It is also important to note in the account of the prophets’ sons and the ax head that what they lost was something that was borrowed. This must mean that the prophets depended on the prophetic provisions of the Lord. The sons of the prophets must have been poor. Regardless of the status quo economically, or if you are in ministry, business, have a church, or are building, you must understand that God is going to provide for you. You will get your edge back and be sharper than you have ever been before. Even though you may not have the finances to finish what you have started, if it’s a God vision, then God will provide the provision.
There is a saying of mine, “If it is God’s will, then it is God’s bill.” In other words, if God said it through His prophetic voice, then it’s God’s invoice. This is the season that God is going to provide supernaturally the resources that are needed for you to continue that which you have been building, and you will get your restoration.
Prophetic words of knowledge, wisdom, and discerning of spirits can identify people, places, and things that may have caused us to lose heart and our edge. The prophetic gifting can target with bull’s-eye precision to bring us back to the place where we fell and cause us to get our footing again.
We see this in the biblical account. The sons of the prophet took Elisha to the place where the man lost his edge (ax head). The prophet Elisha asked the sons of the prophet, “Where did the axe head fall?” and he showed him where it fell in the water Jordan. Elisha showed them all how to trust in the God of heaven, the provider of all, and demonstrated with an on-the-job lesson, as Jesus did with His twelve disciples in regard to the five loaves of bread and two fish, which supernaturally fed five thousand, including women and children. The prophet Elisha cut a stick and threw it in the water where the ax head fell, and the iron floated to the top of the River Jordan supernaturally.
God is going to prophesy to you and will ask you where you have fallen or where you have lost your prophetic cutting edge, fire, passion, identity, calling, burden, and godly zeal. Then He will send His word to find, bring, and cause you to experience restoration, and you will float back up to the top. I believe that you will get your edge back and be on the prophetic cutting edge of what God is doing, like the sons of Issachar.
PROPHECY
I prophesy to you in this season and seasons to come that you will connect with true prophets and apostles who have the word of the Lord resident in them to help bring you into the place of destiny and prophetic fulfillment. I speak prophetically to every leader and Holy Spirit–filled believer that has started something, whether it’s a building project, ministry endeavors, business, music, entertainment, government, arts, commerce, family, or in any areas of society. Know that with God all things are possible.
This is the season of the second wind to come to you and give you momentum. Don’t lose your edge, but be on the prophetic cutting edge! It’s a season to find seasoned men and women in your area of ministry, business, or field that are new and different types of irons (people) that will sharpen your edge and will cause you not to be irrelevant in your generation. It is not time to be dull but sharp again. Not only will you will be restored and redeemed back to the place of kingdom advancement and work, but you will be able to prophesy to others, restoring their lives.
It is time to prophesy and speak decrees of blessings over your life and area of influence. Do not wait for a prophet like Elisha to come and restore things prophetically in your life. You have the Holy Spirit, and you all can prophesy the will of the Lord.
16 Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 2003), 852. See also Blue Letter Bible, s.v. “sakar” http://www.blueletterbible.org/lang/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?strongs=H7939
17 Merriam-Webster Dictionary Online, s.v. “understanding,” http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/understanding (accessed May 27, 2013).
18 Old Testament Hebrew Lexicon, s.v. “6256,” BibleStudyTools.com (accessed May 27, 2013).
19 Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary and Thesaurus (Springfield, MA: Merriam Webster Inc., 2007), s.v. “fortunes,” “occurrence.”
20 Blue Letter Bible, s.v. “biynah,” www.blueletterbible.org/lang/lexicon/Lexicon.cfm?strongs=H998 (accessed June 4, 2013).
21 Blue Letter Bible, s.v. “y.da`,Åh www.blueletterbible.org/lang/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?strongs=H3046&t=KJV (accessed June 4, 2013).
22 Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary and Thesaurus, s.v. “know.”
23 Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance, s.v. “peh,” 6310. See also NAS Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible with Hebrew-Aramaic and Greek Dictionaries, Copyright © 1981, 1998 by The Lockman Foundation — All rights reserved — http://www.lockman.org; http://biblesuite.com/hebrew/6310.htm (accessed July 10, 2013).
Chapter Seven
YOU CAN ALL PROPHESY
For you can all prophesy one by one, that all may learn and all may be encouraged.
—1 CORINTHIANS 14:31, NKJV
AS I HAVE traveled across the country ministering in the prophetic, I have come across many people who are still puzzled, perplexed, and somewhat confused about prophecy, the gift of prophecy, the prophetic anointing, the spirit of prophecy, and prophetic teaching and preaching, as well as the office of the prophet. There are dozens of questions that I have to answer in regard to the difference of these prophetic administrations.
In the modern church, people who witness someone prophesying, someone working in miracles or as a healing evangelist or an apostle mistakenly but automatically assume they are a prophet. The prophetic ministry and gifts have been misunderstood for centuries. There are many books written on this subject that have been an aid in defining the role of the prophet in the church, in the world, and in the twenty-first century.
However, there are still denominations and religious organizations that still believe that there are not modern-day apostles and prophets because we have the Holy Spirit and the Bible. I totally disagree with that paradigm and belief system, because these two minister together, along with the other five-fold ministry offices, which are vitally essential to the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry and maturation of the many-membered organism in Christ, according to Ephesians 4:11–13.
PROPHETS, PROPHECY, AND PROPHETIC MINISTRY ARE GOD’S IDEAS
I have read dozens of books on these subjects. Some of them are great educational tools that will bring foundational truths to the prophetic work. A few of the books have been written by people who are not prophets or prophetic at all but cessationist theologians who deny the continuation of the ministry office of the apostles and prophets. Cessationists or charismatic (Pentecostal) cessationists hold the doctrine and view that there was a restoration of the gifts of the Spirit, like tongues and the baptism of the Holy Spirit, but refuse to believe the restoration of the governmental offices of apostles and prophets for today. They believe that it was only for the first-century church and that it has ceased, but I believe they are incorrect. If that were the case, then why are there still evangelists, pastors, and teachers? They believe those offices are still available today but feel apostles and prophets are not, essentially removing them from Scripture, though we were warned not to omit and add to the Word of God (Deut. 12:32).
Furthermore, many of their religious debates, arguments, and paradigms stem from John 16:13 and 1 Corinthians 13:8–10, which they interpret as saying that the charismatic gifts outlined in the Book of Acts and Paul’s letters in the first century were replaced by the Holy Canon of the New Testament Scripture. We have many different views and belief systems in regard to the restoration of the ministry of contemporary apostles and prophets of today. This type of view and doctrine is still prevalent in today’s church and among many denominations.
Sadly, these types of teachings cause many to deny present-day apostolic and prophetic leaders, therefore causing many to reject anyone who claims apostleship and the prophetic gift. I truly believe in the restoration of apostles and prophets today, as I have encountered the
benefit of receiving from those set, appointed, called, chosen, and sent by the Holy Spirit to equip the saints to do the work that they have been born to do. There are many church leaders today in the twenty-first century who hold to their own traditional and religious views as modern-day cessationists or charismatic cessationist. We need Holy Spirit–inspired believers who understand the importance of interpreting the Holy Scriptures, and more importantly, who understand that Scripture should not be interpreted using our own belief systems, schools of thought, or religious mind-sets and paradigms.
THE PROPHETIC IS GOD-BREATHED
Second Timothy 3:16–17 (NKJV) outlines that all Scriptures are given by inspiration of God.
All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.
The term given by inspiration of God is translated from the Greek word theopneustos, which literally means, “God-breathed.”24 In other words, God-inspired words are God’s creative breath, and all Scriptures are the byproduct of His will. Therefore, being God’s own utterance, the Bible is properly called the Word of God, which is prophetic in nature. The word of God given in prophecy is related, because when prophets and prophetically gifted individuals prophesy, even in part, they are ministering under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit and declaring the word of God.
Second Peter 1:20–21 says, “Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation of things. For prophecy never had its origin in the human will, but prophets, though human, spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.” When the true prophet of God speaks forth the word of God through prophecy it is God breathing on the hearer of the word. Second Peter 1:20–21 elaborates this divine truth and adds that none of what was given was the opinion, ideology, and concept of the writer or author of the Scriptures (verse 20) and that each writer involved in the production of the Holy Scriptures was “moved by” (NKJV, literally, “being borne along”) the Holy Spirit. It was the Holy Spirit at work in the author of the Holy Canon and not their own thoughts and paradigms.
The Scriptures that I will present throughout this book are for cross-referencing and for your own study time. Whatever your present belief system is in regard to this gifting and ministry, I will challenge you to have a noble Berean spirit and research the Scriptures with an open heart to get the full understanding and heart of God in regard to the prophetic, as it is a ministry of the Holy Spirit that is being restored for present and future generations to benefit from.
According to 1 Corinthians 14:31 (GW) says, “All of you can take your turns speaking what God has revealed. In that way, everyone will learn and be encouraged.” This passage of Scripture states that all who have the gift of prophecy or resident gift of prophecy can prophesy within the church so that all who hear will learn, be encouraged, edified, comforted, and strengthened. That is the purpose of the gift of prophecy being released in the congregation. This specific scripture is not saying that everyone in the church can prophesy at will but only designated to those who have the prophetic gifting.
THE PROPHETIC GIFT MUST BE GOVERNED BY LEADERSHIP
I have been in churches that were very gifted, like the church of Corinthians, who loved the gift of prophecy and tongues, but there was no order established when it came to prophets ministering one-by-one what God had revealed to them for the benefit of the church to be blessed and encouraged.
Paul endeavored to set the church in apostolic order when it came to the function of this gift. The Corinthian church was very charismatic but lacked order. He was governing and overseeing the operation of the moves of the spirit of prophecy there. Paul, being their spiritual father, established order so that all who heard would be instructed and built up in the gift of prophecy.
Moreover, during those times, they were living in what seemed to be the last days. There was much persecution and opposition, and they needed to be encouraged, edified, and comforted. The only hope was in Christ and in His promises to save them. Consequently, what God had revealed through His prophets and believers with the gift of prophecy was very important. The prophetic function was encouraging to the one who had the gift and also to the hearer of the divine utterance.
Colossians 2:2 (NLT) reveals the heart of the apostle Paul and his understanding of the mysteries of God being revealed through prophecy and divine messages:
I want them to be encouraged and knit together by strong ties of love. I want them to have complete confidence that they understand God’s mysterious plan, which is Christ himself.
We can see that prophecy will bring hearts together in love, unity, and establish a believer in complete confidence in God’s divine plan in a way that they understand. Prophecy that is being revealed by the Lord is God’s divine plan, which is Christ revealing Himself to an individual. In other words, when God is speaking to you through His word by prophetic utterance and dreams, visions, or encounters, Christ Himself is being revealed. Proverbs 20:12 (NKJV) says, “The hearing ear and the seeing eye, The LORD has made them both.” The Lord has created our ears and eyes for the purpose to see and hear, not only naturally but spiritually as well. So, we have the ability to hear and perceive (see) through our spiritual senses the voice of the Lord.
Any believer that has the Holy Spirit can and should be able to hear and see (perceive) the voice of God when He speaks to them personally. With that in mind, if a person can hear, see, feel, taste, and smell with their five human, natural senses, then in the spirit realm there are the same prophetic spiritual senses. If a believer can hear the voice of God personally, then they can speak prophetically corporately. Many people in the church have a problem hearing the voice of God, but once they learn how to hear the inner, small voice of the Lord, then the second problem that follows is confidence to speak for the Lord.
GOD SPEAKS IN VARIOUS WAYS
First Kings 19:11–12 (NKJV) says:
Then He said, “Go out, and stand on the mountain before the LORD.” And behold, the LORD passed by, and a great and strong wind tore into the mountains and broke the rocks in pieces before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake; and after the earthquake a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire; and after the fire a still small voice.
Elijah the prophet was accustomed to seeing and recognizing the signs, wonders, and miraculous power of God throughout his ministry. He was used to getting divine revelation from the Lord through the wind, earthquakes, and fire, but God decided to do something different. The Lord revealed Himself to the prophet in a small, still voice.
We must understand that God does speak through various ways and methods. Consequently, we can neither limit, nor put God in a box and think that He is going to speak or reveal Himself the same way all the time. God does bring revelation and answers to life circumstances and problems. I have discovered that when there is much confusion, turmoil, and many problems getting the best of me and I’m in search of an answer, it is best for me to stop what I am doing and get quiet before the Lord, and then He will speak to me by His small, still voice.
Have you ever looked for something and could not find it? Literally you searched everywhere for it, and when you calmed down and got quiet, you found the thing that you were looking for. It was right in front of you the whole time. This has happened to most of us. Likewise, God is always speaking and giving us answers to our problems. He speaks prophetically to us by His Spirit if we would just be still and know that He is God.
Moreover, people do hear the voice of God all the time, but recognizing it can be a challenge. Usually a person’s first instinct or “gut feeling” is usually the Lord speaking to them. One of the ways I’ve learned how to hear the voice of God is that usually His voice is a familiar voice and typically sounds like your own voice in your spirit. Have you eve
r had a conversation with yourself and answered yourself? We all have done that before (though if we do it out loud people will ask if we are talking to ourselves). But in all actuality you were having a conversation with the Holy Spirit and Jesus, the prophet’s voice on the inside of you.
We see there are some believers who can hear the voice of God but have trouble relaying what God is saying to others. Then we have those who don’t have a problem speaking what God is saying to others but refuse to hear what God is saying to them personally.
In his book called Spirit Talk, Hearing the Voice of God, Larry Randolph writes:
I believe the human conscience is in some ways synonymous with the voice of the Holy Spirit. This is apparent when you consider that the conscience of man is God’s implant—the oracle of right and wrong. Basically, conscience is a person’s inner awareness of conforming to the will of God or departing from it, resulting in a sense of what is correct and incorrect in one’s conduct or motives. Although, the term “conscience” does not appear in the Old Testament, the concept does.25
This reminds us of Romans 9:1–2 (NKJV), which says, “I tell the truth in Christ, I am not lying, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Spirit, that I have great sorrow and continual grief in my heart.” Paul was writing about the matters of a person’s conscience and stated that we as believers should be led by a holy, sanctified conscience as the Holy Spirit witnesses within our hearts. I believe there has to be a balance in discerning the voice of the Lord and speaking prophetically.
Born to Prophesy Page 11