THOSE WHO SPEAKS IN GOD’SVOICE HAS NEVER BEEN POPULAR.
Ironically, the prophets of the old testament had one quality; speaking out boldly no matter whose axe they gore.one can easily recollects prophet Nathan telling the powerful king David the famous words,’ Thou art the man’. [2 Samuel 12:7] one can imagine the scene when the first prophet of Israel chided the erring king Saul, “And Samuel said, Hath the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams”, 1 Samuel 15:22. Or Elijah’s bold reply to king Ahab, ” And it came to pass, when Ahab saw Elijah, that Ahab said unto him, Art thou he that troubleth Israel? And he answered, I have not troubled Israel; but thou, and thy father’s house, in that ye have forsaken the commandments of the LORD, and thou hast followed Baalim”. 1 Kings 18:17-18. In those days, the prophet hears from God, listens to God and declares the whole counsel of God to the people or individual.He operates with certain authority at his disposal see 1 Kings 17:1 , “And Elijah the Tishbite, who was of the inhabitants of Gilead, said unto Ahab, As the LORD God of Israel liveth, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, but according to my word.1 Kings 17:13-15, And Elijah said unto her, Fear not; go and do as thou hast said: but make me thereof a little cake first, and bring it unto me, and after make for thee and for thy son. For thus saith the LORD God of Israel, The barrel of meal shall not waste, neither shall the cruse of oil fail, until the day that the LORD sendeth rain upon the earth. And she went and did according to the saying of Elijah: and she, and he, and her house, did eat many days. Yet, these powerful and almost super humans who hear from God, has their limitations and flaws: Prophet Samuel the great seer, and first prophet and indeed, the only one to so double allow his emotion to led the way when he was to anoint the next king in the household of Jesse.The apostle paul captures the true situation of the people whom God uses to deliver the good news, [Gospel] when he said in 2 Corinthians 4:7 ‘But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us”,. A prominent prophet of the new testament was a man called Agabus: By the Spirit. Under the influence of the Spirit. He was inspired to tell of a great famine that was to come [foretold the church about the what will happen in thier wolrd at that time] and secondly, he foretold what will befall Paul if he goes to Jerusalem. [an individual and what he will experience at a certain place] therefore, there is nothing wrong if A true prophet tells us about the present political dispensation and the same time can tell us about our personale life as chrstians! But we are not to follow those who are not of God, who uses other kinds of powers. Today, a prophet is no longer identified by these traits, but the ability to perform signs and wonders. In some quarters, if you are not into the miraculous and power display, they do not consider you a man of God, but as one man puts it, ‘ you are a motivational speaker’. There are also those who will mock your ministry and call you a fraud if you are just a mere pastor, according to them. People are sick oppressed and many needs solutions to their problems and if you come along with one eye-catching power display, they will do and go where you want them. The foretelling practices [ability to say what will happen in the near future or what occured in the past] of many of them have broken matrimonial homes and left sworn enemies amongst siblings. In a land where poverty and lack of incentives rules the day, many are just are wont to believe a prophet who accuses a loved one of being responsible for his/her suffering; A real man of God should be able to call out a witch and ask him/her to confess and if he /she denies being one, release a dirty slap to the face of the witch and the so called congregation will cheer you on. Inside such meeting they practice a lot of spiritism: from the strange songs dedicated to the prophet to the strange way of making donations/offerings, to the strange buying of healing handkerchives. Sad enough, these are monies these impoverished one could hardly afford! no church programs, no protocols, no administration. The prophet is in charge and can function in any department as the spirit led him. they also do not have a definite time of church benediction, it is what time the spirit says. Most time is for singing, praises, testimonies of how the prophet have done the powerful and miraculous and the prophet himself,comes on stage to regale them more with what he has done or will do can do, because he is the only one sent by God. The day the spirit will move, you can be in the church from 8 to 5. As for those women who are married thier husbands who always complain are nothing but the servant of devil to torment them and outrightly jealous of them! for having known the prophet and have received thier deliverance; meanwhile the man nolonger has a say in the house all he hears now is the instruction of the prophet and being suspicious reading meaning to every occurence in the house and reporting them all to the prophet and giving testimonies most time, thanking the prophet. Husband and wife have become two paralell lines that can never meet. Intimacy is gone, planning together is gone and any decision is finalized after the prophet have prayed and fasted over it otherwise such decision will die a natural death. Like the jews of old they would rather see the acts and miracles than know the ways of Jehovah; no one seeks to know him and what he desires or how he wants us to live in these lasts days see Psalms 105:4 Seek the LORD, and his strength: seek his face evermore.
Sapphire strokes 