Thursday, May 21, 2015

They Shall Prophesy

The Spirit Comes
Woven together in Love


Gift of Languages

Acts 2:14-21  The Message

14-21 That’s when Peter stood up and, backed by the other eleven, spoke out with bold urgency: “Fellow Jews, all of you who are visiting Jerusalem, listen carefully and get this story straight. These people aren’t drunk as some of you suspect. They haven’t had time to get drunk—it’s only nine o’clock in the morning. This is what the prophet Joel announced would happen:
“In the Last Days,” God says,
“I will pour out my Spirit
    on every kind of people:
Your sons will prophesy,
    also your daughters;
Your young men will see visions,
    your old men dream dreams.
When the time comes,
    I’ll pour out my Spirit
On those who serve me, men and women both,
    and they’ll prophesy.
I’ll set wonders in the sky above
    and signs on the earth below,
Blood and fire and billowing smoke,
    the sun turning black and the moon blood-red,
Before the Day of the Lord arrives,
    the Day tremendous and marvelous;
And whoever calls out for help
    to me, God, will be saved.”
 
For Reflection 
Prophecy is out of favor these days.  Maybe it is because the term "prophecy" brings to mind the Old Testament gloom and doom prophets or perhaps it is because it is seen as future telling and of little credibility.

What ever it is we should get over it!  Where are the contemporary prophets?  Who and how many are speaking out for God and speaking consistently about God's love, mercy, righteousness, holiness, sovereignty and justice.  Who is speaking about God's plan for history?  Who are the church's visionaries?  How often are these visionaries studied and explained?

The world has trivialized God.  People, once faithful, are leaving the church. Many have lost their faith. The world has made the absolute trivial.  Who will rise to make relevant what the world has sought to make absolute and ultimate.  

We need to become obsessed with the establishment of God's kingdom in economics, politics, education, race, the arts; drama, painting and writing, We need to look passed the self-delusion of contemporary society and see clearly with God's eyes, speaking with many voices proclaiming the gospel message of love, compassion, justice, and peace.

Pray
for those who have the courage to prophesy.  Pray for the courage to be obsessed with the realization of God's kingdom.  Pray that you will have the courage to prophesy as a witness to the Holy Spirit in your life.

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