C.A.C Living Water Devotional For February 21, 2024 : Topic – DO PROPHETS ALSO LIE?
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CHRIST APOSTOLIC CHURCH THE LIVING WATER (January-December, 2024)
DAILY DEVOTIONAL GUIDE
DATE Wednesday, February 21, 2024
TOPIC: DO PROPHETS ALSO LIE?
MEMORISE: He said to him, “I too am a prophet as you are, and an angel spoke to me by the word of the Lord, saying, ‘Bring him back with you to your house, that he may eat bread and drink water.’” (He was lying to him.) (1 Kings 13:18).
READ : 1 Kings 13:11-24
[11]. Now an old prophet dwelt in Bethel, and his sons came and told him all the works that the man of God had done that day in Bethel; they also told their father the words which he had spoken to the king.
[12]. And their father said to them, “Which way did he go?” For his sons had seen which way the man of God went who came from Judah.
[13]. Then he said to his sons, “Saddle the donkey for me.” So they saddled the donkey for him; and he rode on it,
[14]. and went after the man of God, and found him sitting under an oak. Then he said to him, “Are you the man of God who came from Judah?” And he said, “I am.”
[15]. Then he said to him, “Come home with me and eat bread.”
[16]. And he said, “I cannot return with you nor go in with you; neither can I eat bread nor drink water with you in this place.
[17]. For I have been told by the word of the Lord, ‘You shall not eat bread nor drink water there, nor return by going the way you came.’”
[18]. He said to him, “I too am a prophet as you are, and an angel spoke to me by the word of the Lord, saying, ‘Bring him back with you to your house, that he may eat bread and drink water.’” (He was lying to him.)
[19]. So he went back with him, and ate bread in his house, and drank water.
[20]. Now it happened, as they sat at the table, that the word of the Lord came to the prophet who had brought him back;
[21]. and he cried out to the man of God who came from Judah, saying, “Thus says the Lord: ‘Because you have disobeyed the word of the Lord, and have not kept the commandment which the Lord your God commanded you,
[22]. but you came back, ate bread, and drank water in the place of which the Lord said to you, “Eat no bread and drink no water,” your corpse shall not come to the tomb of your fathers.’”
[23]. So it was, after he had eaten bread and after he had drunk, that he saddled the donkey for him, the prophet whom he had brought back.
[24]. When he was gone, a lion met him on the road and killed him. And his corpse was thrown on the road, and the donkey stood by it. The lion also stood by the corpse.
EXPOSITION
Num. 12:6 implies that a prophet of God is supposed to see and hear from Him directly. He/she is expected to be God’s eye and mouthpiece, even His oracle. Can a prophet lie then, given these clear modes of hearing from God? Yes! Read 1 Kings 13:18. Why should this be among men of God (cf. Isa. 28:7)? It is clear that people, prophets inclusive, do blatantly tell lies, even in God’s holy name. They even impersonate angelic messengers. Little wonder Prophet Isaiah quickly acknowledged and repented of his sins in Isa. 6:5,6 (cf. Jer. 23:28). Christ and His Apostles also warn about this serious danger severally. A curse has since gone out upon all perpetrators of this fatal and festering cankerworm-spiritual falsehood (cf. Isa. 5:20; Matt. 7-15-23; Gal. 1:6- 9). Christ is against them and promises to disown them on the Day of Judgement (cf. Ezk. 13:3). Dear reader, learn from the untimely death of this firebrand, zealous but naive young prophet in today’s Bible reading. Stay away from false, diabolical prophets. Allow God’s Spirit Who knows His true incorruptible servants to direct you aright.
PRAYER POINTS
1. Thank God for the sure counsel of His indwelling Holy Spirit in you.
2. Pray that God spare you the plague of false prophets and that you will be enabled not to fall for their lies.
3. Pray for CAC Odubanjo Region, our father in the Lord, the Regional Superintendent, and other officers at the various levels as led by the Spirit of God.
SUGGESTED HYMN FOR TODAY:
CAC GHB: 708
1. He leadeth, me O blessed thought!
O words with heav’nly comfort fraught!
Whate’er I do, where’er I be,
Still ’tis God’s hand that leadeth me.
He leadeth me, He leadeth me!
By His own hand He leadeth me!
His faithful follower I would be,
For by His hand He leadeth me.
2. Sometimes mid scenes of deepest gloom,
Sometimes where Eden’s bowers bloom,
By waters still, o’er troubl’d sea, –
Still ’tis His hand that leadeth me!
3. Lord, I would clasp Thy hand in mine,
Nor ever murmur nor repine
Content, whatever lot I see,
Since ’tis my God that leadeth me!
4. And when my task on earth is done,
When, by Thy grace, the vict’ry’s won,
E’en death’s cost wave I will not flee
Since God through Jordan leadeth me.
Amen.
EXTRA READING FOR TODAY:
Numbers 29, 30,