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

Christ's Continuing Voice in the Church

tians acted on what they believed to be the revelations of God, and this kept them busy in reaching the lost. The prophetic Church today must be released to the city. We do not need thousands of Christians running around declaring Thus saith the Lord to non-Christians, but positioning themselves to be available in the crisis situations that proliferate throughout a given community. God uses spiritual gifts in these highly charged, desperate conditions to reveal Him self. The River of Life, the Holy Spirit, was not meant to flow into a Dead Sea church and become stagnant. Rather, the saving voice of God must be allowed to resonate through God's people. Reread the Acts of the Apostles. This book counterbalances the aca demic teaching of the epistles with vibrant, Spirit-filled living. The early Christians did not go around declaring themselves prophets, but they did learn the secret of Jesus' own success. The Son of God learned to hear His Father's voice and then act on any directions the Spirit gave. Three prophetic aspects of outreach are needed today: 1. Direction to people. Jesus knew "He had to pass through Samaria" (John 4:4), for a Samaritan woman would come to a certain well for water. Philip did not know that a searching Ethiopian eunuch would be travel ing by chariot on the desert road to Gaza, but the Spirit directed him right to that man, who was then converted and baptized (Acts 8:26-39). Both Jesus' Samaritan convert and Philip's African official proceeded to spread the message even further. In 1952 Tommy Hicks, an evangelist in his mid-forties, saw in a vision a map of South America. Multitudes, like fields of grain, were crying out for help. Finally he managed to get himself on a plane to Buenos Aires. The word Peron came forcefully to him. The stewardess informed him that Peron was the president of Argentina, so Hicks felt he must see Peron. All efforts failed. But Hicks was persistent, and in the office of the min ister of religion he prayed successfully for the healing of the secretary. The minister of religion promptly arranged an interview with Peron. When Hicks met Peron, the President was at that time suffering from eczema which so disfigured him that he allowed no photographs to be taken of him self. His ailment was common knowledge. Listening to Hicks tell of what the Lord wanted to do in Argentina, Peron asked him, "Can God heal me?" Hicks replied, "Give me your hand." Right there he prayed. Peron's skin was healed instantly. Stepping back in utter amazement, he wiped his hand across his face and exclaimed in astonishment, "Dios mio, estoy curado!" (My God, I am healed!) 33 Peron then supplied Hicks with the use of a large sports stadium and free access to the state radio and press. The ensuing 52 days of meetings ■ 192