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

The Use of Prophecy in Church Today

and magnetism and were more tolerated than heeded-the surviving relic of a bygone era. The content was usually about the Second Coming of Christ and our need to be ready. There was little exhortation and encour agement about God's activity in today's Church or world. As I sat in the congregation that Sunday, a strong presence of the Lord came upon me and I realized He wanted me to prophesy. I stood trem bling, gripping the pew ahead of me tightly, shaking from head to foot. Anointed English words were attempting to come forth just as tongues do-with conviction yet without premeditation. A torrent of confusing sounds (English? Tongues? Gibberish? I don't know!) poured out. Finally I sat down, exhausted. There was a moment of embarrassing silence. Then the service went on just as though nothing had happened! The pastor said nothing, either then or later. No one else did either. It seemed best for everyone to just forget that anything had occurred. But in my heart was birthed, in that moment of frustration, a desire to acquire an understanding of this activity of prophesying. Now, after fifty years of prophesying, and studying and observing prophetic activity, as well as working with the prophetically gifted, I share this book with you on what I believe the Bible teaches on this remarkable gift. In these closing two chapters I will present some practical insights and conclusions on how I perceive prophecy is to function in the local church. Since "we prophesy in part" (1 Corinthians 13:9), no one has all the answers, so let me share out of my present understanding. Many of these thoughts may seem subjective, but they have worked well where they have been tried. The successful churches that enjoy prophecy invari ably have workable guidelines-usually very similar to what I am sug gesting here. Because of the spontaneous, unpredictable nature of prophecy, some might think it should be allowed to happen at will. No one wants to be guilty of quenching the Spirit (1 Thessalonians 5:19). Actually, however, prophecy in a congregational setting functions best with reasonably defined parameters. A mighty river looks beautiful as it flows through a city following its prescribed course, but it becomes dangerous and destruc tive when it overflows its banks and floods the streets. A church is wise to allow the prophetic to flow in productive channels rather than either curb or ignore it. Our only scriptural insight to a New Testament service active in the gifts is 1 Corinthians 14 (see chapter 13). The spiritual excitement of those first-century believers, with the attendant blessings and problems, was much as it is now. Paul's teaching, therefore, is timely for our present sea son of spiritual renewal manifestations. He stresses balance between rea sonable, flexible structure and Spirit-inspired activity.

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