Genesis 2:19 Out of the ground the LORD God formed every beast of the field and every bird of the sky, and brought them to the man (Adam) to see what he would call them; and whatever the man called a living creature, that was its name.
I sometimes wonder at the authority that Man had before his fall. God bestowed abundant authority upon Adam. He was allowed to dictate the terms, carry out his will and wish. God could have intervened and take a role in naming His creation. Rather, He preferred His best creation - Man, to move in the power of speaking creative words - "PROPHECY!". God loves to see us operating in His Creative Power. He was watching as Adam gave names to all creation -- Birds and Animals!
Adam also named God's creation as "Woman".
Genesis 2:23 The man said, "This is now bone of my bones, And flesh of my flesh; She shall be called Woman, Because she was taken out of Man."
Adam went further and named the Woman as "Eve".
Genesis 3:20 Now the man called his wife's name Eve, because she was the mother of all the living.
These facts reveal to us that God desires us to walk in His Image, Character and Power.
Man lost all authority because of Sin and Rebellion to God's Word. He was cursed - "Genesis 3:17 Then to Adam He said, "Because you have listened to the voice of your wife, and have eaten from the tree about which I commanded you, saying, 'You shall not eat from it'; Cursed is the ground because of you; In toil you will eat of it All the days of your life. 18 "Both thorns and thistles it shall grow for you; And you will eat the plants of the field;
Since the fall, all that Man is in his best creativeness is only a minuscule in the light of God's Infinite Glory and Perfect Creation.
ILLUSTRATION:
Man's word is unreliable and undependable. A brother once said to me, "Pastor, I need Rs.500/-, I will return to you after I get some income in a week's time. I replied to him, "You may take the money from me, but don't talk about returning it." Deep down I said to myself, "I have experienced many such promises broken."
Man made inventions are all prone to error.
- Technology gets out-dated
- Software don't stand the test of time
- Mobile Phones get out-dated
- Gadgets stop functioning
- Operating Systems get out-dated
- Internet is not wall-proof
- Telephony is not secured or reliable
Even human relationships are temporal.
In comparison, God's Work is Perfect. Job 31:16 "Do you know about the layers of the thick clouds, The wonders of one perfect in knowledge.
Elihu, Job's friend continues,
Job 31:19 "Teach us what we shall say to Him; We cannot arrange our case because of darkness.
Its a Joke when we begin to take our stand against the Almighty. Its better to trust Him instead of being bitter and rebellious to God.
ILLUSTRATION:
One day, I was really angry with God for something that I had longed for did not really happen. I stopped all prayer and did not want to speak to Him in my anger. It happened at such a time, that I was called to Preach in a college where I regularly preach. I had my text to preach and never bothered to Pray. As I went to the college, I noticed that no one greeted me like before or ever respected me as a Preacher. It was so bad that people even did not notice that I was there. The sermon on the pulpit did not connect well. There was a deep sense of emptiness. I had only one thought, finish the sermon and dash home. I returned home and sincerely repented. I prayed and everything was restored in double proportion. Hallelujah!
Psalms 18:30 As for God, His way is blameless; The word of the LORD is tried; He is a shield to all who take refuge in Him.
There is no Promise in the Bible that God has spoken and it hasn't been fulfilled. God is a PROPHET, true to HIS WORD!!
- God spoke to the serpent (satan) about enmity between serpent and the seed of the woman (Genesis 3:15) that was fulfilled in Christ (Romans 16:19-20)
- God spoke about the Promise of restricting the waters of destruction by the covenant of the rainbow (Genesis 9:13-14). Till today, He has not forgotten His Covenant.
- God gave a Promise to Abraham, "I will multiply your descendants as the stars of the sky (Genesis 15:5, 22:17, 26:4) and today from east to west and north to south, the children of Faith (Christians) are found across the globe.
- God promised to David, a seed, a permanent throne (2 Sam 7:26-27). He fulfilled it in Christ being born and being declared a King Forever. Amen!
When we read the gospels, we find that the Prophecies of Jesus were fulfilled to the jot of the letter:
- The prophecy "Destroy this temple, I will raise it up in 3 days." was fulfilled when His body was destroyed and He rose up on the third day (Mark 10:59)
- Prophecy of "I will send you a helper (John 14:16-20)". He sent the Holy Spirit to abide with us always.
- Peter will deny Jesus 3 times before the Rooster crows (Matthew 26:34)
- Prophecy to Fishermen, "I will make you Fishers of Men (Mark 1:17)". These Fishermen followed Jesus, became His disciples and later the Apostles of the Church. Peter baptized 3000 into the early Church (Acts 2:41).
- Jesus prophesied Peters death. Historians have proved this to be true that Peter was taken without his wish and later chose to die upside down quoting that he was unworthy to die as His Master.(John 21:18)
- Jesus prophesied His Death, Burial and Resurrection which all came just as He had spoken (Matthew 16:21; Mark 8:31)
Now, the greatest and most awaited Prophecy that Jesus said and millions are today awaiting for is about HIS RETURN to take us to Heaven.
John 14:3 "If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also.
Revelations 22:12 "Behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me to render to every man according to what he has done.
I hope by now you have thoroughly understood that it is God's Word that remains True and Faithful, man's word is just the opposite. The system of human governance is no comparison before the Al-mighty. It is better to trust in God and choose to operate in the authority that He grants to us.
The power of Prophecy to a Believer:
Jesus restored the lost Power and Authority that Man (Adam) had in the Garden of Eden. By Christ atonement of our Sins, we are back today walking in the Image of God. God delights and desires to see us all operating in His great power.
Jesus gave power to His disciples:
- To be, to walk just as He walked in this World in the Power of Signs, Wonders, Miracles, Healings and Deliverances
- To forgive sins (in His Name, only)
- Make Disciples of Nations
John 20:21 So Jesus said to them again, "Peace be with you; as the Father has sent Me, I also send you."
22 And when He had said this, He breathed on them and *said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit.
23 "If you forgive the sins of any, their sins have been forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they have been retained."
Matthew 28:19 "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.
This is just the authority and the Faith in which we as "Shofar Tabernacle Church" operate.
God has bestowed to us the Power of His Prophetic Word.
- Prophecy by Revelation (Matthew 16:17 And Jesus said to him, "Blessed are you, Simon Barjona, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but My Father who is in heaven.)
- Prophecy by Faith (Mark 11:12 On the next day, when they had left Bethany, He became hungry. 13 Seeing at a distance a fig tree in leaf, He went to see if perhaps He would find anything on it; and when He came to it, He found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs. 14 He said to it, "May no one ever eat fruit from you again!" And His disciples were listening.
- Prophecy by Inspiration (2 Peter 1:21 for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.)
The greatest blessing and prophecy given to man is the "Testimony of Jesus".
Revelations 19:10 Then I fell at his feet to worship him. But he *said to me, "Do not do that; I am a fellow servant of yours and your brethren who hold the testimony of Jesus; worship God. For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy."
When you speak to someone in this manner:
- "Brother! Jesus will heal you by His Stripes
- "Sister! in Jesus name you are coming out of debts in 10 days
- "Brother! Jesus will forgive your sins and deliver you
.......and so on
you are actually "PROPHESYING" and your Word will definitely come to Pass in Jesus Name.
God Bless You!
- Pastor Sumeet MJ
