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

The Use of Prophecy in Church Today

ances. 21 Personally I feel that discerning of spirits can be used for both prophetic utterances and for the deliverance of those who are demonized. People in a local church who can identify the utterances and activities of evil spirits are of great value.In the case of the young slave girl, Paul weighed the spirit behind the prophecy and was grieved.The content and accuracy of her prophesying was one hundred percent correct, but Paul's inner unrest exposed the evil spirit.If such discernment takes place in a church service, the information should be given to the leadership, which has the authority to take proper action. 3. What is the objective of an utterance caused by an evil spirit? Satan's greatest desire is to foul up our relationship with God, and this is best achieved through idolatry, or the misdirection of our worship and serv ice. Invariably the false prophets of the Old Testament were corrupters of true worship. Even accurate prophecies could mislead, so additional tests were imposed.Deuteronomy 13:2-3 states that if a sign or wonder comes true, it is nevertheless false if it causes you to "go after other gods." 22 The Bible stresses "the theocentric nature of true prophecy: no true prophet can recommend disobedience to the Lord God or the worship of other gods.This is precisely the test used in the New Testament: only the true Spirit of prophecy can say, 'Jesus is ... Lord' (1 Corinthians 12:3)." 23 1. Does the message exalt and glorify Jesus Christ? True prophecy will without compromise exalt the Bible's high claim to Christ's deity, mirac ulous ministry and redemptive accomplishment.The apostle Peter warned that "destructive heresies" secretly introduced by false prophets and teach ers will "[deny] the Master" (2 Peter 2:1). David Hill makes this good comment: "The test of all genuine Christian prophecy-in the New Tes tament church and today-is its Jesus-reference....The message of God's action in and throughJesus ...is the norm by which all Christian prophecy is to be assessed." 24 This benchmark concept is clearly stated in 1 John 4:2: "By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God." Sometimes called "the confessional test," this question is essential! The great purpose of any prophetic utterance should be "that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ" (1 Peter 4:11).A Holy Spirit-inspired prophecy will "bear witness of" Christ (John 15:26).Jesus said, "He shall glorify Me; for He shall take of Mine, and shall disclose it to you" (John 16:14). • 320 The Objective