On my way home today God spoke to me I had this thought… I think there are prophetic algorithms. I was meditating on a zoom I have tomorrow and what I need to say to them, when I began to compare ‘what we hear’ to what we read on social media. Although I am innocent of being engaged on social media (I do post this to facebook but then that is as far as it goes, so apologies all who comment there), I note that if I look something up online I then note that adverts in some way related to my recent search pop up here there and everywhere. Social media and her algorithms. I am interested in / I believe that the politics of the right / left are harmful in the extreme, and lo and behold all the posts, tweets and articles for me to read confirm my perspective. The whole world agrees with me, cos I was always right. Frightening and takes away any real conversation.
I was walking today where I had the ‘cacophony of noise’ attack a few weeks back, and saw that our ears are bombarded by sounds, slogans, sound bites, even some stuff that might be coming from heaven but the result was that we could hear everything and therefore hear nothing. Competing sounds, and then we probably just about manage to pick out a phrase, an angle and that is enough for us. We conclude we have heard accurately.
I consider that much of the prophetic in the West has fallen into that trap. Like a prophetic algorithm. This is now what I am hearing… look everyone is saying the same thing… I listen / read and repeat… others repeat. Conclusion: this is the word of the Lord! I don’t think so.
Ah well just a thought. My head is still probably too high, I might have just picked up a slogan.
But if the thought is kinda OK it is time to disconnect from simply hearing the voices that we agree with, and agree with us.
Yes the incessant noise is everywhere you are right there is a cacophony at the moment it’s actually hard to cope with sometimes. I can’t hear or feel God much right now for the other competing voices from the world and also from some prophetic movements too. I have generally stopped listening to them because it all seems so generic. It warns about it in the Old Testament that the prophets prophesy what the people want to hear and the people love it but God was not impressed and wanted to wipe them out – wow that came out very judgmental!!. I don’t want anyone wiped out!! Of course New Testament prophecy is different but if a word is given that is so vague it might by default happen for some but not for others then to me it has no weight and no legitimacy in calling itself prophetic in my opinion. We also need to differentiate between what we deduced or discerned about a situation etc. and what is actually prophecy because they are not the same thing necessarily as you described. I would love to see the prophetic properly stewarded and conducted in the Christian sphere. You are an accurate prophet – the first of whom I ever encountered who actually prophesied specific things which came to pass. That did impress me and challenged my very low level of trust (probably unfair) for most prophetic ministries. It would be good to have some pointers or training from you in this regard in listening and really hearing what God is saying. I know it is a sovereign gifting though, I do believe, and so am interested to know to what extent ‘any’ believer can be trained in this?
The connection between the last two posts seems to suggest that much of the prophetic is compromised by myriad voices and driven by consensus so the answer is to go and get answers straight from heaven, which is a very real perspective- accurate? But not to be spoken of directly otherwise it is a lording it over others through superior knowledge and experience-or promotes an unhealthy desire to escape from this reality- maturity needed to handle such knowledge. I confess I don’t know how to engage heaven in that way-the mystic way- but equally I haven’t had the capacity to read a whole ‘prophetic’ word for a good while sensing that I have read it all before somewhere and it also seems no more than political commentary and opinion, rehashing the same old perspective thing – I hope that’s not too harsh, there are exceptions. I actually believe in prophesy and building people up through it. Anyway it seems I still need to find wisdom and revelation as I/we badly need it and it takes rather more than a google search to find it. It is not something gained second hand, but neither in isolation-such seems contradictory. So where to find it? For Paul it was an encounter with the risen Jesus so I think whether in heaven or not in heaven that’s where he got his and asked others to follow his example. Do what he did not what he said…..any more wisdom on this ramble?
If that was a ramble I will need to downgrade most of my posts! So thanks for that. I think (and I hope my post as well) is highlighting that we need to push much deeper. Reflections that come from the engagement with heaven (as per Elijah standing before the Lord)… and with the pain of our world, maybe as per Jeremiah. Where we are positioned seems important. In relation to heaven, and deep in the world but clean of the values. That last part reflects a bit on Joseph – right location but the prophetic solution, was not sharp and was a political solution based on an existing Imperial / centrist paradigm.
I think for those of us who are charismatic a good dose of Bruegemman does not go amiss!
Thanks Martin, ‘in relation to heaven and deep in the world’ I like that.
Bread from heaven needed- (your posts hyperlink!), the Welsh blood in me could start singing! And yes I agree, to coin a phrase WB rocks!
WB – Walter Bruegemann (might not be the right spelling!!!)… not Welsh Blood!! Though the Celtic heritage is worth digging into. The original Celtic prophetic seemed to be right in there with an embracing of creation (and hands DIRTY) and the eagle of John’s Gospel. (And never know whether gospel has a capital or not. I like to always capitalise it – seems it should be?)