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

When Bishops Replace Prophets

9. Define and Repeat the Mission Statement

Today's churches function best when they are purpose-driven-that is, fueled by a vision of what God is doing worldwide and what He wishes to do with a particular church. His vision is greater than for us to renew a church heritage of bygone days; it is for the principles and reality of the early, Bible-days Church to take place in the contemporary scene. The story of why the Church exists needs to be told over and over, and it should be declared each time with fresh fervency of spirit so that new converts become imbued with the same driving ambition.

Conclusion

It is doubtful that a congregation that does these things will institu tionalize. Such a church may be structured, excellent in its performance, even very sophisticated in its use of electronics and marketing techniques. But it will not lose its soul. Where the Holy Spirit is active, a church is alive. And an active Holy Spirit will soon manifest Himself in spiritual gifts, one of which is prophecy.

REFLECTIONS

The near ubiquity of prophecy ...is impressive ....There is not a single instance [in the NT] in which the widespread phenomenon of the prophetic gifts is condemned or even questioned.It is regarded as part of the normal life. 41 ]. E.C.Welldon If the gifts were lost in history, the most important question is not whether they were lost, but why they were lost....it is possible that God never intended that these gifts should cease, but rather it is the church that has rejected these gifts.The loss of these gifts could be due to the rise of an ungifted bureaucratic leadership who put out gifted people. 42 Jack Deere Without support from the society, or at least from a group within it, prophets can find no permanent place within the social order and are likely to be regarded simply as sick individuals who must be cured or expelled. 43 R.R.Wilson 263 •