Given the plethora of alleged prophets and prophetic words available at our fingertips these days, it can be difficult to sort out what’s real or fake regarding prophecy. Photo by Jess Bailey on Unsplash Setting aside Old Testament and apocalyptic prophecy for the moment, let’s look at the spiritual gift of prophecy (see 1 Cor. 12:7-11; Rom. 12:4-7). Prophecy is God speaking to people through people to reveal his present priorities in a personal way. Paul writes, “Pursue love and desire spiritual gifts, and especially that you may prophesy…the person who prophesies Continue Reading
Prophecy is not a toy (so handle it with care)
Through the gift of prophecy, the Holy Spirit offers followers of Jesus strength, encouragement and comfort for their trials (1 Cor. 14:1-5). Prophecy also serves as a powerful weapon for spiritual warfare (1 Tim. 1:18). That said, powerful weapons require handling with care. I became familiar with prophecy decades ago in a small, start-up fellowship. Most of us were in our twenties. What we lacked in wisdom, we made up for with zeal, especially regarding prophetic words. Unfortunately, we weren’t taught how to deliver words within the healthy guidelines provided by Scripture. Turns Continue Reading
Why “Destiny” Must Take a Back Seat to Humility
Two young sons of a pastor got involved in a typical sibling squabble. They sparred verbally until the older brother had enough—and he knew just how to shut down the fight. Photo by Danica Tanjutco on Unsplash With condescending glance and tone, he simply stated, “You have no destiny.” If you’re a charismatic Christian, you know that’s the worst insult he could have come up with! I’ve spent my entire life in Pentecostal/Charismatic circles, and I’m grateful for my background and history in many ways. That said, I see both strengths and weaknesses in my Continue Reading
No, Sister, You Don’t Have a “Jezebel Spirit”
Author’s note: this article was originally published by CBEinternational.org. The church faces a huge crisis today. More and more (mostly) female survivors are courageously speaking out about the sexual abuse they’ve endured from pastors and other spiritual leaders. Photo by Aditya Saxena at Unsplash One deflection method used by guilty parties is pointing out the sin of other ministers so people won’t detect their own similar behavior. Another is crying, “I’m under demonic attack!” And within these deflections, an evil spirit named after a certain woman Continue Reading