Sermon
The Gifts of the Spirit pt 13: The Gift of Prophecy in the Believer Today
Publisher transcript
Transcript
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Welcome to NECF Sermons. Each message here is
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designed to uplift and strengthen you in your
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walk with God. Don't miss out. Stay with us until
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the end for a rewarding experience. Let's dive
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right in. 1 Corinthians 12. Verse 10. To another
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the working of miracles. And to another what?
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Prophecy. Hallelujah. Praise God. So today, what
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we're talking about today to complete the part
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on the gifts of the prophecy is the gift of prophecy
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in the believer today. The gift of prophecy in
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the believer when? Today. Please, if you don't
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have a writing material, you can use your phone.
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There's a notes part on your phone. You can just
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take the notes there because these words will
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benefit you. Amen. So the church. It's not a
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place where you come and then do it like concert.
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The church is a training school for the believer.
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Praise God. The believer is taught the word.
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The believer is trained in the word of righteousness
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and in the word of faith. Amen. The believer
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grows and he is not only equipped, but that he
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measures up to the fullness of who? Of Christ.
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Hallelujah. Praise God. So when you come to the
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believer's training school like this, on a Saturday,
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on a Sunday, on a Wednesday, on a Friday. Come
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for lecture time to be taught and to be equipped.
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Praise God. So, we read 1 Corinthians 12 verse
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10. Let me read it again. To another, the walking
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of miracles. To another, prophecy. To another,
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discerning of spirits. To another, diverse kinds
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of tongues. To another, the interpretation of
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what? Of tongues. Hallelujah. So one of the things
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that we're able to establish that the word prophecy
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was translated from the Greek word prophetia,
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right? Yes, prophetia, which is from the root
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word prophetio. Praise God. And the word prophetia
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or prophetio, right? The root word is to prophesy
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and prophesy means to speak forth. Hallelujah.
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Amen. If you have seen the documentary of Volcano,
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right? If you have seen the documentary of Volcano,
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suddenly there will be a crack on the ground,
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right? And then there is this molten magma that
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will do what? That will suddenly what? Erop!
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Hallelujah. That's the strength of that word
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prophetio, right? To bubble up with words. Hallelujah.
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To speak forth. With words. On the spur of the
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moment. And we say that to speak forth under
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the inspiration of the Holy Ghost. Praise God.
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So the source of our speaking is from who? From
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the Holy Ghost. So when I bubble with words,
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when I speak forth with words, instantly that
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inspiration, that utterance is coming from where?
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From the Holy Ghost. So the believer is a man,
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when it comes to the gifts of the prophecy, the
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believer is a man under the inspiration of the
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Holy Ghost, right? That will always speak. Speak
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what? The will of God. The mind of God. The plans
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of God. The purposes of God. So the believer...
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He's a man under the inspiration of the Holy
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Ghost. Why the inspiration of the Holy Ghost?
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Because that is the Spirit he has received. Amen?
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Yes, so the believer has received what? The Holy
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Ghost. So the source of his inspiration should
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not be from another spirit, but from where? But
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from the Holy Ghost. So however, that is why
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the believer ought to be careful to be taught
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and trained. If the believer is not taught and
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trained in the word of faith, the believer can
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hear words from demons and still say them. Do
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you hear what I said? I didn't say the demons
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are inside him. Amen? I said he can what? He
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can hear words from where? From demons. One.
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He can also hear words from non -believers. And
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he will do what? He will speak them. So if the
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believer is not taught and trained, the reality
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and the source of inspiration can change. So
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what is going to happen is that he will despise
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the source of his inspiration, the Holy Ghost,
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and he will look for another source of what?
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Inspiration. So in the gifts of prophecy, the
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believer must be careful to stay on the source,
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to stay with the source, who is the Holy Ghost.
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Hallelujah. That is prophecy. Amen. Speaking
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forth, bubbling forth with words. However, on
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the spur of the moment. Do you know what I said?
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On the what? On the spur of the moment. The words
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you are speaking, they are not plain words. Amen.
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That is why one of the things that will deprive
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you from receiving from one another is familiarity.
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Is he not pastorifying? I know him and I know
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he knows all my troubles and fears and concerns.
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So I know if he's going to speak now, he is going
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to speak from the abundance of his heart because
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he knows me. Pastor Victor says something. He
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says something that every time we meet, we are
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meeting to do what? In fact, let me add one word
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to bring value to the other person. Acts chapter
Acts 1 chapter mention
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1. Let me say something here. Acts chapter 1.
Acts 1 chapter mention
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See what the scripture says about Christ. Acts
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chapter 1 verse 3. had given commandment unto
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the apostles, whom he hath, what? Chosen three
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now, to whom also, Acts chapter 1, from verse
Acts 1 chapter mention
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1 to 3, to whom also he showed himself, how?
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Alive, after his, what? His passion, his death,
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burial, and what? And resurrection, by how many
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proofs? By many infallible, what? Proofs being
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seen of them 40 days and speaking of the things
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pertaining to what? To the kingdom of God. When
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you now go back to Luke 24, you will see some
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of the things that he had to show them for them
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to know that Christ... Luke 24. Now see the infallible
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proofs now. Some of the infallible proofs now.
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One of the proofs which we know in this church
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is that he taught them. Hallelujah. And his teachings
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that he taught them, he opened their understanding.
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All the things that the prophet has spoken concerning
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what? Concerning him. He brought those things
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open, bare unto them. Amen? That is the major
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proof. Any other proof we are going to talk about
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here are minor. For example now, right? Luke
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24. Luke 24. Verse 36. And as he and... As their
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thoughts spake, Jesus himself stood in the midst
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of them and said unto them, Peace be unto you.
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But they were terrified and affrighted. And suppose
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that they had seen a what? And he said unto them,
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Why ye trouble? And why do thoughts arise in
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your heart? Behold my what? My hands and my feet,
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that it is I what? Myself. Handle me and see.
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For a spirit hath not what? flesh and bones,
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as ye see me have. And when he had thus spoken,
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he showed them his hands and his feet. And while
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they had not believed, not for the joy wondered,
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and he said unto them, Have ye here any what?
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Any meat. And they gave him a piece of broiled
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fish, and of a what? And a honeycomb, and a what?
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And he took it, and did eat what? Before them.
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By now they now believe that he is not a spirit.
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After they now believe there is not a spirit,
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since spirits don't eat this kind of food. Spirit
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cannot eat fish and broiled fish and honey. Right?
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Then 44 now. He now said, and he said unto them,
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These are what? These are the words. Hallelujah.
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Do you know that Jesus is still alive today with
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infallible proofs? Ha! No, no, no, no, no, no.
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Do you know that Jesus is still alive today with
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infallible proofs? But the proofs are not eating
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food now. They are not honeycomb. Amen? We read
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somewhere in Acts chapter 4, verse 29. It said,
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Lord, behold their what? Threatenings. Grant
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unto thy servants that with all boldness that
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we may what? That we may speak. You can put it
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up. Acts chapter 4. Right? That we may speak.
Acts 4 chapter mention
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Stretch forth your hands. Hallelujah. Do what?
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Stretch forth your hands and heal in the name
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of thy holy son who? Jesus Christ. How is God
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stretching forth his hands? Through us. How is
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the infallible proof that Jesus is alive happening
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today? How is this happening today? Through whom?
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Through us, believers. So the gifts of prophecy
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in the believer is one infallible proof that
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Jesus is alive. Do you hear what I said? The
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gifts of prophecy in the believer is also what?
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One infallible what? Proof. Because when it comes,
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it reveals the mind of God. It reveals the purposes
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of God. It reveals the will of God for the believer
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now. Praise God. So one of the things that we
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see also that the scripture has told us, which
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we've learned here, that the prophets spoke as
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they were inspired by who? By the Spirit of God.
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Amen? So that which way that the prophet did,
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same root word. In prophecy, same root word.
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There is foretelling and there is foretelling.
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Prophecy has two meanings. There is foretelling,
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F -O -R -E, foretelling, and there is what? Foretelling,
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F -O -R -T -H, telling. Foretelling, F -O -R
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-E, and there is foretelling, F -O -R -T -H.
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Foretelling is what we saw or what we see in
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the scriptures that Moses, right? And the other
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prophets spoke about God's plans that will be
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fulfilled in Jesus Christ. So foretelling was
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revealing. The prophets were revealing the things.
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It's a futuristic, the things God is going to
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do. God's commitment for humanity, but happening
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in the future. In who? In Christ Jesus. But foretelling
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is not in the future. It's when? It's now. So
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the gift of prophecy is what? Foretelling. Now
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reality. So the believer is not going to prophesy
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that another Jesus will be given birth again.
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Do you understand? So the believer is not going
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to say there will be another woman, a virgin,
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she will be from Casablanca. You know, some people
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have, before I say Casablanca, some people have
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mentioned Casablanca. You know, a virgin from
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Casablanca, right? In the village of Timbuktu.
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You know, and then she will, there will be a
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child, he will be in a manger and they will go,
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hmm, hmm, speak papa. The gifts of prophecy for
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the believer went today, now. All of God's promises,
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his plans, his commitments for humanity. has
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been fulfilled in Christ Jesus. You need this
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now because of the things I want to say. All
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of God's promises, his plans, his commitment
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for humanity has been fulfilled in who? In Christ
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Jesus. So, Sama, what will gifts of prophecy
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do to us? If they have been fulfilled in Christ
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Jesus, gifts of prophecy, when the believer speaks
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it, will reveal those plans for the now. Praise
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God. Hallelujah. Oh, it will bring direction
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now. It will bring clarity when? Now. It will
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bring comfort when? Now. It will bring instruction
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when? Now. But all of these things that are coming
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are happening in who? In Christ Jesus. It's important
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that it must happen in Christ Jesus. It's important
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that it must happen in who? In Christ Jesus.
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Praise God. Hallelujah. Purpose of the gift of
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prophecy. Purpose or purpose. Purpose. Okay.
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Let me say the way we say in my village. Purpose.
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Praise God. You know, I have an English teacher,
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Mr. Jabez, but he let her change his name to...
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No. He changed his name to God... Is it God Will?
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Or God knows. Or God something. He changed his
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name to God something. Because his name Jabez
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continued to produce suffering. Seriously, oh.
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He was the senior staff in my secondary school.
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But he was the miserable staff in my school.
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My principal called him Jabez. He is the one
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that will run. Coppers, they will call them.
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They will not run. Go to my office and get Cain.
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This man will run from the assembly ground to
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the principal office. Get something. I don't
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know what's the spiritual thing behind it. But
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immediately he changed his name. He married.
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I'm serious. When he changed his name, I don't
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know anything spiritual about Jagat. I don't
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know. I'm just saying what we saw. When he changed
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his name, he married. When he changed his name,
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he built his own house. When he changed his name,
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his life changed. Sincerely, I cannot tell you
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anything about it. For whatever reason, I don't
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know. So, but you know, this man, he was our
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English teacher. So he was teaching us English
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phonetics. He say, he's not, once you say, popos,
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you said, Takunda, give Kolade a knock. He said,
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it's not purpose, it's purpose. I said, hey.
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Praise God. The purpose. My wife said, please,
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I hope you know you will become global. All this
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is your Newman English. The purpose. You know,
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I saw Pastor Victor's video. It was just his
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English. I said, ah, my brother. Hallelujah.
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That was a joke. Amen. The gifts of prophecy
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has a purpose. Hallelujah. Praise God. So let's
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look at the purpose of the gifts of prophecy.
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Please, as we are discussing this, pay attention
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because now you will begin to know why the gifts
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of prophecy are important and why the believer,
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when he is given a gift of prophecy, what we
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should begin to see as the content of what he
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is saying. When we say a purpose of a thing,
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what do we mean? The function of a thing, yes.
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The reason for a thing, yes. The why of a thing,
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yes. Another word? The importance of a thing,
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right? Good. So which means that Acts chapter
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1 verse 8. See what the scripture says. But ye
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shall receive power after that the Holy Ghost
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is what? Is come upon you and ye shall be what?
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Witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem and in all
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what? Judea and in what? Samaria and unto the
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uttermost part of what? Part of the earth. Right?
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And that word witness is the word matiah. Right?
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When you check the word witness, it's the word
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what? Mattiah. And Mattiah is not somebody that
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they say he laid, put his head and they cut him.
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Right? When you check the meaning of Mattiah,
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it's not a person that put his head and then
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they do what? They slaughter and say, ah, this
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man, he died for Jesus. That word Mattiah, when
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you check it, it's a legal word. Amen? It's a
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legal what? When we say you are a witness, it
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means that you have seen something, you have
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touched something, right? And you are the only
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person that has been legalized to have a proof.
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If you say that thing, everybody will believe
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it. You are the only person that can stand for
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a case and the judge can give a verdict on that
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thing. Why? Because you have seen something,
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you have touched something or you have an information
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and that information is a high priority information.
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And anytime and anywhere you say that thing,
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nobody can say you are what? You are lying. So,
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when they bring them to court, they will enter
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a box and they will make them to do what? To
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swear. When they swear, they are bound under
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a legal authority. That everything I will say
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here is true to this case. The presence of the
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Holy Ghost in the believer has legalized the
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believer to have a proof that Jesus is alive.
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So we are not mere men roaming about the surface
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of the earth. without a legal authority bounding
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over us. He said, ye shall receive what? Power.
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After that, the Holy Ghost is what? It's come
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upon you. Let me repeat what I said. So which
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means the believer, the believer is a man that
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is legalized by the Spirit of God to prove that
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Jesus is what? He's alive. So connect this thing
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that I just said now to the purpose of the gift
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of what? Prophecy. So which means that the believer
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is not just prophesying. The believer is giving
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proofs. Hallelujah. Praise God. And that proof
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is to better the local church. That proof is
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to better the what? The local church. 1 Corinthians
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14 verse 3 now. 1 Corinthians 14 verse 3. After
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this particular topic, every one of us would
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desire it more. Hallelujah. 1 Corinthians 14
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verse 3. But he that prophesied, speaketh, will
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read. Okay, let's retrain. But he that prophesied
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speaks what? Speaks, speaketh unto men. To who?
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He that prophesied speaketh unto who? He that
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prophesied speaketh unto who? So your prophecy
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is for who? Your prophecy is for who? And when
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you prophesy, what happens? See what happens
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now. For their edification and exhortation and
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what? And comfort, straight. Now let's start
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this class very fast now. What is the purpose
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of prophecy? Edification and exhortation and
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comfort. Hallelujah. So when somebody walks up
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to you and gives you a word of prophecy and then
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tells you it's by the Spirit of God, what you
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should be setting out in those speakings are
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what? Edification. Hallelujah. Which is what?
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Which is exaltation and what? And comfort. Hallelujah.
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So now, you will see why Paul will say prophecy
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throughout 1 Corinthians 14 is about edification.
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Edification. Edification. That word to edify,
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which we know here, is oikodomio. Or oikodom.
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Why are we going back to the root words? We are
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going back to the Greek words. Right? So that
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we will know the context of why that word is
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used. Amen? That word oikodomeo is O -I -K -O
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-D -O -M -E -O. O -I -K -O -D -O -M -E -O. Oikodomeo.
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And it means to build. Ah, I just got something
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now. It means to what? To build. that every time
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I come to Pastor Imah and I'm speaking the words
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of the prophecy to him by the Spirit of God,
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kick, kick, kick, kick, kick, kick, kick, kick,
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I'm building, I'm building. Oh boy, with my mouth,
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say with my mouth, say with my mouth, by the
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Spirit of the Lord, with my mouth, I build lives.
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I don't tear down lives. I don't tear down places.
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I build lives. So every time you speak under
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the inspiration of the Spirit of God, you are
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building lives. You are building systems. You
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are building people. You see, your words are
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not ordinary. So don't just look at situations.
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I got this now from somebody. The next time you
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have an opportunity to speak, don't say negative
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things. Hallelujah. Don't say what? The more
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you say negative things, you tear down those
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people. The more you say negative things, you
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tear down that system. The more you say negative
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things, you tear down the entire environment.
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Don't say negative things. Remember that words
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from your mouth should edify, should build. They
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should build. They should build. They should
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build. They should what? They should build. Have
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you ever seen anybody takes time to build? You
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know, we have been reading Matthew 24, 1, 2,
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3. And when Jesus told them, he said, each of
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these stones you see, all of them will be what?
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Will be thrown down. They say, you don't know
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what you're talking about. It took us 46 years
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to build this. And you tell us. In three days,
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let's pull it down. You must be kidding us here.
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Go to salamis. You have an idea of what they
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are saying. Those stones are not the bricks in
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your house that if you do, it will break. It
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will take something unusual made by man to bring
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those stones down. The scripture says, majestic
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buildings, impressive decorations. And Jesus
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said, all these things will do what? Will come
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down. Every time the believer speaks under the
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inspiration of the Holy Ghost, he is bringing
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the beauty in the life of others that is already
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in Christ Jesus. He's bringing them out. You
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see, what I just said now should inform you that
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you don't see anybody and begin to just say,
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your life will waste. Do you know that your life,
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the way you continue like this, with this your
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brain that is empty. How can somebody have head?
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You know there is brain inside. I say the brain
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is empty. When you see empty brains, put something
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inside. Do you know what I said? When you see
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empty brains, do what? When you see wayward lives,
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correct them. By the Spirit of God, I just heard
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this. Learn to bring order, not chaos. Learn
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to bring order, not chaos. With your words, bring
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order, not chaos. With your words, bring what?
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Order, not what? Not chaos. Write this now. In
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verse 3, in verse 4. In verse 5, in verse 12,
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in verse 17, in verse 26. We are going to see
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the words now. Verse 3, 1 Corinthians 14, verse
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3. Verse 4, verse 5, verse 12, verse 17, verse
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26. Let me say it again. Verse 3, verse 4, verse
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5, verse 12, verse 17, verse 26. All these places
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talks about the word edify, edifies, edification,
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edifying. And all of them are connected to prophecy.
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Edify, edifies, edifying, or what? Edification.
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Verse 3. But he that prophesies speaketh unto
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men to edification and exhortation and what?
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Verse 4. Verse 5. Verse 12. of the church verse
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17 for thou verily verily give us thanks well
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but the order is not edified 26 how is it then
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brethren when you come together every one of
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you had a psalm had a doctrine had a tongue had
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a revelation had an interpretation let all things
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be done unto what edifying so take the original
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word building and put all in these places building,
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building, building, building. You see, what Paul
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is emphasizing is that every time you gather
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in fellowship, let there be what? Building. Let
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there be edification. Brother, edify the other.
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Sister, when I stood there, one of the words
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that I got, he said, husband and wife don't marry
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because they should just marry. No, no, no. God
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first will bring you to edify one another. My
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responsibility as a husband is to what? due to
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my wife. Her responsibility is to what? Due to
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me. You have not borne me even straight. You
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have not borne me this way. You have not borne
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me. You have not borne me this way. You have
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not borne me. Me, oh. Me in this house, I will
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not cook again. Me in this house. Me in this
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house. Me in this house. Is not receive. Is what?
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Give. Give. Give. Say, I have been created by
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God. I have his image. I have his image. And
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I know the lifestyle of giving. Every resources
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God has put inside you is to be released. Hallelujah.
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To build others. And we've learned here, I'm
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going to, in the next two, three minutes, we're
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going to stop here for today. And we've learned
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here that the word, Comfort and exhortation.
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Edify is to build, right? And that word edification
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is a compound word for comfort and what? Exhortation.
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The word comfort is to provide help. Amen? The
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word comfort is to do what? To provide what?
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Help. Comfort is not pity. Do you hear what I
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said? Comfort is not what? Is not pity. The word
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comfort is to provide what? To provide what?
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Help. Hallelujah. And then the word exhortation.
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The word exhortation, it means to stand by someone.
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Praise God. To do what? To stand by someone.
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So which means that when prophecy is given, it
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brings direction, guidance, help, and encouragement.
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When prophecy is given, right? When gifts of
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prophecy is in operation, it brings direction,
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it brings guidance, it brings help, it brings
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encouragement. Let me say it again. When prophecy
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is given, it brings direction, it brings guidance,
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it brings help, and it brings encouragement.
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Purpose of what? Of the gifts of what? Prophecy.
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Hallelujah. Let's read this and then we stop.
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1 Corinthians 14 verse 6 now. Now, brethren,
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if I come unto you speaking with tongues, what
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shall I what? Profite you. What he's saying is
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that how can I build you? Hallelujah. How can
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I benefit you? Except I shall speak to you either
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by what? Revelation or by knowledge or by prophesying
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or by doctrine. Hallelujah. Because all these
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words find expression through intelligible words
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that the mind can understand. Hallelujah. Amen?
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So when we come, by God's grace, on Wednesday,
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we're going to exhaust this purpose of the gifts
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of prophecy and then we're going to do how to
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judge what? Prophecy. Then we'll practicalize
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it. How to judge what? Prophecy. Then we'll do
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what? We'll practicalize it. Maybe, not in this
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church however, because we'll be taught. Amen?
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He said, my children, my children, don't be afraid.
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For I also am also afraid. But know that I am
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with you. If you are close to the person there,
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just hold the hands of the person and just keep
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him in the sight first and say, don't be praying,
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just be watching us. Because we have to start
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checking which source. Like that young man that
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they say, do you have a word? He came up here.
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I can't see him again in our church. He said
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to all the fine ladies, God says he's with you.
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Praise God. Say I have the gifts of prophecy.
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Say, I have the gifts of prophecy. Say, I have
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the gifts of prophecy. One of the words I got
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in the course of preparation, which we will talk
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about it on Wednesday, is how every one of us,
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we have to be mindful of our words. Hallelujah.
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We have to be what? We're going to read a couple
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of scriptures on Wednesday, and I believe the
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Holy Spirit will bring so much revelation at
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work in our hearts, and you will go about saying
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the right things by the Spirit of God. Can you
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just bless God, everybody? Can I just bless Scott?
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Say, Father, thank you for I have the ability
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to build. I have the ability to build. I have
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the ability to build. I have the ability to build.
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We appreciate you being here today. We hope you
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carry this word with you throughout your week.
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Don't forget to check the show notes for additional
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insights. Stay connected with us through our
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website or follow us on social media. If you
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were encouraged, share this message with someone
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you care about. Until next time, stay blessed.