Prophecy: Your Gift To Yourself!
Prophecy: knowledge declared with certainty from beyond human perception.
Recently a female Mormon bank teller was asked, “What’s your birthday?” When she answered April 6, which happens to be the “birthday” of the Mormon Church, the asker remarked, “Maybe someday you’ll be a prophet.” The bank teller replied, “Not me. Maybe my husband.”
Of course this bank teller’s answer could possibly have been designed to draw the asker’s attention to the fact that as a female she would be a prophetess, not a prophet. But more likely she was addressing the asker’s apparent mistake in conceivably imagining a female could be Prophet of the Mormon Church.
In any case, there seems in the bank teller’s answer a possible implication that maybe God wouldn’t ever reveal prophetic revelation through a woman, at least not important prophetic revelation.
Nothing could be further from the truth. Anyone can be trained to receive prophetic revelation, and in fact most women are naturally more receptive and more easily adaptable to the training.
And God knows the world needs prophetic revelation. The more men and women who are willing to become prophets, or prophetesses … the better.
For example, world-wide leaders seem to be flailing and defensively lashing out blindly at a seemingly polycephalic monster they call “world economic woes.” In the United States, President Barack Obama, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and Senate Leader Harry Reid possess such bloated egos as to believe they can actually fight a nine-headed hydra who grows two new heads each time one is chopped off. Obama and his economic advisers and politicians are clueless about what is really going on because the U. S. economy (not to mention the world economy) is far too extensive and complex for the human mind to grasp. Their every step makes matters worse. Each political move sabotages what would have been another natural free market adjustment and lengthens the time we are guaranteed to experience economic chaos.
Listen to the words of Jesus and see if they apply to the government attempting to “solve” economic problems:
“In order to judge anything rightly, one would have to be fully aware of an inconceivably wide range of things; past, present and to come. One would have to recognize in advance all the effects of his judgments on everyone and everything involved in them in any way. And one would have to be certain there is no distortion in his perception, so that his judgment would be wholly fair to everyone on whom it rests now and in the future. Who is in a position to do this? Who except in grandiose fantasies would claim this for himself?
“Remember how many times you thought you knew all the 'facts' you needed for judgment, and how wrong you were! Is there anyone who has not had this experience? Would you know how many times you merely thought you were right, without ever realizing you were wrong? Why would you choose such an arbitrary basis for decision making?” (ACIM, Manual for Teachers)
Now maybe Jesus doesn’t appear to be talking about political intervention in economies, but Jesus talks in principles, doesn’t he? And the principle still applies. Even with respect to economic problems, what is needed is not the trial and error and guaranteed failure created by economic advisers and politicians who know not what they do, but the certain solution given by a prophet or prophetess. Jesus goes on to say:
“Wisdom is not judgment; it is the relinquishment of judgment. Make then but one more judgment. It is this: There is Someone with you Whose judgment is perfect. He does know all the facts; past, present and to come. He does know all the effects of His judgment on everyone and everything involved in any way. And He is wholly fair to everyone, for there is no distortion in His perception.” (ACIM, Manual for Teachers)
Is anyone willing to listen?
We've used economics as an example. To be sure, mankind could certainly use a few prophets or prophetesses to warn of the prolonged pain brought about by economic meddling by governments, but we also notice that historically prophets have access to a far broader picture than even the broadest economic canvass. Those who have developed prophetic gifts often address the overall moral fiber of all people. And they go further. They speak of the disaster which results from paying attention to ego-vested interests rather than giving attention to God, from listening to ego rather than listening to God’s Voice.
The Biblical prophet Isaiah begins his writings:
“Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth; for Jehovah hath spoken: I have nourished and brought up children, and they have rebelled against me.
“The ox knoweth his owner, and the ass his master's crib; but Israel doth not know, my people doth not consider.
“Ah sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, a seed of evil-doers, children that deal corruptly! they have forsaken Jehovah, they have despised the Holy One of Israel, they are estranged and gone backward." (Isaiah 1: 2-4)
Of course Isaiah is difficult for moderns because one could look up several different translations of the Bible and find very different meanings attributed to Isaiah. Wouldn’t it be better to at least supplement one's reading with modern prophecy written in 21st Century language? In A Course in Miracles the modern prophetess, Helen Schucman, relays the words of Jesus very clearly:
“If you cannot hear the voice of God, it is because you do not choose to listen. The fact that you DO listen to the voice of your ego is demonstrated by your attitudes, your feelings, and your behavior. Your attitudes are obviously conflicted; your feelings have a narrow range on the negative side, but are never purely joyous; and your behavior is either strained or unpredictable. Yet this IS what you want. This is what you are fighting to keep, and what you are vigilant to save. Your minds are filled with schemes to save the face of your egos, and you do not seek the Face of God.” (ACIM (unedited), Text Chap. 4)
Or wouldn’t it be even better to develop your own gift of prophecy? It's one thing to imagine what it would be like if President Obama took seriously the words of Jesus in A Course in Miracles. But even if Obama refuses, can you surrender yourself to the Master's words?
“All miracles mean life, and God is the Giver of life. His Voice will direct you very specifically. You will be told all you need to know.” (ACIM, Text Chap. 1, first page, Principles of Miracles #4)
“Okay, so a woman like me is capable of hearing prophecy! But I’m not religious!”
One doesn’t have to be religious to hear God’s Voice. Ayn Rand was a woman who would argue all night that she was an ego-worshipping atheist. Yet her novel, Atlas Shrugged, is highly prophetic and contains the same spiritual teaching as A Course in Miracles: that mankind is capable of life totally free of pain, fear, or guilt. Although she didn’t know and didn’t care to know the name of the Voice she was listening to, millions of readers nevertheless recognize Ayn Rand as a prophetess. If Barack Obama and his allies consider themselves too secular to read A Course in Miracles, they would at least do well to subdue their egos and hear Ayn Rand.
“What about a guy like me? You’ve already said hearing a prophetic voice is generally easier for women!”
Maybe often easier, but not at all impossible. Do not sabotage your possibilities. Make the commitment. Decide right now that you will hear God’s Voice … no matter what it takes.
Man or woman, as a prophet or prophetess you will find joy you couldn’t have imagined possible. For you will become a Teacher of God.
“God's teachers trust in Him. And they are sure His Teacher goes before them, making sure no harm can come to them. They hold His gifts and follow in His way, because God's Voice directs them in all things. Joy is their song of thanks. And Christ looks down on them in thanks as well. His need of them is just as great as theirs of Him. How joyous it is to share the purpose of salvation!” (ACIM, Manual For Teachers)
"...nor will people say, 'Here it is,' or 'There it is,' because the kingdom of God is within you." (Luke 17:21)
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