Ron Wood: You’ve never seen what a Prophet can do

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“You’ve never seen what a prophet can do!”
By Ron Wood
Aug 05

Those words sprung from my mouth without forethought as I walked alone through our apartment. Two things were going on at the same time: First, the Lord was speaking to me by the Spirit, reminding me of how weak and immature my own ministry was and of how much I had to grow. Second, I was hearing a conversation in my heart that had prophetic symbolism and significance to it.

Do you believe God shows things to prophets? Yes, He does! The Bible is filled with it. My life experiences and the experiences of many other prophets testify to it. I could tell you story after story of how God reveals mysteries, today.

In my spirit, I was in dialogue with someone discussing an issue and I was reproving them with the words “You’ve never seen what a prophet can do!” In my mind I imagined an encounter with an anonymous pastor. He was discounting the value of prophets, specifically, the value of having a prophet around and “messing with his stuff.” (Do you know what I mean? Prophets afflict the comfortable and comfort the afflicted. They never leave things like they found them.) In this conversation, he was dismissing the prophetic person with an attitude of, “Who needs them?”

He was saying, “They’re not good administrators. They don’t take care of the youth or carry a pastoral load. They don’t do anything the way I want them to. They never show up on time. Their ministry doesn’t generate income for the church. Why bother making room for misfits anyway? They’re always tearing something down or starting something new. What good are they?”

Unknowingly, by his words he had devalued the valuable, thus displaying a carnal, unbelieving attitude in his heart. Unfortunately, whatever attitude any leader carries is also the attitude he projects to his people. Before long everyone around them has the same attitude. This causes an inevitable devaluation of the things of the Spirit.

Yet the Lord has another viewpoint. The things men esteem, God despises and the things God esteems, carnal people disdain, especially the things of the Spirit. There is something so precious to the Lord about men and women of the Spirit—prophets—that of all the gifts and offices which He offers to the Church, this one is protected by a strict commandment: “Touch not my anointed and do my prophets no harm.”

God highly values prophets. Why? Because He values the dispersion they cause of the Spirit of God. They are carriers of grace. The Lord takes years to refine, humble, purify, test, and perfect His prophetic instruments. He says that He “rises early and sends them,” implying effort, care, and deliberate intention. They are not ordinary. They are not a cheap commodity. Failure to hear a prophet who is sent by the Lord is tantamount to missing “the day of your visitation.”

I’ve said often before, “I am nobody but I represent someone who is Somebody.” I am an agent of His kingdom. Jesus set the values and vision of His kingdom. I can describe them and deliver them, but I can’t alter them. To me, the message of the Lord is far more important than the messenger, so I take no stock in accolades or titles. But God takes notice of how we treat (or mistreat) His messengers. He watches to see whether His servants are received.