“Am I a God at hand, declares the LORD, and not a God far away? Can a man hide himself in secret places so that I cannot see him? declares the LORD. Do I not fill heaven and earth? declares the LORD. I have heard what the prophets have said who prophesy lies in my name, saying, ‘I have dreamed, I have dreamed!’ How long shall there be lies in the heart of the prophets who prophesy lies, and who prophesy the deceit of their own heart, who think to make my people forget my name by their dreams that they tell one another, even as their fathers forgot my name for Baal? Let the prophet who has a dream tell the dream, but let him who has my word speak my word faithfully. What has straw in common with wheat? declares the LORD. Is not my word like fire, declares the LORD, and like a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces? (Jeremiah 23:23-29)
What still presses on my heart at this hour…forgive the bluntness. How long we will continue to crane our necks to those at the top of this “apostolic pyramid”, for guidance and leadership, instead of looking to the Lord? This is not Moses on Mt Sinai…we’re not approaching a mountain of fire, upon which only a select few are invited. We are the Body of Christ. Each part uniquely equal…and equally unique. In past times God spoke to us through prophets. Now He has spoken to us through His Son…(Hebrews 1:1-2)
It is tragic that so many who were called by God and once used mightily by Him, have become so consumed by the gift that they have forgotten about the giver…forgetting that God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble…that he uses the despised things of this world to shame those who think they are something…and that it is to “little children“ that he reveals His true heart, they have made for themselves names, titles and platforms, which have given them both great wealth and power…hence the New Apostolic Reformation was born (C.Peter Wagner’s words, not mine)
What if we weigh the New Apostolic Reformation against the Word of God? As we read through the Book of Acts and the various epistles we will see that the Church structure, as established by the first Apostles, through the guidance and leadership of the Holy Spirit, consisted of overseers, pastors/shepherds, elders and deacons; NOWHERE in the entire New Testament is the “office of prophet” mentioned. This is a pyramid built by man, for the glory of man…the Church’s own ‘Tower of Babel’.
We hear of one prophet named Agabus, twice! He was a member of the local Church community and seems to fly under the radar for the most part - prophesying only as and when the Lord commanded. A true prophet of God is first and foremost a servant. He sets the precedent for us under the New Covenant. Each time he spoke it was clear, concise and ACCURATE…unlike the generic prophesies and ‘word salad revelations’ we hear from the so-called prophets of today. They carry a Bible, but never truly teach from it; they use smooth words to satisfy the itching ears of their ‘fan base’, who will continue to follow them for this very reason. They claim to be the mouthpiece of God…and worse - that they are part of an elite group that is the ONLY mouthpiece of God! They blaspheme His Name!
Any true prophet will understand that God speaks at HIS OWN WILL and in HIS OWN TIME. As a prophetic person myself, I know how important it is to wait for the Lord and submit to Him - no matter how long that wait is.
He may use a person to prophesy many times - or only one time…it may be over the span of a few days…or we may have to wait several decades between prophetic words! (for me it has been 10 years). But it doesn’t matter…because it’s not about us - it’s about HIM!
Prophets are not supposed to be elevated above the rest of the Church - quite the opposite!
We’re not necessarily going to get a “word for the year” or a “word for the month” We’re not fortune tellers: This is nonsense! Borderline divination! We will get a word if and when GOD CHOOSES to give us one!
And we may not always hit the mark…because we’re New Covenant prophets, not Old. Contrary to what these so-called prophets may say, we are not the ONLY voice for God - that was the Old Testament…Our words are NOT the Law. God’s Word (The Bible) is.
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