Why are Prophets not Popular

The mention of prophet or prophecy brings chills in anyone’s spine. This is nothing new for in Biblical times prophets were not popular. Consider What Jesus said to the Jews of His time.

Matthew 23:34 Wherefore, behold, I send unto you prophets, and wise men, and scribes: and some of them ye shall kill and crucify; and some of them shall ye scourge in your synagogues, and persecute them from city to city:
Matthew 23:37 O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee,

Even Stephen before His death said to those who would martyred him,

Acts7:52 Which of the prophets have not your fathers persecuted? and they have slain them which shewed before of the coming of the Just One; of whom ye have been now the betrayers and murderers:

The list of prophets killed is extensive. The author of Hebrews makes mention of what they did to these messengers of God in Chapter 11.

Heb11:35 … others were tortured, not accepting deliverance; that they might obtain a better resurrection:
Heb11:36 And others had trial of cruel mockings and scourgings, yea, moreover of bonds and imprisonment:
Heb11:37 They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword: they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, tormented;
Heb11:38 (Of whom the world was not worthy:) they wandered in deserts, and in mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth.

All his from the people that professed to serve the God that send the prophets to them. NO wonder Christ said to their descendants,

Mat23:29 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye build the tombs of the prophets, and garnish the sepulchres of the righteous,
Mat23:30 And say, If we had been in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets.
Mat23:31 Wherefore ye be witnesses unto yourselves, that ye are the children of them which killed the prophets.

So, why are God’s prophets not popular? Christ Himself that “A prophet is not without honour, save in his own country, and in his own house” (Mat10:41; Mat13:57; Mark6:4) I think is because most people do not want to know the truth. No one wants to be reminded or called about their sin. Most people are afraid that others will know what they keep in secret. Since, they see God as a restricting punisher. They think of prophets as those who wants to restrict them from doing as they please. To them, Prophets are always bringing news of doom. They think silencing the prophet will keep judgment away.

But, the reason why God sends prophets to rebuke our sin is so that in rebuking we may feel convicted. In feeling convicted we may confess, ask for forgiveness and repent. God wants to be close to us, but, while we are in Sin, He cannot do this. This hurts Him. He sends His prophets to let us know His desire. It is mercy at work. The question, how will we respond? Will we heed God’s calling or will we reject Him? Rejecting God’s prophet and prophecy is rejecting God. He that receives the prophet and heeds the prophecy receives God. What will you do?

The FAQ’s of Spiritual Gifts

The FAQ’s of Spiritual Gifts

1. What are spiritual gifts?
They are special abilities, dispositions and or qualities.

2. What are they?

Rom12:6 Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith;
Rom12:7 Or ministry, let us wait on our ministering: or he that teacheth, on teaching;
Rom12:8 Or he that exhorteth, on exhortation: he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that sheweth mercy, with cheerfulness.

1Cor12:8 For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit;
1Cor12:9 To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit;
1Cor12:10 To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues:

1Cor12:28 And God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues.

3. Who gives them?
The Holy Spirit (1Corinthians 12:11; Hebrews 2:4)

4. To whom are they given?
To Christians

5. What are they for?

1Cor12:7 But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal.
1Cor14:12 Even so ye, forasmuch as ye are zealous of spiritual gifts, seek that ye may excel to the edifying of the church.

6. What is the criterion that the Holy Spirit uses give what to whom?

1Cor12:11 But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will.

Heb2:4 God also bearing them witness, both with signs and wonders, and with divers miracles, and gifts of the Holy Ghost, according to his own will?

7. What gifts did Philip have?
The gift of helps, preaching, and teaching.

His Permanent Address

A Synonym is one of two or more words in the same language which have the same or very nearly the same meaning. The meanings are so similar the words are often used interchangeably. The challenge is to know which of these words to use when you are translating. For example, there is no word in Spanish for righteousness. Many use the Spanish word for Justice: Justicia. But, justice and righteousness do not have the same definition, they are not synonyms.

A similar thing happens with the word dwell in the Bible. Sometimes it means to live permanently and sometime it means temporarily. The latter is the case of John 1:14. The word used in the Greek is Skenoo, which means: to have or fix one's tabernacle, abide (or live) in a tabernacle (or tent), tabernacle; to dwell. Let us read John 1:14,

John 1:14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.

Christ dwelling with us as the Son of Man was temporary. When Christ was on earth He “pitched His tent” among us. Tents are for temporary dwellings. In contrast, other words are used regarding His dwelling in us. The first one is Enoikeo which means to dwell in; to dwell metaphorically in one and influence him (for good). Because is for good, it gives an impression of permanency. Two verses use this example,

2Ti 1:14 That good thing which was committed unto thee keep by the Holy Ghost which dwelleth in us.
2Co 6:16 And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.

The second one is Katoikeo, which means to dwell in, inhabit as in, God is said to dwell in the temple, i.e. to be always present for worshippers. Also to dwell, settle; used metaphorically to refer to when divine powers, influences, etc., are said to dwell in his soul, to pervade, prompt, govern it. Examples of this use are found in

Eph 3:17 That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love,
Col 1:19 For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell;
Col 2:9 For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.

The word kaitokeo gives an implication of something more lasting than just pitching a tent. The third word is oikeo which simply means to dwell in. However, there is no sign of short term stay or pitching a tent. Again there is a sense of permanence in the use of this verse. Let us read

Rom 8:9 But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.
Rom 8:10 And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.
Rom 8:11 But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.

The last word is naos {nah-os'} – (our word for “IN”) which is derived from naio which also means to dwell. It was used when referring to the temple at Jerusalem, but only of the sacred edifice (or sanctuary) itself, consisting of the Holy place and the Holy of Holies. This word is the one used for referring to Jesus in the Sanctuary. Let us read,

1Co 6:19 What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?

No reference in this verse of anything temporary. Our bodies are supposed to be Jesus’ permanent address. As we can see all these words were translated as dwelling. However, skenoo is temporary dwelling.

In conclusion, when the Bible talks about Christ dwelling among us as a man, it is temporary living. However, when it talks about Christ dwelling in us it is permanent living. Both dwellings are because God loves us. God wants to permanently dwell in us. He does not want to temporarily dwell among us. His incarnation limited the how and amount of time He could dwell with us. But, through the Holy Spirit he can dwell in us forever. Yes, we can evict Him and foreclose our property, in which case the devil will repurchase it, and it will be destroyed when the devil is destroyed. Or we can let God abide in us, and eventually live eternally with Him.

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On Being More Deliberate

Years ago I had an encounter with some people that said that our work for the church had to have intentionality. This word, I learned later, was a buzz word used in certain Christian circles that espouse the ideas of the Church Growth Movement. One of their claims is that to reach people where they are, you must become more like them; hence, the intentionality. You choose to make a deliberate effort – you force yourself - to show yourself like them to have something in common. In this way they feel comfortable being around you and they join your church because they seem to like you, not because they love Jesus. When they stop liking you they leave to where they like other people. This style is a backlash of our former style of telling people seemingly irrelevant information about prophecy, theology, or Bible history. Many left our churches with this system, also.

Being more deliberate will not help your witnessing (or discipleship). Only submitting more to the Holy Spirit will. Consider the disciples. It was not until the disciples submitted to the Holy Spirit that they became effective in their ministry. They became bold after receiving the “early rain” (Acts 2). Just before this they confessed their sin and repented, the prayed and studied. If anything they became more deliberate in their submission to Christ.

Before the early rain fell on them the disciples were not quite effective workers. Even when Jesus gave the disciples power they could not free the one demon possessed. Let’s read the story in Matthew 17: 14 – 21,

Mat17:14 And when they were come to the multitude, there came to him a certain man, kneeling down to him, and saying,

Mat17:15 Lord, have mercy on my son: for he is lunatic, and sore vexed: for oft times he falleth into the fire, and oft into the water.

Mat17:16 And I brought him to thy disciples, and they could not cure him.

Mat17:17 Then Jesus answered and said, O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I suffer you? bring him hither to me.

Mat17:18 And Jesus rebuked the devil; and he departed out of him: and the child was cured from that very hour.

Mat17:19 Then came the disciples to Jesus apart, and said, Why could not we cast him out?

Mat17:20 And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.

Mat17:21 Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting.

Contrast this with the man healed of demon possession at Gadarene. Let’s read in mark 5:18 – 20,

Mark5:18 And when he was come into the ship, he that had been possessed with the devil prayed him that he might be with him.

Mark5:19 Howbeit Jesus suffered him not, but saith unto him, Go home to thy friends, and tell them how great things the Lord hath done for thee, and hath had compassion on thee.

Mark5:20 And he departed, and began to publish in Decapolis how great things Jesus had done for him: and all men did marvel.

Christ never said to the man “be more deliberate.” He said to him, “Go home to thy friends, and tell them how great things the Lord hath done for thee, and hath had compassion on thee.” We also have the story of the woman by the well. Let us read in John 4:28 – 29

John4:28 The woman then left her waterpot, and went her way into the city, and saith to the men,

John4:29 Come, see a man, which told me all things that ever I did: is not this the Christ?

He never told her to be more deliberate, in fact she went on her own, to share about Christ. She just went. Her witness was very effective, the whole town converted. The other thing Christ told people was to “Show yourself to the Priests,” as we read in Luke 17:14.

Luke17:14 And when he saw them, he said unto them, Go shew yourselves unto the priests.

They were to witness to the priests about their miraculous healing. This would have been a great witness to the priests who were bent on rejecting Christ. Christ knew this, so he sent the people where He would not be effective. Christ instead would go where the Spirit sent Him. Christ was deliberate on following what the Spirit prompted Him to do. And, He wants us to follow His example.

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