Friday 15 October 2010

How do we administer prophecy at King's Church

We aim to follow the pattern of Acts - Revelation, Interpretation, Application! You know the story of Cornelius in Acts 10. Peter is a Jew. Christianity at this point had been a Jewish sect. It hadn’t gone beyond Jews. Peter was troubled as to whether the gospel was also for God-fearers and Greeks - then he has a strange vision of a sheet coming down with different animals in it. Revelation.
Then in Acts 10:17 Peter starts wondering about the meaning of the vision. So when anyone brings any prophetic word where I’m in the room I’m thinking ‘What does this mean?’ Sometimes it’s crystal clear but sometimes it isn’t - especially when you get funny pictures about monks’ cloaks!

Acts 10:19 carries on... ‘While Peter was still thinking about the vision.’ In a context of prayer you weigh the word/picture when it’s given, or over a long period of time, praying back to God what God has said, seeing if it resonates with you.

The interpretation (‘What does it mean?’) is followed by the application - what you should do. Who? What? When? and Where? are the questions to ask. Peter’s response in :34 is - “I now realise how true it is that God does not show favouritism but accepts men from every nation”. So he preaches the gospel, explains what Jesus has done. The Holy Spirit falls on the hearers. They get baptised in the Holy Spirit and Peter follows this by baptising them in water... All because of a vision of a sheet with animals. Revelation, interpretation, application.

To be continued...