Everyday prophets…
Aug 26th, 2010 by ljkim
We don’t really use the word “prophet” the way the Bible does, so you might think of it as a kind of “wisdom” or “maturity” or the gift of “faith” or a “passion” for God. Prophets are especially gifted to speak for God when no one else will. And for disciples, they can speak in such a way that it’s clear that they’re not speaking out of pride or self interest, but from a clear push from God. So prophets are the ones who said before Y2K that the world will not end because of a computer glitch, or any other kind of human accident, but it will end only as God makes it end and gives us a new beginning.
Prophets are also the people who said during the last few elections that no political candidate can save America (from anything), don’t think too highly of them, or else you’ll be disappointed. Simply try to vote for the ones who are best equipped for the job, and pray for them. Prophets are also the ones who might have reminded us during the stock market bubbles not to put our trust in wealth but to trust God and use wealth for God and people (rather than use God and people for the sake of money). To the church, the prophets are also the ones who tell us not to worry about buildings and lights and fancy equipment, but to humble ourselves and pray.
Now being a prophet is a thankless job, because unlike teachers, they’re only needed when everyone else goes wrong. In other words, their job is to speak for God when what God has to say is least popular. the prophet Nathan had to bust King David on a private sin that nearly ruined him. Jeremiah was thrown down a well after he told people that it was God’s will that they lose the war to Babylon. John the Baptist was beheaded for constantly reminding the royal family that the King had killed his brother and married his wife. So it’s understandable that people with the gift of prophecy tend to shy away from the spotlight. For a true prophet, the spotlight has no appeal, only difficulty.
What we need to do then is to honor the prophetic people among us, even if we disagree with them at first…
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