Tuesday, May 26, 2009

5-26 The Prophetic Ship

Download this episode (21 min)   
Memorial Day is a time for remembering. I know some great people who sacrificed years of their lives so that I could experience freedom. Jim was at our Memorial Day BBQ. He got in on WWII. He’s one of the few living WWII veterans. Most of them have passed away. Like Cliff Broadwater. What stories he could tell. He was in a German prison camp! These guys are heroes. They marched across Europe, camped in the rain, hunkered down in foxholes and they believed they were doing something noble for God and country! Meanwhile, back home their wives waited long days and weeks for letters from the field. Not like today where you have cell phones and email! The world was a much bigger place back then! To all those who served! Hats off to you! Thanks!

Today’s Scripture reading is 1 Samuel 28; Joel 3; Mark 7
To Listen to Today’s Reading http://timewithgod.podbean.com - Archives can be found at http://timewithgod.mypodcast.com

Today’s thought comes from 2Peter 1:19-21 we have the prophetic word confirmed, which you do well to heed as a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts; 20 knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, 21 for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.

Prophecy is sort of like sailing a sailboat. Prophecy is also a great illustration of the sovereignty of God and the free will of man. You have the man on the boat. He thinks he’s “the man” because he is the captain. He makes the decisions on where to sail. He chooses whether to turn his little skiff to starboard or port. But since this is a sailboat, this boat don’t float nowhere unless the wind is blowing (love that grammar). Then you have God. He controls nature. He makes the wind blow and the seas stormy. He also brings the rain and the sunshine. God is really THE Captain. One day our Prophet Seaman decides to take his craft called “Revelation” out to sea. It is a beautiful sunny day and the wind is blowing from the east. He raises his sail, heads westward and says, “thus says the Lord.” Prophecy is coming. The wind fills his sails and the boat picks up speed. As long as the boat and the sail keep the wind to their back he will have swift sailing. (In our illustration we are not allowing for “tacking” which is a way to go against the wind.) He has many choices. He can sail southwest, northwest, or due west. As long as the wind is behind him he will sail swiftly. God chooses which way the wind will blow. He fills the sails. If God wants the Prophet Seaman to head west, he’ll bring an east wind. If he wants him to head south, he’ll blow hard from the north. If God wants this seaman to avoid an island or change his direction, he’ll send a sea monster from the north to scare him south or worry him with a squall from the south to make him turn north. He might even send a few dolphins for him to follow. In the end the Prophet navigates where he will (or so he thinks) and God sends the skiff exactly where He wants it to be. Thus the prophet uses his own words and illustrations and says exactly what God wants him to say. That’s why prophecy did not come by the will of man, but holy men spoke as there were MOVED by the Holy Spirit. In fact, that is what the word “moved” means… It is speaking of persons borne by a ship in the sea carried by the wind! Thus we have man’s free will and God’s sovereign plan. Both have occurred without the one violating the other! That’s an amazing God!


Dear Father. I know that you are sovereign. You are in control. Help me to remember that when the winds and waves threaten me they are only bearing me up and carrying me where you want me to go! Thank you for your power in communicating your prophetic word yesterday so that I could read it today!

When we are absent from the body we are present with the Lord.

Posted by Dennis Kreiss at 11:18 AM |  MAKE A COMMENT  

<< Home