Parts – Me a Prophet? (Part 2)

 

Might you have the gift of Prophecy? It may not be what you think it is!

When we hear the word ‘prophet’ we think immediately of the Old Testament characters who would walk up to a wicked king and say, ‘Thus saith the Lord …” and foretell his demise and destruction of his kingdom. These were powerful figures who spoke powerfully for God. If they spoke something and it didn’t happen, they could lose their lives.

I don’t blame anyone for not wanting this job!

But in the New Testament things are a bit different. Not so much ‘fore-telling’ as ‘forth-telling the heart and mind of God and it may or may not contain a predictive aspect. Perhaps we should re-label prophets as ‘perceivers.’ These are people to whom truth comes easily. They all seem to have a strong ability to discern between good and evil. They can easily see though actions and words and figure out the source – whether of God or not. We desperately need their perception!

We often don’t like the message of these people, especially if they don’t have the Holy Spirit’s influence on their delivery! They can be abrupt, sometimes even harsh as they convey heaven’s perspective. They tend to speak quickly and decisively. Because of their unique giftings they often don’t have a broad assemblage of friends. And that’s a shame.

We are being pressured to drop our Godly standards. We’re doing things today we wouldn’t do a generation ago (or if we did them we felt guilty!) So God makes sure we have those who are willing to take his side against the inroads of unrighteousness and immorality.

Paul the Apostle gave us the Perceiver’s job description and it’s one of the most important task in today’s church.

 “Don’t you know that those doing such things have no share in the Kingdom of God? Don’t fool yourselves. Those who live immoral lives, who are idol worshipers, adulterers or homosexuals—will have no share in his Kingdom. Neither will thieves or greedy people, drunkards, slanderers, or robbers. There was a time when some of you were just like that but now your sins are washed away, and you are set apart for God; and he has accepted you because of what the Lord Jesus Christ and the Spirit of our God have done for you.” I Corinthians 6:9-11 TLB

 Thank God for the ‘truth tellers’ in our midst. They will help us from straddling the fence of right and wrong.

Next week: The Server

(Note: Much of my inspiration for this series is from Don and Katie Fortune’s ministry and their book “Discover Your God Given Gifts.” Their teaching to me and my subsequent teaching to others has changed my life forever. I know who I am and what I need to be doing with my life!)

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