Preparation of Ourselves:

Preparing ourselves before God is an essential but often overlooked aspect of our life in the Spirit. It happens in secret.
It is the life of repentance and surrender – surrender of our will to the will of God - as revealed in Jesus.

But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe. For there is no difference; for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed, to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.

Romans 3

Picture this:
Pharisees walk through a crowd of people – taking care not to be defiled. Their focus is to not sin.
Jesus walks through the same crowd. What is His focus? The glory of God.

• In Eden – Sin is defined two ways – transgression of the command and separation from God. The first people were thrown out of Eden, out of God’s glory – this is our reality
• Sin apart from the Law is defined by “the glory of God”. It is not what we have done wrong necessecarily. It is defined by the glory of what God intends, it is something I am still lacking
• Repentance is continually bringing our weakness and lack before our creator to be healed and remade, and to seek His glory
• Preparing ourselves to move in the power of the Spirit for God’s glory requires our willfulness to be surrendered
• Jesus agonised in the garden to surrender to the Father’s will

Important reflection points:

• How does God want to be glorified in and through your life
• Ask Him to speak to you about this
• What things are holding you back

Understanding the Spirit of Prophecy

To move in the power of the Holy Spirit it is crucial to understand who He is, what His role is and how we position ourselves. When Jesus was baptized a positional change occurred between HS and Jesus.
Prior to the baptism HS was active in creation and setting the stage – dreams, visions, prophecies etc. Jesus is learning obedience.
When Jesus was baptized the Father spoke “This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased. Listen to Him”
At that point God the Father delegates His authority to Jesus, endorsing Jesus word as His own.

That marks a shift in Jesus relationship with the HS. HS now backs up Jesus’ word and action with His power.
Jesus speaks in God’s authority, HS moves.
His power now supports the ministry and authority of Jesus. We enter into the ministry of Jesus, in submission to the Father empowered by the Holy Spirit.

At this I fell at his feet to worship him. But he said to me, “Don’t do that! I am a fellow servant with you and with your brothers and sisters who hold to the testimony of Jesus. Worship God! For it is the Spirit of prophecy who bears testimony to Jesus.”

Rev 19

For we did not follow cunningly devised fables when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of His majesty. For He received from God the Father honor and glory when such a voice came to Him from the Excellent Glory: “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” And we heard this voice which came from heaven when we were with Him on the holy mountain.

And so we have the prophetic word confirmed, which you do well to heed as a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts; knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.

2 Peter 1

Of this salvation the prophets have inquired and searched carefully, who prophesied of the grace that would come to you, searching what, or what manner of time, the Spirit of Christ who was in them was indicating when He testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow. To them it was revealed that, not to themselves, but to us they were ministering the things which now have been reported to you through those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven—things which angels desire to look into

1 Peter 1

Key Points:

• HS reveals Jesus
• Our desire to know Jesus unlocks revelation – get the order right 
• That revelation will be centred on Jesus, His person and His ministry
• Rom 12 – we present ourselves to be moved by the Holy Spirit, first must be surrendered (not our will, God’s glory)
• Only HS can reveal Jesus – Angles are limited in their knowledge and cannot be the source of intimacy with God

Application:

For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.

Eph 2

You are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read by all men; clearly you are an epistle of Christ, ministered by us, written not with ink but by the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of flesh, that is, of the heart.

2 Cor 3

See also Gal 4 – Christ formed in you

Key Points:

• Prophecy – is the revelation of Jesus, and His work in and through people
• The character of Jesus is really central

Exercise:

1. Present yourself before the Father, submitting your will
2. Ask for Jesus to be revealed – wait there as long as it takes – we can/must only “see” in His light
3. Present yourself to the HS to be moved by Him in the prophetic. Again wait.
4. See the person in the light of Jesus:
   • What do you recognise?
   • Where is He building – Bless it
   • What holds them back – Healing prayer

Note: Spiritual power can be very dangerous and it is important to get some basics right

• Spiritual power without surrender to Christ is a spirit of rebellion and ultimately witchcraft. Whose will is being served?
• Spiritual knowledge outside of Jesus and His Spirit is occult knowledge. Example: seeking revelation from angelic or spiritual beings, astral travel, listening to the dead, horoscopes, omens etc etc.
• The Holy Spirit is identified by the revelation of Jesus, and the power of the resurrection. In a surrendered life His presence manifests in human character through an inner transformation into the likeness of Jesus' character. We call this the fruit of the Spirit.