I was recently being interviewed on a national television show and was asked the question, "Why would we need prophets to speak to us today?" My answer was simple and to the point. As Christians, we are to be "fed and led" to become His voice--fed by the Word and led by the Spirit, because unless the Spirit alights (settles) on the Word, there is no voice.
Let me tell you why I believe this. There are many lazy people in the Church and, for them, the easiest way to hear God is to be fed by someone who is "close" to God. Psychics are extremely popular in the world because people don't know how to hear for themselves, and so they hope the psychics will deliver a message about their present state or their future. Unfortunately, this mindset has crept into the Church and, actually, the prophet has been demoted to a spiritual psychic. The fact is, the only reason that it is important that you hear God speaking to you is so that you can become a voice yourself--an expression, NOT an opinion.
Don't be hasty to speak on God's behalf, for there is always time to utter a word but never time to take it back. Secrecy has the feel of divinity. There are times when silence is deafening and speaks more than a thousand words. We often waste time giving words and truth to the ignorant. Even our Lord taught us that there were times to share parables with the masses, and then there were times to share deeper truths with the few that had an ear to hear.
Luis de Gongora, Spain's great Baroque poet, defended his "Solitudes" with these words: "It has been a matter of honor to me to make myself obscure to the ignorant, for that is what distinguishes the learned; to speak in a style that seems Greek to the ignorant, for precious pearls should not be cast before swine."
How many times have I been asked, "So what is God telling you about me?" and I've answered, "I don't know, but I know what He's telling me about me." The Word, as we know, is Jesus Christ. John the Baptist was doing his work as a prophet and, while baptizing many, Jesus approached him and told him that it was time for him to baptize Jesus. When John baptized Jesus (the Word), the Spirit lightened upon Him like a dove, and once this happened there was a Voice that came from Heaven that they heard clearly. This gives us a clear lesson about God's expression under the reign of Christ. The only way that you can be fed and then led is to feed on God's Word. Jesus said, "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God." It doesn't say "proceeded," but "proceeds," which is ongoing or present.
The Three Steps of Truth
Having the Word in you is not enough. Only when the Spirit lightened upon the Word (Christ), did the Voice come from Heaven. The Spirit has to connect with the Word inside of you in order to become a voice, and depending on how much of the Word you have inside of you determines the depth of expression. Let's talk about truth. The Bible states, "You shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free." Truth requires three steps:
1. Revelation
2. Illumination
3. Inspiration
Revelation is the discovery of the truth. Illumination is the understanding of the discovered truth. Inspiration is the communication of the discovered, understood truth. These three steps have to connect; otherwise, you will have a voice that utters truth without understanding or truth without inspiration.
Truth, Without Spirit, is "Truth in the Tomb"
The Bible also says, "Your Word is truth." When God gives you truth, it is impossible to communicate the truth without having illumination, which is what the Spirit does with the Word that is inside of you. The discovery of truth is such an exciting experience and yet, for some, it is literally soul-destroying because it usually does not fit into their staple diet and daily routine. Revelation comes upon us with the chaos of life itself, reproducing the chaotic randomness of pure experience. It is unpredictable and will cause chaos in your regular, stagnant life.
In the Spirit world, it is our enemy who watches us to trip us up, and the only way that he can do this is if we lack truth and understanding. Knowledge is power, but it is not attained through the senses. It is only attained by the Spirit. Remember these words from an old teacher: "It is easy to kill a bird in a straight line, but not the one that changes its line of flight." The discovery of truth will change your line of flight a few times and completely stump your adversary who is seeking whom he may devour.
Becoming the Voice of God requires that you consume the Word. What does this mean? Many people think that reading the Bible is adequate and that nothing else is required. While there may be some truth to this, I want to take you to John 4 where Jesus spoke to the Samaritan woman at the well drawing water. During the course of their conversation, she starts making a statement that places a question about territories. She says in verses 20: "Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, and you Jews say that in Jerusalem is the place where one ought to worship."
In verses 21-24, Jesus said to her, "Woman, believe Me, the hour is coming when you will neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem worship the Father...but the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth...God is Spirit."
What I understand about this is that there are two dimensions of communication with God that ought to be applied to the issue of being "fed" by the Word: Truth and spirit. Truth without spirit is truth in "the tomb." Truth with spirit is truth in "the womb." Truth in the tomb is still truth, but it is buried, established and dead. It is historical truth. It can be resurrected, but then it still takes Spirit to resurrect it. Truth in the womb is creative truth, and at the right time will be born and will breathe and grow. So to become the voice of God, you should read the Word, indeed, but God is also a Spirit and will also speak to you. This is commonly known as "rhema," the spoken word. Following Jesus means you are going to have to HEAR HIS VOICE from HEAVEN, not ONLY FROM PAGES.
A Voice on Earth to Agree with the Voice in Heaven
Here is something very interesting. In Hebrews 1:1-3 it says, "God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things...and upholding all things by the word of His power..."
Acts 9:3-19 says that Saul of Tarsus was traveling to Damascus and was struck and blinded by the light, and he heard the voice of Jesus speaking to him directly. Saul calls Him "Lord" and then Jesus instructs him to go into the city to a certain house on Straight Street, to await further instruction. Why didn't Jesus just tell Saul everything at that point? Why did He withhold certain information about his future? Instead, Jesus seeks out a man by the name of Ananias and instructs him to go to Straight Street, where Saul is, and deliver a word to him. Jesus will speak truth from Heaven and from the Earth; from the Spirit and through the flesh. Read this to understand a little further:
"See that you do not refuse Him who speaks. For if they did not escape who refused Him who spoke on earth, much more shall we not escape if we turn away from Him who speaks from Heaven... Therefore, since we are receiving a Kingdom, which cannot be shaken, let us have grace..." Hebrews 12:25-28
When Jesus spoke to Saul on the road, He spoke to him from Heaven, but when Ananias spoke to Saul, it was from the Earth. Hebrews simply says that we are "receiving" a Kingdom, which cannot be shaken. Saul of Tarsus was receiving the Kingdom, as the appointed heir of all things spoken to him, and established it on earth by speaking to him through one of his joint-heirs--Ananias.
You have the power to become the voice of God. What you need to understand is that long before Ananias spoke to Saul in the House of Judas on Straight Street, Jesus had already spoken it from Heaven. Someone on the Earth has to have a voice to AGREE with the VOICE IN HEAVEN. I want it to be you.
I am a firm believer that God blesses obedience before sacrifice. The prophet Samuel told King Saul that "to obey is greater than to sacrifice." This tells me that obedience is the key to everything we do in our walk with God. Over the years, I have discovered that when you obey God and it requires a sacrifice AS WELL, that you receive a double blessing--one for obedience and another for sacrifice.
We have been told by God that this year is a season of unique and unusual miracles, and I firmly believe it. Do something unusual so that God can do something unusual for you. In your giving, allow God to speak to you--and obey Him--even if what He told you to do seems challenging, because if you obey Him and act, so will He!
I anticipate something beautiful and wonderful to happen to you!
Kim Clement
Prophetic Image Expressions
Email: hope@kimclement.com
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