Biblical Prophecy

I've been thinking about the topic of prophecy for a few days and thought I'd share some thoughts (and stories). Pseudo-Christianity, especially the modernized Pentecostal movement has tarnished the understanding of Biblical prophecy. Let me explain. Many times growing up, before I knew the truth and before I found salvation, I had prayed to God for answers and was soon after "prophesied" over with flattering words suggesting how special I was or what purpose or appointment/title I had. At the time, I took that mean I was right with God. There was never a biblical basis, never scripture included, just generic ear-tickling...and I loved it. It was never challenging, always supportive, as if reassuring me that I was good enough as is. I remember once, I had found a pamphlet with the question "if you were arrested for being a Christian, would there be enough evidence to convict you?". It threw me. I didn't have an answer. I had no real evidence, just good deeds. Were those enough? Was good intention enough? Was what was in my heart enough? The next night, I had gone to a new "church" with a few family members, and during the service I was "prophesied" over, supposedly confirming that I was good to go. I can't remember exactly what was said but it was something about being a dreamer like Joseph. It felt good at the time, but didn't really turn into anything and wasn't scripturally founded. And that's the way all the "prophecies" worked, they told me nice things to make me think that everything between me and the Lord was fine, even if I was struggling with sin and had no biblical basis for my salvation. The ones that seemed specific never panned out the way I thought as far as meaning. Once, I was dating a man of a different race. I went to a service with some family members and the pastor of the group "prophesied" over me that I was in an interracial relationship and my family was against it but that God wanted me in that relationship and He would turn my family around. I held onto that for so long because my grandmother whom I lived with had told me that she was going to disown me if I married my boyfriend. At the time, I was convinced that I was supposed to marry that man. We lasted six and a half years before I realized he didn't want to marry me. Did my grandmother come around and decide she wouldn't disown me, sure, after I married my first husband and she was forced to be civil with a different black man. Do I think that fulfilled the "prophecy"? Not one bit. The man I married wasn't in my life at the time those words were spoken over me, and the man I was led to believe I was supposed to marry was no longer in the picture. The same night I was spoken over about being a dreamer, my aunt and uncle had been praying that their unborn baby would miraculously be a boy. They already had three girls and the ultrasound showed the fourth would be a girl too. They really wanted a boy and had prayed about it a lot. That night, at the same church, it was "prophesied" over the baby that doctors were saying one thing but God was saying it wasn't so and that God was going to change things around.... something to that effect. We all took it at the time to mean that the baby was going to be a boy. Well, a couple weeks or months later out came this baby girl. Now, there's always a shred of something that feels true in these prophesies, just like my grandmother coming around to me marrying a black man, and there was a health complication when my cousin was born. There was a problem with her heart that required emergency surgery. She survived and was fine. We thought back then that maybe we just assumed the meaning of the prophecy and that what God really meant was related to the baby's heart. But the thing is, when prophets spoke in the Old Testament, it was pretty darn clear what the meaning was. Those prophecies were specific. These pseudo-prophecies though are just vague enough that when they don't work out you can rationalize it by saying it meant something else. It's just enough for the enemy to distract you from the word of God. They're comforting enough to make you think you don't have to keep seeking the Lord. If I had kept seeking the Lord about whether or not I had enough evidence to convict me as a Christian, He would have led me to His words about salvation, but the message I was given satisfied me just enough that I stopped seeking the Lord on the matter and settled for a lie. Prophecy has always been a forth-telling of the word of God. God spoke and the prophets relayed the message. Today we have the complete word of God and it is living and active. Prophecy by the spirit-filled church is not a magical fortune-telling, but rather a forth-telling of God's perfect word, as the Spirit inspires for the hearer, God speaking and us relaying the message. Having and using the Spirit daily now for going on 10 years, I can look back and see that 1. the idea of prophecy I grew up with wasn't Biblical, and 2. it didn't push me closer to God, but made me think that God would accept me on whatever terms I presented Him with, rather than helping me to become aligned with His terms. 2 Timothy 3:16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: Reproof, correction, instruction in how to be right with God, not placating and telling us that we're okay no matter just based on our heart's desire. 2 Timothy 4:2 Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long suffering and doctrine. Romans 16:25 Now to him that is of power to stablish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began, 26 But now is made manifest, and by the scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, made known to all nations for the obedience of faith: 27 To God only wise, be glory through Jesus Christ for ever. Amen. The revelation of God's mystery is made manifest for obedience of faith. If the word isn't provoking you to obey the word of God, then it's not of God. 2 Peter 1:18-20 18 And this voice which came from heaven we heard, when we were with him in the holy mount. 19 We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts: 20 Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. 21 For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost. Prophecy requires taking heed, it's not a feel-good message, but something that demands obedience because it brings light to dark places. It's not a message for one individual, but a message that can be applied across the board to all who truly belong to God. At the heart of it, prophecy is to grow the church, to strengthen the church, not to tell individuals their future. Let's not put stock and base our salvation or important life decisions on something that can't be proven Biblically, something that only sounds and feels good but has no scriptural basis. Rather, let's hear the word, act on it, be transformed, and share it with others.

Revelation 3:19 As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.