prophets? today? hmmm. . .

i would like to comment on a topic that is widely debated among us fellow baptists. did you know that if you put 3 baptists in a room and asked them to discuss a topic, you would get 8 different views? crazy, huh? but i digress. somebody once told me that certain gifts of the apostles are no longer valid, or to put it bluntly, have gone away. one of these is the gift of prophecy. now, there are two different meanings to the word prophecy, both relating to the root definition of "telling". one is forth-telling, meaning that the prophet conveys a message from God. this one is generally accepted, but only in limited circumstances. the other is fore-telling. this is the definition we see evidence of in the Bible, specifically in the Old Testament and the gospels. this literally means to tell of things to come. this one is the one that is specifically debated the most as being strictly a gift for biblical times. i, like many theologians, am not quite sure how i sit on this issue, and am convinced that it's not a hill worth dying on. however, i believe i recently saw evidence of both definitions of the gift of prophecy in two of my close friends.

ever since my recent job loss, i have talked with a few of my close friends about the situation and have gotten some wonderful support from them, for which i am extremely grateful. i mentioned one in my last post, who told me that he was praying for me that morning that i lost my job. thanks again, taz. moreover, he also told me that day after i called him and informed him of my job loss that i needed to wait on God and not jump on the first thing that came my way just because of the perceived need for a job and money. then, i talked with another very close friend in south carolina. mike told me that i did not need to put God in a box. he told me that he didn't know why, but God was saying to him to tell me to be open. he said if someone asks for your resume, give it to them. if you hear about a job, talk to them. "you can always come back and say, 'no!'"

"okay, chris," you're saying, "what's so odd about that?" well, if any of you were with me about 2 years ago when i was looking for a job in this area, you will remember that there was not much to be found. so i was expecting much of the same this time around. however, here are just a few of the things that have come my way since monday. i was offered active duty with the navy as a recruiter during my reserve weekend. this is very much a possibility. i was told about a youth pastor position at the big church down the road from us that recently came open. i was informed about another youth pastor position that is open at another church here in town. then, this morning, i was called by the chief of chaplains at comnavresforcom (military alphabet soup meaning reserve headquarters) and i am being offered two months active duty in yokusuka, japan. while this is not permanent, it would be a significant amount of money that would help take care of us while i look.

so i said all that to say this, i haven't even finished updating my resume yet and already, my prophets', er friends', words are already coming true. this means that i really need prayer as to where God is wanting me to go. the navy is VERY tempting, especially looking at the financial side of it and my enjoyment while serving. the negative is that with the two month stent, that's two months away from my family. for those of you who know me, that is very difficult. my family is a top priority in my life, and being without them is like having to go without water. there are positives and negatives on each one. so your prayers for discernment are especially needed right now. i want the best, not just the good, as i said before. i will keep you posted on any new developments.