Greetings again my Brethren. Well, this month brings us to the end of 2022. Wow, where did the year go? I trust you all had a good year full of God’s graces and mercies, full of learning and growing in the grace and knowledge of the LORD Jesus. You know if 2022 was not a good year for you then there must be change coming in your life. You cannot do what you did in 2022 and expect to get a different results. If you want (or need) different results in 2023 then the things that prevented you from pushing forward in God (or the definition of Biblical prosperity) in 2022 must be swept into the dust bin of time. You cannot keep doing the same things and expect to get difference results this is one of the definitions of insanity. And you and God know what must be left behind. Take some time before the LORD and before the clock strikes 2023 and allow the Holy Spirit to speak to your heart and show you what areas you need to improve in for 2023 to be a better year. I promise if you end the year looking towards God for improvement and spiritual growth then your 2023 will be filled with opportunities for God to work in your life and out from this work you will push forward in God and 2023 will end better than 2022.
Okay let us get back to the “Oracles of God.” Last month we started this new teaching looking at the four parts of the nature of an “oracle.” I am not going to review this so get the Nov 22 newsletter. So this month we will begin to look at the diversity of divine communication. And of course we know communication is both written and oral, thus we get the word “oracle” from one who speaks. In this case if the one (Prophets, Pastors, Teachers, etc.) who speaks is speaking for God then it is a divine communication. We see this stated in Hebrews 1. I believe Paul wrote the Book of Hebrews and writes, “God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, 2Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;” (Hebrews 1:1-2) Here we read where the LORD spoke to the people through the prophets, men of God like Isaiah, Nathan, Jeremiah, Daniel Amos, Mica, and all of the rest in the Old Testament. You know being a Prophet was not a glamorous life filled with wealth and ease, but it did have power and influence as they spoke “thus says the LORD.” Now also in the Old Testament there were other Prophets who said they spoke in the name of the LORD and when their words did not come true they were called false Prophets (like today), but still Prophets none the less. Their reward was usually being stoned to death. I guess if we today stoned the so called Prophets who spoke falsely for the LORD I am sure there would not be many Prophets around. As I said being a Prophet was not a good job most of the Prophets ended their life in prison. If the king did not like what the LORD as telling the people the king would have the Prophet thrown in prison till he changed his tune. Joseph spent some time in prison. The first judge over Israel and Prophet, Samson spent this last years in prison only to be let out to destroy the Philistines. Hanani the seer was put into prison (2 Chronicles 16:10) by King Asa. The list goes on and on. Strange we do not see false Prophets The ones of Christian TV and on the Christian social media sites going to prison today. As you may be able to tell I am not a big believer in Prophets for today. If the Holy Spirit came in the Book of Acts (and He did) and if the Holy Spirit dwells within Believers (and He does) then why do we need someone to say thus says the LORD? Kind of does not pass the common sense test. Anyway back in Hebrews 1:1 the Holy Spirit tells us it was, “in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets.” Paul is saying yes, “in time past” the LORD spoke to the people in many ways by the Prophets. But. that is not the way the LORD speaks to His people today, or in Paul’s time. In Paul’s days according to Paul, the LORD is speaking to His people “in these last days spoken unto us by his Son.” The Lord now speaks to His people not by the Prophets, but by the “Son” the Person of Jesus Christ. If this was true in Paul’s days then I feel sure the LORD did not go back to speaking to His people for our days through a Prophet. Be not deceived my friend. All of these folks you watch on Christian TV and Christian social media sites are no better than the false Prophets of the Old Testament and should receive the same reward, stoning.
Next month we will continue looking at the “Oracles of God” as we continue to look at the Diversity of Divine Communication by looking at the first three forms of communication . Do you hear Him draw near? He is speaking to us, but do we have the hearing ears to hear what the LORD is saying to us? Written by David Stahl
