PASTOR RAS: It has been my belief that when you receive a prophecy to believe it is from God it must be consistent with the scriptures and your knowledge of who God is. Should it be consistent with the way God usually operates in people’s lives and bears witness with your heart? Even if the word is hard to receive something inside the person should say, “Yea and amen.” Should you maybe get council from your presbytery or even your best friend? What is your viewpoint, do you agree with any of these questions?

PROPHET KENT: Well, that is a lot of questions. We could probably spend the rest of this interview discussing these three or four questions. I will, however, try to answer them in the order that you asked them.
In response to your first question, I have seen prophets limit the Holy Spirit in what He would say to a person because he, the prophet, did not want to step outside the bounds of just quoting scripture. If a prophet is just going to limit himself or herself to just quoting scripture he or she might as well quit right now. If that were the case anyone could read the Bible and give someone a word.

Please understand, I am not saying the Holy Spirit will never refer to the scriptures in the giving of a word but He is not bound to just the written word. If He were to tell a person that he was going to have a radio ministry in what chapter and verse would he find that written? However, a radio ministry would not go against the written word or God’s character. If you were to need to know from God whom to marry, where to go to school, what to buy or sell etc. what chapter and verse would give you the answer?

The Lord desires to give you personal direction for your life through the prophetic word. The Church has come to the place that it can now believe what is written from Genesis to Revelation. That is where the Full Gospel movement got its’ name. They believe that everything in the written word actually took place. The Lord is taking us from faith to faith. He is leading His church to the place that we can believe not only what was written but also what is being spoken today. God desires to have a personal relationship with each of us, to commune with us. How are we to be led by the Spirit if we are not willing to hear what he has to say to us today?

…the same spirit that gave us the inspired written words recorded in the Bible is the same spirit that gives inspired utterances to the prophets of today.

We tend to think of the book, the Bible, as the word of God, but Jesus is the Word (John I: 1 – 4). He can speak to you through the written word (Logo) or spoken word (Rhema). I do not mean to take away from the importance of the scriptures. The scriptures help you tune in your ear to the Lord, like a tuning fork. If you think you are going to hear God without reading the scriptures you are going to miss it because you do need the book. My point is this, the same spirit that gave us the inspired written words recorded in the Bible is the same spirit that gives inspired utterances to the prophets of today. A god that does not speak is a god that is dead. Our God is very much alive.

Our Lord has a distinctive character and personality. You learn of them in the scriptures. If you know His character and personality you will know if your word is of the Lord, for a word should always line up with them. God will often use the personality of the prophet to deliver the word but it should still line up with the character and precepts of the Lord. For example, Amos did not prophesy as eloquently as Isaiah did. Isaiah could make many of us appear to be illiterate. Amos on the other hand was just an old farm boy. His delivery may have sounded uneducated but it still had the fragrance and knowledge of God.

There are times when I have received a word I was not sure was truly from the Lord, but I did not throw it away. I simple put it on a shelf and waited. When it did not come to pass I did not go around telling everyone that the one who gave it was a false prophet. We must be willing to extend grace to those who are in the process of perfecting their gift. Remember were grace is given, grace is received.

You cannot judge prophecy with your mind. If the word given was prophetic…then it is in the future, it has not happened yet.

In reference to your second question, I have had people say, “No, that is not me. That is not where I’m going, how can that happen because it does not bear witness with my spirit?” Well, it did not bear witness with their head! You cannot judge prophecy with your mind. If the word given was prophetic (not a Word of Knowledge or a Word of Wisdom) then it is in the future, it has not happened yet. Of course, it may not bear witness with your spirit. Do you think it bore witness with David’s spirit when Nathan prophesied that because of his sin God would bring a sword upon his house? I don’t think so!
There usually is no evidence of any of the word taking place in your life at the time it is given because God has not begun to lead you in that direction. Often a person will try to be something he is not called to be. He is frustrated believing the Devil is hindering him from accomplishing what he believes God wants him to do. He may even have tried to bind the Devil from coming against him, when in actuality he was binding God. The Lord may have been trying to stop him from going in a direction He has not leading him. It could even be a good thing. But if God is not in it, it is dead works (Hebrews 6: 1). If this describes you, you may need to repent.

Finally, I want to address your last question. Should you receive counsel after receiving a word? As a boy Joseph had a dream that he would someday be a great man and that his whole family would bow at his feet. This was a prophetic dream. When he shared it with his brothers they became angry and plotted to get rid of him. We all know that Joseph found himself thrown into a well by his brothers. They did not believe Joseph’s dream but that did not keep it from coming to pass.

There are times when one may need to seek counsel and there are times when it is better to keep your word to yourself. The Bible says that Mary, Jesus’ mother, after hearing all that was told to the shepherds by the Angels of the Lord, kept those things and pondered them in her heart (Luke 2: 17 – 19). She knew if she were to share with everyone she met all the things the Lord had revealed to her before its’ appointed time they would think she was crazy.

I believe that it is very important to record every word I give because I need to be accountable for them. I find that most people cannot remember their word after they receive it. If there is any misunderstanding of the word they can go back and listen to it repeatedly. I do not think it is wise to let just any one listen to your word. They may want to take it apart, dissect it and give their own interpretation. This will only cause confusion and will not affect the outcome of the word what so ever. If it is of God no one can stop it from happening.

The purpose of seeking counsel after receiving a word usually is to judge the word. Paul said, “the spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets” (I Corinthians 14: 32). That would indicate that the best person to judge a prophecy is another prophet. To take a word of prophecy and give it to someone who neither operates in nor knows about the gift to judge is like trying to write your name with your foot. It is the wrong part of the body. It is not their calling. It works better if you use the correct member of the body.