Featured Don't miss this fresh prophetic moving

Icon—I honestly felt the same way about Grudem’s definition of prophecy. I personally believe that there is a spiritual gift of prophecy today but its not nearly as widespread as Grudem attempts to make it, nor does it have to do with personal revelations that could be inaccurate. This being said, I think it has to do more with speaking forth God’s Word with a unique power that comes from the Holy Spirit. I also think God still gives revelations, but this has more to do with understanding Scripture (after long careful study) & having the capability to convey it to others with sound exegesis that is divinely inspired. While I certainly understand if someone disagrees, I’m personally beginning to side with scholars who believe Rev 11 is about a group of believers raised up by God during the Tribulation—instead of 2 former OT prophets. While I’m still hammering the theory out—its caused me to reconsider my eschatological views & also reconsider just how far we should limit modern-day spiritual gifts.

 

We hold snake handling services every year in Upstate NY, SN. The church owns a nice piece of property with a beautiful trout stream bordering 2 sides. In the spring time a few of us do some cleaning up after the ice runoff... Long story short we do most of our snake handling with a pointed shovel or a stout stick. I heard one of the fellers yelling, "Come out of there!"

Before you go to thinking he was casting out demons or something he wasn't. The snake had slithered under a deadfall and Andy couldn't get a good swing at him with the shovel.

 

Watching the first video, my first thought was which chemicals were involved and in what quantity.

It's easy. I can tell you that I knew who was going to win the last 23 Presidential elections before it happened. Unfortunately, I seem to have lost the gift of Presidential Prophecy 3 1/2 years ago.:laugh:

 

Because people don't know Scriptures.

 

The OFFICES of both tha Apostle/prophet ceased when the Apsotle John penned Revelation, and passed away!

They were gifted by the Spirit to both speak and write inspired revelation, NONE can claim that for today!

Someone MIGHT have the gifting from God to be able to expound and apply the prophetic word into todays society/culture/events, but that would NOT be infallible revelation!

 

I do have one snake story. On a mission trip last summer to east Kentucky, very near WV, we were cold call witnessing. We came to this one apartment, and a young guy told us to wait a minute. He came back with a wooden box that he claimed contained a copperhead. He asked us to put our hand in the box to test our faith. I wished him a good day, and went to the next door. It sort of reminded me of the disciples dusting off their shoes.

 

LOL, I want to see a picture of you dancing while holding a snake.

 

They are not Jesus' apostles...

Now the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.

 

You know I’ve tried to be open-minded about the issue—but I completely agree with you! I had a professor in grad school who insisted that the gift of apostleship (or apostle with a little “a” as he called it) sill existed by using the Greek term along with the role of a missionary—but it genuinely irks me when I hear anyone address a person of the church as Apostle so-and-so—while the gift of prophecy is another matter for me—I just don’t see how its biblical to think that the gift of apostleship still exists—but I’d be happy to listen to any arguments to the contrary

 

Well, duh, Wayne Grudem is a Charismatic, so naturally he'd say this! :smilewinkgrin: Don't know the other guy.

I do believe that we missionaries can be thought of as apostles in a secondary sense. That is, we are not of the original 12 (incl. Matthias), who walked physically with Jesus, will rule the 12 tribes, and will have their names written in the foundation of the New Jerusalem. So like Paul, Barnabas, Timothy, Andronicus and others, I am "one sent forth" with the Gospel cross-culturally. Virtually all missiologists agree on this (though theologians don't get it), especially those who have been on the mission field. But don't expect me to run around doing miracles like the Biblical missionaries did.

 

There were many more than 12, you know.

 

Lol—good answer-& john being someone who studies on a scholarly scale I’ve always been blown away by your dedication & knowledge of the original language—but here’s my question to you (& I only ask this b/c I genuinely respect ur answer)—what is your definition of a modern-day prophet?

 

Thanks much for the kind words. :wavey:

I believe in two kinds of prophecy in the Bible: foretelling and forth-telling. Because I believe the canon is closed and God is no longer giving revelation (truth revealed), I don't believe there are any foretelling prophets in this age.

Prophecy is also forth-telling; that is, proclaiming already revealed truth. We see this all through the OT prophets, such as when they thunder such things as, "Israel, you are not obeying God." In Acts 2, according to Peter they are fulfilling the prophecy in Joel 2, essentially that all believers will prophesy (forth-tell), so the believers in Acts 2 were telling others "the wonderful works of God" (v. 11). They were not foretelling.

So, if a preacher thunders the truth from the pulpit, he is being a prophet. When an influential evangelist says, "Our churches are in dire need of revival," he is being a prophet. If a believer confronts another believer, saying, "The Bible says you are dead wrong," he is being prophetic.

 

NONE can claim to be modern day Apsotles/prophets in the strict sense/use of the term, but there are those gifted by god to be able to take the prophet elements and speak that into current situations/events!