Old Dog V
WORDS OF…
Bob Neumann
How many times have we seen the posters and even the bumper stickers entitled “Against the flow”? You know the one where all kinds of fish are pointed in one direction and you see the GREEK “ICTHEOS” symbol facing the other way.
JESUS always seems to be going in the “other” direction. I ended a post to the WPA with the phrase “QUO VADIS?”. So much for a classic education when no one has a clue what you are talking about. I should have learned that lessen several years ago when I quoted Shakespeare. Confused too many people. The problem is when you assume everyone “knows” ….you are immediately in error. You see how THE MOST HOLY SPIRIT works and you figure that is what others are seeing too. Only they are not. But should everyone be a “joint heir” with CHRIST? Shouldn’t all HIS CHILDREN have HIS GIFTS? The WPA like most places the SHEEP seem to have GATHERED, has been a place where we see WORDS of ENCOURAGEMENT…WORDS of CONFIRMATION…WORDS of COMPASSION… WORDS of EXHORTATION….WORDS of CORRECTION….
Now we have all had some experience with these 5 WORDS. Either receiving them…or passing them on. Sometimes you really need a WORD in due season. Many out there say that it is just these manifestations that are the DUTY of THE NEW TESTAMENT PROPHET. For a long time i went along with that thinking. The only problem was i knew there was a lack in all the “touchie feelie” of the professional prophetic ministries.
Like all things it seems to take RHEMA to dig into LOGOS. When i was led to the GIFTS…those 5 WORDS are not there. 1 Corinthians – Chapter 12 has a lot of information, but falls short of what man says and teaches. One “Prophetess” told me that Paul said that there was a “diversity of gifts” that Paul just did not have time to mention. Well that sounded phony to me then, but was not sure why at the time. Paul says that we are given WORDS of WISDOM and WORDS of KNOWLEDGE. Can these WORDS COMFORT, CORRECT, ADMONISH, INSTRUCT, WARN, and all other possibilities. SURE!
But what bugs me is that not one of the WPA wanted to even touch the subject. Which tells me a couple of things. No one has really “experienced” true WORDS…. and have nothing to base their thoughts. Like Stephen’s mention of THE MATTERHORN…it looks different from all four directions. So i guess no one has seen THE MOUNTAIN.
You see, i am a man of little faith. I question everything…even GOD. When GOD says THERE IS NO DISCERNMENT among the WPA…i believed it. Then when HE SAID all HIS CHILDREN have DISCERNMENT…i stepped back and took a deep breath. First of all i had to understand just who HE MENT. The nebulous 400 who are invisible in the background. The few people who forward “other stuff” from other so called “prophetic sites” that are just plain bogus. Or those who are in serious need of a spiritual compass and have turned to the “WPA” by the GRACE OF GOD?
It sure would be nice if the GIFT OF HEALING was evident in every “little flock”? Make it a lot easier on the wild and woolly sheepses. Now i know there are churches were they “teach” people how to speak in TONGUES…. i know of ministries that have courses on becoming a prophet and how to heal and even raise the dead. Anyone ever notice that there is no GIFT specifically about “RAISING THE DEAD”. But the bible does have a word for it.. NECROMANCY…and it is a “NO NO”…. Look it up..
So what am i trying to say.… Well, Stephen is right. The WPA is a “vehicle” for a small group of people, a remnant, to be sheltered in the fun times just ahead. The last train/boat/bus out. Whatever image you prefer. But how do you teach people how to discern? I do not know. I pray…i wait…
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