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The Gift Of A Prophet
Topic Started: Oct 29 2006, 12:57 PM (835 Views)
Stace4Jesus
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THE GIFT OF A PROPHET

There are a number of differences between prophecy in the Old Testament and the gift of prophecy New Testament. One significant difference is that most people who prophesied in the Old Testament also stood in the office of a prophet, whereas today, most prophesy we hear today comes from an expression of prophecy that is available to everyone. Having the gift of prophecy does not make us a prophet in the full sense of the word, even though that was the word the apostle Paul used in 1 Corinthians to describe those who spoke for the Lord. Today, we would say these are “prophets in the pew”.

The basic gift of prophecy is limited to brief expressions of inspiration that contain edification, (confirmation) exhortation, or comfort to the church as a whole. (1 Corinthians 14:3) The trouble begins when we begin to take up the Old Testament role in the church today.

THERE IS A DIFFERENCE

- Old Testament prophets usually spoke to the entire nation of Israel. (Sometimes they address other nations that concerned Israel.) They spoke into the lives of the nations leadership. They had revelatory powers and authority that goes far beyond our simple gift of prophecy.

- In the Old Testament, many of the prophecies were judgmental, reproving, and exposed the sins of the people. They also predicted the future.

- Their words were often given in prophetic parables or dark sayings. Some were mystical dreams and unusual visions.

- What they said was usually so significant that it was accompanied with signs and wonders.

- Most of the prophesies in the Old Testament were predictive in nature. Today, the gift of prophecy alone does not have this quality to it. It needs to be accompanied by one of the other three revelation gifts; word of wisdom, word of knowledge, and discerning of spirits.

- In Israel's day, they did not have individual congregations throughout the land like have today. Neither did they have a local leadership structure like we have today with offices such as pastors and bishops, who are called to guide and correct the local flocks. This is where the authority in the local church lies today. Do we see in any of Paul's letters where he expected this to come from those with the simple gift of prophecy?

I only wish people could see the value and need for a few good words of encouragement in our churches Sunday by Sunday. It would be no small contribution to the work of the Lord in our midst.

NEW TESTAMENT PROPHETS

Imagine an Old Testament prophet having his typical function being divided into five parts and given to others to share. Someone else received their “shepherding” role. To another, his teaching role was given. To someone else his ambassadorial responsibility is given. To another their ability to win the nation back to God is given away. All that he has left is the singular responsibility of speaking for God, but even that only fully functions when he is connected to those who have been given these other roles. That, to me, describes what happened between the Old and New Testament roles of a prophet. New Testament prophets usually only have one or two parts of the ministry that we so often see making up the ministry of an Old Testament. They work in conjunction with other ministries in order to be more complete.

Today’s prophets should have a couple of revelation gifts in their ministry, such as word of wisdom, which is the predictive quality of prophecy. Word of knowledge, reveal facts about the past or present. Discerning of spirits, which allows them to see spirits or have visions of angels and spirits. The best teaching on this can be found in Kenneth Hagin’s book “I Believe In Visions”.

The New Testament prophets seemed to be used to warn the church and individuals about what is coming. An example of this is in the ministry of Agabus, who was referred to as a prophet in the Book of Acts. (Acts 11:27,28; 13:11-3; 21:10,11)

They seemed to travel together with other prophets. (Acts 11:27)

They also worked with apostles and elders (pastors) and were accountable to the local church: “Now Judas and Silas, themselves being prophets also, exhorted and strengthened the brethren with many words. And after they had stayed there for a time, they were sent back with greetings from the brethren to the apostles.” (Acts 15:32)

They were part of a leadership team that helped set men into their ministries: “Now in the church that was at Antioch there were certain prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. As they ministered to the Lord and fasted, the Holy Spirit said, “Now separate to Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” Then, having fasted and prayed, and laid hands on them, they sent them away.” (Acts 13:1-3)

Their main function seemed to be in equipping people for ministry: “And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ…” (Ephesians 4:11)

ARE YOU REALLY A PROPHET?

For me, if someone were really ordained to be a prophet, several things should be evident:

1. Their ministry must be confirmed or established by someone who has a similar or higher calling. Otherwise, anyone can say they have been called to whatever they want to be called to, and who could refute it? If you have been called, God is responsible to establish your calling. Saul and Barnabas had this experience in Acts 13:1-3. Something this important should not be confirmed by just anyone.

2. The leadership of their church should approve this call. Why would God give you a leadership gift and not give you the affirmation of those who are in leadership? Are churches asking you to come and share what the Lord is saying? Every genuine prophet I have known has a high appreciation for church authority and always works in conjunction with the offices in the church.

3. There is often a succession of offices - you don't usually start at the top! If you study the testimonies of those who are clearly used of the Lord, you will see a pattern. Often they start out as a pastor or by doing some other pastoral service in the church. Then they are called to enter a larger field of ministry. This is true of the Apostle Paul right through to Billy Graham.

4. They will have the real goods. Their gifts will be effective. God will honor what they say. There will be fruit and fruit that remains, both in their lives and in their ministries.

5. Every genuine prophet I have met loves the church, understands decorum, and has a high respect for local church authority. They are also team players, who prefer to work with others prophets and apostles.

HAGIN’S REVELATION ABOUT THE GIFT OF A PROPHET

A prophet is one who sees and knows things supernaturally because he has revelation gifts, plus the gift of prophecy operating in his life and ministry that constitute the office of a prophet.

A man is first called to be a minister. In other words, the call­ing of God is upon his life. He may preach or teach, or be in the ministry in some capacity. To be an evangelist is a calling. The teaching ministry is a calling. To be a pastor is a calling. And to he a prophet is a calling. But in order to be a prophet must also have at least two of the revelation gifts, as well as the gift of prophecy, operating in his ministry. The revelation gifts, as Jesus pointed out to me, are the word of wisdom, the word of knowledge, and the gift of discerning of spirits.

To stand in the office of a prophet, one is first of all a minister of the gospel separated and called to the ministry with the calling of God upon his life. Secondly, he has at least two of these revelation gifts the word of wisdom, the word of knowledge, or the discerning of spirits, plus the gift of prophecy.

After I received the baptism of the Holy Spirit, the word of knowledge immediately began to operate in my life, and ever since then it has continued to be manifested. Since then, when I am in the spirit, the gift of discerning of spirits is also in opera­tion. Therefore, the word of knowledge and the discerning of spirits, plus prophecy are operating in my ministry when I are in the spirit. This constitutes the office of a prophet.

Any layman might receive a word of knowledge occasionally. The spiritual gift of the word of knowledge is a supernatural revelation by the Holy Spirit of certain facts in the mind of God. God knows everything but He doesn’t reveal everything that He knows. He just gives a person a ‘word” of knowledge. A word is a fragmentary part of a sentence. He gives an individual what He wants him to know at the time, just part of the knowledge that He has. It is something that is given by the Holy Ghost.

Jesus pointed all of this out to me as He sat by my bedside and spoke to me. He said that any person, whether he is a prophet, minister or layman, might have the word of knowledge occasion­ally. Something might be revealed to him as he might need it. But even the layman is not called to minister. The minister may be an evangelist or a pastor, but he wouldn’t be called a prophet. He may get the word of knowledge to help someone, but that doesn’t make him a prophet. That manifestation just comes at the moment to meet a certain need
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