PROPHECY

When God speaks through a prophecy you must understand that it can be accomplished today, tomorrow or maybe years from now before His Word is actually manifested. Knowing this, make sure you do not move because the prophecy has not been manifested at the time you want or expect it to happen. It may not even be accomplished in your lifetime.

The measurement of prophecy and its fulfilment depends on the spiritual state of the life of the prophet. Whoever claims to speak for God must show it by the way he lives. God is Spirit, and those who worship Him or speak on His behalf must do it in spirit and truth. Their lives must also be above approach and without sin. By this I mean, they must be covered by the blood of the Jesus Christ.

How can someone utter oracles of God when they have spent Saturday night in a bar and then Sunday morning sprayed perfume in their mouth to hide the stench before coming to Church? Or, how can someone defile the temple of God with lies, gossip, hate, debauchery, fornication, adultery, or any other sin and expect to be filled with the Holy Spirit in uttering a prophecy? God cannot speak from such a temple because it represents Satan. There can never be fellowship between unrighteousness (Satan's word) and righteousness (God's Word) springing from the same person. 2 Cor. 6:14-18 We cannot defile our mouth with things that we know are from the devil or things that have been offered to idols and expect that individual to speak for the Lord. Sin is sin! Uncleanliness and iniquities remove God from a person's heart. Jer. 23:1-40

If the Church is not awake in the Spirit and God's people are not careful, demon-possessed people can prophecy. This is why pastors and elders are called to pray for every Sunday service - in order that God speaks and not man. Matt. 8:31-34; Acts 13:6-12,16-18; 19:15 Demons can speak through a person who is in sin and they can playact in giving the word from the Lord to distract people from praising the Lord. Since demons work in the spiritual realm, they can easily detect an unclean person who can be used to do their work. These people are actually doing Satan's dirty work. Jesus warns ministers to not be spoken well of. "Woe unto you, when all men shall speak well of you! for so did their fathers to the false prophets." Luke 6:26
A reoccurring characteristic of false prophets is they are often found in the employment of the powerful. They are careful to speak pleasing, positive, and flattering words to their employers or people they fear. Jeremiah condemned the false prophets who were always saying, "Peace, peace!" when there was no peace. Jer. 6:14 All the false prophets preached one popular message - there would be victory against Babylon. Jeremiah said, "The prophets prophesy falsely... and My people love to have it so." Jer. 5:31. Even though Jeremiah was a true prophet of the Lord, the false prophets were rewarded by the king and Jeremiah was thrown into a dungeon. Jer. 38:6

An example from Scripture is the story of Nineveh. This may cause a believer to lose their salvation because of misinterpreting the time for the fulfilment of a prophecy. It was prophesied that this city would be destroyed but in the story God saved it. Christ prophesied that we preach into every house or city. If we are thrown or chased out, it does not mean that God lied to us when He said He would be with us - we are simply instructed to shake the dust off our feet against the city. Matt. 10:14-15, 12:22-24 Jesus was called Beelzebub. Matt. 13:58 Jesus sent his disciples to Samaria so that he could minister there and go to Jerusalem but the town refused him. Did Jesus prophecy falsehood to his disciples in this instance? No!!! Luke 9:51-56 Remember, God is always ready to minister. People are the hindrance for every prophecy. The Lord told us that we would have tribulation for ten days and then deliverance would come, but sometimes we go more than ten days, even years. Rev. 2:10 Nathan told David of his sin and he pronounced his own sentence to death - but God forgave him.

We must run by faith and wait to see God fulfill a prophecy. "I will stand upon my watch, and set me upon the tower, and will watch to see what he will say unto me, and what I shall answer when I am reproved. And the LORD answered me, and said, Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it.For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry. Behold, his soul which is lifted up is not upright in him: but the just shall live by his faith." Hab. 2:1-4

The prophecy from Christ about coming soon is disbelieved, misinterpreted, and disregarded by the Church."And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last." Rev. 22:12-13 How many people have lost eternal life because of lack of patience and endurance in waiting until they see this prophecy accomplished? Is Jesus coming soon? Yes!!! It may be tomorrow or few more years to come. Remember, the gospel has not yet been preached to every creature on earth. Get out of your bed; don't slumber but be a missionary somewhere: at work, in your city or in a jungle somewhere where people have not heard the name Jesus.

From Egypt to Canaan is believed to have been a forty day's journey but Israel spent forty years in the wilderness before they arrived. Moses was promised by God to lead Israel into Canaan but he himself did not enter. Is this a warning to us showing us how God hates sin? God, help us. Dear friend, has God promised to a peculiar thing with you that you feel He has not accomplished on the time you expected Him to do so? You don't need to be discouraged about God delay in fulfilling a prophecy, just be holy, faithful and true like Habakkuk. Just wait patiently through prayer and supplication. Don't leave or run away because of life's circumstances and yet leave the prophecy you were given and waited for to be accomplished behind your back for others to enjoy.

Wait in righteousness! As God fulfills His Word, you will be saturated with joy so that you will not even remember the days you suffered by waiting Joel 2:25-27. Enduring until a prophecy is fulfilled equals the ten days that a believer is allowed to suffer tribulation, Rev 2:10. Christ gave us heavenly mathematics in this passage and not our earthly and carnal ones.

So, BELIEVE! Just believe and WAIT! Soon and very soon you will see the King! Soon and very soon we are going to see the King!!!

Rev. Abella Kasheke, Th.D.
(March. 2000)