Wednesday 012225
Don’t let me or my writings influence or scare you in any way, instead, allow me to be used as a vessel to open the Word, just a little bit, and hopefully, together we are going to read and study His Word, and let God teach us what He wants us to hear.
Since the beginning of this study, our vision has been that we are ONLY going to follow what is found in the Holy Bible, that pertains to us, and we realize that it’s ONLY from our own effort that we put into this study, that we’re going to take anything away for our own use.
The verses we are going to study tonight:
1 Corinthians 14:1, 39; 1 Thessalonians 5:11-15; John 13:34; 1 Corinthians 14:4, 13:2; Romans 15:4.
To Prophesy, is to make a prediction of what is going to happen in the future. It is a prediction of what is going to happen tomorrow to an individual or to an entire population.
Prophecy is a gift of speech that comes from the Spirit and is much to be desired.
1 Corinthians 14:1 ‘…So you must always want to love other people. Also, want very much to receive spiritual gifts from God. More than anything else, want to speak messages from God…’ EASY (Easy English Bible)
It has been on my to-do-list for several years now, wanting to get each individual to open their own Bibles and read God’s Word for themselves.
It’s been tough, there are many religions that don’t want their congregations to read the Word, these churches would rather preach the message themselves.
I try to point out, why would God have given us the Word if He didn’t want us to read it?
1 Corinthians 14:39 ‘…My Christian friends, this is what I am saying to you: It is good when you want to speak clear messages from God. And if anyone has the gift to speak in a special language, do not stop them…’ EASY (Easy English Bible)
This ‘special language,’ used in vs39 is more than Spanish, French, German or English. But in other versions it’s, ‘…be zealous to prophesy…’ in the Douay-Rheims version, ‘…desire to speak what God has revealed…’ in God’s Word Translation and ‘…proclaiming God’s message…’ in the GNT (Good News Translation).
This special language is speaking of voicing the Words that have been written and sometimes they haven’t been written down yet.
Prophecy edifies the church, and is for our strengthening, encouraging and comfort. When a person ‘edifies’ the church, he is teaching a group of people. Google describes it as the act of building up, enhancing, and developing each other spiritually. Christians are called to edify one another, and this is a work that Christ demands from the church as a whole. Edification can be individual or corporate, and it can include any activity that results in more Christlikeness.
1 Thessalonians 5
vs11 ‘…Because of that, you should help each other to become stronger as believers. I know that you are already doing that…’
vs12 ‘…Our friends, we ask you to respect your leaders who work hard among you. They lead you and they teach you what is right on the Lord’s behalf…’
vs13 ‘…Show them how valuable they are to you. And love them very much because of the work that they do. Live at peace among yourselves…’
vs14 ‘…Friends, you must warn lazy people that they should work. If people are afraid, help them to be brave. If people are weak, take care of them. Be patient with everyone…’
vs15 ‘…If someone does something bad against you, do not do anything bad against them in return. Never do that. Instead, always try to do good things that will help one other and help everyone else…’ EASY (Easy English Bible)
When I conclude a lesson, just about every lesson I write: ‘I love y’all and remember that Jesus loves us even more than we can comprehend what the word LOVE truly means.’
Who’s to say, that when Jesus told us to ‘Love One Another,’ He wasn’t commanding us to voice with one another our own personal interpretation from the Word and sharing it with someone else so that both of us could learn from one another.
John 13:34 ‘…I am giving you a new commandment, that you love one another; just as I have loved you, that you also love one another…’ NASB (New American Standard Bible)
There is going to be that ‘ONE’ day, when in an instant, miraculously we are all going to have every question answered by God Himself. Every question that has ever troubled our minds will be correctly solved and answered by the Creator Himself.
1 Corinthians 14:4 ‘…Anyone who speaks in a different language only helps himself. But a person who speaks a message from God helps the believers in the church to become strong…’ EASY (Easy English Bible)
Again, these words ‘different language’ are being used. There are probably more of us that can speak prophecy, the biggest hurdle is voicing that first word.
I’ve told people before that the first time you open your mouth to express an opinion, it is probably a little difficult, but the second time it will be easier.
I think it is that way for everything in our lives. The first time we opened up our Bibles and read the Word it is more difficult than it will be the second time, and the third time will even be easier than the second.
It’s the same way when we open up our voices to others, that first time it might seem very hard, but the second time is going to be easier.
Prophecy is nothing without love.
1 Corinthians 13:2 ‘…I may be able to speak messages from God. I may understand all God’s secret things, and know all the facts. I may have great faith so that I trust God enough to move mountains. But I am nothing if I do not love others…’ EASY (Easy English Bible)
When Jesus gave us that NEW command in John 13:34, He was preparing us for what we are going to be confronted with.
If we stay locked up in our houses and we never go out into public, we are going to miss out on even more than we can even think of.
It’s up to each one of us to get outside of our comfort zones and share with one another the Glory that God has waiting for us.
Back when the books found in our Bibles were written, there were many that were able to physically see and hear God.
There were prophets back in the OT that were able to see God as well as through Jesus’ Ministry, there were those that were blessed with even living with and among Jesus.
Today, in the 21st century, there has been no sightings or audible presentations from God in a while, but to me, that is perfectly fine since we’ve had the Word that He gave us, since the 1st century when Jesus walked this earth.
There are some individuals that would rather hear some neighborhood pastor, early on a Sunday morning, speaking a sermon message rather than opening up their own Bible and reading the actual Words from God’s own Message.
It’s almost like these individuals are telling God, ‘I don’t need to hear Your Message’ or they’re shouting out, ‘they’d rather hear a pastor’s message instead of His.’
Some will say they can understand the pastor’s message better because they find it difficult, just to understand what has been written and that is my point when I tell people they’re reading from the wrong version of the Bible.
This is what these pastors should be teaching instead of voicing their own interpretation of what has already been written.
Romans 15:4 ‘…Everything that people wrote in the Bible in past times is there to teach us something. Those words help us to be patient and strong. As a result, we can trust God to do what he has promised…’ EASY (Easy English Bible)
There are so many promises in the Word. Our Bibles are the Words from God. He has given us the Word to help us make it through these lives we are living in today in the 21st century.
I teach the Word because I see so many people running around that have been taught the wrong thing.
I grew up in a Catholic family. In a small northern town in Michigan. I was an altar boy, and I knew one day I was going to be that Catholic priest having mass in front of the church. But life just didn’t work out according to the plans I had as a child. As I grew up and I’ll never forget, one night while reading the book of Revelation, I went up to my mom and asked her a question and her response was, ‘I guess that’s why we don’t read the Bible because of our questions. We go to church to get our questions answered.’ And as a kid, it hit me like a rock just landed up along the side of my head. If we weren’t supposed to read the Word, why did we even have it?
And from that night, I have spent my life trying to understand.
Many nights I found myself on the wrong side of the path, but I know the Spirit always turned me in the right direction.
Eventually I grew up and became a man. My youthfulness had grown up and I was living a life more concerned with what went on around me than what actually happened to me.
One day, I was re-introduced to the Bible and I read it with more gusto than I ever knew before. I was blessed with the ability to understand what had been written, with the ability to question why and the knowledge of finding out how it was really meant to be.
We, ALL of us, have been lied to for a long time. The devil is really trying to keep us all down from reaching the Glory that has been promised to each and every one of us. The only thing is that we have to make the first move. We have to want that more, that little extra. We have to desire to be let outside of this box that the devil has had us trapped up in for centuries.
It is in that moment when we ask Jesus to step in and help us, in that moment, our lives will be changed forever.
Open your Bibles and lift up your voices so others can get this same opportunity that you have been given. Share with others ALL of the opportunities that are available to us, but we have to want the changes to happen.
I love y’all. Always remember that Jesus loves each one of us even more than what we truly comprehend what that word LOVE fully means.
Study His Words and live in Him.
Jesus, I pray that those ears and eyes, either listening or seeing this message today would be opened to the very fullest and allow Your love to come inside their lives and comfort them. Teach us Jesus. Protect us. We love You. Amen
InHIM. ><)))o>