HOW MANY SEEK PROPHECY RATHER THAN JESUS?

12/5/17

We are told in scripture to earnestly seek after spiritual gifts especially that we might prophesy. And yet, I wonder if many are seeking after these things so much that they don’t seek after Him.

Follow after charity, and desire spiritual gifts, but rather that ye may prophesy. 1 Cor. 14:1

There is so much of an influx of prophecy lately that it is almost like spiritual candy. One can quickly grab this morsel or that one thinking that this will surely satisfy my hunger, and yet I wonder. Truly, spiritual gifts are needed, and many of us are gifted with them in various ways. But they are in no way to replace the author or maker of them.

We are told to seek first His kingdom and His righteousness and then all of these things will be added unto us. (Matt. 6:33) It is the Lord Himself first that we must seek and him alone. A tree can produce wonderful and beautiful fruit for us to eat such as pears or apples. And yet, without the tree itself, the fruit cannot be sustained. So likewise, we are nothing without our relationship to the Master. His hands can mold and make the most exquisite vessel, just as a potter shapes the clay into a certain form. And as we know, there are different uses for each of these forms or vessels, some for noble use and some for ignoble. (2 Tim. 2:20) But if one wants to purchase a beautiful piece of pottery they have to go to the artisan that created them.

We are told that the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy, and certainly this is true. For He Himself embodies all truth, all prophecy, all knowledge, and all love. But it is the person of Jesus behind the testimony, beyond the prophecy, that we must seek, and then all things will be added unto us.

10 And I fell at his feet to worship him. And he said unto me, See thou do it not: I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus: worship God: for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy. Rev. 19

If we are to mature unto full manhood unto the stature of Christ, then we must put away those things that might distract us from following after Him. In order to run the race that is set before us, we must throw-off any weight that might hinder us in that race. Otherwise, we can become entangled by things that can throw us off from the road that is before us. We must go onto perfection, and by saying that, I don’t mean that we would become perfect, for only He alone is that. But we must strive to be more and more like Him, and in that is maturity.

We are not to quit those things that we are called to do. We are not to throw away or to squander those gifts that He has given to us, but we must use them wisely. We are to continue to prophesy, to speak words of wisdom and knowledge. We are to continue to see through the eyes of discerning of spirits, and to use the gift of faith and to minister unto those who need to hear the truth. But as we stand upon the threshold of time in these last days, we must grow up unto Him in order to be found worthy. And we must seek Him first above all else.

Stephen Hanson