THE NEXT

SOPD IS
JUNE 15,
2013
TIME:
6 to10 PM
WHERE:
THE BOYS
& GIRLS
CLUB
560 N
Rupple Rd.
Fayetteville,
AR 72701
www.sopd.us
My own prophetic training and
background consisted of an
emphasis of speaking to people in
churches about the immediate and
personal areas of their lives and
the corporate life of the church
but that started to change and my
vista began to expand. I remember
one day in 1995 I rushed into the
mall in suburban Atlanta, eager to
get to the bookstore and buy a new
release. The book was written by
Robert McNamara, the Secretary
of Defense under Kennedy and
Johnson who was responsible for
the escalation of the Vietnam War
(McNamara died two months ago
at age 93). He played a formative
role in historic U.S. decisions but
he hadnt spoken much since
his retirement from government
service 25 years before. I had
seen him on TV interviews in the
previous month doing a publicity
tour for his new book, and sure
enough it was displayed in the
front of the store, easy to fnd and
marked as a NY Times bestseller.
As I paid the cashier I commented
Guest Author:
Scott Webster
You probably have sold a lot of
these, eh?
It was her response that really
stuck with me: Not many, we
actually sell more romance novels
and science fction. I think my jaw
dropped and I must have had a
look of shock on my face, I know
I certainly felt stunned though it
happened in 1995 it is still clear in
my mind because it was a part of
a process in my life of becoming
more aware of important historical
events, something that just seemed
to happen through an internal
desire to become more informed.
Its not that I was ever a great history
buff and I certainly have never been
accused of being an economist
THE SOPD REPORT
EMPOWERING PEOPLE TO HEAR AND OBEY THE VOICE OF GOD
WHAT DOES IT MEAN
TO BE PROPHETIC?
Page 2
my college classmates who suffered with me
through Economics 101 & 102, macro and micro,
could attest to my pointed disinterest and general
dullness in those matters.
In fact I havent thought of those classes in a long,
long time. They were required classes so several
hundred freshmen & sophomores gathered in a
large theatre style room with massive chalkboards.
The boards were built into the wall but they were
on tracks that allowed them to slide back and forth
and up and down to reveal another chalkboard
behind it. Our econ professor I think his name
was Bergstrom had an amazing penchant for
talking in a drone voice while he flled up frst
one chalkboard then the next, and just when you
thought he was fnally fnishing he slid the board
flled with scribble away to reveal a fresh one
ready for more of his hieroglyphics. I remember
it as agonizing and painfully boring, and consider
it a minor miracle that I escaped with a passing
grade.
Bergstrom had a scratchy looking beard and
wore the same suit to class every single day of the
semester; the only variance being sometimes it was
the full suit and others just a shirt and tie with the
suit pants. On the day of the fnal exam the class
took bets on whether he would be wearing the full
suit or just the pants, and while I cant remember
which it was I do recall that it was the same exact
suit and the class erupted in laughter when he
walked in and he had no idea why. Poor guy, Im
sure all economists and those who teach it are not
like him but he certainly ruined the subject for me
for a long time.
I happened to get born again just as I was fnishing
my degree program and I pretty much put aside
those studies and immersed myself with study of
the Bible. My worldview was totally focused on
the church and informed by my cultural norms, but
as I said sometime later something clicked inside
of me. I began thinking about things like political
decisions, leadership models, economic ideologies
and philosophies. The Word of God took on
a whole new level of understanding for me as I
began to realize that all the prophets had insight
into their wider environment, and to my shock I
discovered that they were used by God to speak
into political social and economic realities that
transcended the limited scope of the church which
had been my primary involvement and exposure.
I began to think about John the Baptist when he
told the tax collectors to moderate their demand
on the people, and the soldiers to not use their
military force to extract from the local populace.
John didnt go to college, did he? Doesnt it say
that he lived in the wilderness and ate locust and
honey? How did he know anything about tax
policy and international relations? The dam of
ignorance began to crack and new understanding
started to food my heart and mind. I looked at
Isaiah, who ministered to four kings of Israel and
pronounced woes to Ephraim and Jerusalem for
trusting in foreign alliances (Isaiah 28-31). This
was a prophet who looked into the ethics of how
nations inter-related and had an opinion from the
Lord about the matter. I suppose today he would
have some very clear insights regarding the EU
for example, or about the war in Afghanistan.
Hosea denounced the unethical and dishonest
practices of business people (Hosea 12:7), and he
most certainly would have some pointed prophetic
insights regarding the fnancial meltdown including
the structure of compensation for executives in the
banking and fnancial industry. Amos declared
the dispersion and then the restoration of Israel,
indicating there were geopolitical consequences
for sin. Today he might be anointed by God to
deal with immigration issues, and he would have
no problem correcting kings and presidents on
their policies.
Haggai dealt with a culture that was consumed
with its own economic interests and therefore
neglected the work of the Lord. The same Spirit
of God that spoke through all of these prophets
is emerging within the global Church in our day,
and we must become more informed and aware
of what is happening in the earth from Gods
perspective. A prophet is not a historian, but he
understands history from the mind and viewpoint
of God. They may not be an economist
Prayer to obey Gods word was
powerful at the May SOPD.
Page 3
nor even have pursued studies past the high school
level, but they can see into the economic realm as
a primary aspect of human life and understand
the requirements of God.
The Prophetic is Broadened
Every prescription for human life can be found in
the Word of God. He has a view on economics,
political ideologies, social systems everything.
When Amos declared that God would do nothing
except He frst reveals His secrets to prophets, He
was indicating that we have a right to go to God
and receive insight the broad scope of human life
(Amos 3:7). Being prophetic is enlarged beyond
the narrow confnes of church ministry (which is
necessary and appropriate but not the entirety
of prophetic operations), and it becomes flled
with correct insight into history, assessment of
ideology and an ability to evaluate our culture
by comparing it to the culture of the Kingdom of
God. When we understand this we begin to read
the Word of God differently, and realize that we
have a rich legacy of prophetic operations that
dramatically impacted society.
Abraham was given intelligence by God
regarding the social conditions existent in
Sodom & Gomorrah, and from a place of
prophetic accuracy petitioned God for the
destiny of those nations.
Moses had clear insight into the nature of
Egyptian political, economic and social
systems, from which he addressed the Prime
Minister and his primary advisors in a series
of diplomatic interactions. Moses prophetic
insights and radical obedience to God released
an entire nation from servitude, produced
reparations for 400 years of slavery, and
destroyed the dominant military force in the
earth at that time.
Josephs prophetic capacity produced an
accurate national economic forecast, and the
execution of an international food distribution
program that both prospered the host nation
and fed the surrounding region.
Elijah confronted the economic idolatry of
the agrarian driven economy of Israel by
governing the climate from the place of
powerful prayer that both opened and shut
the heavens based on the dictates of God,
affecting the GDP of Israel so drastically
that the king himself resorted to the chores
of a menial servant searching for grass for
his stable of horses. Elijah also judged the
king for collectivizing private property (and
means of production) belonging to Naboth,
and perverting the legal/justice system in the
process.
Daniel served multiple Babylonian kings
and counseled them about affairs of state,
the nature of empire, the requirements of
God among a heathen population, and the
timetables by which God would work with His
people and the nations of the earth.
Agabus received insight from God into a
futuristic natural disaster that provided time
for the apostolic company to arrange their
global fnancial interests in such a way as to
be prepared to care for those affected by the
famine.
Individual and Systemic
God is both over all systems and nations but
He is also very committed to individual human
development. He laid the earths foundations and
marked off its dimensions (Job 38:4), but he is
also aware and concerned enough to number the
hairs on each head and to know when a sparrow
drops to the ground (Luke 12:6-7). If we have to
be like God then we must be able to pray for
a family in the church and give them a personal
word from the Lord, and then just as readily have
keen insight into the wider social construct which
that family exists within. Our prophetic insights
allow us to see into the structure of international
relations and the true causes of war, while we also
have compassion for those killed and wounded
in the fghting. As a mature prophetic people we
must engage in all aspects of what it means to
hear the voice of God.

Scott Webster is the Global Director of
Congress WBNs Global Insight Services.
The GIS delivers Insight Services to
Governments, Businesses, Institutions,
Churches, and individual national
leaders in the area of trend-analysis,
future-casting and insightful counseling
for structural and strategic adjustments
and shifts. He serves on the Apostolic
Core Team of Congress WBN, a synergy
of global Kingdom initiatives focused
on effecting human, social and national
transformation through the propagation
of values-based development principles,
patterns and approaches. Scott and
his wife Kathy live in Marietta, GA
with their children and grandchildren.
Page 4
QUESTIONS
TO CONSIDER:
Assessing your
walk with God,
have there been
times when He
spoke and you
were absent of
understanding of
His divine intent?
If so, do you
understand now?
What are some
of your greatest
hindrances to
obeying the voice
of God?
After seeing
the connection
between rank and
obedience, can you
identify areas of
your life where
adjustments must
be made so as
to come under a
greater reality of
command?
How does
re-defning
freedom from
a biblical position
change your
perspectives?
UNDERSTANDING THE ARCHITECTURE OF THE PROPHETIC
SESSION 4 -- THE PILLAR OF OBEDIENCE
REVIEW
A core premise is that the will
of God is dominant, and that as
believers, our position is to hear
and obey God.
Man being prophetic is not for
the purpose of showcasing a
special gifting, but in order
to receive instructions for life to
enable him to fulfll divine intent.
Divine Intent touches
areas such as: IDENTITY,
FUNCTIONALITY,
GOVERNMENT and PURPOSE.
To disconnect hearing from
obeying is satanic.
There must be works and actions
of obedience which we offer to
God as evidence of our belief in
His speaking. Ex. Abraham
There is a great danger in
celebrating the manifestation
of the prophetic without a
commensurate emphasis on a
correct response which leads to
obedience.
Any culture which emphasizes
manifestation without an
underlying value system of
obedience is susceptible to
misalignment and eventually
Phariseeism.
To defne the mentalities & heart
positions that produce obedience
is to defne the correct inner
workings of humanity.
THREE INTERNAL PRINCIPLES/
ISSUES WHICH FUNCTION
WITHIN THE PILLAR OF
THE ARCHITECTURE OF
OBEDIENCE: Self-will; Rank;
Redefned Freedom.
LOOKING AHEAD...
THE NEXT SOPD
WILL BE:
June 15, 2013...
Scott Webster of Scott Webster
Ministries will be speaking at
the next SOPD June 15, 2013.
We shall continue in our series
on the Understanding the
Architecture of the Prophetic in
July.
TC will be hosting a family
seminar
June 14, 15 and 16 with
Scott and Kathy Webster
titled:
STRENGTHENING THE CORE
OF THE FAMILY
Friday, June 14: 7pm-9:30 pm
@ The Courtyard Marriott in Fayetteville, AR
Saturday June 15: 9am-12pm
@ The Courtyard Marriott in Fayetteville, AR
Sunday June 16: 5:45-8:30
@ The Boys and Girls Club
REvIEw OF LAsT MOnTHs
TEACHING SESSION