“But everyone who prophesies speaks to men for their strengthening, encouragement and comfort.” (1 Corinthians 14:3)
God has brought a man my way over the last several months who has been a joy to get to know. He is unique in every sense of the word.
He came to see me the other day and asked me to help him with a message that he has for our community. “It’s a simple message,” he told me. “Remember….”
“Remember what?”, I asked.
“Remember that Christ died for you. Never forget the day that you were saved; how it felt and how it has changed you. Mike, if all of us would just remember, can you imagine how much better off this old world would be?”
I’ve got to admit that I thought my new friend was a little nutty. He took money out of his own pocket to have bumper stickers printed and signs made. “God told me to get as many of these up as I could,” he explained. “Would you like a bumper sticker?”
He also told me that he thought God led him to me for a reason. He gave you a skill that I need. “Won’t you help me get the word out,” he asked?
Frankly, I wasn’t impressed with his idea, but then God went to work on me.
Within days after his visit I noticed one of his bumper stickers in the rear window of a vehicle in the parking lot where I work. And this week I saw one of his signs planted in a yard in a neighborhood through which I was passing. The seeds he has sown are only now beginning to sprout.
I finally realized that I had the privilege of meeting a prophet. I shouldn’t have been so surprised. God promises through the Prophet Joel, “I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions.” (Joel 2:28)
The Bible tells us how to recognize a prophet, but I didn’t remember. In fact, God kept it fairly simple. He gave us four rules by which we could judge them.
Obviously, what the prophet is saying should always line up with the revealed Word of God. Jeremiah 23:28 says, “Let these false prophets tell their dreams, but let my true messengers faithfully proclaim my every word. There is a difference between chaff and wheat!”
Peter reminds us that the anointing upon his life should be just as obvious: “For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.” (2 Peter 1:21)
Thirdly, does what he said line up with the facts? After Jeremiah had time to ponder over something that God has said to him, he said, “I knew that this was the word of the Lord.” (Jeremiah 32:8)
Finally, and most importantly, the actions and words of the Prophet should honor Jesus, and Jesus only? Jesus said, “By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit…” (Matthew 7:16-18)
Well, my friend clearly measures up to the biblical standards that we have to help us determine if what we have seen and heard is real. And even though I didn’t recognize who he is, I never doubted his message.
Let’s all join him and “Remember…”
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