There is not supposed to be a schism in the body of Christ. We should ask ourselves, why did the Apostle take so much time in teaching and explaining how the Spirit is supposed to work? He was painstaking about teaching us that everyone in this Body, had their place, and that we needed every part. The body of Christ, is supposed to work together; just like our physical body was designed to work harmoniously the same way.

We have let fear and lack of knowledge, cause us to withdraw from some of the most wonderful and powerful ways, that the Spirit works. When even some of the parts and pieces stop operating as they were intended, the body gets sick. It’s not that complicated. If one small part of our human body fails, it can make the entire body very ill. And in the body of Christ, one denial that is not tended to, can spread throughout the entire group, causing malfunction. I am again, greatly moved, at how clearly, our instructions were written.

Paul exhorted us to desire spiritual gifts. He taught us about them before he told us to seek them. He said, “especially to prophesy.” A healthy body, can discern immediately, if someone is trying to prophesy in the flesh. Furthermore, he told us straight-up, that there would be fakes; false prophesiers if you please. But the Spirit, never intended for us all to back off, just because of those who were in the flesh. Prophecies, used to go forth on a regular basis among us; and please note, we could tell if they were given by the Spirit. That’s one reason, we didn’t hear many frauds in prior times; the people of the church, had the ability to discern it.

We love to quote Joel 2:28, and once upon a time, we embraced it all. Now, it seems that we want to speak about an outpouring in these last days, but not about the manifestations of the Spirit that go along with it. It cannot be denied, that prophecies were going forth throughout the entire New Testament. A body that cannot discern, has not been fed the proper food that’s needed for maturity. We are to desire, to speak utterances of the Spirit, and if it is indeed of the Spirit, discerned by a healthy body, it shouldn’t be suppressed.

Therefore, we return to the question that the Spirit is asking us in this hour. Do you, or can you prophesy? Not everyone can; that was also made clear, but they can excel in other things that God has placed in the church also. But when nobody is allowed to do it, unless they are approved by men, we have quenched the Spirit.

If I don’t want the Spirit to use someone to prophesy about me, the best thing is not to allow anyone to do so, unless I say they can. It is a real question, to ask, just how much have we missed on this journey, because we allowed someone, to keep it from all of us?

In meetings of the past, when the Spirit moved in such a way, we were told to go to one another and minister, and to prophesy what we were being given by the Spirit. I cannot tell you what that was like. The complete freedom to move in the Spirit; to speak what the Holy Ghost led you to say. There is no way to describe what that felt like, and how it brought the precious Spirit of the Lord, down upon us. Weeping, laying hands on one another; a full and unique demonstration of the Power of the Holy Ghost.

Do you prophesy?

~ Robert Blackburn

Robert Blackburn