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Fatherly Talk 4.08 Faith Series – The energizing of faith

Dearly Beloved,

This weekly talk is sent early as I have a weekend meeting in Auckland, New Zealand from Friday onwards (back to Sydney on Monday). Last week we spoke of the holding position of faith, in which we clearly pointed out that when faith is received and completed there is still a requirement to hold fast to the faith given until the manifestation comes through. Part of the key to understanding how to hold on in the position of faith is to know that faith is basically a relationship of trust with a person and not just a principle. The relationship is with an invisible person – God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, the Author and Finisher of our faith. It is this position of absolute trust and love for God that enables us to stand steadfastly in the position of faith against all odds. This trust of an invisible person and His instructions to us is at the core of our walk of faith.

When Abraham followed God leaving behind his kinsfolk to the land of Canaan, all he had was this voice or impression that he had of someone talking to him and telling him to leave his country and kindred to go to a strange new land (Genesis 12:1-3). He might have had a vision but many people who do not have visions do not understand that one still needs to exercise faith in the vision or word that one has received. It is natural for the human mind to doubt every voice, vision, impression or encounter that one receives but it is the training of faith to be able to trust and give oneself fully to the supernatural directions given by God. It is so easy for many to question the reception of voices, visions or impressions as, I am sure, the people of her time question the visions of Joan of Arc when she received regarding France. Despite her victory for France, she was burnt as a witch but history has accorded her a place in the annals of the Catholic saints.

The natural fear of many people is that giving in to impressions, visions and dreams would be giving in to the devil. This is where the written Word of God comes in. Why do you think God gave us the written Word? Not that we will just be legalistic and adopt a religiosity and form of liturgy but that the written word would become the instrument to train us to hear the real dreams, visions and impressions of God! The indictment of Jesus against the Jewish leaders was that they have the Scriptures (and built monumental laws and religious rites around them) but that they did not come to Jesus (John 5:39-40). The Scriptures are only a means by which we would be trained to come to the living, invisible God and not an end in themselves.

1. The Scriptures show a pattern of God’s dealings with men and women throughout thousands of years and helps us identify the common pattern in which to judge and discern through encounters with God from false encounters.

2. The Scriptures specifically deal with the nature and quality of all communication with mankind such that any invisible communication that draws mankind away from His established moral laws are suspect and fraud (Deuteronomy 13:1-18). This is even when a prediction comes true (Deuteronomy 13:2-3). The test of a true prophet is thus not in the power of the revelation or the prediction, although it does include this level of accuracy, but rather of his fruit and morality. One should judge a tree by its fruit (Matthew 7:18).

3. The end result of all revelation and communication should always be leading people towards God and not away from God (Deuteronomy 13:5).

4. As God is a God of love and light, all revelation from God would have to be consistent with His nature of love and His holiness (1 John 1:5-7; 4:7-9).

5. No communication from God should be contradictory to His previous revelation in His written Word. The word of God remains the basis for all doctrine and correction (2 Timothy 3:16). Every communication should also be subject to other s who have experience in hearing God (1 Corinthians 14:29).

Once a person overcome their natural fear of the supernatural through the assurance of the Word of God, they should be willing to learn and be open to the direct communication that God has with them (John 10:27). The history of the Bible is a record of men and women who have direct communication with God. It is what sets them apart from others. Since Jesus has paid the price for all mankind, direct communication is now available to all who come to Him (Hebrews 4:16). Jesus encourages us to seek God persistently knowing that God our Father will give good gifts to His children (Luke 10:9-13). No one who seeks God with a pure heart of love towards God need to be afraid that the enemy will come in between. Perfect love casts our fear (1 John 4:18). Love for the Lord and love for His Word are the two forces that prevent the enemy from coming in between us and God; moreover, this love will bring us into the manifestation of Christ and God to us (John 14:15-24).

Having laid the groundwork for the need to utterly trust in our invisible God, we must be willing to relate directly – spirit to Spirit – with our God and Father through Jesus. God is a Spirit and those who come to Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth (John 4:24). Spirit will always be invisible to the natural eyes and one must be willing to trust in the reception of impressions, words, thoughts and visions that God lays upon our spirits. Although it may seem as if God is speaking audible in the physical for those who are yielded in their spirits, the communication is actually Spirit to spirit. We are spirit, soul and body (1 Thessalonians 5:23). When our spirits or inner man receives something from God’s Spirit, our soul will then seek to interpret it and convey it to our minds and understanding. Since spirit communicates in spiritual language and the soul uses human languages, there is a margin of error that can take place in this translation of spirit to soul. For this reason, the disciples in Tyre discerned in their spirit some communication of danger for Paul in his journey to Jerusalem but their souls interpret it as a message to tell Paul not to go – which is completely contradictory to what God had already told Paul (Acts 21:4; 20:22-23). Always when we receive communication from the Holy Spirit, the following will take place:

1. Manifestation or communication in the spirit (Holy Spirit to human spirit)

2. Interpretation of the manifestation or communication from God by our human souls

3. Application of the interpretation into our lives and circumstances.

It is obvious to all that if we get the interpretation incorrectly, we will get the application wrong and possibly even contradictory to what God had intended. And even if the interpretation is correct there are still elements of timing, methodology and discreteness in the application of the word or rhema from the Lord. Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the voice (word) or rhema of God (Romans 10:17). The essence of the walk of faith is the hearing of God’s voice and obeying Him. It is as simply as that. Great faith is purely great trust that one has developed in obeying the invisible voice that one hears in one’s spirit. No matter how must Scriptural knowledge a person has, it is only when a person is willing to trust their sense of hearing God that true faith can develop. True faith is trusting in an invisible person – God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ through the Holy Spirit. This is the essence and the spirit of faith (2 Corinthians 4:13). Paul constantly looks not to the things that are visible but yields to the forces and power of the invisible God who continues to orchestrate his life (2 Corinthians 4:18). At first it sounds scary to many people new to rusting in the invisible directions of God. Such people must know that true Christianity is not just reliance on a creed based on written words like the Pharisees but rather reliance on a personal God who still works through the spiritual realm on the behalf of His people. True Christianity is a direct one to one relationship with the living God through our Lord Jesus Christ. A living God speaks, directs and instructs. If Christianity is purely a creed and a set of beliefs it would be no different from any other religion, although it contains the best knowledge and most accurate philosophy of this world and the next. Jesus said that His sheep hear His voice and they know Him (John 10:17). As true Christians we all need to hear the voice of Jesus and learn to recognise His voice.

The most important thing is to know and realize that true faith comes from the energizing of the love of God (Galatians 5:6). We are supposed to be deeply in love with out invisible God revealed through Christ. This love that we have for our invisible God brings us to the point of utter trust and faith in Him as a person. We can know Him although we can’t see Him (John 14:17). God through our Lord Jesus Christ and His Holy Spirit is constantly speaking to us. Do we hear Him? Having heard, do we obey Him?

Like a toddler learning to walk physically, those who are newly born again must learn to walk in the Spirit. Learning to hear God and obey His voice and impressions in their heart. One does not have to attempt to run or jump before one learns to walk. Like a toddler who sometimes tumble and fall, those who learn to walk in the Spirit need to learn from others who do, perhaps sometimes making honest mistakes in their attempts to hear God and obey God. Learn to hear Him in the little things of life before jumping to hear Him in the bigger things of life. One never learns unless one tries. If we see a twenty year old person who still never learns to walk because he is afraid of falling, we would all be shocked. Imagine seeing Christians who have been in the Lord for many years and yet have not learned to walk in the Spirit. The early church learned to hear God’s voice and direction and not just know about His written Word. Philip heard the voice of the Holy Spirit telling him which chariot to join (Acts 8:29). The early church discerned the voice of the Holy Spirit in regard to the Gentile question (Acts 15:28). Paul was sensitive to the voice of the Holy Spirit as to where to go or where not to go (Acts 16:6-7). Agabus prophesied through hearing the voice of the Holy Spirit (Acts 11:28; 21:11). The Holy Spirit has been given to us to replace the physical presence of Jesus (John 14:15-18). Do we hear the voice of the Holy Spirit today? The Spirit still speaks to God’s church as He did in the book of Revelation (Revelation 2:7, 11, 17, 29; 3:6, 13, 22).

Under the tutelage of the more experienced spiritually, the church is encouraged to prophesy that all may learn and be encouraged (1 Corinthians 14:26-31). Under the guidance of the more spiritually mature, Christians should be encouraged to explore their hearing from God, giving room for correction from the Scriptures and having room to learn through honest mistakes. In a loving and understanding spiritual environment, many should be able to learn to hear God’s voice and remain humble and teachable as one exercises their faith in hearing the rhema from an invisible God. In the end, true faith is the exercise of complete trust in a loving but invisible God. The more we grow to love the invisible God, the more our faith increases. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believed (John 20:29).

We continue to encourage each of you to explore the varying spiritual impressions you receive in your spirit which your soul interprets into thoughts, pictures and words in human language. No doubt some soul areas might infiltrate through and cause some inaccuracy in hearing the spirit man but there is no gain if there is no venture. The advantage always is to those who are bold and don’t mind being corrected if they make mistakes. We have only one life to live on earth, we need to live it vigorously and boldly to do God’s Will. Faith comes when God speaks. Love God, hear God and trust God.

In Christ’s love

Ps Peter Tan

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TEACHING: HOW TO BREAK THROUGH AND HEAR GOD SPEAK



QUESTION FROM READER:

Today I received a question from a reader who has been on my list for a number of years. It was quickened to me and so I turned it into a teaching.



Hi Sandy

Just as I began to read the word today, my immediate thought was, "Lord HOW does she hear your words"....I would ask you Sandy if you can help in this area. Although I have walked with the Lord for many, many years, and am gifted in the prophetic ministry, I have never had an open vision, or visions for that matter, only had one prophetic dream. My gifting is through "a thought, sometimes getting a picture, and then by faith speaking out and the flow comes, and the people are blessed. However I know in this season that the Lord wants to give me so much more but I seem to be really blocked from being able to breakthrough. If you can give any advice through your years of being God's scribe, I'd appreciate it.



RESPONSE FROM SANDY

I have been listening to the Lord and journaling since 1984. After all these years, He continually reinforces that [color red] I have to use what He gives me and then He gives me more. It is being accountable to steward and then expecting to receive more increase as I use it. [/color] I have found that if I dont steward what He gives me, then the well dries up and sometimes it dries up really fast. Below is what the Lord has taught me in how to dig a spiritual well of hearing Him and then maintaining it.



Mark 4:24-25 NKJV

Then He said to them, "Take heed what you hear. With the same measure you use, it will be measured to you; and to you who hear, more will be given. For whoever has, to him more will be given; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him."





HOW to be accountable AND STEWARD WHAT HE GIVES YOU



1. Journal what you hear, see, perceive, search for, question.



DREAM 5/13/94: THE LORD LIKES LENGTHY PUZZLES

I had a dream about someone trying to understand a mystery. The lady said, “If that's all the notes you keep, you'll never understand it. He likes lengthy puzzles.”



Hab 2:2-3 NKJV

Then the LORD answered me and said: "Write the vision and make it plain on tablets, That he may run who reads it. 3 For the vision is yet for an appointed time; But at the end it will speak, and it will not lie. Though it tarries, wait for it; Because it will surely come, It will not tarry.



CHEW it, ponder it, apply it and then let it feed your spirit with faith and your soul with understanding. Submit to Him in places that need to change and mature.



2. Add scriptures.



Do word searches, cross references, and study the scriptures as they relate to what you see and hear



2 Tim 2:15 AMP

Study and be eager and do your utmost to present yourself to God approved (tested by trial), a workman who has no cause to be ashamed, correctly analyzing and accurately dividing {rightly handling and skillfully teaching} the Word of Truth.



3. If you are being mentored (like on my email list), steward what you are given.



If something confirms where you are, take notes and paste it all together so that you have your own journey of how the Lord is weaving it all together to build your faith and hearing.



Eph 4:15-16 NKJV

may grow up in all things into Him who is the head — Christ — 16 from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.



4. Be His witness of what you see and hear.



Share what God is speaking to you in a personal way in order to encourage, comfort, help, strengthen, build up someone else. Giving is the best and easiest way to get your well flowing.



Prov 11:25 NLT

The generous prosper and are satisfied; those who refresh others will themselves be refreshed.



John 8:28-29 NKJV

I do nothing of Myself; but as My Father taught Me, I speak these things.



5. Stay under His glory spout.



Where ever you are perceiving that you are experiencing His Presence, being confirmed, encouraged, fed and you are participating.... DON'T LEAVE. Stick with it and participate however you can participate through the above ideas. He is building spiritual watering holes and you need to stay because outside is increasing famine.

Amos 8:11-12 NKJV

"Behold, the days are coming," says the Lord GOD, "That I will send a famine on the land, Not a famine of bread, Nor a thirst for water, But of hearing the words of the LORD. They shall wander from sea to sea, And from north to east; They shall run to and fro, seeking the word of the LORD, But shall not find it.



6. Pray about what you hear and see.



Pray it into your life, into your loved ones, your church and into His corporate body. Find someone who will agree with you in prayer over what you see and hear.



Luke 6:12-13 NKJV

Now it came to pass in those days that He went out to the mountain to pray , and continued all night in prayer to God.



Matt 18:19-20 NKJV

"Again I say to you that if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven. For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them."



7. Throw out all limitations on HOW you want God to speak to you.



Isa 45:6-7 KJV

That they may know from the rising of the sun, and from the west, that there is none beside me. I am the LORD, and there is none else. 7 I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these things.



Rom 8:28 NKJV

And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.



8. Let your measure of hearing Him be through every detail.



Ask Him to open the eyes of your understanding to see how they really do relate and what He is saying to you about them. You will be amazed as you start to see Him in every area of your life, divinely plant even the smallest details into puzzles that make sense to His overall whole. All that is lacking is the eyes to see it. Bind spiritual blindness and loose your eyes to see.



Luke 24:30-33 NLT

As they sat down to eat, he took a small loaf of bread, asked God's blessing on it, broke it, then gave it to them. 31 Suddenly, their eyes were opened, and they recognized him. And at that moment he disappeared! 32 They said to each other, "Didn't our hearts feel strangely warm as he talked with us on the road and explained the Scriptures to us?"



Pray daily for eyes to see, ears to hear and the heart to understand.



9. Repent of fellowshipping in the world in places that grieve His Holy Spirit.



Carnal TV is a really, really big issue. Speaking critically about people is another one. And so is pornography.



James 4:4-5 NKJV

Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. 5 Or do you think that the Scripture says in vain,"The Spirit who dwells in us yearns jealously"?


10. Submit to His uprooting the tares of your soul and washing you.



Allow Him to clean up the parts of your soul that do not line up with His Word. Thought, word, deed and motive. Ask Him for the reward that as you submit to the process, that He will bring you closer to Him and you will hear and see Him more clearly because of it.



11. PRAY, PRAY, PRAY. ASK, ASK, ASK. SEEK, SEEK, SEEK.



Every day and every night I ask for and expect to hear Him.



Matt 7:7-12 NKJV

"Ask, and it will be given to you; seek , and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. 9 Or what man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent? 11 If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!



12. Continually keep your well primed.



I continually work to keep my spiritual well primed and pumping clear water. If there is dirty water or the threat of my well drying up, I press in to the Lord through prayer, tongues, worship, fasting and sacrifice until it returns steady and pure. I ask for prayer. I break off curses, I ask again for prayer. I press in. If I am away from His glory spout and I know where I have found it in the past, I return to that place. It is a serious and desperate stand I take until I am flowing again. It is my life time prayer to know Him intimately.



Above all I try to stay accountable with what He gives me, regardless of whether I like what He gives. I find in the end that when I swallow it, I have His peace that totally sustains me.



John 4:13-14 NKJV

Jesus answered and said to her, "Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life."



John 6:57-58 NKJV

As the living Father sent Me, and I live because of the Father, so he who feeds on Me will live because of Me. This is the bread which came down from heaven — not as your fathers ate the manna , and are dead. He who eats this bread will live forever."





PRAYER: Lord I pray for whoever has read this teaching. I know they would not have read it, if they were not hungry to hear You. I ask that You will honor their hunger, their quest and their deepest yearnings to hear You more. Help them pinpoint areas in their life where they can stretch and grow into a bigger portion of hearing ears and seeing eyes. Grant them hearts to understand. Grant them a divine thirst for You that wont quit until they have broken through and heard You speak to them to the point of their need, desire and desperation.

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A few weeks ago I asked those on our mailing list to write to us and tell us about their church. In other words, if yours is a good church, tell us about it - or, if your church is in a difficult time, tell us why. I requested that no one name their church or pastor, and that the information given be without gossip, rancor or bitterness. I simply wanted to take the spiritual pulse of America's churches.

Thousands of letters poured in from all over the United States and Canada. My wife, Gwen, and I read them for days. Hearing the heart-cry of so many Christians has been helpful and yet depressing - enlightening and yet shocking!

Thank God for all the glowing reports of both churches and pastors. A typical response (reflected in about one of every six or seven letters) read:

"All is well in our church. Our pastor is a true man of God who is not afraid to preach the Word. He is loving yet fearless. Our income is up and we are growing. The worship is uplifting. We can hardly wait for the next service!"

But the overwhelming majority of the letters we received were from people who are hurting spiritually. They wrote heart-rending letters about the deadness of their church. Almost without fail, they began: "We love our pastor, but... "

They went on to say: "Our church is boring. Many people sleep during the preaching! The pastor is afraid to offend anybody, and he seldom preaches anything negative....

"We are dying spiritually, and we can't find a church that's any better. We long to see an outpouring of the Holy Spirit - to hear a convicting, stirring word from heaven! The pastor keeps preaching, 'Love, love, love' - but we are 'loving' each other right into spiritual coldness!"

Pastors also wrote to us: "We need encouragement! The workload is over-whelming. Our people say they want to hear the truth, that they want reproof and exposing of sin. But when the Spirit moves on me and I do reprove them, they walk out!"

One pastor said, "I've been kicked out of three churches in the past two years. The people told me they wanted me to preach without compromise. But when I did (and I did it in love) they refused to listen! It makes me wonder if there is anyone left who really wants to hear the truth."

Jeremiah Was Scathing in His
Rebukes Against Certain Pastors!

I believe God has a host of godly pastors today. But the prophet Jeremiah issued this rebuke to hirelings: "Woe be unto the pastors that destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture! saith the Lord" (Jeremiah 23:1). "For both prophet and priest are profane; yea, in my house have I found their wickedness, saith the Lord" (verse 11).

Jeremiah called these men "prophets of Sodom" - and he listed the kinds of wickedness he saw in them:

  1. At the top of the list was adultery - pastors with eyes full of lust! They are sensual, carnal, having roving eyes.
  2. They walk in lies - the truth is not in them.
  3. They strengthen evildoers in their evil ways. They won't expose the sin of their prominent members, because they'll risk cutting their tithe-income!
  4. They speak visions that are not from God - but rather, fleshly visions designed to build their own egos and reputations.
  5. They encourage compromisers, afraid to lose their affection and support.
  6. They promote personal dreams, saying, "God said so," when God did not.
  7. They use lightness (joking) in the pulpit - not wholesome humor, when it is fitting, but shallow joking!
  8. They borrow messages from others - they have no word of their own from God.
  9. And, worst of all, they have a self-serving message. Jeremiah said of them: "They make you vain: they speak a vision of their own heart, and not out of the mouth of the Lord. They say still unto them that despise me, The Lord hath said, Ye shall have peace; and they say unto every one that walketh after the imagination of his own heart, No evil shall come upon you" (Jeremiah 23:16-17).

Beloved, you can hear this message today in pulpits all across America: "Don't be afraid - America is going to be blessed again! We're going to be prosperous, everything's going to be fine. We're all doing okay! America will always be special to God...."

But the sad truth is that many who preach this soft message have lost their anointing. God doesn't speak to them anymore - because they live in sin!

Scores of pastors, evangelists and teachers have no right to stand in the pulpit because they're unclean! They sneak into video stores, and then sit in their studies watching filth from the pit of hell. (I know this to be true because we receive pitiful letters from their wives!) Their eyes and minds are ever ablaze with nudity and fornication of all kinds. Most of these unholy hirelings need to be driven out of the ministry - they're damning multitudes of trusting sheep and sending countless young people to hell!

But Jeremiah also spoke of another kind of pastor: "His servants, the prophets!" These were men of prayer, full of the truth and the Holy Spirit. They were true shepherds - holy, unblamable, fearless servants who were "sent unto you... rising early" (Jeremiah 23:4).

The Bible says these men of God "hath stood in the counsel of the Lord" (verse 18). The word for "stand" means, in other words, having a give-and-take communion with the heavenly Father! Over and over in the Bible, you'll find this quality in every man of God. Elijah stood before wicked Ahab and said, "I've come to you, king, because I have stood before the Lord!"

"Who... hath perceived... his word... who hath marked his word, and heard it" (Jeremiah 23:18). The prophets heard counsel from God - and they comprehended it and preached it! God says these kind of servants "cause my people to hear my words... (turning) them from their evil way, and from the evil of their doing" (23:22). They are not afraid to expose sin in the house of God, no matter who gets convicted!

The Spiritual Death and Compromise in the Church Today
Cannot Be Blamed Entirely on Backslidden Shepherds!

Jeremiah himself was everything a hungry congregation could ask for in a shepherd. He was shut in with God; he couldn't be bought at any price; he wept over the sins of God's people. He was ready to lay down his life for the church - and indeed he was cast into jail and into a deadly mud pit for speaking the truth!

Time after time, Scripture says Jeremiah waited in the Lord's presence until "the word of the Lord came to him." (This phrase appears over fifty times in the book of Jeremiah!)

In those days, there was no shortage of a true word from God. Indeed, the Lord has always had his true prophets and pastors, even in times of compromise and declension. Time after time, you read: "And the word of the Lord came to Isaiah... to Jeremiah... to Ezekiel..." It came to Daniel, Hosea, Joel, Amos, Jonah, Micah, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah and Malachi.

And God's word was always a clear warning - full of judgment against sin, yet full of hope for the repentant. It was a call to separation from ungodliness - and to a continual life of holiness!

Usually there were three kinds of responses to the word of truth. And you see these same three responses among Christians today:

1. Many People Simply Do Not Want
To Hear What God is Saying!

The Israelites had no intention of quitting their sinful ways. Instead, they wanted a soft, soothing word. The prophet Isaiah said of them:

"This is a rebellious people, lying children, children that will not hear the law of the Lord; which say to the seers, See not; and to the prophets, Prophesy not unto us right things, speak unto us smooth things, prophesy deceits" (Isaiah 30:9-10).

At first, I had a difficult time accepting this passage. I thought, "Are there children of God today who would actually demand of their pastors a deceiving message?"

Yes, there are! You may not hear them say those words - but you can see their response when the pastor brings a strong prophetic word. They leave church, thinking, "I can't take this kind of preaching - it unnerves me! I prefer simple Bible teaching on how to cope with my problems."

Beloved, that is almost a paraphrase of what Isaiah said Israel wanted: "Get you out of the way, turn aside out of the path, cause the Holy One of Israel to cease from before us" (Isaiah 30:11). They so despised any word exposing sin that they demanded any such message be stopped!

The Lord warns those who do not want to hear the true Word of God: "Because they have forsaken my law which I set before them, and have not obeyed my voice, neither walked therein; but have walked after the imagination of their own heart... therefore... I will feed them, even this people, with wormwood, and give them water of gall to drink" (Jeremiah 9:13-15).

God warns: "You can choose to sit under that kind of preaching - smooth, comforting, soft and easy. But it's poison! You're drinking in death!"

2. Others Say Privately They Want
To Hear What God Is Saying - But Their
Pride Hinders Them From Hearing!

King Zedekiah best illustrates this kind of person. He was a man of great power, influence and authority. His father, Josiah, was a godly man - so we know Zedekiah had a background in holiness and the things of God. Yet when this man inherited the throne, he had no time for the Lord - that is, until a crisis struck!

Jerusalem was besieged suddenly - surrounded by a ruthless Chaldean army, strong and powerful! Eventually there was a shortage of bread, and water ran low. Zedekiah called for the prophet Jeremiah, imploring him, "Pray now unto the Lord our God for us" (Jeremiah 37:3). Like so many who face rough times, Zedekiah appeared to want the truth. He sounded so sincere - calling the nation to prayer!

But Jeremiah prophesied destruction to the king. About that time, word hit the surrounding Chaldeans that Pharaoh was approaching from the west with a huge army. Panic struck the Chaldean camp - and they started to flee: "When the Chaldeans that besieged Jerusalem heard... they departed from Jerusalem" (verse 5).

Imagine the cheers atop Jerusalem's walls as the Israelites watched their enemy flee! You can hear all the leaders, judges and magistrates: "Our walls are not cast down - our city is not burning. So much for old Jeremiah's gloom and doom!"

I believe the wine flowed and food was plenteous that night as they threw open the gates, announcing a week of official celebration: "The crisis is over - let us celebrate!" True to human nature, everyone put the crisis out of their minds and went back to daily business. King Zedekiah must have been embarrassed by his call for prayer, thinking, "How could I have been so alarmed and intimidated by that prophet?"

Now, who do you think was the most mocked, ridiculed man in the city that night? The one who prophesied destruction! As Jeremiah watched from a lonely rooftop, he must have thought, "Lord, You told me to prophesy judgment - but look at what's happened! The Chaldeans are gone, the economic crisis is over. You told me to warn that our women and children would be slain and the city burned down. But there is no bloodshed, no shortage. Was it all in my mind?"

Suddenly, Scripture says, "The word of the Lord came to Jeremiah" - again! He was told to go to King Zedekiah and prophesy that the Chaldeans would turn around - and they would come back and finish the job!

Jeremiah must have cried, "No, Lord - not again! Who will believe me now?" But he went to the king's courtyard and cried out: "Zedekiah! The Chaldeans are coming back - and they're going to burn down Jerusalem!"

Zedekiah must have shaken his head in disbelief - he'd heard it all before! So he simply turned Jeremiah off and went back to merrymaking with everyone else. But not much later, a scout rode up with the news: "The Chaldeans are back!" The siege continued - and this time the Chaldeans didn't leave!

Zedekiah summoned Jeremiah again - this time in secret - and asked him, "Is there any word from the Lord?" (Jeremiah 37:17). In other words: "I really want to know what the Lord is saying!"

Jeremiah answered, "Yes, there is a word. You are going to be captured by the king of Babylon!" But Zedekiah still didn't receive it. He only hardened himself - because it wasn't what he wanted to hear!

Eventually, conditions in the besieged city grew worse. Starving mothers boiled and ate their babies. There was nothing left - and the end was in sight. As the king walked along the wall in sackcloth, he looked at all the deprivation - and he called on Jeremiah one final time. He brought the prophet into his chambers through a private entrance: "And the king said unto Jeremiah, I will ask thee a thing; hide nothing from me" (Jeremiah 38:14). In other words, "Give me the hard truth, with no smooth words. I really want to hear what God is saying this time!'

Beloved, there are many who say, "I want to hear the Word of God! I want it straight, uncompromising, pure." But you can rest assured: These will never receive what God says, because pride hinders them from hearing when the truth comes!

Jeremiah told the king to surrender to the Chaldeans - and that he, his family and the people would live. Even the city would be spared. But if he didn't surrender, it would all be destroyed - and he would die!

Zedekiah answered, "I can't do that - I'm afraid of the Jews that have already surrendered. They'll mock me, shame me - they'll tear me apart!" Sure enough, he rejected God's word to him. Even though everyone was dying and the city was collapsing, his pride was still intact!

Zedekiah ended up trying to escape in the middle of the night, but he was captured. His sons were killed before his eyes, his wives were ravaged, and his eyes were burned out in their sockets - all because of pride!

3. Many Cry And Clamor For A Pure Word -
But It Is A Cover-Up For Long-Standing,
Hidden Idolatry In Their Heart!

When I read all the pitiful letters from Christians, saying, "We need a strong, pure word from the Lord's heart," I prayed: "Oh God, where are our modern-day Jeremiahs? Where are the pastors who will not be afraid to preach holiness?"

But I was shocked and surprised at the Lord's answer to me. He said, "David, many say they want to hear My word to them - and there is a holy remnant who sigh and cry over the wickedness in the land. They yearn for the truth and will obey Me. Yet multitudes will not listen when the truth is brought forth! They will reject any message that touches their pet sins or idols!"

How clearly this is illustrated in Jeremiah 42! Only a remnant was left, and Johanan was now the leader. They decided to run to Egypt - so they camped out at Bethlehem and called on Jeremiah to try to get a word from the Lord:

"We beseech thee... pray for us unto the Lord thy God, even for all this remnant... that the Lord thy God may shew us the way wherein we may walk, and the thing that we may do.... The Lord be a true and faithful witness between us, if we do not even to all things for the which the Lord thy God shall send thee to us. Whether it be good, or whether it be evil, we will obey the voice of the Lord our God, to whom we send thee" (Jeremiah 42:1-6).

Have you ever heard a people who sounded more serious about hearing a true word from God? They said, "We want the truth badly! Whatever you tell us, we'll obey it - whether we like it or not!"

So Jeremiah shut himself in with God for ten days. He must have prayed, "God You heard how they cried out for a pure word. Give me a word from Your heart!"

But the Lord answered him, "They're lying! They don't want My word. They're full of idolatry! They just say they want the truth - but they've already made up their minds to do their own thing!"

Jeremiah came to them with God's word: "If ye will still abide in this land, then will I build you, and not pull you down... Be not afraid of the king of Babylon... for I am with you to save you from his hand....

"But if ye say, We will not dwell in this land... but we will go into the land of Egypt... then it shall come to pass, that the sword, which ye have feared, shall overtake you there in the land of Egypt... and there ye shall die" (Jeremiah 42:10-16).

The leaders accused Jeremiah of speaking falsely - and, just as God had told Jeremiah, they decided to go their own way. They said, "We will go into... Egypt, where we shall see no war, nor hear the sound of the trumpet, nor have hunger of bread" (Jeremiah 42:14).

They Rejected God's Word Because They
Were Tired Of the Sound of the Trumpet
- Weary of Spiritual Warfare!

The leaders of the remnant said, "It's too big of a struggle here. We're tired of hearing all the trumpets and the thunder!" So they went their own stubborn way - and they died by the sword, as God had said, except for a tiny number.

This is a picture of many last-day Christians: tired of hearing prophetic trumpets announcing judgments to come, weary of spiritual warfare and life's struggles. They say, "Please, leave me alone! No more convicting meetings or sermons to upset me. I just want a nice, quiet, soothing place to worship."

Are you tired of hearing it all? Have you become so weary that you think, "I just want some peace - I can't exist in this kind of tension!" Or do you really want to hear the straight truth? Do you want a prophet of God to point a finger at your heart and say, "You are not diligent in seeking God - your heart is growing cold! And you won't be able to receive any word from him until you deal with your idolatry!"

I've had to face that question honestly too: Do I really want to hear what God is saying? My honest answer is: No, Lord - I really don't know if I want to hear all You have to say. I don't know if I want You to probe as deeply as You want to - because I don't know if I can handle it. I don't know if I want to hear any more about Your awful judgments falling on America. I've heard so much that only Your grace holds me above it!"

A young pastor asked me recently, "Why do we need to know what's ahead? Can't we just leave that in God's hands and go our way rejoicing?"

Beloved, the Lord warns us to prepare us! You see, he is coming for a prepared Bride - and knowing that fire is about to fall from heaven, He forewarns us in love: "Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye be in all holy conversation and godliness" (2 Peter 3:11). We're not to panic when judgment hits - we're to be built up and ready!

A Prophetic Warning To New York City!

Right now, I believe God is speaking a warning to New York City. And I wrestled with His severe word as I prepared this message. I prayed, "Lord, is this really going to happen?" Again and again, I heard the still, small voice: "Preach it - warn! Those who want the truth will receive it!"

Dear saint, this warning is not meant to scare anyone. It's meant only for you to take to the Lord and pray. This is what I believe the Lord showed me:

Thirty days of chastisement will fall on New York City such as the world has never seen. God is going to let down the walls! There will be unimaginable violence and looting - over a thousand fires will be burning at the same time, throughout the city and its boroughs. Times Square will be ablaze, and the flames that ascend into the heavens will be seen for miles. Firetrucks will not be able to handle it all!

Trains and buses will shut down for a few weeks. Billions of dollars will be lost. Broadway shows will stop completely for weeks at a time. It will cause businesses to flee the city in an unstoppable hemorrhage. The violence will be so ferocious, it will shock the whole world. Our streets will be lined with not just the national guard, but our country's militia. Los Angeles' fires were confined to a few sections of that city - but New York will be ablaze in all its boroughs!

Such things are expected in Third World countries, but not in a civilized nation like the United States. Yet in not too long a time afterward, New York City will go bankrupt - the world's "queen city" cast into the dirt! It truly will become a Third World city - a city of poverty!

When will all this come about, you ask? All I can say is, I believe I will be here when it happens! And when it happens, no matter where we are - in our apartment or on the job - we are not to panic or fear!

One Of The Most Moving Things About
All That Jeremiah Prophesied Was This:
He Was There When It All Happened
- And He Was Safe!

Jeremiah survived the horrors he warned were coming! "And he was there when Jerusalem was taken" (Jeremiah 38:28). He must have watched in silent horror from behind a prison wall as the Chaldean army poured into the city. for twenty-three years he had warned, but no one would listen - and now the blood was flowing!"

The king's house was in flames. All the leaders were dragged out of hiding. The sights and sounds were unbearable; how Jeremiah must have cried out for mercy! "Oh God, I saw it all - I prophesied it! But Lord, can't you spare?"

Yet, here is the good news:

Jeremiah was present to see the city broken up - but he was safe! And not only was he safe, but so was Ebed-Melech, the man who pulled him out of the deadly mud pit! When everything was coming down, Jeremiah sent a message to Ebed-Melech, who was hiding in fear: "[Thus] saith the Lord: and thou shalt not be given into the hand of the men of whom thou art afraid. For I will surely deliver thee, and thou shalt not fall by the sword, but thy life shall be for a prey [prize] unto thee: because thou hast put thy trust in me, saith the Lord" (Jeremiah 39:17-18).

Can you imagine Ebed-Melech's comfort as he heard this word? Yet we have the same message that was given to Ebed-Melech: Those who love God's Word and walk in faithfulness and obedience will be miraculously spared by the Lord in hard times! "I will deliver you! Don't be afraid - your life will be spared because you trust in Me!"

Right now, God is shaking California with earthquakes, from San Fransico to Los Angeles to San Diego. The entire nation is feeling the birth pangs of judgment!

But when you see these things, and you hear that New York City is in flames, you can fall on your knees and begin to rejoice - not because of the judgment, but because of God's promise: "Lord, I wanted to hear what You had to say - and You warned me! I have obeyed Your Word - and now I need not be afraid!"

Hallelujah!

---
Used with permission granted by World Challenge, P. O. Box 260, Lindale, TX 75771 USA.
By David Wilkerson
September 7, 1992

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UNDERSTANDING PROPHECIES OF JUDGMENT



We want to touch on understanding prophecies of judgment. All prophecies must comfort, edify and exalt according to I Cor. 14. At the same time there are prophecies in the area of warning or judgment. How do we handle them? How do we receive them? And what are the laws involved in that area. First of all we want to point to the fact that any person who has reasonable wisdom and understanding of God's Word; or any matured person who has an understanding of God and how He works will always be able to predict a disaster before it comes. That is not in a prophetic realm. That is in a totally different area called prediction by the law. We know the law of sowing and reaping. If we sow the wrong seed we will reap the wrong result. It doesn't take a prophet to a give a word of prophecy to tell someone who is living in sin that look here something is going to happen. You don't need the Spirit of prophecy to give a prophecy like that. So we will talk of two major areas.



Section 1 : Sources of Prophecies of Judgment



The first major area on the area of receiving a prophecy that has some judgment involved. Understand that there are three different areas that we have impressions of pending judgment. You could sense it on a person's life or on a community or on a nation. The more wisdom you have the more you can move into that area. There are three major areas of those impressions.



1. Understanding the Law of God



The first is the law of God. Understanding of the law of God gives us an ability to sort of predict certain things coming. And that's more by study. People are sometimes confused between the ability to pick up future events based on their walk with God or knowledge of the bible or the Spirit of prophecy. We cannot use those things in the area of prophecy. But we can share and counsel in those areas.



Lets look in the book of Revelation and see the relationship of judgment to wisdom. Speaking about the manifestation of the anti-Christ. Chapter 13:17-18 So that no one can buy or sell unless he has the mark, that is, the name of the beast or the number of its name. Then it says in verse 18 This calls for wisdom; let him who has understanding reckon the number of the beast, for it is a human number, its number is six hundred and sixty six. Why doesn't he call a prophet? Instead he calls a wise man. There is an area where spiritual and natural wisdom gives us an ability to receive impressions of impending judgment based on the law of sowing and reaping. The more you know God's Word and the deeper your relationship is with God, the more your ability to do that is much greater than an average person.



I have studied God's Word on the life and the birth of nations and a whole prophetic realm in nations. I have some understanding on that subject. For example in the book of Genesis when Cain killed Abel God said that the earth will no more bear the abundance of the fruit that is supposed to bring forth because the earth have received innocent blood. Based on the understanding and there are many other scriptures that are in line with that, it tells me something, a truth, a principle, a law that in any city in any country where innocent blood is shed and the innocent blood hits the ground that nation will experience a famine somewhere along the line. So people who are not skillful in this area may think that a person who can predict such future events about a nation is an international prophet. However you can even do the same if you base it on that understanding of God's Word. I could predict easily by looking at the front-page news what will happen to that nation in three to five years time. This is based on wisdom and not based on the Spirit of prophecy or gift of prophecy. Wisdom can go a long way into the prophetic realm.



So the first area we need to understand on receiving a prophecy of judgment is that it was given based on the understanding of the law of God. We need to be aware that sometimes what we are picking up is based on the inner wisdom or inner understanding of reaping and sowing. Otherwise we could be prophesying to everybody all the time not under the Spirit of prophecy, not under the office of a prophet but under the understanding of the law of God. Of course as you fellowship with people you pick up in their lives certain things that are right and certain things that are wrong. Based on what you pick up you could easily predict based on wisdom and the law of God the person's life in three to five years time. That's not prophecy. Some people think that they are so great when they say an accident is going to happen. There is nothing great about receiving a prophecy like that. The prophetic realm deals with impression and we got to classify them correctly. So there are three realms that we got to watch out where, how and which way the impression comes. First is the law of God. And understanding of that law sub-consciously and consciously causes us to be able to receive areas of judgment in peoples' life or in a city or in a nation.



2. The Condition of the Heart



The second realm is where a prophet wrestles. An example for that is in the book of I Kings chapter 13. We deal with some false prophecy here. Why sometimes a false prophecy comes about. The first is wisdom and understanding and I talked about it in a positive sense. But sometimes it works negatively. People who know a lot of sowing and reaping can predict certain things by looking at person's life and they use it as a prophecy. It is not right. If I know you have not been spending time with God, it is easy for me to say such and such a thing is going to happen to you. There is no big deal in that.



Secondly things that lead us to false prophecy and claiming that is a prophecy from God is in I Kings 13 and here is an old prophet and a young prophet. Verse 11-19 Now there dwelt an old prophet in Bethel. And his sons came and told him all that the man of God had done that day in Bethel; the words also which he had spoken to the king, they told to their father. And their father said to them, "Which way did he go?" And his sons showed him the way which the man of God who came from Judah had gone. And he said to his sons, "Saddle the ass for me." so they saddled the ass for him and he mounted it. And he went after the man of God, and found him sitting under an oak; and he said to him, "Are you the man of God came from Judah?" And he said, "I am." Then he said to him, "Come home with me and eat bread." And he said, "I may not return with you, or go in with you; neither will I eat bread nor drink water with you in this place; for it was said to me by the word of the Lord, "You shall neither eat bread nor drink water there, nor return by the way that you came." And he said to him, "I also am prophet as you are, and an angel spoke to me by the word of the Lord saying, "Bring him back with you into your house that he may eat bread and drink water." But he lied to him. So he went back with him and ate bread in his house, and drank water.



So he went back with him and ate bread in his house and drank water. It happened that while they were eating the Spirit of God really came and real judgment came. And the poor young prophet died because the old prophet lied to him. How could that happened? The second area is the heart. When we desire something to happen to some people we tend to receive prophecies in that realm. Here the old prophet wanted this man to come. His heart was already made up and so he cooked up a prophecy and he called it a prophecy and said, "The Lord told me to bring you home." Such people are so used to handling prophecy loosely and say, "Thus say the Lord," too easily. And being so acquainted with "thus says the Lord," he just says, "The Lord told me." He probably hoped that nothing serious would happen. The old prophet just wanted to have a good meal fellowship and send that person off. But he doesn't realize how serious it is.



Many times when people are unhappy with certain things and they have to part fellowship and go their separate way, do you notice how easy it is for them to receive predictive judgmental prophecy from others?  That is not the Lord. The Old Testament prophets never give prophecies of judgment to such people who leave a fellowship. When a person has to leave any place or any fellowship the first natural thing that runs through the others' minds and hearts is the human desire to see justice done and to see that something is going to happen there. That's not correct. Even if it is a real prophecy its too colored and too polluted by the desire to see justice or even revenge done and it is so easy to predict judgment and disaster because of wrong desires. We got our own made up desires. That's the second area to watch out. First is the law, second is the heart.



3. The Influence of the Ruling Evil Spirit



The third area is found in the book of I Kings chapter 22 there were a bunch of false prophets against one true prophet. Verse 11 and 12 And Zedekiah the son of Chonaanah  made for himself horns of irons and said, Thus says the Lord,, "With these you shall push the Syrians  until they are destroyed." But this is not true. Zedekiah the false prophet says, "thus says the Lord." Verse 12 And all the prophets prophesied so, and said, "Go up to Ramothgilead and triumph; the Lord will give it into the hand of the king."  And then they ask for Micaiah the true prophet to come. Micaiah came and the king said, "Tell me what did the Lord say?" Micaiah tried to make fun. He knows the king just wants to hear approval of what he already made up his mind to do. Just like some people do when they come for counseling. They are not asking for counsel and to change their ways or to give them a better way to follow. But they just want you to confirm what they have decided. If you cannot confirm what they decided they would think that something is wrong with you not them.



And so Micaiah tried to make fun of him and said in verse 14 As the Lord lives, what the Lord says to me, that I will speak. In verse 15 the king said Micaiah shall I go to Ramothgilead. Remember the king here is king Ahab a terrible king. And he says Go up and triumph; the Lord will give it into the hand of the king." And the king knew from the tone of his voice this fellow is just making fun. He said come on tell me the truth what the Lord said and then he told him what the Lord said. He says in verse 17 I saw all Israel scattered upon the mountains, as sheep that has no shepherd; and the Lord said, "These have no master; let each return to his home in peace."  Then verse 19 Micaiah continued saying "Therefore hear the word of the Lord; I saw the Lord sitting on his throne, and all the host of heaven standing beside Him on His right and on His left; and the Lord said, "Who will entice Ahab, that he may go up and fall at Ramothgilead?" And one said one thing; and another said another. Then a spirit came forward and stood before the Lord said to him, "I will entice him."



What's happening here? What strange story is this that takes place in the spirit realm? Lets consider every avenue. First of all there was this heavenly conference going on. And in that conference God has determined judgment to come on king Ahab. We see predestination is on two levels. God said in the book of Romans that he has chosen Pharaoh for destruction. That didn't take place at the beginning. It took place after many plagues. Pharaoh kept resisting God until God says this is the last straw. From this moment on there is no chance of turning back. God is going to put His destructive judgmental power on him. So it got down to the second level of predestination where there is no turning back. King Ahab had already gone into that area. He continually disobeyed God. He and Jezebel did one evil after another. And he reached a point where he had dropped into the judgment slot destined for judgment.



So now God was going to bring judgment on Ahab. If you read carefully that incident looks like as if God was about to pronounce judgment. From verse 21 it looks like this spirit came from a totally different place because he was a demonic spirit. In the Hebrew's understanding that when it says, "God sent," it is "God permitted." And it was this evil spirit that came. A spirit of false prophecy came and sort of demanded for Ahab. As usual when people fall into a judgment category evil spirits will make demands.  You will understand more of it as you go through a teaching on that subject. You remember how Satan makes demand for Peter. Satan asked for Peter in the gospel of Luke. Jesus told Peter, "Simon, Simon Satan desired to have you." Why did Satan demand for him? Peter was under Jesus' protection and covering. But Peter was opening his life to more errors of judgment like how he resisted Jesus from going to the cross. There is something he did right and there is something he did wrong. Every time you sin and every time you do something wrong there is a grace area that covers you. But it reaches a time where Satan, the accuser of the brethren will demand justice from God. And he will demand that God remove that protection because God cannot legally protect you anymore. God being God of love will protect you as much as possible. And Peter was opening too many doors but yet Jesus said, "I prayed for you."



So there is this king Ahab and there comes this spirit from the enemy and wants to take over Ahab and the whole place. The Lord says, "Let him have it." See God is protecting our lives all the time. But Satan and demons make demands when we give in to the wrong thing. The grace will cover us. There is a limit of grace. There is no more protection if you go too far. What happens here is that the evil spirit is now given the right over Israel. For so long king Ahab had worshipped idols. King Ahab has turned to evil after evil until he dropped into the judgment category. So an evil spirit is now going to reign and rule over Israel as a principality and power and cause all of Israel to be deceived.



There is such a thing as principality powers, wicked rulers of darkness of this age, wicked spirit in high places as mentioned in Eph. 6:18. Every city has a spirit. Every nation Satan assigns demonic forces. When we pray for a nation or a city we can through prayers and intercession push aside all the wrong spirits and place in hand angelic powers to assist and help. So some nations are under the direct influence of guardian angels that God sent. But some are totally controlled by demon forces. Evil spirits controlled people like Hitler and through him ruled Germany during his time because he yielded to those spirits.



And so here is Ahab and Israel was the chosen of God and here Ahab has yielded to evil and idolatry so long until God's patience has come to a point that if God don't do anything, (please understand this phrase is in human terms), quote unquote He would have been guilty of not being the Lord who guards His own laws. So understand that every time God operates judgment it is because He has to do it to protect the lawfulness of His creation. Its just like if criminals are no more punished. And every time you commit a crime all the police say is, "Never mind." What will happen? In the end society will not respect the people who guard the law. But if the law is guarded and anyone who breaks the law is punished, then people are motivated to keep the law.



So God has spiritual laws that govern over these areas. And it reached a point where if God doesn't step in and allow something to take place then here is going to be an area where God's law and His character are not fulfilled. God allowed the whole of Israel has come under this false spirit. And here we are talking about impressions.



Our impression we received in the area of judgment are influenced No. 1 by the law and the inner understanding we have on God's Word and God's law.



Secondly they are influenced by the decision in our heart.



Thirdly there is a spirit over a city and a country. When you enter into any place a city or a country that is under the control of that spirit, it becomes easier to sense those kinds of thoughts. Like for example if you go to a city that is ruled by lust and you could be a righteous person. The moment you step across those borders you could sense that there is greater pressure in that area. Each spirit has a certain influence. Or if you go into a country where pride is the ruling force.  You could be a humble person but the moment you step across those borders suddenly there is a greater pressure to be proud. See each spirit ruling force is over that country. But if a country is ruled by guardian angels then the moment you step into that country you sense the peace of God, the presence of God. Or if a city has an open heaven over it, as you enter that area there is a drawing to seek God even though you never think about God much or is a backslidden believer. So such things are happening all the time.



Third point is very important. When a place or a country is under a ruling spirit, people who are not aware or trained in this area of prophecy and who easily yield themselves to the spirit of prophecy tend to pick up from that spirit as well. And if they are not discerning they don't realize that they are picking it up the influences that are so much in that spirit because that place doesn't have an open heaven. They can hear from God but at the same time they are hearing a lot of other things. And it could enter into their soul and they cannot differentiate.



At the time when that evil spirit was ruling over Israel, every prophet who prophesied kept hearing the same message, "Go to Ramothgilead." That evil spirit is ruling and giving a false message to those prophets. The angels of God have left that is why Israel was lost. All these false prophets like Zedekiah and this bunch of prophets prophesied the wrong thing because they pick up false messages from that evil spirit. Some of them may be sincere even. We don't know all of them.



Lets see this on a smaller scale. Every time you go into a home that has a ruling spirit. When the Spirit of God is there you sense Him. When there is another spirit that is ruling at home, say a spirit of violence, you enter into that home you could sense it. Now when you are sensing the presence of a evil spirit in a home and because you are coming into that spirit territory, you have to be more careful in discerning what you are picking up because it may not be God. Even though you are a true prophet you can still pick up a wrong thing because you are entering into the boundary and territory of that spirit. This explains why every other prophet got the wrong prophecy except one. Micaiah had a bigger vision than that and saw that spirit ruling over Israel.



So these are the three areas to watch out as you deal with prophecies of judgment. Whether you are picking up because of the wisdom, the law of God. Picking up because of the condition of the heart that is influencing your prophecies. Or picking up because you are picking from the evil spirit that is in that place. Once you are tuned into the spirit realm you receive everything in the spirit realm. We got to discern which is of God until we have fine-tuned to that which is from God. We could clear out all the other wrong things.



Those are the first three areas that cover the precaution people must take to move into this area.

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Fatherly Talk 2.2 The leading of the Spirit
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Dearly Beloved

The Scriptures are explicitly clear as to the leading of the Spirit; that it is a requirement for the Christian life that wants to do God’s Will (Romans 8:14; 12:1-2). The Holy Spirit is to be our guide and Teacher on the earth in place of Jesus (John 14:16-18). He remains invisible to the world but His leading is there for all those who are born again (John 14:17; 3:8). There is a portion of the anointing of the Spirit within us that will help us to identify and know that His leading and teaching in our individual lives (1 John 2:27). The theological concept of the need for the leading of the Spirit is simple but most Christians do not know what is involved. We need to explore some Bible examples to understand there things.

1.      The Holy Spirit may sometimes lead us into a place of testing (Matthew 4:1; Mark 1:12; Luke 4:1; 1 Corinthians 10:13; Genesis 22:1; Exodus 16:4; 20:20).

There are many tests for each life at different times sometimes in different areas and especially so when we keep failing the various tests (Numbers 14:22).  The purpose of every test is that the Lord may know what is in our hearts – our motivations, our desires, the synchronization between heart, word and actions, etc. (Deuteronomy 8:2, 12). The sum of the tests is revealed in the last three temptations of Jesus: the tests of the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life (Luke 4:1-13; 1 John 2:15, 16). We might not lose our salvation when we fail a test but we lose the spiritual progress that we might have had and also our rewards from God (1 Corinthians 3:13-15; James 1:12). Every person tends to think more highly of themselves (and within themselves) than who they actually are. In an environment when the disciples of Jesus were arguing about greatness amongst themselves, Peter thought that he was willing to go to prison and even die for the Lord (Luke 22:24-34). Never trust people who do not keep their word. The road to hell is paved with good intentions. Intentions do not put you on the path to heaven, only your actions do. Even demons believe and tremble. But the true believer and true Christian believes and takes action. Our true intentions are always revealed in our actions. Good intentions are simply what they are – just intentions. Although thoughts and words are important, the true test of ‘who we are and what we are’ is measured by our actions and deeds and not in words alone (1 John 3:18). In thirty-two years of ministry, I have seen and heard many Christians promise the sky but doing nothing when the opportunity to do something for the kingdom is presented to them. There will never be a time when everything is 100% the way we want it to be before we have to serve God and do His Will – we have to start serving God and doing His Will with what we have now. Far too many Christians live and die without carrying out what they intended to do. I have seen many of them in the Spiritual World regret their loss of earthly and heavenly rewards because of their lack of taking action – many of them have to serve out their time in the Intermediate realm before they can progress further and they also suffer eternal loss for the special progressions and crowns that can only be won by choosing and acting correctly while in the earthly bodies. There are some rewards and crowns that no heavenly progress can bestow – only a righteous, benevolent and giving life on earth can bring many of those heavenly rewards and glory. Every one of us is given limited opportunity and specific resources and talent to do God’s Will – if we fail to act on them; we are responsible for our own failure for eternity and no one else.  Our good desires and intentions came from God – so there is nothing to boast about them. It is our actions that we are capable of which shows forth our true nature on this earth. We were placed on this earth with free choice and free will which no one but our own souls can make the decision to take action. We need to evaluate our own lives – not just what we intend to do but what we have actually done thus far. What have you actually done so far in the performance of God’s Will? Is your life just full of intentions and desires but zero actions? Are you failing the tests that God allows you to be in because you never took the right course of action? Are you in a repetitive cycle (an important clue that you are failing the tests given to you) and never moving forward? Do you want to lose your heavenly reward of glory and crowns by neglecting to take proper actions in your life while on earth? Remember that all lives are linked one to another, and your personal failure to obey the Holy Spirit will make the lives of others more difficult (those who depended on or will benefit from your obedience) and they may fail because of the added difficulty and their own weaknesses. You may be willing to face the consequences of your own failure; but do you want to be responsible for causing the lives of others to be more difficult by disobeying God? The difficulties and delays caused to other lives (because of your disobedience) will not be held against those who depended on you but it will be held against you in eternity – in terms of heavenly rewards and progress in glory.



2.      We need to move in the general direction before the specific direction is given (1 Samuel 16:1-13; Acts 11:25-26; 13:1-3).

Samuel the prophet was told by God that one of the sons of Jesse is to be anointed king. He knew the town and the family to go to but did not specifically know which son of Jesse was to be anointed. In fact, when he saw the first born, he thought within himself that he might have been the one (1 Samuel 16:6). Paul would not have been able to moved into his apostleship if he had not followed the direction of Barnabas (and the Holy Spirit) in moving to Antioch and serving in the church there for about a year. We have to be in the right place, at the right time, doing the right thing to be placed in a position of spiritual and earthly progress in God’s Will. This applies to being in the right church or fellowship, being with the right people and partners (ministry and business) and personal obedience (shown through actions) in our lives. Many people cannot and will not receive the specific direction because they are disobedient even to the general direction that God has given them. The wise men who sought for Jesus moved in the general direction of country and city before the Lord gave them specific revelation to the specific child that they were looking for. They saw the star from their own countries far away. They followed the star by leaving their country and entering the country of Judea, naturally enquiring in the capital city of Jerusalem (Matthew 2:2). The fact that they were enquiring showed that they only had general direction but no specific direction. They were willing to take a long precarious journey in a foreign land just to seek out Jesus whose star they had seen. It was the Bible that gave them the next clue to follow – that the King of the Jews would be born in Bethlehem (Matthew 2:5). By following the Scriptural clue, they came to Bethlehem and the star appeared again, this time specifically over the child, Jesus (Matthew 2:9). Unless and until we are willing to take action and obey the general direction we have receive within our own hearts and from the Scriptures, the Holy Spirit will not give the more specific directions. Philip the evangelist had to stand by the roadside (having received the general direction from the Holy Spirit to be there) before he received the specific direction as to which person to talk to (Acts 8:26-29). Far too many Christians kept waiting and waiting for the specific directions which they will never receive because they are not moving in the general direction of God’s Will that they have already received in their hearts and through the Scriptures. They might live and die without even fulfilling God’s specific will in their lives because they were never obedient to act on the general Will of God. God is watching us all the time, twenty-four hours, to see whether we are moving in the right direction (of course, this movement is measured by our actions and not by our intentions). While waiting on the Lord, every Christian should be actively doing something. There is, of course, the need to spend quality time and quantity time with the Lord but there is always an action (or continual actions) to be taken in the general direction that is open to each of us in fulfilling God’s Will. Remember that while you are thinking that you are the one waiting on God, God could be waiting for you to take the right action in the right direction. Don’t live and die still waiting. Seek out the right general direction (while waiting for specific directions) and start obeying now.



3.      Specific directions involve specific motives, specific methods, specific timing and specific partnerships.

Jesus sent His disciples two by two (Luke 10:1) and Paul worked in teams (Acts 13:1-2; 15:40). Partnerships can also be between ministries and churches (Philippians 4:15). Many people because of pride (or wanting to take glory for their personal achievement) leave out the many partnerships and ministries which they have benefited from in their personal, ministry or church history of their testimonies of how they came to be (or how a church came to be) where they are today but eternity and the Spiritual realm records it differently. No one, no ministry, no business and no church can be where God wants it to be without the right teams and people in place. It is God who brings (from before the foundation of the earth) the right people in place for the works that He has prepared (Ephesians 2:10). Sometimes God may lead you to choose your team but at other times He chooses them for you (Acts 13:1-2; 15:40; 16:3). This means that for those you choose – it would be people whom your spirit can sync with; but for those whom God chooses – you would have to learn to accept them and work together with them. Iron sharpens iron and sometimes God’s choices would not have been your personal choices (you might not like them) but they are good for you (Proverbs 27:17). Paul and Barnabas were opposite types and their personalities clash before the second missionary journey (Acts 15:39). Paul and Barnabas would have been friends and partners for nearly 18 years. Although the Bible records only the sharp contention between them, the apocrypha gospel of the Acts of Barnabas records the following tender moments between them when they parted:

“Therefore bending their knees, they prayed to God. And Paul , groaning aloud, wept, and in like manner also Barnabas, saying to one another: It would have been good for us, as at first, so also at last, to work in common among men; but since it has thus seemed good to thee… And falling to his feet, he wept long. And Paul said to him: The Lord stood by me also this night, saying, Do not force Barnabas not to go to Cyprus, for there it has been prepared for him to enlightened many; and do thou also in the grace that has been given to thee, go to Jerusalem… “

Moreover, the source of their contention, Mark, became a blessing to Paul in his latter years (2 Timothy 4:11). Many people forsook Paul in his latter years when he stood on trial before the Roman emperor but Mark was one of those who stood by him with Luke (2 Timothy 4:11-16).

As Paul moved into his apostleship, he was discovering more and more by experience that his gift lay in the ministry to the Gentiles (Acts 14:27; 15:3; 18:6; 21:19; Galatians 2:8). Paul’s discovery (or acceptance) that he was an apostle to the Gentiles was gradual through many years of ministry. The discovery of specific giftings and callings in the fivefold ministry takes time and many years of practical experience. All of us humans, including Paul, have a difficult time breaking the likes and dislikes of our natural culture, environment and tendencies in discovering the specifics of God’s Will. Paul struggled with his Jewish heritage and tendencies and Barnabas with Peter failed miserably (Acts 17:2; Galatians 2:11-20). It is no easy task overcoming years of cultural and racial indoctrination. Paul must have many big internal struggles in the eating of Gentile food and in making Gentile partners of ministry like Peter had (Acts 10:14). Some Jews and Jewish Christians made Paul their enemy because of his association with the Gentiles (Acts 15:1-2; 17:5, 13; 21:27-29; 22:22; Galatians 5:11-12).

There was also a specific time when Paul was to be release from Antioch to begin his missionary journeys (Acts 13:1-2). He had spent time in his home town of Tarsus, some time in Arabia and Damascus and some time teaching in Antioch before his missionary and apostolic calling came (Acts 9:30; 11:25, 26; Galatians 1:17, 18). All things take time because we need to first learn and acquire the character and transformation within us to be ready for the more specific tasks and Will that God has in store for us. God revealed His ultimate plan for Paul to Ananias when Paul was freshly born again (Acts 9:15). It took Paul many years (about thirty years) of waiting silently hidden from the public eye, three missionary journeys and many trials and persecutions before he finally stood before governors and kings to testify of the Lord Jesus Christ (Acts 23:1, 11; 24:10-22; 25:9, 10; 26:1, 19, 24-29, 32; 28:17, 29-31). Paul also discovered the methodological benefit of appealing to his Roman citizenship when he was being arrested for the preaching of the gospel during his second missionary journey and began to use this method of appeal more frequently (Acts 16:37-38; 21:39; 22:25-29; 23:27; 25:8-10, 25; 26:32). It was his appeal to his Roman citizenship that brought Paul for a trial before governors and kings. Methods are developed through experiential years of testing out principles and moving in the gifts of the Holy Spirit. They do not come by sitting alone and praying but by the hard work of taking action in fulfilling whatever area of God’s Will that we have received. Many times it is in learning where we are not to go or not to do that we learn where we are to go and to do (Acts 16:6-9). No pain, no gain. It is better to have tried and learn than to have never tried. Many of the discoveries of specific methodologies that work for each ministry, specific timings to move into various ministry or business areas or specific ministry or business partnerships take place only when one has actually started doing rather than just dreaming.

The measure of who we really are is in what we are actually doing and not in anything else. Be people of words and deeds and not just words and thoughts alone. The only reason why the gospel is not being proclaimed powerfully in every nation is that many Christians know what they are to do but are disobedient in actually doing them. Actions speak louder than words both on this earth and in the Spiritual World. Obedience is better than any future sacrifice or future intended action that one is dreaming about. The only person that can change dreams into reality is the one you see every morning in the mirror. Don’t wait until it is easy or convenient to take action – that day will never come. Obey God now in the best way you know how. No matter how small or how little the action is in your own eyes, it will release the beginning of new revelations of the specific leadings of the Holy Spirit. God expects every one of us to walk and be led by the Spirit now and not tomorrow. Is there something that He has spoken that you are not doing yet? Are you still waiting for the big picture before you obey in the small picture? Do you have to be pushed and compelled by others and by circumstances before you obey? Are you a Saul who does things only when it is convenient to him or when circumstances compel him or are you a David who obeys God even in the smallest thing? The slingshot and the five stones may not look like much but they are enough to bring the beginnings of a national victory in war. The five loaves and the two fish might not look like much but they are the instruments to feed five thousand men and many more women and children. The trusted and well used wooden rod in your hand might not look like much but in the hands of Moses anointed by God, it became the key instrument and method for all of the mighty miracles over the land of Egypt and in the wilderness. Every child learns to walk by taking the first step. If the child keeps waiting it will never learn to walk. Every leading of the Spirit begins in us trusting in Him by taking the first little step in obeying God through our actions. Those who are led by the Spirit, these are the sons of God; those who do not only have the potential to be.  Let us BE the sons of God.

In Christ Jesus

Ps Peter Tan

Quote:

 

Logos and Rhema
In the Greek there are two words translated as word in the English,

Rhema: that which is said or spoken, an utterance, in contrast to Logos which is the expression of thought, a message.

Logos is the message, rhema is the communication of the message. The logos is the bible in its entirety whereas rhema is a verse form the bible.

What is the difference between these two? Everything we need for life and godliness is in the word of God (logos, bible) but knowing that it is there is really of no benefit to us. When we have a need or problem we go to the word and we look for the rhema word of God, that which was spoken to address need or a problem, we begin to meditate on it until it goes off on the inside of us, or the Holy Spirit illuminates it to us, then it becomes a rhema, an utterance from God for a particular situation. Sometimes we say that a word just jumped off the page at us.

Rhema has a spiritual application that sets it apart from the Logos.

1 Thessalonians 2:13
"For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in the truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe."

Definition: Logos: (Greek), "the expression of thought; word; account; communication; or doctrine." Also, a title of the Son of God; a personal manifestation of the deity of Christ."

Note: the logos worketh effectually in you who believe.
Mark 4:4 The Logos is the seed of the Word of God.

Rhema

Ephesians 6:17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Rhema of God…Notice the relationship between the Spirit and the rhema. It is the Spirit that makes it a rhema.

Definition: Rhema : (Greek), "that which is spoken, what is uttered in speech or writing; a word or saying."

Rhema is distinct from logos in that it does not just refer to the Bible as a whole. Instead, it refers to a revelation, word or insight from God through the Holy Spirit concerning an individual scripture or series of scriptures. Ephesians 6:17 says that the (Rhema) Word of God is the "sword of the Spirit." Hence, rhema is the revealed Word of God or it is simply the communicated word from God to our spirit. Rhema is the living message, made alive by the spirit of God.

Examples: Matt 16:16-18 Peter just got a revelation from God.

Heb 11:3 Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.

God had an idea on the inside of him, a desire to create, but one day he gave voice to it and it became a reality, he spoke with power and everything he spoke to sprang into existence, it was a rhema word.
A Rhema Word is a Creative Word. So when God speaks and releases His promise to you, just as sure as when He spoke and creation came out of his lips, God is about to create something in you, through you and out of you. The Rhema Word is the Word of God, coming off the pages of scripture and releasing in you creative energy, the power of God acting in you and through you.
The power of one revelation of God, one truth of God released into your spirit is worth more than all of our study in the flesh. You go to Bible school and receive head knowledge, but not a Rhema Word from God. That is a word that comes by revelation of the Holy Spirit, a life giving word.
Luke 1:37 For with God nothing shall be impossible.
ouk=not
pan rhema=anything spoken
adunatesei=impossible - without strength or void of power. dunamis

No rhema of God shall be void of power.

Luke 1:38, John 6:63, 68, Romans 10:17; 2 Corinthians 12:1-4, Eph 5:26 (THE Church), Hebrews 1:1-3; 11:3; 1 Peter 1:25

So how do we get this rhema of God, again it comes back to knowledge Rom 10:17 Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the rhema of God.

Hosea 4:6 My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge…

2 Pet 1:3 According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue:

So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the communicated Word of God. We can receive Rhema anywhere the word is communicated, sometimes as we listen to the word being preached suddenly we just “see it” and a little light goes of on the inside of us, we have just received a Rhema. You turn to the person beside you and say “wow! did you hear that” and they just stare blankly back at you and you know they missed it.

Or two people in the same church at the same meeting and they hear a message on say healing one hears the word “Rhema” and the other hears the “Logos” one gets healed and the other wonders why it never works for me.

The Bible will not protect you if it is just sitting on your bookshelf, or even if it’s on your bedside table. It only works when you quote it. You have to take it in your mouth and say it for yourself. Then it becomes a sharp sword from which the devil backs off. He has no answer for it.

Ephesians 6:17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Rhema of God…Notice the only weapon we have to attack with is the rhema of God. If we come to the bible as only the printed word it is neither sword nor the spirit. If we are to defeat the devil it must not be just head knowledge but a living word on the inside of us, a rhema word. All the other pieces of the armour also relate to the word of God.

Belt of Truth - The Word is the Truth. Jesus: Thy Word is truth

Breastplate of Righteousness - His righteousness is revealed through His Word

Shoes of readiness of Gospel - The Gospel is the Word of God

Shield of Faith - Faith comes by hearing - hearing the Word of God

Helmet of Salvation - We are born again through the living and abiding word of God

Luke 5v5 at your Rhema I will let down the net. Luke 8:11 The seed is the logos of God. Luke 22:61 Peter remembered the rhema of the Lord.

Luke 2:15 And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us.

John 6:63 It is the spirit that quickeneth; (Zoe) the flesh profiteth nothing: the words (Rhema) that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life. (Zoe… the absolute fullness of life, both essential and ethical, which belongs to God, )

John 3:34 For he whom God hath sent speaketh the words of God: for God giveth not the Spirit by measure unto him.

John 15:7 If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.

Acts 5:20 Go, stand and speak in the temple to the people all the words (Rhema) of this life. (Zoe)

Rom 10:8-10, 17. Heb 11:3, Matt4v4.

How do we then understand the relationship between Logos and Rhema, which one is more important to us, which one do we strive for? This is a common problem and here you will stand or fall. Neither is more important or both are of equal importance.

You can’t have a Rhema without the Logos, the Holy Spirit takes the Logos and makes it known to us or reveals it to us. Every Logos has the potential to become a Rhema for us but if we are not in the Logos there is nothing for the Spirit to quicken to us.

Every Rhema must line up with the Logos or be found in the Logos.