TEST TIME 1 Thessalonians 5:20-21 (NKJV) Do not despise prophecies. Test all things; hold fast what is good. 1 Corinthians 12:28 (NKJV) And God has appointed these in the church: first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, administrations, varieties of tongues. God has appointed and yet appoints certain people as prophets to the Church. These are people who have been gifted by God to minister God message to His people. At times they may for-tell the future but more often than not they may exhort, encourage, and strengthen the people of God. God speaks through prophets inspiring them with specific messages for particular times and places. The gift of prophecy has not so much to do with predicting future events as it has to do with bringing a message from God under the direction and influence of the Holy Spirit – to the body of believers. Many scholars believe that prophecy is a spontaneous, Holy Spirit inspired message that is orally delivered to a person or group of people for their edification and encouragement. This gift of prophecy provides insight, warning, correction, and encouragement. “ But the person who prophesies speaks to people for their up-building, encouragement, and comfort.” 1 Corinthians 14:3 (ISV) It is thought that there were some prophecies being given to the Thessalonians that were warnings or corrections of which they did not agree – and as a result they treated them with contempt – and for such they received these instructions from the Apostle Paul – “Do not treat prophecies with contempt. Test everything. Hold on to the good.” (1 Thessalonians 5: 21, 22) The gift of prophecy should be regarded highly, it listed second onlt to that of the Apostle – and is a gift to aspire because it helps edify the believers. “Pursue love, and desire spiritual gifts, but especially that you may prophesy. Therefore, brethren, desire earnestly to prophesy, and do not forbid to speak with tongues. 1 Corinthians 14:1, 39 (NKJV) Because of the importance God has placed on prophecy the words spoken must not be treated contemptuously. Paul was not advocating blind acceptance of every word spoken by any self-styled prophet, instead, he was encouraging believers to test everything that is said against God’s Word in Scripture. We are to discern what is true and what is false, and then hold on to all that is good. All believers are responsible to listen, discern, and learn. How are believers to test for true genuineness? The Apostle John gives us instructions concerning this in the 4th Chapter of 1 John. “ Dear friends, stop believing every spirit. Instead, test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. This is how you can recognize Gods Spirit: Every spirit who acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God. But every spirit who doesnt acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist. You have heard that he is coming, and now he is already in the world.” 1 John 4:1-3 (ISV) Christians should not believe everything they hear just because someone says it is a message inspired from God. There are many ways to test those who profess to be speaking the things God has inspired them to say and is a message that is truly from God. Ø Does it match what God’s Word as proclaimed in the Bible? Ø Is the one speaking truly committed to the body of believers (the Church – the Body of Christ)? Ø Does their lifestyle lineup with their teaching and testimony? Ø Is there any fruit produced from their ministry – “You shall know them by their fruits” – “good trees produce good fruit and corrupt tree produce corrupt fruit – it is impossible for a good tree to produce corrupt fruit – just as it is impossible for a corrupt tree to produce good fruit.” The most important test of all, however, is what they believe about Jesus. Do they teach that Jesus is fully God and fully man? As believers we need to apply these tests in order to discern truth from error. A true prophet – or anyone speaking prophetically, is one who receives direct revelation from God – a false prophet only claims to have received direct revelation from God, but in actuality has not. ”I will raise up a prophet from among their countrymen like you, and I will put My words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them all that I command him. It shall come about that whoever will not listen to My words which he shall speak in My name, I Myself will require it of him. But the prophet who speaks a word presumptuously in My name which I have not commanded him to speak, or which he speaks in the name of other gods, that prophet shall die. You may say in your heart, How will we know the word which the LORD has not spoken? When a prophet speaks in the name of the LORD, if the thing does not come about or come true, that is the thing which the LORD has not spoken. The prophet has spoken it presumptuously; you shall not be afraid of him.”Deuteronomy 18:18-22 (NASB) We shouldn’t make fun of those who don’t agree with what we believe (“treat prophecies with contempt”) – but we should always “test everything.” We, like the Berean saints in Acts 17:11 should check people’s words against the Bible. Mocking and making fun of people who speak the truth puts us on dangerous ground – instead, we should check-out what people say – accepting what is true and rejecting what is false. Neither should we believe everything we read or hear because many ideas tat are printed or taught are simply not true. As believers we should have faith, but we are not to be gullible. Verify every message you hear (even this one) – and if it is truly from God, it will be consistent with the teaching of Jesus.
Posted on: Tue, 20 Jan 2015 02:41:43 +0000
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