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Prophets and Prophetic Words Weekly Newsletter Series by Mark W. Weaver The Preparation of the Prophet Reconciliation.com
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1.Every valley shall be exalted.
In 1965, David L.C. Anderson looked out across his denomination, the Lutheran Church, and saw a ministry void. Lutheran youth, he determined, lacked opportunity to be impacted by the gospel. So, in that year, he launched Lutheran Youth Encounter, a para-church ministry which took college-age young people, formed them into several small summer teams, trained them, and sent them out to Lutheran congregations all across the midwest. Each week, every team traveled to a different community and a different church. Their mission? To spend a week with the youth of a particular congregation, have fun, build rapport, establish friendships, sing, teach, share testimonies, and proclaim the gospel. In the thirty-five years since its inception, the organization Anderson began (now called Youth Encounter) has spread the gospel, internationally and interdenominationally, reaching thousands of young church people across the globe with the claims of Jesus Christ. Prophetic visionaries, like Anderson, see ministry voids and understand what is needed to fill them.
2.Every mountain and hill shall be made low.
In 1517, Martin Luther, an Augustinian vicar serving as overseer of eleven monasteries in Germany, learned that a man named Johann Tetzel was selling indulgences to his parishoners. To combat Tetzel, Luther posted 95 theses on the door of the Wittenburg Castle Church, challenging some of the basic practices of the Catholic Church at that time. His bold action prompted an inquisition in which Luther was ultimately charged with heresy. In the midst of continued controversy, Luther wrote many books and sermons and became quite popular, collecting a group of dedicated followers, some of whom were martyred for their professions of faith. Out of Luther's work and ministry, the Protestant Reformation emerged, shaping the course of Western culture for centuries to come. Prophetic visionaries, like Luther, see obstacles and how to overcome them.
3.The crooked shall be made straight.
Many of us remember the explosion of Church renewal during the 60's and '70's. Numerous independent and para-church ministries emerged in those dynamic years. But soon, questions arose regarding the handling and mis-handling of finances in many of these non-profit ministry organizations. In the late 1970's, U.S. Senator Mark Hatfield met with a group of Christian leaders and challenged them to become financially accountable to one another. How could evangelicals present a solid, biblical testimony to the world when so many mis-managed God's money? In 1979, these leaders formed the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability (ECFA) to help Christian nonprofit organizations earn the public's trust through their ethical practices and financial accountability. Prophetic visionaries, like Hatfield, not only see crooked things, but understand how to straighten them.
4.And the rough places plain.
In the early 1980's, Glen Kehrein (white) and Raleigh Washington (black) began a relationship with one another that evolved into a unique partnership to fight racism and poverty in Southside Chicago. Kehrein, director of Circle Urban Ministries, an outreach and service organization in the all-black Austin area of Chicago's south side, had already been emotionally bloodied from cross-cultural relationships that had blown up in his face. Washington, fresh out of seminary, had just arrived as the new pastor of Rock Church, located adjacent to Circle Urban's facility. Over time, God wove these two hearts together and their relationship now stands as a sterling model for Christian reconciliation and cooperation. Prophetic visionaries, like Kehrein and Washington, see opportunities for healing and reconciliation in the midst of hatred and prejudice.
Safeguard No. 1. Scripture Knowledge.
The prophet's most important safeguard in understanding God's word for the moment is of course the Holy Scriptures. Not only must a prophet believe in the inerrancy of Scripture and submit himself to the standard of God's written Word, the prophet must become personally immersed in God's written Word. God's minister should have a sound head knowledge of scriptural truths and principles drawn from thoughtful and long-term study, and also personal, first-hand experience of applying the truths of Scripture to all of life's situations. Such a solid framework enables the prophetic person to ascertain the legitimacy of the word that comes to him by the Holy Spirit.
The DANGER of operating without a thorough knowledge of scripture is the tendency to superimpose our own personal experiences over God's written Word. This practice eventually leads to the emergence of false doctrine, presently a serious problem in the body of Christ. (2 Timothy 4:3, 2 John 1:10)
Safeguard No. 2. Awareness.
The prophet's second safeguard is a practical understanding of the times in which he or she lives. During David's struggle with king Saul, he gathered an army to meet at Hebron. Among those who joined him were the men of Issachar. The scripture says that they were men who understood the times and knew what had to be done (I Chronicles 12:32). A prophet who carries burdens for and speaks or writes about nations, kingdoms, cultures, and governments, should have a reasonable grasp of the world in which he lives. He should be able to frame his word for the moment into the context of history, geopolitical and economic forces, and human nature. But God also speaks to individual needs as well. In such cases, awareness is not always possible. Nor is it necessarily required. Sometimes, the Holy Spirit reveals a specific personal need or area through prayer alone. This kind of ministry involves great sensitivity and practice to hone to perfection.
The DANGER of operating with little or no awareness is that our knowledge of God remains provincial and narrow, limited by our own personal experience. Without a broad view, we tend to misinterpret events in light of our own limited sphere of understanding. The flip side of this problem, and one that reveals itself more in one-on-one ministry or personal prophecy (see Week 18), is that too much familiarity can also color or taint our word.
Safeguard No. 3. Accountability.
The prophet's third safeguard is the body of Christ. No one called to be God's prophet can afford to walk alone. The prophet can protect himself from most error by making himself accountable to other mature and supportive believers around him. In this context, the prophet can learn by taking small steps and testing his intuitive capabilities to hear God. God's Prophets are called as part of a team of five ministry gifts to the Church (apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers - Ephesians 4:11) and must learn to walk alongside and in harmony with the other four.
The DANGERs of operating outside of the body of Christ are numerous. Many prophetically gifted people, not committed to walking in submitted and accountable relationships, have become prideful and arrogant, even laws unto themselves. Prophetically gifted souls and their followers who fail to integrate and flow with the body of Christ, often morph into cultic expressons, leading many astray.
A spiritual gift not yet mentioned in this series, one that is very helpful at times in this area of ministry, is the gift of discerning of spirits (I Corinthians 12:10). Those with this gift are supernaturally empowered by God to ascertain whether a word originates 1) within the speaker, 2) from a demonic source, or 3) is truly of God. This gift might also be considered as another safeguard for God's Prophets.
Waiting
Waiting often includes extended seasons of great trial and testing. Jacob, one of the three patriarchs by which God identified Himself to Moses at the burning bush (Ex. 3:6), rushed ahead of God several times and paid a severe penalty. Having understood, even in his mother's womb, that he was to be the chosen one, Jacob grasped the heel of his twin brother, Esau, in an attempt to be the first-born. (Gen 25:26) He did not succeed. Desperately longing to possess his inheritance, he purchased his hungry brother's birthright with the price of a meal. (Gen 25:29-34) Later, with his prodding mother's assistance, he deceived his father into giving him the patriarchal blessing. (Gen 27:26-29) None of these efforts brought Jacob to where God had called him to be.
Twenty-one years later, after painful lessons under the hand of his uncle Laban, Jacob finally began to learn that God's release into the fulness of one's calling is not something to be grasped for but rather something to wait for with patience and faith. Jacob's preparation climaxed at his wrestling match with the angel. Defeated, yet victorious, Jacob experienced the angel's touch in his thigh, a touch that some believe lamed Jacob for life. His natural strength finally subdued, Jacob entreated the angel for a blessing before his departure. He finally understood that God's ways are not man's ways. (Gen 32:24-32) Did he walk with a limp for the rest of his life?
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" ... this principle does not apply to lukewarm or cold-hearted believers. Such trials come only to those who walk in the Spirit and commune with the Lord. In fact, the greater a person's passion for Jesus, the more intense his wilderness trials will be." David Wilkerson
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Generations later, God set Moses aside for forty years before commissioning him for service. (Exodus 2:15-25) During that time in the wilderness, Moses learned not only to recognize the voice of the Lord, but also to wait for God's perfect timing before speaking and acting.
The scriptures refer to Moses' wilderness experience in Midian simply as a "process of time" (Ex. 2:23). Do you think in that "process of time" tending Jethro's flock, that Moses became familiar with God's voice? After all, he did not flee when God spoke to him out of the burning bush. During that 40-year preparation period, God no doubt taught Moses about human nature and relationships, kings and kingdoms, eternal principles and His very own heart.
In spite of the pain and heartache, there is no substitute for the wilderness experience, or the "dark night of the soul" as a training ground for prophetic ministry. For it is in the "dark place" that we truly come to know God.
And I will give thee the treasures of darkness, and hidden riches of secret places, that thou mayest know that I, the LORD, which call thee by thy name, am the God of Israel. Isaiah 45:3 KJV
God, in His Sovereign power, desires to strike a blow at our natural man so His pure ministry can flow unhindered by our own natural strength. He wants us to get out of His way. The best prophet is a limping prophet. In our microwave, high-speed, DSL-connected world, we often become impatient as we wait for a connection. We want our information and we want it now! Saints of God, let us all remember: His Word is precious and not cheap. It is sometimes very hard to come by.
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