WORDS OF THE PROPHETS

“And the spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets.” (I Corinthians 14:32)

As I post this one, I realize it is NOT a typical “The Blog of Bob Baril” posting.
I am aware that it may confuse some people. I am aware that it may bore some people. I am aware that it may upset some people. All that said, I’m going to post it.

Right now I’m preaching and teaching through a series on Spiritual Gifts at church. I’ve preached about the Motivational Gifts of Romans chapter 12 and the Ministry Gifts of Ephesians chapter 14. In the last couple of weeks, I’ve been preaching about the Gifts of the Spirit from I Corinthians chapter 12. Next Sunday I’ll be primarily in chapter 14 from which I quote about. This is controversial stuff in many circles. Sadly, even in “Pentecostal” and “Charismatic” circles, it’s getting to be considered controversial stuff.

Interestingly enough, I’ve had a lot of occasion in the past few weeks to talk and muse about the topics of “Prophecy” and being a “Prophet” with some Christian friends. “What does that mean?” “How is prophecy used?” “How can you tell if a prophecy is from God or not?” And a BIGGIE is, “Even in Christian circles, why are prophets and their prophecies so often ridiculed and rejected?”

I’m NOT quick to put the label of “Prophet” on someone; yet I’d have to consider The Reverend David Wilkerson a prophet. In 1958, 26-year-old Wilkerson, then the pastor of a church in rural Pennsylvania, felt called of God to the streets of New York City to confront the toughest and fiercest teenage and young adult street gang leaders and members and lead them to Jesus. Certainly this would seem to have been a FOOLHARDY plan. Yet, Wilkerson was AMAZINGLY SUCCESSFUL and the “Teen Challenge” ministry was born. In the early 1970s, David Wilkerson published the controversial book, “The Vision”, a prophecy of what would happen in the church and society of North America over the roughly 30-40 years following 1973. At the time, his prophecy seemed outlandish. Today, we know that it was real and most of it has come to pass. (Incidentally, he also has been prophesying the collapse of America’s investment banks and leading financial firms for OVER TEN YEARS.)

When God uses you as a prophet or to speak prophetically, it is NOT easy and you are usually NOT popular. Sadly, your biggest enemies and critics will often NOT be atheists nor agnostics, nor the average Joe down the street. Usually your biggest enemies and critics will be fellow born-again Christians who do not want their toes stepped on!

I’m on an e-mail list called “The Glory of God on Cape Cod”. It’s a newsletter calling for revival, and then people often send their comments and responses to the entire e-mail list. (NOTE: I don’t know for sure how I got on that e-mail list.) Today, I received an e-mail to everyone on “The Glory of God on Cape Cod” list from Rod Shepitka. I do not know Rod Shepitka. But I was touched by his e-mail, especially since I’ve been talking and wrestling with the kind of “stuff” he talks about here.

This is NOT light reading. If you are not a born-again Christian you probably won’t understand it. If you ARE a born-again Christian, I’d say there’s at least a 60% chance you won’t understand it. But if you’re “game” here’s the contents of Rob Shepitka’s e-mail:

A.W. TOZER on TRUE PROPHETS

Great industrial concerns have in their employ men who are
needed only when there is a breakdown somewhere. When
something goes wrong with the machinery, these men spring into
action to locate and remove the trouble and get the machinery
rolling again.

For these men a smoothly operating system has no interest. They
are specialists concerned with trouble and how to find and correct it.

In the kingdom of God things are not too different. God has always
had His specialists whose chief concern has been the moral
breakdown, the decline in the spiritual health of the nation or the
church. Such men were Elijah, Jeremiah, Malachi and others of
their kind who appeared at critical moments in history to reprove,
rebuke and exhort in the name of God and righteousness.

A thousand or ten thousand ordinary priests or pastors or teachers
could labor quietly on almost unnoticed while the spiritual life of
Israel or the church was normal. But let the people of God go
astray from the paths of truth and immediately the specialist
appeared almost out of nowhere. His instinct for trouble brought
him to the help of the Lord and of Israel.

Such a man was likely to be drastic, radical, possibly at times
violent, and the curious crowd that gathered to watch him work
soon branded him as extreme, fanatical, negative. And in a sense
they were right. He was single-minded, severe, fearless, and these
were the qualities the circumstances demanded. He shocked
some, frightened others and alienated not a few, but he knew who
had called him and what he was sent to do. His ministry was
geared to the emergency, and that fact marked him out as different,
a man apart.

To such men as this the church owes a debt too heavy to pay.
The curious thing is that she seldom tries to pay him while he lives,
but the next generation builds his sepulcher and writes his
biography, as if instinctively and awkwardly to discharge an
obligation the previous generation to a large extent ignored...

[-From the Foreword to Leonard Ravenhill's "Why Revival Tarries".
A brilliant book!]

The historian D'Aubigne writes: "A great work of God is never
accomplished by the natural strength of man. It is from the dry
bones, the darkness and the dust of death, that God is pleased to
select the instruments by means of which He designs to scatter
over the earth His light, regeneration and life." [- D'Aubigne's
"History of the Reformation"].

Another writer has observed: "In the various crises that have
occurred in the history of the church, men have come to the front
who have manifested a holy recklessness that astonished their
fellows. When Luther nailed his theses to the door of the cathedral
at Wittenberg, cautious men were astonished at his audacity.
When John Wesley ignored all church restrictions and religious
propriety and preached in the fields and by-ways, men declared
his reputation was ruined. So it has been in all ages. When the
religious condition of the times called for men who were willing to
sacrifice all for Christ, the demand created the supply, and there
have always been found a few who have been willing to be
regarded reckless for the Lord. An utter recklessness concerning
men's opinions and other consequences is the only attitude that
can meet the exigencies of the present times." [Quoted by Frank
Bartleman in "Azusa Street", pg 46. (Also published as "Another
Wave Rolls in"). - Another brilliant book!]

God bless you all.