Prophetic Ministries Today

This interview between Pastor Ras Robinson and Prophet Kent Simpson took place in August of 1994. Its purpose is to familiarize pastors and lay persons with those who operate in the prophetic gifts. It is our desire to see the church allow freedom for the prophetically gifted to come into the congregations to minister to the saints.

The body of Christ has been instructed in the scriptures not to despise prophecy. Of all the gifts we are to pursue prophecy according to First Corinthians 14:1.

"Pursue love, and desire spiritual gifts, but especially that you may prophesy." 1 Corinthians 14:1

There are many questions about whether prophecy is really of God. How can we know it is of God? What do we do when we get a word from a prophetic minister? I hope you will find the answers to these and others question in the following interview.

PASTOR RAS: Brother Kent, I have a personal question I want to ask you. Through the years, I have received some awesome Words. I have recorded and kept them all. How do I discern or judge these words? What do I do to let my heart and mind receive these Words? Some of the Words I have gotten are so high and lofty, I mean, I know myself so how could I ever receive such a Word? How does a person judge a word that he receives?

PROPHET KENT: Okay, I will try not to burst your bubble. You say you have been given great, lofty even grandiose words pertaining to your future. Often we who are "seers" see something the Lord is going to do in someone’s life that seems so grand. They are often overwhelmed by their word. However, when the word begins to manifest and the Holy Spirit brings the word back to their remembrance they think "That’s it? That’s all there is? This is what the Holy Spirit was referring to?" Their mind pictured what was to happen as something very big and important. I am not saying that what actually happened was not big or important. I am saying that what is big or important to God sometimes does not equal what we think of as big or important. As I said earlier God’s thoughts are not our thoughts and His ways are not our ways. We do however, need to begin to see that God’s way is the best way for after all He is the very creator of the universe.

After Apostle Paul had his Damascus Road encounter he went to the desert for a time to be taught and prepared for his ministry by the Holy Spirit. When he emerged from the desert he met Ananias, a prophet, who prophesied to him that he would preach to the Jews, the Gentiles and Kings and that he would also suffer much in the name of the Lord. That is how he received his calling, from the prophecy given by Aninias. Paul probably thought, "Wow, I am going to preach to kings. I wonder how I will get there? Maybe I will go in a caravan of camels with my own entourage of servants. Perhaps the King will come to hear me preach in the synagogue." That is any way but how it happened. Paul preached to kings all right but he was in chains and imprisoned. Remember when Agabus took Paul’s belt and bound himself up with it. He then said that the person that the belt belonged to would have the same thing happen to him. The people cried out to Paul, "Don't go, don’t go." Paul replied, "I will do the will of the Lord for it is His will that I go." He knew that part of his calling was to suffer much in the name of the Lord. If he had not gone he would never have stood before King Aggripa. He was summoned by King Aggripa from prison to preach the Gospel of Christ to him. Paul’s road to the palace was paved with prison, chains, beatings and shipwreck. I am sure that Paul never thought he would fulfill the word he received from Aninias in this manner. The reason he was able to sing praises to God while he was chained in prison was because he knew he was in the perfect will Of God. He knew first hand that God’s grace is sufficient. It is better to never assume anything when you receive a word. Just be patient and wait on God to bring it to pass.