Prophetic gifting: Being truth based

I am at odds with the label "Prophetic".  It has been twisted for me to mean, "False Prophetic" which isn't cool! I'm thinking of 1 Thessalonians 5:19-22 Which says, "Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise prophecies. Test all things; hold fast what is good. Abstain from every form of evil." 


The truth is, every spiritual gift is powerful.  Which means it is very dangerous and destructive when placed in the wrong hands.  That's where we come in.  If we choose to use our gifting for our purposes, no matter how noble they may seem, we do a lot of damage! Spiritual gifts are meant to be guided by the Holy Spirit... and when they are... awesome things happen.  Lives are changed.  Huge mountains are moved! It's the difference between a gifted surgeon with a scalpel and a careless, angry child with a butcher knife.


The damage goes both ways.  If we use our gifting uninspired it's like an atom bomb, no one close to the detonation point is spared damage, especially the one holding the bomb! I have learned that lesson perhaps too well. Sometimes I am afraid to open my mouth for fear of the potential for damage.  That doesn't work either.


Going back to the label, "Prophetic", I like to use "Truth based" instead. I believe prophetic people are only comfortable when people are being truthful, open and honest.  They are not very good at small talk because it often contradicts what they "see".  It's hard to explain, but speaking honestly especially about the huge ignored elephant in the room is the best gift you could offer someone who is prophetic.  Prophetic people are called to bring what is out of order into order.  They are called to tell the truth. 

Children who are created to be prophetic are often labeled precocious, disrespectful, perfectionists, haughty, too black and white, too judgmental, too serious or hot tempered. As adults, sometimes when we wield our gifts uninspired we become what we are accused of, too black and white, perfectionistic and judgmental.  It's easy to become angry when things are out of order and we seem powerless to put them back as they should be.  It all boils down to who is in control.  Relinquishing control into the hands of our only wise God is vital for everyone and every gift. But perhaps it is hardest for the prophetic who see so much that is out of order but who aren't given the go ahead from the Holy Spirit to respond.

Romans 12:5-6 says, " so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another. Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, let us prophesy in proportion to our faith;

It is an adventure to live life as God intended.  It's a dance of listening and moving as led. It is dangerous, but also amazing.

Freedom- breaking the yoke

Isaiah 58:6 "Is this not the fast that I have chosen: To loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, to let the oppressed go free, and that you break every yoke?" What does that mean in 2012? (listening) I'm not sure about the rest of it but the part that is tugging at my heart today is the line, "To loose the bonds of wickedness" I don't know that I could define the word wickedness... oh I can say, "It means doing evil" but what does that mean?  I believe evil is much more subtle than we realize. How do you "loose the bonds of wickedness" ? Are we to get help people get free from their addictions, hangups and evil desires?  Or are we to free those who are trapped by the wickedness of others?  I suppose it could be both but the picture I have is of that trapped feeling I get when I'm out of options.  I'm thinking of domestic violence, or modern day slavery.  (listening) Hmmm can you sum up wickedness as power and control? I'm thinking that power is not wicked... it is a gift or a circumstance but the misuse of it is way wicked

I often feel trapped when I feel like I am given no voice. For instance, I feel trapped in our politics.  I live in an area that has one large population center and many small rural communities.  The rural communities vote one way, the big city votes another.   Because more people in the city, how they vote is how we then live for the next few years.  I feel impotent.  If the word oppressed were exchanged for trapped it has more meaning for me. (listening) Wow, how many people in our world feel trapped?  If I feel trapped in my circumstance, think of people in say, Syria or Somalia. The misuse of power is a great evil.  But how do we do anything about it? (listening) How can I let the oppressed go free?  (listening)

Interesting, the picture turned in my head to the passage in Romans 12:3 and beyond where it says to use the gifts that we have been given.  Hmmm, like freedom is both allowing those who are gifted to move in their gifting but also to walk free in your gifts because walking free in your gift, sets others free in theirs.  It is the opposite of power and control to walk free... like live free to free

The gift of giving in the age of entitlement?

I have been thinking of the spiritual gift of giving.  Romans 12:5-8 says, "So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another.  Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, let us prophesy in proportion to our faith; or ministry, let us use it in our ministering; he who teaches, in teaching; he who exhorts, in exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness." (Listening) I find it interesting that this is a plea for us to use our gifts.... "Having gifts let us USE them... if you have the gift of prophecy... they speak! If you are gifted to teach, teach! 

Wow, that may seem simplistic, but I believe that satan works hard to make us afraid of the very thing we were created to be so what a release from the LORD.  "Hey you, yeah, you... I know it's scary to teach, because you have had bad experiences but I built into you a gift of teaching.  Let it out child and lean on Me for the words and the message.  Teach for God sake!!!


I'm not just picking on the teaching gift.  I'm really kind of confused about the gift of sharing or giving.  Our world has come to expect rescue.  I cringe at the things said after hurricane Katrina.  People angry because they weren't rescued fast enough.  Say again? No one had the obligation, rescue was a gift, wasn't it?  How can you give with liberality when people expect you to give even more than you have?  It's twisty! (listening) Hmmm, the sense I have is a restating of how important it is to be listening and guided by the LORD in what we do.


Spiritual gifts are POWERFUL!!!!  If we wield them by our own power someone is going to get hurt! Giving to some is no gift at all and yet the right gift at the right time will send people to their knees in awe of the LORD.  Listening and obedience is the key.

"Let these words sink down into your ears" Luke 9:44

Wow, how do you do that?  "Let these words sink down into your ears". Mark 4:9 says, "“He who has ears to hear, let him hear!” Is He talking to me?  Am I not listening? Is He talking to someone else who has hold of my ears?  Dear God help me to let all your words sink down into my ears.  I think I need to spend the next few weeks reading the red words... The ones that are spoken by Jesus himself.  Dear Father, Let these words sink down into my ears so that I am really hearing!

Stepping away from God's protection

For years I questioned the integrity of God.  "How can you be good when" "How can you be good when my child was murdered?" "How can you be good when I am dying of cancer?" How can you be good when the world is falling apart?" My biggest hurdle was the question, "Where were you" in connection to my own encounters with evil.  "Where were you God, when I cried out for rescue?" Where were you when he beat me?"  "Where were you when the unthinkable happened?" "Where were you when my baby died?" I believe that He has answered me and His answer revealed a covering, a protection over my life.  Now instead of the constant question of why, where were you, there is a deep inner peace and knowledge that though I am not always protected from pain, I am protected from something far more debilitating... evil.


The Young's literal translation of the Bible translates the last part of the Lord's prayer in Matthew 6:13 this way "And mayest Thou not lead us to temptation, but deliver us from the evil, because Thine is the reign, and the power, and the glory -- to the ages. Amen." That's huge to me.  Yes, Lord yes! Deliver me from THE EVIL!  The evil is horrible!  Everything else reverberates from there.  Pain is not our enemy in fact it is our friend.  It tells us something is wrong but evil is very much our enemy and it inflicts a much deeper wound than pain.

Protection from evil is not always protection from death.  Isaiah 57:1 says,

"The righteous perishes,
And no man takes it to heart;
Merciful men are taken away,
While no one considers
That the righteous is taken away from evil."

But while questioning God's integrity I was looking at how I didn't feel protected.  How the world seems just "out there" receiving whatever blows our way.  What if we are protected.  What if we have a choice to be protected or not?  What if we can choose to seek God's protection or reject it? How did this earth become the perfect place for life as we know it?  We have so many rings of protection around our world it is amazing!  For instance the ionosphere that protects us from the harmful radiation of the sun.  It has there long before we knew about it and without it we would be hard pressed to survive.  How much of God's protect are we missing?  Satan (the true bringing of evil) calls God's integrity into question pointing out the many catastrophes humanity is facing, yet he is not the one we cry to saying, "enough!"

I wonder all that as I wonder if we are stepping out from under God's protection as a nation... Is it that God is so cruel or is it that without Him evil will come.

Forgiving and avenging...

(listening) Hmmm I am reading Psalm 99 in the New American Standard.  Verses 6 through 9 says, "Moses and Aaron were among His priests, And Samuel was among those who called on His name; They called upon the LORD and He answered them.  He spoke to them in the pillar of cloud; They kept His testimonies, and the statute that He gave them. O LORD our God, Thou didst answer them; Thou wast a forgiving God to them, and yet an avenger to their evil deeds.  Exalt the LORD our God, and worship at His holy hill; for holy is the LORD our God." This passage feels full of balance.  Wow, what a statement, "Thou wast a forgiving God to them, and yet an avenger of their evil deeds." That statement gives me peace when thinking about people in my life who have been both kind and cruel to me.  I want God to reach past atrocities because we are all capable of terrible things... but I also want justice because without it kindness and forgiveness would mean nothing. And because if there was only forgiveness, there would be no end to the evil.  There must be consequence.  Without it evil will overwhelm every good. Justice brings as much or more life to my soul as does mercy.

Listen to this line, "They called upon the LORD and He answer them. Wow. I believe God listens and answers, not only these priests of the past but you... and me.   I also believe that He corrects and guides.  I'm thinking of that song by Garth Brooks called Unanswered Prayers.  In it Garth suggests that sometimes God's good gift is choosing not to give us what we have asked for.  I personally wouldn't call them unanswered prayers but prayers that were answered, "no" or "wait".

Sometimes, no matter how hard I want to do good, sometimes my behavior is harmful to others.  When I sin, others are sinned on and those that are sinned on need to know that God is their defender.  Even if He defends against me.  That also gives me peace.  It means that I can trust Him with the damage I am bound to cause. If I am living in reckless abandon in my walk with Him. I have to trust Him to avenge those I have hurt.  If I am ever going to trust Him to avenge those who have hurt me.  I want consequences because I want to become more than I am.  More gracious, more kind and understanding, more humble and pure.

Waiting................still waiting...... maybe listening?

Wait is a four letter word! I must say that waiting in NOT fun for me.  Grrrr! I don't get the attraction.  I'm not sure I get waiting at all. 

There are many passages in the Bible about the advantages of waiting.  Like Isaiah 40:31

"But those who wait on the Lord
Shall renew their strength;
They shall mount up with wings like eagles,
They shall run and not be weary,
They shall walk and not faint."

Why is it so important to wait?   I feel like I have been in a holding pattern for a long time! Actually, the whole earth feels like it is in a holding pattern to me.  I'm thinking it has to do with timing.  

When I think of waiting on the Lord I have a picture of a small child having run way ahead of his Father but running into a fork in the road.  He doesn't know which way to go and so he waits until his Father catches up.

 The fact that I am waiting on the LORD sort of implies to me that I have run up ahead of Him... again.  Waiting for me is living in the future... wanting the present to catch up with my dreams.  But where does listening come in?  My picture of listening is more a child standing beside his Father... relating and listening as they go along.  If a child runs up ahead he is not getting much benefit from being with his Father.  So how do I get back to Him and listen when I have already run up ahead and am waiting there for him to tell me what is next?  I'm not sure but perhaps the fact that we have run ahead and are no longer beside the LORD is what makes waiting so uncomfortable? Then again maybe if we waited with Him rather than cut and run we would have renewed strength and run and not grow weary.  I know that I only have the strength to do what God intends for me to do when He intends for me to do it... which means if I wait for His release with it comes the strength and power to accomplish the task.  Hmmm