Comfort With Prophecy
1 Corinthians 14:3 says, “But the one who prophesies speaks to people for their… comfort.” Comfort (παραμυθία paramuthía), means to console, comfort expressed with a great degree of tenderness. This comfort is expressed through speech and/or action. It affects a person’s life like soothing medicine. (The Complete Word Study Dictionary) In every company of people there will be someone whose life has been hurt or is being hurt. In every Christian fellowship there must be a messenger of comfort (Daily Bible Studies) which strengthens one to hope for a better time coming soon.
Christians who are truly comforted have the heart of the Psalmist who wrote, “My comfort in my suffering is this: Your promises preserves my life.” (Psalm 119:50) I love Psalm 119:52, “I remember your ancient laws, O Lord, and I find comfort in them.”
Have you ever seen the movie, Christmas Shoes? In that movie is a scene were the mother, Maggie Elizabeth Andrews, played by actress, Kimberly William-Paisley passes away. It is a very sad scene, however, Kimberly is as cute as ever in that scene. The whole time Kimberly is suffering the effect of her terminal illness, she is a cute, beautiful woman loosing the battle for her life. Anyone who has been a care giver to a terminally ill person knows that the dying mother presented in Christmas Shoes, well simply, the scene is not reality.
Because of the cruse that came to us through Adam, reality is, we did not come into this world easily and chances are, we are not leaving this world easily. I remember the night my first wife, Bonnie, went home to be with the Lord, the experience was nothing like that scene in Christmas Shoes. I have been at the bedside of several Christian’s surrounded by loving members who are Christians. They are so quick to give a religious sounding testimony, especially in a church setting, that to often does not reflect the tragedy of physical death. Physical death has never been presented as something everyone is excited to meet. It was a horrible experience at Christ’s physical death and it will be a horrible time at everyone else’s physical death, especially for the family.
To prepare my heart for what was coming, the Lord raised up real men of God, Pastor David Wilkerson and Pastor Carter Conlyn who had the gift of prophecy, to reminded me of the written Word. Jesus said, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in Me will never die.. ” He even asked, “…do you believe this.” (John 11:25-26) Our Lord gives this promise, “I am going to prepare a place for you… I will come back and take you to be with Me that you also may be where I am…” (John 14:1-4) The Apostle Paul believed Jesus, he wrote “…I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far…” (Philippians 1:23) It does not matter what I was feeling that night. I let the Holy Spirit remind me of the Word of God which gave comfort to my soul.
Sadly, many present a heart of disbelief at the time of the death of a loved one, while speaking religious sounding tones of a false faith. All because they have not let themselves be taught by Christians who have the gift of prophecy. Even through tears of heartbreak, those with the gift to give Biblical comfort have touched the spiritual heart that brings a peace that passes all understanding.
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