Do prophet's exist here on earth? How do I know if someone claims to be a real prophet of God? And are their apostles here on earth?

[tatwo]

Now in verse 15 Paul says that the maturing saints…via the loving nurture of the Holy Spirit in conjunction with His specifically called and chosen men…causes the Body to master “speaking the truth in love, [this facilitates the next part] we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ” again a reference to growing up into “all aspects” into “Him who is the Head”…Christ.

Paul’s repeated emphasis on…“to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ”… should never be discounted. The tapestry he is weaving is one of “spiritual maturity” in the house of God and the continuously increasing appearance of the glory of the Lord Yahshua Christ in His people.

I hope you give this a second thought…the picture I am painting...is grace to those who have eyes to see and see and who have ears to hear and hear…theirs is to understand.

In verse 16 we have the working picture of what it means to be in the house of God where there are apostles, prophets, evangelists, shepherds and teachers graced…gifted and anointed by the Lord Yahshua Himself…who are working via the Holy Spirit…and they know it…just look at what it produces…”from whom the whole body, being fitted and held together by what every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love.”

This is a vision of what building the Body of Christ looks like…these gifts in action assist the Holy Spirit in making sure the “whole Body, being fitted” to the “Holy Spirits exact desire…He is the author and the glue”…and is held together by what each individual “saint/joint” supplies. This speaks to unique individual purpose…which is nothing less than eternal divine intention for us uniquely.

This is why these…who fill these gifts or graces are human also…they are raised in the temple by the Royal Priest to labor among His Body in the manner like that of a slave. This…is in accordance with the “proper working” or living out of the “divine intention” that God imparted to the saints “in Christ” which was established before creation was established.

It’s the reality that the Holy Spirit…who knows the end from before the beginning…is moving and living among the “saints” who are beginning to understand their eternal destiny in Christ as they grow and mature spiritually….do not doubt Him…consider the outcome…“causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love.” Building up of itself in love!

In my experience most believe Hebrews 10:25 “not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some”…is a reference to gathering or meeting on Sunday…remember when evangelical leaders in the U.S. went to court to fight for this right during the pandemic of 2020.

No…that is not at all what it means…it is referring to the work of the Holy Spirit to assemble the Body of Christ here on earth and in part He is working through these 5 gifts or graces given by the Lord Yahshua upon His ascension…to the Body of Christ for this purpose. This is what Paul is teaching.

His Body is then “and held together by what every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part.”  This is the description of “each member” understanding and living according to their “proper working – their divine call – their cross” which is illuminated by the Holy Spirit to each “member”…with the 5 gifts and graces given by the Head…assisting.

Tatwo...:)

[tatwo]

Finally....

The Lord and His Body are busily and intently working in a way which “causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love.” When you see Him…which is yet fairly rare…that is because "all" His members ”have died and our lives are hidden with Christ in God”…meaning that unless you are in the Body of Christ and living according to the “proper working” of your call supported by the guidance of those gifts...you’re on the outside and there is no guarantee that your even looking in.

He…the “Christ” on the other hand is very much engaged in building Himself up by loving and serving each other while learning and living a strict obedience to God’s standard of holiness and righteousness.

When He appears He will have grown to sufficient maturity...nothing less than the being fully capable of supporting the glory of His Head...He will have been raised to bear the full grace and glory of the eternal God Himself...on this earth...and this...in the exact manner that the Lord Yahshua did.

Do not doubt..."this Man this Son"...has been seen throughout the Scripture by prophets and apostles from Moses to John...of course...He is eternal. 

This Body that is yet being assembled…though it is nearing its full maturity…is a spiritual Body and a heavenly Body…not physical…though He can be spiritually discerned in those living humans that comprise Him physically here on the earth.

Just as when the Lord said…”He who has seen Me has seen the Father”…this Body is being raised and growing to the point where He will be raised up one day soon to  proclaim…”He who has seen me has seen the Christ.”

At that point…He…the fully mature Body of Christ…directly under the authority and power of its Head…Yahshua…emerges as the “son of God” known as Christ a “corporate man” and He will then present a full scale assault upon the darkness of this age…fully underwritten by the throne of God Himself.

This when revealed…to ones spirit today...changes the entire scope of the religious perspective of the end of this age.

Tatwo...:)

[tatwo]

1 hour ago, Your closest friendnt said:

For clarity this is my post as I responded to your first post. One thing I did not do is. I did not decapitate your post but I quote the whole post to be fair to the others readers right to have before them the totality of the post.

Right…I saw that…which lent itself to some question and confusion as I see it…no harm friendnt. Go ahead and decapitate my post if you desire…or not…I have only to gain. There is always the private message?

1 hour ago, Your closest friendnt said:

The critical words about others. The uncomplementary words about others and about the forums including this one. And that's where I got involved.

Yes, I do agree that I have leveled “critical words” to and about others in these forums…directly…thank you for “collecting them up”…as it were…for me…and re-presenting them to me friendnt…it’s a brotherly thing to do I suppose?

Your involvement is “incomplete” at best…and your continued “axe grinding” here is the same thing. If you have something “direct” you need to say to me…that’s fine as I said…then say it.

1 hour ago, Your closest friendnt said:

Because I believe is not fair to speak about others in this way in their absence and without valid reasons and only armed with what you think and your understanding about them and their work.

Ok friendnt…you have surfaced and I understand you here…completely…I have apologized and asked you for forgiveness…and as I stated in my last post to you…I am allowing your words to be to me as a fine tuning of my spirit…thank you.

That said…your subsequent statement…”Because I believe is not fair to speak about others in this way in their absence and without valid reasons and only armed with what you think and your understanding about them and their work.” Rejects my apology and it utterly lacks context…true context…and this reveals…at least on this forum…where you are at in your spiritual maturity…these forums can be difficult at times. I suggest that you leave it alone now…as it is.

Perhaps…you need to continue the development of your spiritual discernment to the point that you garner an increased understanding about how it works…why it’s important…and that…the spiritual battle is for the mind of men’s souls…with the primary weapon in the battle being the tongue and its subsequent words…I have given you that as merely a suggestion…do you think there is anything I can do to assist you in any way?

1 hour ago, Your closest friendnt said:

And you spoke as a judge would speak at the conclusion of a case.

Those are your words friendnt…I know who I am and by what authority I speak…the rest of the forum participants are free to discern and judge as they deem necessary…to any end they so desire…including you…they do and have and I have responded to them as I have you…in most cases.

In a situation such as you have brought forth here friendnt…and in regards to anyone who does speak as a judge…the litmus test of one’s authority is to be tested…first…in one’s ability to accurately understand the judgement…and then in a situation like this…determine one’s own response…accept or reject the judgment as given and why.

However…to become emotionally uneasy and somewhat confusing…based upon any type of incomplete understanding or personal offense…and then to repeatedly charge someone for the same offense…after the only acceptable recompense has been offered…this speaks to a character that can only pronounce judgment of others while also rejecting the same of themselves.

I did apologize and ask your forgiveness with a noted recompense…in an earlier post friendnt…from what kingdom do you hail…where that...is not an accepted offering?

 

Tatwo…:)

[steve morrow]

FOOLISHNESS

 

LUKE 8:12 those by the wayside are they that hear then cometh the devil and ---TAKETH  AWAY  THE  WORD  OUT  OF  THEIR  HEARTS---  lest they should believe and be saved 

--8:15-- but that on the good ground are they which in an honest and good heart having heard the word keep it and bring forth fruit with patience

 

ECCLESIASTES 5:3  for a dream cometh through the multitude of business ---AND  A  FOOLS  VOICE  IS  KNOWN  BY  MULTITUDE OF  WORDS---

 

JOHN 3:34   for  HE  whom  GOD  hath sent speaketh the words of  GOD  for  GOD  ---giveth not the spirit by measure unto  HIM

 

**AGAIN**  HEBREWS 1:1  GOD  who at sundry times and in diverse manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets 

--1:2-- hath in these last days spoken unto us by  HIS  son whom  HE  hath appointed heir of all things by whom also  HE  made the worlds 

--1:3--  who being the brightness of  HIS  glory and the express image of  HIS  person and upholding ---all things by  THE  WORD  of  HIS  power  ---  when  HE  had --by himself-- purged our sins  ---  sat down on the right of the majesty on high

 

MATTHEW 12:33  either make the tree good and his fruit good or else make the tree corrupt and his fruit corrupt for the tree is known by his fruit 

 

JOHN 6:63  it is the spirit that quickeneth ---THE  FLESH  PROFITETH  NOTHING---  the words that  --I  SPEAK--  unto you ---they are spirit  --  and they are life---

--6:64--  but there are some of you that believe not for  JESUS  knew from the beginning who they were that believed not  ---AND  WHO  SHOULD  BETRAY  HIM---

 

JOHN 8:45  AND  BECAUSE  --I--  TELL  YOU  THE  TRUTH  YOU  BELIEVE  ME  NOT 

 

LOVING  THE  LORD  JESUS  CHRIST

 

 

 

 

[PraiseHim1004]

On 5/6/2024 at 12:23 AM, Kristina said:

I'm asking these questions as about seven or eight years ago, a man came to me claiming he was a prophet sent from God and I received a foot washing and almost immediately was given the gift of speaking in tongues. Was this man really a prophet of God...

Perhaps it was an angel?

[PraiseHim1004]

On 5/6/2024 at 6:24 AM, Neighbor said:

 "The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show His servants—things which must shortly take place. And He sent and signified it by His angel to His servant John,  who bore witness to the word of God, and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, to all things that he saw. Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written in it; for the time is near."

Different John, different time and place, yet it declares God is the author, that it is sent by His angel, to his witness John, to declare this prophecy.

I was thinking maybe this man was really an angel. 

[Neighbor]

On 5/6/2024 at 9:53 AM, TrueFollowerOfChrist said:

There are NO prophets or Apostles on earth. Prophets were needed in the days where God's word was not available to everyone or God had a specific message for the people. 

 

Historically, I'm not aware of a single instance of a legitimate prophet ever existing AFTER the conclusion of scripture with the Apostle John. Therefore, almost 2,000 years WITHOUT a prophet and with a completed scripture, there's absolutely no reason to think there would be prophets today. There HAVE been people who claimed to be prophets, BUT every single one was false and many were cult leaders. If anyone tells you they are a prophet, RUN away. They are lying. 

 

 

As far as speaking in tongues, it means nothing. Tongues is the most faked and counterfeit gift there is. People think it's speaking gibberish and some false teachers claim to teach people to speak in tongues. I've seen MANY people speak gibberish, but I've never seen anyone speak in tongues. 

Hi, Reads like my own KJV only  early churched upbringing as a born again person. BUT the truth is I was turned about from my own sin against God, in denying His existence, by an angel using the appearance of a man, one whom I had great respect for when He lived, and, well still do.

Plus I have prayed and found myself speaking in words of no understanding to me. Not edifying to even me, but expressing my deep appreciation of God's mercy upon me individually I believe, as it was in that context that words had failed to express my deep sense of awe of God at that time.

I have also been led into periods of vision of things that would soon be revealed to me to be part of my own life experience.

So I am not so quick to deny the ability of angels and prophets  as my early mentors in Christ from the independent Baptist church I was led to, by  of all things a group of pentecostal leaning Christians, did.  

Fact is I can't deny it, for I have experienced too much that is of God of that arena myself. That it may be imitated or faked, well that is to my mind's thinking simply further evidence that it is real, else it would not be imitated or faked.

[Neighbor]

35 minutes ago, PraiseHim1004 said:

I was thinking maybe this man was really an angel. 

Hi, I have lost track, went off the rails I guess. Which man are you referencing?

[PraiseHim1004]

1 minute ago, Neighbor said:

Hi, I have lost track, went off the rails I guess. Which man are you referencing?

In the op. 

[Neighbor]

7 minutes ago, PraiseHim1004 said:

In the op. 

Yeah that is what I thought you must have been referencing. And yes sure, why not! It is my own testimony that an angel can and does appear in the form of a human, even one familiar to the hearer of his message or guidance. It happened to me . I did not understand why the angel  seemed so familiar that I would not be startled out of my own skin at his appearance out of nowhere. I learned much later, years later.