David Miller wrote: >> ... the Lord told me that I was functioning as a >> prophet ...
SLADE wrote: > How clear was this message? Was it riddled > with parables? Was the message clear, concise, > and very much to the point? The message was very clear, but perhaps not the absolute clearest revelation possible. I have only had one experience where the Lord spoke to me audibly. It was an experience very much like Samuel and happened before I had ever had any kind of revelatory experience. At that time, he did not tell me anything about a call to be a prophet. When this experience happened, I was at first thrilled that the Lord had spoken to me, but as time passed and I did not hear from him again, I began to seek him out in prayer, wondering why he maintained his silence. There began to be times when the Lord visited me and spoke to me again, but it has never been in an audible way like that first encounter. More often, it has been in a dream or vision. I also have had experiences that required interpretation, but not in this particular case that we have been talking about. In this particular case where he told me that I had been functioning as a prophet, it was a spiritual vision, not audible, but there was no allegory involved. He simply spoke it to me as I have relayed it to you. I saw the Angel of the Lord standing in front of me in this vision, but that was it. It probably lasted less than a minute, in my bedroom, as I was on the floor on my knees praying. SLADE wrote: > Interesting nonanswer. A teacher, a Rabbi, and that rare > person with a Helping Heart are what they are because > of what he/she receives from above; therefore your > statement lends no support to your assertion. Perhaps you make a bigger distinction between prophet and teacher than I do. For me, these terms are simply descriptions of different jobs. Those who fill these jobs are meant to fit together in community and relationship. Human nature is to snub the apostolic and prophetic offices and to give greater honor to the teacher, but the Spirit more highly values these offices. Slade wrote: > Also, I did not ask for you to defend yourself, I > simply requested that you give a proof to your claim. > This request on my part is perfectly acceptable. > You, yourself agree when you stated, <<The OT > prophets would give a sign. This was the basis by > which the Jews approached Jesus... they had a right > to ask for such a sign>>. I claim that right as well, > but the Newer Testament" [wannabe] prophets deny > this right. You have done the same. I do not make the rules, Slade. I have read the OT like you, but as I sought the Lord about it, he revealed to me that there has been a change between the OT and the NT. I explained that change in my last post. Prophets, generally speaking, do not give signs that accompany their word. The Spirit itself bears witness within the heart of the believing hearer. Slade wrote: > If you are a prophet, you should not fear! I don't fear. I would love to give you what you want. Hey, it would give me great satisfaction to give you a sign and have you look up to me as someone who is truthful. The problem is that I am kind of in the position like Balaam, who seeks the Lord to try and give what is being asked of him, but when he returns, he can only give that which the Lord has given him. If the Lord does not give me a sign to deliver to you, there really is nothing I can do about that. If that causes you to conclude that I am a false prophet or that I fear being exposed, that is between you and the Lord. There is nothing I can do about it. I did once hope very much that the Lord would prove himself through a sign. I was attending a Baptist church that did not believe in the gifts of the Holy Spirit, such as speaking in tongues. They had a visiting minister from the Middle East who spoke five languages fluently. The pastor there wanted me to get with him and this man and speak in tongues for them. They believed that I was probably possessed by an evil spirit, and they wanted to use his linguistic knowledge to expose the spirit and show me that I was speaking things that were an abomination to God. The other alternative was that they could use his knowledge of langauge to show me that I was just speaking gibberish. Well, the results of their test ended up not being very conclusive. I yielded myself to the Spirit and spoke in five different dialects, but the man did not understand any of the languages that I spoke. He was able, however, to pick out some words here and there. Their conclusion was that I was a very sincere follower of Christ. Therefore, they dismissed the idea that I might be possessed by an evil spirit. However, they did not accept that I was truly speaking by the Holy Spirit of God. This linguist person said that he believed that I had, as a child, been exposed to various languages, and these languages were in my subconscious. He believed that when I spoke in tongues, I was drawing upon real words from my subconcious mind. David Miller wrote: >> My interpretation of this is that there really is no "normal Joe" >> that is distinct from prophets, but rather all of those in Christ >> are priests and prophets unto God. The only reason that some >> are identified as prophets is because they have a personal >> responsibility toward God to continue to function in the >> revelatory gifts and be an example to the body in this way >> with the hope that all will walk in the Spirit of revelation. SLADE wrote: > Herein lies the problems. When Peter, the apostle to > the Jewish people his letter, he wrote it to the exiles > (the dispersion). Within this context, Peter mentions > that the recipients of this letter are holy priesthood. > There was no mention of prophet. You have erroneously > inserted this. I did not quote Peter. I was explaining to you my perspective based upon both revelation and an examination of Scripture. I measure all revelations by the Scriptures. Have you read how Moses said, "God would that all YHVH's people were prophets" (Num. 11:29)? Consider this in the context of Joel 2:28, that his Spirit would be poured out upon all flesh and they would prophesy, have dreams and have visions. Consider this too in light of YHVH's definition of how he typically spoke to OT prophets in Num. 12:6, and consider Paul's admonition to the Corinthians, "ye may all prophesy" (1 Cor. 14:31). Consider this too in light of Rev. 19:10, "the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy." I don't have time to put this all together for you, but I do not believe that I said anything that was outside the teaching of Scripture by saying that we are all meant to be priests and prophets unto God. Furthermore, I was trying to speak your language because you seemed to make the leap to how I was some kind of mediator between men and Yeshua. Slade wrote: > Your statement [and I paraphrase] that prophets are > different in the NT than they were in the OT is > justification to slide yourself into the office of prophet. Nope. I have no desire to slide myself into the office of a prophet. If I could have my desire, I would slide myself right out of it. If I could just tell people, "I am not a prophet" it would turn a lot of judgmentalism and condemnation away from me. If I approached people as David Miller, I would be accepted, but when I approach people in the name of the Lord, it brings forth all manner of persecution against me. I don't like this persecution, but it is God's will. It purifies me and humbles me, so I submit to it. What you don't seem to understand is that I don't have a choice in the matter. For me to turn away from being a prophet, I would have to turn away from being a disciple of Christ. You may not understand this, but it is truth. For me to be a disciple of Christ means that I have to do what he says, and if he says go here or go there and speak my message, that is what I do. If he says I am his prophet to these people, I cannot say that I am not, or I would be a liar. The age of grace and faith is meant to be one whereby every disciple of Christ becomes filled and immersed within the Holy Spirit. In the OT, this was not so. Certain prophets, known as seers, revealed to others what God's mind was. The Spirit came upon men known as prophets, but he did not come upon all. Now, in the New Covenant, the prophets take a little different role. They are not the only ones who have the Spirit. Rather, they simply manifest a certain aspect of the Spirit and give an example of that aspect. The Spirit within the believer itself bears witness, something the OT folk did not have. Slade wrote: > Again, your statement <<that there really is > no "normal Joe" that is distinct from prophets>> > rings true for me because of the prophetic nuances > of the Spirit I spoke of before. This, in itself, if > NOT the prophetic gift. It might not be the prophetic gift itself, but it does form the basis of it. This is why Paul starts out 1 Cor. 12 saying that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost. Such a perception takes a revelation of the Spirit, and this revelation forms the foundation by which all other spiritual manifestations take place. The manifestations of utterance, such as a word of wisdom, a word of knowledge, and prophecy, are all distinct in themselves, but they have a common prophetic base in the revelation of Jesus being the Christ our Lord. SLADE wrote: > Speak in His name, and I'll agree with you. > STOP speaking in David Miller's name so > I can stop disagreeing. I say to you in the name of the Lord that he says not to give you a sign. Do we now agree? Slade wrote: > However, I have not twisted your writings and > Biblical Interpretations. I have taken what you > say and I take them to one step farther. If David > is saying this, then He is also saying that. Go back > and read what I have [in your mind] twisted, and > see for yourself. I carry your statements to their > logical conclusion. Your logic is proceeding forward from a very different set of premises than what I have been speaking from. For you to think that I make myself a mediator between man and Yeshua is to twist what I have said. Such a logical conclusion is not even close to anything that I have said. As a prophet in the body of Christ, I simply work as an example of how revelation happens within the body of Christ. Sometimes too, the Lord sends me to certain people. I have spoken a word to a homeless man on the street, and the next day I have spoken face to face with the President of the United States. I have spoken to several Mayors of Tampa, to various Tampa City Council Members, and to the County Commissioners, opening the Word of God to them and declaring to them the mind of God. I do not choose such things. They are divine appointments. I may be speaking from the pulpit in a church and deliver a word of prophecy, or I may be on a street corner declaring the simple gospel to a dying world. I might be visiting an inmate in the jail, or sharing in a convalescent home. I might be sharing God's Word on a television show or on a radio program, or I might just be picking up a hitchhiker and asking him if he would like to stay the night in my home. If I had my choice in the matter, I would probably just associate with the important people, but I find that God makes no distinction between people the way that we do. When he sets it up, I just try and cooperate. Sometimes it is glorious, and sometimes it is just time to be a real servant of servants. I'm somewhat sorry that I have not measured up to your expectations of what a prophet ought to be. If I could fix it, I would, but I am what I am, warts and all. There really isn't that much about me that would dazzle you. Maybe the Lord means it to be that way so that you keep your eyes fixed on him. I'm sure he likes it that way much better. Peace be with you. David Miller. ---------- "Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer every man." (Colossians 4:6) http://www.InnGlory.org If you do not want to receive posts from this list, send an email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] and you will be unsubscribed. If you have a friend who wants to join, tell him to send an e-mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] and he will be subscribed.
