WHY DO WE STUDY OR LISTEN TO THE WORDS OF PROPHECY

 Topic: Why Do We Study Or Listen TO Words Of Prophecies?

Bible Text: 2 Peter 1:19-21

" *We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arises in your hearts*:

20  *Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation*.

21  *For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost*
Here...Peter was addressing a wide circle of Christians...his main aim was to tackle the false teachers who had already risen among them....and also reaffirm them on the sure word of prophecies which they had received from God and were witnesses to what Christ did.. how the voice of the Father spoke to them on the mount concerning Jesus...saying "this is my Son *hear Him*".


● *The doers are justified not just the hearers only*

James 1:22
*But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves*.

Revelation 22:6-7

*And he said unto me, These sayings are faithful and true: and the Lord God of the holy prophets sent his angel to shew unto his servants the things which must shortly be done*.

7  *Behold, I come quickly: blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book*.

*The purpose of studying prophecy is not just to know (head knowledge) but to bring us closer and closer to Jesus Christ until we become like Him*.

Prophecies drive us away from the world, disperse darkness from our hearts and bring us closer to Jesus who is the Light.

The Light shines in darkness and darkness cannot overcome it. Hallelujah! The Word of God is Light. ( John 1:5 )

If we study or listen to prophecy for entertainment then we have missed the whole purpose of prophecy.

Prophecies in the hands of the unrepentant and sinners become like a curse to them...because the Lord searches the heart. He knows the reason why we study.

And because the bible is not like any other book...you will never have the right interpretation if your heart is not right.

So, when we lack the right understanding of the word even when we study what happens to us?

We will misquote or twist these prophecies to our understanding thereby forfeiting the purpose of these prophecies...then what was made to be a light to us now becomes darkness that will lead us into destruction. (God forbid!)

2 Peter 3:15-17

*And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you*;

16 *As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their destruction*.

17 *Ye, therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things before, beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your steadfastness*.

Peter said those who lack understanding of the truth in the word of God( especially Paul's writings) because they are difficult, twist them to their detriment as they do to *other Scriptures*....so..it's not just Paul's writings that are difficult to understand...the books of prophecies are also difficult to understand and if you don't study under the supervision of the Holy Spirit of knowledge, wisdom and understanding...you will come out with wrong interpretations that would lead many people astray, including yourself.

There is something I want us to understand:

Two things...
1. Any mind that is not right with God cannot study and put those things into practice(cannot live by the truth)....because you are not studying to learn but to know without putting it into good use.

●Some people study so that they can go and argue with others.
●Some study so that they can come and teach in the church.
● Some study so that they will know the Scriptures...but not to live by it. These are all wrong motives for studying the Scriptures.

2. Any mind that has not received the Holy Spirit and has not prayed for understanding will study a miss...because it is the Holy Spirit that teaches us and leads us Into all truth....sometimes it is good to pray and ask the Holy Spirit to give you the gift of wisdom and knowledge.

We have been studying in this group, we have been hearing messages in our churches ...if only we can put them into practice..then our Spiritual lives will grow..t the way we will ever remain the same.

Let us be hearers and doers of the word...for it is the doers that are justified and not the hearers only.
Roman

Let us not be like those who are always learning but not living the truth that they have learnt.
That is rebellion...and the bible says that rebellion is like the Spirit of witchcraft. ( 1 Samuel 15:23)

2 Timothy 3:7
*Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth*.

Always studying and not coming to the knowledge of truth..very soon...the Holy Spirit will leave the person and the person will be given over to a reprobate mind.

In my WhatsApp group, we have been studying prophecies for some years now...

And the Lord revealed to me in the dream I think that should have been last year to warn the members to start putting those things they have heard into practice...that means many of them don't put those things Into practice..and the Lord is not happy about it. 

We are sanctified by the truth that is in the word of God John 17:17
Christ expects us to be like Sheep, always following the master wherever leads.

If we have decided to be born again, and we now have the Holy Spirit....don't go and relax thinking that all is well.. we must feed the Spirit and must listen to the Holy Spirit of truth...if not a time will come that He will no longer contend with us again.

Ephesians 4:30
*Grieve not the Holy Spirit*

So that we will not be like those that Paul described in the book of Hebrews 6:4-6


There is nothing like once saved always saved.

We need to walk daily in the Presence of God...because it is those who walk in the Spirit that will not fulfil the lust of the flesh. ( Galatians 5:16)

We need to renew our minds daily...and die to ourselves daily. ( Roman's 12:2)

*I protest by your rejoicing which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily*. ( 1 Corinthians 15:31)


Colossians 3:10
*And have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator*

Don't listen to those who deceive you by preaching that "you don't need to do anything to be saved, Christ has done everything for you...therefore you don't need to be mindful of your salvation...Christ has given you freedom".

Freedom to sin?
God forbid!

The Bible says...work out your salvation with fear and trembling.

Christ came to save us *from* our sins not *from* our sins.

Heaven is depicted as a race...and when you are running a race you have to be conscious that you are running a race..
You won't be lackadaisical about it.

Listen! The Lord says...if you're neither hot nor cold He will spit you out of His mouth. (Revelation 3:15-18)
I am not going to mince words with us...*Heaven is not just too easy and it's not a place that you will enter by chance or by miracle*

No! You have to be conscious that you are running a race to win a prize.

You don't just live anyhow, wear anything, say anything and still expect to make heaven.

*There is a huge sacrifice to make*.

It's all about DYING TO SELF.
Recognizing what Christ has done for you..and the only way to please Him is to love Him too by presenting yourself as a living sacrifice. 2 Corinthians 11:2, 1 Peter 2:4-5

The Lord says "Be ye perfect as your Father in heaven is Perfect" (Matthew 5:38)

Heavenly race is like climbing a ladder. (Christian Ladder)
The more we learn, the more we climb...climbing to meet Christ..to become like Christ; to wear His garment of righteousness. ( 2 Peter 1:5-8)
We must decide to become hearers and doers of the word.

Every day we study and learn new truths we had never known from the HolybHolBook and put them into practice... which is living by the truth...this is the process of sanctification.
It's a ladder that we climb to become like Jesus..it's very possible, with God nothing is impossible.

Sanctification is not magic as many would think.
It's a gradual process that you should be part of.

●Benefits of Studying And Keeping The Words Of Prophecies (word of God)

1. You will be renewed daily: Every time you get to grow Spiritually.

2. You get to become like our Lord Jesus Christ: the fruit of the Holy Spirit will be made manifest in you.

3. You will die to yourself and hate the things of the world that profit nothing.
"Love not the world or the things of the world

4. You will receive the gifts of the Holy Spirit..these are necessary equipments that are needed to further the work of God.

5. You will be directed by God...and you will be able to avoid dangers; because the Lord does nothing without warning his people. (Amos 3:7)

In AD 70 many Jews were killed by the Roman soldiers in Jerusalem simply because they didn't believe in the prophecies of Christ.

Meanwhile, those Christians who read the words of prophecies in Matthew 24:
Understood it, they believed and fled from Jerusalem...all of them were saved.

Today, there is a word of prophecy given to us to flee from the cities to go and start farming and producing our food.
There is a word of prophecy crying out to people in Revelation 18:1-3 to come out of Babylon....only those who would yield to the words of this prophecy would be saved and will not partake in her destruction.

God spoke to us in the time past, He is still speaking today.

6. Finally, you will be sanctified and this will eventually lead to your Glorification on the day that Christ will reward His faithful children.

Final comments.
Everything in the bible points to Jesus Christ and not until we become like Him, we have missed everything.

May the Lord bless these words in our hearts today in Jesus' mighty name. Amen.