The Table of the Lord

                        Lev 24:6 And thou shalt set them in two rows, six on a row,
                        upon the pure table before the LORD.

                        PS 23:5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of
                        mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.

                        Luke 22:30 That ye may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom,
                        and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.

                        1Co 10:21 Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord, and the cup of devils:
                        ye cannot be partakers of the Lord's table, and of the table of devils.

                        Rev 19:17 And I saw an angel standing in the sun… Come and gather
                        yourselves together unto the supper of the great God;

From beginning to end the Bible speaks of a table which God has set up. While libraries of books have been written on the doctrines of the “Communion Table”, they have distracted us from a fuller understanding of The Table of the Lord. The image of this table appears in the tabernacle, the temple, the private chambers of prophets, the halls of kings, the upper-room, church gatherings and at the end of the age is even a "the great feast”.

An experience common to all humanity is the dining table, where food and drink are laid out and all the activities of our lives are nourished. In Africa or Asia this might be no more than a woven mat placed on the ground, while in the West, iconic images of Norman Rockwell’s “Freedom from Want” are brought to mind. A thread which has been woven throughout the scriptures and is experienced in the daily lives of all mankind must have its origins in God; so we are not talking about just the tables of men, but the Table of the Lord.
                       
                        But he said unto them, I have meat to eat that ye know not of.
                        Therefore said the disciples one to another, Hath any man brought him
                        ought to eat? Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that
                        sent me, and to finish his work.   (John 4:32-34)

                        Then said Jesus unto Peter, Put up thy sword into the sheath: the cup
                        which my Father hath given me, shall I not drink it?   (John 18:11)


Jesus considered doing the will of God as nourishment placed on His table, the cross like a cup given Him to drink, the ministry to the Samaritan woman as secret food which even His disciples knew nothing of. On this table is served the will of God for our lives, the things which God Himself has set before us. In His position as God and Father over his own household, He laid before us a ministry, so personal in quality; it is laid out only for you. Small and great callings, bitter and sweet servings, large and small helpings, all intended for the nourishment of lives.
                       
                       Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies:
                        thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. (PS 23:5)


The Table of the Lord is the place of prayer in which we receive our purpose and priorities. Contrary to our tendency to lay our needs before Him, here God lays His needs before us, as His will and instruction for our lives. Without the Table of the Lord it is impossible to be truly nourished in our lives: our scriptural studies will have no focus on the realities of life and quickly become only personal exercises in private ethics. Without it, our prayers will quickly dwindle into “self-focused-askings” over things we are told to take no thought for. Simply, without doing the will of God, why should we expect to be nourished by God?

                        For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any
                        would not work, neither should he eat. For we hear that there are some
                        which walk among you disorderly, working not at all, but are busybodies.
                        Now them that are such we command and exhort by our Lord Jesus Christ,
                        that with quietness they work, and eat their own bread. (2Thes 3:10-12)
                        

If our prayer life has become stale, could it be that we are only spending our time chattering away with requests for our needs and paying little attention to the needs of God's heart? Have we become spiritual busybodies walking disorderly, not filling our lives with the will of God, but bloated with our own moral preoccupations? Has our time in the scriptures been the spiritual food God intended it to be, or is it the stale bread of ethical behavior and private conformations of our own godliness? Prayer begins not with our requests, but with the will of God, at the Table of the Lord.

                        Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.
                        Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth.
                        Give us day by day our daily bread.  (Luke 11:2-3)

The Door of Prayer

                                  
     
                                   … Which of you shall have a friend, and shall go unto him at midnight,
                                   and say unto him, Friend, lend me three loaves; For a friend of mine in
                                   his journey is come to me, and I have nothing to set before him? And he
                                   from within shall answer and say, Trouble me not: the door is now shut,
                                   and my children are with me in bed; I cannot rise and give thee.
                                                                                                                                     (Luke11:5-7)


The needs of others can surprise us. When needs are presented which are beyond our faith, beyond any words of scripture we know and beyond all our personal experience, we discover we have nothing to set before them.  At the appearance of great need a sense comes over us that we have suffered a humiliating failure in God, one in which we ourselves are deficient, as if we are unfaithful stewards, because we have nothing to offer. We leave their company with a promise of future prayer, but as our private attempt begins, we come face-to-face with the door of prayer, a door which we have found shut.  

Our humanity is against us opening it: “It’s late”, “I don’t know how to pray”, “I am ashamed, for I have judged myself lacking!” Our culture is against us, for we have learned that to meet practical needs we must have practical activity, and prayer we have dismissed as exactly the opposite. Any need, weakness, or lack on our part is felt to be a shameful circumstance and not equal to the self-reliant backbone of our ancestors. We have kept the appearance of self-reliance, we have always played it safe, never place ourselves in a position in which we are not supported: financially, spiritually, and practically. Having done these things we ourselves have shut the door of prayer behind us, and these actions we have called wisdom.

The plan of God for prayer is a divine plan, made of divine wisdom, which hides the secrets of prayer from those without a heart after God. Hearts that look for systems or methods of approaching God may pray by closing their eyes offer a few pious requests and ending in the name of Jesus; but for them there is no answer from beyond the door. In the face of this surprising need we realize our own lack: we have no answers, no training and no method sufficient and when we turn toward the door of prayer we find it shut.

The entrance is opened to those possessed by faith, hope, love, humility, poverty and dependence upon God, even to those whom confess their need for such things; but curiously closed to those who have only heard of their existence, but possess not their substance. Feelings of helplessness, lack and dependence must be our constant companion in prayer; for when we have nothing to offer, this is all that is required.  

In the course of writing this entry I have been told that this is the most depressing few paragraphs some have ever read: I am inclined to say that they are right, but I will change them. We have for too long tried to reach God through our faith, our self-confidence and our doctrinal correctness; of such stones are the foundations of Babylon made, not the New Jerusalem. Come to the door of prayer with your need, lack, sickness, bankruptcy, shame, and pain; then He will meet you there and open. There you will find provision, for yourself and for others; you will find His sufficiency, a river flowing through the deepest parts of you.

... and yes, and He will answers your prayers too.

Ask

 
                                                And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you;
                                                seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened
                                                unto you.
                                                                                                                 (Luke 11:9)

Our first reading of the verse seems to be the ultimate key to answered prayer: expressed in a “cause and effect” style which harmonizes with our technical input-output world. The simple acceptance of this spiritual truth might have rewarded with answers from God at first, but this did not continue for long. A short while after we joyfully discovered this verse, we painfully discarded it, but with such promises as “answers from God” and the “authority of scripture” at risk, we dare not speak publically of our disappointment, or accuse God directly of lying. We cast the verse aside like a puzzle piece we have not found a place for, but are confident we will.

We had taken it to mean that “if we just took the time to pray, God would reward us with an answer”, so by asking, our part is done; but our experience over time does nothing to prove this verse true and has not given us the answers we were seeking. We ask ourselves, “Why when it simply says, “ask, it will be given you”, does it not give me unlimited access to answered prayer?” The answer, though it adds a condition, holds much greater riches and practical blessings than we first imagined.  

The Greek word for “ask” is more descriptive than its English counterpart, so when “ask” is translated, a subtle meaning is stripped away which leaves us with only “the action of making a request”. Vines Expository Dictionary has eight words which are translated “ask” in the KJV, and this is only one of them. The word means “to ask from one lesser, to one greater”; much more meaning than we had originally given it. Viewing this as only cause and effect was simplistic view, but now we find a new condition placed on us and the scripture demanding of the pray-er more than just the act of praying, but an attitude of heart.

Our altered view does not mean we have been cheated; on the contrary the new condition makes it is significantly richer. Now the times when we feel the smallest in our own estimation, feel the neediest and without the faintest hint of drawing toward prayer becomes the very circumstance to which the verse is speaking. Recognizing our position as needy, humbles us, and becomes the very attitude of heart to which He promised us an answer for our asking. Now our most down trodden moments, at the very height of our need, in our most pitiful circumstances, now become the Promised-Land and mother-load of answered prayer, and all for the same action of “asking” we had before. Truly He resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble (PS 138:6).

The door of prayer is not opened to those that simply “do the activity” of making a request  and demand they be rewarded with answer; but is thrown wide open to those who give glory to God as God, but see themselves as needy. They come before Him with boldness, though feeling their neediness and the needs of others which they cannot meet, buy they obtain mercy and find grace to help them. To these the door of prayer is open.

The Manifestation of Jesus

                         I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.

                        Yet a little while, and the world seeth me no more; but ye see me:

                         because I live, ye shall live also.

                        At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you.

                        He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me:

                        and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him,

                        and will manifest myself to him.

                       

                        Judas saith unto him, not Iscariot, Lord, how is it that thou wilt manifest

                        thyself unto us, and not unto the world?

                        Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words:

                        and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and

                        make our abode with him.

                                                                                                                        (John 14:18-21)

Prayer must be the most unimaginable thing to an atheist! A person goes off by themselves and speaks words into the air, to nothing and no one. From this perspective there could be no greater waste of time or more foolish scene than a man in prayer. Would it surprise you if the atheist is found to be you, and the truth of this scripture to be more real than we have dared to believe?

In an attempt to make Christianity less mystical to a skeptical, practical and scientific world, we have pretended that such scriptures about the manifestation of Jesus to be only a natural outcome of our religious activities: as if through devotion to the Bible and faithful church attendance we might somehow obtain an enlightened-similitude of Jesus Christ impressed on our souls, a better picture of the Savior in the imaginations of our hearts or through knowing His teachings we could have a better picture of the man. To this approach the world has asked the most obvious of all questions; “How would this manifestation differ from the manifestation of Buddha, or Mohamed, or other religious leaders?” The simple answer is, if that is our approach, there is no difference.

Could it be that Jesus meant what He said and more literally then we have dared portray? What injustice have we done to the gospel by portraying Jesus as more dead than alive? Could He actually be really alive and active as an individual, as God, and the literal leader of His church? Could He be the personal recipient of our prayers? Could He be so real that our prayers stop sounding as speeches made to a deity far removed, and more like a dialogue with a well respected and powerful friend whom we know well?

Christianity made to be devoid of the living God is non-distinct compared to the pantheon of the religions of the world, and leaves us no better prepared than an atheist in prayer. With the manifestation of Jesus, prayer becomes as natural to the Christian for spiritual life as breathing is for the natural life: because the object of prayer has been recovered and the declaration of “in Jesus name” can now be spoken with boldness before the Father.

We have said the right words when speaking of salvation, saying that a “personal relationship with Jesus Christ” is the only way to be saved, but as soon as the person is converted to the faith we excuse the term from meaning a real relationship with God, and leave them with only devotion toward God, rather than fellowship with Him. To take the term “relationship” to mean only the exercise of our devotions toward God closes us off from the life of prayer: leaving us only with a duty we find impossible to perform. The same can be said of prayer as with salvation: not only does it require a “personal relationship with God”, it is the very reality and activity of that relationship.

In the most practical of terms, the manifestation of Jesus is not a projection of our thoughts about who He is, a recollection of all that we know about Him or a construct from our learned minds; it is His actual personhood present with us during prayer. We might say this is the “presence of God” as commonly expressed in charismatic and pentecostal circles, but it is more than these terms can hold; for we are speaking of the manifestation of the Lord Jesus Himself.

All of the scriptures about Him, all of the learning about Him has not been wasted or useless, but compared to the manifestation of Jesus Christ Himself, these have been only misty shadows. Indeed the gospels have re-presented Him enough that when praying, having not seen His form, we can identify Him when He speaks. Many times I have seen the same Jesus of the Bible alive and well while praying; asking me the same piercing questions as the Jesus of the Bible.

The questions He asks are the questions of God to a man, which are not of God’s ignorance, but are revelations themselves. Can you hear Him in the garden calling to Adam, “Adam where art thou?” God already knew! Can you hear Him asking for the coin used to pay taxes to Cesar? “Whose image and superscription is this?” This is an inquiry based on knowledge, not on ignorance: asked for the sake of the responders, not the responses. When I come with questions and hear, “I will also ask of you one question, and answer me, and I will tell you…” This is the same Jesus portrayed in the scriptures; it is Him who we have encountered in prayer.

                         For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged

                        sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints

                        and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

                        Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are 

                        naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do.

                        Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens,

                        Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession.

                        For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our

                        infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.

                        Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace,

                        that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.

                                                                                                                      

                                                                                                             (Hebrews  4:12-16)

The Word of God here is not speaking of the scripture, but the manifestation of Jesus Himself as we standing before Him in prayer. The writer calls Him “living and active”, “quick and powerful”, “zaō and energēs”, “living and strong.” He is sharp like a sword, His words and questions piercing right to core of matter. It is He who sees all, all of creation manifested in His sight, all creation laid bare and open to His eyes. It is Him who is touched with our feebleness, yet the writer say, “let us therefore come boldly”. This is the manifestation of Jesus Christ, and this is His throne of grace, just on the other side of the door of prayer.

Prophetic Things

(This was written for the Wings of Prophecy FORUM and Chat Site.
They can also be viewed at these links:
1Wings Of Prophecy Home
2WOP-FORUM Post)

In the FORUM and in the Chat area we have been gathering together to discuss the events of our times as Men and Women of God. We have spoken of issues in the news, issues in our lives, shared Words and shared links, but in all things we have pointed ourselves and each other toward Him. Understanding the prophetic is not easy and understanding prophetic people can be ever harder, but let’s step back from the doing to speak a little of the about what we are doing and why.  Now we must speak plainly of a few things that normally are not discussed, but get passed over at times in the doing.

Many times we are caught up in the doing and so we pass over the “why we are doing” to quickly. At the beginning of the journey simply saying “because the Lord” was enough for a time, but as we have grow and experience more we demand more of ourselves. All this is to answer the question our own hearts, “Am I doing the will of God, or simply fulfilling my desires?” This question opens wide the door for others, and once they begin satisfactory answers must be found, for these comprise the vision of our lives, and is part of understanding and doing the will of God.

These are three big questions I have asked myself over time about the “Wings Site”, exploring the answers to these have come during challenges in other areas, for now these questions provide us a structure to talk about the vision God has given me for “Wings”, I hope that you share the same.

“Who are We to Say Such Things?”

                                    Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. And there are

                                    differences of administrations, but the same Lord. And there are

                                    diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all

                                    in all. But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to

                                    profit withal.   (1Co 12:4-7)

Here we will see all kinds, variety at its best:

People who have the gift of prophecy

People whom God calls a prophet

People growing in their calling and  gifting

People failing in their growing, and making a mess

Wounded people speaking a word out of their pain

People speaking from the heart of God

Prophetic intercessors

Prophetic prayers

People giving a word of exhortation

People giving a word that is predictive

People with strong gifts of discernment

People involved with deliverance ministry

This list is long, but not exhaustive; it is the very beginning of a rich part of the Church we broadly term “prophetic”. The diversity of the “prophetic” is made even more complex because each calling and gifting comes through a specific child of God who themselves are unique, could be misunderstood and maybe even be wounded. People who have been rejected, hurt, damaged and broken will be in our midst; some seeking a word, some giving a word, and some messing it all up: and sometimes these people will be us.

There are farther complications, as we ourselves might not even know ourselves, know to whom we are speaking or what we are speaking of. There are people which God has called to the office of a prophet,  but will not admit such to others: even these will be growing in God before our eyes. The Bible is curiously silent as to the training of prophetic people especially in the OT: they seem to appear from the back side of some God-forsaken place fully trained and speaking the Word of the Lord with power and accuracy: this is not realistic. This is God’s training ground, and our little corner of the backside of the desert. From experienced people walking in a Prophetic call, to the newest believer just looking for help understanding what God has done to them: we are in this together! Every flavor of the prophetic and prophetic person will be here, and must be treated with respect and Godly Fear, for we are responsible to God not only for the words we give, but also our behavior toward one another and even the growth of others.

“Who are we to say such things?” The answer for us all is: “I am absolutely no one! I am a person, a brother/sister in Christ Jesus, who believes God has spoken, and has commanded me to speak.” This truthfulness is simple, but not simplistic and not easy.

All will be growing! By definition growing in new areas is uncomfortable, unsettling and not done with much skill, so we will fail many times. Miserably fail, publically fail and personally feel our failure; for this gift and calling is tightly wrapped up in the identity, character and humility of the speakers: God won’t have it any other way.

                                    For we know in part, and we prophesy in part…

                                    For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face:

                                    now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.

                                                                                                                        (1Cor 13:9,12)

God does not allow a person He is training in the prophetic to become prideful and so the best answer as to who we are is “I am no one”. As we learn and grow, we have come to know that God has a “program of humiliation” specifically designed for us. Some words seem to be given specifically for the purpose of getting us a beating, literally and figuratively, and such is God’s dealing with pride, even when we have spoken in Him. “Earthquake” words, “wife/husband” words are two that I have experienced and I think most prophetic people have at one time or another.

What are We Doing Here at “Wings”?

                                    Let the prophets speak two or three, and let the other judge.

                                    If any thing be revealed to another that sitteth by, let the first

                                    hold his peace. For ye may all prophesy one by one, that all

                                    may learn, and all may be comforted. And the spirits of the prophets

                                    are subject to the prophets. For God is not the author of confusion,

                                    but of peace, as in all churches of the saints.   (1Cor 14:29-33)

One of the things Wings has become is a place for prophetic people to gather. This instruction in scripture is clear, yet we find another force at work within us, something akin to spiritual DNA. If we are being grown properly in the Lord, we will not just hear these verse as an external commandment to do and do not, but it will be to us like a need or hunger for such circumstances to made real in our lives. We have a need as prophetic people, not just to hear and be heard, but to sound out the word of the Lord with one another; in one another’s presence, before the Lord and before the Church of Jesus Christ.

I have heard the scripture above (1cor 14:29-33) from the perspectives of pastors and teachers many times as the Biblical prescription for exercising the prophetic in congregational churches. Their emphasis has been on “judging” if a word is biblical or not, and if it is, it is judged as from the Lord and received. I challenge you with this word! This is more than a Biblical prescription for making sure an unbiblical word is not released to the church, but this is God’s training program and our deep prophetic need. The actual context of the scripture above is not that the pastors and teachers are judging, but that other prophetic people are. We have ignored the portion of that verse which speaks “that all may LEARN and be COMFORTED” and exchanged it for “that the church might be sake from doctrinal error.”

This program is like DNA to prophetic people; without it we feel we are not ministering to the fullest, that we are growing deformed in some way and we are not properly manifesting the life of God to the people of God. We have unconsciously, by the leading of the Holy Spirit, sought for the conditions prescribed in this scripture, so that we can be whole spiritually. This search has lead us here, and this is the exact relationship described in the verse we have found on the Wings Site, in this FORUM. We need to foster it, protect it and understand it, so that we might by all means live in it, live by it and live through it. If we do these things we shall know the life of God through the prophetic gift and minister it to others. We NEED one another!

                                    After that thou shalt come to the hill of God, where is the garrison

                                    of the Philistines: and it shall come to pass, when thou art come

                                    thither to the city, that thou shalt meet a company of prophets coming

                                    down from the high place with a psaltery, and a tabret, and a pipe,

                                     and a harp, before them; and they shall prophesy: the Spirit of the

                                    LORD will come upon thee, and thou shalt prophesy with them, and

                                    shalt be turned into another man. (1Sam 10:5-5)

To our heartbreak this condition exists in so few congregation churches we are forced by practical needs to seek this training, fellowship and judgment in other places; this has brought us here. The sounding out of the words of the Lord, in the presence of other prophetic people is the New Testament model we hunger for and need to be whole. Sadly we have found it here, but not found it there.

“Is our Behavior Regulated by the Scripture?”

                                    Despise not prophesyings. Prove all things; hold fast that which

                                    is good. Abstain from all appearance of evil. (1Th 5:20-22)

                                    Let the prophets speak two or three, and let the other judge.

                                    If any thing be revealed to another that sitteth by, let the first

                                    hold his peace. For ye may all prophesy one by one, that all

                                    may learn, and all may be comforted. And the spirits of the prophets

                                    are subject to the prophets. For God is not the author of confusion,

                                    but of peace, as in all churches of the saints.   (1Cor 14:29-33)

The New Testament pattern for judging prophetic words applies vitally here. Over the past few months I began to wonder how we could adapt the model given for judging prophecy in church to our activities of speaking/giving/releasing a prophetic word on the FORUM. My final conclusion, after prayerful consideration is that the scriptures are sufficient without any need for “theological gymnastics”.  Posting a prophetic word and the comments which follow are satisfactory to fulfillment the scriptural mandate. If we judge properly, our FORUM and format are sufficient, but if we do not judge properly they are not sufficient. The emphasis is then upon the hearer, as much as the speaker.

1 Thess 5:20-22 gave us a look into our prophetic need inter mod DNA and desire, but now we turn to the more practical need of judging and discerning. Just because we found more in the scripture than we expected, do not exempt us from the practical doing what it says to do. The application of these principles is sufficient to both growth together and to keep the church free from prophetic impurity. Future purity in prophetic ministry is actually dependant on the growth happening at the time; for without growth we will continually stumble at the exact place we stumble over now. 1Cor sets the scene, and 1Thes gives us the specifics.

Let the prophets speak two or three, and let the other judge. The word for judge here means “separate thoroughly”, but how do we go about this? Prove all things; hold fast that which is good. Abstain from all appearance of evil. We are to both “hold fast” and “abstain” depending on what our “picking through/judgment” has uncovered. To “prove”, is a restatement of judge/separate, yet there is a subtly to it that implies giving the deference to the speaker: for when refining or proofing metals we are looking to find precious metal, not just collect the slag. There is a plainness to this process, an ordinariness that comes naturally to the prophetic person carrying this out.

Those who have spoken have spoken in the name of the Lord have not done so lightly, but have fully believed they have apprehended the heart of God, and have spoken in faith. Seldom have I heard gross error, real intentional deception or someone just “making something up”: these are rare conditions and are spotted and addressed easily. What I have heard MUCH of, and seen MANY do, is miss the heart of what God was saying. The manifestations of gross error are for correction, but missing the heart of God is a matter for discipleship.

A few times, words that I thought had utterly missed the mark were even proved right, so tread gently. In offering a word of instruction focus upon discipleship, giving deference to the speaker. The format we are presented with on the “Wings” site makes this easy to accomplish compared to being before a congregation, and handling it in the it is spoken. We have the time to be thoughtful, prayerful and careful in our love and correction.

                                    But we were gentle among you, even as a nurse

                                    cherisheth her children: (1Th 2:7 )

Employing proper judgment and discernment means that we judge the word given and not the person giving it. A person might give a good word on one occasion and a word in error on another: we must recognize the difference and speak accordingly; not doing so could be a worse error than saying nothing. Many who have exercised this previously have not done this fairly, thus showing a lack of maturity in themselves. These are brothers and sisters in Christ, and we should treat them as such.

                                    Let the prophets speak two or three, and let the

                                    other judge. (1Cor 14:29)

Judging of a word is not just in the “negative”, it is also for the good. Without judging, without “separating thoroughly” real encouragement based that has substance to it is not possible.  Real encouragement cannot be grounded in our desires just to make someone feel better, but must be factual, honest and is best delivered at the place a person is growing. For this reason we must judge, because not even a pure word of compliment can be given without it. Without this form of judgment, the word spoken will have no “proof it was a right and pure word.  

The practical application of these things is carried out in the comment boxes just below the FORUM post: gentile correction if needed, encouragements with discernment and growth through experience. Everyone desires positive and encouraging feedback, but past just desire, we NEED positive and encouraging feedback in order to grow. Appropriate comments on a posts gives deference to speaker, encourages them and when needed, lovingly corrects them. Without this function we are failing to become what God would have us to become. We are becoming this to one another and the other prophetic people standing by are just as indispensible as the speaker.

                                    And let us consider one another to provoke unto love

                                    and to good works:   (Heb 10:24)

Many who have come through this site have ranged of spiritual maladies that have nothing to do with the prophetic, but more to do unbelief of scriptures they profess. Some believe the Lord no longer speaks save through the scriptures. These are cessationalists, who actually must ignore portions of the very scriptures they claim are sufficient. At the other end of the spectrum are those who come expecting to find a word of such exceptional quality of prophetic expression that it rises to the level of the prophetic scriptures. Without recognizing that such words and speakers are rare, their expectations are not me, these also tend to mock and dismiss our efforts. To both of these is the word of instruction “Despise not prophesying” (1Th 5:20). It is plain enough, but often ignored. To add to this many have felt the need to “despise” such speaking in the comments section, they just couldn’t move on without comment. While not right, it is also not unusual.

In your dealings with others here, there will be many critics, but there are also many well meaning friends. As we grow in relationship we will more quickly recognize which is which. This is part of the process; that both a compliment is paid to the speaker and at times critical questions must be asked. We gather together not because we know completely or have spoken completely, but because we know in part and have spoken in part and we need one another to be whole.

God bless us all.

Brian D. McClafferty