Tuesday, March 26, 2013

Posted on by

A TRUE FRIEND

Suggested Reading: 1 Samuel 19

Click scripture link to read online or HERE to listen online (then click the symbol of the audio speaker above the scripture portion).

These are marble heads in the Archaeological Museum of Ancient Corinth in Greece.

GOOGLE MAPS – To see where the photo was taken, click HERE.

 

Key Verse: 1 Samuel 19:4

Thus Jonathan spoke well of David to Saul his father, and said to him, “Let not the king sin against his servant, against David, because he has not sinned against you, and because his works have been very good toward you.”

Solomon, David’s son, had no doubt heard from his father about Jonathan. As a result, Solomon put these words in Proverbs 18:24b: “There is a friend that sticks closer than a brother.” David needed a true friend. Historian, philosopher Henry Adams wrote, “One friend in a lifetime is much; two are many; three are hardly possible.” Jesus has been called, “the Friend of sinners.” Matthew and Zacchaeus took Jesus home with them. We may want to meditate on Jesus’ relationships with these “sinners” (Luke 19:1-10 and Mark 2:13-17). We could consider the woman at the well and the woman taken in adultery. If we had the opportunity to ask these people, ‘Who are your friends?’, Jesus’ name would probably be the first one they would mention. A friend is there for us! A short time after they met Jesus, these two men and two women experienced what He promised in Matthew 28:20b: “I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
The phenomenon of people prophesying, as in our reading, is an experience we read about throughout religious history. It may be of God (check the content to see if the words spoken are according to the written words of Holy Scripture). It may be simply the result of the human spirit, excited because of emotional activity. It may also be from the evil one. Be very careful here. In our day, what is called “personal prophesy” can appear to be of God and sometimes seems supernatural. However, people have been seriously sidetracked from God’s will for their lives by those who use this means to manipulate them. We need to check with our Pastors, wait on God in prayer, and consistently read God’s Word, the Bible.

PRAYER FOR TODAY:

Lord God, I give my whole life to You for this new day. I’m in Your Word daily. I’m in prayer daily. Please protect me by Your Word, Your Spirit, and by the solid Bible-based teaching of my local church. In Jesus’ Name I pray, Amen!

100 PERSONAL WORDS:

I’ve given a great deal of thought to what is called “prophesying” in the New Testament Church. Philip, a deacon of the first church, had four daughters who were “prophetesses” (Acts 21:9). I believe that we need to let the Bible interpret the Bible. Revelation 19:10 tells us that, “The testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.” I also believe that these young girls were winning souls to Jesus on the streets of Samaria, where their Dad had a revival (Acts 8). The “Testimony of Jesus” happened on the streets of Jerusalem as recorded in Acts 2. Peter said on that occasion, quoting the prophet Joel, that “Your sons and daughters shall prophesy.” These girls were not foretelling the future. They were not lying naked on the ground like Saul in today’s reading (verse 24). They were telling everyone about Jesus! Witnessing for and about Jesus is the continuing evidence of keeping filled with the Holy Spirit. I don’t think that anyone should claim to be keeping filled with God’s Spirit if they fail to give the “Testimony of Jesus” consistently. Prophecy, one of the gifts of the Spirit, referred to in 1 Corinthians 12:10 and also in 1 Corinthians 14, is for the edification and comfort of believers. I need this gift. Prophesying, as it happened on the birthday of the Church, is something different which continues to happen every time we testify, in order to win a precious never-dying soul to Jesus.

Yours for New Testament prophecy,

David

P.S. I know I’m going on at length about this, but there was a personal prophecy from a man named Agabus, warning Paul not to go to Jerusalem. Paul got it right when he ignored this warning and went anyway. Of course Paul was arrested and eventually sent to Rome for trial. The point is that Paul was confident of God’s guidance wherever he went. I don’t believe it was God’s will for Paul to be manipulated by Agabus’ prophecy. Again, I urge every blog reader to be most careful and to boldly keep on witnessing for Jesus. Read Acts 21:7-15. Acts 21:14 tells us, “When he [Paul] would not be persuaded, we ceased, saying, ‘the will of the Lord be done.’ After those days we packed and went to Jerusalem.” This was God’s way of eventually getting Paul to Rome.

14 thoughts on “Tuesday, March 26, 2013”

  1. Dear David: Thank you for going on on the subject of prophesying. There are so many spirits trying to get our ear these days, and it is sound advise when you say to stay firm in the Scriptures. I love you in Christ; John, a daily blog reader, and listener.

    Reply ↓

  2. Thanks, David, for the example you used re: Paul. God’s will rules and Paul was a perfect example to show us this, as a martyr. He held to the truth he understood that was directed to him by the Lord, not by people and prophets. That same difficulty occurs within churches, today, when members of the congregation seek to be in control of changing people, and the Spirit within the church is completely lost. Such a travesty, and it leaves those who are yearning for God’s love, feeling discouraged and searching, elsewhere. We must cling stronger to our relationship with God and spend more time in the Word to nurture it. This blog is helping us learn to stand on stronger ground because of the wisdom and knowledge we are gaining. Thank you, David, Ron and Reynold Mainse for listening to and following the direction the Lord has given you!

    Praise God for giving us the example in today’s reading between Jonathan and David, that trust and honour really can exist between friends who are stronger than brothers, and need not be determined by what side of the fence either person sits on but by the genuine love for one another in their hearts. So very often as humans, we are let down by people who fail to keep our trust, stab us in the back, humiliate, and desert us, for the selfish reason of sustaining their false image of looking good to others. The power of love in today’s reading is invaluable–just like Jesus!

    Praise God, from Whom all blessings flow;
    Praise Him, all creatures here below;
    Praise Him above, ye heavenly host;
    Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.
    Aaaaaameeen!!!!

    Reply ↓

      • 1 John 5:10-13. The world is increasingly full of voices trying to call us away from our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Jesus told us that this was going to happen. I concur with Pastor David, author of this blog, that ‘Witnessing for and about Jesus Christ is the continuing evidence of being filled with the Holy Spirit.’ It is a lesson/principle that God is impressing on me these days to keep me from becoming complacent, searching everywhere for a word from God and constantly questioning His will for my life.
        His will is to share Jesus with others and that is how God blesses us. Let us all unite and focus on sharing the Good News of Jesus’ saving, cleansing blood now and forever more!

        Reply ↓

    • Thankyou for your daily message. I have a alchoholic son. I had him call your prayer line as you
      suggested yesterday after much coxing. He didn’t respond too
      well . I was hoping for a miracle like some have been shown on
      yoour program., but I know with your prayers God is working in
      him. Thankyou again.

      Reply ↓

  3. The mind can be like a magnet attracting what it desires to hear, even to be deceived. This can be especially the case when we “want” to hear the word of God for direction in our lives. In this case, the “false prophesy” of another, not held in alignment with objectivity and balance, has been harmful to mind and spirit. If the one whom prophesies faith in Christ has caused any cautionary flags to rise, then to abandon reason and submit, is most certainly a mistake.

    Reply ↓

  5. I know prophesy is a gift that God give and that everything in the bible is true
    it just makes me uncomfortable inside I guess thats the word. I believe and know I
    am going to heaven.
    Lianne Hogg

    Reply ↓

  7. Thank you David M. and all the bloggers on the comments on prophesy’s
    it has made it very clear . Since I have become a christian I alo Have my
    language, but I only speak to God with it.God bless you all.R

    Reply ↓

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.