Warring With Our Prophecies

Unfortunately, the beginning of this sermon was not recorded. Below are the scriptures and general outline of the missing part of the sermon from Pastor Abby's notes. Warring With Our Prophecies 1Ti 1:18-20  This charge I commit to you, son Timothy, according to the prophecies previously made concerning you, that by them you may wage the good warfare,  (19)  having faith and a good conscience, which some having rejected, concerning the faith have suffered shipwreck,  (20)  of whom are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I delivered to Satan that they may learn not to blaspheme.

• One of the purposes of prophecy is spiritual warfare.
• It is possible to reject faith and a good conscience, which leads to “shipwreck” – disaster through bad choices and/or a lack of wisdom/knowledge/understanding.
  • If we do not take into account prophecy, we may shipwreck.
• Prophecy is not simply the logos. It is the rhema word of God.
  • Logos is written (the scriptures; the Bible). Rhema is spoken (what God is saying right now).
  • Rhema will always line up with logos, but there is an urgency to rhema. Logos is true for all times and places, but rhema is a specific word to a specific person/people in a specific time.
    • When Jesus told Peter, “Come!” when Peter asked to walk on the water to Jesus, that was a rhema word in the moment. It is part of the logos now, but it is no longer a rhema in this moment. I cannot use what Jesus said to Peter to walk on water now. I would need Jesus to say it to me now for it to work.
      • I can use the logos to learn principles of God and who He is/how to live a righteous life, but I cannot make the mistake of confusing it with the rhema.
        • Even salvation itself comes from the rhema of God.
          • Rom 10:17 So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the [rhema] word of God.
          • A person can read the logos scriptures a thousand times, but until it is activated by the Spirit of God to become the rhema, it will all be intellectual. Logos becomes rhema when the Spirit makes it so.
        • This is not to downplay the logos! Without logos there could be no rhema for us.

1Ti 4:14 Do not neglect the gift that is in you, which was given to you by prophecy with the laying on of the hands of the eldership. 1Ti 4:14 (TPT) - Don’t minimize the powerful gift that operates in your life, for it was imparted to you by the laying on of hands of the elders and was activated through the prophecy they spoke over you.

• Prophecy activates spiritual gifts that are imparted by the laying on of hands – LooH and prophecy go together.

Hab 2:2-3 Then the LORD answered me and said: "Write the vision And make it plain on tablets, That he may run who reads it.  (3)  For the vision is yet for an appointed time; But at the end it will speak, and it will not lie. Though it tarries, wait for it; Because it will surely come, It will not tarry. Hab 2:2-3  (AMP) - And the Lord answered me and said, Write the vision and engrave it so plainly upon tablets that everyone who passes may [be able to] read [it easily and quickly] as he hastens by.  (3)  For the vision is yet for an appointed time and it hastens to the end [fulfillment]; it will not deceive or disappoint. Though it tarry, wait [earnestly] for it, because it will surely come; it will not be behindhand on its appointed day. [Heb. 10:37, 38.]

• The vision (prophecy) will come to pass; it gives us strength to keep running our race.
• Even if it seems long in coming by our reckoning, it is right on time by God’s accounting. He sets the times and seasons, not us.
• It would be a shame to give up because it didn’t happen according to our timetable.

Isa 55:8-11 “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways," says the LORD.  (9)  "For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts.  (10)  "For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven, And do not return there, But water the earth, And make it bring forth and bud, That it may give seed to the sower And bread to the eater,  (11)  So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, But it shall accomplish what I please, And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.