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"If we bow down before the truth of Christ's prophetic ministry and then stand up on our feet ready to serve the Lord, something will happen."
- Pastor Alistair Begg
- Pastor Alistair Begg
At work we were was asked to share about a conversation with someone that, "blew your mind." Folks talked about exchanges with famous people, or an intimate dialogue with significant family members. I shared about a few astonishing experiences I'd had with prophets who'd 'read my mail.' I believe in the spiritual gifts: prophetic utterances, words of wisdom and knowledge, healing, etc. that are found in 1st Corinthians 12. In Romans 12:6, Paul instructs, "We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith." Years ago, I was in a healing service where the Holy Spirit through Dr. Mark Chironna revealed a thought I had never shared with anyone and spoke about things that would occur in my future. On another more recent occasion, Dr. Matthew Stevenson did the same thing, unveiling things that had happened over a 20-year span, why they'd occurred, and what would happen going forward. I had never met either of these men. Their gifts were used to disclose God's intent for my life, build my faith, and help to direct my future.
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Some are not convinced these phenomena still take place. Most Christians are confident that Jesus' life was the fulfillment of over 300 prophecies concerning the Messiah. Many also trust in end-time Bible prophecy/eschatology. I am convinced God still speaks prophetically via foretelling and forth-telling. Why would God give us this kind of intel on the present and future state of our lives? The word intel means information of military or political value. Paul gives the answer to this question in 1 Timothy 1:18-19, "Timothy, my son, I am giving you this command in keeping with the prophecies once made about you, so that by recalling them you may fight the battle well, holding on to faith and a good conscience, which some have rejected and so have suffered shipwreck with regard to the faith." Prophecies are given so that we can fight the good fight of faith concerning present and future Kingdom realities. They keep us in line with the will of God despite the warfare we may be experiencing in the interim. That's why we would do well to follow Paul's advice to the Thessalonians, "Do not quench the Spirit. Do not treat prophecies with contempt but test them all; hold fast to what is good, reject every kind of evil." (1 Thess.5:19-21)
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