Fake Words of Knowlege – The Flipside of the Shawn Bolz Controversy

Fake Words of Knowlege – The Flipside of the Shawn Bolz Controversy:

On January 17, Shawn Bolz, a Bethel-aligned prophetic ministry, published a “Statement of Prophetic Integrity” on his website ostensibly to address widespread accusations that he “fakes” words of knowledge. The suggestion is that while giving “words” in public, live meetings, he was browsing social media and other information easily found online about attendees and then “calling them out” with the illusion that the information came from the Spirit of God when (supposedly) it was freely available online. What makes this matter seriously scandalous is that Bolz is one of the most recognizable names among the upper-tier leaders in the prophetic movement, which my late spouse would refer to as “the big boy prophets.” I want to address this situation, but not as you think. What I have to say is not about “piling on” against Boltz but asserting that we aren’t looking at the core issue, which is much more problematic and difficult to solve.

First of all, this is nothing new. Peter George Popoff, born in Germany on July 2, 1946, is an American televangelist who has been widely criticized for his deceptive practices.  He gained notoriety in the 1980s for his claims of faith healing and startlingly accurate “words of knowledge,” stating he received these revelations from God. However, in 1986, magician and skeptic James Randi exposed Popoff’s methods, revealing that he used an earpiece to receive information about audience members from his wife. This information, which included names, addresses, and health conditions, was then presented by Popoff as miraculous insight, misleading his followers and casting doubt on the authenticity of his healing claims.

Why would a minister risk their testimony and reputation by doing such things? Because this is what people in the Pentecostal/Charismatic community want and often demand when it comes to prophetic ministry. They go to prophetic meetings and gatherings hoping that a prophet or minister who knows nothing about them will speak in detail about their life, giving knowledge about them that there was no way they could ever know unless God showed them. I get it. I’ve been there. When a word of knowledge is spoken over someone, the overwhelming feeling is, “God knows my name, He knows my situation. He cares about me!” My late wife Kitty was part of a Women’s Aglow chapter (a Charismatic women’s group sponsored by the Assemblies of God denomination). Kitty’s background was as a Reformed Baptist, and she was taught that all such things as speaking in tongues, prophecy, etc., were completely of the devil. But she was longing for more of God and came to the meeting where a woman known to move in the prophetic was speaking. She waited and waited as the meeting grew long, but the speaker didn’t “call her out.” Finally, she had to leave because her babysitter at home was expecting her to return. Shortly after returning home, one of the attendees called her and related that as soon as she left, the speaker stood up, announcing she had a word from God, and began with, “Is there a ‘Kitty’ here, or has she gone?” Kitty’s life was forever changed. What she didn’t believe about the Charismatic gifts and distinctives was replaced by a full bore commitment to the Holy Spirit gifts, and her life took a decidedly different direction.

What’s wrong with that? Nothing. But is that the only consideration? Remember that the lady prophesied over Kitty when Kitty was a total non-believer in such things. That’s what words of knowledge are for – the ignorant and unbelievers.  Review the following scripture:

[1Co 14:24-25 KJV] 24 But if all prophesy, and there come in one that believeth not, or [one] unlearned, he is convinced of all, he is judged of all: 25 And thus are the secrets of his heart made manifest; and so falling down on [his] face he will worship God, and report that God is in you of a truth.

When I minister to people, I often start with a few questions. The person will hesitate, saying, “Well, I don’t want to tell you too much because I don’t want you to speak ‘according to knowledge’.” I follow up with, “Oh, I’m sorry, I thought you were saved!” Of course, they are saved, and they are born again, but they’ve had bad teaching. They are looking to the prophetic the same way unbelievers look to psychics and mediums. This is totally wrong.

Over and over for over 40 years, I’ve heard insistent leaders and teachers in prophetic schools say, “If a prophetic word doesn’t include details the prophet couldn’t otherwise know than God showing them, then it is a false prophecy.” This is completely contrary to scripture. In 1 Cor. 13:12 Paul makes the following statement:

[1Co 13:12 KJV] 12 For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.

In other words, when believers gifted with Holy Spirit insight look with the eye of God into people’s lives or situations, it is going to be “through a glass darkly” and “in part.” I liken it (jokingly) to reading the fine print of a newspaper at midnight through a smashed windshield in a blinding rainstorm. Why would God set things up like this? Because He doesn’t want us to pursue the prophets, He wants us to pursue Him. He doesn’t want us looking to the prophetic for what we ought to look to God for – because that is idolatry. For all this, prophets often work very hard to develop the ability to call out details of peoples’ lives because it galvanizes the support of the people, elevates their popularity, and frankly increases the bottom line.

Again, what is the flip side of the Shawn Bolz fake word of knowledge scandal? The flip side is that not only are we not getting the right answers, but we are also not asking the right questions. Yes, it would be wrong to use fakery or clairvoyance to convince people, but the other side of the issue is that it is EQUALLY WRONG for those who already believe in God (see 1 Cor. 14:25) to expect their prophets to come up with such details. Consider what God said to Aaron and Miriam about the prophetic in Numbers 12:

[Num 12:6-8 KJV] 6 And he said, Hear now my words: If there be a prophet among you, [I] the LORD will make myself known unto him in a vision, [and] will speak unto him in a dream. 7 My servant Moses [is] not so, who [is] faithful in all mine house. 8 With him will I speak mouth to mouth, even apparently, and not in dark speeches; and the similitude of the LORD shall he behold: wherefore then were ye not afraid to speak against my servant Moses?

Do you see what God is saying about how prophets work? Moses was a singular exception, but God emphatically states that “if there is a prophet among you,” they are going to be operating in that “in part” realm Paul spoke of in 1 Cor. 13:12. If you demand a prophet speak blazingly clear, giving unknown details, etc., then you are not seeking the prophetic you are seeking a psychic word. The fact is, when it comes to such details, psychics are much better at it than Christian prophets. Why? Because God has designed the prophetic to be an “in part” matter to protect the people from themselves and those who might otherwise take advantage of them.

What about Father’s Heart Ministry? Moving in the prophetic is what we are all about, so don’t we expect to give words of knowledge? I do, and it happens, but I never try to reach into the spirit and pull the information out. I expect a word of knowledge to show up “in my rearview mirror.” What does that mean? I often give a prophetic word, and then afterward, the person I’m speaking to says, “Oh, my goodness, you have no idea what you just said to me!” Then they go on and reveal that the words and phrases God had me speak to them were astoundingly relevant and accurate to things they were going through that I knew nothing about. I praise God with them. The glory is all God’s because until they told me, I was as unknowing as they were.

What’s the answer? Stop expecting prophets to come up with phone numbers, addresses, and things that they couldn’t otherwise know. It’s wrong. It’s immature. It’s bad teaching. If God wants to do this in a word given, then that’s great, but don’t seek such things – seek the kingdom. To stand in front of a prophet expecting these things indicates that you really don’t believe the prophets. What do I mean? In conclusion, look at the following verse:

[2Ch 20:20 KJV] Believe in the LORD your God, so shall ye be established; believe his prophets, so shall ye prosper.

Notice what that says. Believe the PROPHETS, not the prophesies. In the story that was unfolding in this passage, a prophecy was given, and it did come to pass, but King Hezekiah didn’t exhort the people to believe the PROPHECY; he exhorted them to believe the PROPHETS. That’s why I ask continually, “Who is the prophet in your life.” If you don’t know, it’s because you don’t have one. The prophetic was intended to be an ongoing leadership relationship, similar to how you have a pastor in your life, not a one-time traveling minister who “blows in, blows up, and blows out.”

I’ve said for years that the prophetic movement is in shambles, and matters such as this are one of the reasons why. If you are a person open to the prophetic, stop expecting succinct and hidden details, etc., it’s wrong. If they come, they come and praise God. If you are a prophet, stop trying to press into greater and greater detail and words of knowledge. You are moving from the prophetic to the clairvoyant. While that may not be inherently demonic (there are naturally occurring phenomena in the human makeup), it is problematic. Lastly, who is the prophet in your life? You need one. Just like you need a pastor. Don’t just believe the prophecies – believe the prophets. If you are a prophet, I call on you to rethink the entire paradigm of the sideshow circus that the prophetic has become and return to the example of the scriptures. There are many other things Shawn Bolz says in his “Statement of Prophetic Integrity” as he apparently is working to put out this fire. I believe many things, he states, go too far in terms of shutting down the prophetic, so as always, the pendulum swings. I have no criticism of Shawn. I encourage him not to listen to his critics and go on and obey God. Christians can be unrelenting and unforgiving, and nothing Shawn says or does is likely to make things better. Let’s pray for him and pray for the prophetic movement as a whole; it really needs prayer right now and has for some time.