| Ephesians 4:11 | | | | because of what he calls himself. The best approach |
| 11 And he gave some, apostles; and some, | | | | for any minister is to simply do all that God has |
| PROPHETS; and some, evangelists; and some, | | | | equipped him and allows him to do, and let his ministry |
| pastors and teachers. | | | | functionings define who he is. Ministry offices are not |
| There are five principle roles that God has anointed | | | | titles or positions to which anyone can be appointed by |
| today's believers to fulfill in today's Church. As a young | | | | any human, including themselves, or any human |
| believer who is strong in the faith I have been called | | | | agency, but rather they are functions for which Christ |
| into the role of a Prophet. I was called to the role of a | | | | as the Head of the Church anoints and to which He |
| Prophet in a vision, and my role was later confirmed by | | | | appoints certain believers of His choosing. |
| three ordained Ministers. I have been asked by a | | | | THE FUNCTION OF PROPHETS |
| number of my readers and others I know to explain | | | | Jer. 1:10 In this verse God gives the general functions of |
| the role of a Prophet; I hope this inspired article | | | | the prophet. The different facets of the prophet's |
| supported with scripture will help you understand the | | | | ministry can be summed up in this six-fold description (I |
| role of a Prophet. | | | | have given a brief description of what I believe to be |
| The Role of a Prophet | | | | the general application of each of these facets): |
| In Acts 21:10-11, we see a demonstration of one of the | | | | 1) to pluck (root) up - "weeds," both in the lives of |
| roles of a Prophet, as the Prophet Agabus predicts | | | | individual believers, as well as "weeds" growing in the |
| Paul's future imprisonment. A Prophet often gets | | | | Church, which is false teaching and brethren. |
| revelations of the future and we see in Acts 21:10-11, | | | | 2) to break down - resistances and rebellion to God's |
| how the Prophet Agabus gets a revelation from God | | | | Word, Will, and Way by believers. |
| about the future of Paul. The revelation given to | | | | 3) to destroy - vain philosophies and imaginations |
| Agabus was to prepare the church for a coming | | | | raised up against the knowledge of God; and, Satan's |
| event; God in His mercy gave Agabus this revelation | | | | works. |
| to inform the church of a significant coming event of | | | | 4) to overthrow - the kingdoms of men; and |
| Paul's imprisonment. The word Prophet means "one | | | | strongholds of the devil. |
| who speaks forth", in the case of Agabus we see him | | | | 5) to build - the Church spiritually upon the foundation |
| speaking forth the future as he gets a direct revelation | | | | of the Life of Christ. |
| from God and Paul's future. | | | | 6) to plant - Christ as the Seed of God in the Church |
| God's Prophets are there to assist the church and give | | | | and in the individual lives of believers; and, along with |
| them direct messages from God; the role of a Prophet | | | | Apostles - plant Churches. |
| involves being a direct mouthpiece for God in certain | | | | The following are some of the functions of prophets |
| circumstances. We also must make the distinction | | | | which can be deduced from the composite of many |
| between a Christian who prophesies and the role of a | | | | different Scriptures far too numerous to list individually. |
| Prophet, because they are two completely different | | | | Reveal the mind of Christ and give specific instruction |
| roles. A Christian who prophesies does so for: | | | | concerning His personal will for the lives of individuals |
| edification, exhortation and consolation (1 Corinthians | | | | as well as for groups. |
| 14:3), however someone who in the role of Prophet | | | | Unveil revelation and illumination and inspired application |
| may exercise the above, but they will also speak | | | | of the Logos(i.e. The written Word of God) |
| Gods revelation, rebuke, direction and predict the | | | | Give confirmation and witness in various ways through |
| future. A person in the role of a Prophet will exercise | | | | their ministry. |
| the basic gift of prophecy as seen in 1 Corinthians 14:3, | | | | Relate divine direction to the Church and churches. |
| but their ministry will be extended well beyond the | | | | Elicit repentance, reformation, and restoration. |
| basic gift of prophecy as described in 1 Corinthians | | | | The following are some functions of prophets with a |
| 14:3, their ministry can turn whole churches and nations | | | | specific Scripture citing to support them: |
| in a completely different direction. The Role of a | | | | Amos 3:7 Prophets are given the secret counsel of |
| Prophet is much more powerful and diverse than | | | | God. |
| simply being a Christian who prophecies; the role of a | | | | 1 Sam. 9:9 Prophets are SEERS; they see things |
| Prophet is an ordained ministry that God has directly | | | | supernaturally in the Spirit that other people don't see. |
| called that person into. | | | | Jer. 18:18 Prophets can hear slander supernaturally. |
| The role of a Prophet can have varying tasks; we | | | | 2 Kgs. 6:8-12 Prophets can hear things that are not |
| saw Jonah's primary objective in the role of Prophet | | | | intended to be heard by others; if God reveals it to |
| was to bring the nation of Nineveh into repentance | | | | them, they can even hear evil plans conceived in |
| under the threat of impending doom. Nehemiah's task | | | | privacy and secrecy. |
| as a Prophet was to rebuild Jerusalem and turn the | | | | Jer. 1:16,17 Prophets pronounce judgment |
| whole nation around and stop all the corruption and | | | | Eph. 4:11-13 Prophets perfect, mature, Saints and the |
| excess usury, John the Baptist had one task as a | | | | Church to Manhood. |
| Prophet and that was to prepare the way for Jesus | | | | Rev. 11:3-13 Prophets will execute God's judgments. |
| Christ, Joseph's role as Prophet was to interpret the | | | | Prophets expose sin: |
| Pharaoh's dream and predict a future famine in Egypt. | | | | Eph. 5:11 Exposure of sin is a Divine charge. |
| We see how these roles had powerful effects on not | | | | Jn. 4:7-19 Jesus, a Prophet, exposed the sin of the |
| only the church, but they had powerful effects on | | | | Samaritan woman. |
| nations. A Prophet will not only have an effect on the | | | | Mat. 23 Jesus, a Prophet, exposed the sin of the |
| four walls within a church and its congregation, but a | | | | Pharisees. |
| Prophet will have an effect on a whole community and | | | | Mk. 6:18 John the Baptist, a Prophet, exposed the sin of |
| beyond. A Christian who prophecies does so to: edify, | | | | Herod. |
| exhort the church, and sometimes to evangelize, but | | | | Ac. 13:10,11 Prophet Paul (Ac. 13:1) exposed sin and |
| someone in the role of Prophet will be there to affect | | | | brought temporal judgment upon Elymas the magician. |
| not only the church, but the broader community, other | | | | Ac. 16:16 Prophet Paul exposes the sin of witchcraft in |
| churches, other organizations and nation(s). | | | | a fortune-teller. |
| A Prophet may also have a vision or dream and be | | | | Gal. 2:11-13 Prophet Paul exposed Apostle Peter's sin |
| ordained a Prophet by God Himself, "Then He said, | | | | of hypocrisy. |
| "Hear now My words: if there is a prophet among you, | | | | 2 Sam. 11:1 - 12:13 Nathan the Prophet exposed the sin |
| I, the LORD, make Myself known to him in a vision; I | | | | of David. |
| speak to him in a dream."(Numbers 12:6) When you | | | | 2 Kgs. 5:26 Elisha the Prophet exposed the sin of his |
| are called into the role of a Prophet, you will usually be | | | | servant. |
| called by God and then have ministers of the faith and | | | | The Life of a prophet |
| others confirmed the calling. After about 12 months of | | | | A life of a prophet, or else a prophet that is called to |
| being a Christian, I had a vision of God the Father and | | | | be in the office of prophet can be filled with rejection, |
| Jesus, and in that vision they called me to be a | | | | miss-understanding, loneliness, depression and anger |
| Prophet, within 12 months of that event; I had three | | | | with the world and even the church body. The |
| ordained ministers in different denominations tell me | | | | revelations given to the prophet sometimes are too |
| that they believed I was a Prophet. | | | | hard to endure and to handle and a prophet has a |
| The Prophet - God's spokesman: from "pro" = on | | | | hard time expressing what he is seeing in the Word of |
| behalf of / "phet" = to speak. Simply defined, the | | | | God and in the world to others. The revelation being so |
| Prophet is God's spokesman. The Prophet is a Fivefold | | | | hard to endure, and having few people int he body of |
| Minister who has been set apart, appointed, and | | | | Christ that can endure it, makes the prophet every |
| anointed with the ministry gifting of a Prophet, and has | | | | lonely from friends that he can have a deep heart to |
| been permanently set into that office. Though every | | | | heart conversation with. |
| believer has a vital function he has been anointed and | | | | A prophet can seem to hold the whole world on his |
| appointed by the Lord to perform, it must be | | | | shoulders and often when not love and given positive |
| understood that no amount of zeal, enthusiasm, fervor, | | | | edification can grow quite despondent d depressed |
| prayer, or even Bible study, can vaunt a person into | | | | and even angry with the lukewarm church that he |
| any ministry office, including that of Prophet. It is only | | | | finds all over the place. Prophet's need prophets for |
| the appointing and anointing of the Lord that makes a | | | | friends, however pride often stops the emerging |
| prophet a prophet. Fivefold ministry starts with a calling, | | | | novice prophets in training from forming bonds that are |
| not a desire, and that calling must be from God. Your | | | | effective. |
| mother, your father, or your wife cannot call you to the | | | | God has a way of crushing the pride out of a prophet |
| ministry; you can't even call yourself; only God can call | | | | and God will put the novice prophet in one very hot |
| a person to the ministry. | | | | and holy fire until the prophet is humble and ready to |
| True prophets are not novices, neither are they mere | | | | cool down and not be so hot headed and judgmental |
| aspiring ministers. It is wise to refer to those in training | | | | of the Bride of Christ. It is only when the prophet is |
| in a prophetic calling as "prophets in training," if they | | | | humble and healed and whole, that he can really do |
| indeed are, or a "prophetic person in training," if they | | | | effective ministry in the body and be ready to perform |
| are "one who prophesies," rather than a "prophet," per | | | | every good work that the Lord has for him. |
| se. A true prophet is not someone trying to become or | | | | In my life, I have to say I have been very prideful and I |
| in the process of becoming a prophet, rather he IS a | | | | have been crushed in a hot fire of the Lord. The last |
| prophet, and has always been a prophet before he | | | | intense burning took 3 years and taught me to praise |
| was formed in his mother's womb. While "schools of | | | | God even in the midst of intense suffering. It is |
| prophets" can be helpful in developing those that have | | | | important for the prophet even if he has no one that |
| been anointed by God with the anointing of a prophet, | | | | loves him or understands him that the LORD God |
| one cannot simply take a course to "learn" to be a | | | | approves of Him and the Lord Jesus loves Him. The |
| prophet. No one can really "teach" someone to be a | | | | prophets lot in life is not a great one, and it get be very |
| prophet. Prophets are not "taught," but are usually | | | | intense and hurtful, and I would not ask to be a prophet |
| "caught" and then "made" by the Lord. No one can | | | | if I were not one. |
| intrude into any ministry office successfully, especially | | | | If you can see scripture deep, if you have been |
| the office of the prophet. We describe the ministry | | | | rejected for much of your life and you are sad with |
| offices merely for the sake of understanding them | | | | how the world it could be that you are called to be a |
| better, but merely calling yourself something, whether it | | | | prophet. |
| be: "a prophet," or "a teacher," or "a '37 Oldsmobile," for | | | | I hope that this has taught you something and you can |
| that matter, does not make you one. Any minister is | | | | see what a prophet really is and does. |
| what he is because of what he does and is, not | | | | |