SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 26TH 2023
THE PROPHETIC WORDS
Despise not prophesyings (1 Thessalonians 5:20).
PASTOR CHRIS OYAKHILOME
In the Apostle Paul’s defense of the Gospel before King Agrippa and Bernice, as recorded Acts 26, Paul emphasized the importance of prophecy. He did it by confronting King Agrippa with a direct question. He asked him, “King Agrippa, believest thou the prophets? I know that thou believest” (Acts 26:27).
Paul challenged Agrippa’s understanding and faith in the prophecies regarding the coming of the Messiah. God’s only proof for the people at the time was prophecy. There were so many prophecies about the Saviour—the Messiah—and they had to keep searching the Scriptures for these prophecies. They had to turn to the words of the prophets.
For example, the prophet Isaiah had prophesied, “Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel” (Isaiah 7:14). In Isaiah 9:6, he further prophesied, “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.”
Prophecy is like a guiding light. Our opening verse charges not to despise prophecies. The prophetic words of scripture and of the Spirit are important. The same Paul who asked the king Agrippa the question above said to Timothy, “This charge I commit unto thee, son Timothy, according to the prophecies which went before on thee, that thou by them mightest war a good warfare”(1 Timothy 1:18).
Like Timothy, trust the prophetic words of Scripture and the prophetic words of the Spirit to you, and use them to make war.
PRAYER
Dear Father, I declare that my life is for your glory; my future is that of success, progress and prosperity. I continually dwell in peace and divine health, and I experience your grace in every area of my life, in Jesus’ Name. Amen.
FURTHER STUDY:
Acts 2:17-18 And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams: 18 And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy:
1 Corinthians 14:3-5 But he that prophesieth speaketh unto men [to] edification, and exhortation, and comfort. 4 He that speaketh in an [unknown] tongue edifieth himself; but he that prophesieth edifieth the church. 5 I would that ye all spake with tongues, but rather that ye prophesied: for greater [is] he that prophesieth than he that speaketh with tongues, except he interpret, that the church may receive edifying.
2 Peter 1:16-19 For we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of his majesty. 17 For he received from God the Father honour and glory, when there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. 18 And this voice which came from heaven we heard, when we were with him in the holy mount. 19 We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts:
DAILY SCRIPTURE READING
1-Year Bible Reading Plan: 1 Peter 5 & Ezekiel 35-36
2-Year Bible Reading Plan: John 15:1-10 & 1 Chronicles 6
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