Respect The Prophetic
The time of Israel’s punishment has come; the day of payment is here. Soon Israel will know this all too well. Because of your great sin and hostility, you say, “The prophets are crazy and the inspired men are fools!” Hosea 9:7 (New Living Translation, NLT)
Israel’s sin and hostility towards God led them to mock and disrespect God’s prophets. We are seeing this replayed in our churches today. Many dishonor and even malign the prophets of God. Prophecy is discouraged by many church leaders, and some have erroneously taught that prophecy has passed away and that there are no true modern day prophets.
People usually attack things that they don’t understand or things that come against their comfort. The supernatural things of God, such as prophecy, are treated as blasphemous by some groups and denominations. When the Holy Spirit tries to move in many churches, He is shut down by the routine of tradition and the predictable, established order of the service. Leaders do not want to release control to the Lord. Holy Spirit challenges our preconceived ideas of what church should be like. Prophecy, tongues, healing, signs, and wonders should be prevalent in the church- all the time. God’s church should be full of power and His miraculous acts.
One thing that often causes people to attack the prophetic is that it speaks directly to things that the church has shied away from: namely politics, government, and other centers of power and influence. The body of Christ has put God in a box, and they think that God does not want to be involved in the messy world of politics and power. This is the exact opposite of what God wants. The church is to be running things- not the devil’s followers. He has called prophets to speak to kings, presidents and people in authority. A study of the prophets in the Bible shows this to be true. A prophet foretells the future and their predictions are often tied to the spiritual condition of people, communities, and/or nations. They point out sin and call people to repentance. And I believe that is one of the biggest reasons people shy away from prophets. They don’t want their sin to be called out, and they don’t want to turn away from it.
“Then, after doing all those things, I will pour out my Spirit upon all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy. Your old men will dream dreams, and your young men will see visions. Joel 2:28 (New Living Translation, NLT)
This verse specifically tells us that prophecy and other supernatural manifestations of the Holy Spirit are expected in the end-time harvest. As the outpouring of the Spirit floods this earth with the glory of God, prophetic utterances will become commonplace. This shows us that prophets are for today. Prophecy and other spiritual manifestations are for today- and for this Last Great Awakening.
