I did some studying today and came up with this compilation:

"Prophecy"

Prophecy is despised by the church at large. We all know this is the sad truth. Even though apostle Paul commanded in Scripture: "Earnestly desire to prophesy" 1 Corinthians 14:39. 1 Thessalonians 5:20

Despise not prophesying.

Quite a few years ago I was contacted by a man through e~mail. As is usually my habit when replying to an e~mail I like to step out in faith and prophesy over the persons life if I believe that I am hearing the Lord on their behalf. Well recently Jim Ewing was in contact by phone with this same fella. This fellas response to my prophecy step of faith was that I 'was trying to be somebody,' he had revealed to Jim, in their conversation with one another. What kind of a response is that? What can his response tell us about him as a Christian man?

Yet, from the standpoint of the Scriptures, the gift of prophecy is the most important spiritual gift.

Just the other day I replied to another brother up in Canada. And of course I stepped out in faith and prophesied over him in my email. Here is this fellas response to me:

"Amen ! David. Thank you for the Word. I absolutely understand and have seen God move mightily by His Holy Spirit in such encounters. Thank you for such words of encouragement and the Word of knowledge."

A proper Christian reaction to prophecy from someone with a heart of faith and belief.

Two entirely different reactions to me using the gift of prophecy over the lives of others.

Despising prophecy is nothing new.

Prophecy has been despised before. Moses, finally convinced that God wanted to delegate his governing authority to a larger number, called seventy elders to a "committee meeting" at the tabernacle. Two failed to show up. The Spirit of God fell on the sixty-eight who attended. But the Spirit also came upon the two who remained in the camp who began to prophesy as well. Every one wanted them to stop, uncomfortable at the direct voice of God and jealous for Moses' uniqueness as God's prophet. They reported the incident to Moses and demanded that he stop them. One can almost see Moses chuckling, and then longingly reflecting on the blessedness of the Spirit's presence in his life: "Would that all the Lord's people were prophets, that the Lord would put his Spirit upon them!" (Numbers 11:29).

Moses' dream began to be fulfilled on the day of Pentecost, when the Spirit fell on the infant church and prompted them to speak out in tongues the  "mightiness's of God." Peter, under the inspiration of the Spirit, interpreted the phenomenon thus:

This is what was spoken by the prophet Joel: "And in the last days it shall be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams; yea, and on my menservants and my maidservants in those days I will pour out my Spirit; and they shall prophesy...." (Acts 2:16-18 quoting Joel 2:28-29)

Amazingly, Peter classifies the Pentecost expression of tongues as a variety of the prophetic gift. The New Testament Scriptures make it clear that the Spirit is a universal gift to the church, and that prophecy is the characteristic gift of the Spirit. The Apostle Paul indicated that the gift of prophecy was for every believer: "For you can all prophesy one by one..." (1 Corinthians 14:31; see also vss. 5, 24).

The late John Wimber did it the best as did apostle John Robert Stevens. They would set a single mike on a stand up front of the gathered brethren in the building. Anyone who wanted to step out in faith and exercise the gift of prophecy was encouraged to come up front and do as such and then go and return to there place in the congregation. After which the leadership would weigh what had just been put forth in prophecy.

Wimber would say, "by a show of hands, how many of you think that that was from the Lord?" And the people would, by a show of hands judge the prophecy. Then Wimber would say, "How many of you think that the prophecy was off and not of the Lord?" And the people once again gave their opinion by a show of hands. After which Wimber would give us the consensus of the gathered crowd. Then he would give his opinion and tell us why the prophecy was right~on or out in left field.

Wimber would tell those who were bold enough to come forward and become vulnerable by stepping out in faith and exercising their gifts of prophecy, "You did well, you exercised your gift. Do not become discouraged if we believe that you were off. Be encouraged, you tried well most others did not even leave their seats. I bless you, keep coming up, you will bring forth a Word of prophecy if you continue to step up to the plate. A prophetic home run will certainly be yours if you continue.

Stevens pastored over a very prophetic congregation, everyone would prophesy who spent any amount of time in their midst. The atmosphere of the Holy Spirit in their gatherings fostered prophecy big time. In fact many of the brethren would sing out their prophecy. I tell you it was so awesome to here the anointed clear clarion of oracles of our God singing forth prophecy. It was like a wind that swept your heart into the heavenly realms.

So what does Almighty God intend prophecy to do for His church? Why are we encouraged to step out and prophesy?

"Earnestly desire to prophesy" 1 Corinthians 14:39



Building up one another in Love. Exhortation and assurance are two common purposes of prophecy. Paul contrasts tongues (a Godward speaking) with prophecy (a manward message): "He who prophesies speaks to men for their upbuilding (oikodome) and encouragement (paraklesis) and consolation (paramuthia; 1 Corinthians 14:3)."

Paul uses the word paramuthia in 1 Corinthians 14:3 alongside paraklesis to explain the purpose of prophecy. This word means "encouragement," especially "comfort, consolation," but is difficult to distinguish clearly from paraklesis. It derives from para, "beside" and muthos, "speech, word, saying." In classical Greek it could refer to "any address, whether made "for the purpose of persuading, or of arousing and stimulating or of calming and consoling.

Exhortation to obedience and service as well as encouragement and comfort from the Spirit to those experiencing pain and trouble are one aspect of the Spirit's building up of the church through prophecy.

Prophesy is a person bringing forth what comes to their mind by the Holy Spirit and speaking or typing it forth to others. What those others do with it can be very revealing of their walks with the Lord, as you could see at the start of this letter. The negative response fella to my prophetic e~mail makes a living by trafficking in human misery and profiting by it. He is very pleased with himself because he is prosperous but he is found lacking in spirituality.

What does Jesus say to people like this?

Revelation 3:17

Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked...
The great value of prophecy to the church today is the contemporary Word of God to encourage and guide His people. The prophetic message is "a word fitly spoken" (Proverbs 25:11), directly from God, "good for edifying, as fits the occasion, that it may impart grace to those who hear" (Ephesians 4:29).

God brings to mind the word of prophecy and we step out in faith and deliver it. So simple a child can do it.

Psalm 8:2

Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast thou ordained strength because of thine enemies, that thou mightest still the enemy and the avenger.

A specific revelation can be particularly powerful in bringing conviction of sin and of God's presence to unbelievers or backsliders who are present in a church gathering. Paul suggests to the Corinthians how prophecy can work in this way:

If all prophesy, and an unbeliever or outsider enters, he is convicted by all, he is called to account by all, the secrets of his heart are disclosed; and so, falling on his face, he will worship God and declare that God is really among you (1 Corinthians 14:24-25). For the outsider, prophecy can be a powerful sign of God's presence among His people.

Problems with individuals in the body or with the body itself may also be pinpointed by the gift of prophecy. James Dunn observes, "Prophecy prevents a man pretending to be other than he is--prevents the believer hiding behind a mask of pretended righteousness, of apparent spirituality. At any time the prophetic word may expose him for what he is." Thus prophecy builds up the church by converting the unbeliever and purifying the believer.

The variety of ways the church is built up by prophecy accentuate its necessity for the present day church. Words of comfort and assurance, words of pleading, words of exhortation and admonition, words of exposure and correction--all of these are designed by the Spirit to bring and maintain renewal in Christ's church.

We cannot afford to despise the gift of prophecy. Nor can we allow its capacity for misuse and misunderstanding prevent us from embracing it. Rather we must diligently seek to curb its abuses by the guidelines of Scripture and "test all things" (1 Thessalonians 5:20-21), so that the great constructive value of prophecy may be experienced by our churches.Through this unique spiritual gift the church is enabled to grow, mature and move forward according to the will of God. "Make love your aim, and earnestly desire the spiritual gifts, especially that you may prophesy ... so that the church may be edified" (1 Corinthians 14:1, 5).
 

Back to the fella who thought that I was trying to be somebody by stepping out in faith and exercising my gift of prophecy. I believe that as a young man he himself had high ambition in service of the Lord. When nothing came of it he became bitter in his own heart and left the ministry to go into business. He was never truly happy in business even though he had success by the world's standards. Why? Because the call of God was and is upon his life as a man of God. Satan beat against him like the wind and he got discouraged and turned his back on his true calling.

I believe that God almighty would say to him:

"Return to your first love and I will heal the many wounds inflicted upon you unjustly. I will heal the many scars that have touched your soul. Come unto me you who labor and are heavy burdened and I will give you rest unto your soul. Did I not say, did you not hear, when I declaired unto to you that I love you and and am calling you into the ministry to others?


Satan targeted you and pushed against you. He said unto you, "hath God said?" He sought to discourage you and you were discouraged.

I still call after you, I still am drawing you to myself. I am for you and not against you. I have loved you with an everlasting love. Therefore Am I drawing you unto Myself. If you hear My voice today, respond to My call..."

David