That Prophet shall die

I'm a Catholic by birth and my parents brought me up in the catholic. I grew up practising the Catholic doctrine and going through the Sacraments of Baptism, Holy Eucharist, and Confirmation and the next to come is Holy Matrimony. After dad's death, I seem to have lost faith in religion. My dad was a true believer till the last day, even in his times if trial, year's of memory loss, he never forgot to say his Rosary and read the bible till his last day on earth.

"Why didn't God answer our prayers for healing, or even that of his faithful son, my dad, during his years of sickness," I thought to myself.

"Perhaps there is no God, and we are all we have?"

Now, I'm an adult and on my own. I seldom go to church. I only go when I have to. Like today, when I had to be in church to honour my uncles invite to his church marriage.

My Uncle has been with his wife for more than 16 years, and they have 6 kids. He performed the "Igbo Traditional" wedding before his wife moved in. I wonder why they decided to go to a church wedding after do many years. Perhaps pressure from the church, from the priest or from my aunt who is a nun. To join certain groups or societies in the church, some requirements must be met. These are just some possible reasons for their getting married in the church today.

He called me 5 days ago to inform me of his decision and also to invite me. And I came. The Mass seemed like the longest I have ever been to. At a point, I wanted to leave but had to be patient till the end.

In the Catholic church, they have 3 readings (first reading, second reading and the Gospel) and the Responsorial Psalm. The last words of the first reading left me with a few things to think over.

Moses said to the people: ‘The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like myself, from among yourselves, from your own brothers; to him you must listen. This is what you yourselves asked of the Lord your God at Horeb on the day of the Assembly. “Do not let me hear again” you said “the voice of the Lord my God, nor look any longer on this great fire, or I shall die”; and the Lord said to me, “All they have spoken is well said. I will raise up a prophet like yourself for them from their own brothers; I will put my words into his mouth and he shall tell them all I command him. The man who does not listen to my words that he speaks in my name, shall be held answerable to me for it. But the prophet who presumes to say in my name a thing I have not commanded him to say, or who speaks in the name of other gods, that prophet shall die”

~ Deuteronomy, 18:15-20

These seem like the words of an angry God - He seems to be angry at false prophets, and we have a lot of them here in Nigeria. There are lots of scriptures that made reference to false prophets, this passage in Deuteronomy was specific about the consequences of being a false prophet - the prophet shall die.

Here are a couple of verses and warning on false prophets:

They have seen false visions and lying divinations. They say, ‘Declares the Lord,’ when the Lord has not sent them, and yet they expect him to fulfil their word (Ezekiel 13:6-7)

And the Lord said to me: “The prophets are prophesying lies in my name. I did not send them, nor did I command them or speak to them. They are prophesying to you a lying vision, worthless divination, and the deceit of their minds. Therefore thus says the Lord concerning the prophets who prophesy in my name although I did not send them, and who say, ‘Sword and famine shall not come upon this land’: By sword and famine those prophets shall be consumed. (Jeremiah 14:14-15)

And Elijah said to them, “Seize the prophets of Baal; let not one of them escape.” And they seized them. And Elijah brought them down to the brook Kishon and slaughtered them there (1 Kings 18:40)

How do we know a true prophet from a false prophet? Do we have false prophets amongst us?

Yes, we do lots of them. They are in it for the money. And they will say anything to get what they want. They prey on peoples need urgent need for a "miracle" and it's difficult deciding what is the true word of God at the moment when the matter is pressing and the choice must be made.

Some false prophets speak in the name of God and believe that they are speaking the true message.

We have so many false prophets in our midst today, how come the wrath contained in the words aren't dealt with them? They live on peoples belief and keep prospering. The church has become a business and many are rushing into it.

If those are God's words, why are they not been fulfilled today? Or is our generation immune to the consequences of false prophecy?