The knowledge of Jesus Christ, the son of God, is the determining factor in cultivating a prophetic spirit. Hearing without drawing near to Jesus is merely Christian clairvoyance. In doing so, we trade intimacy with Jesus for informational accuracy, thus missing the heart of prophesy itself. ADORATION PASSAGE Revelation 1:5,6 - ...and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the rstborn from the dead, and the ruler over the kings of the earth. To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood, and has made us kings and priests unto His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. PRIMARY KILLERS OF A HEARING GOD We are being faced with the biggest crisis in the Church, yet we are completely blind that is happening all around us. o We forsake the knowledge of God for a few 5 Step Programs for a better life. Happy with business as usual, so we never search out the deep things of God. One of the primary killers of the Church is that religion thinks that it already knows Jesus. They want to move on past the teachings on Christ and they then become numb to His spirit. Allen Hood MISTAKES OF HISTORY CONCERNING THE PROPHETIC 1. We have sacriced the knowledge of God for experiential bliss. 2. We had more of a focus on procedure than on Presence. 3. We have exchanged intimacy with Jesus for accuracy in our prophecies. 4. We have used prophesy to shock and awe people instead of drawing them near to the heart of Jesus a. Revelation 19:10 = ...Worship God! For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy. QUESTIONS TO ASK WHEN PROCESSING PROPHETIC MINISTRY The prophetic ministry truly is a gift to the body of Christ that is meant to edify, build up, encourage, and exhort. Its an invitation to come near to the heart of God and hear what is on His mind. Because of poor historical examples of those claiming to be prophetic voices, many in the body of Christ have a difcult time accepting and processing the prophetic. There is, however, a clear Biblical model for genuine prophetic ministry that builds up the Church and sets people into their life callings. In order to develop an authentically prophetic lifestyle, we must rst examine what the true prophetic ministry is. WWW. JOSEPHI NTERNATI ONAL. ORG LAST UPDATED NOV 4, , 2010 1. The Incarnation Test 1 st Timothy 3:16 = And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifested in the esh. Justied in the Spirit, Seen by angels, Preached among Gentiles, Believed on in the world, and received up in glory. 1 st Timothy 4:1 = Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons. a. The Great Mystery of the Incarnation: in the esh b. Does this prophetic word express the person of Jesus? c. Does it cause me to fall in love with Jesus in a more profound way? 2. The Heart Posture Test a. Has the person delivering the word studied Scripture with prayer and fasting? b. Is there positive fruit being produced as a result of this word? 3. True Nature Test a. How does the word express the nature of God as displayed in Scripture? a. Does it sound like something Jesus would say to another person? b. Does the nature of the word given reveal more about the prophet or the knowledge of the Holy One? CULTIVATING A PROPHETIC SPIRIT :: FASCINATION WITH JESUS 1. If we are to develop ourselves in the prophetic, we have to rst and foremost cultivate a hidden life in God. a. Matthew 6:6 b. Adoration is a golden key! 2. The knowledge of Jesus is the primary thing that separates clairvoyance from the true prophetic. 3. The moment we are no longer eternally fascinated by Jesus is the moment we must realize that our priorities are wrong! a. We cannot have the Ive already heard this attitude. This is an indicator of a cold or hardened heart. b. Isaiah 57:15 = ...I dwell in the high and holy place, with him who has a contrite and humble spirit... c. Isaiah 53 = The Suffering Servant 4. We must return to the subject matter of the ages - Jesus. a. We are familiar with a little of the life of Jesus, but there are oceans of wisdom that we have not given ourselves to. WWW. JOSEPHI NTERNATI ONAL. ORG LAST UPDATED NOV 4, , 2010 THE SON AT THE DAWN OF TIME John 1:1-4 = In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with god and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. John 8:57, 58 = 57 Then the Jews said to Him, You are not yet fty years old, and have You seen Abraham? 58 Jesus said to them, Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM. 59 Then they took up stones to throw at Him; but Jesus hid Himself and went out of the temple,
going through the midst of them, and so passed by. John 17:24 = Father, I desire that they also whom You gave Me may be with me where I am, that they may behold My glory which you have given Me, for you loved me before the foundations of the world. Proverbs 8:22-31 THE LORD POSSESSED ME AT THE BEGINNING OF HIS WAY, Before His works of old. 23 I HAVE BEEN ESTABLISHED FROM EVERLASTING, From the beginning, before there was ever an earth. 24 When there were no depths I WAS BROUGHT FORTH, When there were no fountains abounding with water. 25 Before the mountains were settled, Before the hills, I WAS BROUGHT FORTH; 26 While as yet He had not made the earth or the elds, Or the primal dust of the world. 27 When He prepared the heavens, I WAS THERE, When He drew a circle on the face of the deep, 28 When He established the clouds above, When He strengthened the fountains of the deep, 29 When He assigned to the sea its limit, So that the waters would not transgress His command, When He marked out the foundations of the earth, 30 THEN I WAS BESIDE HIM AS
A MASTER CRAFTSMAN; AND I WAS DAILY HIS DELIGHT, REJOICING ALWAYS BEFORE HIM, 31 REJOICING IN HIS INHABITED WORLD, AND MY DELIGHT WAS WITH THE SONS OF MEN. 1 st Corinthians 1:30 = But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us Wisdom from God and righteousness and sanctication and redemption. WWW. JOSEPHI NTERNATI ONAL. ORG LAST UPDATED NOV 4, , 2010 THE SLAIN LAMB FROM THE BEGINNING Revelation 1:8 = I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty. Revelation 13:8 = All who dwell on the earth will worship him, whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundations of the world. If the Son existed before the foundations o Did He consider the cross from the beginning? o If even Isaiah prophesied the cross (Isaiah 53), did Jesus always know what He would come to the earth to do? How did he respond as He listened to Isaiah speak of the crucixion? Fascination with the heart of the God-man is the divine escort into the prophetic lifestyle. In order to hear Him, we must rst become a people who draw near. John 13:23 = Now there was leaning on Jesus bosom one of His disciples, whom Jesus loved. DEFINITION OF THE PROPHETIC After one becomes fascinated on the heart of Jesus, we understand that we have an invitation from Him to draw near to His heart. Jesus promised us, just prior to His death, that He would reveal to us all things that the Father had revealed to Him. This promise is made evident by the sending of the Holy Spirit, who is the great revealer of Jesus, and leads us into the knowledge of God. A truly prophetic people are those who embrace the invitation to draw near, and listens to the heart of Jesus for the sake of others, their city, the Church, etc. In this context, we see the Apostle Paul laying out a clear denition of the prophetic for us. 1 st Corinthians 14:1 Let love be your highest goal, but also desire the special abilities the Spirit gives, especially the gift of prophecy. NLT 1 st Corinthians 13:2 = And thought I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. NKJV 1 st Corinthians 13:9 = we prophesy in part. 1 st Corinthians 14:3,4 = But he who prophesies speaks edication and exhortation and comfort to men. NKJV WWW. JOSEPHI NTERNATI ONAL. ORG LAST UPDATED NOV 4, , 2010 Revelation 19:10 = ...Worship God! For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy. 1. When we draw near to the heart of Jesus, we then have permission to ask what Hes thinking. 2. Why would He tell us anything if we are screaming at him from a distance? 3. When we draw near, we can ask Him anointed questions and He will begin to speak to us in various ways, but always for the same purpose - to reveal the Son of God. ADDITIONAL NOTES WWW. JOSEPHI NTERNATI ONAL. ORG LAST UPDATED NOV 4, , 2010