I have been reflecting recently on how prophetic revelation can shape the church. For example the first mention of prophets serving among the churches in the Book of Acts is in Acts chapter 9. Here is a team of prophets from the church in Jerusalem traveling down to the new church in the city of Antioch. One of these prophets named Agabus prophesies that a severe famine was going to devastate the country. The church there took hold of this prophetic word in faith and began to lay plans to raise money to help their fellow Christians who lived in the region around Jerusalem. After raising the offering they sent it in the hands of two of their leaders, Barnabus and Saul, to the elders in the church at Jerusalem. The effect of the prophetic word was encouragement to take a positive step of faith.
This story involves a known prophet named Agabus along with a team of prophets coming to serve and strengthen the young church in Antioch. It is clear here that Agabus was a ‘team player’. He doesn’t come off as a bigger than life ‘super-star’. He is not isolated and aloof. He flows in the grace of God working in his own life and uniqueness but he does so in the context of relationship with others. I believe this is a healthy posture for all Christian ministries.
The church in Antioch was significantly shaped by these visiting prophets. I’m sure the church followed the New Testament injunction to first weigh the prophecy to see if there was truly the confirmation from the Holy Spirit that it was to be received. (See 1 Cor. 14:29) Having received confirmation in their hearts they adjusted their plans and programs in response to the prophetic word. Their ministry of giving to the poor, which in principle was a mandate to all the churches, was shaped in practice by the prophetic word.
A current example of this in our own lives recently has to do with our time spent in Zimbabwe over this last year. A prophetic word came during a leadership prayer meeting that the churches in Zimbabwe would be like Jacob’s prophecy to Joseph, ‘a fruitful vine near a spring, whose branches climb over a wall’. (See Gen. 49:22) As a result the leaders there made a decision to lay plans to help the poor in that nation using Farming God’s Way as a means and at the same time sharing the Gospel in city after city across the nation. Many churches from around the world got involved with this plan by gathering a large contribution to help resource this prophetically inspired plan. We believe it will bear lots of fruit in that nation and beyond.
What was happening in the Book of Acts is still happening today. That’s something to rejoice about!
