Discovering the Kingdom is critical to healthy prophetic ministry. The Kingdom of God is the new lens through which we see and understand Gods message to the world today. When you understand the nature of the Kingdom it changes your perspective and worldview. There is a King on a throne and His name is Jesus. Through His sinless life, perfect death, glorious resurrection and triumphant ascension
For prophets this needs to inform the way that we approach prophetic ministry. I have defined eight kingdom core values that I want to inform the way I live:
1. Victory: I will not embrace a worldview that re-empowers a disempowered devil, for Jesus has already won the victory. I live on the offensive, not the defensive because I carry the Kingdom of a victorious saviour. My prophetic calling will inspire the generations and nations to live victoriously, even through suffering.
2. Hope: I will embrace a worldview of hope that confidently expects good things to happen, for Jesus Kingdom always brings promise, favour and destiny to those on whom it comes. I believe the last days are days of promise, not judgment – I will be a prophet who purveys hope and faith and not condemnation or judgment.
3. Legacy: I will embrace a worldview of heritage and legacy and will not tolerate any mindset that undermines my believing for a positive future for my childrens childrens children, for Jesus has empowered me to perpetuate His legacy in my family and in the Church. I will live to be a prophetic father who empowers others long after I am gone and multiplies ministry whenever I go.
4. Restoration: I will embrace a worldview of restoration for ruined cities, cultures and environments, because Jesus Kingdom will have dominion over all the earth. I will not limit my perspective to individual lives only, but to the fate of the planet itself for God has called me to make disciples of all nations. I will seek to be a prophetic voice not only of restoration in the church but reformation in the nations.
5. Goodness: I will not embrace a worldview or eschatology that undermines the absolute nature of the goodness of God, for Jesus has demonstrated what true love and goodness really looks like. My prophetic ministry will magnify Gods goodness because the cross and empty tomb are Gods final word on the nature of His character and the intentions of His heart towards us.
6. Celebration: I will embrace a worldview of celebration and thankfulness and refuse to allow the pessimistic spirit of the age to steer my heart or joy, for Jesus has already secured both! I will feed myself on good news, because what I behold I will become. I will be a prophetic mouthpiece of righteousness, peace and joy, for this is what the Kings Kingdom looks like.
7. Responsibility: I will take responsibility for my generation and believe God for his promises in my day, for Jesus has ushered the future into the present. I will not push the promises of God into a time zone that can’t be obtained in my generation and therefore takes away any responsibility I have to believe God for them in my lifetime. I will be a prophet who takes responsibility for building wisely, expecting much and loving well.
8. Mystery: I will allow room for mystery in my life, because the Kingdom has not yet fully come. I realise that what I don’t know can undermine what I do know, so I will choose to focus on the things revealed rather than the things concealed, because I know that God works out all things for my good. I will allow mystery to lead me to worship and not withdrawal, for God is my ever present help. I will be a prophet who helps others who suffer, lifts the broken and offers grace to the fallen.
Excerpt taken from Chapter 1 'New Creation Reality' in Developing Prophetic Culture.
For prophets this needs to inform the way that we approach prophetic ministry. I have defined eight kingdom core values that I want to inform the way I live:
1. Victory: I will not embrace a worldview that re-empowers a disempowered devil, for Jesus has already won the victory. I live on the offensive, not the defensive because I carry the Kingdom of a victorious saviour. My prophetic calling will inspire the generations and nations to live victoriously, even through suffering.
2. Hope: I will embrace a worldview of hope that confidently expects good things to happen, for Jesus Kingdom always brings promise, favour and destiny to those on whom it comes. I believe the last days are days of promise, not judgment – I will be a prophet who purveys hope and faith and not condemnation or judgment.
3. Legacy: I will embrace a worldview of heritage and legacy and will not tolerate any mindset that undermines my believing for a positive future for my childrens childrens children, for Jesus has empowered me to perpetuate His legacy in my family and in the Church. I will live to be a prophetic father who empowers others long after I am gone and multiplies ministry whenever I go.
4. Restoration: I will embrace a worldview of restoration for ruined cities, cultures and environments, because Jesus Kingdom will have dominion over all the earth. I will not limit my perspective to individual lives only, but to the fate of the planet itself for God has called me to make disciples of all nations. I will seek to be a prophetic voice not only of restoration in the church but reformation in the nations.
5. Goodness: I will not embrace a worldview or eschatology that undermines the absolute nature of the goodness of God, for Jesus has demonstrated what true love and goodness really looks like. My prophetic ministry will magnify Gods goodness because the cross and empty tomb are Gods final word on the nature of His character and the intentions of His heart towards us.
6. Celebration: I will embrace a worldview of celebration and thankfulness and refuse to allow the pessimistic spirit of the age to steer my heart or joy, for Jesus has already secured both! I will feed myself on good news, because what I behold I will become. I will be a prophetic mouthpiece of righteousness, peace and joy, for this is what the Kings Kingdom looks like.
7. Responsibility: I will take responsibility for my generation and believe God for his promises in my day, for Jesus has ushered the future into the present. I will not push the promises of God into a time zone that can’t be obtained in my generation and therefore takes away any responsibility I have to believe God for them in my lifetime. I will be a prophet who takes responsibility for building wisely, expecting much and loving well.
8. Mystery: I will allow room for mystery in my life, because the Kingdom has not yet fully come. I realise that what I don’t know can undermine what I do know, so I will choose to focus on the things revealed rather than the things concealed, because I know that God works out all things for my good. I will allow mystery to lead me to worship and not withdrawal, for God is my ever present help. I will be a prophet who helps others who suffer, lifts the broken and offers grace to the fallen.
Excerpt taken from Chapter 1 'New Creation Reality' in Developing Prophetic Culture.