Bible In One Year-Day 147 (Tuesday, May 27, 2014)

Commentary: Jer28-30. The Battle between the prophets. Before we talk about that, let us look into this quotation in the book of Jeremiah.

Jeremiah 28:1 “And it came to pass the same year, in the beginning of the reign of Zedekiah king of Judah, in the fourth year, and in the fifth month, that Hananiah the son of Azur the prophet, which was of Gibeon, spake unto me in the house of the LORD, in the presence of the priests and of all the people, saying,”

This man prophesied in the house of the LORD what the Lord never said. This is in fulfillment of what God said to Jeremiah in Jer27:14-18. Many lying priests are behind the pulpits nowadays speaking peace where there is no peace and a lot of people are being psyched out of their places of blessings. The one that speaks the truth is being slandered and tagged as demonic. Jeremiah said Amen to the false prophecy of Hananiah just to mock him, because he had been told by God that a prophet would say that (Jer27:14-18). Jeremiah knew that authority and power had been given to Nebuchadnezzar and it shall be so for 70 years. The only means for the kingdoms and nations to live and survive that hard time was to submit and serve Nebuchadnezzar. As you know, Jeremiah was always given prophetic actions for emphasis sake. He was told to make yokes and bonds, place them on his neck and send them to Kings, Jer27:2-3. If God was going to change that he would have told Jeremiah who had earlier taken some prophetic actions about the bondage of the kingdoms. There is difference between authority and power. To explain this in a very simple manner, we look into the church. If a person is subjected to attend pastoral school or college, he will be trained on how to pastor a church. This has not removed the demons inside such neither has the darkness been chased out. He would be very good in bible history and perhaps some philosophies. Such could have tremendous knowledge about Jesus and the Holy Spirit just as the scribes and priests in the days of Jesus had knowledge of Jesus’ birth but were blind to the reality of His birth;

Matthew 2:4-5 “And when he had assembled all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where Christ should be born.And they said to him, In Bethlehem of Judea: for thus it is written by the prophet,”

They know what “is written” but couldn’t discern the reality. Discernment is of the Spirit of God. Unlike John the Baptist who recognized Jesus on seeing Him. John the Baptist was a fulfillment of the scripture. The scribes were trained and taught about the scriptures but lacked the power of the scripture. Jesus described John the Baptist as the greatest among those born of woman;

Matthew 11:11 “Verily, I say to you, among them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist: notwithstanding, he that is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.”

Why was this so; Because of his relationship with God. A Bishop could appoint his favorite to go and pastor a church probably because of growth or expansion; this is authority. The pastor only received knowledge from the Bishop; he has not experienced God himself. If the pastor there and then decides to go on a retreat and experienced God, power will be added to his ministry. This translate to having knowledge without the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit gives the necessary power for ministry;

Acts 1:8 “But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Spirit is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses to me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and to the uttermost part of the earth.”

One could have authority and have no power; such is Hananiah who was prophesying peace contrary to what God had declared. He crossed his boundary by taking the step to break the prophetic yoke on the neck of Jeremiah which amounts to an insult on the One who called Jeremiah;

Jeremiah 28:10 “Then Hananiah the prophet took the yoke from off the prophet Jeremiah’s neck, and brake it.”

To be made a pastor is one thing, and to have an experiential encounter for service with the King of kings is absolutely different and no bishop could give that, it is God’s grace. Authority could be given by man but power is absolutely of the Lord.

Psalms 62:11 “God hath spoken once; twice have I heard this; that power belongethunto God.”

Authority creates position but power creates life. This power is the reward of a good relationship with Jehovah God not man. Jeremiah gave a clue to who a prophet of God is;

Jeremiah 28:7-9 “Nevertheless hear thou now this word that I speak in thine ears, and in the ears of all the people;The prophets that have been before me and before thee of old prophesied both against many countries, and against great kingdoms, of war, and of evil, and of pestilence.The prophet which prophesieth of peace, when the word of the prophet shall come to pass, then shall the prophet be known, that the LORD hath truly sent him.”

Hananiah took Jeremiah for granted and insulted him. Unfortunately, he received a divine sentence which never lingered for a long time before coming to pass;

Jeremiah 28:16-17 “Therefore thus saith the LORD; Behold, I will cast thee from off the face of the earth: this year thou shalt die, because thou hast taught rebellion against the LORD. So Hananiah the prophet died the same year in the seventh month.” Every false prophecy is teaching rebellion against the Lord.

This is a lesson to every child of God. The first stage of a Christian life is to receive the authority to be justified. However, the second stage is very necessary and that is to receive power. This power comes through sanctification and the baptism of the Holy Spirit. If a baby Christian is given power without sanctification, he or she will use it to kill people. Power is given to matured Christian; i.e. one who lives the word of God, and walks in the Spirit. To receive this power by the Spirit of God, a new heart is required. The pouring of oil on Saul was a form of authority because Samuel was authorized to do that. But Samuel said that the Spirit of the Lord (which is God’s grace) will come upon you and you will be turned into another man, 1Sam10:6-9. After he received the authority, he walked in accordance to the instructions given him by Samuel, i.e. obedience to the word. The Spirit of God came upon him after he had fulfilled all the prophetic actions.

Acts 5:32 “And we are his witnesses of these things; and so is also the Holy Spirit, whom God hath given to them that obey him.”

When oil is poured on a man’s head to go and pastor a church, authority is given, but the baptism of the Holy Spirit is absolutely of the Lord Jesus the baptizer. It is by meditating on the word of God that the heart is purified and ready for the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Without the Spirit of God, one will fulfill the lust of the flesh. But with the Spirit of God, one fulfills the will of God.

Galatians 5:16 “This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.”

Galatians 5:25 “If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.”

Let us ask for the old path where we could find rest. Let us listen to the trumpet’s sound, wherewith we could escape the calamity to come. Reading for today is Jer31-33. Keep the fire burning and alive.

Acts 1:8 “But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Spirit is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses to me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and to the uttermost part of the earth.”