Document Text Contents
Page 2
Advanced Training for Prophetic Ministry
KRIS VALLOTTON
G
OF THE
PROPHETS
_Vallotton_SchoolProphets_NS_kf.indd 5 10/13/14 3:34 PM
Page 16
School of the Prophets
22
Come on, now, you’ll get your mom upset if you throw one
of those into the house!”
I heard snowballs hit the door as I slammed it behind me.
The smell of food cooking in the kitchen filled my senses,
while the heat from the woodstove warmed my frozen body.
“Hi, baby. How was your day?” I inquired as I made my
way into the kitchen.
“Good, honey,” she said, leaning over to give me a kiss,
her hands full of plates.
“I’m going to jump into the bathtub while you finish din-
ner,” I told her.
“I already filled the tub for you,” she said with a smile.
“Thank you, baby,” I remarked.
Frankly, I would have been surprised if she had not filled
the bathtub, as this was our tradition. She cooked dinner
while I soaked in the bathtub for an hour every night after
work. I would read my Bible and unwind from a grueling
day at the shop by relaxing in our old, claw-foot bathtub.
The bathroom was the only room in the house that locked,
so it became sort of a place of refuge when one of us needed
a break from the kids. When dinner was ready, I would get
out of the tub and we would eat together as a family. Then I
would play with the kids, and Kathy would get a break from
her long day with them.
I grabbed my Bible, its pages tattered from years of steam
from the tub, and carefully submerged myself in the hot water.
It felt like a thousand needles were poking my frozen feet and
legs as my body temperature slowly crept back to normal. As
the pain subsided, I read a couple familiar chapters from the
Bible, then I closed my eyes, praying silently for the things
that concerned my heart. There was nothing particularly
special about this night; it was just like any other time in the
tub. I read, I prayed, I contemplated, I meditated. . . . It was
_Vallotton_SchoolProphets_NS_kf.indd 22 10/13/14 3:34 PM
Page 17
Discovering Your Divine Call
23
never a particularly exciting or extraordinarily spiritual time.
Personally, I was not prone to mystical experiences or angelic
visitations; it was always just a peaceful experience of sensing
God’s goodness and enjoying a few quiet minutes to myself.
But suddenly, something astonishing happened. I heard a
strange noise, and I opened my eyes just in time to see Jesus
walk through the wall and stand in front of me! I sat up in
the tub with a sense of awe surging through my being like
electricity. I looked up into His face, and I could see the world
in His eyes. Then, to my surprise, He began to speak to me.
“I have called you to be a prophet to the nations. You
will speak before kings and queens. You will influence prime
ministers and presidents. I will open doors for you to talk to
mayors, governors, ambassadors and government officials all
around the world. You will be a father to many nations, and
you will guide many nations into prosperity, freedom and
peace. I will put My words in your mouth, and the nations
will know that there is a God in heaven who loves them, leads
them and guides the affairs of men!”
The vision lasted for about half an hour as Jesus told me
many other things that would happen in my life. I sat there
in the tub, speechless, my mind swirling with thoughts, while
my heart trembled with some sort of awesome fear, excite-
ment and wonder all mixed up into one tumultuous emotion.
Finally, the Lord turned His back toward me to leave the
room. Then He suddenly stopped, turned back around and
pointed right at me. He said in a serious tone, “History will
tell us if you believe Me!”
A moment later, He was gone.
I lay there for what seemed like an eternity, trying to process
what had just happened to me. My mind was at war with
itself, proposing a hundred unanswerable questions: I’m a
mechanic and a businessman; how can I be a prophet? I have
_Vallotton_SchoolProphets_NS_kf.indd 23 10/13/14 3:34 PM
Page 31
Discovering Your Divine Call
37
Eager Beavers
Another challenge I see facing the Church comes from what
I call “eager beavers.” Many church leaders, feeling pressure
to be in vogue with their peers, are eager beavers about pro-
moting people too soon. A renewed awareness that apostles
and prophets are such an important part of church govern-
ment has caused many spiritual leaders to promote people
unwisely and prematurely.
For example, I have watched leaders take the most pro-
phetic person in their environment and commission that
person as their “house prophet.” This is a mistake on many
levels. First of all, the gift of prophecy and the office of a
prophet are two completely separate things. We will discuss
the difference in more detail in chapter 5, but suffice to say
here that just because someone gives accurate prophecies,
that in no way means that the person is called to the office
of a prophet.
Prematurely installing someone in the office of a prophet
or prophetess is not only unhealthy for the person being
promoted; it can also be a devastating experience for the
congregation involved. As we emphasized when we talked
about Joseph’s story, between the promise and the palace
there should always be a process that is natural and necessary.
It is the process that prepares a person for promotion and
develops in him or her the character it takes and the skills
that are necessary to be successful in the palace, so to speak.
When we as leaders succumb to the pressure to stay spiri-
tually current, we may promote people unwisely, before they
have been through the process of preparation. That amounts
to setting them up for failure. The spiritual pressure of a
governmental office in the Body of Christ cannot be over-
emphasized. Although the weight of the fivefold ministry of
_Vallotton_SchoolProphets_NS_kf.indd 37 10/13/14 3:34 PM
Page 32
School of the Prophets
38
apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers is invis-
ible, it is not intangible. I have watched many inexperienced
and unprepared people—people who were genuinely called
to a fivefold office but were commissioned prematurely—
literally be destroyed by the very thing that they were des-
tined to become. Many of them became disillusioned and
left the ministry forever simply because their leaders did not
use wisdom in preparing these precious people for their God-
given purpose.
The apostle Paul emphasized this principle in his letter
to Timothy, when he said in reference to leadership, “These
men must also first be tested; then let them serve” (1 Timo-
thy 3:10). He also warned Timothy, “Do not lay hands upon
anyone too hastily and thereby share responsibility for the
sins of others” (1 Timothy 5:22). Although Paul’s subject
in these passages is not the commissioning of prophets, the
principles are still applicable. In fact, I would propose that
these principles are even more important in their application
to the fivefold ministry.
In the following chapters, we will look more closely at the
process that is necessary for the preparation of those who
are called to the office of a prophet or prophetess. Together,
we will discover the culture that wise leaders must create
to equip prophets and prophetesses for the challenges that
lie ahead of them. We will cover many of the subjects that
prophets and prophetesses need to master so that they can
successfully wear this profound mantle and fulfill their divine
mission. Ultimately, we want to see the office of the prophet
and prophetess fully restored to the Church in a way that
equips and prepares the saints to have a profound, positive
impact on every realm of society.
_Vallotton_SchoolProphets_NS_kf.indd 38 10/13/14 3:34 PM
Advanced Training for Prophetic Ministry
KRIS VALLOTTON
G
OF THE
PROPHETS
_Vallotton_SchoolProphets_NS_kf.indd 5 10/13/14 3:34 PM
Page 16
School of the Prophets
22
Come on, now, you’ll get your mom upset if you throw one
of those into the house!”
I heard snowballs hit the door as I slammed it behind me.
The smell of food cooking in the kitchen filled my senses,
while the heat from the woodstove warmed my frozen body.
“Hi, baby. How was your day?” I inquired as I made my
way into the kitchen.
“Good, honey,” she said, leaning over to give me a kiss,
her hands full of plates.
“I’m going to jump into the bathtub while you finish din-
ner,” I told her.
“I already filled the tub for you,” she said with a smile.
“Thank you, baby,” I remarked.
Frankly, I would have been surprised if she had not filled
the bathtub, as this was our tradition. She cooked dinner
while I soaked in the bathtub for an hour every night after
work. I would read my Bible and unwind from a grueling
day at the shop by relaxing in our old, claw-foot bathtub.
The bathroom was the only room in the house that locked,
so it became sort of a place of refuge when one of us needed
a break from the kids. When dinner was ready, I would get
out of the tub and we would eat together as a family. Then I
would play with the kids, and Kathy would get a break from
her long day with them.
I grabbed my Bible, its pages tattered from years of steam
from the tub, and carefully submerged myself in the hot water.
It felt like a thousand needles were poking my frozen feet and
legs as my body temperature slowly crept back to normal. As
the pain subsided, I read a couple familiar chapters from the
Bible, then I closed my eyes, praying silently for the things
that concerned my heart. There was nothing particularly
special about this night; it was just like any other time in the
tub. I read, I prayed, I contemplated, I meditated. . . . It was
_Vallotton_SchoolProphets_NS_kf.indd 22 10/13/14 3:34 PM
Page 17
Discovering Your Divine Call
23
never a particularly exciting or extraordinarily spiritual time.
Personally, I was not prone to mystical experiences or angelic
visitations; it was always just a peaceful experience of sensing
God’s goodness and enjoying a few quiet minutes to myself.
But suddenly, something astonishing happened. I heard a
strange noise, and I opened my eyes just in time to see Jesus
walk through the wall and stand in front of me! I sat up in
the tub with a sense of awe surging through my being like
electricity. I looked up into His face, and I could see the world
in His eyes. Then, to my surprise, He began to speak to me.
“I have called you to be a prophet to the nations. You
will speak before kings and queens. You will influence prime
ministers and presidents. I will open doors for you to talk to
mayors, governors, ambassadors and government officials all
around the world. You will be a father to many nations, and
you will guide many nations into prosperity, freedom and
peace. I will put My words in your mouth, and the nations
will know that there is a God in heaven who loves them, leads
them and guides the affairs of men!”
The vision lasted for about half an hour as Jesus told me
many other things that would happen in my life. I sat there
in the tub, speechless, my mind swirling with thoughts, while
my heart trembled with some sort of awesome fear, excite-
ment and wonder all mixed up into one tumultuous emotion.
Finally, the Lord turned His back toward me to leave the
room. Then He suddenly stopped, turned back around and
pointed right at me. He said in a serious tone, “History will
tell us if you believe Me!”
A moment later, He was gone.
I lay there for what seemed like an eternity, trying to process
what had just happened to me. My mind was at war with
itself, proposing a hundred unanswerable questions: I’m a
mechanic and a businessman; how can I be a prophet? I have
_Vallotton_SchoolProphets_NS_kf.indd 23 10/13/14 3:34 PM
Page 31
Discovering Your Divine Call
37
Eager Beavers
Another challenge I see facing the Church comes from what
I call “eager beavers.” Many church leaders, feeling pressure
to be in vogue with their peers, are eager beavers about pro-
moting people too soon. A renewed awareness that apostles
and prophets are such an important part of church govern-
ment has caused many spiritual leaders to promote people
unwisely and prematurely.
For example, I have watched leaders take the most pro-
phetic person in their environment and commission that
person as their “house prophet.” This is a mistake on many
levels. First of all, the gift of prophecy and the office of a
prophet are two completely separate things. We will discuss
the difference in more detail in chapter 5, but suffice to say
here that just because someone gives accurate prophecies,
that in no way means that the person is called to the office
of a prophet.
Prematurely installing someone in the office of a prophet
or prophetess is not only unhealthy for the person being
promoted; it can also be a devastating experience for the
congregation involved. As we emphasized when we talked
about Joseph’s story, between the promise and the palace
there should always be a process that is natural and necessary.
It is the process that prepares a person for promotion and
develops in him or her the character it takes and the skills
that are necessary to be successful in the palace, so to speak.
When we as leaders succumb to the pressure to stay spiri-
tually current, we may promote people unwisely, before they
have been through the process of preparation. That amounts
to setting them up for failure. The spiritual pressure of a
governmental office in the Body of Christ cannot be over-
emphasized. Although the weight of the fivefold ministry of
_Vallotton_SchoolProphets_NS_kf.indd 37 10/13/14 3:34 PM
Page 32
School of the Prophets
38
apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers is invis-
ible, it is not intangible. I have watched many inexperienced
and unprepared people—people who were genuinely called
to a fivefold office but were commissioned prematurely—
literally be destroyed by the very thing that they were des-
tined to become. Many of them became disillusioned and
left the ministry forever simply because their leaders did not
use wisdom in preparing these precious people for their God-
given purpose.
The apostle Paul emphasized this principle in his letter
to Timothy, when he said in reference to leadership, “These
men must also first be tested; then let them serve” (1 Timo-
thy 3:10). He also warned Timothy, “Do not lay hands upon
anyone too hastily and thereby share responsibility for the
sins of others” (1 Timothy 5:22). Although Paul’s subject
in these passages is not the commissioning of prophets, the
principles are still applicable. In fact, I would propose that
these principles are even more important in their application
to the fivefold ministry.
In the following chapters, we will look more closely at the
process that is necessary for the preparation of those who
are called to the office of a prophet or prophetess. Together,
we will discover the culture that wise leaders must create
to equip prophets and prophetesses for the challenges that
lie ahead of them. We will cover many of the subjects that
prophets and prophetesses need to master so that they can
successfully wear this profound mantle and fulfill their divine
mission. Ultimately, we want to see the office of the prophet
and prophetess fully restored to the Church in a way that
equips and prepares the saints to have a profound, positive
impact on every realm of society.
_Vallotton_SchoolProphets_NS_kf.indd 38 10/13/14 3:34 PM
