Am I a Prophet?

Have you ever had a vision from God? Have you ever had a dream that you knew was from God and you had to act on it?

At the risk of being labeled a religious nut, I admit that God has spoken to me in visions and dreams.

We are here in Bluffton, Indiana because of a dream and a very clear, specific message from God. Even now nearly 2 years after that vision, I don't completely understand it. But, it was real. I dreamed of "the meeting place." I dreamed of the building we serve in. I dreamed we lived upstairs, just like we do right now. I dreamed of the purpose of our ministry and that dream has become a reality. It sends chills up my spine to realize that God sent me this message on the evening of February 15th, 2022. Ten days later, I parked out in front of our storefront building and stared at a sign that said, "FOR RENT." I would say, the rest is history, but history is still unfolding right before my eyes.

All of this came back to me today as I was reading Isaiah 6:

"It was in the year King Uzziah died that I saw the Lord. He was sitting on a lofty throne, and the train of his robe filled the Temple. Attending him were mighty seraphim, each having six wings. With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they flew. They were calling out to each other, 'Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of Heaven's Armies! The whole earth is filled with his glory!" Their voices shook the Temple to its foundations, and the entire building was filled with smoke. Then I said, " It's all over! I am doomed, for I am a sinful man. I have filthy lips, and I live among a people with filthy lips. Yet I have seen the King, the Lord of Heaven's Armies.' Then one of the seraphim flew to me with a burning coal he had taken from the altar with a pair of tongs. He touched my lips with it and said, 'See, this coal has touched your lips. Now your guilt is removed, and. your sins are forgiven.' Then I heard the Lord asking, 'Whom should I send as a messenger to this people? Who will go for us?' I said, 'Here I am. Send me.'"(Isaiah 6:1-8)

No, I did not see God, or angels, or the magnificence that Isaiah witnessed, but my vision was from God. Does that make me a prophet?

We have such a strange idea of what a prophet is. We often think prophets predict the future in some miraculous way and yes, that CAN be a part of their message. I read some opinions about true prophets and I love these statements:

    - ChristianAnswers.net describes prophets as "the immediate organs of God for the communication of his mind and will to men.[1]

    - True prophets are not babbling on about the “deep state”, conspiracy theories, and Donald Trump. The teachings of many modern-day evangelical church leaders just do not resonate with God's heart for justice and Shalom, the way the Biblical prophets did.[2]

           - 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.'" [1]

Simply, a Prophet speaks for God.

Israel requested prophets to speak for God because they were too terrified to listen to God directly. (Deuteronomy 18:18) God gave specific instructions on how to tell a true prophet from a false prophet:

"But you may wonder, 'How will we know whether or not a prophecy is from the Lord?' If the prophet speaks the Lord's name but his prediction does not happen or come true, you will know that the Lord did not give that message. That prophet has spoken without my authority and need not be feared. (Deuteronomy 18:21)

The Bible is full of true prophets because what they said became a reality. But we must be careful. Just because I heard God's voice through a specific vision, does not mean I am a prophet. In all honesty, I have had other times I thought God was speaking to me and the events never happened, at least not yet! LOL! Jesus said false prophets will appear and deceive people.(Matthew 24:11) In 1 John 4:1, John tells the church to be cautious. He tels them to test the prophet to see if their message is true. Here are some ways to test someone who claims or acts as if they are speaking for the Lord:

A true Prophet, a person truly speaking for the Lord, will never contradict scripture. The Bible is God's word and God will never contradict his word. In Deuteronomy, Moses was told, that if the prophet's words do not come true, he/she is not a prophet. God will expose false prophets. All the prophets in scripture spoke with a humble heart. Isaiah knew he was not worthy! Prophets do not focus on blessings and feel-good messages. They most often point out sin over blessings. They point out the errors of peoples actions and the consequences of those actions. They also most often criticize those in authority, over the lowly and meek. Because of this, they also offend many people. 

The Bible is clear that the time of the prophets is NOT over. Here is that message from Peter:

"In the last days, God says, 'I will pour out my Spirit upon all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy. Your young men will see visions, and your old men will dream dreams. In those days I will pour out my Spirit even on my servants - men and women alike - and they will prophesy. And I will cause wonders in the heavens above and signs on the earth below -- blood and fire and clouds of smoke." (Acts 2:17-19)

I do not consider myself a prophet, but I do believe the Lord poured his spirit upon me and he has performed a miraculous sign bringing Stephanie and me to Bluffton, Indiana. I am forever, humbly, listening for his voice and direction. Whenever he calls, I will be just like Isaiah, "HERE I AM LORD, SEND ME!"

[1] https://www.crosswalk.com/church/pastors-or-leadership/do-prophets-still-exist-today-11577805.html

2] https://www.craiggreenfield.com/blog/moderndayprophets

[1] 

Acts 2:17-21 - last days

 

https://www.crosswalk.com/church/pastors-or-leadership/do-prophets-still-exist-today-11577805.html