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The Prophet
- Thread starter lunamoth
- Start date
A
angellous_evangellous
Guest
To be a vehicle for God's Word to the people.
lunamoth
Will to love
How do we recognize a prophet?
A
angellous_evangellous
Guest
Good question. Christians have come up with all kinds of tests that have changed over the years.
I think that there are many different kinds of prophets.
There are prophets who have no choice, taken and used by God for God's purpose. They could not refuse God - God just used them to speak God's message to the church or the world.
There are prophets who can run and hide, distort God's message and use their hold over people to exploit them.
There are prophets who preach God's word according to their relative choice of time and place.
As for seeing a prophet we have to trust in the words of Christ, "My sheep hear my voice."
Ringer
Jar of Clay
They should be validated with a short term prophesies. Assuming these prophecies are spot on, I reckon they can be trusted with those that are more substantial.
lunamoth
Will to love
Can you give some examples of prophets who fit this criteria?
lunamoth
Will to love
Here are the words of a prophet. Is anyone saying this today?
1 "Shout it aloud, do not hold back.
Raise your voice like a trumpet.
Declare to my people their rebellion
and to the house of Jacob their sins.
2 For day after day they seek me out;
they seem eager to know my ways,
as if they were a nation that does what is right
and has not forsaken the commands of its God.
They ask me for just decisions
and seem eager for God to come near them.
3 'Why have we fasted,' they say,
'and you have not seen it?
Why have we humbled ourselves,
and you have not noticed?'
"Yet on the day of your fasting, you do as you please
and exploit all your workers.
4 Your fasting ends in quarreling and strife,
and in striking each other with wicked fists.
You cannot fast as you do today
and expect your voice to be heard on high.
5 Is this the kind of fast I have chosen,
only a day for a man to humble himself?
Is it only for bowing one's head like a reed
and for lying on sackcloth and ashes?
Is that what you call a fast,
a day acceptable to the LORD
6 "Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen:
to loose the chains of injustice
and untie the cords of the yoke,
to set the oppressed free
and break every yoke?
7 Is it not to share your food with the hungry
and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter
when you see the naked, to clothe him,
and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?
8 Then your light will break forth like the dawn,
and your healing will quickly appear;
then your righteousness [a] will go before you,
and the glory of the LORD will be your rear guard.
9 Then you will call, and the LORD will answer;
you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I.
"If you do away with the yoke of oppression,
with the pointing finger and malicious talk,
10 and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry
and satisfy the needs of the oppressed,
then your light will rise in the darkness,
and your night will become like the noonday.
11 The LORD will guide you always;
he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land
and will strengthen your frame.
You will be like a well-watered garden,
like a spring whose waters never fail.
12 Your people will rebuild the ancient ruins
and will raise up the age-old foundations;
you will be called Repairer of Broken Walls,
Restorer of Streets with Dwellings.
13 "If you keep your feet from breaking the Sabbath
and from doing as you please on my holy day,
if you call the Sabbath a delight
and the LORD's holy day honorable,
and if you honor it by not going your own way
and not doing as you please or speaking idle words,
14 then you will find your joy in the LORD,
and I will cause you to ride on the heights of the land
and to feast on the inheritance of your father Jacob."
The mouth of the LORD has spoken.
1 "Shout it aloud, do not hold back.
Raise your voice like a trumpet.
Declare to my people their rebellion
and to the house of Jacob their sins.
2 For day after day they seek me out;
they seem eager to know my ways,
as if they were a nation that does what is right
and has not forsaken the commands of its God.
They ask me for just decisions
and seem eager for God to come near them.
3 'Why have we fasted,' they say,
'and you have not seen it?
Why have we humbled ourselves,
and you have not noticed?'
"Yet on the day of your fasting, you do as you please
and exploit all your workers.
4 Your fasting ends in quarreling and strife,
and in striking each other with wicked fists.
You cannot fast as you do today
and expect your voice to be heard on high.
5 Is this the kind of fast I have chosen,
only a day for a man to humble himself?
Is it only for bowing one's head like a reed
and for lying on sackcloth and ashes?
Is that what you call a fast,
a day acceptable to the LORD
6 "Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen:
to loose the chains of injustice
and untie the cords of the yoke,
to set the oppressed free
and break every yoke?
7 Is it not to share your food with the hungry
and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter
when you see the naked, to clothe him,
and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?
8 Then your light will break forth like the dawn,
and your healing will quickly appear;
then your righteousness [a] will go before you,
and the glory of the LORD will be your rear guard.
9 Then you will call, and the LORD will answer;
you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I.
"If you do away with the yoke of oppression,
with the pointing finger and malicious talk,
10 and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry
and satisfy the needs of the oppressed,
then your light will rise in the darkness,
and your night will become like the noonday.
11 The LORD will guide you always;
he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land
and will strengthen your frame.
You will be like a well-watered garden,
like a spring whose waters never fail.
12 Your people will rebuild the ancient ruins
and will raise up the age-old foundations;
you will be called Repairer of Broken Walls,
Restorer of Streets with Dwellings.
13 "If you keep your feet from breaking the Sabbath
and from doing as you please on my holy day,
if you call the Sabbath a delight
and the LORD's holy day honorable,
and if you honor it by not going your own way
and not doing as you please or speaking idle words,
14 then you will find your joy in the LORD,
and I will cause you to ride on the heights of the land
and to feast on the inheritance of your father Jacob."
The mouth of the LORD has spoken.
Popeyesays
Well-Known Member
58th chapter of Isaiah, King James, I believe.
I would suggest that many believers in many religions attempt to do this.
Regards,
Scott
I would suggest that many believers in many religions attempt to do this.
Regards,
Scott
lunamoth
Will to love
The question was about who is saying this, or something like it, today.
One of the roles of a prophet seems to be as an adversary to the powers that be...even if those powers are 'friendly.' What truths do the powers of today not want to hear, and who is saying them?
Can a religion claim any kind of credbility if it is supporting the powers of the world, rather than being a thorn in their side?
A
angellous_evangellous
Guest
I don't know. Only prophets can judge prophets.
In any case, personally I don't think that governments are de facto against God. After all, we have the kingdom of God in Christianity, and organize ourselves into a church (which is a government).
Popeyesays
Well-Known Member
How's this?:
"THE DUTY OF KINDNESS AND SYMPATHY TOWARDS STRANGERS AND FOREIGNERS
October 16th and 17th, 1911
-------------------
When a man turns his face to God he finds sunshine everywhere. All men are his brothers. Let not conventionality cause you to seem cold and unsympathetic when you meet strange people from other countries. Do not look at them as though you suspected them of being evil-doers, thieves and boors. You think it necessary to be very careful, not to expose yourselves to the risk of making acquaintance with such, possibly, undesirable people.
2I ask you not to think only of yourselves. Be kind to the strangers, whether come they from Turkey, Japan, Persia, Russia, China or any other country in the world.
3Help to make them feel at home; find out where they are staying, ask if you may render them any service; try to make their lives a little happier.
4In this way, even if, sometimes, what you at first suspected should be true, still go out of your way to be kind to them--this kindness will help them to become better.
5After all, why should any foreign people be treated as strangers?
6Let those who meet you know, without your proclaiming the fact, that you are indeed a Bahá'í.
7Put into practice the Teaching of Bahá'u'lláh, that of kindness to all nations. Do not be content with showing friendship in words alone, let your heart burn with loving kindness for all who may cross your path.
8Oh, you of the Western nations, be kind to those who come from the Eastern world to sojourn among you. Forget your conventionality when you speak with them; they are not accustomed to it. To Eastern peoples this demeanour seems cold, unfriendly. Rather let your manner be sympathetic. Let it be seen that you are filled with universal love. When you meet a Persian or any other stranger, speak to him as to a friend; if he seems to be lonely try to help him, give him of your willing service; if he be sad console him, if poor succour him, if oppressed rescue him, if in misery comfort him. In so doing you will manifest that not in words only, but in deed and in truth, you think of all men as your brothers.
9What profit is there in agreeing that universal friendship is good, and talking of the solidarity of the human race as a grand ideal? Unless these thoughts are translated into the world of action, they are useless.
10The wrong in the world continues to exist just because people talk only of their ideals, and do not strive to put them into practice. If actions took the place of words, the world's misery would very soon be changed into comfort.
11A man who does great good, and talks not of it, is on the way to perfection.
12The man who has accomplished a small good and magnifies it in his speech is worth very little.
13If I love you, I need not continually speak of my love--you will know without any words. On the other hand if I love you not, that also will you know--and you would not believe me, were I to tell you in a thousand words, that I loved you.
14People make much profession of goodness, multiplying fine words because they wish to be thought greater and better than their fellows, seeking fame in the eyes of the world. Those who do most good use fewest words concerning their actions.
15The children of God do the works without boasting, obeying His laws.
16My hope for you is that you will ever avoid tyranny and oppression; that you will work without ceasing till justice reigns in every land, that you will keep your hearts pure and your hands free from unrighteousness.
17This is what the near approach to God requires from you, and this is what I expect of you
"THE DUTY OF KINDNESS AND SYMPATHY TOWARDS STRANGERS AND FOREIGNERS
October 16th and 17th, 1911
-------------------
When a man turns his face to God he finds sunshine everywhere. All men are his brothers. Let not conventionality cause you to seem cold and unsympathetic when you meet strange people from other countries. Do not look at them as though you suspected them of being evil-doers, thieves and boors. You think it necessary to be very careful, not to expose yourselves to the risk of making acquaintance with such, possibly, undesirable people.
2I ask you not to think only of yourselves. Be kind to the strangers, whether come they from Turkey, Japan, Persia, Russia, China or any other country in the world.
3Help to make them feel at home; find out where they are staying, ask if you may render them any service; try to make their lives a little happier.
4In this way, even if, sometimes, what you at first suspected should be true, still go out of your way to be kind to them--this kindness will help them to become better.
5After all, why should any foreign people be treated as strangers?
6Let those who meet you know, without your proclaiming the fact, that you are indeed a Bahá'í.
7Put into practice the Teaching of Bahá'u'lláh, that of kindness to all nations. Do not be content with showing friendship in words alone, let your heart burn with loving kindness for all who may cross your path.
8Oh, you of the Western nations, be kind to those who come from the Eastern world to sojourn among you. Forget your conventionality when you speak with them; they are not accustomed to it. To Eastern peoples this demeanour seems cold, unfriendly. Rather let your manner be sympathetic. Let it be seen that you are filled with universal love. When you meet a Persian or any other stranger, speak to him as to a friend; if he seems to be lonely try to help him, give him of your willing service; if he be sad console him, if poor succour him, if oppressed rescue him, if in misery comfort him. In so doing you will manifest that not in words only, but in deed and in truth, you think of all men as your brothers.
9What profit is there in agreeing that universal friendship is good, and talking of the solidarity of the human race as a grand ideal? Unless these thoughts are translated into the world of action, they are useless.
10The wrong in the world continues to exist just because people talk only of their ideals, and do not strive to put them into practice. If actions took the place of words, the world's misery would very soon be changed into comfort.
11A man who does great good, and talks not of it, is on the way to perfection.
12The man who has accomplished a small good and magnifies it in his speech is worth very little.
13If I love you, I need not continually speak of my love--you will know without any words. On the other hand if I love you not, that also will you know--and you would not believe me, were I to tell you in a thousand words, that I loved you.
14People make much profession of goodness, multiplying fine words because they wish to be thought greater and better than their fellows, seeking fame in the eyes of the world. Those who do most good use fewest words concerning their actions.
15The children of God do the works without boasting, obeying His laws.
16My hope for you is that you will ever avoid tyranny and oppression; that you will work without ceasing till justice reigns in every land, that you will keep your hearts pure and your hands free from unrighteousness.
17This is what the near approach to God requires from you, and this is what I expect of you
DallasApple
Depends Upon My Mood..
Also is it possible that "foreigners" isnt limited to only people from different lands? Who speak in different languages?...
Is it possible foreign could mean foreign to you for any reason?..From the same land..speaking the same language...But yet foreign ideas or lifestyles?
Could we all be foreigners to each other ?...
Blessings
Dallas
Is it possible foreign could mean foreign to you for any reason?..From the same land..speaking the same language...But yet foreign ideas or lifestyles?
Could we all be foreigners to each other ?...
Blessings
Dallas
lunamoth
Will to love
I think that's an excellent observation Dallas.
DallasApple
Depends Upon My Mood..
Popeyesays
Well-Known Member
Abdu'l Baha delivered that address in 1911. He'd been warning of a great war for at least five years before this.
I think the use of "foreigner" addresses the obvious while leaving whole levels of truth at the same time. The simplicity of Abdu'l Baha's speech is an amazing thing, since it becomes as deep as the listener wishes to take it.
Regards,
Scott
I think the use of "foreigner" addresses the obvious while leaving whole levels of truth at the same time. The simplicity of Abdu'l Baha's speech is an amazing thing, since it becomes as deep as the listener wishes to take it.
Regards,
Scott