The Prophetic Church

Christians chronically and desperately need prophecy, says award winning biblical scholar Luke Timothy Johnson. In this and every age, the church needs the bold proclamation of God's transforming vision to challenge its very human tendency toward expediency and self interest -- to jolt it into new insight and energy. For Johnson, the New Testament books Luke and Acts provide that much-needed jolt to conventional wisdom. To read Luke-Acts as a literary unit, he says, is to uncover a startling prophetic vision of Jesus and the church -- one that imagines a reality very different from the one humans would construct on their own. Johnson identifies in Luke's writings an ongoing call for today's church, grounded in the prophetic ministry of Jesus Christ, to embody and enact God's vision for the world--from publisher's website.

Where have all the prophets gone? And why do preachers seem to shy away from prophetic witness? Astute preacher Leonora Tisdale considers these vexing questions while providing guidance and encouragement to pastors who want to recommit themselves to the task of prophetic witness. With a keen sensitivity to pastoral contexts, Tisdale's work is full of helpful suggestions and examples to help pastors structure and preach prophetic sermons, considered by many to be one of the most difficult tasks pastors are called to undertake.

Since 9/ll, the Jordanian Abu Muhammad al-Maqdisi (b. West Bank, 1959) has emerged as one of the most important radical Muslim thinkers alive today. While al-Maqdisi may not be a household name in the West, his influence amongst like-minded Muslims stretches across the world from Jordan - where he lives today - to Southeast Asia. His writings and teachings on Salafi Islam have inspired terrorists from Europe to the Middle East, including Abu Mus'ab al-Zarqawi, the former leader of al-Qa'ida in Iraq, and Ayman al-Zawahiri, Osama Bin Laden's successor as the head of al-Qa'ida Central. This groundbreaking book, which is the first comprehensive assessment of al-Maqdisi, his life, ideology, and influence, is based on his extensive writings and those of other jihadis, as well as on interviews that the author conducted with former jihadis, including al-Maqdisi himself. It is a serious and intense work of scholarship that uses this considerable archive to explain and interpret al-Maqdisi's particular brand of Salafism. More broadly, the book offers an alternative, insider perspective on the rise of radical Islam, with a particular focus on Salafi opposition movements in Saudi Arabia and Jordan.

R. Loren Sandford does not believe we will see revival sweep the Western world--despite the prayers of those longing for God to send it--without certain key elements. The goal of our pursuit in these crucial days, rather than seeking power, must be intimacy with God and oneness with his heart. In addition to biblical examples and practical application, Sandford shows readers how certain "lighthouse churches" are incorporating and cultivating these goals. The church of Jesus Christ, he says, can rise up to have a prophetic impact on cities and nations and become all that our Savior called us to be.

The gift of prophecy has always invited some degree of opposition and controversy. It is one of the most vivid displays of God's presence and power among his people. Many people struggle with the very concept of the validity of prophecy today. They are troubled by the possibility that God may have direct access to our minds. Greg Haslam argues that such concerns are misplaced. Following St Paul's injunction that we should be 'eager to prophesy' he considers how God speaks, and how we should hear him; how we can test and deliver a prophetic word; and how we can grow in confidence as we learn to discern what the Spirit is saying to the church.

Hearing the Heart of Heaven is an exploration of the Biblical prophetic gifts. Full of accessible teaching, practical tips and helpful examples, this book will help you develop your own personal prophetic culture. Comprised of three sections that examine prophetic definition, prophetic structure and prophetic character, it contains the following chapters: Divine Testimony

In The Prophetic Ministry, Rick Joyner provides a practical guidebook for the prophetic ministry. Refuse to settle for less than what God has for you! Get your questions answered and become activated in your prophetic ministry. Topics include: What is prophecy? Is it right to seek the prophetic? Do we really need prophecy today? How can we recognize counterfeit gifts of the Spirit?

In order for the Church to full its role in the end times, it must be prophetic. Declining to indulge in speculation about future events, the author instead, offers practical instruction on how the Body of Christ should be working as the day of the Lord's return approaches.