Thought for the day

Here are some brief points to help distinguish prophecy from exhortation (or encouragement):
A. Prophecy:
1. Divine revelation – Communicates a message from God, often through divine insight or foretelling.
2. Direction and correction – Can include warnings, future events, or God’s specific will for a person or situation.
3. Spiritual gift – Listed in 1 Corinthians 12 as a spiritual gift for building up the church.
4. May involve future insight – Can sometimes include foretelling events before they happen.
5. Requires discernment – Needs testing or confirmation (1 Thessalonians 5:20–21).

B. Exhortation/Encouragement:
1. Uplifts and motivates – Aims to strengthen, comfort, or inspire others.
2. Practical application – Focuses on urging believers to live faithfully and act according to God’s Word.í
3. Pastoral in nature – Often used in teaching, counseling, or discipling roles.
4. No divine revelation required – Based on Scripture and spiritual wisdom, not new revelation.
5. Daily support – Encourages perseverance and faith, especially in tough times (Hebrews 3:13).

Prophecy reveals, while exhortation encourages.

Erick Bouwmeester
#lovebeyondchurch
#lovebeyondwordsministry
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