WHEN PREACHERS ONLY DELIVER GOOD NEWS…

On Sunday, January 3, 2016, Pastor W. Michael Martin of Oak Spring Church in Arlington TN, stood boldly but lovingly before the congregation for which God holds him responsible and declared, “This year will be a year of challenges…” I remember getting a chill when that prophetic warning was declared. He didn’t promise…”This is your season!” “This is the year God is going to make it happen for you!” He declared challenges for our local body of Christ. That prophetic warning has proven to be true…

Deuteronomy 18:22 (NKJV)

22 when a prophet speaks in the name of the Lord, if the thing does not happen or come to pass, that is the thing which the Lord has not spoken; the prophet has spoken it presumptuously; you shall not be afraid of him.

Watch out and beware of preachers and prophets who ONLY deliver good news! Who ONLY promise ‘breakthrough’! Who ONLY decree ‘overflow! Who ALWAYS promises this is ‘your season’. Every January, many preachers ALWAYS promise, “This is your year!”. If you look on some preacher’s social pages, websites and blogs, they state, “EVERYONE who reads this is about to receive ______________!” “God is about to turn your situation around!” They claim to be prophets but ONLY deliver good news and promises.

How dare you call yourself a prophet of God and deny the people of God the BLESSING of a prophetic warning! When you read your bible, you will find that most of the prophets in the bible were delivering BAD NEWS, PROPHETIC WARNING and REBUKE. From Ezekiel to Isaiah in the Old Testament, to John the Baptist and the Apostle John in the New Testament….biblical prophets didn’t always promise a ‘check in the mail’. They warned the people of God to change their ways, of coming judgment, calamity, wrath, persecution and trials. These warnings didn’t always make them popular with those who heard.

No one enjoys hearing the TORNADO WARNING, HURRICANE WARNING, THUNDERSTORM WARNING, FLOOD WARNING, STORM SIREN…but isn’t a blessing to be warned ahead of time and given an opportunity to prepare?

Yes, God delivers good news. That’s the definition of ‘The Gospel’, it’s the GOOD NEWS of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Yes, God encourages and blesses His people.

Yes, God promises blessings and joy for His people.

But, He also reminds us:

Psalm 34:19 (NKJV)

19 Many are the afflictions of the righteous,
But the Lord delivers him out of them all.

Philippians 1:29  (NKJV)

29 For to you it has been granted on behalf of Christ, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake,

John 16:33 (NKJV)

33 These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will[a] have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”

It would not be fair for God to send a storm our way, and not warn us first. Be very careful of ministers, preachers and prophets who NEVER give God’s warnings. Be very careful of those who don’t mind allowing you to fall into a pit. Be very careful of those who don’t mind allowing you to be comfortable in your sin.

Quite frankly, those who ONLY give good news…Who degree a miracle in every prophecy are lying to you and on God.

It takes great courage to tell people what they don’t want to hear. Watch out for those who wish to entice you with smooth talking (Romans 16:18), and respect those who own their responsibility to tell us the truth.

Ezekiel 33:1-9 (NKJV)

Again the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 2 “Son of man, speak to the children of your people, and say to them: ‘When I bring the sword upon a land, and the people of the land take a man from their territory and make him their watchman, 3 when he sees the sword coming upon the land, if he blows the trumpet and warns the people, 4 then whoever hears the sound of the trumpet and does not take warning, if the sword comes and takes him away, his blood shall be on his own head. 5 He heard the sound of the trumpet, but did not take warning; his blood shall be upon himself. But he who takes warning will save his life. 6 But if the watchman sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet, and the people are not warned, and the sword comes and takes any person from among them, he is taken away in his iniquity; but his blood I will require at the watchman’s hand.’

7 “So you, son of man: I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel; therefore you shall hear a word from My mouth and warn them for Me. 8 When I say to the wicked, ‘O wicked man, you shall surely die!’ and you do not speak to warn the wicked from his way, that wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood I will require at your hand. 9 Nevertheless if you warn the wicked to turn from his way, and he does not turn from his way, he shall die in his iniquity; but you have delivered your soul.

BE BLESSTIFIED!