I'm always intrigued how, "No one ones the day or the hour (except the Father)" -- Matthew 24:36 -- ALWAYS seems to get turned into, "God has given ME special insight into being able to predict when the day and hour/end times is going to be."
I always wonder... how close is this to the edge of soothsaying or fortune telling -- which is clearly forbidden in the Bible?
Now I surely believe in prophets and after all, God gave Noah special insight into the end of the world at the time (the flood,) but I've never ran into any modern person whose predictions were 100% accurate. In each case, things had to be twisted like a pretzel in order to meet their predictions rather than an obvious observation to anyone that their "prophecy" had come true. I personally believe that if a prophecy comes true, it will be so obvious that an unbeliever could understand it.
I was once part of a church that was heavily into prophesy and words of knowledge -- which I certainly do believe exists.
But what I also observed is that far too many people seem to become drunk on the power/high it seems to give them to have "special knowledge" from God. Everyone else was pitied because they just weren't as "advanced," "close to God," or "didn't have as much faith" as they did. I fell victim to this too when the church was encouraging me to my "own" "prophetic skills."
When I took a good hard look at the Old Testament and was reminded the the consequences for giving false prophecies was DEATH, I became much, much more reserved in ever trying to claim "God told me" something about anything.
Do I think God speaks to me? Absolutely. But now I just make sure I leave a very wide open gate for my own human error if ever trying to convey that to someone else.
I always wonder... how close is this to the edge of soothsaying or fortune telling -- which is clearly forbidden in the Bible?
Now I surely believe in prophets and after all, God gave Noah special insight into the end of the world at the time (the flood,) but I've never ran into any modern person whose predictions were 100% accurate. In each case, things had to be twisted like a pretzel in order to meet their predictions rather than an obvious observation to anyone that their "prophecy" had come true. I personally believe that if a prophecy comes true, it will be so obvious that an unbeliever could understand it.
I was once part of a church that was heavily into prophesy and words of knowledge -- which I certainly do believe exists.
But what I also observed is that far too many people seem to become drunk on the power/high it seems to give them to have "special knowledge" from God. Everyone else was pitied because they just weren't as "advanced," "close to God," or "didn't have as much faith" as they did. I fell victim to this too when the church was encouraging me to my "own" "prophetic skills."
When I took a good hard look at the Old Testament and was reminded the the consequences for giving false prophecies was DEATH, I became much, much more reserved in ever trying to claim "God told me" something about anything.
Do I think God speaks to me? Absolutely. But now I just make sure I leave a very wide open gate for my own human error if ever trying to convey that to someone else.
Now if I had to show you and show you the all the events unfolding it would lead you to the answer to the question I asked. Do you think I enjoy alluding to something that I cannot say directly due to sensitivity potentially here?
I am not trying to be better than anyone. I have emphasised over and over again that it is because of His grace I know otherwise I would been totally oblivious and had everything topsy turvy still.
Would you and others here prefer I lie? The truth is I will follow my convictions as you follow yours.