Communication

The Intervening, Interrupting Gift

by Terry Barlow
10/01/13
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Once I sat listening to an edifying recorded message by an articulate Bible teacher when suddenly he stopped midstream, seemed to shift gears, and began delivering a word of prophecy in a completely different mode of verbal expression. I had heard and studied about spiritual gifts and so I recognized this for what it was, but what I will never forget, though I don't remember the details of the prophetic word, was that these words that interrupted the teaching (he "interrupted" himself or, more accurately, allowed the Holy Spirit to interrupt him) actually penetrated into my heart to a realm the other words of the teaching, good as they were, couldn't begin to touch. From that moment I began to desire that I might exercise the spiritual gift of prophesy (I Corinthians 14) as I had experienced it there, because it brought such immense relief and clarity to me, even though I was not present in the gathering where it was originally delivered live. It was not live but it was 'live" if you know what I mean. Prophesy is not meant here in the canonical sense that the original prophets spoke and wrote. This teacher I heard was not a prophet in that sense, he was a mere modern day pastor and teacher of the Bible who, in being filled with The Holy Spirit in that moment, was privileged to express one of the Holy Spirit's very contemporary and practical gifts to help someone who would hear the recording in months to come, not to mention how it surely must have helped some of those immediately present in the meeting where he spoke. But even if it didn't ring any bells for those present, which I doubt, God knew that I would be listening to that recording in the near future.