Prophecy IV

 If no allotted time is given, if there is no specific date by which a prophecy must come to pass, then you cannot make a determination on whether or not it was true based on its fulfillment, and so you must seek to discover the intent. Is the prophecy encouraging me to draw closer to God, or further away from Him? Is the prophecy encouraging me to seek after the Lord with my whole heart and soul, or is it encouraging me to flirt with mysticism, divination, out-of-body experiences, psychedelic journeys, or other such inanities? Does it aim to glorify God and point the way to Christ, or make the man or woman delivering it a de facto deity which must be obeyed without question? 

If you’re looking to be justified in your rebellion, you’ll likely find someone willing to do it. It will come at a price, but someone will provide the supply if there is demand. That doesn’t mean God is justifying your rebellion; it means a man whose interest is to steer you toward other gods is justifying your rebellion.

What’s heavier still is that when someone whose motive is to steer you away from the truth gives an accurate word, God is testing you to see whether you love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and not merely paying Him lip service.

If I love God with all my heart and soul, I’m not looking for excuses to disobey Him; I’m not looking for permission to sin, because I do not want to sin knowing it will break His heart. If I love God, I serve Him and hold fast to Him, no matter how many insist I don’t have to be that radical, that committed, that watchful, or that sober-minded.

Look, that one guy prophesied something that came to pass, then insisted it was the Lord’s good pleasure for me to leave my crippled wife and marry my secretary even though I vowed to love her in sickness and health until death did us part. He must be right because he showed signs and wonders, even though Scripture states the opposite of what He insists I have the liberty to do.

It can’t be as simple as denying myself, picking up my cross, and following after Jesus. There has to be more, some repetitive act I can perform, some hidden knowledge I can access, something, anything. Look, over there, there’s a man who claims to be a prophet, who says sin is a mental construct, all dogs go to heaven, and in the end we all end up in the same place whether we are saved, sanctified, and redeemed by the blood of Jesus, or think our pet ficus is god.

If someone precedes something wholly unbiblical with the words “the Lord told me”, it wasn’t the Lord. At best, it was their feigned imaginings; at worst, it was the devil using them as a convenient pawn.

Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul. Walk after the Lord your God and fear Him. Keep His commandments and obey His voice. Serve Him and hold fast to Him. Anyone who tries to sway you from these truths, even if what they’ve said came to pass, even if they showed signs and wonders, is, by God’s own definition, a false prophet!

That’s not me saying it; that’s God saying it.

Angry yet? We’re just getting started. If you are angry, who are you angry at? Is it me? Is it Scripture? Or is it having to wrestle with the reality that things aren’t as simple as they may seem, and that some men and women you believed to be prophets and prophetesses aren’t?

Yes, prophecy has a role within the household of faith; however, nowhere in Scripture does it say we’re supposed to chase after prophecy, go on an endless crusade to find the latest and greatest prophetic voice, or seek liberties through prophecies that the Word of God does not afford us. If God has a word of prophecy for me, I don’t have to chase it down; it will be delivered as surely as the mailman delivers my mail six days a week. The prophetic word will find me; I don’t have to search for it.

The problem with trying to bypass loving God, walking after Him, fearing Him, obeying His voice, serving Him, and holding fast to Him in lieu of seeking out a prophecy is that there are a plethora of unscrupulous, ill-meaning wolves in sheep’s clothing who will exploit your desire to receive a word from the Lord to their own ends.

God already told you what He expects of you. He won’t change His mind on the matter, no matter how many people insist that He has. Walk humbly with your Lord. Obey His voice, serve Him, and hold fast to Him.

If a prophecy you’ve received aims to impede your growth, if a prophecy you’ve received aims to keep you from hungering after God, if a prophecy you’ve received aims to hinder you in your pursuit of righteousness, it’s not true prophecy, no matter how fanciful and entertaining it may seem.

True prophecy will never contradict Scripture. Not ever, not once, no matter the situation or circumstance. God is not double-minded, nor is He double-tongued, and you will find the answers to the burning questions you have within the pages of Scripture far quicker than through any prophecy you might seek out. Prophecy confirms the Word of God. It confirms your need to draw closer to Him, deny yourself, grow in your faith, and mature in your walk. Yes, prophecy may point out some blind spots, some areas where you need to double your efforts; it may offer you a glimpse into the future, preparing you for what is to come, but Scripture first, always, without fail.

Granted, there are those who know what Scripture says, and because they don’t like what it has to say on a given topic, they seek after prophecies hoping that they will contradict the canon of God’s written Word. What those individuals are doing is nothing less than tempting the Lord and seeking permission for future rebellion.

If one’s attitude is “I know what the Bible says; I know what God is likely to say, but I will only accept a word that confirms my position,” they’re not seeking to know the truth; they’re seeking confirmation bias. Even though such individuals try to play games with God, I assure you, God doesn’t play games.  

With love in Christ,

Michael Boldea, Jr.