Filtering Prophetic Contamination

Have you ever drank water from a garden hose on a hot summer day? Doesn’t taste too good does it? Sometimes the prophetic is like the water in that water hose. You receive a prophecy but it is tainted by the vessel through home it was delivered. Does that make the prophecy false? No it makes the prophet human.

1 Cor. 13:9 – For we know in part, and we prophesy in part. V. 12 – For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.

The prophetic gifts as helpful as they can be never give the entire picture. The word “in part” here come from the Greek word “meros” meaning:

1) A part; a) a part due or assigned to one; b) lot, destiny; 2) one of the constituent parts of a whole; a) in part, partly, in a measure, to some degree, as respects a part, severally, individually

In the Spirit there is an entire communications package that the Father uses to communicate to you but the prophetic is only one part. And it is an imperfect thing at best. We see as the writer states “through a glass darkly”. The word darkly is where we get the English word “enigma” meaning to speak forth something that is:

1)      An obscure thing; 2) a riddle; 3) obscurity: the quality of being difficult to understand; 4) Something that is perplexing and questionable.

Which is why Paul also stressed that we keep an open mind to the prophetic because it is an important resource in your walk with God.

1Th 5:20 – Despise not prophesyings.

 The word despise there means to “make of no account; to despise utterly”.

Now why would it be necessary to command us in scripture to despise not prophesying?

Prophecy is meant to build us up and comfort us:

1 Corinthians 14:3  But he that prophesieth speaketh unto men [to] edification, and exhortation, and comfort.

Prophecy is meant to arm us for the fight:

1 Timothy 1:18 This charge I commit unto thee, son Timothy, according to the prophecies which went before on thee, that thou by them mightest war a good warfare;

To allow doubt and scorn to turn you away from the prophetic is to allow the enemy of your soul to disarm you of an important weapon designed to put you over in life.

In order NOT TO despise prophesying we should first give some thought to why we reject the prophetic in the first place:

1. It’s controversial. We accept the ministry of pastor, teacher and evangelist but on the whole the body of Christ still rejects the ministry of prophet and apostle.
2. Prophecy is imperfect. We often hear of prophecies given that did not come to pass.
3. Prophets are imperfect. Prophets are men and women with feet of clay. They make mistakes and act imprudently and out of immaturity and insecurity. In so doing they not only bring disdain upon themselves but upon prophetic ministry as a whole.

Let’s address these one by one and see if we can help clear up some of the obstacles to accepting the prophetic.

1. Prophecy is controversial.It is important to acknowledge the constraint of the Spirit of God on the prophetic gifts and prophets themselves:

1 Peter 4:11 KJV – [11] If any man speak, [let him speak] as the oracles of God; if any man minister, [let him do it] as of the ability which God giveth: that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.

The place where the ark of the covenant rested was known as the oracle:

1 Kings 6:19 KJV – [19] And the oracle he prepared in the house within, to set there the ark of the covenant of the LORD.

The pastor, evangelist and teacher focus primarily on ministering about the things of God. The apostle and prophet are called not to talk about God but to bring the demonstration of SPIRIT and of POWER. As such the prophet and apostle are anathema to the religious status quo. They will never be about “marching in place till Jesus comes”. They will always provoke and stir up the people of God. This makes pastors nervous and its time for the body of Christ to make the adjustments in their thinking to accept the prophetic gifts and offices as a necessary albeit challenging component of God’s leadership strategy.

The purpose of God in placing the prophet and apostle in the earth will FAIL in your life unless you overcome the innate religious prejudice against these important ministries.

What is that purpose:

Ephesians 4:11-17 KJV – [11] And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; [12] For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: [13] Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ: [14] That we [henceforth] be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, [and] cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; [15] But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, [even] Christ: [16] From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love. [17] This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind,

1. 2.      Prophecy is Imperfect: As a prophetic person you are commanded to speak “as the oracle of God”. But the very vehicle by which you speak causes you to only be able to “see through a glass darkly” and speak “perplexing riddles in obscurity”. You have to accept that and accept the fact that you are often going to leave the person you prophesy over with more questions than answers.
   1. a.      As a recipient of prophecy you are expected to understand that prophesy is only one part of hearing from God. The whole picture is available but you are going to have to get it from the Father. Col. 1:27 tells us that “Christ in you” is the “hope of Glory” not Christ in the prophet, the pastor, or any outward dependency. Matt. 6:33 commands us to seek the kingdom. Luke 17:21 tells us that kingdom is within you.
   2. b.      When the prophets and other ministries have done their job to its fullest they have merely whet your appetite and fired your passion for that answers that you will only receive between you and the Father as you seek what He placed IN YOU.

Proverbs 25:2 KJV – [2] [It is] the glory of God to conceal a thing: but the honour of kings [is] to search out a matter.

1. Prophets are Imperfect: All God’s people are called to be prophetic. Paul described the universal distribution of the prophetic gifts when he taught:

1 Corinthians 14:31  For ye may all prophesy one by one, that all may learn, and all may be comforted.

Prophecy in its most basic sense is hearing the voice of God and articulating it for the benefit of yourself and others.

1. As one called upon to edify, exhort and comfort others you are responsible to know how to filter out what you hear and what you speak for God. Because as Peter said you don’t have the luxury of gilding your opinions as “the word of the Lord”. Neither do you have permission to take the word of the Lord and dilute it with timidity and false humility until it isn’t valuable to anyone. You must speak as it were as the oracle of God.
2. To speak a pure word you must practice differentiating between the strong opinions of your mind and the words of the Father that will distil in your spirit. In Duet. 32:2 Moses described the prophetic process of hearing and speaking for God as a distillation similar to dew distilling on the ground in the morning. Job 36:28 compared the thoughts of God with dew drops that distilled upon man abundantly every morning.
3. How do you tell the difference between your thoughts and God’s thoughts?
   1. Your thoughts will arise based on input of the five senses judged and assessed by partaking of the tree of the knowledge of God and evil.
   2. The thoughts of God will come as Jesus taught in Matt. 4:4 “by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.
   3. Merely human thoughts are opinions based upon judgments fueled by observation, cultural prejudices and traditions. The thoughts of God will come by His breath upon your heart directing, imparting and prompting you many times in total contradiction to what you want to say or what others are prepared to hear.
   4. Prophecy is for edification, exhortation and comfort. This applies to someone who prophesies and also to one who stands in the office of a prophet. There is no license to kill in the prophetic or to speak negative judgmental words. Jesus stated in no uncertain terms:
      1. a.      Luke 9:54-55 KJV – [54] And when his disciples James and John saw [this], they said, Lord, wilt thou that we command fire to come down from heaven, and consume them, even as Elias did? [55] But he turned, and rebuked them, and said, Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of.
      2. b.      There is a place for rebuke and reproof but in the economy of the New Covenant it will come through another instrumentality not through the “thus saith the Lord”. In the New Testament there is no precedent for someone standing in the office of a prophet doing this and there is Jesus Himself repudiating this approach in the Gospel of Luke.

Prophetic ministry is necessary. It is needful. You must be prepared to hear the prophets and to be heard as a prophetic person. God wants you to speak with audacity and boldness. He wants you to hear with faith and willingness. In so doing the voice of God will be heard in the land as never before and in your home and church and workplace this will begin with you.

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Related posts:

1. The Prophetic Significance of Water Baptism
2. Is Personal Prophecy Scriptural? Part One
3. Graham Cooke Interview About the Prophetic