This is a long read but I plead with every Christian to please read this through and through, to the end 🙏🏽
My wife knows that any instruction I give her as soon as I wake up, is directly from God. That is one of my own peculiar way of getting directions from the Holy Spirit (Please don’t seek to be led this way, discover your own peculiar medium through which Our Lord speaks to you).
For an example, when we found out she was pregnant with our second child, we had believed for a daughter you see, but before we could find out through ultrasound the sex of the child; I woke up from sleep one morning and told her she was going to have a boy. She never believed me which I understood, I also didn’t believe myself because I had wanted a girl as well. Weeks later, scan was done and we found out we were having a boy just like I told her.
Why did I recount this?
As I write this, sunlight is barely streaming through my curtains because I just woke up. And what am writing about is a carry over from a conversation I was having just before I woke up.
Several of my messages, revelations and such, have been given to me just like this.
Believers please listen up!
The church has gone through metamorphosis over the centuries. And we are in the dispensation of the reawakening of the Spirit (Joel 2:28) which started with the unleashing of the Holy Spirit through the popular Azusa Street Revival pioneered by William Seymour at about from 1905 through 1915.
And I am witnessing again the same mistake from past dispensations OF EXALTING MAN ABOVE THE HOLY SPIRIT in areas of guidance and direction, repeating itself again.
Elevation of man above God.
Heeding to man’s words, instructions and command above the leading of the Holy Ghost.
Downplaying the role of the Holy Spirit in the life of a believer.
And enthroning man above God.
And even paying lip service to the Holy Spirit.
Check out the pioneers of the church, the disciples, how they avoided enthronement when men tried it on them.
Now when the people saw what Paul had done, they raised their voices, saying in the Lycaonian language, “The gods have come down to us in the likeness of men!” And Barnabas they called Zeus, and Paul, Hermes, because he was the chief speaker. Then the priest of Zeus, whose temple was in front of their city, brought oxen and garlands to the gates, intending to sacrifice with the multitudes.
But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul HEARD this, they TORE THEIR CLOTHES and ran in among the multitude, CRYING OUT and saying, “Men, why are you doing these things? We also are men with the same nature as you, and preach to you that you should turn from these useless things to the living God, who made the heaven, the earth, the sea, and all things that are in them, - Acts 14:11-15 (NKJV)
Please note the words in CAPS. See how they reacted!!! You can clearly see that these men fear God. THE FEAR OF GOD WAS CLEARLY IN THEM!
Compare this reaction to what is happening today in the Church today.
A lot of people have come to me seeking direction in life and after speaking to them, I always leave them with the responsibility of going to the Holy Spirit for direction. And I always see disappointment on their faces or hear it in their voice. They had come to the "Oracle" for direction and the "Oracle" redirects them to another Oracle they have had all along - THEMSELVES.
YOU ARE AN ORACLE!!!!!! YOU ARE GOD’s ORACLE!
(Oracle Definition: a priest or priestess acting as a medium through whom advice or prophecy was sought from the gods in classical antiquity)
and has made us kings and PRIESTS to His God and Father. - Revelation 1:6 (NKJV)
I don’t blame the people, I blame the shepherds over them that have exalted themselves above God and taken His place in the people’s life. And who never taught them how to be led by the Holy Spirit or pay lip service to the teaching.
My brothers and sisters, you are God’s Oracle. He lives in you, he speaks to you and speaks through you. Don’t be led by the external, be led by the internal.
Don’t also permit the external to be your map, compass, vehicle and driver to your destiny or should I say their own version of your destiny. You have access to download the coordinates to your destiny yourself from your Creator.
Jesus demanded trice from Peter to FEED (TEACH) the lambs and sheep. As pastors, we are failing Jesus in this. We are not teaching them who they in Christ, what they have and can do in Christ any longer. We have resorted to manipulating God’s people for our selfish benefits.
The Apostles constantly reminded the religious leaders of their day that they would rather obey God than man.
But Peter and the other apostles answered and said: “We ought to obey God rather than men. - Acts 5:29 (NKJV)
My brothers and sisters don’t make man’s sayings run your life or rule you. Rather man’s sayings or directions should be a confirmation to what God has put in your heart to do.
I’ve seen destinies stalled, aborted or even redirected for the worst because men listened to a man and neglected the nudging in his heart. They do this because they:
Are afraid of Man.
Have been manipulated
Have not been taught the primary role of the Holy Spirit.
They have been deceptively taught that your spiritual leader is ‘superior’ to God.
That you shouldn’t trust the voice of your spirit. So you should just listen to your pastors.
That the voice of your man of God is the voice of God (read Acts 12:22-23)
Should believe what they see and hear physically than the voice of the Holy Spirit
Have been taught they cannot question their pastor.
Believe it is rebellion to question the pastor or go against what he says and obey God.
Have been taught that when they choose God ahead of the man of God, they step out of ‘alignment’ with the man of God.
They have been taught they will even die if they go against the man of God.
Or a curse will be placed on them. And I can go on and on....
What is actually the role of your man of God or the office of the Prophet in the New Testament which we live in? (not the Old)
It was clearly spelt out when it was introduced with other 5-fold ministries.
And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, - Ephesians 4:11-12 (NKJV)
These ministries were given for the EQUIPPING and EDIFYING the body of Christ not to instruct people on what to do or not! Or threaten them with doom and woes if they do not!
Let me give you an example:
Let’s look at how the Prophets of the New Testament operated:
And as we stayed many days, a certain prophet named Agabus came down from Judea. When he had come to us, he took Paul’s belt, bound his own hands and feet, and said, “Thus says the Holy Spirit, So shall the Jews at Jerusalem bind the man who owns this belt, and deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles.’ ”
Now when we heard these things, both we and those from that place pleaded with him not to go up to Jerusalem. Then Paul answered, “What do you mean by weeping and breaking my heart? For I am ready not only to be bound, but also to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.”
So when he would not be persuaded, we ceased, saying, “The will of the Lord be done.” - Acts 21:10-14 (NKJV)
The Prophet Agabus prophesied about what will happen to Paul if he goes to Jerusalem, (note everything he said was true)
but he let Paul choose. He didn’t tell Paul what to do after prophesying, it was the brethren that even tried to tell him what to do. BUT NOTICE THE PROPHET DIDN’T.
But Paul knowing that a man must be led by his spirit, went with his spirit. Let me also point out something here: Paul had already being warned about his proposed trip to Jerusalem by BRETHREN earlier in verse 4. And it was before the prophet Agabus confirmed it. Acts 21:4 - And finding disciples, we stayed there seven days. They told Paul through the Spirit not to go up to Jerusalem.
Can you see that even the ‘normal’ brethren without any title were able to download from the spirit realm what was going to happen to Him if he travelled to Jerusalem?
The brethren in verse 14, resigned to God’s will. They said God’s will should be done.
The BIG QUESTION IS WHAT WAS GOD’s WILL???? Acts 23:11 - But the following night the Lord stood by him and said, “Be of good cheer, Paul; for as you have testified for Me in Jerusalem, so you must also bear witness at Rome.”
Can you see that God’s will was for Paul to go to Jerusalem, be arrested and handed to Gentiles that will take him from ruler to ruler PREACHING CHRIST UNTIL HE PREACHES TO CAESAR????? That’s the path of the gospel to Rome the world power of those days and subsequent conversion of Caesar and the establishment of the Catholic Church as we know it???? That’s was God’s Plan and Will!
Can you see that Paul was NOT fazed by Agabus the Prophet (and Agabus was right don’t get me wrong) but he followed THE INWARD WITNESS, INTERNAL LEADING of the Holy Spirit.
Jesus clearly spelt out the roles of the Holy Spirit when He told His disciples to expect His coming:
However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come. He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you. All things that the Father has are Mine. Therefore I said that He will take of Mine and declare it to you. - John 16:13-15 (NKJV)
Note the following things about the Holy Ghost from those verses:
He is the Spirit of Truth
He will guide you in this Truth
He will not give His own opinion
He will reflect Christ
He will reveal the future
He will glorify Christ
He will take Christ words and everything He is and declare them to us
This is shocking, even the Holy Ghost cannot speak His opinion for your life to you. But we find mere men doing this today, manipulating others for their gain.
My summation of all these roles is that the Holy Ghost is to guide us and He doesn’t speak outside the WORD!
Because Jesus Christ is the Word made Flesh!
The Word is the Truth!
In the Old Testament, the prophets & priests were God's medium to the people, but this is no longer the case in our day, the New Dispensation. In the New testament He speaks to us through Jesus Christ - The Word.
God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in THESE LAST DAYS SPOKEN TO US BY HIS SON, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds; - Hebrews 1:1-2
The Holy Spirit takes what is Jesus' and shows to us:
But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and BRING TO YOUR REMEMBRANCE ALL THINGS THAT I HAVE SAID TO YOU. - John 14:26 (NKJV)
However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; FOR HE WILL NOT SPEAK ON HIS OWN AUTHORITY, but WHATEVER HE HEARS HE WILL SPEAK; and He will tell you things to come. He will glorify Me, for HE WILL TAKE OF WHAT IS MINE AND DECLARE IT TO YOU.- John 16:13 (NKJV)
How you authenticate the Inward Voice of the Holy Ghost is with the Word of God. That is how you start the journey of perfecting and tuning your senses to hear from Him correctly. Or should I say more appropriately; this is HOW YOU TRAIN YOUR HUMAN SPIRIT TO HEAR FROM THE HOLY SPIRIT.
So see brothers and sisters, if you are a believer, you have the Holy Ghost on your inside.
Don’t make running to a man or woman your first point of call whenever you need guidance, listen inwards.
A man’s role be it your pastor or prophet is to CONFIRM not DIRECT you. In the Old Testament it was so but NO LONGER SO IN THE NEW TESTAMENT.
In fact when a man gives you a ‘Word of God’ or prophesy, the bible says TEST IT! Do not despise prophecies. Test all things; hold fast what is good. - 1 Thessalonians 5:20-21 (NKJV)
Who is doing the testing?
You the Believer!
Because you have been equipped with the tools to.
How do you test it?
Using the Word of God.
💗
See you at the next one! Click to listen to the Podcast.
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