1. UNDERSTANDING PURPOSE AND PROCESS

Unless we understand these two zones of God’s operation we will fall into errors particularly quickly. The reason being we can emphasize purpose over process. This means we cultivate a theology which emphasizes the purposes of God over the process out of pure ignorance or mere lack of preparation. We understand the Revealed Purpose of God through Genesis 1, John 1 and Hebrews 1.

(i) Genesis 1: the Purpose of God in creation

(ii) John 1: The Purpose of God in Christ

(iii) Hebrews 1: The Purpose of the Son in God, how He reveals the Father.

(iv) Revelation 1: The Purpose of the Eternal Glorified, Exalted King

These specific aspects must be understood. They form a foundation for the process. The process exists because of the Fall of man and subsequently creation itself, which was UNDER the authority of man. These theological aspects must be embraced as we as prophetic people and ministers do not minister out of charisms but out of intelligent and well formed theology, which comes from the Bible, revealed by the Holy Spirit and assimilated by a mind renewed by the Spirit. We can go overboard on the experiential and spontaneous manifestations, either those from human or spiritual origin.

(i) Genesis 1: Purpose of God in Creation

The Purpose of God is regarding the a) Desire b) Design c) Destiny of Creation. Creation is not life before man, because man was the summit point of creation. The whole of heaven and all that is in the earth was created FOR MAN. We very often forget this, as today we seem to live as though we are at the mercy of nature itself. This is partly due to the transitional nature of this current earth. The whole of the Bible has one fulfilling aspect which belies God’s reasons for creation: to create a being with free will to be a companion and friend, who would be perfect as its Creator to offer fellowship. Unfortunately we know that the Fall came in the way for that purpose to have lasted till today. However, the prophetic, rather than seeing the fall as being a event which caught God and man unawares, does not escape the omniscience of God, rather DESPITE it, God redeems it with a multifaceted purpose which we will explore in this section.

Let us say that God’s purpose for creation is to provide all the conditions for fellowship to exist, and whilst the agents of evil try all their might to interrupt this aim, this objective, in all the affairs of men, throughout history, the earth and heavens pass away to make way once again through the complete redemptive work God Himself carried out in His Son.

3 Laws exist that 1 Corinthians 13 give as 3 ETERNAL ELEMENTS, which will always exist. FAITH, HOPE AND LOVE. And as we study His Word, as we live in the World, we will discern these 3 agents at work. We can see all of them present in creation, because faith always operates where love and hope are present. Vice versa for them all. They complement each other and they fulfil each other. These 3 are like 3 rivers that come out from the Throne like the 3 persons of the Godhead. So creation was to tie up these 3 threads throughout creation. They still flow today…and we to access this dimension we must come through the platform of covenant set by God Himself.

Once we grasp that the prophetic comes to inspire in every generation these 3 elements. It is not just the prophetic, but the prophetic has a unique understanding of these elements.

(ii) John 1: God’s purpose in His Son, Jesus Christ (Yeshua Mashiah)

The Fall in its far reaching effects and consequences, did not escape the Omniscience of God, nor His Purposes…God would have to redeem creation in Himself as Creation came out of Himself. He sent Jesus, as John profoundly describes…”The Word was made flesh and dwelt amongst us”. John captures the crystalline and celestial dimension of the Purpose of God! This is classic of those who are ushered into the prophetic dimension, as John was on the Isle of Patmos. We see in Revelation chapter 4 that John is invited into the heavenly realms, to understand the purposes and processes of eternity in the affairs of men. So we understand that this scripture that the Word of God, was wrapped in humanity, and was transformed from just words to being a life manifesting the character of God, and the power of God in a person, in immeasurable quantity and quality. The Desert Fathers, the Councils of Ephesus, Nicea, disputed the whole question in the formative years of the Church, the Person of Jesus Christ.

It seems that in those times error and heresy crept in, in the false prophets and teachers, who wanted to obscure what is a revelation fully displayed in Scripture and what can be attained, received by personal interaction with the same Person. The Gnostics were trying derail the true revelation plainly demonstrated by John the Apostle, by Peter the Apostle, by Paul the Apostle.

It is not by chance that the apostates, are those who come to undermine the APOSTOLIC DELIBERATIONS of the day, and they are those sent to oppose the demonstration of the didache. The didache, is the DOCTRINE OF THE LORD. This is not a study as we would know and associate, rather it is THEOLOGY IN ACTION. The prophetic can have a role in this, by the impartations and gifts that CONFIRM the truth of the doctrine revealed by God.

The clearest role for the Church is also found in Matthew, when Jesus says to PETER, “On this rock I will BUILD my Church.” The “Rock” is Christ, shown in all of scripture, the same ROCK that brings out rivers of spiritual, revelatory waters for every generation! That is what must shine in the Church, by the Lord, is the identity of Jesus Himself as the Purpose of the Father revealed in His Son, by connecting with humanity.