Prophecy is also meant to operate out of the principles of Luke10.114 All instruction and reproof and encouragement 115 is meant to come out of relationship with people. Yet too many times a prophet will arrive at a church and will insist on telling the pastor what is wrong with them or their church without taking care to build relationship.

All over the world prophecy is often executed in an offensive manner. I tell a story to illustrate this:

Years ago I knew a woman and her husband. She was gifted in the prophetic, she could sense the spirit realm and what was going on for people and churches. She and her husband were travelling and in their journey attended a church where they had never been before.

As is often the case, they could sense things about this church right away. In fact, they noticed one particular thing that seemed out of line with what the Spirit of the Lord might want in that place.
They proceeded, immediately after the church service, to tell the pastor this thing that they had sensed that was wrong with his church.

Needless to say, it did not go very well with the pastor. But my friend and her husband took the experience ( the pastor rejecting their prophecy ) as further proof that the church was in the wrong and that they were completely right and justified in how they handled the situation.

To this I say,“No”, they did not do it right.

All things in the body of Christ are meant to be accomplished within the context of relationships. The couple in my story did not respect the natural way of rapport and need for trust in relationship prior to speaking what they were sensing. They violated basic respect between persons. And they did not pay attention or respect the responsibility and position that the pastor held. 116

“If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.” 1 Corinthians 13:1-2 ESV

Without a commitment to relationship and in service to each other a bad cycle takes place. The prophet comes in arrogance and with a demanding to be heard. The pastor rejects this demand and builds a wall in his or her heart against prophets. The prophet senses this rejection and (falsely) comforts him or herself with Bible verses about how great it is to be persecuted. A wall is built between the two, there is no fellowship, trust, or mutual submission and the pastor remains without the insight of the prophet and the prophet remains in a weakened state that blames the pastor for the failed interaction.

Having prophetic gifting myself I take this moment to say to all prophets — stop blaming the pastors for their rejection of you. Rather, take responsibility for how you are presenting yourself to them. If you ignore basic common sense about human interaction you are not the victim but the perpetrator. It is your job to make your prophecy as easy to accept and receive as possible. If you love those to whom you speak you will learn to prophecy well and in a manner that is useful to people.

Everything we have been learning in this course applies to prophets as much as anyone. If you expect the body of Christ to listen to you you must establish that you are FOR people and that your heart truly, truly wants their best.

You must establish trust and rapport with those you are ministering to, FIRST, before speaking what you may be receiving from the Lord for them.

You must walk in the timing of God regarding the prophetic sense you have. Does God want you to share it at this time? Who would he have you speak to? How might you share? and Where?

All work in the body of Christ and the Kingdom of God MUST be within the context of relationship. As a prophet you are called to be a trustworthy person, a person with high regard for leaders, a person whose heart truly longs for the freedom and healing of the church.

Your motives must be purified and your love must be true.

If your motives are not pure and if you do not really love then do not get angry when your prophecy is rejected. You have not done the hard inner work required for the spiritual authority that you want to carry.

A call to prophecy is a call to love more than anyone else. It is a call to bear the weight of both sins and freedoms before the Lord on behalf of his people. Prophecy is first and foremost a quiet inner work before God.

The prophet must wait on God, seek the Lord’s face, listen well, take caution, go slowly, and speak carefully.

Anything less than this and you will remain ineffective and your influence will diminish. This is not God’s plan for you. God desires that you grow into a person of much prayer and character and heart. God desires that you learn to carry and implement prophetic calling in a way that honours others.

Hard things can be said to people and people will receive these things well, IF there has been due regard given to relationship, to respect, to humility, to permissions, and to the hearts of others.

Let’s review these:

  1. Relationships come first. Always. We do not speak ‘at’ people, we speak with them. This is a basic rule of human interaction no matter who you are.
  2. Respect is the oil of all prophecy. What I mean is that respect is what enables prophetic words to be received, considered, and potentially absorbed. Be a respecter of persons.
  3. Humility is the softener that we use when we speak to people. For instance, I may frame a prophetic sense with, “Here is what is coming to my mind. You decide if this is for you.” We do not force someone to receive the word we have, for we may be wrong after all. Humility remembers this.
  4. Permissions are realized both directly and indirectly. We may in fact ask, “I am sensing something from the Lord that may be of use to you, would you like to hear it?” The strength of permissions given to us is a direct result (most of the time) of how well we have established trust and relationship.
  5. A heart for others is revealed in our zeal. Too much zeal to prophecy (tell others what is wrong) and we prove that our heart is not really for others. A heart for others puts down any need or demand to be ‘right’. A heart for others first kneels in prayer for people and is very hesitant to speak warnings and admonitions — if you are too eager to point out sin, I suggest you check your motives.

Most importantly, we must note that the gift of prophecy is for the uplifting and building of the body of Christ. It is not a means of tearing down and belittling people.

“… the one who prophesies speaks to people for their upbuilding and encouragement and consolation.” 1 Corinthians 14:3b ESV

If your prophecy condemns and leaves people feeling beaten down and with little hope then you are doing it wrong. Even hard words are to be given in such a way that people are brought to more hope in Christ who is there FOR them.

Our hearts must reflect God’s heart. Prophetic words must always give the light of Christ to people. If people are in darkness then bring hope, healing, restoration, and a conversation that puts God at the centre of their solution.

Prophecy that brings confusion, discord, discouragement, is prophecy that is operating with a spirit of the enemy. Check yourself in this. Come close to God so that you may receive more healing and wholeness yourself. As you do this your prophecy will change to one bearing the heart and light of God and your prophecy will be useful to the body of Christ and will accomplish the touch of God in people’s lives.

Most of all come in the spirit of Luke 10. Enter in, receive from each other, and only then bring what you have from the Lord. Listen to one another. Honor each others work in the Lord. Work together. Put down your need to be right. Come in vulnerability. Do not strong arm each other. Remain in humility.

And finally, prophets – never declare that what you are speaking is the word of the Lord. It may be. It may not be; be willing to be wrong. Prophets come as one obedient to the Lord and without agenda for your fellow mankind.

To use the god-language is to manipulate others. Give prophecy as a gift that others can receive or refuse. Be gracious, be kind, speak in love, bathe in much prayer. Have God’s heart of love for those you minister alongside. Do all for the glory of God. Colossians 3:17

PRAYER

“God I come before you today confessing my love/hate relationship with prophecy and prophets. We have not been very good as pastors and prophets together. God help us. We need you God to restore us back into trusting relationships with each other. We know this will take time, please give us patience and a way forward. Thank you God. Amen.”

APPLICATION

I share the following from Ryan LeStrange 117 an established prophet teaching others about prophecy:

4 KEYS TO JUDGE A PERSONAL PROPHETIC WORD

One powerful dimension of prophetic ministry is releasing personal words as The Holy Spirit directs. A true prophetic word holds great power and potential. The first step to stewarding the word is to judge wether or not it is an accurate word.

Here are 4 simple keys:

1. Examine the vessel

The first question is who gave it to you and how was it delivered. Why is this important? Many times a wrong word is evidenced by the way that it is delivered. I have seen many “parking lot prophets” that roam from church to church and engage in a renegade prophetic ministry that operates outside of any blessing from the house and creates conflict by speaking to the ambitions of people instead of pure prophetic declaration.

“And we beseech you, brethren, to know them which labour among you, and are over you in the Lord, and admonish you.” 1 Thessalonians 5:12 KJB

You should have some type of knowledge of a person’s character before allowing them to speak into your life. A person who claims to be a Prophet but disrespects order and tears down more than they ever build up is indeed deceived.

2. Judge all prophecies by the written word of God

“We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts.” 2 Peter 1:9 KJV

No prophetic word should disagree with the written word of God. In fact, the Church should actively examine prophetic utterances to make sure that they are in line with God’s word and boldly toss out any that are not. For example if a person prophesies that a married person is to leave their spouse and marry someone else that is blatant deception and witchcraft at work. If a renegade tries to prophesy to a church member that God wants them to rebel against the leaders again that is deception and a false spirit. Never accept a prophetic word that can not be properly judged by God’s word.

3. Is it something that God has already been speaking to you about?

Ask yourself if the word confirms what you have been led to do. If a person owns a business that God clearly directed them to have and God told them that it is a place of fruitfulness and ministry for them and then all of a sudden they get a prophecy that they are to sell the business and start a church, they should never just run out and do that. If it does not bear witness in the inner man then either put it on the shelf as it could be for a future time or throw it out. Never make a major decision based on a single prophetic word without any leading of The Spirit in your own life!

4. Get wise counsel. Take the word to trusted advisers and ask what they think of it.
“For by wise counsel thou shalt make thy war: and in multitude of counsellors there is safety.” Proverbs 24:6 KJV

When judging a personal prophecy honor your spiritual relationships and seek their input. If your parents are godly people ask them what they think. If you are married and your spouse is serving the Lord seek their input. The people who know you best and are committed to God’s will for you can often see things that you may not see.

Also, seek the input of your spiritual leadership. Go to your Pastor or apostolic leadership and ask for insight. So many times I have seen a prophecy steer someone in the wrong direction and their lack of communication with godly leaders empowered the deception.

SUMMARY – PROPHECY AND THE CHURCH

Prophecy is for uplifting and encouragement 1 Corinthians 14:3 

Prophecy must be bathed in love 1 Corinthians 14:6

Prophecy must be done well in the body of Christ 1 Corinthians 14:40

114 Refer to Module Two, Month #5, Chapter 44, Coming on the Inside ( Luke 10 ), page 26; and in Module Three, Month #10, Chapter 87, God’s World-View, 3B, Coming on the Inside, pages 110-111

115 Encouragement without relationship is merely cheerleading or flattery — it comes off as false and pandering with ill-motives. It does not, in fact, encourage.

116 Refer to Module One, Month 3, Chapter 22, SERVANTS, application pages 111-112; and Module Two, Month 5, Chapter 43, GOD IS FOR PEOPLE, Becoming a Safe Person, page 23-24

117 https://www.facebook.com/ryanlestrangeministries/posts/1199102383437393

=>  Let’s continue our learning by looking at Retribution or Restoration

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