What Makes You a Prophet?

It was March 14, 1979, I remember like it was yesterday; I was standing in my bedroom, looking out the window across the yard and into the trees across the road thinking about the sermon titled "What Does G3D Want You to Do for Him?" I heard it just hours before. With my hands out in front of me, my eyes closed, I lifted my hands to G3D and said, "What do you want me to do for You Lord?" I had been experiencing a lot of conviction about being a banker and the practice of usury by charging interest on borrowed money violates scripture. Even though my pastor told me, “Now it's okay to charge higher interest rates because we are not under the Old Testament law, and it does not apply for today.” My heart was not satisfied with the answer I received from my pastor.
"If he has exacted usury or taken increase- Shall he then live? He shall not live! If he has done any of these abominations, He shall surely die; His blood shall be upon him" (Ezekiel 18:13 NKJV).
At the time my oldest daughter was only a year old, we lived in the country in a modest home I had built for my little family. I was in my seventh year of banking, and on the weekends and holidays I worked on a ranch for my father-in-law who was also my best friend. My life was great in a lot of ways, but something was missing. I was really involved in our little country Baptist Church and wanted more of G3D but didn't know how to get closer to Him. It is for this reason that I was crying out to Him asking what He wanted me to do for Him. While I was in the middle of asking Him, He spoke: "Read Ezekiel chapter 33". I opened my Bible to the scripture and began to read. The more I read the heavier the burden felt upon me. When I read verse thirty-three it was as if my hair stood straight up all over my body. Bewildered, I re-read the verse about 3 or 4 times because I was totally perplexed, not understanding what was this all about and what was I to do?
"Indeed, you are to them as a very lovely song of one who has a pleasant voice and can play well on an instrument; for they hear your words, but they do not do them. And when this comes to pass-surely it will come-then they will know that a prophet has been among them" (Ezekiel 33:32-33 NKJV).
All I could see in my mind was me with a long beard, honey dripping down it, wearing a camel skin garment and locust legs hanging out of my mouth. Snapping out of these thoughts, I began to focus on a more modern version of what I might look like, and that picture did not give me any comfort either. I saw myself standing over an old wooden pulpit wearing an old moth-eaten sport coat speaking some dry word. None of the above appealed to me and I stayed on my course as a banker. I asked myself why would you want to be called a prophet anyway?
G3D is so gracious; even when we turn our backs on Him and go our own way, He continues to bless us along our rebellious path. The fact is He graced me with an anointing for making money for the bank and by the time I was 32 years old I was offered the position as the bank's president and CEO of the bank's holding company, which owned a total of four banks and an insurance company. It was unheard of for someone my age with no family connections to be placed in such an honorable position in the community. At least once a month my name and picture were in the newspaper, and a couple of times I was on the local television news announcing the success of another new business development or community project. Life was good; I was blessed with an expensive executive car furnished by the bank, a new home on acreage with a swimming pool, in partnership with lawyers and mega-millionaires, part owner in a twin engine Beechcraft King Air 360 aircraft, a hunting and ski lodge, and the list goes on.
Then one Sunday the preacher made a plea with the congregation. The church was in a financial bind, and he was asking for help. I did not give it much thought. Then a few days later as I was speeding back to the bank after staying away too long at a business luncheon. Coming up to a four-way stop sign I was forced to look toward our church sitting on the corner of the intersection. That is when G3D asked me, "Will you give My church $75,000?" Within myself I said, "Lord you know I don't have it but if you show me the way I will sell whatever I have or do whatever you ask, and I will give the amount you've asked for."