The gift of prophecy can build Gods church Firstly the church asked for people to spend time with God and ask to receive prophetic visions, to which many people did have visions. One prophetic vision that came through showed a room with lots of kids in it, with the people moving to North Wales in that same room. Here is that vision drawn on a bit of paper shown below.  Prophetic gifts explained This is quite an exciting story in progress and how prophecy if done responsibly can build Gods church. Firstly lets explain a bit about prophecy. Prophecy is one gift of many given to us through the Holy Spirit. Not one gift is greater than the other, we all have gifts and roles to play in the body of Jesus. This is confirmed in 1 Corinthians. Have a read. 1 Corinthians 12 v 7-14 7 "Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. 8 To one there is given through the Spirit a message of wisdom, to another a message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, 10 to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues. 11 All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines. 12 Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ. 13 For we were all baptized by one Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. 14 Even so the body is not made up of one part but of many." Testing prophecy When someone gives a prophecy it is always important to test prophecies as the scriptures do warn us of false prophets as it says in 1 John. 1 John 4:1 "Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world." This is also repeated in Matthew 24v11 Matthew 24:11 "And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray." Last one to really galvanise the point about false prophets. 2 Timothy 4:3-4 "For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths." If someone speaks a prophecy or a prophetic vision and it doesn't come true then you will know that this was not from Jesus, Deuteronomy 18v21-22 sums it up. Deuteronomy 18:21-22 "You may say to yourselves, “How can we know when a message has not been spoken by the Lord?” If what a prophet proclaims in the name of the Lord does not take place or come true, that is a message the Lord has not spoken. That prophet has spoken presumptuously, so do not be alarmed." Finally back to the original prophecy Here is our prayer petitoning to Jesus whether this was the right move for the people who felt called to move to North Wales to undertake a Church plant.  The good news is Jesus did not stop the move as this prayer was said well before this couple moved to North Wales, it was also a prayer said in secret and not revealed until a great deal of time had passed. We recently had some great news that one of the people who has now moved to North Wales has gained a new job in the area. This job is everything to do with working with kids in a sporting environment. Here is confirmation of the news in a recent news letter confirming this.  Why is this important in building the church Prophetic visions like this when they come true serve as an encouragment to the people who felt called to leave everything behind, to build a church in an area where it is needed, such as an area in North Wales. It is confirmation for them that they have read a calling correctly and moved in faith to leave and go, this serves as motivation to keep going in building Gods church in that area of Wales. Here is an email we received from one of the persons who has made the move to church plant in North Wales and who has been encouraged.  This is how prophetics can work to stir motivation and encouragement in people who have felt called to go and move away to church plant. All glory to God.  |