PROPHECY UNFULFILLED
“…Thus says the Lord: ‘Set your house in order, for you shall die and not live.'” Isa 38:1 NKJV
When do you want prophecy to be unfulfilled, or even vacated – brought to nothing, made invalid, a judgment legally thrown out of court? Does God do that? What role do we play?
THE REALITY OF THE FUTURE
…and He will tell you things to come. John 16:14 NKJV
First of all, we must understand the nature of tomorrow, the future. Under the overarching kingdom of God, the limits are set on mans reign on earth. There was a fullness of time preordained of God, and under His sovereign control alone, for when Messiah came, and there is as well for the future when He will come again and roll up the scroll of history. But within those parameters, the fate, the future of individuals, families and nations is very pliable, and even open to moment by moment direction shifting decisions.
Consider the reality of what happens when an individual decides to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. In a moment of time, their future is changed forever, irrevocably, from hell to Heaven through receiving the gift of eternal life. The dear one makes, perhaps even unknowingly, a decision about their future that effects eternity. Think about that!
We ask, what role do I play in determining the future? If I can make a decision that determines my eternal destiny, can I make decisions that determine – not ‘hope for’ but determine – what happens tomorrow, next week, next year? Yes! It’s a bit complicated, but if you can do the greater – from death to life, eternal life, you can do the lesser – determine what happens, and when, in your day to day life. Partnering with God in your decisions is key!
Look at the decision Elijah makes, and the decree he brings forth.
And Elijah the Tishbite, of the inhabitants of Gilead, said to Ahab, “As the Lord God of Israel lives, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, except at my word.” 1 Kings 17:1 NKJV
And that’s what happened! Do you see it? Just as the New outshines the Old, you have a greater standing before God than even Elijah enjoyed. Elijah saw himself as equal to the king, which he was in spiritual authority over the nation, but we are joint-heirs with the King of kings!
THE NATURE OF PROPHECY
Now let’s consider the nature of prophecy. Is all prophecy irrevocable, set in stone, fixed for all eternity? Some certainly is…but not all. Isaiah’s prophecy was the declared judgment of God. But Hezekiah so positioned himself that mercy could triumph over judgment, and Isaiah’s prophecy, happily for all, was vacated.
Dutch Sheets described prophetic words as God saying ‘this is what is possible, or available to you.’ What we believe, what we choose, what we determine to happen can happen according to our faith. Many times you must be defiant of the circumstances, with steel in your soul, to choose to believe for what you know is right.
You shall not be afraid of the terror by night… Ps 91:5 NKJV
On August first of this year I got a prophecy of coming catastrophe in September. When I got that word, which I judged to be a valid warning from God, I went to war in prayer to overturn that thing. When we got the orders to evacuate our home immediately in the middle of the night on September 7th because of the imminent danger of wildfire, the first thing I did was to alert the intercessors. A platoon of intercessors went to war on their knees, as the winds and flames came down on our little community, decreeing the shield of faith. At one point our home was surrounded on three sides by fire within a half mile to a mile, but it came no further. Catastrophe, at least for us, vacated…
…’This far you may come, but no farther, and here your proud waves must stop!’ Job 38:11 NKJV
There is a statement in Amos to the effect that the Lord does nothing except that He first reveals it to His prophets (Amos 3:7). I think a case can be made that reality is under the old covenant, not the new. Today I think we can say that certain aspects of prophetic ministry are for all of God’s people which is much closer to Moses’ declaration of “Oh, that all the Lord’s people were prophets and that the Lord would put His Spirit upon them!” Num 11:29 NKJV. Your Father can give you revelation about the future, so that you avoid the plans of the enemy, and that you prosper even through the judgments of God.
With personal freedom comes personal responsibility, the right to make tough decisions and the courage to stand, defiant to the senses and submitted to God.
WARRING FOR YOUR VISION
And there were four leprous men at the entering in of the gate: and they said one to another, Why sit we here until we die? 2 Kings 7:3 KJV
It really is a choice. The four leprous men knew that the choices they would make right then would determine if they lived or died. With courage they chose to do the only thing that made sense, and through them, and Elisha’s faith, God wrought a great miracle for Israel. You live at the level you accept, not the level you desire. The moment you start to look up, and you start to choose that which is better, for yourself, your family, your nation, that’s when the future begins to change. The war for the future of my country, America, is engaged right now. What we choose as intercessors, as the people of God in our nation will determine our future.
Now the key to warring for your future is to partner with God in your decisions.
When the Word says that whatsoever we ask in prayer, we shall receive, the word for ask is really to be translated demand. A demand legally is ‘an insistent and preemptory (meaning that the rights conferred by the Kingdom of God supercede all other legal positions) request, made as if by right.’ You have an absolute right to every one of the promises of God. You can make a demand upon that right for that promise.
We have never been taught to DEMAND things from God. It is not arrogant to demand what is rightfully yours! In fact, it is almost insulting to God to beg and plead for every promise. If any of my children came to me and said, ‘Oh Father, PLEASE give me milk for my cereal!’ I would say to RM, ‘We better have this one checked out.’ No…they would just go and get the milk from the fridgerator. They would make a demand on our provision with perfect, almost unthinking confidence.
How do we partner with God in our decisions?
There are different wills of God. For instance, it was never God’s will for Israel to have a king. But Israel wanted a king! So, God gave them Saul, and it was His will that Saul be king. Saul was king by the will of God, but not by the perfect will of God, His best. Here is a key in partnership with God – determine what you REALLY want! Let me give you an example. Never ask God for a car! He could give you an old, ‘piece of junk,’ broken down car as an answer to your prayer, because all you asked for was a car. Tell Him exactly what you want, so He can answer your prayer specifically. Vague prayers get vacated!
…whatsoever…Mt 21:22
People say, Lord, what do You want? And the Lord replies, what do YOU want? Can you give Me an idea of what you are really talking about? Determine what you really want! Write it out specifically in detail, and say, Lord I have thought this through! This is clearly what I want.’ Personally, I’ve always done five-year plans with God.
Now when they had gone through Phrygia and the region of Galatia, they were forbidden by the Holy Spirit to preach the word in Asia. After they had come to Mysia, they tried to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit did not permit them. Acts 16:6-7 NKJV
Now, once you have done that, the Lord has a clear request from which He can add, subtract or modify, or in extreme circumstances, throw out completely, saying, ‘Go back, start over and try it this way this time.’ Remember, He rules and overrules.
HOPE IN DIRE STRAITS
On that night God appeared to Solomon, and said to him, “Ask! What shall I give you?” 2 Chron 1:7 NKJV
If you will approach your prayer times, the times you make demands, as negotiations over the specifics of the promises of God then you will grow closer to Him and learn His ways.
Abraham, the father of faith, negotiated the specifics of the release of Sodom from judgment. The judgment of Sodom could have been vacated if the city had met the requirement of ten righteous families. Think about that! The great father of faith had negotiated the release of that terrible city – mercy triumphing over judgment – but they could not meet even that minimal requirement.
What about your situation, the situation of your family, city or nation? Can you go before God, and pray down the mercy of God? Yes, you can, dear one…which can lead to the vacating of the judgments of God, in other words, ‘prophecy unfulfilled.’ Do you get it? Love you!
Remember dear ones, we must be about our Father’s business…