So the Story is over, the Narrative done. But I feel that it could he helpful, and maybe a little fun, if I end by adding a few personal reflections of my journey from Cockroaches and Barns to the Promise of the Sun …
And I’d love to conclude with a pithy one-liner on my long journey of learning, now basically done. Publishers like that you know. Only, God didn’t give me one!
This must be why He asked me to write a separate book—10 Things About Prophecy—which can be considered a companion to this book, but also check out The Foundations of the Kingdom! Just remove your socks first unless you want them knocked off for you! But do take a look!
Oh, there is so much more I’d love to share about my journey and maybe God will let me do that later. This however was the end of my main learning about prophecy—for sure, there’s always a surprise or two waiting around the corner—we are always learning but after this time I was not learning about prophecy as often as I was just using prophecy to accomplish his purposes daily, to follow him and achieve my assignment to lay the foundation for revival in the Philippine province of Bohol that was the main focus of my walk from here on.
If I eventually get to share that continuing journey there is much less prophecy but a lot more struggle. Are you ready to fight the witches? How can you be ready? Is there a school for that? A police academy for dealing with witch-warfare? Maybe we need to start one? But if I write more on my journey it certainly won’t be ‘How I Learned About Prophecy—Part Two,’ but more likely a part one of ‘How I Learned About Missions.’ I only wonder what the angel will ask me to name that one? ‘9 + Coconuts.’ Or maybe ‘7 – Chocolate Hills’ … or maybe just ‘28 living in a 3 bedroom house with six dogs and 7 cats’? Well, I probably need to work on my titles a little.
And please if you have any real insight on what I can interpret ‘8 + Splash’ as, I’d love to hear what you think! We do after all prophesy in part and know in part. And to reach the full stature of Christ we each must do our part!
What do I really Think about Prophecy?
But if I were to summarize prophecy or give my overview in a sentence, I’d share one verse, Amos 3:8. People often quote Amos 3:7—
“Surely the Lord God does nothing, unless He reveals His secret to His servants the prophets.”
But people don’t see any clear reason to bring up verse 3:8, but in fact this is the real insight behind prophecy—at least to me.
Prophesy is not first about us hearing, us needing or us seeking. It’s always first about Him speaking, him providing, him loving. Because in all things He surely was first. So all the attention belongs on him and this is Amos 3:8 …
“A lion roars! Who won’t get scared?!
God has spoken! Who can help themselves but prophesy!”
Prophecy is not first about us, our gifts, our callings, our mantles, our training, attitudes, positions in or outside of the church, our maturity, our experiences, our needs or our questions—none of that is first … Prophecy is first about God speaking—everything else is just … details.
What does God Himself think about Prophecy?
But I’ll finally end this book the same way I am ending 10 Things, by sharing what God told me his view of prophecy is.
God had asked me to host a Prophets Training School and in turn I asked him to give me the big picture, an overview of what he saw prophecy as—but he didn’t want to do that for a while. He had so much he wanted to say first—maybe he was also laying a foundation in my understanding beforehand so I could lay hold of what he wanted to say to me in reply to my question? But I kept asking—pestering him really, until he finally spoke:
“You want an overview of prophecy?” He said, “I speak to whomever or whatever I like … I fear NO MAN—
“Selah,” [He actually said that! He actually said, ‘Selah.’ So take a minute and ‘let that sink in a bit’ … and then He continued:]
“I AM GOD … I speak to whomever, whenever, about whatever I want—I am unbridled in my ability and choice of communication.
“How much do you have to say to someone? ‘Hi. How-are-ya? How’s the wife and kids? How’s work? How’s business? How’s the weather? …’
“Well, I have INFINITELY more to say—even though I choose my words as a master craftsman, YOU DO NOT FATHOM how much I speak, what I have to say, or what length I go to so as to get my message across—you, many of you, think I am stuck in between the pages of a book—but NO! Yeah, verily not the case with I AM—I am the very essence of Communication … of LIFE … of BEING …
“All that I have to say to you—in a day—
“You could not endure all I would send your way—
“You’d topple over and like a dead man would you lay—
“I would revive you with my word—
“My divine connection to your human level life—
“Edward, what would you like to say???”
Wow, well, I just like to tell it to people this way:
He is GOD:
He speaks to WHOMEVER he wants,
WHENEVER he wants,
through WHOMEVER he wants,
about WHATEVER he wants—
and THAT is prophecy, I say.
Let’s just try and keep it simple, if we may!
Is that OK? OK! … Then have a nice day!
~ The End ~
About the Author—
Edward “Eddie” Johnson is an equipper, a prophet and used to be a lawyer and university lecturer in Hong Kong until he got promoted! Now a missionary in the Philippines, he and his wonderful wife, Lilie Ann, are called to lay the foundation for revival in Bohol, Central Visayas, in the Philippines, as well as build a theme park, a new town and other development projects the Lord said are part of His blessings of restoration to the people there.
Jesus named their ministry Prayer Mountain calling their work in the Philippines: Prayer Mountain Bohol. Their main websites are www.prayermountainbohol.com and www.kingdom-foundations.com and www.40-days-in-heaven.com, among others.
Other Books from Edward Johnson include:
Foundations of the Kingdom—based on many conversations with Jesus about his Kingdom this book explains what Paul called the administration of the Gospel, keys to help us open and operate in his Kingdom: explaining the differences between the Gospel of Salvation and the Gospel of the Kingdom, Isaiah 61 as the model of our new life (as explained in Chapter 20 here in this book), the importance of ministering in a demonstration of the Spirit and power, of teaching revelation, of equipping the saints so each can do their part, and much, much more. www.kingdom-foundations.com
40 Days in Heaven—for which he was simply the editor as it is the true story of a man’s 40-day visitation to heaven over 100 years ago, which the Lord asked him to republish for a modern audience. On Amazon but the full text is on-line to read for free at www.40-days-in-heaven.com.
10 Things on Prophecy—as “8+Splash” is a narrative on ‘How he learned’ about prophecy ‘10 Things’ is a companion book on ‘What he learned’ about prophecy, both of which the Lord asked him to write.
Starquake—the working title for a sci-fi novel trilogy—think ‘Narnia meets Star Wars’ which is a three-book ‘hard science’ series the Lord also asked him to write.
Communion, Enjoying Spiritual Fellowship with the Holy Spirit—is one section of Foundations of the Kingdom expanded into a short book, of which the First Edition is already on Amazon.
… and more … and also more to come!
