1. powerpoint presentation designed by claro ruiz vicente http://clarovicente.weebly.com Adult Bible Study Guide Jan Feb Mar 2009 Adult Bible Study Guide Jan Feb Mar 2009

2. Dear User … This PowerPoint Show is freely shared to all who may find it beneficial. While intended primarily for personal use, some find it useful for teaching the lesson in church. There are those, however, who add illustrations, change background, adjust font size, etc. While their intention may be good, this is not right. Slide #1 says “designed by claro ruiz vicente.” For honest Christians, it is not necessary for another’s creation to be copyrighted in order to be respected. PLEASE USE AS IS. The Prophetic Gift An Appeal

3. Contributor Gerhard Pfandl Principal Contributor

4. The Prophetic Gift Contents 1. Heaven’s Means of COMMUNICATION 2. The Prophetic GIFT 3. SPIRITUAL Gifts and Prophecy 4. The Gift of Prophecy and God’s REMNANT Church 5. The INSPIRATION of the Prophets 6. TESTING the Prophets 7. The WORK of the Prophets 8. The AUTHORITY of the Prophets 9. The INTEGRITY of the Prophets 10. The MESSAGE of the Prophets 11. INTERPRETING the Prophetic Writings 12. The BLESSINGS of the Prophetic Gift 13. CONFIDENCE in the Prophetic Gift

5. The Prophetic Gift Our Goal {5} The real focus is on the Gift-Giver. We’ll learn about the Lord who loves this world so much He gave Himself, in the person of Jesus, as the sacrifice for our sins. That’s the God we serve, and that’s the God we seek to reveal in this quarter’s lessons.

6. The Prophetic Gift Lesson 8, February 21 The Prophetic Gift Lesson 8, February 21

7. The Authority of the Prophet Key Text 1 Thessalonians 5:20, 21 NKJV “Do not despise prophecies. Test all things; hold fast what is good.” “Do not scoff at prophecies, but test everything that is said. Hold on to what is good.” (NLT)

8. The Authority of the Prophet Initial Words {98} It’s a very serious thing to claim to speak in the name God. If you claim to speak for Him, and are, then you are a mouthpiece for the Creator of the universe, no small responsibility.

9. The Authority of the Prophet Quick Look 1. The Need for Authority (Genesis 20:1-3, 7) 2. Authority of the Word (Matthew 11:11, 13) 3. Authority of Noncanonical Prophets (Judges 4:4-10)

10. The Authority of the Prophet 1. The Need for Authority Exodus 4:14-16 NKJV “He said; ‘Is not Aaron … your brother? … So he shall be your spokesman to the people. And he himself shall be as a mouth for you, and you shall be to him as God.’ ”

11. 1.The Need for Authority Reluctant Prophet {99} Moses was literally “to become God” to Aaron and Aaron was to become Moses’ mouthpiece or “prophet”. God “taught” all His prophets what they were to do in regard to being a mouthpiece, His spokesperson. Moses, was however somewhat of a reluctant prophet.

12. 1.The Need for Authority Reluctant Prophet {99} “In my second vision, about a week after the first, the Lord gave me a view of the trials through which I must pass…. It was shown that my labors would be meet with great opposition. … I was seventeen and frail, unused to society, and naturally so timid and retiring that it was painful for me to meet strangers.

13. 1.The Need for Authority Reluctant Prophet {99} For several days, and far into the night, I prayed that this burden might be removed from me, and laid upon some one more capable of bearing it. But the light of duty did not change, and the words of the angel sounded continually in my ears, ‘Make known to others what I have revealed to you.’ ” Life Sketches 69

14. The Authority of the Prophet 2. The Authority of the Word Matthew 28:18 NKJV “ And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, ‘All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth.’ ”

15. 2. The Authority of the Word The Incarnate Word {101} Ultimate authority belongs to Christ as our Creator (John 1:3) and Redeemer (Rom 3:24). He is at once our final court of appeal and the absolute norm by which each life is to be judged. Divine authority finds its focus and finality in Him.

16. 2. The Authority of the Word The Incarnate Word {101} Yet, the authority that Christ exercised within His earthly commission was granted to Him by the Father (John 17:2). Whatever He did, including all the miracles He performed, always was done in dependence on and in cooperation with His Father (John 5:19).

17. 2. The Authority of the Word The Written Word {103} God’s word can be ridiculed, ignored, denounced as out-of-date, or interpreted in such a way that it is deprived of any historical value or authority. To reject it may not have immediate consequences, but it will certainly result in eternal loss. All through her life Mrs White exalted the Word of God.

18. 2. The Authority of the Word The Spoken Word {105} In ancient times, when writing materials was scarce and most people could not read, the spoken word was very important. Unless the word preached meets with faith on the part of the hearers, it cannot benefit them.

19. 2. The Authority of the Word The Spoken Word {105} The church by and large listened to Ellen G White’s counsel and benefited by it. For example, church organization between 1863 and 1901 remained basically unchanged. The day before the GC session in 1901, EGW met with the church leaders and urged them to make drastic changes. The reorganization has stood the test of time.

20. Luke 7:28 NKJV “ ‘For I say to you, among those born of women there is not a greater prophet than John the Baptist, but he who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.’ ” The Authority of the Prophet 3. The Authority of Noncanonical Prophets

21. 3. Authority of the Noncanonical Prophets Extra Biblical {107} Apart from the canonical prophets, such as Isaiah and Amos, we find in Scripture a number of prophets whose books did not become part of the canon. The book of Chronicles refer to different prophetic books written by extracanonical prophets: Gad, Nathan, Ahijah, Shemaiah, and Iddo.

22. 3. Authority of the Noncanonical Prophets Extra Biblical {107} The canon is simply the collection of books that under God’s guidance was put together as the rule of life and faith for God’s people and by which everything else has to be measured. It contains everything a person needs to know to be saved.

23. 3. Authority of the Noncanonical Prophets Extra Biblical {107} However, not everything the prophet wrote under inspiration is in the Bible. Paul wrote more inspired letters than we have in the New Testament today (Col 4:16). If we find one of these letters today, it would not become part of the Bible. It would remain an authoritative, inspired letter, outside of the canon.

24. 3. Authority of the Noncanonical Prophets Extra Biblical {107} Ellen White’s authority can be compared to the authority of the extracanonical prophets. The inspired messages she received for the church are not an addition to the canon. Her writings are not another Bible, nor they carry the kind of authority found in the Bible. In the end the Bible and the Bible alone is our ultimate authority.

25. The Authority of the Prophet Final Words {98} Much of biblical history is a story of God speaking through His prophets and of people rejecting what was said. How careful we need to be so as not to make the same mistake today.