Devotional Message

"A Sure Word of Prophecy"

"So we have the prophetic word made more sure, to which you do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star arises in your hearts." 2 Peter 1:19

A prophet is someone who speaks for God and the true mark of a prophet is someone who speaks for another. Today the world runs rampant with imperfect prognosticators who seem incapable of knowing what the future holds. A mark of a true prophet is one whose predictions come true 100% of the time. Consider the following imperfect prophecies;

• "Airplanes are interesting toys, but they have no military value." Marshal Ferdinand Foch in 1911. (Can you say stealth bomber?)
• "With over 50 foreign cars already on sale here, the Japanese auto industry isn't likely to carve out a big slice of the U.S. market." Business Week, 1958. (The big three wish that had been true)
• "Whatever happens, the U.S. Navy is not going to be caught napping." Frank Knox, U.S. Secretary of the Navy, on December 4, 1941 (Before Pearl Harbor).
• "Stocks have reached what looks like a permanently high plateau." Economist Irving Fisher on October 16, 1929 (March 1991, Reader's Digest). (What would they say today?)

Fortunately mankind has learned to explain and adjust for an imperfect forecast of the future;

Fiedler's forecasting rules

1. Forecasting is very difficult, especially if it's about the future.
2. For this reason: He who lives by the crystal ball soon learn to eat ground glass.
3. Similarly: The moment you forecast you know you're going to be wrong, you just don't know when and in which direction.
4. Nevertheless, always be precise in your forecasts because: Economists state their GNP growth projections to the nearest tenth of a percentage point to prove they have a sense of humor.
5. Another basic law: If the facts don't conform to the theory, they must be disposed of.
6. By the same reasoning, your suspicions about the narrow range of most forecasts are justified: The herd instinct among forecasters make sheep look like independent thinkers.
8. When presenting a forecast: Give them a number or give them a date, but never both.

But of greater consequence is prophecy as it pertains to speaking for God. Those who spoke for God were divinely inspired by the Word of God; II Peter 1:21 "For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Ghost." In an age when we live in great uncertainty, everyone needs a measure of assurance that the future will bring about a great outcome for God's people. Unfortunately we have no more prophets as were had in days of old. But rest assured that God is still speaking to His people through a different medium; Luke 16:16 "The law and the prophets were until John: since that time the kingdom of God is preached, and every man presses into it."

Yes God's Word is no longer disseminated through prophets but through His ministers. God speaks through those men who have committed themselves to a sure word of prophecy that God inspires through the Holy Ghost. The only question is, are still receptive to His Word? Are you willing to attend to it and practice it as God continues to speak to you through ministry? Attend church services more consistently so that you can have a clearer understanding of a sure word of prophecy through God's minister.