Article of Faith: By the stripes of the prophet, By Femi Aribisala

In a reflection on divine calling, Femi Aribisala explores the essence of true prophecy, distinguishing it from the manufactured pronouncements of "false prophets." These self-proclaimed spiritual leaders, often with "scholarly degrees in Divinity," find welcome in centers of power like Aso Rock, offering messages tailored to what the establishment desires to hear.

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Femi, would you like to be a prophet?

Conversely, Aribisala posits that true prophets are not products of career advisory councils or religious institutions. They are "born and not man-made," chosen directly by God, as exemplified by Jeremiah's divine ordination before birth. Their training occurs not in seminaries but "at the feet of the Lord Himself in the School of the Holy Spirit." This direct divine connection inevitably places them "at loggerheads with the establishment," whose authority they challenge.

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You will listen and listen, but never understand. You will look and look, but never see. Make these people stubborn! Make them stop up their ears, cover their eyes, and fail to understand. Don’t let them turn to Me and be healed.

The author draws parallels with biblical figures like Isaiah, whose ministry involved preaching to an unreceptive audience, and Amos, a herdsman directly called by Jehovah. Aribisala notes that Jesus himself warned against false prophets, who "dress up like sheep, but inside they are wolves." The true prophet, he argues, is stripped of self, undergoing trials by fire and water to forge an unshakeable faith. Their lives are not their own, dedicated instead to God's purpose, unburdened by personal agendas.

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Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; before you were born I sanctified you; I ordained you a prophet to the nations.