PROPHETS

Prophets

 

 

1. Gift from God. Amos 2:11
2. Started with Moses. Jer. 7:25
3. Also some women called a prophetess; women serving as God's spokesperson. Five women are explicitly identified as prophetesses: Miriam (Exod. 15:20); Deborah (Judg. 4:4); Huldah (2 Kings 22:14); Noadiah, a "false" prophetess (Neh. 6:14); and Anna (Luke 2:36). Jezebel claimed to be a prophetess (Rev. 2:20). The ministries of prophetesses varied greatly. Miriam called upon Israel to celebrate God's deliverance. Deborah combined the offices of prophetess and judge, even accompanying Barak into battle. Huldah spoke God's words of judgment (2 Kings 22:16-17) and forgiveness (22:18-20) to King Josiah. Anna shared the good news of Jesus' birth with the Temple crowds. The false prophetess Noadiah sought to frighten Nehemiah. Jezebel attempted to involve the church of Thyatira in idolatry.
4.     The prophet Joel anticipated a time when all God's people, "male servants and female servants," would be filled with God's Spirit and prophesy (Joel 2:28-29). This prophetic hope was fulfilled at Pentecost (Acts 2:17-18) and in the ongoing life of the “early” church (Acts 21:9 - 1 Cor. 13:8). The early church was said to have tasted of the powers of the age to come. They faded but shall permeate the age of Christ’s age in the Millennium. Paul encouraged all believers to desire to prophesy (1 Cor. 14:1), that is, to offer speech which builds up the church (14:5). 1 Cor. 11:5 presumes women were involved in prophesying and prayer in public worship. The wife of a prophet here was called a prophetess (Isa. 8:3). 
5. Prophetic office understood through Jeremiah. Deut. 18:9-22
6. [nabbi]  the prophet speaks God's words on God's behalf. Exod. 7:1-2. The prophet does not originate the message but proclaims it.
7. [ro'eh] also made to see the message-concerns the reception of the message. Always holy, moral characters. 2 Kings 1:9, 11; 9:7; 17:13
8. Mediators also. Preached revealed law. Predicated coming events. Finally watched over the leaders and people.

Deut. 18 Chap. Note:  Turning to the subject of the prophet, Moses enjoined the people to beware of the false and to know the true. In dealing with the false prophets he described their methods. They would be the practice of secret things, of dealing with the spiritual forces of evil in a professed attempt to discover the will of God. The true prophet was then promised and described. The description given is brief but graphic. He would be one of themselves, receiving the words of God and uttering them to the people. All the true prophets of God that followed fulfilled this ideal in measure. The proportion in which they spoke to the nation the will of God with authority was the proportion in which they did so. As we study these words concerning king and priest and prophet, we inevitably realize that the perfect fulfilment in each case came ultimately with the coming of the Son of God. He was at once King of His brethren without inheritance in His own land; Priest, abiding in the service of God and ministered to by the people of God; Prophet of His brethren, speaking the word of God in all fullness and in all purity.

THE PRAYER MEETING

SICKNESS & THE PRAYER MEETING

 

Peter quotes and comments on Isa. 53:4-9 and teaches that the purpose of the death of Christ on the cross was not for physical healing but that the paralysis of living in sin was dealt with and done away. (1 Pet. 2:21-25). This with other verses from the New Testament should bring a new understanding of what is said and asked for in the prayer meeting. It took men living around the Savior in a ministry with Him to understand what was being said in the OT scriptures. The came to understand that instead of the alleviation of suffering we are called for the very purpose of suffering and from which men shrink. Christ left an example which men today refuse to follow. When suffering of any degree come into their experience they call upon the One to remove the experience saying He owes that to them because of Isa. 53:5. Peter sharply disagrees with that interpretation and comments in these verses that the purpose of suffering was for an example, not an excuse for removal. Paul also agrees with tribulation being a friend for "it worketh patience, therefore rejoice in it” (Rom 5:3); And he says that in our affliction we should rejoice also for "Affliction works a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, therefore rejoice in your affliction” (2 Cor. 4:17); and sorrows are our ally for "Godly sorrow worketh repentance" (2 Cor. 7:10).Men in the church today shrink from the things which are their allies, friends, and for which they are to give prayers of thanksgiving instead of their removal. Instead today they ask for intercession. They do not know God very well and for what He has called them. Out of tribulation, comes patience which leads on to confidence and hope of ultimate victory. Afflictions which can be dismissed in the light of eternity as light afflictions, which are but for the moment according to the Apostle Paul who went through several beatings, are seen to be working out the weight of eternal glory. Sorrows of the soul are working toward the change of mind which means its transformation into perfect harmony with the mind of Christ Himself. All this is the outcome of knowing God. We need to cooperate with the process not demand a life of ease and comfort.  Through suffering we learn obedience as the Son left us His example (Heb. 5:8). Through the process that Peter says we are called, of suffering and weakness, joy and triumph come. That is a clear vision of God. When we see God through Christ we are no longer bound to secondary issues of this life but we gain a close relationship to the Primary and Final Cause. That is why Paul and Silas sang and said prayers of thanksgiving (kai) in prison after a severe beating (Acts 16:25). Finally at the start of 1 Pet. 4 he states that since Christ went through suffering in the flesh, we are to "arm yourself also with the same purpose." See Matt. 8:17 where Christ quotes this verse.

PLUMB LINE

Plumb Line

 

“Thus he showed me: and, behold, the Lord stood upon a wall made by a plumb line, with a plumb line in his hand. And the LORD said unto me, Amos, what seest thou? And I said, a plumb line. Then said the Lord, Behold, I will set a plumb line in the midst of my people Israel: I will not again pass by them any more.”

 

A cord with a weight (usually metal or stone) attached to one end. The plumb line would be dangled beside a wall during its construction to assure vertical accuracy. Prophets spoke of the measurement God would use on the nation (Isa. 28:17; Amos 7:7-8). Israel had been built straight, but, because it was out of line, it would be destroyed. Amos prophecies to show them how they were out of line.

PATIENCE OF GOD

PATIENCE OF GOD

 

The Patience Of God - 2 Pet 3:9 "the Lord ... is patient toward you ..." vulgarity is in a hurry, Omnipotence is never. Where would some of us be if He ended everything in a crash? All of God's processes are slow in appearance to us because of the gentleness of God. God accommodates His speed and strength to his child’s weakness and slowness.

Judges 10:16 the misery that entails His judgments are hard for the Father to bear. "He could bear the misery no longer ...."

Mark 9:19 in a Father-son relationship He warns there is a limit.

Enough is enough-Ezek. 7:2 patience of God runs out. “Also, thou son of man, thus saith the Lord GOD unto the land of Israel; An end, the end is come upon the four corners of the land.” And that is very close to coming about.

OVERSEER

Overseer

 

“And from Miletus he sent to Ephesus, and called the elders of the church.” Acts 20:17 Elders: vs. 17 Also shown to be the pastor and bishop in vs 28.

Elder (Gk. <presbuteros>) and Overseer (Gk. <episkopos>) designate the same office (cp. vs. 7; Acts 20:17; cp. Vs. 28), the former referring to the man, the latter to a function of the office.

The word “overseers” is the same as “bishops.” Since these men were the “elders of the church” (Acts 20:17), it follows that the offices of “elder” and “bishop” were the same person in the early church. In the Greek, “elder” is presbuteros (from which, of course, we get our ecclesiastical term “presbyter”) and “bishop” is episkopos (from which “episcopal” is derived), meaning simply “overseer.” The two terms are again equated in Titus 1:5, 7. The word “pastor” is the same as “shepherd” (Greek poimen), and the elders (or bishops) have the duty of “feeding” the “flock” for which they are responsible. See also 1 Peter 5:1-5. Heb. 13:17; 1 Tim. 3:1-2

Ruling position-one of the duties of the elder.

Administrative-bishop Acts 2:20

The steward of God Titus 1:7 cf. Luke 12:42 The Bible is careful to define the nature of that rule. It is not a dictatorship. Nor ruler-ship in the political sense thereby making it an office and position in the church instead of a work. But rather by example [1 Pet. 5:2-3; 1 Thess. 5:12-13; Heb. 13:7, 17, 24].

The guardian of God's children as described in Gal. 4:1-2, 5 “Now I say, [That] the heir, as long as he is a child, differeth nothing from a servant, though he be lord of all; but is under tutors and governors until the time appointed of the father.”

Sonship is an awaiting experience which will occur at the revelation of Jesus Christ [Rom. 8:18-25 esp. vs.23]

HOW OUR WORLD BEGAN

Origin Theories

 

 

1.     Evolution (Educational) The world and that which is in it began and developed by means of natural processes. New species of more complex and intricate forms have developed out of simpler forms over billions of years. Basic elements in the theory are: fossils, mutations, natural selection and great amounts of time.

2.     Theistic Evolution (Catholic) This theory teaches that Adam's body was simply that of an animal which was the result of millions of years of evolutionary development. Several hundred thousand years ago, God placed an eternal soul into this ape-like biped. This act is that which sets animals and man apart. Some hold to the view that God, on numerous occasions, stepped into the evolutionary process to perform special creative acts.

3.     Creationism (Biblical) The Almighty God supernaturally created the heavens and the earth and all things in them by specific acts of creation. Creation was out of nothing and was instantaneous-employing no evolutionary process. Within creationism there are several basic viewpoints.

·          Day-age The days of creation in Genesis 1 were not literal 24 hour days, but rather long periods of time of an indefinite duration. A less popular view within this position is that the days of Genesis are 24 hour days, but that these days are separated by great periods of time of an indefinite duration.

·          Ruin-reconstruction Theory In the dateless past, God created a heaven and an earth that was perfect. But then Lucifer {Satan} fell into sin and with him many of the angelic beings. Sin, therefore, entered the universe and God destroyed the original earth, leaving it "waste and void." After vast ages of time God recreated the heavens and the earth. It is this recreation that is described in Gen. 1:3-31.

·          Literal Day View The days of Gen. 1:2-31 are literal 24 hr. days. These are the days of the original creation: that creation which we observe today, though marred by sin.

A DESPOT IS NOT THAT IMPORTANT?

NOT THAT IMPORTANT?

 

 

Jude 4 “For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Master, and our Lord Jesus Christ.”

 Here He is called a Despot by Jude. The only Master. What a serious thing to be under the authority of Someone Who can upset everything in our lives without consulting us, and by a word can mark for us the moment of our departure! That is the government of God. We may say He is Lord and Master and then fail to talk with Him daily and look at His word to find direction from Him but we only fool ourselves to think such nonsense. God is absolute monarch wherever He is King at all. His government is autocratic. He does not consult with us as to what He shall do with us, where He shall send us, what He would have us to do. Moreover, His government is an imperative government. He never permits us to make compromises with Him for a single moment. He speaks the word of authority and has every right to. He marks the path without ever consulting us, and having done so, our only relationship to that government is that of implicit, unquestioning, immediate obedience.

2 Pet. 2:1 “But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction.”

Same as saying, "We do not want this Man to reign over us." Luke 19:14. "We have no king but Caesar." John 19:15

“Swift destruction” When the Despot can't tell you how He wants you to do something, and all because 'you' think it’s not important, when He thinks it is, hang on.

Cf. Isa. 42:23-24 “who among you will give ear to this? Who will give heed and listen hereafter? ..... Was it not the Lord, against whom we have sinned, and in whose ways they were not willing to walk."

 

Note: A despot is to be obeyed in all things.  Cf. Titus 2:9-10.