Thankfulness

Here’s another installment of thoughts during my trip to Thailand and Japan. Japan has been amazing. God has opened my eyes a lot, and this entry is a big example of some of the attitude change I’ve been experiencing.

“Do everything without complaining or arguing.”

Japan is an amazing place. From the musical garbage trucks to the restaurants where sushi spins around on a conveyor belt, there’s no place quite like it. It’s one of the wealthiest, safest, most developed nations in the world.

And yet, foreigners love to complain about living here.

But God’s Word commands us to do everything without complaining or arguing. So, when we indulge in complaining, we sin. That sin replaces joy with discontentment.

In the church, it’s ironically easier to talk about fornication than complaining, because just about everyone indulges in complaining, even the pastor. And when you go somewhere as a MISSIONARY (big red text with an html blink tag), those “little” sins like complaining can eventually destroy your fruitfulness.

Let’s use Japan as an example (but remember these lessons apply anywhere, even if you never leave your home country). What’s there to complain about in this amazing nation, anyways? Well, I’ll hit on a few of the favorites.

Bruce, a heroic man in his eighties who came here as a missionary after fighting in World War II, once said to me, “You need a PHD to understand the Japanese garbage system.” Garbage is sorted into categories like burnable, non-burnable, plastics (like a Ziploc), PET bottles (like bottled water), aluminum cans, and toxics (like batteries). Each of these is picked up on a different day of the week, and some are only picked up once every month or two (like toxics). On garbage morning (which is about 4 days a week), you take your bag of trash out to the designated neighborhood garbage spot before 8 AM, but you can’t put it out the night before, because animals would get into it. Oh, and every town in Japan has different categories of trash. Some areas require your name on your trash bag, so that your neighbors can come yell at you if they see a plastic bottle in your non-burnable trash.

I think you can understand why foreigners love to complain about the Japanese garbage system. However, they have a garbage system, here! We’re not scooping everything into a pit and burning it with gasoline, sending toxic plastic fumes in every direction like much of the world. Garbage men actually come at scheduled times and take it somewhere far away! A person mature in thankfulness notes that latter fact. Because while it may be fun to complain about the garbage system, if you do, then it will really bother you the next time you find yourself running through the snow in your pajamas with a bag of rotting food.

Real estate is difficult, here. Renting is almost as hard as buying a house in America. Generally, you will pay 4-5 months of rent in fees to get into a rental. And you won’t get that money back. I could go on and on about the difficulties of rentals and real estate agents, but that would be complaining, I’m trying to escape. I’ve fallen guilty to complaining about this in the past, because I lost about $2500 in a bad rental decision I made. However, God’s Spirit has brought conviction, and by His power, I’ve decided to stop. I just hate walking around sullen and angry, so I’ve decided to forgive that real estate company and move on.

There are virtually no driers, here. Some Westerners complain that in a first world nation like Japan, they have to hang their clothes outside to dry. Whoops, it rained today, didn’t it?

But hold on for a moment! At least God didn’t call you to Africa, where parasites lay eggs in your clothes as they hang to dry, eggs which then get into your pores and can get infected. I mean, come on, you can drink the tap water in Japan! And when was the last time you heard of a case of malaria in the Land of the Rising Sun?

I’ll take a moment to say that there is a place for verbal processing. Sometimes, after the nosey 45-year-old woman next door comes and yells at you for 15 minutes because you took the non-burnables out on the wrong day, you just need to talk to someone. Not all processing is complaining, though it often turns into complaining. I’m not sure where to draw the line. But when you cross into sarcasm, you’re probably complaining.

Healthy processing should also lead to thankfulness. Your friend starts with the lady and the garbage. You lead them to the deeper issue of culture shock they’re going through. You end by praying together, forgiving the lady, and thanking God for her. Healthy processing looks like that.

One final example. Some people get really mad when they’re discriminated against as foreigners. Which causes them to get really sensitive about being discriminated against. Once, a friend of mine was trying to park her car when a parking attendant aggressively shooed her away from a spot in the front row. We felt pretty insulted.

Discrimination because of being a foreigner? Possibly. Or maybe he was saving a spot for someone or we missed a no parking sign, somewhere. However, when you’re used to people treating you like an idiot because you’re white, it can get to you after ten years.

But if you choose to complain about the way Japanese people treat foreigners, something is really, really wrong with you. Because anyone who knows anything about the Japanese people knows that they’re hands-down the kindest and politest people in the world. Granted, sometimes they treat foreigners badly. But if you’re complaining about the nicest people in the world, the problem isn’t with them, it’s with you.

Because complaining isn’t a reaction to difficulties, it’s a state of the heart. This is so obvious where in Japan of all places, people still find things to complain about. It goes from, “Gosh, I’m sure glad God didn’t call me to Africa.” To “What, you mean I have to hang my clothes to dry?” To “And they’re so dumb, they haven’t even figured out driers.”

And that last, condescending attitude will destroy your ministry. You will not stay angry at the lack of driers. Eventually, you’ll be angry at the Japanese.

The correct attitude to start out with is, “I will deny myself, take up my cross, and follow Jesus.” Which means, “I have no rights to anything.” Then, when God gives me an amazing blessing like a convoluted garbage service, I say, “Praise the Lord! This is more than I ever deserved.”

Thankfulness is one of those vital qualities for a missionary to have, wherever you go. The model of the Victorian Brit in the jungle with a bad case of malaria and a big frown is so 1800s. Get with the 21^st century. And give thanks in all things. You’ll have enough challenges in ministry as it is.

So, I’m working on not complaining about the silly little quirks of Japan. As I do, I find myself loving this nation and these people so much more. It amazing how much better you can see when the sun burns away the fog.

Japanese personality

                Since returning to Japan, I’ve been reminded how this culture can destroy your personailty. I think I see it most clearly in restaurants. It never really hit me till now just how mechanical the servers are. Almost everything they say is completely scripted. “Is that all for your order?” “Thank you very much, please come again.” Japanese equivalents of those kinds of phrases. Their faces betray no emotion.

                It’s like someone has replaced all the people with robots. Very polite robots that give the best customer service you ever imagined and don’t require tips. In Japan, that’s what good and polite service looks like. To really understand this, you’d have to be here and see the young men and women working these minimum wage jobs.

                But it’s a bit dehumanizing. It’s like there’s a perfect way to be a server, a perfect set of statements to say, and you’re trying to live up to that model. And that model excludes your personality. I mention this cultural tidbit because it’s far deeper that minimum wage jobs. In Japan, the culture tells you to stuff down and hide anything unpleasant about yourself. Any sin or rudeness or offence must be hidden, and your exterior must be perfect. If you secretly hate your parents because they never hugged you and showed affection after you started elementary school... well, pretend it’s different and don’t talk to anyone about that. You can see why loneliness and depression are so rampant in this great nation.

                There’s nothing more wonderful than seeing a Japanese person in Japan with a heartfelt smile. When I arrived, I hit off a short converation at the airport with two middle-aged ladies, and I loved talking about silly topics like where I’d lived before in Japan, the cold weather (a welcome refresher after Bangkok), and how kind the Japanese people are. And I said to myself, “Praise Jesus, I haven’t completely forgotten Japanese!” We enjoyed our little talk.

                Out in the countryside or in a mom and pop shop, you can actually see these beautiful personalities. I still remember fun conversations with old ladies in their restaurants in Kagawa, how they were surprised to see me and loved to talk. A man in his fifties who owned Shiruba Roodo (English translation: Silver Road) never realized that he was actually my Japanese teacher whenever I visited his restaurant.

                Modern Japan has turned people into turtles. You must wear a shell around your true self, and you must never come out of that shell, often even to your family and closest friends. I yearn for the day when the true beauty of the people of Japan will shine out.

Optimism

Optimism

                Relentless optimism is one of the of the most important character traits for a missionary. To do well on the mission field, you should be the kind of person who can rejoice in one rescued woman while walking the streets of downtown Bangkok and seeing hundreds more utterly trapped by pimps, parents, and poverty. You have to be able to emotionally rejoice over that woman while intellectually realizing the staggering statistic of 1 in 100 Thai women working in the sex industry. You must be able to laugh and sing in a church of 50 while knowing that less than a percent of the entire nation is saved. The one Christian father working so his daughter can get an education must affect you more than a thousand drunken fathers sending their daughters to Bangkok to pay for their booze.

                Without optimism, you see the darkness and despair, because the darkness is that extreme, especially in nations like Thailand. With optimism, you continue in joy, and dark nations need joyful missionaries, not sad ones.

                Know that if you are pessimistic, you will struggle terribly on the mission field, and you may should seriously count the cost and question going. Pessimism is like a stainless steel frying pan. Even if you use it for something simple, you have to scour it afterwards to get off the burnt carbon. Optimism is like Teflon: after a hard day, everything  slides right off.

                Optimism does not mean the absence of mourning. It means that the basic and fundamental alignment of our hearts is towards rejoicing in the Lord.

                Mature optimism doesn’t mean we’re bad at planning because “everything will turn out OK.” It means that whether things go according to plan or not, we remember that God is in control and His purposes will succeed.

                Optimism and pessimism are not simply personality trends, they are serious matters of sanctification. I say this because joy is a fruit of the Spirit, and because I Cor. 13 says that love does not delight in evil, always trusts, and always hopes. Philippians tells us to rejoice in the Lord always, and we’re commanded to give thanks in all circumstances. All these are traits of optimism.

                “But that’s not fair,” you say. “I was born pessimistic, while optimism comes naturally to some people.”

                No one ever said that the Kingdom of God was fair. However, the same could be said about any matter of sanctification. Perhaps the man raised in a broken household who loses his temper twice a year is quite a bit further in his faith than the good Christian kid who holds bitterness in his heart and never speaks a cross word. We all start with hurdles in our faith in some areas, and the point is not that the natural pessimists instantly see the good in everything. The point is that they grow in that area.

                I began thinking along these lines just a few minutes ago listening to “The Days of Elijah,” a song by Robin Mark, an Irishman who carries that optimism in his music:

                These are the days of Elijah, declaring the Word of the Lord.

                These are the days of your servant Moses, righteousness being restored.

                And though these are days of great trial, of famine and darkness and sword,

                Still we are the voice in the desert crying, “Prepare ye the way of the Lord.”

                Ultimately, it’s hard to be fruitful as a missionary unless you can look at crushing poverty, fathomless injustice, and billions of souls perishing without Christ and say, “These are the days of Elijah, declaring the word of the Lord.”

Prophesy, Part 3: Prophesy

By the time you read this, I will be on a plane to Thailand. I'll be there for 2 weeks and in Japan for 2 weeks. You may notice a lack of posts in that time, but I'll make up for it after that, for sure! 

 

Part 3: Prophesy

Tom pulled back his arm and threw hard. The little disc flew straight toward his target. But then it slowed and seemed to come to a complete standstill before veering a sharp left and off into some bushes. Tom sighed. His game was terribly off. The sport, of course, was disc golf, and old favorite of his. He’d spent his first few college years coming in last of his friends, but he made a commitment to come out at least four times a week, and his skills were improving.

Except for today. The day started when a friend from Revival Fellowship cancelled on him (not the voice of God, just school work). He was distracted through the whole game, and now he was six over par on the ninth and final hole. As he tromped towards the big, prickly bush which had eaten his disc, the same thoughts echoed in his mind. He found it funny how sometimes, when you’re alone, the same sentence or two echoes over and over again for hours. This whole game, since he had no one to talk to, two sentences kept circling in his mind, complete with the images of those who spoke them.

“When you prophesy over someone, you’re trying to answer the question, ‘God, how do you love this person, today?’ Answer that, and you’re prophesying.”

“But it bugs me to put prophesy in a box of little words, given on demand, when God’s got to be speaking bigger things to people – if He’s really speaking.”

After a few more bad throws, he finished seven over par, slipped his putter into his black, vinyl bag, threw it over his shoulder, and plopped down in a nearby bench. Only a few other players were out on the course (all doing much better than he had), and two kids played on a see-saw, trying to balance such that they were both in the air.

An older man (maybe in his sixties) sat on a bench next to Tom. He had a slightly wrikled face, but it didn’t carry as many cares as his age. He wore a striped, button-down shirt with some jeans. His hands held a little, round gray hat on top of his lap. He turned to Tom and smiled. “Beautiful day, isn’t it?”

The words snapped Tom out of his funk. “Ah yes, it is,” he said, watching a few large clouds float overhead.

“Have you lived in this area long?” the man asked.

“No, just a couple years. I go to Town City University. I’m done in the spring.”

“And that frisbee golf is your hobby, then?”

Tom winced at the misnaming of his sport. “Yeah, I enjoy disc golf quite a bit. Between school and” – he walked out on a ledge a little – “church, I need something to simply relax.”

The older man caught his little nuance, like an Ixthus symbol of old, and replied, “Ah, you’re a Believer, eh? I go to Assemblies of God on Traffic Way.”

Tom hadn’t heard of it. “I’m at Revival Fellowship.”

“Oh, I’ve heard of that place. The Spirit’s really moving there. I visited once. Lots of young people. Lots of young people.”

The conversation died for a moment. Tom wasn’t sure what to say next.

“Well, I have a word for you,” the old man said. He sat up straighter and looked Tom directly in the eyes (it was a little intimidating). “This is what the Lord God says. You’re in a time of great transition. You are encountering the things of my Spirit in a new way, and the choice is before you to run from them or walk towards them. The choices you make in the next six months will impact the walk you have with me for the rest of your life. You will either walk closer to me or farther from me, but the time for decision is now. Know that I will be with you in those decisions and give you wisdom if you will only listen to my Spirit with prayer and fasting.”

There it was. He’d broken half the rules from Bill’s training and significantly weirded Tom out by speaking in the first person from God’s perspective. But Tom felt his head spin and his stomach turn over. He stared at the old man as if to say, How did you know all that? He couldn’t pick out words to tell the man and uttered a distant “Thanks.”

The old prophet put his rounded hat on his head and stood up straight, bearing great posture for his age. “I hope to see you out here again, young man. I wish I’d followed God half as closely as you when I was your age. You have a good day.”

In the end, all Tom could think was, the voice of God is a mystery to me.

Prophesy, Part 2: Conversation

 I'm about to leave for my vacation/missionary trip to Thailand and Japan. But fear not! Due to the miracle of modern technology, the concluding part 3 of this series will be posted automatically on Wednesday... by SCIENCE. Enjoy!

Part 2: Conversation

A few days later, Tom sat in a nice little Thai food restaurant with a friend named Paul from his previous church, ReBible
Fellowship. They sat over a steaming plate of noodles and chatted about the last couple months of their lives. “So, we had this prophetic training last week.”

Paul’s face took an incredulous look. “Prophetic… training? Fascinating. And you actually went?”

“Yeah, I’d heard of prophetic trainings and always had been a bit skeptical, but I wanted to see firsthand what it was
like, rather than writing it off as heresy based on hearsay.” He chuckled at his own joke. It wasn’t the first time he’d
used it.

“Do you think it’s Biblical to do something like that?”

“Well, we try to train up evangelists, right?” And Tom summarized a good part of the teaching from the Sunday before.

Paul listened carefully as they finished their food, interjecting a few questions now and again before he voiced his opinion.  “Well, at least you’re not trying to add to the canon. But still, there’s some parts I don’t like. For example, that part at the end about ‘whatever you see is from God for that person.’ That seems like a rather naïve way to approach hearing God. Maybe the reason I have an image of pipes in my head is because I was playing Mario Brothers an hour before the meeting. That teaching just doesn’t take basic human whims into account. Sometimes, our minds just come up with things, and that’s not God speaking. I feel like with trainings like that in a church, you’d get weird people who are convinced that every whim of their mind is the word of God. If anybody clears their mind and ‘waits for a word,’ they’ll get some kind of image, Holy Spirit or not. That’s just basic human nature. I’d say that images like that are pretty meaningless when you take that into account.”

“See, I disagree with that,” Tom said. “I do believe God can speak through a mental image, but it’s just not every mental image is from God. I’ve known people who’ve been really impacted by some of those funny images.” It’s funny, because somehow, Tom was the type of man who tried to get people to play fair. Around his new, Charismatic church, he’d defend the Evangelical Free and Calvary Chapel sectors of Christiandom, where around his old friend Paul, he’d try to give a fair hearing for the prophets.

Paul continued. “Anyways, we could argue about little things like that, but let’s cut to the core, shall we? The biggest thing I’m hearing from you about the Pentecostal idea of prophesy is that definition. He said it was ‘hearing God’s heart’ or something like that, right?”

“Yeah, basically hearing from God for another person. Do you have a better definition?” Tom ignored the word “Pentecostal.” They were “Charismatic,” and he’d told that to Paul a million times, but it just didn’t seem to sink in.

“Yes. Prophesy is speaking for God! There’s a weightiness to it that training didn’t capture. You just can’t go around saying you’re prophesying and making all kinds of mistakes. At the very least, it’s taking the Lord’s name in vain. At worst, it’s something of a blasphemy. If you just want to encourage someone, then don’t say ‘this is prophesy,’ because that’s saying that you’re speaking for God. And if you’re speaking for God, you better be sure of what you’re saying! And if prophesy is just vaguely hearing God’s heart for someone, then does the word still mean anything?

“I mean, God speaks in many ways: through the Bible, through wisdom, even through impressions. And if we just take God’s word through the Bible, I could say John 3:16 to you any time of any day, and bam, prophesy, because that’s always God’s will for you. Or if we take God speaking through wisdom – say that you’re doing terribly in school. And I determine that it’s because you’re watching too much TV. ‘God’s will for you is to cut down on the TV,’ I say. Prophesy!” He waved his hands in the air.

“The way your training went, it sounds like prophesy revolves around giving minor, insignificant, personal insights. If that’s prophesy, then any psychologist is a skilled prophet. Heck, if prophesy is that easy, then my last pastor, who vehemently denies the spiritual gifts, prophesies all the time in marriage counselling situations. It’s almost like the Pentecostal–”

“Charismatic,” Tom interjected.

“–World isn’t as unique as they think in possessing prophesy; they just have too wide a definition of it.”

When Paul’s mind got into debate mode, he got carried away. A waitress dropped the bill as he continued. “However, what about big prophesies? At the very least, prophesies that change the course of individual lives. But what about world events, calls to repent, etc? If someone came into your church carrying that kind of a ‘word’ but couldn’t read your palm (so to speak), would they be a prophet? Or say someone like Martin Luther came along and reformed the way we do everything. I call that prophesy in the biggest, most major sense. That kind of prophesy changed the world. But Luther didn’t look deep into your eyes, wait for a picture of a blue unicorn, and give it to you to hold like a stuffed animal. You haven’t really created a prophetic church; you’ve killed prophesy.”

“Little harsh there, don’t you think?” Tom asked.

Paul suddenly noticed that a few other customers in the restaurant were looking at him. “Sorry, maybe a little. But it bugs me to put prophesy in a box of little ‘words’–” he made quotes with his fingers “–given on demand when God’s got to be speaking bigger things to people – if He’s really speaking. I just hate to dress up a scarecrow in camel’s hair and call it a prophet. I want the real thing. Something I can’t deny!”

“I know, and I’ve been in that place,” Tom said. “The funny thing about that place is that you can always find reason to deny the obvious work of God right in front of your eyes, and I still do, sometimes. Without an open heart, you can look at a healed man and say ‘He did it on the Sabbath.’”

He pointed straight at Tom. “You calling me a Pharisee?”

They paused in silence for a moment, then the two old friends both collapsed in laughter, breaking the tension. Paul slipped his credit card onto the bill plate. “You paid last time, right? I think it’s my turn. Look. I just don’t want to cheapen God’s voice by calling every true statement in the world a prophesy.”

“Well, I think you’re missing one piece,” Tom said.

“What?”

“Prophesy has a certain ‘now’ quality to it. I’ve heard people call it the rhema word (Greek meaning the Word of God for right now) as compared to the logos word of the Bible. Quoting John 3:16 or Jeremiah 29:11 may be true, but it isn’t prophetic, because it’s not what the Spirit is saying right now to me. I’m just doing it out of my own head. Quoting a Scripture like that in bad timing can actually wound deeply. If someone is really hurting and I quote a common Bible verse to them (say, Romans 8:28), then it sounds trite, and I seem uncaring. That’s not prophetic, because though it’s God’s plan for their life, it’s not what He wants to speak through me right now.

“And take wisdom. See, I get words for people where I feel like wisdom plays a big part. A girl in my Fellowship Group last week talked about some problems with her dad, and I suddenly knew that she needed to call him and apologize for her part in the fight. I felt wisdom, but there was more: God put all the facts together (plus some extra knowledge) into a whole package of discernment. With just wisdom, I wouldn’t have been able to piece it all together with such confidence. I had this firm sense that ‘this is correct, and it’s God. By the way, didn’t you say you had class at 1:30?”

Paul looked at his watch and spoke in flawless Christianese. “Crud, shoot. I do. Gotta run. Later, Jeremiah!”

Prophesy, part 1: Training

I'm going to post a 3-part thing I wrote on the spiritual gift of prophesy. Tragically, it might offend everyone. Part 1 will offend cessationist believers. Part 2 might offend Charismatic believers. Part 3... everyone else. Sometimes, that's just how it goes. Anyways, read on... IF YOU DARE (maniacal cackle)!

 Part 1: Training

In a little sideroom of “Revival Fellowship,” (a happening church in Town City, California), about two dozen people sat in a circle of chairs, talking and joking with one another. A little sign on the outside of the room said, “Prophetic Training, taught by Micah Smith.”

A young man in his early twenties sat and looked around the room nervously. He was white with blonde hair and wore glasses. He had a smooth complexion devoid of facial hair. His neighbor (an older black guy a coupld years his senior) turned to him, “What’s up. Your name was Tom, right?”

“Yeah,” Tom said slowly. “Have we met?”

His partner replied. “Yeah. I’m Bill. Don’t worry about it. You’re pretty new here, right?”

“Right. Four months, so far. I’ve really enjoyed this church.”

“Is this your first time at a prophetic training?”

“Yes. It’s something that caught my attention, so I wanted to see what it was like. Prophesy and all this is still really new to me.”

However, before that statement could be explained, Micah walked into the room with a wave and stood at an open end of the circle. He had arrived exactly three minutes late. Micah was a truly tall caucasian man in his fifties. He had a well-trimmed beard but a bit of a gut. He wore a huge smile. He quickly got the meeting started.

“I’m Micah Smith, for those who don’t know me. I lead the prophetic ministry here at R.F. Please refer to me as Prophet Micah.”

He paused awkwardly, as though expecting some kind of reaction. “Come on, that was a joke. Nobody better refer to me as Prophet Micah. One of the things you’ll learn today is that if you go around referring to yourself as a prophet, it actually harms your ability to minister prophetically. Anyways…”

He got a few other preliminaries out of the way. This was a six week class, two hours each Sunday afternoon, etc. etc. After a few minutes, he began teaching.

“I want to start with a correct definition of prophesy. Prophesy is simply hearing from God and speaking it out. It usually doesn’t relate to any future events and does relate to God’s heart in a matter. When you prophesy over someone, you’re trying to answer the question, ‘God, how do you love this person, today?’ Answer that, and you’re prophesying. Even if you’re just quoting a Bible verse to them, you’re prophesying.

“All Believers can prophesy. Here’s a few verses to back that up:

“I Cor. 14:1: ‘Follow the way of love and eagerly desire spiritual gifts, especially the gift of prophesy.’ If we’re commanded to seek out the gift of prophesy, we should be able to find it. God wouldn’t command us to seek something out if he’s just withholding it.

“I Cor. 14:5: ‘I would like every one of you to speak in tongues, but I would much rather have you prophesy.’ If Paul wanted everyone to prophesy, it’s for all believers.

“And one more verse for you (still in I Cor. 14). This one mentions everyone prophesying. Verse 25: ‘But if an unbeliever or someone who does not understand comes in while everyone is prophesying…’

“And if God is continually loving everyone, then why can’t any Christian deliver a prophetic word to anyone at any time by listening to Him and being filled with His Spirit?

“So, what does prophesy look like? Prophesy can take the form of images, specific words, Bible verses, or just about anything: God is creative. Sometimes a person gets an image that seems completely random: macaroni and cheeze. Yet maybe that means something to the person they’re supposed to tell it to. So, speak it out! Don’t be afraid. This is a safe environment for you to all learn in.

“One final word of caution. I Cor. 14:3 “But everyone who prophesies speaks to men for their strengthening and encouragement and comfort.” Prophesy is never meant to condemn. That’s not communicating God’s heart. Also, when you’re beginning to learn to prophesy, don’t give a prophetic word that’s negative or confrontational. If you have something like that, run it by an experienced prophet first. Over the years, I’ve watched tons of young people get in trouble by ‘prophesying’ to people they’re angry with.

“Ok, let’s divide up into groups. We’re going to practice. Before we start, any questions?”

Tom raised his hand and asked, “Practice? Does it really make sense to practice prophesy? Where do you see that in the Bible?”

The teacher gently answered this familiar question, “Well, prophesy isn’t the only gift that we practice. People practice evangelism, teaching, and so forth. Does the Bible mention practicing those? The point is that we can’t expect someone to be instantly mature in prophesy. If that were the case, we’re have a fear-based congregation, and no one would prophesy. We’re learning to hear the voice of God, here, and that’s a process.

“By the way, that’s also why you don’t attach ‘Thus sayeth the Lord’ to your prophesies. We really want to respect God’s name and His Word, so as young prophets in training, it’s better to say ‘I’m getting a picture of…’ or ‘This is what I’m sensing.’ Speaking like that gives grace for being wrong or making a mistake. It doesn’t make you sound infallible. Anyways, everybody pair off. Try to pair with somebody you don’t know.”

The room quickly divided up and Micah gave more instructions. “Ok, we’re going to practice prophesying over the person you’re with. Take a moment of silence and ask God, ‘How do You love this person, today?’ Then sit there for a minute, and whatever comes to your mind, share it. We’re not trying to call out someone’s destiny to go to Africa as a missionary. You’re seeking an encouraging word or an image. And after you’ve delivered, ask them: ‘Does that resonate with you?’ And if not, try to be gentle with your answer, because you’re next.”

 

Tom paired up with a young girl named Jessica. She’d been a Christian for less than a year and wore a big smile on her face. They exchanged introductions.

“This is so awesome! I’m so excited to prophesy,” she said. “Ok, can I go first? Let’s see.” She sat silently for a moment, her eyes wide open but not focusing anywhere. Then she opened her Bible, closed it, and looked up to Tom. “I got two things over you. The first was Ephesians 7:4 over you, but I looked, and that’s not in the Bible. But I also saw that God has given you a lot of discernment and wisdom and maturity. You’re like an aged wine that’s better because it’s older. Uh… not that you’re old, but you’ve been a Christian for a while, and that’s good. Does that resonate with you?”

Tom thought for a moment. “Well, maybe a little, in a very general way, but not strongly.” The girl looked down in saddness, and the young man tried to cover his tracks. “But, well, thank you.”

“Ok, your turn,” she said, quickly recovering and smiling.

He bowed his head and folded his hands. How do you love this girl today, God? He asked. His thinking continued. I’m not saying I’m some amazing prophet. I’m not trying to speak for God. I’m just trying to encourage this new friend with something from the Spirit. He’s not going to smite me if I get it wrong, but man, this feels weird. “I think that God is really bringing about a lot of restoration and healing in your life right now, and this season is really important for that reason,” he told her. “Oh, and does that make sense for where you’re at?”

Tears formed on the edges of her eyes. “You have no idea how accurate that is right now!”

The young man couldn’t help but to notice how generic his “word” was. How strange. He started thinking. Our words were both pretty non-specific, but she almost cried when I said that to her. I guess we’re just really different personalities. Someone like this girl doesn’t see all the complexities and statistics of generic prophetic words. She just got encouraged and felt like I spoke something from God.

Around the room, people tried. “Well, I can see you’re pregnant, and God is going to minister to you so much through this child.”

“God says that He doesn’t look down on you for your past.”

“I see an Egg McMuffin.”

“Jeremiah 29:11 - ‘I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord…’”

“…And there’s this huge, deep blue lake, and the swan is diving into it, and these snow-capped mountains are all around. And then swan dives off a waterfall, and into a green pool at the bottom, and there are thornbushes all around the pool, but the swan explodes through the thornbushes and flies into a beautiful sunset over the ocean.”