John Eckhardt - Prophet, Arise: Your Call to Boldly Speak the Word of the Lord

CHAPTER 1

THE MAKING OF A PROPHET

(accessed April 28, 2015).

(accessed April28, 2015).

Art Katz, The Prophetic Function, AuthenticTheology.com, http://www.authentictheology.com/blog/terms-concepts/the-prophetic-function-by-art-katz/(accessed April 28, 2015).

(accessed April 28, 2015).

(accessed April 28, 2015).

(accessed April 28, 2015).

(accessed April 28, 2015).

(accessed April28, 2015).

(accessed April 28, 2015).

(accessed April 28,2015).

Art Katz, The Prophetic Function, AuthenticTheology.com, http://www.authentictheology.com/blog/terms-concepts/the-prophetic-function-by-art-katz/(accessed April 28, 2015).

(accessed April 28, 2015).

(accessed April 28, 2015).

(accessed April 28, 2014).

Ashish Raichur, Understanding the Prophetic (n.p., All Peoples Church, 2010),202.

(accessed April 28, 2015).

(accessed April 28, 2015).

CHAPTER 2

CHARACTERISTICS OF A PROPHET

(accessed April 28, 2015).

Sandy Warner, Discernment: Separating the Holy From the Profane (N.p.: SOS Publications,2014).

CHAPTER 3

WHAT MOVES THE HEART OF A PROPHET?

(accessed April 28, 2015).

He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver; he will purify the sons of Levi,and refine them like gold and silver, and they will present to the LORD offeringsin righteousness.

MALACHI 3:3

G OD PUTS A prophet through a process of refinement. God purges the prophet and developstheir character. The prophet has to respond to the dealings of God in their own lifebefore they can effectively deal with the problems in the lives of others. Sometimesas a prophet you will feel as if you are in a furnace. You may find yourself saying,God, why are You dealing so strongly with me? Why dont You deal with everyone elselike this? Dont give up, prophet. Go through the process.

The fining pot is for silver and the furnace for gold, but the LORD tries the hearts.

PROVERBS 17:3

A prophet is a vessel. God purges His vessels. God will take the dross (impurities)out of your life. You have to become the raw material to be a prophetic vessel. Gothrough the process. Let the fire burn.

Take away the dross from the silver, and there will come forth a vessel for the finer.

PROVERBS 25:4

Take away the dross from the silver, and the smith has material for a vessel.

PROVERBS 25:4, ESV

Prophet, dont allow guilt, shame, and condemnation prevent you from accepting andwalking in your calling. Many prophets struggle with feelings of inadequacy as aresult of their past. Isaiah was purged and sent. Allow the Lord to purge you fromsins of the past, walk clean before the Lord, and fulfill your call.

And I said: Woe is me! For I am undone because I am a man of unclean lips, and Idwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips. For my eyes have seen the King, theLORD of Hosts.

ISAIAH 6:5

Prophets must be faithful.

Moses distinguished himself as a prophet by his faithfulness. Be faithful to thecall and commission.

And he said, And my servant Moses is not such, the which is most faithful in allmine house; (Then he said, But my servant Moses is not such a prophet, for he aloneis most faithful in all my household;)

NUMBERS 12:7, WYC

My eyes shall be favorable to the faithful in the land, that they may live with me;he who walks in a blameless manner, he shall serve me

PSALM 101:6

But by the grace of God I am what I am. And His grace toward me was not in vain.I labored more abundantly than all of them, yet not I, but the grace of God whichwas with me.

1 CORINTHIANS 15:10

Prophets understand grace. They know Gods strength is by grace. They understandthat they cannot do this in their own strength. Prophets depend on the grace of God(His strength, favor, power, and ability). They understand that without God theycan do nothing. Prophets will find themselves in situations when they have to dependon grace.

I can do nothing of Myself. As I hear, I judge. My judgment is just, because I seeknot My own will, but the will of the Father who sent Me.

JOHN 5:30

Prophets are Gods choice, not mans.

God calls all kinds of people to be prophets. The Lord chose the foolish things toconfound the things that are wise (1 Cor. 1:2729). David was an obscure shepherdboy. Amos was not a prophet or a prophets son. God calls people who would not qualifyby the standards of men. Prophets are not determined by men, but by God. Gods choiceis a challenge and rebuke against the pride of men.

God even calls the rebellious. (See more on this in chapter 6.)

You have ascended on high, You have led captivity captive; You have received giftsfrom people, yes, even from the rebellious, that the LORD God might dwell amongthem.

PSALM 68:18

Prophets are taught by God.

There are things that you can learn directly from God. This is what happens to prophets.Prophets know things that are not taught by men. Jesus knew more than all the religiousleaders of His day. They marveled at His knowledge. Jesus had not attended theirschools.

The people were amazed [marveled] and said, This man has never studied in school.How did he learn so much?

JOHN 7:15, EXB

The prophets words are anointed and carry power. When prophets speak, things happen.When prophets speak, things change. When prophets speak, God moves. The word of aprophet is like a fire that burns and a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces.

Open your mouth, prophet, and speak. God will back you up. He will confirm the wordsof His servants.

Is not My word like fire, says the LORD, and like a hammer that breaks the rock inpieces?

JEREMIAH 23:29

Who confirms the word of His servant, and performs the counsel of His messengers.

ISAIAH 44:26

God commands His prophets to prophesy. When they do, there is a noise, a shaking,a coming together. Dead things come to life. Dry bones live again. The prophetswords bring life. They release breath.

So I prophesied as I was commanded. And as I prophesied, there was a noise and shaking.And the bones came together, bone to its bone.... So I prophesied as He commandedme, and the breath came into them, and they lived and stood up upon their feet, anexceeding great army.

EZEKIEL 37:7, 10

Prophets have to prophesy when God is speaking. When God is speaking, who can keepfrom prophesying? His prophets cant help but prophesy. Who will not prophesy? Whatprophet can keep quiet? Who can refuse to prophesy? Who can do anything but prophesy?Some may want the prophets to be quiet, but they cant help but prophesy.

The lion has roared; who will not fear? The Lord GOD has spoken; who can but prophesy?

AMOS 3:8

The word of the Lord will come to prophets, even when people try to lock them up.Shut down...

Now the word of the LORD came unto Jeremiah while he was shut up in the court ofthe prison.

JEREMIAH 39:15

Prophets have to have a way to vent and release what God gives them, otherwise theyfeel like they will burst.

See, my belly is like wine that has no vent; it is ready to burst like new wineskins.

JOB 32:19

This release can happen in the form of weeping, speaking, writing, singing, dancing,or praying.