DESPISE NOT PROPHESYING
By W. G. Guy
The apostle Paul gave several admonitions to the believers in the Church at Thessalonica in order to enhance their Christian living. These admonishments are recorded in the fourth chapter of his first letter to this church.
1 Thessalonians 4:16-21 – Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing. In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. Quench not the Spirit. Despise not prophesyings. Prove all things; hold fast that which is good. Abstain from all appearance of evil.
We need to focus on one of these admonishments that are denied, and even spoken against in many churches today.
1 Thessalonians 4:20 – Despise not prophesyings.
The churches that deny the supernatural workings of the Holy Spirit are referred to as churches that believe that the works of the supernatural, and of the Holy Spirit, are not for today; that they ceased with the death of the apostles. They are opposed to the Pentecostal Churches that still believe and operate as did the early church; because God and Christ have not changed.
The proof that the supernatural works empowered by the Holy Spirit are still in operation today is found in the message that Peter preached on the Day of Pentecost, when the church was founded. He quoted from the prophecy of Joel 2:
Acts 2:17-20 – And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams: and on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy: and I will shew wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapour of smoke: the sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before that great and notable day of the Lord come:
The words that Peter spoke are still valid today because the wonders that were prophesied to come that will occurr in heaven, and on earth, have not happened yet. Thus prophesying, as well as all of the Gifts of the Holy Spirit, are still a valid operation that is to manifest in the church by those whom the Holy Spirit has equipped and anointed to do so.
1 Corinthians 1:7 – so that ye come behind in no gift; waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ:
Despising prophesy is to deny allowing God to speak to, and through, His people who have been filled with, and equipped by, the Holy Spirit; the Pentecostals, or those baptized with the Holy Spirit; called the “Spirit filled”.
What is prophecy? Prophecy is speaking under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit who has never stopped trying to communicate with God’s people. The problem is that God’s people have stopped listening for Him to speak: then there are those who are in complete denial of His ability to speak to us.
John 12:28-30 – Father, glorify thy name. Then came there a voice from heaven, saying, I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again. The people therefore, that stood by, and heard it, said that it thundered: others said, An angel spake to him. Jesus answered and said, This voice came not because of me, but for your sakes.
Still others, in churches, lack the ability to hear what the Spirit is saying even though they are admonished to be attentive to what He says by His Spirit; and to have ears to hear.
Revelation 2:7, 11, 17, 29 – He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches;
Prophecy has two components: fore-telling and forth-telling. Fore-telling speaks of things to happen in the future. Forth-telling is speaking of things that are needed to be known in the present. Preaching the gospel message, as inspired by the Holy Spirit, is also prophesying; it is forth-telling about Jesus and the love of God.
Revelation 19:10c – …….for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.
Prophesying is actually a ministry of love – God’s love and all that He has provided for us. The church uses the term God’s “grace”. God’s grace is actually a component of His love, as is His mercy. It says in Romans 12 that we are to prophecy according to the measure, or proportion of faith. Notice that not all have the same measure of faith because the term “measure” refers to the amount of faith an individual has in order to operate as lead by the Holy Spirit. (If one does not believe in the working of the Holy Spirit, then there is no measure, or proportion of faith.)
Romans 12:6-8 – Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith; or ministry, let us wait on our ministering: or he that teacheth, on teaching; or he that exhorteth, on exhortation: he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that sheweth mercy, with cheerfulness.
Since faith is a key element in the ability to prophesy we also need to understand that faith works by love.
Galatians 5:6 – For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love.
Having a love for God, His Word, and Jesus is to share it with others in what allows the Holy Spirit to use a person to prophesy. This is because love is the more excellent way to operate in and with the Holy Spirit. This is recorded in 1 Corinthians 12 and 13 regarding the working of the Holy Spirit in and through believers.
1 Corinthians 12:29-31 – Are all apostles? are all rophets? are allteachers? are all workers of miracles? have all the gifts of healing? do all speak with tongues? do all interpret? But covet earnestly the best gifts: and yet shew I unto you a more excellent way.
What is the more excellent way? LOVE – the God kind of love called CHARITY! Why is love called charity? Because love is giving (as is charity); as God GAVE His only begotten Son; and as Jesus GAVE His life for us.
1 Corinthians 13:1-2 – Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.
It appears that those who deny prophesy are lacking in love for God, His Word, Jesus as Lord, and for others to be able to prophesy His messages to them. What does prophesy do? It builds people up in the knowledge of Christ and His Word.
1 Corinthians 14:3-5, 38 – But he that prophesieth speaketh unto men to edification, and exhortation, and comfort. He that speaketh in an unknown tongue edifieth himself; but he that prophesieth edifieth the church. I would that ye all spake with tongues, but rather that ye prophesied: for greater is he that prophesieth than he that speaketh with tongues, except he interpret, that the church may receive edifying. …39 Wherefore, brethren, covet to prophesy, and forbid not to speak with tongues. (Note: prophecy, inspired speaking a message from God, is not limited to the pastor or preacher: os you see this in churches?
At this point I would like to quote from Smith Wigglesworth in his message, THE MORE EXCELLENT WAY. “Prophetic utterances are of no value unless they are perfectly covered with divine love; …because His divine love never failed to accomplish its purpose.”
Wigglesworth goes on to say; Moses said, “Oh, that all the Lord’s people were prophets – (Numbers 11:29). This is clear revelation along these lines that God wants us to be in such a spiritual holy place that He could take our words and so fill them with divine power that we would speak only as the Spirit leads in prophetic utterance.”
Thus, love for God and others, (as Jesus gave us commandment in Matthew 22:36-40), is needed in order to flow in the Gifts of the Holy Spirit. As we show love for others, the Spirit of God can flow through us, as we become His channel to them, which allows the supernatural Gifts to operate. It is not us, but Him who does the supernatural.
Why do many churches deny the supernatural? Is it because they really don’t believe God’s Word, or what Jesus said?
John 14:12 – Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father. (Who then sends the Holy Spirit to so equip us.)
Jesus clearly referred to the supernatural works that He said that believers would see and do as we ask in the power and authority of His name.
John 14:13-14 – And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it. (Note: we don’t work the supernatural, He does it as we obey Him and ask, or make demand for things to happen, in His name.)
It appears that those who deny the supernatural power of God working today are lacking in the true love of God preventing them from living in the fullness of His love and power. Such churches and Christians resemble the Sadducees that confronted Jesus, because they did not believe in the supernatural as do these churches.
Acts 23:8 – For the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, neither angel, nor spirit: but the Pharisees confess both.
Yet God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit are supernatural and operate in the supernatural; (what is beyond natural to us mortals). Operating in the supernatural, our limited human natural understanding is not equipped to understand, thus they cannot accept because what is spiritual is supernatural.
1 Corinthians 2:9-14 – But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual. But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.
To deny His love is to deny the power of the Holy Spirit that is the Gift of God that our Heavenly Father has ordained for us, who have believed in Christ, are to receive.
Luke 11:11-13 – If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone? or if he ask a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent? 12 Or if he shall ask an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?
Acts 11:16-17 – Then remembered I the word of the Lord, how that he said, John indeed baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost. Forasmuch then as God gave them the like gift as he did unto us, who believed on the Lord Jesus Christ; what was I, that I could withstand God?
Our relationship with God is by faith, which worketh by love; thus His will and His Word is revealed to us by the prophetic ministry that comes through His servants and hand maidens, as it is written.
Acts 2:18 – I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy.
Therefore, despise not prophesying; it is the testimony of Jesus – the gospel message that must go forth – forth telling! To give the good news by the power of the Holy Spirit who confirms the Word with supernatural signs and wonders.
Mark 16:20 – And they went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following. Amen.
His divine power is still working, but only in and through those who genuinely believe.
Mark 11:23-24 – For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith. Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.
ONLY BELIEVE, AND YOU SHALL SEE GREAT AND MIGHTY THINGS! DISPISE NOT PROPHESYING, OR ANY OF THE GIFTS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT SO THAT GOD CAN USE YOU FOR HIS PURPOSE!
