Responding Appropriately to Personal Prophecy

[ Pictorial Painting of Prophet Jeremiah]

[ Pst Willy and Nancy : Feel free to Contact Us with Your Prayers Request; Counselling Needs ; Spiritual and Emotional needs or Mentorship; Dream analysis Mobile: +254712425373 email:- pwochieng@gmail.com]

The Bible highly regards personal prophecy, emphasizing that we should not despise it. Instead, we are encouraged to evaluate all prophecies and hold onto what is good and accurate. God commands us to earnestly desire and covet the prophetic ministry. In 1 Corinthians 12:31, we are urged to seek the best spiritual gifts, including prophecy. Similarly, 1 Corinthians 14:1 emphasizes desiring spiritual gifts, especially prophecy. 

The benefits of prophesying within the Church include edification, exhortation, and comfort (1 Corinthians 14:3). Prophets play a vital role by providing direction, instruction, correction, motivation, and impartation. Believing in God’s prophets leads to prosperity (2 Chronicles 20:20). Personal prophecy connects us to God, describing our situations accurately and producing spiritual fruit. True prophecy builds faith, reveals God’s love, and imparts grace and endurance.

The Lord’s personal prophetic promises bring overwhelming blessings and joy. God’s presence and His Word convict us of rebellion, sin, and complaining. The goodness of God leads us to repentance. Prophetic wisdom, counsel, and instruction provide balance and temperance.

When someone receives a personal prophecy of great accomplishment or miracles, it should lead to humble appreciation rather than pride. Judging prophecy versus judging the prophet is crucial. The Holy Spirit, not preachers or prophets, convicts of sin and righteousness. Prophets must speak truth in love.

While preachers represent God, prophets convey His direct message. Unchristlike behavior by a prophet makes it harder to accept their word as from the Lord. To discern true prophecy, we evaluate the content of spoken words. 

Similarly, we assess a prophet’s character, considering their personality, ministry, message, maturity, family life, behavior, finances, morality, and motivation1.

Individuals who function in the gift of prophecy or hold the office of a prophet must recognize that their lives will face scrutiny. The Bible describes us as “open letters” to be read by all, especially for those privileged to operate in the prophetic realm. 

Despite any personal challenges a prophet may have, it’s essential not to dismiss a potentially genuine prophetic word from the Lord. God can speak through a prophet even when the individual faces personal struggles in specific areas of their life.

Conclusion: Remaining open to prophetic messages, regardless of the messenger’s imperfections, allows us to receive divine guidance and insight. Let us discern with wisdom and humility, recognizing that God’s voice can transcend human limitations.

Church's Prophetic Culture

 

According to Merriam - Webster's Dictionary the definition of Culture quote 

"compasses several aspects:Human Behavior and Society: Culture is defined as the integrated pattern of human knowledge, belief, and behavior that depends on the capacity for learning and transmitting knowledge to succeeding generations. It includes the customary beliefs, social forms, and material traits of a racial, religious, or social group [❞] [❞].Intellectual and Artistic Activity: Culture also refers to the set of shared attitudes, values, goals, and practices that characterizes an institution or organization, as well as the intellectual and artistic activity and the works". produced by such activity [❞].

The Scriptures reveals God's desires for his people to operate in a Prophetic Culture environment. Now that we have established what culture is, let's determine what prophecy is.

Jeremiah 31:31-34

31]Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah:
[32]Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith the LORD:
[33]But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people.
[34]And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the LORD: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the LORD: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.

Up until the times of the Prophet Jeremiah; God used his few choosen prophets to let the Israelites know his mind for his people. In the above Scriptures the prophet declares that sometime in the future, God would change the 'status-quo'. The prophecy announced the changes ; that instead of God reaveling his plans to just a few individual prophets. He would make his plans available for all his children. He would write them down in their hearts.

In this Scriptures the prophet Jeremiah is confirming that there is a 'prophetic church age' coming. This was fulfilled in the day of Pentecost when The Holy Spirit descended on the apostles while praying in the upper room, after the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Acts 2:2-4
[2]And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting.
[3]And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them.
[4]And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.

The day of Pentecost was when Jeremiah' prophecy was fulfilled and the Church's Prophetic Culture commenced. Unfortunately this culture was stifled when the Roman Religious establishment highjacked the apostolic Church.

[Book Title: Beginning at Jerusalem: Five Reflections on the History of the Church; Author
Glenn Warren Olsen;
Ignatius Press, 2004]

Glenn Warren Olsen book explains the Church's almost 400yrs Journey from Jerusalem to Rome and the changes that occurred.

One of the things that the Church lost in this movement from Jerusalem to Rome ,was the Prophetic Culture Clearly Recorded in the book of the Acts of the Apostles.

Fortunately God by His grace, has been restoring what the Church lost through the Roman Church establishment.

Sadly some of the Church Fathers were anti- Semitic and anti-Jewish and must have intentions to Europeanize Christianity which was initially a Jewish sect.

Here are some of the Church fathers anti-Semitic remarks;

1)John Chrysostom:

John Chrysostom, a prominent early Church Father, is known for his series of eight sermons titled "Adversus Judaeos" ("Against the Jews"). In these sermons, he denounces Jewish practices and beliefs and calls Jews "enemies of God" and "advocates of the devil." These sermons are often cited as some of the most virulent examples of early Christian anti-Semitism.

Source: John Chrysostom, "Adversus Judaeos" (translated as "Discourses Against Judaizing Christians"), available in the Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers collection.

2)Saint Augustine:

Augustine of Hippo, while less virulent than Chrysostom, also expressed negative views about Jews. He referred to Jews as "carnal" and interpreted their continued existence as a testament to the truth of Christianity, suggesting their suffering served as a divine punishment.

Source: Augustine of Hippo, "Tractatus adversus Judaeos" ("Treatise Against the Jews"), found in the writings of Augustine.

3)Justin Martyr:

In his "Dialogue with Trypho," Justin Martyr argues against Jewish interpretations of the Hebrew Scriptures and accuses Jews of being spiritually blind and responsible for the death of Christ.

Source: Justin Martyr, "Dialogue with Trypho," chapters 16 and 17, available in the Ante-Nicene Fathers collection.

4)Tertullian:

Tertullian, in his work "Against the Jews" ("Adversus Judaeos"), describes Jews as having rejected God's commandments and being replaced by Christians as God's chosen people.

Source: Tertullian, "Adversus Judaeos," available in the Ante-Nicene Fathers collection.

5)Origen:

Origen, in his commentary on the Gospel of Matthew, accuses Jews of plotting against Jesus and asserts that their rejection of Christ led to their suffering and dispersion.

Source: Origen, "Commentary on the Gospel of Matthew," Book 10, Chapter 17.

Remember that our Lord Jesus Christ and all his initial apostles were of Jewish origin. The first apostolic Church after the day of Pentecost was actually a Jewish apostolic Church. Of course they were a minority in the Jewish society and faced fierce opposition and persecution from the own kinsmen. All the same , from the evidence above the gentile Church offered the Jewish Church little comfort if any of ages of the Church's history.

Hence many precious truths were lost ; including the church's Prophetic Culture.
God would want to reveal himself to each believer individually. Prophecy is basically the ability to here the voice of God and also to freely speak it. Evidently the established Church in Rome was threatened and insecure with individual believers hearing from God directly. That was a job reserved for 'the vicar of Christ ' and his exclusive group of Cardinals. They had a strong need to control the masses and keep them in check. The church establishment was the one assigned the duty to hear from God. Notwithstanding the fact that Prophet Joel of old had already prophesied a coming Prophetic Culture during the church age.

Joel 2:28-29
[28]And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions:
[29]And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my spirit.

Above Scriptures describes a vivid picture of how the Prophetic Culture looks like. Every believer having the opportunity to connect with the throne room of God through prophesy; divine visions; dreams all empowered by the Holy Spirit.

All Believers freely operating in the Prophetic Realm. This is how the 'New Covenant ' Prophet Jeremiah so should look like.

The Spiritual Language of Dreams

 

—ACTS 2:17 

Acts 2:17

[17]And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams:

We all recognize that it is important to pay attention to visions we receive during the day. They give us a glimpse into the spirit realm, and we know we should write them down, seek to understand them, and apply their message and insights to our lives. In the Bible, the words dream and vision are used almost interchangeably states Dr. Charity Kayemba In her book " Hearing God through your dreams"In Job it says: “In a dream, a vision of the night, when sound sleep falls on men…” ( Job 33:15). Again, in Isaiah, the same phrase is used: it “will be like a dream, a vision of the night” (Isa. 29:7). The bible also declares that “the mystery was revealed to Daniel in a night vision,” and later, “I kept looking in the night visions…” (Dan. 2:19; 7:13). Hence the scriptures clearly shows that dreams are essentially visions we have at night. Due to our busy schedules during the day, God use the quiet night to minister to our inner man through dreams.Taking into account that in the night our cognitive mind is rested, sleep creates opportunity for higher realms to communicate to us through our dreams. Most people take Dreams for granted, thinking that it may just be an indication of the days activities or over eating, however the holy Scriptures indicate that God communicated with the prophets of old , and holy men and women through dreams. "Dream life is still real. God is still speaking. We are still engaging the supernatural realm,"  Dr. Charity Kayemba declares in her book. John 17:3 

John 17:3

[3]And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.

The above Scripture indicates that it is God's desire for humanity to know him. One way God designed for man to know him is through visions of the night commonly known as dreams. Unfortunately most sections of the Christian Church has either ignored or feared to teach on the subject  due to the murky waters and possible abuse of the subject. Yet the core Christian book; the bible is full of dreams, right from the Old Testament to the New. Coincidentally cults and occultic groups are having a 'fields day', misleading millions all over the world. Meanwhile the answers to dream interpretation are all in the Bible. We therefore need to take our dreams more seriously and desire to learn to know there interpretation . 

 Psalm 139 

 How precious are Your thoughts about me, O God. They cannot be numbered! I can’t even count them; they outnumber the grains of sand! And when I wake up, You are still with me! (Psalm 139:17-18 NLT)I

The Psalmist states that God is with him while he sleeps and reveals His thoughts to him in the night, of course through dreams.

Dreams will reveal God's thoughts for us. Through the night vision he will communicate direction, encouragement,ideas and warnings.

Dr Charity Kayemba observes " When we sleep at night we are connecting to the very thoughts of God—the ones He is thinking about us right now." " If for no other reason than this, we want to understand our dreams because we want to know God’s thoughts" ". We want to hear what He has to say about us, about life, about His world. We want to listen to His ideas, feel His heart, and understand His point of view We want to know Him, and listening to our dreams is a simple yet strategic way to do just that." Therefore from the Scriptures will learn that God has been communicating with us all along even when he seemed quiet. We didn't just expect him to communicate through this easy restful method of night vision. We expected a more complex method maybe.The challenge maybe fluency in this Spiritual language of dreams. You maybe able to hear someone speak in Japanese, but unfortunately if you are not fluent in the Japanese language , it will be a waste of time. Similarly we require to be fluent in the Spiritual Dream Language for it to be helpful to us. Dr Charity Kayemba' s Book " Hearing God through your dreams; greatly illustrates the skull you require to be fluent in dream interpretation.

By Pastor Willy Ochieng

Lead Pastor Busia Lighthouse Church 

Why Every Believer Should Evangelize

Jesus Commanded his disciples to be his witnesses just before he left the world.

Matthew 28:18-20

[18]And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.

[19]Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:

[20]Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

The task of evangelism is a very heavy task and honestly it impossible humanly. No human being can claim the ability to transform and heal another human in their own power. Divine intervention is necessary.

In the above Scripture Jesus Christ invites believers into a partnership with him. He clearly states His contribution to this relationship; Power , not just any power , but divine power.

He then goes ahead and stipulates what his partner is required to do. That is to go and makes disciples in the entire world.

He assures the believer of his continued presence even as he leaves the earth.

Bible scholars call this divine arrangement the great commission. It stipulates core reason why believers need to reach out to the unbelievers here are seven reasons why we share the love of the finished work of the cross

1) Non Believers need to be freed the bondage of sin 

John 8:34

[34]Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin.

The apostle John explains that the non believer is a slave of sin. He is a servant of sin . That is he has no ability to stop sining on his own strength. He/She requires supernatural intervention to be free from this bondage. This is where a believer is required to bring the 'Good News'.

2)Non Believers are Spiritually Blind 

2 Corinthians 4:4

[4]In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.

The apostle Paul explains to the Corinthian Church, that the god of this world (satan) has blinded the unbelieving mind so that they are unable to comprehend the spiritual reality of the benefits of the glorious gospel of Jesus Christ. The non believer cannot on their own understand that Jesus Christ is the express image of God. Hence a believer with the help of the Holy Spirit needs to shine this light through the gospel of Jesus Christ.

3) Non Believers need Salvation

Luke 19:10

[10]For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.

The main reason why Jesus came down here on earth was to seek and save mankind lost in sin and vanity. In the last chapter He assigns the church to continue to seek man through evangelism as he saves them through the power of the Holy Spirit.