A Prophetic People
NOT A PROPHET, YET CALLED TO BE PROPHETIC
Most believers in Jesus are not called to be prophets, but we are called to be prophetic people. We are called to gain wisdom and understanding, to recognise the times in which we live, and to position ourselves to respond accordingly.
As God’s people, we are called to discern His voice among the many voices who claim to be of Him. We are called to hear and respond.
Luke 22:31-32 NET [31] “Simon, Simon, pay attention! Satan has demanded to have you all, to sift you like wheat, [32] but I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. When you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.”
“Pay attention.” The plural in the Greek text refers to all the disciples, of which Peter is a representative.
The word sift in Greek is “siniazō” and means “by inward agitation to try one’s faith to the verge of overthrow.”
By looking into the definitions of these words and extracting Satan’s entire plan, purpose, and intention in this sifting, we could write, “Disciples of the Lord Jesus, Satan has demanded (permission) to inwardly agitate you to try your faith to bring you to the edge, the border, to the extreme limits to overthrow, or forcibly remove you from your faith.
That’s quite a sifting. Is it biblical? Yes!
Job 1:6-8 NET [6] Now the day came when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord – and Satan also arrived among them. [7] The Lord said to Satan, “Where have you come from?” And Satan answered the Lord, “From roving about on the earth, and from walking back and forth across it.” [8] So the Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one like him on the earth, a pure and upright man, one who fears God and turns away from evil.”
Satan asked permission, did he not? And God permitted His servant to be sifted. If you read that full account, Job was indeed sifted. Everything was stripped away from him. Then we see that even the one nearest to him became an enemy. She questioned his devotion to the Lord and challenged him. Job 2:9 NET [9] Then his wife said to him, “Are you still holding firmly to your integrity? Curse God, and die!” As we continue reading, we see that Job’s friends also had much to say about his situation, but their words were misguided. They sounded wise, scriptural, and doctrinally sound, yet they did not correctly discern what was happening. Just as Peter had not yet come to understand what Jesus was warning him about when Satan sought to sift him. He was convinced he would never deny Christ, yet his faith was weak when he was inwardly agitated, tested, tried, and pushed to the border of his limits. Luke 22:33-34 NET [33] But Peter said to him, “Lord, I am ready to go with you both to prison and to death!” [34] Jesus replied, “I tell you, Peter, the rooster will not crow today until you have denied three times that you know me.”
Scripture clarifies that although we may be at ease now, this is our time for preparation. The Word of God tells us, “Get wisdom, get understanding” (Prov 4:5). We must understand our times as those before us understood their times and knew how to respond. One of our challenges is the many voices that speak many different things and claim to be of God
Deuteronomy 13:1-3 AMP [1] “If a prophet arises among you, or a dreamer of dreams, and gives you a sign or a wonder, [2] and the sign or the wonder which he spoke (foretold) to you comes to pass, and if he says, ‘Let us follow after other gods (whom you have not known) and let us serve and worship them,’ [3] 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 mind and all your soul [your entire being].
Deuteronomy 13:4 AMP [4] You shall walk after the Lord your God and you shall fear [and worship] Him [with awe-filled reverence and profound respect], and you shall keep His commandments and you shall listen to His voice, and you shall serve Him, and cling to Him.
What is His first command? Exodus 20:3 AMP [3] “You shall have no other gods before Me.
This is a crucial point. If we know His commands and what He has spoken in His Word, then when anyone says anything contrary to the foundation that has been laid, we will recognise it as deception. God will test us to see if we know and believe His word or to expose us as being unwise and easily led astray.
Paul was explicit: 1 Thessalonians 5:20-22 AMP [20] Do not scorn or reject gifts of prophecy or prophecies [spoken revelations—words of instruction or exhortation or warning]. [21] But test all things carefully [so you can recognize what is good]. Hold firmly to that which is good. [22] Abstain from every form of evil [withdraw and keep away from it].
We can fall into a ditch on either side of this. We can reject everything and everyone who says they are of the Lord, or we can eat up everything that anyone says who claims to be of the Lord, primarily when it benefits us or feels good. But neither of these is the correct approach.
Acts 17:10-13 AMP [10] The brothers immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea; and when they arrived, they entered the Jewish synagogue. [11] Now these people were more noble and open-minded than those in Thessalonica, so they received the message [of salvation through faith in the Christ] with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so. [12] As a result many of them became believers, together with a number of prominent Greek women and men. [13] But when the Jews of Thessalonica learned that the word of God [concerning eternal salvation through faith in Christ] had also been preached by Paul at Berea, they came there too, agitating and disturbing the crowds.
I want to extract two points from this portion of scripture. Firstly, these Bereans were noble and open-minded. They received what was being spoken, but they didn’t stop there; they went on to examine it against the scriptures to validate its truth. As a result, they became believers. This is not an easy task. To examine what is preached and what the many voices are speaking and proclaiming and saying is the word of the Lord requires labouring over the scripture, which takes time and great sacrifice. Over time, as the Word of God goes deep in our hearts, this examination and discernment can become quite clear very quickly at times, but there will always be those who come with what seems great wisdom and understanding and might even line up with a lot of scripture, but when tested thoroughly is found false. We must not neglect to test all things, even when something sounds good.
Look at what happens in verse 13. When the religious people heard that the Word of God had been preached, they came to agitate the crowd. When we become like the Bereans, those among us will often come to agitate us, test us, oppose us, question us, and revile us. Truth is costly, and we must cling to it at all costs, not being unaware of the devil's wiles to sift us and find us unstable in our faith.
But what if the Lord sends a true Prophet among us? How are we to respond?
Deuteronomy 18:15-19 NET [15] The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you – from your fellow Israelites; you must listen to him. [16] This accords with what happened at Horeb in the day of the assembly. You asked the Lord your God: “Please do not make us hear the voice of the Lord our God any more or see this great fire any more lest we die.” [17] The Lord then said to me, “What they have said is good. [18] I will raise up a prophet like you for them from among their fellow Israelites. I will put my words in his mouth and he will speak to them whatever I command. [19] I will personally hold responsible anyone who then pays no attention to the words that prophet speaks in my name.
Do we still have Prophets in our time? Ephesians 4:11-12 AMP [11] And [His gifts to the church were varied and] He Himself appointed some as apostles [special messengers, representatives], some as prophets [who speak a new message from God to the people], some as evangelists [who spread the good news of salvation], and some as pastors and teachers [to shepherd and guide and instruct], [12] [and He did this] to fully equip and perfect the saints (God’s people) for works of service, to build up the body of Christ [the church];
1 Corinthians 3:10-11 AMP [10] According to the [remarkable] grace of God which was given to me [to prepare me for my task], like a skillful master builder I laid a foundation, and now another is building on it. But each one must be careful how he builds on it, [11] for no one can lay a foundation other than the one which is [already] laid, which is Jesus Christ.
1 Corinthians 3:16-17 AMP [16] Do you not know and understand that you [the church] are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwells [permanently] in you [collectively and individually]? [17] If anyone destroys the temple of God [corrupting it with false doctrine], God will destroy the destroyer; for the temple of God is holy (sacred), and that is what you are.
Ephesians 2:19-21 AMP [19] So then you are no longer strangers and aliens [outsiders without rights of citizenship], but you are fellow citizens with the saints (God’s people), and are [members] of God’s household, [20] having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus Himself as the [chief] Cornerstone, [21] in whom the whole structure is joined together, and it continues [to increase] growing into a holy temple in the Lord [a sanctuary dedicated, set apart, and sacred to the presence of the Lord].
The Word of God identifies them as being appointed as skilful master builders who lay the foundation, which is Christ Himself. He is the Cornerstone, which means He is the First stone, and all subsequent stones are aligned with and joined together in Him. Amos 3:7 AMP [7] Surely the Lord God does nothing Without revealing His secret plan [of the judgment to come] To His servants the prophets. [Rev 10:7]. The word Apostle in Greek is “Apostolos,” meaning one sent forth with orders, officially a commissioner of Christ, messenger.
The true Apostle and Prophet will reveal God's judgments, plans, and instructions and give divine orders, aligning everything with His scripture and His ways that we can test, for the Apostle Paul instructs us to test all things and hold fast to what is good.
We know and understand through scripture and Jesus Himself warning: Matthew 24:4-5 NET[4] Jesus answered them, “Watch out that no one misleads you. [5] For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and they will mislead many. Matthew 24:11 NET [11] And many false prophets will appear and deceive many,
So, there will be ones who mislead and ones who deceive. While researching the structural failures of buildings and their causes, I came across this: *Structural failure can result from various factors, including design flaws, construction errors, material defects, and unexpected external forces. Poor workmanship, improper installation of materials, or deviations from the approved design can weaken the structure. Additionally, neglecting to follow construction standards or cutting corners during the building process may introduce weaknesses that compromise structural integrity. *Understanding and Preventing Structural Failure - Turn2Engineering
And this: Until the development of modern construction, the stone was usually at a corner, possibly as the first of the foundation stones, and it was a real support. The modern cornerstone need not actually support, need not be positioned at a corner, and need not be part of the foundation; often it is placed ornamentally in the facade or in an interior wall or floor. *Cornerstone | Building Construction, Masonry & Engineering | Britannica
If modern construction of God's house no longer requires the Chief Cornerstone to be the main Stone, then we can see why the Church, at large, is one big structural failure. It has deviated away from the Approved Design and neglected to follow the construction standards of which the true Apostle and Prophet lay and has cut corners and compromised the structural integrity and when the Lord Jesus comes: 1 Corinthians 3:13-15 NET [13] each builder’s work will be plainly seen, for the Day will make it clear, because it will be revealed by fire. And the fire will test what kind of work each has done. [14] If what someone has built survives, he will receive a reward. [15] If someone’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss. He himself will be saved, but only as through fire.
Deuteronomy 18:20 NET [20] “But if any prophet presumes to speak anything in my name that I have not authorized him to speak, or speaks in the name of other gods, that prophet must die. The Prophet Moses spoke this judgment from God Himself.
We are not to be afraid of the false; we are to be aware of the false. We are to be a people who seek the Lord for His wisdom, understanding, and ways. We are to be people who love God's commands, statutes, and precepts. David would say in Psalms 119:11 NET [11] In my heart I store up your words, so I might not sin against you.
And when we hear a true Apostle or Prophet of the Lord and we, like Bereans receive it with joy, but examine and test it with God's Word and find it true, then we can rejoice.
Daniel 11:33a AMP [33] They who are wise and have spiritual insight among the people will instruct many and help them understand;
This passage from the book of Daniel is one of my favourites, as it addresses eschatological themes. Daniel received profound insights about the end times and all that would happen. His revelations are remarkably clear, concise, and detailed; in fact, Jesus referenced Daniel in Matthew 24:15 and instructed us to go back to help us understand these events more deeply. I especially appreciate that those who are wise—those with spiritual insight who have diligently studied the scriptures and sought the Lord—they have gained understanding and are able to instruct many others. This is not an understanding they could have gained on their own by simply reading and memorising, no! This is understanding given by the Spirit of God who dwells in us and reveals all things (John 14:26).
So, returning to the title “Not a Prophet, yet called to be prophetic,”.
Revelation 19:10b For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy [His life and teaching are the heart of prophecy].”
We are called to 2 Timothy 2:15 AMP [15] Study and do your best to present yourself to God approved, a workman [tested by trial] who has no reason to be ashamed, accurately handling and skillfully teaching the word of truth.
We should not disregard the voice of the true Prophet but test all things because Matthew 10:40-41 AMP [40] “He who receives and welcomes you receives Me, and he who receives Me receives Him who sent Me. [Mark 9:37; Luke 10:16; John 13:20] [41] He who receives and welcomes a prophet because he is a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward; and he who receives a righteous (honorable) man because he is a righteous man will receive a righteous man’s reward.
And, when we have received the Word of the Lord, may it be through Scripture, through His Servants, and we have by His Spirit learned and come to understand, then we get the privilege and joy of helping those around us gain understanding being mindful that 1 Corinthians 4:7 AMP [7] For who regards you as superior or what sets you apart as special? What do you have that you did not receive [from another]? And if in fact you received it [from God or someone else], why do you boast as if you had not received it [but had gained it by yourself]?
Nothing that we have, if it is of God, is produced by us, but He gives it. And no one is called that can offer themselves as anything more than a vessel that Christ would pour Himself out through. The mark of one truly from the Lord is that their boast is only in the Lord.
