Striking prophetic vision : Despising prophecy : Video discussion : Guest blogger Kathi Sharpe

Striking prophetic vision : Despising prophecy : Guest blogger Kathi Sharpe

NOTE: We will be discussing this topic LIVE TONIGHT at 7pm Central time! (Tuesday, April 7, 2009) : http://www.praytherevolution.com/live

As you may know, I’ve had a strong disturbance in my spirit regarding the handling of prophecy and prophetic people.  Scripture makes it so very clear that we are all to prophesy and we must not quench the Spirit nor despise prophecies.  Yet, it seems that many (most?) are suspicious and even deeply resistant to prophecy today.

Are there issues to contend with?  Yes. Is the appropriate reaction to shut it down? No.  The ‘false-berean’ spirit that’s invading the church today is doing much damage and we must humbly and boldly deal with it- quickly.

I have a very simple question: If we don’t embrace prophecy, how can we know what God wants for us? Of course, we have the perfect Word of God, the Bible.  However, there are also continual, daily, personal and corporate instructions that we must receive via the Rhema Word of God if we are to advance in confidence and obedience.  How would Gideon have known how to advance in battle via an extremely bizarre strategy if he hadn’t heard God’s voice?  He wouldn’t have.  Without God’s instruction for that unique situation, Gideon would have failed.  How often does this play out in Christian’s lives today?

My book Revelation Driven Prayer deals with this topic extensively. What if Gideon were alive today? How would he advance? He would hear God’s voice and respond.  We are to live this way as well.

Well, the attack on the prophetic is increasing at just the time when we must actually see a radical increase in prophetic activity.  Kathi Sharp sent me the following email and I asked if I could post it to my blog.  It’s a striking vision regarding the treatment of prophets and prophecy.  Also, you can check out her revival site here.

I’ve been doing a tiny amount of work on the revival site this morning…. grabbing some of your posts and linking back (nowhere near done). I was just re-reading your post titled “strong prophetic word” – the one that you linked my review of your book into – (this one) …

Now, you’ve got to understand. I’m only half awake as I’m doing this. I got up very early this morning so that I could have a solitary cup of coffee, six hours prior to some medical tests they’re doing on me later. So “awake” was not describing me.

Just skimming along to see if I want to include this particular post on the revival site, not really reading in-depth – know what I mean? I got to the part about prophecy being violently opposed and I felt (quite literally) a knife thrust into my back. OK, now I’m awake. I’m filled with an almost overwhelming feeling of hurt and betrayal. Obviously God wanted my attention about this. And He wanted me to share it with you so here goes.

I felt the knife and the emotion and I said, “Lord, what is this?” I saw an array of faces of various prophetic-type church leaders/ministers (I don’t think that identities matter – they were “prophetic leaders” small and large – you were one, so was I, a few “famous” folks too). These people were obviously and emphatically leaders, but not in any way arrogant. This sense of leadership was godly and called, not forced or coerced. These were people who should have been respected and honored and loved by those they led.

Sneaking around behind them were other people, dressed like roman soldiers (?) and carrying swords. They had shifty eyes. Most of the swords are well-used and have old blood on them. A few are new. They’re not “proper” soldiers – there’s no military bearing about them – it’s more like they’re dressed up AS soldiers, if that makes sense. These people aren’t heresy hunters. These are people within the church, known to the leaders, loved by the leaders.

There were also others standing around. At first they seemed to be on the side of the leaders, but this changed.

The people dressed as soldiers sneak up behind those that prophesy/lead and stab them in the back, looking triumphant as they do so. Sometimes they stab once, sometimes repeatedly. This is a quiet action – not like battle. More like Judas kissing Jesus.

Instantly the perception changes so that I’m seeing things from the soldier’s perspective: obviously the soldiers have banded together and consider themselves to be the “good guys”. The leaders are the “bad guys” and “must” be undermined, taken down, betrayed, or otherwise removed from power. Those standing by shifted from agreeing with the leaders to agreeing with the soldiers. There was a heaviness of deception as those standing around shifted their allegience.

But this attack cannot be done from the front – only from behind. The soldiers did not seem to want to be in power – they just did not want these leaders to be the ones in power. They wanted “better” leaders. This type of control is insidious, akin to raising up a puppet king to rule.

One thing that grabbed my attention is that no one moved to protect the leaders. Like there was approval of what the soldiers were doing, or an unwillingness of anyone to stand and fight or confront them. Apathy? The leaders were left standing, bleeding, alone. No one cared that they were hurt. No one cared that they had been betrayed. No one was willing to risk a confrontation.

The leaders did not fight back.

Another thing that grabbed at me is the fact that many of the swords had obviously been used for this purpose before. And yet these soldiers were still in the position where they were able to stab the leaders in the back. The soldiers didn’t leave the church to find another, they didn’t accept leadership… they simply quietly moved to disable the leadership and replace it with something more to their liking.

My attention keeps being drawn to the sandals the soldiers wore. They were worn and dirty and looked uncomfortable. I’m not sure why but I think they represent the soldiers deliberately walking in unholiness and refusing to change. And for trampling things underfoot.

There’s sawdust or confetti or something of that consistency on the floor, too – these are prophecies that have been given by the leaders and refused by the soldiers, shredded and discarded and despised like so much trash because the soldiers don’t want change, don’t want transformation, don’t want Jesus to invade their quiet peaceful lives and so they shred the prophecies and stab the leaders and do everything they can to maintain the status quo.

I put that in red because there’s something important about the sawdust that I’m missing, or not realizing the importance of, and I’m not sure what. Sandals and sawdust.

Broken. Off to pray.

Kathi Sharpe

Thoughts?  Let’s discuss it TONIGHT at 7pm! http://www.praytherevolution.com/live