The Prophetic Issue

ISSUE 03 >>

2012

a newfrontiers usa publication

the prophetic issue Prophecy: An “On the Ground” Guide >> Larry Mowrey & David Herrington Prophecy and Prophets In the Church >> Sam Poe

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SOUNDBITE • APPS • INTERVIEW WITH IAN ASHBY

JOHN LANFERMAN >> Team Leader >> Newfrontiers USA

A PROPHETIC PEOPLE During the Exodus journey of Israel, the Spirit came upon the elders of Israel; they began to prophesy, but then they stopped (Numbers 11:25). Two men, however, Eldad and Medad, continued to prophesy in the camp. Young men came to Moses requesting he stop them (up to this time God’s Spirit only came upon an individual and not a community). Moses replied, “Are you jealous for my sake? Would that all the Lord’s people were prophets, that the Lord would put His Spirit on them!” (Numbers 11:29).

On the day of Pentecost that very desire Moses expressed and prophesied actually took place. As Peter addressed the questioning onlookers, he declared that “this is that” which Joel had prophesied: in the last days God would pour out His Spirit on all flesh, young and old, male and female (Acts 2:17). A new era was ushered in, establishing a prophetic community to represent God on the earth. God Himself was living among a people in power.

Following Pentecost and throughout the book of Acts, we see the Spirit-filled church prophetically motivated and directed, advancing the kingdom in dramatic fashion! God’s Spirit was not just on one man as in the Old Testament, but was now upon a community of people. This Spirit-filled community demonstrated God’s presence with kingdom manifestations in the here and now. They revealed to people what God was like. When believers came into a city, they proclaimed and demonstrated the kingdom of God. God had come to town!

A prophetic people are convinced and demonstrate that God is personal, active and alive. They are God-focused, convinced that what is going on at this point in history is critical

and therefore they are immersed in the now. A prophetic people are called to announce and live out the message.

Therefore they are what they say. They reveal the Father’s loving heart. They are a light that shines in darkness. The church as a prophetic people proclaims God’s presence by being a distinctive community. We’re prophetic by being “in the world, but not of the world”. We’re prophetic by being a people who live so differently that the world takes notice.

We live as a people who practice mercy, forgiveness, give generously as those freed from Mammon’s clutches, seek justice, care for the poor, worship fully in Spirit and Truth, pray, teach and love the gospel of the kingdom. As a prophetic people we are an alternative community of faith that lives our lives in the joyful freedom that grace provides and this identity fuels us for mission.

Consider the church at Antioch in Acts 13 who, while engaged in worship and prayer, received the Holy Spirit’s direction to set Barnabas and Saul apart for the work to which God had called them. This church laid hands on them and sent them off. This prophetic initiative led to the propagation of the gospel in nation after nation. As a prophetic people,

SOUNDBITE

A prophetic people are convinced and demonstrate that God is personal, active and alive. They are God-focused, convinced that what is going on at this point in history is critical and therefore they are immersed in the now.

we too understand that the Spirit of God who fills and empowers us is a Spirit of mission. Likewise, our movement of Newfrontiers USA has been directed prophetically, which has led to advancement from our humble beginnings to the nations.

As a movement we are now in over 60 nations, making disciples, planting churches and raising up leaders as result of prophetic words. In the USA, we believe God has directed us to plant reproducing churches in the largest 100 cities in our nation. Therefore, we have committed to give ourselves to this vision. Scripture testified to this mission when

a handful of people in Jerusalem, filled with the Spirit as a prophetic community, moved across the nations planting church after church. That same Spirit is active, speaking, directing and empowering us for the mission He has for us on earth. We understand the implications of being a prophetic people. We are now empowered, directed and engaged in God’s mission.

Confluence is a place where the reformed, the charismatic, and the mission-minded converge to equip and serve the church to transform communities.

SUBSCRIBE: www.confluenceblog.org

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SAM POE >> New Frontiers Church >> Dover, NH

In Jerusalem, on the Day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit was poured out on the followers of Jesus with remarkable manifestations. It drew a curious crowd of onlookers. The Apostle Peter stood up and addressed the crowd. Peter explained that what they were observing was a fulfillment of ancient prophetic promises given by the Lord God. He quotes the prophet Joel who proclaimed that with the outpouring of the Holy Spirit all the people of God, young and old, male and female would prophesy (Acts 2:16-18). The Apostle Paul confirms this in his letter to the church at Corinth: “For you can all prophesy, one by one, so that all may learn and all be encouraged” (1 Corinthians 14:31). In the New Testament there is a clear expectation that all Spirit-filled believers would be candidates through whom the gift of prophecy could flow for the upbuilding, encouragement and consolation of the church (1 Corinthians 14:3).

After Jesus’ ascension into heaven and His sending of the Holy Spirit, the gift of prophecy was opened to all believers.

All could prophesy. As we read through the Book of Acts, however, it becomes clear that there were some who were specifically called to be prophets in the church. There were men like Agabus, Judas and Silas (Acts 11:27-28 &15:32) who were recognized prophets among the believers.

RECOMMENDED READING

What is the distinction between the gift of prophecy flowing among all the believers and the ministry of prophets in the churches? Paul’s letter to the church in Ephesus gives us some important keys to answering this question. He says that the ascended Christ “gave apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ” (Ephesians 4:11-13). The ascended Christ has given ministry gifts to His church and these gifts are men. They are given to equip the church for the work she is called to. Just as apostles help the church become more apostolic and evangelists help the church become more evangelistic, so prophets help equip the church to become more prophetic.

a. Fathering Leaders, Motivating Mission

by David Devenish b. Surprised by the Voice of God

by Jack Deere

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b

Paul makes it clear in the Ephesian letter that both apostles and prophets have a foundational ministry in the churches. He says to the church, “So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built on the foundation of

S IS WHAT WAS UTOUGH THE PROPH“‘AND IN THE LAST ALL BE, GOD THAT I WILL POUR RIT ON ALL PHETS YOUR SONS

st as apostles help the church become ore apostolic and evangelists help the hurch become more evangelistic, so prophets help equip the church to become more prophetic.

QUICK LOOK

Introducing New Frontiers Church >> An interview with Ian Ashby

On September 16, 2012, Christ the King Church in Dover, NH and Harbor Church in Portsmouth, NH met for the first time as one new church: New Frontiers Church. In the following interview, Ian Ashby explains why and how this merger took place.

the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone” (Ephesians 2:19-20). Every church must understand that our identity as the people of God is no longer based on any racial or cultural background, but upon who we are in Christ by the grace of God. This foundation brings into clear focus other central truths that are the basis for our life together in Christ. For example, we are called to bless all the nations and to proclaim the kingdom of God in the power of the Holy Spirit.

What is the name of your newly combined church and where are you located?

This foundational truth comes by the revelation the Holy Spirit brings, and will always be consistent with, and based upon, the revelation of the Scripture. According to Paul, apostles and prophets are especially graced to lay this foundation in every church. They are foundational men. They will function within their unique gifting in this work, yet it is the same foundation that they lay. It is of great value that apostles and prophets work together because they tend to confirm one another in the revelation that they bring.

What prophetic direction did you receive?

Prophets will often come with a prophetic “now word” which helps the church give application of this foundation in some immediate situation. For example, when the prophet Agabus and his team came to the church in Antioch, his prophecy led to a practical demonstration of the foundational truth that racial barriers are broken down in Christ. Gentile believers began to help and serve their brothers in Christ from a Jewish background who were deeply affected by famine. What a wonderful expression of the church being one new man in Christ!

New Frontiers Church; Portsmouth and Dover, New Hampshire.

How did you decide to join these churches?

Our churches have always been close since Christ the King Church in Dover started Harbor Church in Portsmouth, NH. In 2010, in St. Louis, Keith Hazell shared a prophetic vision that I felt God applied to our situation. It was of a harvest field and the church was working in two corners. If it continued to do so, it would reap a widow’s portion. We needed new God-given strategy to harvest the whole field. I felt God saying we needed to leave our two corners and join together to take the whole field.

Sam Poe and Carl Herrington both brought prophetic words about Henry Cooley & I joining together in heart, purpose and vision. Carl had a picture of us as two pots of different colored liquid being heated up and poured out to flow together and create a new color, representing us joining in mission. Sam Poe has since been commissioned by John Lanferman’s apostolic team to join us, which is a further confirmation that God is doing a new thing here.

Why did you feel this change should happen?

It seems that many church mergers happen because it seems pragmatic. For us, the main question we kept asking ourselves was, “What is God saying?”

The primary reason why we started down this track and felt change needed to happen was because we believe God said so.

Any other comments regarding your church?

Our new name might seem odd to some people. We had a very hard time trying to come up with a name that would fit. Then one day, a man with a prophetic gift in our church said, “We already share a name that fits us—New Frontiers.” It is now a prophetic statement of our mission: Northern New England has been called the ‘new frontier’ of mission in the USA, and we are currently involved in reaching unreached peoples in the Middle East, Africa and Nepal—the new frontiers of world mission.

LARRY MOWREY & DAVID HERRINGTON >> Jubilee Church >> St. Louis, MO

PROPHECY:

AN “ON THE GROUND” GUIDE

One way God speaks to his followers is through the gift of prophecy. Simply stated, prophecy is when a person hears God speak and then tells others what He said. Hearing God speak is a privilege given to all believers. You would not have been born again unless you heard God speak to you through scripture, another person, a sermon, etc.

Scripture addresses how prophecy is to be practiced at the local church level. In Acts 2:17-18, we learn there is no age limit; young and old alike will prophesy. Both women and men will hear from God and declare to the church what they have heard. Those who seem to be the “least” among us will also prophesy. 1 Corinthians 14:31 states all can prophesy for the benefit and building up of others.

our Sunday meeting, church prayer meetings, street evangelism and community groups. In these settings we encourage all to take steps of faith and share what God is speaking to them. When people prophesy, we have the expectation that the word is to be weighed by those who hear, looking for the word to align with scripture and to build up those who receive it.

Prophecy is a gift we are all to desire (I Corinthians 14) and the gift of prophets was given to the church (see Ephesians 4:11ff) to shape and propel the church forward into kingdom advancement. Knowing this, church leaders must take the time to teach on prophecy, model how to prophesy, and encourage prophecy in the various contexts in which the church gathers. In our local church setting, we have four primary venues in which we encourage the prophetic:

There is an ongoing need to disciple those who feel prophecy is a primary gift. For us, this means investing relationally into the life of someone who is hungry and encouraging them into a biblical expression and expectancy for hearing God.

So how does a church practically develop people interested in investigating prophecy as a primary gift? We meet with such people either in groups or individually. We pray together, share questions with one another, look at the Bible RECOMMENDED READING and prophesy together. Sometimes this is gathering in someone’s home to pray together and asking God to speak to us. Other times it’s meeting for coffee before work and sharing struggles or victories we have experienced as we press into God. When someone prophesies in a meeta. Moving in the Prophetic ing or community group we will often

by Greg Haslam give feedback about how they commub. The Beginner’s Guide nicated. This could include reviewing to Spiritual Gifts the clarity of the message, if the word

by Sam Storms was edifying, what Biblical truth was conveyed, etc. As we share positive a b

Prophecy is a gift we are all to desire (I Corinthians 14) and the gift of prophets was given to the church (see Ephesians 4:11ff) to shape and propel the church forward into kingdom advancement.

and helpful tips on delivering a word, people feel safe and can grow in prophetic gifting. To cast our net wider, we can provide weekend prophetic seminars to the church where we teach through Acts 2 and 1 Corinthians 14 to explain the “whys” and “hows” of prophecy.

As churches we must continue to eagerly desire and expect God’s voice to be breaking into our everyday lives. We see prophecy as a foundational gift that helps identify who the church is. We should also have a great desire to be a prophetic community where hearing God is not seen as a special privilege, but as a normal occurrence for those who are followers of Jesus.

Larry is a featured blogger at: jubileestl.org/blog >>

TESTING PROPHECY: PJ SMYTH >> God First >> Johannesburg, South Africa “Do not put out the spirit’s fire. Do not treat prophecies with contempt. Test everything.” (1 Thess. 5:19) Prophecy needs testing because of the human element: We sometimes miss the mark. We are sometimes partially correct. (Some prophesied about Paul suffering in Jerusalem and urged him not to go. Though a true prediction, it was a wrong conclusion.)

There can be false prophecies and prophets.

APPS

4 questions to help test a prophetic word: Is it in line with scripture? If not, then toss it out. If it agrees with Scripture, or if Scripture is silent on the issue, move to the next question…

Does it settle well with my spirit? Colossians 3:15 reveals the Holy Spirit as an umpire who helps judge what we hear and brings either a peace or unease.

Do respected others confirm? Don’t seek the advice of many or you will just drown the Spirit’s

voice. Go to 1-2 mature Christian leaders or friends to ask what they think. God has ordained wisdom and protection through others.

Does circumstance confirm? God is in control of all circumstance. If after prayer and appropriate action, the door remains closed, the prophecy was either off the mark, or ‘not for now’. Don’t despise it but rather put that prophecy aside for awhile, confident God will bring it to pass if it’s from Him.

For the full article, see confluenceblog.com

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