The Will of The Lord and The Prophet
The British man of God, Derek Prince, put out a wonderful book on how to know the will of the Lord . He compared our knowing the Lord’s will to the lining up of three buoys in a rocky channel of water leading into the immense ocean of God’s will.
An ocean-going vessel leaves the safe confines of its harbor to proceed out to sea. It does so by lining up with a series of floating buoys who guide it to safety from dangerous rocks on the sides of the channel of water.
Prince says that the will of the Lord consists of three buoys that must be in line with each other before we can safely step out for the Lord not smashing ourselves on the rocks of deception or spiritual burnout.
Buoy # 1 is the written or logos Word of God:
If what we wish to do is not written in or is not in conformity to the Bible, we should not entertain the thought of doing it.
Buoy # 2 is a rhema word or the voice of the Holy Spirit:
The rhema or living word of God’s Spirit draws out a specific thing about the written word that God wants us to get, and gives to it God’s timing and direction for us.
It is not enough to simply venture out into our spiritual sea by the logos word, but we must have a precise word from the voice of the Holy Spirit about what God would have us specifically do.
Buoy # 3 : This is always the last buoy to line up and is the one that causes the most difficulty. It can also be called, “ obtaining the right circumstances.”
When we are to act in accordance with a specific rhema word of God, we must wait for God to line up the proper circumstances .
We can call this, having the open door, or God’s puzzle pieces falling into place, or our circumstances lining up.
God might tell you that so and so will be your husband. You have the voice of the Spirit. God, however, might have not told the young man as of yet.
You might have a call to minister in a foreign country. The Spirit of God has told you so. Yet, God might have not released the finances.
God might have confirmed something in His written word, spoken it to you by the rhema word or His voice, yet, the money or the mission organization might not be manifested. We will know when to step out when the money is released and the doors become opened through the organization.
These are the three buoys which must line up before you traverse the ocean of God’s will.
The Lord placed in Moses’ heart the rhema word that he was to deliver Israel from the hand of the Egyptians. Moses attempted this when the circumstances were not right, because the timing of God was not there. The results were disastrous and Moses had to flee.
God brought this rhema word to pass forty years later when Moses was broken from all fleshly strength and mental scheming. Then the circumstances were correct.
Likewise, the Joseph of the Old Testament had a dream in which the Lord told him that he would be in authority over his father, mother, and brothers. He ended up in an Egyptian prison after this for thirteen years, as the Lord humbled and prepared him spiritually. When the Pharaoh raised him up, this word came to pass.
Samuel anointed David as king of Israel, by prophecy. It was thirteen years later, and more than ten assassination attempts by Saul, that the word of the Lord came to pass.
Abraham obtained the promise of a son, but had to wait twenty-five years for its fulfillment .
You see how the circumstance are the last of the three buoys to line up. We must be patient and wait upon God’s three buoys.
Ministries which function on the first buoy produces dead religious tradition. Those which operate on the first two buoys sow much and reap little, or create spiritual burnout for their ministers. Those which only operate on the second buoy, exalting gifts without the character built by God’s word, can manifest a spiritual circus atmosphere. Anointed men of God have fallen when gifts came before Christian character.
The lining up of the third buoy, in almost every instance, is the sole act of The Lord. Things open up for us, the pieces of the puzzle fall into place, and we go ahead almost effortlessly with will of the Lord.
It is imperative that we learn to discern and act in accordance with Lord’s timing.
Psalms 32:9 Be ye not as the horse,( do not go ahead of the Lord’s timing) or as the mule,( do not resist and lag behind God’s timing) which have no understanding: whose mouth must be held in with bit and bridle, lest they come near unto thee.
1 Chronicles 12:32 And of the children of Issachar, which were men that had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do; the heads of them were two hundred; and all their brethren were at their commandment.
The Oracle Of The Lord and the Prophet
1 Kings 6:16 And he built twenty cubits on the sides of the house, both the floor and the walls with boards of cedar: he even built them for it within, even for the oracle, even for the most holy place.
1 Kings 6:19 And the oracle he prepared in the house within, to set there the ark of the covenant of the LORD.
The oracle of the Lord was sometimes used to describe the Holy of Holies, or the most inner room of God’s temple where the Ark of the Covenant resided.
The Ark of the Covenant is symbolic of the very presence of the Lord, revealing His very essence, and giving witness of the Lord upon the earth. This is why it is called the Ark of Testimony.
The word oracle in the Hebrew comes from the Hebrew root for “word;”. The phrase “the word of the Lord” uses this very same grammatical formation.
When the prophet speaks the “word of the Lord,” he or she are declaring forth the oracle, or the testimony of the Lord, and manifesting the presence of the Lord through the spoken word.
The nearer in accuracy, intent, and God’s emphasis to the original rhema word, the more that the prophecy will act as the oracle of the Lord. This will bring the testimony of the Lord into a church, defining His will, ways, direction, and timing.
It is crucial that prophets and prophecy be reinstated and honored in our churches.
Eph 5:26 That he might sanctify and cleanse it(the church) with the washing of water by the word,( rhema word).
The High Places of The Lord
1 sam 10:5 After that thou shalt come to the hill of God, where is the garrison of the Philistines: and it shall come to pass, when thou art come thither to the city, that thou shalt meet a company of prophets coming down from the high place (Spiritual places of worship in the Lord) with a psaltery ,(guitar) and a tabret,(tambourine) and a pipe(flute), and a harp, before them; and they shall prophesy: ( they are prophesying).
The verb “shall prophecy” is in the reflexive mood. This means, that the prophets were prophesying by their own capabilities and actions. We note that the prophesying however came about as they made contact with the presence of the Lord in the “high places” of worship.
1 Sam 9:18 Then Saul drew near to Samuel in the gate, and said, Tell me, I pray thee, where the seer’s house is.
19 And Samuel answered Saul, and said, I am the seer: go up before me unto the high place (The spiritual places of worship before the Lord) for ye shall eat with me to day, and to morrow I will let thee go, and will tell thee(Declare: causative verb; the presence of the Lord in the high places of worship caused the Word of the Lord to come forth from Samuel) all that is in thine heart.
I am of the belief that we are erring in part with much of our worship. We have tremendously talented and skilled worship groups. We have beautiful songs that sing God’s praises. Yet our songs have become too wordy and complicated.
1 Sam 10:5 After that thou shalt come to the hill of God, where is the garrison of the Philistines: and it shall come to pass, when thou art come thither to the city, that thou shalt meet a company of prophets coming down from the high place (Spiritual places of worship in the Lord) with a psaltery ,(guitar) and a tabret,(tambourine) and a pipe(flute), and a harp, before them; and they shall prophesy: ( they are prophesying).
Samuel’s school of prophets simply had a guitar, a tambourine, a flute, and a harp. When our worship songs become too wordy and complicated, we have to concentrate on the words instead of on the presence of God.
It is the high places of the Lord that releases His glory, which in turn ignites the flow of prophecy, which manifests Him even further.
The worship songs which came in the 1970s and 80s with their simple and repetitive phrases allowed us to focus on the Lord and become lost in His glory
2 Corinthians 12:2 I knew a man in Christ above fourteen years ago, (whether in the body, I cannot tell; or whether out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;) such an one caught up to the third heaven.
Paul tells us that there are three heavens.
The first heaven is the physical atmosphere where we as humans live.
The second heaven is the sphere of demonic activity.
Ephesians 6:12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places (heavenlies).
The third heaven is God’s dwelling place. We must break through the first two heavens through our worship to release the glory of God. If our worship is too wordy and complicated, our spiritual concentration will be distracted which will not allow us to break into the third heaven.
I am sadly puzzled in the many churches that I have been to, with tremendous worship bands and beautiful but complicated music, the glory of the Lord is hardly released.
John Michael Talbot, a musician, and a third order Franciscan monk sings simple love songs to the Lord with his acoustic guitar and a monk’s robe. His style of worship brings down more of the Lord’s anointing than most skilled worship bands which I have heard.
Another fallacy that I see with today’s worship music is that the words have become too focused on what the Lord can do for us, and not in simply glorifying the character of God. If we focus on ourselves during worship we shall not be able to penetrate the first two heavens.
Also, most of our churches have lost the times of stillness between songs to allow for the flow of spiritual gifts which will further manifest the presence. Today’s worship for the most part does not give space for the use of spiritual gifts.
The Greatness of The Prophet is His or Her Activity to The Limitation of the Rhema Word
The greatness of the prophet is measured by his restriction to the rhema word of God.
Num 22:18 And Balaam answered and said unto the servants of Balak, If Balak would give me his house full of silver and gold, I cannot go beyond ( pass over or cross over to the other side of; like crossing over a river ) the word ( Hebrew: the mouth) of the LORD my God, to do less or more.(to do the insignificant or what is great.)
20 And God came unto Balaam at night, and said unto him, If the men come to call thee, rise up, and go with them; but yet the word which I shall say unto thee, that shalt thou do.
35 And the angel of the LORD said unto Balaam, Go with the men: but only the word that I shall speak( Piel verb form ) unto thee, that thou shalt speak( Piel verb form). So Balaam went with the princes of Balak.
The prophet must speak forth the accuracy of, the intent of God’s heart, and the same degree of intensity of what the Lord says.
38 And Balaam said unto Balak, Lo, I am come unto thee: have I now any power(dunamis) at all(dunamis) to say (intensive) any thing? the word that God putteth in my mouth, that shall I speak ( intensive verb).
Hebrew: The only power that I have, is the power to speak the word of God. The word that God puts in my mouth I must speak as accurately and as emphatically as when God gave it to me.
Deuteronomy 4:2 Ye shall not add ( you shall not cause an addition or an exaggeration to what the Lord has spoken) unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish(subtract, withdraw, or to hold back) ought from it, that ye may keep the commandments of the LORD your God which I command you.
Jer 23:28 The prophet that hath a dream, let him tell (recount, rehearse and declare the dream with the accuracy, the intention of God’s heart, as well same emphasis that God had in His telling of it. Hebrew emphatic verb)) a dream; and he that hath my word, let him speak (As accurately and thoroughly as God gave it to him or her; emphatic verb) my word faithfully(reliably and with certainty).
The False Prophet, False Prophecy, and Not Heeding to True Prophecy
2 Chron 36:15 And the LORD God of their fathers sent to them by his messengers, rising up betimes, and sending; because he had compassion on his people, and on his dwelling place:
16 But they mocked the messengers of God, and despised his words, and misused his prophets, until the wrath of the LORD arose against his people, till there was no remedy(Until the situation or circumstances become irreversible and un- repairable bringing thus the wrath of God.)
Jer 2:8 The priests said not, Where is the LORD? and they that handle the law knew me not: the pastors also transgressed against me, and the prophets prophesied by Baal, and walked (followed) after things that do not profit. (Have no worth)
Jer 5:13 And the prophets shall become wind( the prophets have become as a gas, empty and vain, because) , and the word(Hebrew infinitive verb); (the speaking of the Lord ) is not in them: thus shall it be done unto them.
Jer 5:30 A wonderful and horrible thing is committed in the land;
31 The prophets prophesy falsely (they prophesy a lie), and the priests bear rule by their means (By their own authority and mental schemes and not the rhema word of the Lord); and my people love to have it so: and what will ye do in the end thereof?
jer 14:13 Then said I, Ah, Lord GOD! behold, the prophets say unto them, Ye shall not see the sword, neither shall ye have famine; but I will give you assured peace in this place.}
14 Then the LORD said unto me, The prophets prophesy lies in my name: I sent them not (Hebrew for: Apostolic sending; commissioning, representation; and ambassadorship of the Lord), neither have I commanded them(they had not appointment or charge from the Lord that would come out of their apostolic commission, because they had not been sent to begin with), neither spake unto them (the Lord had not even spoken to them an appointment or charge that would have apostolically released them as ambassadors of the Lord).This verse in reality must be read backwards.).
14 they prophesy unto you a false (deception and fraud) vision and divination(witchcraft), and a thing of nought (worthless), and the deceit of their heart.(the deceitfulness or delusion of their own heart, and not by the voice of the Spirit of God.)
Jer 23:13 And I have seen folly in the prophets of Samaria; they prophesied in Baal, and caused my people Israel to err.
Jer 23:16 Thus saith the LORD of hosts, Hearken not unto the words of the prophets that prophesy unto you: they make you vain( they are prophesying to you vain or false hopes): they speak a vision of their own heart, and not out of the mouth of the LORD. (They speak unto you vision that comes from their own hearts, and not from the Spirit of the Lord.)
17 They say still unto them that despise me, The LORD hath said, Ye shall have peace; and they say unto every one that walketh after the imagination of his own heart (follow after the stubbornness of their own hearts), No evil shall come upon you.
21 I have not sent (an apostolic sending by a charge or commandment of God) these prophets, yet they ran( they ministered without the rhema word of God): I have not spoken to them, yet they prophesied.( God never spoke, yet they prophesied)
Jer 23:32 Behold, I am against them that prophesy false dreams, saith the LORD, and do tell them, and cause my people to err(wander) by their lies, and by their lightness( reckless and frivolous ways); yet I sent them not, ( apostolic commissioning) nor commanded them( no appointment, or charge) : therefore they shall not profit (benefit) this people at all, saith the LORD.
The Raising Up of The Prophet
Jer 1:5 Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee(to set apart and devoted to the Lord; therefore the person becomes special or peculiar. He or she is considered sacred and holy to the Lord.) and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations. (I gave you as a prophet to the nations)
Before God can call us into “His ministry” we must be thoroughly delivered, cleansed and a have a good grasp of the voice and the ways of God. We are set apart to be given out.
6 Then said I, Ah, Lord GOD! behold, I cannot speak: for I am a child.
7 But the LORD said unto me, Say not, I am a child: for thou shalt go to all that I shall send thee, and whatsoever I command thee thou shalt speak.
Hebrew: Do not say to me that you are a lad: for you must go to every one that I send you as my ambassador with an apostolic mission, and you must speak with the same accuracy and intention, that, which I appointed or charged you with.
8 Be not afraid of their faces: for I am with thee to deliver thee, saith(a prophetic revelation of) the LORD.
Hebrew: Do not be afraid of their faces, because part of my reason for being with you, is to rescue you, says the prophetic revelation of the Lord.
9 Then the LORD put forth his hand, and touched my mouth. And the LORD said unto me, Behold, I have put (given or bestowed) my words in thy mouth.
Put forth: An apostolic reaching.
10 See, I have this day set thee over the nations and over the kingdoms, to root out(To uproot and expel) , and to pull down (to pull, tear, and break down) , and to destroy(to exterminate and cause to perish), and to throw down (overthrow), to build(build and establish), and to plant.
Jer 1:17 Thou therefore gird up thy loins and arise,(metaphorically; become spiritually ready, and stand up)) and speak unto them all that I command thee (and speak unto them with the same intensity, accuracy, and intention, all which I spoke to you and charged you with) : be not dismayed (do not break down and become demoralized) at their faces, lest I confound thee(cause you to be terrified) before them.
18 For, behold, I have made thee this day a defenced city( a city which has become a fortress), and an iron pillar, and brasen walls(a bronze wall) against the whole land, against the kings of Judah, against the princes(officials) thereof, against the priests thereof, and against the people of the land.
19 And they shall fight(wage war) against thee; but they shall not prevail( not overcome) against thee; for I am with thee, saith the LORD, to deliver thee.
The Prophetic Office in The Church
2 Timothy 4:5 But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry.
Carry out every aspect and phase of God’s callings to their utter fullness and completion.
Colossians 4:17 And say to Archippus, Take heed (Carefully consider your ministry) to the ministry which thou hast received in the Lord, that thou fulfil it.( that you would complete it by filling it up; hence fulfilling it)
2 Timothy 1:6 Wherefore I put thee in remembrance that thou stir up(continuously bring up to flames, or fire, the gift by constant exercise) the gift of God, which is in thee by the putting on of my hands.
Romans 12:6 Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith;
7 Or ministry, let us wait on our ministering: or he that teacheth, on teaching;
Greek: Ministry in the sphere of (our) ministry.
Ministry must be executed in the realm of the ministry to which we have been called to; no more and no less. This is what Paul means by our ministry, let us wait on our ministering. In other words let us minister only in the ministries that God has called us to.
1 Chronicles 25:1 Moreover David and the captains of the host separated to the service of the sons of Asaph, and of Heman, and of Jeduthun, who should prophesy(were prophesying) with harps, with psalteries(guitars), and with cymbals: and the number of the workmen( men or persons in general, involved in their respective occupations according to their ministry)according to their service (religious ministry) was:
The above scriptures show us the importance of knowing our ministries and being devoted to them.
Remember; walk in your ministry and calling, and not in Christian activities!
Romans 12:7 He that teaches, in the sphere of the teaching (He that is called to teach, let him teach the part of the Word of God that God has anointed him to do.)
8 or he that exhorteth, on exhortation: he that giveth,(imparting) let him do it with simplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that sheweth mercy, with cheerfulness.
He or she that is exhorting in the sphere of exhortation (He or she that are called to exhort, let them exhort with the type of exhortation that the Lord has called us to specifically perform.)
He or she that are imparting let them do it with open-handed generosity that seeks nothing back in the process.
“Giving” in this scripture is really defines as impartation. Impartation is much more than a simple giving of something that we have in our possession. Impartation is the transmittal of something, which is very much a part of, and is precious to us. It is not only our physical possessions, but also what is emotionally and spiritually valuable to us.
When we impart something we give to someone something of ourselves, which is precious to us, and part of us, and that we have usually acquired through the fire of trials.
The New Testament church consists much of impartation, and little of simple superficial giving.
Romans 12:8 Or he that exhorteth, on exhortation: he that giveth,(imparting) let him do it with simplicity; he that ruleth,( they that are placed at the front) with diligence(with earnestness and godly haste to rule); he that sheweth mercy, with cheerfulness (a hilarious attitude)
Acts 21:9 And the same man had four daughters, virgins, which did prophesy.(were continuously prophesying)( Greek verb; present participle)
One who is called into the prophetic ministry should never be content to give one or two prophecies, but should attempt to have the prophetic gift continuously flow out of him of her for the benefit of others.
1 Corinthians 14:26 How is it then, brethren? when ye come together, every one of you hath a psalm, hath a doctrine, hath a tongue, hath a revelation, hath an interpretation. Let all things be done unto edifying.
Greek: What is it brethren? Whenever the time may be that you assemble yourselves, each of you a psalm (hymns; a means of putting OT psalms to music) has, a teaching has, a tongue has, a revelation has, an interpretation has. All things for building up let it be done.
Notice the body ministry of the early church versus our present “models” which have a few people ministering.
1 Cor 14 :1 Follow ( persecute) after charity, and desire( have a godly jealousy for) spiritual gifts, but rather that ye may prophesy.
I Cor 14:3 But he that prophesieth speaketh unto men to edification(the building up of the body of Christ), and exhortation,( encouragement , admonition, and warning) and comfort.( to persuade, arouse and stimulate into Christian action)
26 If any man speak in an unknown tongue, let it be by two, or at the most by three, and that by course; and let one interpret.
Greek: If anyone speak with a tongue let it be in two (sentences) or at the most in three (sentences) done in succession, and one interpret.
27 But if there be no interpreter, let him keep silence in the church; and let him speak to himself, and to God.
The person is commanded to keep silent and speak to him or herself and to God if there is no one that can interpret.
1 Corinthians 14:29 Let the prophets speak two or three, and let the other judge. (Discern).
Two or three prophets can prophecy in succession and the rest of the church must discern the spirit of the prophets. Many churches to day have totally closed down the gift of prophecy, but the Word of God teaches us otherwise.
31 For ye may all prophesy one by one, that all may learn, and all may be comforted.
Greek: You are all able to prophesy one by one, that you may all learn, and that all may be exhorted.
Some of the most memorable church services that I have ever been to, have been the very few in which the pastor turned the service and microphone over to the congregation and allow those which wanted to minister to come up one by one to the front. Let me tell you, I was greatly edified because the church in this instance was operating in the way that it was intended to, as a body.
32 And the spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets.
Greek: And the spirits of the prophets are in continuous military subjection to the prophets.
We must never be scared of false prophecy. If it is false, it is our responsibility to discern it but never to quench.
1 Corinthians 14:39 Wherefore, brethren, covet( be jealous) to prophesy, and forbid not (do not hinder or withhold) to speak with tongues.
Jose and Mary Alvarez 