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Summary:
How does a true prophet function in this day?
What are some of the requirements of a prophet?
We discuss this briefly in this podcast.
Show Notes:
• A prophet hears what God has to say to the people and hears the
cries of the people as God did when the Children of Israel were in
captivity in Egypt.
• A true prophet has died to self and their only drive is for God’s will
to be done on this earth and in people’s lives.
• There is a difference in the gift of prophecy and the ministry of a
prophet.
References:
He who descended is the very one who ascended higher than
all the heavens, in order to fill the whole universe.
So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the
evangelists, the pastors and teachers,
to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of
Christ may be built up
until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the
Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure
of the fullness of Christ.
By faith we understand that the world has been created by the
word of God so that what is seen has not been made out of things
that are visible.
Your kingdom come. Your will be done as in heaven, so also
upon earth.
The Body of Christ
“Therefore, however you want people to treat you, so treat
them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.
“Enter by the narrow gate; for the gate is wide, and the way is
broad that leads to destruction, and many are those who enter by
it.
“For the gate is small, and the way is narrow that leads to life,
and few are those who find it.
“Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s
clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves.
“You will know them by their fruits. Grapes are not gathered
from thorn bushes, nor figs from thistles, are they?
Quotes:
• I think it’s important that we define a prophet’s heart.
• The heart of a prophet aches for the cries of the people
• A real prophet has no pride…no desire to be a position.
Take Away:
There are no selfish ambitions nor pride in a true prophet. Their desire
is to do the will of God and to see the people free to also do the will of
God in the earth.
Transcript
Dale
In this day of restoration, we are not only going to see the New Testament prophet restored, but we will see a kingdom prophet. And the prophet of the kingdom will excel and exceed the ministry, the prophet of the Church Age. Ephesians 4:11, these were gifts that were brought from Christ by the cross for all of us.
Ron
I think it's important that we define a prophet's heart. Because there's been so many false images out there and people calling themselves prophets. I think a prophet's heart, if you could see in the spirit, you would never see a prophet walking around without carrying a bunch of the little ones. That's the heart. You know, that's the family heart. That's the one that stands, and cries; cries out for people unseen. In fact, I think a lot of the prophets' quote, ministry, or expression is unseen. It's behind the scenes. You know, there are those that go, wow! You know, I have all this great perception and revelation. I really must, I must be something and they don't realize that there has been men of God had been fighting principalities and powers, and holding before the Lord so that they could come into something. To me, that's, that's the heart of a prophet. He's not the one that's out there necessarily. Thus saith the Lord, and all this kind of stuff. Yeah, he speaks a word from the Lord. That's such a small part of what he does. 24/7
Dale
The heart of a prophet is imparted to him by virtue of the cross of Christ. And that's one of the, you might say, the per-empting qualifications, if there's a qualification to be a prophet. The first one would be to have the work of the Cross in his life. That's really important, because the heart of a prophet aches for the cries of the people. He can hear; he's not deaf. He not only hears from God, but he hears from the people. A real prophet like Christ will be moved with compassion. His heart will be broken over, he'll weep over the people. (Ron: right) That's the heart that he learned from the cross of Christ. That's what God is restoring in this day. But the prophet is a creator, too. And he creates, creates the family, creates the kingdom, he hears with one ear and speaks of what the Father is leading him to be a creator to do. (Ron: right) You can't create without compassion. You can't create something that's not alive in your heart, that when God speaks to them, he can be confident what he is saying, because the motivation is not to build his own kingdom or his own family or his own thing. What he's doing there is he's creating what God wants.
Sandy
It goes back to the revelation I had of the puzzle. You put the foundational ministries around first to create the border, the way that you're going to function. It gives you the whole foundation of the puzzle. But then as you put the pieces in, and everybody becomes what they're supposed to be in the Lord, then suddenly that whole border doesn't mean anything anymore. It's just part of the puzzle.
Dale
That's the emphasis of Ephesians 4:11. Until we obtain to that level of maturity that the apostles, prophets, pastors, teachers, evangelists, all those guys, have accomplished what they were sent to do. And that to mature people, that's where they fade, like you say, they put back on their sheep's clothing. (Sandy: yeah)
Ron
I want to go back. We know that moving in; you can move into gifts that Dale touched on it, without the work of the cross in your life - you're just moving in some gifts. And that's I think one of the big fallacies, if you want to put it that way, out there is you see people moving in gifts, and then you watch and six months a year from now, that person that was supposedly, a prophet all of a sudden falls pretty bad off of; off his pedestal, because the work of the Cross had not been done in that life; to a depth. I think that's important for people to be aware of, is just because somebody can prophesy like Isaiah doesn't mean that they're a true prophet of God.
Sandy
But there's just such an unselfishness and a willingness to give himself for the people and also for the Lord.
Ron
You might start out having an ambition to be a prophet, or even you have a word prophesied over you to be a prophet. And you're zealous and there's nothing wrong with that. You should you know, reach in to do that. when the Lord takes over.
Sandy
It's not a fun travel.
Those that do there's something worthwhile in it.