Hello RV. Welcome to the new forum.
You wrote:
Anyone one of you have it? If not, do you know someone who does? Do you have any stories of when you have seen the gift used?
I've heard some say it happens when someone is teaching. Meaning: When a pastor is giving a message and it happens to be right where you're at, that is prophecy.
Thoughts, comments, stories/experience.
The gift of prophecy was discussed on Steve Gregg's old forum. The discussion didn't last long but below is an excerpt from my first post. There you'll see a prophecy that I posted from a church service I attended.
You probably know that some Christians don't believe this gift is "for today." Some, as you hinted at, think the gift can happen happen during a sermon or a regular discussion with someone. I think they could happen in this way too. However, the gift of prophecy exercised in the church is a special gift, in my opinion, as you will see below.
Also, no one that I know of who has been used in spiritual gifts has ever claimed to "have" them, as if they "owned" them. Godly Christians I've known realize and say the Holy Spirit distributes the gifts according to God's will. Of course, some Christians do claim to "be" prophets. Jeannie-Marie (who you will read about below) has been used in this gift since the 1970s. So much so that I could consider her a prophetess. However, to my knowledge she has never made such a claim. I would think she would see this as offensive to God (as she is a very humble lady). But this is a side topic.
Here's my (old) post.
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The Gift of Prophecy
1 Corinthians 12-14 gives guidelines on the exercise of spiritual gifts. Chapter 14, in particular, outlines how prophecy, and tongues with the interpretation of tongues, are to be done. I don't want to do a full 'teaching' here but want to point to a few things and get a discussion going.
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Foretelling Prophecy:
Predictions Along the Path
Acts 21, NIV
7We continued our voyage from Tyre and landed at Ptolemais, where we greeted the brothers and stayed with them for a day. 8Leaving the next day, we reached Caesarea and stayed at the house of Philip the evangelist, one of the Seven. 9He had four unmarried daughters who prophesied.
10After we had been there a number of days, a prophet named Agabus came down from Judea. 11Coming over to us, he took Paul's belt, tied his own hands and feet with it and said, "The Holy Spirit says, 'In this way the Jews of Jerusalem will bind the owner of this belt and will hand him over to the Gentiles.' "
12When we heard this, we and the people there pleaded with Paul not to go up to Jerusalem. 13Then Paul answered, "Why are you weeping and breaking my heart? I am ready not only to be bound, but also to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus." 14When he would not be dissuaded, we gave up and said, "The Lord's will be done."
This example of Agabus and Paul perfectly illustrates foretelling or predictive prophecy. It differs from forthtelling prophecy in one way: it predicts events. I've known several people, maybe about five or so, who were used in the gift of prophecy like this. I could give two examples from my own life when two people "spoke to me in the name of the Lord." What they said was
much more than "an encouraging word from Lord." They were given precise details about my life
that only God could know. I won't go into what they said other than to say, "They spoke for, or as, God: And it changed my life!"
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Forthtelling Prophecy:
Instructive Words of Strength, Encouragement, and Comfort to the Church
1 Corinthians 14, NIV
2For anyone who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to God. Indeed, no one understands him; he utters mysteries with his spirit. 3But everyone who prophesies speaks to men for their strengthening, encouragement and comfort. 4He who speaks in a tongue edifies himself, but he who prophesies edifies the church. 5I would like every one of you to speak in tongues, but I would rather have you prophesy. He who prophesies is greater than one who speaks in tongues, unless he interprets, so that the church may be edified.
29Two or three prophets should speak, and the others should weigh carefully what is said. 30And if a revelation comes to someone who is sitting down, the first speaker should stop. 31For you can all prophesy in turn so that everyone may be instructed and encouraged.
Here Paul touches on how the gift of tongues for the church (as distinct from "personal prayer language") with the accompanying interpretation is equivalent to prophesying: The "utterance" in tongues is interpreted. Many people (like some of we FBFF folks) have never seen these gifts in operation. And from what I've been hearing from a reliable source, they have been waning in many Pentecostal churches in the last couple decades.
Paul doesn't specifically say it, but in my experience, people who are used in the gift of prophecy quite often speak for God
in the first person. They may or may not say "Thus says the Lord." They may say "I" as God speaking directly to the people.
Let me give a recent example.
Not long ago, I got back in touch with someone I've known since the 70s. She (her name is Jeannie-Marie) was used by God in prophecy and was one of the two people who spoke to me in a "foretelling" and life-changing way. I went to visit her church, which she and her husband, Ron, pastor.
A week or so before the visit.
I was in a deep study of Revelation 20-22, which I'm still doing. This study has led to considerations of The Temple in both testaments. In the NT, and without citing passages, The Temple of God is depicted in different ways as: (1) Jesus' own body; Jesus who embodied everything the Temple really stood for, (2) The Church or Body of Christ, "Do you not know your bodies are a temple of the Holy Spirit?" wrote Paul, (3) in Hebrews The Temple of the Old Covenant was a mere "shadow" of the reality to be found in Christ; we have a new and better High Priest in Jesus, (4) in Revelation, The Temple is in some way, the New Heavens and New Earth, the New Jerusalem coming down from God:
the True Holy of Holies. We have approached Mount Zion and that heavenly city, for she is our mother, wrote Paul.
Forthtelling Prophecy:
Instruction, Strength, Encouragement, and Comfort in Action.
Just before going to Ron & Jeannie-Marie's church, I scanned over some notes I had made in this study, being in a state of meditation, contemplating these things. During the service and before the sermon, Jeannie-Marie prophesied. These are close to her actual words:
"Thus says the Lord, O My people! Come!
I have prepared The Way for you to enter into My Courts with thanksgiving! O rise up, come, and enter! I stand as your Advocate in the Holy of Holies. O Come! Enter into My Presence! O My People, I hear your prayers! Come, O come! and receive all that My Father has prepared for you! Lean not on the flesh but enter in, enter in! O My people, arise, come, and draw near to Me, says the Lord!"
This prophecy spoke directly to the insides of my heart in confirmation of all I had been studying....
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(Me posting now).
Obviously, it's difficult to communicate feelings or emotions felt over the internet (it's hard enough to explain spiritual experiences in person). My last sentence above was the best I could do at the time....
For more on spiritual gits, see, "Charisma and Character" under Topical Lectures:
http://www.thenarrowpath.com/
Lastly, I'm in the middle of studying other topics now but can come back here.
I hope this post and links are of some help to you, RV.
Also, I don't want to debate about spiritual gifts; if anyone would like to do that, please start a new thread.
Thanks,
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