HYSSOP

My Dear Brothers and Sisters,

 

I greet you with the sweet and undying love of our Father; who continues to hold us in the palm of His hands and provide for us.  I speak His blessings upon you and the abundant life He is waiting for you to claim.  He has promised that by the hearing of His Word your faith will be increased.

Men and women of God, Prophesying is like laying hands on someone.  You are transferring healing and truth into them, dispelling any lies and preparing them for a new level God wants to take them to.  Therefore, the prophesier must know what truth is.  If you are under lies and have not died to self, then what you prophecy can be lies and self.  It becomes witchcraft and sorcery.  These prophesiers tell people what they want to hear and what they want them to hear.  Prophecy, like laying  hands can transfer self and darkness into the receiver of the prophecy. 

We must always look to Jesus as an example for discipleship and prophecy.  Jesus wants us to have a relationship with people to transfer truth into them--the Spirit of Truth—God’s Holy Spirit.   

When Jesus spoke truth, He was preparing us for His Holy Spirit--a relationship with God—a relationship to help us walk in holiness and righteousness.

There is only one Holy Spirit—one God.  When we speak truth into those who have not accepted Christ, we are preparing them for God’s Holy Spirit.  When the Spirit of Truth speaks to us who have already received His Holy Spirit, sometimes He wants to clarify or confirm what is already spoken; to instill truth and cast out lies; and to direct the body in the direction it needs to go.  He speaks to the Body of Christ to strengthen, edify, exhort, stir-up, and loose the gifts of ministry, in order to build His Kingdom.

If a person is not led by God’s Holy Spirit, then they speak self to you.  You can not fool His Holy Spirit.  Who can fool God?  God will not dwell in an unclean house.  When God speaks through someone else, His Holy Spirit within you will hear His voice.  You will be convicted or joyous.  When you abide in His Holy Spirit and you do not hear His voice in the giver, the word is not from Him.

To truly help someone, you must know what the lie is they are hearing or have accepted.  Today, we are quick to listen (we have itching ears) to those who want to prophesy over our lives.  We still marvel at signs and wonders and if someone tells us what we want to hear, or speaks in a convincing way, then they must be a prophet and the prophecy was meant for us.

Prophets sometimes say and do what we don’t want to hear or expect them to do, making us uncomfortable, or making us doubt them.  What they say or do can sometimes be misinterpreted.  It may be because their word is for another time or it is not meant for you or all to understand. Their actions may be because they are listening to God.  They are “being still”.  This is not easy when you and others have expectations. 

Isaiah 30:8-11 (NKJV)

8 Now go, write it before them on a tablet, And note it on a scroll, That it may be for time to come,
Forever and ever:
⁹ That this is a rebellious people, Lying children, Children who will not hear the law of the Lord; ¹⁰ Who say to the seers, “Do not see,” And to the prophets, “Do not prophesy to us right things; Speak to us smooth things, prophesy deceits. 

¹¹ Get out of the way, Turn aside from the path,
Cause the Holy One of Israel To cease from before us.”
 

All prophets will not be given the same word.  God chooses how He must operate to insure His plan.  A true prophet can not worry about others believing, but delivers what God tells them to deliver, and must trust in God. To truly heal, the truth must be revealed.  Sometimes the spoken truth may be painful to hear, because to bring us to another level, God has to break the vessel and make it over again. 

However, do we just prophesy because it is what we desire to do at a given time?  Can we plan to prophesy to anybody and everybody?  Can we plan to lay hands on people?  Again, we must look to Jesus for an example.  Jesus only did what His Father told Him to do.  He did not prophesy or speak truth to everyone, either because they were not His and they could not hear or His Father did not tell Him to do so.  He did not lay hands on everyone; only those whom His Father told Him to lay hands on.  So all were not healed, which of course caused anger and bitterness towards Him.  Jesus gave the Pharisee examples of Truth, true worship, holiness and righteousness, which exposed the lies and rituals they had imposed upon God’s children.    We can not return to those lies and rituals as if playing with or experimenting with new toys.

John 8 (NKJV)

 ²⁵ Then they said to Him, “Who are You?”

And Jesus said to them, “Just what I have been saying to you from the beginning. ²⁶ I have many things to say and to judge concerning you, but He who sent Me is true; and I speak to the world those things which I heard from Him.”

²⁷ They did not understand that He spoke to them of the Father.

²⁸ Then Jesus said to them, “When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am He, and that I do nothing of Myself; but as My Father taught Me, I speak these things. ²⁹ And He who sent Me is with Me. The Father has not left Me alone, for I always do those things that please Him.” ³⁰ As He spoke these words, many believed in Him.

 In the Word of God, the Bible, we find that we are to desire spiritual gifts, especially to prophesy (1 Corinthians 14), but do Christians really know what they desire?  With prophecy must come holiness and righteousness from the prophet and from those who receive the prophecy.  We MUST WALK IN THE LIGHT.  Just as there has to be belief in Jesus to be healed; there must be belief in Jesus for prophecy to be fulfilled.

1 Corinthians 14 (NKJV) Prophecy and Tongues

14 Pursue love, and desire spiritual gifts, but especially that you may prophesy. ² For he who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to God, for no one understands him; however, in the spirit he speaks mysteries. ³ But he who prophesies speaks edification and exhortation and comfort to men. ⁴ He who speaks in a tongue edifies himself, but he who prophesies edifies the church. ⁵ I wish you all spoke with tongues, but even more that you prophesied; for^[a] he who prophesies is greater than he who speaks with tongues, unless indeed he interprets, that the church may receive edification.

People expect wonderful and miraculous things to happen because they have received a prophecy from someone.  However, God has expectations, also.  If He is to move us to another level; if He is to move us closer to Him; then we must become holy and righteous.  When God speaks to us, He is also expecting a change from within us.  Change can be painful and require us to surrender all.

Micah 3 (NKJV)

 ⁵ Thus says the Lord concerning the prophets; Who make my people stray; Who chant “Peace”; While they chew with their teeth, But who prepare war against him Who puts nothing into their mouths: ⁶ “Therefore you shall have night without vision, And you shall have darkness without divination; The sun shall go down on the prophets, And the day shall be dark for them. ⁷ So the seers shall be ashamed, And the diviners abashed; Indeed they shall all cover their lips; For there is no answer from God.”

Some prophets are also seers.  God may give them a vision of what He wants for His people in the future. However, many people cross the line between seeing and fortune telling, when they try to predict the future.  What we must ask ourselves when someone sees our future is, “Why hasn’t the Holy Spirit given me this vision or word?  What is blocking me from receiving it? Is this something God wants for me?  What is the spiritual health and walk of the giver of the prophecy?  Are they lead by pride?  Have they truly given themselves to God?” Do they walk in holiness and righteousness? You must ask yourself the same questions you ask about the giver of the prophecy.  This may reveal what is blocking you from receiving God’s Word.  Pray and ask His Holy Spirit to reveal the truth of His word before acting upon the prophecy. 

Acts 16:16-19 (NKJV)

¹⁶ Now it happened, as we went to prayer, that a certain slave girl possessed with a spirit of divination met us, who brought her masters much profit by fortune-telling. ¹⁷ This girl followed Paul and us, and cried out, saying, “These men are the servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to us the way of salvation.” ¹⁸ And this she did for many days.
But Paul, greatly annoyed, turned and said to the spirit, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.” And he came out that very hour. ¹⁹ But when her masters saw that their hope of profit was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace to the authorities.

Follow the link to read a  very informative article on Judging Personal Prophecy by Craig von Buseck. http://www.cbn.com/spirituallife/biblestudyandtheology/discipleship/vonbuseck_sevenkeys_judgingprophecy.aspx

God wants good and prosperity for all of us.  It is part of the abundant life He promised us, but true abundance comes from knowing Him and abiding in Christ. This is the truth and healing we must speak into others. This is what will take them to another level, closer to God, to live out their purpose and be an effective part of the Body of Christ.  We instill this by having a relationship with them. True prophecy is always based on seeking the Kingdom of Heaven first, knowing all else will follow; prosperity and abundant life will follow.  That is why it is said that we prophesy in part and some prophecy fails.

1 Corinthians 13 (NKJV)

⁸ Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away. ⁹ For we know in part and we prophesy in part. ¹⁰ But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away.

God determines the outcome of prophecy by our actions. Is there a need for repentance, healing, forgiveness, action?  He always gives us options and a door to choose.  Does this mean we can prophesy anything and blame its failure on the failure of the person to go in the right direction?  If the prophecy was not meant for them, then it can be harmful and is born out of self and darkness.  For personal prophecy to be given, the heart of the giver must line up to the will and word of God.  For personal prophecy to be fulfilled, the heart of the receiver must line up to the will and word of God.  Without a firm foundation and knowing how to stand firm upon the Lord, we can not stand upon God’s promises.  Your future always depends on your walk with God. 

My brothers and sisters, desire prophecy, but most of all, desire holiness and righteousness so that we will not be blinded by self and led astray; so that we will not fall prey to the will of others who try to use the manifestation of God’s Holy Spirit and gifts to seek holiness and self-righteousness; identity; false power, control and authority; justification and vindictiveness; manipulation and subjugation; and self glorification.  Let us not fall prey to darkness disguised as Godliness and Light, leading us back into the bondage of rituals and legalism.  Bring us into repentance, Lord.

As we use our gifts, let us walk as our Brother and Savior.  Let us be One with Christ—One with the Father—One with His Holy Spirit; hearing—seeing—and doing as One, that which our Father tells us to do.  Finally, my brothers and sisters, remember that love--God's love--never fails.  Let us love one another as He loves us.  When we become perfect in love, God opens up the gates of Heaven and pours out His blessings until our cup runs over.

Father, we are living in a time when your children are searching for you in many ways and in many things.  They search as if they don’t know where to look.  They search as if you are hiding from them.  And because they do not seek Your face, they are easily led astray by those claiming to know who, what and where You are, and what you want us to do.

Father, we are living in a time when your children no longer thirst for holiness and righteousness.  They believe they can have a relationship with You just as they are in sin.  They believe they can do Your will filled with iniquity and say they have been righteous. 

Father, help us.  Let us no longer be deceived by darkness and self.  We make things so complicated for ourselves, when we need only to sit at your feet and be blessed.

We want to use Your gifts, Jesus, but help us to understand that we can not do so without becoming holy and righteous; lest we become hypocrites, liars, full of pride and lovers of power, control and self.  Father, we need holy and righteous role models to show us how to use the gifts you have given us.  So, we don't walk blindly and allow Satan to lead us astray.  Thank you, Father.  You say not to look to man, but learn from Your Holy Spirit.  We need only to die to self and live in Jesus.  Oh, Father, make us One.  Make us One.

We love you, Father. We love you, but we are like little children.  We need Your Holy Spirit to guide us.  Stir us up inside.  Break us and mold us.  Have Your way, Lord. Have Your way.  Open our ears and open our hearts, lest we perish and take others with us.  Your mercy endureth forever.  Oh, how sweet to trust in You, Lord; if we could only do so each and every moment and each and everyday.  Touch us, Lord, Jesus. Touch us, with your hands of mercy.

Teach us to have relationships that flow through You; relationships that speak of Your love for all of us.  Oh, Lord, my Lord, how excellent is Your name; Your power; Your love.  Make us perfect in You, Father.  Show us that all we need is You and everything else will be added.  My God, my God, my everything, give us the desire to be like You.

Each and everyday that we rise proves that we are forgiven and have been given another chance.  Thank you, Lord for Your mercy.  Thank You.  We ask forgiveness for our thoughts, words and deeds. 

Hyssop--a plant used in purificatory sprinkling rites by the ancient Hebrews

⁷ Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean;
    wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. 

Psalm 51:7(ESV)

… and bring us into the Light.  Help us to stand firmly upon our Foundation, that You may build upon us and we may be citizens and builders of Your Kingdom.  Amen

By the grace and mercy of God,

Your servant

Mishael