PROPHECY QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE ALWAYS WANTED TO ASK! 9/95 DO 3019
--With the Lord's Answers Summarized for Your Benefit--Part 1--The Use of Prophecy!
--Compiled by Peter A.
1. ({\ul \i Intro from Mama:)} Have you had any of the following questions: "Why does the Lord seem to be putting so much emphasis on prophecy? How much weight should we place upon prophecy in determining the Lord's will? What is the balance we are expected to have between prophecy and the rest of the 'Seven Ways to Know God's Will'?"
2. Although we have discussed these questions and others to some extent in recent GNs, because we did not cover them extensively, you may still have questions.
3. When the Lord does a new thing, such as He is doing in promoting prophecy, it can often make us a little shaky or uneasy spiritually. Human nature is such that we tend to want to cling to the old, while at the same time struggling to flow with the new way the Lord is moving. So questions often arise.
4. We have compiled a number of questions that people have asked on the subject of prophecy. We knew that you might have some of the same questions, so I recently suggested that one of our WS units take a few days off to pray and hear from the Lord about these in the course of several prophecy sessions. Not only did the Lord speak wonderfully and abundantly, giving us answers to all the questions we asked, but He poured it forth in such a volume that I had concerns that you would not even be able to read it all! So rather than give you all of the prophecies that were given for each question we asked the Lord, we've chosen to summarize them. First we give you the question, then a short answer, followed by a more lengthy one in which we quote parts of the prophecies.
5. There are too many questions to cover in only one GN, so this is the first in a series of "prophecy question and answer" GNs. I pray that these pubs will help answer the main questions that you may have about prophecy and direct revelation, and thus give you greater faith to use this wonderful tool and marvelous gift that the Lord has given us. We are so richly blessed with the privilege of having Jesus speak from Heaven, His direct Words to us personally. It is an awesome sign of His power and His Love in our midst. However, with great blessings come great responsibilities, and we must work at learning to use it wisely. Even this He has made easy for us by giving us specific instructions and guidelines. So do your best to prayerfully study so that you will be "a workman that needeth not to be ashamed," and as a result, His approval will rest upon you.
Yours in Jesus, Mama
6. (Note: Questions {\b \i 1} and {\b \i 3} were given to three separate groups of people praying at the same time. This was done to seek confirmation, to see how the Lord would answer each group on these important questions, that not only in the mouth of two or three witnesses, but in the mouths of three different {\ul \i groups} of prophets, these answers would be established. The Lord answered beautifully! Each group received very similar answers, which in some cases were almost exactly the same, while in other instances the answers complemented one another. Because there were three sessions for these particular questions, their answers are lengthier than the others.)
Question 1
7. Why is the Lord putting so much emphasis on the use of prophecy in decision-making and finding God's will?
8. Answer: The Lord is trying to train us in the use of prophecy, as we must learn to use it so that we can have closer, more intimate communication with Him. We need to learn how to properly use prophecy in order to find out the answers to today's questions and as a preparation for the Endtime.
9. The Lord gave many reasons why He is abundantly pouring forth the gift of prophecy upon the Family, and why He is expecting us to use it more than we have in the past. He said, "It is a time to tune in to the still, small voice of God." That "the time will come when you will be cut off from communications one with another. So you must learn to be led of Me, but you cannot learn that in the troublous times; it is something you must practice now."
10. He said, "It will be more difficult to walk by sight, or to lean to your own understanding in these days which are coming. You must have the guidance of the Spirit to proceed in safety."
11. He added, "These gifts are your weapons by which you may fight the good fight in these darkening days." He also said, "It is preparation for the Endtime. It is time now to practice and to exercise these gifts. ... It is to strengthen you, to inspire you, to unite My Family in My Spirit. It is preparation for the future." That, "in desiring and exercising it, the Family will also have an extra desire for My Word. ... This is a new thing for your young people, to see the Word come alive in the Spirit!"
12. In one of the other simultaneous sessions the Lord said, "It is My will that you be set free from legalism or from conventions which have held you too bound, too restricted. And one way that you will be set free is through this gift of prophecy, because it will bring you close to Me. ... These Words that I give you are again My Love embodied and personified--gifts of love for you to enjoy and revel in. This is one of the main uses ... for you to enjoy Me and to love Me and to know Me better."
13. He said, "They [EDITED: "prophecies"] are for your encouragement, to strengthen your faith to know that I am in the midst of you. ... You need this personal touch to know that I am there at every step. ... As My children everywhere seek to do My will, they will need to have this close communication to know My will."
14. In another prophecy He said, "You have need of this close, intimate, personal communication and hearing from Me, that I may lead and guide you to the End." Again He said, "For as you do go into the Endtime, it is necessary ... that each of you have a close link with Me." Also, "It is My way to love you, to put My Spirit in your tongues, to feel you move with what I have to say to you. It is My Love for you, and it is My way to give you the instruction that you need."
15. In another prophecy He said, "I want to breathe in your ear My Spirit, My Words, My instructions, that you might have the power to fulfill that which I have commanded."
16. In the third prophecy group the Lord said, "I give you the sure words of prophecy ... which do supply that which you need for the day. For you walk in a strange and different time." Also, "I give you words of wisdom to know how you shall apply these things ... which were not written in My Book, which concern you for this time, the time of great trouble and confusion." In another prophecy He said, "For you must know what I have to say to you for this situation, for this day, for this time, for this moment, for this minute."
17. Another prophecy said, "Now that we are approaching the End, He wants to bestow upon you yet another vehicle, a faster way to know His will, a better way to know Him personally. ... This is growing you up into a new sphere, into a new maturity, so that you will know Him and follow Him even closer than ever before. It's a reward ... and a gift of love for your faithfulness. ... He's giving you, in these Last Days, an opportunity to hear better, to get even closer."
18. So as you can see, the Lord is clearly stating why He wants us to exercise the gift of prophecy:
1) To prepare us for the Endtime.
2) As a reward for our faithfulness.
3) To give us answers for the difficult and complex days in which we live.
4) To draw us closer to Him.
5) To keep us from leaning to our own understanding, which is dangerous.
6) To provide us with weapons of war.
7) To strengthen our faith.
8) To inspire us and encourage us.
9) To unify the Family.
10) To give us more desire for the Word.
11) To help our young people see the Word come alive.
12) To set us free from legalism.
13) To help us enjoy life.
14) To help us know and understand Him better.
15) To help us be more thankful to Him.
16) To help us to know how much He loves us, how He is right there to help us when we need it.
17) To help us find His will.
18) To give us power.
19) To give us additional instruction above what is already in His Word.
20) To give us a faster way of knowing His will.
21) To help us become more mature so that we can follow Him closer than ever.
22) As a sign to outsiders of Jesus' Love and power.
19. Many people seem to be somewhat worried or fearful of using the gift of prophecy, or fearful of the fact that it is being given more prominence now than it has in the past. The Lord said throughout many of these prophecies not to fear, not to doubt. He said, "Now have I challenged you and called you ... that I may speak through you. You say it is a fearful and awesome thing, and yes, it is, but I trust you. I have faith in you because I know you fear Me."
20. In one prophecy He said, "I would not that you be fearful, but that you rejoice and exult, that you be in ecstasy over My Words, that you be so happy for how I am pouring out. ... It is of utmost importance that you hold not back, but that you pour forth My Words in a stream--a bubbly, joyful, happy, sparkling stream of My Words, to refresh and enlighten My children." In another He said, "Do not fear. Do not tremble. For I am with you to help you, and I will guide you through all the slippery places."
21. So the Lord is encouraging us to use the gift of prophecy, and He obviously doesn't want us to be fearful about it, but to trust Him, as we have for many other changes in the Family.
Question 2
22. Does the Lord want everyone to have the gift of prophecy? If someone doesn't have it, are they handicapped?
23. Answer: The Lord encourages us to have the faith to ask for the gift of prophecy, though He won't necessarily give it to all, as it isn't His will for everyone to receive it. If you do not have the gift of prophecy, you are not handicapped, because you have other gifts of the Spirit which He's given you to use in your service for Him. The vital thing is to use His most important gift, which is love.
24. The Lord said that not everyone in the Family will have the gift of prophecy, but that everyone does have spiritual gifts and that we should not compare ourselves one to another. He said that the greatest gift of all is love. "For I have among you some who are prophets, some who are teachers, some who tend tables, some who are shepherds, and all of these I lead in love. And some of those who are prophets are not teachers or shepherds, just as some who are among you are teachers, but are not prophets. But all are Mine, and none is above another, for I look on the heart, and if the heart contains love and joy and compassion, then this is the greatest gift. Do not compare among yourselves the gifts that I have given."
25. In another prophecy He said, "Love is the greatest thing. For when you stand before Me, it is not the gifts that I shall be looking at, it is how much love and kindness you have shown to others, how much of Me you have given to others. Do not look at these gifts as something you absolutely have to obtain to be closer to Me. ... Above all, strive to give Me to others. This is the greatest gift, the gift of love." Just as Dad always said, it's the witnessers who are giving His greatest gift of love, salvation, who are doing the most important job.
26. Prophecy is a gift just like many other gifts of the Spirit, which the Lord gives. He said, "The gifts are given to different ones ... to augment each other, to help the members of My Family to be one body, fitly joined together."
27. In another precious prophecy the Lord showed that we are not handicapped by not having the gift of prophecy, that Heaven is full of people who were simply faithful to use the gifts that He gave them. He said, "All that I ask of you is that you deal your bread to the hungry--whatever gifts you have, that you deal to the hungry, that you give to those that are around you. ... You will be surprised how many little people I have without 'great' callings. But they had great callings ministering to their children, ministering to their husbands, ministering to their neighbors. Thousands upon thousands upon thousands upon thousands of little people make up My Kingdom. That is what My Kingdom is made of--those who deal their bread to the hungry.
28. "For the gift of prophecy is a gift of faith. All of My gifts are gifts of faith. Therefore, you are not handicapped if you have not received the gift of prophecy. Whatever you have the faith for, that is what My gift to you is. If you have the gift of faith for prophecy, then reach out and exercise it, for it is a gift to you. If you do not have the gift of faith for prophecy, then give out the gifts that you do have."
29. The Lord also said, "There are many who have not exercised this gift, and who will exercise this gift, and who are sitting on the fence wondering if they should reach out or not." He went on to say, "For many of you the time will come. When the circumstances are right and when you are forced to give out, when you see that that is what you have to do, then it will come to you."
30. Some may, of course, wonder why they don't receive the gift of prophecy even if they want it. In regards to that the Lord said, "It is one of My mysteries that I withhold certain gifts from certain ones. It is not because I could not, or that they would not receive, but it is My will, which is sometimes mysterious."
31. But the Lord does encourage us to reach out and try to get the gift, to at least ask Him for it. He said, "If you have the faith, you can reach out and receive this gift, if it is My will to give it to you." So if you do not have the gift, you can ask the Lord for it, and if it's His will He will give it to you.
32. One of the main reasons that the Lord has been putting such an emphasis on prophecy is so that you will want to hear from Him this way, and that you will reach out to find out if it is His will for you to receive this gift. He will probably give it to you, but perhaps He will withhold it. In any case, He knows best. But if He doesn't give you the gift of prophecy, He has given you other gifts that He wants you to use.
33. The important thing to remember is to be thankful for and use the gifts He's given you. Prophecy is not a more exalted gift than the other gifts or anointings. He gives us all different gifts because different jobs need to be done. It's not that a person's gifts make them any more special or important to the Lord; in fact, they don't count at all if we don't have love, because love is the thing that the Lord is looking for in our lives. "Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels ... and though I have the gift of prophecy ... but have not love, I am nothing" (1Cor.13:1,2).
Question 3
34. Is there a danger that with so much emphasis on prophecy, Family members will default to only using this way of hearing from the Lord, rather than using the other ways to know the Lord's will?
35. Answer: There is a danger that some people may go a bit overboard in the use of prophecy. However, in order to learn to properly use the gift, we have to face this possibility as a challenge and not be fearful of it. The Lord cautions us to have a proper balance between using prophecy and the other ways to know God's will in our decision-making.
36. The Lord acknowledges that there is some danger that people may go overboard, and He very clearly tells us to find the balance. However, He does not want the potential problems to hold us back from using prophecy. He said, "You speak of the danger, but I say to you, the danger ... looks greater to you than it does to Me. ... I would that you would have faith to meet this challenge, that you would have faith to take on the garment of prophecy in spite of the dangers and the pitfalls ... without being fearful of the danger.
37. "If you are afraid of going overboard, present this problem to Me and ask Me to strengthen your faith. I would have you to be aware of the problem, but not held back by the problem. For this is a new day, and the garment of prophecy is a part of the new day." So though we face some potential problems, just as we do in any new pioneering push, we should not let them hold us back. We should take each problem as a challenge and overcome it.
38. The Lord confirmed what Dad has always taught us, that prophecy is not the only method of hearing from Him, and that we should find a balance. In one prophecy He said, "There are many controls to manipulate the vehicle--the gear shift, the wheels, the brake, the clutch. ... But the vehicle will not stay on course or be able to operate if you only pay attention to one of these controls." The Lord is expecting us to have a proper balance in the use of all the tools that He has given us to find His will.
39. In another prophecy He again used an example to show that there needs to be a balance. He said, "Listen to all the notes that make up the melody of My work. For if one drones on and on, on one note, his monotony shall be made known clearly ... and such a melody ... shall not minister grace to the hearers." So He expects us to use more than just the gift of prophecy, as we need to use the other ways to know God's will as well.
40. A number of times He said, "Let your moderation be known to all men," and that we should be faithful to judge the prophecies according to the written Word--the Bible and the Letters, both old and new. He said, "For he that giveth a prophecy, let him compare one with another and weigh the words against My Word to see if these things be so. But do not forbid them from availing themselves of the wonderful gift of prophecy. Fear not the wildfire so much that you have no fire at all." We should not fear using prophecy, but we should use it in conjunction with the other ways of finding His will, including the written Word.
41. He comforts us with the fact that because we have so much Word and we are exercising the other gifts, we don't have to worry about getting off track. He said, "With all the Word that I have given you, there is great safety, great ballast to keep you in balance. Therefore worry not or fret not, for I have given you these things."
42. Besides stating that there is a balance between using the various ways to find the will of God, the Lord stressed the need to abide in the Word. He said, "Stand upon the Word which I have given you, the old Word and the new Word. ... Make sure that you are standing on the foundation, the rock of My Words, My new Words, My old Words. ... It's all My Word--all there to help you follow Me closely."
43. The Lord has given us more than one way to find His will, but He's putting an emphasis now on prophecy so that we can learn to use it. He said, "I have given you many ways in which you shall determine My direction, My leading, My guidance. Yet I have placed an emphasis upon these prophecies at this time to exercise your gift, to bring the garment of prophecy out of the closet that you might learn to wear it and then use it at the appropriate time."
44. The Lord even pointed out that as we are learning to use the gift of prophecy more, we do not need to be overly concerned about using it too much. He said, "When I place an emphasis upon something ... fear not that you are being extreme when you learn and practice. ... Your moderation shall come."
45. The Lord gave another word picture of how we are to practice using the gift of prophecy. The picture was of a piano player learning to play a piece of music called "The Gift of Prophecy." At first he made a few mistakes in his playing, but eventually he could play it beautifully. The Lord said, "Fear not the danger, for at the beginning it takes more time. Once the piece is learned, it doesn't have to be practiced so often." So though we may be putting more of an emphasis on using prophecy now, in time we will use it in a more balanced fashion, along with the other ways to know His will.
46. In the same word picture, the song book from which the pianist was playing had other pages with different pieces of music, each entitled something different. One was entitled "The Word," another "The Voice of the Word," yet another "Godly Counsel," etc. The name of the book was "The Seven Ways to Know God's Will," indicating that prophecy was just one of the "seven ways," but the one we are practicing now.
47. The Lord again clearly stated that He wants us to use more than one method for finding His will. He said, "I have given you these gifts, these seven ways, these seven senses to understand and to know, to be able to locate beyond the shadow of any doubt the precise pinpoint of My will. Do not neglect to hear the Godly counsel, to taste the written Word, to feel the burdens, and to smell My dreams and My revelations. Do not neglect the other ways, for they all work together to give you the proper balance, to understand exactly where I am leading. ... Use them in the proper proportion and at the proper times in order to accomplish the proper purpose."
48. As you can see, the Lord does want us to use the gift of prophecy and not to be afraid of using it, or fearful that there may be some wildfire. We must realize that we will grow in its usage and become more wise and mature as we practice it. In order to get us to practice it, the Lord, for a time, is more strongly emphasizing it than the other ways to find His will, which we are more used to using. However, we're not to completely set aside those other ways, as they are all necessary in order to balance one another so that we can find the exact will of God.
Question 4
49. How much should we rely on prophecy?
50. Answer: Prophecy is one of the ways that we should use to find God's will. It is not the only way and should not be relied on exclusively. The Word, Godly counsel and the other ways of finding God's will should still be used. The main thing to remember is that in decision-making you must pray and desperately seek the Lord and use all the available means, including prophecy, to find His will.
51. The Lord wants us to use the gift of prophecy much more than we have been in the past, in order to grow in the use of this precious gift. On the other hand, He does not want us to rely solely on prophecy for all of our direction. But when we come before Him seeking His will, we can use prophecy in conjunction with the other ways to find the Lord's will.
52. He said, "I, the Lord, am not only the Spirit of Prophecy. I am also the Word, the Voice of the Word, the Comforter, the Spirit of Love, the Mighty Counselor, the Spirit of Counsel. I manifest My will in many varied ways, and I seek to teach you a good and Godly balance. As My Family seeks Me in prayer, I will manifest Myself in various ways. I will make My Words known to them. I will pour out My Spirit to them through various means. You cannot rely solely on any one means."
53. The Lord repeated this point by saying, "This (gift of prophecy) is only one of the pillars to know My will. Do not rely on it exclusively, but weigh word against word, and be sure that it is laid precept upon precept, and then it shall go well with you."
54. He went on to say, "Let the prophet be judged by the fruits of his prophecy. ... If he speaks according to My Word, if he speaks words of edification, if he speaks words of love, if he speaks words of encouragement and inspiration to My children, this is a good indication that the prophecy is of Me. Then you can have faith to implement what he speaks and the guidance which he gives." So if the prophecies are according to the Word and they minister love, encouragement and inspiration, you can be reasonably sure that the prophecy is of the Lord. The Lord will sometimes give correction in prophecy, but when He does, it will be very loving and encouraging. Sometimes the Lord has to tell us things clearly and give us specific instruction, but whenever He does, it is not done in a harsh or condemning manner. It is usually accompanied by much understanding and compassion for our weaknesses, but encouragement to take Him at His Word that He can help us overcome.
55. The Lord also said that He wants us to seek Him for His will, using those means He's made available to us. "I expect you to always seek Me for what I would reveal to you, and to go to the riches of the Word, the riches of the Spirit, the riches of prophecy, the riches of wisdom, the riches of counseling together, the riches of the common sense that I have blessed you with. Use all the treasures of God. Use all the means to find the will of God. Then in comparing and in aligning them, you cannot be far wrong. If your heart is fixed upon Me by faith, seeking My face, I will see that you are not deceived, and I will direct you aright."
56. What the Lord wants us to do is to seek Him for answers, to realize that we don't know what to do, but only He does. He wants us to use the gift of prophecy in finding His will, but He also wants us to use the other ways that He has provided.
Question 5
57. Is it necessary to seal every decision with a prophecy? Should we ask the Lord for a confirmation on everything we decide?
58. Answer: It is not necessary to seal every decision with prophecy, nor to ask the Lord for a confirmation in prophecy for every decision. However, all decisions should be made with prayer and counsel. Important and/or major decisions should be brought before the Lord for prophecy.
59. In decision-making, our goal is to find the Lord's will, so we should bring the Lord into every phase of our decision-making. But this does not mean that we have to hear from the Lord in prophecy about every decision.
60. The Lord said, however, that "When you come together to discuss a matter and to make a decision which is of importance or that will have more far-reaching effects, you should also let Me have My vote." He said, "I also want to speak and confirm your choices, and I want you to seek My confirmation." In the smaller, more routine matters, though, He said, "I don't want you to take halting steps, and with every little step stop and ask Me [EDITED: "to speak in prophecy"] which way to go. But I want you to give Me times to speak and open up the channel so that I may have the opportunity to speak."
61. So apparently He wishes for us to seek His guidance and counsel through prophecy when there are important decisions to be made so that we can see His point of view and that He can confirm the choices we are making. But He does not expect us to ask Him for prophecies about every little thing, as He has also given us other ways to find His will. He said, "You also have need of wisdom and discernment and faith and other gifts of the Spirit. One shall complement another, and each should be given their place." However, we should make sure we are giving the Lord enough opportunity to speak to us in prophecy when it is warranted.
62. In our Homes we do a great deal through counseling together, which is good, "For by wise counsel thou shalt make thy war: and in a multitude of counselors there is safety" (Pro. 24:6). The Lord said, "Through prayer and supplication and prayerful deliberations ... I can speak through you ... to establish My will. There will be times when I will speak to you and through you in Godly counsel ... but if a matter is serious, then I beseech you to call upon Me." So if it's a major or important decision that needs to be made, you should take the time to stop and listen to Him speak in prophecy. However, at other times He will speak through your own words and thoughts as you engage in prayerful Godly counsel, etc.
63. The most important aspect of decision-making is prayer. Whether there is prophecy or not, there definitely needs to be prayer and giving the Lord the opportunity to lead and guide by His Spirit. He said that when you take the time to listen, "I may show you other factors which in your own reasoning have not been able to come to the surface." He also said that "in order to receive the counseling of those in the Spirit World, you must take time to hear from Me. You must take time to listen to the whispers."
64. He pointed out that when there's a conflict of opinion on a matter, it is best to bring the matter before the Lord for prophecy. "When a matter brings about great dispute, and even disunity or conflict, then stop and look and listen to My voice."
65. As brought out above, though it is not necessary to ask the Lord to speak in prophecy about every matter, it is wise to do so on important ones. However, it is vital to pray over each decision if we want God's counsel and guidance. "Pray without ceasing, for prayer is your link to My throne. Therefore, keep this connection strong, and as you deliberate and counsel, I will be with you."
Question 6
66. How much do people need to follow the prophecies that they get in their Home? What can they do if they do not agree with a prophecy received in the Home that was about them personally and they don't have the faith to follow it? (For example, the Charter grants the right to a disciple to operate according to his own faith on certain matters. But what if a prophecy is given in the Home that tells him to do something contrary to what he feels he should do? Will the prophecy overrule the person's own faith which he has the right to exercise?)
67. Answer: If a prophecy is received in a Home for someone, it is up to that person to decide whether they wish to follow it or not. The prophecy does not override their freedom of choice. They should prayerfully consider what the prophecy says, but also consider the other ways to find God's will, and act prayerfully according to their faith. In answer to this question, the Lord also gave cautions about the seriousness of receiving prophecies for others.
68. The Lord has given each of us the majesty of choice and we must make our choices before God according to our own faith. The Lord said, "Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind. ... According to your own faith be it done unto you." He said that we should act in "full assurance of faith, not with eye service as manpleasers, but as My servants doing the will of God from the heart." He expects each one to make the final choice as to what His will is for themselves.
69. The "Seven Ways to Know God's Will" are the tools for finding the will of God. As prophecy is only one of the seven ways to know God's will, the others should act as a check and balance system. The Lord said, "There are many ways to find My will and you must balance one with another."
70. He went on to say that, "If you receive a message from others that you have trouble receiving, be open, share your heart about it. Counsel together." This may happen from time to time, so you should feel free to talk about it with your shepherds. (You shepherds should listen with love and understanding to those who are having trouble with a prophecy. Remember, the final choice belongs to the person involved.) So if you are seeking the Lord about a matter and those in the Home pray for you and what they receive from the Lord is not something that you feel led to follow, you do not have to follow it. The decision is yours.
71. It would, however, be wise to take it into prayerful consideration and to weigh it up with the other ways to know God's will. Just because it may be something that you don't like to hear doesn't necessarily mean it is not the Lord.
72. The Lord gave the example of the Apostle Paul. "Many true prophets of God spoke to him, and yet according to his faith he was determined to go (to Jerusalem) in spite of the consequences predicted. And yet, I never left him nor forsook him in any way." Although the prophets prophesied truly, Paul didn't follow what was given and the Lord still kept him, even though he did suffer some consequences.
73. There are seven ways to know God's will, so you should look to the Word, to counsel, to revelations, burdens, open and closed doors, etc. If you do, you can find the peace of God and the will of God in your decision-making.
74. The Lord also gave a number of cautions to those who prophesy for or about their brothers and sisters. He said, "It is a serious thing to seek Me for the life of a brother or sister concerning My guidance, to speak in the Name of the Lord, to speak on My behalf. It is a serious matter, not to be taken lightly. ... Every word must be according to faith and given from a pure heart. ... See that you prophesy with a pure heart. See that you prophesy in love. See that you consider your brother above yourself. ... Be sure that if you are going to be giving a prophecy for someone, you are doing so in love and in humility. It is a great responsibility, but it brings with it great rewards in that you will have the joy of knowing that you have helped to guide someone in the way that he should go."
75. He gave further counsel when He said, "Those of you who speak on the matters of faith, take off your preconceived ideas, take off your garments of pride, for the ground which you stand upon is holy ground, for it must be of faith, which is spoken in love." So those of you who are asked to prophesy about a matter must realize the seriousness of doing so. You must lay aside your own preconceived ideas and come before the Lord with an open heart and open mind, desperately seeking Him and giving only what He gives. Remember, what you speak are His Words and you must be careful not to add any of your own words or thoughts to them.
Question 7
76. In the Bible and also in Dad's experiences the Lord has given some rather far-out "zany" prophecies. Now, with Mama and Peter, He seems to be doing somewhat the same. In "Mama's Love Story!--Part 5," He even said to them, "Be not fearful, do not stand in the way. The Words that I give may even seem naughty or dirty, but it is not for you to judge, it is only for you to give and for you to be an open channel of My voice to My children" (ML# 2996:30, GN 639). The question that arises is: Could some of our folks take this prophecy as a precedent for their getting wild prophecies and not feeling a need to judge or evaluate them?
77. Answer: There is nothing wrong with a wild or "zany" prophecy as long as it is according to the Word, is edifying, engenders love, draws the listeners close to the Lord and bears good fruit. If the prophet is in the proper spirit and is humble and desperate with the Lord, he should speak what the Lord gives him in prophecy. All prophecy should be judged. Those who judge prophecies should do so very prayerfully, desperately seeking the Lord for proper judgment.
78. In order to shed light on this quote from Mama's Love Story, the Lord said, "When I say to 'judge not,' I mean that once I am speaking, do not hold back, but give forth." Here, He is using the word "judge" in a different way than we normally use it, which is in evaluating the accuracy of prophecies. In this case, He was not implying that prophecy should not be judged, or evaluated, but rather that once you start giving a prophecy, He does not want you to hold it back even if it seems "zany."
79. He said, "If the prophecy, no matter how wild or how different, edifies the body and brings them closer to Me and causes love to flow amongst you, then this is good fruit."
80. He said that if you're in the proper spirit you should "trust whatever I give you, whether it is zany or normal, whether it is unusual and different, or whether it is what you are accustomed to. After you have desperately cried out to Me, then you may trust and give forth and pour out." The key is that you must be in the proper spirit.
81. The Lord showed how someone can get off on a tangent. He said, "If your heart is not desperate with Me, if your heart is just speaking things that will edify your pride, if you are not desperate with Me every moment, then there is danger of going off on a tangent, great danger. ... You must desperately cry out to Me and ask Me to be the One Who speaks the words, or you will fall."
82. However, if you do this, the Lord encourages you that if you are desperate and praying and humble, you shouldn't be fearful about what He gives you in prophecy, as He will give you His Words. He said, "For often the carnal mind is enmity and fights against what I have to say. Your carnal mind is saying, 'Don't say this. Don't say that.' But I am trying to say this, I am trying to say that. I am saying that once I am speaking, let Me burn."
83. The Lord said earlier, and says again in these prophecies, that we should not be fearful of wildfire as we embark on using the gift of prophecy more. As we learn to use the gift of prophecy properly, to judge it wisely, to balance it with the other ways to know God's will, and to cultivate its use, we will benefit greatly from it. He said, "There will be wildfire. But you cannot hold back the Spirit of God because of wildfire. ... You must learn. It will take time, and there will be stumbling and falling. There will be going by the wayside, and there will be going off on the wrong tangent. ... This shall happen."
84. So undoubtedly some people will get prophecies that may be somewhat off the track. When this happens, the Lord said you must go to that person and say, "I believe you are off on a tangent. I believe you must pull in and seek the Lord and ask the Lord to clarify things, and ask the Lord to keep you on the right track. I believe this is what is happening in your life. I believe this not only because of the prophecy that you have given, but because of the fruit that it is bearing in your life and the lives of others." So the Lord clearly states that we need to judge prophecy and correct those whose prophecies are off and do not bear good fruit in their lives nor in the lives of others.
85. He went on to say, "The judging of your prophecies must be done, to give you the training and the guidance and the leading that you need to perfect this gift." So we must be sure to study over the prophecies that are given, and to judge them, so as to help teach and train any who may be a bit off track. However, you must do it in love, also remembering that sometimes it may be your judgment that is wrong.
86. The Lord gave this caution to you who judge the prophecies: "I speak to you that judge, that you put not your own clamps and your own fences about those who are giving these prophecies. Judge not according to your own whims and your own heart, but judge according to My Word and according to the fruit of the prophecy. Judge according to the fruit of the prophet, and judge according to the fruit within the prophet. For if the prophecy ministers pride and sets this one apart from the flock, and sets them off on their own tangent, this very well may not be of Me."
87. If the prophet starts getting lifted up in pride about the fact that he is prophesying, or in his personal life he is bearing bad fruit or his prophecies bear bad fruit in others, such as the giving of hurtful prophecies, then you should look at the situation with a careful eye, as there is a good chance this person is a bit tripped off, and if he is, he should be corrected. But always correct in much love, putting yourself in that person's place and realizing that if you were corrected about one of your prophecies, it might make you feel so bad that you would not want to prophesy again. If this is the result of your correction of someone, you should examine the fruit of it. The object of your correction is not to put a stop to his prophecy; it is to help him to correct whatever it is in his life that got him sidetracked, and to be able once again to hear clearly and accurately from the Lord.
88. The Lord went on to say to those who are judging prophecy, "As you judge a prophecy you must seek Me. You must be desperate with Me, just as those who give the prophecy must be desperate with Me.--Desperately seeking My voice and My face, and My leading and My guidance." Both the prophet and the judge must be desperate and humble.
89. Some further counsel the Lord gave regarding judging prophecies was, "I have safeguarded My voice of prophecy with the many other ways to know God's will, and with the gift of learning to judge and interpret prophecy. I have established many ways to know the confirmed will of God, so that prophecy does not stand alone, and so that prophecies can be judged by the other ways to know God's will. I have promised also to pour out more gifts of My Spirit, the gifts of discernment, and the gifts of knowledge and interpretation."
90. Because we are having more prophecies and are encouraging more prophecy on the Home level, we should also be asking the Lord to pour upon us the gifts of discernment, of knowledge and interpretation. If you are on a Home teamwork or in a situation where you may have to help judge prophecies, then you should definitely ask the Lord for those gifts.
91. The Lord quite clearly stated, as He has through Dad in the past and through other prophecies recently, that He will give the new direction for the entire Family or new revelations through Mama and me, His confirmed leadership. He said, "New ways and new direction and new revelations, the major source of new news from Me, is established through My Word and through leadership."
92. In conclusion, the Lord clearly states that He wants us to give what He gives us in prophecy, no matter how "zany." However, we must be sure we are desperate with Him and humble and in the right spirit. We should give what He gives us, and it should then be judged. When we judge prophecy, we should do so prayerfully and with Godly wisdom.
Question 8
93. Is there a great difference between the prophecies the Lord has given to Dad, and now to Mama and Peter as His top leaders, compared to what He might give to those who receive prophecies on the field? Would exceptional prophecies received from the field have to be judged to see if they were in line with the leading of God's leadership?
94. Answer: The Lord wants to speak to us all in prophecy to give us the guidance and instruction we need. He gives Mama His Words in prophecy through His chosen channels, and she judges these. He gives local prophets His Word for their situation. They should be judged according to the written Word, the Bible and the Letters, both old and new. Prophecy that goes beyond these should be submitted to your leadership and/ or Mama before it is acted upon.
95. The Lord started answering this question by confirming that Dad is still helping to lead the Family. "He (Dad) whispers in the ear of his Maria and I speak through King Peter, and I have led and guided and instructed them in the way that they should go. ... For these are set apart for Me. Great has been the price that they have paid for the closeness to Me which they do experience. The anointing that they bear has not been without cost. ... I want you to look to their Words as those who are leading."
96. The Lord gives us guidance for the situations we are in. He says that He gives the leading and guidance that you need for your part of the battle. "I give you the instruction that you need for your part, and I give David, Maria, and Peter the instruction that they need for their part, which is leading and guiding My great Family. For each has his part, and you all contribute to the whole."
97. As the Lord states, He gives Mama and me the Words that we need for the part that we play in leading and guiding the Family, and what He gives and we publish is for everyone in the Family. But He says that He gives you the instructions that you need for the job that you are doing, for the situation that you are in. The Lord wants you to seek Him for your situation so that you will know where He's leading you and your Home.
98. The Lord confirmed, as Dad always said, that He would show major new direction or revelation to His chosen leadership first. He said, "I do not want this gift of prophecy to cause you to break ranks, and to run ahead of My leadership." This does not mean that He cannot give you outstanding prophecies! In fact, any time the Lord speaks, it is outstanding! He may even give you a prophecy which your Home feels is important for the overall Family. Any such prophecies should be sent to your CROs and/or Mama and me.
99. Teamworks of Homes and of areas should also realize that the Lord may use someone in your Home or area to give a prophecy to help open your eyes to something, or warn you. He said, "There are times when the sheep bleat to warn the shepherd of impending doom, and if the shepherd does not take this warning and take heed, there is great loss. Therefore the sheep and the shepherds work together, for this is My plan." So shepherds should pay attention to the prophecies that are given in their Homes and should prayerfully study them and see if the Lord is trying to show them something specific.
100. The Lord added a very interesting point in this prophecy session which would be very useful and helpful guidance if you or someone in your Home were to receive something strange or odd in prophecy. He said, "If you receive something very strange, very odd, very unusual, it is better to submit it to your leaders. Submit it even to Maria if it is to affect a lot of people. Submit it to someone who can give you good counsel before you act upon it. Submit it to those who will judge it wisely, before you act upon things in haste."
101. This is a very key point. Prophecy can sometimes be very mysterious, and certainly sometimes very unusual. But if you ever receive a prophecy that you and your Home teamwork do not understand at all, or that the Home and its leadership are very uncomfortable about enacting, it's best to submit it to others for help and counsel before you go ahead with it. So if you are unsure, then pass the prophecy on to leadership for counsel before implementing it.
102. The Lord expects you to receive prophecies that will be guidance for your local situations or your personal needs. He has set Mama and me in the position of receiving the main direction He has to give, and what we publish in the GNs is that which Mama has judged to be the Word for the Family. Though the Lord will speak to many of you, He's made it clear that He does not expect that you will be receiving prophecies that go beyond the written Word.
Question 9
103. The Lord has said this is a new day and that many things are new. He's pouring out a lot of new wine, and even some "strange truths." Does this change our basic beliefs?
104. The Word the Lord has given in the past, the Bible and the MO Letters, are definitely not "out the door." They are what the Family and our beliefs are built on. This will not change. The Lord is, however, continuing to give new wine and new direction and new revelations, just as He always has. We should expect it and receive it.
105. Our foundation principles of the Lord, His Salvation, our standard basic Christian beliefs and the basic principles that the Lord gave Dad do not change, they remain solid and forever! The Lord said, "The solid rock principles and pillars of your faith remain, the foundations of your faith shall not change." But this does not mean that there will be no changes, or that the Lord will not reveal new things. He said that the "changes of God are from the Spirit of God," and "things have to change in order for you to survive." He said, "Much is new. Nevertheless, the foundations of God stand sure."
106. We should expect the Lord to give us new direction, new wine, new weapons to fight today's battles. The Lord said, "Have I not said of old that there would be many things that I have yet to say to you but you cannot bear them yet? I am saying them to you now, bit by bit, precept upon precept, line upon line, new revelation by new revelation." So the Lord is giving us new things, but this doesn't mean that our past beliefs are obsolete.
107. The Lord said that although the "foundations of your faith shall not change ... the things that have no bearing upon eternal life ... can change. Old things pass away. In each new age I have changed things. Do you sacrifice in temples? Do you follow all the laws of Moses?" Even though temple sacrifice and the law are in the Word, their time passed as the Lord ushered in new Word. The Lord said that even some of what Paul and Dad said were "written for a time, for a season, and some of these have passed away." Even so, this does not change our basic, solid foundation of the Truth.
108. The Lord asks, "Is it a strange thing that I should add a new thought, a new perspective, a new goal, a new challenge? ... I ask you to be open-minded, to have a new attitude and a new heart and a new state of yieldedness." He wants us to be open and receptive to the new thoughts, goals, perspectives and challenges that He's giving--in short, to be "new bottles." He also added a word of comfort that, "You can be assured that any major changes that I bring will be confirmed through My leadership and through the continued written Word that I give to you."
109. This is a very important point. The Lord is saying that any major changes that come about in the Family will be given and confirmed in the GNs by Mama, our "Wine Taster." (See "Three Gifts of the Lord's Love!" ML# 3005:106-129, GN 647.)
110. The Lord will be bringing about changes, giving new revelations, showing us new direction and guidance, but the basic tenets of our faith, as outlined in "Our Statement of Faith" and the "Love Charter," the principles upon which the Lord and Dad built the Family, the principles of faith, love, witnessing and Salvation, will not change, for they are the solid rock foundation of the Word.
Copyright (c) 1998 by The Family