In my lifetime Christian testimony which has been shared on this blog. I mentioned how at 17 I was told I would have some dreams whilst God's gifts of the Holy Spirit was developing to reside in me. I was told that I would have some dreams and that I should write these down. They must have known that I would come to write my account one day. I liked to write as a child. I was told that primarily that God gave me the gift of prophecy which I served as a junior in this role in the ministry in the church for protection in my life. For many years it has been in a dormant form, but still visible to me-but God has poured into it when he has wanted to for my protection and safety. He has held onto his WORD and no weapon has prospered against me. I shared the working mysteries and visions I observed in the church whilst working in this role in my testimony to help support others that were verified by seniors in the church.
My life post that church has been about writing about my experiences and what God Incarnate has done for me, some of his later revelations are private affairs to my life with no benefit for the church. Those that may be helpful I have shared. I attend an Anglican and Catholic service today as a non demontional Christian and God's spirit can be found in all church's that worship appropriately. I am still growing and learning. I am sharing with you a personal story of being supported by God's free spirit by grace with disabilities of my own. We all have our own story to tell, and this has been my story.
There is a revival in Charismatic Catholic services which are typically shorter in service and may use these gifts more in service today. See my post titled Open letter to Catholic church's which you can find on this blog.
Paul a great servant of God extols this gift above others, me I don't personally feel that but love what God has done for me. I think that they are the same and chosen for the believer to be the best match and chosen for serious reasons by God for their lives and to support the church. To me there is no better gift than another and they can work at the same level but being so sensory I perhaps see it more than someone else. We should develop the fruits of the spirit as well (Galatians 5: 22-23).
These are the dreams I had at 17-
As a teen starting my journey I had this dream at 17 when starting working for the ministry which I served for briefly in this role . The dream just blew my mind apart at the time. I dreamt that something dreadful swept over a land. It was like something just razored the ground and people were being separated from loved ones. It was so vivid the dream and I am not certain about the significance of it as I didn't tell the leaders of the church my dreams at that time although they told me I would have them and should write them down.
What could I get from this-it reminds of Matthew verse two in the field and that this is the ministry of the Lord. The two men in the field one left one will be taken-(Matthew 24:40)- "Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left."
Dream Number 2 has been edited for my privacy, but most you can see the most significant parts. I wrote it at 17. I never liked the colour red as it reminded me about the blood of Christ. What could I get from the dream now- This is the ministry of the Lord and that life is not about riches serving the Lord. You can click on the image to enlarge to read.
Modern day Prophets
Prophecy is one of the eight gifts of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 12). A prophet means that someone proclaims a divine message from God.
There are different streams Seer versus Nabi-
Nabi prophets sometimes sees visions as Seer prophets sometimes but regularly and dominantly Nabi prophets receives inspiration from the Holy Spirit and prophesy to people spontaneously and verbally while Seer prophets receives pictures and visions before prophesying.
There were indeed some prophets of old, like Elijah who fought the dreadful Jezebel and Naboth who bravely tried to withstand her as well. There was also Obadiah who sheltered prophets to protect them from Jezebel. Jezebel in the Old Testament had a particular thing for hunting God's prophets and discharging venom on them.
They were often solitary figures and sometimes not wishing to speak to others-but were fed with God's Holy words like Jeremiah. Jonah was not a Chosen Israelite but God weaved him to his Olive tree to bring about his message. I really like Jonah because he was not part of God's Chosen people and
he was a prophet and was one of the minor prophets and was weaved into
their story as well. He spent three days in a whale
before God got him to turn around to serve him. He had to preach repentance.
It relates somewhat to the story of my life and I like that he was an
outsider and was given one of the priestly gifts as well to serve God
and the people. God is unchangeable and Divine and treats us all equally (Galatians 3:28).
An old Bible of mine states this about Jonah-
"
This didactic little tract is designed to teach in opposition to a
narrower view that God's purposes of grace are not necessarily limited
to the Chosen People and in any case that obedience is required of a
prophet"
Jesus will bring Jezebel's ways to an end in the Book of Revelations for her immorality towards Servants of God tempting them into sin (Revelation 2:20) and God will praise this as well as told in the Book of Revelations.
Me, I think that this ministry role and many other ministry roles
such as ministers/apostles may appear more diverse now than they have
been in many decades. May be we just see it reported more, but I think
it has always may be have been there. In the recent past we mostly just heard
more of prophets who were looking for lavish lifestyles or who were
false with messages of venom and evil not sent from God, which caused
friction and distress for some people. Whilst tireless upstanding workers in the ministry we barely heard of. This lineage of this ministry has a long ascendancy to the Old Testament where prophets were sometimes seen as unwelcome-bringing with them messages of truth that didn't sit well with those who didn't want to listen to God's word-which sometimes led to their stoning and death-the life of the Prophet Jeremiah.
Today these modern day tags I flounder at again a bit as I have walked with my faith with a neurodiversity and food issues since a child and
God made provision for me before it became more popular this subject of disability justice. May be it
is just reported better now and they are serving in more diverse
church's as an acceptable face and doing more activism work and on
social media. God is about justice and so who he awards these roles, I
doubt in actual terms they would have changed that much. Perhaps we are
just seeing more representation now.
Prophet Joel in the Book of Acts (Joel 2:28) tells us that God's spirit will be poured out again freely on the earth and where are we in this, we don't know. Being provided for decades ago as an outsider with a neurodiversity-and health issues and knowing some people will have had such diversities who have long passed who were not diagnosed and were chosen in this ministry-that God has always known how to make provision and care for his people, whatever generation we are in. In keeping with the Bible though his spirit has not yet stopped falling on everyone regardless if they are neurotypical or not.
Jesus has said-the Holy Bible is the word of God and that it completes the Book of Prophecy which should not be added to or removed from (Revelation 22:18). Messages revealed in church's, mysteries and wonders are still happening working in the frameworks of the Gifts and ministry, but whether words of revelation to the world through God is still happening to some prophets still. I myself haven't validated that so cannot talk about what I do not know. An example of this gift in office after the resurrection was the work of Simeon who was a man of African ancestry who was a prophet and blessed with this prophetic gift of the spirit in this ministry who did great work for the Lord..
It is about time.
I would recommend a brother in Christ's blog on this subject to learn more who has studied the subject in detail and it is his area of expertise.
https://charismanews.com/opinion/why-the-gift-of-prophecy-is-crucial-for-the-believer/
