“But the one who prophesies speaks to people for their strengthening, encouraging and comfort.” (I Cor. 14:3 NIV)

A teacher once told our Sunday School class that prophecy today isn’t authentic unless it does one of those three things, and therefore it would always be pleasant or positive. Since the main subject of that day’s lesson was something else, I gave her comment little thought. I didn’t know much about prophecy at the time, Old Testament or New Testament.

Then one day I read Acts 21:10-14. The passage describes a prophet named Agabus, who came down from Judea to give Paul a prophecy about his upcoming trip to Jerusalem. It wasn’t pleasant or positive. “Coming over to us, he took Paul’s belt, tied his own hands and feet with it and said, The Holy Spirit says, ‘In this way the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem will bind the owner of this…