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Chapter One
A Prophet
*Please note for the
purpose of brevity, in this article the word prophet,
is used to imply both the prophet and the prophetess.
A prophet is called to serve God in the standard of
holiness. He or she must be one who will stand firm, even when it seems
everything in both the natural and supernatural world is against them,
and set forth standards of righteousness, as is declared in the Holy
Word of God. A prophet must be broken and tried by fire, tested refined
and proven. The call to the office of prophet is a call to the death of
the fleshly desires and ways we so often have. The life of a prophet
will be marked by rejection, adversity, trial and great difficulties and
tribulations beyond the norm, The price for the anointing is great and
requires true surrender and death to the flesh and desires of mankind to
the point that God’s will becomes our own. Hopes and dreams, and
personal worldly ambitions for secular life are set aside for the
pursuit of the call. It is the process of sanctification.
Sanctification is separation, it literally means to be set apart for
a special use or purpose that is to make holy or sacred. No man takes
this honor unto himself, but he or she that is called of God. One cannot
by their own choosing make themselves a prophet. Only God can make one a
prophet and a prophet is never a prophet except that prophet is
literally called of God. When I speak of one being called, I do speak of
a literal process of events that God uses to call one out of normal
secular life and into the Prophetic Office.
In the scriptures we see many prophets being called into service as a
prophet. Let’s look at Jeremiah.
Jeremiah 1:4-10 ¶ Then the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
5 Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest
forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet
unto the nations.
6 Then said I, Ah, Lord GOD! behold, I cannot speak: for I am a child.
7 But the LORD said unto me, Say not, I am a child: for thou shalt go
to all that I shall send thee, and whatsoever I command thee thou shalt
speak.
8 Be not afraid of their faces: for I am with thee to deliver thee,
saith the LORD.
9 Then the LORD put forth his hand, and touched my mouth. And the LORD
said unto me, Behold, I have put my words in thy mouth.
10 See, I have this day set thee over the nations and over the
kingdoms, to root out, and to pull down, and to destroy, and to throw
down, to build, and to plant.
In the scriptures mentioned we see that God had planned to use Jeremiah
as a prophet before he was ever even made in his mother’s womb. It was a
part of God’s plan before he even existed as a human being. God had
purposed it before anyone knew it.
We see God speaks to him and informs him (calling) of his intentions to
use him as a prophet and not just as a prophet but as one who would be
used in a specific way. God set him over the nations and kingdoms and
had anointed him to root out, and to pull down, and to destroy, and to
throw down, to build, and to plant.
Not only had God purposed in his heart to use Jeremiah as a prophet to
the nations, but it was for this purpose that he was created. God
purposely knit him together in his mother’s womb for this purpose. God
so fashioned his life that it would mold him into the man God desired
him to be. I think sometimes we seem to forget just how great our God
really is, and not only how great but how powerful and how much he truly
is in control.
In scripture we often see it written that “The word of the LORD came
to a prophet but we don’t always see how the word came. It is not always
apparent in scripture specifically how the word came to a particular
prophet, but we do see that it did come. And then we do have scriptures
showing how the word of the LORD came in a dream or a vision or even a
still small voice as in the case with Elijah. The word of the Lord can
come in many different ways as God does speak in many different ways
according to his choosing, and likewise he calls a prophet in a number
of ways, but each one is specifically called. We don’t see them
questioning or wondering what they are called to, because it has been
made clear to them. God has specifically told them and did not leave
them to wonder about it or guess or assume. They knew because He made
them to know. Nowhere in scripture do we see one being made a prophet by
their church or by any other means than a literal call of God. As for
impartation we do see that the gifts of the Spirit can be stirred up and
the anointing can be given by the Spirit of God by the laying on of
hands and prayer.
In the scriptures we see that God sent the Prophet John the Baptist to
announce the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. We also see other prophets
who spoke of the coming of the Messiah long before his coming. Just as
the prophets were used then to usher in the presence of the King of
Kings and turn the hearts of men to God, so also as we approach the time of his return God has been
raising up a number of prophets to usher in his presence once again and
turn the hearts of men to God
.
Just as in days of old there were many false prophets, likewise there
are false prophets now. Satan is always trying to introduce a
counterfeit to confuse, wound and lead astray God’s people. In the
scriptures we see those who served other gods that would prophesy
falsely and those who use mediums who operate by way of a spirit of
divination to give false direction to others who were gullible enough to
believe. Though the years have passed and the times have changed we
still have those who serve other gods and prophesy falsely and those who
use mediums who operate by way of a spirit of divination to give false
direction to others who were gullible enough to believe. There are still
those who claim to be able to tell your fortune by way of tarot cards
and other forms of witchcraft but these are by no means prophets or
prophetic people. The advice or direction they give is not of God but
rather is of the devil. Such things were mentioned in the Word of God
and were strictly forbidden then as they are now.
De 18:10 There shall not be found
among you any one that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through
the fire, or that useth divination, or an observer of times, or an
enchanter, or a witch,
The lack of clear scriptural teaching on the prophetic office has
created a vacuum of ignorance that has been filled with false teaching
and unscriptural doctrines .As a result of those things we have seen an
increase in the number of those who call themselves prophets who have
not been called to this office, but are simply being used in the simple
gift of prophecy.In these last days God has begun to raise up a number of both those who
are called as prophets and also those that God uses to prophesy. It is
important here that it be made clear that NOT every one who prophesies
is a prophet. The fact that a person is used by God to prophesy from
time to time, does not by any means make that person a prophet.
There are differences between the gift of prophecy and the ministry
office of prophet. The two are not the same. A lack of this
understanding seems to be causing a lot of confusion in the body of
Christ.
The simple gift of prophesy is a spiritual gift given to a believer as
the Spirit of God wills, while the office of prophet as well as the
other four of the fivefold ministerial offices are gifts to the body of
Christ.
Eph 4:11 And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some,
evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; 12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for
the edifying of the body of Christ:
The simple gift of prophecy by a believer is limited to edification,
exhortation, and comfort. The ministry office of a prophet is not limited in
the same way as the simple gift of prophecy.
The ministry of a prophet often includes: the foretelling of future
events, revelation, divine counsel, guidance, direction, correction,
admonition, and in some cases, even rebuke or warning of impending
judgments. The simple gift of prophecy includes none of those things.
.
I must emphasize this again, the gift of prophecy alone is not enough to
make one a prophet. There are people who prophesy and are prophetically
gifted in that they have been gifted and do operate in the simple gift
of prophecy that we see spoken of in the following passage found in 1
Corinthians 12:7-10
1Corinthians 12:7 But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every
man to profit withal. 8 For to one is given by the Spirit the word of
wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit; 9 To
another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the
same Spirit; 10 To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy;
to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to
another the interpretation of tongues:
The simple gift of prophecy does not necessarily coincide with or
include a call to any of the five fold ministry offices that include
apostle, prophet, evangelist, pastor, and teacher. While it is possible
that one who prophesies may also be one who is called to one or more of
the fivefold ministry offices, the gift of prophecy alone doesn’t
constitute a call to the office of Prophet Attempting to walk in an office to which you are not
called will leave you miserable, while at the same time if you are
called, you won’t find true joy in any other occupation.
Chapter Two
A Prophet Must Be Called of God.
God calls his prophets in many ways.
Moses is called
Ex 3:2 And the angel of the LORD appeared unto him in a flame of fire
out of the midst of a bush: and he looked, and, behold, the bush burned
with fire, and the bush was not consumed.
If you begin at that scripture and read on throughout that chapter, you
will see that God sends Moses to deliver the Israelites from the hand of
Pharoah.
Samuel is called:
1Sa 3:10 And the LORD came, and stood, and called as at other times,
Samuel, Samuel. Then Samuel answered, Speak; for thy servant heareth.
11 ¶ And the LORD said to Samuel, Behold, I will do a thing in Israel,
at which both the ears of every one that heareth it shall tingle.
In this chapter you will see the calling of Samuel.
1Sa 3:19 ¶ And Samuel grew, and the LORD was with him, and did let none
of his words fall to the ground.
20 And all Israel from Dan even to Beersheba knew that Samuel was
established to be a prophet of the LORD.21 And the LORD appeared again
in Shiloh: for the LORD revealed himself to Samuel in Shiloh by the word
of the LORD.
Jeremiah is called:
Jeremiah 1: 4-10 ¶ Then the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
5 Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest
forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet
unto the nations.
Elisha is called:
*Note God spoke to Elijah the prophet who then anointed Elisha, casting
his mantle upon him. It was well known that Elijah was a seasoned
prophet of God .
1Ki 19:16 And Jehu the son of Nimshi shalt thou anoint to be king over
Israel: and Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abelmeholah shalt thou anoint
to be prophet in thy room.
1Ki 19:19 ¶ So he departed thence, and found Elisha the son of Shaphat,
who was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen before him, and he with the
twelfth: and Elijah passed by him, and cast his mantle upon him.
Concerning the call of God, to the office of Prophet in this day, God is
the same, yesterday today and forever. In times past, He used various
means to call men and women into the office of prophet/ess and does so
still today. A person who is called of God may receive the call through
dreams and visions as the Lord told Miriam and Aaron.
Numbers 12:6 And he said, Hear now my words: If there be a prophet among
you, I the LORD will make myself known unto him in a vision, and will
speak unto him in a dream.
This doesn’t mean everybody who has a dream from God is a prophet.
We must use wisdom:
We know that Satan would do what ever he can to keep one from ever
knowing the plans that God has for them if he could prevent it he would.
So we must use caution when we seek God on these matters. We must use
wisdom when we inquire. It is best to inquire only of God in secret, not
allowing the enemy or other people to know what it is you’re seeking
direction in. If you ask God in secret and he answers you in a dream or
a vision or through the mouth of another seasoned prophet, then you will
know that this is in answer to your request.
But if you foolishly ask openly then the enemy can hear your request
and may try to deceive you. When it comes to seeking direction by way of
another prophet, do not go and say, “I think I am called as a prophet,
can you ask God and verify it for me?” This is a dangerous thing to do
because, there are always those who are seeking glory and want to make
themselves appear as though they have some great insight that they do
not have. An immature individual might answer you out of their own desire to be exalted. A
mature and seasoned prophet is not as likely to do such a thing, but a
person who is young in the prophetic office, might likely answer out of
his flesh. Aside from that a mature prophet doesn’t need to hear clues
from you and it is best if you tell him nothing and just allow God to
speak to him and through him. Remember, God has a lot of experience in
calling prophets and in training them up. He knows our frame; he created
us and knows how we work and what we think. He is quite capable in
making the call known to you. Prayer in your prayer closet is your best
avenue to direction from God. Allow God to make the call and to confirm
it without seeking mankind to assist you. At the same time, if you know
a prophet and know of a certainty that he or she has a proven track
record of accuracy in hearing from God then make your self available to
be spoken to. Perhaps God will use that one, but don’t be dismayed if he
chooses to speak to you another way or perhaps doesn’t answer at that
time. God chooses how and when he speaks and whom he uses.
If God chooses to use a dream or a vision to call you, then respond to
him in prayer and ask him if he will confirm the call in other ways as
well.
When God does call one into the office of prophet, he will likely lay it
on your heart first. You will most likely have a strong desire to help other people
in their personal lives and in their ministry. A desire to see them get
their ministry set on the right track. Part of the function of a prophet
is to know and to confirm the calling on the lives of others. This
knowing comes by way of the gifts of the Spirit of God operating in your
life.
When it comes to the call of God on your life, motivation should be
considered.
Motivation: Consider in your heart what it is that motivates you to
want to operate in the office of prophet. Is it a desire to obey God and
to serve him, to see the lives of His people changed and made better, to
see their ministries set on course and to see them reach their full
potential in what God has called them to, or is it an inward desire to
be in the lime light so every one can see how great a thing you’ve
become. Are you looking to be glorified or is your desire to see God
glorified?
When we look at the scriptures we see those who operated in the office
of prophet, doing great heroic miracles and as people go we often have a
tendency to think that these miracles and the things they did brought
them great glamour and glory. We have a tendency to exalt them and think
it would be great to be like them. If this is the case I urge you to
take a closer look at the lives of those prophets. You will see that the
lives they lived were anything but glamorous.
They were scorned, rejected and often hated and imprisoned for their
faithfulness to God because rebellious men did not want to hear the word
of the Lord that came forth from their lips. Jeremiah was often referred
to as the weeping prophet. Did you ever wonder why it was he wept?
Jeremiah was called to speak the word of the Lord to a rebellious nation
that had turned away from God, to root out, pull down, destroy, throw
down, to build, and to plant. God referred to Jeremiah as his battle
axe.
Jeremiah 51:20 Thou art my battle axe and weapons of war: for with thee
will I break in pieces the nations, and with thee will I destroy
kingdoms. This is surely not a mandate that is going to make Jeremiah a
popular man with the people.
Jeremiah Loved God and Loved the nation of Israel. Yet he was called
upon by the Almighty to utter judgments against Israel. Judgments from
the God he loved had to be spoken against the nation he loved. It was
God’s desire that the nation would repent and turn to him again but they
would not and so judgment came. In the book of Lamentations, we can see
the lamentations of the prophet Jeremiah over the nation that he loved.
Jeremiah knew God’s heart in the matter and yet he also knew the
stubbornness of the nation. Imagine what it must be like to know and
Love God and at the same time know that judgment was coming to the
people you love and not only was it coming but you had to be the one who
spoke the warning to them and the judgments of God.
Then consider the sorrow he endured when they hated him for the things
he prophesied.
Jer 20:1 ¶ Now Pashur the son of Immer the priest, who was also chief
governor in the house of the LORD, heard that Jeremiah prophesied these
things.
2 Then Pashur smote Jeremiah the prophet, and put him in the stocks
that were in the high gate of Benjamin, which was by the house of the
LORD.
Jeremiahs grief was so great that he cursed the day he was born.
Jer 20:14 ¶ Cursed be the day wherein I was born: let not the day
wherein my mother bare me be blessed. 15 Cursed be the man who brought
tidings to my father, saying, A man child is born unto thee; making him
very glad. 16 And let that man be as the cities which the LORD
overthrew, and repented not: and let him hear the cry in the morning,
and the shouting at noontide; 17 Because he slew me not from the womb;
or that my mother might have been my grave, and her womb to be always
great with me.
18 Wherefore came I forth out of the womb to see labour and sorrow,
that my days should be consumed with shame?
Rebellious backsliding men still don’t want to hear the word of the
Lord, but it is required that a prophet be faithful to speak whatsoever
the Lord gives that prophet to speak.
The prophetic ministry has a tendency at times to “step on toes” and
often is met with resistance from mankind. Prophets are often
misunderstood. They look at things differently than others do, because
often they look at things or know about things from God’s perspective.
Called to set forth standards of righteousness in their own lives and to
teach those same standards to mankind, they’re often perceived as
judgmental, and strange. Correction and rebuke is only a small part of
the office of prophet. It is not all about correction and rebuke as some
may think, rather correction seems to be more the exception rather than
the norm But don’t get me wrong, there may be those times when we’re
called to speak the unpopular word. There is no glory or glamour in the
office of prophet. The prophet is often despised and rejected. If you
think that there is some sort of glamour or have aspirations of being
self exalted then you are surely off the mark. The motivation for a
false prophecy is pride. Often people get caught up in the limelight of
being able to speak for God. Elevating ones self to this position can be
dangerous, not only for themselves but for the people who believe and
listen to them, accepting their words as being from God. If your
motivation is to be in the limelight you are at risk of becoming a false
prophet.
Chapter Three
After The Call
On the other hand if you are called to the office of prophet, you need
to know that this office, this calling, carries with it a great
responsibility. As a man or woman of God called to the office of
prophetess/ess you must understand that your calling is Holy.
2Ti 1:9 Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not
according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace,
which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began,
Separation:
One of the primary functions of the prophet’s office is to turn the
hearts of men to God the father. To bring mankind to repentance and to
help in setting them on the path to righteousness and a life that is
pleasing in the sight of God. A prophet is called to speak forth the
word of the Lord and to bring men into a fuller understanding of the
heart of God. Drawing attention to oneself and self exaltation is in
direct contradiction to the primary purpose of the prophet. A prophet
must be able to face humility, to be humble and to handle rejection. For
this reason, after the call comes a time of separation. During this time
God separates you from the flock “so to speak” and draws you to himself.
Consider Saul on the road to Damascus , God gets a hold of Saul in a
rather dramatic way. At this point in Saul’s life Saul is faced with
making a decision to follow after Christ whom he now knows to be the
Messiah, the Son of the Living God, or to continue in the path he had
been following which he now knows to be in error. Because Saul now knows
the truth of the matter he chooses to follow after Christ, and Saul asks
the Lord what he wants him to do. And the Lord said to him, Arise, and
go into the city, and it will be told to you what you must do. Saul goes
to the city and is there without sight for three days when Ananias, whom
the Lord has sent, comes and lays hands on Saul for him to receive his
sight. and receive the Baptism of the Holy Ghost. By this point Saul who
is also known as Paul having made his decision to follow Christ, begins
to preach the gospel message to the dismay of those who knew him
previously. His new conversion leaves him a changed man and while he has
the joy of coming to know the truth of the Lord Jesus Christ as the
prophesied Messiah, he must now face the rejection that it brings. Many
of those who have previously rejected Christ will now also reject him.
Where he used to arrest men and women and put them in jail for preaching
the gospel message, now he is like unto one of them that he would have
arrested. The hunter has become the hunted. He’s become a disciple of
Christ now and preaches the gospel message. The Christians are still not
too sure of him and the Pharisees now seek to kill him. He’s lost his
friends and those who used to call him friend now hate him. He is
separated from them, and yet not wholly accepted by the Christians. He
faces rejection on both sides. Who does he have to go to now, but the
Lord himself?
Both the apostle and the prophet experience a separation after the
call. This is the time when God separates the one called unto him self
and moves upon that life to bring forth that which he has purposed in
that life.
Preparation and Training
The purpose for which the prophet is created is ordained of God before
that prophet is even born. You may not know what God has planned for
your life but he does. Because of this your life has been a time of
preparation from the day you were born.
If you are called to the office of prophet you can probably look back on
your life and see that there has already been much turmoil in your life.
You have probably suffered a lot of rejection in your life and probably
have never seemed to fit in anywhere in your life. The devil has
probably tried to silence you and probably has made a number of attempts
to end your life and likely done all he can to beat you down.
During the times of preparation God will move upon your life to remove
and purge from you everything that is in the way of what God intends to
bring forth in you.
© Copyright 2007 Cheri D. Holt
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