“AMATEUR” PROPHETS VS “MATURE” PROPHETS PART 2
November 5, 2017 2023-04-05 19:11“AMATEUR” PROPHETS VS “MATURE” PROPHETS PART 2
“AMATEUR” PROPHETS VS “MATURE” PROPHETS PART 2
Another Biblical character who operated like an amateur prophet is Jonah, who was always in a state of despair. He was angry and wanted to run away from God when he was commissioned to go to Nineveh. When God called him to preach to this city with a group word for the nation about God’s judgment, he fled as far as he could. In effect, God caused a great storm at sea. Jonah was thrown off the boat to spare the crew. A giant fish swallowed him so that he would not drown. The huge fish spit him at the land of Nineveh.
Nineveh was forced to be in the marketplace. In the same way, God has a way of bringing you into your marketplace. Jonah preached God’s message to the people of Nineveh. Because of his message, the whole nation repented. Likewise, your heart must be for the people in the marketplace you are in so they may come to a place of repentance.
God’s mercy withheld his punishment for the erring people. However, instead of rejoicing for this city, Jonah was offended and he was furious at how everything turned out. The intention of the prophet in the marketplace must be for the people to turn their hearts to the Lord so they may be saved. However, Jonah was very angry, and in his anger he was in despair. He wanted God to take his life because he believed it was better for him to die than to live, because his prophecy would not come to pass (Jonah 4:3; Jonah 4:9).
God can meet those who know their weaknesses and are humble enough to ask for His help. However, Gehazi and Jonah did not operate with humility and faith. Instead, Gehazi chose avarice, while Jonah chose pride. When you are humble, there is room for God to move in your life. When your listening toward God is open, then you can be filled.
When you are in the marketplace, there are too many distractions and too many voices. You need all the help you can get in order to be effective ministers in the battlefield. However, you must learn to develop the state of mind of the mature prophet.
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Do you still have the burden to reach out to the lost and to share the Gospel so that people can know Jesus?