JULY 17 "MINISTRY OF PROPHECY"

 Some men were set a part for the ministry of prophesying? That's interesting....the text goes on to say  "the sons of Asaph were under the supervision of Asaph, who prophesied under the king" Imagine your ministry is always to prophecy? I wonder if they ever just prophesied something, for the king, that really was more them, then it was, actually God speaking?  Do we ever do that? Do we ever prophesy, "thus saith The Lord" but it really is "thus saith me". It's not necessarily evil, neither is it a blatant lie like the false prophets during Jeremiah's time, but yet, they are not really words from God. God actually speaks on this issue, The Lord says, "they prophecy out of the premonitions of their own heart"  It's not "necessarily evil", they hear a sermon, are moved by it, think of a few scriptures that could attach to that sermon and they are really in agreement with the sermon and next thing you know, "they are prophesying out of the premonitions of their own heart".  Some prophecies that are specific, of course have the chance to pass the true test. Any prophecy from God will come to pass, no if's, when's or but's about it. If the prophecy is, "thus saith The Lord, you will be pregnant next year by this time, then if it's God, that's what will happen. If the prophecy is, "within two years this church will double in size/attendance, then that's exactly what will happen. The fact of the matter is, all prophecy is intertwined with human personality and imagination. So prophecy would be part God, part human. Some prophecies may have less of God and more human thought and others vice versa. My son once asked me, "why 3 different people prophesying, why doesn't God just say it all through one person?"  Good question! And the answer is, ....because prophesy is mixed with human personality. It's not just all God. So 3 different people can be moved, according to their own persona by a situation and give a different prophesy than the person before them. The prophecies will each have their variation, according to the filter that Holy Spirit goes through, in that unique individual. The prophecies should not contradict each other, they should compliment or just add to one another. The Word of God teaches us to "test the Spirits". It is up to you to reverently listen to prophesies, not disparage them, or mock them or be cynical, but simply to listen to them and store them in our hearts and mind. If they are true, they will come to pass, if not, they won't. If they are not prophecies of specific future outcomes, but merely to encourage, or rebuke or challenge, then all we can do is listen and treasure them. God will bring them back to our memory, if they indeed were of God, when He impresses a challenge on us in the future. No doubt these men in our text, that prophesied before David, I'm sure just spoke out something they read or something on their heart. We cannot just stand before God and conjure up prophesy at a whim, just because the king says so, unless we just start making stuff up or prophesying out of the inclinations of our own heart. I believe in prophecy and I believe God still prophesies through His people today, as He did back then. But I also believe, that just like back then, sometimes, we are hearing more from that person, than we are of God, we must discern that, consider that and test the spirits, to see if they be of God, but never become cynical towards prophecy, it is a good thing!

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