Marks Of The “Prophetic”

Marks Of The “Prophetic”

Part Two

By Marty Gabler

SEEC Ministries International PO Box 2655 Spring,TX 77383-2655

SEEKS OUT GOD’S WAYS

So then, a prophetic people would seek out God’s ways and means of communication rather than expecting God to come down to ours. Cf. "For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways," declares the LORD. 9 "For {as} the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts. (Isa 55:8-9 NAS)

Also Cf. It is the glory of God to conceal a thing: but the honour of kings is to search out a matter. (Prov 25:2 KJV)

His superior (and without limitation) thoughts break into our finite (and limited) thoughts and are therefore empowered to accomplish His purposes. We continually demand that God fit into our paradigm and God is continually trying to get us into His paradigm (Cf. Phil 1:6). Do you want a larger experience in God? Then you must allow God to enlarge your revelation. We cannot operate beyond our revelation.

AN ADMINISTRATION ALREADY UNDERWAY

Father God is sitting firmly upon His Seat Of Administration in Heaven. His ways are above our ways and His thoughts above our thoughts (Isa 55:9; also cf. Prov 3:5-6). There is a Kingdom and an Administration of that Kingdom already fully intact. He made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His kind intention which He purposed in Him 10 with a view to an administration suitable to the fulness of the times, {that is} the summing up of all things in Christ, things in the heavens and things upon the earth. In Him 11 also we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will... (Eph 1:9-11, NAS) HIS Administration is the only one which is suitable to HIS purpose which is to make Christ Jesus Head of all things and….. second to none.

It seems that men are ever seeking to bring this Great Administrator down to their ways and their thoughts, hence, attempting to manipulate His power and authority for their agendas and programs and purposes…. wherein God gets used…. not served…. not worshipped. Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness…. Seek first His “right ways”…. His order…. and THEN all these other things which have not even been worthy of consideration in comparison to the superiority of HIMSELF and HIS Christ and HIS Kingdom and HIS righteousness, will be added unto you (Mt 6:33). Without HIS Kingdom (HIS rule, order, right ways, and authority) the end result is emptiness and no end to dissatisfaction. Without HIS Kingdom, we get the results that mere men and their drives and their agendas can get us…. or maybe we get the same results the Jews got from their Barabbas…. bruises, bashed heads, or even death. Do not be deceived — there is a blood-thirsty “Pilate” out there waiting and hoping for an opportunity to display his power and authority over those who willingly expose themselves to it.

Why does God speak prophetically and do things prophetically? Why doesn’t He just do things the way that is normal to all of us? Joyner: “He is not going to change to comply with our ways; we are going to have to change to comply with His ways if there is going to be communication between us. In the prophetic God is not just trying to tell us what He is doing, He wants us to see why He is doing it. God’s prophetic ways keep us seeking Him and dependent upon Him.”

RESPONSIVE TO GOD’S HEART

THAT WE ARE ALL PROPHETIC

"I wish that all the Lord's people were prophets and that the Lord would put His Spirit on them! (Num.11:29 NIV)" Well, He has! (cf .Lk.24:49; Acts1:4;2:4,16-18,31; 1Co.12:4,7,11,31) This was the heart of God being expressed through Moses for then and for now. Moses spoke the heart of God and told us that He wants a prophetic people. Joel said it’s coming, Peter said it’s here and Paul said we have permission. 1 Cor 14:31 For ye may all prophesy one by one, that all may learn, and all may be comforted. (KJV)

God's desire is for all to speak His wonders, to spontaneously speak forth His heart to people for their strengthening, encouraging and comforting (1Co.14:3). Both male and female as well as all age groups were included in Joel's prophecy in Chapter 2. It is possible for all to prophesy. That same heart of God expressed in Moses and Joel was also explosive in Paul in the New Testament.

The scriptures teach us that we “know in part and prophesy in part.” (1Co 13:9) The part that is not prophesied is for us to discover through prayer while face to face with God as Moses met face to face with God. As a result of Moses meeting face to face with God, it was said of him that he not only knew the “deeds” of God but also the “ways” of God. That sounds rather complete as opposed to “in part.” “Ways” in scripture have to do with “access.” We have access to God’s heart, voice and plans which include knowledge of tomorrow.

The reason the Wesley brothers were called Methodists is because they had a method and what a method it is. John and Charles believed that prayer and Bible reading lead to sanctification. That being the case, then please call me a Methodist. The prophetic minister must have a well from which he or she continually draws in ministry. The only stuff allowed in that well is what prayer and Bible reading put there. We must never speak nor set an example in any way that would cause people to think that prophetic words could ever possibly replace the individual’s intimacy with God. Not only must those receiving words become more intimate with their Father but those giving the words must continually press into God. The more we have of our Father’s heart in us, the more He can trust us with the detail and accuracy of prophetic ministry. The motivation in operating all the gifts is love and that love comes from intimacy with Father.

GOD SHARES -- WE RESPOND

God shares with us the issues of His heart and we carry them out. We were designed to bring forth the “thou shalts” of God’s heart! Thou shalt conceive, bring forth and call by name (Lk.1:31). BUT HOW? Answer: Luke 1:35 And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God. Does this sound familiar? It should. He has already done it once. Gen 1:2 And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. “And the earth was without form and void” could be the description of the lives of some people. “Without form” means “confusion, to lie waste, a worthless thing, place of chaos.” “Void” means “empty.” BUT when the creative presence of God (which a cloud represents as depicted by Gen 1:2) moves upon the deep and overshadows a lifeless womb, the empty places and the wasted, confused places take on meaning and become full of life.

Some may be asking as Mary asked: Luke 1:34 Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man? When one only considers the present circumstances, one can only ask how can this be? When the Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee then one can say For with God nothing shall be impossible. (Luke 1:37) “Nothing” in v.37 is a word that we really need to get the accurate sense of from the original language. In the original language it actually means “nothing”!

Your point of reference may be like Mary’s when Gabriel greeted her (Lk.1:26-29): that nothing has happened in your life over the last fourteen years. That is most likely the factor that set her to trembling. God’s point of reference is: thou shalt conceive and bring forth now, no matter what the past has been. Your point of reference may tell you that you are anything but blessed. Your point of reference may remind you that, somewhere along the line, you messed up. God’s point of reference is Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women or among men or youth or children. But we must have that experience, even repeated experiences, of the Holy Spirit coming upon us, filling us and indwelling us with That which is far superior to what we are just in ourselves.

IT RESULTS IN AN INTERCESSOR’S HEART

God shares with us the issues of His heart and we get involved in intercession. 1 Sam 25:28 .… the LORD will certainly make for my lord an enduring house, because my lord is fighting the battles of the LORD, and evil shall not be found in you all your days. (NAS) Intercession is praying God’s prayer requests. In intercession we are prayer partners with God. We are not fighting our own battles or the battles of our choosing.

PARTNERS IN THE HEART = PARTNERS IN THE WORK

The prophetic church is able to see beyond the end of its nose and is able to be partners in that which is global. Prophetic hearts are moved by that which moves God’s heart. They see needs in other fields. They generously give money and personnel to the work; such a church searches for the opportunity. Not only does the prophetic church on the whole support works around the globe but individuals participate physically in those locations. There is a "going out and coming in" that God can bless. Seed is taken out and planted while vision and motivation are brought back.

A LOVING CHURCH

Follow the way of love AND eagerly desire spiritual gifts, especially prophecy....everyone who prophesies speaks to men for their strengthening, encouragement and comfort. He who speaks in a tongue edifies himself, but he who prophesies edifies the church. I would like every one of you to speak in tongues, but I would rather have you prophesy (1Co.14:1-5)." Also cf. "But if an unbeliever or someone who does not understand comes in while everybody is prophesying, he will be convinced by all that he is a sinner and will be judged by all, and the secrets of his heart will be laid bare. So he will fall down and worship God, exclaiming, 'God is really among you!'(v.24)"

The prophetic church will be known for its love. There are some who believe that anything prophetic is harsh and judgmental but Paul informs us that the prophetic gift moves out of the heart motivated by love.

“Love casts out everything that hinders the move of God through us and to us. Love is the foundation upon which spiritual authority and the gifts of the Spirit operate. It is vain to seek the gifts until they have this foundation to be built upon. The stronger the foundation, the more power that can be entrusted to us.” (Rick Joyner)

LOVING RELATIONSHIP

Prophetic people seem to experience and sense rejection more than other ministers. Elijah crawled in a cave and “licked his wounds.” How many people have been bitten while trying to pet a dog that was devastated by an oil pan on a fast moving Chevy? Truthful, loving relationships will help keep such extremes in check. If we are in the “regularity of relationship” Father can use those persons to prod us out of the depths of despair and on to fruitfulness. I cannot stress the importance of relationships enough. Our motivations and attitudes, which need to be checked consistently, will be noticed and spoken to by meaningful relationship. I am talking about relationship that has regularity to it — not hit and miss.

Perhaps it is because the prophetic gift is more vocal, more dramatic or such a desirable means of edification and confirmation that it is under such scrutiny. So many are blessed by it and yet so many are wary of it. Some want to throw it out altogether while others want nothing but prophetic words all the time. The first time I saw someone prophesy I knew that was what I was supposed to do. I began to seek God earnestly for the prophetic gift. I could hardly sleep or think about anything else until God moved upon me in such a way that I began to speak what I was sensing I had heard from God. It grew from a few halting words to, as many know, volumes at times.

I desire that others would not only receive prophecy but also that they would prophesy and experience the joy of edifying others with prophecy. When I received prophecy, it turned my life upside down and I haven’t been the same since. Many people have told us in person, written letters, and sent E-mails telling us what God’s prophetic gift has done in their lives and also in their children. But I also desire that prophetic people minister effectively, powerfully and be fulfilled without the many pitfalls that the enemy would love for them to fall into.

The prophetic ministry very possibly has the greatest potential for the glory of God’s name in this hour and at the same time potential for turning people off to the moves of God at the turn of the century. Let us give ourselves wholeheartedly to purity unto God and unto one another in relationship so that “every joint” may supply to the “increase of the Body unto the edifying of itself in love.”

AWESOME GOD, AWESOME LOVE, AWESOME

MANIFESTATION

We have got such an awesome God that He MUST reveal Himself. We have not seen enough of God revealed in this earth. He is too awesome and too great not to reveal Himself more than He has heretofore in recent generations. You can read your Bible from cover to cover every year but until that life-transforming, life-giving, delivering Word takes the form of manifestation, what have you got? (cf.Jn 14:12; 17:18; Rom 8:19;1Jn 3:8) God could not simply exist. He had to create. His attributes are seen in His creation. Ps 19:1 and 97:6 even give testimony to it. This mighty God is love and that kind of love requires love be reciprocated. The power of God, the presence of God, the Spirit of God, the essence of God, the love of God is so awesome that it must take some form to some degree at some level. God must reveal Himself through flesh (1Jn 3:8). For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. (Jn 3:16, KJV)

(This article is an excerpt from the book Prophetic Characteristics and Guidelines by Marty Gabler.)