WE CAN ALL PROPHESY

1. We Can All Prophesy

a) Some people do not fully understand why God gives the gift of prophecy to the church. Perhaps, they have not experienced it. That's they find it hard to comprehend and appreciate fully.

b) We can all prophesy.

i) Moses desired all of God’s people to be prophets for prophesying.

@1. Numbers 11:26-29 TLB
"[26] But two of the seventy-Eldad and Medad-were still in the camp, and when the Spirit rested upon them, they prophesied there. [27] Some young men ran and told Moses what was happening, [28] and Joshua (the son of Nun), one of Moses' personally chosen assistants, protested, "Sir, make them stop!" [29] But Moses replied, "Are you jealous for my sake? I only wish that all of the Lord's people were prophets, and that the Lord would put his Spirit upon them all!"

ii) The apostle Paul taught that we can all prophesy (1 Corinthians 14:31).

@1. 1 Corinthians 14:31 TLB
"[31] In this way all who have the gift of prophecy can speak, one after the other, and everyone will learn and be encouraged and helped."

c) God desires that each of the believers prophesy, that is, speak for and speak forth Him (to speak inspired words and speak what will happen in the future).

i) Speak for (inspired words) - simple gift of prophecy. All can prophesy.

ii) Speak forth (pertaining to future) - an office of a prophet.

d) Paul charged us not to despise prophesying.

i) 1 Thessalonians 5:20 TLB
"[20] Do not scoff (despise, laugh at, make fun of) at those who prophesy."

e) To prohibit prophesying is a sin before God.

i) Amos 2:12-13 TLB
"[12] "But you caused the Nazirites to sin by urging them to drink your wine, and you silenced my prophets, telling them, 'Shut up!' [13] "Therefore, I will make you groan as a wagon groans that is loaded with sheaves."

ii) Jeremiah 11:21 TLB
"[21] And the Lord replied, The men of the city of Anathoth shall be punished for planning to kill you. They will tell you not to prophesy in God's name on pain of death. And so their young men shall die in battle; their boys and girls shall starve."

f) Amaziah the priest charged Amos to stop speaking, to stop prophesying. Because of this, Amaziah suffered a curse. The Lord said through Amos that the wife of Amaziah would become a harlot and that his children would be killed.

i) Amos 7:16-17 TLB
"[16] "Now, therefore, listen to this message to you from the Lord. You say, 'Don't prophesy against Israel.' [17] The Lord's reply is this: 'Because of your interference, your wife will become a prostitute in this city, your sons and daughters will be killed, and your land divided up. You yourself will die in a heathen land, and the people of Israel will certainly become slaves in exile, far from their land.'"

g) Those who stopped Jeremiah from prophesying also suffered calamity.

i) Jeremiah 11:21-23 TLB
"[21-22] And the Lord replied, The men of the city of Anathoth shall be punished for planning to kill you. They will tell you not to prophesy in God's name on pain of death. And so their young men shall die in battle; their boys and girls shall starve. [23] Not one of these plotters of Anathoth shall survive, for I will bring a great disaster upon them. Their time has come."