PROPHETS

TRAPS
Y
PRINCIPLES

THE PROPHETIC VOICE OF GOD NOW

TRAPS TO AVOID AND PRINCIPLES TO PRACTICE

10 M's TO DISCERN TRUE PROPHETS
PROPHETIC EVENTS OF THE END TIMES

DR. BILL HAMON

PREFACE by ORAL ROBERTS.
PROPHETS: TRAPS AND PRINCIPLES Page 2

PREFACE
By

Oral Roberts
I am always attentive when Bill Hamon prophesies or when he writes a
book about prophetic truths, and I still do it if we are only together
talking and praying.
Bill's life in Christ and Christ working His prophetic spirit through
of him, shows the world -and the body of Christ- that it is already the time that we
we realize that God has established in the Church not only to the
evangelists, pastors, and teachers but also the apostles and prophets (Eph.
4:11
I have known some among us for a long time, which
we have been "established in the Church" either as pastor, evangelist,
master, prophet or apostle, to operate under the apostolic and prophetic spirit of
Holy Spirit. This means that at any moment, someone who
is working in one or more of these five ministerial roles,
can simultaneously manifest the spirit of an apostle or a prophet. In other
words, this means that the apostolic and prophetic coverage is upon everyone
the five ministerial offices. However, I also know that each one of
These five offices are different, including that of prophet.
Seeing Bill Hamon operate in the gift of prophecy, seeing how his spirit
humble gives all the glory to God and sees His care in aligning everything that He says and

I do with the word of God, it is a blessing that I need, and I think that
all the people of God also need.
I hope God blesses with the new book by Bill: 'Prophets; Traps and'
"Principles" to all those who have the blessing of reading and studying it. I give
thank God that we are living in the days when God is placing a
new and fresh emphasis on all five ministries of His Body, including the
of apostles and of prophets.
PROPHETS: TRAPS AND PRINCIPLES Page 3

DEDICATION

This book, 'Prophets 3', is dedicated to all leadership within the

body of Christ. If the truths found within this book
they prevent even just one minister or Christian leader from falling prey to
the satanic traps and the weaknesses of human character, then
It will all be worth it for what I have gone through to learn these lessons,
including the endless hours taken to write this book. "Prophets
3” is dedicated to helping the people of God to be preserved without blame in
body, soul, and spirit until the coming of the Lord.

GRATITUDE

I extend my gratitude to the Board of Governors of CI-NPM who,

through their dedicated ministry and support, made it possible for their bishop
taking the time from his active ministry with so many trips to
to complete the commission that Christ gave to stay at home and finish this book
which is desperately needed. I sincerely thank my wife,
Evelyn, for encouraging me to finish the book, and to the CI team and CI ministries.
NPM to carry out the ministry while its president was
writing.

USE OF UPPERCASE LETTERS

Dr. Hamon has appropriated the rule known as the Prerogative.

of Authorial write in uppercase certain words that usually do not
they are in accordance with current grammatical practice. This has been done to
effects of giving clarity and emphasis to the text. The references to the Bride/Wife are
they write in uppercase due to their union with the Deity through
Jesus Christ. Prophets are sometimes highlighted in bold for emphasis purposes.
PROPHETS: TRAPS AND PRINCIPLES Page 4

Prophet Company is written with capital letters to designate a group.

specific to prophets. Prophetic Movement is written with capital letters because
they refer to the greatest movement of restoration within the Church.
the word 'Scripture' is capitalized only when it refers to the
Whole Bible. Church and Body when referring to the universal Body of Christ
The church; church without a capital letter when referring to a church.
denominational or local. Logos/Word when it refers to the entire Bible;
rhema/word when referring to individual scriptures and words
prophetic
All scriptures are taken from the Reina Valera version (RVV, 1960)
unless stated otherwise. When scripture is quoted, the author some
sometimes it is written in bold italics for reasons of emphasis.
PROPHETS: TRAPS AND PRINCIPLES Page 5

CHAPTER 1
GOD'S PREPARATION PROCESS FOR
WRITE THE BOOK
TRAPS AND PRINCIPLES

I completed my university training in Bible in 1950 with

grand ideas for changing the world for Jesus Christ. I was bold,
passionate and ambitious. A statement I made on a national program of
radio at that time reveals how the president of the Biblical College had
I ignite my vision and my faith: "People," I said, "I want you to know that this
the world is very big. The devil is here and I am here too, and one of
They both have to leave. I want them to know that it won't be me.
The Lord took me from this vision of the world in my Bible school until
a small church in Yakima Valley, Washington. This church had
enjoyed continuous revivals every night for three years, but then the
the pastor died, and the church suffered division after division over almost every doctrine
controversial that has ever been expressed among Pentecostals:
doctrines of the Trinity, baptismal formulas, dress codes,
structure of the church, and teachings of the Late Rain movement.
When I arrived in February 1954, there was a handful of survivors.
that they still stood singing with determination "I will not be moved, I will not"
I will move." They had seen it all, they had done it all, and they had gone through everything.

and they were determined not to be moved by anyone ever again.

God in His wisdom (and I think with a sense of humor placed this
crying prophet in that place to shepherd for the next six years. My faith and
my visions were deeply treated, and heated and fried on the
fire of God's process to make man first of all before
to manifest His ministry in him.
During this time I observed great evangelists like T.L.
Osborne, Oral Roberts, and Billy Graham began to affect the world with the
PROPHETS: TRAPS AND PRINCIPLES Page 6

powerful message of Jesus Christ. I received his magazines with glorious reports. In
instead of encouraging me, these reports caused me great frustration and hours of
agony before God while trying to convince Him that He should
take me out to do the same things and not get stuck in this local church
lacking vision.
As the old saying goes, I "died a thousand times" on the altar while
I was arguing with God, trying to convince Him how desperately the souls
around the world needed my powerful ministry more than this
small remnant in the local church. But during these six years God
worked on my maturity, my manhood, my motivations, and my marriage. He gave me
he went from being a nineteen-year-old single man traveling as a prophet
evangelist, to be a married man with two children, Tim and Tom. (Our daughter
Sherilyn was born in 1961.
While I was hidden in what I felt to be an experience
similar to that of Moses in the desert, I did not only observe the ministers
successful. I also saw. The decline and fall of many powerful evangelists
at the end of 1950 and the beginning of 1960. I had admired many of them and
envied. But they started to fall due to problems in the areas of
morality, methods, motives, message, and management of money, due to absence of
an appropriate ministerial ethics.
From the depths of my spirit and from the personal prophecies that
they came to me from the prophetic presbytery, I knew that someday, in some way,
somehow, my life and my ministry would affect the church and the
whole world. I knew that my destiny lay beyond the limits of the
local church. But as these great evangelists and a few
prophets began to fall, this tragedy caused a great reverential fear
To God will rise in my heart.
So I began to pray and seek God continuously. A
the concern for which I prayed continuously could be expressed as
Lord, I know that one day I will have a worldwide ministry like that of
PROPHETS: TRAPS AND PRINCIPLES Page 7

these men. What will keep me from falling just like these men
have fallen?
My request was to understand the root of the problem that causes large
ministers fall and have the wisdom to recognize common deceptions, the
destructive traps and the character weaknesses that affected them. He wished
to discern my own heart to recognize any seed of bad attitude
that could sprout, grow, and eventually destroy my spiritual life and my
ministry. I sincerely prayed to God to do whatever it took
to purge and purify myself before reaching the point where my life
could negatively affect tens of thousands.
I prayed to God to deal with me during my time of journey.
desert of darkness, so that the minimal amount of people would be affected
for my shortcomings. During these many hours of prayer and Bible study
Personally, the Holy Spirit began to illuminate many scriptures in my mind.
they gave me some principles to practice and traps to avoid
to fall. In those days in the mid-1950s, these truths were in the form of
seed, but now after forty years of ministry they have grown inside
of my life and my ministry until becoming a harvestable crop.
These ripe grains about the truth will be presented in this
book. My prayer is that these truths concerning 'principles to practice
and traps to avoid" will save many from falling while also helping
to others in 'spirit, soul, and body,' to be kept blameless 'for the
"the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ" (1 Thes 5:23). I pray that these truths
fall on good soil and produce thirty, sixty, and a hundredfold
one.
I hope that we all have ears to listen to what the
The Spirit has to tell us about the biblical principles that there are to
practice and the satanic traps that must be avoided - so that we
we may take our place within the great company of prophets of God,
prophetic ministers and prophetic people.
PROPHETS: TRAPS AND PRINCIPLES Page 8

BASICS FOR THE PROPHETIC MINISTRY

In these days, God is drawing the attention of His people towards the
prophetic ministry in such a way that the prophets and prophecy are restored to
its rightful place in the life of the Church. The prophetic movement is gaining
momentum -and also a heated controversy- as thousands of
Christians seek answers to their questions about how God speaks to us.
through the prophetic ministry, and how to respond to his word
prophetic.
For about forty years I have been deeply involved in this
ministry, prophesying to tens of thousands and training others to prophesy
also. Several years ago God instructed me to start writing several
books that will help clarify some of the most important topics in this
area, both for constituted prophetic ministers and for those who
They are just receiving the prophetic ministry. This is the third volume of the
resulting series.
The first volume, Prophets and Personal Prophecy, answers the questions
most common made by those who have received a prophetic word
personnel from God. It includes a guide to respond appropriately to
such prophecies. It also provides numerous examples from Scripture and from
my personal ministerial experience that illustrates how God can speak to
through various areas of our lives, such as divine healing, ministries,
gifts and calls; romance and marriage, business efforts,
pregnancies and births; and major decisions and geographical movements.
The second volume, Prophets and The Prophetic Movement, focuses on
the restoration movement from God that is currently taking place
place to restore the prophets and the prophecy for the Church. It was written for
reset reality and describe the scope of the Prophetic Movement.
Providing biblical and historical information, it also helps those who
they participate in this movement to understand its history; to receive all the
benefits of the truths and spiritual experiences that are part of
PROPHETS: TRAPS AND PRINCIPLES Page 9

movement; and to receive guidance and wisdom so that they can keep what
they have received with integrity and balance as long as power or the
God's purpose for this movement of restoration from the Spirit
Saint.
This third volume, "Prophets; Traps and Principles" seeks to respond
questions and provide help for the prophetic minister. Present principles
suitable for ministering personal prophecy, warns about the greatest
traps in the prophetic ministry, and above all it focuses on the qualities
of a personal nature that are necessary to have a mature ministry.
The emphasis of the first two volumes provides a critical foundation for
to be able to minister prophetically.

CHAPTER 2

TRAPS FOR PROPHETIC MINISTERS

The Sovereign Election of God. The Scriptures clearly teach that

the saints do not choose their ministry membership within the Body of
PROPHETS: TRAPS AND PRINCIPLES Page 10

Christ: "God has placed the members, each one of them, in the body, as the
"He wanted." (1st Cor. 12:18). Nor do the ministers call themselves to the quintuple.
ministry by his own choice. Remember that Jesus said to his twelve
ministers: 'You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you'
I have appointed you" (John 15:16). Paul went further by saying: "Ascending on high, he took

captivity captive and gave gifts to men"; "And He Himself gave some to be
some apostles; to others prophets, to others evangelists; to others pastors and
masters" (Eph. 4:8-11). And Paul insists: "to some God appointed, first of all
"apostles, then prophets" (1st Co. 12:28).
The gifts and callings of God are based on His sovereignty, not on
the human merits of persistence in the pursuit of a position. The
principle that Paul reveals when he says 'Behold, then, the kindness and the severity
of God" (Ro.11:22) applies to God's choice for the ministry. The goodness
God manifests Himself in His gifts and callings. His severity is revealed in
the process of his training in order to prepare a person for the commission
from your call.
To whom much is given, much is required. Jesus has a love and a
special dedication to those whom God has called to
represent it. The Lord has a precious investment in them: He has given them
His own nature, grace, gifts, and His ministry, and to whom much is given.
much is asked of them (Luke 12:48). Those who are called to this sphere of
ministers will be judged more strictly than others (James 3:1).
This principle seems to apply especially to those who are
called to be prophets. To those whom He calls to speak directly into
His name with a 'Thus says the Lord' has been given much. But equally
one is asked a lot in obedience, integrity, righteousness, and likeness to
Christ in all areas of his life.
The devil hates the prophets of God. So he has developed a
complete arsenal of destruction weapons to use against them. He has dug
a hole for each prophetic minister and is determined to provoke that each
PROPHETS: TRAPS AND PRINCIPLES Page 11

one falls into it and is buried. I call these traps of Satan 'traps
prophetic.
In the first volume of this series on the prophets and the ministry
prophetic we mainly deal with guiding lines for those who receive
a prophetic word and they wish to respond to it appropriately. In this
volume we address those who speak the prophetic word, offering
a guide to ministering with integrity and accuracy, and also warnings
about the traps that the devil has prepared for them. This section
will specifically deal with many of the pitfalls that can hinder the
prophets and their prophetic message. We will expose most of the principles to
practicing and the traps to avoid taken from the examples of the characters
biblical, mainly prophets and apostles. My personal burden goes beyond
only activate within the ministry those called to be prophets.
I also want to teach and train them in such a way that they maintain their
prophetic ministry in power and purity until they reach their purpose
predestined: To be conformed to the image of Jesus Christ the Prophet by
excellence (Rom. 8:29). Christ was the fullness of the fivefold ministry in one.
human body (Col. 2.9). He is the perfect model for all ministers of
new testament, including the prophet.

BAD SEED OF ATTITUDES AND ROOT PROBLEMS.

I grew up on a farm in Oklahoma and learned a lot about problems.

of the farmers with the weeds and the roots. In my agriculture classes
In middle school, I had to study all kinds of seeds.
We learned that some weed seeds and some good seeds
they look so much alike that it's difficult to determine the difference while they are still

in the form of a seed. Only extensive education and experience will

they allow a farmer to immediately recognize a seed.
it truly is.
PROPHETS: TRAPS AND PRINCIPLES Page 12

The same is true with the attitudes of our heart. Power

recognize and identify the bad seed of an attitude within a person
What it is, an attitude that will eventually sprout like the dangerous seed of
a mistaken behavior - requires someone with understanding and
experience in spiritual discernment.
An Illustration of the Natural Sphere. The plant that typifies the most
clearly in the natural sphere the development of the root of the problems in the
spiritual sphere is the so-called Johnson grass. This variety of grass has
unions every six inches along each branch in your root system,
these roots are countless and develop in all directions
intertwining with each other with the root system of a good crop
close, such as corn.
When the Johnson grass sprouts and begins to grow alongside a shoot of
corn, the two plants look almost identical. If Johnson grass is allowed
grow alongside the corn plant until both reach the height of the
knee, its root system becomes so interwoven that Johnson grass
It cannot be uprooted without also tearing out and destroying the corn. The best
What a farmer can do to preserve corn is cut the grass at the level.
from the ground.

The problem, however, is that Johnson's grass will send new ones again.
shoots, both from the trunk of the old bushes and from the joints of
the roots underground. You cannot destroy the roots simply by cutting.
the plants. You can only prevent them from growing until they reach the
total maturity and produce seeds. Meanwhile, the root system of the
grass continues to steal the nutrients from the soil that could go to the stem.
So the neighboring plant will be able to produce at most one ear of corn.
thin corn, inferior and without the sufficient quality to be used as seed
corn for the next harvest.
The Severe Remedy of God. We must note that due to the severity of the
The farmer cannot permanently remedy the problem during the season.
growth. Since Johnson grass has leaves similar to corn,
PROPHETS: TRAPS AND PRINCIPLES Page 13

The farmer cannot spray it without also killing the corn. All he can do
to become is to wait until the season is over and then to plow the soil so that
the roots are exposed. Then they can be raked and burned.
or poisoned, or also let them die from freezing in the winter.
Only after the harvest, during the winter, can they handle the
farmers with the root of the grass. (Just as they must also wait until
the winter in order to prune the fruit trees).
In the spiritual sphere as well, God will not deal with the advanced.
root problems as long as there is a productive station in the ministry, The
it will take the minister and his ministry to a winter station, of inactivity and
no productivity, The arará then to the prophet from top to bottom exposing the
problems from its root, and then He will fumigate them with a strong anointing to
destroy them or it will rake the minister's soul until all the roots are
removed and cast into the fire of God's purifying purpose.
For this reason, we must allow God and those He has
pointed out as our spiritual authorities show us our
attitudes of bad seed and remove the new sprouts of weaknesses of
our character before it becomes interwoven with our personality and
performance. The longer we wait to do it, the more drastic the process will be.
These Truths are for People Everywhere: although this
The book is mainly directed at prophets and prophetic ministers, these
truths are vital for any minister within the fivefold ministry,
Christian leaders or members of the body of Christ who are found
administering. These principles to practice and traps to avoid apply to
Every Christian. In such a way that I encourage you to read the following pages.
to allow the Holy Spirit to enlighten your mind and soul to anything
weakness of character, bad seed of attitudes, problematic roots, or
"prophetic syndromes" that you may have.
If you have had a particular problem for a while and it has
manifested more than three times, I believe this has gone further than
seed state and has already sprouted. In such a way that it must be dealt with.
PROPHETS: TRAPS AND PRINCIPLES Page 14

immediately before its root system intertwines with its

personality and performance.
Now God is purging both individuals and their
whole church of all things that are contrary to His own nature and
character. If we allow God to purge us, we will be made a vessel of
honor. If not, God will remove us from the ministry in His body just like the
Sheep are separated from the goats, the good fish from the bad fish, and the wheat from the

tares (Mt. 25.32, 3; 13.29, 30, 47,48).

PROPHETS: TRAPS AND PRINCIPLES Page 15

CHAPTER 3
THE TRAP OF THE PROPHET ELIJAH

You probably know the story of Elijah and the prophets of Baal.
But take just a few minutes right now to reread the facts in
1 Kings chapters 17 to 19 to refresh your knowledge of the main points.
characters and events involved in them.
Elias demonstrated many qualities that are admirable in a prophet of
God: prayer, faith, obedience to the voice of the Lord, and the willingness to give his life

to prove that Jehovah was the true God. He remained alone as a prophet.
of God and challenged eight hundred and fifty prophets of Baal to a fight over
Mount Carmel, which would demonstrate which God was sovereign. That day he also
he challenged the people of Israel to choose which God they would serve - God or
Baal based on the result of the fight.
In the resulting events, the prophets of Baal showed themselves
and to their god being powerless. However, Elijah made a short prayer, and God
sent fire from heaven that consumed the sacrifice. Elijah thus exposed the
false prophets and demonstrated that Jehovah is the only God. Then he killed
all the prophets of Baal, interceded for the three years of drought to cease
that he had prophesied for the land, and he ran ahead of everyone
chariots of Ahab. In light of these events, we could assume
reasonably, this fierce, effective, and powerful prophet would not have
character weaknesses, and that would be immune to satanic traps.
A Hole of Self-Compassion. However, the rest of the story
show something else. When Queen Jezebel heard that Elijah had killed
all his prophets, decreed that same fate for him. This reaction from the leader
from those lands he was thrown from the summit of prophetic performance to the hole
of self-compassion and pessimistic prayer.
Elijah disappeared from the land of Israel and fled to the desert. He sat down under
a juniper tree and prayed to God asking Him to kill him. Of course this
the self-compassion prayer was hypocritical in those circumstances, because if Elias
PROPHETS: TRAPS AND PRINCIPLES Page 16

he truly wanted to die, he only needed to stay where he was

Jezebel, and she would have gladly satisfied his request for him to be
dead.
Elijah portrays the prophet who is powerful in prophesying and acting, but
weak in personality, attitude, and adjustments to rejection and persecution. We must
to realize that God did not answer his prayer for death in the way that
I would have hoped, but rather responded by igniting the fire of the
purification until all the dross of his selfish life could be
burns.
The prophetic ministry often places the prophet in situations
extremes with high goals: success or failure, acceptance or rejection, vindication
or humiliation, life or death. When it results in great success, the
victories are won and a great revival occurs, then the prophet or the
Prophetesses usually expect that the Church leadership appreciates their words
prophetic and its powerful performance. However, leadership reacts in
place of that as Queen Jezebel did - not only with rejection, but
also with threats of destruction. Consequently, the prophet feels
discouraged.
Descending by Steps. The prophets reach the bottom of their well.
despair descending step by step starting with discouragement. If the
the situation does not adjust immediately through an appropriate attitude, that
discouragement will lead to discontent, then to resentment, self-pity, the
complex of persecution, and anger. The final step of the prophets that descend
inside this hole is a spirit of bitterness and harsh criticism that them
it becomes the law for themselves with such a spirit of rejection that no one can
to approach them in his car of disappointment.

This trap causes the man or woman of God to develop a

bad seed of a self-pity similar to that of Elijah saying: "All the
the world is against me. Nobody understands my ministry. I am alone under the juniper.
No one appreciates my great achievement of bringing the people of Israel back from idols to
PROPHETS: TRAPS AND PRINCIPLES Page 17

True God. I ended the drought by sending them rain; I destroyed all the
oppressive false prophets. But they do not appreciate anything I have done.
This kind of thinking sends the prophets to what I call 'the
mindset of the cave." In this condition, they believe just like Elijah: "Only
I have made plans
Sadly, the ministers who commit this error of thinking that they are
the only ones left in the ministry with a true message, a
anointed ministry and a proper vision will open themselves to a spirit
of error. Its doctrine may remain true, but its spirit comes to be
wrong. If this spirit does not adjust quickly, they may be subject to
a variety of spiritual problems.
They can develop an exclusive and isolating spirit that
they can come to form group cults (sects). They can become a
instrument of Satan to sow discord and suspicion in the body of
Christ. They may fall into personal immorality. Or they may fall completely.
and to become like a rejected pariah.
A Spirit of Error. In forty years of ministry, I have seen occur
I have heard this process many times. For example, in the movement of Faith, I heard
once of a minister who had written several books, and in that way had
has become a recognized master in some circles. A few years
later he revealed a tape, in which he said that he was the only one who
he still preached a message of pure faith. He developed the Prophet syndrome.
who whines saying: "only I am left."
When I listened to the tape, I told the person who had asked me to do it.
he would listen, that the brother who spoke in her would have developed a
spirit of error. I added that if he was not corrected, he could take a truth and
to develop it as a cult. Sadly, it didn't take long before
many Christians died because of their erroneous spirit and their extremism
emphasis on a particular truth. The leader himself died prematurely.
because he had united with his own spirit and his teaching.
PROPHETS: TRAPS AND PRINCIPLES Page 18

On another occasion, in the late 1980s, I heard an evangelist leader say

publicly in his broadcast that he was the only one left to
evangelize the world. In a few months the scandal of his behavior
immoral was the talk of both the Church and the secular media. The
Pride caused his fall, but the root of his problem was the syndrome of
Prophet Elijah with his resulting cave mentality.
To avoid similar results in our own lives, the ministers
prophetic we need to grow until we have the maturity and the wisdom that we
will allow to overcome such situations without losing hope. Those who
we who develop the bad seed of Elijah's attitude must remember
what God spoke to this prophet when he said: 'I alone am left', The Lord said to him
he made it known that another seven thousand were as righteous and dedicated as he was, and with a

similar vision of the cause of God.

Get up and shake it off. I myself have fallen into this trap a few times.
times in my life, and I have met some others who feel that they are the only ones
in their Church or Nation that truly have the heart and the vision of
God.
Let the truth set you free to act on the words of
warning from the prophet Isaiah: 'Shake off the dust; rise up and sit down,... let go
the bindings of your neck" (Is.52:2).
Speaking clearly this means stepping out of our selfish way of
to be, from our complex of martyrdom-persecution. It means shaking off that
spirit of exclusion, of that spirit of reclusion that inflates the feeling of
self-importance. Rise up and ignite the strength of the nature of Christ,
adjusting your wrong attitudes before they develop a system of
roots that undermine the life of Christ in you.
Respond as quickly as you would if a rattlesnake
would fall on your head. And if the Truth has not dawned on you sufficiently for
liberate yourself, then find the quick help of a senior minister before
that your slip falls into the spirit of error, or you sink so deeply into it.
self-destruct, which also self-destroys you.
PROPHETS: TRAPS AND PRINCIPLES Page 19

Prophetic Minister, my friend, if you have embraced the 'mentality of the

"cave," then remember that God only has two things to say to
prophet while he is in the cave. The first is a question he asked and
He also repeated: "What are you doing here, Elijah?" The second was this: "Get out of
the cave and go to the mountain before the Lord to hear the voice of God.
Elijah obeyed this command, and when he did, God gave him the great
commission to carry out its purposes for many years, even still
after Elijah was taken up to heaven. If we want our ministry
continue to be fruitful, we must also rise above self-pity
the cave mentality to hear the voice of God more clearly.
(1 Kings 19:13-17)
Continuous Criticism is a Warning Signal. I have found that
any minister - whether apostle, prophet, pastor, teacher, or evangelist -
who begins to criticize other ministers and imply that he or she is the
model for every minister, has serious root problems, the seed of a
bad attitude, and hidden sins. The ministers who dedicate most of their
preaching and its prophecy for criticizing other Christian ministers become
motivated by the spirit of deception, of proud self-deception, and the same kind
of self-importance that Lucifer himself demonstrated. This behavior is one of the
most deadly sins of the minister, especially of the prophetic minister.
The line between pronouncing a genuine prophetic judgment and ministering through a
A wounded heart or a spirit of rejection is very fragile. That's why everyone
the prophets must be related to someone and accountable to someone in
who they trust enough to allow that person to be the surgeon
spiritual that operates on your spirit and your attitude. The area spiritually
the infected area must be surgically removed, the wound must be healed and
properly closed, and it must be given time for healing and restoration in
the areas of a person's life.
A Recent Example. Some time ago, one of the prophets of the Network
the Prophetic Ministries of Christian International began to manifest
PROPHETS: TRAPS AND PRINCIPLES Page 20

attitudes like that of the Elias syndrome that I have described. So the Bishop and the
The Board of Governors had to discipline the person involved.
This prophet had an effective and anointed prophetic ministry. His prophecies
were exact and powerful. Healings and other miracles were manifested in their
ministry.
However, not all of their 10 'M's were in order, their message,
ministry, and its morality were good, but its maturity, its motivations,
methods, and ministerial ethics were very out of line and required attention
immediate. The problems stemming from the "Johnson grass" that had
growing in his life were growing as quickly as his ministry.
The Bishop and the Board of Governors concluded that this
the prophet had a contagious disease that needed to be removed
. In fact, we told him he had a blind spot in his life.
which prevented him from seeing the seriousness of his situation.

All thirty ministers present at the meeting agreed.

that this root problem was serious enough to require that the
the prophet was removed from the public ministry for a period of time. He
we offered to take him to the Campus of our ministry for an extended period
of time until he was released, healed, transformed and reinstated to
public ministry.
It's sad to say, but this prophet allowed us to cut the 'grass'
Jhonson of the problem while we were in the meeting with him - but upon leaving
from her, he did not allow us to walk with him through a period of time,
removed from the public ministry so that God would destroy the deep roots
of bad weeds in his heart.
The prophet finally told himself that all the other thirty
ministers were wrong, and that only he was right.
conclusion was a classic statement of self-deception 'you say that I'
I have a blind spot regarding my problems, but I don't see it.
he resorted to the typical excuse of all those who are more 'spiritual' than
mature, and they just want to do their own thing: "God told me" he expressed,
PROPHETS: TRAPS AND PRINCIPLES Page 21

I am not going to submit to your discipline, but I am going to continue with my greatness.

"ministry in my Church.” This minister had the potential to be a great pillar.

of the truth and a father of faith during his life - if only he had
subject to the advice of his Bishop and the Council of Elders.
What is the benefit of being affiliated with and adhering to an organization?
ministerial if we are not willing to receive your advice, your discipline and your
correction in the same way that we are to receive your blessing and help
to promote our ministries? We must remember that the Bible insists on
that those who do not have the will to submit to discipline and to the
correction they are not true children of God, and their ministry is illegitimate. 'But
if you are left without discipline... then you are bastards and not sons” (Heb. 12:8).
Receive everything with grace. There is no limit to how God can use the
people who have the ability to receive support and correction, praise and
persecution with the same spirit of grace. These types of ministers can
manage success without letting pride elevate, and endure rejection and the
apparent failures without growing in discouragement. May God grant us that we can

learning to be praised for our powerful prophetic work without being

proud, and be criticized or disciplined without developing a complex of
persecution.
The prophets must develop the character of Christ, which is capable of
receive both positive and negative responses with consistent grace.
The only way for the prophets of the last days in the army of the Lord.
To survive is to maintain an attitude and stewardship.
suitable with the Lord Jesus, whether we are received or rejected by the
people and the leadership of the church.
PROPHETS: TRAPS AND PRINCIPLES Page 22

CHAPTER 4

THE PROBLEMS WITH THE PERSECUTION OF

PROPHETS JEREMIAH AND EZEKIEL

Ezequiel and Jeremiah probably suffered personal persecution

more severe than any other biblical prophet. His prophecies were rejected
and the people rebelled against them more than with most of the prophets. God
I had already warned Ezekiel: "Do not be afraid of them,... do not fear their
words, even if you find yourself among thorns and brambles, and dwell with scorpions; do not
do not be afraid of their words, nor be afraid in front of them, because they are home

"rebellious" (Ez. 2:6). Jeremiah, for his part, was "rewarded" because of his
ministry being thrown into the stocks, to a prison, and to a dirty dungeon (Jer.
20.2; 37.15; 38.6.
Suffering is a Standard for Prophetic Life. The main ones
actors in the biblical story - God, humanity, and the Devil - are still the
main actors now, and although we now live under a new pact, these
characters have not changed. God still speaks through his prophets, the
people still take the prophetic word of God the wrong way and resist it, and the devil
still does what he can to destroy the prophets. So the persecution and
Suffering is part of the cross that the prophet must bear.
Jesus said that unless we are willing to take up our cross and
to deny ourselves, we cannot be his disciples (Mt. 16.24).
How much more is this principle applied to being a prophet? Prophets must take
their ministerial crosses joyfully, denying themselves, and all the
unrestrained flesh of these traps for prophets, the seed of the
bad attitudes and prophetic syndromes.
Santiago wrote that we must take the prophets as
example of suffering affliction (James 5:10). He did not say that we should take the

priests, Levites, kings, scribes, or shepherds as an example of affliction,

but rather to the prophets. So I believe that Peter must have had
PROPHETS: TRAPS AND PRINCIPLES Page 23

especially to the apostles and prophets in mind when he wrote: 'Do not you'
do not be surprised by the fiery trial that has come upon you as though something
"do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that is coming upon you" (1 Peter 4:12).

No - such circumstances are not unusual, rather they are standard.

for the prophets. Just as the gift of unknown tongues comes with the
baptism of the Holy Spirit, thus persecution comes with the ministry
prophetic. All the ministers of the fivefold ministry, and indeed 'all the
those who want to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution” (2 Timothy.
My experience leads me to believe that the role of the prophets produces
naturally more persecution and suffering for them than the role of the
majority of other ministries. So everyone who feels called to be
prophets, to be a prophetic minister, or even just to move in the
the spirit of the gift of prophecy, they must adjust their attitude accordingly.
Grace to Adjust. We who have been called to be prophets
we have no option but to adjust to the reality of this matter. If you
cannot handle rejection, persecution, and the pressure from their peers,
then you cannot serve as one of God's prophets of the
end times. But God's empowering grace always comes along with His
called if we take it for ourselves by faith and obedience. The prophets must
to endure suffering, persecution, and rejection without developing a complex
of persecution or a spirit of rejection. This is the truth - a truth that,
agreement with Jesus will set us free - (John 8:32); truth that, in accordance with
Peter, it is a cause for joy and thanksgiving (1st P. 4:13).
Pablo received understanding from God that the more
the revelation of God's secrets we receive, we must endure more
the thorns of persecution and demonic opposition (2 Co. 12:7-10)
Since both the apostles and the prophets have received the ministry of
revelation (Eph. 3:5), then we know what we can expect when
the apostles be fully restored in the church and may we have both the
prophets like the apostles operating completely. It will come not only
a double portion of the anointing, but also a greater flow of opposition and
PROPHETS: TRAPS AND PRINCIPLES Page 24

persecution, especially from that part of the religious world that rejects the
present truth.
PROPHETS: TRAPS AND PRINCIPLES Page 25

CHAPTER 5
THE PROPHET ABRAHAM AND THE PROBLEMS
RELATIVES

People in service professions, such as ministries

ecclesiastical, medicine, law, politics, and police work, seem to receive
his greatest stress burden from his family life. The greatest tests and problems
from the prophet Abraham came from his family. His root problem and his trap.
it was to allow family influences to hinder him from obeying God
completely in order to fulfill God's personal word for him.
Family Pressures. To begin with, Abraham's love for his
family, the pressure from their relatives, and the sense of having obligations towards their
parents, led him to bring his family with him when he left Ur of the Chaldeans. This
the action was only a partial obedience to his personal prophecy, and hindered
the fulfillment of their ministry for a certain period of time.
Therefore, it was established before arriving in Canaan, living in Haran.
for several years before he came to his ministry in Canaan. He stayed there
until his father died, before he came to his ministry in Canaan (Gen.
11:31-12:4.
Again, it was a family member - his nephew Lot, to whom
Abraham had to leave behind - who caused a division among the followers
from Abraham after experiencing considerable growth in his
ministry in Canaan (Gen. 13:1-11). The trap consisted of allowing the type
wrong influence of family on their decision making. The problem
emerged once again when his wife Sarah influenced him to take Hagar, his
Egyptian slave, as a surrogate mother to produce the promised seed. The
the results of yielding to that advice cost him dearly as a father,
generating a ministry of Ismael that has pursued and opposed the
prophetic ministry of Isaac until this day (Gn. 16).
We must not be dictators. We should note here, of course, that
this does not imply that prophets should be dictators in their homes. A
PROPHETS: TRAPS AND PRINCIPLES Page 26

a married prophet or a married prophetess should be a collaborator with their partner, and

so both should ideally move in unity and with a testimony

mutual. Even children must be trained and involved to understand the
mind of Christ regarding the family and making prophetic decisions.
However, there are times when God clearly reveals His will to the
prophet, and as a priest of his home he must take a firm stance
to wait patiently until God's way for fulfillment
of his personal prophecy may be revealed. Some family members
sometimes they have their way of putting pressure on the prophet to take the
initiative to fulfill the prophecy. Most of the time these members of the
family are motivated by their own convictions more than by direction
divine about when, where and how to fulfill a word.
I can remember times like this in my own life when I had to
to stand firm in what I knew God had told me, even though some
my family members were not ready to do it. Still, I want to
emphasize that I normally do not make major decisions or take actions
adults without the consent of my wife, and usually also without that of
our adult children. I believe that when things are done on time and to
In God's way, a couple will experience testimony and mutual agreement.
Every family situation is unique, so it is impossible to present rules.
mandatory measures in this matter for each family. I can understand
and feel compassion for the situation in which many prophets find themselves.
themselves when their family is not spiritual, committed and
adequately related to God as they are. My wife and children
they share my priorities and commitments, so I cannot judge
others with a different situation. We simply must acknowledge
that some cases involve complex and sensitive matters that must be
treaties on an individual basis when a prophet seeks to obey the
divine guidance and still maintain pious family relationships.
Although the Bible tells us how Abraham allowed his family to
will mistakenly influence, never shows that God rebuked
PROPHETS: TRAPS AND PRINCIPLES Page 27

Abraham specifically for allowing his relatives to hinder the

fulfillment of their personal prophecies in that way.
I believe this reveals God's high priority for structures and the
family relationships. After all, He created family and relationships.
relatives before the prophets and the Church came into existence. So I
I believe that a person must have a direct instruction from God, confirmation.
pastoral, and several other confirmations from mature ministers before acting
about any word of personal prophecy that may hinder the
family relationships.
The Spoiled Child Syndrome. When we read in the Bible about
of the Israelite priest Eli and his sons, we discover what I would call, "the
"spoiled child syndrome." This problem is common among the
"child preachers", but it can develop in any family where
Parents spoil their children inappropriately. The destructive results.
these can last beyond childhood and undermine potential for the
minister of the son or daughter.
It has been told to us that 'The sons of Eli were corrupt men, and they did not have'

knowledge of Jehovah" (1 Samuel 2:12). More specifically, they abused their

position as ordained ministers of God taking even more than what it was their
legitimate part of the offerings that the people brought to God. According to the
the sin of the youths was very great before the Lord;
because the men despised the offerings of the Lord” (1 Samuel 2:17).
What was Eli's response to the situation? Instead of disciplining his
children, looked the other way. So God rebuked the prophet, asking him,
Why do you honor your children more than me? (v. 29). When the father failed to
correcting their children, they placed them before God. Then judgment came
about your house for God decreed to Eli: "everyone born in your house will die in
the virile age" (v. 33).
In light of the scandals of the tele-evangelists a few
years, we must keep in mind the severity of this situation and its
potential for devastation in the Church. Today's spoiled children will be the
PROPHETS: TRAPS AND PRINCIPLES Page 28

ministers without ethics of tomorrow, taking more than their legitimate share of money
from the people of God as a way of consenting to themselves, and in this way
to underestimate the offerings of Jehovah. We must not fall prey to
this ministerial syndrome if we want to honor God first, disciplining
adequately to our children.
Mentor Modeling Methods. We must also notice
here that the prophet Samuel, who was guided in the ministry by the old one
Elí evidently repeated some of his parenting practices. When
Samuel grew old, he appointed his two sons as judges for Israel.
8:1). "But the children did not walk in the ways of their father," says the
They turned to greed before, allowing themselves to be bribed and
perverting the law" (v. 3).
The consequences of his sin arrived. beyond their family
immediate. Samuel's children not only hindered justice on earth. Their
conduct also urged the people to demand a king and reject leadership
of God over His nation. (vv. 4-7).
This series of biblical events illustrates that ministers normally
they take the principles and practices of their mentors. David modeled later on
the sexual excess to his son Solomon. In contrast to this, God declared that a
of the reasons for him to decree continuous blessings upon the descendants
of Abraham was 'because I know that he will command his children and his household after him'

Yes, let them keep the way of the Lord, doing justice and judgment, so that He may do
the Lord come upon Abraham what he has spoken concerning him" (Gen. 18:19). God
he saw that Abraham would not consent to his son but would discipline him.
properly and I would train him in the model he should live and be (Prov. 22:6).
The Deception of Ministerial Couples. In my years as a bishop over
many ministries, I have had to deal with various deceptions that lead to the
ministers to destruction. In the past thirty years, a deception that I have
The concept of 'ministerial couple' or 'wife' is often heard.
"spiritual." This concept has grown through the Christian Ministry in
general and has not yet entered the Prophetic movement. In fact, it seems to have
PROPHETS: TRAPS AND PRINCIPLES Page 29

made a big entrance in those circles where there are demands for revelation and
prophetic direction.
A 'ministerial couple' or 'spiritual wife' is anyone to whom a
a married minister (or any Christian) allows him to be one more company
close to their true husband or true wife, especially when
this person is of the opposite sex. They are usually an associate minister,
secretary or worship leader or youth leader. For a married person to cultivate
romantic feelings or sexual involvement actions with someone
different from their spouse is a sin in the eyes of God. Thus
that this type of inappropriate approach is dangerous because it generally
it leads to romance and finally to sexual immorality.
A Gradual Process of Bonding and Deception. Of course, this
situation does not happen overnight. Characteristically, a minister
and an associate or secretary work closely together for months and years
until a 'soul tie' is developed - that is, a close union
emotional. The minister's wife (or husband) stops being his friend, advisor,
competent partner and collaborator in the ministry. The minister begins to
spend more time with the associate in the office and out of town in
conferences that with the wife at home.
As this deception takes root in the minister, he or she takes
additional actions to carry out its ultimate purpose. The wife of
the minister is manipulated out of the active ministry with the minister and the
Church, with an alienation of affections accompanying within marriage.
The minister justifies his actions by claiming that the 'ministerial couple' is more
understanding and grateful as the wife. The "couple" seems to be patient,
kind, sweet, and reliable, while the wife seems to be demanding and
claimant, always questioning why the minister has to be far from
home and spend so little time with the family.
The wife must take action. Sin and lust are deceptive.
they blind the person to reality until the deception leads them to its outcome
final: an adulterous relationship that destroys the minister's marriage, his
PROPHETS: TRAPS AND PRINCIPLES Page 30

ministry and its character. Thus, the wife of a minister who detects the
development of such a situation needs to draw the minister's attention. If the
the minister responds with understanding, immediately begins to adjust the
situation, and works to restore a proper relationship with the family,
So the wife doesn't need to mention it to anyone else.
On the other hand, if the minister responds with resentment, accusing of
jealous of the wife, of lack of commitment, or of failing to understand the
ministerial responsibilities, then the wife's obligation is to attend
immediately to their spiritual supervisors, telling them everything and
involving her supervisor in the situation, the wife should not stop from
to do this out of threats or by a spirit of intimidation that has been attempted
to prevent them from seeking help. The situation will not improve just by being
ignored, or because the wife remains silently hopeful that it will pass
In time. Praying will help, but this particular situation does not resolve.
usually without the proper external help.
Remember: Revealing this issue to a spiritual supervisor does not mean
that someone is betraying trust, or failing to support the husband or the
wife, or failing to cover sin with love.
In this case, the commandment: "better is open rebuke than love
"hidden" (Prov. 27:5) surpasses the scriptural principle that says "love will cover
"multitude of sins" (1 Peter 4:8). The longer a wife waits to obtain
help, otherwise the situation will deteriorate, increasing the possibility that
both marriage and ministry dissolve. Avoid this trap and
weakness of character at all costs.
When all things are in the divine order, then the
appropriate priorities and the responsibilities are these: first God, then
family, then ministry. All other areas must be cared for
only after these three areas of responsibility have been
fulfilled.
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CHAPTER 6

THE PROPHET MOSES

AND THE OVERPROTECTION

Moses was a prophet who also had to fulfill the role of

to shepherd three million people of the people of God. He carried the staff
pastoral and the staff in his hand to shepherd and guide the people of God
from the slavery of Egypt to freedom in the desert, and according to
the prophecy, he had to lead them to the promised land. But Moses had to
a human virtue that became a vice, a personal strength that, carried
to the extreme, it became a double weakness.
A Danger for the Shepherd-Prophets. The trap of Moses - the one that
he set apart to fulfill his personal prophecy regarding entering Canaan - him
came through a dilemma faced by all shepherd-prophets.
He was torn between human mercy and compassion on one side,
and the judgment of God and the prophetic purpose on the other. The root of the problem of

Moses was an overly protective being of his own pastoral flock and too much
insistent that God had to preserve the generation already established in
place to start anew.
When Moses stood in between the anger of God and disobedience
of the people (Ex. 32: 7-14), he became a type of our Lord
Jesus Christ, the intercessor and mediator between God and humanity. But this
Moses' attitude had another facet that we must recognize. From the
perspective of God's prophetic purpose, Moses' attitude was a
obstacle to the fulfillment of the total ministry that was prophesied to him by the great
I AM myself.
During those days in the desert, the Israelites tested God ten times.
at times with murmuring and complaints (See Num. 14:22). God said repeatedly
to Moses that his congregation was full of stubborn and obstinate saints
who belonged to the 'old order'. God and Moses brought the Israelites out of
PROPHETS: TRAPS AND PRINCIPLES Page 33

Egypt, but they were never able to take Egypt out of the
Israelites, that is, from the old generation of Israelites.
God told Moses several times that he wanted to kill the old generation and
raise a new one who would have the will to follow Moses within
Canaan. But each time, Moses argued with God, insisting that he should
preserve the old generation. The final result was that the murmuring of the
the old Israelites finally pushed Moses beyond his patience; so
he angrily hit the rock instead of talking to her according to the instructions
prophetic of God (Ex. 20:7-13).
Due to the act of impatience, frustration, stubbornness, and disobedience
from Moses, God canceled the part of his personal prophecy that said that he
would enter Canaan.
Lessons to Learn. Three biblical truths are manifested in this
incident. First, our actions can cancel part of what has been
prophesied to us personally, even though much of what has been
prophesied has already been fulfilled. The fulfillment of all prophecies
what remains in our lives depends on our continuous obedience, faith and
patience.
The second truth revealed here is that the Grace of God to be able
to resist something does not extend beyond the limits of God's purpose.
When we demand that God does things our way, then
we are alone, The good can give us exactly what we want but, to
our own destruction.
We see this reality not only in the incident of Moses,
but also when the Israelites complained about the manna in the desert,
asking for meat in its place. God gave them what they asked for by sending quails,
but when they were still eating the meat, a severe plague broke out and killed
many (see Nm. 11).
In the New Testament, we also read that those who
they hated the truth and insisted on covering up the falsehood, in the end they obtained what

they wished for, for their own condemnation: 'And with all Deception of iniquity
PROPHETS: TRAPS AND PRINCIPLES Page 34

for those who perish because they did not receive the love of the truth to be
saved. Therefore God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie.
(2 Thessalonians 2:10,11), said the Apostle Paul.

It is better to allow the prophetic purposes and decrees of God

rather prevail than annoy him with what we think is a
better idea, remember what happened with King Hezekiah of Israel: when God
prophetically decreed through Isaiah that he would die, the king wept
bitterly and pleaded for an extension of his life (see Is. 38). In response
God granted Hezekiah 15 more years of life. But in those years that he
they added, the behavior of Hezekiah brought the nation to disaster. Both
Hezekiah, like the people of Israel, would have been better off if the pronouncement
the original prophetic of God would have been maintained.

The third truth is that pastoral compassion and prophetic purpose

they will sometimes be at odds causing friction and even conflict within the
local church between the pastor and the prophet. Thus the determination of
humbly seek God together to determine His desire for the
congregation is critical to maintaining unity in the church leadership
local.
From the point of view of human compassion and a heart
Pastoral, we must commend the intercession and insistence of Moses.
But from a prophetic perspective, his action was foolish and futile. It only postponed
the judgment of God; God still had to almost entirely kill the old one
generation before he fulfilled the prophetic promise given to
Abraham about four centuries earlier. (See Gen. 15:16).
We usually praise Moses and blame Saul for his
behavior, but we failed to realize that Moses canceled his prophecy
concerning Canaan just as Saul canceled his prophecy regarding the
reign over Israel.
Moses was removed and Saul was too, Joshua was raised to
to become the new leader of the new generation that entered Canaan. From one
in a similar way now, a 'Davidic Company' is replacing the old
PROPHETS: TRAPS AND PRINCIPLES Page 35

"order of Saul", a generation of Joshua is replacing the old order of

the 'generation of the desert.' They will enter the Canaan of the Church to
complete the prophetic purpose of God.
Today's Shepherds should not be overprotective. Moses is a
Typical case of the prophet who is the president pastor of a congregation. When
the prophets pastors are about protectors of their flock - so motivated by the
mercy that cannot allow God to punish properly
those who are under their charge, they place themselves in the type of
Moses' trap. Those faithful members of the 'old order' church to
those whom 'Pastoral Mercy' feels so compelled to protect and preserve,
they will eventually lead him or her to sin against God and cancel their purpose
final prophetic. God will eventually take away the Pastor and raise up a new one that
He brought the generation of Joshua to the promised land.
I have heard God telling many pastors in prophecy that
some members of your church will not believe or walk with His vision for
that church. The word of God told those pastors to let those people go.
and that they will not try to avoid it. The Lord cannot lead people to His ministry
promised prophetic unless they believe and respond appropriately.
God's purpose is greater than human preferences. No
Is there still a difference if someone is a founding member of a church that has
given thousands of dollars. The prophetic pastors must follow the guidelines
divine of God. If instead they are about protectors, motivated by
too much mercy or bound by a sense of obligation towards the party
of the old order of the congregation, then they will probably die in the
desert along with those members of the Church and will never enter the present
move of God, nor will they ever fulfill their total prophetic potential.
PROPHETS: TRAPS AND PRINCIPLES Page 36
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CHAPTER 7

THE PRIDE OF THE PROPHET JONAH

AND THE TRAP OF THE TRIAL

Jonah had the bad seed of a prideful attitude and the problem of
root of being too judgmental (see Jonah 1-4). While Moses was
too motivated by mercy, Jonah was too motivated by the
Trial. He was more interested in seeing God destroy the evil than in seeing
God have mercy on them. He had the weakness of consistent character.
in being more concerned about his reputation than about the people to whom
he/she ministered.

The Jonahs of Modern Times. Just like Jonah, some prophets

modern people lament more over the loss of "the shadow of the squash plant"
your personal comfort than for what they do in the face of the death of thousands of
people. Their own spirit is so intertwined with the Johnson roots of
selfishness, pride, anger, revenge, stubbornness, and personal ambition that flee
of any prophetic task that has the possibility of making them look bad or not
to give them benefits. God must providentially force them to be His spokesmen.
putting them in restricted situations at the bottom of the ocean of life until
that they are willing to obey. Although the Lord will not make them go against their

will, He has ways of making them willing.

These are immature prophets who respond to God and to the ministry.
like spoiled children. They want to tell God how to fulfill His word to
through them because they trust that God will do it in the way they believe
it must be done. They try to motivate God through threats and
intimidation.
"God," they say, "I will flee, I will fall again, I will leave the ministry, (or another dozen

of childish things) if you don't do it my way! If I do this for you, then

PROFITS: TRAPS AND PRINCIPLES Page 38

you must do this for me! I don't have to put up with this, and if you don't treat me
better, I will not be your spokesperson.

The Jonah Trap Leads to Serious Problems. The prophets must

be careful with Jonah's trap. It will lead you to serious trouble with
God. If we follow the steps of Jonah, He will prepare 'a great fish' for us.
that brings us and wraps us with the sea around our heads.
God will providentially sustain us until the end in our lives in
a restricted area until we stop blaming Him and others for our
problem and we will become diligent in paying our vows and obeying the
Mr.
If we persist in maintaining the attitude that Jonah had, God
will remove the protective covering that He has provided us. He will allow the
suffocating winds and the hot sun beat down on our heads until
let us wish, as Jonah did, to be dead.
As Bishop of a company of prophets, I have had to work with
immature prophets, who were angry with God's dealings in their lives.
They were resentful and murmured when God did not work on their behalf.
own time scheme so that it would turn out what they expected. Such
childish prophets, and spoiled ones must allow God to mature them
until being able to perform a selfless service, leading to the death of the self
promotion, popularity and all other character weaknesses that are not
similar to Christ.
We have no record of God using Jonah as a prophet again.
It seems that he did not have a continuous ministry like Isaiah, Elisha,
Jeremiah or Daniel.
The prophets who do not uproot the problems of anger, pride,
selfishness and being more concerned about themselves than about the purpose
God's prophetic ones will be short-lived stars - instead of being a planet
permanently orbiting around the eternal purpose of God. So - by
just like the sailors on the ship to Tarshish discovered - if you find
PROPHETS: TRAPS AND PRINCIPLES Page 39

if you have a 'Jonah' on board, better throw him overboard or risk it

sink yourself.
PROPHETS: TRAPS AND PRINCIPLES Page 40

CHAPTER 8

ACAN AND THE 'SYNDROME OF MY MINISTRY'

The Severity of God's Judgment on Achan. The great sin of Achan

It was to take from the conquered city of Jericho a Babylonian garment, a bar.
of two pounds of gold, and about eight pounds of silver (Joshua 6:17 - 19; 7:1-
The sin was serious because God had explicitly declared that all the
gold, silver, bronze, and iron were dedicated to the treasure of God. He had
additionally said that if some soldiers took it for themselves,
they would be cursed and would also incur a curse from God upon everything
Israel.
Everything, including humans and animals in Jericho, had to be killed and
destroyed by fire. If anyone broke the commandment of God, they
they would receive the same judgment decreed for Jericho. Achan did just that, so
that he and his family and animals were stoned to death by the
Israelites then burned and covered with a pile of stones.

A New Place Is a Dangerous Place. The severe judgments of God

They manifest when He is establishing His people in a new ministry and
a new restoration of the truth. For this same reason, He killed
Ananias and Sapphira, being liars, when he was establishing the Church of
New Testament (Acts 5:1-11).
God's purpose with such severity is to produce a fear of God.
reverential within the village and let everyone know that He is serious about the
principles that He is establishing for His new move.
I believe that the current Prophetic movement has led the Church 'through the
"Jordan" on its journey of restoration to possess the land possessed of Canaan.
If this is a divinely established fact, the judgment has begun with
the house of God, and his severity in judging all disobedience has begun to
it has been manifested in the Church since 1988, when the Prophetic Movement was born.
PROPHETS: TRAPS AND PRINCIPLES Page 41

See "The Beginnings of the Prophetic Movement" in chapter 7, volume 2 of this

series).
The Trap and the Weakness of Achan's Character. What was it that led
to sin like Achan did while thousands of his fellow soldiers
Did the Israelites resist temptation? When Joshua asked Achan about his ...
reasons, he answered, 'I saw, I desired, I took, I put it in my tent.'
Clearly, the root of his problem was selfishness.
Acan was like the Christians who are trapped in the seventh chapter.
of Romans, when the words, me, my, myself, and I are repeated
fifty-two times in twenty-six verses. The people in that condition
you need to move to Romans chapter eight - from the chapter of
"selfishness" in their lives, to the chapter of the "Spirit" where the divinity is

mentioned fifty-seven times in thirty-one verses, and there are only

two first person pronouns. When you remove the I from SIN (sin) and the
reduces to zero they become SON (son). The true condition of son in
We achieve it by dying to self and allowing the life of Christ to be.
made manifest in our mortal bodies (2 Co. 4:10-11; Ga. 2:20).
If we fail to move on to chapter eight, we will end up doing the
wretched man that I am, who will deliver me from this body of death?
"will deliver me from this body (life oriented to the self) of death" (Rom. 7:24).

The Syndrome of 'My Ministry'. This is the character weakness that I

I call it the “Syndrome of My Ministry”. The bad seed of Achan's attitude was
selfishness and concern only for the 'me and mine' without worrying
by others with similar needs and opportunities. Acan was self-
promoter and possessive without respect for the directions given by leadership. The
he was a loner without the concept of a ministerial team.
The other 600,000 soldiers had also spent time in the
desert (parallel to the preparation for our ministry); they had done
sacrifices (times of financial scarcity and receiving only small offerings);
they had left without a change of clothing (lack of new opportunities)
ministerials); and they had avoided the temptation to take the gold and silver (greater
PROPHETS: TRAPS AND PRINCIPLES P.42

offerings and salary). They had undergone the same training for the
war in the desert. Even Joshua, the commander in chief, did not express a
arrogant attitude like Achan did. Neither did Caleb, who had twice
more years of ministry.
The Acan syndrome will make people feel that they are exempt from
obey the divine guidelines and have special privileges over the
material things to which God has placed restrictions. When they
they pressure their personal promotion, taking the gold that belongs to God's treasure
and they place it in their own 'store' (ministry), then the destructive weed
Johnson has already interwoven with the roots of good corn.
When Christians lose the greater vision for the body of
If Christ is whole, then the seed of Achan has developed in
they like a self-destruction plant. They have taken the cursed thing
that God hates - pride, selfishness, and self-promotion that caused the
fall of Lucifer from his musical ministry in heaven. (Is. 14:12-15).
The General Purpose of God is Our Main Objective.
that we are prophets we must constantly remind ourselves
that our main objective should be the fulfillment of the general purpose
from God for His Church, not to possess as much as we can or make it ours
the greatest ministry. For example, Christ's purpose for my ministry
particular as an individual prophet is to fulfill His greatest purpose of
to raise a company of prophets for the last days.
This international company is called to a greater purpose.
what it means to collaborate with Christ to fulfill God's plans for His Church
universal. The Church of Christ has been called to collaborate with God.
to fulfill their purposes for planet Earth.
Most of the root problems of ministers and other members of the
Churches would be eliminated if we had the right perspective on
the purpose of God for our position in the Body of Christ.
The Apostle Paul portrayed this truth when he used his analogy of the body.
human to describe the Church, declaring, 'you are the body of Christ, and
PROPHETS: TRAPS AND PRINCIPLES Page 43

members individually" (1 Cor. 12:27). Although there are many

members, there is one Body with a general purpose.
Interdependent, not Independent. For this reason, each member
is responsible for developing their own function and staying
properly related to the head, Jesus Christ. The ministry and the success of
any individual member is not an end in itself; rather it is given to
to contribute to the function and fulfillment of the Whole Body. And the Whole Body was
formed and now works to fulfill the wish and direction of its Head.
We are not independent ministers, but interdependent ones.
to the other and from the guidelines of the head of the Body. If we have the old
perspective that insists that the prophet is a solitary worker,
functioning independently of the rest of the Church, then we are
subjects to the trap of selfishness. The banana already separated from the plant will be peeled.

and food. The sheep, being alone, is devoured by the wolves.

If the prophetic ministry is the eye or the mouth of the Body, then it does not
you can tell the hand or the foot "I don't need you". The Body may be capable of
function without certain members, but no member can function apart
of the Body. A member that separates from the Body withers and dies.
unless some kind of artificial life support system is put in place.
But God is now in the process of disconnecting the support system of
each minister who is not adequately related to the Body of Christ.
Each member of the Body sick with cancerous cells of the
exclusivity, isolation, and independence will be surgically removed
for God. The root system of the syndrome of 'my ministry and my needs
first it will be dug up and exposed as it is, then raked and burned
in the purifying fire of God (see Mal. 3:1-3; 1 Cor. 3:12-15).
The spirit of Acan manifests itself when the ministers
they come to be so wrapped up in their own needs, desires, and ministry
that they think they have the right to take special privileges and
possessions even beyond those of their fellow ministers. This spirit is
a seed of self-deception that will lead the ministers to be law in themselves,
PROPHETS: TRAPS AND PRINCIPLES Page 44

with an attitude that insists on saying 'I deserve greater offerings and more'
opportunities If I do not take them for myself, I will not have them. If not

I promote my own ministry, no one else will do it." We must not

let the enemy come during the night of temptation and sow seeds
like those of Achan in the soil of our hearts (see Mt. 13:24-26).
PROPHETS: TRAPS AND PRINCIPLES Page 45

CHAPTER 9

THE WEAKNESSES OF JUDAS'S CHARACTER:

THE DESIRE TO BE REWARDED
FOR EACH SERVICE

Judas and Achan had a similar spirit and the same underlying problem.
Judas' external sin was the betrayal of his friend when he sold Jesus.
enemy. But the root of the problem was the way of thinking and the attitude that
they led Judas to commit that act. I am well familiar with the problem,
because in my years as a bishop of the Network of Prophetic Ministers of Christian
International (CI-NPM), I have had the opportunity to advise and deal with some
ministers of the 'Judas' type with a similar weakness of character.
Discouragement in Personal Ambitions. Judging by what I have
Seen in these cases, Judas' thoughts were probably something like this:
I have left my business and sacrificed my opportunities to improve myself.
position and my possessions during the last three years following Jesus day
and night. Now I have the impression from what Jesus is saying and doing
that He will not fulfill my dream. I thought that following Jesus would improve my
position, my power and prestige, but I was wrong.
In this way, Judas probably constructed in his own mind a
argument to feel justified for the actions he took. The
began to interpret and apply the prophetic promises that Jesus had
made to the Twelve in a different manner than the Lord's intention (as by
for example, the words of Christ that they would sit on thrones with Him,
governing the twelve tribes of Israel, Mt. 19:28.
Judas thought that Jesus had deceived them and that He would not fulfill His
word given to them. So he probably reasoned, "during the three years
In the past, I could have at least made a profit of thirty pieces of silver.
I deserve something for the years of sacrifice and service that I have given to Jesus.
PROPHETS: TRAPS AND PRINCIPLES Page 46

The Steps in Satan's Deception. The first step that Satan takes
to develop the spirit of Judas in the people is to convince them that the
leadership to which they have been serving, and to which they have been
related and have responded are not living according to the promises that
they have made to them. These 'promises' can still be personal prophecies that
they have received or prophecies that they once heard given to the leadership of
the church or ministry as a group. The people that are found
discouraged in this way usually makes an interpretation and a
private (and wrong) application of the leader's promises or of their
prophetic statements that lead them to conclude that the leaders have not
fulfilled with his word.
The type of thinking of Judas provides a sense of self
justification for betraying friendship and selling it to the enemy for profit
personal. This action consequently leads those who take it to
to feel judged by others for what they have done. So their self-deception
it must then help convince them that leadership and the others are neither
comprehensive nor do they provide benefits.

Then comes pride and an inflated sense of self-importance.

to convince them to do the same as Lucifer did - withdraw and lead
their own ministry. This leaves the community and they refuse to allow it to their

supervisor to have an input in their lives. By then, the spirit of self-

deception has already invented a dozen arguments of why they are
"justified" in every attitude and action they take. "Every path of man
He is right in his own opinion; but the Lord weighs the hearts" (Prov. 21:2).
The spirit of Judas begins in the form of a seed with the feeling of
we must be immediately rewarded for every service rendered and
receive recognition or a higher position for time and money
employee in participating and spreading the ministry. It starts with the attitude that
he says, 'God owes me for services rendered. I deserve the best. I deserve
more offerings and honor than I am receiving. They must recognize me and
"make me speak more often." This is where it starts; but if we do not
PROPHETS: TRAPS AND PRINCIPLES Page 47

we allow God and the leaders over us to correct this weakness of

character and adjust this attitude, we will hang ourselves
ministerially, in the same way as, surely, Judas hanged himself
same as a tree.
Without Rights of Self-Promotion or Self-Preservation. The prophets
they must assume the ministerial attitude of the Spirit of Christ, which does not demand
the right of self-promotion and self-preservation. Jesus did not demand that the
Father may promote him and give him a good reputation (Phil. 2:7). He can call him
an angelic host to help him (Mt. 26:53), but He abandoned his
rights and his life for his brothers. He allowed others to hang him from a
tree. This apparent act of self-destruction actually led him to his
preservation, because the Father raised Him from the dead and promoted His
ministry at the right hand of the throne of heaven.

The bottom line is this: Selfishness is the root of the problem of

ninety-nine percent of all non-scriptural attitudes and actions. The
Focusing on oneself is what gives power to the three sources of all sin - the
the desires of the flesh, the desires of the eyes, and the pride of life (1 John
All external sins come from one of these three sources, and they
they receive the right and the power to function in an individual throughout their life
selfish and unselfish.
That's why when dealing with traps for prophets, we must
download the axe of truth at the root of the tree rather than wasting time
pruning the branches. The selfish and disorderly life is the root of the tree; the
individual sins, or breaking the ten commandments with the works of the
meat, are simply the branches of the tree. Or also to use the previous one.
illustration, adultery, lying, dishonesty, anger, and others
sinful manifestations are the leaves of the 'Johnson grass' growing
about the earth. But selfishness is the root system beneath the ground. We
we can cut the grass blades, but they will grow back until the
the root system below be destroyed.
PROPHETS: TRAPS AND PRINCIPLES Page.48

Pedro faced circumstances similar to those of Judas. He left his

fishing business and his family to follow Jesus. When Jesus was arrested,
he also became discouraged, disillusioned, and confused to the point of reaching
denied his leader and Lord. But Peter repented when he realized that
I had spoken foolishly and immaturely and had acted wrongly.
Jesus. Like the prodigal son in the parable of Jesus, he turned away from the attitude that

he took the attitude that says fame and well-being are not worth it.
make me a servant of my father.
All of us have said or done or one day we will say or do
silly things under great pressure, fear, and confusion, especially when -
just like the Twelve - we see all our hopes, dreams, and ministry
falling around us. When that happens, do we follow the example of
Peter or Judas? Like Peter, we must be willing to admit our
bad actions and change. If we become divinely flexible and adjustable,
God can restore us and make our ministry more effective than it
that we never dreamed could be possible.
PROPHETS: TRAPS AND PRINCIPLES Page 49

CHAPTER 10
THE SYNDROME OF SANTIAGO AND JUAN.

Most New Testament historians estimate that James and

Juan was in his early twenties when Jesus chose him to be
two of His special disciples and eventually two of His twelve apostles.
After following Jesus for three years, James and John asked Jesus
that he would grant them a wish (see Mr. 10:35-41). When Jesus asked what
it was what they wanted Him to do, they said: 'grant us that we'
let one sit at your right and the other at your left in your glory.
In response, Jesus did not rebuke the brothers, but simply told them
He asked if they were able to drink the cup of suffering and death that He
they would drink. They assured him that they could, and Jesus answered, indeed, "they will do it.

but now I cannot grant you your request or assure you of that position even if
they follow me to death.
More Zeal than Wisdom. Santiago and Juan exemplify the bad seed.
of an attitude that feels more of a desire to obtain position and power instead of
service and ministry in favor of others. The syndrome of Santiago and Juan consists of
in immaturity and in the ambitious drive that leads people to ask for the
leadership, the ministry that is highest or most closely related to the
leader. As you can see, these two brothers were not happy with being
simply called among the twelve, they wanted to be exalted and have
special privileges and positions above their fellow apostles.
Santiago and Juan depict the root of the problem of a prophetic ministry
young person who has more zeal than wisdom. They desired self-promotion and the
privileged positions over their peers without having understanding
enough of the great price that had to be paid for it. Part of the price to
paying would be dying to the selfish ambition of obtaining a better position and having
a continuous conformity to the character of Jesus Christ.
PROPHETS: TRAPS AND PRINCIPLES Page 50

Jesus did not rebuke the brothers for their desire to be close to Him.
his glory. He only responded to that desire with a teaching about the
service versus dominion, administration versus management, and the
greatness and authority in the Kingdom of God versus the world's standard for the
authority and greatness. Of the '10 M' they had the M of motivations outside of
order. Their motivations still needed to be purified and sanctified.
Remember that these disciples had enjoyed the benefit of being
three years listening to Jesus' teaching on the principles of the Kingdom.
They had seen a living demonstration through Jesus of how his
followers were to minister. We would think that with this
understanding, they would have understood Jesus well enough to
renounce this immature request.
However, Santiago and Juan still showed the seed of a bad.
attitude, and we must expect that many other ministers as well
young people (and others not so young) will also do the same now. So
we who are in a leadership position developing others
ministers we must pray for patience, wisdom, and prophetic emphasis
from Jesus when we deal with young people, men or women, who show the
Santiago and Juan syndrome.
The Scaffolding of God. I must confess that I had this syndrome in the
the early years of my own ministry. The ambition and drive that it
they were helpful in some way, but God had to take me away
so that I could do with my ministry what He wanted it to be.
It was a framework that kept me walking until God could.
put in me the permanent stones of His motives, ambitions, and character.
All young and ambitious prophets and apostles must recognize the
truth that a man or woman must be educated before having a
ministry, to give a message and perform miracles of power. Joshua and Elijah, for
example, they completed each year of learning serving the vision and the
the ministry of another man before receiving great authority and recognition from
his own ministry.
PROPHETS: TRAPS AND PRINCIPLES Page 51

As a bishop, I continuously pray that God grants me wisdom.

divine to discern those with the spirit of Judas and Achan and those with the
spirit of James and John. My compassion is with those who have a
pure heart but they are ignorant and immature in some of the things that
they say and do. But my parental concern for the ministers that I am
developing a righteous inner indignation against the Spirit of
Judas and Achan.
Resist the temptation to feel that you have failed. At the same time,
I want to encourage other ministry leaders not to be intimidated by a
feeling of failure when their disciples fail to manifest in their lives
the fruit of what has been taught to them, like James and John; or by
those who deny them and abandon them for a time, like Peter; yet for
those who turn against them for personal gain and help others to
"to crucify them" as Judas did to Jesus. If even God the Father lost His
musical minister, Lucifer, and if Jesus still lost His disciple and treasurer,
Judas, then we should not get too discouraged if we have
a similar experience.
Now we read in the Bible about the apostles Peter,
Santiago and Juan, who became pillars of the Primitive Church. These
they were the powerful apostles, full of wisdom and maturity, who everything the
the rest of the Church saw the leadership establish itself. So it is difficult to understand
from our current position the reality that in the days leading up to
Pentecost, these three made more mistakes and caused more problems to
Jesus, what all the rest. They were immature, they promoted themselves and
they were ambitious in their early years of ministry training
apostolic.
Keeping your example in mind, we can conclude that there is hope.
for the young apostles and prophets of today who have a true heart
for Jesus Christ but currently have impulses and ambitions of
greatness. Those of us who have been in ministry for more than 20 years
we may feel sorrow in our hearts when we see their immaturity, but
PROPHETS: TRAPS AND PRINCIPLES Page 52

we must ask God to grant us grace, patience, and wisdom to

help them grow.
Jesus called James and John His "sons of thunder". Like others
Christian leaders, I also have 'my sons of thunder.' My hope and
The expectation is that they will become pillars and propagators of the movement.
prophetic just like Santiago and Juan were in the Church of the New
Will.
We should note here that Matthew recounts how Salome, the mother of
Santiago and Juan originally conceived the idea that they would ask.
special positions, and pressed for the request to be made (Mt. 20:20-
28). Ministers must be especially careful with those members of
the family and fellow ministers who are very jealous of your success, for your
promotion and its recognition. Such relatives can lead to the ministers to
doing silly and immature things that will put them in precarious positions and that
They will cause friction and resentment in their relationships with other ministers.

We must practice the biblical principle in our own ministries.

that declares it is a person's gift that will create space for him or her
and that a mature ministry will manifest itself, because the
promotion comes from the Lord (Psalm 75:6,7). At the same time, we must have
patience with those who show the spirit of James and John. Shepherds,
bishops and apostolic supervisors need the opportunity to work with
those who manifest this spirit until it becomes clear to them whether they will arrive at
mature over time.
PROPHETS: TRAPS AND PRINCIPLES Page 53

CHAPTER 11

THE TRAP OF PROPHET BALAAM

The prophet Balaam must be studied from beginning to end by every prophet who
I want to avoid the weaknesses that this biblical character showed. (see Nm. 22; 23 and
Balaam could give
a true word of the Lord, yet he became a false prophet because
his personal attitude and lifestyle. His example will teach us that judging
The prophet and judging the prophetic word are two different matters.
The Prophecy must be Judged in Three Areas. We must judge the
content of a prophecy in three areas. First, its message must be
according to biblical truth. Second, the objectives, the statements
verifiable and objective facts about the past and the present must be confronted
with the facts. And third, predictions for the future must be judged if
they happen.
On the other hand, we must judge the prophet or prophetess in a way
Different. False or true prophetic ministers must be discerned.
by their character, the spirit or wisdom, the fruit of the Holy Spirit in their lives
personal, and the fruit of their ministries that still remains after the
initial manifestations of miracles or other signs.
As we read all the scriptural references of Balaam to
through the Bible, we find several traps and weaknesses of character. To
For his benefit, we must note that he remained in a prophetic rule.
important: He refused to prophesy anything except what God had
since he would speak. Indeed, he still told Balak that he would not prophesy
different even if he gave him half of his kingdom and his great possessions.
However, Balaam coveted fame, fortune, and prestige.

Some M's in Order, Some Not. Obviously, although Balaam

I had some of my 10 M's in order, I had many of them out of order.
PROPHETS: TRAPS AND PRINCIPLES Page 54

so that he would be judged a false prophet by Jesus (Rev. 2:14), Peter (2nd P.
2:15,16), and Judas (Jude 11) in the New Testament. Their messages,
ministry, masculinity and morality seemed to be in order, but their M's of
motivation, maturity, methods, and money management were not. Although he
He was committed to speaking nothing but the pure words of the Lord.
he was still with self-determination and enough desire for power and the
possessions to persist in the hope that God would allow him to prophesy
something that Balac would reward him.

God said to Balaam when he asked the first time not to go with
Balaam cursed Israel. However, after obtaining some
additional offers of reward, Balaam asked God again
to see if there was any way for him to go. God told Balaam that
He could go if the man came for him again. But there is no indication in the
text of the writing that this confirmation came before Balaam
she saddles her donkey to go to Balak to prophesy against Israel.
A Stubborn Prophet Takes a Mile When God Gives Only One
God was angry because Balaam went ahead anyway.
he sent an angel to cause harm to the prophet's transport so that he
he would have stopped, but the prophet Balaam was too blind by his stubbornness
to see that God was involved in his frustrating situation.
A Point to be Weighted by the Prophets. Judging by history of
Balaam, even a donkey can discern the spiritual world better than the
divine restrictions of God that a prophet blinded by lust, wealth,
the power and promotion.
The prophets with the character weaknesses of Balaam allow the
potential rewards of wealth influence them displeasing God in
his struggle to please people to gain earthly profit.
Balaam tried to please God and serve Mammon at the same time. He
I had the root problem that Pablo called the root of all evil, the love of
money (1 Timothy 6:10). I believe that Balaam harbored a secret resentment.
his heart toward Jehovah for not allowing him to prophesy anything that Balak
PROPHETS: TRAPS AND PRINCIPLES Page 55

wish against Israel - and thus lose all the wealth and the promotion
promised by Balac
Balaam could not prophesy anything except what God told him. But he
he finally avoided that restriction by not prophesying in the name of Jehovah.
instead, he withdrew from his prophetic emphasis and gave advice to the Moabites and
Madianites about how to destroy the Israelites by leading them to sin.
against God through adultery and idolatry (Rev. 2:14). By doing that,
Balaam finally received the riches and the position he wanted, but he
it was also destroyed with the Midianites under God's judgment (Joshua 13:22).
Seeing the Prophets as God Sees Them. When we read the account of
Balaam in Numbers, he does not appear as a false prophet or with ulterior motives.

wrong. Only in light of the comments of Peter, Judas, and Jesus

about Balaam we begin to see him as God sees him. If we judged this
a prophet only by the accuracy of his prophecies, we would have to declare him
a true prophet.
Balaam prophesied only what God spoke to him, even though he was offered.
great riches to prophesy something different. The references in numbers the
they make him appear as a man of integrity in the prophetic ministry which
he resisted all temptation. In fact, he gave the only messianic prophecy in the book
of Numbers, and he was the greatest prophet among his peers.
So on what basis does the New Testament declare it to be false?
prophet? His false state is perceived only by the spirit of
discernment of God, which seeks the heart and motives. The scriptures
they declare that human beings judge by what is seen extremely and by
the performance, but God judges the heart, weighs the spirit and identifies the reason
what is behind the performance.

Reasons more Actions Equal Works. The book of Revelation says that the
destiny and the eternal reward of every person will be determined by their
facts. Facts are more than actions, they are formed by the
equation that I call 'M + A = H', this is motive plus Action equal to facts.
PROPHETS: TRAPS AND PRINCIPLES Page 56

So to judge whether someone is a false or true prophet, God evaluates

both the motives of the person and their ministry.
Various incidents recorded in writing show people who
they seem straight giving false prophecies and then being judged as false
prophets. But Balaam is the only one who describes the reality of a prophet who
can give exact prophecies and still be a person enough
wrong inside to be judged as a false prophet. Y
Sadly, most Christians do not realize that a prophet like
Balaam is a false prophet. Most of them only know the Passage in
Deuteronomy (18:22) which establishes that in a person the status of being
A "true prophet" is determined if the word given by a person is
exact and it is fulfilled.

Balaam only spoke words directed by God, and likewise

happened. But nonetheless, the New Testament uses it as an example of
what a prophet should not be and do. God is more concerned about purity
of their prophets who by the accuracy of their prophecies,
He values the man or the woman in themselves and their motives as well as their
message and ministry.
Wolves in Sheep's Clothing.- Listen to the words of Jesus with
relation to the inner spirit and due motivation: “Beware of false
prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are
ravenous wolves, by their fruits you will know them... Not everyone who says to me: Lord,

Sir, will enter the kingdom of heaven, except he who does the will of my
Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day: Lord, Lord, did we not
we prophesied in your name, and in your name we cast out demons, and in your
We did many miracles in your name?
Then I will declare to them: I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of iniquity.

(Mt. 7:15, 16, 21-23)

Jesus said that a prophet can have the external garment and the ministry.
of a sheep but also to have the inner spirit and motivation of a wolf.
PROPHETS: TRAPS AND PRINCIPLES Page 57

These are prophets with exact prophecies and miraculous works, but they are not
correct - not inside it.
Intimacy with God. The verb 'to know' is used in Hebrew in the
Old Testament to express the intimate relationship between husband and wife,
as in 'Adam knew his wife Eve' (Gen. 4:1). I believe that the use of Jesus
the word "to know" expresses a similar meaning in a metaphorical sense.
When referring to these false prophets, Jesus says that at some point
moment, they went to a spiritual 'legal ceremony', marrying Him
having been born again and being called to the ministry, they took the
legal power of her "husband" (Christ) and wrote checks in the Bank of Heaven,
signing them in the name of Jesus. Now they prophesy and perform wonders.
works by the Grace of God, faith, and divine training. But they never
allow the life and motivations that Jesus had in his life to come to be
his motivation and purpose for ministering. So on that day, Jesus will tell them
that never knew them.
Prophetic ministers must guard against self-deception, self-
justification and inadequate motivation. So we need others to
help us to see ourselves in the areas where we have blind spots.
The book of Proverbs tells us that 'all the paths of man are
"clean in their own opinion" (Pr. 16:2), and the prophet Jeremiah said "deceitful is
the heart is more deceitful than all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it? (Jer.

17:9).
For this reason, every prophet needs to submit to someone whom he or she
respect them enough to be willing to listen when the other
He gives instruction and correction to the person. That is why in Christian
Internationally we have established a structure of responsibility: the prophet
the oldest apostolic who has the vision and feels the burden for the ministers
prophetic, serves as president, and then a team of governors
consisting of mature and anointed apostles, prophets, and pastors serves as
part of the management team and which is established as a space for
responsibility and relationships regarding all the ministers of the network.
PROPHETS: TRAPS AND PRINCIPLES Page 58

At the same time, as bishop of the network, I personally give

I account to my fellow bishops in the International College of Bishops
Charismatic. Most of them are older than I am and have been
in the ministry for much longer, so they are in a good position to
bring correction and reveal blind spots in my life.
PROPHETS: TRAPS AND PRINCIPLES Page 59

CHAPTER 12

THE DIVINE OPTIMISM OF JOSÉ

VRS.
THE HUMAN PESSIMISM OF JACOB

The biblical characters of Joseph and Jacob provide us with a useful study,
of contrasts regarding their attitudes towards life and ministry. In their
stories we find that the root problem of having a personality
pessimism hinders the ministry, while the perspective and principles of
the life of José can preserve a ministry in difficult times. So
we want to avoid the traps of the first and imitate the example of the last.
The Negativism of Jacob. Jacob is the typical example of a prophet of
our days with persecution complex and a negative attitude towards the
people and the ministry (see Gn. 42:36; 47:39). He had to leave home because
a conflict with his father and his older brother. This typifies for example to
a prophetic minister who has had to leave their denomination
or to your local pastor.
After leaving home, Jacob's conflicts continued. He worked
for his uncle Laban, a man who constantly tried to use him,
deceived and manipulated to build his own kingdom. Jacob had to be
smarter and manipulate Laban to be able to survive and thrive.
When Jacob met God and was transformed, he ceased his methods.
of manipulation. But he maintained a negative attitude. Every time something
unpleasant happened to him, he concluded, "everything is against me" (Gen. 47:9).

The prophetic ministers with a foundation and a personality like the

Jacob must continuously overcome the feeling that others are
trying to use them or working against them. Each tragedy or setback,
bring a response of pessimism, discouragement, self-pity and complaint, with
periods of unproductivity.
PROPHETS: TRAPS AND PRINCIPLES Page 60

The Positive Perspective of José. On the other hand, the prophets with the
José's perspective has a general vision of God's eternal purpose for
their lives.
José believed that everything that happened to them was providentially ordered.

For God. He declared to his brothers: "Not you, but it was God who sent me to
Egypt, you thought evil against me, but God intended it for good.
45:5-8; 50:20.
The counterpart of José in the New Testament, in this aspect, the
Apostle Paul had the same perspective. Paul declared: 'And we know that the
that love God, all things work together for good, for those who
according to their purpose they are called.” (Rom. 8:28).
The prophets with the personality of Joseph believe, as he did, that God
is providentially directing all the affairs of their lives as they
they are looking to do their will and fulfill their purpose. They
quickly forgive those who have used and abused them. They still
Such people are blessed when they repent, allowing their previous
followers, share God's prosperity and promotion in their lives.
Personal Earthquakes. My wife and I have endured setbacks.
older in the style of José throughout our years of ministry. They are the
that I describe as situations that break the heart, shake the soul and
they seem that the world has ended. Although I will not give details when describing
These experiences of ours, I think, can be useful when speaking to young ministers.
that they adopt the style that Pablo used when writing to the Church of Corinth when he
he remembered the trials he had endured (2nd Co. 4:8-10; 11:23-33).
In the past, I have been pursued, they have lied about me, I have been expelled.

I have been removed from ministerial positions and opportunities by the ministry.
without just cause, and I have had to be receiving income from the secular world
for years until God reopened the doors to the Ministry in time
I have been accused of believing and teaching doctrines that I really do not.
I possess, and I have been accused of having wrong purposes and motives for
PROPHETS: TRAPS AND PRINCIPLES Page 61

to minister. I have also been accused a couple of times of being a false prophet and
to deliver inaccurate words.
It is not surprising, then, that I can quickly identify myself
with Joseph, who was insulted, sold, and cast into slavery by his own
brothers. And you can assure that the devil and the flesh have tried to
to tempt me to surrender to Jacob's kind of pessimism. But the
the word of God does not give space to ministers or other saints to be
bitter, resentful, vengeful, unforgiving, or pessimistic - no
importing how cruel, heartless, outside of the scriptures, unethical and unjust
has been someone's behavior towards us.
My wife and I have gone through four personal 'earthquakes.'
that probably registered about level eight on the Richter scale on
measure its severity. And we have overcome countless other minor tremors.
But we survived all by maintaining the good seed of attitude.
of José and the positive perspective of faith of the apostle Paul who insists that God
works providentially through all things in the lives of those
who love him and are called according to his purpose. (Rom. 8:28).
I strongly urge all prophetic ministers to develop the
same attitude and the same principles. The true spirit and the profile of
prophetic personality demonstrates forgiveness, kindness, restoration, and service
to the body of Christ. Those who minister with a heart of negativity,
pessimism and heart wounds from the past do not experience progress or
promotion to new positions.
Be open to correction. If someone advises you that you are
manifesting some of the obstacles to grow that we have discussed in
this section - either the seed of bad attitudes, root problems,
syndromes or character weaknesses respond with the wisdom from above that is
receptive and teachable (James 3:17). The book of Proverbs tells us how to be
a wise prophetic minister:
The wise will hear and increase their knowledge, and the

Understood will acquire advice... Do not rebuke

PROPHETS: TRAPS AND PRINCIPLES Page 62

The scoffer, so that he does not hate you; correct the wise
And he will love you.

Give to the wise and he will be wiser; teach the righteous, and he will increase.

Your knowledge.

The main character flaw of the tricksters and fools described in

Proverbs is that in their eyes, correction means rejection. For this reason
when you try to correct scornful and foolish prophets, they feel
that is against them, to hinder or destroy them. So even the
correction given in his love with great tact through delegated authority is
almost impossible for them to hear it, receive it, and act on it, in the
spirit of wisdom.
We certainly do not want to be in the company of mockers.
and fools. So we must consider in prayer any suggestion that
we receive regarding a need for adjustment if we want to avoid all the
devil's traps for the prophets and personal weaknesses of character
that can ultimately destroy us and our ministry.
We must dedicate ourselves to exemplifying the true
the spirit and character of the great company of prophets that God is raising up
to prepare a town and make way for the coming of Christ.
The biblical characters used in this section portray many of the
prophet syndromes, their character weaknesses, the roots of problems, and
the bad seed of attitudes but they are just a small portion of what
one can have to retain. Just like the writer of the book of Hebrews, who gives his
list of heroes of the faith, ends by saying:..."because time would run out for me
counting from Gideon, from Barak, from Samson, from Jephthah, from David, as well as from

Samuel and the prophets” (Heb. 11:32), future volumes will cover the spirit
of Jezebel, the Absalom syndrome, the success syndrome in David that led him
to commit adultery and murder, but many others who expressed certain
character weaknesses that hindered their walk with the Lord.
PROPHETS: TRAPS AND PRINCIPLES Page 63

Hopefully, what has been presented here will give the reader keys
to open the door to the interior rooms of hidden reasons and
the problems at the root. May God grant us the wisdom and grace to
dealing with each of these bad seeds before they sprout and become
trees of injustice.
PROPHETS: TRAPS AND PRINCIPLES Page 64

CHAPTER 13
THE 10 M's FOR
Mature and maintain your ministry
Y
DISCERNING FALSE MINISTERS

The personal character of a prophetic minister - or of any minister, for that matter
case - it is the foundation of his ministry. In recent years, all of us
we have seen very clearly that even those Christians whose ministries
they can have all the self-proclaimed signs of 'success', such as
financial prosperity, international fame and popularity, and that they still have
supernatural signs accompanying them, they are doomed to have a
humiliating collapse if they fail to build their work on a solid foundation of
personal purity and maturity.
In that light, then, before we deal with aspects specifically
related to the prophetic ministry, we need to take a close look at
what I have established as 'the 10 M's for maturing and maintaining the
ministry." These are ten areas of our personal lives that need
exam and correction if we are going to test ourselves of what we are
true prophetic ministers of God.

1. MASCULINITY (OR FEMININITY). God created humanity in his

own image (Gen. 1:26,27). I believe that when the Eternal created Adam, He
He made it with the type of body in which He wanted His Son to dwell eternally.
He gave Adam and Eve the power to reproduce in their own kind, and He
he planned that four thousand years later, a woman of his descent would be
covered by the Holy Spirit to conceive Jesus, who was God in flesh.
Jesus was born with a mortal body that represented God to the world.
Father. The mortal body of the son of God died on the cross and shed his blood.
PROPHETS: TRAPS AND PRINCIPLES Page 65

to redeem humanity. This human body was placed in a tomb

but God resurrected him and made him immortal. This same body was taken to heaven and
He is seated at the right hand of the Father. This human body is now the body
eternal of the Son of God forever. Thus Christ came to be God-
Man - the perfect God for humanity and the perfect man of God. With
Jesus in mind as a model, God had to first make Adam and Eve to His
own image and likeness, before they could develop their "ministry"
in the Garden of Eden. The same is true for us: God wants to make us
similar to Jesus before we can minister as Jesus did. God
He must create man or woman first before He manifests through
he or she a powerful ministry.
I remember years ago, when I was preaching one night, I was
saying to the congregation that we should be like God. I wanted to say by
supposedly, we must be devoted, holy, have the moral character of God.
But at the moment I was speaking, I heard the Holy Spirit say: "If you...
you put it that way, people will become desperate, they will think of God the Father, and they

they know they cannot be Eternal, Omnipotent and Omniscient. Instead of

tell them to be like Jesus, the perfect man and the perfect God.
The Race of the Church. We are not destined to be Gods,
as the movement the New Age would proclaim. We are
predestined to be conformed to the Image of Christ Jesus (Rom. 8:29). God created
the man Adam to be the father of the entire human race. Abraham was
called to be the father of the Hebrew race, but Jesus was called to be the
Spiritual father of a new race of humanity called the 'race of the
Church.
This race of people on earth has eternal life in their spirits.
while their physical bodies are still mortal. At the end of the Church era
their bodies will be transformed into immortal bodies. Such transformation does not
will change them into another type of creature different from humans, but they will be
the human beings that God intended from the beginning to be.
PROPHETS: TRAPS AND PRINCIPLES Page 66

The resurrection - the transfer of the saints will make their bodies so eternal

as their spirits are now. The same spirit that raised Jesus from the
the dead will make their physical bodies as immortal as He is. Although those of the

race of the Church of Humanity are destined to be citizens

spiritual beings of heaven, still they will have immortal bodies of flesh and bone -
bodies like the one Jesus has now sitting at the right hand of the Father
(Philippians 3:21).
God made humanity in the Garden of Eden in the way that He
I wanted the race to be for all eternity: with spirit, soul, and body.
in the image and likeness of God. God never intended that the
humanity will evolve into angels, cherubim, seraphim, or into God himself.
We as saints will never become angels of God, but we will be
like the perfect man, Christ Jesus.
Why should we want to be anything else? The human being is the most
elevated that God has created on earth or in any other place of
the universe, humanity washed in its blood and redeemed is destined to be
heir together with Jesus Christ of all that God has (Rom. 8:17). Not
Is there a higher calling in the universe than being a member of the new
creation of the eternal race of the Church.
Jesus urged his followers not to rejoice in spiritual power and
the apostolic ministry that He gave them, but to rejoice that they were people
of God with their names written in the book of life of the Lamb (Luke
10:20), Pablo received this truth and demonstrated it, not boasting in his
position or in their power to cast out demons and heal the sick. Instead
He boasted about that in the great calling to be changed 'from glory to glory.'
until we reach the image and likeness of Christ (2 Corinthians 3:18).
Our highest calling and most important objective is not to be a
apostle, prophet or prophetic person, but rather being a type of man or the
woman of Christ whom God wants now and forever. Humanity was
made in the way it was supposed to be to fulfill the will of God
and do the work of God throughout eternity. Human beings
PROPHETS: TRAPS AND PRINCIPLES Page 67

the redeemed have the highest calling and the highest destiny of any
another creation of God.
Make your goal to have the character of Christ. For us to be holy.
this is, as God means being like Jesus, who is our perfect model
as believers and as ministers. This means that we must also
to be fully human as well - not what I call a strange spiritual goblin,
but rather the kind of man or woman who knows how to walk in a way
natural on the earth while walking in a supernatural way in the
spirit. Our flesh and bone bodies are not sinful because when
they are washed by the blood of Christ and sanctified by the Holy Spirit
they become the dwelling place of God here on planet earth (1st Co.
6:19-20
Pablo told the Church of Corinth: 'Pursue love; and seek the gifts.'
spirituals” (1 Co. 14:1). I believe that the best definition of love is maturity,
that is, the character of Christ. So one way to paraphrase this verse
it would be: follow the character of Christ while desiring and activating their
spiritual gifts." Even when we seek the objective of the ministry through
of the spiritual gifts and activities, we must remember that the objective
Character is fundamental.
Another translation says, 'may your goal be love'. We must
making the character of Christ our primary goal, and our ultimate objective
when we minister. When Paul was telling the Romans about
the final intention of God for us, He did not speak about our
position, our message and our ministry. He spoke more about our
character: "for those whom he foreknew, he also predestined to be
made in the image of His Son, so that He may be the
firstborn among many brothers. (Ro. 8:29). Our transformation to
The image of Christ is what God primarily goes after, so anything
Whatever happens to us, it is working for our good towards that goal.
In God's fundamental objective, then, there are no good times, or
bad times for those who love God and are called according to his
PROPHETS: TRAPS AND PRINCIPLES Page 68

purpose. The "bad" time that you are going through right now may be
the best time for your eternal gain, because you could be doing the best
to move towards the goal of being like Jesus. The hard times for him
"external man" - his physical, emotional, financial, and social being - can be
strengthened his "inner man," his spiritual being (2nd Cor. 4:16).
After all, if we are honest, we must admit that we
we tend to grow less when everything is going well. Our years of
preparation for attaining a mature humanity is more important than
our years of ministry. Because without the proper personal preparation,
our powerful performances in the ministry will be perverted and will not last
permanently.
Now I see that, through the years, my enemies have taught me
more than my friends. Through them, I have learned a lot of wisdom,
forgiveness, patience, suffering, and understanding of human nature.
From a final point of view, Christians have no problems; only
we have predestined purposes ordained by God to conform us to the
image of Christ.
Since the scripture declares that Jesus himself was made perfect through
from suffering (He. 2:10), how could we expect anything different for
Us? And if Jesus spent thirty years preparing to have three and a half?
from the ministry, we should not be surprised if God spends a
a large portion of our lives building our humanity before
to launch ourselves into our main ministry. To maintain our ministry and
to mature in him, then, we must ensure that we allow God to
time and the process that He requires, to make us the man to the woman that He
it will be necessary for us to be and do that for which He has prepared us
called.

Judging Ministers. In judging false and true ministers, the

the quality of manhood or femininity should be judged. We must evaluate
to the ministers outside of their ministry, position, title, or gifts. In a
PROPHETS: TRAPS AND PRINCIPLES Page 69

evaluation of that type, we must ask ourselves. Is this the

the type of person I would like as my best friend, neighbor, or collaborator in
the Kingdom of God through eternity?
I have known powerful ministers, operating in miracles who have
great spiritual works built - even in his manhood
personal or their femininity they have so many non-Christian attributes, that I do not
I would like them as a personal friend. I wouldn't want to spend my vacation with.
they, much less eternity.
Remember: we may not manifest our ministry
present through eternity, but we will indeed be the kind of people
what we are for all eternity. I cannot find a text in the
scriptures that declare we will receive a transformation of character upon dying
or upon the return of the Lord. The resurrection - translation of the saints by the Lord
At the end of the era, it is designed to change only one thing: Our
physical bodies will be transformed from mortal to immortal (Phil. 3:21; 1st Co.
1 Thessalonians 4:17)
On the other hand, the character of Christ thus comes about through a
different transformation - the "renewing of our minds" (Rom. 12:2), he
I continue to be transformed into His image from glory to glory (2 Cor. 3:18). With this truth
In mind, John declared: Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not yet been revealed

manifested what we are to be, but we know that when he appears,

we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. And everyone who has
This hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure. (1 Jn. 3:2,3).
These are some of the reasons why God is more concerned.
because the ministers should be real men and women with the character of Christ
to be powerful ministers.

2. MINISTRY. The second area to which we must pay attention

Attention, if we are going to mature in the ministry, it is the fruits of that ministry.
Jesus referred to this area when he warned his disciples about
PROPHETS: TRAPS AND PRINCIPLES Page 70

false prophets would come to them like fierce wolves in sheep's clothing. He said
by their fruits you shall know them” (Mt. 7:15-20).
How long does the positive effect of our ministry last? Is this all
foam or is there another true fruit? After all the excitement, the
cries, the songs, and the dance ends, what remains that is of value?
Our ministry manifests the anointing of God - that is, the
divine training of grace to achieve the results intended by God?
Or are there more words than true power? The apostle Paul insisted: neither my
nor was my preaching with persuasive words of human wisdom,
but with demonstration of the Spirit and of Power, so that your faith may not be
founded on the wisdom of men, but on the power of God... Because the
The kingdom of God does not consist in words but in power (1 Co. 2; 4,5; 4:20).
We have no excuse not to demonstrate the supernatural dimension of
the spiritual gifts in our ministry.
Is our preaching or our prophecy productive? Is the word
What do we talk about that is positive, pure, and proven? Have we been precise and has it produced

our ministry the fruit of the Spirit in those we have ministered to?
Although we are no longer under the law of Moses, we must maintain in
lie the seriousness before the eyes of God to minister in His name. He said to the
ancient Israelites: "the prophet who has the presumption to speak in my
name, to whom I would not have commanded to speak... That prophet shall die. (Dt.
18:22). How do we know if our words have really come from God? In
the same biblical passage, God told the people how to judge that the prophet
I will speak in the name of Jehovah, and if what he said does not come to pass or happen, it is

word that Jehovah has not spoken; with presumption the such prophet spoke.
21, 22).
Additionally, we must consider whether our preaching or our
prophecy has caused people to stumble or has discredited the ministry of
any opportunity to anyone.
stumbling block, so that our ministry will not be discredited (2nd Co. 6:3).
PROPHETS: TRAPS AND PRINCIPLES Page 71

He went further by reporting how he and those who ministered with him,
they had endured hardship, opposition, hard work, slander, and deprivation,
but even through all this they had not given anyone a genuine cause of
condemnation of your work.
This does not mean, of course, that our ministry will never cause
controversy or criticism, even Paul had those problems in abundance. But
We want to say that we must suffer, but for the sake of truth and justice.
our ministry, not due to unnecessary stumbling blocks that
we have raised causing undue offenses. (1 Peter 4:15).
Function in Full Authority. I want to encourage and challenge everyone to
Christian ministers to function in their full authority as ministers of the
New Testament. The apostle Paul said that God: 'Made us ministers'
competent for a new pact, not of the letter but of the spirit, because the letter
but the Spirit gives life" (2 Co. 3:6). He was emphasizing the great
truth that born again ministers filled with the Spirit can
to minister the gifts of the Holy Spirit and grace as easily as they preach
the logos of the word of God.
Everything that the Holy Spirit has been commissioned to be and do for the
Church, the minister of the New Testament can minister to the people of God.
The revelation of this truth gave me the faith to minister spiritual things with
the same authority and anointing that I have when preaching the word. Those
ministers who understand this truth, and are ministering the Spirit of the
in the same way they minister the letter of the Word, are those whom I
I call them 'prophetic ministers'.
All the ministers of the New Testament need to become
ministers in the Holy Spirit to prove that they truly
they manifest the type of ministry that God wants to give them. In light of this
application of the words of Paul, all Christian ministers should be
prophetic ministers, and all the saints should manifest ministry
prophetic.
PROPHETS: TRAPS AND PRINCIPLES Page 72

This is one reason why Paul sent to the Christians of Corinth to

seek the gifts of the Spirit (1 Cor. 14:1) and 'Desire to prophesy' (v.39)
for you all 'can prophesy (manifest prophetic ministry) one by one'
Let's all obey Paul's admonition to fully test
our ministry, adequately ministering both the Word and the
Spirit of God.

3. MESSAGE. The Bible says that we must remain "following the

"truth in love" (Ephesians 4:15). Paul tells us here that the message of a
Minister Maduro must above all bring the present truth to life. He must present
the word of God in a completely scriptural way, doctrinally sound, and
well balanced in light of the complete testimony of the Bible.
Secondly, Paul says, the message must be delivered in love. Not only the
the content, but the spirit of the message must be correct. Because it is possible
doctrinally correct, but spiritually wrong.
Our preaching, teaching, and prophecy can be scriptural, sound.
doctrinally and well balanced, but nevertheless to be delivered with a
tone, a motivation, and a spirit out of order because he does not agree
with divine love. The Pharisees had some correct doctrine, but their
the spirit, his attitude, and his relationship with God was completely wrong.
They were filled with pride, narrow-mindedness, and self-justification.
Of course, the opposite is also true. We can have the spirit,
the right attitude and motivation - we can be very loving and humble - and
even so, having the wrong doctrine. So we cannot judge the correctness
doctrinal of a ministry based on how much we like him or her
personally. We must judge sound theology solely on the basis
Biblical.
At the same time, biblical orthodoxy and supernatural power do not always
they go together. I have known many teachers and other ministers who are
doctrinally correct, but they manifest little divine anointing or power. For
on the other hand, we cannot judge a person's message as healthy
PROPHETS: TRAPS AND PRINCIPLES Page 73

doctrinally sound simply because he or she is able to perform

signs and wonders. Remembering this will become increasingly important in
these last few days as the Devil manifests his supernatural power
more and more through the falsification of God's work.
Also another truth that we must keep in mind in the area of
The message is God who blesses His word, and it is He who confirms it. When
the disciples went out to carry out the Great Commission after Jesus ascended
to heaven, the scriptures tell us: "and they went out and preached everywhere,
The Lord helping them and confirming the word with the signs that followed.
(Mr. 16:20). The Bible does not say here, 'God confirmed His great declarations of
faith for fear that they would seem foolish, for fear that they would become disturbed and

his carnal ego will deflate.' No - God does not confirm us; He confirms
superword.
We should not say, 'I quoted Scripture, I took a stand.'
"Now, God, your reputation is at stake, you have to back me up." If you
We do it this way, the Lord will answer, what do you say? I don't have to take care of my

reputation, my reputation is not at stake; because it is not based on anything

what someone does. I am God; I am eternal; no one will hurt me.
The Bible says that Jesus, who is God, did not worry about his

reputation; in fact, he "emptied himself" (Phil. 2:7). He did not try to be

popular or famous; he never said, could you make sure that this miracle appears
in the newspapers?” He only wanted to do the will of the Father, and the
the message that came out of his mouth was the Word of God.
God confirms His Word; not our flesh, our desires, or our
presumption. He is not concerned about preserving our carnal pride. He
It worries me that we have a good report, that we describe the gospel.
correctly, that we may do His will. But He is not concerned about


Translator's note: the original in English uses the phrase 'branded himself' translated like this in the
New International Version. Although the meaning of Jesus' action, its context, and the translation from Greek
Allow this meaning for verse 7, no widely spread Spanish translation currently exists.
he/she uses it.
PROPHETS: TRAPS AND PRINCIPLES Page 74

our popularity. Once we understand this truth, we can

free ourselves from great pressure.
Have you ever wondered why some ministers who preach the
Word of God but nevertheless they live lives of sin they have nevertheless to
Hello good results? All of us have read or heard about
preachers or evangelists who were exposed as adulterers or
alcoholics, and even when they sinned habitually, people were saved,
healed and delivered through her preaching of the word of God.
Why, we wonder, does God seem to give approval in this way to
their behavior? Why does God confirm the lives of people like this? The answer is
The assumption is that God does not confirm them; He confirms His word.
is preached by them.
An atheist can stand in a packed stadium and read John 3:16, and some
people may give their hearts to the Lord as a result of that.
This is because the word of God has power in itself, and God confirms
his Word. The gospel itself, not the one who preaches it, is the 'power of God to
salvation" (Rom. 1:16).
We should not be surprised, then, that on the day of judgment the Lord
He may be able to say that He never knew some who did so in His name
they prophesied, cast out demons, and performed miracles. (Mt. 7:23). He will say:
Yes, you proclaimed my name, you used my gifts, and I will confirm my
Word. But your life was not in line with my character; I cannot take you.
All ministers and members of the Church need to study.
continuously the Word of God to show themselves approved
for God (2 Tim. 2:15). Our message must not only be biblically
balanced in the fundamentals of the Christian faith, but must also be
"established in the present truth." (2 Peter 1:12). So that we may minister.
and let us mature in our 'M' of message, we must retain the basics
as we continue to incorporate all the restored biblical truths in
our message.
PROPHETS: TRAPS AND PRINCIPLES Page 75

4. MATURITY. The Bible wisely warns us not to place new

Christians in leadership positions, but wait until they have the
opportunity to be tested and mature (1 Tim. 3:6). Even so, maturity does not
it comes automatically with time.
The traits of maturity in the life of the Christian are listed by Paul.
when he recites to the Galatians the fruits of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22,23).
Additionally, we can add to this list the fruit of wisdom.
pious, which Santiago says is pure, peaceful, considerate, submissive, full of
mercy and bear good fruits, impartial and sincere (James 3:17). But
Sadly, too many ministers have failed to prevent the deals from.
God or hard experiences cultivate divine maturity in them.
The truly mature person manifests the characteristics of
Love is patient, kind, does not envy, as Pablo describes to the Corinthians.
without boasting, without pride, not rude, does not seek his own, does not get angry easily,
You keep a record of the errors, always protecting, trusting, hoping,
persevering, never failing (1 Cor. 13:4-8) (To learn more about the
correct spirit of the true prophets of God, see chapter 9 of
second volume of this series.
Have you tried to handle a person who has burns?
serious? Their injuries make it impossible for them to be touched without feeling pain.
They are like a bundle of nerves in raw flesh, sensitive to the slightest touch.
I have known some ministers who are like that in their personality and
your emotions. You have to be careful when you are near them,
because the slightest negative word or a look makes them feel hurt.
They tend to be unreachable, untouchable, defensive, vulnerable.
This kind of people need to develop enough emotional "skin" to
recover from their wounds and be properly covered. Since
essentially their problem is immaturity, it can only be solved by
through emotional and spiritual growth.
God is Seeking Faithful Servants. Faithfulness is also a
an important quality of maturity. When the master in Jesus' parable
PROPHETS: TRAPS AND PRINCIPLES Page 76

he praised his servant, saying: well done, great spiritual prophesier, maker of
miracles, prophet, apostle”? No. He said: “Well done, good and faithful servant” (Mt.
On the day of judgment, we will not be judged by how many books we wrote,
by how many people knew my name, to how many countries we have traveled, to how many
People, we have ministered, or if we become a pastor or bishop. God
he will ask, "were you good and faithful?"
Have you ever heard about the famous minister who stood in front of the
Lord, and to whom the Lord asked, "what have you accomplished for me?"
"Well, Sir?" said the minister, "what do you know about those ten?"
books that I wrote? I don't know,
God is not impressed with all our achievements, our kindness and
faithfulness. "When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child,
I used to think like a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things.
13:11). Can we say the same? Have we learned to let go of our selfishness,
our possessiveness, and desire for attention that can only be qualified
like infantilism, inappropriate for a mature son or daughter of God?
Theological Maturity. On the other hand, social and emotional maturity are
only part of the matter. Have we also matured in our theology and
in our understanding of writing? Or is it still our doctrine
simplistic, superficial, to serve ourselves, or narrow-minded?
Are we still 'fluctuating children, carried here and there by every wind?
of doctrine, by a stratagem of men who use it to deceive
cunning the wiles of error” (Ephesians 4:14)? Hebrews says that we
we must go beyond feeding with the 'milk' of teachings
elementary, up to the teaching of justice that is "solid food" for the
ripe, 'for those who, through use, have their senses trained in the
discernment of good and evil.” (Heb. 5:12-14).
The Key Is to Love Jesus. What is a mature person? People
Madura is one who has overcome her character weaknesses. They have been
freed from the bad seed of their attitudes and are no longer subject to
prophet syndromes
PROPHETS: TRAPS AND PRINCIPLES Page 77

We will never reach our full potential unless we allow it.

to God to bring our masculinity or femininity to maturity. In many places the
The Bible reminds us of the need to grow until we reach the
total maturity. And the Bible clarifies that the key to maturity is to love
Jesus Christ with all our being and allowing Him to be the Lord of every area of
our life.

5. MARRIAGE. Another critical area that deserves our attention as

ministers is our marriage and our family life. The word of God is
Clara: our marriage must reflect the kind of loving relationship that
we find between Christ and the Church (Ephesians 5:22-23). The handcuffs
Wives must respect and submit to their husbands just as husbands must respect and live.
considerately with their wives (1 Peter 3:1,7). And husbands must love their
your wives with the love of Christ - not dominating over them, but
treating them as co-heirs of the grace of God. Otherwise, our
sentences - and our ministry in general - will be hindered (1 Peter 3:7).
Our wives should be our best friends. If we find
that someone else is getting closer to us than our own wife,
then we are in danger of committing 'emotional adultery' that can
take us to worse things.
Our home is to be in accordance with biblical order. Our children must
to be well disciplined and well cared for (1 Tim. 3:2-5). But at the same time
we should not worry about our children's behavior when
extreme to demand that they always provide perfect models "by
cause of the ministry.” This is part of what Paul wanted to say when he said:
Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger
The Ministry Should Not Compete with the Family. Meanwhile,
we must not allow the ministry to deny us the time and the
energy needed to build a healthy relationship with our
children, and this happens too often with the ministers. If this happens,
PROPHETS: TRAPS AND PRINCIPLES Page 78

so we will probably learn the truth of a common formula for

having a family disaster: rules without a relationship lead to rebellion.
This brings us to the issue of priorities. The proper order in
Our lives are first God, second wife and children, and third the ministry.
To maintain this order intact, many times we must simply
mark the line and decide that on a particular occasion, when the ministry
he was threatening to interfere in our ministry towards our family,
we must choose in favor of our family. This is true even in matters
apparently small. For example, talking on the phone. When we are at
halfway through dinner, in a serious conversation with our wife, or in some
another important family time, if the phone rings do we jump
immediately to answer it? If we do, we could be telling him with
Hello to our family that the phone - and the person we ministered to the other
the side of the line - they are more important to us than they are.
There will be times when we will have to choose to let it sound
phone. Otherwise, we might end up spending more time mentoring
to others who are true husbands and fathers, for our wife and children.
I once advised a man whose marriage was in trouble and who
he came to me saying that he believed his wife was obstructing his
ministry. He wanted the divorce.
In his opinion, his wife did not share his zeal and his burden for the
ministry. He lamented greatly and loudly about the great needs
of the Church, which he declared to be the beloved bride of Christ. He emphasized
the blessing that he could be for the Church if only he didn't have the
the problem of his wife's resistance weight for this, which led him to
to sin against God by not fulfilling his preaching ministry. He still felt that
the Holy Spirit had given him the Scripture that justified his plans for
divorce from his wife: "let us strip off every weight and the sin that clings to us"
running with perseverance the race marked out for us (Heb. 12:1).

I clearly told him that I believed that divorce was contrary to the
will of God, and that their marriage should take priority over their
PROPHETS: TRAPS AND PRINCIPLES Page 79

ministry. I urged him to go home and love his wife in the way that
Christ loved his Church. But he did not seem convinced by what I said, and
apparently he was discouraged because I did not agree with his
reasoning.
Some time later I saw him again, and he told me that he was
working on the relationship with his wife. When I asked him what had happened
changed his mindset, he told me that one day in prayer he had been
shouting to the Lord, God, your Wife is in such a bad place; she needs help! I must
"to free myself from my wife in order to take care of your Church."

Then God surprised him with His answer. He said, do you really believe
What am I going to trust you with my wife, when you can't even take care of your own.

"Own wife?" Just as the apostle Paul raised the question to Timothy (1st
Timothy 3:5): If we cannot take care of our own house, how can we
taking care of the house of God?

6. METHODS. Hypocrisy is one of the great things that undermine the

ministry. The problem of ministers whose practice does not align with their
preaching dates back to biblical times, as evidenced by the words
from Paul to Titus: "They profess to know God, but by their works they deny Him" (Titus)
3:16).
We can now paraphrase this passage and say: 'They profess to be'
charismatic, people according to the present truth, prophetic people. They confess
they are Christians and children of God. They proclaim to be ministers of God. But what
they are denied for their unholy and unchristian methods.

In our ministerial methods, we must be what I call

"rigidly correct", we must not have mercy on the works of the
meat, we must treat them like rattlesnakes, avoid them and eliminate them at all.
cost
In the ministry as in any other effort, the end does not justify the means.
media. We cannot conclude, for example, that in order to impress the
people more deeply with the power and grace of God we can justify the
PROPHETS: TRAPS AND PRINCIPLES Page 80

exaggeration of our personal testimony or of some miracle that we have

observed. Maintaining proper methods prevents what I jokingly call:
talk - evange - elastic - mind, that is, stretching the truth. We must
walk in absolute integrity.
I have read newspaper stories before in which a has been cited.
evangelist who says that thousands arrived at the meeting and that hundreds arrived at the

altar. However, I had been in those meetings, and I knew that the numbers
were considerably lower. When I asked the evangelists about
They had not told the truth, they explained: "If I give big numbers, more
People will be excited and will attend the next night, and more will be saved.
So my little lie results in more people going to heaven.
I doubt that 'more souls' was his only motivation for such a deception;
the evangelist probably wanted to look more successful. But even if the
evangelism was his only motivation, the method was wrong. The end does not
the ends justify the means, and a lie cannot serve the truth.

Honesty in Finance. We must also practice absolute honesty.

honesty in our finances and being ethical in all our dealings
ministerial with others, especially in raising funds. Some ministries,
for example, they manufacture 'crisis' or use guilt manipulation to take out
money from donations to the Christians; but we must be above this
type of questionable tactics.
I read every book I can find about financial prosperity, and I
I must say that the faith movement has shed light on some important truths.
concerning biblical methods in this area. The book of Oral Roberts
about the seed of faith was especially helpful in aiding my wife in
obtain the biblical concept that we must sow money to reap
money. The spiritual law of sowing and reaping has certainly worked in
our lives: we started applying it a long time ago, and by the end of 1970
we were completely free of doubts. Since then we have
PROPHETS: TRAPS AND PRINCIPLES Page 81

maintained without debts and we have continued personally thriving at

measure that we give abundantly.
Sadly, however, some ministers have used this truth
to receive great offerings for themselves saying "test me now in
this”. The truth they taught was correct but the reasons and methods of
ministers were wrong. In light of that practice, I am concerned about the
unprincipled ministers who promote themselves using the truth
of the 'prophet's reward' and the 'prophetic offerings' to manipulate
selfishly to people.
I anticipate that some prophetic ministers with the motivation
they will wrongfully promise to the Christians in response to the great offerings
a reward of a prophet for its own ministries. The promise of a
continuous financial supply plus the miracles that money cannot
buying are only parts of the reward of the prophet. The Bible
clearly speaks of a person who was rewarded especially for
to bless a prophet in the name of a prophet. But when Jesus did this
He never tried to have it used for his own purposes.
selfish.
Additionally, keeping our word, paying our bills,
maintain proper records, and treat our team members with
elemental kindness all this is under the conditions of having methods
adequate. Pablo speaks in Romans of those who "hold back with injustice the
truth" (Rom. 1:18). Such people have the truth of God, but they are not
correct in their methods. According to Pablo, "the wrath of God is revealed" against
them. If we want to be used by God in this prophetic movement, the Lord
it will not allow us to walk with anything less than a 'rigid justice'.
For forty years, the Israelites wandered in the desert without being
circumcised. But when they crossed the Jordan River to possess the land
From Canaan, God asked them to leave behind the flesh and dedicate themselves to Him.

same by means of circumcision (Joshua 5:1-8).

PROPHETS: TRAPS AND PRINCIPLES Page 82

I believe that the charismatic movement has been the same as this wandering in the

desert. The Christians were freed from the Egyptian bondage of religion.
dead, but in a way they have only wandered in the desert, carrying
I collect the meat of impiety without having entered the land yet.
God's promise. I believe that God has given them his grace throughout this
time and has not asked many ministers for accounts who have not had
scruples in their methods.
However, I am also convinced that the prophetic movement us
is leading through the Jordan and to our Canaan to conquer it. Thus
that I believe God will not allow us to remain uncircumcised. He will ask
that we may leave behind the flesh of wicked methods and dedicate ourselves to Him
in holiness. He will hold us accountable if we do not do so.

7. MODALITIES. When Pablo wrote to Tito, he included in his letter

a list of qualities to be a bishop, as well as reminders about
on how people should behave. These instructions help us
to see the type of manners that should characterize the ministers of God:

For it is necessary that the bishop be blameless, as

administrator of God; not arrogant, not angry, not given to wine, not
pending, not a coder of dishonest profits, but
host, lover of good things, sober, just, holy, master of oneself
same... Remind them to be subject to rulers and authorities,
that they obey and be willing to every good work. That no one
slander, not being quarrelsome but kind, showing all
gentleness towards all men.” (Titus 1:7,8; 3:1,2).

All Christians, but especially Christian ministers, must

be different from the world in terms of its manners. Love should be the rule in
your relationships with others - and love is not just a feeling. Love is
a principle we practice, a way of life. Love is kind, courteous,
PROPHETS: TRAPS AND PRINCIPLES Page 83

kind and discreet; self-controlled, peaceful, considerate, and without anger. In

summary, love is well-mannered; and the manners of a Christian minister
They must show that he or she is either a gentleman or a lady.
A Poor Example. Once we sent a team of several prophets to
foreigner to bless a conference of ministers. All the prophets
they gave precise prophetic words; their preaching was good and many
miracles accompanied their ministrations. But the national coordinator told us
he asked that one of the visiting ministers in particular not return to that place.
nation.
His complaint was not about his ministry, but about his manners. He
he had been harsh, demanding, selfish, and disrespectful to most of those with
whoever had contact, from the waitresses in the restaurants to the
host coordinator. The host said he had to follow behind him.
excusing him.
Even a seemingly small 'M' like modals can close
doors to the people and the ministry. A prophet has no excuse to be rude,
rude, sick in his manners and hateful. On the contrary, the true
God's prophets will show appropriate and Christ-centered ways in their dealings.
and his ministry with others.
Being a Knight Is Not Being 'Effeminate'. In the rural culture of Oklahoma.
In the environment where I was raised, the good manners of a gentleman were not valued.
Men who were chivalrous were considered 'effeminate'. As a boy, I was...
taught to be rough, crude. It took years of God's work in me to teach me
that his standard for being a Christian minister was not the hardness of machismo,
but rather a gentle kindness. I marvel at how many others
men can have the same type of problem to overcome.
A requirement for ministers that is especially important is 'not
to defame no one." Another translation says we should "speak ill of no one.
This means that we should hold our tongues when we talk about
our relatives, our neighbors, our boss, our employees - still
PROPHETS: TRAPS AND PRINCIPLES Page 84

our enemies. Our speech, as Paul said to the Colossians, must be

always "full of grace, seasoned with salt" (Col. 4:6).
The gentlemen were considered "effeminate." I was taught as a child
to be rough, coarse, and bad. So it took years for God to work on me so that
to show me that his standard for Christian ministers was not one of harshness
not macho, but rather a courteous kindness.
I wonder how many other men can have the same type.
of education and they have to overcome it.
A requirement for ministers that is especially important here is
that they do not "slander anyone". Another translation says that we should not
"Speak ill of no one." This means that we should keep our tongues.
when we talk about our relatives, our neighbors, our boss,
our employees - even from our enemies. Our speech, like Paul
he said to the Colossians, it must be "always with grace, seasoned with salt" (Col.
4:6)
Without Rude Language. Another type of conversation we should avoid is
the foul language. Paul said to the Ephesians: 'let no corrupt word proceed out'
from our mouth, but that which is good for necessary edification, in order to
give thanks to the listeners” (Eph. 4:29).
Profane, vulgar, blasphemous language and other impure languages
they simply have no place in the vocabulary of a minister of the gospel of
Jesus Christ.
Jesus said: "Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks" (Mt. 12:34). If
under pressure, we tend to use silly language, so we must take off the
nonsense of the heart. We must ask God to free us and to keep our
lips.
In any case, bad manners will discredit our
ministry. Do we arrive on time to our appointments? Or do we keep people waiting?
waiting? Do we write thank you notes for gifts and others
Attention? Did we forget to show gratitude? We await our turn in the
conversation. Or do we interrupt others when they speak? We treat the
PROPHETS: TRAPS AND PRINCIPLES Page 85

store attendants with respect, or we are impatient and demanding. Even in

small things, when we deal with others, we must remember that we do not have
excuse for the rudeness.
Love is patient, love is kind; love does not envy, love is not
boastful, does not become proud; does nothing inappropriate, does not seek its own, does not

irritates, does not hold a grudge (1st Co. 13:4,5). The ministers of God are called to
to be true ladies and true gentlemen.

8. MANAGEMENT OF MONEY. Money in itself is neither good nor bad.

bad. It is an inanimate object without virtue or vice. Money is simply a
means of exchanging earthly things, just as faith is the means of
exchange for celestial things. Money is merely the currency in the
land to purchase human services and material things.
The Bible teaches that the love of money is the root of all evil (1 Tim.
6:10). But the Bible does not teach that it is bad to be rich. Some of the people
more wealthy in their days were some of the chosen people of God, such as
Abraham, David, Solomon, and Job.
It is God's will for His people to prosper and to be in good health,
as your soul prospers (3rd John 2). God likes to give abundantly to
your children, but they must not have love for the abundance of things
earthly. He promises that if we seek first His Kingdom and His righteousness,
then all the material things we need will be added to us (Mt.
6:33
The Christian may possess money, but money must not possess them.
Cristiano. It's a matter of heart attitude, of motivations and of
biblically ordered priorities. The love for earthly power that the
wealth can give has been for many the instrument to consent 'the
the desires of the flesh, the desires of the eyes, and the pride of life" (1 John.
Money is not sinful, but it certainly creates the opportunity for
may sinful desires be carried out, as well as money
create the means for the righteous to do great things for the Kingdom of God.
PROPHETS: TRAPS AND PRINCIPLES Page 86

The Love of Money. The Bible confirms what we can conclude.

when reading some journalistic news in recent years. The love of money
He can get the ministers into big trouble. Paul wrote to Timothy:

For those who desire to get rich fall into temptation and a trap, and into
many foolish and harmful greed, which sink men into
destruction and perdition; for the love of money is the root of all evil.
money, which some coveted, veered away from the faith and were
transgressed by many sorrows (1 Tim. 6:9,10).
Sadly, in recent times we have often heard teachings
extremists who say that the richer you are, the more material things
you have, is a proof that you are spiritual and that you have a lot of faith. For the
on the contrary, however, if material gain is what shows that a
If a person is pious, then all the rich in the world should be.
pious and we know that this is obviously not true.
I believe that if we trust and obey the Lord, He will supply all our needs.
needs and will prosper us. But we can never assume that
just because we have cars, and boats and houses and land, these things are
a sign that God approves our lives. Paul assures that those who
"they assume that this profit is pious" they are mistaken. On the other hand, it says,
"great gain is godliness accompanied by contentment" (1 Tim. 6:5,6).
Consequently, we must realize that if we pray for
riches likewise, we are praying for trends, traps, and pains of
heart. The higher we climb the mountain of financial "success", the less it grows.
the vegetation, the wind blows stronger, and the place is more solitary. I have seen
very few ministers become rich and still manage to maintain their
integrity in its other M's.
For this reason, we must heed Paul's warning to flee 'from these
things,” and to pursue “justice, piety, faith, love, patience and
"meekness" (v. 11). To this we can add the very words of Jesus:
PROPHETS: TRAPS AND PRINCIPLES Page 87

Look, and beware of all greed, for a man's life does not consist in
the abundance of goods that he possesses" (Luke 12:15).
Practical Guides. The prophetic ministers will do well to follow some
how many practical guides for the use of money. In particular, we must
Noting that of all the '10 M's', money is probably the area most...
sensitive to the relationships between traveling ministers and local ministers. The
Giving and receiving offerings and fees can lead to sensitive matters. I have
Locally pastored, and I have also traveled in ministry, so I can
to tell you from personal experience that both the pastors and the traveling ministers
they are sometimes abused and their funds are misused.
At CI, we have developed a policy of always doing our best.
we can financially support an invited preacher, but we cannot say
this of everyone. Local ministers differ widely in their attitudes
towards the fees: some are very generous, some others are
dishonest the majority give at an average level.
Guides for Local Ministry. I will offer a few rules.
for the local ministry, usually a pastor, who invites a preacher to
speak at a church meeting or at a conference. First, you must
to have a minimum amount of money that you are going to give to anyone who
comes to minister. Currently in the United States, I would recommend that
this minimum is between two hundred and five hundred dollars.
In twenty-five years of having an extensive traveling ministry, I have received
from $100.00 to $5,000.00 for a service, and from $1,000.00 to $10,000.00
for a week of meetings in a Church. These were fees
special ones that were given to me as an invited minister.
The standard practice is that the local ministry pays all the expenses of
round trip. If the invited ministers are on a long itinerary,
so the general policy is to cover travel expenses to bring them from
where they last ministered and take them to the next place of ministry.
In my experience, most denominational churches do not ask
a special offering to give exclusively to the invited minister,
PROPHETS: TRAPS AND PRINCIPLES Page 88

especially those with large congregations (over 500 people).

Instead, they usually set an amount of money
determined for Sunday services and for midweek services. The
Non-denominational churches, on the other hand, tend to ask for an offering to
give it exclusively to the minister.
Factors Affecting Fees. Several determining factors if
The fee is the minimum, average, or abundant: does God allow it?
local and translocal ministers get involved in the fees? It was the pastor
Who took the initiative to bring the guest or was it the guest who requested it?
the opportunity to speak in the Church?
Is the invited minister mature, with years of proven ministry, or is he
is he or she young and in the process of maturation?
Perhaps more importantly, was the ministry to the average congregation,
the minister or invited minister giving extra hours, prophesying to individuals,
praying for the sick, or being the instrument for many souls to
they will be saved, new families will arrive at the Church, or raising funds for the
Church? The minister who only teaches for one hour, doesn't pray for anyone, and
he is simply going to eat and have communion, he must receive differently.
consideration that the one who preaches for an hour and then goes on to prophesy and
to minister the gifts of the Spirit to heaps of people, whether by laying
hands individually or praying for large groups at the same time.
Avoiding Discouragement. It can be very discouraging for ministers.
anointed and dedicated those who selflessly give themselves to the saints
during hours of strong ministry when the pastor gives them an offering
minimum. In this situation, a lot of grace is required to maintain a
positive attitude like the joy of the Lord.
Let me share a vital truth and an attitude that has kept me safe.
my wife and I from discouragement, resentment or bitterness when the offerings
they are not proportional to the administration given or did not meet our needs
basics. The itinerant ministers must adopt the attitude: 'I am working
directly to God, and He writes my checks.” We must remember
PROPHETS: TRAPS AND PRINCIPLES Page 89

as long as the Lord is our source of provision, not the local pastor, the
Church, nor anyone else.
Surely God does not make money in heaven and then sends it to
we on earth. Money is made and distributed on earth by the
people. But God is the only one who is faithful to guide people to give of
according to his promise to us.
Since my wife and I took action, we found that God
you will always find someone willing to respond to your address to give
above average. What these provide is capable of supplementing what those do not.
who do not have the heart and vision sufficient to correspond to our
ministry and fulfill our needs.
Some Personal Examples. I will give one or two examples: in our
the first days of the ministry, I ministered every night for two weeks in
a particular church. My wife was in her ninth month of pregnancy of
our son Tom.
Every night I preached and ministered prophetically from ten to twenty.
people. Although I was there for fourteen days, the pastor never raised an offering
for me even on the last night. There were around one hundred and twenty-five
people regularly using the service, and many new people each
night.
The pastor gave me the offering in an envelope just as you were leaving.
to take my wife to have our baby.
When I opened the envelope, I found only eighty-five dollars in it.
My heart sank.
The pastor could easily have received five times that amount for
I would give people the opportunity more often during the two.
weeks of administration. But that was it, those eighty-five dollars were all that
that we had in our favor. And I needed several hundred dollars to
put my wife in the hospital to have the baby.
PROPHETS: TRAPS AND PRINCIPLES Page 90

After grumbling or complaining for a while, we remembered that

God was our employer, and He would write the check. When people fail,
God remains faithful.
When we arrived at Yaquima Valley, Washington, where our baby
I was born, a minister invited me to speak for three nights. The fee that I received
God was two hundred and forty-three dollars. Another minister invited me to preach the
Sunday morning, but he gave me seventy-five dollars. Just in that.
I received almost the same service that they gave me for two weeks of preaching.
prayer and prophecy in the other church.
God keeps the record of our labor of love. When the shepherds, and
others do not do us good, He leads others to provide us with abundance. About
All these years, the economy has changed and the figures have increased.
it will grow tenfold. But the principle of God's faithfulness has never
changed.
Not long ago, for example, we got into trouble when
we describe that a group that had invited me to minister did not believe in the
women ministers. My wife almost always travels with me in the ministry as
a co-preacher and prophetic ministry, she and I come to be like a
"package deal", and for years our guests have paid
voluntarily covered the travel expenses for both. So I insisted that she
would be with me. On this trip too.
But our guests refused to pay for my wife's ticket, the
it cost above six hundred dollars.
We paid for the ticket. Then, after four days of
management in the meetings, I only received a thousand dollars. This meant that
we only had four hundred dollars for four days of
preaching and prophesying to hundreds of people. It was the lowest offering that
I received for a decade.
However, God is faithful. He had me speaking at a conference of
four days next week that not only paid for my wife's ticket
PROPHETS: TRAPS AND PRINCIPLES Page 91

and covered all our expenses, but also gave us an offering of

four thousand five hundred dollars.
The traveling minister must realize that God works with the law of
the averages. He will find loyal people who give enough to meet all
our needs according to his riches in glory. (Phil. 4:19).
Some Unethical Practices: in our years of ministry we
we have also found some unethical practices on the part of some
how many local pastors. On several occasions a pastor may use our
name and our ministry as the reason to ask for an offering. At least
several hundred dollars would be given by the people (we know it,
because people told us later how much they had given). But however
Upon leaving, the pastor would give us a sealed envelope with less than a hundred dollars in it.

This practice is obviously dishonest. It is wrong for a pastor.

urge its people to give, saying that every cent of the offering would go to the
guest minister, and then actually just give a small portion of the
offering.
The traveling minister is one of the few professions in which you
accepts to provide services without having any idea of what the financial compensation will be.

You can see why some ministers, after having been swindled by
this way a few times, they want to have a guarantee maybe a
contract signed before coming to minister.
Itinerant Without Ethics. Similarly, pastors can tell you
about visiting ministers who have requested the right to take their
own offering. Other itinerants have been seen begging and pressing for
funds to support an orphanage abroad, and then never send anything
the offering to the institution as they promised. Others have still used the
biblical principles of giving to the prophetic ministry in order to manipulate the
people to give thousands of dollars. In fact, I know of some churches that
they have been so financially drained by meetings held by
itinerant ministers who took several months to recover.
PROPHETS: TRAPS AND PRINCIPLES Page 92

Obviously, unethical practices in the 'M' of money management do not

are limited to a single group. Both local ministers and the
Translocals have been guilty of abuses.
Ministers of all kinds do well to remember that God considers
our handling of money is a serious matter. He declares in the Bible that the way
how we acquire and spend money will be a determining factor
so that God may free our true riches of spiritual ministry
(Luke 16:11). If a person uses money selfishly and unethically, God says
that this person will not use the spiritual gifts and the anointing properly.

9. MORALITY. I could leave without saying that sexual immorality does not have
place in the life of a Christian minister, and that our firm standard must be
sexual purity. But I believe that one third of the charismatic ministers and
Pentecostals in our generation have fallen into sexual immorality. I
I know around fifty of those pastors. If what we have seen
on television is the tip of the iceberg, can you imagine what is happening in
secret?
Years ago when I was at the University Bible College, Stanley
Frodsham, a young Pentecostal teacher, said that in 1930 he was casting out
out demons from a man, and a demon in particular claimed to be a
demonic prince who had received a mission from hell. He insisted that to him
he had been given authority to send a new horde of demons from
adultery and deceit within the Church. Judging by what I have seen in the
In the last decades, this demon may have been giving an exact report of
your mission.

Honor God with Your Body. The Bible warns us against impurity.
sexual - that is to say all sexual activity outside of the marital union - in
certain terms:
Do you not know that the unjust will not inherit the kingdom of God?
PROPHETS: TRAPS AND PRINCIPLES Page 93

Do not be mistaken, neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor the
effeminate ones, nor those who lie with men,... will inherit the Kingdom of
God... Flee from fornication, any other sin that man
the comet, is outside the body; but he who fornicates, against his own
body flaw.
Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who is
in you, which you have from God and that you are not your own? For you have
you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body
Colossians 6:9, 10, 18-20

Of course, sexual immorality also includes sexual fantasies.

illicit, and movies or television shows that are provocative
sexually. These things lead us to temptation and wear us out.
resistance to her. Although we sometimes wish to be tempted and seduced.
because of the possibility of sinning, God wants us to run in another direction. So
we must speak to God with the words of the Lord's prayer, 'Do not lead us into temptation'
into temptation" (Matthew 6:13).

The Attitudes of the Heart. In fact, according to the words of

Jesus, sexual impurity begins before having the manifest action of
immorality.
It grows in the hidden attitudes of the heart. 'You have heard that it was said'
the Lord noted 'you shall not commit adultery.' But I say to you that anyone who
Look at a woman to lust after her, he has already committed adultery with her in his heart (Matthew)

5:27,28).
We can have a wrong desire to act immorally,
however, not having the opportunity to fulfill that desire. But still, just the
To indulge that evil desire is in itself a sin.
Once an immoral sexual act has actually been committed, the bond
resulting, I believe, is deeper than we imagine. Paul said: "or not
Do you not know that he who unites with a harlot is one body with her? For it says:
the two will become one flesh (1st Co. 6:16).
PROPHETS: TRAPS AND PRINCIPLES Page 94

Considering this union, I believe that anyone who has a

illicit relationship needs to be freed from that bond and receive inner healing.
In fact, I personally believe that if a man unites himself with
a prostitute, he in a sense takes all her sins and combines them with the
yours.
In light of these realities, we do well to pay attention to
the words of Paul to the Ephesians: "But fornication and all uncleanness, or
greed, not even be named among you" (Eph. 5:3). The tragic results of
Failing in this area is surely the downfall of a minister.
Relationships between Man/Woman in the Church. The men and women of
God must develop the attitude that Paul urged Timothy to take towards.
the opposite sex. He said we should treat "the elderly like mothers; to
"the young women as sisters, with all purity" (1 Timothy 5:2). I believe that this
instruction will exclude complete arms among Christian men and women, thus
like, long kisses on the mouth. Men should give women at least
the same type of quick "hug and kiss" that I would give to a relative of the same sex
female.
There is no minister who simply decides one day that he or she
they will commit adultery with a friend's wife, a secretary, a counseled one.
Or a worship leader. Most sexual sins begin as the
seed of a thought or through an apparently kind action.
What starts correctly can end badly if it is not done properly.
kept and directed.
In the parable of the sower, Jesus spoke about a man who
he had only sown good seed in his field. But when he began
As he grew up, he realized that the field also contained bad seed. When the
the man asked how this had happened, the answer was that the enemy
he had sown bad seed in the field during the night (Mt. 13:24-30).
Like this sower, we must only sow the seeds.
of a pure attitude and correct action. But our enemies, the Devil
and our carnal nature will sow bad seeds of lust of the flesh,
PROPHETS: TRAPS AND PRINCIPLES Page 95

the desires of the eyes and the pride of life. Then subtly one of
these seeds will sprout right alongside the good seed and suddenly one
a glance, a touch, a complementary word will ignite a carnal desire,
sensual and a suggestion.
While they are in seed form, the two types of attitude and
behavior seems almost identical. But once they sprout, the people who are
On guard against bad seeds you will immediately notice a slight
difference. You will notice that the internal feelings and reactions of
his heart and his soul are a little different.
At this point, the Holy Spirit will whisper a warning: "Be careful, the
a bad seed sown by the enemy has sprouted. If the person is sensitive.
to the Holy Spirit and has a heart that desires to be rigidly correct, he or
she will immediately pull out the seed by not repeating that thought or
action. The old saying "an ounce of prevention is worth an ounce of
"remedy" is certainly true in these situations.
Two Applications. I believe there are at least two applications. to the
Jesus' comment that lusting after someone in your mind is committing adultery.
in the eyes of God. First, Jesus said that without a man or a woman
deliberately meditates on adultery through mental images, to
extreme of visualizing the action and feeling the carnal sensation of a relationship
sexual with a particular person, although the external sin was not
committed, the sin of immorality took place in his heart. It was committed, at
through deliberate desire, illusion, visualization, imagination and
deliberate meditation.
The second application indicates that the beginning of a sin in its state
From the seed of a thought is as serious as the grown plant of an act.
Because if the seed is not rejected, it will surely sprout. And if the seed sprouts
and it is allowed to grow, eventually the harvest time will come when
let's gather the consequences of a sinful act.
It is not a sin to be tempted by thoughts of lust. But it is
It is sinful to meditate on the sinful suggestion of the desire for pleasure. No
PROPHETS: TRAPS AND PRINCIPLES Page 96

we can prevent the birds from flying and attracting our attention. But not
we must let them perch on our heads, build a nest, lay
eggs in it, and incubate other vultures that love carrion and the stinking
meat.
Every Thought in Captivity. Paul declares that we must take
every thought and imagination of the mind captive to the mind of Christ - or
sea, at biblical holy beginnings, and to virtuous practices and thoughts. A
the minister has said that when he finds his mind drifting off
carnal illusions, he shouts the scriptural text, 'but far be it from me to glory in myself'
(to think, to meditate), but on the cross (death to the flesh) of our Lord
Jesus Christ.” (Gal. 6:14).
The only offensive weapon that Christians have in their arsenal is
God described by Paul (Eph. 6:13-17) is "the sword of the Spirit, which is the
word of God." Jesus overcame all temptation from Satan during his
I find in the desert quoting the scripture. We can also.
find numerous texts from the scriptures to be used against everyone
temptation and suggestion of Satan and the selfish flesh.
If any touch, glance, or close working relationship creates thoughts
sexual inclinations or feelings, then these must be crucified
immediately. The written admonition "flee also from passions"
youths” (2 Timothy 2:22) and “abstain from every form of evil.” (1 Thessalonians 5:22).
It should never be forgotten while we maintain and mature the 'M' of
morality (For more teaching on this matter, it is 'the deception of couples'
"ministerials" in the section traps for prophetic ministers).

10. MOTIVATIONS: when I first went to the Bible school I had

what I thought was a vision to become a missionary in India. But
after I studied that country and learned how terrible the conditions were there,
I lost my "vision". It turned out to be not a true vision of God, but only
a romantic idea from my teenage years.
PROPHETS: TRAPS AND PRINCIPLES Page 97

Looking back now, I realize that if I'm honest I must

admit that my reasons for wanting to be a missionary were not pure. I did not
I had seen myself battling in India with poverty, hunger, the
illness and other poor conditions. Instead, I had
imagining myself standing on the platform preaching, imposing
hands on the sick, raising the dead and bringing thousands to the
Sir. I saw myself writing to my home to my family about everything.
this, and to them saying, 'look our boy made it. Look at the miracles.
Oh - he has become someone!
I was motivated by what I thought was an opportunity for me
personal glory. How many other ministers, if they were honest, would admit that
they would have had to crucify the same motivation
Jesus emphasized that the hidden motives of the heart must be
recognized and purified. We will not be judged only by
our actions but also by our deeds - which include
both our actions and our motives.
For example, Jesus said, 'Take heed to not do your righteousness before men.'
men, to be seen by them; otherwise you will not have a reward from
your Father who is in heaven" (Matthew 6:1). People look at our
external behavior, but God looks at the intentions of the heart (1 Samuel
16:7).
Do we minister to serve, or to be seen? We are dedicated.
"at the service of the saints" (1 Cor. 16:15), or do we want to be recognized as
great ministers? Are we motivated by the desire to fulfill the will of
God, or for some personal impulse, such as greed for power, fame, pleasure
Oh riches?
In short, do we minister with a heart full of God's love?
If not, then the scripture says that our ministry is nothing: 'and if
I had prophecy, and understood all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I had
all faith, so that it could move mountains, and I have no love, I am nothing.
And if I were to distribute all my goods to feed the poor, and if I were to give up
PROPHETS: TRAPS AND PRINCIPLES Page 98

My body to be burned and I have no love, it is of no use to me" (1 Cor. 13:2-

3).

Beware of the Weak Link. We must emphasize that few, if any,

any minister can achieve a perfect "rating" in relation to all
the '10 M's'. We all have space to grow, to improve and to correct. It is
That is why all NPM ministers are asked to complete a form.
that evaluates its '10 M's'. We know that each one of us has
areas in which we need to grow, and that others can see these areas more
clearly that we ourselves.
However, we should never assume that just because the
most of these areas of our life can be in good shape, we
we can then disregard the others. Only one area is needed.
issue to derail a minister.
On the ground of the field of our ministry, where it is taking place
At the end of a new construction, we have a big bulldozer lounging around.
motor still works well and the body is still in good shape, but the
Caterpillar tracks are worn out and we have been told that the rest of the machine
it's not worth the cost that would be spent on replacing the bands. So the
the failure of even a single part not working properly has halted this
powerful machine and cannot be used.
The same is true for the '10 M's', it is only necessary for one
only part breaks so that our whole ministry has a noisy and
chill-out stop. So we must be diligent in paying our attention
regularly to each of these areas. And we must keep in mind that
even an area that we normally consider our greatest strength, if not
We leave unprotected, it can easily become a double weakness.
As the old saying goes, a chain is only as strong as it is.
your weakest link. Imagine this: you are hanging over a cliff or
about a tragic disaster in his ministry. The only thing that holds him up
sure is a chain whose ten links are these '10 M's' in your own
PROPHETS: TRAPS AND PRINCIPLES Page 99

life. If any of these links is in danger of breaking, how secure

Are you there?

Don't be so proud and confident about the areas that are working well for
decide today to start working on the area that needs to be addressed.
make a regular inspection of each link - each of the '10 M's' in your
life. Strengthening each of the areas is the best way to maintain and
to mature a holy character that will provide his ministry with a foundation
solid and stable to grow. Those who diligently maintain these '10 M
s” in the biblical order. They will maintain and grow in their personal lives and in their

prophetic ministry.
PROPHETS: TRAPS AND PRINCIPLES Page 100

CHAPTER 14
PROPHETS AND PERSONAL PROPHECY
A SYNOPSIS
The emphasis of the first two volumes provides us with a critical foundation.
to minister prophetically. So this part of the present volume offers
a synopsis of the main points of the previous books. However, if
if you wish to practice the prophetic ministry, I strongly recommend that you read
also volumes 1 and 2. They will give you a more comprehensive treatment of
these topics and strong historical and biblical support for what you find here.
Hundreds of writings are used to validate the points presented in the
books, but we will only see a few of those texts in these
brief summaries. The following 10 or more pages will cover a few of
the clear truths found within the 218 pages of Prophets and
Personal Prophecy.
God Wants to Communicate. In our days, through the Bible and the
Holy Spirit, God desires to walk and talk with us in a relationship
individual, personal, and intimate. However, not all Christians understand
how to recognize the voice of the Lord. Even when they manage to recognize it, many
they don't know how to respond to her so that it is effective.

In this and many other ways, there is no individual who is

self-sufficient in our relationship with God; all of us need the rest of
Body of Christ. Thus, God has established within the Body the ministry of
Prophet like a special voice, He has established the gift of prophecy among
the congregation; and He has also sent the Spirit of Prophecy to give
testimony of Jesus throughout the world (see Rev. 19:10; 1 Cor. 12:28).
The coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost and the writing of the Bible not
it eliminates the need for the prophetic voice of the Lord; in fact, this means this
need. Pedro insisted that Joel was talking about the age of the Church when
He proclaimed: 'And in the last days, says God, I will pour out my Spirit upon
all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy. (Acts 2:17). Paul
PROPHETS: TRAPS AND PRINCIPLES Page 101

He emphasized this truth when he said to the Church of Corinth, 'Desire to prophesy.'
1 Corinthians 14:39; Ephesians 4:11.

God still desires that the revelation of his will be vocalized. In such a way
way that He has established the prophetic ministry as a voice of
revelation and illumination that will reveal the mind of Christ to the human race. He
also uses this ministry to give specific instructions to the
individuals concerning His will for their lives.
The ministry of the prophet does not consist, of course, in adding or in
subtract from the Bible. Any additions accepted as infallible would be
a forgery, false documents containing illusions that lead to the
condemnation.
Instead, the prophet brings enlightenment and additional specific data.
about what has already been written. And the gift of prophecy from the Holy Spirit to
through the saints is to bring edification, exhortation, and consolation to the
Church. (1 Cor. 14:3).
The ideal and divine order for communicating within the Christian heart is
obviously the Holy Spirit whispering the thoughts of Christ. But it
what an individual has felt in their spirit must be confirmed: The advice of
God is that each word needs to be witnessed, confirmed by the mouth of two.
or three witnesses (2 Co. 13:1). This critical role can be carried out by the
prophetic voice.
Of course, personal prophecy can never be a substitute for the
individual responsibility and the privilege of hearing the voice of God for oneself
same. God is a jealous God who is not pleased when we allow something
obstruct an intimate relationship and personal communication with heaven, still
if the obstacle comes from a minister that He Himself has ordained. The prophecy
personal, it should not take the place of our duty to fast, pray, and seek
God until we hear from heaven for ourselves.
At the same time, many people cannot hear, or they will not take it seriously.

time to listen to what God wants to tell you, God is usually

it will always burst into our busy schedules, trying to shout on top
PROPHETS: TRAPS AND PRINCIPLES Page 102

from the noise of the television or social chatter (although occasionally it can
take us while we sleep). When this is the case, the Lord often uses
the voice of the prophet to speak to individuals, the congregations, and the
nations. But their greatest wish is always that their children take time to
quality to wait on Him until our mind, emotions, and will
may they be clear enough for Him to communicate His mind and heart
clearly to us.
The Purposes of God for the Prophets. The prophets are special.
in the heart of God. They participate in every plan and action of God upon
the planet Earth. They are preparing the way for the second coming of Christ
bringing the knowledge of the revelation of the scriptures that must be fulfilled
before Christ returns. So the restoration of the prophet ministry and the
the company of prophets is the greatest sign of the closeness of the coming of
Christ.
The prophets not only prepare the way of the Lord, they are also
to "prepare for the Lord a people well disposed" (Luke 1:17). The wife of
Christ must be ready for her husband, and the prophets help the Bride.
grow in purity and maturity. She cannot be completely perfected
without the complete restoration of the apostles and prophets (Eph. 11,12), which,
together with the evangelists, pastors, and teachers, they have been given a special
the ability of Christ to perfect, equip, and mature the saints.
The prophets help these ministries to become at least two
ways. First, through their prophecies they reveal to believers which
it is their role to play in the Church and help them to interact with others
believers, second, their words have the ability endowed by Christ to
impart, give light, and activate in the believers in the ministry that God has
revealed to them.
The Nature of Prophecy. Prophecy is simply God
communicating your thoughts and intentions to humanity. In this sense
we can correctly call the entire Bible prophecy. This Word
prophetic (The Scripture) is complete, perfect, and totally sufficient to bring
PROPHETS: TRAPS AND PRINCIPLES Page 103

all the revelation of God that we can understand and appropriate.

So any true prophetic word given today must be in total
agreement in both the spirit and the content of the Bible.
Two words from the New Testament in Greek are translated by our
Spanish term 'Word': Achievements and Rhema. Logos refers to the Scriptures (2
Tim. 2:15). This word logos is creative, self-realizing, powerful, true,
without error, infallible, complete and giver of life. It is the consistent standard and

absolute, through which all other expressions, concepts,

Revelations, doctrines, preachings, and prophecies are measures.
On the other hand, rhema can be called 'a word that comes from the
Word.
Saint coming from Logos who gives life, power, and faith to walk in it and fulfill it:
"So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of God" (Rom. 10:17). The
Rhema must be received with faith by the listener for it to fulfill its mission.
When we use the term 'Logos', we understand the Scriptures as a
Whenever we say 'rhema', we understand a specific word from the Lord.
that the Logos applies to us individually.
Although the logos never changes nor fails, the Bible is full of rhemas to
individuals who never realize themselves. Really, however, in these cases they do not

it was not the rhema of the Lord that failed, but rather the people who listened
failed to understand it, believe, obey, respond, wait on, or act upon it of
agreement with the will and style of God. This is the meaning of 1 Corinthians 13:8,
But the prophecies will come to an end.

A Personal Prophecy. It is the revelation by God of His

thoughts and intentions either towards a particular person or a family
or a group of people. It is specific information that comes from the mind of God
for a specific situation, it is an inspired Word directed to a certain
audience. In a broad sense, then, a personal prophecy is a rhema.
But we will usually use the term 'Personal Prophecy' in a
in the strictest sense in order to distinguish between the words of God
communicated directly or indirectly. To the divine communications that
PROPHETS: TRAPS AND PRINCIPLES Page 104

they come directly from God to us we will call them 'rhemas', while
those that come to us through another human being we will call
personal prophecies
Five Ways Through Which We Receive the Ministry
Prophetic: in addition to the scriptures, the prophetic word of God
it usually comes to us in one of five ways:

[Link] Office of Prophet: the ministry of a prophet is not a gift of the Spirit
Saint, but the gift of an extension of Christ himself as the prophet.
The fivefold ministry of the Church (apostle, prophet, evangelist, pastor,
master) it is not an external donation like a birthday gift. Rather
it is an investiture of the mantle of Christ to have the ministries of Jesus
a concession of the very nature, wisdom, and power of Christ for each
particular type of function - whether apostle, prophet, pastor, teacher or
evangelist.
All five ministries when they die in full maturity, represent
the total ministry of Christ to the Church. These ministries are not only a
extension of the ministry of the body, but an extension of the direction of God
to His Body, the Church.
The office of prophet is designed and given to function in a sphere
higher than the ministry that the gift of prophecy of the Holy Spirit. This gift of
prophecy operates within the saints or within a ministry for the
building up, exhortation or consolation of the Church (1 Cor. 2:10; 14:3,4). But the
The office of prophet is authorized and anointed to flow in the areas of counsel,
instruction, rebuke, judgment and revelation - any of these ways
Christ chooses to speak to purify and perfect His church.
The prophets are anointed especially to perceive what is about to happen in.
the agenda of God for restoration. Then they raise their voices like
alert, enlighten and exhort the Church to conquer the part of the truth that
must be restored in this time. In this way, the prophets are then the
PROPHETS: TRAPS AND PRINCIPLES Page 105

Eyes of the Body of Christ, the trumpeters in the service of the Lord that a clear
sound to reveal the desires of the Commander in Chief.

2. Prophetic Preaching. Prophetic preaching is not the same as seeking

simply the mind of the Lord about which sermon to preach on Sunday
in the morning, or to be anointed to preach a message from the Bible
especially prepared. It is a sphere of action that is completely different. The
prophetic preaching of biblical truths is the direct voice of God with
the pure mind of Christ, in such a way that the precise words of the
preacher and his illustrations are exactly what God wants to say to
people that are present in that place and at that moment. Although the
Minister, do not anticipate your statements with "Thus says the Lord."
the words are as inspired and anointed as if a prophet were to speak
The prophetic preaching is the 'Word of God' (1 P.
4:11.

3. The prophetic presbytery. A third way to receive the ministry

prophetic is the laying on of hands together with the prophecy through
men and women of God who meet the requirements of a presbyter
(1 Tim. 4:14; Heb 6:1-2; Acts 13:1-3). The presbytery serves in various
functions in this regard, each of them is required a different one
set of requirements for both the presbyters and the candidates. This
biblical practice minister prophetic revelation and confirmation to those
calls to the leadership of the Church ministry; ordination to the fivefold
ministry; confirmation and activation of minister members in the Body
of Christ; and progress in Christian maturity.

4. The Gift of Prophecy: prophecy is one of the new manifestations of

Holy Spirit (described in 1 Cor. 12) and given, not on the basis of the
Christian maturity, but because Christ wants to bless His Church through
PROPHETS: TRAPS AND PRINCIPLES Page 106

from them. Therefore, these gifts are received and administered by grace and
faith. (Rom. 12:6).
The prophecy is important in the life of the church because it is the greatest gift.
building for a congregation. The other eight are gifts that act as
a 'rifle', which usually blesses a specific person or perhaps to
a few; prophecy is a gift similar to a 'shotgun' which can
to bless hundreds of people at the same time. This is one reason why
The apostle Paul told the Corinthians to endeavor to prophesy (1 Cor. 14:1,39).

5. The Spirit of Prophecy and the Prophetic Song. The spirit of prophecy is the
testimony of Jesus (Rev. 19:10). This is not a gift or an office, but a
function coming from Christ within the believer. It happens occasionally in
special anointing during a service, or when Christians exercise their faith
to be a light through which Christ can testify. The songs
spiritual (Col. 13:16) are the spirit of prophecy expressing the
thoughts and desires of Christ in song.
Putting Personal Prophecy in Perspective. Is it scriptural for a
Christian individuals go to a prophet and expect to receive a prophetic word.
specific direction, instruction or confirmation? The answer is yes. The
The Bible provides numerous examples of people, especially those in
leadership positions going to the prophet and asking for a 'thus says the'
Sir” about a particular situation. (For example, chapter 7 of
volume 1 of this series.
God approves of this practice to the extent that we do not allow the
personal prophecy should not become a substitute for our own search for God
through prayer, fasting, and the search of the Scriptures. The prophet and the
Personal prophecies should not take the place of the inner voice of the Holy Spirit.
At the same time, I have already discovered that God will not answer questions.

prophetically, which can be resolved by diligently seeking the

Scripture, neither Christ within the prophet will respond positively when
They make insincere requests or ask silly questions.
PROPHETS: TRAPS AND PRINCIPLES Page 107

You should not go to a prophet until you are sure that the Lord has
the first place in your life. You must seek it primarily for yourself.
Then you will be spiritually prepared to respond.
adequately and more likely to hear a confirmation of it
which has already been born in his spirit.

Discovering the Word, the Will, and the Way of God. Although the
personal prophecy can play an important role in helping Christians to
making decisions is not the only way the Holy Spirit uses to reveal
the will and the way of God. Probably ninety percent of my
decisions, major and minor, have been made without personal prophecy
be the dominant or motivating factor. But I have made an effort to give my all.
percent of all my decisions based on the Word, the will and the
Way of God.
The most accurate method to ensure that you do everything in harmony
with the sky is to follow these 'three letters' to make decisions.
Determine the Word of God on a matter, His specific will regarding
of her, and Her way to fulfill it. These are like the three lights of a
traffic lights that must all be "green" before we proceed
our path.
The Word of God. In order to determine whether the Word gives or does not give 'light.

"Green," express every thought, impression, and suggestion that comes to you.
from any source - regardless of how spiritual or religious it may be put - to
the entire Bible. To avoid deception, maintain love for the truth as
how it is, not how selfishly you want it to be interpreted (see Zac.
8:19.
Thoughts and desires should not turn into prayer requests.
until they receive the 'green light' from the Word. If their thought or desire
it is not scriptural, improper, illegal, or immoral according to divine principles,
then he is wasting his time asking God to let him do it.
The Will of God. Just as God has a general will for
all humanity, He has a specific will for individuals. The
PROPHETS: TRAPS AND PRINCIPLES Page 108

The Bible provides the general criteria for making many business decisions.
travel, mystery, and use of our finances, but it does not provide much information

specific.
So how do we come to know the specific will of
God for our lives? The Scriptures give examples of the many ways
in which he can specifically guide us: divinely directed desires,
a rhema or an illumination of a particular scriptural text; the prophet and the
personal prophecy; the gifts of the Holy Spirit; the fruit of the Holy Spirit, the
testimony, empowerment restriction of the Holy Spirit; wise counsel; and
confirmation of other 'witnesses'.
The Way of God. The way of God includes His timing, His methods and
the necessary means to do it; the who, what, when, where and how (but
not necessarily the why?); the ongoing advice and the control of the
circumstances by God; and the patience to move forward until His plan
has been achieved.
Often the Word of God and its will are easier to determine than
his path. The Word can be determined by examining a book, the will
through internal personal principles and confirmation from others. But the
the journey is a process of time that must be walked day after day, because
All the details about him are rarely revealed in advance.
Prophetic terminology. The more we know God and the more
intimately we relate to Him, yet we are able to understand His
words and respond in an appropriate manner. Understand the Words of
God is not as easy for us as it seems at first. The Scriptures give us
they say that he thinks and expresses himself according to a perspective that
it is very different from ours. So we must understand the
terminology of God.
We believe that the Holy Spirit inspired and directed the writing of the
Bible from the mind of God. So let us not be surprised that the Bible reveals to
we something of the thought of God. It shows us how He speaks and the
human terms that He uses to express Himself. In particular, we can see the
PROPHETS: TRAPS AND PRINCIPLES Page 109

books of the prophets to find the terminology of God, where there is

many quotes preceded by 'Thus says the Lord'.
Seemingly Inaccurate Prophecies. When we deal with prophecies
inaccuracies, it is extremely important to justify the inaccuracy of a
prophetic word before issuing a judgment that this is wrong. Many
prophecies seem to be inaccurate when given, but prove to be
true from the perspective obtained when enough time has passed
time and experiences.
Various biblical examples illustrate this reality.
Possibly the clearest case of this type of prophecy in the New
The testament is Jesus' prophecy regarding Lazarus (John 11:4), who
he died of a disease. (Remember - the definition of prophecy is "God
"speaking" so this definition also qualifies here). Jesus said to his
disciples: "this illness is not unto death, but for the glory of God,"
so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.
this disease will not end in
death.” (v. 14).
Imagine what the disciples thought when they discovered that
Lazarus was dead. They could have easily accused Jesus of
having given an inaccurate prophecy, insisting: "You said that the disease not
it would end in death, but Lazarus has indeed died." Only a few
days later, when they witnessed the resurrection of Lazarus, they were
they in the position of judging whether Jesus' prophetic pronouncement had
It was truly exact.
Sometimes we must wait to understand. This
illustration should teach us that we do not always immediately understand the
true meaning of a particular term within a
prophetic pronouncement given. Although we can learn to interpret the
common prophetic terminology (to read more about this topic see chapter
11 of the first volume of this series, Prophets and Personal Prophecy) God can
to use a word or phrase with a different intention than we normally would
PROPHETS: TRAPS AND PRINCIPLES Page 110

wait. So we often have to wait and let time and the

experience approve or disapprove a word.
In this case, for example, Jesus' statement that sickness
"wouldn't end in death" did not entirely mean that Lazarus would not die.
The disciples only assumed that this was the meaning because until that
moment in his experience had not normally included the resurrection of a
man. Once they had enough experience, they could
judge the accuracy of the word.
I have been able to hear similar prophecies about finances,
marriages, pregnancies, and healings that superficially sounded like they were saying that

Everything would work well. However, as it developed, the bankruptcy,

divorce, abortion, or a worsening of physical symptoms occurred
before everything finally went well.
The Word of Isaiah to Hezekiah: A second biblical example of this
type comes from the Old Testament. When King Hezekiah of Judah fell
seriously ill, the word of the Lord came to the prophet Isaiah that he should
Tell the king: 'You will die and not live' (Isaiah 38:1). But after Hezekiah
I prayed to God to extend his life, the Lord sent Isaiah to him to tell him,
"Behold, I add fifteen years to your days." (v. 5). This second word
it was emphatic, accompanied by the miraculous sign that the sun returned ten
degrees back in its trajectory.
Now imagine yourself in the place of those who may have
heard the first prophecy but were not around to listen
the second. When Hezekiah was to survive another fifteen years, you
He would probably have judged the first prophecy to the king as inaccurate.
Only if you had the additional experience of being present for the
second prophetic word you would have been in a position to judge the
first word justly.
A prophecy given in circumstances like this, if given in a place
, or is widely shared "through the vineyard" may cause to
many stumble if they assume that they possess all the knowledge that they
PROPHETS: TRAPS AND PRINCIPLES Page 111

requires a fair trial regarding its accuracy. Many times the

the correction of a prophetic word can only be determined by
those who know the situation well and what happened in the days that
they continued.
The Conditional Word of Judgment of Jonah: A similar experience
We receive from the pronouncement of Jonah's judgment about the city of Nineveh. The
The word was truly from God, and it contained no conditions. He did not say 'If you...'
"you repent, you will not be destroyed." But when Nineveh repented and sought the
mercy of God, God halted the judgment of the city, causing Jonah
he will worry about his reputation. And let's not be surprised that he was concerned -

To many observers, it must have seemed that Jonah had prophesied about
inaccurate manner.
The truth of the matter, however, was that the prophecy was actually
true that however did not happen due to the conditions not
expressed that arose from the mercy of God. Only
those who knew the whole story could judge the Word
correctly.
We must be careful now not to judge a Word as
the coming of God simply because an unconditioned preaching never
God. The human response to a word can confirm it or cancel it even.
when explicit conditions are not given.
A Recent Example. One of the members of our team prophesied.
Once a woman was talking about some money savings she had, telling her
that God would give her wisdom on how to invest them. The woman's pastor.
she thought that the Word was wrong. They knew their circumstances well.
financial, and she lived off the payment she received.
However, when she asked him about the matter after the
the prophecy was given, he discovered that he did not know all the necessary facts
to make the judgment. In reality, she had received an unexpected amount
which was very substantial. The word perfectly applied to his situation.
PROPHETS: TRAPS AND PRINCIPLES Page 112

Many prophecies are given in similar situations. So we

we should not be too quick to judge a word as inaccurate because of the
information that we have. Time and experience can prove that
we are wrong and the prophecy is correct.
Seemingly Inaccurate Prophecies. Even in the Old Testament,
with its strict standards for prophetic accuracy, we find that a
a national stature prophet once gave wrong direction to a king - but
without being accused of being a false prophet or stoned for his mistake.

This situation arose when King David read to the prophet of his court, Nathan,
that he wanted to build a temple for the Ark of the Covenant (1 Chronicles 17:1-4).
Nathan replied, "Do all that is in your heart, for God is
with you.” However, that same night, the word of God came to the prophet,
correcting it and sending it to say to David, "Thus says the Lord, You do not me"
you will build a house in which I will dwell.

A presumptuous word. It is true that the first word that Nathan

God to the king was not preceded by the phrase 'thus says the Lord.' Even so, the prophet
however, attributed the directive to God, and the biblical text seems to emphasize that
the king was speaking to Nathan the prophet.
When Nathan spoke to David, he spoke authoritatively from his position.
as king. So we can call this a presumptuous word given by the
the own spirit of Nathan rather than the Holy Spirit.
The second word to David clearly contradicted the first, showing
that the first word was wrong and therefore should be rejected.
But the Bible does not mention that Nathan apologized or acknowledged David.
and to the leadership of Israel that their initial word was a mistake.

Evidently, such a response was unnecessary, as the Bible tells us, the
the incident did not damage Nathan's reputation as a prophet of God.
That this was the case became evident later when Nathan confronted.
David with his sins of adultery and murder due to his lust for Bathsheba
(ver 2 Sam. 11). Because Nathan "made a mistake" once before,
David could have been defensive and critical of Nathan's prophetic ministry,
PROPHETS: TRAPS AND PRINCIPLES Page 113

reminding him of his previous mistake as an excuse to reject the reprimand

from Nathan. But David instead quickly received the correction from
Nathan, indicating that his prophetic authority had not been diminished by his
previous error. David acknowledged that Nathan was still being sent to him
by God with divine authority and approval, and the prophet ministered correction to the
king like the mouth of God.
The disciples in Tyre prophesy to Paul. When Paul returned to
Jerusalem from Asia on his last missionary journey, he stopped in Tyre to
visit the believers there. Scripture tells us that these disciples "said to
Paul through the Spirit, not to go up to Jerusalem" (Acts 21:4).
The main purpose of this trip was to take an offering for the Church.
from Jerusalem of the believers in other cities (Acts 24:17; Rom. 15:27). Paul
surely he could have sent this money through other hands,
particularly after having been repeatedly warned of the dangers
that awaited him in Jerusalem. But in Paul's eyes, this was an offering
special with a special destination, coming from predominantly believers
gentiles to whom Paul had ministered.
This particular offering showed the leaders in a tangible way the
gratitude of the Gentile believers towards those among whom the
the gospel had originated. Paul was not only providing assistance
financial; he was declaring unity amid a mutual and continuous evil
understood among Jewish and Gentile believers that plagued the early church.
So their willingness to deliver the offering in person was a sign of
self-sacrifice of true spiritual fatherhood in the Body of Christ.
With this holy goal in mind, we see that Paul was convinced
that his decision to go to Jerusalem was from the Holy Spirit.
He had previously established about this mission what it was going to be.
"bound in spirit... to Jerusalem" (Acts 20:22). So why the disciples
In shooting they say 'through the Spirit' that he should not go? (the ramifications of
This particular dilemma is discussed in more detail under question No. 7).
PROPHETS: TRAPS AND PRINCIPLES Page 114

Human Application Added to Divine Revelation. Personally, I

I believe that these Christians had truly received a revelation from
God, through the Spirit, that Paul would suffer if he traveled to Jerusalem. This was
very accurate. My personal experience and the knowledge of how it is received
revelation outside of God and how it is expressed through human vessels
Imperfects make me aware that they could have given their own application.
the interpretation of what God had revealed to them. Instead of simply
saying that he was expecting danger for Pablo in Jerusalem, they told him not to.
he should go. Thus, his understandable desire to protect him resulted in an application.

generated in your own heart, more than generated in the Holy Spirit of
that the Spirit was seeking to express through them.
The Bible does not record any condemnation of these Christians in Tyre for
his seemingly inadequate interpretation. Paul did not send a letter to his
colleagues ministers warning them to be careful of any prophecy that
came from the disciples in Tyre.
Neither did the Church in Tyre send a report about Paul saying that he
he was doing his own will and in rebellion against the prophetic revelation
from God. These people who prophesied did not die stoned or accused
of false prophets. Rather based on the evaluation of their word by
from Pablo as evidenced by his response to him - they had erred in giving a
personal prophecy.
The Prophecy of Agabus to Paul: A few days after Paul received the
prophecy in Tyre, he received another word on his way to Jerusalem from the
prophet Agabus, whom he found in Caesarea. This prophet of the New Testament
He took the belt of Pablo, tied his own hands and feet with it, and said: 'Thus they will tie'
the Jews in Jerusalem to the man to whom this belt belongs" and they will deliver him to

"hands of the Gentiles" (Acts 21:11).

Within this prophecy, there are two particular details that seem not to...
to have been fulfilled literally according to the biblical narrative. The first
it involves the word 'to tie', which in Greek here means to tie, bind or to be
tied, the second involves the Greek word that translates to 'deliver', which
PROPHETS: TRAPS AND PRINCIPLES Page 115

it means to surrender or to transmit. Critical to the meaning of this last word is the
the idea of actively, consciously, and voluntarily passing something to someone or

something to another person, it is used this way in all 119 times it is used in
the New Testament.
When we read later in Acts about what happened to Paul in Jerusalem.
(vv. 17-46), we find that these two details are inaccurate. The Jews of
they did not tie up Pablo and handed him over to the Romans. Instead, the
Romans took him and bound him themselves (v. 33), "rescuing" from them.
against his will, as the Roman captain also reported later in a
Letter from the governor (Acts 23:27).
Was it accurate? We must note that it was the habit of the writers
mention the specific fulfillment of a prophecy, as Luke indeed does
did when the same prophet Agabus, on another occasion, correctly predicted the
arrival of a famine (Acts 11:28). But Luke records the events of
arrest of Paul in Jerusalem in Acts 22 without commenting on them.
If the word was inaccurate, what about the ability and obligation of the
elders in Caesarea to judge the prophecy? Among those present was the
evangelist Philip, his four perceptively prophetic daughters, and other vain ones
elders who traveled with Paul (Acts 20:4) shouldn't we expect
what they would have answered if they had discerned that a prophet was
speaking a wrong word to his apostle?
The situation is additionally confusing because Pablo more
this afternoon it reported to the Jewish leaders in Rome that he was 'delivered (the same

Greek word) as a prisoner from Jerusalem in the hands of the Romans

(Acts 28:17). If the prophetic use of the word 'delivered' was inaccurate,
So why does Paul describe the event this way?
Perhaps the best lesson we can learn from this situation is that
we should avoid every little 'Jot and Tittle' of a word
prophetic to determine its accuracy. Details such as those that were
apparently inaccurate in the prophecies of Agabus may have little
difference in the total point of view that God is trying to make clear. So
PROPHETS: TRAPS AND PRINCIPLES Page 116

we should not be quick to judge a prophecy as inaccurate simply

on the basis of insignificant points.
Humility and Accountability. Since all the ministers
prophecies are fallible and subject to making mistakes, our best strategy is
cultivate a spirit of humility while ministering that invites
research and correction.
We must also maintain accountability relationships with a
spiritual supervisor and with other leaders in the body of Christ.
All personal prophecies in the CI - NPM conferences are
recorded. In this way, the person who prophesies can remain
accounting for what was said, and the people who listen to the prophecy can
stay with 'accountability' of misinterpreting it, applying it wrong or
fail to remember correctly what they heard.
Additionally, wherever CI - NPM members minister outside
from their own Church or organization, they are asked to make an evaluation of
president minister or the host minister of the place. This form
confidential is sent directly to the network bishop for review.
We believe that these two methods contribute to having an effective system
of accountability to address inaccurate words.
Tracking Apparently Inaccurate Words.
appropriate follow-up to an inaccurate word largely depends on
time, the place, and the context in which the word was given. If it was given, for example,
In a local church, proper follow-up should involve the elders.
to the prophetic minister and his spiritual supervisor, and to the person who
receive the prophecy.
If the audience that heard the inaccurate word was local rather than at a national level.

national, there is no reason for national follow-up when it is given

follow-up on the incident. But if the word was published nationally in
printed medium or in a broadcast there is a need for there to be a
public tracking with the same audience.
PROPHETS: TRAPS AND PRINCIPLES Page 117

1. What is the reason? The reason for providing this follow-up must be
examined. It is necessary for the prophecy to be followed up to help
the person who received it. If the prophecy results in confusion or doubt, it must
then give counseling.
On the other hand, there may be other and less useful reasons. For example,
Is someone just trying to prove to the prophet that he was far from the
white?
The scripture says: 'Do not admit an accusation against an elder except with two'

"or three witnesses" (1 Tim. 5:19). This is done for the protection of leaders.
who can be with false reports. We must be cautious about
to receive a very quick accusation against personal sexual morals or the
financial integrity; in the same way, we must avoid slandering the
ministry of someone declaring that he or she has given a false prophecy
when the facts do not provide absolute substance to the accusation. And even when they
he has checked an inaccurate word, mature believers must give it to him
follow-up, those who understand that God's purpose for discipline is
redeeming and conciliatory.
If an inaccurate prophecy is publicly addressed in a local Church, to
the congregation must be provided with a balanced perspective that places the
word in the entire context of the prophet's ministry. If the people are told
about the exact prophecies and the quality of the ministry that is taking place
additionally to the inaccurate word, some will be prevented from developing
an attitude of distrust towards a true prophet of God.

2. What to Say About Prophecies that Seems to Contradict Each Other

Another? When we see the messianic prophecies of the Old Testament,
we can understand why the people of God may have been
confused or doubtful about some of them. Some of the words
What prophesy the life and ministry of Jesus seems on the surface to be
contradictory or even mutually exclusive.
PROPHETS: TRAPS AND PRINCIPLES Page 118

For example, the prophet Micah said that the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem.

(Micah 5:2), however, the prophet Isaiah said that his light would shine in Galilee
of the Gentiles (Is. 9:1,2). Additionally, the prophet Hosea predicted that the Son
Out of Egypt I called my son (Hosea 11:1).
The resulting confusion led some people to doubt Messianism.
of Jesus (John 7:41-43). Which of these prophecies was true?
As it turned out, of course, all of them were genuine prophecies.
fulfilled by the life of Jesus. But only after everything happened was
clearly how these apparently contradictory words could all be
true.
Sometimes superficial facts seem to contradict accuracy.
of a prophecy or the validity of its fulfillment.
The Pharisees and theologians, for example, declared that Jesus could not be the
fulfillment of the prophecies concerning the true Prophet - Messiah,
because there were no prophecies about His birth and development in Nazareth
Galilee.
So the superficial information they knew led them to reject
to Jesus.
The hidden fact of the matter, however, is that He was actually born
in Bethlehem of Judea, which was in accordance with the messianic prophecies. Thus
that the presumption of the Pharisees and others led them to lose themselves.

fulfillment of the prophecy when it took place.

We have seen God judge prophets for giving prophecies
presumptuous. What then He will do to those who declared
Presumptuously, which true prophecies are false?
Suffering Servant or Conquering King? We can take a
second example of messianic prophecies. The prophet Isaiah said that the
Messiah would be a suffering servant, wounded, beaten, and killed for us (Is.
53:4-9). The prophet Daniel, however, saw the Messiah, whom he called the Son
of Man, coming in clouds of glory as Conqueror and Liberator. (Daniel
7:13-14). The apparent difference between these two figures of the Messiah led even
PROPHETS: TRAPS AND PRINCIPLES Page 119

more people to stumble in their understanding of Jesus. If the Messiah was to come
With power, how could Jesus be the Messiah?
Once again, as it turned out, both prophetic images are true.
But to fulfill them, the Messiah must come twice: the first time as
Suffering servant, the second as Conquering King. The mentality that the
The people in the days of Jesus foresaw that many would accept him because the
the reality about the Messiah was more complicated than they had
anticipated, even though the prophecy had predicted both comings of the Lord.
Take Patience in Seeking Progressive Personal Prophecies. I
I have testified about some who have been discouraged by their prophecies.
some who even more reject them, due to their apparent confusion,
contradiction or its partial fulfillment. To avoid such discouragement, we must
keep an important principle of prophetic proclamations in mind:
not all statements made within the same flow of words
prophecies will necessarily be fulfilled in the spoken order or within a
simple time frame.
Consider, for example, the flow of prophetic words from Isaiah about the
ministry of the Messiah, recorded in Isaiah 61:1-2.

The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me, he has
sent to preach good news to the afflicted, to bind up the
brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and to the
prisoners opening the jail to proclaim the year of good will
of the Lord, and the day of vengeance of our God...

Jesus read this prophecy aloud in the synagogue and declared that in Him
was fulfilling (see Luke 4:16-21).
However, Jesus did not quote the full flow of the prophecy. He really
stopped in the middle of the sentence, because the part of the prophecy that He was
fulfilling in his first coming, he paused at the phrase 'to proclaim the year of
the good will of Jehovah.” Even a subsequent portion of that prayer - “and the
PROPHETS: TRAPS AND PRINCIPLES Page 120

day of the vengeance of our God." It also applied to Him but it will not be
fulfilled only until the second coming of Christ as judge of the earth. Of this
even within a single sentence or prophecy, two events that are
set apart for thousands of years are predicted.
The Pharisees could have accused Jesus of not quoting and applying
adequately the Messianic prophecy according to its own rigid
interpretation and application of it. They could have easily said,
But what about 'the day of the vengeance of our God'? Why not
Did you mention that? We do not see your divine judgment pronounced over the world, and if

you are not completing all the statements of this prophecy together, then
it does not apply to you.
Now, knowing as we do that the second coming will bring the 'day
from the vengeance of our God" we can see that such an accusation by
part of the Pharisees would have reflected their own limited understanding and
experience of the prophetic process. They could have rejected the idea of
that the prophecy of Isaiah applied exactly to Jesus because they do not
Do you know the two thousand years that were between the two parts a sentence
simple prophetic.
The same was true for the flow of prophetic declarations that the
Angel Gabriel personally prophesied to Mary, the mother of Jesus:

And now, you will conceive in your womb, and you will give birth to a son, and you will call his name

name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the
The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David; and he will reign over the house of

Jacob forever and his Kingdom will have no end.

And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom, there will be no end.

Several of these statements, although all were spoken in the

the same occasion applies to a different time and season of fulfillment.
The prophetic word regarding the conception of Mary was fulfilled.
immediately. The word about the birth of Jesus took place more
PROPHETS: TRAPS AND PRINCIPLES Page 121

afternoon in the time and normal station of the nine months after the
conception. And the statements about the Eternal Kingdom of Jesus still
must be fulfilled.
With these examples in mind, we must remember that just as not
we must judge so quickly the prophecies as inaccurate, neither
we must hurry to judge them as contradictions. We could
simply not having enough information to make the judgment. The time and
Experience can be tested well, as they did with the messianic prophecies,
that the prophetic words only seemed to be contradictory. Those
what seem to be mutually exclusive now may well show themselves as such
complementary mismatches as God does things in his time.
Life has different seasons. Keep in mind that life
it has its seasons, and each one is unique. A prophecy may refer to
a certain station in a person's life, and another prophecy to another
station. So if a word, for example, talks about abundance
financial, while another predicts difficult times, these probably do not
they contradict each other, but rather describe different periods of time in the
future.
Also be careful to read the words a lot. Sometimes the
contradictions arise in our assumptions about what words
they say prophetic things, and not in what they truly say.
For example, a prophecy may say that a man has a calling to
to be a prophet, while saying that he has a shepherd's heart, and another says
that he will do evangelist work. Apart from the possibility that these three
ministries can take place at different stages of their life, we must
to note that having a 'shepherd's heart' is not the same as being called
to the office of pastor, nor "doing the work of an evangelist" is the same as being
called as an evangelist. If we assume that there are three different types of the call to

fivefold ministry has been prophesied to the same person, we could

to conclude that the prophecies contradict each other. But if we pay attention
PROPHETS: TRAPS AND PRINCIPLES Page 122

close attention to what was exactly said, the apparent contradictions

they disappear.
For example, if I had received several prophecies from people
different when I was a teenager, and each prophecy would have described an aspect
different from the various ministries that I have had during the following
forty years, I could have gotten confused or thought that the prophets were
they contradict each other.
One could have prophesied that I would be a pastor, another; that I would teach,
another, that I would be a prophet; and another, that I would do an apostolic work. I would have

received words about having a traveling ministry and ministering in a

place, about financial losses and financial prosperity, and thus there would have been
followed.
At that age and stage of my life, I would have shouted confused: What is
the ministry to which I have been called? Will I have a local or worldwide ministry?
Will I be popular or will I be pursued, limited in my resources or blessed?
financially?
However, all these prophetic words could have been
exact in describing a season of my life or another. I was a pastor for six years
and a teacher at the Bible College for five years. I have done the apostolic work
to found and build the Christian International College and the Network of Ministers
Prophetic. Meanwhile, throughout my entire ministerial life I have
functioned as a prophet.
If you receive several prophecies that seem confusing and contradictory,
Do not get discouraged or throw away your preferences. Just allow time and the
life experience test its accuracy.

3. Is the prophecy normally made according to experiences?

Humans? Christ was the fulfillment of hundreds of prophecies of the New
Will. But still men and women in their natural understanding of
These prophecies found it difficult to accept Him as the Messiah (John 6:41; 10:24).
For this reason, we must conclude that a natural mind alone is not
PROPHETS: TRAPS AND PRINCIPLES Page 123

sufficient to determine when a prophecy has been fulfilled. We must

to have a divine spirit of revelation - just as we must discern
correctly the meaning of the Scripture.
Take another biblical example. The writers of the New Testament
they declared by the spirit of revelation that certain prophecies of the Old
Testament was fulfilled by events that sometimes merely contradict.
natural understanding and circumstances.
The first Pentecost gives us an illustration that helps.
Pedro spoke by revelation when he described that day as an event
spoken by the prophet Joel in relation to the outpouring of the Holy Spirit
(Acts 2:16), meanwhile, those without the revelation saw the same event
And they asked, "What does this mean? (vv. 12,13). This was a historical event.
unprecedented, that fulfilled prophecies - but many did not perceive their
importance and thus they lost their benefits.
The prophet Isaiah predicted the destruction of Israel, saying that through
the invasion of Babylon God would speak with judgment to his people in tongue of
stammerers, and in a foreign language he will speak to this people" (Is. 28:11). This of

fact had a literal fulfillment in history. Although it took the prophecy and the
he applied to describe the gift of tongues given by the Holy Spirit to the Church (1
Co. 14:21). Although the Apostle's prophecy may seem to the natural mind
out of context and incorrect hermeneutics, still we must accept
its interpretation as valid and divinely revealed because it is part of the
Writings of the New Testament.
A Personal Example. On a much smaller scale, my own life.
provides several clear illustrations of how prophecies often come to pass
another way different from the one we visualize ourselves. Once, by
For example, I went to minister prophecy, extending my faith for an assertion of
God will supply a desperate financial need. There were two days left.
for the payment of $40,000.00 to expire. An assertion in the prophecy
What I received said. 'I will supply your need, because denying you would be denying myself.'
PROPHETS: TRAPS AND PRINCIPLES Page 124

same.” So I went confessing that my financial need would be

satisfied. But it turned out that the payment was never made.
What happened? I told the Lord that He had not fulfilled His promise.
prophetic to me. God answered, 'Yes, I did. I covered the need that I promised.'
to prophetically cover through my servant. The problem is that you thought
that your greatest need was that payment. But I saw. an even greater need that
that money, and I have faithfully fulfilled that need.” He then illuminated my
lie so that I could see how great was the need that He satisfied that
night, and I learned again an old lesson: prophetic fulfillment does not come
always in accordance with our wishes and expectations.

4. Why does God allow false prophets to manifest and the

Prophecy? We could answer the question with a series of other questions,
whose answers are all the same: why does God allow false teachers?
and false teachings? Why these heresies and cults? Why are there
charlatans and impostors in the Church?
The biblical answer to these questions is that God allows a false ministry.
for several reasons. First, He allows the heart of His people to be tested:

When a prophet or a dreamer of dreams rises up among you and announces to you
sign or wonders, and if the sign or wonders that he announced to you comes true,
saying: let us go after foreign gods, which you did not know, and let us serve them; no
you shall not listen to the words of that prophet or to that dreamer of dreams, because
The Lord your God is testing you to know if you love the Lord your God.
God with all your heart and with all your soul.
Deuteronomio 13:1-3

These divine tests show whether the people of God will follow Him or will go away.
after a miracle maker that separates them from his commandments and his
will.
PROPHETS: TRAPS AND PRINCIPLES Page 125

Second, God allows falsehood to appear because the contrast between it

true and false provides an opportunity to discern the differences
clearly and that there are discussions among you, so that they can happen
manifestations among you that are approved (1 Cor. 11:19).
Third, God allows the false to rise up as a source of error and
deception for those who are dishonest: "And since they did not approve of having
In view of God, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do things
"that are not suitable" (Rom. 1:28).

Judgment and Separation: how much, God uses the false to bring judgment upon the
disobedient. Jeremiah tells us that in his days the false prophets had
multiplied in the midst of the people of God, leading them into error and taking them
to immorality. But they came to be a tool in the hands of God
to judge the wickedness of his people, because they falsely predicted peace
when indeed God planned the nation (see Jer. 23: 9-40).
Finally, God allows the false to appear among His people.
so that He can separate those who are committed to His
purposes of those who are curious about that which is
happening. You can be sure that when the religious leaders of
the days of Jesus rose up against Him, speaking falsely and
causing controversy, many who had followed him up to that point
simply to see the miracles consequently fell instead of
press to know for certain what was true. In a similar way, I
I believe that the controversy surrounding the prophetic ministry is now taking place
It sharpens in the days to come, because God never makes it easy for them to arrive.
present truths. Like Gideon's army, the group of 22,000 who
they have a heart that fades and are discouraged about the imbalance,
the extremes and the error will have a broad opportunity to 'go home' and
to give in to the whole movement because of the problem of a few.

5. How Can We Weigh and Test that a Word is True like this
How to Have Faith in the Word of the Lord and Believe His Prophets? When
PROPHETS: TRAPS AND PRINCIPLES Page 126

we strive to be faithful as well as responsible in responding to the prophecy

personal, sometimes we find ourselves in a dilemma. On one hand, the attitude
scriptural towards receiving the prophecy it is positive we are called to 'not
despise prophecies" (1 Thess. 5:20). We are encouraged to believe Him.
prophets of God for power (2 Chron. 20:20). And we have learned that the Word
Of God will not be beneficial if it is not 'mixed with faith' in our hearts.
when we received it (Acts 4:2).
On the other hand, the Scriptures warn us that not all words that
They say they come from God are truly inspired by the Holy Spirit. In the
verse that immediately follows Paul's exhortation not to despise
the prophecies, he warns, 'test all things' (1 Thes. 5:21). When the apostle asked him
reminds the Corinthians that everyone should prophesy he notes that their
words, however, will be judged (1 Cor. 14:31,29). We cannot
innocently assume that every pronouncement that claims authority
prophetic must be believed without being questioned.
A Difficult Dilemma. The dilemma intensifies when the word if is
true, call to action from the listener. For example in the Ancient
Testament, God once commanded a young prophet to go from Judah to Bethel and
prophesy against the altar dedicated to the false idols of King Jeroboam.
(1 Kings 13:1-32) Then, the Lord said, he should return by a different route.
different without stopping to eat or drink along the way.
However, an old prophet from Bethel met him on the road and said to him
he lied, saying that an angel had instructed him to tell the young prophet
that he would come to the old man's house for dinner. The young prophet believed that the word

was of God, he did what the old man told him - and died under God's judgment for
disobedience. His guilt destroyed him.
A Prophesied Famine. An opposite example comes from the New
Testament when the prophet Agabus prophesied in Antioch that the world
would suffer a drought and famine, the disciples of the Church who listened to the
They had an option: They could act upon the word in faith and obedience.
taking a gift of help to send to the Church in Judea. Or they could
PROPHETS: TRAPS AND PRINCIPLES Page 127

wait to see if the word truly happened and if it did, they

they would lose the opportunity to respond.
Apparently, these early believers from Antioch were
endowed with discernment and had a corporate testimony both from Agabus
as from his prediction. They moved in faith according to the word that was spoken to him,
and the prophecy was indeed fulfilled (Acts 11:27-30).
A Great Wave in Florida. To take a more recent example at the end
In 1970, a woman prophesied that the nation of Guatemala would suffer an earthquake.
It happened just as she had predicted. So when a little later
she prophesied that the State of Florida would be flooded by a great wave in a
specific date, you will understand why some Christians were
apprehensive as the day approached. Since the previous word of the
the woman had been exact, they wondered Should I act on this
word and leave Florida?
A particular church was trying to obtain the mind of Christ
in the matter and I heard him say that there would not be a big wave. I reported this to the church,

And after the elders took counsel together, they decided to stay.
hello never arrived.

Two Precautions. What should we do in a similar situation? For

to avoid the deception of false prophecies, we can take two precautions. First
we can become educated and mature in the Scriptures and in the Spirit
to exercise discernment based on biblical truth and testimony
internal. There is simply no substitute for spiritual maturity and the
biblical understanding.
When we have a close relationship with Jesus, then we will know
the voice of the Pastor. Even if our words do not understand the prophetic Word,
our spirit will be able to accept it or reject it. We can learn to
to trust in the inner testimony of our own spirit, both with the prophecy
same as with the spirit of the one who is prophesying.
Jesus said that the sheep knows the voice of its shepherd and his sheep knows him.
voice. (John 10:1-16), but the sheep are not born knowing the voice of the shepherd.
PROPHETS: TRAPS AND PRINCIPLES Page 128

They learn to understand her through a continuous relationship of listening and

Respond to him. The same is true in our relationship with our pastor.
Second, we must be under the spiritual covering of an authority.
that can speak to our lives with authority and offer wise counsel about
from the prophecies received. Our pastor and other leaders can help us to
determine whether a prophecy is scriptural, accurate, and given in time.
Christians should not be timid, believing every word that
Anyone speaks in the name of the Lord. Doubtless, false ones will rise.
prophets telling some people to divorce their wives,
advising others to make disastrous or unethical business deals,
encouraging others to act in many unholy ways, yes we
We test the prophetic words by subjecting them to Scripture and to supervisors.
spiritual, God will not judge our response as a lack of faith; He will honor it.
as a wise obedience to its guidelines in Scripture.
Knowing that false prophets will appear, Christians must without
embargo, do not indulge themselves in skepticism or cynicism in such a way that
they still doubt the true words of the Lord. This attitude will only make them
doubtful and indecisive, stealing the promises of God from them (See Hebrews 3:18,19).

6. Will the person receiving a true prophetic word always have it?
A testimony in your spirit that it is accurate and comes from God?
The testimony of the Spirit to our spirit is a way of
to determine whether a prophetic pronouncement is from the Lord: "The spirit
The same bears witness to our spirit, that we are children of God” (Rom. 8:16).
However, it is probably the most subjective way to discern the
true prophecy since our testimony can be clouded by our
prejudices prior to our way of thinking, our knowledge
incorrect, or the inability to know what is in our own heart.
Everyone has blind spots.
The prophet Jeremiah said that the heart is deceitful above all.
things, so we have difficulty in knowing him truly. For this reason,
PROPHETS: TRAPS AND PRINCIPLES Page 129

we should not dismiss a word as inaccurate or incorrect simply

because we do not have testimony from her. (How to determine true testimony
in our spirit is covered in more detail in the first two
volumes of this series.
Elijah and Hazael. The prophet Elijah once prophesied to Hazael, a
military commander under King Ben-Hadad of Aram, who would one day burn
the cities of Israel and would commit horrible atrocities against their people,
such as murdering their children and opening the wombs of pregnant women.
Hazael responded to that with surprise, saying that he would never do such a thing. He
he did not feel capable of such degradation he did not think that such a thing could be in

his heart (see 2 Kings 8:7-15). Peter gave a similar reaction when Jesus
he gave him a personal prophecy telling him that he would deny him.

However, when Elisha also prophesied that Hazael would be the next
King of Aram, Hazael went to see King Ben-Hadad, who was seriously
sick and drowned him.
After this cruel murder, he actually became king and proceeded to
oppress the people of Israel throughout his reign as the prophet had said.
saying (2 Kings 13:22). Apparently, the murder was in the heart of
Hazael when Elisha prophesied to him, but he himself does not recognize that reality and
he thought that the prophet had spoken incorrectly. He was deceived by his
own heart and in this way was unable to testify a prophetic word
true.
We do not know our own hearts. One of
our CI - NPM members remember the word that was given to a man
about his need to root out a bitterness from his heart
forgiving someone. The man reacted sharply, insisting that he
he loved everyone and had nothing against anyone. However, when he took
counseling later with the prophetic minister, it turned out that he actually
had made several harsh judgments against various people and had not
forgiven. Although he thought he knew his own heart, he had not
PROPHETS: TRAPS AND PRINCIPLES Page 130

immediately recognized the problem, even though he had been confronted

directly with him.
I will never forget a time when I was prophesying in a local church.
a man whose pastor was standing directly behind him when I told him
ministered. When the word of the Lord began to deal with certain
problems with his character and temperament the man began to frown the
he frowned and shook his head, as if saying, "no, no, no." But at the same time,
his pastor was standing behind smiling and bowing his head, like
saying: 'yes, yes, yes'. The pastor knew that man's heart better than he did
man himself.

7. Is the Prophetic Ministry Always the Harsh Word of the Lord or Does It Contain
At times a mix of opinions, applications or Interpretations
Humans?
Both the biblical record and my experience with numerous ministers
prophets indicate that those who prophesy can sometimes mix the pure
word of the Lord with its own ideas. Only God is infallible. A
a possible scriptural explanation is the one we discussed earlier in the last trip of
Paul to Jerusalem and the prophetic warnings he received on the way.
On that journey, Paul told the elders of Ephesus" (Acts 20:22,23) in
this and in other passages (Rom. 15:25-31; Acts 19:21) Paul indicated that he believed
firmly that this journey and its consequences in Jerusalem were the will
of God for him, despite the adversities it would involve. However, the
The disciples in Tyre told Paul "through the Spirit" that he should not
make the journey (Acts 21:49.
What happened? Is it the same Holy Spirit that expresses a series of
opposite prophetic directions for the same person and situation? How
we reconcile Paul's statement that he was driven by the
"Spirit" to go to Jerusalem with the declaration of the disciples in Tyre.
warning him "through the Spirit" that he should not go?
PROPHETS: TRAPS AND PRINCIPLES Page 131

The Tests of God. We can suggest a couple of possible

solutions to the riddle. One could be that the Holy Spirit inspired the
disciples in Tyre told him not to go to Jerusalem as
a way to test your commitment to fulfill God's purposes
for him despite facing suffering, persecution, imprisonment, and death. From
There are biblical precedents that reveal the possibility that God does not give the
option to do less than what is the highest purpose for our life.
For example, God and Elijah wanted Elisha to receive and carry the
prophetic ministry of Elijah. But Elijah gave Elisha three options and
opportunities to stop the act of receiving the prophetic mantle. Jesus gave the
same option to the Twelve when other disciples began to leave Him; He said to them
I ask them, “Do you also want to go away?” (John 6:67). And Gideon went down
God's direction gave his 32,000 soldiers the opportunity to go home and
No to the battle. About 22,000 chose not to go that way with Gideon and with
God.
Numerous texts from the scriptures tell us that God tests, trials and
supervises the righteous. The first personal prophecy that Paul received after
his conversion declared that he would suffer great things for the cause of Christ and his
Church. So the disciples in Tyre could well have been instruments of
God to test Paul's dedication to fulfill his personal prophecy.
A Mixture of Words Inspired by God and Merely Words
Humans. Another explanation for the apparent contradiction between what Paul
heard from God and what the disciples in Tyre heard from God could
to consider oneself as an example of how words inspired by the Spirit and
Humanly inspired words could be intertwined in an expression.
prophetic. Perhaps what the disciples received through the Spirit was the
the same word that Paul and others had received about the imminent danger
for Paul in Jerusalem. Perhaps because of his love for Paul, the disciples
they had come to add to this word pure that was not (his companions of
he had already been urged in a similar way, Acts 21:11.
PROPHETS: TRAPS AND PRINCIPLES Page 132

Emotional involvement and personal desire are two circumstances

that often hinder the pure expression of prophecy. So it is
It is reasonable to imagine that the Christians of Tyre allowed their own...
natural emotions and their pursuits regarding the will of God for their
friend, they created an impure flow of the prophetic word.
For many years of giving countless personal prophecies and working with
numerous prophets, I have discovered that it is certainly possible that this
mix of human thoughts and divine thoughts is possible. Sometimes
Christians can feel something exactly in their spirits while
at the same time fail to receive a divine word of wisdom for interpretation
and properly applying what they are feeling requires days of experience
prophetic to gain maturity and spiritual wisdom to describe
correctly and properly apply our prophetic perceptions.
Contemporary Illustrations. To take a more recent example, I
I remember a situation in which one of our ministers prophesied to a
man about the reconciliation of someone close to him. The one who was
prophesying assumed it meant a reconciliation in the marriage of
man. He discovered later, however, that the word referred to about
from a relationship with this man's brother, who was in conflict with him
in a situation like that of Jacob and Esau.
The word was correct, but the prophet's presumption about his
the application was wrong. If the prophet had given an interpretation and
application based on his own thoughts, he would have given a mix of
human interpretation with daily revelation - thus diluting the
purity and accuracy of the prophetic word. This is a cause of what I
I call it "presumptuous prophecy."
On another occasion, a 'prophet in training' was praying for a
a woman who had just lost a child in an accident and was grieving
feeling guilty about that. The man who prophesied did not know about
from the tragedy, but he saw in the Spirit an image of an empty swing and the
mother looking at him with a sense of loss and pain. He then proceeded to
PROPHETS: TRAPS AND PRINCIPLES Page 133

to interpret the image by oneself, he said he believed the image meant

that the woman had lost her first love for Jesus and that God wanted her to
will return.
This man gave the correct revelation but the wrong interpretation,
and consequently his words failed to minister life to the woman. If
we should avoid those situations ourselves, we must always remember
when we prophesy we share exactly what we see or feel in the
Spirit without adding an interpretation or application of our own
thought.

8. Are the prophets divinely endowed by God to minister?

prophetically to anyone who comes before them to be
administered?
The prophet is one of the five ministries in which Christ has imparted a
particular function that dwells with the person (Eph. 4:11). The gifts of God
given freely, not lent for special occasions. The gifts of Christ
they simply empower the Human Spirit to operate within the
skills of Christ.
Pastors, for example, do not need a special anointing to preach each
Sunday; they simply plan to preach and share the truth that God
He puts in his heart. They are shepherds of their sheep twenty-four hours a day,
regardless of when the phone rings or what the need is. How
Pastors must be ready to minister 'in season and out of season.'
(2 Tim. 4:2).
Ministering by Faith. In the same way, the anointing of the prophet in him
morality can be taken from there through faith in Christ to give a word to
individuals in need - wherever and wherever they may be found. As
All ministers, the prophet must "according to the gift he has received" minister it.
to serve others.” As good stewards of the manifold Grace of
God
PROPHETS: TRAPS AND PRINCIPLES Page 134

Pablo tells us that if a man has the gift of "prophecy," it should be used according to the

"measure of faith" (Rom. 12:6). Each divine attribute and ability. Prophecy
included - is received, activated and administered by faith. So when someone
comes to a prophet needing ministry, the prophet can simply
prophesy by faith, trusting that the gift of Christ dwelling in him is available.
However, a novice in the prophetic ministry sees himself as
having more faith and prophetic ability than is real, the person can
probably make many presumptuous prophecies while trying to prophesy
by faith in their own gifts.
The Spirits of the Prophets Are Subject. At the same time 'the
the spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets” (1 Cor. 14:32).
The situation that prompted this comment was the need for the
prophets in Corinth will take turns speaking, but I believe it reveals the
general reality that the spirits of the prophets can be subjected to their
wills, both to restrict themselves and to activate.
If this is the case, then we need to avoid regulations
religious attempts regarding the prophetic word that seek to limit God. Some, for
for example, they proclaim that we can only prophesy if first
we have some particular feeling or a physical sensation. Others insist
that only five to ten people at most can receive ministry
prophetic in a certain service.
In fact, when I was ministered to by a prophetic presbytery in the
Bible College in 1953, nearly eighty students had fasted for three
days in preparation to receive a prophetic word. They and many others
Christians, hungry to hear the word of God, were present in the
meeting. Still, the prophetic ministry only called two people, they
ministered and then closed the service, feeling that the Holy Spirit had
finished despite the many who did not receive the ministry.
On the other hand, my experience and the experience of the prophetic ministers
what I have trained teaches us that we can trust in the gift of Christ
who dwells in us when we need him.
PROPHETS: TRAPS AND PRINCIPLES Page 135

I can prophesy about whom I lay my hands on due to the divine gift.
of the prophet - the Grace of God and faith flowing prophetically in this way.
Pablo said that we according to the measure of our faith. (Ro. 12:6). All
the prophets and prophetic people are not endowed in the same way, nor do they have
they have the same amount of faith to minister spiritual things.
When I was activated and sent for the first time to the prophetic ministry.
At the age of 17, I only had the faith to prophesy prophecies.
congregational. After a particular prophetic message was given to me
Next year, a greater anointing was activated in me. My exposure to the
personal prophecy increased my faith to prophesy to individuals from time to time
when. But my faith and my experience in the prophetic ministry were limited.
to minister with other prophetic ministers in prophetic presbyteries and
occasionally giving personal prophecies to individuals.
Almost a decade later, however, the sovereignty of God
He moved over me one night at a meeting and empowered me to prophesy.
personally to the eighty-five people present there. At that moment
I thought that would be the only experience of my life, but two weeks later
In another meeting, I prophesied to one hundred and fifty people. For the
next ten years that new understanding of the prophetic ministry me
it allowed faith and the ability to practice it, and in 1979 I began to train
others to do the same.
Try to explain in detail how he was able to prophesy by faith in
Any given moment is as difficult for me as trying to explain the
technicalities of how I am able to speak in my spirit prayer of tongues in
any place and at any time that I desire it (1 Cor. 14:14). I have no doubt
that not all prophets have had the same experience nor have they activated themselves.
in this type of prophetic flow. But the differences in the prophetic ministry do not
they make us either greater or lesser prophets or a prophetic people.
We are only what we are and do what we do by the grace of
God.
PROPHETS: TRAPS AND PRINCIPLES Page 136

(For further discussion on this topic, see pp. 66-76 of volume 2 in this )
series, prophets and Prophetic Movements.

9. Is it possible to prophesy a person's desire if the desire is in

Conflict with the Will of God for that Person's Life?
This question raises some difficult aspects, however, it must be
treaty. We can be troubled by the prospect that God sometimes
sometimes can do (or at least allow) a prophet to speak about it
fulfillment of someone's desire even when the fulfillment is not the best
for that person. However, the scriptures indicate that sometimes he does it
same.
We must first notice a more general principle in the Bible the
It's clear that the prophetic ministry is involved. God some
sometimes it gives us what we want, even when it is not the best for us. This
reality is evident in the parable of the prodigal son, where the father - who
the Father represents God - gives his son the inheritance prematurely, even
when the Father knows that he will cause the fall of his son (Luke 15:11-31). From the
in the same way we can now insist on having our inheritance from
God the Father before we mature enough to handle it
adequately.
We can also find examples of this truth in the
history of Israel. When the Israelites cried out for a king, God instructed
Samuel to anoint one for them, although it clearly was not his will (1
The Lord wanted to feed His people only with manna.
desert, however they continually complained and desired meat. So
that He gave them meat "until it came out of their noses" and they vomited it.
(Numbers 11: 4-34). And we have already discussed the example of Hezekiah, who
he pleaded and received an extension to the duration of his life - to the sadness of all
Israel (2 Kings 21:1-17).
Can a prophet really prophesy the fulfillment of a desire?
human who does not agree with the best of God? Isaiah apparently
PROPHETS: TRAPS AND PRINCIPLES Page 137

he did that to Hezekiah, like Moses with the meat for the Israelites. And the anointing
Samuel was made under the command of God in the authority of the prophetic office.
God made Moses prophesy quails in abundance, and to Samuel
prophesy the reign of Saul, however later, as
These prophecies were being fulfilled, He sent judgment upon those who
they received and acted upon these prophecies.
God Can Send a Deception. Two texts in the Scriptures are
especially puzzling, one from the Old Testament and one from the New.
God said to Ezekiel to tell the elders of Israel:

Speak to them and say: Thus says the Lord God: Any man
from the house of Israel who had set their idols in their heart, and
established the stumbling block of his wickedness before his face, and comes to the prophet,

I will answer the one who comes according to the multitude of his idols.
to take the house of Israel to heart, since they have all turned away
they of me for their idols.
Therefore, say to the house of Israel: Thus says the Lord God: Turn and
turn to your idols, and turn your face away from all your
abominations. For any man of the house of Israel, and of the
foreigners who reside in Israel, who would have separated themselves from following
me, and had set his idols in his heart, and established before his
he faces the stumble of his wickedness, and he comes to the prophet to ask about me,
I will answer you, Jehovah, for myself; and I will set my face against that one.
man, and I will set him as a sign and a warning, and I will cut him off from the midst of
my people, and you will know that I am Jehovah. And when the prophet is deceived
And I will speak a word, I Jehovah have deceived that prophet; and I will extend my hand

against him, and I will destroy him from the midst of my people Israel.

Ezequiel
14:4-9

The idols in the heart represent stubborn and selfish desires that
the people persist in seeking. The text of the Scriptures seems to indicate that
PROPHETS: TRAPS AND PRINCIPLES Page 138

those who voluntarily disobey God even though they seek ministry
prophetic can well take a word 'standing' their idolatries and
selfish desires rather than keeping the will of God.
In the New Testament, Paul says that those who 'refuse to love the'
for this reason God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe in the
"lie" (2 Thess. 2:11). Although Satan is the Father of lies, we
we find in this text an indication that God may sometimes that the
rebellious people, I heard a word that encourages them to believe the lie that already
man.
This also seems to be the implication of the prophetic image that the
the prophet Micah describes the wicked King Ahab. On that occasion, the king had
decided that he wanted to attack Ramoth-Gilead and was looking for prophets to give
some divine sanction to what he had already proposed in his heart to do.
Micah saw in a celestial vision God sending a spirit of deceit to
his mind prophesying that he should go ahead and make the military move
What he desired (1 Kings 22:19-23)
Prophetic Test. Sometimes a prophecy will test our heart.
to see if we would change to fulfill our own desires
selfish. We subconsciously conclude, 'This is what I want to
the prophecy means, so that if it is as I interpret it.
For example, once I met a pastor who received a word
prophetic statement that included a declaration about having a new ministry and
a new family.” The person who prophesied to him assumed that the word
it meant that the pastor's ministry and his family would experience a time
of spiritual renewal and in his relationships. But the pastor himself, who had
a romance with her adored female leader, went home, divorced her
wife, and he married the other woman saying that God confirmed what was already
in his/her heart.
Maybe the important thing for prophetic ministers to remember in
the light of this reality is that we must be careful not to speak beyond
those of us who feel in the Spirit. Only because we have a word of
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knowledge, for example about a couple's desire to get married or about the
hope of a pastor to have a new ministry there is no reason to
conclude that their desire is also the desire of God. We should
only confirm the desires of a person's heart when
we clearly hear from God that He has placed those desires in the heart of
the person.

10. What Wrong Reasons Should Prophets Be More Careful About

Avoiding in the Ministry?
I believe that Satan often tempts prophetic ministers to be
motivated by a desire to control as well as to gain personal profit.
Human beings are agents with free moral will, and while God gives
divine guidance and confirmation through the prophetic ministry, individuals
they are still responsible for making their own decisions without a spirit of
control or manipulation influence them. Christians should not resort to the
prophetic ministers to control every detail of your life and your ministry. From
another way they will become dependent on other human beings and on
prophecies more than depending on God.
Witchcraft and Manipulation. The spirit of domination or control is
will manifest at times through people who feel the right and the
responsibility to prophesy intricate details of others about with
who to marry, how to spend or invest money, where to move, and other decisions.
This usually happens when a person introduces themselves or
herself as spiritually spiritual to others, convincing the
"subordinates" that they need ongoing advice, guidance, and the...
prophetic perceptions of being 'superior' to be in the will of God.
Such dominion may involve a prophetic ministry in dictating
"orders" from God through prophecy, but it can also take other forms
ways that do not involve the prophetic ministry. For example, a pastor can
to lord over the flock, trying to make even the minor decisions
PROPHETS: TRAPS AND PRINCIPLES Page 140

Among Christian friends, an extreme mentoring relationship can come to

to the point that one person will not do anything without consulting the other.
Christians are vulnerable in this because the human race is
divided into leaders and followers. Those who have the personality profile
the leader is tempted to lead and control others by any means that
they have. Meanwhile, the followers are tempted to let the leaders take away
the responsibility of making decisions.
Of course, this type of unhealthy control is not true prophecy.
neither mentoring. It is more like witchcraft and under the guidance of spiritual authority and

the ministry.
To avoid being controlled by unscrupulous Christians who use
the prophecy as a means of manipulation, believers need to remember
that prophecy is only a means to determine the will of God in
their lives. God will also confirm His direction through the Scriptures, the peace of
Spirit, pastoral counsel, and providential circumstances. (See chap. 9
from Prophets and Personal Prophecy) to discover the many biblical ways
how we can personally know the word of God, the will and the
path for our lives.
From the perspective of the prophetic ministry, it is good to remember that
all prophetic words must be given with a spirit of humility and
freedom. Even when we have to administer correction, we
we must be low-profile and accessible, offering wise adjustments and suggestions
more than sending thunderous condemnations that can intimidate more than
redeem.
Ministering in a Local Church. When traveling ministers
they come to minister in a local Church, what authority and scope of the ministry
do they have in this context? Some people today are teaching
mistakenly that the prophets and the apostles have an authority that is
superior to the other ministries, concluding that when a prophet goes to the
Local church owes to him or her, in a sense allowing to take charge of the
Church. I heard of at least one local Church where a man came, claimed
PROPHETS: TRAPS AND PRINCIPLES Page 141

to be a prophet of God for the Church, and proceeded to control the life of the
congregation, dictating to them the structure of government of the Church, who should
being hired or fired, and changing the praise team. Indeed, the
replacement for the president pastor, who knew so little about the true
the role of a prophet, who agreed to this arrangement because the prophet had
"validated" his authority by ministering some exact words accompanied by
of health services.

This is a false vision of the authority of the prophet (or of the apostle) of
to allow some people to dominate, dictate, and control entire congregations. No
There is no doubt that the prophetic and apostolic ministries are ministries.
foundational (Ephesians 2:20), and God has anointed them in this way to help in
the foundation or restructuring of churches when they are invited to
do it. But keep in mind that the apostle Paul, even when writing to the
Corinthian Church, which I had sponsored, began its apostolic correction.
not that we lord it over your faith, but that
let us collaborate for your joy” (2 Cor. 1:24).
The prophets and apostles who are invited to minister in a
local congregation must remember that they are not invited to "lord" over the
Church, changing or fixing what they want. They are there to help and serve,
not to dominate or control.
I teach all our prophets and prophetic ministers to
responsible for giving the Word of the Lord to the pastor and his congregation. But
All words must be given under the coverage and approval of the pastor.
local. If they feel that the prophetic words lead to a correction or
radical direction, the words must be subjected to consideration of the
pastor before speaking publicly in front of the congregation.
This does not compromise the responsibility of the prophets to speak for
God does not merely make people complacent. God is the author of the
structure and the delegated authority. He never gets upset because a prophet
minister with and under established authorities.
PROPHETS: TRAPS AND PRINCIPLES Page 142

Use divine authority and ministry in a way that usurps the

Divinely established authority is not ethical. The 'M' of message and ministry.
they may be online, but if he or she undermines the authority of the Church, the 'M
"s" of method, modals, and maturity are out of order. There is a protocol
divine ministering the word of the Lord to the leadership in the local Church or in a
national ministry.
A "Government Measure". We also have to keep in mind
Pablo's additional comments to the Church of Corinth: "But we
we will glorify excessively, but according to the rule that God has given us
by measure, to reach also to you (2 Cor. 10:13).
In other words, Paul was saying that he had a measure of
government, of mandate, in its apostolic ministry, that this particular Church:
In this Church, he had the authority given by God to exercise his gifts.
to put things in order. On the other hand, there were other Churches in which
he did not have that authority.
The same is true in our prophetic ministry. We will go to some
Churches and we will find the open door to have authority to minister.
The leadership of the Church will welcome our prophetic ideas about the
needs and problems of the church because they recognize our gifts
in that area.
In other Churches, however, we are only invited to
introduce ideas to the people in the prophetic ministry, they do not want our
ideas about the Church, or they even don't want to know that we have ideas
about the Church. In such a situation, it would be inappropriate and unwise on the part of

to tell the pastor all the things about the Church that we
we feel they can be changed and need help. Still, it is going to be of
benefit for them, they will probably not be available to receive it
because they have not asked us for that purpose. We
we could deny being dictatorial and dominant.
Personal Gain. The true prophetic ministry will always glorify
to God in the life of the person who receives it. The Spirit of prophecy is the
PROPHETS: TRAPS AND PRINCIPLES Page 143

testimony of Jesus (Rev. 19:11) and the Holy Spirit was sent to glorify
Jesus (John 16:14).
One way to examine the fruit is to observe whether its prophecies tend to
promote oneself or one's own ministries. Some have used the
prophetic function to manipulate others to send them money. This is not
only self-promotion, it's on the verge of witchcraft and quackery.
God's judgment on such an evident misrepresentation of His Spirit will be
severe. The prophets must be trained by the Lord through the
circumstances of life to speak his word without thoughts of fear or
favoritism towards others - but nevertheless doing it with divine grace and
maturity.
Avoid the Appearance of Self-Service Words. The development
prophetic ministries would do well to refrain from giving words that seem to be from
auto - service. This especially applies to the area of money and donations. I
I was ministering once with a prophet to a woman who was rather wealthy.
I didn't know her, but the other people knew her very well.
I received that the Lord wanted this woman to sell a plot of land.
land and that the Lord would reveal to her what to do with the rental profits,
she responded that God had been dealing with her about a land that
I had received as an inheritance and that the word had been confirmation for
her. Sadly, when the other prophet laid hands on her and began to
to prophesy, he included in what he said that God would lead her to give a large part
money to a certain ministry with which she was related - this was, the one of
himself.
Another area of problems in which ministers can manipulate to
obtaining personal gain is in decisions about the membership of the
Church. Although it may be God's will for a person to leave the Church.
to which he currently attends and start attending another, to prophesy this can
seems to others a manipulation - especially if the Church to which it
is directing the person to join the prophetic ministry. This is
particularly the case because the reason why God makes the majority
PROPHETS: TRAPS AND PRINCIPLES Page 144

changing churches is to develop one's untapped potential

leader or as important financial support.
The prophetic principle to prophesy direction or correction, to give or receive
financially, it is to refrain from prophesying in these areas to whomsoever wants to
who you have natural knowledge of. Definitely do not prophesy any
word that would carry self-promotion or self-confirmation or that would give an advantage to

his own interests. I don't know of any prophet or apostle on earth that
can move in this type of prophecy without falling into self-deception and in the
prophecies with misguided motivation.

11. What Are the Proper Guidelines for Ministering Prophetic Words?
What about Romance and Marriages?
We must remember that the marital pact is a commitment for
life between two people who need to be initiated with mutual desire and
dedication - and not under the insistence or pressure of another's prophetic perception
Additionally, we must point out that it is too easy for
those who are close to the involved person are motivated by desires
and natural feelings, which can influence any word that
he/she/it gives itself.

For these reasons, it is simply wise to avoid prophesying a marriage.

specific 'companions for others'.
Many Christians believe that God has shown them who their partner will be.
This may be true, but if so, the Holy Spirit will have to reveal it to the
another person also before there can be unity and agreement
necessary for a solidly founded marriage. To tell the other party
"God told me that you would be my wife" only leads to pressure and confusion.
especially if the person listening to this statement is new to the Lord.
If joining is truly the will of God, it will happen without manipulation or
human schemes. The prophetic principle is that God always works in
both parties separately, and generally within the same timeframe,
PROPHETS: TRAPS AND PRINCIPLES Page 145

when He is the only one truly directing the desires and the
spiritual impressions of those involved.
"Deseones". A man from our team advised two women.
single women who both said that God had told them that they would get married
with the same well-known (and single) minister. A woman insisted that the
fundraising letters he received from his ministry office
they were personally addressed to her. She also claimed that once in
a meeting with thousands present, the particular minister saw it from the
platform with a "special look" that confirmed its conclusion.
The other woman firmly believed that the minister was communicating with her.
sending messages in code and implicit conversations through others
televangelists she regularly watched. (Of course, the member
One of our team members told her that the idea was absurd, but she refused to
create her). Although she had never had much more than to meet the minister,
shake his hand and talk to him. Obviously these women were so
caught up in their desire to marry, they had deceived themselves
believing that God had told them these things.
I like to call these concepts 'Desires' or a manufactured desire.
as Vision.
Occasionally, what can be called a 'marriage' may happen.
prophetic," in which God supernaturally speaks both to man and to
the woman about marrying each other. But those cases are
extremely strange, and even then God speaks clearly to both
involved parties.
Every charismatic or Pentecostal pastor I know who is single has
several young women in their Church who are convinced that God has
I told them that they would marry him. I began to shepherd when I was
nineteen years old and was single. Although the congregation only had sixty
members, no fewer than six young girls in the group were convinced to
through their 'wishes' that I was destined to be their husband. But the
the young woman from the congregation that I ended up marrying never tried to
PROPHETS: TRAPS AND PRINCIPLES Page 146

to initiate our romance and marriage through 'wants' or other guidelines

spiritual.
A member of our board of governors has served for years.
as a single pastor over a congregation of thousands of people. He could
to talk to you about the number of women who had arrived with you
rare ideas and strange behaviors all in the name of 'revelation'
"prophetic" or "God told me/God showed me".
On the other hand, two members of our board of governors had
sovereignly, supernaturally, Divinely and prophetically marriage
directed. I know these couples well, and I can affirm that they entered the
marriage simply because God spoke to each of them
independently and without the external influence of others who would prophesy to them.
However, they continued with the appropriate confirmation procedures.
your parents, pastoral advice, and confirmation from other credible sources.
You can say that truly prophetic marriages are
planned in the sky and realized on earth. But I have discovered that even
Marriages made in heaven can go through hell on earth because
a time until God brings them romantic love, truth, and maturity
in marriage. I would not encourage anyone to seek a marriage
prophetic. But if God sovereignly directs it and confirms it in this way, not
the theme then is to enter into this union. (See also chapter 8 in volume 1
from this series).

12. What are the Proper Guidelines for Ministering Prophecies to

Sick or the Dying in Relation to their Health?
The will of God is that everyone be saved and no one perish (1 Tim. 2:4).
However, in fact many perish every day without saving knowledge.
of Christ. We cannot force people to be saved, nor say that
they are saved simply because of the strong conviction that God wants
that they may be saved.
PROPHETS: TRAPS AND PRINCIPLES Page 147

Similarly, health for all ailments and diseases was

purchased by the thirty-nine wounds that Jesus received, and it is the will of
God heals all who are sick (Is. 53:3; Mt. 8:16,17). Even so, not
we can assume that any individual will be healed, nor prophesy the
the health of someone simply by our strong conviction that God
wants them to be healed. Only when we receive a prophetic word
specific health for a particular person we must prophesy it
health for that person. Healing can be a true word of logos,
but it may not be a rhema word that can be prophesied to that person
particularly on that particular occasion.
Additionally, the prophetic minister must have not only a
revelation of the disease, but also the power to minister healing. A
things are the other is limited and ineffective. (For further discussion of this
Subject, see chapter 4 of the first volume of this series, Prophets and Prophecy.
Personal.

13. Is there a normal timeframe for the prophecy to be fulfilled?

The word of the Lord to individual people - taken together as a whole to
measure that is progressively manifested over time through
multiple personal prophecies - normally requires for its complete
compliance with the context of the person's entire life and even their heritage
(descendants). It is rare for a prophecy about the calling of a person.
and from his ministry, may this be completed in weeks, months, or even years.
Examples of David, Joseph, Abraham, and Saul. The Biblical illustrations
The examples of this reality are numerous. For example, David was prophetically

identified and anointed as the next King of Israel while he was still
he was a young man watching over sheep (1 Sam. 16:1-13). Nevertheless, he did not ascend to the throne.

until the age of thirty, and the ultimate goal of his royal ministry was not
fulfilled but only many generations later, when Jesus his
descendant, born to take his throne forever. (Luke 1:30-33).
PROPHETS: TRAPS AND PRINCIPLES Page 148

José received prophetic dreams about his ministry and his position when
he was seventeen years old (Gen. 37:1-9). But it did not happen like that until he was thirty

years (Gn. 41:46).

The prophecy of Abraham to have a numerous offspring was given to him.
daddy when he was seventy-five years old (Gen. 21:5), but Isaac was born twenty-five
years later (Gen. 21:5) and the multitudes of descendants much later
Indeed. God's promise to give Abraham the land of Canaan was fulfilled.
centuries later through its inheritance, the people of Israel, under Joshua.
Saul, who came to be the Apostle Paul, received at the time of his conversion
personal a personal prophecy about his ministry of Ananias (Acts)
13:1,2). But he was not launched into his apostolic ministry until more than a
a decade later (Gal. 1:15-18; Acts 13:1-3).
These examples clearly show that God can take an entire...
life and even more to achieve his purposes in and through us. So
we should not be surprised if much of what has been prophesied
about a person has not yet been fulfilled. I have only known one.
a person who told me that all the personal prophecies she had
received had happened to her - and she died three weeks after she did
this statement. Only at the end of his life all the promises of God for
her wishes had been fulfilled.

[Link] All Personal Prophecies Reveal the Will of God For the
Whole Life of a Person?
Any personal prophecy shows only one piece of the
puzzle of God's will for a person's life. Paul said to
the Corinthians that we "prophesy in part" (1 Co. 13:8) so that a
personal prophecy should not be accepted as the 'final word' of the plan of
God is like a total vision of the life and ministry of the individual.
Abraham, for example, received eleven personal prophecies from God in the
cure of its 175 years of life. If we take them together, they revealed
progressively the purposes that are always expanding, of God for
PROPHETS: TRAPS AND PRINCIPLES Page 149

he and they provided a growing clarity to his calling and purpose (for
further discussion on this matter, see pages 145-149 of the first
volume of this series, Prophets and Personal Prophecy.
This also means that if on one occasion you give the prophetic word
What we receive does not touch on a particular matter, we cannot lead that.
The subject is not important to God. For example, if we are
waiting for a word about financial provision and instead we received
A word about God's priority on that occasion was to prepare us.
for the child more than to console us about the provision that He has planned. And
if God does not reveal any original sin we can only conclude
that His mercy has been extended over us a little more - not that He has
decided not to take into account or excuse our behavior (see Ex. 4:24).

15. What should the results of the prophetic ministry be?

The prophetic ministry can have many beneficial outcomes for
the Christians. Above all, prophecy builds the church by giving strength,
encouragement and comfort to the saints (1 Cor. 14:3, 12,26).

The prophets are foundational stones for building the local Church, and their
The ministry can assist with the structure of the government and the restructuring of
a congregation (Eph. 2:20). They can also present divine revelation.
to the local Church that will help you fulfill your mandate on earth before
of God. Along with the other five ministries, the prophets have been given to the
Church to equip believers for their own ministries and works of
service. (Eph. 4:11,12). In particular, the prophets can complete this
equipment function driving and acting individuals to their
ministries.
Avoid Roughness and Condemnation. In light of the redemptive function and
edifying that God has intended for the prophetic ministry, we must
avoid rudeness, judgment, critical words that will only condemn
those who receive them. For example, I remember an occasion when a
A prophet publicly declared to a young man that he had a 'mind
PROPHETS: TRAPS AND PRINCIPLES Page 150

"dirty" and that he was "full of wickedness," when the man began to
cry - probably out of humiliation - the prophet told him to be quiet and to
sentara.
Due to the attitude of the prophet was dominant and of judgment, the
the situation of the young man was worsened more than redeemed. The young man was so

hurt, ashamed and offended that he stopped going to church. So remember: it is

the kindness of God that leads people to repentance.

16. How Should Prophets and Prophetic Ministers Relate to the

Rest of the Body of Christ?
According to the instructions of the apostle Paul to the Corinthians, God has
established to the prophets in the Church to function alongside and in the midst of
other ministerial gifts (1 Co. 12:28). The Prophets should not be solitary or
consider themselves too holy to associate with 'normal' people.
They are the first of all the disciples of Jesus Christ, members
productive members of the Body of Christ, and therefore established endowed ministers in
the Church.
When we look at the Church of the New Testament in Antioch,
we found that the prophets and teachers were the first to relate
with the congregation. They were sent out on missionary journeys from the
Local church according to the guidance that God gave them (Acts 13:1). Afterward
From each trip, they returned to the local Church to report what had happened.
past and remain responsible.
Even the apostle Paul - who had been commissioned by the Lord himself
and had evidenced the signs of the apostolate through signs, wonders and
the establishment of new Churches - had a direct revelation from God of
that he had to be responsible in doctrinal matters to the elders of
Jerusalem. He knew that even a man or a woman of God can run in
empty if he or she ministers without having a relationship, responsibility and the testimony of

other leaders of the Church. (See Gal. 2:1, 2, 9).

PROPHETS: TRAPS AND PRINCIPLES Page 151

Dangerous Traps. Exclusivity and isolation are temptations and

there are still dangerous traps that prophets must avoid. The story of the
The church is full of sad examples of rebellious "lone ranger" prophets.
without the coverage of the Church those who opened themselves up to discouragement and

deception. For that reason, having true biblical responsibility is a

need for prophetic ministers.
Additionally, the prophetic words themselves must be recorded.
outside of the structures and is a scenario that allows responsibility - no
they must be accepted as valid unless the person giving them agrees to
record them and have them by mature prophetic ministers.

17. What is the Proper Protocol for Ministering Personal Prophecy in a

Public Place?
We must be careful when we minister publicly.
care and exercise wisdom when revealing the details of someone's life
person. It can be difficult to minister in a setting like this when the prophecy
it is addressing private matters that may embarrass the person who
receive the word or expose someone's sin.
Usually, we can choose terms that allow the person
to clearly understand that God is speaking without revealing specific things to the
who are around or sound critical and condemning. God normally
will entrust such corrective words to mature prophetic ministers who
they can deliver their message with the spirit of healing and restoration that God
desire. Prophets who long to prophesy judgment and 'tighten' others who are not
candidates for this type of ministry.
No Spiritual Gossip. Once I went to minister at a local church and
I prophesied about a particular man. In the middle of the prophecy, I realized
that God was revealing that man had a spirit and a lifestyle
homosexual, although even the pastor was not aware of it. Of course
that I did not say that specific revelation. Instead, I rebuked a spirit
PROPHETS: TRAPS AND PRINCIPLES Page 152

of filth and the man fell physically and was freed. Then I
continued prophesying as before.
We should not assume that we must share with everyone everything that God
tells us the secrets of other people's hearts so that we pray for
that or help them in some other way. But He will not continue to trust such
confidences to those who repeat everything they hear.
Confidentially Ministering. The prophecy that must be delivered
with specific private details must be administered confidentially. This
It is especially important when we minister to the Church or to the leaders.
nationals with authority. Since a prophetic word to a leader will affect
those under his leadership, the leader must be allowed to consider the word in
private and pray about its implementation before making it public. Without
embargo, even so these words must be recorded and the one who recites them must still
follow the right steps to receive and apply personal prophecy.
This means that every word given to a leader must be given privately,
since we see many scriptural examples of prophets prophesying
publicly to kings and leaders. In fact, the public prophetic ministry is
often given to affirm leaders in the eyes of the people and consecrate them
to have responsibilities in leadership. Apart from the words
corrective, the most common type of prophetic word that should be given to a
private leader is about a change in leadership.
The examples of Jehu and Saul. For example, Elijah instructed in a
gave an opportunity to a young prophet to go to General Jehu, anoint him as king and
he would give a personal prophecy - not in front of the other generals, but privately
in an inner chamber, then General Jehú himself came out and revealed,
when the others asked him, the word that the prophet had given about
of the new change in leadership (2 Kings 9:1-13). This incident establishes a
example for us; the prophet must give a word like this to the leader and
let him or her determine the time and place to implement the
word.
PROPHETS: TRAPS AND PRINCIPLES Page 153

When Samuel pronounced judgment on Saul for having failed in

to obey God, and to have prophesied an eventual change in the leadership of Israel,
the prophet gave the personal prophecy in a private setting. We know
that the meeting was private because later, Saul asked Samuel to worship.
publicly with him so that he would be honored before the elders (1
Samuel 15:13-31). Then Samuel went to the house of Jesse and gave him a prophecy.
I tell David in private, declaring that he would be the next king.
We have no indication as to whether the nation of Israel knew
ever the content of these prophecies during Saul's lifetime. If there had been
had it been so, they would almost certainly have conspired and taken action to
the prophecies would be fulfilled. Some Israelites would undoubtedly have overthrown
Saul, by killing him, dethroning him or manipulating him to leave power to
through prayer and prophecy.
That Samuel spoke this word prevented Saul from being.
immediately replaced by David. This was an important precaution.
since David was just a young boy at that moment and was not ready to
to assume the throne. The wise and mature prophets of now will imitate the example of
Samuel, practicing discretion in the delivery of such sensitive information.
Keep in mind that in this situation God's intention was not
hide Saul's sin. In fact, on numerous other occasions the Bible
registers that the Lord publicly exposed and judged the leaders through
prophetic words. But the backdrop of the words of judgment against Saul
they evidently served to achieve God's perfect timing to lift up the
young David to govern in the place of Saul.
Changes in the Leadership of the Local Church. This emphasis must be
held in mind, for example, when a prophet is ministering in a
local church and see that the president pastor is called to be an apostle with a
translocal ministry. God can still show the prophet who will be the next
pastor among the staff or leadership members. Probably the most
It would be wise in such a situation to share this privately with the president pastor.
for your consideration in prayer. - otherwise a pronouncement
PROPHETS: TRAPS AND PRINCIPLES Page 154

public prophetic in the matter could cause the congregation to be

insecure or still divided about the status of the Church's leadership. A
The word in private allows the president pastor to decide the yes and the when.
share the prophecy publicly.
Divine wisdom and discretion are necessary for ministering.
prophetically in circumstances like these. For this reason, a prophet
needs to be trained in leadership and protocol matters.

18. Should Prophetic Pronouncements Serve as the Sole Basis

To Determine Doctrine and Practices?
Order in the Church, doctrine, and practices in the New Testament
they were not only established for prophecy, visions, dreams, or the
personal experiences of an individual: 'No prophecy of Scripture is
of private interpretation” (2 P. 1:20).
The clearest example of the correct process for establishing doctrine and
practice is found in the book of Acts, there. Luke talks to us about the
Peter's vision and the experience concerning the Mosaic diet and the laws of the
circumcision and how these matters were judged by the Council of
Jerusalem. (See Acts 10; 11 and 15).
Pedro had a private revelation through a vision that the laws of
the diet, and the separation between Jews and Gentiles that they represented, not
there would be more to follow. This revelation was later confirmed by an experience
he was supernaturally taken to a place where the gentiles
they gathered, preached the gospel to them, and testified how the Holy Spirit saved them
full before their eyes although none of them had been first
converted two circumcised to Judaism.
A Council of the Church. When other believers challenged the notion
that the gentiles could enter the church without first going through the
circumcision and conversion to Judaism, the matter was brought before a
council of apostles and elders in Jerusalem, the Mother Church. There Peter gave
his testimony of what had happened: a vision, an angelic visitation and a
PROPHETS: TRAPS AND PRINCIPLES Page 155

sovereign movement of God among the Gentiles. Paul and Barnabas added their
testimony of how they had seen the Holy Spirit sovereignly know
to the Gentiles all the benefits of Christ without the need for the Mosaic law.
The issue was discussed and examined carefully in light of the
Scriptures (from the Old Testament). After the debate that 'with this
"the words of the prophets agree" (Acts 15:15) - that is to say, this new
doctrine and practice were in accordance with the Scriptures. Then one
The written statement of his conclusion was published in the Churches.
There is no Automatic Acceptance of Private Revelations. Despite the
high status of Peter in the primitive Church as one of the twelve more
close to Jesus, the Church did not automatically accept his private revelation and
personal experience as a new standard for doctrine and practice.
These supernatural experiences helped to open the eyes of the council and
as evidence of confirmation. But the matters still had to be
subjected to the wisest leadership of the Church to be discussed in the light of the
Scriptures. Only when this special council determined that the new
teaching was compatible with God's written revelation was incorporated into
body of established doctrines for the Church of the New Testament.
Now we must follow the example of the New Testament.
Our doctrine and our practice must not be established by revelations.
private or by experiences either. Doing that would be inviting error, that the
occultism and eccentric ideas will surface. This is how groups like the
Mormons and Christian Science began.

19. What are the Different Levels of Gifts and Anointings in the Sphere
Prophetic and are all those who prophesy considered prophets?
When Paul rhetorically asked the Corinthians, "Are all
prophets?” (1 Cor. 12:28), the answer was clearly “NO”. Even so, he also
he insisted in the same letter that we should all seek to prophesy (14:39) and
that we can all prophesy one by one (14:31).
PROPHETS: TRAPS AND PRINCIPLES Page 156

All believers can flow in the spirit of prophecy which comes

about a congregation or in the gift of prophecy, which is given to certain
believers. But clearly if everyone can prophesy, not everyone is.
prophets, then not all who prophesy are prophets. Even Saul, who
he was tormented by an evil spirit and who was certainly not a prophet,
however, he prophesied when he was among the prophets (1 Sam. 19:24).
The Prophets do not only prophesy. The prophets are not just
individuals who prophesy; they are one of the fivefold of Christ who
they hold government authority in the Church. In fact, prophesying can be
only a small portion of the ministry of some prophets. They
they can also be equipped to teach, shepherd, and administer.
Isaiah was a consultant for kings and rulers. Joseph administered a
international food distribution program. David ruled over everything
Israel led armies and had an anointed musical ministry. So the
the ministry of the prophet obviously cannot be limited to only
to prophesy.
Levels of Authority. Even among the prophets, there are differences in levels.
of authority. Those who have years of mature and proven ministry and
those who have gone through God's process of trials and maturity
they will have prophetic pronouncements of greater authority than 'the children of the

"prophets" who are new in the ministry.

Elijah, for example, moved with great authority shouting to the heavens and
asking for fire to come down: but at the same time he ministered, there were at least a hundred

prophets more whom Obadiah (governor of Ahab) had hidden in caves

to protect them from the wrath of Jezebel (1 Kings 18:4). Samuel was a leader
prophetic key in the history of Israel whose words never fell to the ground (1
Sam. 3:19) and gave his height and maturity he was the supervisor of a company
of the whole prophets (19:20).
Now God is also raising elders in the prophetic ministry.
who can be fathers and mothers to give birth and train many in
this movement of restoration of the Holy Spirit. These will be men and
PROPHETS: TRAPS AND PRINCIPLES Page 157

mature women in the ministry who can help us avoid the

excesses and imbalances of the immature prophetic ministry. They emphasize the
character as well as the gifts, and they will seek the face of God as well as His favor
his hand.