Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain. 1 Cor. 15:58

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Monday, October 31, 2011

day 134: Encourager Checklist (XI)

1 Thessalonians 5:21
(Do not scoff at prophecies,) but test everything that is said. Hold on to what is good.

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We are continuing on this series on how to be an encourager.  Today's verse is on testing what is being told to you in a prophesy and to hold on to what is good.

Now.... I know what you are thinking... you are thinking didn't we JUST talk about yesterday to NOT scoff at prophecies and here I am telling you to test them.

Well.... yes... yes I am.

But it's not just me telling you this.  It's Paul.

There are many false prophets out there.  MANY people who tell prophecies just for the money.  There are people who switch the words of the Bible around to make their way seem right (sometimes intentionally-- sometimes not).

If someone tells a prophecy or if you hear a sermon, it is up to you to test it.  Not in the same way you aren't supposed to test God... this is different.  This test is to look in the Bible and see if what you heard matches up with what you read.  If it does, great :)  If not, you need to see where it differs.

The next thing is to hold on to what is good.

That is hard sometimes.  It is so easy to get caught up in the bad that we forget the good.  But we are supposed to hold on to the good so that we can get through the bad times.

How does this lead to encouragement?
*Help others who have listened to prophecies test if they are Biblically sound or not.

*Remind others what good things they have in their life when they are going through a rough time (in a compassionate way).  Sometimes people forget and have to be reminded.

(If you have a devotional blog, don't forget to leave me your url and a brief description so I can add it to the Devotional Blog Directory ).

God Bless You :)

Kelly

1 comment:

  1. If someone comes to us with a prophesy they heard, we should encourage them to make sure it lines up with the word. And we should remind people of the good things in their life when they are feeling like all is bad. This is great advice, Kelly. Thanks for encouraging us with the Word!
    I have a devotional blog:
    http://lisaphelps.org - A Moment with God. I write about the truths I discover as I read God's Word.

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