"Thou therefore gird up thy loins, and arise, and speak unto them all that I command thee: be not dismayed at their faces, lest I confound thee before them.
For, behold, I have made thee this day a defenced city, and an iron pillar, and brasen walls against the whole land, against the kings of Judah, against the princes thereof, against the priests thereof, and against the people of the land.
And they shall fight against thee; but they shall not prevail against thee; for I [am] with thee, saith the LORD, to deliver thee. " (Jeremia 1: 17-19)
LORD, may you give me Your Word to speak and the courage to stand, not to be dismayed and to speak. May you give me Your strength, and joy, trust and faith. May you make my mind and body work and my senses respond when it is needed.
Showing posts with label giftings and calling. Show all posts
Showing posts with label giftings and calling. Show all posts
switch of outward identity & inner healing
learning to be a woman and how to balance taking care of myself and showing beauty with modesty.
Focus on the Kingdom of G-d
The main message Yeshua preached wasn't salvation, but the Kingdom of G-d.
That is also what He sent the disciples to announce wherever they went, and He gave them authority to heal the sick, drive out the demons, raise the dead, etc., because that is what happens when the Kingdom of G-d arrives. The healings are evidence of the new Kingdom reality.
And we are called to enter it!
I need this reminder from time to time...
That is also what He sent the disciples to announce wherever they went, and He gave them authority to heal the sick, drive out the demons, raise the dead, etc., because that is what happens when the Kingdom of G-d arrives. The healings are evidence of the new Kingdom reality.
And we are called to enter it!
I need this reminder from time to time...
Spiritual world
questions: the spiritual world - dreams, "intuitions", assumption of physical manifestations of spiritual realities - Abba, I need true, verifyable understanding and insights in order to do your works and exercise the authority that is contained in your name. The coming of Your kingdom is to dispell the darkness of this world. Your light I want to see!
The reality of Yeshua
Getting to know Yeshua by the lifes of His disciples: What if the self-acclaimed disciples fail to display His character and do His deeds? When salt looses its saltiness?
Even though we might not have an example of Yeshua's life in our time and our surroundings to look up to, I think we can still try to just live according to His commandments preserved in the scriptures and by that provide some kind of example of Yeshua's character to others. I also see that we understand what is told about Him and preserved of Him better while trying to do His commandments, because this very doing leads on His path and we recognize some of His footsteps.
Even though we might not have an example of Yeshua's life in our time and our surroundings to look up to, I think we can still try to just live according to His commandments preserved in the scriptures and by that provide some kind of example of Yeshua's character to others. I also see that we understand what is told about Him and preserved of Him better while trying to do His commandments, because this very doing leads on His path and we recognize some of His footsteps.
Thanks for letting me hit the bottom!
Hitting the bottom of experiential horror is a good experience. After having faced the fears new hope and insights can arise.
What difference it makes when getting a glimpse of the possible result and new tool at hand after having overcome!
Having hit the bottom doesn't mean having overcome yet, but it releases the focus from the bottom to strategies for overcoming and frees strength to take the first steps towards it.
Thank G-d for His provision and protection at the very difficult day of yesterday!
What difference it makes when getting a glimpse of the possible result and new tool at hand after having overcome!
Having hit the bottom doesn't mean having overcome yet, but it releases the focus from the bottom to strategies for overcoming and frees strength to take the first steps towards it.
Thank G-d for His provision and protection at the very difficult day of yesterday!
Jewish Identity in Messianic Context
For the Messianic Jewish community, as well as for the broader Jewish world, I think it is time to come to a definition of the Jewish identity and what it means to be Jewish.
Obviously we can't use the historical definition of being a descendant of the Jewish people - or adopted into it - and not believing in Yeshua.
Is there a distiction to be made between Jewish believers and followers of Yeshua and non-Jewish ones?
One of the definitions of messianic Judaism being offered at Youtube holds that Messianic Jews are Jews and Gentiles united by the Messiah Yeshua, which refrain from certain "Christian" traditions, and keep certain other Jewish ordinances. This sounds like an attempt to reform and correct the Church, creating a new, more biblical-correct movement within the Church.
The common-use definition of Messianic Jews here is Israel means believers and followers of Yeshua within an Israeli Jewish context, whereas non-Jewish (mainly according to their own self-definition) members of the community just call themselfs messianics.
The original realization standing at the birth of the messianic Jewish movement is G-d's faithfulness regarding the promises given to the Jewish people and the irrevocability of the calling. Replacement theology is found faulty. Being a Jew is not a curse that needs to be washed off at baptism together with all the sins, but it is a responsability, which remains, just as a parent retains the responsabilities of a parent after baptism, - surely not without relying on G-d's help, guidance and direction in order to fulfill these responsabilities.
I would want to try to state these special responsabilities of the Jewish people, which are incumbant upon all Jews born as such and upon those that join the Jewish people and are adopted into it.
One might think of the "obvious" answer to the responsabilities: the 613 Mitzvoth. But this is not a very applicable answer to the question. They might supply a theoretical framework of action, but the reliability of the rabbinical translation into halacha is a matter of dispute for messianics. The reasons are manyfold:
-disagreement about the adaptation to the new reality: on one side to the absence of the temple and living in exile, on the other side to the time after the coming of Yeshua and the multitude of gentile believers in Him.
-mistrust towards the rabbinic judgements, their intentions and the spirit guiding them.
-the dichotomy of the Letter and the Spirit might require rather an understanding of the heart of the Mitzvah, its intention and normal practical application, leaving the specific details for each instance up to the guidance of the Holy Spirit, instead of arguing about specific applications based on the Letter in a kind of legal debate.
With this last point in mind, one might also in regard of the responsabilities rather look to describe them in terms that touch the heart of the calling of the Jewish people. The framework of the 613 Mitzvoth are just the instructions given by divine wisdom in order to live out this calling to G-d's honor. They reflect G-d's love and character and are a way which He chose to bless.
... to be continued. Comments welcome!
Obviously we can't use the historical definition of being a descendant of the Jewish people - or adopted into it - and not believing in Yeshua.
Is there a distiction to be made between Jewish believers and followers of Yeshua and non-Jewish ones?
One of the definitions of messianic Judaism being offered at Youtube holds that Messianic Jews are Jews and Gentiles united by the Messiah Yeshua, which refrain from certain "Christian" traditions, and keep certain other Jewish ordinances. This sounds like an attempt to reform and correct the Church, creating a new, more biblical-correct movement within the Church.
The common-use definition of Messianic Jews here is Israel means believers and followers of Yeshua within an Israeli Jewish context, whereas non-Jewish (mainly according to their own self-definition) members of the community just call themselfs messianics.
The original realization standing at the birth of the messianic Jewish movement is G-d's faithfulness regarding the promises given to the Jewish people and the irrevocability of the calling. Replacement theology is found faulty. Being a Jew is not a curse that needs to be washed off at baptism together with all the sins, but it is a responsability, which remains, just as a parent retains the responsabilities of a parent after baptism, - surely not without relying on G-d's help, guidance and direction in order to fulfill these responsabilities.
I would want to try to state these special responsabilities of the Jewish people, which are incumbant upon all Jews born as such and upon those that join the Jewish people and are adopted into it.
One might think of the "obvious" answer to the responsabilities: the 613 Mitzvoth. But this is not a very applicable answer to the question. They might supply a theoretical framework of action, but the reliability of the rabbinical translation into halacha is a matter of dispute for messianics. The reasons are manyfold:
-disagreement about the adaptation to the new reality: on one side to the absence of the temple and living in exile, on the other side to the time after the coming of Yeshua and the multitude of gentile believers in Him.
-mistrust towards the rabbinic judgements, their intentions and the spirit guiding them.
-the dichotomy of the Letter and the Spirit might require rather an understanding of the heart of the Mitzvah, its intention and normal practical application, leaving the specific details for each instance up to the guidance of the Holy Spirit, instead of arguing about specific applications based on the Letter in a kind of legal debate.
With this last point in mind, one might also in regard of the responsabilities rather look to describe them in terms that touch the heart of the calling of the Jewish people. The framework of the 613 Mitzvoth are just the instructions given by divine wisdom in order to live out this calling to G-d's honor. They reflect G-d's love and character and are a way which He chose to bless.
... to be continued. Comments welcome!
Arab leads Jews in worship - Amazing
Shmuel Aveida - Congregation Beit Immanuel Haifa
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XK6NtWYwbZM&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XK6NtWYwbZM&feature=related
Freedom Reigns
learning to play the song by Michael Larson
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1pFn1nX-Jg4&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1pFn1nX-Jg4&feature=related
If anyone desires to come after me ...
Lk 9,23: "Then He said to them all, 'If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.'"
What does the expression 'to take up ones cross' mean? Yeshua carried His cross to the cruxifiction side, but I have the feeling that the associative field of this expression is much wider. Is this a Hebrew or Aramaic expression whose background can be researched? Is there a connection to the yoke as in the saying of Yeshua: come and learn from me, for my yoke is easy and my burden is light? Can the yoke of the torah be called a cross? Isn't this the cross Yeshua carried to His own cruxifiction?
'Let him deny himself' as Yochanan says: He must increase, but I must decrease; I'm not the one that is to come, the Messiah, but He. But it seems to me that the denial of oneself goes further, maybe as Paul says: But now not I live, but He lives in me. A denial of everything, which elevates the self, me instead of Him. A denial of every thought, will, desire and act, which elevates itself against the perfect will of G-d in His holyness, majesty, authorship and loving fatherhood. A denial of the pursuit of worldly gain and success as opposed to the building of the kingdom of G-d.
'Follow me' - 'Satan, go behind me' Yeshua says to Kephas at one point. We can not go ahead of Him and try to tell Him how to do it better and prevent Him from doing what He has to do. We can intercede and ask for mercy, we can plead, we can ask questions, if we don't understand. But no one can go ahead of Him. Even Jochanan, who came to prepare the way said to the people: He who comes after me is far greater than I, for He was before me. When Yeshua came, Yochanan just pointed to Him saying: This is He.
'Follow me' also means not to stay behind or go into the opposite direction, but to follow Him, who Himself is the way, the way to the Father, the only one. For the first disciples of Yeshua it meant to come with Him to where He goes leaving everything else behind, listen to Him, learn from Him, share life with Him and do what He says.
What does the expression 'to take up ones cross' mean? Yeshua carried His cross to the cruxifiction side, but I have the feeling that the associative field of this expression is much wider. Is this a Hebrew or Aramaic expression whose background can be researched? Is there a connection to the yoke as in the saying of Yeshua: come and learn from me, for my yoke is easy and my burden is light? Can the yoke of the torah be called a cross? Isn't this the cross Yeshua carried to His own cruxifiction?
'Let him deny himself' as Yochanan says: He must increase, but I must decrease; I'm not the one that is to come, the Messiah, but He. But it seems to me that the denial of oneself goes further, maybe as Paul says: But now not I live, but He lives in me. A denial of everything, which elevates the self, me instead of Him. A denial of every thought, will, desire and act, which elevates itself against the perfect will of G-d in His holyness, majesty, authorship and loving fatherhood. A denial of the pursuit of worldly gain and success as opposed to the building of the kingdom of G-d.
'Follow me' - 'Satan, go behind me' Yeshua says to Kephas at one point. We can not go ahead of Him and try to tell Him how to do it better and prevent Him from doing what He has to do. We can intercede and ask for mercy, we can plead, we can ask questions, if we don't understand. But no one can go ahead of Him. Even Jochanan, who came to prepare the way said to the people: He who comes after me is far greater than I, for He was before me. When Yeshua came, Yochanan just pointed to Him saying: This is He.
'Follow me' also means not to stay behind or go into the opposite direction, but to follow Him, who Himself is the way, the way to the Father, the only one. For the first disciples of Yeshua it meant to come with Him to where He goes leaving everything else behind, listen to Him, learn from Him, share life with Him and do what He says.
"looking back"
Lk 9, 61f.: "And another also said, Lord, I will follow thee; but let me first go bid them farewell, which are at home at my house. And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God."
When we think to look back, what's the problem?
Just like ploughing, following Yeshua needs full focus on the kingdom of G-d and on what is ahead. Saying Good-by to those that stay behind at home in this case is not a step in following Yeshua, but is opposed to it.
Lot's wife looked back and became a pillar of salt. She disregarded the warning of the angels, not to look back.
Was the Israelites' looking back to Egypt the cause of their murmurings?
Does this kind of fatefull looking back contain an element of regret of the choosen way paired with a lack of faith and vision?
If G-d calls, one shouldn't look back. Answering to G-d's call is never a wrong decision! He knows very well from where and to where He is calling us.
To be continued. Contributions and comments welcome!
When we think to look back, what's the problem?
Just like ploughing, following Yeshua needs full focus on the kingdom of G-d and on what is ahead. Saying Good-by to those that stay behind at home in this case is not a step in following Yeshua, but is opposed to it.
Lot's wife looked back and became a pillar of salt. She disregarded the warning of the angels, not to look back.
Was the Israelites' looking back to Egypt the cause of their murmurings?
Does this kind of fatefull looking back contain an element of regret of the choosen way paired with a lack of faith and vision?
If G-d calls, one shouldn't look back. Answering to G-d's call is never a wrong decision! He knows very well from where and to where He is calling us.
To be continued. Contributions and comments welcome!
The Command of Daily Bible Reading
Kings of the tribes of Israel are commanded to write a copy of the Torah for themselfs and study it and meditate upon it daily, day and night.
But moreover, we are called to be a nation of kings and priests. We are called to positions of high responsibility in the Kingdom of G-d. I think it is permissable to extend the command for kings of Israel to disciples of Yeshua, which enter into the calling to be part of the nation of kings and priests.
We need to be very familiar with all the instructions G-d gave us for life on this earth and need to remember everything He revealed to us about Himself and take hold and expect everything He promised.
But moreover, we are called to be a nation of kings and priests. We are called to positions of high responsibility in the Kingdom of G-d. I think it is permissable to extend the command for kings of Israel to disciples of Yeshua, which enter into the calling to be part of the nation of kings and priests.
We need to be very familiar with all the instructions G-d gave us for life on this earth and need to remember everything He revealed to us about Himself and take hold and expect everything He promised.
עדות
An עדות is usually a testimony to remember something. To testify/ be a witness is the calling of the Jewish people.
עדות: commandments that result in the performing people giving and being themselves a testimony of G-d.
עדות: commandments that result in the performing people giving and being themselves a testimony of G-d.
The joy of serving G-d
When serving G-d, you'r always on the side of the winner! Also, who can be a better boss? Who can give us tasks more fitting than the ones He gives? Who is more understanding, just and righteous?
Healthy foundations for prophetic ministry
Learning About Prophecy From The Apostles
Although the Bible gives us no examples of the Apostles prophesying, never-the-less, their response to a particular church problem gives us a principle that is characteristic of genuine prophetic ministry.
Read with me Acts 6:1-4:
"And in those days, when the number of the disciples was multiplied, there arose a murmuring of the Grecians against the Hebrews, because their widows were neglected in the daily ministration. Then the twelve called the multitude of the disciples unto them, and said, It is not reason that we should leave the word of God, and serve tables. Wherefore, brethren, look ye out among you seven men of honest report, full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business. But we will give ourselves continually to prayer, and to the ministry of the word."
Notice what they did not say. They did not say:
"We will give ourselves continually to prophesying."
Nor did they say:
"We will give ourselves continually to working miracles and healing the sick."
And finally, they did not say:
"We will give ourselves continually to evangelism."
They focused continually, not just from time to time, on prayer and the ministry of the Word. They knew that by maintaining a vibrant prayer life, they would receive from the Lord His plans for ministry. Getting away from the people and their problems and cares, and getting alone with the Lord in prayer was vital.
In prayer in other tongues, for instance, they would be edified, built up, recharged, as Paul would later write, "For he that speaketh in an unknown tongue edifieth himself." (I Cor. 14:4). Also, the twelve Apostles, like Paul, would privately pray in tongues, and pray in Hebrew. (I Cor. 14:15). They would sing in tongues, and they would sing in Hebrew. And by doing so, they would be built up in faith and in the anointing in order to minister to the people, fulfill their responsibilities, and keep themselves morally pure and on track.
In addition, they said that they would give themselves continually to the ministry of the Word. They remembered the Lord's instruction that the person who heard God's words and did them, was like a wise man who built his house upon a rock, and how that house withstood the storms of life. (Luke 6:48,49). Regardless of being Apostles, and regardless of being anointed, they had to build their own lives and ministries on God's written word. And they taught everyone else to do the same.
One of the great pitfalls of prophetic ministry is the temptation to build your entire ministry on the operation of spiritual gifts. Prophecy is precious, but don't build your ministry on prophecy. Tongues and interpretation are a blessing, but don't build your ministry on them or on the operation of any of the other gifts. Build your ministry, like the Apostles did, on prayer and ministering the word.
Brother Hagin urged all ministers, regardless of the gifts God used them in, to develop a solid preaching or teaching ministry. Sister Goodwin was adamant about that same principle. She had no interest whatever in sitting down and listening to someone's prophecies and visions. She much rather preferred to discuss God's written Word and to listen to God's Word.
I was surprised one day when she told me who one of her favorite TV ministers was: Charles Stanley--A Southern Baptist. He did not preach and teach on the Gifts of the Holy Spirit in the same way that Sister Goodwin believed. But she admired him she told me, "because he gets up there and preaches....the.....Word." She simply would not attend or watch meetings which consisted almost entirely of prophecy and spiritual gifts. She did not believe in an over-emphasis on spiritual gifts. That is wise.
In her prime, Sister Goodwin herself was a very strong preacher and teacher. Dad Goodwin wrote one time that Mom had preached a message to the congregation that you had to have on "an asbestos suit" in order to withstand. She did not build her personal ministry on prophecy alone. She put first the preaching and teaching of God's written Word. That is wise. She stayed the course and died in a rich old age, with much spiritual fruit, while William Branham, and some other prophets of her generation who placed less epmphasis on God's written Word, went off the deep end.
The plain fact of the matter is that any ministry built primarily on spiritual gifts, will not last.
I was an eye-witness to this some years ago. In a phone conversation, I was invited by a pastor I had never met, to come visit a series of services being held in his church by a prophet. Having seen so much nonsense over the years passed off as "prophetic ministry," I was skeptical, but I attended. And what a blessing it was!
This prophet ministered by the Word of Knowledge and the Word of Wisdom to many people in the service, including me. I had been living in this area only a few days, and I did not know the pastor, and had never heard of this prophet. So what he said to me, was entirely by the Spirit of God.
He said:
"Direction, direction...I need direction. Do I go this way? Or that? Inside, partly I'm happy, and partly I'm miserable."
He took my hand in a handshake and said:
"The word of prophecy is in you, you know that, don't you?"
"Yes," I replied.
"Be sure to give that when it comes to you."
"I do," I replied.
He finished, "God is going to put a new anointing upon you, and then the financial problem is going to turn." He laid his hands on my head for a second, then returned to the platform and ministered to others.
The prophet's "word" described me correctly at that moment. And the "new anointing" he told me would come, did indeed come about a year later. That anointing was the pastor's anointing, and afterwards, my finances did improve dramatically and have continued to do so to this day.
I was introduced to the prophet and pastor after the service. And over the course of the next two weeks or so, we had lunch together, and fellowshipped together several times. I also attended every one of his meetings that I could.
But I quickly became concerned about this brother. His gifts were real. In fact, he had flowing through him the strongest manifestations of the Word of Knowledge and the Word of Wisdom I had seen since my days with Sister Goodwin. But he was building his ministry entirely on spiritual gifts.
In each service, his pattern was the same. After the praise team left the platform, he would sit behind the piano, and sing a chorus or two of some old-time Pentecostal song. Sometimes he would go from that to immediately ministering to people through his gift. Other times, he would get out his bible, begin a sermon or read just a couple of Scriptures, but as soon as his gift began operating, he would stop the sermon in mid sentence, and begin ministering through his gift to individuals.
Night after night, he would read a Scripture or two, give about 10% of a sermon, and then go into ministering in the Spirit to people. After the anointing lifted, he would give a quick instruction about how to receive Christ as Savior, and give an altar call. A number of people came to Christ in those meetings.
I began to meet other ministers who had known this prophet for years and I asked them, "Have you ever heard this brother actually preach a full sermon?" And even those who had known him for years admitted they had not.
The meetings ended, and he returned to his home in a state hundreds of miles away. Months passed, and fellow ministers told me that the prophet was having alot of financial problems. Churches weren't supporting them like they really should have. Some of his meetings doubled and tripled the new converts and new members joining these churches.
He was preaching seven days a week, sometimes leaving a meeting, driving hundreds of miles without sleep, and walking in to a church just in time to start the service. He wasn't taking time to be refreshed in prayer. He wasn't feeding on the Word at all. In fact, he knew very little about the Bible.
Several forces came together at once in his life, and he sinned a sin. And the sin was one that was also illegal. He pled guilty, and was sentenced to a long prison sentence. He has been in prison for the last 12 years, and is still there. I've remained in touch with him, writing from time to time, remembering him at holidays, and sometimes sending him books. The day will come when he is released, and can slowly be restored to ministry, and I look forward to that day for him.
When he fell, people were shattered, and all asked "Why?"
Why?
Too much ministry. Not enough sleep.
No prayer to speak of. No study or ministry of the Word to speak of. He just built his whole ministry on spiritual gifts.
My friend's life and ministry imploded. And so has the life and ministry of every other prophet or minister I've known or heard of who did not exalt the preaching of God's Word above all else.
Brother Hagin and Sister Goodwin and many of the Pentecostal giants of old, were adamant about this principle. They had witnessed many genuinely anointed ministries eventually collapse into error and sin, from not adhering tightly to God's Word.
If you question this principle remember how long Brother Hagin and Sister Goodwin ministered prophetically, stayed true, never got off into error, and went to Glory with a clean, scriptural record:
Brother Hagin ministered over 60 years.
Sister Goodwin ministered over 50 years.
I've ministered for 17 years.
Someone who reads this blog recently asked me, "Well, what did they do when the Spirit of God started moving? Did they basically ignore that, until they had finished their message?"
No. Many times when the Spirit begins moving, especially prophetically, you have to respond rather quickly and yield to that anointing, or you quench it.
So the Goodwins took an approach that is worthy of us following. God used them wonderfully in the Gifts of the Spirit, and also used numerous members of their congregation similarly. But they always preached and taught God's written Word in every service.
As we all have experienced, Mom and Dad had times in which their service turned into a Holy Ghost meeting. During praise and worship the Spirit of God would begin moving so strongly that various miracles took place, God's presence moved in, and Mom and Dad ministered to numerous people through their prophetic and pastoral giftings. This might happen for an hour or more.
At the point when the moving of the Spirit began to lift, most preachers would have sent the people home.
Mom and Dad did not do that.
Dad would have the members all sit back down, and he would tell them, "We have been blessed by the moving of the Spirit of God today. But we never come here to church without hearing from God's written Word. So, I'm going to teach you from God's Word for five minutes, and then I will dismiss you."
And he would take off his watch, lay it on the edge of the pulpit, and would keep his eye on the time. He would give them a brief exhortation from God's Word, and then when the five minites were up, he dismissed them and sent them home. By doing so, he taught the people to build their lives NOT on the moving of the Spirit, NOR even on spiritual gifts--wonderful though they are--but to continually look to God's written Word as their source of instruction and strength.
Do you see the wisdom in this approach?
Are you beginning to see how the Goodwins were able to minister prophetically for over 50 years, and yet they never got off into the error and goofiness that the "New Prophetic Move" ministers did?
God never intended people to place their faith in someone's spiritual gift. He wants them to have faith in His written Word. The spiritual diet we are on, and that we feed to others, must be a diet of the meat of God's word. Then if, over and above our teaching ministry, the gifts manifest--fine. If not--fine.
We learn from the Apostles:
We must build our ministry on prayer and the ministry of the Word, giving people the solid meat of God's Word and letting the Gifts of the Spirit be the dessert.
Copyright 2006 Mel C. Montgomery. All rights reserved. Material may be copied and shared with others as long as it is done so in entirety, without charge, and attribution is given.
Although the Bible gives us no examples of the Apostles prophesying, never-the-less, their response to a particular church problem gives us a principle that is characteristic of genuine prophetic ministry.
Read with me Acts 6:1-4:
"And in those days, when the number of the disciples was multiplied, there arose a murmuring of the Grecians against the Hebrews, because their widows were neglected in the daily ministration. Then the twelve called the multitude of the disciples unto them, and said, It is not reason that we should leave the word of God, and serve tables. Wherefore, brethren, look ye out among you seven men of honest report, full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business. But we will give ourselves continually to prayer, and to the ministry of the word."
Notice what they did not say. They did not say:
"We will give ourselves continually to prophesying."
Nor did they say:
"We will give ourselves continually to working miracles and healing the sick."
And finally, they did not say:
"We will give ourselves continually to evangelism."
They focused continually, not just from time to time, on prayer and the ministry of the Word. They knew that by maintaining a vibrant prayer life, they would receive from the Lord His plans for ministry. Getting away from the people and their problems and cares, and getting alone with the Lord in prayer was vital.
In prayer in other tongues, for instance, they would be edified, built up, recharged, as Paul would later write, "For he that speaketh in an unknown tongue edifieth himself." (I Cor. 14:4). Also, the twelve Apostles, like Paul, would privately pray in tongues, and pray in Hebrew. (I Cor. 14:15). They would sing in tongues, and they would sing in Hebrew. And by doing so, they would be built up in faith and in the anointing in order to minister to the people, fulfill their responsibilities, and keep themselves morally pure and on track.
In addition, they said that they would give themselves continually to the ministry of the Word. They remembered the Lord's instruction that the person who heard God's words and did them, was like a wise man who built his house upon a rock, and how that house withstood the storms of life. (Luke 6:48,49). Regardless of being Apostles, and regardless of being anointed, they had to build their own lives and ministries on God's written word. And they taught everyone else to do the same.
One of the great pitfalls of prophetic ministry is the temptation to build your entire ministry on the operation of spiritual gifts. Prophecy is precious, but don't build your ministry on prophecy. Tongues and interpretation are a blessing, but don't build your ministry on them or on the operation of any of the other gifts. Build your ministry, like the Apostles did, on prayer and ministering the word.
Brother Hagin urged all ministers, regardless of the gifts God used them in, to develop a solid preaching or teaching ministry. Sister Goodwin was adamant about that same principle. She had no interest whatever in sitting down and listening to someone's prophecies and visions. She much rather preferred to discuss God's written Word and to listen to God's Word.
I was surprised one day when she told me who one of her favorite TV ministers was: Charles Stanley--A Southern Baptist. He did not preach and teach on the Gifts of the Holy Spirit in the same way that Sister Goodwin believed. But she admired him she told me, "because he gets up there and preaches....the.....Word." She simply would not attend or watch meetings which consisted almost entirely of prophecy and spiritual gifts. She did not believe in an over-emphasis on spiritual gifts. That is wise.
In her prime, Sister Goodwin herself was a very strong preacher and teacher. Dad Goodwin wrote one time that Mom had preached a message to the congregation that you had to have on "an asbestos suit" in order to withstand. She did not build her personal ministry on prophecy alone. She put first the preaching and teaching of God's written Word. That is wise. She stayed the course and died in a rich old age, with much spiritual fruit, while William Branham, and some other prophets of her generation who placed less epmphasis on God's written Word, went off the deep end.
The plain fact of the matter is that any ministry built primarily on spiritual gifts, will not last.
I was an eye-witness to this some years ago. In a phone conversation, I was invited by a pastor I had never met, to come visit a series of services being held in his church by a prophet. Having seen so much nonsense over the years passed off as "prophetic ministry," I was skeptical, but I attended. And what a blessing it was!
This prophet ministered by the Word of Knowledge and the Word of Wisdom to many people in the service, including me. I had been living in this area only a few days, and I did not know the pastor, and had never heard of this prophet. So what he said to me, was entirely by the Spirit of God.
He said:
"Direction, direction...I need direction. Do I go this way? Or that? Inside, partly I'm happy, and partly I'm miserable."
He took my hand in a handshake and said:
"The word of prophecy is in you, you know that, don't you?"
"Yes," I replied.
"Be sure to give that when it comes to you."
"I do," I replied.
He finished, "God is going to put a new anointing upon you, and then the financial problem is going to turn." He laid his hands on my head for a second, then returned to the platform and ministered to others.
The prophet's "word" described me correctly at that moment. And the "new anointing" he told me would come, did indeed come about a year later. That anointing was the pastor's anointing, and afterwards, my finances did improve dramatically and have continued to do so to this day.
I was introduced to the prophet and pastor after the service. And over the course of the next two weeks or so, we had lunch together, and fellowshipped together several times. I also attended every one of his meetings that I could.
But I quickly became concerned about this brother. His gifts were real. In fact, he had flowing through him the strongest manifestations of the Word of Knowledge and the Word of Wisdom I had seen since my days with Sister Goodwin. But he was building his ministry entirely on spiritual gifts.
In each service, his pattern was the same. After the praise team left the platform, he would sit behind the piano, and sing a chorus or two of some old-time Pentecostal song. Sometimes he would go from that to immediately ministering to people through his gift. Other times, he would get out his bible, begin a sermon or read just a couple of Scriptures, but as soon as his gift began operating, he would stop the sermon in mid sentence, and begin ministering through his gift to individuals.
Night after night, he would read a Scripture or two, give about 10% of a sermon, and then go into ministering in the Spirit to people. After the anointing lifted, he would give a quick instruction about how to receive Christ as Savior, and give an altar call. A number of people came to Christ in those meetings.
I began to meet other ministers who had known this prophet for years and I asked them, "Have you ever heard this brother actually preach a full sermon?" And even those who had known him for years admitted they had not.
The meetings ended, and he returned to his home in a state hundreds of miles away. Months passed, and fellow ministers told me that the prophet was having alot of financial problems. Churches weren't supporting them like they really should have. Some of his meetings doubled and tripled the new converts and new members joining these churches.
He was preaching seven days a week, sometimes leaving a meeting, driving hundreds of miles without sleep, and walking in to a church just in time to start the service. He wasn't taking time to be refreshed in prayer. He wasn't feeding on the Word at all. In fact, he knew very little about the Bible.
Several forces came together at once in his life, and he sinned a sin. And the sin was one that was also illegal. He pled guilty, and was sentenced to a long prison sentence. He has been in prison for the last 12 years, and is still there. I've remained in touch with him, writing from time to time, remembering him at holidays, and sometimes sending him books. The day will come when he is released, and can slowly be restored to ministry, and I look forward to that day for him.
When he fell, people were shattered, and all asked "Why?"
Why?
Too much ministry. Not enough sleep.
No prayer to speak of. No study or ministry of the Word to speak of. He just built his whole ministry on spiritual gifts.
My friend's life and ministry imploded. And so has the life and ministry of every other prophet or minister I've known or heard of who did not exalt the preaching of God's Word above all else.
Brother Hagin and Sister Goodwin and many of the Pentecostal giants of old, were adamant about this principle. They had witnessed many genuinely anointed ministries eventually collapse into error and sin, from not adhering tightly to God's Word.
If you question this principle remember how long Brother Hagin and Sister Goodwin ministered prophetically, stayed true, never got off into error, and went to Glory with a clean, scriptural record:
Brother Hagin ministered over 60 years.
Sister Goodwin ministered over 50 years.
I've ministered for 17 years.
Someone who reads this blog recently asked me, "Well, what did they do when the Spirit of God started moving? Did they basically ignore that, until they had finished their message?"
No. Many times when the Spirit begins moving, especially prophetically, you have to respond rather quickly and yield to that anointing, or you quench it.
So the Goodwins took an approach that is worthy of us following. God used them wonderfully in the Gifts of the Spirit, and also used numerous members of their congregation similarly. But they always preached and taught God's written Word in every service.
As we all have experienced, Mom and Dad had times in which their service turned into a Holy Ghost meeting. During praise and worship the Spirit of God would begin moving so strongly that various miracles took place, God's presence moved in, and Mom and Dad ministered to numerous people through their prophetic and pastoral giftings. This might happen for an hour or more.
At the point when the moving of the Spirit began to lift, most preachers would have sent the people home.
Mom and Dad did not do that.
Dad would have the members all sit back down, and he would tell them, "We have been blessed by the moving of the Spirit of God today. But we never come here to church without hearing from God's written Word. So, I'm going to teach you from God's Word for five minutes, and then I will dismiss you."
And he would take off his watch, lay it on the edge of the pulpit, and would keep his eye on the time. He would give them a brief exhortation from God's Word, and then when the five minites were up, he dismissed them and sent them home. By doing so, he taught the people to build their lives NOT on the moving of the Spirit, NOR even on spiritual gifts--wonderful though they are--but to continually look to God's written Word as their source of instruction and strength.
Do you see the wisdom in this approach?
Are you beginning to see how the Goodwins were able to minister prophetically for over 50 years, and yet they never got off into the error and goofiness that the "New Prophetic Move" ministers did?
God never intended people to place their faith in someone's spiritual gift. He wants them to have faith in His written Word. The spiritual diet we are on, and that we feed to others, must be a diet of the meat of God's word. Then if, over and above our teaching ministry, the gifts manifest--fine. If not--fine.
We learn from the Apostles:
We must build our ministry on prayer and the ministry of the Word, giving people the solid meat of God's Word and letting the Gifts of the Spirit be the dessert.
Copyright 2006 Mel C. Montgomery. All rights reserved. Material may be copied and shared with others as long as it is done so in entirety, without charge, and attribution is given.
Teaching on using the prophetic gift
Learning About Prophecy From Agabus
by Mel C. Montgomery
The manner in which Agabus the prophet ministered prophetically can teach us much about genuine prophetic ministry.
Paul was making his final rounds of some of the churches he had founded, and his goal was to complete this journey and be at Jerusalem by Pentecost. From Miletus, Paul sent to the Elders at Ephesus, and asked them to come to him. When they arrived, Paul told them some things and I want us to note a couple of his comments:
"And now, behold, I go bound in the Spirit unto Jerusalem, not knowing the things that shall befall me there: Save that the Holy Ghost witnesses in every city, saying that bonds and afflictions abide me. "
Paul said that in every city, the Holy Ghost witnessed that bonds and afflictions lay ahead for him. How did the Holy Ghost "witness" to Paul this fact? He did so by flowing through various believers, giving prophecies and messages in tongues and in the interpretation of tongues, telling Paul that "bonds and afflictions" awaited him. Please note in the next verse, Paul's attitude to the suffering that lay ahead:
"But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I may finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the Gospel of the grace of God. And now, behold, I know that ye all among whom I have gone preaching the kingdom of God, shall see my face no more..." Acts 20:22-25.
Paul knew this was his last missionary journey. He told them, "I know that ye all...shall see my face no more." He knew that whatever lay ahead, there was no coming back. He was saying his final goodbyes to his beloved Christian brethren. And he faced his future with the boldness of a lion.
Note in Acts Chapter 21, what happened when he arrived in Tyre:
Vs. 4: "And finding disciples, we tarried there seven days: who said to Paul through the Spirit that he should not go up to Jerusalem."
Paul had said that in every city "the Holy Ghost witnessed," to him. And here in Tyre, disciples "said...through the Spirit..." Here too, several Christians either prophesied to Paul, or gave messages in tongues and in the interpretation of tongues. And these messages went a step further, than those that occurred in other cities up to this time. These utterances told Paul that he should not go to Jerusalem at all.
From Tyre, Paul and his travelling companions went to Caesarea. When they arrived there, they ran into more prophecies:
Vs. 8: "And the next day we that were of Paul's company departed, and came unto Caesarea: and we entered into the house of Phillip the Evangelist, which was one of the seven, and we abode with him."
Vs. 9: "And the same man had four daughters, virgins, which did prophesy."
What they specifically prophesied to or around Paul, we do not know.
Up to this point in the narrative, we see example after example of what we would call ordinary believers, "lay people" as some would term them, prophesying to Paul and/or giving him messages through tongues and the interpretaiton of tongues.
I find Paul's response to these prophecies to be most interesting: as far as we know, he had no response to them at all. He didn't agree or disagree with them. He didn't say that they were true prophecies or false prophecies.
After the prophecies of Phillip's daughters, we are given the example of prophecy operating on a higher order, through an experienced and established full-fledged prophet from Judea by the name of Agabus. It was quite dramatic:
Vs. 10: "And as we tarried there many days, there came down from Judea a certain prophet, named Agabus."
Vs. 11: "And when he was come to us, he took Paul's girdle, and bound his own hands and feet, and said, Thus saith the Holy Ghost, So shall the Jews at Jerusalem bind the man that owns this girdle, and shall deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles."
Now observe closely:
Vs. 12: "And when we heard these things, both we, and they of that place, besought him not to go up to Jerusalem."
Who "besought" Paul not to go up to Jerusalem?
"...both we..."--Luke and Paul's companions.
"...and they of that place..."--Phillip the Evangelist, his prophesying daughters, and local Christians.
Who said nothing?
Agabus the prophet.
You see, Agabus had "came down from Judea." He was not one of the local Christians, and he was not a part of Paul's travelling company. So the Bible does not include him among those who urged Paul not to go to Jerusalem.
Agabus had come to Caesarea apparently for the specific purpose of giving Paul this word through prophecy, or through tongues and interpretation. And he acted it out like the Goodwins did countless times, and like I have done many times also.
Everyone said, "Paul! Don't Go!"
Everyone, but Agabus.
He said nothing.
Why?
Because the Holy Spirit was not telling Paul to avoid Jerusalem. It was God's will for Paul to go to Jerusalem at this time. And in this prophecy through Agabus, the Holy Spirit was simply telling Paul what awaited him at Jerusalem.
Now, those not familiar with how the Holy Spirit flows in the Gift of Prophecy, assume that Paul made a mistake by ignoring this word and going to Jerusalem.
No, Paul did not make a mistake.
You have to remember what the Lord told Paul when He first called him into the ministry after Paul's blinding experience on the road to Damascus. The Lord sent a disciple named Ananias to go minister healing to Paul. And the Lord said to Ananias:
"...go your way: for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the Children of Israel. For I will show him what great things he must suffer for my name's sake." Acts 9:15,16.
All believers suffer persecution and affliction to a certain extent in their Christian walk. However, a frequent part of true Apostolic ministry is the ministry of suffering. For instance, of the original eleven remaining apostles, no two died in the same place, and all were crucified, tortured, or painfully killed except for John who was imprisoned on the Isle of Patmos and eventually died a natural death later.
Recently I read an article about an Apostle in China. He has been imprisoned and beaten countless times. Yet, inspite of all of the persecutions and afflictions, he has helped to start several thousand undergound churches throughout China. Like Paul, this Apostle is fulfilling the ministry of suffering that often goes with the Apostle's office. Like Paul, he can say of the beatings and the scars,
"...I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus..." Gal. 6:17.
Or as the Amplified Bible translates it:
"...for I bear on my body the brand marks of the Lord Jesus, [the wounds, scars and other outward evidence of persecutions]--These testify to His ownership of me!"
Suffering had been a frequent occurrance throughout all of Paul's ministry. He wrote of his previous sufferings:
"of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one. Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep; In journeyings often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by mine own countrymen, in perils by the heathen , in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; In weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness."--II Cor. 11:24-27.
Paul was well acquainted with suffering. All of the Apostles were. Christ had told Paul that he would suffer, on a level far beyond what most Christians suffer, as a part of his Apostolic calling.
It was revealed to Agabus by the Holy Spirit that additonal suffering lay ahead for Paul. And he wisely said ONLY what God had inspired him to say, and he drew no conclusions from it as to whether Paul was to go or not go.
The disciples at Tyre had "said to Paul through the Spirit that he should not go up to Jerusalem." Quite a difference between their prophecies and the one given by Agabus.
They said, "Paul, don't go!"
Agabus said simply, "This is what lies ahead of you."
The disciples at Tyre were right in what they perceived, but wrong in what they concluded from it. They assumed that the Holy Spirit had given them this word for Paul so that they could warn him away from danger. But the Holy Spirit wasn't warning Paul away from danger. He simply sent Agabus to confirm to Paul, what Paul already knew in his own spirit: bonds and afflictions are ahead for me.
The disciples at Tyre crossed a line that Agabus did not cross, and that must not be crossed in genuine prophetic ministry: Agabus told Paul what the Holy Ghost said, but he did not tell Paul what to do about it. He left it up to Paul to seek the Lord's direction in prayer on his own.
Additional prayer was not necessary though for Paul already knew in his heart what lay ahead, and he had already made up his mind what he was going to do about it. Read Paul's response to those who urged him to turn aside and avoid the suffering that lay ahead:
"Then Paul answered, What mean ye to weep and to break mine heart? for I am ready not to be bound only, but also to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus."--Acts 21:13.
Had Paul heeded the prophecies given to him by believers at Tyre, and the urgings of the believers at Caesarea, he would have gotten completely out of God's will.
He might never have been arrested, and eventually brought before kings to testify of Jesus Christ. And with Paul cowering away from suffering, many other Christians in that day when faced with suffering might also have compromised their testimony. But because Paul knew suffering was coming, and he met it head-on in the courage and strength of God, other believers were inspired to likewise meet their fates with the same courage. And thus the Christian faith spread throughout the known world in only a generation or two.
Nero, the other Caesars, and other persecutors found they could not beat Christianity out of the Christians, neither could he burn it out of them. And that same group of Christians look over the banister of Heaven at us today, cheering us on in the challenges we face.
Glory to God.
Much, much, much can be learned from the way Agabus handled this 'word' and the way believers in Tyre handled it.
Allow me to give you an example from my own ministry.
About 15 years ago, God gave me an experience.
I was sitting at my kitchen table, getting ready to read the morning newspaper when the Holy Ghost showed me something.
In a vision, I saw a woman from the Church I was attending. Let's say her name was Lucy. Lucy stood before me, and the Holy Ghost said, "Tell her, I am the Healer of the breach, and the Restorer of paths to dwell in." That was drawn from the Scripture:
"...and you shall be called, The repairer of the breach, The restorer of paths to dwell in."--Isa. 58:12
I started to put this off. I did not know this woman well. I had attended at this church for only a few weeks. I had seen her at church services several times, and had shaken her hand, but had had no conversations with her of any depth at all.
She was always well dressed, and seemed like she had it all together. I wondered what this "healer of the breach and restorer of paths to dwell in," could possibly mean to a woman who seemed to have everything.
But I knew the Holy Spirit had shown me this for a reason, and I needed to be faithful to share it with her. So I found her name in the phone book, and called her.
I told her, "Lucy, I'm don't know if you remember me or not, but I attend church with you."
She said, "Yes, I know you."
I said, "Ok. I don't know if this means anything to you or not, but I just had a vision about you. I saw you standing before me in this vision, and the Holy Spirit said, 'Tell her, I am the Healer of the Breach and the Restorer of paths to dwell in.' So, I wanted to pass that along to you, and ask you, does this mean anything to you?"
She began crying over the phone. Then she said, "Yes. That is very meaningful to me."
She continued, "You see Mel, you don't know this, but I am going through a divorce right now. My husband has cheated on me so many times, and I have forgiven him time and time again. But I have finally reached the point where I won't put up with this anymore."
"And this is costing me dearly, particularly financially. My husband makes far more money than I do. And I know by divorcing him, my income is going to drop dramatically. I am going to have to sell my house, because I can't afford the payments on my salary alone. Not only am I losing my marriage, but my standard of living is going to drop dramatically."
"Before you called, I took a walk around the block. And on the outside, I was silent, but on the inside, I was screaming out to God. I said, 'God, I know I can get through this if I can know that the things I am losing today will be restored to me some day.' So for God to tell me, 'I am the Healer of the breach and the Restorer of paths to dwell in,' that lets me know that God knows what I am going through, and that one day He will restore all that I have lost."
Now, here is where the temptation came in. Here is where the disciples at Tyre crossed a line that Agabus refused to cross, and that I refuse to cross.
Lucy said, "I have the divorce papers laying on the table before me. All I have to do is sign them, and they become final. Do you think I should sign them? Or do you think that God is going to restore my husband and marriage to me?"
I replied, "Lucy, I won't go there. I won't make a decision for you. You need to get alone with God, and pray until you get your direction from Him as to what you are to do. All I know is, that whatever happens, God is going to heal and restore your life."
She said, "Thank you." And the conversation ended.
I can not remember the specific details now, but I know I left that church very shortly after that, and I didn't get a chance to see or talk to Lucy again. I didn't know what her decision was.
About a year later, I was in one of the government buildings downtown. As I walked across the lobby, the elevators opened, and Lucy stepped out.
And she was glowing!
I went up to her, and I said, "What has happened to you?"
She said, "After our conversation, I went ahead and signed the divorce papers. And some time after that, I met a Christian man. A real Christian man. The kind of man I wished my husband had been. We have dated for quite awhile. And he loves me, and he loves my daughter. And I was just upstairs getting a marriage license. We are going to be married soon."
And I said, "Well Lucy, He is the Healer of the breach and the Restorer of paths to dwell in isn't He?"
She said, "He sure is." She and this brother married, and the last I heard of them they were very happy. To God be the Glory.
Prophetic ministry, when it is genuine, and when the opinions of men are not mixed in with it, can minister great strength and encouragement to those going through difficult times. But when it is polluted by the ideas of men, it can become absolutely toxic. It can do far more harm than good.
Before we leave the story of Agabus, I want us to notice learn two more lessons from him.
One lesson is this:
Just because you have a few prophecies, does not make you a prophet in God's eyes.
There has come forth an erroneous teaching in recent years in Charismatic circles, which claims that there is no longer an office of the prophet, just believers all prophesying equally.
Nonsense.
We see that the Bible make clear distincitions in this incident:
In Tyre, "disciples... said through the Spirit..."
In Caesarea, Phillip had four daughters, "...which did prophesy."
Then, "...there came down from Judea a certain prophet, named Agabus."
The Bible does not identify the disciples at Tyre as prophets. Nor does it state that Phillip's daughters were prophets. These prophesied, but they were not full-fledged prophets. Agabus, however, was specifically identified and called "a prophet."
Every born-again, Spirit-filled believer can potentially be used in the gift of prophecy. But that does not mean that they stand in the office of a prophet. Every believer can similarly be used to lead others to Christ, but that does not indicate that they stand in the office of the Evangelist.
When Christ arose from the dead and ascended to the Father, He set in place specific ministry offices:
"And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers..." Eph. 4:11.
One of the most devestating occurrances to ever occur in modern Christianity took place in the 1990's in Charismatic Churches. There was a gross over-emphasis on personal prophecy in those years. The Holy Spirit would use a believer in prophecy, once or twice, and those around them would foolishly tell them, "See? You're a prophet! You need to go out and prophesy to the world."
So that poor believer would hang out his shingle, "John Smith, Prophet at Large," and would prophesy over anything and everyone in sight. Such believers then began writing books, "How to Be a Prophet," "How to Prophesy," basically trying to teach, "How to be a prophet in five easy lessons!" They held "prophetic conventions, " and "prophetic conferences." They started "Prophetic churches," and "Prophetic Networks." And almost all of it was simply the blind leading the blind. And what did our Lord say would happen if the blind lead the blind? "They shall both fall into the ditch." And that "New Prophetic Move," did indeed fall into the ditch. Churches were wrecked, lives were shattered, and erroneous teachings went forth which we are still struggling to dig ourselves out of!
The disciples at Tyre prophesied. It was not false prophecy per se. It was genuine leadings of the Lord run amok. It was everybody and his brother prophesying at the drop of a hat. And it was wrong. And all of Christianity in that day would have been devestated had Paul listened to any of it.
I heard Brother Hagin relate a similar story from his own life. Back in the 1940's and 1950's during the Healing Revival, the Lord spoke to him. There were dozens and dozens of Healing Evangelists--Oral Roberts, A.A. Allen, Jack Coe, etc.,--criscrossing the country, preaching from giant tents. The Lord told Brother Hagin specifically, "Don't you do that. Stay in the churches." So Brother Hagin ministered from church to church.
Yet everywhere Brother Hagin went, he was met with Christians prophesying to him, or speaking messages to him through tongues and interpretation of tongues, telling him that he too was to get a tent and start preaching from it. He said, "I don't mean that it happened just one time. Everywhere I went, every city, for years--there would be at least one believer prophesy to me or give a message in tongues in which they told me to get a tent."
Did he buy a tent?
No.
You might say, "But the prophecies told him to! Everywhere he went! For years!"
Yes, but the Lord had already told him not to.
Were these "false prophecies?"
Not in the sense of being from the Devil. You just had alot of inexperienced and unknowledgable believers, feeling a little bit of inspiration, and standing up and saying, "Thus saith the Lord!...Buy a tent!"
Yes, that was the direction of the Lord for many Healing Evangelists in that day.
No, it was not the Lord's direction for Brother Hagin.
So when someone would prophesy that to Brother Hagin, he would just smile to the one giving him the message, and then toss aside the "prophecy," and never give it another thought.
Had he gotten a tent, he would have been as completely out of God's will as Paul would have been if he had listened to the prophecies of some of his day, and avoided Jerusalem.
Did you notice that neither Paul nor his seasoned ministry companions had any reactions to these prophecies?
Paul was just smiling, and tossing aside those prophecies, just like Brother Hagin did. You see, the Lord Jesus Christ had already told him years before that suffering would be a regular part of his apostolic calling.
These instances were also examples of prophecy operating on a lesser level, so to speak, from the congregational level.
Notice the difference though when Agabus ministered to Paul through the full prophetic office. There was such an unction in his words, that immediately ALL of the assembled Christians, including seasoned ministers, reacted strongly.
Prophecy, when it operates through everyday believers, can be a real blessing. But when it comes through an actual Prophet--it carries a much greater intensity of anointing and authority.
I've seen the difference as I have observed, for instance, Kenneth Hagin or Kenneth Copeland prophesy. There is something much stronger in their prophecies, than in the prophecies that you hear from most believers.
I've experienced the difference myself.
In my home church where I ministered some years ago, the pastor and several others were occasionally used in prophecy or in tongues. What they flowed in was real. But when, not just prophecy, but the full office of the prophet would come upon me, the difference was quite substantial.
I was scheduled to minister on a Sunday night. As I drove to the Church, the prophet's office began to manifest in me. I knew exactly what the Lord wanted to say to the people that night. The Lord revealed to me that there were several people in the congregation that were deeply worried about matters in their lives, and worried specifically about the future. And He wanted to speak to them about the future, and assure their hearts that He would see them throuogh whatever came.
As the praise and worship began, I was seated next to my pastor since I was the guest speaker that night. Although I was scheduled to teach that night, I knew that the way they structured their services would quench the anointing in me if I wasn't careful. After praise and worship, they always had a bunch of announcements, received the offering, and then introduced the guest speaker.
I knew if they went through all that, the prophet's anointing on me would lift before I ever got the chance to speak. So as the music played, I leaned over to the pastor and said, "I have a word from the Lord. Would it be alright for me to give it at the end of praise and worship?" And for just a moment, I saw a look of doubt move across his face.
Why?
Because he too was used from time to time in utterances. But he was called to be a pastor and a teacher. He did not have a specific calling in the area of the prophet like I do. So I knew he doubted for a moment, because he didn't sense any unction within himself to prophesy at that time. And it was therefore only natural for him to wonder for a minute whether I really had a "word" or not. But we knew each other well, and I had ministered in the Spirit there several times. So he gave me the benefit of the doubt and said, "Yes, go ahead and give it at the end of praise and worship."
As I have written in this post and in others, God uses me in an unusual combination of speaking in tongues, interpreting the message, and acting out the gist of the message.
Is this Scriptural?
Certainly.
We have already seen the account of Agabus acting out a prophecy by taking Paul's girdle, binding his own hands and feet, and so on.
In Hosea 12:10 (Amp). the Lord says:
"I have also spoken to you by the prophets, and I have multiplied visions [for you], and [have appealed to you] through parables acted out by the prophets."
I had never seen a prophet act out a prophecy or a parable, until I saw Sister Goodwin minister. After learning from her for several years, she laid her hands on me and the same anointing began to flow through me.
I did not, and I do not, choose to act these out in some kind of fleshly way in order to make it more dramatic, or to crave the attention of men. To do so would grieve the Spirit of God, and He would cease using me at all in utterances. No, from the moment that anointing came into me, the tongues, interpretations, and gestures have all been wrapped up together. It came as a "package deal," I guess you might say.
So when praise and worship ended, I stepped forward and turned on my portable tie microphone.
And I waited.
You see, I can not prophesy at will.
Neither can anyone else.
I knew what the Lord wanted to say, but I had to wait for the unction to speak it out. In a few seconds, that unction came.
This word flowed through me in a church service in my home church towards the end of 1999. Through tongues and interpretation, I began to speak and act out this parable. The word was along these lines:
"Just as with a tall man...
And a short man...
Walking down the road together.
And the short man looks down the road,
and he is afraid...
Because there is a bend in the road...
and he can not see around the bend in the road.
And the short man says, 'I am afriad...
For I can not see around the bend in the road.'
And the Tall man says,
'Behold, I am Tall.
And I can see around the bend in the road.'
Thus saith the Lord,
I am that Tall Man to you.
You can not see around the bend in the road of life...
But I can.
I can see things that you can not see.
And I can tell you this,
There is nothing around the bend of the road...
That is bigger than Me.
For you know not your future,
But I do.
And some would worry,
What shall I do?
What shall I face in the future?
What shall become of me?
What about my job?
What about my family?
What about my health?
What about the year 2000?
Know this, Saith God, that I am with you...
so there is no need for fear.
All that the future holds...
The victories and the challenges...
We will walk through them together.
For did I not say unto thee...
I will never leave thee nor forsake thee?
You do not walk this road alone.
So roll the cares of the future over onto Me.
You are not sufficient for them, but I am.
Lift not the burdens that are not yours to carry.
Release the future unto Me.
Fear no evil, for I am with you.
And go forward in confidence...
For the God that is Greater than you...
is your constant Companion."
I acted out the message with these and other gestures:
When I said "tall man," I held my hand out over my head, indicating a tall man.
When I said "short man," I held out my hand indicating a short man.
"Walking down the road together..."--I walked in place. And so on.
There was such an unction, such a powerful anointing in that word. It spoke directly to the hearts of the people. It broke the Spirit of Fear off of them, and released them from worry.
If you remember that time, there was a great deal of concern, especially in Christian circles, over the possibility of all the computers in the world crashing on January 1, 2000. I knew in the natural, of course, that just about everybody was somewhat concerned about this possibility. And there was an overall bondage on the congregation because of that concern. But more than that, I knew by the revelation of the Spirit that there were five people, or five families, that were very worried over matters in their personal life. This word was directed more to them than anyone else. But this word, never-the-less, broke the Y2K worry and fear off of all of us. None of us were huddled down in a hole in the ground with food and guns when the clock struck midnight. We had been prepared. God had reminded us that He was with us. He is obviously bigger than Y2K, or anything else. So what is there to fear?
And being delivered from fear in that instant, then the Presence of God just filled the sanctuary.
When I finished the message in tongues I returned to my seat beside the pastor.
We waited a minute or two in silence. Then he turned to me and asked, "Would you mind if I change the order of the service? We can schedule another time for you to minister."
I said, "Go ahead and go with what you have in your heart."
He sent the Associate Pastor forward to give the announcements, but he never got to give them. He said something so beautiful. He said to the people, "You know, one of the names of God literally means, 'the Lord is there,' and He is, isn't He? Wherever we go, there He is."
With that added comment, the Presence of God got so strong in there, that the announcements were forgotten.
Everything was forgotten.
When He gets so strong in a room, all you can do is just worship Him. So we continued worshipping God for another thirty minutes or so. Then the Pastor went to the pulpit, taught the people a little bit about the move of God we had just experienced, and then turned to me and asked me if I had any more from the Lord.
I gave another couple of quick messages in tongues and interpreted them. Then we closed the service. I don't remember if we even received the offering or not. When God gets that strong in your midst, you don't care about anything but Him.
I got to preach my sermon the next Sunday night, and it bombed.
I bombed. ( lol ) :)
But I didn't care!
Now the reason I told you that long story is to get across to you an example of the difference between a believer prophesying and a prophet prophesying. The pastor that night sensed no anointing to prophesy. And indeed, there wasn't any anointing to prophesy from the congregational level, or from the pastor's office. But my, oh, my! There was a strong anointing to prophesy from the office of the prophet. I yielded to it. It proved real, bore good fruit, and we were all set free by the power of God that night.
Do not misunderstand me and think that I am discouraging prophecy from the congregational level, or in other words, disciples or believers prophesying. I'm not discouraging it at all. I simply want you to understand that it operates at a much lesser intensity of anointing from the congregational level. And without proper training and oversight, members of the congregation can experience what the disciples did at Tyre. They can indeed pick up something in their spirits from the Spirit of God, and can very easily draw absolutely the wrong conclusions from what they perceive, and be almost completely wrong in what they prophesy.
Kenneth Hagin estimated that the strength of anointing he experienced in prophesying from the office of the prophet was probably about 100 times stronger than what most believers are used in.
I agree.
The last lesson I want us to learn from Agabus is that his prophecy did not tell Paul anything new. It did not tell Paul something of which he was completely unaware. It merely confirmed what Paul was already understanding in his own heart from the Spirit of God.
Why did God send Agabus from Judea to Caesarea to merely "confirm" what Paul already knew?
There wasn't anything "mere" about it.
Paul was about to enter into the persecution and abuse that would in time lead to his martyrdom. This word brought him comfort in the loneliness of his imprisonment, in the discomfort, in the ridicule, and in being later abandoned by all but one or two of his staff ministers. It reinforced to Paul the fact that he was in the center of God's perfect will, and assured him therefore, that God would be with him in all the struggles, and that God would see him through the suffering into Glory.
In other words, God would accompany Paul "around the bend in the road," in the same way that 2,000 years later He assured us that He would do with us.
Such prophetic confirmations can serve to keep you steady through difficult times, and help you to stand strong against temptations.
I have never had a genuine prophecy given to me by a genuine prophet that was absolutely new to me.
Never.
And in the hundreds of messages in tongues and interpretations, or prophecies the Lord has given me to speak out to people, I don't know of a single one that was a complete surprise to the hearer.
Not one.
Sister Goodwin prophesied to me, but the overall message she gave, I had already known in my own heart for many years. It simply served to confirm to me what I knew the Lord wanted. Now there were a couple of elements, or a detail or two in the prophecy that were new, but it wasn't a prophecy that just took me by complete suprise.
Brother Hagin used to say, "If I give you a word, and it doesn't confirm what you already sense in your spirit--FORGET IT! I can miss it. I have missed it."
I agree.
Although there were numerous prophecies spoken in the Old Testament which took the hearers by surprise, I can find no New Testament example of one.
We Learn From Agabus:
Speak only what the Lord has revealed.
Do not add in our own conclusions or opinions.
Do not make decisions for other people.
Prophecy that flows through a true prophet will be more strongly anointed than that which flows through believers. Never-the-less it is perfectly legitimate for a non-Prophet to prophesy.
Although a minor detail or two may be new, the vast majority of prophecies and their content should serve mostly to confirm to the hearer what he or she already knows or suspects the Lord is telling them.
Copyright 2006 Mel C. Montgomery All rights reserved. Material may be copied and shared with others if done so in entirety, free of charge, and if attribution is given.
by Mel C. Montgomery
The manner in which Agabus the prophet ministered prophetically can teach us much about genuine prophetic ministry.
Paul was making his final rounds of some of the churches he had founded, and his goal was to complete this journey and be at Jerusalem by Pentecost. From Miletus, Paul sent to the Elders at Ephesus, and asked them to come to him. When they arrived, Paul told them some things and I want us to note a couple of his comments:
"And now, behold, I go bound in the Spirit unto Jerusalem, not knowing the things that shall befall me there: Save that the Holy Ghost witnesses in every city, saying that bonds and afflictions abide me. "
Paul said that in every city, the Holy Ghost witnessed that bonds and afflictions lay ahead for him. How did the Holy Ghost "witness" to Paul this fact? He did so by flowing through various believers, giving prophecies and messages in tongues and in the interpretation of tongues, telling Paul that "bonds and afflictions" awaited him. Please note in the next verse, Paul's attitude to the suffering that lay ahead:
"But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I may finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the Gospel of the grace of God. And now, behold, I know that ye all among whom I have gone preaching the kingdom of God, shall see my face no more..." Acts 20:22-25.
Paul knew this was his last missionary journey. He told them, "I know that ye all...shall see my face no more." He knew that whatever lay ahead, there was no coming back. He was saying his final goodbyes to his beloved Christian brethren. And he faced his future with the boldness of a lion.
Note in Acts Chapter 21, what happened when he arrived in Tyre:
Vs. 4: "And finding disciples, we tarried there seven days: who said to Paul through the Spirit that he should not go up to Jerusalem."
Paul had said that in every city "the Holy Ghost witnessed," to him. And here in Tyre, disciples "said...through the Spirit..." Here too, several Christians either prophesied to Paul, or gave messages in tongues and in the interpretation of tongues. And these messages went a step further, than those that occurred in other cities up to this time. These utterances told Paul that he should not go to Jerusalem at all.
From Tyre, Paul and his travelling companions went to Caesarea. When they arrived there, they ran into more prophecies:
Vs. 8: "And the next day we that were of Paul's company departed, and came unto Caesarea: and we entered into the house of Phillip the Evangelist, which was one of the seven, and we abode with him."
Vs. 9: "And the same man had four daughters, virgins, which did prophesy."
What they specifically prophesied to or around Paul, we do not know.
Up to this point in the narrative, we see example after example of what we would call ordinary believers, "lay people" as some would term them, prophesying to Paul and/or giving him messages through tongues and the interpretaiton of tongues.
I find Paul's response to these prophecies to be most interesting: as far as we know, he had no response to them at all. He didn't agree or disagree with them. He didn't say that they were true prophecies or false prophecies.
After the prophecies of Phillip's daughters, we are given the example of prophecy operating on a higher order, through an experienced and established full-fledged prophet from Judea by the name of Agabus. It was quite dramatic:
Vs. 10: "And as we tarried there many days, there came down from Judea a certain prophet, named Agabus."
Vs. 11: "And when he was come to us, he took Paul's girdle, and bound his own hands and feet, and said, Thus saith the Holy Ghost, So shall the Jews at Jerusalem bind the man that owns this girdle, and shall deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles."
Now observe closely:
Vs. 12: "And when we heard these things, both we, and they of that place, besought him not to go up to Jerusalem."
Who "besought" Paul not to go up to Jerusalem?
"...both we..."--Luke and Paul's companions.
"...and they of that place..."--Phillip the Evangelist, his prophesying daughters, and local Christians.
Who said nothing?
Agabus the prophet.
You see, Agabus had "came down from Judea." He was not one of the local Christians, and he was not a part of Paul's travelling company. So the Bible does not include him among those who urged Paul not to go to Jerusalem.
Agabus had come to Caesarea apparently for the specific purpose of giving Paul this word through prophecy, or through tongues and interpretation. And he acted it out like the Goodwins did countless times, and like I have done many times also.
Everyone said, "Paul! Don't Go!"
Everyone, but Agabus.
He said nothing.
Why?
Because the Holy Spirit was not telling Paul to avoid Jerusalem. It was God's will for Paul to go to Jerusalem at this time. And in this prophecy through Agabus, the Holy Spirit was simply telling Paul what awaited him at Jerusalem.
Now, those not familiar with how the Holy Spirit flows in the Gift of Prophecy, assume that Paul made a mistake by ignoring this word and going to Jerusalem.
No, Paul did not make a mistake.
You have to remember what the Lord told Paul when He first called him into the ministry after Paul's blinding experience on the road to Damascus. The Lord sent a disciple named Ananias to go minister healing to Paul. And the Lord said to Ananias:
"...go your way: for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the Children of Israel. For I will show him what great things he must suffer for my name's sake." Acts 9:15,16.
All believers suffer persecution and affliction to a certain extent in their Christian walk. However, a frequent part of true Apostolic ministry is the ministry of suffering. For instance, of the original eleven remaining apostles, no two died in the same place, and all were crucified, tortured, or painfully killed except for John who was imprisoned on the Isle of Patmos and eventually died a natural death later.
Recently I read an article about an Apostle in China. He has been imprisoned and beaten countless times. Yet, inspite of all of the persecutions and afflictions, he has helped to start several thousand undergound churches throughout China. Like Paul, this Apostle is fulfilling the ministry of suffering that often goes with the Apostle's office. Like Paul, he can say of the beatings and the scars,
"...I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus..." Gal. 6:17.
Or as the Amplified Bible translates it:
"...for I bear on my body the brand marks of the Lord Jesus, [the wounds, scars and other outward evidence of persecutions]--These testify to His ownership of me!"
Suffering had been a frequent occurrance throughout all of Paul's ministry. He wrote of his previous sufferings:
"of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one. Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep; In journeyings often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by mine own countrymen, in perils by the heathen , in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; In weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness."--II Cor. 11:24-27.
Paul was well acquainted with suffering. All of the Apostles were. Christ had told Paul that he would suffer, on a level far beyond what most Christians suffer, as a part of his Apostolic calling.
It was revealed to Agabus by the Holy Spirit that additonal suffering lay ahead for Paul. And he wisely said ONLY what God had inspired him to say, and he drew no conclusions from it as to whether Paul was to go or not go.
The disciples at Tyre had "said to Paul through the Spirit that he should not go up to Jerusalem." Quite a difference between their prophecies and the one given by Agabus.
They said, "Paul, don't go!"
Agabus said simply, "This is what lies ahead of you."
The disciples at Tyre were right in what they perceived, but wrong in what they concluded from it. They assumed that the Holy Spirit had given them this word for Paul so that they could warn him away from danger. But the Holy Spirit wasn't warning Paul away from danger. He simply sent Agabus to confirm to Paul, what Paul already knew in his own spirit: bonds and afflictions are ahead for me.
The disciples at Tyre crossed a line that Agabus did not cross, and that must not be crossed in genuine prophetic ministry: Agabus told Paul what the Holy Ghost said, but he did not tell Paul what to do about it. He left it up to Paul to seek the Lord's direction in prayer on his own.
Additional prayer was not necessary though for Paul already knew in his heart what lay ahead, and he had already made up his mind what he was going to do about it. Read Paul's response to those who urged him to turn aside and avoid the suffering that lay ahead:
"Then Paul answered, What mean ye to weep and to break mine heart? for I am ready not to be bound only, but also to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus."--Acts 21:13.
Had Paul heeded the prophecies given to him by believers at Tyre, and the urgings of the believers at Caesarea, he would have gotten completely out of God's will.
He might never have been arrested, and eventually brought before kings to testify of Jesus Christ. And with Paul cowering away from suffering, many other Christians in that day when faced with suffering might also have compromised their testimony. But because Paul knew suffering was coming, and he met it head-on in the courage and strength of God, other believers were inspired to likewise meet their fates with the same courage. And thus the Christian faith spread throughout the known world in only a generation or two.
Nero, the other Caesars, and other persecutors found they could not beat Christianity out of the Christians, neither could he burn it out of them. And that same group of Christians look over the banister of Heaven at us today, cheering us on in the challenges we face.
Glory to God.
Much, much, much can be learned from the way Agabus handled this 'word' and the way believers in Tyre handled it.
Allow me to give you an example from my own ministry.
About 15 years ago, God gave me an experience.
I was sitting at my kitchen table, getting ready to read the morning newspaper when the Holy Ghost showed me something.
In a vision, I saw a woman from the Church I was attending. Let's say her name was Lucy. Lucy stood before me, and the Holy Ghost said, "Tell her, I am the Healer of the breach, and the Restorer of paths to dwell in." That was drawn from the Scripture:
"...and you shall be called, The repairer of the breach, The restorer of paths to dwell in."--Isa. 58:12
I started to put this off. I did not know this woman well. I had attended at this church for only a few weeks. I had seen her at church services several times, and had shaken her hand, but had had no conversations with her of any depth at all.
She was always well dressed, and seemed like she had it all together. I wondered what this "healer of the breach and restorer of paths to dwell in," could possibly mean to a woman who seemed to have everything.
But I knew the Holy Spirit had shown me this for a reason, and I needed to be faithful to share it with her. So I found her name in the phone book, and called her.
I told her, "Lucy, I'm don't know if you remember me or not, but I attend church with you."
She said, "Yes, I know you."
I said, "Ok. I don't know if this means anything to you or not, but I just had a vision about you. I saw you standing before me in this vision, and the Holy Spirit said, 'Tell her, I am the Healer of the Breach and the Restorer of paths to dwell in.' So, I wanted to pass that along to you, and ask you, does this mean anything to you?"
She began crying over the phone. Then she said, "Yes. That is very meaningful to me."
She continued, "You see Mel, you don't know this, but I am going through a divorce right now. My husband has cheated on me so many times, and I have forgiven him time and time again. But I have finally reached the point where I won't put up with this anymore."
"And this is costing me dearly, particularly financially. My husband makes far more money than I do. And I know by divorcing him, my income is going to drop dramatically. I am going to have to sell my house, because I can't afford the payments on my salary alone. Not only am I losing my marriage, but my standard of living is going to drop dramatically."
"Before you called, I took a walk around the block. And on the outside, I was silent, but on the inside, I was screaming out to God. I said, 'God, I know I can get through this if I can know that the things I am losing today will be restored to me some day.' So for God to tell me, 'I am the Healer of the breach and the Restorer of paths to dwell in,' that lets me know that God knows what I am going through, and that one day He will restore all that I have lost."
Now, here is where the temptation came in. Here is where the disciples at Tyre crossed a line that Agabus refused to cross, and that I refuse to cross.
Lucy said, "I have the divorce papers laying on the table before me. All I have to do is sign them, and they become final. Do you think I should sign them? Or do you think that God is going to restore my husband and marriage to me?"
I replied, "Lucy, I won't go there. I won't make a decision for you. You need to get alone with God, and pray until you get your direction from Him as to what you are to do. All I know is, that whatever happens, God is going to heal and restore your life."
She said, "Thank you." And the conversation ended.
I can not remember the specific details now, but I know I left that church very shortly after that, and I didn't get a chance to see or talk to Lucy again. I didn't know what her decision was.
About a year later, I was in one of the government buildings downtown. As I walked across the lobby, the elevators opened, and Lucy stepped out.
And she was glowing!
I went up to her, and I said, "What has happened to you?"
She said, "After our conversation, I went ahead and signed the divorce papers. And some time after that, I met a Christian man. A real Christian man. The kind of man I wished my husband had been. We have dated for quite awhile. And he loves me, and he loves my daughter. And I was just upstairs getting a marriage license. We are going to be married soon."
And I said, "Well Lucy, He is the Healer of the breach and the Restorer of paths to dwell in isn't He?"
She said, "He sure is." She and this brother married, and the last I heard of them they were very happy. To God be the Glory.
Prophetic ministry, when it is genuine, and when the opinions of men are not mixed in with it, can minister great strength and encouragement to those going through difficult times. But when it is polluted by the ideas of men, it can become absolutely toxic. It can do far more harm than good.
Before we leave the story of Agabus, I want us to notice learn two more lessons from him.
One lesson is this:
Just because you have a few prophecies, does not make you a prophet in God's eyes.
There has come forth an erroneous teaching in recent years in Charismatic circles, which claims that there is no longer an office of the prophet, just believers all prophesying equally.
Nonsense.
We see that the Bible make clear distincitions in this incident:
In Tyre, "disciples... said through the Spirit..."
In Caesarea, Phillip had four daughters, "...which did prophesy."
Then, "...there came down from Judea a certain prophet, named Agabus."
The Bible does not identify the disciples at Tyre as prophets. Nor does it state that Phillip's daughters were prophets. These prophesied, but they were not full-fledged prophets. Agabus, however, was specifically identified and called "a prophet."
Every born-again, Spirit-filled believer can potentially be used in the gift of prophecy. But that does not mean that they stand in the office of a prophet. Every believer can similarly be used to lead others to Christ, but that does not indicate that they stand in the office of the Evangelist.
When Christ arose from the dead and ascended to the Father, He set in place specific ministry offices:
"And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers..." Eph. 4:11.
One of the most devestating occurrances to ever occur in modern Christianity took place in the 1990's in Charismatic Churches. There was a gross over-emphasis on personal prophecy in those years. The Holy Spirit would use a believer in prophecy, once or twice, and those around them would foolishly tell them, "See? You're a prophet! You need to go out and prophesy to the world."
So that poor believer would hang out his shingle, "John Smith, Prophet at Large," and would prophesy over anything and everyone in sight. Such believers then began writing books, "How to Be a Prophet," "How to Prophesy," basically trying to teach, "How to be a prophet in five easy lessons!" They held "prophetic conventions, " and "prophetic conferences." They started "Prophetic churches," and "Prophetic Networks." And almost all of it was simply the blind leading the blind. And what did our Lord say would happen if the blind lead the blind? "They shall both fall into the ditch." And that "New Prophetic Move," did indeed fall into the ditch. Churches were wrecked, lives were shattered, and erroneous teachings went forth which we are still struggling to dig ourselves out of!
The disciples at Tyre prophesied. It was not false prophecy per se. It was genuine leadings of the Lord run amok. It was everybody and his brother prophesying at the drop of a hat. And it was wrong. And all of Christianity in that day would have been devestated had Paul listened to any of it.
I heard Brother Hagin relate a similar story from his own life. Back in the 1940's and 1950's during the Healing Revival, the Lord spoke to him. There were dozens and dozens of Healing Evangelists--Oral Roberts, A.A. Allen, Jack Coe, etc.,--criscrossing the country, preaching from giant tents. The Lord told Brother Hagin specifically, "Don't you do that. Stay in the churches." So Brother Hagin ministered from church to church.
Yet everywhere Brother Hagin went, he was met with Christians prophesying to him, or speaking messages to him through tongues and interpretation of tongues, telling him that he too was to get a tent and start preaching from it. He said, "I don't mean that it happened just one time. Everywhere I went, every city, for years--there would be at least one believer prophesy to me or give a message in tongues in which they told me to get a tent."
Did he buy a tent?
No.
You might say, "But the prophecies told him to! Everywhere he went! For years!"
Yes, but the Lord had already told him not to.
Were these "false prophecies?"
Not in the sense of being from the Devil. You just had alot of inexperienced and unknowledgable believers, feeling a little bit of inspiration, and standing up and saying, "Thus saith the Lord!...Buy a tent!"
Yes, that was the direction of the Lord for many Healing Evangelists in that day.
No, it was not the Lord's direction for Brother Hagin.
So when someone would prophesy that to Brother Hagin, he would just smile to the one giving him the message, and then toss aside the "prophecy," and never give it another thought.
Had he gotten a tent, he would have been as completely out of God's will as Paul would have been if he had listened to the prophecies of some of his day, and avoided Jerusalem.
Did you notice that neither Paul nor his seasoned ministry companions had any reactions to these prophecies?
Paul was just smiling, and tossing aside those prophecies, just like Brother Hagin did. You see, the Lord Jesus Christ had already told him years before that suffering would be a regular part of his apostolic calling.
These instances were also examples of prophecy operating on a lesser level, so to speak, from the congregational level.
Notice the difference though when Agabus ministered to Paul through the full prophetic office. There was such an unction in his words, that immediately ALL of the assembled Christians, including seasoned ministers, reacted strongly.
Prophecy, when it operates through everyday believers, can be a real blessing. But when it comes through an actual Prophet--it carries a much greater intensity of anointing and authority.
I've seen the difference as I have observed, for instance, Kenneth Hagin or Kenneth Copeland prophesy. There is something much stronger in their prophecies, than in the prophecies that you hear from most believers.
I've experienced the difference myself.
In my home church where I ministered some years ago, the pastor and several others were occasionally used in prophecy or in tongues. What they flowed in was real. But when, not just prophecy, but the full office of the prophet would come upon me, the difference was quite substantial.
I was scheduled to minister on a Sunday night. As I drove to the Church, the prophet's office began to manifest in me. I knew exactly what the Lord wanted to say to the people that night. The Lord revealed to me that there were several people in the congregation that were deeply worried about matters in their lives, and worried specifically about the future. And He wanted to speak to them about the future, and assure their hearts that He would see them throuogh whatever came.
As the praise and worship began, I was seated next to my pastor since I was the guest speaker that night. Although I was scheduled to teach that night, I knew that the way they structured their services would quench the anointing in me if I wasn't careful. After praise and worship, they always had a bunch of announcements, received the offering, and then introduced the guest speaker.
I knew if they went through all that, the prophet's anointing on me would lift before I ever got the chance to speak. So as the music played, I leaned over to the pastor and said, "I have a word from the Lord. Would it be alright for me to give it at the end of praise and worship?" And for just a moment, I saw a look of doubt move across his face.
Why?
Because he too was used from time to time in utterances. But he was called to be a pastor and a teacher. He did not have a specific calling in the area of the prophet like I do. So I knew he doubted for a moment, because he didn't sense any unction within himself to prophesy at that time. And it was therefore only natural for him to wonder for a minute whether I really had a "word" or not. But we knew each other well, and I had ministered in the Spirit there several times. So he gave me the benefit of the doubt and said, "Yes, go ahead and give it at the end of praise and worship."
As I have written in this post and in others, God uses me in an unusual combination of speaking in tongues, interpreting the message, and acting out the gist of the message.
Is this Scriptural?
Certainly.
We have already seen the account of Agabus acting out a prophecy by taking Paul's girdle, binding his own hands and feet, and so on.
In Hosea 12:10 (Amp). the Lord says:
"I have also spoken to you by the prophets, and I have multiplied visions [for you], and [have appealed to you] through parables acted out by the prophets."
I had never seen a prophet act out a prophecy or a parable, until I saw Sister Goodwin minister. After learning from her for several years, she laid her hands on me and the same anointing began to flow through me.
I did not, and I do not, choose to act these out in some kind of fleshly way in order to make it more dramatic, or to crave the attention of men. To do so would grieve the Spirit of God, and He would cease using me at all in utterances. No, from the moment that anointing came into me, the tongues, interpretations, and gestures have all been wrapped up together. It came as a "package deal," I guess you might say.
So when praise and worship ended, I stepped forward and turned on my portable tie microphone.
And I waited.
You see, I can not prophesy at will.
Neither can anyone else.
I knew what the Lord wanted to say, but I had to wait for the unction to speak it out. In a few seconds, that unction came.
This word flowed through me in a church service in my home church towards the end of 1999. Through tongues and interpretation, I began to speak and act out this parable. The word was along these lines:
"Just as with a tall man...
And a short man...
Walking down the road together.
And the short man looks down the road,
and he is afraid...
Because there is a bend in the road...
and he can not see around the bend in the road.
And the short man says, 'I am afriad...
For I can not see around the bend in the road.'
And the Tall man says,
'Behold, I am Tall.
And I can see around the bend in the road.'
Thus saith the Lord,
I am that Tall Man to you.
You can not see around the bend in the road of life...
But I can.
I can see things that you can not see.
And I can tell you this,
There is nothing around the bend of the road...
That is bigger than Me.
For you know not your future,
But I do.
And some would worry,
What shall I do?
What shall I face in the future?
What shall become of me?
What about my job?
What about my family?
What about my health?
What about the year 2000?
Know this, Saith God, that I am with you...
so there is no need for fear.
All that the future holds...
The victories and the challenges...
We will walk through them together.
For did I not say unto thee...
I will never leave thee nor forsake thee?
You do not walk this road alone.
So roll the cares of the future over onto Me.
You are not sufficient for them, but I am.
Lift not the burdens that are not yours to carry.
Release the future unto Me.
Fear no evil, for I am with you.
And go forward in confidence...
For the God that is Greater than you...
is your constant Companion."
I acted out the message with these and other gestures:
When I said "tall man," I held my hand out over my head, indicating a tall man.
When I said "short man," I held out my hand indicating a short man.
"Walking down the road together..."--I walked in place. And so on.
There was such an unction, such a powerful anointing in that word. It spoke directly to the hearts of the people. It broke the Spirit of Fear off of them, and released them from worry.
If you remember that time, there was a great deal of concern, especially in Christian circles, over the possibility of all the computers in the world crashing on January 1, 2000. I knew in the natural, of course, that just about everybody was somewhat concerned about this possibility. And there was an overall bondage on the congregation because of that concern. But more than that, I knew by the revelation of the Spirit that there were five people, or five families, that were very worried over matters in their personal life. This word was directed more to them than anyone else. But this word, never-the-less, broke the Y2K worry and fear off of all of us. None of us were huddled down in a hole in the ground with food and guns when the clock struck midnight. We had been prepared. God had reminded us that He was with us. He is obviously bigger than Y2K, or anything else. So what is there to fear?
And being delivered from fear in that instant, then the Presence of God just filled the sanctuary.
When I finished the message in tongues I returned to my seat beside the pastor.
We waited a minute or two in silence. Then he turned to me and asked, "Would you mind if I change the order of the service? We can schedule another time for you to minister."
I said, "Go ahead and go with what you have in your heart."
He sent the Associate Pastor forward to give the announcements, but he never got to give them. He said something so beautiful. He said to the people, "You know, one of the names of God literally means, 'the Lord is there,' and He is, isn't He? Wherever we go, there He is."
With that added comment, the Presence of God got so strong in there, that the announcements were forgotten.
Everything was forgotten.
When He gets so strong in a room, all you can do is just worship Him. So we continued worshipping God for another thirty minutes or so. Then the Pastor went to the pulpit, taught the people a little bit about the move of God we had just experienced, and then turned to me and asked me if I had any more from the Lord.
I gave another couple of quick messages in tongues and interpreted them. Then we closed the service. I don't remember if we even received the offering or not. When God gets that strong in your midst, you don't care about anything but Him.
I got to preach my sermon the next Sunday night, and it bombed.
I bombed. ( lol ) :)
But I didn't care!
Now the reason I told you that long story is to get across to you an example of the difference between a believer prophesying and a prophet prophesying. The pastor that night sensed no anointing to prophesy. And indeed, there wasn't any anointing to prophesy from the congregational level, or from the pastor's office. But my, oh, my! There was a strong anointing to prophesy from the office of the prophet. I yielded to it. It proved real, bore good fruit, and we were all set free by the power of God that night.
Do not misunderstand me and think that I am discouraging prophecy from the congregational level, or in other words, disciples or believers prophesying. I'm not discouraging it at all. I simply want you to understand that it operates at a much lesser intensity of anointing from the congregational level. And without proper training and oversight, members of the congregation can experience what the disciples did at Tyre. They can indeed pick up something in their spirits from the Spirit of God, and can very easily draw absolutely the wrong conclusions from what they perceive, and be almost completely wrong in what they prophesy.
Kenneth Hagin estimated that the strength of anointing he experienced in prophesying from the office of the prophet was probably about 100 times stronger than what most believers are used in.
I agree.
The last lesson I want us to learn from Agabus is that his prophecy did not tell Paul anything new. It did not tell Paul something of which he was completely unaware. It merely confirmed what Paul was already understanding in his own heart from the Spirit of God.
Why did God send Agabus from Judea to Caesarea to merely "confirm" what Paul already knew?
There wasn't anything "mere" about it.
Paul was about to enter into the persecution and abuse that would in time lead to his martyrdom. This word brought him comfort in the loneliness of his imprisonment, in the discomfort, in the ridicule, and in being later abandoned by all but one or two of his staff ministers. It reinforced to Paul the fact that he was in the center of God's perfect will, and assured him therefore, that God would be with him in all the struggles, and that God would see him through the suffering into Glory.
In other words, God would accompany Paul "around the bend in the road," in the same way that 2,000 years later He assured us that He would do with us.
Such prophetic confirmations can serve to keep you steady through difficult times, and help you to stand strong against temptations.
I have never had a genuine prophecy given to me by a genuine prophet that was absolutely new to me.
Never.
And in the hundreds of messages in tongues and interpretations, or prophecies the Lord has given me to speak out to people, I don't know of a single one that was a complete surprise to the hearer.
Not one.
Sister Goodwin prophesied to me, but the overall message she gave, I had already known in my own heart for many years. It simply served to confirm to me what I knew the Lord wanted. Now there were a couple of elements, or a detail or two in the prophecy that were new, but it wasn't a prophecy that just took me by complete suprise.
Brother Hagin used to say, "If I give you a word, and it doesn't confirm what you already sense in your spirit--FORGET IT! I can miss it. I have missed it."
I agree.
Although there were numerous prophecies spoken in the Old Testament which took the hearers by surprise, I can find no New Testament example of one.
We Learn From Agabus:
Speak only what the Lord has revealed.
Do not add in our own conclusions or opinions.
Do not make decisions for other people.
Prophecy that flows through a true prophet will be more strongly anointed than that which flows through believers. Never-the-less it is perfectly legitimate for a non-Prophet to prophesy.
Although a minor detail or two may be new, the vast majority of prophecies and their content should serve mostly to confirm to the hearer what he or she already knows or suspects the Lord is telling them.
Copyright 2006 Mel C. Montgomery All rights reserved. Material may be copied and shared with others if done so in entirety, free of charge, and if attribution is given.
Broken things - broken relationships
I like to fix broken things which are dear to people. I develop creativity in how to do it nicely and enjoy the work. Is there a similiar way to enjoy fixing broken relationships? The things broke by accident, but did the relationships break by accident?
People make mistakes, but they also have misguided motivations.
I get very frustrated when the communication doesn't work. Not always people want a healthy relation. The appropriate relationship might be to stop relating.
People make mistakes, but they also have misguided motivations.
I get very frustrated when the communication doesn't work. Not always people want a healthy relation. The appropriate relationship might be to stop relating.
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