Is it iron sharpening iron, or just more noise?

 

 

There was a recent video featuring a popular prophecy teacher that caused some consternation. There was also a response to the video, which did a good job laying out the concerns some had.

I finally watched both videos.

While I didn't always agree with every point made in the first video that set people off, I didn't quite understand some of the response in the comments section there on YouTube. I simply listened, gave the guest teacher the benefit of the doubt, and noted internally, as I listened, what I agreed and disagreed with.

Yet there was real confusion, angst, anger, and upset in the comments. Some folks even started to attack the teacher and his motives. It wasn't my reaction to that video, but I get it.

Let me tell you a story.

One of the things I've grown so weary of is death. 

The spirit of death, the death of all living things, how the world just throws away life so casually. Everywhere I look I see death, from the people apparently dropping like flies all around the world to even small things like a little animal mowed down by a fast-moving car. As a life-long animal lover who has prayed over and tended many a sick critter since childhood to now, as well as being a rather isolated person around animals more than people, I hoped God sees how important animals are to some of us. I hope animal death also matters to God, because all death is what I'm sick of seeing; I look forward to eternity, I tell God in prayer, because I am tired of death in both people and animals.

While it is true there will be sacrifices during the Millennial Kingdom, I hadn't dwelt on the though of death once we entered the eternal state, because I assumed it was over. 

And yet, a few months back, a video put out by the same host of the video mentioned at the top of this article had a guest on in which they both chuckled and laughed about their love of eating and roasting meat. They joked about how people didn't like to hear we'd be killing and eating animals in eternity, laughing about how the response to videos "proving" that would be the case got such pushback. But they were both absolutely sure we'd be slaughtering animals in eternity, and thrilled about it because they loved eating meat.

I felt sick to my stomach. I felt crushed inside.

I'm not asking you to believe as I do, nor identify with my reaction. I'm simply saying that careless words can cause real difficulty in people's lives, even by well-meaning Biblical teachers. Just because their name is on a video doesn't mean it's wise to consume it.

In fact, that's when I stopped watching that pastor's videos regularly. (I only watched the recent one to see what the fuss was about.)

Maybe they're right, maybe they aren't. I don't know.

But watching that video, where both flippantly assert and laugh about such a thing, absolutely crushed me for many days, because one of the main things I'm looking forward to in eternity is the end of death including that of animals, and now it seemed as if the bloody slaughter is going to continue forever and eternity took on a futile meaning. I was almost angry with God, that death would continue.

Odd, isn't it?

A Christian video put out by a pastor put me in a very dark spiral for over a week. Two Christian men, speculating on something they can't possibly know for sure, put something out as near-fact and caused harm.

Why am I watching such things? Why am I watching speculative assertions? What is it I need to know, according to God? What has he told us specifically, and what mysteries has he kept for himself? What is it that will help me with my walk, help me fight the good fight in these ever-darkening times? Is it speculation on whether or not we'll get to smoke meat for all eternity? 

We have too many people producing content, perhaps.

As I wrote elsewhere on this same topic, there seems to be a kind of increase in activity not only in the signs of the end times, but also in generated prophecy content.

I wrote:

First, there's the explosion of anti-rapture anti-prophecy content from Christian preachers and teachers I had once enjoyed. 

While we may be brothers and sisters, right now prophecy really matters in this crazy world and I find that investing time in their other content is tainted because when you start to listen with the understanding of their disbelief (and aggression against) the rapture and such, you start to hear the threads of amillennialism, replacement theology, and dominionism...and it taints it too much for me at this point. They may be preaching the Gospel and reaching people for the Lord, but for me, at this stage in my walk, I have no interest. I would not attack them, however, so I just walk away.

Second, there's the explosion of pre-trib pre-mil prophecy content, some a bit better than others if I try to be tactful. 

I suspect there's a lot of genuine heartfelt earnestness out there, but sometimes that makes thinks a bit awry. But because there's a hunger for these kinds of things among some groups of people, the content is being produced en masse. And that leads to all the traps that come with having to have regularly scheduled content, i.e. content that is driven by a schedule of programming rather than by the Spirit of God. This leads to some of what a lot of people who watch, listen, and read have noted, a trend towards discouraging, attacking, sensational, speculative, or almost brutal content.

This has generated both a lot of infighting as well as complaining, confusion, and dismay.

My consumption of prophetic teaching has significantly lessened since its peak in late 2020-2021. Some teachers I've walked away from because of various concerns about what they are saying and questioning why they are saying it (though I'm not questioning their salvation). By now, I've been "well-fed" on prophecy. I don't know everything, but I don't have to. I know the truth about what's coming and the truth about who is The Truth; we don't have to chase after every bit of knowledge or speculation. God doesn't ask us to do that. He asks us to have a relationship with him, to keep our eyes fixed on him.

Right now, my current (limited) slate of teachers and information consumption follows a basic set of guidelines:

• Is this content iron that sharpens iron? Is it just feeding me, or forcing me to work my spiritual muscles?
• Does it point to Jesus, or does it feed fear, anger, or anxiety?
• Is it argumentative, and if so, is that serving a good purpose?
• Is it more speculation and current events than Bible?
• Am I attached to the teacher to the point of blindness?

You've no doubt noted that there are several circles of teachers that go on each other's shows, with some overlap between prophecy camps. It can be very easy to assume whoever is on a program must be OK to listen to. This list helps me make necessary decisions on what input I'm putting in my mind.

I can't always put a finger on it, but I know there are moments when God tells me, gently, to take a break from someone. 

He doesn't say they're evil. 

He doesn't say they're saying something wrong. 

He simply lets me know that it's time to walk away because I've heard enough or somehow, the enemy has found a way to hurt me with the content through sadness, confusion, or something similar.

At this point, there are very few prophecy teachers left that I feel I should be allowing input in my life. It's less about itching ears and more about whether a teacher is an encourager for the body, is relentlessly pointing people to the Word, and dies to self in order to do it. 

Are they speaking clearly about what matters? What does the Holy Spirit tell me as I'm listening or reading? I suspect we each have different tolerances or breaking points and the Spirit knows and guides us accordingly. 

It's OK to stop watching the prophecy videos, or to limit your exposure. 

I know I have. 

I've gotten so much teaching in the past years that at this point in my walk, the material isn't "new" and I know the hope and promises I have in Jesus to the point that some of these videos are more background noise or a point of interest rather than impacting my faith in a positive way. 

My beliefs haven't changed. My awareness of what's going on hasn't changed. But my heart is more settled.

Jesus is coming for us soon.

Hold the line. 

Look to the Word instead of looking around.

His promises are still true. We've not been forgotten. We still have work to do in these final moments of time. What you're facing today matters to God, and he will be with you the whole way.