Prophecy is a really huge deal to God yet there are alot of religious people who take issue against it. It is often said that prophecy is not for today, yet there is a danger in going there. Jesus said in John 5, you search the scriptures because you think in them is eternal life, but these are they which testify of Me and you're unwilling to come to Me. The scriptures are the testimony of Jesus and any revelation you get from the Scriptures that doesn't take you into an encounter with Jesus Christ only serves to make you more religious. Furthermore in Revelation 19:10 we're told that the testimony of Jesus is the Spirit of prophecy. So to say that prophecy isn't for today is not only to deny the testimony of Jesus but also to deny the vailidity of the word of God. Some will differentiate between the prophectic in the scriptures and the prophetic declaration of believers today calling the first infallable and the latter, "personal prophecy" and say that it's not of God. The scriptures are indeed infallable but can the Holy Spirit give me a word for you and you for another? Jesus said in John 16, I have so much I would like to say to you now but you can't bear it. So then there's more He wants to share with you. He then said, I'll send the Holy Spirit who will guide you into all truth. The believers were and are expected to be filled with the Spirit of God and the Spirit of God is not silent. Now He chooses to speak through His people to teach, train, exhort, comfort, encourage, reveal His plan and purpose, and to release the Kingdom in power. We release the kingdom through declaration.

Here's an example and, by the way, a year ago I would never have done this. I sit down by a man who is waiting for his ride. I ask if I can pray with him. He says no, he's not interested. We do begin to talk though and as we do I feel intense compassion for the depth of hurt in him and the numbers 10 and 14 come to mind, forcefully. So much so that it's distracting. I clear my throat and go with it. "There is a deep pain in you from 10 or maybe 14 years ago. Something happened that left your life scarred and God wants to heal your heart." He begins to weep and says, "My 14 year old son was killed 10 years ago in a hit and run accident. (long pause) I've been angry at God ever since." We cry together and when I ask if I can pray with him again he says yes. The manifest presence of the Spirit of God meets us there and he begins a new day and season in his life as a believer in Jesus Christ.

This week on outreach we're going to ask the Holy Spirit to do that for people we don't even know. God loves these His people and wants to reveal Himself to them. We're going to give God that opportunity. You give God room for His will to be done. I'll post testimonies later on this week and let you know how it went.