Spirit and Truth Ministries
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THE MISSING LINK OF PROPHECY
Don Hawley
May 25, 2000
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In spite of all the problems, we live in a wonderful time of earth’s history. The following text reveals one source of such wonder.
In the last days, God said, I will pour out my Spirit upon all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, and your old men will dream dreams. In those days I will pour out my Spirit upon all my servants, men and women alike, and they will prophesy. Acts 2:17, 18.
Those who are tuned in realize that this prophecy is being fulfilled in our own day in a remarkable way. Sometimes it seems we’re almost deluged with prophetical words. However, I believe there’s one type of prophetical message that might be termed a “missing link.”
By that I don’t mean that the message itself is missing, but that we’re not always hearing clearly.
We have even greater confidence in the message proclaimed by the prophets. Pay close attention to what they wrote, for their words are like a light shining in a dark place--until the day Christ appears and his brilliant light shines in your hearts.
Above all, you must understand that no prophecy in Scripture ever came from the prophets themselves, or because they wanted to prophesy. It was the Holy Spirit who moved the prophets to speak from God. 2 Peter 1:19-21.
Today we not only have Logos, the written word of the prophets expressed in the Word, but we also have Rhema, the now word of God that Joel and Peter prophesied for the last days. We need to understand that God has had, and still has, various ways of “moving” the prophets to speak his words. “Dreams” and “visions” are specifically mentioned, and they receive the most attention because they are somewhat dramatic.
Seeing prophecies recorded on the Internet one might get the idea that God speaks only through visions and dreams, but such is not the case. We need to be more sensitive to his communications. Only occasionally does God speak audibly as he did to the young Samuel, but he often speaks directly to the mind of those he chooses. And they don’t have to be world-renowned to be valid vessels.
I’ve never had a vision, but I cherish the many prophetic dreams that God has allowed me to experience. However, most of the words I’ve received from the Lord have been sent directly to my mind. Almost invariably these messages come when I’m still in bed in the morning, shaving, or in the shower. I keep pen and paper handy, because once the thoughts begin to flow they come so rapidly I can hardly keep up. Later, refreshed by my notes, I trust the Holy Spirit to flesh out the message in final form.
Thank God for dreams and visions, but don’t let valuable words from the Lord fall unappreciated because they come in less dramatic form. And finally, remember the Lord’s admonition:
Dear friends, do not believe everyone who claims to speak by the Spirit. You must test them to see if the spirit they have comes from God. For there are many false prophets in the world. 1 John 4:1.
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