Is there a prophecy concerning you, me, or anyone else we know? If not, then we don't confront the dilemma that Saint Peter did. For us, the real question is which choice we will make and whether it aligns with godliness.
Regarding personal prophecies - the night my father died he said "You'll become a Christian" and "You'll meet a pastor. You'll think he's great, but all he'll do is to discourage you even more!"
My father died in January 1979 and I became a Christian late in 1982. So that part was correct.
The pastor turned out to be the Presbyterian Pastor I met when I became a Christian. I still hold him in high respect, but he did discourage me. So that was correct.
Not long before I left his church due to getting married and moving away, and he died himself a few months later (so we effectively both left around the same time), he said he owed me an apology. I asked him why. He replied "You needed encouragement, and all I've done is to discourage you even more!"
I'd often discussed my father's death night apparition with him so I told him what my father said, and added "You've just quoted him back to me almost word for word!" That shook him and he blurted out "You really did see your father that night".
But the pastor was prophetic himself. Bear in mind he died in January 1992 so he wasn't around to influence any of these personal predictions but he said -
1. I'd become Catholic (circa 1996/97). He also said "After you become Catholic, there'll be an exposure of pedophilia in the church. And I think there's going to BE A LOT OF THEM". When I became Catholic I wasn't even thinking about his prediction but when the news started to hit the media fan I wasn't surprised as he'd warned me well before I became Catholic.
2. I'd become Diabetic (diagonosed 2005) and would take up hockey again for the exercise (2008).
3. There'd be a bit of a conspiracy against me at my then job. He said "You'll make a silly mistake and they'll use that to get rid of you." I made the "silly mistake" in 1995 and they used that to get rid of me.
4. I'd be doing a cleaning job for a short time, wouldn't like it much and "the Lord will just want you to hear about a ghost" (!) I did a cleaning job in 2006 for about 4 months (short time), didn't like it much and heard about a ghost (manager who committed suicide in the store back in the 1960's).
5. I'd be driving a cab at night but "would get sick of the drunks". After I had three of them throw up in the cab, I no longer drove at night (2005).
There were a couple of others which haven't happened
yet.
He also predicted other things -
1. My sister would get leukemia and would not live long. (2005 aged 45).
2. His eldest son would have a severe health breakdown. (1996 or 97 - he had a severe stroke - I was becoming Catholic at about the same time).
3. There would be a second Gulf War, saying "The Americans will have had enough of Saddam Hussein. They'll get rid of him, but I think they will lose a FEW men the next time". The way he said FEW, it was obvious he meant more than a few.
4. A certain pastor would get hold of his church after he died and wreck it, "but he can't touch the people". Said pastor got hold of it after he died and wreckd it but couldn't touch the people most of whom left the Presbyterian Church altogether. I think of the 3 churces in his parish at that time only one is still viable.
Again there were other predictions, some of which have yet to be fulfilled.
Now - I didn't set out to get Diabetes; my sister didn't set out to get Leukemia; his son didn't set out to have a stroke; I didn't set out to do a cleaning job for a short time, not like it much and hear about a ghost; the 4500 US service men and women didn't set out to be any of the FEW who were "lost the next time"; I didn't set out to make a "silly mistake" and lose my job etc.
The only way he could know those things was because God was telling him.
So ... did I really have a choice about getting Diabetes; did his son have a choice about having a stroke; and did my sister have a choice about getting leukemia?
