The Calling of the Prophet

But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John. And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth, for he will be great before the Lord. And he must not drink wine or strong drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother’s womb. And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God, and he will go before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready for the Lord a people prepared. Luke 1:13-17

This is the making of a prophet of God. Did you notice what the angel said about John’s birth? He would be filled with the Holy Spirit FROM his mother’s womb. What did the angel say John would do? I counted five things: Turn many Israelites to Jesus, go before Jesus in the spirit of Elijah, turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, and make a prepared people for the Lord Jesus. 

Turn Jews to Jesus? This was not an easy task. So the questions begin. What was John’s main message? What exactly was the ‘spirit and power of Elijah’? How do you convince fathers to turn their hearts to their children? How do you convince the ‘disobedient’ to the wisdom of the righteous? By pointing out sin and the need for repentance? The reference to the fathers being turned towards their children is an obvious reference to the last verse in Malachi. A restoration of the family unit. How exactly is a people made prepared for the Lord Jesus? How is the human heart prepared to hear the Truth? By the power and revelation from the Holy Spirit?

The ‘calling’ of the prophet can be found in this message from the angel to Zechariah. The task of the prophet today remains within these perimeters. Elijah actually began a ‘school of the prophets’ who Elisha continued after which Elijah was transported to heaven. The office of prophet is to help those ‘called’ to the life of the prophetic and help them recognize their calling on their lives and steward them towards the Lord and the Holy Spirit. To help strengthen the family unit. To teach the wisdom of the righteous. To help prepare people for a deeper relationship with the Lord.

The New Testament prophet (Ephesians 4:11-12) has the same calling towards the education and edification of the Body of Christ for the ‘work’ of the ‘ministry’. What is that ‘ministry’? The Rhema Word of God set into the hearts of each member of the Body of Christ. Each member then following the intimate instructions from the Holy Spirit and to carry them out with quick and complete obedience. The Body’s member’s work and function can be found in Paul’s first letter to the Corinthian community of The Way (1 Corinthians 12). Without the calling of the prophet of God and their correct execution of their office the people will be left spiritually immature, unable to complete and be effective in their ‘ministry’ in the Lord. Without a prophetic company within the Body, the discernment from the Holy Spirit will be severely lacking allowing the ‘wolves’ to come in and deceive and devour the flock. The Body of Christ in your community need the full complement of ‘gifts’ and callings / roles (apostle, prophet, evangelist, pastor, teacher — and this is NOT one single person) to reach complete spiritual maturity.

What is the ‘ministry’ the Lord has given you? Are you seeking Him for instructions about it? Is the Holy Spirit preparing you for it? Are their any prophets in your life that are pushing and challenging you to press into the Spirit of God and your ‘ministry’ before Him?

Pray that the Lord would raise up a company of prophets in your own community for the education and edification of the ‘ministry’ of the Lord bringing people into full and complete spiritual maturity with the Spirit of God (Holy Spirit).

Do you have two or three elder prophets in your community / gathering that helps your group discern the Truth of things?  

Let two or three prophets speak, and let the others weigh what is said. 1 Corinthians 14:29