to be despised, but rather tested against Scripture to ensure its veracity. The revelation is pure, the person interpreting, applying, and sharing the word is not. The provision of testing is to protect the Church from the insertion of the flesh, selfish ambition, or sinful attitudes from the messenger. As in evaluating the preacher we are compelled to search out Scripture as good Bereans to assure that we are hearing the truth of God, in the same way we need to filter all we hear in the name of prophecy through Scripture to allow the Holy Spirit to maximize the blessing upon us (1 Thess. 5:21).
5)Prophecy builds up the Church through encouragement, exhortation, or comfort. It is not a teaching, nor is it an expository rant on the sins of the people; it’s a Spirit-led communication from God, pointing us to God, to receive from God (1 Cor. 14:3).
6)Prophecy must be done decently and in order. The message should be “weighed” by other prophets and leadership of the Church and each can speak when it’s their turn. The spirit of the prophet is subject to the prophet. This means the word can be shared when its time under the control of the person being used (1 Cor. 14:40).
7)Prophecy is a gift “in part.” This means we see through a glass darkly and never have the full picture in any word we are given. The Holy Spirit does this to keep the focus on Him, and not the messenger (1 Cor. 13:9).
8)Prophecy is subject to the believer’s will and obedience to Christ. No prophecy in and of itself can do anything. It can only point to the work being done by the Holy Spirit. It’s only the Holy Spirit that can apply any message or ministry to the heart of a person. No one should respond to a prophetic message without the express direction of the Holy Spirit in every moment. While most words are spoken in a manner that confirms and affirms a work the Spirit is already doing, there will be words that include future realities that belong completely to the sovereignty of God and should not be acted upon unless the Spirit is leading. And even then, it would be wise to include trusted leadership pastorally and friends who know us and our lives to assist in confirming the work of the Holy Spirit (Acts 13:1-3; 1 Thess. 5:19-21).
9)Prophecy is only possible by the Spirit through the gospel. “For it is the spirit of prophecy who bears testimony to Jesus” (Rev. 19:10 niv) and that testimony is the gospel of Jesus Christ’s substitutionary sacrifice on the cross for sin and His subsequent resurrection from the dead. This good news is the foundation of all New Testament prophecy, and it should be saturated with it when it is shared.
Конец ознакомительного фрагмента.
Текст предоставлен ООО «ЛитРес».
Прочитайте эту книгу целиком, купив полную легальную версию на ЛитРес.
Безопасно оплатить книгу можно банковской картой Visa, MasterCard, Maestro, со счета мобильного телефона, с платежного терминала, в салоне МТС или Связной, через PayPal, WebMoney, Яндекс.Деньги, QIWI Кошелек, бонусными картами или другим удобным Вам способом.
