Prophets

Then the prophet Haggai and Zechariah the son of Iddo, prophets, prophesied to the Jews who were in Judah and Jerusalem, in the name of the God of Israel, who was over them.

Ezra 5:2

So Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel and Jeshua the son of Jozadak rose up and began to build the house of God which is in Jerusalem; and the prophets of God were with them, helping them.

What were the prophets of God doing?

Helping build the House of God! Not tearing it down

And this is in the Old Testament!

Jeremiah 1:5

“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; Before you were born I sanctified you; I ordained you a prophet to the nations.”

Jeremiah 1:9

Then the Lord put forth His hand and touched my mouth, and the Lord said to me: “Behold, I have put My words in your mouth.

Jeremiah 1:10

See, I have this day set you over the nations and over the kingdoms, to root out and to pull down, to destroy and to throw down, to build and to plant.”

We need to root out, pull down, destroy and throw down

Everything that’s coming against the people of God

But the people of God, we need to build and plant!

Years ago, I was dealing with a good person that was

Being tormented by a bad spirit. Pastor Jack Hayford said to me

Be gracious with the person but not with the spirit!

So, if you have a friend or spouse who is being attacked

With fear, anger, insecurity, worry, anxiety, lust, pride…

Don’t attack the person but attack the spirit in prayer!

I’ve done this for Debbie, and she’s done this for me. She’s seen me under attack

And encouraged me and attacked the spirit in prayer!

Don’t attack someone who’s under attack but attack the spirit!

Prophets equip the saints.

All 5 of these gifts equip the saints for the work of the ministry!

If I asked you, “What do prophets do?”

Most would reply, “Prophesy!”

But that’s only partly true

The main thing that prophets do is equip the saints for ministry

They should be equipping us to hear God and build up and encourage others

Acts 15:32

Now Judas and Silas, themselves being prophets also, exhorted and strengthened the brethren with many words.

They didn’t tear them down and weaken them

They built them up and strengthened them!

Beware of prophets that tear people and the church down

Beware of prophets that act like fortune tellers

Many times, God warns His people about something that is coming

But keep in mind the main duty of all these gifts according to Eph. 4

I’ve lived long enough to hear prophets tell us what’s going to happen this year

Then whatever happens, they refer to their prophecy

They said something big was going to happen in the Spring of 2020

Then they said it was Covid (5 husbands – I perceive you’re a Prophet)

But then they said it would pass over by Passover

Then they said it would be in our rear-view mirror by Pentecost

Deuteronomy 18:9

“When you come into the land which the Lord your God is giving you, you shall not learn to follow the abominations of those nations.

Deuteronomy 18:10

There shall not be found among you anyone who makes his son or his daughter pass through the fire, or one who practices witchcraft, or a soothsayer, or one who interprets omens, or a sorcerer,

Deuteronomy 18:11

or one who conjures spells, or a medium, or a spiritist, or one who calls up the dead.

Deuteronomy 18:12

For all who do these things are an abomination to the Lord, and because of these abominations the Lord your God drives them out from before you.

Deuteronomy 18:13

You shall be blameless before the Lord your God.

Deuteronomy 18:14

For these nations which you will dispossess listened to soothsayers and diviners; but as for you, the Lord your God has not appointed such for you.

Deuteronomy 18:15

The Lord your God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from your midst, from your brethren. Him you shall hear”

Acts 3:22

“For Moses truly said to the fathers, ‘The Lord your God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from your brethren. Him you shall hear in all things, whatever He says to you.’”

God has not appointed spooky people for us

He has appointed people who are like Jesus!

People who encourage us and build us up! (I perceive you’re a Prophet)

Acts 4:36

And Joses, who was also named Barnabas by the apostles (which is translated Son of Encouragement)

If Encouragement had a son, it would be you

Barnabas was a prophet and traveled with Paul an Apostle

I told a server at a restaurant,

God knows the battle that you’re going through right now for your son

And He is hearing your prayers and your son will be safe!

How can I be a prophet?

Remember last week I told you that we are all “Sent ones”, Apostles

Apostles equip us to be sent with a message to help people

How can I be a prophet? (Not one who equips others to prophesy)

How can I be an encourager?

How can I speak a word from God to someone to encourage him or her?

We can be available to be equipped!

We make ourselves available to be equipped!

We can attend equipping classes and learn to hear God

We can be a member of a small group and be discipled

We need to be discipled and grow in our knowledge of His word

So, we have a correct context when we encourage (prophesy)

“As I was with my servant Noah when he parted the Red Sea...

“I know you’re scared, sometimes I get scared myself!”

“As I said in my Word in I Cor. or was it 2 Cor.”

It’s OK! We’re all learning and growing!

These are gifts from Jesus, and they are gifted by Him to equip us!

But we have to make ourselves available to be equipped!

My sheep hear my voice! Look at this verse!

1 Corinthians 14:31

For you can all prophesy one by one, that all may learn, and all may be encouraged.

Does your Bible say, “We can all prophesy”?

Does it say, “We can all learn”?

Does it say, “We can all be encouraged”?

Then we can learn, be equipped

And we can prophesy!

And we can encourage!

I was ministering at a church one time

And the Lord spoke to me really strongly about a young lady

She had received Presbytery and was walking back to her seat!

You do to have a good testimony! You were raised in a Godly home!

Your parents are in ministry, and you got saved around 5 or 6!

Satan has told you because you’ve never drank

And have never been on drugs, that you don’t have a good testimony”

“You have a great testimony and God’s called you to be a missionary”

She had told the church this the week before!

It’s fun to encourage people

And I just read you a verse from the Bible that says,

“You can all prophesy!”

Jesus gave us gifts when He ascended to equip us for the work of the ministry!

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