Definition

While we are all called to pursue the spiritual gift of prophecy (1 Cor 14:1), and while some of us will have more of a God-given prophetic temperament, God raises up some people with a proven, anointed, effective and consistent prophetic ability. The Old Testament is loaded with prophets, but a fine example of a New Testament prophet is Agabus:

During this time some prophets came down from Jerusalem to Antioch. One of them, named Agabus, stood up and through the Spirit predicted that a severe famine would spread over the entire Roman world. (This happened during the reign of Claudius.) The disciples, each according to his ability, decided to provide help for the brothers living in Judea. This they did, sending their gift to the elders by Barnabas and Saul (Acts 11:27-30).

After we had been there a number of days, a prophet named Agabus came down from Judea. Coming over to us, he took Paul’s belt, tied his own hands and feet with it and said, “The Holy Spirit says, `In this way the Jews of Jerusalem will bind the owner of this belt and will hand him over to the Gentiles.’ ” When we heard this, we and the people there pleaded with Paul not to go up to Jerusalem. Then Paul answered, “Why are you weeping and breaking my heart? I am ready not only to be bound, but also to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.” When he would not be dissuaded, we gave up and said, “The Lord’s will be done.” (Acts 21:10-14)

How can I develop into the office of a prophet?

Follow the teachings and principles laid out in the earlier blogs about the gift of prophecy and ‘being prophetic’, and faithfully serve the church with your gift. If this is an office that God has for you, he will promote you in due time by others recognising your growing gift.

Prophets will bring weighty words

Prophets will be able to bring the full range of prophetic words, but will be unique in that they will bring weighty words that can shape a whole church or region of churches. For example, the prophecy of Agabus regarding the famine was weighed and acted upon by the leaders in Antioch, including Barnabas and Paul. The group of prophets seem to have been sent by the Jerusalem church and it led to a corporate response in a well led and well taught church.

Prophets should be accountable

Luke describes the prophets who went to Antioch as ‘from Jerusalem’ (Acts 11:27). It is important to know where prophets come from and whether they are recognised as prophets at home base.

Prophets should operate in submission to apostolic ministry

Paul tested those who claimed to be prophets by whether or not they recognized his apostolic doctrine and practice: ‘If anybody thinks he is a prophet or spiritually gifted, let him acknowledge that what I am writing to you is the Lord’s command. If he ignores this, he himself will be ignored (1 Cor 14:37-38).

Prophets should not be insecure and melancholic

Dave Devenish writes:

‘Sometimes prophets are described as being insecure or easily suffering rejection or having melancholic tendencies, but we will be hard pressed to find that consistently in scripture, although Jeremiah and Elijah did have some ‘bad days at the office’. We need to see what is lack of sanctification or unresolved personal history and what is genuinely prophetic sensitivity. It is particularly difficult though for prophets if what they say is ignored or not commented upon which may in fact be because we agree but have not told them! Sometimes living with a future picture that has not yet been fulfilled or listened to can be frustrating for a prophet. However Silas seems to be a model of balanced, patient leadership to which we should encourage prophets to aspire.’

Prophets will operate in the other revelation gifts (discerning of spirits, word of wisdom, word of knowledge) and often in the gift of healing as well.

This is #13 in a series of blogs by PJ on the Gifts of the Holy Spirit. It is the third in a mini-series of four blogs on the gift of prophecy (1 Corinthians 12:10).

Definition

It is the one that deals with how to learn to prophecy over an individual. Scenario: I am praying for an individual during a prayer meeting, or at the front of a church meeting.

Step 1: Under my breath I ask God to give me a prophetic word that will encourage this person.

Step 2: I plunge in and start to pray ‘normal’ prayers i.e. I thank God for his work in their life, and I pray that they would know more of his love and more of the presence and fruit of the spirit. Here I am praying the general will of God for the person, and all the while I am open to God bringing to my mind a thought, impression or picture that I will then make into a prophetic word.

Step 3: I will pray into any specific thing that they have come forward to receive prayer for. For example, ‘…and Father, with this issue of anxiety that Fred is bringing to you today, I ask that…’.

Step 4: By this time it is usual that some kind of thought, impression or picture will have come to my mind, and then I take that and say something like, ‘Fred, I feel that God would say to you, “My dear son, I have seen your struggle with anxiety and say to you that….’ Or, I would say, ‘Fred, I feel that God is showing me that…’

Step 5: On the back of the prophecy I will probably then revert to prayer again to ‘earth’ the prophecy.

Step 6: Then I will gently ask Fred if he felt that the prophecy was on target. This not only helps you both weigh the prophecy, but it also gives you an insight into how he is doing, and if more prayer is required.

Prophetic activation

An exercise in prophetic activation I have three sons ages 8, 11 and 13 and sometimes in the car we play a game called ‘prophetic activation’ which is a simple game designed to help them get into the groove of being prophetically stimulated by something that they see. Please note that the game is not producing ‘proper’ prophetic words, rather helping them with the dynamic of producing a prophetic word, so that they have the ability to do it when it is really from God. In the game, they have to spot something (a bit like ‘I spy’) and then say what God might be saying to us through that object. One of them said this one recently: ‘Guys, you see that grass growing through the concrete at the edge of the road… I think God wants us to know that he will always make us grow and do well even if life is really hard like concrete’.

The next blog deals with how to test a prophetic word and avoid going nuts…

This is #12 in a series of blogs by PJ on the Gifts of the Holy Spirit. It is the second in a mini-series of four blogs on the gift of prophecy (1 Corinthians 12:10).

Definition

It is the one that deals with how to learn to prophecy in a church meeting. How can I learn to prophecy in a church meeting?

Step 1: During the week, I ask God to alert me to any prophetic word that he would like me to bring at the Sunday meeting.
Step 2: During the opening song I whisper to God a request that he show me when and how to bring the word he showed me during the week, or if I don’t yet have a word to please give me one that will encourage the people and help bring an immediate sense of God’s presence to the meeting.
Step 3: Now for the important matter of how the content of the word actually comes into our minds. For me it can happen through the following ways:

• A scripture: either a verse will come to my mind, or I will be browsing Psalms (for example) and a verse jumps out at me. I could then turn that verse into a prophecy.
• A line from a song: sometimes a line from a song we are singing makes me want to elaborate on it.
• Another prophetic word by someone else: when someone else brings a word of some sort, that often gets my prophetic juices going and I want to build on that prophecy.
• A picture in my mind: sometimes an image leaps to my mind ‘out of the blue’. When that happens I don’t dismiss it as ‘Satan trying to distract me’, rather I meditate on it for a bit to see if I stumble on a prophetic application for that picture.
• An idea stemming from something I see: in a similar vein, sometimes an object in the building will catch my eye that can activate a prophetic word.
• Common sense: if there is some big and common issue on the go, such as a general election, or it is Easter Sunday, I am especially alert to bring a prophetic word along those lines that will comfort and encourage.
• A prophetic sense: for those who are maturing in their walk with Jesus and who have a maturing leadership or prophetic gift (who may even be on their way to becoming an Ephesians 4 prophet), they increasingly get what we call a prophetic burden about something. This means that as they think and pray about the church and the advance of God’s kingdom, they will develop a sense of God wanting to do X or Y in or through the church, and it will be this theme that forms the content of the prophecy.

These prophecies are usually ‘big ones’ that adjust the emphasis or direction of the church, and need to be thoroughly weighed by the leaders. For example, “I sense that God is wanting to restore healings and signs and wonders to the church, and if you will step out he will honour his word and do the miracles through you…’

Step 4: Then you need to have wisdom to know when and how to bring the word that you have. Usually it is best to tell the leader of the meeting that you have a word along the following lines, and then let him direct you when to bring it. But bring it cheerfully, confidently, and loudly enough for all to hear it. Keep it short, probably between ten seconds and one minute, as anything longer than this is hard for people to stay engaged with.

Who does what? When it comes to disciple making I find it extremely helpful to know who is supposed to do what? As an aside, I find this to be extremely helpful when it comes to preaching as well. I tend to ask these three questions in my preparation.

What is the Holy Spirit’s responsibility?

Always start here. Salvation and sanctification are the work of the Holy Spirit. We know that He loves to use us in the process, but it’s ultimately His work.

What is it that we need the Holy Spirit to do in this person’s life? Now, DO NOT try to do what the Holy Spirit is supposed to do. Trust that He will do what only He can do in this person’s life.

Asking this question and knowing the answer will prevent us from leading people into legalism, creating a co-dependent relationship, getting super frustrated, and blaming and shaming others.

What is my responsibility?

As the discipler, what is it that you need to do? First and foremost it’s to keep bringing people back to the Gospel. Listen to their statements and questions and find out where they are not believing the Gospel. Remind them of who they are in Christ. Remind them to continuously be filled with the Holy Spirit. Remind them that they exist to serve and bless others. Be there for them, pray for them, reach out to them, knowing full well that you are not the fixer, healer or redeemer.

What is their responsibility?

This is important and often needs to be stated clearly to those you are leading. They need to know that you expect them to be open to change and growth. They are alive in Christ and living things grow! They should be honest and open. They should ask questions. They should be open to input and show a level of maturity in receiving correction.

Knowing who does what in the discipleship process is fundamental. I’ve made many mistakes over the years, but have found that many of those mistakes were because there weren’t clear expectations of who was supposed to do what.

This is #10 in a series of posts by PJ on the Gifts of the Holy Spirit. It deals with the gifts of tongues and interpretation (1 Corinthians 12:10).

How Will I Know if I Have the Gift of Tongues?

If you have the ability to speak in tongues privately, then you have the potential to bring a tongue in public because the actual speaking of tongues is the same dynamic for the speaker whether done alone in his room or in front of 1,000 people. But, not everyone has this gift of ‘public’ tongues.

In my experience, those that are gifted to bring a ‘public’ tongue that leads the people in Spirit-worship of God, are those who have real worshipping hearts and who can speak confidently and expressively in public. Remember, tongues is man-speaking-to-God (invariably a declaration of deep worship and praise about some aspect of who God is and his dealings with man), so if you are leading the meeting for those few moments then you need a strong worshipping heart, a strong and expressive voice, and an attitude of faith. Without these things then the tongue is going sound rather feeble and boring and may not provoke much of an interpretation.

For me, it works like this: during a time of worship I sometimes feel a special urge to bring a tongue of pure praise to God. At that moment I usually feel particularly thrilled and moved by God and I sense a nudge in my spirit to pour it out publicly in a tongue. I just feel the need to do a deluge of praise unhindered by my mind. It is hard to explain but you know when you have it. In fact, at first you are not sure so you should just give it a go, especially if you know that someone who is gifted with interpretation is present. Also, early on it is usually best to find the leader of the meeting and say that you have a tongue ready to roll if and when he feels the moment is right. This will be an added source of encouragement and protection for you.

How will I know if I have the interpretation?

Theologically speaking, Paul assumes that some people are known to have the gift of interpretation (1 Cor 14:28), and ready to interpret any tongue that comes. Practically speaking, the best person to bring an interpretation is the one(s) who feel a rise of faith or excitement as the tongue is being brought, and who get a sense of the theme of the tongue – not the detail, just the theme. If that is you, then step out in faith and immediately (even as the tongue is being spoken) come to the front and get ready to unleash a river of interpretation.

When I start to interpret I only ever have the idea of the first couple of sentences, and I find that as I start to speak God gives me the idea for the next sentence, and so on. Remember, it is important that the interpretation is man-speaking-to-God.

Those with the gift of interpretation will, like the tongue bringers, be those with worshipping hearts and who can speak confidently and expressively in public. Remember, your interpretation is a form of leading the people in worship to God!

Note that it is an interpretation, not a translation. This means that the interpretation will capture the theme of the utterance rather than the detail of each word.

Can a tongue have more than one interpretation?

Theologically I feel that this is possible because tongues is dynamic language rather than one with a dictionary, but practically it is pretty confusing to have completely different interpretations to one tongue. Tongues and interpretation is hard enough for newcomers to cope with, without adding the extra challenge of widely diverse interpretations! Therefore, it is usually best to only allow interpretations along a similar theme and ask those with other interpretations to graciously hold back.

Should tongues and interpretation be used in seeker-sensitive meetings?

Look at these two extracts from 1 Corinthians 14:

So if the whole church comes together and everyone speaks in tongues, and some who do not understand or some unbelievers come in, will they not say that you are out of your mind? 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!” (1 Cor 14:23-25)

He who prophesies is greater than one who speaks in tongues, unless he interprets, so that the church may be edified (1 Cor 14:5)

From these scriptures we learn (a) that any tongue that is brought must be interpreted, and (b) if it is, it has a similar ‘power’ to prophecy that is potent for the unbeliever to be exposed to, but (c) that there are challenges with administering the gifts of tongues and interpretation in a way that is helpful to the unbeliever. For example, immature demonstrations of tongues and interpretation might technically pass Paul’s criteria, but practically may give unbelievers an unnecessary hurdle to jump. Conclusion – if you are going to have these gifts in meetings where unbelievers are present, then do them decently and in order and with power and effectiveness.

This is #9 in a series of posts by PJ on the Gifts of the Holy Spirit. It deals with the two gifts of tongues and interpretation (1 Corinthians 12:10).

Definition of Tongues

This gift refers to a ‘meeting-stopper’ moment when a tongue is brought for everyone to hear. It does not refer to the ‘personal’ ability to pray and worship in tongues that people receive when they are baptised in the Holy Spirit. Also, it does not refer to those times in meetings when maybe everyone is praying or worshipping together in tongues.

Paul tells us that ‘anyone who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to God whereas he who prophecies speaks to men…’ (1 Cor 14:2-4). This is a vital distinction: when you bring a tongue the dynamic is man-to-God, not God-to-man. So, tongues is a form of prayer or praise.  Here lies the key thing about this gift – it is a gift to deepen our worship and revelation of Jesus.

Speaking in tongues is pure worship to God, unhindered by the mind, and the interpretation will also be divinely enabled to search the deep things of God and illumine more of him to us. Oh, how we need more of this gift! This can bring a ‘wow’ to worship and manifest the presence of God in a mighty way.  Nick Sharpe writes: “Sometimes you might hear an interpretation being brought in the form of a God-to-man prophecy. I think this is a mistake. We often move too quickly into God-speaking-to-us-mode when we should press deeper into him through worship. Often a tongue sparks off the prophetic gifting and sometimes a genuine prophecy is brought too quickly as the interpretation. Hold back you prophets! Let’s give room to this exciting manifestation first.” (NF Mag June 2004).

Definition of Interpretation

This gift is when a person brings an interpretation for the tongue that has just been publically brought.  It can either be brought by the person who brought the tongue (1 Cor 14:13), or by another person (1 Cor 14:26-28). Interestingly, this gift combination receives by far the most attention in 1 Corinthians 12-14, especially in Chapter 14.

In the next post (Part 2 of Tongues and Interpretation), I will answer these questions:

• How will I know if I have the gift of tongues?
• How will I know if I have the interpretation?
• Can a tongue have more than one interpretation?
• Should tongues and interpretation be used in seeker-sensible (missional) meetings?

Definition

This is not about the general measure of faith that we are given to be saved (Eph 2:8), or the faith that grows through hearing the word (Rom 10:17). This gift refers to a God-given super-sized measure of faith for a situation. It allows the believer to trust God for much greater things than he otherwise could. When you have the gift of faith for something you just know within you that it will come to pass.

Biblical Examples

• When David stepped out to fight Goliath (1 Sam 17).
• When Peter walked on the water (Mt 14:29).
• When the Centurion said to Jesus ‘Just say the word and my servant will be healed…’ (Mt 8:8).
• Most great leadership initiatives require the gift of faith (E.g. Abraham leaving his homeland, Noah building the ark, Nehemiah rebuilding Jerusalem).

Likely traits of a person with this gift

They might be optimistic, upbeat people, but not necessarily, because this is a supernatural thing, not a personality thing.

How and where can I use it?

Some people seem to have this gift for special areas such as finance or healing. When you have it for a situation, then if you are the leader then you can use it to make the decision or take the action, or, whether you are the leader or not, you can use your gift to impart faith and hope to others by standing up and speaking or praying in such a way that you can impart your gift of faith to others.

This is a gift that often accompanies other gifts. For example, the gifts of miracles and healings require lots of faith.

___
This blog was originally published on the GodFirst Blog.

Definition

Everyone should of course be gradually increasing in wisdom and experience, and some people seem to live life so wisely that we could say that they operate in this gift all the time. However, this gift is the special ability to solve problems and know how to proceed in tricky situations. It is a ‘breakthrough’ gift making a way where there seems to be no way. It may come as an impression, thought, audible voice, picture, vision or dream.

Biblical Examples

• Two women came to Solomon both claiming that a baby belonged to them. Solomon ordered that the baby be cut in half so they could have half each. This proclamation caused the real mother to say ‘No, give the child to her’, thus revealing that she was the real mother (1 Kings 3:16).
• The profound advice that Gamaliel gave in Acts 5:34f.
• The re-designation of responsibilities in the church in Ex 18 and Acts 6

In what situations is it needed?

• Home: what form of discipline will work best in this instance? Which of my children are lying? How can I provoke the truth to come out?
• Work: how can I best align my staff to minimize friction whilst maximizing profit? How can implement change in a peaceful yet speedy way?
• Church: What advice can I give this person to help them solve this issue that they are struggling with?

Likely traits of a person with this gift

As it is a revelation gift, she will need to know Jesus well and be someone who practices the presence of God. She will usually be a sensible, insightful and practical person who lives a wise life herself.

This was originally published on the GodFirst blog.

How can I use it?

People with this gift can make excellent leaders, advisers and counselors. If you sense this is a gift that you have in embryonic form, then eagerly desire it by regularly asking God for more of it, learn from people who have this gift, and be alert to opportunities to use it.

Cautions

Beware not using it – when you see a situation, speak into it. Don’t deprive the body of your wisdom from God. But equally, don’t get resentful or pushy if your wisdom is either not asked for or not heeded.

1. You will feel fulfilled and happy using your gift – it is what God made you to do!

2. All spiritual gifts need to be accountable to leadership

In 1 Corinthians 14 Paul talks about the need for spiritual gifts to be used “decently and in order.” One of the roles of leadership is ensuring that this happens. Paul goes on to command those with spiritual gifts to acknowledge leadership teaching and authority: If anybody thinks he is a prophet or spiritually gifted, let him acknowledge that what I am writing to you is the Lord’s command. If he ignores this, he himself will be ignored (1 Cor 14:37-38).

3. All the gifts are equally “spiritual”

Although some gifts such as prophecy may sound more ‘spiritual’ than other gifts (such as serving), they are all equally important and equally ‘spiritual’. In 1 Corinthians 12 Paul tells us that one part of the body should not feel inferior (or superior!) to the other parts.

4. Each person and gift will vary in capacity and context

Within a certain spiritual gift there will be variety. For example, some teachers will flourish in a small-group setting, whilst others will flourish in front of large crowds.

5. How will I know what my gifts are?

They will probably be those things that you desire to do or are already doing, but trust God to show you what they are as you study the gifts in the following posts. Also, the more that you serve people the more you will “stumble” across your gifts. Often we start off as generalists and then through serving our specific gifts become apparent. It is also important to ask close friends and leaders what gifts they can detect in us.

Ok, now we get into looking at each gift – one per post for the coming weeks…

Paul begins his most famous chapter on spiritual gifts saying: ‘About spiritual gifts, brethren, I do not want you to be ignorant (1 Cor 12:1).

This series will help us become educated about these exciting spiritual gifts. The three main lists of spiritual gifts in the Bible are found in 1 Corinthians 12, Romans 12, 1 Peter 4 and Ephesians 4. There are also a few other gifts (e.g. hospitability) that seem to be genuine God-given gifts, but that are not specifically mentioned in these lists.

Whilst I try to define each gift clearly to help people recognise them, there is some overlap between the gifts, especially with gifts that are similar or complementary. Here are some important points to understand before we start to look at the various gifts:

1. Certain basic things need to be in place if you want to operate in the gifts of the Spirit

Firstly, you need to be born again. We know that this is a prerequisite because Paul opens the 1 Corinthians 12 chapter about spiritual gifts with the word ‘Brothers’. Secondly, you need to be filled with the Holy Spirit – it stands to reason that the fuller you are of him the more up-sized will be his gifts in your life. Thirdly, you need to acquire knowledge about the gifts. Remember, Paul opens 1 Corinthians 12 saying that he doesn’t want us to be ignorant about the gifts. And fourthly, you need to act in faith and use your gifts. There is a biblical law of atrophy (see Mt 13:12 and Mt 25:29). By implication, the more you use your spiritual muscles, the more they will grow and strengthen.

2. Love is the motive for using your gifts

Sandwiched between two of the great chapters on the gifts is 1 Corinthians 13 – a chapter all about love. Paul explains that being mighty in the gifts without the motive of love is “nothing”, and he concludes “follow the way of love and eagerly desire spiritual gifts.” Also, straight after his teaching on the gifts in Romans 12, Paul goes on to talk about love. Yep, you can safely conclude that Paul has a ‘thing’ about love accompanying the spiritual gifts! So, if you find yourself too shy to use your gift, then be drawn into doing it because you love the people who will be blessed as you play your part. God has made you unique and the body needs you badly. Don’t hide your light under a bush! Go for it!

3. Spiritual gifts are God giving of himself to people through people

In 1 Corinthians 12, Paul stresses that each of us has received gifts from God to be used for the good of the Body, and in Ephesians 4, Paul explains that Jesus gave gifts of Himself to men to build up the body. This helps us understand that the operation of the gifts through us is the way God has chosen to touch earth. Jesus himself actually embodies all the gifts, and has shared them out amongst us so that together we can be his body on earth. Take a look at this amazing array of gifts that make up who Jesus is:

• The Great Apostle (Heb 3:1)
• The Great Prophet (Mt 13:57; Mt 21:11)
• The Great Evangelist (Lk 19:10)
• The Great Pastor (Jn 10:11)
• The Great Teacher (Mt 23:10)
• The Great Leader (Col 1:18)
• The Great Encourager (Rom 15:5)
• The Great Administrator (Creation. Feeding of the Five Thousand)
• The Great Mercy-Giver (Mt 9:36; Heb 4:16)
• The Great Servant (Mt 20:28)
• The Source of all Knowledge (Col 2:2-3)
• The Source of all Wisdom (Col 2:2-3)
• The Great Discerner of Spirits (Heb 4:12)
• The Author of Faith (Heb 12:2)
• The Great Miracle Worker (Jn 10:32)
• The Great Healer (Mt 9:35)

4. Eagerly desire the gifts (1 Cor 14:1)

Be passionate about learning what your gifts are and putting them into practice. Also, be open to new gifts in new seasons of your life.

5. Hold them loosely

Your security and identity should not be in your gifts but rather in the Giver of the gifts. The gifts that God gives to you are for the blessing of others. Also, when it comes to working out what your gifts are, you will probably have some understanding yourself, but it is important to let other people recognise your gift and confirm it.

I will give another 5 warm-up points in the next post…