Accountability

Accountability is coming and our focus must be turned from inward to outward.  We must quit focusing on what the world is doing and turn to the priorities of Our Heavenly Father.  Jesus provided the example we are meant to follow when He was asked about the “prophetic”.

In Acts chapter 1, Jesus instructed the disciples:

1 To Theophilus, the lover of GOD.

I write to you again, my dear friend, to give you further details about the life of our Lord Jesus and all the things that He did and taught.

2 Just before He ascended into Heaven, He left instructions for the apostles He had chosen by the Holy Spirit. 3 After the sufferings of his cross, Jesus appeared alive many times to these same apostles over a forty-day period. Jesus proved to them with many convincing signs that He had been resurrected.

During these encounters, he taught them the truths of God’s kingdom realm 4 and shared meals with them.

Jesus instructed them, “Don’t leave Jerusalem, but wait here until you receive the gift I told you about, the gift the Father has promised. 5 For John baptized you in water, but in a few days from now you will be baptized in the Holy Spirit!”

6 Every time they were gathered together, they asked Jesus, “Lord, is it the time now for you to free Israel and restore our kingdom?”

7 He answered, “The Father is the One who sets the fixed dates and the times of their fulfillment. You are not permitted to know the timing of all that HE has prepared by HIS own authority. 8 But I promise you this—the Holy Spirit will come upon you and you will be filled with power. And you will be My messengers to Jerusalem, throughout Judea, the distant provinces—even to the remotest places on earth!”

The disciples wanted to pursue the “prophetic” and Jesus directed them back to their mission- spread the Gospel.  Over the years, I spent much time focused on the “prophetic” at the expense of spreading the Gospel.  Men’s souls are tweaked when prophecy teachers paint a detailed picture of what is imminent in world events. 

When their prophecies fail to occur, the prophecy teachers rationalize why their prophecies didn’t manifest, using also sorts of excuses.  For example, the fifteen year delay of Hezekiah’s death found in 2 Kings chapter 20 is applied to various dates prophesied by the teachers.  If The Holy Spirit gave them the dates of deliverance and/or destruction, why didn’t it manifest?  In the meantime, sinners continued their life without the salvation message which could have been given by those focused on their own agenda.  Over the last fifty years, I have heard a multitude of excuses why their prophecies did not come to pass but people still follow them.

Jesus effectively told the disciples “Focus on the current mandate of bringing The Kingdom to the earth and don’t worry about the future”.  We are to spread the Gospel in some form or fashion.  When we give to the poor, we spread the Gospel by our acts of Love.  When we express faith and hope, we spread the Gospel.  When we share the Good News, we are planting seed.

Can you or I affect the world events to coerce them into fitting into a prophecy so that we are exalted among the brethren?  We will all be accountable for the words we speak and the intent we project by our words and actions.  Repent and focus on spreading the Gospel for this will be pleasing to Our Lord Jesus whose instructions are still in effect.  Once the Gospel has been fully preached throughout the earth, then the end of the age will come.  Actually, spreading the Gospel is prophetic isn’t it!

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