A “PROPHET” COMES TO TOWN

Time with Jesus - Friday, 18 January 2013

Hi all,

Today’s meditation is a call to be more cautious about who speaks over you and into your life. Visiting prophets are not necessarily what they say. Some are sincere men and women of God. Others are charlatans looking to separate you from your hard earned cash. How do you know which is which? Always ask the Lord to show you. One way that you can often see, is by the person’s attitude to money. Be careful if they make promises they claim will be fulfilled after they have left town. Very often such people are wolves in sheep’s clothing. Beware!

Blessings,

Jim & Phyllida Strickland

Matt 10:8 Freely you received, Freely give		Time with Jesus – Friday, 18 January 2013			Matt 10:8 Freely you received, Freely give
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INTRODUCTION			DAILY LIGHT EVENING SCRIPTURES	A “Prophet” comes to Town
In Christian circles today, it’s disturbing to find people going from meeting to meeting seeking to hear a personal prophetic word from God. It’s been going on for so long that many see it as normal behaviour. There is a perception that since everyone does it, it can’t be wrong. It’s actually a form of Christian “fortune telling”. It’s wrong because for a Christian, guidance is meant to come via the Holy Spirit and not by some visiting speaker. The Bible is clear on this issue. Any other way is unacceptable to God. The man/woman of God may bring a personal prophetic word to an individual. But it will be spontaneous and moved by the Holy Spirit. Furthermore, it should be confirmation of what God has been saying to the individual. Many will say that they went to church and the “preacher” gave them a “word”. They will say that they didn’t know. This may well be the case. If so, well and good. But He knows the truth. He knows if you were there to “consult a medium” or if, in the normal course of the service, the speaker brought you a prophetic word. We need to be aware that God’s requirements are not determined democratically. He sets the standards. We may not like them. We may hate them. We may love them. Our opinion is irrelevant. His opinion is the only one that counts. He knows the secrets within our hearts. It follows that although something is “legal” in terms of customary behaviour, it may be wrong for Christians An excellent example of this is the abortion laws of South Africa. Any pregnant woman, who decides that she doesn’t want to have a baby, is entitled to obtain an abortion. There are one or two associated legalities. But today, a girl is legally entitled to have an abortion regardless of the opinion, preferences or requirements of her parents. In fact a schoolgirl is able to have an abortion without her parents’ knowledge. Oddly enough, the medical profession requires the permission of the parents to administer medicine or an injection. I suppose that in certain exceptional circumstances this could be by-passed. But not for an abortion. Her “rights” allow her to go directly to the clinic. Strange? But that which is legal in South Africa is not necessarily approved by the Lord. Abortion is still murder in God’s eyes. There might be mitigating circumstances in an individual case. But not when it comes to consulting a medium or prognosticator! It’s a sin! As far as fact is concerned, be aware that I have been on both ends of this; as a recipient and a giver. I’ve had to repent on both issues and ask His forgiveness. I’ve been over enthusiastic and got carried away. At the same time, we are not to “quench the Holy Spirit” by refusing to bring a word where He has directed. Many of us struggle with this. I thank the Lord for forgiving me for my foolish indiscretions. This is the fine line between the prophetic word and fortune telling. We all need to be more circumspect about the prophetic word. What about you? Are you also guilty? Provided you repent, you also can be forgiven. Bear in mind that repentance means that you dissociate yourself completely and decide you will not repeat the offence. The choice is yours. Today’s meditation looks at this topic in further detail. Jim & Phyllida Strickland			19 Write therefore the things that you have seen those that are and those that are to take place after this. Rev 1:19 ESV 9 That is what the Scriptures mean when they say, "No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love Him." 10 But it was to us that God revealed these things by His Spirit. For His Spirit searches out everything and shows us God's deep secrets. 1 Cor 2:9-10 NLT 13 When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. John 16:13 ESV 7 Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him, and all tribes of the earth will wail on account of him. Even so. Amen. Rev 1:7 ESV 13 But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. 14 For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep. 15 For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16 For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore encourage one another with these words. 1 Thess. 4:13-18 ESV	Our planet’s populated by many different folk. All of them are different. And many of them broke. They’d like a lot of money, but work is a no-no. They’d like somehow to win it and some will even go, And ask a fortune teller, who’ll win the big horse race? They think it is the answer to all the things they face. Unfortunately, Christians are touched with this malaise. And so they hunt all over, to find if there are ways, To know just what will happen; and just what they must do, For them to see the future in ways they think are true. They try to find a prophet to speak into their life, To find a future husband; or who will be their wife? And so you’ll often find them, when a prophet comes to town, Hoping for a special word that will not let them down. But this sort of behaviour with God is not OK. It’s really fortune telling in a “Christian” kind of way. But even if it’s covered, or disguised so it looks good, It’s something that’s forbidden, that Christians never should, Ever have a part in. It may sound very nice. But do not have a part in it. That is the best advice. I know the prophets did it. We see it in God’s Word. But trying to repeat it is actually absurd. They warned of what would happen if people didn’t change. So when the Lord took action, it wasn’t seen as strange. Perhaps the best example we’ll find is of King Saul. He “had to know” the future and thought he could recall, Samuel the prophet, to tell him what to do! The Witch of Endor helped Him. He heard his reign was through! Today there are occasions when God will send a word, Through someone He’s appointed. It’s true, it has occurred. But please be very careful, your curiosity, To know about your future, is what you’d like to see. For that is fortune telling. Leave everything to God, And you’ll find confirmation, that won’t be seen as odd. So please be very careful when a “prophet” comes to town. You may think he is genuine; But is he just a clown, Who’s sent to spread confusion in Christianity? Ask the Lord to show you exactly who is he. Do not let him pray for you and do not heed his word. It may be just the opposite of what you should have heard. You may think its convincing. You may think it is true. But it’s the very opposite of what you ought to do. The best thing you can ever do is simply keep away, And then get down upon your knees and intercede and pray, That He’ll expose the heretic and harm will not be done, To genuine believers in Jesus Christ, God’s Son. Jim Strickland  Written 18th January 2012