(Shofar via Wikipedia)

Happy New Year!

Actually Rosh Hashanah, the Biblical new year began at sundown last night (Wed) and ushered in the beginning of the year 5771 on the Jewish calendar and Judaism’s High Holy Days-  a 10-day period of repentance that culminates on Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement –Sept. 18.

Most Christians pretty much ignore this Biblical celebration since it really it isn’t on the traditional church calendar. However many ministers and particularly those called to minister in the prophetic recognize a special significance and work of God related to the Biblical calendar that Jewish folks still go by.

It was during this season that I received my first call to the ministry 44 years ago and later when I was turning 30 had a commissioning experience that still marks my life and ministry today. So usually during this time and particularly on Yom Kippur I take some time to evaluate where I am at and repent of my failures with a look towards being a far more effective witness for the Lord Jesus Christ in the year to come.

It is amazing to me when I look back to see that this time of the year usually marks all of the major changes in my life and ministry. I use to chalk it up to my birthday being in October but now am convinced that changes in my ministry in particular seem to more closely reflect the Biblical calendar. 

I use to think I was alone in this perspective until I ran across several major prophetic ministers who also have experienced significant happenings during this season. Some have come to believe that during this time of the year ministers and ministries come under the rod of the master and are evaluated –some to be promoted, some to decline, and others to stay pretty much the same.

Happy New Year and Blessings to all.

Don’t forget to pray for the peace of Jerusalem and the Jewish people particularly during this time of celebration. Also pray for revival in America, we need it.

(Yom Kippur service -runneralan2004 via Flickr)

Today is Yom Kippur –the Biblical Day of Atonement—actually it began yesterday evening at sundown on Sunday September 27 and ends at sundown today –Monday September 28.

Most associate it with being a Jewish holiday and that it is—the holiest day on the Jewish calendar. A day when Jewish folk fast & pray and take a look at their lives-particularly the last year and commit themselves to do better—they seek forgiveness for sins committed against others (beforehand) and against God. Traditionally it is also the day when God decides the fate of each human being over the next year.

You might ask—What does that have to do with Christians?

In one respect, what Jewish folk do on this day should be an on-going process for Christians-we should always be seeking to reconcile ourselves to those around us and we should continually be asking for forgiveness from our Heavenly Father in the name of His Son Jesus.

However, it is always good to recognize that today is a special day on God’s Biblical calendar. While we may not want to celebrate the special days like Jewish families do, there are still important Biblical principles to be learned and observed non-the-less.

I know quite a few prophetic ministers who take this day in particular very serious and usually spend it in prayer and fasting—believing that it is a time of evaluation—a time when ministries are pruned or expanded.

In my own life, most of the significant changes having to do with ministry seem to always happen this time of the year.

Blessings, Michael               *Top

John Paul says that “The misuse of prophecy has brought great embarrassment to the church. It’s time to
clean up our act and apply biblical standards.” 

He lists character along with properly developing the prophetic gift and actually bringing an edifying ministry to the church as 3 major issues that need to be addressed to bring on a reformation of prophetic ministry to the church today.

John Paul starts with his own story:

“Thirty years ago, prophetic ministry dramatically altered the course of my life. God sent a seasoned prophetic woman all the way from Israel to Dallas in order to have a three-minute telephone conversation with me via a radio program.

This encounter completely changed my career and life expectations and thrust me into ministry. It is an example of the power of true prophetic ministry—something that is desperately needed in difficult times.

But when I look at the broad spectrum of prophetic ministry today, I become concerned. I fear that a lot of us have gone off course, and it is going to take more than a shift in attitude to get us back.

It is going to take sweeping, all-inclusive prophetic reformation—reformation that begins within prophetic individuals, not the church. The way prophetic people view themselves must radically change first, and only then will the church change the way it views prophetic ministry.”

<<Read the Rest>>            *Top

You see, we must understand some basic things concerning the nature of the prophetic. Few, in fact very few, prophetic words are ever sovereign declarations that will come to pass without any conditions being met. Most prophetic words are invitations into a process of becoming. Often, the Lord is more interested in our becoming a word and not just getting, releasing or receiving a word.

The prophetic at its best is partial, progressive and conditional. That is not the fault of the prophetic person – it is the way it works biblically, historically and how it works today.

Let me run that by you one more time – the gift of prophecy is partial, progressive and conditional and the conditions are rarely revealed at that time. This is where personal responsibility takes over and each believer must search out the King’s heart for the keys to unlocking the revelation.

There is a big difference between the revelation and the manifestation! As I have said many times before, the gap between the revelation and the manifestation is called the “until clause.”

Response: Readers-what do you think? I might have worded it differently but it does sum up my experience with the prophetic in the church today.

Then I read that it all started at a Vineyard conference when John Wimber introduced Paul Cain and let him take over. I have read all sorts of crazy stuff about what happened at those meetings. Well guess what- I was there!

In February 1989, I was one of over 5,000 attending a “Spiritual Warfare Conference” with a number of major speakers planned. The first night John Wimber took the stand and announced that he believed that the Lord had inspired him to change the agenda and he introduced Paul Cain who spoke that first night and every night thereafter.

About five minutes into his first talk, Paul said something that convicted me personally and the Holy Spirit came upon me and I landed on my face and knees for a while, which was different and I have never been the same since. All I know, what happened to me that night was a sovereign work and I know a lot of other folks that were truly blessed at that conference. Yet when I read what the critics say about it, I wonder if it was the same conference. But I was actually there and the critics weren’t.

Later that year, I was there at the ‘Prophecy Conference’ when all the Kansas City folks were introduced including a strange guy called Bob Jones. Guess what, I was blessed at that conference also.

I guess that I have been part of ‘The Prophetic Movement’ for over 18 years and didn’t even know it. Some of the folks that are said to be part of it, I do know and have had close relationships with. Others I don’t know and don’t even agree with, but we are all part of some movement together? Some have fallen away and changed over the years, but they’re still part of the movement too?

If it is about gold dust, angel feathers, gold fillings and guys and gals with ‘Prophet’ in front of their names passing the collection plate and acting like rock stars, then count me out. If it is about re-establishing and implementing a true prophetic calling and gifting in the church, then count me in, I am part of that lower case ‘p’ prophetic movement.

Update: SLW has a great post that continues this ‘prophetic’ conversation. *Top

“The Anatomy of a Prophetic Word”

by James W. Goll (Vision Cast November 2006)

There are a number of factors that must be taken into consideration considering revelatory gifts. Failure to understand these factors can lead to dismissing a genuine word as being “off” or missing the impact that God intended for it to give. Therefore it behooves us to learn the many facets concerning the anatomy of a prophetic word.

I. REVELATION

A. Its Source

1. God – I Jn. 4:1, “…test the spirits to see whether they are from God…”

2. Self – Jer. 23:21 “…I did not speak to them, but they prophesied.” See also Ezek. 13:1-2.

3. Satanic

a. I Jn. 4:3 “…this is the spirit of the antichrist…”
b. Mt. 16:23 – “…Get behind me, Satan!…”

B. Modes of Revelation
Numbers 12:6, “…Hear now my words: If there is a prophet among you, I, the Lord, shall make myself known to Him…” through:

1. A vision.

2. A dream.

3. Mouth to mouth.

4. Dark sayings.

5. Parables – Hos. 12:10.

6. Natural things – Jer. 18:1.

II. INTERPRETATION

A. Bring the Two Together
The following scriptural references show how revelation must be wedded with proper interpretation. Numerous genuine words have been judged as false because of a wrong interpretation.

1. Acts 10:9-17 - …Peter was greatly perplexed in mind as to what the vision which he had seen (revelation) might be (interpretation)… (v. 17).

2. I Pet. 1:10-11 – …seeking to know what person or time (interpretation) the Spirit of Christ within them was indicating (revelation) as He predicted the sufferings of Christ… (v. 11).

3. Zech. 1:8-9 - I saw at night (revelation)…then I said, “…what are these?”… (interpretation).

4. Dan. 8:15 - …I, Daniel had seen the vision (revelation)…that I sought to understand it… (interpretation).

5. Acts 16:10 – And when he had seen (revelation) the vision…concluding (interpretation) that God had called us…

6. Gen. 40:5-13 – Then Joseph said to him, “This is the interpretation of it”… (v. 12).

7. Gen. 41:25 – Now Joseph said…”God has told to Pharaoh what He is about to do.”

III. APPLICATION

A. Comparison of Acts 21:10 and Acts 20:23

1. We…began begging him not to go up to Jerusalem.. (Acts 21:12).

2. Notice that those who heard Agabus were convinced that God was warning Paul not to go to Jerusalem. Paul, however, interpreted the word differently. This obviously made his application the exact opposite of what others had hoped it would be. Paul received the word not as a warning not to go, but as a confirmation of his sensing that he was to count the cost of what lay ahead.

IV. APPROPRIATION

Various keys unlock God’s prophetic word to be appropriated or fulfilled
in our lives. The following are some simple keys:

A. Faith
Heb. 4:2 – …the word…did not profit…because it was not united by (with) faith…

B. Right Soil
Lk. 8:4 – The parable of the sower of the seed portrays the importance of having the proper condition of the soil of your heart. The same seed was sowed to all, but had various results, due to the condition of the soil.

C. Diligence in Seeking
Dan. 9:2-3,16 – Here Daniel finds that the desolation of Jerusalem is to be for 70 years. His response was to give himself to seeking the face of the Lord through prayer and fasting.

V. Conditions

What are the conditions that must be met so that the promise can be fulfilled? Sometimes, these conditions are present in the heart of God, but are not spoken to the mind of man. Therefore questions must be asked.

A. Jeremiah 18:8
…if that nation…turns…

B. II Chronicles 7:14
If My people who are called by My name… (NKJ)

C. Jonah 3:4-10
Yet forty days and Ninevah will be overthrown…God relented.

D. II Kings 20:1-6
…Set your house in order, for you shall die and not live.

VI. THE TIMING OF A MATTER

There is a ‘Karios’ appointed and strategic timing for a matter to come into being. This takes patience and wisdom to discern.

A. Genesis 37:5-8
…Joseph had a dream….”Are you really going to rule over us?”

B. Habakkuk 2:3
For the vision is yet for the appointed time…though it tarries, wait…

C. Galatians 4:4
…when the fullness of…time had come, God sent forth His Son… (NKJ)

D. Mark 4:28
The soil produces…first the blade, then the head, then the mature grain…

E. Isaiah 9:6
For unto us a child is born, unto us a Son is given… (NKJ)

VII. MOTIVATION

God looks deeply into the heart of man. What is our true inner motivation? Do we want glory for the Lord or promotion before man?

A. Ezekiel 14:4-5
…Any man…who sets up his idols in his heart, puts right before his face the stumbling block of his iniquity, and then comes to the prophet…give…an answer (according to)…his idols…

B. Psalm 106:13-15
They quickly forgot His works; they did not wait for His counsel, but craved…and tempted God…so He gave them their request…(NASB) but sent leanness into their soul (NKJ).

VIII. CONTRADICTION

In some occasions, the Holy Spirit has spoken very clearly. However, the birth of the promise can appear differently than expected, especially in infant stages. Again we must cry out to the Lord that we miss not the day of visitation due to the manner of which that promise has first appeared.

A. Isaiah 9:6
For unto us a child is born, unto us a Son is given… (NKJ)

B. Matthew 1:18-25
…Joseph her husband, being a righteous man, and not wanting to disgrace her, desired to put her away secretly…(Joseph was changed from being a man of principle into a man of faith).

C. I Kings 18:41
…There is the sound of the roar of a heavy shower.

IX. DISCERNING PROPERLY

We must be careful how we listen. One of the potential problems for the prophetic person is that he is assumed to be in the ‘prophetic mode’ all the time and every time he speaks. This not only shows lack of wisdom on the part of the listener, it also dishonors the prophetic person. Let us prayerfully, and with godly trusted counsel, seek proper discernment.

A. II Samuel 7:1-15
…Nathan the prophet…said…”Go, do all that is in your mind…the Lord is with you”…Go…say to…David, “Are you the one who should build me a house…?”

B. I Samuel 16:6-7 (Samuel)
…He looked…and thought, “Surely the Lord’s anointed is…BUT THE LORD SAID…

X. FINAL STATEMENT

When all of these wisdom perimeters are put in place, let’s create an atmosphere of faith and ask the Holy Spirit to move freely. Let us not err on the side of ‘license’, nor on the side by ‘stifling”the Holy Spirit’s presence and power. But with these understandings in place, let us walk on into fruitful prophetic maturation.

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Kris is the head of the Bethel School of Supernatural Ministry, and Senior Associate Pastor at Bethel Church in Redding, California (Bill Johnson is the Senior Pastor). He is also a recognized prophetic minister who has been involved in training and overseeing a large number of prophetic teams in the United States and internationally.

This is essentially a ‘basic training manual’ for prophetic ministry. A valuable tool for those who are developing prophetic teams, growing into the ministry as an individual, or for Pastors who would like to develop and guide prophetic ministry in their church.

Some of the topics covered: ‘Learning to Hear The Voice of God’; ‘The Purpose of Prophetic Ministry’; ‘The Difference Between The Office of Prophet and The Gift of Prophecy’; ‘Judging and Receiving Prophetic Words’; ‘Ministering in and Receiving the Gift of Prophecy’; ‘Prophetic Etiquette’; ‘False Prophets’; and ‘Practicing Prophecy’.

I highly recommend this book for those growing in the prophetic, and also for Pastors seeking guidelines for how prophetic ministry should work, edify, and complement other ministries in the local church. It is amazing how this manual is easy to understand, and yet at the same time, it is quite comprehensive and profound. All of the important stuff is here in 95 pages, with study guides included. The book may be ordered through: Bethel Church-Store

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Lou Engle has put out an ‘emergency’ call for prayer for Pres. Bush, concerning the last half of his second term. He cites a vision by Bob Jones:

Bob Jones received a vision in 1999, that the “Burning Bush” would come out of Texas, and in the second half of his second term, if the church would pray, he would do much to end abortion, restrain homosexual marriage, and bring prayer back to the schools in America. We believe that we are in a decisive moment of the fulfilling of that dream/vision right now. The favor of President George Bush is at the lowest point ever at this moment. Maybe not with God, but in the view of the American people. We just met with a U.S. Senator, who confirms to us, that almost everything positive seems to be retained and held back on Capitol Hill right now.

The 2006 elections may hinge on the perspective that the people of America hold for President George Bush. And the results of the 2006 elections, may either help or hinder President George Bush from fulfilling God’s intention for his presidency. Wherever I go, I can feel the attitude of resignation, criticism, and despair, but the second half of George Bush’s second term, is not yet here. The question is, will the church give up and yield to opinion polls, criticism, and acquiescence, or will the church pray according to the vision, and believe the prophets and succeed? Bob Jones’ word was, “…if the church would pray….” Read: Lou Engle’s entire message.

Dutch Sheets also felt impressed and inspired to put out a special call for prayer on June 1, 2006. He likens the present situation to ‘The Battle of the Bulge’ in WWII, He also refers to several interesting dreams and experiences that others have had concerning Pres. Bush and the Church in America. He believes that it is important for the Church to Pray, pray, pray–pray for Pres. Bush, pray against terrorism, and pray for the spiritual condition of America. I would add–pray for true revival to sweep through our land. I am hoping for it to begin in California. Several years ago I had a open vision where I saw revival hit the west coast like a tidal wave and continue East, all the way across America & Canada, and then it swept across the Atlantic to the UK and Europe. That’s what I’m hoping and praying for–come Holy Spirit–bring revival. Amen.

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What is the difference between a Seer and a regular Prophet? Jim Goll explains and differentiates between the two prophetic ministry streams, from the perspective of a participant. It is loaded with personal experience and wisdom, but it also helps one to better understand the different prophets in the Bible. A must read for all those who minister in the prophetic, or in the pastoral for that matter. This book is an excellent presentation of the different prophetic ministries operating in the church today. It is available through most Christian book stores, or may be obtained directly from Jim Goll’s website.