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c_h_b -> RE: Not for anything no disrespect intended (4/14/2009 1:23:26 PM)
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I believe prophetic ministry is still valid, since there is no indication that the Gifts of the Spirit have been eliminated. However, I personally have a lot of "qualifiers".
I feel that what is often presented as a "Word from the Lord" or other revelation is really just someone perceiving what the Holy Spirit is doing already. They don't know quite what to do with it, so they "prophesy". They offer the "Word" in such vague, generic terms that people clap and shout Amen and come away feeling blessed. A good time was had by all...
In the Bible, the principle of the "Revelatory Gifts" (prophecy, word of knowledge and word of wisdom) seems to be that they are very specific expressions of God's will or knowledge. My experience and that of others backs this up.
Also, I don't know that speaking a prophesy or word of knowledge has to have the imperative of "Thus saith the Lord" or "God says" even. Such gifts can manifest in prayer, teaching or even conversationally. When they come forth, people will recognize them as such.
I also feel that many self-proclaimed prophets aren't. They may be people who have some "talent" in regards to "Revelatory Gifts", but they aren't really prophets. I say this because my study of the Bible in this regard showed me a common aspect of those defined as prophets in the Bible. They lived lives which showed others that they were thinking "beyond the horizon". They were chiefly concerned about preparing God's people for what lay in the future. For the most part, they led by example. Finally, they didn't declare themselves to be prophets: others recognized the office as the gifts and character that a true prophet would display became apparent.
This doesn't mean all those who claim to be prophets, but really aren't, are false prophets. It means they are misunderstanding and misapplying the term.
Operating in the Gift of Prophesy doesn't make one a prophet, though many people think it does. A prophet is a leader, working together with other gifted leaders "for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ," (Eph. 4:12)
I think that when people resort to making sure everyone has a title-"Prophet so and so" or "Apostle ______" and so on-they are in danger of operating from a position of power-mongering. It becomes almost feudal in nature, as people define themselves in relation to others in ways much like the dukes, barons and princes of old.
I also question certain activities such as having a visiting prophetic minister stand up front for an hour and pick people out of the congregation for "Words". Or having weekly gatherings in which the "prophets" will give words to everyone who comes. I'm not sure there is a reasonable basis for this sort of formulaic process in Scripture. Practically, it certainly causes problems as some people then continually seek prophecies and words to direct their lives. It can become addictive. It also reduced a profound expression of the Holy Spirit to mere entertainment.
To sum up: I feel the current "Prophetic Movement" has become commercialized. Faddish elements and questionable methods, which caught on because they were new and different and no one seemed to know any better, have come to be substitutes for genuine actions by the Holy Spirit. While some may use this to justify claims that all prophetic expression is erroneous, such is not the case.
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