Listening to the Spirit Together

Jesus instructed His disciples: "I have many more things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come.  He will glorify Me, for He will take of Mine and will disclose it to you. (John 16:12-14)

An essential feature of Christ Center, which strives to establish Jesus Christ as head of our church, is that we LISTEN! Yes, we most certainly listen to Christ through the Word of God, by which all truth is to be measured. Yet we also are maturing in the corporate discipline of listening to the Holy Spirit, Who is the Spirit of Truth.  Seven times in Revelation, Jesus directs: “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. . . .” (Revelation 2:7a, 11a,17a,29a; 3:6a, 13a, 22a)

Our church family is learning how to obey this admonition, how to discern what the Spirit is saying to us through a whole range of spiritual gifts, and how to test and confirm what we are sensing from Him. If God speaks clearly, we will obey courageously. For a full discussion of how we are to test "prophetic promptings," click here to review "Why Test Prophetic Words."

From time to time, Christ Center will post here "words from the Lord" that have been brought forth in our services that we believe may have corporate significance here and beyond our church.  We do this with three objectives: (1) to release these for further testing and confirmation (1 Thessalonians 5:19-22); (2) to bring blessing and edification to the body (1 Corinthians 14:3), and (3) to prepare to be obedient to what God is directing and unfolding. For more information on how we handle prophetic words in a Pleromic context, check out Protocols for Prophetic Words at the bottom of this resource. You are welcome to "listen in" with us as we enthrone Christ together.

7/10/2011 - A Season of Heaven's Lightning

(click here for a pdf copy to print out)

"What is the Holy Spirit is trying to tell us through the words given last Sunday 7/10/2011 about lightning? We need to treat this properly and as these words occur with more frequency and they are confirmed by two or three witnesses as this one was, we need to take note and get everything out of them that we are supposed to.  I sense the beginning of something new as we invite His Presence into our services and then function here as a New Testament Church in the way we respond, 'Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth.'

David Boyd wrote down the sense of what he shared since it was not recorded.  I transcribed what Bill Rodgers said and what Diane Parks shared.  I also included what both Lori Lopez and I sensed." Respectfully submitted, Michael Simonov

David Boyd:  “I remember this: as I was preparing for worship in the morning I saw a lightning bolt that was also a sword strike in our worship space. The sense I had was this strike was aimed to destroy a stronghold hiding in darkness, a stronghold that was holding our church back from moving into a season of God's promise being manifest. My belief is that the stronghold was also secret sin that was hidden because of shame, but the powerful intervention through this lightning/sword was going to bring freedom to the persons bound and as a result bring down this dark stronghold.”
 
Bill Rodgers:  “You are going to have a tough time this week, what do you do? (Say) Jesus show your light, that’s the bolts of lightings that were just talked about.”
 
Diane Parks :  “The lord showed me lightning bolts coming down from heaven striking the earth.  But he assured me they were not lightning bolts of death or destruction.  They were his light coming down, but the vision continued from one, two, three lightning bolts to many, to the point that I couldn’t see the difference, it was all light coming down, all light, all over this whole region, there were no spaces in between.”
 
Lori Lopez:   “I believe the lightning bolts or storm is a demonstration of God's Power.  It invokes fear in people because they realize God has to be behind something so powerful.  Fear of God is the first step toward wisdom for those who do not know him.  And a Godly fear for those who do know Him moves them closer to their God.  Many people who say they know God are asleep.  God is stirring up his people to action because this world needs to know the truth!!  May we all be stirred up to do His will following the direction of the Holy Spirit every day, taking every opportunity to speak into lives for healing, salvation and deliverance.”
 
Michael Simonov:  I sensed spiritual warfare occurring in the heavenlies…a physical picture that what we were hearing and seeing in the natural was occurring in the spiritual realm.  Pastor David talked about spiritual warfare today, about the prince of Persia and the archangel Michael coming on the scene to help Gabriel bring an answer to Daniel’s prayer.  Are we perhaps seeing help from the heavenlies contending for the strongholds over our area?
 
Daniel 10:5-7: I lifted my eyes and looked, and behold, there was a certain man dressed in linen, whose waist was girded with a belt of pure gold of Uphaz. 6 His body also was like beryl, his face had the appearance of lightning, his eyes were like flaming torches, his arms and feet like the gleam of polished bronze, and the sound of his words like the sound of a tumult.
 
Lightning: The power of God to intervene in judgment, the glory of God displayed, the voice of God interjected with anointed power, the kingdom of God coming with dramatic speed.
 
LIGHTNING International Standard Bible Encyclopaedia
         
In the Scriptures it is used:
 
 (a) indicating the power of God: The power of God is shown in His command of the forces of Nature, and He is the only one who knows the secrets of Nature: "He made .... a way for the lightning" (Job 28:26); "He directeth .... his lightning" (Job 37:3 the King James Version); "Canst thou send forth lightnings, that they may go?" (Job 38:35); "Ask ye of Yahweh .... that maketh lightnings" (Zech 10:1). See also Ps 18:14; 97:4; 135:7; Job 36:32; Jer 10:13;
 
(b) figuratively and poetically: David sings of Yahweh, "He sent .... lightnings manifold, and discomfited them" (Ps 18:14); used for speed: "The chariots .... run like the lightnings" (Nah 2:4): "His arrow shall go forth as the lightning" (Zech 9:14); "The living creatures ran and returned as the appearance of a flash of lightning" (Ezek 1:14). The coming of the kingdom is described by Jesus as the shining of the lightning from one part of heaven to another, even "from the east unto the west" (Matt 24:27; Luke 17:24);
 
(c) meaning bright or shining: Daniel in his vision saw a man and "his face (was) as the appearance of lightning" (Dan 10:6). See also Rev 4:5; 8:5; 16:18.

After-Words: Protocols for Prophetic Words

For those new to our church or Website, here is a brief list of the etiquette we observe as we welcome and assess what the Spirit of Truth may be offering to us through gifted saints.
When a person feels prompted in their spirit with a word they feel may come from the Lord, we encourage them to speak with a pastor, an elder, or a trained servant-leader on our prayer team at either side of the platform. They will confirm, assess and assist what the Lord seems to be directing.

1. If the word measures to the Word, the assistant will assess whether this is a word for the individual, or if it is to be offered, without elaboration, to the body.

2. The assistant will discern if this word is for now, or for later.

3. He may request the individual to write it down and submit it for clarity and confirmation.

4. If the word is for the moment, the assistant will wait for the natural break in the flow of worship music

 5. The assistant may summarize the word, or offer the microphone to the member. Again, they are not to "preach" it but simply to present it and release it.

Maturity requires that we be humble and sensitive. The word as offered is received for testing. it is not complete and "inspired" as is Scripture, but is a leading of the Spirit in an unfolding conversation with God that allows the body to be led into His heart and will. For further discussion about the ways and means of handling a prophetic word in a group setting, please click here to review "Etiquette for Prayer Care in the Healing Place."
Click here to return to Current Words from the Lord