AM I A PROPHET?

BIBLE PASSAGE:
Follow the way of love and eagerly desire
gifts of the Spirit, especially prophecy.
(1 Corinthians 14:1)

MEDITATION:
Paul gives us three instructions as follows:
    1. Allow love to guide us in all we do.
    2. Have a strong desire to discover our spiritual gifts.
    3. Seek the gift of prophecy.

When love impacts all we do, we can obey the scriptures
that tell us to lose our selfishness and become selfless. We
find that when we have a love like the love Jesus has for
us, we will develop a greater concern for others
    Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit.
    Rather, in humility value others above yourselves,
    not looking to your own interests but each of you
    to the interests of the others.
    (Philippians 2:3-4)

When love controls our thoughts and actions, we will also have
a strong desire to discover our spiritual gifts. Why? Because our
love for the Lord increases and from a heart of thankfulness, we
will have a desire to serve Him.

Paul tells us that some may not understand the full impact of
the salvation they receive from the Lord.
    By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly
    to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you
    have believed in vain.
    (1 Corinthians 15:2)

Lastly, Paul tells us that we should seek the gift of prophecy.
How would you define prophecy? Prophecy is often considered
to be ‘predicting the future’. For some, it conjures up images
of psychics and crystal balls. In general, it often has a mystical
connotation of some type.

However, in biblical terms, a prophet is one who is given a message
by God. The prophet is then expected to deliver this message to His
people in the way God guides them, using the spiritual gift they have
received from Him. That’s why it is critical for Christians to discover
their spiritual gift (which is not to be confused with a talent).

The purpose of prophet is simple:
    A prophet is a messenger of God. As believers, we all have a
    message from God, that we are expected to share with others.
        For you can all prophesy in turn so that
        everyone may be instructed and encouraged.
        (1 Corinthians 14:31)

What message do we have to share with others? We have the good
news that Jesus died for us, and that He sacrificed Himself for our
sins so we would have an opportunity to receive God’s gift of salvation.
    For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance:
    that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that
    he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according
    to the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, and then
    to the Twelve. After that, he appeared to more than five hundred
    of the brothers and sisters at the same time, most of whom are
    still living, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared
    to James, then to all the apostles, and last of all he appeared to
    me also, as to one abnormally born.
    (1 Corinthians 15:3-7)

Why did Paul refer to himself as one “abnormally born”? Because
he knew how he had persecuted the church and didn’t deserve to
be ‘born again’. He considered it ‘abnormal’ that God would offer
a ‘new birth’ (salvation) to someone who was not only far from Him,
but was also diligently persecuting those who believed in Him and
were followers of His Son, Jesus.
    For I am the least of the apostles and do not even deserve
    to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of
    God. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace
    to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of
    them—yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me.
    (1 Corinthians 15:9-10)

This should be encouraging to all who have been ‘a slave to sin’
and might be having thoughts like:
    “I have crossed over the line, and God will never
      welcome me to become a member of His family”.
  or,
    “Too much sin has entered my life for God to
      welcome me back into His family and His good graces”.

If God offers a chance to be ‘born again’ to someone doing the things
that Paul did to His people, then certainly everyone has an opportunity
for God to give them a ‘new birth’ and use them as part of His ministry.
For those who are lost, this means God offers them ‘salvation’.

For those who are saved, but have made bad choices, this means that
God offers them ‘a new redemption’ when they return to Him, and
‘rededicate’ their lives to obeying His commands.

When we look at Paul’s advice,
the questions each of us should ask ourselves is,
    “Do I have any desire to discover my spiritual gift?”
  and
    “Do I want to share the good news with others?”

Paul says that some of the spiritual gifts are focused on building up
the church. He tells us that we should make the most of these types
of gifts.
    So it is with you. Since you are eager for gifts of the
    Spirit, try to excel in those that build up the church.
    (1 Corinthians 14:12)

However, that doesn’t mean the other gifts are not just as important.
    Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many
    parts form one body, so it is with Christ. For we were all
    baptized by one Spirit so as to form one body—whether
    Jews or Gentiles, slave or free—and we were all given
    the one Spirit to drink. Even so the body is not made up
    of one part but of many.
    (1 Corinthians 12:12-14)

    Now you are the body of Christ,
    and each one of you is a part of it.
    (1 Corinthians 12:27)

The underlying message from Paul to the Corinthians (and to us)
is to seek love, and to allow the Holy Spirit to control our thoughts,
words, and actions. He gives us an example of how the Spirit has
impacted his own life.
    So what shall I do? I will pray with my spirit, but I will
    also pray with my understanding; I will sing with my
    spirit, but I will also sing with my understanding.
    (1 Corinthians 14:15)

Paul says that the Spirit gives him an understanding that he could never
manufacture on his own. How does this understanding impact his life?
It gives him the ability to think with a ‘Spiritual maturity’. He also says
that he has been given the capacity to view evil as a child would view it,
which is, “That’s bad, stay away from it!”. That means that he views evil
as what it is, and with his ‘adult thinking’, he doesn’t try to justify being
a participant of sin to please himself.
    Brothers and sisters, stop thinking like children. In
    regard to evil be infants, but in your thinking be adults.
    (1 Corinthians 14:20)

How can our prophesying impact unbelievers?
    But if an unbeliever or an inquirer comes in while everyone
    is prophesying, they are convicted of sin and are brought
    under judgment by all, as the secrets of their hearts are laid
    bare. So they will fall down and worship God, exclaiming,
    “God is really among you!”
    (1 Corinthians 14:24-25)

    My brothers and sisters, if one of you should wander from the
    truth and someone should bring that person back, remember
    this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of their way will
    save them from death and cover over a multitude of sins.
    (James 5:19-20)

Non-believers want to find some stability in their lives. They want to
find something to hold on to, so they are watching believers to see if
they really believe what they say they believe. If unbelievers hear us
saying one thing, but they can’t see anything that supports what we
say, then they will look elsewhere to find a solid foundation.

Whether we like it or not, God didn’t save us to remain silent. He saved
us and gave us a spiritual gift to be used in serving Him (if we are to be
true followers of Jesus, then we need to remember how He used His gifts
to reach out to lost people).
    For you can all prophesy in turn so that everyone may be
    instructed and encouraged. The spirits of prophets are subject
    to the control of prophets. For God is not a God of disorder but
    of peace—as in all the congregations of the Lord’s people.
    (1 Corinthians 14:31-33)

ACTION:
Have you allowed ‘love’ to be the driving force in all you think, do, and say?
Can others see that you have a heart full of love? Do you have a desire to
discover your spiritual gifts? Do you have a desire to share the ‘good news’
(and how Jesus has changed your life) with others? Do your actions support
your words and convictions?

You may be thinking,
    “I am only one person, how could I make an impact for the Lord?”
Paul has made it very clear that ALL believers are gifted with prophecy.
Some may be called to a highly visible area of service, such as preaching
or teaching, but we all have opportunities to prophesy for the Lord. And,
He has given each of us a spiritual gift to assist us where He has called us.

Pray,
“Heavenly Father, teach me to love more, to discover my
spiritual gifts and to share the good news with others. Teach
me to do all things ‘in the Spirit’. Help me to show others that
my walk matches my talk. Develop in me a Spiritual maturity
that leads to right thinking. Forgive me for the times I justify
wrong actions that are inappropriate for believers. Teach me
the importance of my impact on unbelievers. Create in me a
sincere desire to see unbelievers be reborn.”

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