My name is Steven Yeadon and I have a rudimentary gift of prophecy by New Testament standards as far as I can tell. I know this might shock people, but I am also a Southern Baptist Convention member as well.
Now, at this point I must explain that I believe that revelation and prophecy have happened throughout Church history, but that it is generally rare. I’ll give you some names of people you can look up who have received real prophecy: I believe Perpetua had real prophecy as she awaited her martyrdom, I believe Samuel Morris had real prophecy when he was rescued from death in Africa, I believe Betsie ten Boom had real prophecy when she was dying in a concentration camp, and I believe the numerous stories from Christian martyrs, persecuted Christians, and Christian converts reveals more prophecies. In addition, my time in the International House of Prayer movement has shown me that some so called charismatic prophets do have real messages that ring true on a number of occasions, but oddly enough I typically found them to be the junior prophetic ministers and not the big name prophets with books and images.
I can tell you there really is supernatural stuff going on, as its easy to confirm by going to a supernaturally gifted charismatic church for a year. However, I was always told something very unbiblical in the House of Prayers: "Follow the power inside the church to know where God is and is working." Something which really means that those with supernatural power are God's special messengers and workers. Simply put, the bible does not tell us to go looking for power or signs and wonders to find those with vested spiritual authority in the New Testament. Instead the bible warns us that such people may be on their way to hell as imposter Christians (Matthew 7:21-23).
That said, I believe that the Azusa Street Revival to be a counterfeit revival and I stay away form it and its fruit. We can just read the wikipedia articles on the so called revival (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Azusa_Street_Revival) to understand that they stood for two things that clearly violate the bible: women as pastors and disorderly conduct in church (1 Corinthians 26-40). A counter-argument may be raised that the Azusa Street's fruit over the years (Matthew 7:15-20) appears at first glance to be good in that it has spread to the far corners of the earth bringing the Gospel of Jesus Christ. However, from my own experience inside the International House of Prayer movement for a few years, I can tell you that it really is charismatic chaos inside Pentecostal/Charismatic Christianity. Inside it you learn to value the bible less than in the SBC, you learn to get wrapped up with a cult-like culture of the end-times, you place prime importance on displays of spiritual power instead of where such "signs" should be leading us in our relationship with God, and you easily lose sight of having a relationship with Jesus Christ because the real fix is the supernatural.
In addition, the type of inaccuracy prone prophecy that the Azusa Street Revival and the Pentecostal Movement, and later Charismatic Movement, has created does not sound like my earlier historical examples at all or like the bible. Simply put God is the Sovereign LORD yesterday, today, and tomorrow and if He gives prophecy it will be accurate and correct prophecy.
Now I wanted to present for testing by my brothers, sisters, mothers, and elders my rubric for prophecy that I have been using to prove my prophecy (1 Thessalonians 5:20-22). I know form the bible in Proverbs that as iron sharpens iron, so does one person sharpen another (Proverbs 27:17) and I seek to be true to God and His Word in all I do. Thus, I am asking for help and input of any kind in helping me to be on the straight and narrow way, and to aid in the equipping of the saints with my gift. I know that such a gift is to work in tandem with teachers, evangelists, and pastors to equip Believers for good works and to help us all mature into the likeness of Jesus Christ (Ephesians 4:11-13).
My hope is to one day teach a new biblical way of handling the supernatural in evangelical churches that is utterly biblical in all ways.
The following are my guidelines on how to do prophecy:
Now the most amazing thing may be that the Spirit that talks to me and claims that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh has no words on the future for me. Instead he encourages me in one of the darkest periods of my life, and he offers a kind of bread crumb trail of encouragement to good objectives and important knowledge on the way to serving others.
Thank you for any replies.
Now, at this point I must explain that I believe that revelation and prophecy have happened throughout Church history, but that it is generally rare. I’ll give you some names of people you can look up who have received real prophecy: I believe Perpetua had real prophecy as she awaited her martyrdom, I believe Samuel Morris had real prophecy when he was rescued from death in Africa, I believe Betsie ten Boom had real prophecy when she was dying in a concentration camp, and I believe the numerous stories from Christian martyrs, persecuted Christians, and Christian converts reveals more prophecies. In addition, my time in the International House of Prayer movement has shown me that some so called charismatic prophets do have real messages that ring true on a number of occasions, but oddly enough I typically found them to be the junior prophetic ministers and not the big name prophets with books and images.
I can tell you there really is supernatural stuff going on, as its easy to confirm by going to a supernaturally gifted charismatic church for a year. However, I was always told something very unbiblical in the House of Prayers: "Follow the power inside the church to know where God is and is working." Something which really means that those with supernatural power are God's special messengers and workers. Simply put, the bible does not tell us to go looking for power or signs and wonders to find those with vested spiritual authority in the New Testament. Instead the bible warns us that such people may be on their way to hell as imposter Christians (Matthew 7:21-23).
That said, I believe that the Azusa Street Revival to be a counterfeit revival and I stay away form it and its fruit. We can just read the wikipedia articles on the so called revival (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Azusa_Street_Revival) to understand that they stood for two things that clearly violate the bible: women as pastors and disorderly conduct in church (1 Corinthians 26-40). A counter-argument may be raised that the Azusa Street's fruit over the years (Matthew 7:15-20) appears at first glance to be good in that it has spread to the far corners of the earth bringing the Gospel of Jesus Christ. However, from my own experience inside the International House of Prayer movement for a few years, I can tell you that it really is charismatic chaos inside Pentecostal/Charismatic Christianity. Inside it you learn to value the bible less than in the SBC, you learn to get wrapped up with a cult-like culture of the end-times, you place prime importance on displays of spiritual power instead of where such "signs" should be leading us in our relationship with God, and you easily lose sight of having a relationship with Jesus Christ because the real fix is the supernatural.
In addition, the type of inaccuracy prone prophecy that the Azusa Street Revival and the Pentecostal Movement, and later Charismatic Movement, has created does not sound like my earlier historical examples at all or like the bible. Simply put God is the Sovereign LORD yesterday, today, and tomorrow and if He gives prophecy it will be accurate and correct prophecy.
Now I wanted to present for testing by my brothers, sisters, mothers, and elders my rubric for prophecy that I have been using to prove my prophecy (1 Thessalonians 5:20-22). I know form the bible in Proverbs that as iron sharpens iron, so does one person sharpen another (Proverbs 27:17) and I seek to be true to God and His Word in all I do. Thus, I am asking for help and input of any kind in helping me to be on the straight and narrow way, and to aid in the equipping of the saints with my gift. I know that such a gift is to work in tandem with teachers, evangelists, and pastors to equip Believers for good works and to help us all mature into the likeness of Jesus Christ (Ephesians 4:11-13).
My hope is to one day teach a new biblical way of handling the supernatural in evangelical churches that is utterly biblical in all ways.
The following are my guidelines on how to do prophecy:
- First, the most important thing I could urge you to do is to have a strong and vibrant relationship with Jesus Christ with daily reflection on the Word of God in order to be a Christian prophet.
- Know the bible backwards and forwards and make an effort to study it every single day.
- Test your prophecy against the bible at all times. If a prophecy seems to go against the bible at all, stop and assume it is likely untrue until you prove it is true through more bible study.
- Test the spirits to determine if prophecy is real prophecy from the Holy Spirit using at least the the biblical test of 1 John 4:2-3. I caution you here that if it seems that you are hearing from the Holy Spirit or an angelic voice, but they never interact with you no matter how hard you try to talk to them, it may instead be a mental illness.
- Expect real prophecy to be accurate prophecy.
- Expect that all prophetic words will be the words of Jesus Christ Himself through the Holy Spirit (John 16:13-14).
- Be open to visions and dreams coming from Jesus Christ through the Holy Spirit and not just words, but be careful and pray for guidance when this seems to occur to make sure it is not your own imagination.
- Obey the bible to the letter on how to interact with God with primary emphasis on the New Testament and interactions with Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit. Remember, we talk to our Master, Creator, and God.
- As you read the bible, be reticent of your prophecies and continue to test them as you discover or rediscover commands and verses that you were unaware of.
- Be willing to admit you were fooled by your own imagination or the spirit of the antichrist if a prophecy comes up false eventually.
- To prophesy during church you must obey the guidelines of 1 Corinthians 14:26-40 and speak in an orderly way able to to be weighed and interrupted.
- I avoid all big time prophets that I know of and their books because they always fail to have a biblical ministry that adheres to these previous points.
- Be aware that we are greater than the Old Testament prophets as New Testament prophets (Luke 7:28). This should give us all great, great pause when you realize how these prophets lived their lives for God as people Jesus says are not as great as us. You can read about the Old Testament prophets in 1st and 2nd Samuel, 1st and 2nd Kings, the books of the prophets in the Old Testament, and also do not forget the most successful of the Old Testament prophets: John the Baptist, who is in the Gospels.
- I always try and thank God for a prophetic message.
Now the most amazing thing may be that the Spirit that talks to me and claims that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh has no words on the future for me. Instead he encourages me in one of the darkest periods of my life, and he offers a kind of bread crumb trail of encouragement to good objectives and important knowledge on the way to serving others.
Thank you for any replies.
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