Prophets
Jose Alvarez
Living By the Word
1Sam 3:19 And Samuel grew, and the LORD was with him, and did let none of his words fall to the ground.
The Lord did not allow any of Samuel's words to fail or not to come to pass. The Lord did not allow the words of Samuel to fail, not because He was under any obligation to please Samuel, but because Samuel had a great discernment and obedience to the words of the Lord. If Samuel had been discerning the voice of the Lord incorrectly or not at all, his words would have failed. God would have not honored them. The Lord per se was not concerned about Samuel but about the accuracy of His word working through Samuel.
Philippians 1:9 And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment;
Knowledge: A complete and thorough knowledge that grasps the fullness of understanding about that which is being sought.
Judgment : Discernment
It is not just enough to become born again and run to save the world. The Lord wants His love in our hearts to increase in proportion to our fullness of understanding of His Word, will, and voice. Likewise our discernment of not only His voice must increase, but our discernment about what either comes from Him, Satan, or even our flesh must become accurate. Only then can we serve Him and love the world without deception or the spiritual burnout that comes as the result of getting involved in a host of Christian activities versus walking in our calling(s).
John 8:32 And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.
Truth is defined as what is genuine and accurate according to fact. It is not what we incorrectly believe about the Word of God that will set us free, but what we believe about it, which is genuine and according to fact. We must dig deep, research, and study the Word of God for ourselves to walk in the fullness of freedom. A superficial knowledge of the Word will never set us free.
Eph 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: 7 In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace; 8 Wherein he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence;
The believer has been already blessed with every spiritual blessing that the Lord has for him or her. Verse eight of Ephesians one tells us that the abundance of the Lord's blessings comes to us in the realm of wisdom and prudence. Wisdom is the will of God, prudence is the understanding His will and then fulfilling it step by step in accordance to His voice, in all things that He calls us to do. Therefore the blessings of God come only to the extent that we lay down our own will to do His.
The prophet Elisha and his tremendous faith in the voice of God working within him have always impressed me. Please look with me at the following excerpt. 2 King 4:38-41 And Elisha came again to Gilgal: and there was a dearth in the land; and the sons of the prophets were sitting before him: and he said unto his servant, Set on the great pot, and see the pottage for the sons of the prophets. And one went out into the field to gather herbs, and found a wild vine,
and gathered thereof wild gourds his lap full, and came and shred them into the pot of pottage: for they knew them not. So they poured out for the men to eat. And it came to pass, as they were
eating of the pottage, that they cried out, and said, O thou man of God, there is death in the pot. And they could not eat thereof. But he said, Then bring meal. And he cast it into the pot; and he said, Pour out for the people, that they may eat. And there was no harm in the pot.
There was a famine in the land of Israel and food was so scarce that there was not even enough of the normal makings to make a stew for the school of the prophets. One of Elisha's disciples went out to the field and picked up some wild vegetables and so forth. Unknowingly to him, one of these items was highly poisonous. When it was time to eat they found out that the soup was highly toxic Elisha got the rhema word of God, told them to throw some flour into the soup and then eat. Indeed the Lord healed the soup. I have always struggled with that story. Would I have the faith to hold myself responsible for the lives of a number of a number of people based upon what I discern in my spirit. What if I heard wrong? Yet Elisha had learned the invaluable lesson of having a sharp awareness of the voice of the Lord within him. The development of the voice of the Lord within us has no shortcuts. It takes uncompromising obedience that forces us to step out in faith time and time again until we learn to recognize and
live solely by that voice. It also takes the working of God's holiness within us, which is birthed out of a very intimate relationship with the Lord. Without purity of heart we will not see the Lord Jesus living inside of us. Purity is the result of much prayer and a deep knowledge of the Word of God.
The Lord wants each and every one of us to learn to operate solely by His voice just like Elisha did. The greatness of the prophet or any man or woman of God is found in how much they have limited their lives to the voice of the Holy Spirit.
Raise Not Yourselves Up
1 Sam 3:20 And all Israel from Dan even to Beersheba knew that Samuel was established(passive tense) to be a prophet of the LORD.
God confirmed Samuel to be a prophet because He found him faithful and dependable to the point that it satisfied Him. The Hebrew verb tense here is in the passive. This means that Samuel did not strive to take for himself the calling of the prophet. God had anointed and called him into it, and the Lord likewise raised him up into this spiritual office as he found Samuel to be obedient, trustworthy, and faithful.
1 Timothy 1:12 And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who hath enabled me(empowered me ; from the word for dunamis), for that he counted me (esteemed me) faithful, putting me into the ministry;
Paul received the power of God to fulfill His calling in proportion to how spiritually ready the Lord found him to be. It is a sad thing to see many a minister attempting to serve the Lord out of their own power or devises instead of living simply out of the power of the Spirit of God because they raised themselves up instead of awaiting God's timing for them.
Here is one of the most important keys to success in ministry. It is important that we do not raise ourselves up into ministry. One of the reasons for this is the issue of timing. Every act of God's will has the factor of God's timing within it. Only the Lord knows when we are spiritually fit to be raised up.
The Prophet and The Ministry
In the Hebrew, the word for prophet is nabi. This word means to boil and bubble up. Hence the prophet pours forth the Lord's words thorough the action of the bubbling up or boiling of the Spirit of the Lord within his or her spirit. The other Hebrew root word for prophet naba is defined as "announcing," thus making the prophet into a spokesperson for the Lord.
Numbers 3:16 And Moses numbered them according (at) to the word (Heb: mouth) of the LORD, as he was commanded.
Numbers 3:39 All that were numbered of the Levites, which Moses and Aaron numbered at the
commandment (Heb: mouth) of the LORD, throughout their families, all the males from a month old
and upward, were twenty and two thousand.
It is important to understand the prophet is not only a foreteller of future events, but is the Lord's faithful spokesperson to declare that which comes forth from the mouth of the Lord. Prophecy is the accurate declaring forth of what the Lord Jesus speaks within a person's spirit. The prophet must be very careful to declare without what the mouth of God speaks within.
If we carefully observe the two scriptures above we see Moses and Aaron executing God's commandments in accordance to the "mouth of the Lord." Once again we see the greatness of the prophet is his or her limitation to
live by the voice of the Spirit. Numbers 22:35 And the angel of the LORD said unto Balaam, Go with the men:but only the word that I shall speak( Piel verb form ) unto thee, that thou shalt speak( Piel verb form). So Balaam went with the princes of Balak.
There must always be three dimensions to every prophecy. First every prophecy must be given without in the accuracy of the rhema word that is discerned within one's spirit. One good rule in giving a prophecy is to speak only what one sees or hears; no more and no less. Many a time the Lord will reveal something in our spirits that we cannot understand. Our responsibility is to speak out as faithfully as we see it. The Lord will then give us clarity in the situation.
Romans 12:6 Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy,
let us prophesy according to the proportion( measure) of faith;
We have previously studied that true faith is not our faith, but the faith of the Lord Jesus Christ living within us. God's faith always resides within His rhema word. This is because God's faith is needed to cause His rhema word to come to pass. When we prophesy according to the proportion of faith we are prophesying in accordance to the rhema word of God. In proportion to the measure of the clarity of the rhema word as we discern it, will be the proportion of the anointing behind the prophecy. This is why we must learn to hear the voice of the Lord as accurately as possible. Obedience, faith, and holiness are the keys.
Secondly, is the dimension of discerning the intent of the Lord's heart in the word given to us.
Thirdly, the prophet must give the word with the same intensity or emphasis, which the Lord gave it to him or her. Sometimes, the prophet is to give the word with great compassion and gentleness, other times there is the tone of admonishment or warning behind the voice of the Lord. Practice makes perfect. In Numbers twenty-two and thirty-five we see the Hebrew Piel verb tense being used twice in the same verse. The Piel verb form is used in what the Lord gives to the prophet, and likewise in what the prophet speaks out. The Piel verb form illustrates intensity and emphasis.
One Hebrew grammarian defines it as busying ourselves with a certain action. The prophet consumes him or herself with the spoken word of the Lord and is responsible to speak out that word with the same intensity of emphasis in
which it was given to them. We shall see more of this in our study.
1Sam 3:21 And the LORD appeared again in Shiloh: for the LORD revealed himself to Samuel in Shiloh by
the word of the LORD.
Hebrew: Yahweh uncovered or disclosed Himself to Samuel through His word.
The word discloses the Lord to the world as it is faithfully spoken forth by the prophet.
The apostle and the prophet uncover or disclose the hidden Lord Jesus dwelling in the form of mystery to the church. As He is disclosed, the church can then participate or fellowship in to what the Lord Jesus has purposed and called forth corporately and individually. The more revelation, the more participation into the Lord by the church, and by
individual believers.
The Lord will never disclose Himself fully to the church until the ministry of the prophet is fully welcomed and honored within its walls.
1 Sam 9:6 And he said unto him, Behold now, there is in this city a man of God, and he is an honourable
man;
( Hebrew: Glory or glorious: The Hebrew word also means to be weighty and heavy with honor and glory. In this case Samuel is heavy and weighty in the Spirit of God; he discloses the invisible God and makes Him to become
visible through all of his prophecies. This is the definition of glory or glorifying the Lord.
6 all that he saith cometh surely to pass:( Hebrew: All that he says will come to pass, surely comes to pass) now let us go thither; peradventure he can shew us our way that we should go.
Amos 3:7 Surely the Lord GOD will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets.
8 The lion hath roared, who will not fear? the Lord GOD hath spoken,, who can but prophesy
Hebrew: The Lord Yahweh emphatically spoke, who will not begin to and continue to prophesy at repetitive times?
The more glory, the more the anointing, and the more will be the spirit of prophecy. The more is the revelation of the Lord, the more will always be the release of prophecy. PLease observe the next two scriptures.
Revelation 19:10 And I fell at his feet to worship him. And he said unto me, See thou do it not: I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus: worship God: for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy. (The presence of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy)
1 Cor 1:6 Even as the testimony of Christ ( the presence of Christ) was confirmed in you:
7 So that ye come behind (You are not lacking or inferior) in no gift;( in no charismatic gift) waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ:
1Sam 10:6 And the Spirit of the LORD will come upon thee, and thou shalt prophesy (Hebrew: reflexive verb; You will be able to prophesy by your own capabilities and actions once that the Spirit of God has come upon you) with them, and shalt be turned into another man.
Prophecy, which is received, can turn an individual or church into a different person or body if that individual or church welcomes it, believes it, and acts upon it. Belief and obedience to a godly prophecy will bring God's will and circumstances to bear upon that individual or church. Their course of life will be radically altered and blessed by the Lord in accordance to the prophecy, making the church into a different church or the person into a different person.
Acts 13:27 For they that dwell at Jerusalem, and their rulers, because they knew him not,(ignorant) nor yet the voices of the prophets which are read every sabbath day, they have fulfilled them in condemning him.
Many churches today are ignorant, or have no knowledge of the voice of the prophets.
One of the most disconcerting things that I have experienced as a believer of now twenty-two years is the incredibly small percentage of churches and individuals that welcome prophecies from the Lord. Most comments have been " that's a nice word." I have seen little if nothing been done to test out the prophecy and then to execute it if it is indeed found to be from the Lord. The individual or church loses the privilege of being turned into another man, or body of believers.
One church in my Christian experience closed its doors after disputes between the leadership over petty issues. The prophecies that had come forth to this church however was that the Lord wanted to use it greatly in a large North American city. Instead of paying heed to the prophetic utterances and seeking the Lord for wisdom and understanding into how to take the steps towards this fulfillment, the church is no more. The prophet was not heeded. Years later I was to find out that the Lord has called a pastor who has a huge church in Colombia, South America, to start a church
in this very city. Could it be that churches such as this within this city, did not heed the prophetic voice, and the Lord had to look to another country to send a man of God to fulfill His desires?
Another church within this very city received numerous prophecies that the Lord wanted to use it to spearhead revival if it allowed for the glory of the Lord to come into its midst. This church rejected these prophecies. Instead of experiencing revival today, this congregation became a "seeker sensitive church" which prohibited the gifts of the Spirit such as prophecy. I was part of this church and felt for myself the anointing of the Lord progressively withdrawing from it, and an unbearable spiritual dryness set in that made me want to get out of my seat and rush out of the service.
In another case, a minister was warned over and over about sins in his life and that of his congregation. He turned a deaf ear to the prophetical voice of the Lord and eventually lost his ministry, wife, family, home, and health.
Look with me at the church of Antioch in the scriptures, which follow. This "model" church gave immediate heed to the voice of prophecy within it, something very rarely found today.
Acts 11:26 And when he had found him, he brought him unto Antioch. And it came to pass, that a whole year they assembled themselves with the church, and taught much people. And the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch.
27 And in these days came prophets from Jerusalem unto Antioch.
28 And there stood up one of them named Agabus, and signified by the Spirit that there should be great dearth throughout all the world: which came to pass in the days of Claudius Caesar.
29 Then the disciples, every man according to his ability, determined to send relief unto the brethren which dwelt in Judaea:
2 Chronicle 20:20 And they rose early in the morning, and went forth into the wilderness of Tekoa: and as they went forth, Jehoshaphat stood and said, Hear me, O Judah, and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem; Believe in the LORD your God, so shall ye be established; believe his prophets, so shall ye prosper.
To believe in the prophets of God means that we must be first assured of their ministry as spokespeople of the Lord. Afterwards we are responsible to obey the words that come through them after proper discernment. To prosper is to be able to accomplish successfully what one set out to do. Only our executing and accomplishing the will of God measure true success in life. Individual believers and churches shall prosper as they take heed to the charge of God through His prophets. Without the prophetic ministry in it's midst a church will truly never become successful in executing God's will for it.
Hos 12:10 And I have spoken( Hebrew: Piel verb) by the prophets, and I have multiplied visions, and I have used similitudes by the ministry of the prophet's vision
Here we find the same Hebrew "piel" verb form describing intense and emphatic action. As we said before, it means to busy or consume ourselves with a certain activity." Thus, this verse tells us that the spoken voice of God is best heard and understood through the prophetic ministry.
Hosea 12:13 And by a prophet the LORD brought Israel out of Egypt, and by a prophet was he preserved.
Acts 7:38 This is he, that was in the church in the wilderness with the angel which spake to him in the Mount Sinai, and with our fathers: who received the lively oracles to give unto us:
The Lord by a prophet causes the church to be brought out of bondage.
The church is furthermore guarded and kept free by the prophetic ministry after being brought out of its bondage. Until the prophetic ministry is fully welcomed in our churches it is impossible for the Bride of Christ to be made spotless.
I Cor 14:3 But he that prophesieth speaketh unto men to edification ( the building up of the body of Christ),
and exhortation,(encouragement ,admonition, and warning) and comfort.( to persuade, arouse and
stimulate into Christian action)
Ezr 5:1 Then the prophets, Haggai the prophet, and Zechariah the son of Iddo, prophesied unto the Jews
that were in Judah and Jerusalem in the name of the God of Israel, even unto them.
Ezr 5:2 Then rose up Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua the son of Jozadak, and began to build the house of God which is at Jerusalem: and with them were the prophets of God helping them
(supporting, sustaining, encouraging, and exhorting).
The building of the house of God must be always done in part through the ministry of the prophets.
Ezra 6:14 And the elders of the Jews builded(they were building), and they prospered(and succeeding) through the prophesying of Haggai the prophet and Zechariah the son of Iddo. And they builded, and finished it, according to the commandment of the God of Israel, and according to the commandment of Cyrus, and Darius, and Artaxerxes king of Persia.
Building and successfully completing the house of God can only be done in part through the ministry of the prophets.
Acts 15:32 And Judas and Silas, being prophets also themselves, exhorted the brethren with many words, and confirmed them.
To strengthen, fix in place, and make steady and sure an individual or church by confirming God's will as well
as giving the person or church direction for growth in the Lord.
God Bless You,
Jose
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Prophets # 2
The Will of The Lord and The Prophet
The British man of God, Derek Prince, a number of years ago put out a wonderful little book on how to know the will of the Lord for our lives. He compared our knowing the Lord's will to the lining up of three buoys in a rocky channel of water that leads away from our own little harbor, into the immense ocean of God's will and ways.
For those of us who have been out boating, we know that as an ocean going vessel leaves the safe confines of its harbor to proceed out to sea, it must do so by lining up itself with a series of floating buoys who guide it to safety from dangerous rocks on the sides of the narrow channel of water.
Prince goes on to say that the will of the Lord consists of three buoys that must be in line with each other before we can safely act for the Lord and not smash ourselves against the rocks of deception or spiritual burnout.
Buoy # 1 is the written or logos Word of God. If what you and I want is not in the written Word of God, we might as well not even entertain the thought of it.
Buoy # 2 is a rhema word to us about the written Word of God. As I have always taught, the rhema or living word of God's Spirit takes out something specific about the logos word that God wants us to obtain, and
gives to it God's timing and direction for us.
Derek Prince tells us that it is not enough to simply go out into our spiritual sea by the logos word, but that we must have a precise word from the Lord as to what He would have us specifically do, as well as His timing for its execution.
Buoy # 3 : This is always the last buoy to line up and is the one that most of the times causes us the most difficulty. This third buoy represents the timing of God rhema word. It can also be called, " obtaining the right circumstances." Every time that we are to act in accordance with a specific rhema word of God given to us out of the Bible, we must wait for the circumstances to be right in order be able to execute it.
The Lord placed in Moses' heart the rhema word that he was to deliver the house of Israel from the hand of the Egyptians. Moses attempted to do so when the circumstances were not right, because the timing of God was not yet at hand. The results were almost disastrous in that Moses had to flee from the Egyptians. God brought this rhema word to pass in Moses' life forty years later when Moses was broken from all fleshly strength and mental scheming.
Likewise the Joseph of the Old Testament had a dream in which the rhema word of the Lord recounted to him that he would be in a place of authority over his father, mother, and brothers. He ended up in an Egyptian prison right afterwards for thirteen years, as the Lord humbled him and prepared him spiritually for the challenges of his ministry. When the Pharaoh raised him up, this word indeed came to pass.
Samuel anointed David as king of Israel, by giving him the rhema word of prophecy. It was not until thirteen years later however, and more than ten assassination attempts by King Saul, that the word of the Lord came to pass in his life.
Finally, Abraham obtained the promise of a son, but had to wait twenty-five years for the fulfillment of God's word to him.
Our personal and corporate success as Christians lies in the fact that in every act of the Lord's will for our lives, we must only proceed when these three buoys, which make up the totality of Lord's voice, are in line with each other.
Ministries that operate only upon the first buoy produce dead religious tradition. Those that operate on the first two buoys sow much and reap little, or create spiritual burnout for their ministers.
The lining up of the third buoy, in almost every instance, is the sole act of The Lord. Things suddenly open up for us, the pieces of the puzzle suddenly all fall into place, and we can proceed almost effortlessly on with will of the Lord. It is imperative that we learn to discern and act in accordance with Lord's timing. Look with me at these next two scriptures.
Psalms 32:9 Be ye not as the horse,( do not go ahead of the Lord's timing) or as the mule,( do not resist and lag behind God's timing) which have no understanding: whose mouth must be held in with bit and bridle, lest they come near unto thee.
1 Chronicles 12:32 And of the children of Issachar, which were men that had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do; the heads of them were two hundred; and all their brethren were at their commandment.
The Oracle Of The Lord and the Prophet
1 Kings 6:16 And he built twenty cubits on the sides of the house, both the floor and the walls with boards of cedar: he even built them for it within, even for the oracle, even for the most holy place.
1 Kings 6:19 And the oracle he prepared in the house within, to set there the ark of the covenant of the LORD.
The oracle of the Lord in the Old Testament was sometimes used to describe the Holy of Holies, or the most inner room of God's temple where the Ark of the Covenant resided. The Ark of the Covenant is symbolic of the very presence of the Lord, revealing His very essence, and thus testifying to or giving witness of the Lord upon the earth. This is why it is also called the Ark of Testimony.
The word oracle in the Hebrew comes from the Hebrew root for "word;". The phrase "the word of the Lord" uses this very same grammatical formation.
Hence when the prophet speaks the "word of the Lord," he or she are declaring forth the oracle, or the testimony of the Lord, and manifesting the presence of the Lord through the spoken word.
The closer in accuracy, intent, and God's emphasis in the original rhema word, the more that the prophecy will act as the oracle of the Lord that will bring forth the testimony of the Lord into a church, and thus define His will, His ways, direction, and timing for that congregation.
This is why again I say that it is crucial that prophets and prophecy be reinstated and honored in our churches.
Eph 5:26 That he might sanctify and cleanse it(the church) with the washing of water by the word,( rhema word).
The High Places of The Lord
1 sam 10:5 After that thou shalt come to the hill of God, where is the garrison of the Philistines: and it shall come to pass, when thou art come
thither to the city, that thou shalt meet a company of prophets coming down
from the high place (Spiritual places of worship in the Lord) with a
psaltery ,(guitar) and a tabret,(tambourine) and a pipe(flute), and a harp,
before them; and they shall prophesy: ( they are prophesying)
The verb "shall prophecy" is in the reflexive mood. Simply this mean that
the prophets were prophesying by their own capabilities and actions. We
note that the prophesying however came only about as they made contact with
the presence of the Lord in the "high places" of worship.
1 Sam 9:18 Then Saul drew near to Samuel in the gate, and said, Tell me, I
pray thee, where the seer's house is.
19 And Samuel answered Saul, and said, I am the seer: go up before me unto
the high place (The spiritual places of worship before the Lord) for ye
shall eat with me to day, and to morrow I will let thee go, and will tell
thee(Declare: causative verb; the presence of the Lord in the high places of
worship caused the Word of the Lord to come forth from Samuel) all that is
in thine heart.
q I am of the personal belief that we are erring in part with much of
our present day worship. Mind you, we have tremendously talented and
skilled worship groups today. Likewise, we have beautiful songs that sing
of praises to our God. Yet our songs have become too wordy and complicated.
q
1 sam 10:5 After that thou shalt come to the hill of God, where is the
garrison of the Philistines: and it shall come to pass, when thou art come
thither to the city, that thou shalt meet a company of prophets coming down
from the high place (Spiritual places of worship in the Lord) with a
psaltery ,(guitar) and a tabret,(tambourine) and a pipe(flute), and a harp,
before them; and they shall prophesy: ( they are prophesying)
q If we note in 1 Sam 10:5, Samuel's school of prophets simply had a
guitar, a tambourine, a flute, and a harp. When our worship songs become
too wordy and complicated, it causes us to have to concentrate on the words
instead of on the presence of God. It is the high places of the Lord that
releases His glory, which in turn ignites the flow of prophecy, which
manifests Him even further.
q It is has been my experience, that worship songs which came out of
the 1970s and 80s with their simple and repetitive phrases allow for us to
focus on the Lord and become lost in His glory. We must break through into
the high places where the Lord dwells to do so.
2 Corinthians 12:2 I knew a man in Christ above fourteen years ago,
(whether in the body, I cannot tell; or whether out of the body, I cannot
tell: God knoweth;) such an one caught up to the third heaven.
q Paul tells us that there are three heavens in the above scripture.
The first heaven is the physical atmosphere where we as humans live.
q The second heaven is the sphere of demonic activity.
Ephesians 6:12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against
principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this
world, against spiritual wickedness in high places (heavenlies).
q The third heaven is God's dwelling place. We must break through the
first two heavens by our worship to release the glory of God. If our
worship is too wordy and complicated, our spiritual concentration will be
distracted and will not allow us to break into the third heaven. I am
always puzzled in the numerous churches that I have been to, with tremendous
worship bands and beautiful but complicated music, that the glory of the
Lord is hardly ever released.
q Two of the most powerful manifestations of the Lord's glory that I
have ever experienced have occurred through the worship ministry of one
person. Recently, Dr. Nigel Bigpond, a Native American worship leader
sitting behind his piano, and singing simple love songs to the Lord, brought
down an amazing release of the Lord's glory and joy into a congregation.
q John Michael Talbot, a musician, and a third order Franciscan monk
singing simple love songs to the Lord with his acoustic guitar and monk's
robe has brought down more of the Lord's anointing than any skilled worship
band that I have ever heard.
q Another fallacy that I see with today's worship music is that the
words have become too focused in many instances on what the Lord can do for
us, rather than in simply glorifying the character of our God. If we focus
on ourselves during worship we shall not be able to penetrate the first two
heavens of our circumstances and the activity of Satan and get into the
third heaven of the glory of God.
q Finally, in most of our churches we have lost the times of stillness
in between songs to allow for the flow of spiritual gifts that will further
manifest the presence, the will of the Lord, and the direction given forth
by His voice. Today's worship for the most part does not give space for the
use of spiritual gifts. We are only hurting ourselves.
The Greatness of The Prophet is His or Her Activity to The Limitation of the
Rhema Word
q I as said before, greatness of the prophet is measured by his or her
limitation to order their lives and words in strict accordance to the rhema
word of God. Let us look at a few instances of this.
Num 22:18 And Balaam answered and said unto the servants of Balak, If Balak
would give me his house full of silver and gold, I cannot go beyond ( pass
over or cross over to the other side of; like crossing over a river ) the
word ( Hebrew: the mouth) of the LORD my God, to do less or more.(to do the
insignificant or what is great.)
20 And God came unto Balaam at night, and said unto him, If the men come to
call thee, rise up, and go with them; but yet the word which I shall say
unto thee, that shalt thou do.
35 And the angel of the LORD said unto Balaam, Go with the men: but only
the word that I shall speak( Piel verb form ) unto thee, that thou shalt
speak( Piel verb form). So Balaam went with the princes of Balak.
q The prophet must speak forth in the accuracy of, the intent of God's
heart, and with the same degree of intensity of what the Lord Himself
speaks.
38 And Balaam said unto Balak, Lo, I am come unto thee: have I now any
power(dunamis) at all(dunamis) to say (intensive) any thing? the word that
God putteth in my mouth, that shall I speak ( intensive verb).
Hebrew: The only power that I have, is the power to speak the word of God.
The word that God puts in my mouth I must speak as accurately and as
emphatically as when God gave it to me.
Deuteronomy 4:2 Ye shall not add ( you shall not cause an addition or an
exaggeration to what the Lord has spoken) unto the word which I command
you, neither shall ye diminish( subtract, withdraw, or to hold back) ought
from it, that ye may keep the commandments of the LORD your God which I
command you.
Jer 23:28 The prophet that hath a dream, let him tell (recount, rehearse
and declare the dream with the accuracy, the intention of God's heart, as
well same emphasis that God had in His telling of it. Hebrew emphatic
verb)) a dream; and he that hath my word, let him speak (As accurately and
thoroughly as God gave it to him or her; emphatic verb) my word
faithfully(reliably and with certainty).
The False Prophet, False Prophecy, and Not Heeding to True Prophecy
2 Chron 36:15 And the LORD God of their fathers sent to them by his
messengers, rising up betimes, and sending; because he had compassion on his
people, and on his dwelling place:
16 But they mocked the messengers of God, and despised his words, and
misused his prophets, until the wrath of the LORD arose against his people,
till there was no remedy (Until the situation or circumstances become
irreversible and un- repairable bringing thus the wrath of God.)
Jer 2:8 The priests said not, Where is the LORD? and they that handle the
law knew me not: the pastors also transgressed against me, and the prophets
prophesied by Baal, and walked (followed) after things that do not profit.
(Have no worth)
Jer 5:13 And the prophets shall become wind( the prophets have become as a
gas, empty and vain, because) , and the word(Hebrew infinitive verb); (the
speaking of the Lord ) is not in them: thus shall it be done unto them.
Jer 5:30 A wonderful and horrible thing is committed in the land;
31 The prophets prophesy falsely (they prophesy a lie), and the priests
bear rule by their means (By their own authority and mental schemes and not
the rhema word of the Lord); and my people love to have it so: and what will
ye do in the end thereof?
jer 14:13 Then said I, Ah, Lord GOD! behold, the prophets say unto them, Ye
shall not see the sword, neither shall ye have famine; but I will give you
assured peace in this place.}
14 Then the LORD said unto me, The prophets prophesy lies in my name: I
sent them not (Hebrew for: Apostolic sending; commissioning,
representation; and ambassadorship of the Lord), neither have I commanded
them(they had not appointment or charge from the Lord that would come out of
their apostolic commission, because they had not been sent to begin with),
neither spake unto them (the Lord had not even spoken to them an appointment
or charge that would have apostolically released them as ambassadors of the
Lord). This verse in reality must be read backwards.)
14 they prophesy unto you a false (deception and fraud) vision and
divination(witchcraft), and a thing of nought (worthless), and the deceit of
their heart.(the deceitfulness or delusion of their own heart, and not by
the voice of the Spirit of God.)
Jer 23:13 And I have seen folly in the prophets of Samaria; they prophesied
in Baal, and caused my people Israel to err
jer 23:16 Thus saith the LORD of hosts, Hearken not unto the words of the
prophets that prophesy unto you: they make you vain( they are prophesying to
you vain or false hopes): they speak a vision of their own heart, and not
out of the mouth of the LORD. (They speak unto you vision that comes from
their own hearts, and not from the Spirit of the Lord.)
17 They say still unto them that despise me, The LORD hath said, Ye shall
have peace; and they say unto every one that walketh after the imagination
of his own heart (follow after the stubbornness of their own hearts), No
evil shall come upon you.
21 I have not sent (an apostolic sending by a charge or commandment of God)
these prophets, yet they ran( they ministered without the rhema word of
God): I have not spoken to them, yet they prophesied.( God never spoke, yet
they prophesied)
Jer 23:32Behold, I am against them that prophesy false dreams, saith the
LORD, and do tell them, and cause my people to err(wander) by their lies,
and by their lightness( reckless and frivolous ways); yet I sent them not,
( apostolic commissioning) nor commanded them( no appointment, or charge) :
therefore they shall not profit (benefit) this people at all, saith the
LORD.
The Raising Up of The Prophet
Jer 1:5 Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou
camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee(to set apart and devoted to
the Lord; therefore the person becomes special or peculiar. He or she is
considered sacred and holy to the Lord.) and I ordained thee a prophet unto
the nations. (I gave you as a prophet to the nations)
q Before God can call us into "His Ministry" we must be thoroughly
delivered, cleansed and a have a good grasp of the voice and the ways of
God. We are set apart to be given out.
6 Then said I, Ah, Lord GOD! behold, I cannot speak: for I am a child.
7 But the LORD said unto me, Say not, I am a child: for thou shalt go
to all that I shall send thee, and whatsoever I command thee thou shalt
speak.
Hebrew: Do not say to me that you are a lad: for you must go to every one
that I send you as my ambassador with an apostolic mission, and you must
speak with the same accuracy and intention, that, which I appointed or
charged you with.
8 Be not afraid of their faces: for I am with thee to deliver thee,
saith(a prophetic revelation of) the LORD.
q Hebrew: Do not be afraid of their faces, because part of my reason
for being with you, is to rescue you, says the prophetic revelation of the
Lord.
9 Then the LORD put forth his hand, and touched my mouth. And the LORD
said unto me, Behold, I have put (given or bestowed) my words in thy mouth.
q Put forth: An apostolic reaching.
q
10 See, I have this day set thee over the nations and over the kingdoms, to
root out(To uproot and expel) , and to pull down (to pull, tear, and break
down) , and to destroy(to exterminate and cause to perish), and to throw
down (overthrow), to build(build and establish), and to plant.
Jer 1:17 Thou therefore gird up thy loins and arise,(metaphorically; become
spiritually ready, and stand up)) and speak unto them all that I command
thee (and speak unto them with the same intensity, accuracy, and intention,
all which I spoke to you and charged you with) : be not dismayed (do not
break down and become demoralized) at their faces, lest I confound
thee(cause you to be terrified) before them.
18 For, behold, I have made thee this day a defenced city( a city which has
become a fortress), and an iron pillar, and brasen walls(a bronze wall)
against the whole land, against the kings of Judah, against the
princes(officials) thereof, against the priests thereof, and against the
people of the land.
19 And they shall fight(wage war) against thee; but they shall not
prevail( not overcome) against thee; for I am with thee, saith the LORD, to
deliver thee.
The Prophetic Office in The Church
2 Timothy 4:5 But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the
work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry
q Carry out every aspect and phase of God's callings and giftings to
their utter fullness and completion.
Colossians 4:17 And say to Archippus, Take heed (Carefully consider your
ministry) to the ministry which thou hast received in the Lord, that thou
fulfil it.( that you would complete it by filling it up; hence fulfilling
it)
2 Timothy 1:6 Wherefore I put thee in remembrance that thou stir
up(continuously bring up to flames, or fire, the gift by constant exercise)
the gift of God, which is in thee by the putting on of my hands.
Romans 12:6 Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is
given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion
of faith;
7 Or ministry, let us wait on our ministering: or he that teacheth, on teaching;
Greek: Ministry in the sphere of (our) ministry (Ministry must be executed in the realm of the ministry to which we have been called to; no more and no less. This is what Paul means by Or ministry, let us wait on our ministering. In other words let us minister only in the ministries that God has called us to. "Walk in your calling" is a very important commandment. Part of our maturing, as Christians is the change that the Lord makes in our lives to get us out of the key to ministry is to "walk only in the two or three things that God has called us to do." Being busy for the
Lord in a host of Christian activities will produce spiritual burnout. Likewise, the onset of spiritual burnout is a sure sign that we are not walking in our callings.
1 Chronicles 25:1 Moreover David and the captains of the host separated to the service of the sons of Asaph, and of Heman, and of Jeduthun, who should prophesy(were prophesying) with harps, with psalteries(guitars), and with cymbals: and the number of the workmen( men or persons in general, involved in their respective occupations according to their ministry)according to their service (religious ministry) was:
The above scriptures show us the importance of knowing our ministries and being devoted to them.
Remember; walk in your ministry and calling, and not in Christian activities!
Greek: He that teaches, in the sphere of the teaching (He that is called to teach, let him teach the part of the Word of God that God has anointed him to do.)
8 Or he that exhorteth, on exhortation: he that giveth,(imparting) let him do it with simplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that sheweth mercy, with cheerfulness.
He or she that is exhorting in the sphere of exhortation (He or she that are called to exhort, let them exhort with the type of exhortation that the Lord has called us to specifically perform.)
He or she that are imparting let them do it with openhanded generosity that seeks nothing back in the process.
"Giving" in this scripture is really defines as impartation. Impartation is much more than a simple giving of something that we have in our possession. Impartation is the transmittal of something, which is very much a part of, and is precious to us. It is not only our physical possessions, but also what is emotionally and spiritually valuable to us.
When we impart something we give to someone something of ourselves, which is precious to us, an integral part of us, and that we have usually acquired through the fire of trials. The New Testament church consists much
of impartation, and little of simple superficial giving.
Romans 12:8 Or he that exhorteth, on exhortation: he that giveth,(imparting) let him do it with simplicity; he that ruleth,( they that are placed at the front) with diligence(with earnestness and godly haste to rule); he that sheweth mercy, with cheerfulness (a hilarious attitude)
Acts 21:9 And the same man had four daughters, virgins, which did prophesy.(were continuously prophesying)( Greek verb; present participle) One who is called into the prophetic ministry should never be content to give one or two prophecies, but should endeavor to have the prophetic gift continuously flow out of him of her for the benefit of others.
1 Corinthians 14:26 How is it then, brethren? when ye come together, every one of you hath a psalm, hath a doctrine, hath a tongue, hath a revelation, hath an interpretation. Let all things be done unto edifying.
Greek: What is it brethren? Whenever the time may be that you assemble yourselves, each of you a psalm (hymns; a means of putting OT psalms to music) has, a teaching has, a tongue has, a revelation has, an
interpretation has. All things for building up let it be done. Notice the body ministry of the early church versus our present "models" which have a few people ministering.
1 Cor 14 :1 Follow ( persecute) after charity, and desire( have a godly jealousy for) spiritual gifts, but rather that ye may prophesy.
I Cor 14:3 But he that prophesieth speaketh unto men to edification(thebuilding up of the body of Christ), and exhortation,( encouragement ,admonition, and warning) and comfort.( to persuade, arouse and stimulate into Christian action)
26 If any man speak in an unknown tongue, let it be by two, or at the most by three, and that by course; and let one interpret.
Greek: If anyone speak with a tongue let it be in two (sentences) or at the most in three (sentences) done in succession, and one interpret.
27 But if there be no interpreter, let him keep silence in the church; and let him speak to himself, and to God.
The person is commanded to keep silent and speak to him or herself and to God if there is no one that can interpret.
1 Corinthians 14:29 Let the prophets speak two or three, and let the other judge. (Discern)
Two or three prophets can prophecy in succession and the rest of the church must discern the spirit of the prophets. Many churches to day have totally closed down the gift of prophecy, but the Word of God teaches us
otherwise.
31 For ye may all prophesy one by one, that all may learn, and all may be comforted.
Greek: You are all able to prophesy one by one, that you may all learn, and that all may be exhorted.
Some of the most memorable church services that I have ever been to, have been the very few in which the pastor turned the service and microphone over to the congregation and allow those which wanted to minister to come up
one by one to the front. Let me tell you, I was greatly edified because the church in this instance, was operating in the way that it was intended to, as a body.
32 And the spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets.
Greek: And the spirits of the prophets are in continuous military subjection to the prophets.
We must never be scared of false prophecy. If it is false, it is our responsibility to discern it but never to quench.
1 Corinthians 14:39 Wherefore, brethren, covet( be jealous) to prophesy, and forbid not (do not hinder or withhold) to speak with tongues.
God Bless You,
Jose
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