BASIC UNDERSTANDING OF PROPHETIC WORD

- Pst. Gavin Aleogho

Prophetic words are divine words (communications) that give divine insight to a man or people of what’s in the heart of the Father for the present or concerning the future. Prophetic words are an exposition of what God wants to do in a life, family, people, Church or nation. In a nutshell, a prophetic word is a message from God.

Prophetic words can be the expression of the gift of interpretation of tongues, or word of knowledge or words of wisdom or the combination of any of the gifts of the Spirit.

Prophetic words can come through spectacular means like dreams, vision, trance, and angels. It can also come through another person to you. I am saying that God can decide to bring His word to you via the channel of dreams, vision or trance. He can decide to speak to you through angels or through another person.

When God decides to speak to you through a person, the person may not necessarily be a prophet per se. He can be a prophet by calling, or one with the gift of prophecy, or an ‘ordinary’ believer who is speaking by the inspiration of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.

It is important to know that besides God, there are other sources of prophetic words. It is the person of the Holy Spirit who differentiates genuine prophetic words from false prophetic word.

Basically, there are two other sources of prophetic word, besides God. These sources could either be soulish or devilish. The question then will be, “Will you be able to recognize when a prophetic word is not from God.” If you can’t give a definite answer of 'yes' to this question, it implies that you are very susceptible to be deceived, especially in this age where there is a rise of falsehood.

In my next piece, I will be writing about these two sources of false prophetic word so as to equip you to be able to recognize when the devil or man is disguising to speak in the name of the Lord.

You shall not fall victim, in Jesus name.

2024 Summer Holiday Bible Competition

 IGNITERS INTERNATIONAL BIBLE BEE (IIBB)

IN CONJUNCTION WITH

THE SINGLES FORUM (TSF)

 

2024- FINAL STAGE

SUMMER HOLIDAY BIBLE COMPETITION

13TH EDITION

BIBLE QUIZ AND RECITATION COMPETITION FOR STUDENTS,

HELD ON 15TH AUGUST, 2024

 

Kindly note that the registration for this Summer Holiday Bible Competition is FREE. Hence, you are not and you were not expected to pay any money to anybody. 

 

Schools Participating In this Competition

1.     Institute of Continuous Education (ICE)

2.     Uwangue College

3.     Orhuworun High School (OHS)

4.     West View School

5.     Bright Success School

6.     Ovwian Secondary School

7.     Odin College

8.     Ogbo Udu Secondary School

9.     Oghior Secondary School

10.                        Students from TSF

 

 

At The First Stage Screening Exercise

 

Out of the 205 pupils who registered for the competition, 188 pupils from the different schools sat for the first stage Bible Quiz. At the end of the screening exercise, a total of 31 students qualified for the Final Stage.

 

For the First Stage, Bible quiz from the book of RUTH and the book of JOHN was administered to every participant.

 

AREA OF CONCENTRATION FOR THE FINAL STAGE OF THE 2024 SUMMER HOLIDAY BIBLE COMPETITION

 

1. Scriptures To Memorize For Recitation:

 

1.     Ephesians 1:1-23

2.     Romans 12:1-21

3.     Romans 13:1-14

4.     James 1:1-27

5.     Psalms 42:1-11

6.     Proverbs 12:1-28

7.     Exodus 20:1-26

8.     Matthew 25:1-46

 

The finalists are expected to recite the whole scripture listed above which is a total of 196 Bible verses of the scripture.

 

2. Scriptures To Study For Written Bible Quiz

 

1. The whole book of JUDGES and          

2. The whole book of ACTS

 

GUIDELINES & RULES GOVERNING THE FINAL STAGE OF THE COMPETITION

 

1.    The Bible Recitation and Bible Quiz will be a competitive activity.

 

2.    Although it’s a competition, every participant is seen as a winner. Therefore every participant will be given a gift. This includes everyone who participated in the first stages of the exercise at the school level.

 

3.    However, there will be special awards and certificates given to those who emerge as the 1^st, 2^nd, and 3^rd positions of the contestants.

 

       The 1^st position will be going home with the sum of N50,000

       The 2^nd position will be going home with the sum of N30,000

The 3^rd position will be going home with the sum of N20,000

 

4.    Any of the following versions of the Bible is what is approved for the Bible quiz and the Recitation in the Final Stage:

·        King James Version (KJV)

·        New King James Version (NKJV)

·        Revised Standard Version (RSV)

·        New International Version (NIV)

·        Good News Translation (GNT)

 

Any version outside these is NOT approved for the competition.

 

5.    Participants are not expected to express their understanding of the scriptures. They are only expected to recite!

 

6.    Participants are expected to introduce themselves in this order: Name, School, Class and the version of the Bible he/she would be reciting from.

 

7.    Each question of the Bible quiz carries 20 marks, except otherwise stated.

 

8.    A Bible recitation verse carries 10 marks.

 

9.    Participants have the privilege of having bonus marks from the judges for BOLDNESS while reciting the scripture. This mark is based on the following criteria:

a.   Memorization: _____ (1-10) marks

b.   Expression: ______  (1-10)marks

c.   Enthusiasm: ______ (1-10)marks

d.   Diction and Articulation: _____ (1-10)marks

e.   Clarity: _____ (1-10)marks

                                                               Total 50 marks

10.  All contestants have 30 seconds of LIFELINE for hiccups. Afterwards, the bell will be ringed.

 

11. The sound of the bell by the Timekeeper signifies TIME UP for the contestant on stage. He/she is expected to quietly go and take his/her seat at the sound of the bell.

 

12.  Any observation or dissatisfaction should be made known quietly to any of our protocol officials. Any form of agitation or outburst will not be welcome as it might lead to the disqualification of the contestant in question.

 

13.  Official cameramen will be on the ground for the exercise. Hence, distractions or interruptions will NOT be welcome from anyone who wants to take photographs or videos.

 

14.  Interruption of any contestant except by the Chief Judge or the Timekeeper would not be welcome from anybody.

 

15.  The audience is expected to maintain silence during the Bible recitations.

 

16.  IIBB frowns at any form of malpractice during the Bible quiz and Bible recitation. Anyone found wanting will be disqualified.

 

17.  No contestant should be found loitering around. Anyone found wanting will be disqualified from the competition.

 

Other information

 

·        There will be light refreshments for everyone after the exercise.

·        There will be a group photograph after the competition

 

For enquiries, support, sponsorship and partnership kindly contact IIBB Coordinator, Pst. Gavin Aleogho (08069003402)

 

DECODING AND LAYING HOLD ON GENUINE PROPHETIC UTTERANCE

- Pst. Gavin Aleogho

Do not scorn or reject gifts of prophecy or prophecies [spoken revelations—words of instruction or exhortation or warning].
1 Thessalonians 5:20 AMP

It is sad to know that many believers cannot decode when prophetic words are given to them. Is it because of carnality? Or lack of sensitivity to the voice of God in the moment? Well, the two reasons are definitely interconnected. Carnality will away reduce our sensitivity to God’s voice.

Over the years, I have grown to the point where even if I am just chatting with a friend on the roadside, I know when a friend switches from mere chatting to giving prophetic words; speaking the mind of God to me. In most of such cases, such a friend may not even know that he has spoken to me under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. But I know and I take hold of such treasured words.

I don’t joke with such moments. I may not shout, dance or say anything but like Mary, I always keep such words in my heart. “But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart.” Luke 2:19.

Why is it important to lay hold on prophetic words? It is because the word of God is a seed; if you lose your seed you forfeit your harvest. To get a harvest you must be able to lay hold on every prophetic word that is given to you.

As an individual, I can be chatting with someone about the state of the nation or something else and immediately switches to the prophetic; speaking the mind of God to the individual I am talking with. Afterwards, switch back to our normal conversation.

Over time, I have trained myself to know when the Holy Spirit empowers me to switch to the prophetic. It comes with ease. At such moments, to help the person I am speaking with, I often use the phrase “I am speaking by the Spirit.” This is to help the persons to lay hold of the word of promise from the Lord.

I have several testimonies of how such prophetic words were fulfilled in real-time. While that is not the point of this article, my goal is to help you know how to decode when a prophetic word is being given to you so that you can lay hold on it.

Ironically, I have seen where prophetic words is being given and the recipient never knew that such words were divinely orchestrated. Thus, they disregard and despise the word to their shame and defeat. God’s counsel to you is this, “Do not despise prophecies.” ( 1 Thessalonians 5:20).

I have had this sad experience several times. Someone is complaining about his problem to me and while he is talking, trying to explain the magnitude of his problem, I get a prophetic word for the person. After listening to the person, as with my custom as a counsellor, I go forward to unveil the mind of God to the person. Sadly, many of such people use the back of their hands to push away the prophetic word. Their response is usually, “Pastor, you don’t understand the problem. Let me explain…”

For some, they can’t comprehend the fact that God can perform a miracle overnight. Hence, they miss the miracle due to their unbelief. While others are not willing to follow the instruction that comes with the prophetic word. For most times, prophetic words often come with instructions that you must follow if you must receive the intervention of God.

One of the reasons why people miss such prophetic moments is because they disregard the vessel that the Lord is speaking through. This is either because the vessel is not holding a prophetic badge or because he does not have a title in one of the fivefold ministries.

Another reason is that the prophetic word did not come in the form or shade they expected. Some expect such words to come with shouting or the shaking of the head with a weird look on the face of the messenger. For me, I am very normal when I am giving prophetic words. Looking for such a peripheral will make you miss the move of God.

One prayer you must pray in this regard is to ask the Lord to help you to be sensitive to His voice which He brings to you through whatever channel he chooses.

THE SAD TALE OF PA TAYO

- Pst. Gavin Aleogho

During an all-night prayer service, a word of prophecy was given to Tayo when he was in his mid-twenties, by a renowned genuine servant of God. The prophecy goes like this, “I see the Lord giving you a Toyota vehicle. It will be a gift from a close friend and it will come very soon. Begin to appreciate God for the car.”

You know what, Tayo waited for the car but it didn't show up. He became 30, yet the prophecy didn't come to pass. He became 40, yet the prophetic word never materialized. It was not that he forgot the prophecy. As a matter of fact, he recorded the prophecy, word for word in his diary.

When Tayo turned 60, he was still trekking without a car. He was so poor that there was no way he could have been able to buy a car from his line salary. By God’s grace, Tayo turned 70 last year, although he had some health challenges that are associated with old age.

This year at 71, the son of Tayo’s late friend, bought a Total Camry car for Pa Tayo. Though everyone was excited, Pa Tayo was troubled, he expressed a mixed feeling. You could see that there were a lot of questions written all over his face.

By the way, it is important to know that Tayo gave his life to Christ when he was 19 and he has been faithfully walking with God these many years. Besides, everyone who has ever passed through his local Church can attest to the faithful service of Pa Tayo in his local Church, these many years.

Hence, the major question that Tayo later voiced out was, “why it took God this many years to bring to pass His word of prophecy over his life?”

You could see that Tayo still remembered the word of prophesy that was given to him over 45 years ago but the strength and excitement of owning a car is no longer there.

On my end, the following questions were running through my young mind:
What was the cause of this delay?
But Pa. Tayo was faithful in serving God, where did he miss it?
Was this delay satanically orchestrated?
Was it that Pa. Tayo didn't lay hold on the promise as expected?

These and many other thoughts were going through my mind when Pa Tayo got the car.

Sadly, this morning I received the shocking news that Pa. Tayo died last night. I learnt he had been seriously sick for some days before his death today. His death came just two months after he got his first car.

Life!

Life is indeed full of a lot of questions than answers. We will definitely understand it better 'by and by'. I am sure we will get all the answers to our questions on the other side of life when we spend eternity with Jesus Christ. By the way, this privilege will definitely not be available for those going to eternal damnation.

As a teacher of the word, I am aware that some promises of God will come to pass with or without our input. And some will require your input for the fulfilment. However, in the case of Pa Tayo, I can’t tell where the problem lies.

May you not experience delay in receiving the promise of God for your life, in Jesus name.

I would love to hear from you. What is your take on this situation? What do you think went wrong?

I will be in the comment section reading your response.

By the way, join me in taking these two prayer points.

i. My Father and my God, bring your word to pass in my life speedily, in Jesus name. (Psalms 90:14).

ii. I command every obstacle to the fulfilment of God's promise in my life, to be removed right now, in Jesus name. (Mark 11:23).