violet

freedom07

I also agree. One may teach about prophecy, but this does not may one a prophet. I think if we were to say that false prophets are prophets then are we to also say that false christs are Christ? Just a thought.

Are there true prophets today? If the purpose of a prophet was to reveal truth from God, why would we need prophets if we have the completed revelation from God in the Bible? If prophets were the “foundation� of the early church, are we still building the “foundation� today? Can God give someone a message to deliver to someone else? Absolutely! Does God reveal truth to someone in a supernatural way and enable that person to deliver that message to others? Absolutely! But is this the biblical gift of prophecy? No.
Whatever the case, whenever a person claims to be speaking for God (the essence of prophesy) the key is to compare what is said with what the Bible says.
http://www.gotquestions.org/prophets-today.html

__________________
Romans 6:4
4 Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.

Christian Commando

Hi people-

if don't mind, would like to share some insight about this topic.

God declares in I Cor. 12:4-14, that He, by the Holy Spirit, gives each member one or more "Gifts" of the Spirit, "diversities of Gifts but the same Spirit"- "differences of Administration", "diversities of operations", "word of wisdom", "word of knowledge", "faith by the same Spirit", "gifts of healing", "working of miracles", "to another prophecy", "another discerning of spirits", "divers kinds of tongues", "interpretation of tongues"-

12- "For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body,being many, are one body; so also is Christ."

If read way before these to way after, there is nothing said of the Apostles that the age of these Gifts will end with them or so far into the future.

12:27-30- We are all the body of Christ and members in particular. And God has called some in the Church to be first Apostles, then Prophets, some teachers, miracles, healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues.

Is everyone these things? No, God so chooses as He Will who will have what Gift(s), by the Holy Spirit. But God never did away with any of them over all this time.

True, today the "Church" of Christ does not seem to recognize any who are called above Pastor, (Bishop) or Church building Leaderships, but God has called some to those higher positions wether some like it or not, as God never says nowhere in His Word those were done away with at anytime.

Most of the time, it is us, man, who limits God by our own selfish prideful thinking we know more or better than God. Doing so, turns many people against God in areas where God never claims or shows any limitations for what He's doing.

I know one religion in particular who teaches not to believe in any of the "Gifts" of the Spirit. But, God is waking many of thier followers up and raising them to go around and show how once they were of true understanding, these "Gifts" were opened to them and proved thier religion wrong in that aspect.

I never considere myself having the "Gift of Discernment" until a couple Pastors of other Churches told me, "well thats why so many around here, call for you to check things out for them, as with Discernment from God, its evident you can tell such things."

And I knew a man of God who was "Gifted" with Prophecy. A man many years ago, got drunk one night, jumped on his snowmobile and ran across a lake, but he fell thru where a "narrows" goes between two lakes.

Evidence showed he'd gotten out once but the ice broke and he fell back in. The current took his body somewhere out into the lake. The divers tried for about a week with no luck finding him.

While 3 of us from church were visiting this friend who prophecied, the news came on about the missing man. This prophet, standing and watching it, said they would find him after one more day, at thier last attempt, down in an area they never thought he'd be found.

They did, one day later, in the exact area the prophet had claimed the day before.

People, even God's children of today, can make light of what God had instituted for the opertions of the Church in His Spirit, but they better realize they will have to answer for that some day. Its a shame that the "Body of Christ", particularly in this Country, has walked so far away from God in His original institution and operating of His "Church".

From what I've witnessed in the "Body" over the last 20 or better years, the "Body of Christ" has It's own problems discerning between the true and false Apostles, Prophets, and more. They run and check out people clearly evident are of Satan, while hardly checking out a true Apostle or Prophet dmonstrated of God, but putting them or cutting them down instead.

Christians who have joined Cults like the World Wide Church of God, founder claimed an apostle, or those who joined the Mormons believing Joseph Smith was a prophet, or the Ba'ahai religion, claiming Ba'ahaula was "christ in carnate", Jim Jones who claimed was "christ in carnate", this "Katsan"- (Katzan), in the Middle East who was claimed to be christ.

If the Apostlic, prophetic and other Gifts of God are not for the Church of God today, how is it Satan still continues to produce false apostles, prophets and more to imitate God? Because, God is still raising them up in His "Church" today yet, even if the majority of the "Body" will not recognize them. Christ clearly declared that He will have honor ad respect shown Him, but not among His own people.

Thus, if Christ's own people will reject Him, and the Apostle Paul reiterated on this about him and believers, we too will suffer rejection amongst our own, which is very clearly seen these days.

Think on this people.

God Bless!!

Boanerges

It remoinds me of that post Violet has just put up. Have you tasted my apple-
Taste

The same principle applies. Just because you haven't seem it doesn't make it so.

avlight

there is a huge difference between 'prophet' and 'prophecy'. The prophet speaks knowledge from God via an authoritative role in order to encourage when men and women do walk upright or in some cases rebuke in order to bring about a change that yields a people walking closer to God.

Both the encouragement and the rebuke lead to the same point, the edification of the church to continue/start a course of action conforming to the will of God while being transformed by the renewing of the mind and daily crucifying the flesh and fulfilling The Great Commission.

There are people who 'prophecy' events or decisions but are not 'prophets'.

There are people who 'interpret' bible prophecies but they are not 'prophets'.

__________________
I have come back

The significant problems we have cannot be solved at the same level of thinking with which we created them. -- Albert Einstein

Boanerges

In the fourth chapter of Ephesians Paul was plainly talking to the church . He gave a list of the fivefold ministry given to the church to help bring it into maturity. Sadly some are missing parts of their church due to doctrines , beliefs and traditions
I believe in this dark time we live we need all the fivefold ministry, the nine gifts of the Spirit and the nine fruits of the Spirit.

violet

Watchman

If my pastor is not a prophet...He is the closest thing i've ever seen to one. He Does Not claim to be one however, he has the ability to read and see through people. Once in awhile the Spirit of God speaks through a message he is giving.
I am very hesitant to speak on this, but he had terrible nightmares about planes crashing into buildings beginning a decade ago...then 9/11 happend.
Just in this past year he has been having reocurring nightmares about a nuclear bomb explosion.
He is perhaps the most exemplary and sincerest Christian I know (and a family friend) and there is no doubt God has revealed himself thoroughly through him.

__________________
Habakkuk 3:2LORD, I have heard of your fame;
I stand in awe of your deeds, O LORD.
Renew them in our day,
in our time make them known;
in wrath remember mercy

Christian Commando

hi people-

Qiite right what you said, but what did Peophets of God speak? Prophecies of the future.

Are you saying then that those who "prophecied" in Old Test times were not "Prophets"? God declares that the "Gifts" of the Spirit will Glorify God and uplift, build up or edify the Church.

As such, does this not count then as edifying the "Church" of that man sharing that prophecy of the dead man being found? Does that not Glorify God as a working of His Holy Spirit thru the man declaring such or God leading those divers to where the body was found?

Just because Prophets are shown in God's Word speaking Prophecies about His "First Chosen People", does not mean God is limited to sharing Prophecies only about His "Church".

I suggest you take the time to look at all the Prophecies God gives thru His "Church" in the New Test and prove to me, it is all only about the "Church". There are prophecies given about weather conditions, disasters, wars, people becoming divided, families, plus alot more, which have no direct bearing on the "Body of Christ" for edification or uplifting so far as directed at it, but for info shared comng from God, by the Holy Spirit, thru them.

That one example I shared of that man prophecying was not the only one he gave in the time we knew him, but many others which had come true. Thus, I say this, if your going to question the "Gift" God gave this man, don't accept it in any other of God's children including Pastors.

Watchman- having an ability to read and see thru people is discernment, not prophecy.

Old Test. word- "Prophet"- Heb. 5030- prophet, prophets, prophecy, prophesy

Old Test word "prophecy"- Heb. 5016- prophecy, the word of the prophet, prophecy has its focus on encouraging or restoring covenant faithfulness, telling of future events, warnings to hold obedience to God.

N.T. Greek- Prophet- 4396- one who speaks utterances, see 4394-

Greek- 4394- (Prophecy)-an inspired message, sometimes encouraging obedience to God, sometimes proclaiming future events, sometimes proclaiming warnings to preparedness and continued obedience to God.

As you can see, both words are used to describe those who speak "inspired words of..." the above definitions- (Prophets of God).

It is not the fault of the "Church" today for the "Body" as a whole not believing in the 5 fold Ministry of God not existing now, as this had happened more around the 6st century AD on a major scale, which basically eliminated any belief in the Leadership levels going above "Bishop"-(Preacher).

One of the reasons for this was the increased usage of "spiritualized versions of God's Word that were way out of context to God's literal understandings.

The only reason that Apostles and Prophets are not recognized or considered now, is because the "Body of Christ" has been without the training to recognize such levels for so long.


Only when God called a specific person to be a "Prophet to the people", did they spend thier lives constantly prophecying to them. Otherwise, as with others like Daniel, they were "Prophets" also, but not called as those such as Isaiah, Ezeliel and others who were specifically called to speak to God's People for the future to come.

Notice as well, Daniel was given prophecies to start with concerning only King Nebecaneezer and his life alone. Yes, it included partly the future of Isreal's captivity, but was given only to the King for his purpose of knowing, not shared with the Jews at that time.

Sure, we, "the Body of Christ" are reading those prophecies now and since they were written for the people. But, at the time the prophecies were given Daniel, he was not chosen to stand before his people and speak such things as all other "God called" prophets did.

Timothy, by the Early Church was called an "Apostle", yet Timothy himself declares God called him as a Pastor- (Bishop) of one of the first churches started by the original 12 apostles.

And God declares women are not to preach or to teah, yet He had several women as Judges and other head positions over Isreal in Old Test times and at one 1 prophetess and 1 or 2 women Apostles mentioned in the New Test.

And since God has called some women for leadership roles over churches today still, know then, God has some Apostles and Prophets out there amongst us as well today. And if the "Church" had held as a majority to sticking to believing in them all this time, we would have recognized those God had called to those positions today.

But, it is negative attitudes towards the Leadership levels of calling I've heard here as well as from so many other people elsewhere, that prevents God from being able to help the "Body of Christ" understand how to recognize them.

God declares that He never changes, nor His Word and It will out last or live anyone or anything. Thus, His levels of Ministry Leadership and "Gifts" are still as alive and instilled today as were in Early Church days.

Boanerges- the word "church" used in I Cor. 12:28 is Greek- 1577- "Ekklesia"- Assembly, body of Christ, The Church, Bride of Christ, in the NT a church is never a building or meeting place.

So you missed that, as Paul was speaking of the "Church" as the "Body of Christ"- v 27 right before v 28 shows it.

God Bless!!

believerintheword

I believe that the Holy Spirit does indeed Prophesy through people. For example, there was a man during the dark ages who was burned at the stake. His last words were, "In 100 years a man will rise from amongst you to free Gods word."
during this time, The bible was not allowed in homes. This man was part of an underground church that taught the Bible in English. He was burned at the stake using english Bibles. BURNED WITH BIBLES!! I forgot his name though. I will find it. Anyway, exactly 100 years later, Martin Luthur came into the picture setting the Bible Free from the Corrupt Catholic Church of the time. a-men, I would call that a prophesy!! I think that is so cool!

__________________
In the beginning there was the Word, and the Word was with God and the Word was God, He was with God in the beginning. Through Him all things were made, without Him nothing was made that has been made. In Him was life and that life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, but thedarkness has not understood it.