DIVINE GIFT or CARNAL CONCEIT?

[choir loft]

Everybody seems to want to be a prophet.

Nobody wants to endure the pain and discomfort to actually become one.

The subject of spiritual gifting is a cheap lie perpetrated by religious authors, traveling con artists and pastors looking for another gimmick to increase revenue.

Read the Bible.  Every single time a prophet opened his mouth he was subjected to abuse of one sort or another.   Does the reader really want to be a modern day Jeremiah?  If so, then he or she ought to be prepared to be thrown into prison or down a well.

Messiah is a Hebrew term meaning 'the anointed one'.  

Only three types of people were anointed BY GOD in the Bible.   They were prophets, priests/judges and kings.  A man or woman who believes they've got some special advantage over the rest of us would suffer terrible indignities instead of being popularized.  Today the latter is assumed by those who want to assert their carnal conceit over the rest of us so as to impress everyone else with their style.   Such a person is NOT a prophet.   Such a person is a conceited fool who needs to be admonished by disciples of Jesus to adopt humility instead.

It doesn't take a rocket scientist to understand the principle of spiritual gifts and prophecy.   One only needs to read the book God gave us.

Having read the book, one is required to live by it.   Jesus taught His disciples that this act of living is respected by God.  No further gifts are needed.

Fold your checkbooks and open the Bible.   THAT is the gift of the Holy Spirit to us all.

that's me, hollering from the choir loft...

[Michael37]

On 12/2/2020 at 4:57 AM, choir loft said:

Everybody seems to want to be a prophet.

Nobody wants to endure the pain and discomfort to actually become one.

The subject of spiritual gifting is a cheap lie perpetrated by religious authors, traveling con artists and pastors looking for another gimmick to increase revenue.

Read the Bible.  Every single time a prophet opened his mouth he was subjected to abuse of one sort or another.   Does the reader really want to be a modern day Jeremiah?  If so, then he or she ought to be prepared to be thrown into prison or down a well.

Messiah is a Hebrew term meaning 'the anointed one'.  

Only three types of people were anointed BY GOD in the Bible.   They were prophets, priests/judges and kings.  A man or woman who believes they've got some special advantage over the rest of us would suffer terrible indignities instead of being popularized.  Today the latter is assumed by those who want to assert their carnal conceit over the rest of us so as to impress everyone else with their style.   Such a person is NOT a prophet.   Such a person is a conceited fool who needs to be admonished by disciples of Jesus to adopt humility instead.

It doesn't take a rocket scientist to understand the principle of spiritual gifts and prophecy.   One only needs to read the book God gave us.

Having read the book, one is required to live by it.   Jesus taught His disciples that this act of living is respected by God.  No further gifts are needed.

Fold your checkbooks and open the Bible.   THAT is the gift of the Holy Spirit to us all.

that's me, hollering from the choir loft...

This problem has been around for a longgg time. Words cannot express the gross errors that are being nurtured among those who take verses in 1 Corinthians 14 to extreme and thereby strive in the flesh rather than move in the Spirit.

1Co 14:1  Follow after charity, and desire spiritual gifts, but rather that you may prophesy.

1Co 14:39  Wherefore, brethren, covet to prophesy, and forbid not to speak with tongues.

It's a case of the real being so desirable that it attracts counterfeits. 

[Paul James]

On 12/2/2020 at 4:57 AM, choir loft said:

Everybody seems to want to be a prophet.

Nobody wants to endure the pain and discomfort to actually become one.

The subject of spiritual gifting is a cheap lie perpetrated by religious authors, traveling con artists and pastors looking for another gimmick to increase revenue.

Read the Bible.  Every single time a prophet opened his mouth he was subjected to abuse of one sort or another.   Does the reader really want to be a modern day Jeremiah?  If so, then he or she ought to be prepared to be thrown into prison or down a well.

Messiah is a Hebrew term meaning 'the anointed one'.  

Only three types of people were anointed BY GOD in the Bible.   They were prophets, priests/judges and kings.  A man or woman who believes they've got some special advantage over the rest of us would suffer terrible indignities instead of being popularized.  Today the latter is assumed by those who want to assert their carnal conceit over the rest of us so as to impress everyone else with their style.   Such a person is NOT a prophet.   Such a person is a conceited fool who needs to be admonished by disciples of Jesus to adopt humility instead.

It doesn't take a rocket scientist to understand the principle of spiritual gifts and prophecy.   One only needs to read the book God gave us.

Having read the book, one is required to live by it.   Jesus taught His disciples that this act of living is respected by God.  No further gifts are needed.

Fold your checkbooks and open the Bible.   THAT is the gift of the Holy Spirit to us all.

that's me, hollering from the choir loft...

There is no such gifting or ministry as Old Testament style prophets under the New Covenant.  Also, the New Testament prophet is a ministry to the whole body of Christ, and this ministry is impossible in these days because the body of Christ is split up into many different religious "parties" or denominations without any unity or fellowship among them.  Therefore anyone calling themselves a prophet might be recognised in their own select movement, but not anywhere else, so he could not be a prophet to the whole body of Christ.  So modern "prophets to the nation" are frauds who are dreaming stuff out of their own heads, because God has never sent them.

[Willa]

On 12/14/2020 at 1:05 AM, Paul James said:

There is no such gifting or ministry as Old Testament style prophets under the New Covenant. 

This is true.  The New Testament prophets were exhorters who urged, edified, encouraged and strengthened the church.  You don't sleep through their sermons because the Holy Spirit ministers to us.  It is meant for a group of people who hear it in a certain time and place, a local church.  It is not meant for all of posterity as the Old Testament is.  So I disagree that it is for the universal church.  

1Co 14:3 AMP But [on the other hand], the one who prophesies [who interprets the divine will and purpose in inspired preaching and teaching] speaks to men for their upbuilding and constructive spiritual progress and encouragement and consolation.

1Co 14:4  He who speaks in a [strange] tongue edifies and improves himself, but he who prophesies [interpreting the divine will and purpose and teaching with inspiration] edifies and improves the church and promotes growth [in Christian wisdom, piety, holiness, and happiness].

[choir loft]

On 12/14/2020 at 4:05 AM, Paul James said:

There is no such gifting or ministry as Old Testament style prophets under the New Covenant.  Also, the New Testament prophet is a ministry to the whole body of Christ, and this ministry is impossible in these days because the body of Christ is split up into many different religious "parties" or denominations without any unity or fellowship among them.  Therefore anyone calling themselves a prophet might be recognised in their own select movement, but not anywhere else, so he could not be a prophet to the whole body of Christ.  So modern "prophets to the nation" are frauds who are dreaming stuff out of their own heads, because God has never sent them.

I agree, especially with your phrasing of 'prophets to the nation'.  There aren't any real ones to be found.  I suspect if there were such a person he or she would be in prison by now.  Such declarations would not be popular with anyone, including the debauched church.

For personal purposes, I generally employ one of the Old Testament definitions of a prophet.  I understand there are several, including one who predicts the future, but the one I adhere to is simply preaching the Word of God from a pulpit or other public place.  Is not encouragement of believers more important than self-aggrandizement?  

Your assessment of the dilution of the words of a modern prophet among separate denominations is interesting.

Oddly, I think such a person would be more likely to be embraced by secular society than the religious communities these days.

Have we seen any false prophets accepted by secular and religious communities in America recently?  hmmm

that's me, hollering from the choir loft... 

[Michael37]

On 12/31/2020 at 2:25 AM, choir loft said:

that's me, hollering from the choir loft... 

When does the singing start?

[Guest kingdombrat]

On 12/14/2020 at 2:05 AM, Paul James said:

There is no such gifting or ministry as Old Testament style prophets under the New Covenant.  Also, the New Testament prophet is a ministry to the whole body of Christ, and this ministry is impossible in these days because the body of Christ is split up into many different religious "parties" or denominations without any unity or fellowship among them.  Therefore anyone calling themselves a prophet might be recognised in their own select movement, but not anywhere else, so he could not be a prophet to the whole body of Christ.  So modern "prophets to the nation" are frauds who are dreaming stuff out of their own heads, because God has never sent them.

God sends Disciples and Messengers today.   One can still fill the basic role of Prophet of the Tanakh to Teacher in the New Testament. Disciple/Apostle/Chosen/Called/Shepherd/Pastor/Evangelist/Preacher/Pupil/Student...all of/from God.

[Paul James]

3 hours ago, kingdombrat said:

God sends Disciples and Messengers today.   One can still fill the basic role of Prophet of the Tanakh to Teacher in the New Testament. Disciple/Apostle/Chosen/Called/Shepherd/Pastor/Evangelist/Preacher/Pupil/Student...all of/from God.

I can go along with that.   Much of preaching in the Holy Spirit is prophetic.  If a preacher gets up and preaches the gospel and sinners are cut to the heart and start crying out to God for grace and mercy, then we can safely say that the preaching has the voice of the Holy Spirit in it, and is therefore prophetic.

if you are sitting in church and the preacher says things that resonate with your heart and you know that the Holy Spirit is speaking to you, and you are brought closer to Christ along with the commensurate positive changes that come with it, then you are hearing from a preacher exercising the gift of prophecy.

[suzan344]

The issue with prophesying, which I call giving the word of the Lord, is that it is always unpopular, what the Lords says.

I mean the Lord will bring up the unfamiliar and what people want is the familiar.

There is no reason for the Lord to rehash old truths.  That seems to bug people, that he has something new to say and add to old text.

I think it leaves them feeling incredibily vulnerable for believing in what they do, if he is attempting to straighten out something they believe, that is no longer true.

Seen this myself, incredibily.

[Guest kingdombrat]

15 hours ago, Paul James said:

I can go along with that.   Much of preaching in the Holy Spirit is prophetic.  If a preacher gets up and preaches the gospel and sinners are cut to the heart and start crying out to God for grace and mercy, then we can safely say that the preaching has the voice of the Holy Spirit in it, and is therefore prophetic.

if you are sitting in church and the preacher says things that resonate with your heart and you know that the Holy Spirit is speaking to you, and you are brought closer to Christ along with the commensurate positive changes that come with it, then you are hearing from a preacher exercising the gift of prophecy.

Amen!

I mean in intent purposes these walks in God are to be connected and purposed all alike.   When we see a real sincere person of God teaching and preaching, we are getting a good glimpse from a Prophet speaking to a People God has a message for.   We're just having a Message today based upon having what we Believe is all of God's Word vs the Word we're reading is explaining how the Prophet was the [Specific] Word from God directly to a {real People}, and then we're trying to bring that "Reality" to our understanding.   And do the same with all subject matter. That's what it should feel like.