Living As a New Creation - Who do You say that I am (Wk. 5) (3)
March 17, 2015
Scripture referenced 11 passages
The passage this message was preached from, in full, with every other passage it reached for.
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Acts 2:17-18 Peter quoting Joel 2, used to establish that God pours out His Spirit on all people who will prophesy
17 ‘It will be in the last days, says God, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh. Your sons and your daughters will prophesy. Your young men will see visions. Your old men will dream dreams.
18 Yes, and on my servants and on my handmaidens in those days, I will pour out my Spirit, and they will prophesy.
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Keep this verse
1 Corinthians 12:7
prophecy is a gift given for the common good, to help each other
7 But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the profit of all.
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1 Corinthians 13:2
having the gift of prophecy without love means nothing
2 If I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge; and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but don’t have love, I am nothing.
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1 Corinthians 13:9
we know in part and prophesy in part, so we should not add or elaborate
9 For we know in part, and we prophesy in part;
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1 Corinthians 14:1
pursue love and desire spiritual gifts, especially that you may prophesy
1 Follow after love, and earnestly desire spiritual gifts, but especially that you may prophesy.
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1 Corinthians 14:5
Paul wishes all spoke in tongues but even more that they would prophesy
5 Now I desire to have you all speak with other languages, but rather that you would prophesy. For he is greater who prophesies than he who speaks with other languages, unless he interprets, that the assembly may be built up.
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1 Corinthians 14:24-25
unbelievers who hear prophecy will be convicted and fall to their knees declaring God is truly among you
24 But if all prophesy, and someone unbelieving or unlearned comes in, he is reproved by all, and he is judged by all.
25 And thus the secrets of his heart are revealed. So he will fall down on his face and worship God, declaring that God is among you indeed.
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1 Corinthians 14:39
desire earnestly to prophesy, do not forbid tongues, but all things done properly and in order
39 Therefore, brothers, desire earnestly to prophesy, and don’t forbid speaking with other languages.
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1 Thessalonians 5:19-21
do not quench the Spirit or despise prophetic utterances, but examine everything carefully and hold fast to what is good
19 Don’t quench the Spirit.
20 Don’t despise prophesies.
21 Test all things, and hold firmly that which is good.
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1 Timothy 1:18-19
Paul urges Timothy to fight the good fight according to previous prophecies spoken over him, keeping faith and a good conscience
18 This instruction I commit to you, my child Timothy, according to the prophecies which were given to you before, that by them you may wage the good warfare;
19 holding faith and a good conscience; which some having thrust away made a shipwreck concerning the faith;
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Isaiah 45:3
God gives treasures of darkness and riches in secret places so we will know He calls us by name
3 I will give you the treasures of darkness, and hidden riches of secret places, that you may know that it is I, Yahweh, who call you by your name, even the God of Israel.
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Recap
The message in order, in a few minutes of reading.
This session was part of an ongoing series on hearing God's voice, focusing specifically on the gift of prophecy: what it is, whether it is still active today, and how to give and receive a prophetic word responsibly. The teaching drew on several passages from Acts, First Corinthians, First Thessalonians, and First Timothy, and was woven through with personal stories from the group. It closed with two hands-on exercises to practice listening to the Holy Spirit on behalf of one another.
What was said
Pastor Lisa opened by grounding the conversation in Acts 2, where Peter quotes Joel's promise that when God pours out His Spirit, sons and daughters will prophesy. Because that outpouring came at Pentecost and the Spirit has been given to all believers since, prophecy is not a gift reserved for a select few or for a past age. It belongs to the whole body.
She then worked through the Greek definition of prophecy from Strong's Concordance, noting that while one meaning involves foretelling, the heart of it is declaring something that can only be known by divine revelation. In practice, she said, prophecy more often reveals the heart of God toward a person than it maps out their future. It shows His love, strength, and joy over someone, and that alone can change how we see one another.
Several First Corinthians passages formed the backbone of the teaching. Prophecy is given for the common good, not personal gain. Without love it is nothing, and the fact that we know and prophesy only in part means we should share what we are given without adding our own interpretation or direction on top of it. The goal is always to build up, never to press someone down.
First Thessalonians 5 gave the practical balance: do not quench the Spirit and do not despise prophetic words, but examine everything carefully. A story shared by one of the women illustrated this well: a man told a minister he believed God was saying not to attend a conference, but when the minister prayed it through he recognized the word was stirring up fear rather than faith, so he went, and it became one of the most fruitful times of ministry he had known. That story stayed in the group as a picture of why the examining step matters on both sides of a word.
Three tests for a prophetic word were laid out: does it line up with Scripture and God's character; does it align with what the Holy Spirit is already speaking to you personally; and does it hold up over time? A word may take root immediately or may be a seed that takes years to bear fruit. Alongside those tests, three possible outcomes of any word were named: it will speak life and draw the person closer to God, which marks a true word; it will condemn or heap guilt with no hope offered, which is not from God; or it will flatter, which feeds the soul for a moment but has no lasting root.
First Timothy 1 brought the series of cautions to a close on an encouraging note. Paul tells Timothy to fight the good fight in accordance with the prophetic words previously spoken over him. That framing made the point that God speaks over our lives to strengthen our faith and keep us on course, not simply to give us information. Several in the group connected this to the practice of keeping words they have received and returning to them at low points as a way of holding the road.
The session ended with Christie sharing a lesson she had learned about assuming she knew what someone needed to hear, and with a reflection on the habit of letting encouraging words actually settle in rather than deflecting them. The same care we give to a critical word, letting it replay and marinate, needs to be given to a word of life. The two group exercises that followed were designed to give everyone a low-stakes way to practice exactly that kind of attentive, prayerful listening.
Doing a Bible study?
Here is a guide we have prepared for you: the passages in order, questions for the group, and room to write.
- The sermon described prophecy as speaking what God has revealed, not what we already know. When have you experienced someone speaking something over you that you felt you could not have known on your own, and what effect did it have on you?
- Several scriptures were shared about prophecy coming from love, including the point that if we sense our words are not coming from love, it may be better to stay quiet. How do you personally check whether something you feel prompted to say to someone is coming from love rather than your own judgment or assumptions?
and 3 more questions in the guide
Read the full transcript 9,699 words
0:01
Okay. Let's open in prayer. Father, thank you. You are so good. Lord, we love you.
0:10
I thank you for just this time that we can get together, Lord, and hear your spirit and and listen to what's on your heart for us, Lord, on this top on this topic and and just be together. Encourage each other. Be excited for each other and what you're doing and lift each other up where we need prayer, Lord. Thank you for your body. Thank you for joining us together.
0:36
Thank you for bringing us together, Lord. Father, I pray that this morning, your spirit would be the teacher. Lord, that you would direct what I say, and you would just seal in our hearts the things that you want us to remember, that you would answer our questions, you would bring up questions that need to be answered and and discussed, Lord, we you would be to you. For for pray We for Pray that you're just blessing the socks off of Laura and Christine right now. Lord and and each one that's not here.
1:25
Father, we love you. We thank you. Thank you for your son. In Jesus' name, amen. Amen.
1:35
Okay. So the last couple weeks, what we've been talking about is how important it is to hear God speak and learning to recognize his voice and how he speaks and the many different ways that he speaks. Sometimes it's like we talked about last week, it can be through scripture. When we're reading the word, he can just speak so clearly to us that, you know, very personalized the word to us. Sometimes it can be through an impression or a picture that we get in our mind.
2:08
He can speak through nature. He can speak in dreams and visions through other people. There's so many different ways that he can speak. And, today, I really want to hit the topic a little bit and just kinda give a foundation for when, he does use other people to speak to us or wants to use us to speak to other people. And and this topic, you know, can get sometimes we can get hung up on it a little bit and wonder, you know, if it's if it's for today or if only a certain few people are supposed to be doing it or whatever, but I wanna talk to today about prophecy and what it is, if it's still for today, and just what the word has to say about it.
3:00
I wanna start out with Acts chapter two verses seventeen and eighteen.
3:15
2nd
3:15
Floor. Second. K. So it's axe. Two verse seventeen and eighteen.
3:35
And this is Peter. He's quoting actually from Joel two. And he's saying, in the last days, God says, I will pour out my spirit upon all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy. Your young men will see visions.
3:52
Your old men will dream dreams. In those days, I will pour out my spirit even on my servants, men and women alike, and they will prophesy. And when when was it that God poured out his spirit upon all people?
4:09
Is it during the Pentecost?
4:11
Mhmm. It was after Jesus when Jesus was on earth, he said I we actually watched the movie, the Gospel of John, the other night. And it was so awesome seeing that again where he was telling the disciples, no, it's better that I leave. So many times we are like, oh, if we could only just walk with Jesus, if we could just walk with Jesus. And he's like, no, it's better that I leave so I can send my spirit because it won't be like, I'll be in one place at one time but the spirit's with all of you all of the time.
4:39
He feels you. So it was after Jesus ascended and they waited in the upper room and God poured out His spirit. And the spirit as we know is the advocate, He's the comforter. He's the guide. He's a teacher.
4:56
He's all of those things. But it says, when I pour my spirit out on all people, your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams. In those days, I will pour out my spirit even on my servants, men and women alike, and they will prophesy. So I wanted to, get a definition for for prophesy. I just went to the Strong's Concordance and looked up, the Greek definition of prophecy in the in the New Testament.
5:29
And I'll I'll read what it says in the Strong's, and then I'll just kinda put it in a little bit easier terms. But it says, there's five different breakdowns of definition. The first one is to prophesy, to be a prophet, and to speak forth by divine inspirations inspirations or to predict. The second one is with the idea of foretelling future events pertaining especially to the kingdom of God. So it does have some to do with foretelling future events sometimes.
6:19
The third one is to utter forth, declare, or declare a thing which can only be known by divine revelation. And I think that's key. That's huge. You're when we are speaking prophetically, we're speaking what the spirit of God has shown us that we didn't know otherwise. Number four is to break forth under sudden impulse in lofty discourse or praise of divine councils.
6:53
It could be to teach, to refute, to reprove, admonish, or comfort others. But again, it's basically the same thing where you're you are speaking forth from God's counsel. And the fifth, definition that they gave was actually, to, have the office of the prophet. And not all people are carry the office of a capital p prophet. You know?
7:32
Most people don't. There are some that still do. God will still raise up people that you very much use in that gifting a lot. But just because everybody doesn't carry that title and that gifting as a as a main gifting in their life, do do to to that. That.
8:06
Do message. It's basically what it is. It's when you hear him or you see him moving or he gives a picture of something and you relay that message to somebody. One of the things personally that I have just experienced, just from many years of of do walking with him is that a lot of times, it will it reveal the plans of God, but more often, it reveals the heart of God. Mhmm.
8:43
Okay? Sometimes, God will speak very specifically and you encourage somebody in a direction that they're gonna go or in a calling like when the lady spoke over Laura's heart or Laura's Laura a year ago and said, I just see the teaching gift on you. Okay? That woman did not that was the first time she'd met Laura, did not know her and she just saw just something in the spirit. The Lord just gave her a picture or whatever, how she ever she showed this lady that she saw the teaching gift.
9:19
Now that that kind of shows both the plans and the heart of God. You know, it's it's God's heart that he's that he is drawing that out of Laura because he knows and but it also kinda shows plans that he has, just gives a taste, a little foretaste of something that's in the future. And so but I think more often than than not, it reveals his heart for people. It just really reveals his love and his strength and his joy and, you know, all of those things towards somebody. Sometimes these words are just simple words of truth, but they're given in season.
9:55
Season. Okay? They don't have they and sometimes they're so simple. It's not like some divine lofty Yeah. Hey.
10:07
You know? It's just I mean, there's there's times that it was I literally only said, God loves you. But it was in season and the spirit prompted me to say those words. And it was like that we talked about before where there's that ripe fruit that you see and it's ready to pick. And it was just that was what the Lord wanted them to know that moment.
10:27
So a lot of times it's very simple, but it's just in season. Other times, the Holy Spirit opens our eyes to see things we didn't know and may not really even understand, but it encourages and lifts up the other person. And that's kind like what would happen with Laura a little bit. But when it was about a year let's see. When no.
10:50
This was last September when I was in Chalice. We had I was at a ladies conference, and we had one afternoon session where anybody that wanted to sign up and be a part, there was probably I think there was seven seventy women there or something like that. And almost I think almost all of them signed up to do it. But what they did is they broke into about three or four groups, and they had asked teams of two ladies that the leadership knew, you know, different ladies that were kind of in leadership. And and and so it wasn't just random who they chose, but they would choose teams of two for each of these four groups.
11:31
And the women would just sit in a circle, and and the two women I was one of the I was on one team of two, and we had about 17 women in our group, I think 18 women. And what we did is we just went around to each woman and just waited on the Lord for the Lord to for a word for her just to encourage her. And and it was amazing. I love I love I love I love doing that because it's so it's it's so I mean, it's just so divine. I don't even know how to explain it because you do not know these women.
12:14
I love doing it mostly to women I don't know because you do know it's the Lord then. You know it's not just you going, I know who this person is and I think I know what they need and you know. It's like but and every one of them was so unique to that person. I mean, and I was just sort of like the lady that I was doing it with, she's also a worship leader and we just had a blast because the Lord would really just use us just to kind of flow off of each other. And and there were some women that it was just such gentle gentle words, and some of them, it was just such a strong, like, you know.
12:51
There was one particular woman that she was right towards the end. And I don't know if you guys have seen the bronze that's there's one down on Broadway right before the Wart, kinda by where the Wart Hotel parking lot is. There's some bronzes on the sidewalk there. And there's the one of the Indian Mhmm. That's holding the eagle.
13:17
Mhmm. And it's about life size, I think. Yeah. And I remember seeing that the first time it was in a and I think it might have been actually a different different bar bronze. I don't think it was the exact same one, but the same basic pic years ago, like, probably eight or ten years ago that I saw that the first time, and it just pierced my spirit when I saw that.
13:39
I was just like, oh, Lord, what a prophetic picture that is. That Indian holding on to the to the feet of that eagle. You know? It's just a prophetic picture of that of us holding on to God. My son's my youngest son's name is Eli Jackson, Jackson, which means holding on to the heel of God.
13:58
And so, you know, just that picture. Well, and then I saw it again this, you know, last summer when I was walking down that sidewalk. Well, I was ministering in this circle last September and I get to this one lady and and that bronze just came back. And I was just like, woah. And she was a beautiful Indian lady, probably in her fifties, long silver hair.
14:24
And I just kind of paused because I was like, okay, is that me, Lord? Remembering that because it's an Indian lady and that you know? So I just waited and I let the other, you know, lady that was ministering go first and just paused and waited for the Lord. And when she got finished speaking, I just told her, I said, you know, I don't know if this means anything to you, but when I saw you, the first thing that came back was the image of this bronze, and I told her what that bronze was. And immediately, it just hit her spirit and she just wept.
14:54
And she's like, that is afterwards, she told me that's so confirmation of everything the Lord's been telling me lately. And so it's just those those times when you get to speak life to people. Is amazing. So to me, it's such a it's such a a precious gift that that that God has given the body of Christ to love each other and to encourage and build up each other. I want to give scripture just because I love to give the foundation so we know what we're kinda standing on.
15:28
These are some just some kinda foundational scriptures to talk about what some basic guidelines or whatever of prophecy. First Corinthians twelve seven says that prophecy is a gift given for the common good or another, another translation says to help each other. So that's what it's for. It's not to build ourselves up. It's not to make ourselves famous or make money or anything.
16:01
It's it's for the common good is to is to build each other up like all of the gifts are. First Corinthian first Corinthians thirteen two says, if I have the gift of prophecy but don't have love, I'm nothing. And I think that's so so important. If even if we are seeing something, you know, see feel like we're seeing something about person, but if if we feel in our spirit it's not coming from a place of love, I think it's better just to be still and not say anything. It really is.
16:42
There's been times that I have when I knew somebody and I knew some of their issues and some of their issues that rubbed me a little wrong. And I and I was in it was in that first circle. One of these ladies was in that circle and I got up and I could and I just I just backed up. I'm like, Lord, I do not wanna speak out of my soul. I do not wanna speak out of my flesh.
17:03
So I just backed up and I said, if you give me a word for her, I'll speak it. But otherwise, I was gonna let the other lady minister to her and I'm just not gonna do it because I I it has to come from love. It can't come from my judge judgment or my whatever. And she and the cool thing is, when I did that and stepped back and let the Lord, he gave me the most precious word for her that just built her up and encouraged her. And I from that day on, I saw her in a totally different way.
17:31
It like totally changed my vision of this lady because I saw her not as this woman who is down here, but one who is up soaring, you know, above. And so, so love is so important. First Corinthians thirteen nine, It says, we love or we know in part and we prophesy in part. First Corinthians thirteen nine. We know in part and prophesy in part.
18:04
This is really important because we just have to realize it doesn't matter who we are. We only are gonna see in part. I mean, really. And so it's so important that we don't add on and elaborate. And you know, if the Lord shows you this, share this.
18:27
Don't say, oh, okay, I I think this is what it means and I think this is what you should do or else just start building the picture. Do you know what I mean? We and it's okay. It takes the yoke off of us. It takes that it gives us a freedom.
18:40
This is what I see. Let the Lord, you know, let the Lord either confirm it or say, no, that was was just, you know, it was just me. But we only know and see in part. So we that's what we give. First Corinthians fourteen one.
19:02
Again, it says, pursue love. Pursue love, yet desire earnestly spiritual gifts, but especially that you may prophesy. And I think, again, it's just because it is such a precious way that we can build each other up and encourage each other. First Corinthians fourteen five. Again, these are just foundational verses just to show that it is something that, is valid in the church is now I wish that you all spoke in tongues, but even more that you would prophesy.
19:43
If you read all through that those chapters I mean, Ray's been preaching on it and stuff. There's a there's a lot in each one of those verses. I'm just picking out a few. And then this one is really fun. I like this verse because God will use it not only to build each other up in the body, but He also used it for those who are unbelievers as a sign of who he is.
20:10
And and that's another reason why it's so important that our hearts are pure and that we're not just spewing out stuff that's just our soul. Because if we're truly letting God train us and use us as a vessel, he will affect the world around us too. But first Corinthians fourteen twenty four verses twenty four and twenty five says, but all of you if all of you are prophesying and unbelievers or people who don't understand these things come into your meeting, they will be convicted of sin and judged by what you say. As they listen, their secret thoughts will be exposed and they will fall to their knees and worship God declaring God is truly here among you. And I've seen that happen too.
20:56
You know? There I even not not well, I've seen it actually in church, and then I've just seen it in the marketplace, you know, where maybe God will just put something on your heart just to speak to the waitress or speak to I've seen people do it through a note where they've written a note and given it to somebody just to encourage somebody or where they've actually spoken it out to somebody to say, you know what? I really feel like God just wants you to know he loves you. I really just wanna encourage you. You are you're a builder.
21:26
You know? You knew you you build things. You're so go ahead, Nancy.
21:29
And isn't it amazing when when somebody just sends you an email of just Uh-huh. Thanking you for doing something. I mean, how it makes you feel. I
21:36
mean Yeah.
21:37
I know I've just been sitting at the computer. Somebody sends me an email. You just smile. I mean, it just lifts your spirit so so beautifully. You think just that little simple sentence Yep.
21:48
Mhmm. Of just had you on my mind. Thank you for what you've done. Thanks for that. It's like Yep.
21:53
Okay. Yeah. We you know, everybody needs to have a pat on the back occasionally. Yeah.
22:01
That's true.
22:01
And and to have that encouragement just to Yeah. It just gets you puts more gas in your tank.
22:07
It does. It does. Encouragement is huge. And then if you put on top of that, that it makes you realize that God knows your name
22:16
Right.
22:17
And God knows where you are right this minute. He knows exactly what you needed to hear. A lot of times, it's not what we think we need to hear at that moment, but it's the one thing that really we needed to hear at that moment. It's huge. I love that verses in it's in Psalms.
22:38
I just looked at it this week that says there are treasures in the dark. You know, you've given us treasures in the dark and hidden things so that I will know oh, this is horrible that I can't remember it because but that you will know so that you will know that I know your name. So God will know that I know your name, basically. Do you guys know where that verse is? You can look at it.
22:57
Isaiah. Is it in Isaiah? Was thinking either Psalms or Isaiah. Treasure's I can look it up. But I'll let you guys look it up while I keep going here.
23:08
But I love that because he wants us to know that he knows our name. He's not trying to hide that fact. He's not over there hiding behind a cloud going, okay. I'm watching you, but I don't want you
23:18
to know
23:18
I'm watching you.
23:19
You know?
23:20
He wants us to know how intimately he knows our every thought and action. Did one of you find it, Holly? Did you find it?
23:31
No. I was just gonna say it's awesome when he does that for our kids. And we get to watch it happen. Yes. With them, of him speaking over their life and them connecting and going, woah.
23:43
Yeah. That was not a coincidence. Yeah. It's awesome. And God has a way.
23:49
I mean, I've I've said this before, but God has a way of piling on. You know? He will do it. He'll give you the scripture, and then somebody else speaks something, and then you'll read it. And then it and it just like, he just loves to confirm what he's saying to you and just pile it on and build build you up.
24:06
You know? There are a couple cautions, scriptures that I wanted to give you. First Corinthians fourteen thirty nine. And probably most of these we've heard, but it's still worth mentioning. Therefore, my brethren, desire earnestly to prophesy and do not forbid speaking in tongues, but all things must be done properly and in an orderly manner.
24:35
And and that that basically, again, just comes to having a humble spirit and a spirit of just that's willing to be teachable and be obedient to the Lord. You know, where we're not just throwing everything out there and, you know, just being just sort of I don't know if overzealous is the right word or just frivolous or whatever, but it really is important that we're following the leading of the Holy Spirit in these things. First first Thessalonians five nineteen through 21. First Thessalonians five verses 19 through 21. There's actually four, admonitions in this verse.
25:24
It says, do not quench the spirit. K? Do not despise prophetic utterances, but examine everything carefully and hold fast to that which is true. So it gives both sides of that. It go it gives both ditches, basically, and where you're supposed to walk between.
25:47
It says, don't don't quench the spirit and do not despise prophetic under utterances. That could be this ditch. We're just like, okay. We're just not gonna deal with this at all. We're gonna not have but it says on the other hand, it says, but examine everything carefully and hold fast to that which is good.
26:07
K? So it's walking in between those two things. It's it's receiving it, but it's it's judging it. And having quick example. Yes.
26:17
Absolutely. This is really
26:18
powerful to me. It's always stuck with me. When Don and Marilyn were here Uh-huh. Don shared a story about how he was afraid of flying for a long time. And he had a man he was scheduled for some big conference to go speak at.
26:32
He had a man approach him and say, I had a dream, and God told me you're not supposed to go to that conference, and I'm supposed to tell you that.
26:41
And so he went he was he
26:43
took it, but he went and he examined it. And after praying about it, he said it brought up all this, like, oh my goodness. I'm not supposed to fly, and this is confirmation. Confirmation. And it but he realized that it was all fear that was rising up in him.
26:58
And he real he felt like God in the end and said, this is not for me. Mhmm. And so he chose to reject that, and he went
27:08
ahead and went. And it was one of the
27:09
most powerful times that got used to him in a conference. Yeah. But that's always stuck with me that that examining part is so important. Yeah. Because if it brings up fear or something that's not right in you, you know, that person could be speaking out of their soul.
27:25
Or Yeah. But it's that saying in the middle of
27:28
It is. Yeah. Yeah. But how many you know, when you some someone talk to you and you always have that, you know, feeling like, oh, it's from God or Well, that's where I mean, and we'll get into some more of that here in just a minute. But, I mean, that's where you really have to you have to just take it back and go, Lord.
27:52
Now sometimes you'll just know right away. Mhmm. Sometimes you'll just know. It just does not sit right. It it is not right.
27:59
There was one time years and years ago when I was young, and somebody was speaking over me and it was like and I'll I'll get into that here in just a minute. But it was just like it was like this she was just putting a heavy weight on me. It was like pressing me down instead of lifting me up. Okay? She was saying, you've been hurt, you've been this, you've been that, da da da.
28:22
And I'm like, what is she talking about? You know? And I literally, after I was done, I went to some a couple that were over us in the church, some elders and whatever, and had them pray for me and just say, okay, I just washed this off. Mhmm. This was not from you, Lord.
28:38
Mhmm. You know? So, there's there's different ways. But first of all, does it just is there anything in it that resonates with your Most often, prophecy, once people speak over you, it will already be something that God's already speaking to you about.
28:51
Mhmm. Okay.
28:52
It will already be something that he's already been stirring in you. And not always, but a lot of times it will. And and and even if whether he has or hasn't, then lay it before him and say, okay, father, confirm this. If this is you, bring other confirmation. Look in the words.
29:12
See if it's even
29:13
if it's if it's his character, if it's scriptural. You know? Sometimes with words of direction like that, you really have to just lay it before the Lord. If it brings up fear, God is not fear is not of God. You know?
29:30
That's so yeah. I mean, so it's like, there's certain red flags that it's just like, no Lord, you tell me what to do. That's bringing fear. Fear is not what you give me. You know?
29:42
So these cautions are not only for those receiving a prophetic word,
29:46
but also those who are giving Absolutely. On both sides of it. Absolutely. Yep. Yep.
29:56
Getting the treasures of darkness is Isaiah forty five three.
30:00
Oh, Isaiah forty five three. Can you Sure. Read it?
30:04
I will give you the treasures of darkness, riches stored in secret places so that you may know that I am the Lord, the God of Israel, who summons you or calls you by
30:13
your name. Yeah. Yeah. And I mean, that picture of him giving the treasures of darkness, what is he doing? He's speaking things that we don't know.
30:24
You know? At that moment, we may sort of know them, but then he speaks them to us and just pierces our heart that he that we would know that he knows our name. You know? So I love that verse. I have a pen.
30:37
Okay. So we've been we've kinda talked about these in all of this, but I'm just gonna go down through a couple of another guidelines. Test your prophetic word against three different things. That's how I do it. First, against the against the scripture, against the Bible.
30:58
Okay? Does it line up with God's character? Does it line up with what his word says? As an example, when I did a book signing years ago at Valley Bookstore, I guess Valley Bookstore had put an ad in the paper. I didn't realize it.
31:14
And I don't know. I don't even know what the ad said. Probably something about spirituality because this woman shows up and she's like, oh, I'm so excited you're here. I wanna see your book. I was just excited to see what you wrote.
31:26
And I'm like, okay. And she opens it up and and she sees that there's scriptures at the beginning of each chapter. She goes, oh, is there a lot of Bible scripture in here? And I says, oh yeah, I I write biblical, you know. It's all Christian based and she's like, oh, well, God speaks to me all the time.
31:42
I don't need this. I don't need the Bible. And she put it down and walked away and Matt's like, well I wonder who she's hearing. Because you know, if you say God's speaking to you but you're rejecting what the Bible has to say, it's not God that you're listening to. So so you really need to just test, you know, what you're gonna speak and what you're gonna receive both against what the scripture says.
32:06
The second thing is, and we talked about this just now, but to test it against what the Holy Spirit is already speaking to you personally. And this is why it's so important for you to spend time in God's word and and presence and learning his voice for yourself so that we're not just gullible and and taking in everything that but we're we already we have a foundation to go from in our ourselves. And then the third thing is against time. Just test it against time. Sometimes word is a a word for that very moment that's gonna just quicken you right that minute, encourage you right that minute.
32:46
And sometimes it's something that God is just putting just a seed in your heart. And it may not grow into a tree and bear fruit for sometimes years and years. But it's just a seed that God's put in your heart and just give it to him and just keep it and pray and let him grow it if it's him. And and then if if it doesn't grow into anything, say, okay, Lord, maybe that wasn't you. But just give it to him and and just let it test against time.
33:22
There's three possible outcomes of a prophetic word, and I have prophetic in quotes here because there's only one of them that's really a true prophetic word. But when you when you speak or give a word or somebody gives a word to you, there's three possible outcomes. And the first one is that it will speak life and it will bring life. And that's that's a true word. Okay?
33:51
A a a true word from the Lord will enrich you and empower you by the Holy Spirit. It really goes back to what we have been talking about the last six weeks. It's I mean, it's really God speaks to who you truly are. You know? So when he's when he speaks over us, whether he's speaking over our character or our calling or any of it, it's gonna empower us.
34:23
It's gonna encourage. It's gonna enrich us by his truth. The second possible outcome, which is not the Lord, these next two are not God, But it the second outcome would be that it would condemn you or point out your sin. And these words really just bring heaviness and a guilt and a shame, and that's not the Lord. Okay?
34:53
How do you how does that work if I'm just thinking of a friend who has a gift of privacy that doesn't like to use it, Who has seen things, like, as a danger, like, a direction that something's headed? How do you how do you do that when you're maybe speaking life, but it's a Well,
35:14
when God speaks, he always gives hope. Mhmm. Okay? He always gives life. He always gives hope.
35:21
He always reaches down and pulls you up. Okay? If if you're giving a word that may have truth to it, but you're giving it from your soul, it's gonna push it. It's gonna it's going to just show them the hole and no way out. Mhmm.
35:37
Does that do you know what I mean? It's just like you are this. That's who you are and you're staying there. Whereas if the spirit is is really birthed that in you to call them out of that place because there's been times the Lord has definitely given me warnings about myself, about other people, about national things, but it always pulls up and says, I am God and here's a place of refuge and here's a hope and here's a way out. Here's life.
36:04
Here's who you are.
36:05
Here's who God yeah. And so that's that's the difference. And it can be very hard when you're first learning. I mean, this is all babies I mean, this is something that we just take baby steps at. Okay?
36:19
We don't dive in head first and just go to the grocery store and, thus saith the Lord, and, you know, the register, you know. I mean, you know, you can't. And God will teach you through that, I'm sure too, what not to do. But But this is just things that we take baby steps and there's just and that's why it's so important to have people in your life like we've been talking about a couple weeks ago of one of the things of walking this out is just have two or three people in your life, whether it's husbands, close knit friends that you're sharing these things with and and walking through the word with it and praying together over these things. And and you can and when you when you share a word, you know, don't just say, you know, this is the impression that I'm getting.
37:10
You know? But I would not give a word personally unless I see hope and life in it. If I don't see hope at the end of the tunnel, it's not time to give that word yet. And sometimes God speaks to you only to pray for somebody. There's been a lot of times where God will show me about something about someone, and I'm just like, oh Lord.
37:32
And he's like, pray for them. Love them. Lift them up. Speak life over them, my spirit. You know?
37:38
Don't don't say anything. Just lift lift them up. Pray for them. You know? So the third thing, the third possible outcome is that it will flatter.
37:53
And this is important. It will flatter. Flattery speaks to our soul, our spirit. K? And I think there's a there's a huge difference between speaking life to somebody and lifting them up by the spirit because that will draw them closer to God.
38:13
It will magnify God. It will it will it will build them up. And where flattery is one of those is kind of like eating candy for breakfast. You know what I mean? It's good for a moment, but it does not have any foundation.
38:28
It doesn't have any roots. It doesn't have and and tomorrow, it'll fall right out from underneath you, and it won't hold you up. It speaks to your soul. It doesn't build your spirit. So that's so those are important to recognize in ourselves, you know.
38:42
When we're giving a word, these are two things I was thinking. If you when when you're giving a word, if you are looking to gain from that word, it's probably your speaking. Okay? If if there's something that you gain out of it, I would hesitate and really wait on the Lord about whether that's really from the Lord. It's not that in the end that we might not gain something because the people around us are growing, whatever.
39:17
But if if it initially if you see that I'm gonna gain from this, I would be very cautious about. I just hold back. If it if you're speaking to give life to another and it honors God, it's probably from the spirit, but still ask the Holy Spirit. Should I speak this? Just ask if you're supposed to speak it.
39:40
Christie had an example that you said that Yeah. You would
39:44
I was in a group, a small group of people where we got into a lot of very deep things, and we did some exercises. And I was with this one girl who who was 18, 19 years old and has been through a lot of really, really I was so sure I knew what she needed to hear from the things that she had said. And and it was actually that she would know she was beautiful. And so she specifically asked me a question, and I was like, I'm supposed to tell her she's beautiful. And so I did, and I said, you are such a beautiful young lady.
40:38
And and I was really trying
40:41
to encourage her because of other things she had said. And our other people in our little group,
40:46
they chimed in and they were trying to reassure her too. Well, the next day we got into some other conversations and someone asked her a question and she responded. And turns out that what I had spoken to her was the absolute opposite of what she needed to hear. And she wasn't, you know, angry at me or anything because it I said it out of love so I know that God didn't it was not wasted. But at the same time, God used it in my heart to convict me so hard that we do not know what people need to hear.
41:20
And Yeah. I just was so sure that that's what it was. And Mhmm. She didn't didn't wanna hear that. She wanted to hear that
41:27
she mattered on the
41:28
inside. And Mhmm. You know, that's not what we meant, that she didn't matter. But it was a it was one of the biggest lessons God has really hit me in the face with in a loving way of you don't don't know what people need to hear. You have got to ask me.
41:44
Yeah. And I think that's so important when especially when we know each other. So many times we can just assume this is what they need and the Lord is. Even when we're praying for each other, sometimes we can just assume how we're supposed to pray instead of just being still for a minute and we're seated in heavenly places. Lord Jesus, show me what you see, show me what you want what you are praying.
42:10
I mean, Jesus is always praying for us. What are you praying? So I can pray what you're praying for this person right now or speak what they're but that was a good example. And and that will that's part of growing pains. Mhmm.
42:23
That's gonna happen. You know? And God, as long as we have a soft spirit and are teachable, He'll teach us. And and just don't get into condemnation and beat yourself up. Just let it wash over.
42:36
Learn the lesson. Let grace just take care of just know grace will cover it. God will you know, as long as we're not walking in pride and just saying, know how to do this, you know, be like a bull going through. But if we really have a a teachable spirit and say, okay, Lord, thank you for teach me that. You're gonna cover that person.
42:56
You you will meet them, and and you'll work it out in a lot of different ways. But
43:02
But couldn't she have taken that as that you're beautiful inside? I mean I mean, when
43:07
you said that you need to
43:08
tell her she's beautiful, did say beautiful physically or beautifully beautiful spiritually or be I mean
43:13
Well, we were implying externally. She was just was really down on herself. And so that was kind of a gist of the conversation, but, yeah, it was a 180 degrees. Wow. Still in motion.
43:27
Yeah. But She knew we loved her, though. That's why
43:31
I see God covered it.
43:33
Yeah. She knew that we were all saying it out of love. So there wasn't a resistance to us. It just it I knew it was a
43:42
lesson for me. Yeah. I knew the whole lesson. And you know, and that's one of those things. God will since we are taking baby steps in this and learning, God will put us in situations.
43:52
You know, especially if we allow him to put us with people who are walking us out with us, who love us, and whatever. He's gonna put us in situations to learn, but not get just crushed.
44:10
And this lady came up to me and told me that you guys can use your hands to do great things. Well, left I there just looking at my hands. Well, I mean, I was so confused.
44:25
Yeah. You know, I had
44:26
no idea and I was thinking, what am I gonna do with these things?
44:29
You know,
44:30
it just took me to a totally Yeah. Somewhere I should have been going because, I mean, I was like, don't touch them, you know?
44:38
To get insurance on your hands. Yeah. Just
44:39
all over me saying, the Lord is gonna use you. Your hands will do this and that and, You know? And when a young person especially doesn't understand all this
44:51
Uh-huh.
44:51
So people can scare you and literally scare you out of church if, you
44:55
know Yeah. Yeah.
44:56
Because you, you know and and I don't know how you protect people that aren't prepared for that. Yeah. You know? I guess when it's somebody I know there was another lady there, and she was going, we need to talk about this later.
45:09
Yeah. You know? So God Thank goodness there was
45:11
wise counsel there for me. Uh-huh. You know? Because this other one had just really put me in a a tizzy.
45:17
Yeah. Well, and that's kind of like what we talked about with different personality traits. Mhmm. You know? Even good personality traits, good giftings, good what all of it needs to come under the refinement and the obedience of the Holy Spirit.
45:30
It all does. Because we could get very zealous. We can get very out there. And that person may have spoken truth over you, who knows? You know what God's even just loving people and caring for people and serving who knows how God used you?
45:48
But, yeah, if it's not done what she said. Yeah. If it's not done Right. Yeah, it can kinda be a little overwhelming for sure. So we do have to let it Okay.
46:03
One other scripture that I wanna give you is first Timothy one verses eighteen and nineteen. And this is Paul talking to Timothy right at the end of Timothy, right at the end of this letter. And it says, this command I entrust to you to you, Timothy, my son, in accordance with the previous prophecies made concerning you, that by them you may fight the good fight, keeping faith and a good conscience conscience, which some have rejected and suffered shipwreck in regard to their faith. I I I looked at several translations of this because the wording is just kinda like there's all kinds of stuff going on in that sentence. But, basically, Paul is encouraging Timothy.
47:01
Okay? In accordance to the prophecies pre previously made concerning you. Words that had been spoken over Timothy previously. Okay? Encouraging words.
47:13
Strengthening words. According to those words, Timothy, fight the good fight of faith. Okay? Keep faith and a good conscience because there have been other people that have rejected the faith and have totally shipwrecked their lives. Okay?
47:29
So he's saying, hold on to the things that God has spoken to you. Okay? There there's a reason why God speaks to us through the word, through each other, through all the different ways that he speaks, and it's to build us up and strengthen us so our faith will grow and that our lives will not be shipwrecked. Okay? There's there's purpose in it.
47:51
There have been many times in my life where I mean, I have stacks of different, you know, examples of where I've gotten words from people, encouraging words and stuff. And just it seems like at just the right time, the Lord will put it on my heart to go and read one of them. And it's just like, okay. Lord, keep me on that road. Don't let me get in this stitch.
48:15
Don't let me get in this stitch. Keep me in this road. It's to it's just to strengthen my faith to keep me moving towards him.
48:23
So they're so important. And
48:28
then one last thing. Christie, you're I'm glad you're here because I'm using you like crazy today. One other thing Christie said this last week that really resonated with my spirit, and I actually shared it with Matt, and and I haven't gotten good at practicing it, consciously yet because it's kinda new, and I I want to get where I think about it more. But is, she was talking about how, they have started practicing in their family and when they give each other a compliment or somebody gives them a compliment, and this and this ties in with if somebody is speaking encouragement to you, let she said they'd say to each other, let it sit. Okay?
49:12
So many times, the way that Christie explained to me, correct me if I'm wrong, but so many times when somebody speaks negative over you and gets on you for doing something wrong, we just take it in. We just let that wave wash over us and we go home and we stir it up and we think about it, we analyze it, we marinate in it. Yes, exactly. And then when somebody comes up to you and speaks a compliment or speaks something encouraging to you, we just kinda let it deflect off. We go, thanks.
49:42
And then we move on and just let it sort of just deflect off. And instead, they've gotten to the point where it's like if they see each other when they have said something over each other encouraging or truthful or, you know, just something a word of encouragement or compliment, and the other person says, okay. Thanks. And they start to change the subject and move on, they go, no. Wait.
50:02
Just let it sit. We have to learn to just let those words soak in. And whether it's with each other, whether it's with the Lord in our quiet times when we're reading the word, sometimes the Lord will just speak something to our heart and then we just jump right up and move on. And it's like, no. Just let it soak in.
50:24
Just let it sit and really start taking root in us. So that's so important for us. Okay. When I asked my husband last night, I was going over these notes with him. I said, is there is there anything that you wanna he goes he goes, the the main thing that I would say is just submit yourself to the Holy Spirit.
50:51
You know? Be in a a submissive place, a humble place, and just say, Holy Spirit, you know, I just wanna get to know you better. I want you to use me. But just be a submitted person. And then I thought of the words slow to speak and quick to listen.
51:09
And I know that context is in being angry, but it's still a truth. You know? Slow to speak and quick listen to the Lord. Let's see here. So I have some really fun exercises to do today.
51:30
I'm so excited about these. I have to tell you, I'm really, really excited about them. It's been fun. Come on this. Okay.
51:41
Both of these I have done in where I was attending somebody else's class, and they did these, and it was just so awesome. This first one is I went online last night and just found I download a lot of photos for blogs and stuff. I just have different sources online. So I just kinda went through folders and folders of and just ones that kind of perked my spirit or whatever. I just printed out a bunch of photos last night.
52:11
And what I'm gonna do is I'm gonna spread them out somewhere here. Maybe I'll do it on this table. And how many people do we have?
52:20
One, two, three, four, five, six, seven.
52:23
One's in the bathroom.
52:24
Nine. Okay. We'll do we'll let's see how to why don't we break we'll break into groups of three. I'll go I'll be I'll be in one of the groups just so we have even three. And I'm gonna spread these pictures out upside down here.
52:44
So go ahead and decide. Break into your little groups. Okay. K. We're gonna do group three.
53:04
So you guys I'll get you a group. Okay. What we're gonna do is you're gonna pick one person in your group, and they're gonna come up and just pick a photo and not look at it. And take it back to your group. And we're gonna do this for each person in the group, so everybody gets a turn.
53:26
Pick a photo, don't look at it, take it back to your group, and let your partner see it. The picture, don't look at it. It's not the end of the world.
53:57
You didn't get him out
53:58
of Okay. This is what this exercise is going to do is go it's going to kind of spark we've been talking about imagination and pictures in our mind and how God speaks. Well, what this picture is gonna do is, again, just kinda emphasize that God speaks to anything. I mean, you can be walking out and God can just say something about use that pine tree and just speak to you a truth about himself or an encouragement or whatever. So these are just pictures.
54:27
Now what I want the other two ladies to do is ask the Lord prayerfully. Say, Holy Spirit, what would you say to this person using this picture? Mhmm. And it's gonna be different for each of you. You you got and it can be it can be just as it can be sentence.
54:44
It can make you think of a scripture. It can just be a picture that you get. It could be very simple. You don't have to elaborate. But just say, Lord, what would you what would you say to encourage this person from this picture?
54:57
That make sense? Mhmm. Mhmm. And then when you get done, share it. Each of you share it with the person, and then take it back and lay it up here, and another person draw a picture.
55:08
And do it for each one in the group. And I would if I was you, I would get your journal and I would write down Call it the ladies. What the ladies say. And you could take it home and pray over it and just say, is this it some of them are gonna hit right away. Some of them
55:24
are just gonna know this is the
55:25
Lord, and they're good. And some of them you may wanna just write down and just pray over it and let the Lord so Mommy. I'm getting my journal. So grab your journals. And Well, Allison, you need
55:36
to grab your journals so you can write down what
55:38
So write down what because it's good. Is everybody Yeah. Okay. So I'm gonna something today. I'm gonna pause.
55:51
Yes. When when you when you get done and you have your words to give, you could show her the photo then. And then each one of you take a turn and and share.
56:00
So we give her the word and then show her the photo?
56:01
Or show her the photo first and give her the word. Yeah. By this than me. I just immediately came
56:08
to see. So Well, just
56:09
show me. Okay. Where'd you want? As soon as I Okay. We're gonna do the second exercise.
56:16
I gave each person a piece of paper with a number. There's seven of us, so one through seven. We did this last year. This time, I was in Dallas at Rita Springer's Dive Worship School. And the second day that we were there, we took the full day to to fast and pray.
56:33
And there were seven of us, actually. So it was kinda cool. And what we did, though, is she gave us a little little thing here. She had used wallpaper page pages. And she just wrote put them together, and she labeled them one through seven.
56:52
I gave each of us a blank little booklet of one through seven. And we were supposed to take it, and we had a couple hours where we just could go anywhere. We could go for a walk and go to the park. We could go upstairs. We were we were in a big old house that we were all staying in.
57:08
And we had a couple hours just to seek the Lord. And Lord, what do you wanna say to number one? What do you wanna say to number two? What do you wanna say to number three? And we did not know who the words would go to.
57:20
Okay? So that's kind of we're gonna do a condensed version of that today. So on your thing, you have a number, and you don't know who this is gonna be for. But you just say, Lord, what do you wanna say to this person? Is it a do you get a picture?
57:34
Do you get a scripture? Do you get a word kinda like you did a minute ago? Just kind of write it out. Then what we're gonna do is I'm gonna collect them all. I've put one through seven in here, and I'm gonna go around and let you pick one, and then I'll read whatever the number is that you pick out of here.
57:48
Like, if you pick number four, I'll read number four to you. And we'll just see. And what this is, is just an exercise just to build our faith that you know what? We can God knows our hearts. God knows what we need to hear.
58:03
And He will send somebody to speak that we may not even know them. You know, He will send us to speak over somebody that we may not even know. We don't have to always know with our mind who we're talking to and all the details and all of what's going on. Even like when we pray sometimes, we get so caught up and share all the details with me so I can pray for you. And it's like sometimes, you know, we don't need to know all the details.
58:29
What we need to know is, father, what do you wanna speak into this situation? So that this is just an exercise in that. So just take a few minutes and just pray and just and then when you get done, just hand it to me and and then I'll we'll go through this when we're done. You know what? I'm gonna I'm gonna pray before we go on.
58:48
On this in the cart. And we're
58:49
gonna just
58:50
I'm gonna Lisa Just one. Sharon, I'm gonna pray first before we go on. Just
58:55
to kinda
58:55
pull us in. Father, thank you, God, that already you have ministered to us and spoken to us and taught us and encouraged us, Lord. Holy Spirit, I pray right now you would just wash over us. Fill us up again, Lord, as we as we give out. I just keep that river
59:23
of life just flowing through us. Fill us up, Lord.
59:30
And I pray that you would just right now, by your grace and your love and your goodness, you would prompt us, Lord, that our souls would
59:42
be silent, that you would prompt us, Lord. You are so good. You so love us, Lord. Thank you for your presence. Thank you, Lord.
59:55
Lord.
59:59
Thank you.
1:00:03
We trust you, Lord. We trust you. In Jesus' name, amen.
1:00:22
I see.
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