[topcat54]

I don't believe I was judging motives at all. I was judging results and what may have prompted those results. One can be motivated by a sincere desire to please God and still be open to Satan whispering in your ear.

I was speaking objectively -- and it is true -- that either the false "message" came from Satan, or it came from God but was badly misinterpreted by the "prophet", or it came purely from the imagination of the "prophet". How is that analysis judging motives?

We can only judge results. A truly sincere "prophet" (if there is such a thing in this day and age) would quickly understand their error and move to resolve it with the church. The church should be trained to discount their false messages and relegate them to obscurity.

[Godzilla]

I was speaking objectively -- and it is true -- that either the false "message" came from Satan, or it came from God but was badly misinterpreted by the "prophet", or it came purely from the imagination of the "prophet". How is that analysis judging motives?

You are attempting to judge that which cannot be known except between the individual and God, barring supernatural gifting. Perhaps motives is not totally an accurate term, but you are trying to judge upon them something that is beyond our ability and with our current knowledge.

We can only judge results. A truly sincere "prophet" (if there is such a thing in this day and age) would quickly understand their error and move to resolve it with the church. The church should be trained to discount their false messages and relegate them to obscurity.

You have no arguement from me there. And upon the basis of results we are commanded to judge. The unknowns are God's realm, and whether it was a sincere misunderstanding of what God told them or satan's whispers, is something we do not have the ability to judge and ought to leave it between God and these prophets.