A boy was watching his father, a pastor, write a sermon. "How do you know what to say?" he asked. "Why, God tells me." "Oh, then why do you keep crossing things out?"

This was originally told as a joke. In reality, the father was incorrect in the answer he gave to his son. What he meant to say is that God inspires him.

There are those we meet who will profess to receiving divine inspiration when they write or speak. Additionally, we will meet those who profess "God told me what to say." At first, these two may seem like the same thing, when in reality, they are quite different.

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Divine Inspiration

When someone professes to write or speak with divine inspiration, they are saying that the Holy Spirit has guided them in a particular direction. Usually, these people do not have to make such a proclamation. Their message obviously shows their inspiration. You have no doubt heard or read examples of such inspiration. I am sure you would agree the hymn entitled "Holy, Holy, Holy" is an example. Likewise, Dallas Holm's "Rise Again" and Ray Boltz' "Watch the Lamb" are songs obviously written with divine inspiration. These songs touch the soul. You can tell the author was in the presence of God when they were conceived and written. Are they the exact words that God spoke to the author? Probably not, but they indeed are inspired.

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Prophesy

Be careful when you hear someone say they are writing or speaking exactly what God told them to say.

1) They are either telling you they are under the control of the Holy Spirit and have no choice but to say what they have said or
2) They have completely tamed their mind and tongue.
3) The person could also be telling you they are a prophet.

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There are snakes in these camps.

The Holy Spirit does not control.
The Holy Spirit leads.
People have a free will.

No man can tame his tongue.
James 3:6-8
6 And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell.
7 For every kind of beasts, and of birds, and of serpents, and of things in the sea, is tamed, and hath been tamed of mankind:
8 But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. The person could also be telling you they are a prophet. This profession should be made with extreme caution. It should be accepted with the same level of caution.

Consider this. If this "prophet" tosses in even the smallest "if", "the" or "and", that was not in the exact message, the word contained their flesh and has been tainted. If they cannot guarantee verbal purity and still proclaim they are speaking the exact word of God, they are in sin and blaspheme God. What a dangerous place to be in! What a dangerous proclamation to make! What a burden of proof and penalty for failure!

Have you ever met someone who said or wrote 'exactly' the words of God. I cannot say that I have personally met anyone that I believed fit that category. I have met hundreds who obviously wrote and spoke with divine inspiration. I have met HUNDREDS who proclaimed their communication was exactly what God told them to say. BOY, Have I met those people! They seem to crawl from under the rocks of humanity to convince others of their divine calling and direct pipeline to God. I am sure you have met these people too. They are actually telling you they have bridled their tongue and speak only God's words. The closer someone comes to professing to be perfect, the farther you should distance yourself from them.

Christianity is the only area in life where someone can claim to be a prophet from almighty God and feel safe that few, if any, will question it. Question the person making this profession. God's word will hold up to scrutiny. Man's word will not.

How often have you heard someone say "Thus saith the Lord" and you have an uneasy feeling inside? Listen to that feeling. It's okay to question someone who claims to be a prophet. You usually won't have to, though. You will KNOW beyond a shadow of a doubt when you have heard the Word of the Lord.

Jeremiah 23:28-29
28 The prophet that hath a dream, let him tell a dream; and he that hath my word, let him speak my word faithfully. What is the chaff to the wheat? saith the LORD.
29 Is not my word like as a fire? saith the LORD; and like a hammer that breaketh the rock in pieces?

When God speaks, it leaves a mark.

Divine inspiration should be commonplace for a person living for Jesus. Prophecy is not nearly as common. Pay close attention to the differences. We will further discuss these differences in future Reflections.

Before you ask, yes, I believe in prophecy.

• Topic: Devotionals

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