Prophets - Are You One?

Hear now My words: If there is a prophet among you, I, the LORD, make Myself known to him in a vision; I speak to him in a dream. - Numbers 12:6

Are there prophets now, in the present, and how can we know they aren't just crazy people or con-men? Are you a prophet? Haha, yes I'm serious. Let's go down this rabbit-hole together, shall we?

Prophesying is one of many God-given gifts that can used for God's kingdom. It's not all about predicting future events. It's about being a spokesperson for God.

Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, let us prophesy in proportion to our faith; or ministry, let us use it in our ministering; he who teaches, in teaching. - Ephesians 4:11-13

Follow the way of love and eagerly desire spiritual gifts, especially the gift of prophecy. For anyone who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to God. Indeed, no one understands him; he utters mysteries with his spirit. But everyone who prophesies speaks to men for their strengthening, encouragement and comfort. He who speaks in a tongue edifies himself, but he who prophesies edifies the church. I would like every one of you to speak in tongues, but I would rather have you prophesy. He who prophesies is greater than one who speaks in tongues, unless he interprets, so that the church may be edified. - 1 Corinthians 14:1-5

One source states, "The foretelling of future events was not a necessary but only an incidental part of the prophetic office. The great task assigned to the prophets whom God raised up among the people was "to correct moral and religious abuses, to proclaim the great moral and religious truths which are connected with the character of God, and which lie at the foundation of his government." (talkjesus)

However, there's more to being a prophet than simply speaking God's known Word or teaching others about His ways. If you're good at that, then you have the gift of teaching. Being a prophet is about revelation, not necessarily about the future. A prophecy is never going to contradict what the Bible says, but it may reveal something new.

Definition of Prophet: "a person regarded as an inspired teacher or proclaimer of the will of God" (dictionary.com)

What does it mean to be a spokesperson? They are essentially the voice of another, making official statements and advocating on their behalf. God's spokespeople have a few additional responsibilities. As exemplified by the many prophets of the Bible, they are to denounce sins and uphold righteousness and be a servant to others. Basically, if one is a prophet, they need to be a disciple of God too.

I will raise up for them a Prophet like you from among their brethren, and will put My words in His mouth, and He shall speak to them all that I command Him. And it shall be that whoever will not hear My words, which He speaks in My name, I will require it of him. - Deuteronomy 18:18-19

I have also spoken by the prophets, and have multiplied visions; I have given symbols through the witness of the prophets. - Hosea 12:10

Surely the Lord GOD does nothing, unless He reveals His secret to His servants the prophets. - Amos 3:7

Did you know that there was an official office of prophecy with a school to guide their gift back in the day?

Colleges, "schools of the prophets", were instituted for the training of prophets, who were constituted, a distinct order ( 1 Samuel 19:18-24 ; 2 Kings 1 Samuel 2:3 1 Samuel 2:15 ; 4:38 ), which continued to the close of the Old Testament. Such "schools" were established at Ramah, Bethel, Gilgal, Gibeah, and Jericho. The "sons" or "disciples" of the prophets were young men ( 2 Kings 5:22 ; 2 Kings 9:1 2 Kings 9:4 ) who lived together at these different "schools" ( 4:38-41 ). These young men were taught not only the rudiments of secular knowledge, but they were brought up to exercise the office of prophet, "to preach pure morality and the heart-felt worship of Jehovah, and to act along and co-ordinately with the priesthood and monarchy in guiding the state aright and checking all attempts at illegality and tyranny."

In New Testament times the prophetical office was continued. Our Lord is frequently spoken of as a prophet ( Luke 13:33 ; 24:19 ). He was and is the great Prophet of the Church. There was also in the Church a distinct order of prophets ( 1 Corinthians 12:28 ; Ephesians 2:20 ; 3:5 ), who made new revelations from God. They differed from the "teacher," whose office it was to impart truths already revealed. (talkjesus)

They have to be certain that what they're conveying to others is actually a message from God and not a figment of their imaginations or desire from their own hearts. God is adamant that His people believe and listen to His prophets, so if anything a prophet says is incorrect or turns out to be false, they are commanded to dismiss them as false prophets.

'Hear me, O Judah and you inhabitants of Jerusalem: Believe in the LORD your God, and you shall be established; believe His prophets, and you shall prosper. - 2 Chronicles 20:20

They say to the seers, 'See no more visions!' and to the prophets, 'Give us no more visions of what is right! Tell us pleasant things, prophesy illusions.' - Isaiah 30:10

As for the prophet who prophesies of peace, when the word of the prophet comes to pass, the prophet will be known as one whom the LORD has truly sent. - Jeremiah 28:9

For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. - Matthew 24:24

Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world. - 1 John 4:1

To the law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, it is because there is no light in them. - Isaiah 8:20

Do not despise prophecies. Test all things; hold fast what is good. - 1 Thessalonians 5:20-21

The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your fellow Israelites. You must listen to him. For this is what you asked of the LORD your God at Horeb on the day of the assembly when you said, “Let us not hear the voice of the LORD our God nor see this great fire anymore, or we will die.” The LORD said to me: “What they say is good. I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their fellow Israelites, and I will put my words in his mouth. He will tell them everything I command him. I myself will call to account anyone who does not listen to my words that the prophet speaks in my name. But a prophet who presumes to speak in my name anything I have not commanded, or a prophet who speaks in the name of other gods, is to be put to death.” You may say to yourselves, “How can we know when a message has not been spoken by the LORD?” If what a prophet proclaims in the name of the LORD does not take place or come true, that is a message the LORD has not spoken. That prophet has spoken presumptuously, so do not be alarmed. - Deuteronomy 18:15-22

In other words, God is asking that we not outright deny the sayings of those who speak on His behalf. You must listen, but you must also test them to make sure they are a true prophet. That goes for yourself. If you believe you may be a prophet or spokesperson of God, make sure that what you believe you are being told holds true through the fires of God's Word. If even one part doesn't line up with the Bible's message, it's not God. If any future event or detail predicted does not come true, it's not God.

I know it sounds crazy, but I firmly believe prophecy is not a temporary gift that was given out long ago. I think it's still out there, for God's children to bolster His kingdom.

And it shall come to pass afterward That I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh; Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, Your old men shall dream dreams, Your young men shall see visions. - Joel 2:28

See that you do not do that! I am your fellow servant, and of your brethren who have the testimony of Jesus. Worship God! For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy. - Revelation 19:10

If you find out that you or someone else is tested true to be a prophet for the one true God, remember that the calling is one of danger and ridicule, back in the day as well as now. Stephen, a prophet and martyr, once stated, "Was there ever a prophet your ancestors did not persecute?” (Acts 7:52).

Since the Holy Spirit was spread amongst all nations who are Children of God, any one of us can converse directly with God. The gift of prophecy is one that takes that a step further by not only speaking personally with God about you and those around you. It's a monumental task of speaking on behalf of God to others, not "just" having a personal relationship and ability to converse with the God of the universe (although, speaking with God directly is a massive gift to have, all of disciples have that ability. If you don't think you have that, well, talk to God about it. :) Also, read my post named "God's Voice").

"On the day of Pentecost, Peter declared that unlike the more limited exercise of prophecy during the time of the old covenant, God would henceforth pour out his Spirit “on all people” (Acts 2:17). Peter said the result would be a fulfillment of God words: “Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams. Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy” (Acts 2:17–18).

Prophetic ministry in the early church was widespread and diverse. A band of prophets traveled from Jerusalem to Antioch, and one of them, Agabus, “stood up and through the Spirit predicted that a severe famine would spread over the entire Roman world” (Acts 11:28). Prophets were active in the church at Antioch (Acts 13:1), Tyre (Acts 21:4), and Caesarea, where the four daughters of Philip prophesied (Acts 21:8–9). Prophecy, one of the gifts of the Spirit designed for edifying the body of Christ, was also utilized in the churches at Rome (Rom. 12:6), Corinth (1 Cor. 12:7–11; 14:1–40), Ephesus (Eph. 2:20; 4:11; see also Acts 19:1–7; 1 Tim. 1:18), and Thessalonica (1 Thess. 5:19–22)." (thegospelcoalition)

The Bible may seem full of fantastical things that we dismiss as past occurrences simply because we have a hard time believing they still occur every day. One of those things may be prophecy. His Spirit is on all of us disciples, but each of us have many varied and equally as important gifts. Some of us have more than one gift. It's important that if you feel you've been given a gift, no matter how the world may look at it, you speak with God about it, meditate on it, and bring it with you into discussions with your fellow believers. Test yourself and test those who say they are prophets. And don't take this lightly: If God gave you a gift, you better use it.



Sources other than Bible:
https://www.bibleinfo.com/en/topics/prophets
https://www.talkjesus.com/threads/apostle-disciple-prophet-the-difference-explained.52204/
https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/sam-storms-what-does-scripture-teach-about-office-prophet-gift-prophecy/
https://www.biblestudytools.com/dictionary/prophet-prophetess-prophecy/
https://bible.org/question/are-prophets-considered-teachers

Would Jesus Make Me a Disciple?

A couple years ago, there was a month or more that I had one verse stuck on repeat in my head, one that I hadn't ever really analyzed before. So, I didn't truly understand it: "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations."

When I looked it up, I found it's actually only part of the verse that actually appears in the Bible, so let's look at that:

"And Jesus came and said to them, 'All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age." Matthew 28:18-20

That is both a very inspiring (Go make waves!) and comforting thing (I'll never leave you.) for Jesus to say. Yet, what on earth does it mean? What is a disciple, and how do we make someone one?

Of course, I knew of the twelve original disciples who walked with Jesus, and I assumed it meant student, follower, or fan. Let's see what I found out.

Back in Jesus' day, a disciple was a devoted follower of a great religious or philosophical leader. Apparently, Judaism at the time had a system of education where primary education was taught by parents and schools until a boy turned age 13. When a boy turned that age, they usually went into an apprenticeship for a trade (like law, fishing, carpentry), but if they were particularly promising in the field of Hebrew scripture, they may have the chance to become a student or ahem disciple under a Rabbi. The Rabbi would only choose a select few from a pool of applicants to become his disciples among the most promising . The disciple would aim to become just like his Rabbi. He followed his Rabbi's interpretation of the scripture to the letter. A boy who heard the words "follow me" would be ecstatic as becoming a disciple was a rare and honored position.

However, Jesus turned the whole process on its head. He took the initiative. Instead of waiting for potential followers to approach him, he approached them. They were all seemingly random men, who were generally deemed not promising, who were already trying to make their way in a trade instead of discipleship. These men were sometimes considered scum (like the lawyer). No one would be making them disciples. Yet, Jesus did. He walked up to them while they were going about their day and said "follow me." No wonder they dropped everything and went to his side.

The first followers of Jesus considered themselves his disciples even after his death. The word Christians (Acts 11:26) was invented by outsiders who generally meant it as a derogatory term. So, if you consider yourself a Christian, you're a disciple. Yes! You! How do you become a true disciple?

"Then Jesus said to His disciples, "If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow me." Matthew 16:24

"So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in Him, 'If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." John 8:31-32

You become His shadow and student, forever learning and humbling yourself to His interpretation of the scriptures. There are many ways to "deny yourself and take up your cross," one of which is to put God first in life. This brings to mind a church sign I saw the other day. It said "You can't follow Jesus if you're going in the opposite direction." If you're following your own path, you're not following His. Deny yourself and understand it may be difficult. It was difficult for Him too.

Now, how do you make disciples? Good question.

Let's read part of that verse that ran through my head incessantly:

" - baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you."

The verbs in that sentence are baptize and teach. You can teach people many ways, but I like to look to how Jesus taught. He stood in front of the masses, sure. He told stories with morals, yes. He also sat down in houses with families, in public with strangers. He went out of his way to heal, to comfort, to express affection (especially toward children), to lift up, to warn, to console and empathize ("Jesus wept"). He taught with words and action.

You don't have to walk the desert with just a staff in order to be a disciple. Love, baptize, teach, and remember you've already been selected as Jesus' disciple. Now, show the world what that means.

"And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age."