Loss of a modern-day Prophet

When you look at the definition of a prophet at dictionary.com the meaning is written as follows: a person who speaks for God by divine inspiration. We usually are apprehensive to label someone as a prophet because we immediately start thinking of someone predicting the future and loose the main purpose of a prophet...delivering the message God is giving them to His people.

I have always thought of Prentice as a modern-day prophet due to the amazing gift and passion he has in delivering God's message to His people. I just listened to his last prophetic message to His people and I was very touched and feel moved as I write this entry. My heart and mind became paralyzed after the first couple of minutes into the lesson (Personal Revival) as our modern-day prophet spoke these words for our future..."Don't we need a surprise sometimes to challenge our apathy? There's not a lot of passion, feelings, or emotion anymore. God mercifully uses terrible events in our lives to sometimes surprise us and get our attention. He even allows evil events into our lives to move us out of our boredom and out of our apathy, out of egotism, and even out of our pride."

Prentice was simply sharing what the Lord was laying on his heart. God has definitely used this shocking event in our lives to surprise us and get our attention. All of us have been moved out of apathy into a state of conviction and urgency. I received this lesson with credibility, respect, and admiration from a man who lived out a life full of passion, purpose, and boldness for his God. After pausing from the paralyzing effect of a man prophesying the weeks to come, I went on to hear a wonderful lesson that we all need to hear several times a year to be taken back to our personal "Bethel".

Prentice simply said, "I want to be a man of God. I want these young people to be close to God. How can we commit ourselves to God alone? 1) Go back to your Bethel, your place of commitment and conviction as ultimately...we become like the gods we worship. 2) Get rid of the foreign gods of money, doctrine, apathy, rationalization for disobedience, power, sports, family, etc. Identify and smash these gods." I was impressed at how he delivers a story that happened 1,600 years before the arrival of Jesus and interweaves a practical application for the gods we worship today that come between us and our God.

Prentice went on to ask the questions, "What is your first love? What is competing for God in your life? What do you talk about? What do you read, give your money to...Go back to Bethel! God loves a repentant heart that awakens itself to God and you are no longer Jacob...but Israel."

I think that I speak for myself and others when I say that this lesson, Prentice and his family fighting for his life over the weekend, the outpouring of support from those all over the world, and the Celebration of his life on Saturday...this has become our Bethel.

We will honor God by letting this message and the life of Prentice be a living Bethel to all of us. I saw it in my brother-in-law Mark this past weekend...the mantle was passed. I felt a peace and warmness when I hugged Mark on Friday night. I saw Mark do maybe the hardest thing he has ever volunteered to do...speak with an amazing presence and composure at his Dad's Celebration/Funeral. There is no other way to explain it...there was a Supernatural presence on Mark that truly was a gift from God passed down through his earthly father. I see great blessings ahead for Mark and his personal walk with God...his personal returns to a Bethel that no one else on this earth can have as only Mark had the father-son relationship with Prentice.

Prentice didn't compromise God's truth to earn the favor of men...yet so many people loved and admired this man of boldness and passion. Yet, his greatest accomplishment was he and Barbara's ability to pass this faith down to their own children and grandchildren. God co-labored with Prentice to bring thousands to Jesus Christ...yet no amount of success in the workplace can compensate for a failure at home. Prentice had success in all areas of life...he had the favor of God and he used it for His Glory.

Oh God, extend your favor to us as we all feel a new sense of urgency for you and desire for you after what happened over the last 10 days. Extend to us the same passion, purpose, and zeal for You that you gave to your servant Prentice. May we continue to go back to our Bethel that preceeded Thanksgiving 2008. You used Prentice himself to be a mouthpiece to tell us that we need a surprise sometimes to challenge our apathy. Prentice told us You mercifully use terrible events in our lives to get our attention. You even allow evil events into our lives to move us out of our apathy and pride. God, you have our attention...you and Prentice have spoken and our commitment to you is to honor your word and your servant as we identify and smash whatever it is that is competing for You in our own life.

Thank you Prentice for taking us back to Bethel.

Todd