Along with the word of knowledge piece after the election, this is another difficult piece to write. Yet, I know God will allow the right people to see this, and I pray that He gets the glory from this spiritual gift, word of knowledge. My blog after the results was directed for the Church in America, as a whole. This post also applies to the Church, but its direct audience is those who identify themselves as prophets. Similar to my last post, I included two references to support this message: (1) The video of Brian Carn's prophetic word, and (2) Background information on Betsy Devos, Trump's potential candidate for the Education Secretary.
Let me first start with these sentiments. I am American, born and raised in Philadelphia, and I love my rich heritage. I've repeatedly heard the story of how my mother, father, aunt, grandmother, and cousin migrated to the USA. I love my native language and enjoy hearing my children speak it. So, I can proudly say I am the child of immigrants. I can’t imagine waiting for my family to arrive in this country and receiving the unfortunate news that we cannot be united/reunited. While watching the news of crowded airports, I truly sympathize with families that are unduly influenced by the executive order of the current administration regarding immigration.
My second sentiment is the focal point of my post. I have a close Facebook friend who expressed her frustration towards individuals who cannot currently speak out against the injustice we are experiencing, but who have spoken out on other matters. Though her feelings are valid, I wanted to comment and let that friend know what I detected in my spirit. I sensed that too many people are speaking out of hurt, frustration, disappointment, hatred, and probably much more. So, how could I communicate to that friend that I felt peace with silence? My lips were completely numb with knowledge of the current events. When that happens, I turn to God. Therefore, I asked God, “What are the ‘prophets' saying?”
By prophets, I was referring to the mega-ministers, the international people who constantly have something to say about “God said.” After all, that’s what happened in the Old Testament. The major and minor prophets had insight to God’s will and declared what they were unctioned to say to the people. Consequently, the people received awareness of God’s plan and either chose to obey or disobey. When we look at the popular prophets and ministers in Christianity today, we have positioned select individuals as the “major prophets” of our time. They are the ones who have the platforms to represent God to a broad audience, whether they are right or wrong.
By prophets, I was referring to the mega-ministers, the international people who constantly have something to say about “God said.” After all, that’s what happened in the Old Testament. The major and minor prophets had insight to God’s will and declared what they were unctioned to say to the people. Consequently, the people received awareness of God’s plan and either chose to obey or disobey. When we look at the popular prophets and ministers in Christianity today, we have positioned select individuals as the “major prophets” of our time. They are the ones who have the platforms to represent God to a broad audience, whether they are right or wrong.
At exactly 8:00 PM on 1/30/17, I sat at my dinner table after my grad class, and the Holy Spirit told me to look for Brian Carn. What I discovered about a preacher I barely know blew me away. I will not negatively speak against anyone, but after finding the information, I received revelation on why those who profess their callings as prophets, or operate in prophesy, should take a moment of silence and stillness for several reasons. I admonish those individuals to place themselves on a gag order and avoid saying, “I see…God said…in my dream.” Let’s explore why this is a time for prophets to be still and silent.
1. There is too much calamity to accurately discern God's voice.
God is not a liar (Numbers 23:19). He is not speaking to so many different prophets and saying so many different things. We have to give God more credit than that. Prophets, during such mayhem, please do not force God to speak. Additionally, do not try to be God’s mouthpiece when God is choosing to be silent. How is this backed biblically?
Take a quick look at Job. The Bible classifies Job as a "perfect and upright man" (Job 1:1). God was confident in Job's character and permitted Satan to afflict him. With Job's initial shock of his trials, he and his friends remained in each other's company for seven days and seven nights, without uttering one word to Job. During one affliction after another, Job desperately wanted God to speak in the midst of his situation (Job 30:20). Well, it wasn't until chapter 38 that God finally decided to respond to Job; but, He didn't do it calmly. God spoke out of a whirlwind, or storm, and He spoke for a long time. At the conclusion of God's discourse, I can honestly say, "Job couldn't handle the truth." Hearing God speak caused an interpersonal revelation that humbled Job - how he saw himself, how he saw God, and how he saw his circumstance all changed.
What God wants prophets to know is that He executed His plan for Job's life and didn't feel obligated to speak to Job in the midst of his chaotic situations. So, please stop trying to represent God in the midst of all this turmoil we are experiencing in America, before and now, with the aftermath of the election. Let God be God all by Himself.
Furthermore, if you profess to be a prophet, please ask yourself, "Am I ready to hear what God is saying? Can I handle the weight of God's word?" Before you answer, I ask you to consider this statement. If God really spoke to you the way He is feeling, it would be an earsplitting noise that shocks your auditory senses. How is that biblical? Well, let's look at what happened on Mount Sinai (Exodus 19:1-18). When God decided to speak, He instructed the children of Israel to get ready. This was an instruction for both their outer and inner condition. If anyone touched the mount, they would die. So, preparing to hear God's voice and experiencing His presence, was an event that required a level of sacredness. Truthfully, the Church in America, has lost that level of reverence when approaching God. Here's the part that prophets need to know about hearing God's voice during this time. On Mount Sinai, God used thunders and lightnings, the voice of the trumpet; and the people trembled. If God used that same method today, can you really handle all of that noise in your natural ear? I can almost guarantee you that you can't. Do you have a godly fear of God's voice to tremble like the people on Mount Sinai? Only you can answer that.
As we've seen the use of natural phenomenas, let us continue with that theme for my second point, as to why prophets need a moment of silence and stillness.
2. God is coming in different directions/ways, because His move is multi-faceted. Don't assume you know how God is working.
Let's look at how the Lord appeared to the Prophet Elijah (1 Kings 19). Now, Elijah was a man of God that did many exploits. Yet, even with his anointed positioning, he had a level of sensitivity to measure the direction and source of God's voice. He did not take every decibel and label it as a word from the Lord. That's a mistake prophets are currently making. They are taking every action, every observation, and running with a prophetic message of what God is saying. But, Elijah knew how to assess God's voice accurately. For instance, when Elijah went to stand on the mount before the Lord to hear God speak, the Lord passed by with a great and strong wind. Although it felt powerful, Elijah didn't start jumping up and down proclaiming a message from God. God didn't speak through the wind, and Elijah waited. After the wind came an earthquake. While that is powerful also, Elijah didn't pronounce a word from the Lord. God didn't speak through the earthquake, and Elijah waited. After the earthquake came a fire. Once again, that is powerful as well, but Elijah didn't pronounce a word from the Lord. God didn't speak through the fire, and Elijah waited. Finally, after the fire came a still, small voice. YES! It's in that minuscule moment that Elijah discerned God's voice and moved accordingly.
As prophets, without clearly hearing God's voice, your cognition is limited to your current knowledge, values, and experience. Please do not box God into your angle(s), because honestly, your finite understanding cannot keep up with God's infinite agenda. So, when you think God is speaking one way in these turbulent times, there's a strong likelihood that you are wrong. Again, I caution you to take a moment of stillness and silence .
Those last two words bring me to my last point.
3. Even though many scriptures call for God to not be silent or still (Psalm 83:1), we must accept that stillness and silence are valid forms of communication between God and humanity.
I don't plan for this point to be long. I only have three scriptures that are not exhaustive to demonstrate this point.
"Be STILL, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth." ~Psalm 46:10
"Ye shall not need to fight in this battle: set yourselves, stand ye STILL, and see the salvation of the Lord with you, O Judah and Jerusalem: fear not, nor be dismayed; to morrow go out against them: for the Lord will be with you." ~2 Chronicles 20:17
"Even fools are thought wise if they keep SILENT, and discerning if they hold their tongues." ~Proverbs 17:28, NIV
In summation, prophets are valued historically and scripturally. However, I hope this post can enlighten someone about the importance of being precise, and the detriment of not speaking accurately. Analogically, it's like taking a bowl of salt, dropping one grain of pepper, and saying that the bowl only contains salt. It may look like it's true, but it's not. Even though the content primarily contains salt, the addition of pepper changes the composition. Also, if pepper keeps getting added incrementally, it continues to alter the content of the bowl. So, to those who are prophets, please do not change the composition of God's Word and present it to us like it's God's unadulterated truth.
APPENDIX
View the video of Brian Carn by clicking the link, especially around 18:50.
Brian Carn's 'Prophecy'
Take my quiz on Betsy Devos by clicking the link to learn more about her.
Betsy Devos
What should a prophet do in this situation? There is a lot of speculation about Trump's nominee for Education, who is proven to have no knowledge of how education works. Let's assume I'm a prophet (which I'm glad I'm not). If I forced my current knowledge, my current values, and my current experience, I will give a prophetic word that goes two ways: "I see God allowing the confirmation of Betsy Devos," or "I don't see God allowing the confirmation of Betsy Devos."
QUESTION: So, what is the safe measure I should take that won't embarrass God, or confuse God's people?
As prophets, without clearly hearing God's voice, your cognition is limited to your current knowledge, values, and experience. Please do not box God into your angle(s), because honestly, your finite understanding cannot keep up with God's infinite agenda. So, when you think God is speaking one way in these turbulent times, there's a strong likelihood that you are wrong. Again, I caution you to take a moment of stillness and silence .
Those last two words bring me to my last point.
3. Even though many scriptures call for God to not be silent or still (Psalm 83:1), we must accept that stillness and silence are valid forms of communication between God and humanity.
I don't plan for this point to be long. I only have three scriptures that are not exhaustive to demonstrate this point.
"Be STILL, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth." ~Psalm 46:10
"Ye shall not need to fight in this battle: set yourselves, stand ye STILL, and see the salvation of the Lord with you, O Judah and Jerusalem: fear not, nor be dismayed; to morrow go out against them: for the Lord will be with you." ~2 Chronicles 20:17
"Even fools are thought wise if they keep SILENT, and discerning if they hold their tongues." ~Proverbs 17:28, NIV
In summation, prophets are valued historically and scripturally. However, I hope this post can enlighten someone about the importance of being precise, and the detriment of not speaking accurately. Analogically, it's like taking a bowl of salt, dropping one grain of pepper, and saying that the bowl only contains salt. It may look like it's true, but it's not. Even though the content primarily contains salt, the addition of pepper changes the composition. Also, if pepper keeps getting added incrementally, it continues to alter the content of the bowl. So, to those who are prophets, please do not change the composition of God's Word and present it to us like it's God's unadulterated truth.
APPENDIX
View the video of Brian Carn by clicking the link, especially around 18:50.
Brian Carn's 'Prophecy'
Take my quiz on Betsy Devos by clicking the link to learn more about her.
Betsy Devos
What should a prophet do in this situation? There is a lot of speculation about Trump's nominee for Education, who is proven to have no knowledge of how education works. Let's assume I'm a prophet (which I'm glad I'm not). If I forced my current knowledge, my current values, and my current experience, I will give a prophetic word that goes two ways: "I see God allowing the confirmation of Betsy Devos," or "I don't see God allowing the confirmation of Betsy Devos."
QUESTION: So, what is the safe measure I should take that won't embarrass God, or confuse God's people?
- Based on my strong, Christian values, I can prophesy that God will allow Devos for the Education Secretary because her mother, "Elsa Prince Broekhuizen, Betsy's mother, donated $75,000 to the successful 2004 ballot measure to ban same-sex marriage in Michigan; four years later, she gave $450,000 to an identical initiative in California."
- Based on my current knowledge of how disastrous the schooling environment is, I can prophesy that God wants a person to bring prayer back into school.
- Based on my current experience as a graduate student pursuing my Master's Degree in Early Childhood Education, I can prophesy that God will not confirm a person who has no knowledge of the field.
