Last night at church we thought about prophecy. At the birth of the church Peter quoted Joel's prophecy,
Even on my servants, both men and women,
I will pour out my Spirit in those days,
and they will prophesy.
Every believer has a capacity, and therefore a responsibility, to listen, wait, search for the 'now' voice of God. This prophetic element will not contradict the perfect word of the Bible, but will bring its application up-to-date in our lives and community.
Speaking of which, today is that rare thing - a day named after a Baptist minister! On Martin Luther King Day let's have a quote from him,
The church must be reminded that it is not the master or the servant of the state, but rather the conscience of the state. It must be the guide and the critic of the state, and never its tool. If the church does not recapture its prophetic zeal, it will become an irrelevant social club without moral or spiritual authority. [1963]
Prophetic people are the only ones who have a more powerful voice inside than all the cacophony of voices outside. They are a precious resource, but only if they will listen to that Voice. And the Voice does not always say what we most want to hear.
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