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prophesied of Jesus—covering not only His
birth, but the details of His life.
Matthew 1:22, Amplifi ed Bible, Classic
Edition, says, "All this took place that it might
be fulfi lled which the Lord had spoken through
the prophet…" (my emphasis). Several more
times Matthew says, "that it might be fulfi lled."
Jesus based every action of His ministry
entirely on the prophetic words which became
the written Word. Furthermore, Jesus is the
Word made fl esh, right (John 1:14)? What
word? The Word spoken by the prophets!
Could it be that the ministry of the prophet
is relevant for us today? Some say, "No, that's
passed away." Others disagree, but don't
really know how it is relevant or how to use
their faith for this glorious ministry gift. Let's
explore.
The Gifts Still Remain
First, let's establish that prophets did
not disappear after the 12 apostles went to
heaven. They didn't end an era; instead, they
began one! Ephesians 4:11-13 says, "And
He Himself gave some to be apostles, some
prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors
and teachers, for the equipping of the saints
for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the
body of Christ, till we all come to the unity of
the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of
God" (New King James Version).
Who gave these gifts? Jesus.
Have evangelists, pastors or teachers
ceased to be gifts to the Church? Of course not.
Can we fi nd any scriptural indication that
the Lord has withdrawn apostles or prophets?
No, we cannot.
Since "the work of ministry for the edifying
of the body" has not ended, then why would
Jesus withdraw any of the gifts He gave to
equip us for that task? The truth is, He hasn't.
The next four verses, Ephesians 4:13-16,
go on to list the purpose for the fi ve ministry
gifts mentioned earlier, one of which is that of
the prophet. These gifts are given to bring the
whole Body into a perfect (or mature) man,
measuring up to the full stature of Jesus and
His Anointing. The Apostle Paul explains that
we are to grow past spiritual childhood and
"Psalm 29 reveals that the voice of the Lord
is powerful and full of majesty...it makes
way for the glory and gives His people
strength, blessing them with peace.
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