The Gift of Prophecy
                                                         Integrity and the Anointing

Definition of integrity: Honesty, morality, righteousness, upright in conduct.

References: Job Persecuted, an Arabian patriarch who resided in the land of Uz (q.v.). While living in the midst of great prosperity, he was suddenly overwhelmed by a series of sore trials that fell upon him. Amid all his sufferings he maintained his integrity. Once more God visited him with the rich tokens of his goodness and even greater prosperity than he had enjoyed before. He survived the period of trial for one hundred and forty years, and died in a good old age, an example to succeeding generations of integrity (Eze_14:14, Eze_14:20) and of submissive patience under the sorest calamities (Jam_5:11). His history, so far as it is known, is recorded in his book.

Joseph Gen 39:7 And it came to pass after these things, that his master's wife cast her eyes upon Joseph; and she said, Lie with me. 
Gen 39:8 But he refused, and said unto his master's wife, Behold, my master wotteth not what is with me in the house, and he hath committed all that he hath to my hand; 
Gen 39:9 There is none greater in this house than I; neither hath he kept back any thing from me but thee, because thou art his wife: how then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God? 
Gen 39:10 And it came to pass, as she spake to Joseph day by day, that he hearkened not unto her, to lie by her, or to be with her. 
Gen 39:11 And it came to pass about this time, that Joseph went into the house to do his business; and there was none of the men of the house there within. 
Gen 39:12 And she caught him by his garment, saying, Lie with me: and he left his garment in her hand, and fled, and got him out. 

Samuel 1Sa 12:1 And Samuel said unto all Israel, Behold, I have hearkened unto your voice in all that ye said unto me, and have made a king over you. 
1Sa 12:2 And now, behold, the king walketh before you: and I am old and grayheaded; and, behold, my sons are with you: and I have walked before you from my childhood unto this day. 
1Sa 12:3 Behold, here I am: witness against me before the LORD, and before his anointed: whose ox have I taken? or whose ass have I taken? or whom have I defrauded? whom have I oppressed? or of whose hand have I received any bribe to blind mine eyes therewith? and I will restore it you. 
1Sa 12:4 And they said, Thou hast not defrauded us, nor oppressed us, neither hast thou taken ought of any man's hand. 
1Sa 12:5 And he said unto them, The LORD is witness against you, and his anointed is witness this day, that ye have not found ought in my hand. And they answered, He is witness. 

In Christian ministry, there is much talk of the importance of the “anointing”. What is anointing?
In it’s simplest terms, it is the presence of God.

Without the presence of God, anything we try to do is futile, has no meaning, and a waste of time. Jesus tells us:

Joh 15:5 I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.

If you are called to serve in the prophetic realm, He will expect you to learn to discern His voice, to study His Word in order to grow and; The level of anointing on anyone called by God in any kind of service will be determined by the degree of integrity they walk in. The two are synonymous; and cannot be separated. 

A true prophetic servant will walk in tested integrity. He/she will be totally consecrated to the Living Christ. There will be no desire to exalt themselves, and their ministry and the content of their messages will reflect that.

Anyone who attempts to speak “the word of the Lord” without God’s anointing and His direction is in the same league as Elymas the sorcerer and false prophet, who Paul rebuked and cursed. If God lays a message on our hearts to speak out, He will make it very clear it is from Him. With consistent study, and “abiding in Christ”, thru prayer and fellowship with Him; your spirit will learn to hear His voice clearly, be able to discern the attacks of the enemy, or his attempts to “corrupt” the message given by the Holy Spirit, and will quicken our spirits when we may be getting out of balance in our walk, and our service to God.

People who misuse the gifts and are not corrected do much damage to the body of Christ, and cause much confusion and can shut down the gifts being used in a church altogether.

When prophetic people use the gift of prophecy to lead disciples away from the pastor and church they are attending, with the intention of getting them to follow after themselves; it is wrong, no matter what manifestation is going on. Stay away from this kind of situation.

We need to be willing to be corrected, and judge ourselves at times when we are wrong. It is not a disgrace to be wrong; it is a disgrace to stay wrong. As soon as we get back in balance with God, and correct ourselves; then we are once again fit for service in the gifts He's given us.

                                               Questions We Should Ask Ourselves

In order to walk in integrity; and honestly judge ourselves, we should regularly ask ourselves these questions; and examine our hearts before God with them:

1. Do I have a clear conscience? Am I allowing myself to become prideful, misusing the gift?

2. Am I being influenced by the leadership or members of the church, tempted to become a "soothsayer" for those who want a "word from the Lord"?

Important Note: The servant of God does not have the right to pick and choose to whom, when, or the content of the message. Those today who are going about claiming prophetic anointing and calling people up to stand in line in church services for a “word from the Lord”, are in gross error. There is no authority for this in the bible. It is up to God alone to give the direction to the servant when to speak, to whom to speak, and what is to be said. We are simply messengers; working under His commands.

3. Have I been too quick to speak? Have I waited long enough to get the clear "mind of Christ" on this message?

4. Do I have a heart that cannot be bought or bribed? Am I hoping this gift will promote me in the church, or am I single-minded on Christ?

5. Am I willing to allow the leaders of the church to discern and judge the message? Am I easily offended if the message is questioned?

6. Must I give this message now, or wait and listen to get a clearer flow from the Holy Spirit? Should I ask the Lord if this message could be given in a different way? 

Example: perhaps the message could be given in sermon form by the pastor; if this comes to my mind; I should pray and ask the Lord to speak to the pastor's heart about it; and wait and see what happens. If a few weeks goes by; and he has not given the message out to the people in a sermon; and I'm still getting it in my spirit, then ask God for the right timing to give it.

7. Does this message confirm the flow of the service? Does it harmonize with the worship, testimonies, and the sermon?

8. Am I depending on a feeling, or speaking my own "pet peeve"? A true prophetic message will have the "unction" of the Holy Spirit within it. A message in the flesh sounds cold and dead.

9. Am I sensitive to only give the message as it's given to me; or do I go on longer than I should; going on in the flesh?

10. Am I willing to suffer rejection and persecution? Not everyone is going to be thrilled with a person used in this gift-even in the company of other gifted people. Jealousy, envy, resentment, is going to come up. Immaturity, pride, misunderstanding, even hatred is an unfortunate cost to be paid with this "gift".

There is no substitute for regular prayer, time alone with God, and study of His Word. If someone is called into a prophetic ministry; it is absolutely necessary in order for our spirits to be keen in discernment against these errors coming into our walk, getting us out of balance; blinded, and corrupted in the gifts given to us.

Consistent, solid study of the Word and prayer strengthen the spirit, increases discernment, and clears the channel and flow of the Holy Spirit to our own spirits; it helps us to recognize and quickly know if the voice we are hearing is truly the voice of the Holy Spirit; or not.

                                                                     Anointings

Text references: David 1Sa_16:3; 1Sa_16:12-13; 2Sa_2:4; 2Sa_5:3; 2Sa_12:7; 2Sa_19:21; 1Ch_11:3
Solomon 1Ki_1:39; 1Ch_29:22 Jehu 1Ki_19:16; 2Ki_9:1-3; 2Ki_9:6; 2Ki_9:12 Hazael1Ki_19:15
Joash 2Ki_11:12; 2Ch_23:11 Jehoahaz 2Ki_23:30 Cyrus Isa_45:1 Of prophets 1Ki_19:16

1Co 14:29 Let the prophets speak two or three, and let the other judge. 
1Co 14:30 If any thing be revealed to another that sitteth by, let the first hold his peace. 
1Co 14:31 For ye may all prophesy one by one, that all may learn, and all may be comforted. 
1Co 14:32 And the spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets. 
1Co 14:33 For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints. 

As was said previously; there is a difference between someone who operates in the simple gift of prophecy; and a prophet. The anointings are different also.

There is anointing given and inspired by the Holy Spirit to prophesy; for edification, exhortation, and comfort.

There is also another anointing or ministry gift to stand in the office of a prophet; it is a different anointing. It's deeper, and multiplied many times. The responsibility is also much greater.

Luk 12:48 But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes. For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more. 

These anointings can be developed, strengthened and become beautiful in their manifestations; it depends on how close the servant stays with the Master; and how much they study the Word.

The servant of God operates in these gifts “as the Spirit wills”, not as we choose. Great damage is done, and Christ is dishonored when people get in the flesh, and try to perform when the anointing is not there; or the time is not right. There are some who go around trying to give out prophecies whenever they are asked to. This is treading on dangerous ground.

The anointing is there potentially, but it is not in manifestation constantly. As you prepare, study, and yield to the Spirit of God, the anointing will grow, deepen, and function purer in the servant; but not all the time. Again; it is as the Spirit wills, not our choosing.

Jesus was a prophet; but he spent much more time teaching than he did prophesying.

We do not control the anointing. We must learn to flow with the Spirit, and minister under the anointing, and learn when to stop.

                                                    Music Enhances the Anointing

Music plays a role in affecting the prophet’s ministry. In Old Testament times, only the prophet, priest, and king were anointed by the Spirit to stand in those three offices. 

2Ki 3:11 But Jehoshaphat said, Is there not here a prophet of the LORD, that we may inquire of the LORD by him? And one of the king of Israel's servants answered and said, Here is Elisha the son of Shaphat, which poured water on the hands of Elijah. 
2Ki 3:12 And Jehoshaphat said, The word of the LORD is with him. So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat and the king of Edom went down to him. 
2Ki 3:13 And Elisha said unto the king of Israel, What have I to do with thee? get thee to the prophets of thy father, and to the prophets of thy mother. And the king of Israel said unto him, Nay: for the LORD hath called these three kings together, to deliver them into the hand of Moab. 
2Ki 3:14 And Elisha said, As the LORD of hosts liveth, before whom I stand, surely, were it not that I regard the presence of Jehoshaphat the king of Judah, I would not look toward thee, nor see thee. 
2Ki 3:15 But now bring me a minstrel. And it came to pass, when the minstrel played, that the hand of the LORD came upon him. 
2Ki 3:16 And he said, Thus saith the LORD, Make this valley full of ditches. 

Today, the Spirit-filled believer is called “a royal priesthood, a holy nation”. Worship and music brings us into the presence of God, and if our hearts are right with Him; anointing for service will envelope us. 

1Pe 2:9 But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light:

Music comes under the ministry of helps (1Cor. 12:28). The bible has much to say about music in connection with worship. When you play the right kind of music in your home when you’re praying or studying, it makes a great difference. When David sang and played his harp for Saul, the evil spirit that troubled him would depart.

Music affects all of the ministries; it has something to do with the anointing in all of the offices; it enhances the flow of the Holy Spirit in every area of ministry. Many times the musicians don’t realize their responsibility. The anointing for the entire service, and the pastor’s message is influenced by the music in worship.

                                                         What Kills the Anointing

No matter how much someone is gifted, no matter how strong the calling from God; if we walk in the flesh, are consistently disobedient, refuse to grow in our walk with the Lord, and continue in conduct and behavior that is sinful; the anointing on us will diminish; and sometimes the Holy Spirit will lift from us entirely; and He will place that anointing on someone who will listen and obey Him.

God will deal with us concerning these things; and speak to us about growing up, and putting these things out of our lives, but He leaves it up to us what we decide to do.

1. Fellowship with the world; Keeping bad company.

1Co 15:33 Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners. 
1Co 15:34 Awake to righteousness, and sin not; for some have not the knowledge of God: I speak this to your shame. 

Joh 15:18 If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you. 
Joh 15:19 If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you. 
Jas 2:5 Hearken, my beloved brethren, Hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him? 
1Jn 2:15 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 
1Jn 2:16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. 
1Jn 2:17 And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever. 

2. Making promises, and not keeping them. Being habitually late in our business, and daily life.

Pro 12:24 The hand of the diligent shall bear rule: but the slothful shall be under tribute. 
Pro 18:9 He also that is slothful in his work is brother to him that is a great waster. 
Rom 12:11 Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord; 
Mat 25:26 His lord answered and said unto him, Thou wicked and slothful servant, thou knewest that I reap where I sowed not, and gather where I have not strawed: 
Job 22:27 Thou shalt make thy prayer unto him, and he shall hear thee, and thou shalt pay thy vows. 
Psa 22:25 My praise shall be of thee in the great congregation: I will pay my vows before them that fear him.
Heb 6:12 That ye be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises. 
Mat 5:37 But let your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil. 
Jas 5:12 But above all things, my brethren, swear not, neither by heaven, neither by the earth, neither by any other oath: but let your yea be yea; and your nay, nay; lest ye fall into condemnation.

3. Exaggerating, gossip, slander. Foolish jesting, boasting, consistent sarcasm.

Pro 6:16 These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him: 
Pro 6:17 A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, 
Pro 6:18 An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief, 
Pro 6:19 A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren. 
Pro 10:18 He that hideth hatred with lying lips, and he that uttereth a slander, is a fool. 
Mat 12:35 A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things. 
Mat 12:36 But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. 
Eph 5:4 Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient: but rather giving of thanks.

4. Partial obedience is not obedience. The Lord will trust those who know the will of God and do it. 

1Sa 15:1 Samuel also said unto Saul, The LORD sent me to anoint thee to be king over his people, over Israel: now therefore hearken thou unto the voice of the words of the LORD. 
1Sa 15:2 Thus saith the LORD of hosts, I remember that which Amalek did to Israel, how he laid wait for him in the way, when he came up from Egypt. 
1Sa 15:3 Now go and smite Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and spare them not; but slay both man and woman, infant and suckling, ox and sheep, camel and ass. 
1Sa 15:4 And Saul gathered the people together, and numbered them in Telaim, two hundred thousand footmen, and ten thousand men of Judah. 
1Sa 15:5 And Saul came to a city of Amalek, and laid wait in the valley. 
1Sa 15:6 And Saul said unto the Kenites, Go, depart, get you down from among the Amalekites, lest I destroy you with them: for ye shewed kindness to all the children of Israel, when they came up out of Egypt. So the Kenites departed from among the Amalekites. 
1Sa 15:7 And Saul smote the Amalekites from Havilah until thou comest to Shur, that is over against Egypt. 
1Sa 15:8 And he took Agag the king of the Amalekites alive, and utterly destroyed all the people with the edge of the sword. 
1Sa 15:9 But Saul and the people spared Agag, and the best of the sheep, and of the oxen, and of the fatlings, and the lambs, and all that was good, and would not utterly destroy them: but every thing that was vile and refuse, that they destroyed utterly. 
1Sa 15:10 Then came the word of the LORD unto Samuel, saying, 
1Sa 15:11 It repenteth me that I have set up Saul to be king: for he is turned back from following me, and hath not performed my commandments. And it grieved Samuel; and he cried unto the LORD all night. 

Sa 15:22 And Samuel said, Hath the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams. 
1Sa 15:23 For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the LORD, he hath also rejected thee from being king. 
1Sa 15:24 And Saul said unto Samuel, I have sinned: for I have transgressed the commandment of the LORD, and thy words: because I feared the people, and obeyed their voice. 
1Sa 15:25 Now therefore, I pray thee, pardon my sin, and turn again with me, that I may worship the LORD. 
1Sa 15:26 And Samuel said unto Saul, I will not return with thee: for thou hast rejected the word of the LORD, and the LORD hath rejected thee from being king over Israel. 

1Sa 16:1 And the LORD said unto Samuel, How long wilt thou mourn for Saul, seeing I have rejected him from reigning over Israel? fill thine horn with oil, and go, I will send thee to Jesse the Bethlehemite: for I have provided me a king among his sons. 

5. Trying to usurp someone else’s authority, pushing ourselves forward on our own.

Mat 23:5 But all their works they do for to be seen of men: they make broad their phylacteries, and enlarge the borders of their garments, 
Mat 23:6 And love the uppermost rooms at feasts, and the chief seats in the synagogues, 
Mat 23:7 And greetings in the markets, and to be called of men, Rabbi, Rabbi.
Mat 23:12 And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted. 
Luk 14:7 And he put forth a parable to those which were bidden, when he marked how they chose out the chief rooms; saying unto them, 
Luk 14:8 When thou art bidden of any man to a wedding, sit not down in the highest room; lest a more honourable man than thou be bidden of him; 
Luk 14:9 And he that bade thee and him come and say to thee, Give this man place; and thou begin with shame to take the lowest room. 
Luk 14:10 But when thou art bidden, go and sit down in the lowest room; that when he that bade thee cometh, he may say unto thee, Friend, go up higher: then shalt thou have worship in the presence of them that sit at meat with thee. 
Luk 14:11 For whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted. 

6. Strife; either by other’s who have created it, or by my involvement in it.

Pro 16:28 A froward man soweth strife: and a whisperer separateth chief friends. 
1Co 3:3 For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men? 

Jas 3:3 Behold, we put bits in the horses' mouths, that they may obey us; and we turn about their whole body. 
Jas 3:4 Behold also the ships, which though they be so great, and are driven of fierce winds, yet are they turned about with a very small helm, whithersoever the governor listeth. 
Jas 3:5 Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth! 
Jas 3:6 And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell. 
Jas 3:7 For every kind of beasts, and of birds, and of serpents, and of things in the sea, is tamed, and hath been tamed of mankind: 
Jas 3:8 But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. 
Jas 3:9 Therewith bless we God, even the Father; and therewith curse we men, which are made after the similitude of God. 
Jas 3:10 Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be. 

7. Sowing discord among people; Intentionally trying to cause harm to someone else; or discredit them with no valid reason. People who do this are actively working for satan.

Rev 12:10 And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.

Rom 13:10 Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law. 

                                                          The Hand of the Lord

If the call of God is upon us; the ministry is there potentially, but the manifestation of it does not happen until the “hand of the Lord” falls upon us.

Eze 8:1 And it came to pass in the sixth year, in the sixth month, in the fifth day of the month, as I sat in mine house, and the elders of Judah sat before me, that the hand of the Lord GOD fell there upon me. 
Eze 33:22 Now the hand of the LORD was upon me in the evening, afore he that was escaped came; and had opened my mouth, until he came to me in the morning; and my mouth was opened, and I was no more dumb. 
Notice: Here in Ez. 33, we see how the Holy Spirit restrained Ezekiel, and kept him silent, untill the hand of the Lord came upon him in the evening, until then; he was mute. This reflects the importance of obedience.

Eze 37:1 The hand of the LORD was upon me, and carried me out in the spirit of the LORD, and set me down in the midst of the valley which was full of bones, 
Eze 40:1 In the five and twentieth year of our captivity, in the beginning of the year, in the tenth day of the month, in the fourteenth year after that the city was smitten, in the selfsame day the hand of the LORD was upon me, and brought me thither. 
Eze 40:2 In the visions of God brought he me into the land of Israel, and set me upon a very high mountain, by which was as the frame of a city on the south.

In Acts 10:44, it speaks of Peter as he preached in Cornelius’ house, and the Spirit falling on those in the house: 

Act 10:44 While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word. 
Act 10:45 And they of the circumcision which believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because that on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost. 
Act 10:46 For they heard them speak with tongues, and magnify God. Then answered Peter, 
Act 10:47 Can any man forbid water, that these should not be baptized, which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we? 
Act 10:48 And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord. Then prayed they him to tarry certain days.

                                                The Hand of the Lord in Judgment

There are times when “the hand of the Lord” comes upon someone in judgment because of disobedience or unbelief. We should take this very seriously.

Luk 1:18 And Zacharias said unto the angel, Whereby shall I know this? for I am an old man, and my wife well stricken in years. 
Luk 1:19 And the angel answering said unto him, I am Gabriel, that stand in the presence of God; and am sent to speak unto thee, and to shew thee these glad tidings. 
Luk 1:20 And, behold, thou shalt be dumb, and not able to speak, until the day that these things shall be performed, because thou believest not my words, which shall be fulfilled in their season. 
Luk 1:21 And the people waited for Zacharias, and marvelled that he tarried so long in the temple. 
Luk 1:22 And when he came out, he could not speak unto them: and they perceived that he had seen a vision in the temple: for he beckoned unto them, and remained speechless. 

Act 13:11 And now, behold, the hand of the Lord is upon thee, and thou shalt be blind, not seeing the sun for a season. And immediately there fell on him a mist and a darkness; and he went about seeking some to lead him by the hand. 

Elymas wasn’t struck with disease, he was struck by the power of God that came upon him because of his disobedience.

                                                                The Ministry of the Seer

The prophet is also a “seer”. They will see and know things by the Spirit. In this realm, the ministry of the gifts of the word of knowledge, and the word of wisdom are involved.

1Sa 9:8 And the servant answered Saul again, and said, Behold, I have here at hand the fourth part of a shekel of silver: that will I give to the man of God, to tell us our way. 
1Sa 9:9 (Beforetime in Israel, when a man went to enquire of God, thus he spake, Come, and let us go to the seer: for he that is now called a Prophet was beforetime called a Seer.) 
1Sa 9:19 And Samuel answered Saul, and said, I am the seer: go up before me unto the high place; for ye shall eat with me to day, and to morrow I will let thee go, and will tell thee all that is in thine heart. 

2Sa 24:11 For when David was up in the morning, the word of the LORD came unto the prophet Gad, David's seer, saying, 
2Sa 24:12 Go and say unto David, Thus saith the LORD, I offer thee three things; choose thee one of them, that I may do it unto thee. 

Amo 7:12 Also Amaziah said unto Amos, O thou seer, go, flee thee away into the land of Judah, and there eat bread, and prophesy there: 
Amo 7:13 But prophesy not again any more at Bethel: for it is the king's chapel, and it is the king's court. 

Sometimes we will be shown something in order to pray for the thing to change; but sometimes only to prepare those going thru the ordeal, and give guidance if told to by the Lord, otherwise we are to remain silent, and pray.

There's also times to use whats given to assist us in knowing how to minister in an area, or a situation.

                                                        New Testament Examples

Peter:
Act 10:9 On the morrow, as they went on their journey, and drew nigh unto the city, Peter went up upon the housetop to pray about the sixth hour: 
Act 10:10 And he became very hungry, and would have eaten: but while they made ready, he fell into a trance, 
Act 10:11 And saw heaven opened, and a certain vessel descending unto him, as it had been a great sheet knit at the four corners, and let down to the earth: 

John:
Rev 1:10 I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet, 
Rev 1:11 Saying, I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last: and, What thou seest, write in a book, and send it unto the seven churches which are in Asia; unto Ephesus, and unto Smyrna, and unto Pergamos, and unto Thyatira, and unto Sardis, and unto Philadelphia, and unto Laodicea. 
Rev 1:12 And I turned to see the voice that spake with me. And being turned, I saw seven golden candlesticks; 
Rev 1:13 And in the midst of the seven candlesticks one like unto the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the paps with a golden girdle. 
Rev 1:14 His head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and his eyes were as a flame of fire; 
Rev 1:15 And his feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace; and his voice as the sound of many waters. 
Rev 1:16 And he had in his right hand seven stars: and out of his mouth went a sharp twoedged sword: and his countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength. 
Rev 1:17 And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not; I am the first and the last: 
Rev 1:18 I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death. 

Summary:

Anyone who is called and anointed in the prophetic realm would do well to take the time to do an in-depth study of those in the bible who were likewise called, and how God dealt with them. God does not change (Mal. 3:5-6); he will deal with us the same way.
Lorna Couillard
1998

​                                                           The Gift of Prophecy

Text references: 1Cor. 12:4-10, 1Cor. 14:1,3,5,39-40

Among the nine gifts of the Spirit there are 3 gifts of revelation, or gifts that reveal something. The word of wisdom, the word of knowledge, the gift of discerning of spirits.

There are 3 gifts of power, or that do something; the gift of faith, working of miracles, and gifts of healings.

Then there are 3 gifts of inspiration; gifts that say something; of utterance: prophecy, divers kinds of tongues, and interpretation of tongues.

Scriptures stress that the gift of prophecy is the most important gift. Paul said "greater is he that prophesieth than he that speaks in tongues." (1Cor. 14:5). Tongues with interpretation equals prophecy; but tongues with no interpretation is either an incomplete prophetic utterance (caused by someone hindered by fear or uncertain in his gift, or some other error), or a counterfeit from Satan.

Tongues is inspired utterance in an unknown tongue.

Prophecy is inspired utterance in a known tongue.
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Interpretation of tongues is inspired utterance in your own tongue to give forth that which was spoken in tongues.

The gift of prophecy is often confused with the office of a prophet. Everyone who prophesies is not a prophet. Operating in the simple gift of prophecy does not qualify someone to stand in the office of a prophet.

Someone standing in the office of a prophet will be used consistently in the gifts of revelation; (word of wisdom, word of knowledge, discerning of spirits, along with prophecy).

The office of a prophet is a ministry, a calling. Everyone does not have the same calling or ministry. 1Cor. 12:28,29

The prophetic gift is different from the office of the prophet because Paul encouraged the whole Church at Corinth to covet to prophesy. He tells them to "desire spiritual gifts, but rather the ye may prophesy". He is not telling everyone here to seek the office of prophet, but that all may prophesy; which is to edify, build up, comfort, and exhort the body. The simple gift of prophesy carries no predictions of the future in it. 1Cor. 14:3

If someone is called by God to stand in the office of prophet; He will equip them by the Spirit with the necessary gifts to stand in that office. And, people in the Body of Christ will know you are called and equipped; it won't have to be proclaimed or defended.

Important point: If others who have the Spirit do not know you are called and equipped with these gifts, take no offense when they do not accept what you say. Rather, humble yourself before your brethren and take a lesser place. If the Lord sees fit to exalt you; then you will have praise of both God and man.
Anyone who claims the office of prophet when they are not called by God or equipped, or imitate other's ministries; cause confusion and division in the Body of Christ. Here is the words of Jesus' to be heeded "you will know them by their fruit".  A sign of someone consecrated to God, and His authority, is one who will lay his own desires, and be misunderstood. This will be gone into in more detail further in this series of teachings.

The gift of prophecy also is confused with preaching. Some denominations teach that preaching is all there is to prophecy. However, preach and prophesy come from two different Greek words.

To preach means to proclaim, to cry, to announce. Ex. Jesus said to go into all the world and PREACH the Gospel. Mk. 16:15 He did not say to prophesy the Gospel.

Likewise Paul did not say that men will be saved "by the foolishness of prophesying." He said they will be saved by the foolishness of PREACHING." 1Cor. 1:21

Note: There are at times; elements of prophecy in preaching when the pastor becomes inspired by the Holy Spirit. There is also an element of prophecy at times in witnessing; when the Spirit inspires our minds with scriptures, or utterances we would not have thought of on our own. These times are beyond the natural.

                                                       Conditional Prophecies

There are prophecies which are conditional; and their fulfillment hinges on our actions, obedience, or disobedience. Deut. 28:1,2, 15

God tries to encourage His people today individually, and collectively in a church Body; that certain blessings will happen if they will heed Him in the message. However, many times people fasten their minds on just one part of a prophecy with the attitude, "God said it; now I'm going to wait and see if it really happens." There is no faith or action on their part to come into line with God's will in the matter. Then if it does not happen, they say; "It didn't happen, so it wasn't of God." We have a part to play in seeing conditional prophecies come to pass. Yes, God has promised us blessings, but it's up to us to keep ourselves under the flow of God's blessings and in His will. The fulfillment of conditional prophecy, whether for blessing or judgment, is the responsibility of the individual.

                                                    The Purpose of Prophecy

"But he that prophesies speaketh unto men to edification, and exhortation, and comfort." 1Cor. 14:3
Prophecy is for speaking to men supernaturally. It is a supernatural utterance.

It is given to edify the church. 1Cor. 14:4
It is to comfort the Body. He wants to draw them near.
It is to build up the church. Anyone who only gives scathing denunciations without redemption, and restoration within the message; is not speaking under the unction of the Holy Spirit, and this is not the gift of prophecy in operation.

The inspirational gifts and revelation gifts are a product of both God and man. It is not all God, or all man. It is the uniting of both the Spirit of God, with the spirit of the man; who moves in obedience and chooses to cooperate with Him to utter the inspired message under the unction of the Spirit.

The purity and accuracy of the message will be a direct result of the level of consecration, maturity, and obedience of the servant giving the prophecy.

                                                           Improper Manifestations

1Cor. 14:32 "The spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets."

In error; some people think if they display some kind of physical manifestation this means they are anointed. This will include jerking, jumping, yelling, elaborate gestures, etc. At times; when speaking under the anointing and power of the Spirit; emotion may spill over into the message; but our hearts will witness that it is sincere, and honest. But, not in a display of a "pattern" of manifestations. This is not a manifestation of the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit will not interrupt himself. A prophetic message is not to be given when someone else is speaking, or the pastor is giving his sermon. 

Although we may be inspired to speak, we may have a message in tongues and interpretation, or even a word of prophecy it is not always wise to jump up and speak. If our inspiration comes at an inappropriate time when it would not be edifying, then we should hold our peace. At the right time; we can give what we have.

"The spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets." This also means we have the power to keep quiet, or to talk. We can decide to hold a prophecy; if we are unsure if it is truly from God, or if it is really meant to be spoken at that time. God will not chide us if we are careful, and "testing the spirits", on the contrary; He is pleased when we do. 1Cor. 14: 40 says "Let all things be done decently and in order". We need to examine ourselves continually in light of these verses.

Pride can cause someone with this gift to be corrupted. Many examples are given in scripture of this. We must be examining our motives, and hearts. All messages must be filtered thru this one point; "does it glorify Christ Jesus; or me?"

The gifts of God are perfect, the Holy Spirit is perfect. But the gifts are not always perfect in manifestation, because they are manifested through an imperfect channel: men and women. The Spirit of God flows thru us as water flows through a pipe. Sometimes the Spirit picks up something of our own personalities within that gift manifested.

Immaturity, pride, wrong manifestations can scare many people off; and cause a body of believer’s to shut out the gifts. Proper teaching correction is necessary.

If someone is corrected, and they say “I could not help it, the Holy Spirit made me do it.” They are blaming the Holy Spirit for their excesses, and being out of order.

                                               Guidance in the gift of Prophecy

God has several ways of showing his children his will:

1. The written Word. 
2. The preached Word thru his ministers
3. The gift of prophecy; at times. However; great care must be exercised in this area, because many have fallen into error here. We must be careful to exercise scriptural guidelines. 

An example of God using a prophet in the New Testament to give guidance to someone is found in Acts ch. 21: 10,11 

Act 21:10 And as we tarried there many days, there came down from Judaea a certain prophet, named Agabus.
Act 21:11 And when he was come unto us, he took Paul's girdle, and bound his own hands and feet, and said, Thus saith the Holy Ghost, So shall the Jews at Jerusalem bind the man that owneth this girdle, and shall deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles. 

An important point here is; when God spoke thru the prophet Agabus, the Spirit only told Paul what was going to happen if he chose to go. It was up to Paul to choose whether to go or not. The prophet is only a messenger; he does not use his influence to persuade people, or tell them what to do.

                                                      What Prophecy Is Not

The gift of prophecy is not to be used to introduce new doctrine. The bible is our source of doctrine. Anyone who claims to be a prophet; and comes they’ve been given a “new light”, “deeper revelation”, or “deeper truth”, should be avoided. Evidence of error in these people’s doctrines are muddled, twisted use of scriptures; leaving a vague, murky interpretation that could be changed and excused when their prophecies do not come to pass. Confusion is another fruit of false prophecy.

Co 14:33 For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints. 

The gift of prophecy is not to settle arguments. Arguments should be settled according to the Word of God. Matt. Ch. 18 gives clear guidance for this problem.

The gift of prophecy is not to be used to satisfy curiosity; or promote any particular church to prove how spiritual they are.

A true word of prophecy will edify, exhort, and comfort. It will help people become better Christians. The Spirit of God can tell us things if He wishes, but we need to know the difference between the true and the false; or stay away from it, and get into the Word of God until we do.

The difference between an operation of the Spirit of God and an evil extrasensory manifestation is:

1. A true Word of prophecy will center around Christ. Evidence of a true word of prophecy

a. There will always be a thread of restoration and redemption within the message; even if the message carries a stern rebuke.
b. It will always point to the power of Christ and His shed blood on the cross; never to the messenger himself.
c. In prophecies of judgment; there will always be a cry, a pleading for repentance; and turning back to God. Judgment can be stopped when a person or nation repents.

2. Familiar spirits are familiar with us. They know facts about us; and so does the Holy Spirit. However the difference in their operations are:

a. A familiar spirit will tell things and reveal things for public display
b. to incite curiosity
c. to attract attention to the messenger himself, or man’s flesh.
d. to gain money, to elevate himself into a position of authority.

                                              Seven Steps to Judging Prophecy
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1. The first step: “By their fruits you shall know them.” Mat 7:16 Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?

Mat 7:17 Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. 
Mat 7:18 A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. 
Mat 7:19 Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. 
Mat 7:20 Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.

2. Does it glorify Christ? Rev 19:10 And I fell at his feet to worship him. And he said unto me, See thou do it not: I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus: worship God: for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy. If the prophecy is right, and the prophet is right, they will testify of Jesus. If either attracts attention to man, it is wrong. John 16:14 “He shall glorify Me”. If they lead us away from Jesus, they are a wrong spirit.

3. Does it agree with Scriptures? If it is a right message it will be according to the Word of God, because the Word and the Spirit always agree. The Word of God was inspired by the Spirit. The Holy Spirit is not going to tell us one thing, and the Word of God another through prophecy. If it doesn’t agree with the Word of God; dismiss it.

4. Has the prophecy been fulfilled? Some prophecies are spoken out of someone’s own mind, and presumptuous; and are not fulfilled. Our guidelines are in Deut. ch. 13 and ch. 18 

Deu 13:1 If there arise among you a prophet, or a dreamer of dreams, and giveth thee a sign or a wonder, 
Deu 13:2 And the sign or the wonder come to pass, whereof he spake unto thee, saying, Let us go after other gods, which thou hast not known, and let us serve them; 
Deu 13:3 Thou shalt not hearken unto the words of that prophet, or that dreamer of dreams: for the LORD your God proveth you, to know whether ye love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul. 
Deu 13:4 Ye shall walk after the LORD your God, and fear him, and keep his commandments, and obey his voice, and ye shall serve him, and cleave unto him. 
Deu 13:5 And that prophet, or that dreamer of dreams, shall be put to death; because he hath spoken to turn you away from the LORD your God, which brought you out of the land of Egypt, and redeemed you out of the house of bondage, to thrust thee out of the way which the LORD thy God commanded thee to walk in. So shalt thou put the evil away from the midst of thee. 

Deu 18:20 But the prophet, which shall presume to speak a word in my name, which I have not commanded him to speak, or that shall speak in the name of other gods, even that prophet shall die. 
Deu 18:21 And if thou say in thine heart, How shall we know the word which the LORD hath not spoken? 
Deu 18:22 When a prophet speaketh in the name of the LORD, if the thing follow not, nor come to pass, that is the thing which the LORD hath not spoken, but the prophet hath spoken it presumptuously: thou shalt not be afraid of him.

5. Sometimes a prophecy is wrong; even if it comes to pass. In Deut. Ch. 13:1-5, even though a prophecy came to pass, it was not from God. How do we know? Does the prophecy lead you away from God, or to Him? Does it lead you to the New Birth, the fundamentals of scripture; or away from them? Does it cause you to become more reverent toward God, and cause you to desire to come nearer to Him; or away from Him?

6. Does the prophecy produce liberty or bondage? If it is spoken in the realm of faith; it will produce liberty. If not, it will produce bondage.

2Co 4:13 We having the same spirit of faith, according as it is written, I believed, and therefore have I spoken; we also believe, and therefore speak; 
Rom 8:15 For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. 
Rom 8:16 The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: 

God is not going to lead us back into fear and bondage. We have been delivered from fear.

7. Our spirit will witness to the anointing. When something is not right; something inside of you, the unction, the anointing that abides in you will tell you something is wrong. The Holy Spirit inside of us will tell us when things are not as they should be.

1Jn 2:20 But ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye know all things.
1Jn 2:27 But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him. 
1Jn 4:1 Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.
​Lorna Couillard

​Intercession: The definition of Intercede is_"To act as a go-between for two parties.To beg or plead on behalf of another. A mediator, or the act of mediation." To carry this further, to mediate means to: settle a dispute, or carry out a process. A lawyer is a form of mediator, and we can see the correlation of a lawyer standing on behalf of their client before a judge. This is the picture of an intercessor. One who stands as a lawyer, or mediator for someone or on behalf of something that needs to be acted on or brought into being before the Lord, and using all the skill they have to argue the case for them.

As believer's we are all called to intercede for other's, our families, our church, those who need to be saved, and come to the knowledge of the truth of the gospel. 
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However, there are some in the body of Christ who have been called to a life of prayer and intercession, as a service to God. Those who are called as intercessors and watchmen are at different levels, and some have specific areas God has them remain in. We become more effective when we focus on the area we are meant to serve in. No one knows the day or hour of the Lord’s return, be the daily news, and world events tell us we are ever nearing the day. For those of us called to this life of prayer, we look earnestly for it. 
 
We are called to go down on our faces before God on behalf of people, cities, or nations, to repent of the sins and evil they have committed, when they won't do it themselves, to save them from the judgment they deserve. Such as Abraham when he interceded for Sodom and Gomorrah. We are also given insight to the activities of the demonic realm; to know his strategies and what is coming upon the earth as the end of the age unfolds. 

We are given burdens in the spirit by God for individuals, churches, cities, nations. Many times the Holy Spirit will give specific instructions on how to pray. As we grow in our walk, and each experience teaches us to get better at it, and able to hear the voice of the Lord more clearly. Becoming a mighty warrior of prayer, and an adversary of the devil to be reckoned with doesn't happen overnight.

Taking the time to study scripture, and use media information to gain knowledge and discernment will equip the saint to be more effective in the calling God has given them. That is the intention of this page.
May we serve the Lord Jesus Christ faithfully, with courage, and skill as the last days unfold before us.
As Watchmen, let the verses below be the guiding force to our service.

Isa 62:1 For Zion's sake will I not hold my peace, and for Jerusalem's sake I will not rest, until the righteousness thereof go forth as brightness, and the salvation thereof as a lamp that burneth.
Mat 24:42 Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.
​Lorna Couillard