The miracle ministry is connected to the ministry of the prophet. We need miracles. We need prophets. When prophets are received by the churches and believers, miracles begin to manifest in the lives of those churches and believers. Yes, miracles are a sign of the ministry of the prophet. This was always one of the ways that someone was known to be a prophet. Nicodemas, when he came to Jesus expressed what the leaders believed at that time,
[W]e all know that God has sent you to teach us. Your miraculous signs are evidence that God is with you. Jn. 3:2, NLT.
When the Holy Spirit fell on Pentecost, the Apostle Peter said, "People of Israel, listen! God publicly endorsed Jesus the Nazarene by doing powerful miracles, wonders, and signs through him, as you well know." Acts 2:22, NLT. Peter preached used what Jesus did as authority for what he was preaching on Pentecost. In truth, what we have today is Pentecost without power. We must return to the power that Pentecost represents to the church.
How? By receiving the miracle ministry of the prophet. In John 9:1-41, Jesus is asked an interesting question by his disciples, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?" Jesus's response was direct and to the point, neither. Then, He went further,
I must work the works of him that sent me. Jn. 9:4.
Jesus saw this man's debilitating eye problem as evidence of His need to work miracles. Yes, Jesus was moved with compassion for humanity's needs.
Are we moved with that same level of compassion in the prophetic movement today? I don't think so. I know this because we don't expect prophets to move in the gift of the working of miracles. Somehow, we think the prophet's ministry is confined to giving personal prophecies. While I think personal prophecy is valuable, and it has been extremely valuable in my life, it is not the end-all, be-all of the prophet's ministry. No, prophets are called to go higher, to do more, to demonstrate greater.
A significant misunderstanding concerning the prophet's ministry exists. That misunderstanding is rooted in the legacy of John the Baptist. The Bible says of him, "John did no miracle". Jn. 10:41. The people said this because they were surprised by the absence of miracles in his in ministry. It was well known that miracles were evidence that someone was a prophet by the miracles manifested through their ministry.
Going back to the blind man in John 9. When he was questioned by the Pharisees about how he was healing and who healed him, the blind man says,
If this man were not of God, he could do nothing. Jn. 9:32.
The lesson he teaches them, and us, is profound. The miracles Jesus did confirmed who He was and is. Those miracles also confirm who is and who isn't a prophet today. Yes, there may be exceptions, like John the Baptist. But the norm is signs, wonders, and miracles.
As prophets, we must learn to move into the realm of miracles. Yes, we must learn to expect miracles. That means we must be in a position where miracles are a necessary part of our lives. As a prophet, I have learned to receive miracles. That happened when I was in a position where I needed them. My need became the seed for miracles happening in my life. I believe this is the normal way God teaches prophets to function in the realm of the miraculous. We personally need them.
Elijah was confronted by a famine caused by his own prophetic word to Israel. Nevertheless, Elijah needed provision. First stop, the brook. 1 Kgs. 17:1-6. While there, Elijah learned a valuable lesson: God wanted to meet his needs. But God wanted more from Elijah. Next stop, the widow. Elijah was taught a greater lesson: God wanted to meet the needs of others. After learning both lessons, then we see God use Elijah to reach Israel.
Often, as prophets, we want to reach the nation without reaching our neighbors. We want to walk in supernatural provision but we don't want to walk through the brook to the widow. Yet, as David was required to slay both his lion and bear prior to defeating his Goliath, Elijah was required to face his brook and widow prior to facing his Mount Carmel moment. Then, he was fully prepared to be the prophet he was called to be.
Today, prophets must be prepared to become who God has called them to be. That means learning lessons at the brook and from the widow. That means slaying our lion and bear. That means doing miracles when faced with needs that require miracles. That is the next dimension of the prophetic office. The return of the miracle ministry of the prophet. Get ready! A prophetic explosion of signs, wonders, and miracles is coming to a church near you.
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