My dad has been a real leader in championing on being led by the Spirit and has written many books and thought many churches on moving in the Spirit. In this post I'll be particularly talking about prophecy and our need for it in the body of Christ as well as exposing some lies and fear that might have driven us away from participating in this call of ours as children of God, to prophesy.
Our Call as Kings
In my other posts on 'Frameworks' I often talk about our identity and that a lot of what we're fed from the world through social media, news and whatever else, are opinions about what we should be and what we should do. Identity often then defines how we think and how we act. So it is really important to meditate on the right voice when it pertains to your identity.
Thus why God's voice and His words should sound the loudest and most convincing to you or you'll have another voice guiding your thoughts instead. Which comes to our call and our identity as kings!
To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood, and has made us kings and priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. - Revelations 1:5b-6
We have been made kings and priest and called to co-reign, co-rule, and to co-minister with God. We were not given our new lives being washed from sins to live mediocre lives. We are born again to live in abudance and life in all it's fullness (John 10:10). Your identity has a whole lot to do with prophesying and receiving prophecy.
The role of prophets and prophecy
We need to establish the thought that prophets and prophecy are 2 seperate truths according to the word on their role and purpose. 'Prophets' and 'prophecy' isn't the same. Prophets can prophesy but any believer has been given this priviledge to explore and prophesy as well.
Pursue love, and desire spiritual gifts, but especially that you may prophesy. - 1 Corinthians 14:1
It's interesting that a lot of Christians are pursuing love which is great but few desire spiritual gifts, and even fewer desire to prophesy. Why is that? Well like any good thing that instead of receiving with joy we fear, prophesy has not been something we believers have talked about or have clarity on. Many have a version of prophesy and prophets that is carved in their own image and not revealed by the Holy Spirit.
Foundations of prophesy
So we've established the fact that we should all desire to prophesy. Now let's see how we should handle prophecies.
- Elements of Prophecy
But he who prophesies speaks edification and exhortation and comfort to men. He who speaks in a tongue edifies himself, but he who prophesies edifies the church. - 1 Corinthians 14:3
This is the purpose, the "why", and the effects of prophesying. It is to do 3 things, to edify (to stir up/to build up), to exhort, and to comfort. So if a prophesy doesn't have the elements of the above, it isn't a prophecy.
If it's judgemental, correctional, depressing then it's not prophecy. It can sound thunderous, it can start with "Thus sayeth the Lord!", it can sound scary, but it doesn't mean it's a prophecy. Just because someone releases something to you that sounds, looks or even feels like a prophesy doesn't mean it is one.
It may be something from God but it isn't prophecy.
A prophecy according to the Good Book defines as having these 3 elements of edifying, exhorting, and comforting and not the style of the delivery and not the tone of the delivery.
- Purpose of Prophecy
He who speaks in a tongue edifies himself, but he who prophesies edifies the church. - 1 Corinthians 14:4
Prophesies are to build up believers. Prophesies create into existance what isn't. Often instead of prophesying to build people up, we go and tell them what's wrong and how to fix their lives. We're using human understanding and knowledge trying to probably solve something which we can't see. Often we only see the symptoms of what people are going through and not the actual thing people are really going through.
As believers, when we notice negativity and stuff of the sort, we need to speak what God is speaking. Through the empowering of the Holy Spirit, we can now change situations, change the climate of the atmosphere we're in or people are in and prophesy what is of God to occupy and inhabit instead!
Misconceptions relating to Prophecy
I'll give you 2 misconceptions and lies that we may have been believing in regards to prophecy and prophesying.
- Since I can hear God why do I need people to prophesy on me?
Prophecy does not replace our need to hear God and our need to hear God does not replace prophecy. Both are quintessential and often compliment one another. Truth is multidimensional. Having a personal relationship with God is awesome and having other brethren prophesying over us is great as well.
Prophecy does not replace our need to hear God and our need to hear God does not replace prophecy.
- I don't want prophesy from people to get my hopes up and then dissapoint me if it doesn't come to pass.
This is a belief thats fear driven. This is us using a defense mechanism so we don't get hurt instead of really understanding what God has for us. Move away from fear and move toward what God has for you.
When we are fear driven and believe in lies like this to protect ourselves, we forfeit our priviledge and the benefits prophecies and prophesying can bring. This are what lies do. Rob you of your inheritance and keep you away from accessing it.
- We can't allow this. We're giving room for anyone to claim and say anything in the name of God. Shouldn't things be done decently and in order?
This is also another fear driven belief that has invaded the church at large. This is fear masquerading itself as wisdom. When this is our posture, we not only avoid inaccurate or potentially disasterous scenarios, we also forfeit all the works of God to take place in our lives, our church, our community, and our nation.
I understand that this can happen and for some, like myself, has happen and a negative outcome has taken place but everyone of us can learn to handle things better. Whether it's the giver or the receiver we can filter things better. There are better ways to handle prophesy than shutting it out entirely.
How to Handle Prophecy
Therefore, brethren, desire earnestly to prophesy, and do not forbid to speak with tongues. Let all things be done decently and in order. - 1 Corinthians 14:39-40
It's interesting that "decently and in order" was directly relating to "desire earnestly to prophesy" and also "do not forbid to speak with tongues". In other words, prophesying, as well as speaking with tongues, are in fact, according to the Bible, what is decent and what is orderly. A church that prophesies and speak with tongues night and day may sound annoying, look weird, and may make you feel out of place but, this is in fact the culture we should have as believers.
I believe that the more we speak with tongues and new tongues, we are displacing a lot of powers and principalities in the heavenly places. We're occupying it's throne instead and exercising our authority we've been granted by God through Jesus Christ and in the Holy Spirit. This is us being led by the Spirit and not by what is popular culture or acceptable by man. We are indeed exercising our birth right as kings with God and invoking our Father's kingdom on the world around us and the spheres of influence we've been placed in.
Attitudes and Character we should possess
Paul does address in the in-between verses of 1 Corinthians 14:1 to where we're at now at 39-40, on how to handle prophesying and whatnot, but it was mainly relating to the attitude and character of people and not so much prophesying and speaking with tongues in it of itself. Paul was correcting the people about their attitude that they should be humble and not self-righteous.
He was pissed at the fact that a lot of believers thought they were better than others just because they did prophesy and spoke with tongues. The letter of Paul to the Corinthian church were known for addressing they had sins that were horrendous and not even named among unbelievers however in these verses about prophesy and tongues, we also see that there were people in the church of Corinth that felt they were better than those people as well. Paul did not fail to correct both parties and bring the gospel to their attention.
I believe that any sin, attitude problems and failure can be effectively handled if a church has the culture where people are allowed to fail yet still loved and accepted. This culture of honor will not only handle situations effectively but love and grace will thrive and expressed in such an environment. Failure won't be a determining factor of whether we pursue the things of Spirit anymore and we should all break off from those shackles of fear and inadequacy.
Conclusion and Final Thoughts
Let us prophesy and desire earnestly for it. It is a gift that God has given, let us open our hearts and receive it. Prophesy over people, your family, your church, your country, your workplace, your friends, your situations, your difficulty. Rise up in you kinghood and prophesy like you've never prophesy before.
Let us build a culture where not only a person in a leadership position prophesies but ALL to actively walk and move in the Spirit. Let us build a culture where people are allowed to fail. Let us work on loving one another better while walking in the Spirit. With a culture of honor and love as well as a fearless and relentless culture to pursue the things of the Spirit, we, the bride of Christ, the church, will be a force to be reckoned with. We want that kind of culture wherever we are and wherever we go.
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Posted from my blog with SteemPress : http://danielwong.vornix.blog/2018/09/14/frameworks-issue-23-the-power-of-prophecy/