We in the West tend to look at suffering and persecution as a negative thing, but people like Paul see it as a positive. For in our suffering is the cross, which is the crux of Jesus, who is the crux of everything.
The Prophets Call Us to the Poor – 1208PODCAST
There are two major streams of the prophetic in the church today. One form is of a more supernatural perspective, where God speaks to people and they speak out his word. The other form is of a more natural perspective, where the poor are preached about and actions are taken to provide for them. But these two streams shouldn't be separated. If God truly is supernaturally speaking to us, he will at some point speak to us about the poor. The prophetic life is both supernatural and natural—preaching and action.
Jamin Bradley 