A sense of false control.

Over the years, the concept of "prophecy," like speaking in tongues, has become a bit daunting to me.

It's something I've personally struggled with because, again, I've had to ask myself, am I not spiritual enough because I don't have the ability to proclaim what God is going to do in the future?

Fortunately, God's beautiful Word, as always, puts me at ease.

First off, prophecy is not "fore-telling" (predicting the future) but "forth-telling" (a gift of proclamation).

So instead of declaring new information, when a Christian prophesies, they use what's already been written in the Word of God to counsel, encourage, and edify others.

Scripture is complete, meaning God's revelation is complete, and there is no new revelation to reveal, so to speak. GotQuestions.org puts it this way:

"With the completion of the New Testament canon, prophesying changed from declaring new revelation to declaring the completed revelation God has already given. Jude 3 speaks of 'the faith which was once delivered unto the saints' (emphasis added). In other words, the faith to which we hold has been settled forever, and it does not need the addition or refinement that comes from extra-biblical revelations."

This transition from prophets to teachers (as outlined in 2 Peter 2:1) confirms this concept:

"But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them—bringing swift destruction on themselves."

As believers, we aren't meant to tell the future. We're meant to tell the truth.

I think knowing this, and the fact that "no utterance of man should be considered equal to or above the written Word" keeps our hearts and minds on the right course: focusing on God and sharing His Gospel with His children.

Considering that's what Jesus mandated to us after His resurrection, we need to pause on overwhelming ourselves with an inundation of conspiracy theories (no matter how well meaning) and get back to the main goal: making disciples of all nations.

Additionally, Jesus Himself said no one but God will know the day or hour of when He will come again. So, yes, it's important to stay vigilant, as Jesus also instructs, persevering in the faith and living according to God's will.

But wasting our time trying to make false predictions instead of following what Jesus instructed?

Not great.

So, what about hot topics like vaccines, AI (artificial intelligence), etc.? Aren't these signs of the end times?

Most likely, yes. But, again, what about it?

Scripture helps us to navigate these situations in our hearts according to Romans14:4-6. So, who are we to put blanket statements on things that God might allow for other believers even if He asks us to personally refrain?

It's easy to "prophesy" and say that God "told me" something is bad and no one who loves Him should be involved with it.

But you know what's harder? Swallowing our pride and loving the person in front of us.

Ultimately, there seems to be a human need to author how the end of the world is going to play out. And maybe that's because it gives us a sense of false control in a seemingly uncontrolled world.

But when we do that, we forget that the Lord is the one who makes His servants stand or fall, not us.

And again, wouldn't our time be better spent serving those He desires to adopt into His Kingdom?

I think we all know the answer to that.