The True Prophetic Ministry

Witnessing God’s final judgments sweeping evil off of the face of the earth while the Bride was making herself ready for the wedding feast, the angel commanded John, “...Worship God! For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.” Revelation 19:10. Of all the great concepts of scripture, this one verse possibly embodies the most comprehensive concept of all as it embraces the entire revelation of God to mankind through His word.

True prophetic ministry encompasses two streams. The primary meaning of biblical prophecy is the forth telling, the declarative ministry, where the prophets reveal God, His nature, purpose and priorities to His people. The secondary meaning of biblical prophecy is the foretelling, the predictive ministry that addresses the futuristic ingredients of God’s work in and through our lives. Sadly, unlike biblical Christianity, today’s Western church is infatuated with the predictive, ear tingling and more sensational feature of the prophetic, while overlooking prophecy’s primary purpose which is to reveal God, His Word and His Son to His people.

Consequently, a lot of wishful thinking and carnal infatuation are being passed on in the name of the prophetic these days, fueled by masses of Christians famished for a living word. Instead of doing the hard work of seeking the Lord, digging deep wells, and walking with Him in such a way that produces first-hand revelation and impartation, many are chasing after second-hand revelations and impartations from “spiritual superstars” and “experts” offering “shortcuts” to glory.

Rather the word says that, “Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful; But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and in His law he meditates day and night. He shall be like a tree Planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf also shall not wither; and whatever he does shall prosper.” Psalm 1:1-3

Genuine New Testament prophetic ministry offers the saints what they need to know before they know they need it. Such ministry is primarily declaratory yet also predictive, revealing both the nature of the Lord and His purposes. It is a fine line of ministry, one that is not often popular since realistic foresight and divine exhortation fly in the face of mainstream acceptance. This is true concerning prophetic ministry on a personal level as well on a national scale.

A Word about the American Economy

The intercessors must remember that the incoming President inherited a fragile geopolitical landscape, record budget deficit and massive Treasury debt, more than half of which is held by foreigners. While efforts at job creation will result in more cash in people’s pockets in the short run, this cash will be worth less and less as the government borrows more and more. In contrast, sustainable and realistic solutions require an overall reduction of government influence as the US takes the “medicine” of time and needed adjustments to reach a genuine economic healing.

The underlying problem in the US is that the nation has no sufficient savings to support sound lending. Our addiction to credit, driven, as it were, by greed, selfishness and fear, has generated an unmanageable fiscal crisis. Debt has become a major player in our economic character, so much so that it is now tipping the scales and jeopardizing the fragile balance of our entire fiscal-based economy. While “experts” try to manage this critical imbalance by tweaking interest rates, taxes and entitlement programs, they remain ignorant of the fact that savings and debt, like gravity or seasonal climate changes, are unchangeable and inescapable universal laws that cannot be ignored without consequences.

Desperately attempting to fix the fiscal troubles and ease public concerns not only in the US but across the world (where the US dollar is still the main currency of reserve), the Federal Reserve is actually creating more imbalances, only prolonging the inevitable. At the end of the day, their only option is to print more currency, therefore inflating and weakening the dollar.

Medicine is Rarely Sweet

A healthy economy, whether national or personal, needs a savings pool proportionate to its debt pool. Our national leadership should encourage people to save money while rewarding productivity in the private sector. This includes raising interest rates to reward savings, reducing government spending, and cutting taxes in order to rebuild the American economic system from the inside out. This may be a bitter pill to swallow in the short run, as most medicine is, yet it is the only sustainable way forward.

If liberal economic policies, however, will continue injecting loose money into the economy, inducing more debt rather than allowing savings and obligations to align, the US will need to brace for a potential system shock and even a monetary collapse. In other words, if the government continues to infuse “fiscal drugs” into the sick markets in order to mask the real symptoms of unchecked greed, massive debt, and widespread corruption, rather than addressing the disease, the likelihood of a major system collapse increases.

Should this play out (and we are not certain that it must), international markets and currencies will follow the US in this great shaking. As a result, the global balance of powers could fragment into four primary regions: North America, Europe, Asia and the Middle East, generating increasing social unrest, economic hardships, and geopolitical conflict, creating a greater occasion for a One World Government which many already espouse to.

In fact, as we write these words, high level discussions are being held regarding the formation of “global governance” (including international taxation and a global TV channel) by the World Economic Forum (WEF) that is meeting in Switzerland these very days. The WEF is not an official government group but does include more than 100 government, corporate and labor leaders in this group of “strategic global partners” who meet annually.

This is not the scenario we wish for. Yet, an honest look at the snowballing imbalances that continue to plague our economy shows that they have to be resolved one way or another. The US will either experience a fundamental correction in the very spirit and values of its socio-economic behavior, or will experience a system collapse. Herein lie the critical issues we all face as our troubled, leaderless world, gropes through this increasing darkness.

God's Plan of Survival

“For this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: ‘The jar of flour will not be used up and the jug of oil will not run dry until the day the LORD gives rain on the land.’” I Kings 17:14.

The promise of the Lord to the household of faith is that oil and flour (energy and food) will be in sufficient supply even during tough times. What was it about the days of Elijah and his three years’ stay at the Sidonean widow’s home (Jezebel’s home country) that secured such a supernatural supply while the population around them struggled?

Their Days Were as our Days

1. The leadership was corrupt and mostly ungodly.
2. The nation was embattled between the worship of Baal (god of carnal, base and sensual obsessions) and the One True God.
3. Jezebel (comparable to our explosive porn industry and sexualized society) sat on the throne.
4. The priesthood was compromised.
5. God’s prophets were silenced while false prophets occupied the royal courts.
6. The land was under God’s (ecological) judgments.
7. A severe drought produced a prolonged famine.
8. And, the faithful remnant struggled with depression, hopelessness and fear.

What Were the Makings of the Miraculous Supply?,

1. The Gentile widow, while in a desperate situation, was in fact God’s provision for His prophet. (I-Kings 17:9). You, too, are bigger than your personal circumstances as you lift up your eyes to the great I AM. Becoming the answer to another’s prayer and need will also generate the answer to your own need.

2. She recognized the God of Israel, though she could not identify herself with Him at first. Your own deliverance starts at the point of recognition and confession, long before experience sets in. It’s a process, and continued perseverance is essential.

3. Having nothing to lose, she sacrificially obeyed the prophet’s word (17:12-15). While others tend to hoard and grasp what they have when the world closes in upon them, she, genuinely knowing her need, decided instead to give. “For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel's will save it.” Mark 8:35,. Obedience that is born of faith in God’s word is key in order for the miracle to unfold; instant, complete and wholehearted obedience, not unlike that of Mary the mother of our Lord.

4. Moreover, in providing for the prophet, the widow’s obedience saved her son’s life not only from starvation, but also from sickness unto death. (17:17-24) Both the widow and Elijah experienced a crisis of faith, questioning God’s goodness and purpose. Yet, it was God’s love and kind intention to save her son which had brought Elijah to her home in the first place!

God could have provided for Elijah in many other ways… other ravines and brooks, more ravens, different widows… but he loved THAT desperate widow, he knew HER plight, and He planned to save HER son. This is the God whom we serve; and this is the true function of the prophetic – to reveal Him to you and to show you the path through the darkness. “Do not rejoice over me, my enemy; when I fall, I will arise; when I sit in darkness, the LORD will be a light to me.” Micah 7:8.

What is your Obedience?

The key to unlocking heaven’s wisdom, favor, and supplies during seasons of drought is sacrificial giving in obedience to God’s word. You, and you alone, will know where and how God is calling you to give. In the event that you are not sure where to give, we can recommend with confidence these following biblical principles whereby we ourselves invest our seed:

1. “Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble….” James 1:27. Giving to the poor and the least of our society can take many forms. We ourselves have been called by God to work with and financially invest in drug and alcohol recovery efforts, serving mothers and their children who seek healing and restoration from the ravages of addiction. Visit http://metrohope.org/index.php?id=11 to learn more about this ministry and giving opportunities.

2. “Remember the prisoners as if chained with them; those who are mistreated...” Hebrews 13:3. Not only are prison ministries a credible reflection of God’s heart (a truly captive audience…), but serving those persecuted for the Faith is of paramount importance. Giving to the persecuted church throughout the world can be done through Voice Of the Martyrs Ministry at http://www.persecution.com.

3. Sowing financial seed into the Jewish nation is a biblical mandate dating all the way back to Father Abraham of whom God said, “I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who curses you; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” Genesis 12:3.

Bragging about the Macedonian saints, Paul declares, saying, “For it pleased those from Macedonia and Achaia to make a certain contribution for the poor among the saints who are in Jerusalem. It pleased them indeed, and they are their debtors. For if the Gentiles have been partakers of their spiritual things, their duty is also to minister to them in material things.” Romans 15:26-27.

Furthermore, not unlike the widow’s sacrificial giving during her time of need, the scripture tells us that “... in these days prophets came from Jerusalem to Antioch. Then one of them, named Agabus, stood up and showed by the Spirit that there was going to be a great famine throughout all the world, which also happened in the days of Claudius Caesar. Then the disciples, each according to his ability, determined to send relief to the brethren dwelling in Judea.” Acts 11:27-29.

Our ISRAEL FUND (anchored in Jerusalem) distributes direct financial support to Messianic Believers in Israel, helping the poor, the persecuted and the faithful workers in the harvest fields. You can sow into this fertile field by sending a check to our office, or electronically through PayPal at atm-midwest@charter.net. Please let us know when and how much you transfer so that we can track the funds and receipt you appropriately.

ONE NEW MAN CALL ministry is supported by friends of the Ephesians 2:14-15 vision, calling Jew and Gentile to dwell as one in God’s Olive Tree. To learn more, to inquire about speaking engagements, or to support this work, please contact us at the address below. Thank you.

In His grace,

REUVEN AND MARY LOU DORON
(C) 2009 One New Man Call

One New Man Call
P O Box 164
Hayfield, MN 55940 USA
507.438.9096