Who is the Prophet?

[HKHaugan]

Who is the Prophet?

 “Let the prophet who has a dream tell the dream; but let him who has my word speak my word faithfully. What has straw in common with wheat (Jer.23:28)?”

       While John the Baptizer was the last of the Old Testament prophets, Jesus is both the Alpha and Omega summing up the goal of all prophecy, Him.  He has made the Word, Holy Scripture, the final source for any prophecy that would be given after Him.  The gift of prophecy is a spiritual gift given by the Holy Spirit and anyone with that gift will always say what is consistent with the Word.  The Lord Jesus is the measure by which anything called prophetic is evaluated (Mt.24:35).   Preaching from the Word is prophetic since it is the Word being applied to what is happening in the lives of believers in any cultural or historical setting.  Cultures are in a constant change mode and their values are conditioned by change, but the Word of God stands unchanged and unchangeable forever. 

       The Bible will always be challenging the changes as to whether or not they are consistent with the Word.  From defining Creation to defining the people, it keeps the spiritual base in check.  It reminds us that every human being is an image of God.  That everything in Creation has a spiritual counterpart and purpose.  That every individual has importance, uniqueness and a place in the mind of God.  That all the virtues, qualities and abilities given to each person are spiritually designed to make the created world society function to develop the best ways to live together and creatively develop what the physical environment provides. 

       Jesus, God’s Son, becomes the presence of the Designer we trust and follow to move us forward to accomplish His plan for each of us personally and relationally.  The balance of science and spirituality determines the mature development of humanity’s place in the huge physical universe over which Jesus is Lord.  Faith is the maturing factor in the whole process.  Unbelief and self-centeredness due to sin are the retardants. 

       The place of each individual in Creation is to exercise faith in the Creator both personally and relationally with guidance from the Holy Spirit of God.  It is the spiritual relationship with God through His Son Jesus that makes each of us the focal point of God’s development plan.  The way we use our mind, trust with our heart and allow our spirit to motivate us with Jesus defining the way determines what happens right where we are. 

       The simplicity of this approach is its most profound message since the Lord Jesus is always there for us at our every next step and event.  It’s the expectation of Him being there where we were headed that brings the progress He wants. We will have applied the best of our abilities to be Spirit-led.  Whether it is discovery, invention, innovation or function, spiritual guidance and faith will have been the key.  Admitting the barrier of sin, we come to Jesus for forgiveness and learn to live by growing spiritually, personally and relationally through Him.  It’s at those moments we become prophets living the Word for the Prophet who is our Savior, Lord and Redeemer, Jesus. Instead of us being victimized by the world’s backward slide, we change the world to move forward with Jesus at our side.