PROPHETIC HOPE
Part2
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I don’t know about you, but I’m thinking there are as many variances in spiritual prophecies as there are flavors at Baskin-Robbins ice cream parlor. There are prophecies about the best of times and the worst of times. Some prophecies are hopeful while others make you look around for the nearest manhole to jump into.
Some prophecies are pessimistic no matter how well things seem to be going. Others are optimistic regardless of the latest war report or terrorist activity. As mentioned earlier in “Prophetic Hope Part1”, hopelessness far out sells hope, at least for now. If you don’t believe me just Google it on the internet, the odds are ten to one in favor of hopelessness. Which causes me to wonder; “Are there really that many miserable people out there? Or do most people just believe that the end of the world is destined to be far worse than the beginning?"
I don’t know about you, but after a while, prophecy can start sounding pretty darn complex, even confusing, and I’m prophetic. To confuse things even more, every time someone has a dream or vision about the future they christen themselves as prophet or prophetess. What about when some people operates with the gift of knowledge? The next thing you know they are emailing you their prophet.com email. Of course you already know that prophecy and prophet are not one in the same. So what kind of message does this send out to the rest of the world? From the world’s perspective, the future has to be looking pretty bleak if the dominating prophesy in the church is “Get saved before the world blows up!” Boom! Too late! J
It might seem as though I’m making fun of the prophetic mantle, but I’m not. Prophesy plays an important role in my life. I believe prophesy is an important key for spiritual restoration. Let me remind you of Paul’s writings:
“But he who prophesies speaks edification and exhortation and comfort to men.” (1Cor 14:3)
Prophesy was designed to build people up. It was designed to exhort them to greatness and to bring them comfort during conflicting times in their lives. Yet, for the most part, prophesy has become some dreadful and fearful expression of the future. Sometimes I get the strong impression that the people who are receiving dark impressions about the future want them to come to pass so they can say, “I told you so” or to advance their ministry. That is just as warped as someone wanting more soldiers to die in battle so they can use it for political gain. Obviously bad things happen, but good things happen also. We live in a time when more and more people are being emotionally challenged about the future. On one hand it seems as though they are being encouraged to hope, while on the other, they are being cautioned not to hope too much. Faith is the substance of things hoped for…(Heb 11:1) Without hope there is no need for faith. The two work hand in hand. Faith without works is dead…(James 2:26) the work of faith is directly linked to hope. Trying to walk in faith without hope is like being born without a future.
Without sounding somewhat redundant with my previous article, let me get right down to it.
DIVERTING PROPHETIC DIVISION
I believe many people are hearing by the Spirit more accurately than ever before. Some are having dreams and visions while others are just listening to the still, small voice. Some are dreaming about repeats of 9/11, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, hurricanes and echoing murders within our school systems, just to name a few. Others are seeing and hearing things on a more positive note. They are seeing the restoration (to righteousness) of current government, both, in the White House and the church. They are seeing a new economy emerge into something fresh and new. Some are seeing millions of people come into the kingdom of God, not out of fear, but out of love.
So what do we do? How do we respond to the stew of visions, dreams and prophesies that vary from one extreme to another? I think we have to be careful not to judge prophetic words and spiritual experiences too harshly or prematurely. It’s easy to dismiss someone else’s experience about the future when you are already locked into your own understanding of how you think it is going to pan out. I, too, have been guilty of this many times.
Once we start shutting people out because their interaction with God doesn’t line up with our own, a spirit of division silently creeps in. When this occurs, the rejected ones create their own society of acceptance with those who are of like heart and mind. Eventually many of them end up separating themselves from the rest of the body. I believe the psychic community was formed out of a spirit of rejection and division. I have witnessed to many known psychics over the years, and with a few exceptions, most of them shared their stories of being rejected by former church leadership. This is by no means an attempt to justify their current status in society, but many of them believed they were hearing from God. I am not referring to the psychic kingdom that was born out of the mid 1880's as a result of communicating with the dead. I am speaking about those who believed that God was their source of knowledge about people and future events. However, trying to communicate those experiences to a leadership that had a zero tolerance for such practices was devastating, to say the least. This is certainly not the totality of their historical formation, but the enemy has always fought to separate the body of Christ through spiritual differences, whether doctrinal or experiential. Granted, there are some things upon which we will probably never agree . However, our attitudes toward one another can make all the difference in the world; literally all the difference in the world.
In light of this, I think there are some personal examinations that would help determine more accurately what we are seeing or hearing by the Spirit.
So what are the influences in our lives? What are the natural and spiritual influences that directly impact our spiritual perception? To whatever we give most of our attention is that which will impact our prophetic antennas the most. If I am consumed by all of the tragedies going on around me, then my dreams, visions and interaction with the Lord will be influenced by those things. Every idea, understanding or concept that I have about the world or its future has a direct impact on my spiritual sight. Every weakness or temptation in life has the potential to taint the accuracy of every prophetic word. More than ever before, we must be disciplined in all matters that pertain to life.
SIGNS OF THE TIMES
I have learned that one of the simplest litmus tests for prophetic interference lies in the latest media report of the day. In other words, if our spiritual insight into the future shifts according to the latest activity going on in the world, then the accuracy of our spiritual encounters can be greatly compromised. Obviously the natural realm can reveal spiritual influences that are at work in the world. However, the natural realm should never be the gauge for spiritual insight into the future. Even those who are not in Christ can predict the future in this manner.
When addressing the Pharisees and Sadducees Jesus said,
"When it is evening you say, 'It will be fair weather, for the sky is red'; and in the morning, 'It will be foul weather today, for the sky is red and threatening.' Hypocrites! You know how to discern the face of the sky, but you cannot discern the signs of the times. (Matt 16:2-3)
It’s important to note that the word “signs” does not pertain to natural signs. It’s the Greek word, “semeion”, which means miracle, or sign and wonder. That is the reason Jesus used this analogy. He is addressing their sight, their ability to see or discern spiritual things beyond the natural realm. The point being; “You cannot predict the future of the kingdom of God rising in the earth through natural observation.” Yet I hear this text used time and time again, out of context. The word “times” is the Greek word “karios” which is defined as a set time or season in the spirit. Many are defining the times and seasons of the Spirit as; war, natural disasters, economical hardships and the advancement of rare viruses, etc.. These might be the world’s signs, or even the signs of the enemy, but they are not the signs and seasons of God for this generation or generations to come.
So where does this place the credibility of dreaming, seeing and hearing horrific things that appear to be coming down the pike? First: We need to discern if what we are seeing and hearing is being governed by the latest economical , media, or terrorist report of the day. Secondly: We need to discern any other influences that have the potential to taint our dreams, visions or prophesy. Thirdly: What are we doing with the information we are receiving? If we simply ride into town on our prophetic horse like a Paul Revere yelling, “The end is coming! The end is coming!” What is that? I’m not downplaying the importance of warning people of potential dangers, but our authority in this day and age far exceeds the simple task of just warning someone about potential snares of the enemy. We are more than messengers of God.
MORE THAN MESSENGERS
We are more than messengers of God. We are more than the next book about all of the future death threats of the enemy. So what do we do? For starters, one of the most responsible things to do is to pray and intercede. Intercession is a vital function in the kingdom of God for warding off unpleasant realms of darkness. God is also challenging His body to take on the awesome task of derailing the works of the enemy through spiritual insight and prophetic declarations; declarations that are in unison with the heart and mind of God. Just because we have a dream or vision about some catastrophic event does not mean we lack the power to overturn it. I’m not talking about pleading or begging God to make bad things go away. I’m talking about acting like a son or daughter of God who has the authority to trample on all the works of the enemy.
Somewhere along the way, many spiritual watchmen on the wall have been reduced to mere messengers of God. It is time we take this whole messenger thing to the next level by telling the enemy, “Hear the word of the Lord, you can take your next catastrophe and shove it up your dark domain!” I mean really, we need some real spiritual backbone to rise up in the kingdom of God. We need to throw away our whining whistles of theology that have locked us into a realm of blindness. I am not waiting for Jesus to come again before I declare, “I have overcome the world!” I am not rising up out of the ashes of death any more, I have risen! The same Spirit that raised Christ from the dead has already raised me up. I am not ever going to have rise from the dead ever again. I am going to walk right by it and say, “Death and grave! Where is your sting of victory now!"
When I shed this earthly tent I will not be waiting in some long line in heaven to get my new garment. I will already be wearing it. I am already clothed with the garments of righteousness. This planet and everything in it, belongs to my Father; it belongs to the people of God. We are the stewards of the earth. David declared, “The earth is full of the goodness of the Lord.” (Ps 33:5) So I’m joining with David by casting down every prophetic lie that the enemy has dished out. I am declaring “The glory and goodness of God has not lifted from this nation.” I declare, “Anyone who says otherwise is liar and deceiver! The glory of God is here and ever increasing before us now!” Go ahead and accuse me of being arrogantly stupid or prideful, but I will boast in the Lord. I will not bow down to a spirit that would try to manipulate me into living beneath my fullest potential in the kingdom of My Father.
Oh! Wow! Sorry about that. I was suddenly overcome by a supernatural impulse from heaven. Ok. Where was I…oh yeah…”More than messengers.” Anyone who is in Christ has a message from heaven; each according to his/her relationship in the Spirit and function in the earth. But the action of the message is more than a verbal expression of what we have heard. God has anointed us to set the captives free from everything; this includes any future event that has the potential of robbing the people of their promised covenant in God. God is highly motivated to love us, to protect us and to comfort us. The power of the Holy Spirit is urging us to take the kingdom of God to the next level. That means we are to be less tolerent than we used to be toward the works of the enemy, even our own thoughts of depravity. We must become less tolerant to compromise. I’m not talking about becoming religiously pious toward those who appear to be sitting on the fence. I’m speaking about taking on the mantle of heavenly extremes. I don’t want to just convey a verbal message of God’s love, glory and power. I want to convey the message of God from the highest realm possible. I want to be an extremist, a radical, a crazed man for the love of God. Its time to stop plucking the petals of decision, you know the little petaled flower we so often carry around, “He loves me, He loves me not. I have a future, I don’t. I’m free, I’m not. Hoping, that when we get to the last one, it will be, “Yes! He loves me! It’s time to settle the issue now. He loves you! He will always love you and me! You will not fail! This is your greatest hour!
Blessings
Michael
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