Last week we addressed how some general principles about the operation of the gifts of the Spirit may be common, but they are always joined to the unique way that He relates to every person. Every prophet and apostle in Scripture was different, and every person is unique. So we must learn to balance the general principles that we can learn from others, with the unique way that the Lord wants to relate to us, which can only be gained by our personal relationship to Him.

      This leads to another basic truth about the prophetic—every person, every...

     Previously, we began to discuss the levels or different kinds of prophetic revelation from impressions to being caught up into heaven such as Paul and John were in the New Testament. We will now continue with these. As you have probably picked up by now, it is my style to intersperse practical understanding of the gifts with the character issues that can help us avoid the stumbling blocks and traps that many have needlessly fallen into. The church and the world are in desperate need of true prophetic ministry in these times, and this need is going...

      We must be trustworthy to be trusted with important revelation or assignments from God. One reason why so many are not trusted with more is they do not pursue the wisdom and maturity of how to handle the revelation. We are emissaries of the King of kings when we are carrying messages from Him, and His word must be handled with the utmost...

      It is my makeup, and that of most prophetic people I know, to be so concept-oriented that I am prone to mix up details. This is a weakness that those who are detail-oriented have a hard time understanding and often attribute to evil motives. I hope that is never the case, but I realize I have a weakness so I have learned to appreciate the detail-oriented. Even if they are often irritating to people like me who are concept-oriented, we need them very much. 

     Those who are detail-oriented can also be prone to the...

     I have not ceased to be amazed at how I can share something in a service and immediately afterward people will come to me and have heard something entirely different from what I said. Often it is the very opposite of what I said. Long ago, I became convinced that it is not possible to say anything without it being misunderstood by some. I have concluded that this cannot be helped, and if you worry too much about it, you would not say anything. Even so, it is right to develop ours skills of communication to eliminate as...