Series Introduction and Outline

Prophets and Prophetic Words
Weekly Newsletter Series
by Mark W. Weaver

"... Write the vision,
and make it plain ...
Hab. 2:2 KJV

Down through the centuries, the Church has struggled through the confusion of many dissonant voices claiming to speak on God's behalf. Ideas about prophets and the prophetic realm vary widely across the the body of Christ. Some Christians believe that the ministry of the prophet ceased when the Holy Scriptures became canonized. Others believe that the ministry of the prophet continues today. The whole realm of prophets and prophetic words is a very controversial subject in the Church today. In recent years, "schools of prophets" have emerged and have begun to teach that God is restoring the ministry of the apostle and the prophet in our generation. But not all Christians are convinced that this phenomenon is truly of God.

As our name implies, we at Reconciliation Press are committed to reconciliation in the body of Christ. To aid in the process of reconciling the Church's dissonant streams, GroundWorks, RP's new imprint, is publishing a weekly email newsletter series about the prophetic realm. We make no claim that the ideas we present will be the definitive word on the subject. We cannot promise you that we will have all the answers. What we can promise is that each week, our readers will find scriptures and ideas to challenge their thinking. Chances are, at the end of this series, you will view the realm of the prophetic in a fresh, if not invigorating way.

In addition, we will also raise questions and encourage feedback. We hope to build a collection of webpages with input from across the broad spectrum of the body of Christ.

However you came to this page, we issue you a challenge. Regardless of your view of the prophetic realm in today's Christian experience, why don't you sign up and see what God does with our interactive forum? If you are bashful, you can just follow along in silence and see what others are saying about this controversial topic. And if you are bold, you can contribute. Either way, we will all develop a better understanding of our different views and a deeper love for one another.

Subscribers will receive a 400-600-word email article once a week. Each article will take less than three minutes to read - just about right for today's fast-paced world. The 33-week series, written by RP Author Mark W. Weaver, is presented in three parts.

Gray links and text indicate articles not yet posted. As the weeks progress and the pages become available online, the gray text will change to blue links. If you scroll down to the bottom of this you will find more active links.

1. The Word of the Lord The Church always needs a clear word from God. But with so many voices, how can we be certain what God is really saying in our generation?

2. Preface to PART I - WHEN GOD SPEAKS - What happens when God Himself speaks prophetically to creation and His people?

3. Creative Power - God's prophetic Word brought the sun, the moon, the stars, and the earth - man's habitation - into existence.
4. Sustaining Power - God's prophetic Word upholds all of creation and all who trust in Him.
5. Incarnated Power - God's prophetic Word became flesh and lived among us.
6. Restorative Power - God's prophetic Word restores, re-creates, and heals lives that have been torn and ravaged by the power of sin.
7. Directive Power - God's prophetic Word guides and directs the servants of God to accomplish His will.
8. Corrective Power - God's prophetic Word corrects, adjusts and re-directs the servants of God and others in order to accomplish His will.
9. Adjudicating Power - God's prophetic Word brings forth judgment upon those who rebel against Him.
10. Foretelling Power - God's prophetic Word tells us of future events.


11. Preface to PART II - GOD'S PROPHETS - a look at those who speak for God.


12. The Burden of the Word of the Lord - God's prophets trod an oftentimes lonely trail as they carry His burdens for the nations.
13. Defining the Word Prophet - Prophets are essentially message deliverers.
14. Old Testament Prophets - God delivered His message to mankind through the mouths and pens of those who heard the word of the Lord and then spoke and wrote in faith.
15. New Testament Prophets - New Testament prophets are part of a team of gifted individuals given to the Church to build up and perfect the saints.
16. Prophets as Visionaries - Prophets not only speak for God and read the signs of the times, they also possess a unique ability to see how pieces fit together and what needs to be done.
17. Prophets as Seers - Prophets have the gift of being able to foresee future events.
18. Prophets as Personal Exhorters - Prophets have been known to speak specific, detailed words of encouragement to individuals.
19. Prophets as Prosecuting Attorneys - God's prophets hold up God's law alongside the testimony of history, and call for repentance.
20. Three Safeguards for God's Prophets - God has given modern-day prophets means to keep their messages on track.
21. The Preparation of the Prophet - Prophets require a great sensitivity to the Holy Spirit and thus must endure extended seasons of trial and testing.
22. The Prophet's Soul Pain Filter - Prophets have a strong sense of right and wrong and must guard against letting their own hurts grow into judgment and criticism of others.
23. The Prophet's Theological Filter - God's prophets and their messages are shaped in part by their personal theologies.

24. Preface to PART III - PROPHETIC VOICES - a look at how prophetic voices can be both good and evil, and how they have shaped and continue to shape the world in which we live.


25. Everybody's Talkin' - We live in a world of messages. Prophetic voices from many sources, both true and false, speak to us daily, imparting values and shaping our viewpoints.
26. Two Messages, Many Messengers - Both God and Satan draw from the same messenger pool - the human race. We are all free moral agents and cooperating messengers.
27. Officially Speaking - All prophetic voices follow a chain of command and deliver a message from a source to an audience.
28. The Marketplace of Ideas - Culture, an idea marketplace, is shaped by a myriad of prophetic voices delivered through many forms of media, all clamoring for our attention.
29. Voices Launch Nations - Nations, kingdoms and cultures come into being through both true and false prophetic voices and visionaries.
30. America's Prophetic Seedbed- From the Reformation forward, prophetic voices shaped and influenced the western world, birthing our nation and bringing freedom to millions.
31. Nazi Germany's Dark Prophetic Seedbed - In contrast, Germany's Third Reich grew out of the false prophetic seedbed sown by Renaissance, Enlightenment and nineteenth century cultic thinkers and writers.
32. Ideas Have Consequences - Ideas, published and proclaimed, frequently have long-term effects or consequences.


33. Final Thoughts - The prophetic word of God competes daily with the false prophetic word of His enemy. As believers, we need to train ourselves to become attuned to His voice.