Last Friday morning, August 16, I was listening to an Mp3 called, “ Becoming the Beloved,” by Graham Cooke. It is focused on the believer’s place in Christ as the Beloved of the Father. I have listened to it many times over the past months but this time I was really asking the Father what he wanted me to understand from it that I had not yet received.

Immediately I saw, in my mind’s eye, a picture of the Father, seated on His throne, He raised His right hand and point his finger to decree a thing. As He did this, I saw a transparent image of Jesus in me raise His right hand, point His finger and decree in the same way, and as He did, I raised my right hand, pointed and decreed too.

Now decree is a seldom-used word in my vocabulary, but it is what I saw and understood in that moment. I don’t know what we were decreeing as I did not hear anything. But it was important that I understand that my spirit is always in agreement with the Spirit who lives in me. It is my soul (my mind, will and emotions) and my flesh that do not always agree and submit, and that is becoming less and less.

I must battle to be at rest in the knowledge that I am the Beloved, that I am IN CHRIST, and Christ is in me. Jesus said, “On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you.” (John 14:20 NIV) From this place, it is easy to flow in His rhythm. The trick is staying in that place where I am constantly, joyfully aware of His presence in me and I agree with Him.

Now this was a really cool revelation, but 2 days later, as I was looking through my email, I had a message from The Elijah List. As described in its mission statement, “THE ELIJAH LIST is called to transmit around the world, in agreement with Holy Scripture, fresh daily prophetic “manna” from the Lord, regarding the days in which we live.”

Now honestly, so many messages come from the list every day that I usually skim through and only read the ones that the Spirit draws me to or to specific prophets whose words consistently encourage and build me up in my faith.

Cornielius Quek is one such prophet. In his words, I feel his genuine intimacy with the Lord and trust that he hears and interprets clearly. (I am using the word prophet here as an office, one who has been specifically called by God to be a prophet and communicate what he hears to the church. Under the new covenant, every believer can hear from God, but this is a job assignment for prophets like the job of an apostle, evangelist, teacher or pastor.[1])

Well, imagine my surprise when, Sunday morning, I read his recent word on the Elijah List and he had a dream that was essentially the same as the vision the Lord had shown me on Friday morning.[2]

His word both confirmed what the Lord had shown me, and Cornelius’ greater interpretation applied to my life in a more full way than I had seen on Friday. This is one wonderful benefit of the gift of prophecy in the Church.

It is common for 2 or 3 or more, to hear the same message. After all it is the same Spirit within us who speaks. It is so good to have a word confirmed and even better when it happens so soon!

Do you see? I asked the Father what He wanted to show me, then He immediately answered with an image in my mind’s eye. Because this happened while I was awake, some would call it a vision. Then, 2 days later, another believer was given the same word. He was able to bring more clarity to the situation for me and probably for others too.   This is one of the beautiful ways the body of Christ interacts together for each other’s encouragement and the building up of the body.

We are the body to function together in unity for our mutual benefit and as a beautiful witness to the world of life in the Kingdom. These gifts were given to the church by Christ, “the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers.  Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ. This will continue until we all come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God’s Son that we will be mature in the Lord, measuring up to the full and complete standard of Christ.”(Ephesians 4:11-13 NLT)  Wow! Paul has set a pretty high bar for us to meet; the full and complete standard of Christ! Let’s joyfully press on to reach it together.

[1]http://www.truthortradition.com/articles/what-is-a-prophet-prophetess

[2http://www.elijahlist.com/words/display_word.html?ID=16648