Dear Fellow Believers in Christ, (Genuine Prophecy revolves around the testimony of Christ)
There are many messages going out proclaiming to be prophecy. What is genuine prophecy? What is the heart of the message of genuine prophecy? How can the Body of Christ have genuine Holy Spirit discernment to know genuine prophecy? Who is the Genuine Prophet, the Anointed One, the Charismatic One, the Gifted One -- Is it not Christ who lives in us? What does God's word declare about genuine prophecy? Father, thank you for your Son Jesus the Genuine Prophet. Thank you that He now lives fully in us, with your Spirit birthing. Holy Spirit continue to open up the liberating truth of Christ living in us as our only life, to speak and do the Father's will in us as us, in this new creation shared-life -- the Christ-life.
GENUINE PROPHECY"Once them worship God! For the testimony of Jesus ever is the spirit of prophecy" (Rev. 19:10b, Expanded Greek Translation – EGT).
First, The Body of Christ Needs Clear Discernment about Genuine Prophecy
Our Father is sovereign in this universe. He has a great desire to speak to His people. There are certain ways that He has chosen to speak to man and through man. As the Body of Christ we need to have clear discernment, by the Holy Spirit, to hear and know His voice. We have to rightly divide what we hear in His name, and ensure what we are receiving is His pure Word in and by the Spirit, without any mixtures of flesh in the message. Our Father does not want the Body of Christ to be misled or duped by any message that is not sourced out of His Spirit, even when it claims to be. Paul says, "And the spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets. For God is not the author of confusion but peace, as in all the churches of the saints" (I Cor. 14:32-33). The Body of Christ needs clear discernment about genuine prophecy, so we can readily distinguish it from any confusing message that does not edify, exhort, or comfort us (I Cor. 14:3).
Second, The Body of Christ Needs to Understand the Role of the Holy Spirit
The Body of Christ first needs to understand the primary role and ministry of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit was first sent by our Father to convict us of sin and our need of a Savior (John 16:8). This is what Jesus told His disciples just prior to His going to the cross. In fact, Jesus emphasized that the Holy Spirit was going to teach and reveal Him to us (John 14:26; 15:26; 16:13-15). At least 17 times the Holy Spirit is mentioned as the teacher and revealer of Christ, and primarily Christ living in us since our Spirit birthing. While we can’t see the things of the Spirit in the natural, the Holy Spirit can reveal the deep things of God to us (I Cor. 2:9-10). The spirit of man only knows the things of man (I Cor. 2:11a). The Holy Spirit knows the things of God (I Cor. 2:11b), and He teaches us (I Cor. 2:13). The Holy Spirit provides and is the true source of Spiritual discernment (I Cor. 2:14). The Holy Spirit is doing everything to connect us to the mind of Christ which ever is in us (I Cor. 2:16). The Holy Spirit is intently doing everything He can to focus us on the Son and the Father throughout our earthly walk.
Third, Christ Lives in Us with All Discernment, Wisdom, and Knowledge
The Holy Spirit did not come to focus anyone on Himself. Man has become selfish and thinks he is the anointed one with gifts and callings. The very heart of true discernment and Spirit revealed wisdom and knowledge, lies in the fact that we received Christ the anointed one at our Spirit rebirthing. We received all of Christ, His nature, His Spirit, His mind, His life, His anointing, and yes even His gifts, offices, and ministries. Man is selfish and misled to believe that he is anything or has anything focused upon and from himself. We "are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power" (Col. 2:10). "All the treasures of wisdom and knowledge" are hidden in the Father and of Christ’" (Col. 2:3,2b). Christ now lives in us with all discernment, wisdom, and knowledge.
Fourth, Christ is the Source and Expression of the Spiritual Gifts within Us
Paul declares there are different ministries and Spiritual gifts, but it is the same Lord living in every member of the many membered Body of Christ (I Cor. 12:5,27). There are diversity of activities of these Spiritual gifts but it is the same God the Father who works all in all (I Cor. 12:6). Once we are Spirit birthed and baptized into the body of Christ (I Cor. 12:13), we have all of Christ, His anointing, and His gifts resident within Him in us. The Holy Spirit is attempting to get our minds off of ourselves, our ministry, and what gifts we think we possess, and get our soul – heart, mind, and emotions ever linked into the mind of Christ. At that point the Christ in us as us, can fully function with all Spiritual discernment in us to operate through us with the Spiritual gifts, when, and how He chooses. We are His inheritance, and in His calling (Eph. 1:18). Christ is the Charismatic one. Christ is the Anointed One. Christ is the gifted one. Paul said, "it is no longer I who live, but Christ Lives in me" (Gal. 2:20). Christ lives in us to be the source and the expression of all Spiritual gifts flowing in us as us.
Fifth, Genuine Prophecy Focuses the Body of Christ on Christ Himself!
The Holy Spirit connects our soul to the mind of Christ and Christ begins to flow through us with His treasures of wisdom and knowledge. "We have this treasure in earthen vessels that the excellency may be of God and not us" (II Cor. 4:7). We are simply earthen, clay pots. Christ flows thorough us will all life and expression in the Spirit realm of things. We need to rightly discern the Spiritual gifts. There is much that claims to be prophecy, but is not. John’s testimony declares "the testimony of Jesus ever is the Spirit of prophecy" (Rev. 19:10b). Genuine prophecy focuses the Body of Christ on Christ Himself! Don’t miss that that is a real point of rightly dividing and discerning genuine prophecy. Genuine prophecy will have the heart of its message centered and focused on Christ. For the Holy Spirit has come to teach and reveal Christ to the Body of Christ.
Sixth, Prophecy not Focused Upon Christ Brings Confusion and Deception
Certainly, there is a Spiritual gift of a word of knowledge for an individual on what God desires. There is also a word of wisdom for an individual on how God desires something done. However, genuine prophecy is given to the Body of Christ as a whole. Genuine prophecy is a Spirit-empowered message focused upon Christ and testifies of Him. Did not His Word clearly state that? That means 9 out of 10 messages that claim to be the prophetic word and prophecy from God, are false prophecies. In fact, the source and spirit for all prophecies that are given to the Body of Christ that don’t revolve around the testimony of Jesus, should be questioned. The majority of these prophecies come out of men’s own sense knowledge, and not by the Holy Spirit at all. Prophecy not focused upon Christ, brings confusion and deception from another spiritual source.
Seventh, Genuine Prophecy in Line with Jesus Christ and Him Crucified
Christ paid 100% for everything for us on the cross. There is therefore no condemnation to those who are in Christ" (Rom. 8:1). Prophecies of judgement and condemnation of the flesh are not consistent with Christ and Him crucified. Paul declared, that is our message in the power of His Spirit (I Cor. 2:2,4). Jesus even prophesied that, "The law and the prophets were until John. Since that time the kingdom of God has been preached, and everyone is pressing into it" (Luke 16:16). Move in the Spirit of genuine revelation, the heart of genuine prophecy.