November 12, 2009

GOD’S WORDS ARE SPIRIT AND LIFE

In Jn 6:62-63 Jesus taught his disciples “The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you are Spirit and they are life.” The power and the purpose of the prophetic is found in this essential truth; the words that are being spoken are Spirit and they give life! When we prophecy it is Jesus speaking through us by His Spirit and through this process He is releasing life into whatever person or situation we are speaking forth into. 1 Jn. 5:9-11 says that when we believe the words we actually have the witness of them living inside of us.

1 John 5:9-10 “If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater; for this is the witness of God which He has testified of His Son. 10 He who believes in the Son of God has the witness in himself; he who does not believe God has made Him a liar, because he has not believed the testimony that God has given of His Son.” NKJV

This principle that is revealed about the inner witness in particular to Christ applies in essence to all of the work of prophetic ministry because the testimony of Jesus is the Spirit of Prophecy. It is the same principles at work when the prophetic word is spoken as it was when Jesus walked the earth and spoke into the lives of His people. Ro. 10:17 illustrates this principle when it declares that “faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God.” The word is spoken forth and releases faith and faith releases the activity of God.

This principle is transferred onto the saints in 1 Peter 4:11 that exhorts the saints “If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God.” NIV The apostle Paul goes as far as establishing the gift of prophecy as the preeminent gift in 1 Cor 14:1 where he writes “Follow the way of love and eagerly desire spiritual gifts, especially the gift of prophecy.” NIV