"If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal." - 1 CORINTHIANS 13:1

     In 1 CORINTHIANS 14:1, the written Word mandates man to do these three things: “Pursue love and keep on desiring spiritual gifts, especially the ability to prophecy.”

     1. To “pursue love” patterns the great mandate to “communion with the Father”. Pursuing communion with the Father is about pursuing relationship. Which is ultimately, therefore, about pursuing love. Love is intensely and exclusively relational. And in expressing and accomplishing communion with the Father, the first and greatest commandment is observed, fulfilled and glorified, namely to "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and all your soul and all your mind." - MATTHEW 22:37. (These verse numbers are also significant).

      2. The second mandate to “keep on desiring spiritual gifts” echoes the high call-to-action of “community with man”. Love, received inwardly through relationship, is then multiplied outwardly into community with man, like the "five loaves and the two fish" (MATTHEW 14:17). It was "relationship" that initially provided the five loaves and two fish to come forward. It was then "community with man" that subsequently multiplied the fruits of relationship into the community blessing. "Freely you have received (in relationship), so freely give (in community). "Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give." - MATTHEW 10:8. And in freely giving, the second greatest commandment is observed, namely "Love your neighbour as yourself." - MATTHEW 22:39. (Again the verse numbers here are significant).

      3. And the third mandate, being to desire especially "the ability to prophecy" then brings the first two mandates together as one, just like the three Persons of the Holy Trinity work together as one. The prophetic connects the first and greatest "communion with the Father" with the second, which should always follow, namely "community with man". And ALL gifts work like this. But "prophecy" in particular is specifically singled out by the Father. Prophecy is to be most highly desired because prophecy is the office of "words". And the LORD is not only the "living Word", but the words that the Lord speaks are also "spirit, and they are life" (JOHN 6:63). But more importantly, it's by "words" that God speaks things into existence. Every attack of the enemy is first conceived with words, and then deployed with words. Words are at the heart of all that is both seen and unseen. Which is why there needs to ultimately be a category of words with overall and ultimate authority. Which is the Word of God itself. To countermand and overcome the words of men and the enemy.

      When we prophesy, originating first from "communion with the Father", we speak not with the words of men, or with the wisdom of man, but with the words of God, with words that emanate from the throne room (authority) of the Father. In speaking the words of the Father, we speak His words of "spirit and of life" into existence. We utter words that will never return void. For they are LOVE. Love never returns void (ISAIAH 55:11). Love never fails (1 CORINTHIANS 13:8). God's Word always has the final say (PROVERBS 16:1). So in that case, then, love always has the final say.

"If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal." - 1 CORINTHIANS 13:1.

"If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God. If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen" - 1 PETER 4:11

"And this is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom, but in words taught by the Spirit, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words." 1 CORINTHIANS 2:13.

"For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were moved by the Holy Spirit." 2 PETER 1:21.

      Prophecy alllows heaven to reach down and touch earth. In so doing, it proves there is no distance in relationship. It showcases intimacy from on high. What it also does is prophecy proves God is in control. And it proves that God is personal. Prophecy proves God cares. Prophecy proves relationship. Prophecy proves community. Prophecy proves the authority of words. Prophecy proves that words are spirit and life. Prophecy proves we are one with God just as the Son is one with the Father (JOHN 17:21).

      And for those who receive the life and the love of the Father that is expressed through the gift that is "the gift of prophecy", they become one with God and community too. In the words that we speak that are spirit and life, we all become one, united in love. Through love shed abroad in our hearts (ROMANS 5:5), we all light up the sky with the luminescence that is the glorious Tree of Life.

"Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen." I TIMOTHY I:7

God bless, Wayne Biehn