The Necessity of Scripture

2 Timothy 3:16, "All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness". Paul goes on to tell Timothy that through the Scriptures that every man of God can be fully furnished for good works. Here's what I'm learning: If you want to know what God is saying, then you need to know what He has already said.

I have a lot of friends who are very much involved in prophetic ministry. They are a fun crew to hang out with. Their ability to recognize God in different situations, to hear His voice, and see Him at work in people's lives is amazing. One common theme in most of their lives is this - they understand the Scriptures. And I believe that it is through the written Word of God that they have gained access to the spoken Word of God.

God didn't stop speaking because we finally got a collection of books together called the Bible. However, since God is so amazingly consistent in His nature (Malachi 3:6), the Word of God becomes an unshakable foundation. Paul was very clear in His instruction to his young disciple Timothy: Use the Scriptures!!! This statement does not negate the necessity of prophetic ministry - people need to hear God speaking into their lives. But any "prophetic" ministry that does not have a firm grasp upon the Scriptures can easily go into error.

Over the last few years, I have encountered a lot of different people in this arena. I have also watched people absolutely shut down any type of prophetic ministry in their lives because of fear. It's sad...but if you have experienced people who haven't operated in love and humility, the results can be devastating.

There are groups of Christians who do not believe in prophetic ministry because they feel as though it is adding to the Word of God. But true and genuine prophetic people don't seek to add to or take away. They simply want to bring Edification, Encouragement, and Comfort to your life. They have been trained to hear the Lord speak in a variety of ways and they seek to build you up. With that being said, a prophetic word can have just as much impact in your life because it is God speaking into you through another person. It's not Scripture but it should be scriptural in its application.

I want to give you some tips on how to receive a prophetic word:
1) Write it down
- Depending upon the situation, you may be too emotional to remember everything that is being said. You also want to record the word so you can go back to it.
2) Check it against what God has already spoken to you or what He has revealed in His Word
- Many times, a prophetic word is a confirmation of what God is already saying to you. There may be times when God reveals some new things to you in the process, however, I found that God often uses people to help bring clarity to how He is leading you already.
3) Don't be too quick to receive the word or to negate the word
- Unless the word immediately clicks in my spirit, I'm not quick to receive what is being spoken over my life. I will thank the person for their encouragement and tell them that I will be praying about this. On the other hand, I have witnessed people immediately turn it down. This could be done for a variety of reasons but I don't want any of us to be like Naaman (2 Kings 5) who immediately rejected a word from Elisha. If it wasn't for one of his servants, he would have never received his healing.

In writing all of this I realize that prophetic ministry isn't common in most churches. Many believe that New Testament prophecy is supposed to be weighed the same as Old Testament prophecy or there is confusion between the office of the Prophet and prophetic ministry. While I do not have time to get into the particulars, I will say this: What we do in the New Testament through the gifts of the Holy Spirit is different from what we see in the Old Testament. In the OT, you judge the prophet. In the NT, you judge the prophecy. What's the difference? The Holy Spirit makes the difference because now you have this internal check.

What I want to encourage you with is this: If you are really seeking God and want Him to reveal Himself in your life...get into His Word. God has revealed Himself in some amazing ways. You have the opportunity EVERY DAY to discover more of His nature, more of His love, and more of His will for your life. Learning to hear God in what He has already revealed sets you up to hear Him in what He is revealing. Allow the Bible to become a place of discovery in your life. AND enjoy the journey!!!