Yes, I said it, PROPHESY! The HOLY SPIRIT wishes us to PROPHESY. Why is this so controversial in the Church today? It's in the Word of God! I do not wish to argue and validate scripture in this writing, but I will go on to explain what I feel God is "ruining" my heart for. I've been seeking and longing to know God's intention for His Church, and the past few months I've been frustrated to the point of tears with the ignorance of the work of God the Father, Jesus Christ AND the Holy Spirit within His church body. However, it has been only in the past few days my eyes were opened to the deepening up the absolute necessity of prophecy within the Church. It wasn't from a great idea or a feeling or hunch I had, but rather from reading the Word of God and knowing the obedience and dedication we must have to His commands. I will write humbly - for I am not a theologian, nor do I know New Testament Greek. However, I am a child of God who receives revelation and reads His Word seeking to know not merely a head-knowledge, but to understand with knowledge that far passes the mind. Here's where it's left me:
1 Corinthians 12 leads us in chapter 13 with the closing remark of "But earnestly desire the greater gifts. And I show you a still a more excellent way." We all know, or even if you don't know but you have attended a Christian wedding - 1 Corinthians 13 is about love. Love is patient, love is kind, it does not envy and it does not boast. So on and so forth - Love never fails. This is beautiful and most certainly can be appropriately used to speak of the love between one another in a marriage. However, this chapter of love is not in the book of Song of Solomon when speaking of a husband and his bride, nor in Psalms declaring David's love for God. No, this chapter is sandwiched between instructions pertaining to spiritual gifts. These gifts including: prophesy, word of wisdom, word of knowledge, miracles, healing, discernment of spirits, and tongues/interpretation. Would it not make sense when Paul speaks about spiritual gifts and then goes on talk about how we should love one another, and then go back to spiritual gifts and their use when we all come together, that this love should be APPLIED to our love to build one another up by actively using the gifts given to us by God?! Going back to the verse I opened with, Paul tells us (Paul working as the mouth piece of God in this God-breathed scripture) that we must desire earnestly these gifts, and love is the most excellent way to do this! It is because of our LOVE for the Church, and therefore our desire for its growth and maturity, that we yearn for these gifts to build one another up!
The first verse of 1 Corinthians 14 to segway from love back into spiritual gifts is this, "Pursue love, yet desire earnestly spiritual gifts, but especially that you may prophesy". Now, admittedly I had a difficult time figuring out why, when God wants ALL of His gifts to be outworked in the church and makes of point of needing every body part, He includes 1 Cor 13:31 where we're told to desire the greater gifts. Also, 1 Cor 14 explains prophesy to be a superior gift and what we should desire most of all. My mind was going around in circles wondering EVERY body part (every person within the church) should desire to prophesy? What about the other gifts? If all are needed, why should we wish to have this one gift in particular? I thought to myself, "This is the Word of God. I will be obedient to it whether I have clear understanding yet or not, because I follow Christ - not only the parts of Christ I see and understand." So, with a resolve within myself to follow obedience of desiring prophesy, I've been asking God to help clarify why exactly I should desire it above all other gifts. Last night, my homegroup leader said something that brought much clarification: A relationship is built off of communication. The way one person connects with another is ultimately through speaking to one another. This is not to say servant hood, encouragement and plain ol' fun is not important in a relationship, but communication is the key ingredient. In ALL giftings and outworkings, God wants to SPEAK to and through us, therefore: prophesy. Prophesy is being the mouthpiece of God - Speaking His heart in the moment and declaring before the the saints what He wishes to say.
When do we prophesy and use spiritual gifts? EVERY time we're together! 1 Corinthians 14:26 - What is the outcome then, brethren? When you assemble, each one has a psalm, has a teaching, has a revelation, has a tongue, has an interpretation. Let ALL things be done for EDIFICATION.
Spiritual gifts MUST be put back into the Church for our edification, growth and maturity. It's GOD'S WORD and design for His church! Of course there has been abuse of these gifts in the past, just as there has abuse of church leadership, authority, teachings, exc. However, a misuse is not an excuse for disobedience to God's word. Just as one's personal experience or lack of understanding is no excuse. YOUR life must align to God's word, not God's word align to you. Do not be so prideful as to think your 70 years on the earth can alter the timeless words of God and that your human mind is ANY match to the wisdom of God!
This is the Word of God. Fear God, and obey.
Over and out.
I've rarely heard anyone argue that prophecy shouldn't exist today, and I personally would never argue that point. In my opinion, the greater concerns among churches that don't practice prophecy are:
ReplyDelete1. What does prophecy look like? Should it look like prophecy from the Old or New Testament, or is it a completely new phenomena?
2. If prophecy should exist in some way today, how do I know that I have a genuine prophecy to give someone, and that it is not just my own thought? How can I be sure of it?
I think this post has the potential to get really big, really quick. I'm not intending on creating controversy here, but I assume you posted this on Facebook with the intention of a greater exposure to your thoughts.
-Pat
To clarify, I think that's why most churches don't "practice prophecy", because they are not sure what prophecy is, or how to do it. Of course, by saying that, I'm assuming that there is "some way to do it", and that it is something that is discernable, and executable. If it is not these things, how can the churches be blamed for not practicing it when they should?
ReplyDeleteHey Pat,
ReplyDeleteWell....I post all of my blogs on facebook, so I wasn't wishing this post more than others to become "big".
The basic thing I am feeling passionate and convicted by is this: Even when we keep in mind the questions of the "how to" of prophesy along with the worry of our short-comings of man becoming involved, were we obedient to what we knew of God? It reminds of the parable of the talents. The man who recieved one talent dug a whole in the ground and hid his master's money there. Why? He was afraid. What did the master say? That he was a wicked and lazy man. I suppose saying that in this context seems harsh, but I don't mean it to be. I just know God calls us to be obedient to Him in ALL things and in ALL of His word. We called to trust and have faith. It's a step of faith to use the spiritual gifts He's given us.
Pat,
ReplyDeleteWhere is faith??
Heb 11:6
''And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.''
If it takes faith for us to even know God and come into relationship with him, what makes you think it would be any different with anything else God asks of us?? The reality is, is that it takes FAITH to believe that you've heard God speak, and without faith it's hard to hear God. God never asks us to be 100% sure we know exactly every word He says to us before we prophesy, as Paul says 'For we know in part and we prophesy in part' (1Cor13:9)
I think that your questions are void of faith, and not knowing 'what it looks like' I believe is a really bad excuse for not doing it. The point is, if you heard God speak and tell you to tell everyone else - you'd say what you heard. You wouldn't try and figure out if this is what it should or shouldn't look like. People aren't prophesying in churches because they're not listening or expecting to hear to the voice of God.
There's also the point that if people are not baptized in the Holy Spirit, then of course these gifts won't be practiced.
Sarah, I have to say WELL DONE. I know, as Pat just said, that there are some people who would argue they are not against prophesy, but simply don't practice it... I've heard that argument so many times, about many different Spiritual gifts... Especially the gift of tongues.
ReplyDeleteMy thoughts: If you look at James 2, you will see that faith without works is dead. I will simply say this: If you say you believe something, then your life should reflect that as well. Example... You can talk all you want about how you love bread, and the process, even, of making it. Until you actually put your hands to the dough, you will go hungry.
For those of us who aren't sure what it looks like, we have the Word of God as our recipe book (following the bread example). The great thing about a recipe is that it is a guide. And we actually have an open line to the Writer of this recipe book. So if we need clarification, then we can ask for it. But you will never be able to call yourself a baker, in any respect, until you take the flour and other ingredients, and put your hand to the dough.
Learning to hear God's voice, to know when something is prophecy or simple opinion, and proper timing and delivery is all a process. Just as is everything in life and faith. And when we do fail, because we will, God's grace abounds all the more. We all will miss the mark. It WILL happen. And when it does, God's heart is still for us, and I will say this in my humble opinion, He is rooting for us and joyful that we are stretching ourselves in these gifts.
Stretch and grow!! There is no other alternative that can be life-producing!!