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The True Prophetic Voice · INSIGHT FOR LIVING: Biblical Wisdom For Everyday Living

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  Speaker 1: March nineteen. The true prophetic voice. They have healed the
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  Speaker 1: wound of my people, lightly, saying peace, peace, when there
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  Speaker 1: is no peace. Jeremiah, chapter eight, verse eleven. When faced
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  Speaker 1: with a serious medical condition, none of us want to
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  Speaker 1: receive treatment from an incompetent doctor. Imagine going to a
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  Speaker 1: physician whose remedy for gangrene is simply to put a
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  Speaker 1: nice bandage on it, offer you a sticker for your troubles,
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  Speaker 1: and tell you to have a pleasant afternoon. That may
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  Speaker 1: make you feel better, but it would not treat the problem,
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  Speaker 1: and soon enough you would feel considerably worse. In the
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  Speaker 1: Old Testament era, the prophet's role was to speak God's
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  Speaker 1: word and call God's people to obey his covenant. God
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  Speaker 1: would put his word into the prophet's mouths, and they
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  Speaker 1: would announce what God said, not what they themselves had
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  Speaker 1: in mind, and often their message was look out judgments
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  Speaker 1: coming not exactly an agreeable declaration. Because God's message was
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  Speaker 1: so challenging, false prophets became numerous, and in a way
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  Speaker 1: they had the best of both worlds. They were known
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  Speaker 1: as prophets and could go around making great statements, and
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  Speaker 1: yet they could also tell people whatever they wanted to hear.
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  Speaker 1: The false prophet was like a bad doctor telling the
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  Speaker 1: people that everything would turn out fine, when in reality
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  Speaker 1: the prognosis was grim. It is marvelous to hear that
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  Speaker 1: all is well and that your land is one of peace.
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  Speaker 1: Unless the enemy is about to appear over the horizon,
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  Speaker 1: then you need to be prepared. While true prophets spoke
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  Speaker 1: of God's coming judgment, their message also warned the people
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  Speaker 1: against complacency and encouraged them against despair. God has always
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  Speaker 1: guaranteed his commitment to his people, promising a wonderful future
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  Speaker 1: for them. Their only hope in the face of judgment
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  Speaker 1: would be in finding refuge, not apart from God, but
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  Speaker 1: in God. False prophets still abound in our time. Their
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  Speaker 1: words are heard in the flattery of the average commencement speaker.
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  Speaker 1: You are the greatest group of young people this community
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  Speaker 1: has ever seen. The future is in your hands. You're
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  Speaker 1: ready to soar. But similarly, shallow words are also spoken
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  Speaker 1: in far too many churches with teaching that consists of
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  Speaker 1: vague generalities and supposedly inspiring half truths for the hearers.
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  Speaker 1: And a half truth is also a half lie. We
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  Speaker 1: need true prophetic voices in our day as much as
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  Speaker 1: God's people did in Jeremiah's. Our churches and our nation
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  Speaker 1: and world need those who have the courage to speak truth,
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  Speaker 1: even if it brings mockery and rejection. To speak of sin,
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  Speaker 1: to insist that God has ethical standards, to warn of judgment,
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  Speaker 1: to announce Jesus' future return, and therefore to be able
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  Speaker 1: to point compellingly to the only one who can save.
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  Speaker 1: Ask God to raise up individuals who are prepared to
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  Speaker 1: challenge their healing or with God's word and in submission
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  Speaker 1: to God's spirit. Pray that when you hear God's word
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  Speaker 1: truly preach through such a voice, you would guard yourself
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  Speaker 1: against complacency, be willing to listen and be ready to
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  Speaker 1: take refuge in God your only hope. And pray that
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  Speaker 1: in your neighborhood and your workplace, you would be that voice.
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  Speaker 1: Devotional material is taken from the Truth for Life Daily Devotionals,
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  Speaker 1: copyright Alister Begg, published by the Good Book Company. This
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  Speaker 1: reading was digitally created for Truth for Life and is
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  Speaker 1: used with permission. For more clear relevant Bible teaching, visit
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  Speaker 1: Truthfolife dot org.