God chose me. He chose me before the foundations of the world to preach. Long I have identified with [Jeremiah 1:5] "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born, I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations." I did not choose this profession. God chose me. He appointed me.
Part of God choosing me is the prophetic ministry He has given me. I have often preached hard messages. Many times those messages have been rejected. There have been times when I also have been rejected. I have only sought to preach what the Lord has put on my heart. I firmly believe we do not need more sermons but we do need fresh words from God.
Today God has reminded me He chose me to be prophet and a pastor. Though I am one in the same person these two callings have distinct ramifications. The prophetic ministry appears to me to be that call of God to minister outside Faith Community Church. It is that burning desire in me to see revival and spiritual awakening. For over two decades God has consistently opened doors for me to go and preach in other settings and especially to teenagers. When preaching revivals and camps I believe I minister as a prophet. My other calling is to serve as pastor to Faith Community Church. This calling is to love, nurture, protect, and feed the flock God has entrusted to me. When I stand in the pulpit to preach to the body at Faith Community and minister to people as needs arise I minister as a pastor. Two distinct callings but the same person.
Many people think prophets no longer exist today. A prophet by my definition is simply someone who hears from God and delivers the message God gives. Many times these messages are hard. They are meant to call people to repentance and salvation. In our tickle the ear church society prophets and their messages are not well received.
Prophets are people who walk extremely close to the Lord. God speaks to prophets on a level unknown to many followers of Jesus. "Indeed, the Lord God does nothing without revealing His counsel to His servants the prophets." [Amos 3:7]
Does God still do this? Does He still set aside some to be His spokesman? Does He still reveal His counsel to prophets? Though many will debate that all I can say is God has been speaking to me. In fact, He has been speaking to me in such an intimate way I have been tempted to doubt it really is of God.
Today one of the things God placed on my heart is that I am not to doubt His words. In fact I am to believe them by faith and to consider them sweet to my taste. "How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth!" [Ps 119:103]
Again we read in Jeremiah, "Behold, I have put my words in your mouth. See, I have set you this day over nations and kingdoms, to pluck up and to break down, to destroy and to overthrow, to build and to plant." [Jeremiah 1:9-10]
Like Jeremiah I go where God sends me and I say what God tells me. [Jeremiah 1:7-8] This is shaky ground. When a prophet prophesied in the Old Testament and if the prophesy did not come true they were considered to be a false prophet and were stoned. This made hearing from God before speaking for God all the more crucial.
Many who preach today do not hear from God. They are only echoes of what they have heard others preach or read what others have written. Hearing from God for a prophet is crucial. There are many who say they hear from God but what they say never comes to pass. Others say they hear from God and what they say comes to pass but nobody listens.
On this glorious pursuit one of the things I am enjoying most is hearing from God. He has spoken to me about many things. Some I share in messages. Some are personal and meant for me only. Other things are directions in prayer.
I have never received anything I would consider as weighty as a prophesy for others. That is until recently. I believe the Lord has given me a prophesy of what He intends to do during the Paradise Shake the City Revival scheduled for July 15th. There is no ending date. This is part of the prophesy. So in obedience to the Lord I am sharing this today as His prophet. I will be judged on whether this comes to pass. My confidence is in the Lord. I cannot make this prophesy come true but He can.
Here it is:
"Revival is coming. Revival will sweep through Paradise like a Spring Storm. The Spirit will descend like a thick fog. Sinners will repent and the lost will be saved. Sustain the revival through prayer. This is bigger than Faith Community Church. It will last longer than you think. The city is about to be shaken. Do not ask when to end it. You will know when it is over. The revival flame will spread all over Wise County and beyond. The revival must be sustained through prayer."
By faith I have declared this and I believe it to come true.
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