Great work here. Very timely. Recently, three different people prophesied over me at a church I visited. I’ve never had that happened to me ever. I wrote down all they said (nothing heretical off the bat so that’s good) and now I want to pray through them with the Lord, asking for discernment.
Since then, I’ve been looking at all things prophecy related through a biblical lens—kind of a spiritual discernment checklist (“you will know them by their fruits”; Is there an alternate gospel being presented? Is this against the character or Word of God in any way? Etc.)
About 3 years ago, I began to question (in my head and in my spirit) the stream, community, echo chamber I had somehow gotten embedded in. It was months later and after much research and self-examination, I boxed up any book associated with Shawn or anything Bethel related including 2 Passion translations and put in a dumpster. I didn’t want to sell these book or give away. I was that sure there was too much bad information. I didn’t and I haven’t made a big deal out of that. Just quietly doing my own study, prayer, reflection. Exposing myself to less of one way of thinking, more of the way of thinking I’d spent the majority of my life in.
While that exercise has been confusing at times and has isolated me, I look back and I’m so so thankful God showed me. And I worked through it with HIM. I didn’t announce it to the world or make a big production or find a new “leader” or fill that void with anything but my Bible and my own ability to understand for myself.
I was reminded many times of Exodus 20:19. Here’s my paraphrase which describes the draw or the allure of the prophetic.
The people said to Moses, you speak to us and we’ll listen. But don’t let God speak to us or we will die. We don’t want to do the hard work. We don’t want to risk the thunder and the lightning. We don’t want to be exposed before God ourselves. You go do all the hard work just let us know what He says.
It’s much easier to take or leave a word from a man/woman than it is to face God with it.
Great work here. Very timely. Recently, three different people prophesied over me at a church I visited. I’ve never had that happened to me ever. I wrote down all they said (nothing heretical off the bat so that’s good) and now I want to pray through them with the Lord, asking for discernment.
Since then, I’ve been looking at all things prophecy related through a biblical lens—kind of a spiritual discernment checklist (“you will know them by their fruits”; Is there an alternate gospel being presented? Is this against the character or Word of God in any way? Etc.)
Great essay friend. Thanks for diving into this. Good work!
About 3 years ago, I began to question (in my head and in my spirit) the stream, community, echo chamber I had somehow gotten embedded in. It was months later and after much research and self-examination, I boxed up any book associated with Shawn or anything Bethel related including 2 Passion translations and put in a dumpster. I didn’t want to sell these book or give away. I was that sure there was too much bad information. I didn’t and I haven’t made a big deal out of that. Just quietly doing my own study, prayer, reflection. Exposing myself to less of one way of thinking, more of the way of thinking I’d spent the majority of my life in.
While that exercise has been confusing at times and has isolated me, I look back and I’m so so thankful God showed me. And I worked through it with HIM. I didn’t announce it to the world or make a big production or find a new “leader” or fill that void with anything but my Bible and my own ability to understand for myself.
I was reminded many times of Exodus 20:19. Here’s my paraphrase which describes the draw or the allure of the prophetic.
The people said to Moses, you speak to us and we’ll listen. But don’t let God speak to us or we will die. We don’t want to do the hard work. We don’t want to risk the thunder and the lightning. We don’t want to be exposed before God ourselves. You go do all the hard work just let us know what He says.
It’s much easier to take or leave a word from a man/woman than it is to face God with it.
It was a lot I know. But it’s the first time I wrote it all out publicly so thank you for allowing me to do that here.
Thank you for sharing your experience
Well done. Thank you