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Is there any Word from the Lord? ...Luke 21:15 April
2002 Before I go into the second part of this message, "Another Spirit", I would like to share a few things because I know some people's toes may get stepped on, and some feelings may get hurt. This is not my intention, my full intention is to obey the Lord, and speak His truth whether I am received or not. I am a woman in authority, under authority, and I have great respect for those who sacrifice to "shepherd" the people of God. The Lord has seen to it that I have been placed under some excellent ministry, where I have not had to compromise my values, and/or integrity in order to "submit", and I thank the Lord for that. Every church where I have been a member, I can return to, and if I choose to return, I would be welcomed with open arms. I say this because it is not my intention to undermine leadership, but if my speaking the truth of God's word undermines what certain leaders are trying to establish, then maybe it needs to be exposed. Anything not built on the truth of God's word, will eventually fall anyway. I just want to "throw out the seed" of God's word, and pray that it will find "good ground". Besides, the Lord has been dealing with me, and I couldn't stop, if I wanted to. I have to speak exactly what He says, or risk losing my anointing. As much as I love, and appreciate, the people of God, I can live without you, I cannot live without Him. Although I love you much, I love Him more. He is there for me when you are not, and He does for me when you cannot, so I am not confused about whose I am, or why I am here. Besides, the "burden of the Lord", and the "zeal for His house" are consuming me, so I must finish the task He has set before me… II Corinthians 11:3-4… For if he who comes preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached, or if you receive a different spirit, which you have not received, or a different gospel, which you have not accepted, you may well put up with it! …"A Different Spirit"… If you will notice in that scripture, Paul is saying that if someone comes with "another Jesus", "a different spirit", and "a different gospel", you will put up with it. This is so true, and very sad because it is happening today. There are so many different "doctrines" within the church today until it is ridiculous. People are not adhering to the scriptures, in fact, people are not even reading the scriptures, and the "commandments of men" have infiltrated the church. I never thought I would have be challenged to debate the Word of God, to have people come back at me with what their pastor has said, or what they read in some book, in order to refute scripture. I thought the Word of God was the final authority. Jesus spoke continually about the "commandments of men"…Matthew 15: 8-9, Mark 7: 6-7, and referred to the false doctrines of men as "leaven"… Matthew 16: 6, 11-12, and Mark 8: 15, because when you allow a little error in, it consumes the whole…I Corinthians 5: 6, and Galatians 5: 9. But in spite of that, in the opening scripture He states that if someone comes to you with another gospel, a different spirit, and another Jesus, you will put up with it, how can this be? We have already talked about "Another Gospel", how churches are teaching things that are not true to scripture, and because they give you part of the Word of God, manipulate the Word of God, and because you don't read the Word of God for yourselves, you swallow it. So, how do you receive "a different spirit"? When we don't have a proper understanding of the Holy Spirit, (that is from Jesus), how He operates, and His purpose in our lives, we are open to receive "another spirit". Any time we take something that the Lord did in the past, that He only intended for THAT season and time, and continue to look to it for guidance, it becomes an idol. It becomes a "thing" that people began to worship in place of the Lord, which brings the people into error, and must be broken up. Some things the Lord intended to continue on, and some things were a "one-time event" and we need to study the scriptures to discover which fits into what category. First, let's look in the Old Testament for a minute, in Numbers 21: 4-9; you will see that there was an incident where the people sinned, and when they did, the Lord sent serpents to afflict them until some died. Then the people repented, and Moses prayed and the Lord told Moses to make a bronze serpent and put it on a pole so that when the people looked on it, they lived. Now this was all a work of the Lord, a miracle of God! But by the time we get to II Kings 18: 4, we see the people of God worshipping the "bronze serpent", and burning incense to it, calling it "Nehustan". So much so that King Hezekiah had to break it into pieces. Because the "thing" that the Lord had used was not intended to be worshipped, and it was for that time, and that time only. We have brought a great many things from the Old Testament into New Testament, which were not intended to be under this dispensation. Now, I do believe in the whole counsel of God through the entirety of His word, but some things were intended to be examples, only, not to be continued under this new dispensation. These "things" are idols, (commandments of men, that are being taught as doctrines of God), and they must be pulled down. In order to clearly see this we must look at the operation of leadership, and the Spirit of God in both Old Testament and New Testament. (I will condense for the sake of time). In the Old Testament, the Holy Ghost was only poured out on certain individuals, and these individuals stood between God, and His people as mediators. In the Old Testament, the people were not allowed to question the actions of their leaders, and their leaders were the final authority over their lives, next to God. In the Old Testament, one man had the vision, and this man was considered the "man of God". In the New Testament, Jesus is the mediator between God and man…I Timothy 2:5, the Holy Ghost is poured out upon ALL believers…Acts 2: 16-21, and Jesus is the "head" of the church…Ephesians 4: 15. In the New Testament, there are "rules of engagement", (so to speak), and we are not to "rebuke" a leader, but we can entreat him as a father, (implore, ask earnestly, exhort, to try to persuade by appeal, give advice)…I Timothy 5:1. In the New Testament, the Lord established a 5-fold leadership team for the equipping, and edifying of the saints, and the work of the ministry. Also, I could not find one reference to the "man of God" in the New Testament, (now I may have over looked something, so if anyone knows differently, please email me so I can correct this). Now, the reason this is important is because of the "different spirit" that is being received in our churches today, and that "spirit" is from man, not God. Hold on now, because some people are about to get cut, and the word of God IS the sword of the Spirit…Ephesians 6: 17, but I assure you that the Holy Spirit is right there to heal, also. We have many people speaking a 'word" by the Spirit of God, but who is really being glorified? All of these prophetic words, but who's Kingdom is really being exalted? Jesus said the Holy Spirit comes to glorify Him…John 16: 14a, but I hear all these words of how great an individual will be, or how large someone's church, or ministry will be. And we justify this by saying it will be for God's glory. Really? Well, let's look at what Jesus had to say in 14b of that verse … "He will take of what is Mine, and DECLARE it to you". So, the Holy Ghost will speak what Jesus speaks, and has spoken. How did Jesus feel about the popularity of man? Let's look at Matthew 23: 11, Luke 6: 26, and Luke 16:15. How did Jesus feel about huge buildings in His name? Mark 13:1-2…I tell you He was not impressed, and what of financial wealth? Luke 18:18-24, He basically summed all these things up in this scripture…I John 2:16-17, so why would He send someone who is suppose to be speaking from His Spirit to fortify those things in you? And what about this? I was at this church a few months ago, and a woman stood to speak for the Lord. She said the Lord had said that the Pastor was to lay His hands on the members of His church and impart HIS spirit on them to complete the vision of the house. This all sounded very spiritual, but it was not the Lord. The scripture states…"Not by power, nor by might, but by MY Spirit, saith the Lord"…Zechariah 4:6. The Lord promised to pour out HIS Spirit in the last days…Joel 2: 28-32, and Acts 2: 17-21. In Luke 24: 49…Jesus said wait until you are supplied with POWER from on HIGH, and this was fulfilled in Acts 2: 1-4. Now many things are received by the laying on of hands, but the Spirit of God, not the spirit of man, does all of this. Not by the imparting of any man's spirit, or anointing. Let's look a little further, we have been given the relationship between Elijah, and Elisha to validate the principle of "passing one's mantle". We are also told that Elisha received Elijah's mantle because He "served" the "man of God". So, we have church members all over the United States going through many different tasks in hopes of receiving the "mantle" of their Pastors, or Bishops. Tasks that range from carrying their Pastor's Bible, to tying the Bishop's shoelaces. Men, who are so busy trying to be servants to their leaders until they are almost "effeminate", in their actions. And leaders sending their "armor bearers" on 'crazy" tasks to prove they are submitted to them. But may I share with you a revelation the Lord gave me regarding Elijah, and Elisha…it really had nothing to do with Elisha's service at all. Turn to I Kings 19: 16-17, before Elijah even met Elisha, the Lord told Him to anoint him as a Prophet in his place. Also, turn to II Kings 2: 9, where Elijah asked Elisha what he wanted from him. Let's look at Elisha's response, did he say, 'I just want to be just like you, give me your anointing, your mantle", was that his response? NO! He said I want a DOUBLE portion, and this is what the Lord revealed to me. Elisha got the mantle because he saw pass Elijah to someone greater. He said, "I don't want what you have, I want MORE"!!! In essence, he said, "Elijah, you bad, but I need more of God", and this is how I feel. I love the way the Lord uses His people, and the Lord has blessed me to be "under" some awesome leaders in Him, and I give Him the glory for He did in my life through them, BUT I don't want their anointing. I don't want to be like anyone that I have ever seen, except Jesus, and the only Spirit I want is from Jesus, and the only anointing I want is from the Spirit of God. When Jesus started His ministry, He said…"The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because HE has anointed Me"…Luke 4: 18-19,and if Jesus needed the Holy Spirit, I will not settle for man's spirit. Their "spirit" is limited to their purpose, and their "anointing" is tailored to them, and what the Lord has assigned them to do. I want an anointing that is limitless! Jesus said in John 14: 12 that we would do GREATER works because He went to His Father, why? because Jesus said if He left, He would send the Holy Spirit… John 16: 7. I believe one of the reasons we are NOT seeing the greater works is because we are operating from a "hand me down" anointing, and if any thing great came of it, man would get the glory, ANOTHER SPIRIT. We want the POWER the Apostles had, well, then we need live the lifestyle the Apostles lived, and depend on the Spirit the Apostles depended on, the Holy Spirit. We want it all; prestige, prosperity, AND power, when the Apostles were willing to sacrifice…I Corinthians 4: 9-13. They didn't ALLOW anyone to worship them…Acts 14: 11-15, (I was in this church once where the members proclaimed their leader to be the greatest that ever lived. As I pondered this, I said to the Lord, "Well, he is not encouraging this", and the Lord said, "And he is not discouraging it either"). Also, the Apostles trusted in the Spirit of the Lord…Romans 8: 14, 26-27. We look to man to anoint us, validate us, and ordain us, and we think the Spirit of the Lord comes to entertain us, to give us a "dance", "goose bumps", to anoint buildings, locations and very few people, doesn't change lives, blesses "mess", and doesn't really DO anything, but make us emotional. Saints, you need a REVELATION! The genuine Spirit of
the Lord; …And that is just to name a few of His functions. Once, while I was praying, I asked the Lord to move by His Spirit, and He replied, "that is the ONLY way I move". It is IN the Name of Jesus, by the POWER of the Holy Ghost. So which "spirit" will it be? "Another spirit", which is the spirit of man/flesh, or the spirit of this world, or the Spirit that only comes from the Lord…you decide. "These things we
also speak, not in words which man's wisdom teaches God bless!!!
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© 2002 Let The Prophets Speak!. All rights reserved. |
