Not all prophecy is from God.
In a powerful interview with Kap Chatfield on the Directed Life podcast, Pastor Joshua Germain shared his testimony from being deceived by a seemingly godly church that, over time, revealed itself to be deeply rooted in the manipulation of anointing and spiritual gifts for the sake of witchcraft. Drawn in by the promise of prophetic accuracy and supernatural experiences, Germain shares how he and his wife unknowingly walked into a trap orchestrated by familiar spirits, not the Holy Spirit.
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It began with what appeared to be a divine setup. After years of spiritual wandering and rededication, Germain and his wife were referred to a prophetic church where “the person said some accurate stuff so it made me really, really believe this is God.” At first, it seemed like they had finally found community and spiritual direction. “We felt like for the first time in a long time… we don’t feel like we’re black sheep anymore. We feel like we’re accepted.”
However, what seemed like prophetic insight was actually rooted in demonic familiarity. “It could seem like it’s a prophetic thing… but it’s really a familiar spirit thing.” These spirits mimicked God by speaking accurate details from the past, giving the illusion of divine revelation. “They’re going to go in your past… so it’s going to be like, ‘Wow, man. This is God.’”
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Germain noticed this deception when leaders instructed members to bring items like sand, salt and water, and to place names of people in bottles to pray over and break them. One leader told his wife to write the name of a harassing coworker and “put it in the bottle and break it.” Minutes after they obeyed, they got a call: “Your boss, she’s in the hospital… the lady was dying.”
This immediate result terrified Germain. “I was scared… if these people really are not people of God, they can turn around and kill us all.” While the church cloaked itself in spiritual discipline—praying for hours and fasting for days—he came to realize the fruit was not of the Spirit.
Germain and Chatfield reflected on how scripture can be used to justify witchcraft. “Any one scripture taken out of context can be used demonically against the people of God,” Chatfield warned, highlighting the importance of “rightly dividing the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15). True discernment comes not only from scripture knowledge but from knowing the heart of God.
The deception was also emotional. Germain admitted that spiritual manipulation was intertwined with their own vulnerability. “We want this fast food gospel, that’s the problem,” Germain said. “The abuser with the abusee. You got to leave.”
Germain’s message to others is clear: don’t chase power or prophecy without discernment.
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This testimony serves as a sobering reminder that not every supernatural sign is from God. Only those who walk in truth, grounded in Scripture and led by the Holy Spirit, will discern the difference.
Abby Trivett is content development editor for Charisma Media.
