Welcoming the Gifts of the Spirit: Prophecy

The mere mention of "prophecy" creates all manner of red flags for contemporary Christians. Logic-bending predictions of Jesus’ return or the proclamations of spiritual mavericks who claim to speak for God have all been offered up under the banner of prophecy. The introduction of a directive with "Thus says the Lord" has been leveraged all too often for personal gain or self-aggrandizement. All of this is terribly sad because prophecy, as other gifts, is a powerful grace to the church meant to strengthen, encourage, and comfort. (I Corinthians 14:3).