we behold, we will imitate. In other words, the lifestyle choices of prophetic people are a direct reflection of their revelation of who God is.
The prayer that Jesus prayed in Matthew 6:9-15 has completely changed much of the current church culture. "On earth as it is in heaven" has become an affectionate tag line for much of the charismatic/Pentecostal movement. While I exceedingly rejoice in this pursuit to see heaven invade earth as revealed in Matthew 6:10, I wonder why verse 9 is never included with verse 10, and for the large part, completely ignored by many?
In verse 9, Jesus begins to pray and says, "Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name" (ASV). Then in verse 10 it says, "Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven" (ESV). I firmly believe that verse 10, which has so radically impacted this current generation, completely hinges upon verse 9 taking place! What is Jesus saying when He prays to the Father and says, "Hallowed be thy name"? A paraphrased translation would be: "God, make your name Holy."
It is only when God makes His name Holy among His people that His kingdom will truly come and His will be done on earth as it is in heaven. We have a generation crying out for the kingdom of God to come, but where are the prophetic voices crying out to God, asking that He would make His name Holy first?
God's Name Is Being Defiled
Is it not strange that Jesus begins teaching the disciples to pray by telling them to ask God to make His name holy? We might casually or flippantly say, "Well, God is holy. That's like telling a desk to become solid or fire to become hot. Why bother?" The answer lies in the fact that God is the most holy reality there is, but still His name can be and is being defiled in America.
Ezekiel 36:20-23 addresses this very issue as the word of the Lord came to Ezekiel and he prophesied and said,
"When they came to the nations where they went, they profaned My holy name, because it was said of them, 'These are the people of the Lord; yet they have come out of His land.' But I had concern for My holy name, which the house of Israel had profaned among the nations where they went. Therefore say to the house of Israel, 'Thus says the Lord God, "It is not for your sake, O house of Israel, that I am about to act, but for My holy name, which you have profaned among the nations where you went. I will vindicate the holiness of My great name which has been profaned among the nations, which you have profaned in their midst. Then the nations will know that I am the Lord," declares the Lord God, "when I prove Myself holy among you in their sight"'" (NASB).
God Is Jealous for His Name
It is absolute foolishness and unbiblical to believe that God is not concerned about His name and how it is being distorted by numerous prophets and teachers in the earth. Why is God so concerned about His reputation and how people see Him? Once again, because it directly affects the way people live! A distorted revelation and interpretation of who God is among the prophetic movement in the earth is directly poisoning the word of the Lord in America.
The new prophetic generation being birthed in the earth is going to cry out for God to make His name Holy once again. These messengers are going to give their lives to seeing His name restored because they understand that it is the secret to holy and righteous living. When we behold a Holy and Righteous Father, we order our lives accordingly.
Encounters Like Isaiah
No one can make God's name Holy except God. In asking God to make His name holy, we are asking Him to do something only He can do. Why then did Jesus ask us to pray in this way? I believe it is because when God makes His name holy, there is only one right response from a generation, namely, to therefore live and be holy.
In Isaiah 6, Isaiah describes an incredible encounter where he sees the Lord sitting upon the throne and the train of His robe filling the temple. In verse 3 he says the Seraphim cry out to one another and say, "Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord of hosts, the whole earth is full of His glory." The temple shook and Isaiah cried out and said, "Woe is me, for I am ruined! Because I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts" (v. 5).
The new prophetic generation is going to be marked with encounters like Isaiah. They will be the burning ones released to the American church who will cry out to God, asking Him to make His name holy, and when He does, it will release encounters with the holiness of God like no other generation has experienced in history. I believe God is about to redeem His name in America like never before and He is going to do it through the new prophetic generation that embraces every aspect of His character and nature.
Mark my words, the kingdom of God will never become fully manifested in America unless we begin to cry out for Him to come and make His Name Holy once again. Jesus Christ fully understood this and that is why He taught His disciples to pray in Matthew 6 and why He referred to the Father in John 17 as "Holy Father" and "Righteous Father" (17:11; 17:25).
One of the Most Confusing Elements of the Prophetic Movement
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Jeremiah Johnson is the servant leader of Heart of the Father Ministry in Lakeland, Florida. A gifted teacher, book author, and prophetic minister, Jeremiah travels extensively throughout the United States and abroad as a conference and guest speaker. Jeremiah and his wife, Morgan, reside in Florida with their two children: Bella Grace and Israel David. Visit Jeremiah online at www.hotfmlakeland.com or Unknown Dreamer Ministries.
