Prophets in the Body

Rev 19:10 And I fell at his feet to worship him. But he said to me, "See that you do not do that! I am your fellow servant, and of your brethren who have the testimony of Jesus. Worship God! For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy."

Any prophetic word that does not testify of Jesus should be suspect. One must hear with the spirit and listen for that confirming assurance of the Holy Spirit that the word is True.

WHERE DO PROPHETS COME FROM?

1 Cor 12:18 But now God has set the members, each one of them, in the body just as He pleased.

ONLY God appoints His ministers and sets them in the Church. NO ONE has that right or authority except God.

HOW DOES THE PROPHETIC GIFTING WORK?

1 Cor 12:11 But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills.

God does this through the agency of His Holy Spirit in each case in the way He sees fit. It is NEVER our place to decide which gift to use or when or how it should be applied.

WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF THE PROPHETIC GIFTING?

Eph 4:7 But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ's gift.

Eph 4:11-13 And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ;

Each ministry gift to the Church is given and appointed by God alone and each is subject to Him. What each person may accomplish in ministry is at the direction of God alone and not subject to our efforts. There are clear and unchangeable purposes for each ministry gift. These purposes are: equipping of the Saints for the work of the ministry and edification (building up) of the body of Christ. These are for the expressed purpose of bringing the body into unity of the faith, the knowledge of the Son of God causing it to be perfect (whole, mature, entire) reaching the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ. In other words, the results expected of these ministries is to make His presence and personality visible on the Earth.

HOW ARE WE TO DEAL WITH PROPHECIES?

1 Th 5:20 Do not despise prophecies.

1 Cor 14:5 I wish you all spoke with tongues, but even more that you prophesied; for he who prophesies is greater than he who speaks with tongues, unless indeed he interprets, that the church may receive edification.

1 Cor 14:24 But if all prophesy, and an unbeliever or an uninformed person comes in, he is convinced by all, he is convicted by all.

1 Cor 14:25 And thus the secrets of his heart are revealed; and so, falling down on his face, he will worship God and report that God is truly among you.

1 Th 5:21 Test all things; hold fast what is good.

1 John 4:1 Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world.

PROPHETIC GIFTING IN OPERATION IN THE ASSEMBLY

1 Cor 14:26 How is it then, brethren? Whenever you come together, each of you has a psalm, has a teaching, has a tongue, has a revelation, has an interpretation. Let all things be done for edification.

1 Cor 14:3 But he who prophesies speaks edification and exhortation and comfort to men.

1 Cor 14:29 Let two or three prophets speak, and let the others judge.

The working of the Holy Spirit is always for our good. He will never be out of order or contentious or demeaning. He will always build up, exhort (correct, reprove, chasten, instruct) and bring comfort to the hearers. It is our part to hear and receive His ministry in
loving submission once we have judged the word if it really is from the Holy Spirit.

HOW WILL A TRUE PROPHET ACT?

1 Cor 14:37 If anyone thinks himself to be a prophet or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things which I write to you are the commandments of the Lord.

Luke 4:24 Then He said, "Assuredly, I say to you, no prophet is accepted in his own country.

Luke 13:33 "Nevertheless I must journey today, tomorrow, and the day following; for it cannot be that a prophet should perish outside of Jerusalem.

A true prophet will exhibit the humility that yields to the Headship of Christ alone and the leadership of the Holy Spirit alone. No true prophet will assert authority on his/her own account. The true humility of Christ is the hallmark of any true minister of God.

WHAT DO PROPHETS DO?

Acts 11:27,28 And in these days prophets came from Jerusalem to Antioch. Then one of them, named Agabus, stood up and showed by the Spirit that there was going to be a great famine throughout all the world, which also happened in the days of Claudius Caesar.

Acts 15:32 Now Judas and Silas, themselves being prophets also, exhorted and strengthened the brethren with many words.

A true prophet will speak of things to come and they will occur. They will preach the gospel and minister with great effect to those to whom they are sent by the Holy Spirit, always and only as the Spirit wills.

WHAT ABOUT THE "OFFICE" OF PROPHET?

Eph 2:10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.

We all have a specified walk to travel with the Holy Spirit as we walk in the works the Father has prepared beforehand for each of us. As we saw earlier, there are ministries given as "gifts" to the Church; these "gifts" are: Apostles, Prophets, Evangelists, Pastors and Teachers. There are also gifts of ministry in governments, helps, etc. God has provided everything necessary for the proper functioning and provision of His body.

Eph 4:7 But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ's gift.

Eph 4:11-13 And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ;

These ministries are the lowest place in the body…the foundation next to Jesus the Chief Cornerstone. They are the weight bearing stones in the structure that is being built up into a habitation of God. All other stones are being placed above these and depend on them and Christ for the stability and integrity of the structure.

These stones MUST be as completely yielded to Christ as it is possible to become. They must be ever ready to be used of the Holy Spirit for support, instruction and comfort to the other stones above them. NO stone in Christ's body is of any less importance than any other. ALL have their respective and specific places and appointed works. It is the duty of each ministry gift to be that specific conduit for God's grace and provision that He alone has appointed.

There is no room for self promotion or "empire" building in the body of Christ. The Lord is shaking everything that can be shaken and removing all that is not in complete submission to Him alone. Those with ANY agenda except Christ will be set aside, prevented from weakening the wall. This city of God's habitation will be glorious and display Him in all His radiance.


Rom 11:35, 36 "Or who has first given to Him And it shall be repaid to him?" For of Him and through Him and to Him are all things, to whom be glory forever. Amen.


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