Now Judas and Silas, themselves being prophets also, exhorted and strengthened the brethren with many words.

In Acts 15:32, we see that two prophets exhorted and strengthened the brethren with many words. And now we see why God doesn't just hand out the gift of prophecy lightly. Christians won't listen for long to incompetent speakers or to Christians with a bad testimony. A person who lacks knowledge, can't teach, uses the wrong words, or does not command respect can't perform a prophet's duties.

We're told to seek the better gifts, especially that we may prophesy. If you obey this command, you might find God working in your life before He gives you what you ask for.

Okay, today a prophet edifies, exhorts, and comforts. What else does a prophet do?

Ephesians 4:11-12 tells us what ALL spiritual offices do:

And He Himself gave some to be Apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ.

So a prophet equips saints for the work of the ministry in order to edify the body of Christ. Nothing crazy or fanatical there. You don't have to be afraid of the gift of prophecy.

All right, we're born again Christians, not the nation of Israel, so what does a prophet do today?

1 Corinthians 14:3 tells us "But he who prophesies speaks edification and exhortation and comfort to men."

See? Nothing crazy or evil. Do you need to be afraid to edify, exhort, or comfort people?

What DOES a Prophet Do Today?

Are there still prophets in 21th century Christianity? If so, what do they do?

1 Corinthians 14:1 gives one of the most-disobeyed commands in the Bible: "
Pursue love, and desire spiritual gifts, but especially that you may prophesy."

We're told to desire the gift of prophecy, but there are problems. There are crackpots out there who claim to be prophets. Prophets suffer persecution. They are regarded as being crazy. And to put it bluntly, hardly anyone obeys this command.

But the New Testament gives a lot of space to describing and explaining prophecy. I'll be posting a few times a week about seeking the gift of prophecy, and I hope that you'll drop in to learn more.

Human Resources--in the bad sense

I have wondered for decades why I am looking for fallen graduates of my Bible college, when no one else is. One Godly leader from my college, who is now in Heaven, used to do it as well, but I cannot find anyone else.

While researching a problem for a troubled Christian, I came across a hatesite dedicated to a Bible college similar to mine. It is an unaccredited Ruckmanite school, run by a single megachurch, that requires its students to perform a lot of service for the church while not giving them a genuine college education.

The posts were about six years old, and contained the usual complaints about being forced to live for God and obey man-made rules when the person didn't want to. As usual, the posters eventually broke out in hatred for each other. They could not produce any evidence of fraud or immorality against the pastor.

But one poster explained my own situation. The college used its students as "resources." They were there to produce numbers. When it was clear that a student needed to leave, he was pressured to stay and keep paying tuition money. He was not informed that the college would never recommend him for a ministry, and that his credits would probably not transfer to a real college.

I am in contact with graduates, some of whom excelled in their Christian service, who hate the college today.

Attending an unaccredited college is almost always a mistake. My own college falsified records, encouraged gang violence, provided a sorry education, slanders its critics, and discards its victims.

And attending a Ruckmanite college is always a mistake.

Ishbi-benob  is a picture of our attackers.

2 Samuel 21:
^{16 Then Ishbi-benob, who was among the descendants of the giant, the weight of whose spear was three hundred shekels of bronze in weight, was girded with a new sword, and he intended to kill David.}17 But Abishai the son of Zeruiah helped him, and struck the Philistine and killed him.

OUR CRITICS

Ishbibenob is a symbol of our critics.
2 Samuel 21:16Then Ishbi-Benob, who was one of the sons of the giant, the weight of whose bronze spear was three hundred shekels, who was bearing a new sword, thought he could kill David.
17But Abishai the son of Zeruiah came to his aid, and struck the Philistine and killed him.
1) He didn't understand old age. Older experienced Christians can't be stopped:
Psalm 92: 13 Those who are planted in the house of the LORD Shall flourish in the courts of our God.
14 They shall still bear fruit in old age; They shall be fresh and flourishing,
Proverbs 16:31 The silver-haired head is a crown of glory, If it is found in the way of righteousness.
Isaiah 46:4 Even to your old age, I am He, And even to gray hairs I will carry you! I have made, and I will bear; Even I will carry, and will deliver you.
2) HE DIDN'T UNDERSTAND TEACHING
Titus 2:3 the older women likewise, that they be reverent in behavior, not slanderers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things ---
2 Timothy 2:2 And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.
3) HE SHOULD NOT HAVE USED A SWORD, WHICH PICTURES THE WORD OF GOD
Romans 14:4 Who are you to judge another's servant? To his own master he stands or falls. Indeed, he will be made to stand, for God is able to make him stand.
James 4:12 There is one Lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy. Who are you to judge another?
4) HE SHOULD HAVE USED A BOW, WHICH PICTURES PERSONAL ATTACKS
Psalm 64:3 Who sharpen their tongue like a sword, And bend their bows to shoot their arrows --- bitter words,
4 That they may shoot in secret at the blameless; Suddenly they shoot at him and do not fear.
Notice that they pretend that their evil words are "like a sword." They are able to fake Godliness in their slander.
Psalm 11:2 For look! The wicked bend their bow, They make ready their arrow on the string, That they may shoot secretly at the upright in heart.
1 Timothy 4:10-11 For to this end we both labor and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of those who believe.
These things command and teach. Reproach is an automatic part of serving God.
5) HE DIDN'T AMOUNT TO MUCH
Nothing else is known about him. His spearhead weighed half that of Goliath. Most critics of successful Chirstians are not leading successful ministries themselves.
6) HE WASN'T WELL THOUGHT OF
His name seems to mean "The Man From Nob," The Man Who Sits," The Man Who Breathes." He was not given any "champion" titles.

USING WISDOM TO LISTEN TO THE RIGHT PEOPLE

Certain sites are dedicated to restoring the spiritual success of the independent Baptist churches of the 1970's. The people in charge reason that if we will listen to the teachings of the greatest independent Baptist preachers of that decade, we will bring back their spiritual success. And the people who run these sites don't understand why they are failing.

The leaders back then followed a policy of covering up sin "for the good of the ministry." Eventually, they had to start criticizing Christians who objected to the growing sin. Criticism eventually turned to slander, and by the 1980's, their movement was in decline. Listening to the people who led that decline won't work.

But the people who run these sites believe that they also should cover up sin "for the good of the ministry." They truthfully tell of the successes of these great preachers, while censoring out any references to their failings.

And they do not understand why they are failing.