Your Sons & Daughters Shall Prophesy - Prophetic Gifts Today In The New Testament Church

Message: Various Ways of Prophetic Expression

of what was conveyed. More and more the Church is realizing that spir itual warfare can involve praying with a prophetic touch and at times with prophetic enactment. 24 Enacting a thought or concept, if done appropri ately, upgrades the prophetic strength manyfold. An unexpressed thought is dead; it cannot be considered a prophecy. A thought must be commu nicated or expressed in such a way that it is understood. And sometimes that thought gains maximum impact through a dramatic action, which secures and holds the attention of the mind. Old and New Testament prophets performed actions bizarre by our standards, such as Aaron and Hur holding up the hands of Moses (Exo dus 17:12) or Agabus binding Paul with his sash (Acts 21:10-11). In our time evangelist Arthur Blessitt has dragged a large wooden cross on his shoulders around the world as a testimony of Christ's love for fallen humanity. When I first heard of this years ago, I thought it farfetched, but Arthur continued on, thank God, in spite of doubters like me, and has done a remarkable job, winning many to Jesus Christ. 25 An idea from the book The Language of Love by Gary Smalley made a big impression on me several years ago. The author emphasized the importance of creating in your listener's mind an image of what you are saying. In that way the thought will make a greater impact and tend to remain. This concept applies to preaching and interpersonal communi cation, but in enacted prophecy it will be particularly effective. Sometimes it is difficult to remember words of a prophecy, but a word picture stays framed in the mind. In the next chapter we will deal with the subject of false prophets, par ticularly evaluating Balaam, the highly overrated soothsayer who finally met an untimely death. But first, so that you may see the possibility and importance of prophecy in today's Church, I offer the following testimo nial from David Bryan, pastor of the Church of Glad Tidings in Yuba City, California, given in February 1997. The reference to my personal ministry may also help you understand my own deep interest in prophecy. In 1974, when I was in the eleventh grade, my father took me to Port land, Oregon, to visit Bible Temple (now called City Bible Church) for the first time. We were then living in Idaho, and my older sister was attending Portland Bible College. She had written home saying there would be a prophetic gathering she hoped we could attend. Testimony of David Bryan

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