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Isaiah 50:4- “The Lord God hath given me the tongue of the learned, that I should know how to speak a word in season to him that is weary…”
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    • Put it to the Test!

      Posted at 10:00 am by wonderfuljesus8, on September 17, 2020

      1 Thessalonians 5:19-22 – “Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise prophecies. Test all things; hold fast what is good. Abstain from every form of evil. NKJV

      put-it-to-the-test_.mp3

      In this letter of 1 Thessalonians, Paul is full of advice. In actuality, his advice is more accurately called exhortations, or words of encouragement meant to push the believer into becoming more mature. The part that I want to look at today is, “test all things”.

      My husband shares the story of one of our first dates. He and I went to a pizza place to eat. When we placed our drink order, he asked for a beer. I didn’t say anything while the server was present, but afterwards I remarked on the fact that I was surprised he ordered a beer. To be perfectly honest, I told him that if a Christian friend of mine was to walk past us, I would be embarrassed. He said that he didn’t have to have the beer and that he wasn’t a drinker. Years later, when I mentioned this event, he said it was a test to see how I would respond in an uncomfortable situation. I can also honestly say that I never saw him drink beer again, so I can accept his explanation. He put me to the test, and I passed the test! One of many according to him! But I want you to know that I had some tests of my own!

      In life, we will find ourselves in many situations where we will have to put something to the test. During a courtship is a perfect time for testing. Having warm fuzzy feelings for an individual is great, but I can assure you that the feelings don’t last with the wrong person. It’s easy to take people at face value, when you think you are in love, but people can be pretentious. I can’t even begin to tell you how many people got married, only to later say, “I don’t know this person”! That advice was free!

      When looking into the word, there are a few things that we are to test, starting with ourselves! This test, according to the Vine’s is for the sake of “approving”. Paul is basically telling us that we get to give our approval of all things in this life. Many want us to believe that we should just take everything that happens, especially in the church, without having an opinion about them, but I don’t agree! And neither does Paul, for he said to test all things! When it comes to people, however, I think we should definitely understand what things we are testing!

      Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you are disqualified. 2 Corinthians 13:5 – NKJV

      Isn’t it interesting that Paul encouraged us to examen ourselves so that we would know if Jesus was really in us! We all feel like we can tell if someone is saved or not. I’m certainly guilty of this opinion. Here, Paul is saying, “examine yourself”. You know if you are the real deal or not, for the proof really is in the pudding. In the faith isn’t talking about how you believe God for things, but if you are a member of His family. Put it to the test! I can tell you one thing, this pandemic is helping us to “examine” ourselves, rather we wanted to or not, to determine if we are in the faith!

      Another thing we can test is our spiritual leadership! Yes we can!

      But let these also first be tested; then let them serve as deacons, being found blameless. 1 Timothy 3:10 – NKJV

      In the church, almost anybody can be a deacon, it seems, today. Years ago, I was attending a church, when a deacon said from the pulpit that Mary was not a virgin. On that note, I found another place to worship. We can’t just attend church because of our soul ties and connections. If the word isn’t being preached, and the leadership isn’t living a godly life, they have failed the most important test! Put them to the test! Jesus commended one of the churches in Revelation for this very thing:

      “I know your works, your labor, your patience, and that you cannot bear those who are evil. And you have tested those who say they are apostles and are not, and have found them liars; Revelation 2:2 – NKJV

      This isn’t being judgmental, it’s testing them. Not with paper and pencil! Not by being judgmental! But watch their life and listen to what they say! If that person can’t hold up to the test of the word, then you should pray about your next steps. I have been blessed through the years to have some really good pastors, but I put them to the test, without them knowing it! So don’t be ridiculous in the testing! Had the congregants tested Jim Jones and people like him, they would have been spared a horrible end!

      Then there are spirits! There are so many spirits that we have to test them and see if they are from God or not!

      Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world. 1 John 4:1 – NKJV

      Yes! I believe in the gift of prophecy, but that doesn’t mean that we can’t test the spirits of the “prophets” or the spirits behind situations. Try the spirits! If it’s of God, it will stand the test, and if it’s not of God, then it won’t!

      God gives us permission to put Him to the test in the area of tithing:

      Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, That there may be food in My house, And try Me now in this,” Says the Lord of hosts, “If I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you such blessing that there will not be room enough to receive it. Malachi 3:10 – NKJV

      He is so confident in the blessing of the tithe that He said you could put Him to test with it! Go ahead and start tithing and see if He won’t bless you!

      And then there is the trying of the word! Everything that we are told that the word says, doesn’t necessarily mean that the word says it. This is where studying the word comes into play, to prove if what we are being taught is so:

      Then the brethren immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea. When they arrived, they went into the synagogue of the Jews. These were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so. Acts 17:10-11 – NKJV

      Paul knew he was telling the truth, and yet he was impressed with the Bereans studying the scriptures to see if what he taught was true. I’m skeptical of people who get upset when they know people are checking out what they say in the word. One thing I love about the ministers I know, they get happy when they see or hear others studying the word. I can remember as a kid, that I saw Jim Jones throw the Bible on the floor. Ah! It’s time to leave! Why does this keep coming to my mind tonight? Is someone involved in a ministry that is questionable? If that’s you, put it to the test, and then do what God tells you to do!

      I have to close, but I leave you with the words of Solomon:

      All this I have proved by wisdom… Ecclesiastes 7:23 – NKJV

      Proving all things involves the wisdom of God. Whether you are testing a person’s character because you want to marry them, or testing yourself, wisdom from God will be your top priority. Don’t walk around thinking that you are being used by the devil when you privately “test’ something by the Spirit of God. Notice, I said privately! And as you seek wisdom from Him, He will help you to prove all things! Wonderful Jesus!

      Posted in encouragement, God’s Requirements, Prophecy, Prophetic, will of God | 0 Comments | Tagged bad leaders, Believer, Berea, blessings, church leaders, Dating, Marriage, Paul, prophecies, relationships, testing, Tithing, will of God, wisdom, word of God
    • Don’t Be a Hater!

      Posted at 5:38 pm by wonderfuljesus8, on September 12, 2020

      1 Thessalonians 5:19-22 – “Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise prophecies. Test all things; hold fast what is good. Abstain from every form of evil. NKJV

      dont-be-a-hater_.mp3

      I don’t usually skip over a part of a verse, but today, in obedience to the Spirit of God, I must! We are living in a day and time when our trust factor isn’t very high. People can be very smooth and deceptive in the way they operate, and we may have fallen prey to some of their many tactics, causing us to have a negative response to prophecies. But God is still God, and if we will learn to trust Him, we will find ourselves encouraged and strengthen to continue in the race!

      In both the Old and New Testaments, God spoke to His people through the prophets. Daniel, Jeremiah, Isaiah, and Ezekiel in the Old Testament; Peter, Paul, John, Barnabas, Agabus, and Silas in the New Testament. And in 2020, God is still using prophecies to encourage His people

      Unfortunately, because there have been false prophets in our day, just as in Biblical times, many have grown weary and suspicious about modern day prophets. Paul wrote to the Thessalonians, “do not despise prophecies,” and that can be translated, that we are not to despise His prophets! It’s okay to try the prophet by the word of God, and to even come to the conclusion that something isn’t right about an individual, but the prophetic is beautiful when God is in it! I’ve experienced it many times!

      However, today, God is not just using the prophet to prophesy, He is using His people. I want to share some prophecies that I have received and some that I have given.

      Years ago, when I was about 18, a minister I knew visited Israel. He brought back with him some water from the Holy Land. One day, in his home, he took the water, poured some over my hand, and spoke to me about my hands be healing hands. At the time, I didn’t place any faith in that because I had little understanding of the prophetic, but today, I can tell you, that was a word from God. I have laid my hands on many and they have recovered. Not all! Not from everything! But those words came to pass as surely as I sit here.

      God made a believer out of me, for I was one who despised prophesying. I was even embarrassed by it, thinking that people should be ashamed of themselves telling others that God said this, or God said that! Yet, God has used me to do the same thing. I thought that the prophetic was always about God, and what He was saying, or going to do in the church! I didn’t realize at that time that God would really give a “prophetic” word to an individual, for someone else. So I thought those people who did so were unbiblical. But I was wrong, and I am so delighted today that God has delivered me from myself, from wrong teaching, and from wrong thinking!

      When I woke up this morning, one of my first thoughts was of a prophetic word that God had sent to me. We were attending a bible class at Living Word Christian Center in Oak Park, Illinois. Can I be honest and say I don’t remember what the class was about? I do remember that I went to turn in my assignment, and as the instructor took my work, he began to prophesy to me. He said something like this, “I see money all over you. There’s money in your purse, and in your right pocket, and your left. Every where you turn there is money.” At that time, I was so far from “money everywhere” it was almost laughable. Recently, I went to the grocery store, and as I was looking for money to pay the cashier, I took money out of my purse, my left pocket, and my right pocket, and I heard his words. Another day, I was at home cleaning, and there was money in my laundry room, money in my living room, money in my bedroom, and money in my family room. And again, those words came to my mind. Don’t start thinking I’m a millionaire! The point is, I was concerned about finances, and God sent me a word of what my future finances looked like, that He already saw!

      Another prophetic word, that came from a neighbor, and not a “prophet” surely came to pass. My husband and I wanted to add a second floor to our home. We hired an architect, went through all of the paperwork, then ran into a snag and wasn’t able to start the project. One day, I was in the yard, when a neighbor (whom I was discipling) came outside to talk with me. She said something like this, “I saw your second floor on your home, and I just had to come out and get a better look at it”! I looked at the house and I thought, “What second floor”? I’m sitting in my second floor bedroom right now! God sent her to encourage me. It was many years later for both prophecies to come to pass, but they came to pass! God is awesome like that!

      Why does God even use people to prophesy one to another? He tells us in His word:

      “But he who prophesies speaks edification and exhortation and comfort to men.” 1 Corinthians 14:3

      One day a young lady came to our church. She was looking for a prophetic word as she was making a decision about her life. She was told that I could prophesy into her life, but I didn’t think that at all. According to the word, I should have been thinking that, for the Bible states:

      “For you can all prophesy one by one, that all may learn and all may be encouraged.” 1 Corinthians 14:31

      As I listened to her, I sensed by the Spirit, that she was looking for validation to do what she wanted to do, in spite of the counsel her parents had given her. So I talked to her as a “wise woman” instead of as a prophet. Later on, the words of wisdom I had given her turned out to be truly prophetic. She learned some things, but I’m sure at the time, she wasn’t encouraged! But God loved her, and wanted her to know that. Even though I didn’t think I was prophesying and she didn’t like what I shared, it was still God! He supernaturally overrode my thinking and spoke to this young lady! She went contrary to all advice given to her, and later, she didn’t even want to acknowledge that time in her life. Hearing a word from God, and receiving a word from God is two totally different things.

      God doesn’t use the prophetic to control us. He uses it to encourage us to keep trusting Him and His word! He uses the prophetic to comfort us when we are in need of comfort! And He uses it to exhort (strongly encourage us, or push us) into being the best that we can be. That reminds me of a minister who came to our church to do a worship conference. He had just had death in the family. We were told to pray for him. As I was praying, I heard a word from God. Really, and truly, it’s not my favorite thing to do, telling someone that God told me to share something with them! I can be wrong!!! It’s a fear I am constantly overcoming! As I watched him in rehearsal, that word came strongly back to me, so I went over and shared it. He confirmed it to be a word from God! It truly touched his heart and encouraged him, and he encouraged me! Had I disobeyed, there’s no telling how that grief would have affected him!

      Everyone is not a prophet! But everyone can prophesy because the word tells us that God says:

      “And on My menservants and on My maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those days; and they shall prophesy.” Acts 2:18

      As believers, we should endeavor to cooperate with what God is doing! Whether God use us to prophesy to someone, or use an individual to prophesy to us, we should not be despisers, haters of what is happening! Are their false prophets and people who taint this supernatural form of communication from heaven? Yes! But there are people who taint every area and experience of life, from marriage, to employment, to raising kids, and yes, to the things of God!

      Don’t walk away thinking that I’m trying to promote myself as a prophet! Far from it! However, He supernaturally interrupts my life to bless those around me, and interrupts others to bless me! Time and time again! God placed this on my heart this morning, and I just knew that I needed to share it. If you’ve been despising the prophetic, simply because you have not understood it, or seen it misused and abused, then this word is for you. Don’t continue to despise a way that God Himself has designed to bless your life! He wants to encourage you, to comfort you, and push you to winning in this life! And He chooses to do so through prophesying! Not only that, it’s His will for you life!! Start receiving today! Wonderful Jesus!

      Posted in Attitude, Prophecy, Prophetic, will of God, Wrong Thinking | 0 Comments | Tagged Attitude, false prophets, prophesy, prophet, prophetic, testimony, trust in God, Victorious Living, will of God, word from God, wrong teaching, Wrong Thinking
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