July 8, 2021 | Prophet
Take a short trip to the B’Hai Temple. You’ll find a variety of pictures on the walls. Pictures of Buddha, Confucius, Jesus, Mohammed and others. The message of the B’Hai faith is this: Jesus is just one of many prophets. Muslims don’t believe that Jesus was the Son of God either, but they do also revere Him as a holy prophet.
It’s increasingly popular to think that way today , even among many who label themselves as Christians. Its easier to see Jesus as just a man who was gifted with certain abilities. Son of God seems too overwhelming for many, but the title of prophet seems easier to accept because mere mortals can be counted among them. However, the Bible won’t let us look at Jesus that way.
The Bible has much to say about both true prophets and false ones. The prophet Amos spoke for God when he said in Amos 3:7, “For the Lord God does nothing without revealing His secret to His servants the prophets.” From this we understand that true prophets speak for God. They are the people God uses to reveal His mystery.
But, as we all have come to know, words are easy. Many claim to be prophets, able to speak for God, yet speak only for themselves. So, whom shall we believe? 1 John 4:1 reminds us, “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world.” 2 Peter 1:21 goes on to say, “For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.”
If someone says they are speaking for God and what they are saying is not grounded in the Word of God. Avoid them. Today it is Christ who is our Holy High Prophet. Hebrews 1:1-2 makes this clear saying, “Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days He has spoken to us by His Son, whom He appointed the heir of all things, through whom also He created the world.”
Today it is Christ who controls the narrative, Christ, who is both Prophet and King. By His life and through His Holy Spirit He speaks to us through His Word even today. As the prophets of old, He guides us by the Word of God toward the places God has planned for us from before we were born. Today we no longer count on earthly prophets because we have been given a heavenly Prophet to speak as God for God.
It is through Christ that the many mysteries of God are being revealed. It is Christ who uses His Holy Spirit to instill within us Godly wisdom. It is Jesus Christ, the only Son of God who has been appointed by the Father to lead us to salvation. He is our one Prophet, and he continues to speak to us every day through the Word of God.
Deuteronomy 13:1-5 gives us warning, “If a prophet or a dreamer of dreams arises among you and gives you a sign or a wonder, and the sign or wonder that he tells you comes to pass, and if he says, ‘Let us go after other gods,’ which you have not known, ‘and let us serve them,’ you shall not listen to the words of that prophet or that dreamer of dreams. For the LORD your God is testing you, to know whether you love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul. You shall walk after the LORD your God and fear him and keep his commandments and obey his voice, and you shall serve him and hold fast to him. But that prophet or that dreamer of dreams shall be put to death, because he has taught rebellion against the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt and redeemed you out of the house of slavery, to make you leave the way in which the LORD your God commanded you to walk. So, you shall purge the evil from your midst.”
There will be many false prophets who cross your path who will try and convince you that they have special insight into your happiness. They will try to direct you to other gods, some even claiming to be prophets of the one true God. But you must never lose faith in the true Prophet, Jesus Christ. Only He will lead you to heaven. Only He knows the way. Listen to Him. Study Him. Come to know that His love for you has no bounds and that His wisdom has no limits. Please pray with me:
Heavenly Father, thank You for loving us enough to give us Your only Son, our one true Prophet from heaven. Help us to open our hearts to His calling and lead us by way of Your Holy Spirit to the places You have prepared for us. Amen.
