Encourage With Prophecy
Those who have the gift of prophecy are able to build and they proclaim a message of encouragement. 1 Corinthians 14:3 says, “But the one who prophesies speaks to people for their…. [encouragement]…” Encouraging, (παράκλησις paráklēsis) is for the purpose of establishing the believer in the faith. Romans 15:4 says, “For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope.”
In every group of people there are those who are depressed and discouraged. Dreams will not come true; effort seems to have achieved so little in this life at times; to often self examination serves to show nothing but failures and in adequacies throughout our lives. Even the Apostle Paul had to be encouraged, he said “I wanted to be sure I was not running and had not been running my race in vain.” (Galatians 2:2) Each and every one of us have children, grand-children, friends and go-workers who seem to be untouched by our living for the Lord. But the Bible says, “…Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.” (1 Corinthians 15:58b)
A message spoken or written from God’s Word should not be a deep depression off Iceland. A message should humble the listener by exposing sin, but end with pointing listeners to the grace of God that enables the sinner to conquer it. It should show the promises of God never leaving His children unprotected or provided for. It should proclaim to the children of God His directions in a sin-cursed world. Those with the gift of prophecy should be able to help the children of God determine their Holy Spirit given gifts, how to Biblically develop and exercise those endowments for the Lord and for the good of others. (1 Corinthians 12-14)
While attending a week long teaching of the Word of God at the Evangelistic Missionary Fellowship Convention, I was approached by a Baptist Bible teacher who knew how to encourage with the gift of prophecy. At that time I worked for myself, shoeing horses for a living. I was broke, my farrier business and work for the Lord was heading no where. He challenged me, “Are you shoeing horses for the Lord, or who? The Bible says ‘Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men.'” Then he added, “Do you continue to learn and develop your trade, skills and Spiritual gifts? The Bible says, ‘Do you see a man skilled in his work? He will serve before kings; he will not serve before obscure men.'” He left me with this, “Do you sacrificially exercise your Spiritual Gifts for the good of others, be sure to read 1 Corinthians 12-14. Seek these Biblical truths and God will bless you.”
I took his Biblical encouragement to heart which opened the doors for me to have shod some the best Arabian Horses in the country and to now partner with the top two Biblical websites in the world. I say, “Thank God for those with the Holy Spirit gift of prophecy!”
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