Second guessing God

What is prophecy? I guess you would say it is bringing a word from God. That's serious. Many people have brought prophetic words to me but they were not all from God, or at least they did not all come to pass, so either they were not from God or I failed in some way so they could not come to pass. Prophesy is not an exact science it would seem. I remember a guy who was baptised at Bugbrooke Chapel in the seventies and when he came up out of the water he was encouraged to prophesy. I remember it clearly, or at least parts of it. He said something along these lines "do you think I would let my people suffer says the Lord?" I am not commenting on the validity of this guy's baptism but if that prophecy was from God then he isn't the God I know. Suffering seems to be part of the package, in fact Jesus says blessed are those who are persecuted for my sake. One example of a duff prophecy. Why am I saying this? I guess it has to do with the building we had lined up for the Jesus Centre in Birmingham. We were reasonably sure God had given it to us, then someone comes and buys it from under our noses. Apart from this blokes business going belly up, it's back to the drawing board for us. Was God wrong? Did the devil win? No to both. Having wrestled it through a bit this is the conclusion I have come to. I don't really know but I'm not giving up.

The Silencing of The Word

You speak, your tongue unleashed, a two edged sword
Cutting, freeing, commanding, exposing the heart, loving.
You are the word
You scythe through the complacency of pharisee and sinner alike
Revealing the innermost thoughts of the heart.

When vocalised, your identity weighs heavy
A rock on which men fall,or are crushed to pieces
It turns saints into sinners and sinners into saints,
Water to wine, sickness to health, storm into calm.
It offends the dignity of those who love,
The control they gain from the power of the command set in stone.

They took the word and the word became silent,
The tongue sheathed.
As a lamb before its shearers is dumb.
Seperated from its expression the body of the word was riduculed and mocked
Those who did so becoming emboldened, believing
That the Christ would not perform a final Samson - like act of strength
Which would bring their house down on their heads.
The word spoke but briefly, comfort for a dying man
"Today you will be with me in paradise".
And with the silencing of the word,
Where tongue and lips were frozen in death the citadel of the law,
Was torn asunder.

He Rose

The word on a white horse from his mouth a two edged sword
On his hand and on his thigh written "King of Kings and Lord of Lords"
The name of the word - Jesus
His power in his his name,
Angels and men before it fall and devils fear and fly
Eternally alive.