Brad,

This is an uncomfortable topic for me but here is my answer.  First, I am
not planning on proving anything I say because I honestly don't care what
people believe about this subject.  The Lord pestered me for literally four
years concerning the calling on my life relating to the office of a prophet.
I kept telling Him the same thing.  I don't believe in modern day prophets.
He was patient, of course, and finally, after four years, I sat down at my
computer one day and dialed up all the passages in the New Testament about
prophets and apostles.  An hour or two later, I logged off and thought about
what I had studied for a few hours.  One day, I finally got down on my knees
and gave in to what the Lord was saying to me about the office of a prophet.
It is no fun being a prophet today because, first of all, no body believes
in them.  Well, Charismatics do, they say, but let a prophet get up and
speak to the church and you will quickly find out that Charismatics ain't as
big on modern day prophets as they thought.  I just got beat up last week
once again for being a prophet and I am still down today as a result.  I
hate being a prophet.  I am always a day late and a dollar short when it
comes to speaking what the Lord has told me to say, too.  Why, you ask?  It
is simple.  People don't like what you say, even if it is positive in
nature, which is what happen to me last week.  So, I always seem to be slow
getting my gun out, sort of speak, when the Holy Spirit speaks.  So, like I
said, I'm not going to attempt to prove anything.  I wouldn't wish the
office of a prophet on anybody today so you are better off believing they
died out with the last apostle, whoever that was.

Phil.