Learning curves

Learning curves

In recent years, the delivery of prophetic ministries has undergone significant changes, with new generations of prophetic voices emerging.

Some of the well-known characters who have all recently gone to be with the Lord represent a different generation of prophetic voices compared to those heard today. They cultivated a unique perspective and gifts that are less prevalent among contemporary prophetic voices, particularly a sense of the awe of God, but I think things can change…

A new day brings renewed challenges and perspectives, and the past, as far back as you may venture, offers ample food for thought and consideration. Many wonder what God is doing with the prophetic ministry these days. Some suggest that Micah 3:5-7 holds the answer, making it worth addressing the elephant in the room and raising a few eyebrows.

We must endeavour to do everything to prevent anything that brings the valuable gift and ministry of prophecy into disrepute, whether it’s issues about social media, pointless predictions, or pay-per-click prophecies.

In the words of Howard Marshall in his commentary on Acts, “The possession of any kind of spiritual authority is a solemn responsibility rather than a privilege, and its possessor must constantly be aware of the temptation to domineer over those for whose spiritual welfare he is responsible; he must also beware of the danger of using his position for his own ends, whether as a means of making money or bolstering his own ego.”

The gift of prophecy is given and inspired by God – not on demand, but as and when He chooses to disclose or reveal His word. We shouldn’t be flippant or take the prophetic ministry lightly; but at the same time, we shouldn’t take ourselves too seriously either. Remember, God can speak through a donkey.

It’s difficult to tell whether we’ve made any real progress in our understanding of prophetic ministry in recent years. One would think there would be a greater emphasis on holiness, grace, and obedience, and that we would have made more headway in terms of accountability by now. But has it all come to a screeching halt? Is the take-it-or-leave-it, “you can be a prophet if you want to” attitude towards the things of God bringing down the curtain on something once precious and essential for the life of the Church?  Has the canker worm of nominalism found its mark? When the cry goes up, “Where is the God of Elijah?” some perhaps are asking, “Who is Elijah?”  It may prove a valid point but I have a different viewpoint – God is profoundly at work! We don’t build His Church, but we are co-workers with Him in all that He is doing today. This is a day of remarkable opportunity and promise and anticipation, both of revival and more glorious, Christ’s glorious, long-awaited return.

We are a different generation, to those before us, but there is no scripture-honouring evidence that God speaks differently to His Church nowadays. It’s more of the same – devotion, prayer, signs, dreams, visions, and the leading of the Holy Spirit. Likewise, it cannot be suggested that prophetic ministries were at a loss in the past because they lacked the resources we have today. If anything, today is not a ‘find your mountain’  time (as per Elijah), but instead is a  time for prophetic ministry to be fully-engaged, involved, and part of the vision, ministry, and outreach of the local church.

Prophetic Standards Statement

Interestingly, a few years ago, a group of ministries released a “prophetic standards statement” to address the concerns that were being raised about somewhat ‘rogue’ prophets – personally, I consider it a needless exercise, given that the Scriptures already provide clear guidelines for the use of the gifts of the Spirit, including prophecy in its various forms. This is where accountability in a local church, exegesis, and theology prove their worth! One of their comments read:

“At a time when there are many questions in the Body concerning the gift of prophecy and the ministry of the prophet, and in light of the needs of local pastors as well as individual believers to have practical guidelines for processing prophetic words, as Pentecostal and Charismatic leaders, we felt that now was the opportune moment to produce this current document… our purpose is to help provide scriptural guidelines for the operation of the gift of prophecy and the functioning of the ministry of the prophet, while at the same time affirming the importance of these gifts and ministries.”

No matter how you approach the ministry of the prophet, God continues to speak as He always has. There are no shortcuts, secrets, or improvisations; God clearly reveals His purpose to the Church through His Word, through preaching, and through the mouths of His prophets.

God uses us in His timing and for His sovereign and providential purposes.

Some may question whether our modern churches reflect what the Holy Spirit intends for post-modern church life, especially concerning the roles and dynamics of the Holy Spirit. There are also questions about the gifts of the Spirit and prophecy and how we have lost the understanding of God’s timing and His use of us in His timing for His sovereign and providential purposes.

Another consideration is that we haven’t fully grasped that prophecy and prophetic words, while not equal to Scripture, are essential to our walk with God and each other as a people of hope. The broken world we live in today clearly and desperately needs Jesus, and that’s where the church including prophets, apostles, evangelists and a multitude of other ministries comes in. Prophetic ministry simply has to be comfortable in its own skin, not rattled by rejection, or suspicion, questionable agenda’s or the ‘mute’ button activated.

Intimacy with God

Prophets need to pick themselves up and remember what God has already done in their lives. Looking back on the interventions, blessings and encouragements of God is (unlike for financial investments) a guarantee of the future. When we reflect on our past, we see how much we’ve grown and learned, often through challenging experiences. We can see how God was always there, coaching us through tough times and helping us understand more about who He is. It’s easy to miss these lessons when we’re in the midst of them, but looking back, we see how much God has been teaching us all along. God is with us and for us in ways we cannot comprehend. We don’t know what we don’t know, but God is knowable, and His engagement with us in the deep recesses of our lives is with that in mind. The more we know Him, the better equipped we are to worship Him.

Responsibility

Life is a huge learning curve. The prophetic ministry has a significant responsibility to present itself with humility, transparency, and unquestionable integrity. Isn’t that what prophets are meant to be like? The prophetic ministry reaffirms and asserts not so much fresh revelations, but at its heart, it continues to assert the message of the gospel and the grace of God. Sooner or later, our learning curve brings us to a fresh consideration of the Cross and all the wonders of grace extended to us.

Genuine words of knowledge and prophetic utterances can stir the heart of the Church, but the gospel gives you a rock to stand on when the storms of life rage around and underneath you. Authentic prophetic ministry always stirs you to pursue God with all your heart, to make Jesus the magnificent obsession of your heart.

In Christ, guilt is gone, shame is removed, and the righteousness of Christ has been imputed to us.

When we look back on our lives and up towards God with an understanding of the good news of the gospel and what Jesus accomplished for us on the Cross, we realise that our sins have been forgiven and we are reconciled to God. Guilt is gone, shame is removed, and the righteousness of Christ has been imputed to us. We are holy. We sin, but we are no longer sinners. Our new default position is that we are the righteousness of God in Christ! Everything has changed!

A Few Questions

The learning curve for all of this is immense. What shall separate us from the love of God? How far is the East from the West? How new is a new creation? If you are seated with Christ in heavenly places, what does the world look like? There is so much to learn, but look at what you have already learned – it is an immense learning curve!

God is always at work in our hearts and lives, and sometimes we have no idea of the incredible work He’s done until we review it on the final day. Trust that He’s always working for your good and His glory, even when you can’t see it.

Daughters who prophesy…

If you read the ESV, after pushing through the drama of the Gospels, you come to another book, authored by Luke, simply called “Acts”.

It is best understood as the Acts of the Holy Spirit, but it also recounts the acts or adventures of the Church and key individuals in the early days of the Church. God was at work by His Spirit, and chapter after chapter reveals the ongoing work of God both in the Church and in the nations.

As you journey through the narrative, sipping your tea while reading about miracle after miracle, moments of shock and horror, and times of awe, suddenly, seemingly out of nowhere in Acts 21:9, we encounter an intriguing mention of Philip’s daughters who prophesied: “He had four unmarried daughters, who prophesied.” This seemingly brief reference opens up a small insight into early Christian life, including the role of women in the Church and the significance of prophetic ministry. Much has been written on the role of women in ministry, so don’t hold your breath here for anything new; I’ll leave that to the scholars. Suffice it to say, I’m more interested in the overall picture of Acts 21:9 and a few things we can learn from it.

So let’s start with Philip. We know him best as “Philip the Evangelist,” and he is a significant figure in the New Testament. He first appears in Acts 6:5 as one of the seven deacons chosen for their character to serve the early Church in Jerusalem, a group tasked with addressing the needs of the community, particularly the distribution of food to widows, freeing up time for the Apostles to devote themselves to the Word of God and prayer. It was an awesome time in the life of the Church. Serving alongside him at the time was Stephen, who also went on to do other things… Philip’s ministry, however, quickly escalates beyond these practical duties. By Acts 8, we see him evangelising in Samaria, where his preaching and miracles lead to widespread conversions. Later, he is guided by an angel to meet the Ethiopian eunuch on the road to Gaza, a pivotal moment that underscores his role as an evangelist (Acts 8:26-40). We underestimate this man. He leaves the starting block with an inspiring lifestyle. You can read about the character requirements of being a deacon – and Philip met those, as reflected by his continuing lifestyle, walking in the power of the Spirit.

Philip’s evolution from deacon to evangelist is not a promotion but a calling that reflects his growing influence and the expanding scope of his ministry. He’s no settler. His move to Caesarea, a significant Roman port city, situates him in a strategic location for spreading the gospel. It is here, in Caesarea, that we find him residing with his four daughters. By the time we hear about Philip’s daughters, Philip has met a man on a chariot, baptised him, and been carried away or transported by the Spirit. He’s never saying that church is boring.

The Daughters Who Prophesied

We’ve now come to a place of intrigue. The mention of Philip’s daughters in Acts 21:9 is noteworthy for several reasons. Firstly, it highlights the presence of prophetic gifts within his family, suggesting that the charismatic gifts of the Holy Spirit were at work not just among the apostles but within the broader Christian community, including women. There’s nothing special here, but… this is a special moment. It’s not “Philip had a son that prophesied.” We could read that and be blasé about it – no, it catches our attention. Philip had four daughters… and they prophesied. The Greek word used for “prophesied” in this text means to speak under divine inspiration, to foretell events, or to speak forth the mind and counsel of God. It implies that they didn’t just do it once or twice – all four of them were cooperating with the Holy Spirit.

The fact that all four daughters were prophets signifies a family deeply immersed in the spiritual life and the ministry of the early Church. It implies that Philip’s influence wonderfully extended to his children, who were active participants in the Church’s mission. The absence of any mention of brothers or the mother in this context does not necessarily indicate their nonexistence but rather places emphasis on these daughters’ roles in the narrative. I’m very inspired by the life, calling, and ministry of Samuel for personal reasons, but equally, this is something that may make you sit up, slurp your tea, and stare out of the window for a minute.

Prophetic Ministry in the Early Church

The role of prophecy in the early Church was pivotal and essential to their well-being. Prophets were considered conveyors of God’s messages, providing guidance, encouragement, and sometimes correction to the believers. This practice is equally well-rooted in the Old Testament, where figures like Deborah, Huldah, and Miriam were recognised as prophetesses. In the New Testament, the prophetic gift is reaffirmed in several passages, such as in 1 Corinthians 12:28, where Paul lists prophets among the gifts given to the Church, and in Acts 2:17-18, which quotes Joel’s prophecy about the outpouring of the Spirit on all people, including sons and daughters who will prophesy. There we have it – the kids get the gifts, and old ones get to nap – and to dream!

Philip’s daughters stand as a testament to the fulfilment of this prophetic promise – Joel promised it, Philip’s girls got it. Their ministry underscores the inclusive nature of the Holy Spirit’s work, transcending gender and social status, and empowering individuals based on their spiritual gifts rather than their societal position.

Lessons from Philip’s Family

Philip’s family offers several valuable lessons. First, it demonstrates the importance of a household committed to faith and spiritual growth. Philip’s example as an evangelist and a spiritual leader evidently created an environment where his daughters could develop, nurture, and exercise their prophetic gifts. Imagine the conversations they had over meals, or the dreams and visions they shared. This reflects the biblical principle found in Proverbs 22:6: “Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it” (ESV). Philip’s household would have not been far removed from Samuel’s school of the prophets!

Second, the inclusion of women in prophetic ministry highlights the early Church’s recognition and encouragement of women’s spiritual contributions. This inclusion is consistent with the ministry of Jesus, who often elevated women’s roles and broke societal norms, as seen in his interactions with women such as Mary Magdalene and the Samaritan woman at the well. Women have a valuable place of contribution that we must encourage and preserve; it’s worth every effort. Sometimes women can communicate God’s heart more clearly – no chest thumping needed.

Finally, the prophetic ministry of Philip’s daughters serves as a reminder of the diverse ways God can use families in His work. It encourages modern social-media, TikTok-driven, Facebook-using Christian families to nurture each member’s spiritual gifts and support each other in their individual callings. We’re not told any of their prophecies, their experiences, or the outcomes other than the apostles turning up at Philip’s house and there they were! In fact, they are mentioned (no names) and then we are taken to the prophetic ministry of Agabus. But there it is, God’s word attesting to them. In heaven, you may meet them, but you won’t know them by name!

Connections

The prophetic role of Philip’s daughters connects with various other biblical references to women in prophetic roles, such as Miriam, who is described as a prophetess in Exodus 15:20, and Deborah, who was both a prophetess and a judge of Israel (Judges 4:4). Over the pages, Anna the prophetess is another notable figure, who spoke about Jesus to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem (Luke 2:36-38).

The prophetic activity of Philip’s daughters also aligns with Paul’s encouragement to the Church regarding the prophetic gift. In 1 Corinthians 14:1, Paul writes, “Pursue love, and earnestly desire the spiritual gifts, especially that you may prophesy.” This emphasis on prophecy as a desirable and beneficial gift for the edification of the Church underscores its importance in early Christian communities.

Philip’s Evangelistic Role

Back to Philip – his journey from deacon to evangelist illustrates the dynamic nature of spiritual calling and ministry. His progression was not a mere career advancement but a response to God’s direction. As an evangelist, Philip’s lifestyle and dedication had a profound impact on his family. His daughters, growing up in a home where the gospel was actively shared and lived out, naturally embraced their own spiritual gifts. That’s an ambition for any Christian parent. Imagine a home where you have four prophets, and evangelist resident and the apostles are coming to stay for a few days…

This fantastic story of Philip and his daughters invites us to reflect on the environment we create within our own homes and communities. It challenges us to foster spaces where spiritual gifts can be recognised, nurtured, and exercised, regardless of gender or age. Some of the contributions can be life-transforming…