PP#1: Pursue Kingdom Ministry - Class: Prophetic
PP#2: My personal journey in the gift or prophecy and prophetic ministry:
What Outreach taught me about the gift – Pentecostal View - speaking words in church services “How it happened” My own encounters with prophets in these days:
• The first time I prophesied – the burning stomach
• Sister Kay - The prophetess and the ring, the prophetess and the release.
• Share how I grew in this gift and how it rolled out in my life into pastoral ministry – My sermon at Grygla – Liberty Chapel!
• The dangers of this view of the prophetic. “Thus saith the Lord” approach – can cause us to use the Lord’s name in vain. Scripture: Exodus 20:7: “You shall not misuse the name of the LORD your God, for the LORD will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name.”
o New Life Word - CHC Word in 2008.
• The mistakes due to immature understanding of the prophetic.
• The growth! The introduction to the gift of prophecy in the Vineyard Movement – the balanced approach – a better New Testament model approach. My teachable spirit and adjusting to how I do the prophetic ministry and use the gift. “I believe the Lord has placed this on my heart” approach.
PP#3: Thesis: The prophetic ministry is needed more than ever today in the secular culture we live in – the decline away from Biblical truth, the web of deception and the loss of moral values opens the door for God to speak into the hearts of people. Prophecy is the Lord speaking through us His words, but it is designed to draw people to the heart of God. Prophecy is designed by God to encourage people, to lift people up and connect their heart to His heart of Love.
PP#4: Scriptures on the Prophetic:
Numbers 11:29: “But Moses replied, “Are you jealous for my sake? I wish that all the LORD’s people were prophets and that the LORD would put his Spirit on them!”
Acts 2:16-18: “No, this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel: “In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams. Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy.”
PP#5: 1 Corinthians 14:1, 31-33: “1Follow the way of love and eagerly desire spiritual gifts, especially the gift of prophecy… “31For you can all prophesy in turn so that everyone may be instructed and encouraged. 32The spirits of prophets are subject to the control of prophets. 33For God is not a God of disorder but of peace.”
Introduction:
What came to your mind when you first learned or heard the word - “Prophet?”
• A person – With lightening bolts in one hand? Judgement?
• An image of God being angry and the person revealing God’s anger to the people?
• A person calling out people’s sin?
o Story from Outreach – demon exposes the sin!
• Maybe a guy with wild hair who comes from the woods?
What comes into your mind when you hear the word, “prophecy?”
• A word you got that was hurtful and off center?
• A condemnation?
• A positive Word – A revelatory word?
• A word which says. “God knows me!”
Well in my case my mind would go back to the many Old Testament prophets! Especially one called Elijah – the man of God who took on wicked King Ahab and Jezebel! So, because my mindset was attached to this image of the prophetic ministry – I gravitated to that kind of message in my early years using this gift – this was the Pentecostal way in my early involvement with the prophetic.
Yes, the Bible speaks of these types of prophets – we especially find them in the OT.
I Kings 20:35 speaks about in the days or times of Elijah that there rose a company of men called “sons of prophets.” These called and anointed men of God squared off with secular rulers and cities of the day. Directing people, communities and nations back to God and exposing the false prophets of the day. They wreaked havoc on the Kingdom of darkness, they went after the powers of darkness with God’s Word and power. They raised THE DEAD, healed the sick, parted rivers, destroyed false prophets – even killing them – they saw revival spread in their lands as they drove back the darkness. These prophets were feared by the people and even by kings and queens, they were hated by evil kings and queens. But they walked in great purity and kept God at the forefront of their lives. Many were martyred for their stance for God. But they stood up against the darkness and spoke God’s Word to the people.
PP#6
But before we cling to the Old Testament model of prophetic ministry, we need to be students of the New Testament model of the ministry of the prophetic too. We do need people in His kingdom to function in the office of the prophet, but this is different than the gift of prophecy. So, before we dive into this let’s be honest – we need the prophetic voice of the Lord today!
The need of the Prophetic today:
I look around at our world today – I see evil marching the streets of our cities being very proud and arrogant. Wickedness is on the rise in our society especially our big cities – good is called evil and evil is called good. I see wicked leaders of nations and cities spilling deception and lies. I see wicked organizations/famous people leading and even driving people from goodness and God himself. These leaders even laugh in the face of the Body of Christ and say the church is outdated and irrelevant. This darkness has taken over many public school sectors pushing doctrines of demons, immorality and sin. This darkness has been destroying families through divorce and abuse and sin. Violence is attacking our children and grand-children – young people are killing each other at record numbers today. Sickness and disease and pandemics are taking life after life. Addictions are at an all time high destroying people’s lives. The darkness is shaking it fists at God and His Word. But God is raising a new generation of prophets up to bring people the words of God and to bring people to the heart of the Father.
Loren states: “Interest in the prophetic has skyrocketed. Prophetic words, books, magazines and websites are multitudinous, and the number grows daily. It is not just that people are hungry for a word from God or fascinated by things spiritual. God Himself is behind this upsurge in prophetic output. With so many streams of revival flowing worldwide and so much happening so quickly on the stage of world events, it is imperative that we Christians hear from God.” (Sandford, R. Loren. Purifying the Prophetic (p. 15). Baker Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.)
I have been praying for God to raise up a new generation of Prophets/and to pour His gift of prophecy on men and women of God! Why so they can be used by the Lord to speak His Words to broken people - so God’s Word would drive back the darkness – we need God’s Word to rise up as it was in the days of Elijah – Why? So, we can bring revival back to our country, to people, to our families and even to our leadership in the country and churches.
Jesus said: These signs will accompany those who believed: in my name they will cast out demons, they will speak with new tongues” and “he who believes in Me, the works that I do, he will do also: and greater works than these he will do: Because I go to the Father” (See Mark 16:17; John 14:12).
This is a promise from Jesus for those who follow Him and it comes with empowerment connected with the outpouring of His Holy Spirit (See Acts 2).
Mike Bickle founder of IHOPKC a 24-7 prayer/praise movement which has gone on continuously for 23 years states, “The future of the church is sure to be filled with people who operate in the prophetic anointing. In the generation in which the Lord returns, the whole church will receive dreams, visions, and prophetic experiences (Acts 2:17–21). This will be exciting as well as challenging. New dimensions of the Holy Spirit’s ministry will certainly emerge that will demand faithfulness to the Scriptures as well as deep humility as learners (1 Cor. 3:18). (From Bickle, Mike. Growing In The Prophetic: A Balanced, Biblical Guide to Using and Nurturing Dreams, Revelations and Spiritual Gifts as God Intended. Charisma House. Kindle Edition.)
Mike goes on to say this about the Gift of the prophetic (This is a key point for why we are doing Pursue Kingdom Ministry): “Many people know about God only in the context of things far away and long ago. They are hungry to know that God is involved with their lives in an intimate way in the present.” (Bickle, Mike. Growing In The Prophetic: A Balanced, Biblical Guide to Using and Nurturing Dreams, Revelations and Spiritual Gifts as God Intended (p. 4). Charisma House. Kindle Edition.)
We introduced the Scripture in Acts 2 at the beginning of this teaching – Scripture describes the outpouring of the Holy Spirit for our time and season. The first half of this passage speaks of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit and the increase of prophetic revelation on the entire body of Christ: Note what it says again, “And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God, That I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh; Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy; Your young men shall see visions, Your old men shall dream dreams. And on My menservants and on My maidservants, I will pour out My Spirit in those days; And they shall prophesy.” See —Acts 2:17–18. We live in a time when all followers of Jesus can prophesy for God! All!
The second half of the passage focuses on the great increase of the acts of God in nature to open people’s eyes to the signs of the times:
It states, “I will show wonders in heaven above and signs in the earth beneath: Blood and fire and vapor of smoke. The sun shall be turned into darkness, And the moon into blood, Before the coming of the great and awesome day of the LORD. And it shall come to pass That whoever calls on the name of the LORD Shall be saved.” —Acts 2:19–21.
Mike Bickle states, “There is a specific order and sequence in the (Acts) text: the outpouring of the Spirit, followed by the increase of prophetic dreams and visions, followed by the occurring of confirming signs in the sky and on the earth.”
This is the timeframe we live in today!
I know we are in the time of God using the whole Body of Christ to bring hope, healing and renewal to our world. But we must make sure as God uses us that we use the prophetic in a humble and biblical manner: Remember the prophetic ministry speaks the words of God and brings people into connection with God’s love for them.
T.S. – We must have a New Testament view of the ministry of the prophetic to be in tune with what the Holy Spirit is doing in the time frame we live in.
1. The difference between Old Testament and New Testament prophets and prophecy:
a. PP#7: In the Old Testament there was “prophetic concentration,” and in the New Testament there was “prophetic distribution.” (Bickle p.51, Kindle edition)
i. The fate of the church would never depend on the accuracy of just one prophet today. God has chosen to unleash this gift on potentially several or even a number of prophets in each geographic location worldwide. He has chosen to do the same in the church which should have many prophets doing the work of the Lord.
1. In Old Testament days God moved and spoke through just one person – that has changed today as a result of Acts 2.
ii. Mike Bickle notes, “Under the new covenant we don’t usually see prophets who live by themselves in the wilderness. The prophetic ministry is a vital part of the body of Christ in a city. Prophetic people are mandated by Scripture to be involved in the local church, not separated from it. Prophetic people serve within the church as one of the “joints that supply” the other parts of the church, enabling it to be the prophetic voice in the earth (Eph. 4:16). In the New Testament, the prophetic ministry is directed less to national leaders and more to the church.”
1. Bickle, Mike. Growing In The Prophetic: A Balanced, Biblical Guide to Using and Nurturing Dreams, Revelations and Spiritual Gifts as God Intended (p. 51). Charisma House. Kindle Edition.
b. There is another major difference between Old and New Testament prophets we need to understand today:
i. Because Old Testament prophets received direct and unmistakable revelation, they were to be 100 percent accurate or else.
1. They did not need to have the others “discern” the prophetic word they gave like we are instructed to do today.
2. The only way they missed God’s word was by them blatantly changing what God had said or they deliberately making up a false prophecy.
a. Mike notes, “Consequently, the Old Testament judgment on false prophets was to stone them to death. But the prophet who presumes to speak a word in My name, which I have not commanded him to speak . . . that prophet shall die. And if you say in your heart, “How shall we know the word which the LORD has not spoken?”—when a prophet speaks in the name of the LORD, if the thing does not happen or come to pass, that is the thing which the LORD has not spoken. —Deuteronomy 18:20–22 The Old Testament requirement for prophets was 100 percent accuracy. This was required on the penalty of death. These prophets spoke with a clear and unmistakable “Thus saith the Lord!” They claimed repeatedly that their very words were the words that God had given them to deliver. I will be with your mouth and teach you what you shall say. —Exodus 4:12
i. Are you not glad we live in the New Testament era! 😊
ii. If you really study the New Testament teaching on the prophetic it doesn’t require the same standard of its prophets who prophesy by faith and often from subtle impressions of the Holy Spirit.
1. Mike Bickle notes, “The safeguard of New Testament prophecy is given in the mandate to judge each other’s words. In the New Testament, Paul taught us specifically to “let two or three prophets speak, and let the others judge” (1 Cor. 14:29, emphasis added). The Revised Standard Version translates the passage this way: “ . . . let the others weigh what is said.”
2. So, in light of those passages, “We don’t stone people if they miss it once, nor do we believe everything they say, even if they are accurate 99 percent of the time. We still judge their prophecies. Paul gives similar instructions to the church in Thessalonica, telling them to not despise prophecies but to test them: “Do not despise prophecies. Test all things; hold fast what is good.”
a. Mike Bickle adds, “This passage implies that some prophetic utterances will contain a measure of error—“Test all things; hold fast what is good” was written in reference to prophetic utterances. Nowhere in the New Testament is there the suggestion that a Christian should be executed, excommunicated, or even branded a “false prophet” for simply relaying an inaccurate prophecy, for such a word should be weeded out in the process of the church’s proper response to prophecy”
b. He also points out, “We do not find in the Old Testament any instance in which the prophecy of a true prophet was “discerned” by other prophets so that the good might be sorted from the bad, the accurate from the inaccurate. Why? Because God was thought to be the speaker of all that a prophet spoke in His name, it was unthinkable that a true prophet should deliver some oracle that was a mixture of accurate and inaccurate information. There was no middle ground. They were true prophets who spoke the very word of God and should be obeyed as such, or they were false prophets and should be put to death.”
i. Bickle, Mike. Growing In The Prophetic: A Balanced, Biblical Guide to Using and Nurturing Dreams, Revelations and Spiritual Gifts as God Intended (pp. 51-53). Charisma House. Kindle Edition.
c. Mike clarifies the difference between the two: “The essence of Old Testament prophetic ministry was limited to those who received direct revelation from God. In the New Testament, we prophesy by faith, which involves speaking out the subtle impressions that the Holy Spirit gives us.”
i. So, we learn to prophesy according to the measure of our faith, thus we can mix up God’s ideas with our words and thoughts (happens to the best of us by the way). For as Romans 12:6 says, “Let us prophesy in proportion to our faith.”
1. Bickle, Mike. Growing In The Prophetic: A Balanced, Biblical Guide to Using and Nurturing Dreams, Revelations and Spiritual Gifts as God Intended (p. 53). Charisma House. Kindle Edition.
d. So why do some churches outright reject the Gifts of the Holy Spirit like prophecy?
i. Randy Clark states, “One of the main reasons that prophecy tends to be rejected today, and quickly branded as “false,” is because many use an Old Testament paradigm to evaluate the New Testament prophetic expression. (Clark, Randy. The Essential Guide to the Power of the Holy Spirit: God's Miraculous Gifts at Work Today (Kindle Locations 698-700). Destiny Image, Inc.. Kindle Edition.)
ii. If you search out church history you will discover that Augustine believed in the gift of prophecy:
1. Randy notes this: “AUGUSTINE ON PROPHECY - Augustine, writing in the fifth century, believed prophecy was still a gift the church was experiencing during his time. He considered prophecy to be “a free manifestation of the Holy Spirit by which some people receive a communicable intelligence of truths connected with our salvation but impervious to any natural understanding.”33 Likewise, prophecy here can take many forms: a revelation, knowledge, foretelling, or teaching, which means that what is spoken of today in the Pentecostal and Charismatic churches finds a parallel in Augustine. A prophecy may bring a revelation of an unknown nature, bringing knowledge of some kind—perhaps the knowledge of what God wanted to do in a specific context, knowledge of direction to take in ministry, knowledge about the future, an insight into teaching, or an insight given during the message. Many healings were connected to prophecy.34 Augustine has much more in common with continuationism than he does with cessationism. Clark, Randy. The Essential Guide to the Power of the Holy Spirit: God's Miraculous Gifts at Work Today (Kindle Locations 766-776). Destiny Image, Inc.. Kindle Edition.
iii. Kris states, “Many of us are familiar with Jeremiah 29:11, where God tells His people, “‘For I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope.’” God made this statement to His people while they were in Babylonian captivity for 70 years because they disobeyed Him. In spite of their behavior, the prophet Jeremiah spoke an encouraging prophetic word to them. God often uses prophetic ministry in the same way today,”
1. Vallotton, Kris. Basic Training for the Prophetic Ministry Expanded Edition (p. 13). Destiny Image, Inc.. Kindle Edition.
a. PP#8: New Testament prophetic ministry speaks to the high value and divine potential God has given people. This is the true purpose of prophetic ministry! It must be rooted in love, immersed in hope, and motivated by faith. The price that Jesus paid on the Cross determined the value of the people He purchased. God saw something good in us even when we were sinners (see Romans 5:8).
i. Vallotton, Kris. Basic Training for the Prophetic Ministry Expanded Edition (p. 13). Destiny Image, Inc.. Kindle Edition.
2. Vallotton: “It doesn’t take a prophetic gift to see the sin in sinners or the junk in the lives of Christians. It does require the eyes of God, though, to see broken people like Simon (Simon means “broken reed”) and in the midst of their brokenness, call them Peter (Peter means “rock”). True prophetic ministry is looking for gold in the midst of the dirt in people’s lives.” Vallotton, Kris. Basic Training for the Prophetic Ministry Expanded Edition (p. 14). Destiny Image, Inc.. Kindle Edition.
a. He adds, “True prophetic ministry is looking for gold in the midst of the dirt in people’s lives.” Vallotton, Kris. Basic Training for the Prophetic Ministry Expanded Edition (p. 15). Destiny Image, Inc.. Kindle Edition.
b. He warns us, “Remember, the prophetic communicates the love of God to people. If we are prophesying out of an Old Covenant perspective, we are going to release words of condemnation and judgment. Old Covenant prophets judged cities and nations. Vallotton, Kris. Basic Training for the Prophetic Ministry Expanded Edition (p. 15). Destiny Image, Inc.. Kindle Edition.
i. We should be finding Treasure in the Lives of Sinners Paul tells us in First Corinthians that prophecy reveals the secrets of unbelievers’ hearts. 1 Corinthians 14:24-25—But if all prophesy, and an unbeliever or an ungifted man enters, he is convicted by all, he is called to account by all; the secrets of his heart are disclosed; and so he will fall on his face and worship God, declaring that God is certainly among you. Vallotton, Kris. Basic Training for the Prophetic Ministry Expanded Edition (p. 16). Destiny Image, Inc.. Kindle Edition.
c. Kris drives the point home: “Prophecy brings people into a revelation of the glory that God has assigned to them. Jesus died for our sins so we could actually step into this revelation of His glory. Too many times, people mistakenly think that the more they go on and on about the sin and junk in someone’s life, the more inclined that “sinner” will be to repent and turn to God. This is just not true. Paul tells us that it is the goodness of God that leads people to repentance (see Romans 2:4 NKJV). Vallotton, Kris. Basic Training for the Prophetic Ministry Expanded Edition (p. 16). Destiny Image, Inc.. Kindle Edition.
i. The point we all need to be clear on, “Instead of calling out people’s sins, we should tell them about the glory God has intended for them to live in. This exposure brings conviction in their lives that they are living below the glorious standard that God has set for them. In First Corinthians 14:25, we read that prophecy discloses the “secrets of his heart” (“his” refers to the “unbeliever” in this text). If we are prophesying out of an Old Covenant perspective, we tend to look for negative or bad secrets to call out. That is not what Paul is talking about, for the context of prophecy is one of “edification and exhortation and consolation” (see 1 Corinthians 14:3). Calling out the dirt only releases condemnation, shame, and judgment, while revealing secret treasures invites people to reconsider the road they are on in life and come face to face with their identity in Christ.”
1. Vallotton, Kris. Basic Training for the Prophetic Ministry Expanded Edition (p. 16). Destiny Image, Inc.. Kindle Edition.
e. The prophetic ministry empowers us to participate in the ministry of reconciliation that has been assigned to all Christians. The Father’s heart is to reconcile all humankind to Himself—people, communities, and entire nations.
2. PP#9: Comparison chart on Prophets and Prophesy so we know the difference: See chart Below is a simple chart that contrasts the difference between the gift of prophecy and the office of the prophet and prophetess.
THE GIFT OF PROPHECY THE OFFICE OF THE PROPHET
Is a gift of the Holy Spirit Is a gift of Christ
Is something you do Is something you are
Every believer is exhorted to seek to prophesy God chooses prophets; it is not our choice Is for edification, exhortation, and comfort Direct, correct, warn, govern, and equip Prophetic ability is the gift The Prophet himself is a gift Classified as a saint Called as part of the five-fold team The gift is for life The calling is for life
Vallotton, Kris. Basic Training for the Prophetic Ministry Expanded Edition (pp. 31-32). Destiny Image, Inc.. Kindle Edition.
T.S. - So, let’s define and get a proper understanding of the word “prophetic:”
3. PP#10: Prophecy Defined - We need to understand the definition and design of God for using the prophetic: “Prophecy in the purist sense is foretelling and forthtelling.”
a. Foretelling—to know the future (prediction).
i. The following is an example of foretelling from Scripture: Agabus speaks prophetically about a famine that will take place worldwide. It happens a few years later.
1. Acts 11:28—One of them named Agabus stood up and began to indicate by the Spirit that there would certainly be a great famine all over the world. And this took place in the reign of Claudius.
ii. Sometimes the prophetic has a foretelling dimension to relate to something that will happen in the future – much Old Testament prophecy was foretelling in the Old Testament.
1. Examples: The prediction of Jesus birth! The character traits of the Messiah! The destruction of Israel and the two Kingdoms, the restoration of Israel and so on. The future of world history.
b. Forthtelling—prophecy which involves divinely-empowered forthtelling from God (which is asserting the mind of God into a situation or event – could be communal or individual).
i. Some say forthtelling is also God’s Word being spoken which sets in motion the causing of the future.
1. An example of forthtelling is in the following passages in Ezekiel. God instructs the prophet Ezekiel to prophesy to dead bones and they became a mighty army. Ezekiel didn’t just tell the future, He spoke God’s Word into the bones which set the future into motion – some use the words here that God’s Word created the future (He spoke it into creation).
a. See Ezekiel 37:1-10—The hand of the Lord was upon me, and He brought me out by the Spirit of the Lord and set me down in the middle of the valley; and it was full of bones. He caused me to pass among them round about, and behold, there were very many on the surface of the valley; and lo, they were very dry. He said to me, “Son of man, can these bones live?” And I answered, “O Lord God, You know.” Again He said to me, “Prophesy over these bones and say to them, ‘O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord.’ Thus says the Lord God to these bones, ‘Behold, I will cause breath to enter you that you may come to life. I will put sinews on you, make flesh grow back on you, cover you with skin and put breath in you that you may come alive; and you will know that I am the Lord.’” So I prophesied as I was commanded; and as I prophesied, there was a noise, and behold, a rattling; and the bones came together, bone to its bone. And I looked, and behold, sinews were on them, and flesh grew and skin covered them; but there was no breath in them. Then He said to me, “Prophesy to the breath, prophesy, son of man, and say to the breath, ‘Thus says the Lord God, “Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe on these slain, that they come to life.”’” So I prophesied as He commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they came to life and stood on their feet, an exceedingly great army.”
i. The above from - Vallotton, Kris. Basic Training for the Prophetic Ministry Expanded Edition (p. 32-33). Destiny Image, Inc.. Kindle Edition.
c. Prophecy defined by CP Wagner’s classic book “Spiritual Gifts”
i. The gift of prophecy is the special ability that God gives to certain members of the Body of Christ to receive and communicate an immediate message of God to His people through a divinely anointed utterance. See Luke 7:26 • Acts 15:32 • Acts 21:9–11 • Romans 12:6 • 1 Corinthians 12:10, 28 • Ephesians 4:11–13
1. From Wagner, C. Peter. Your Spiritual Gifts Can Help Your Church Grow. Baker Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.
4. PP#11: The Purpose of Prophetic Ministry:
a. The purpose is connected to our Acts 2 historical account of Pentecost:
i. Mike Bickle states, “The purpose of the outpouring of the Spirit, the increase of the prophetic ministry, and, finally, the signs and wonders in nature is to awaken the church to passionate Christianity and to bring many people to salvation. The Joel 2 prophecy quoted by Peter makes this point by saying, “It shall come to pass that whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved” (Acts 2:21). Calling on the name of the Lord refers to unbelievers calling on His name for salvation, but it also includes believers wholeheartedly calling on the name of Jesus in their passion for God and in persistent intercession. Thus, the confirmation of prophetic words by acts of God in nature is meant to help us stay consistent in our faith and prayer.”
1. Bickle, Mike. Growing In The Prophetic: A Balanced, Biblical Guide to Using and Nurturing Dreams, Revelations and Spiritual Gifts as God Intended (p. 18). Charisma House. Kindle Edition.
b. How does is the prophetic gift usually exercised?
i. Mike also highlights how the prophetic is to be exercised and administrated. “Prophecy or providing biblical leadership to this process involves three distinct things”:
1. Revelation (knowledge)
2. Interpretation (understanding)
3. Application (wisdom).
a. Mike says we have to use the prophetic the way God intended it to be used:
i. He notes, “First, we must receive the revelation or the divine information. Second, we must interpret it accurately. Third, we must apply it with wisdom.”
1. The interpretation answers the question, “What does the revelation mean?”
2. The application answers the questions, “When and how will this come to pass?”
3. What should I do? “Application is the action that should be taken based on the interpretation of the divine information that was received.”
a. From Bickle, Mike. Growing In The Prophetic: A Balanced, Biblical Guide to Using and Nurturing Dreams, Revelations and Spiritual Gifts as God Intended (p. 24). Charisma House. Kindle Edition.
c. Judging prophetic words: We ourselves are to listen to prophetic words but discern their interpretation or just shelve it for the time being if it’s not being clarified.
i. Mike adds, “When we receive a prophetic word from someone, we must hold it at arm’s length and not seek to interpret or apply it until God Himself confirms it. Paul taught that everything is to be established by God as He confirms His truth to us. By the mouth of two or three witnesses every word shall be established. —2 Corinthians 13:1 When people act on a new direction before receiving the confirmation, they get off track.”
1. From Bickle, Mike. Growing In The Prophetic: A Balanced, Biblical Guide to Using and Nurturing Dreams, Revelations and Spiritual Gifts as God Intended (p. 33). Charisma House. Kindle Edition.
2. The many who have crashed and burned at IHOPKC are because they did this – they thought they were God’s spoke person – to say who to marry – to divorce – to change jobs and so on!
ii. PROPHECY IS THE testimony of Jesus’s heart for His people. An angel told the apostle John that the “testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy” (Rev. 19:10).
1. We need to be careful in the prophetic that we never forget this truth! We judge the impact of the prophetic in light of Jesus testimony!
iii. Wayne Grudem’s shares these ideas. Wayne is a well-respected theologian who loves the work of the Holy Spirit. He was formerly a professor at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School and wrote The Gift of Prophecy. This is a good book that provides a theological framework for prophecy from the Old and New Testaments. Grudem wrote, “Most prophecy is human words reporting something that God brings to mind.”
d. Prophetic words will never contradict or go against what is written in the canon of Scripture; they do not add or subtract, only clarify. Clark, Randy. The Essential Guide to the Power of the Holy Spirit: God's Miraculous Gifts at Work Today (Kindle Locations 795-797). Destiny Image, Inc.. Kindle Edition.
e. Prophetic ministry today is not—and can never be—a substitute or an addition to Scripture. (Sandford, R. Loren. Purifying the Prophetic (p. 17). Baker Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.)
T.S.- We have looked at the difference between OT and NT prophecy, we have defined what prophecy is, what the purpose of prophecy is rooted in so let’s look at the gift of prophecy.
5. The Gift of Prophecy:
a. PP#12: The Basics of the gift of prophecy:
i. Practicing the gifts of the Spirit should take place in an atmosphere of love and a culture of spiritual authority. (Vallotton, Kris. Basic Training for the Prophetic Ministry Expanded Edition (p. 103). Destiny Image, Inc.. Kindle Edition.)
ii. The Gift of Prophecy is one of the nine gifts of the Holy Spirit listed in First Corinthians chapter 12. We are to earnestly desire spiritual gifts.
iii. Prophecy is a gift not an award for being spiritually better than others.
iv. The Goal of the Gift of Prophecy:
1. 1 Corinthians 14:3—The one who prophesies speaks to men for edification and exhortation and consolation. We understand from this passage that the main purpose of the gift of prophecy is for edification, exhortation, and consolation.
a. Edification means “to build up,”
b. Exhortation means “to call near,”
c. Consolation means “to cheer up.”
i. Vallotton, Kris. Basic Training for the Prophetic Ministry Expanded Edition (pp. 28-29). Destiny Image, Inc.. Kindle Edition.
b. Power Point #13: The Three Parts of Prophecy according to NT teachings:
i. Revelation: What is God saying? The person who delivers the prophetic word is responsible for the revelation of the word. It may come as a dream, a vision, a picture in your mind – you share with the person and let the Holy Spirit clarify it.
ii. Interpretation: What does the revelation mean? Prophetic people need to realize that just because they received the revelation does not mean that they also have the interpretation. We often get into trouble when we try to interpret a prophetic revelation without first receiving God’s direction and clarity.
1. You can suggest some thoughts but you make sure you say “I could be wrong but I think this means this.”
2. The person will confirm or deny the meaning – that is okay – the Holy Spirit is the clarifier – you are not.
a. Share about a word I had with a church group and the lady I gave a prophetic word too.
iii. Application (for the one receiving the word): What should we do with the prophetic word once we know what it means? We should always involve wise leaders in our lives when we receive directional prophetic words. They should help us to devise a plan to actually apply the prophetic word to our life and walk it out. When God stops speaking, we should too!
1. The Above from Vallotton, Kris. Basic Training for the Prophetic Ministry Expanded Edition (p. 34). Destiny Image, Inc.. Kindle Edition.
a. Example to help them work through a prophecy - Play the prophetic word from IHOP I received!
Conclusion:
What do we need to know from this teaching?
Answer: We all need to have an understanding of the difference between OT and NT ministry of the prophetic. We need to know the difference between the office of Prophet and the gift of prophecy. We need to have biblical understanding of the NT term prophecy, it’s purpose and how it works.
Why do we need to know this?
Answer: If we are looking at prophecy in the wrong era we will miss the point of prophecy which is for people to hear God’s voice, and be drawn into a heart relationship with Him. Prophecy is not to focus on sin but on the the gold – the treasure the Lord see’s in their hearts.
What do we need to do?
Answer: We need to flow in the gift of prophecy according to New Testament model! Why? So, hearts are connected or reconnected with the heart of Jesus and God. So people can be touched with the heart and voice of the Lord into their lives.
Why do we need to do this?
Answer: So, they can be encouraged an help to spread the news of the Kingdom of Heaven to people who need to hear it and be touched by it.
