PARTIAL "RETRACTION" OR "MODERATION" OF THE WORD JUST RELEASED CALLED, "DO NOT TOUCH YOUR BROTHER'S CALL" -- Word by Don Franklin

AN EXHORTATION AND INSTRUCTION BY STEVE SHULTZ, PUBLISHER THE ELIJAH LIST--regarding the above word.

Dear Elijah List,

I haven't had to do this before, but I want to issue an advisory, correction, moderation, or whatever would be the right word regarding the prophetic word I posted by Don Franklin called, "DO NOT TOUCH YOUR BROTHER'S CALL -- By Don Franklin

Let me first say that I believe, by and large this is a CORRECT WORD and it IS a prophetic word--mostly. We are truly not to touch what God is doing with our brother in many respects--for as the scripture says:

Rom 14:4 Who are you to judge someone else's servant? To his own master he stands or falls. And he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand.

I was contacted by several highly respected brothers with concern over this word--not so much the "content" of the word but the spirit of it.

We can all take some instruction here. . .

Before I get into the area of concern, let me explain how I process the words submitted to THE ELIJAH LIST:

I get at the very least, a hundred submissions for every word that actually gets published. I get a LOT of submissions and as a result, I'm not able to reply to each person who submits a word.

My process is that for many, if not most of the words, I file them either under "encouragement support" (where you write and build us up for the ministry and you pray for us), or I file submissions in "Words NOT to post."

The other main place I file submissions is a file with potential "words to post."

Of those put in that file (Words to Post), nearly 80% are also never published. The reason is, I often give myself time to discern and prayerfully consider each word. Some words have sat in that file for weeks or months until I felt it was "time" to release them. Others, after I've re-read them, ---I have concluded that "Well, this just doesn't have the Spirit or the prophetic importance that I'm looking for."

When I'm convinced I have a word to post, I will often simply post it when it "feels right"---And then there are words I THINK I want to post but am unsure. On those, I always take them to my wife who is very discerning (though she doesn't often THINK she is---she IS!). If she even has the slightest hesitation, I've learned that the answer is "No, don't post."

On this word (in question), because I think it was mainly of the Lord, I quickly re-read the first two thirds of it and concluded that I wanted to send it. I feel that this subject is very important and I agree that God is speaking in this hour that we are not to judge or come against our brother in areas of their call, ----unless of course, they are caught in sin---in which the scripture is clear that we ARE to go to our brother and restore him gently.

I did not take this word to my wife, because, having re-read the first part of it, I felt good about sending it. It was in the last part that I didn't re-read, where the problem occurs and that is where, I believe, the objection of these respected brothers came. I re-read it after being contacted by them and when I got to the end, I found myself saying, "Oh dear, I shouldn't have sent this word out."

What I am referring to is that the spirit in which the word was given--started out pretty good, but in the end of the article, it turned quite negative--especially as it related the heart of God.

If we are not careful, when we prophesy, if we allow the anger we feel toward the church or other brothers to surface (Possibly what happened here), then the word can contain "mixture"----mostly God but some of "us" in it. This is something I've taught at seminars as well.

The exhortation I've given before is that if you can't pray for with deep love in your heart TOWARD who you are prophesying to or about, then you shouldn't do it. Jesus never put "love" aside in order to speak. Of course, we often are not aware when some of "us" is getting into a word. That is why we are all being trained.

It is important to note that several have written this morning thanking me for this word, saying it set perfectly with them. They will now, no doubt, be a little surprised when I send this moderation to it. We are many and varied types of people in the Body so that could explain different reactions.

I want to always come from a place of love and compassion FROM THE LORD---TO THE BODY--even if the Word is a Word of judgment. As I've mentioned before, the one place in NT scripture where the Lord said He was about to spit out lukewarm Christians from His mouth---HE also ENDED with one of the greatest promises of reward in scripture---that those who OVERCAME this condition ...

Rev 3:21 21 To him who overcomes (Laodicia) , I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I overcame and sat down with my Father on his throne."

Now, to the area of concern. I recognize that not all of you will agree with me here (and that's ok, we can still be unified brothers) because some of you often write-- wanting me to submit harsher words to the church.

Here are the area(s) of this word that brought me the most concern after re-reading it:
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"Are you now in charge? Do you now determine how many licks each one gets? And when they're brought in and when they're put out, and when they're raised up and when they're lowered down?

You better be careful. I care not who you think you are, or how big you think you are, or what your name is. I have a Name that is above all names and I will not tolerate interference among my children.

Do not lift a hand against anyone. Do not move against their ministry. Do not spread tales about them behind their back. For I in turn will judge you and remove you quicker than you can blink an eye and you won't even know what hit you!"
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(there were perhaps a few other areas where the spirit was just not quite right, but this is the main area, in my view.)

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I know that brother Franklin has a significant prophetic gift and I don't want to detract from it at all. But we must all be accountable, and I encourage him to continue in his prophetic gifting. We must just be so careful to keep ourselves out of the revelation and keep only GOD IN IT.

I will email this to Don Franklin BEFORE I email it to all of you, in fairness to him. I want to encourage him to continue to prophesy and to speak to the Body. Once again, I believe he has the heart of the Father on the essence of this issue. If only more would be this concerned about our love for our brothers. Bless you DON for this. I thank you and the Body of Christ thanks you. We need to build one another up and I want to simply say that Don is a gifted prophetic voice and God is training him as we are also ALL being trained.

The scripture is clear, that when prophecy is given, we are ALL to judge it (not the person--the prophecy):

1 Cor 14:29 --"Two or three prophets should speak, and the others should weigh carefully what is said." (some versions say "pass judgment). This scripture would not be given except that many prophets were prophesying and some of the words needed to be judged and corrected---or judging a word would be unnecessary.

I bless you all in this and I hope it has been helpful and instructive. Feel free to use it as a teaching tool in your own classes on prophecy.

I apologize for not being as careful as I should have been in reading this word before sending it out. I pray that you are edified and built up by the "instruction" and I hope I am in a learning mode myself. And finally, as the title of the word says, which is SO TRUE . . .to stay right with God, "DO NOT TOUCH YOUR BROTHER'S CALL."

Blessings to all of you,

Steve Shultz, Publisher, THE ELIJAH LIST

Past posted words can be found through: http://www.elijahlist.com