Prophecy. Hearing from God and Telling Others

 Prophecy is hearing from God and telling others.

Some Old Testament texts would indicate it is better never to prophesy at all than to make a mistake when claiming to speak for God.

But any prophet who speaks in the name of other gods, or who presumes to speak in my name a word that I have not commanded the prophet to speak—that prophet shall die.” Dt 18:20 NRSV

But as we read the New Testament, we see strong instructions encouraging all believers to prophesy, not only church leaders.

Pursue love and strive for the spiritual gifts, and especially that you may prophesy. 1 Cor 14:1 NRSV

How strange, that the Old Testament should warn against prophesying unless you know that you know that you are a true prophet who infallibly hears the exact words spoken by God.

How strange that the New Testament, inspired by the same Holy Spirit should encourage all believers to prophesy. Surely God knows that we will sometimes make mistakes! Surely He knows that we often only partly understand what He wants to tell us!

Scripture seems to put us in a no win situation. If we boldly encourage everyone to prophesy, are we encouraging false prophecy, confusion and condemnation?

Many Christian leaders today are intimidated by this problem. They teach prophecy is no longer for today. This teaching is without biblical evidence.

Others water down the concept of New Testament prophecy so that is just another word for preaching or general exhortation. 

There is plenty of New Testament evidence to suggest that God still appoints believers to hear messages from heaven and to tell others what they hear, not with the same authority and literal accuracy as scripture but still representing a direct message from God.

Others only allow pastors, elders or leaders to prophesy. But this too is dangerous. If prophecy comes only from leaders, and church members are not supposed to question their authority, then errors will go undetected and mislead many.

The best solution is for leaders to encourage all believers to learn to be open to the leading of the Holy Spirit and to learn to discern between the leading of God, their own thinking and the voice of dark spirits.

My sheep hear my voice. I know them, and they follow me. Jn 10:27 NRSV

Bible knowledge is essential but knowledge is not enough. 

If any of you is lacking in wisdom, ask God, who gives to all generously and ungrudgingly, and it will be given you. Jas 1:5 NRSV

God Speaks to You and Every Believer

 In the Old Testament, God led His people by giving directions to prophets, priests and kings.
God often spoke in direct supernatural ways to these ordained leaders, and the people were expected to follow these directions.

When Jesus released the Holy Spirit in the New Testament, everything changed.

“ ‘In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams. Acts 2:17 NIV

Christianity is either supernatural or it's nothing. We are called to be fruitful and multiply.

There is a Christianity that does not welcome supernatural revelations, healings and the active presence of God doing surprising stuff.

The Reformation achieved some good things in its time. Salvation through faith in Jesus was preached. The Bible was translated and restored to the people.

But the Reformation was very incomplete. God is the god of miracles. 

Faith in a God who only did miracles 2000 years ago will not impact the world today.

When Christianity is truly alive and healthy, every believer hears the voice of God and every believer follows Jesus directly and personally.

“My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; Jn 10:27 NASB95

In the Old Testament, the people of God only heard the voice of God indirectly, through the Bible and the words of the prophets who spoke for God. We still read the Bible and it is God speaking through His perfect revealed word.

But how do you know what God is saying to you now?

The Bible says different things to different people in different passages. Is God telling you to rest in His love or to radically change your life?

•     Is God telling you to hide His truth in your heart, or to tell everyone what you believe?

•     Is God telling you to marry or to stay single?

•     Is God telling you to preach in Africa or stay at home?

•     Is God telling you to work in a job or to be a missionary who trusts Him to provide?

Bible reading alone will not answer these questions. Many people resolve this difficulty by putting themselves under the direction of a priest, pastor or spiritual adviser. This is putting a man in the place of God. 

It is Old Testament thinking, but it is common in the church. It is like the old-fashioned Roman Catholic system, where the priests told the believers what the Bible says and what they should do. I hope you don't think I am against Catholics. Many Catholics love Jesus and listen to the Holy Spirit.

What is God saying to you now?

There is nothing wrong with seeking wise counsel and teaching but this must not be a substitute for growing up in faith yourself. A Christian who is spiritually healthy is able to receive direct personal communication from God Himself.

My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. John 10:27 NASB95

‘Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me. Rev 3:20 NASB95

In the New Testament, every believer is invited to hear the voice of God and to share with others what he hears.   

“ ‘In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams. Acts 2:17 NIV

Pursue love, yet desire earnestly spiritual gifts, but especially that you may prophesy. 1 Cor 14:1 NASB95

God wants to speak to You

 What is God saying to you now?

There is nothing wrong with seeking wise counsel and teaching but this must not be a substitute for growing up in faith yourself. A Christian who is spiritually healthy is able to receive direct personal communication from God Himself.

“My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; Jn 10:27 NASB95

Now when the tempter came to Him, he said, “If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.”
But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’ ” Mt 4:3–4 NKJV

Here Jesus shows His faith in the Written Word of God but also in the spoken word of God. God speaks today and He speaks every day.

The Spirit of God brings the written word of God alive, so you know when God is speaking to you personally through a particular Bible text. But the Holy Spirit also speaks to your spirit in many different ways and He does it much more than most of us realise.

Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me. Rev 3:20 NKJV

In the New Testament, every believer is invited to hear the voice of God and to share with others what he hears.   

‘And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God, That I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh; Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, Your young men shall see visions, Your old men shall dream dreams.
And on My menservants and on My maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those days; And they shall prophesy. Acts 2:17–18 NKJV

Of course God also speaks to his children privately. Many of the things you hear from the Holy Spirit are for to keep to yourself.

 

Hearing the Voice of God Today

 God has a way of speaking very precisely. It is like a jigsaw puzzle. When you put the pieces together, they fit perfectly to make a picture, so you know it is God speaking.

It was April in Australia. It was a cool cloudy autumn day. Suddenly a lovely song came to my mind. It was an English Christmas carol. I felt it was from God because I was looking forward to a mission trip to Germany at Christmastime.

I was thinking of Germany, so why would God speak to me through an English Christmas carol?

“Hark the herald angels sing. Glory to the newborn king.”

I could not get the song out of my mind. God was speaking, so when I got home I did some research on the internet.

The words to the song were written in England but the music was written by Felix Mendelssohn in Leipzig. The before the English words were written, it was a German patriotic song!

My sheep hear my voice, I know them, and they follow me. Jn 10:27 CSB

Vaterland, in deinen Gauen
brach der goldne Tag einst an.
Deutschland, deine Völker sahn
seinen Schimmer niedertauen.
Gutenberg, der deutsche Mann,
zündete die Fackel an.

Fatherland, in your shires
the golden day once dawned.
Germany, your peoples saw
its shimmer bring a thaw.
Gutenberg, the German man,
kindled the torch.

It was Gutenberg who invented the European printing press, which laid the foundation for the publishing of the Bible in modern languages. It was the launching pad for the revival of Biblical Christianity.

Mendelssohn was also a Jew. In our generation, there are so many Jews coming to recognise Jesus as their Messiah.

And what does this message mean to me? My calling is to share the message of Jesus by writing on the internet, another new invention for the publishing of the gospel.

What is your calling? Let God speak to you as He spoke to me.

God uses Nobodies to be Pioneers of Faith

 So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers,
to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up… Eph 4:11–12 NIV

God chose and raised up marvellously gifted leaders in the Bible.

We think of Peter, Paul and John, outstanding apostles who were able to perceive God's thoughts and establish new missions. They were trailblazers for Jesus.

But not all missionaries and pioneers were at the forefront of leadership.

Now those who had been scattered by the persecution that broke out when Stephen was killed travelled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus and Antioch, spreading the word only among Jews.

Some of them, however, men from Cyprus and Cyrene, went to Antioch and began to speak to Greeks also, telling them the good news about the Lord Jesus.

The Lord’s hand was with them, and a great number of people believed and turned to the Lord. Acts 11:19–21 NIV

We will get to know these pioneers in heaven, but in the meantime we don't know their names.

Are you someone who has no ministry in the church, but you want to establish something for God in your school or office, or in your neighbourhood?

Maybe you can have a barbecue in your garden. You can invite your non-Christian neighbours, but also two or three Christian friends who are strong in their faith. Then you can pray for your neighbours.

I heard a wonderful testimony from a Christian woman who was active in a charismatic church.

One of the pastors, who was very prophetically gifted, organised a meeting so that Christians could learn through practical experience to perceive God's thoughts and then pass them on.

Is that biblical? Yes, it is.

Pursue love, yet desire earnestly spiritual gifts, but especially that you may prophesy. 1 Cor 14:1 NASB95

“ ‘In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams. Acts 2:17 NIV

When should we prophesy? In the last days, in the end times. When did the end times begin? 2000 years ago. Are the last days over? That would be nonsense.

Who can prophesy? ‘Your sons and daughters.’ So women too? According to the Bible, yes. And in assemblies with men? In Acts chapter 2, obviously yes.

The woman in this true story had a friend visiting. She wanted to attend the meeting where people learnt to receive and pass on God's thoughts, that is, prophesy.

Her friend didn't believe in God, but she was curious and wanted to come along.

The preacher told the Christians to split up into pairs. The curious unbelieving woman wanted to take part.

Then the preacher told everyone to pray and take a revelation or message from God for their partner and share it. A strange thought came to the unbelieving woman and she passed it on. The Christian woman was deeply blessed because only God could know what she heard.

The unbelieving woman was amazed, and she became a believer.

Is this biblical? In the Old Testament, a donkey passed on a real prophecy.

Now to him who by the power at work within us is able to accomplish abundantly far more than all we can ask or imagine, Eph 3:20 NRSV

Just do it!

 A life without a clear goal is like a ship without a rudder. No matter how virtuous you are, your life goes in circles, leading to no fulfilment. You will be frustrated and stuck.

David prayed in a psalm:

“LORD, let me know my end, and what is the measure of my days; let me know how fleeting my life is. Ps 39:4 NRSV

What are the secret dreams in your heart of hearts?

Your dream could be the key that opens the door to your destiny.
But your dreams will lead to nothing without God.

On the other hand, we all need order in our lives. We all have duties that we have to fulfil. Without discipline, without routine, life becomes chaotic. Without order, your dreams permanently remain just dreams.

If you have a goal, you have to act, you have to do something.
If there is no order, can a family or a business function?

A football team needs a strict training routine. Everyone has to be on top form. Daily discipline is absolutely essential.  

But what is the goal?
Fitness? Punctuality at training sessions? Always obeying the trainer?
No.
    - Your goal is to win football matches.

And what is your goal as a team member? To be a good footballer? Partly for sure.

A champion team never consists of eleven good footballers.
You need first-class midfielders, defenders, strikers and goalkeepers.

But even that is not enough. You need fitness coaches, physiotherapists, sports psychologists and, in today's world, computer technicians.

Are you a Christian?
Do you want to be a good Christian? What does your routine look like?
Are you faithful and reliable in prayer and Bible study? Are you punctual and regular in meetings?

There's nothing wrong with that.
But what is the goal in your Christian life?

Are you a midfielder or a goalkeeper? Are you a fitness trainer or a sports psychologist?

We need to win people for Jesus, but what is your role and where is your mission field?
Are you gifted to evangelise on the street or blog on the internet?
Are you called to serve as a nurse in a mission in Africa or as a social worker in California?
Are you called to work in an office and pray for your colleagues with genuine love?

What is your thing?

• Some fast a lot and pray for hours in intercessory service.

• Others help the homeless, asylum seekers or prostitutes.

• Are you a housewife or a retired widow?

• Maybe you have a mission as a friendly neighbour and intercessor.

• Our cities need friendly neighbours.

What's your thing?
If you're not sure, you can still start doing something.

• You can ask God to give you direction.

• You can pray every morning, ‘’Dear God, what is on your heart?

• You can pray, ‘’Who should I contact today?

• Or ‘’How should I pray for my family or friends today?

• Or ‘’What is your priority for my life right now?

When you get a clear impression, don't push the thought aside.

Don't let yourself be distracted. Do something.

If you have a goal, you have to act, you have to do something. But if you act without a goal, you will remain stuck despite all your efforts.

If you don't have a goal, you probably won't achieve one.

For surely I know the plans I have for you, says the LORD, plans for your welfare and not for harm, to give you a future with hope. Jer 29:11 NRSV

Don’t be distracted.
Ask God for wisdom and then ... Do something.

What is your Calling?

 Many years ago I heard a guest preacher. He was a missionary and he challenged the Christians to come forward to lay down their lives for missions. At least twenty Christians came forward, but no one became a missionary.

What is your calling? Have you asked God?
If you have a God-given purpose, are you practically involved in fulfilling that calling?

There are some Christians who are fully committed to fulfilling their calling. Without these Christians, God's kingdom on earth would perish. Thank God that will never happen.

But we must never sit in a cosy corner and leave all the responsibility for God's kingdom to a few heroes. Unfortunately, there are too many such passive Christians. That's why we're not seeing revival yet.

Most Christians are not called to lead a church or preach from the pulpit. Unfortunately, we have a misguided tradition where everything revolves around the pastor in the pulpit. Preaching has no value if Christians are not activated as dynamic disciples.

What is your calling? What does your heart burn for?

But perhaps you are overburdened by everyday duties and tasks.

Peter, John and their brothers had to leave their work as fishermen to fulfil their calling, but most of us are not called to do this.

Paul was more than full time in ministry, but he often worked as a tent maker as well.

Luke was not a prominent preacher, but he was well educated. He researched the stories of Jesus and wrote the Gospel of Luke.

You have talents and abilities from God. You have an important role in God's plan, but you can only fulfil your potential if you take time to develop your gifts.

Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might, for in the realm of the dead, where you are going, there is neither working nor planning nor knowledge nor wisdom. Ecc 9:10 NIV

Do you feel obliged to always satisfy the wishes of others?

If you strive to always fulfil the expectations of others, you will always be tired and frustrated, and never reach God's goal for your life.

Seek the LORD while he may be found; call on him while he is near. Is 55:6 NIV

Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, “This is the way; walk in it.” Isa 30:21 NIV

It is rare to hear the audible voice of God, but if you are open to the leading of God, He will direct you.

If you always fulfil the wishes of others, you will always turn away from God's purpose for your life, even if you always behave properly.

Another disciple said to him, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.”
But Jesus told him, “Follow me, and let the dead bury their own dead.” Mt 8:21–22 NIV

Jesus did not mean that we should not attend funerals, but he insists that God's calling must be our first priority.

You Can Know God as your Friend

 Jesus told his disciples that they were his friends. Why? Because he had told them everything he had heard from the Father in heaven.

I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. Jn 15:15 NIV

Jesus shared many heavenly truths with the Jews of his day, but far from everything.
If you share everything in your heart at the office or via Facebook, you are really foolish.

“Do not give what is holy to dogs, and do not throw your pearls before swine, or they will trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces. Mt 7:6 NASB95

Jesus is the best of all friends for you and me. You can trust Jesus with all your longings, all your problems and all your secrets.

But if you also want to be a close friend to Jesus, you have to be trustworthy.

The secret of the LORD is with those who fear Him, And He will show them His covenant. Ps 25:14 NKJV

You have secrets, and if you are a faithful friend, you will not betray the secrets of your friends.

Friendship with God is reserved for those who reverence him. With them alone he shares the secrets of his promises. Ps 25:14 The Living Bible, Paraphrased

There are Christians who are diligent in service, but they do not see their role as friends of God, but as servants or ministers.

The Prodigal Son returned to his father with this mindset.

I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you.

I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired servants.’
But when he arrived at his father's house, his father received him quite differently. Lk 15:18–19 NIV

But the father ordered his servants: ‘Quickly bring out the best robe and put it on him! Put a ring on his finger and bring him a pair of sandals!

“But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet.

Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate.

For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate. Lk 15:22–24 NIV

The prodigal son hoped to be with his father only as a servant. He was humble because he was ashamed. Those who genuinely humble themselves before God are honoured by God.

But there are also Christians who are proud in their service. This pride can exclude us from friendship with God.

God is not looking for Christians who serve because of shame or who are proud because of supposed achievements.

God is looking for Christians who are open to His love and who become faithful friends through their experiences of God's love.

Knowing Jesus. Hearing His Voice

 Jesus did not call people to be passive believers waiting to die and go to heaven.

For Jesus, faith was a strong personal connection with his heavenly Father. He wants you and me to experience nothing less.

“As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. Jn 15:9 NIV

 Jesus lived his whole life on earth, saturated with the love of his Father and filled with the Holy Spirit of God. He wants nothing less for you and me.

On the last and greatest day of the festival, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink.
 
Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.”

By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified. Jn 7:37–39 NIV

He called people to follow Him, to learn from Him, to obey Him, to become like Him, to live in friendship with God as He had just done.

When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” Jn 8:12 NIV

What does it mean to follow Jesus?

It does not mean travelling to Israel, wearing old-fashioned clothes and preaching in Aramaic.

Nor does it mean fitting in at a church where nothing special happens. With Jesus in Israel, it was never conventional, routine or religious.

God calls you to trust Him as Jesus trusted, to know Him as Jesus knew Him personally.  

God calls you to be full of love for others, loving like Jesus.

God is calling you to hear His voice and recognise and do what He shows you, just like Jesus.

Don’t you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you, I do not speak on my own authority. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work. Jn 14:10 NIV

You and I are far from living up to this amazing example, but we can grow into Christ.

Follow God's example in everything, for you are his beloved children.

Let your lives be characterised by love, just as Christ loved us, for he gave himself as a gift and sacrifice for our sins...

How did Jesus live on earth?

He was always in communication with his Heavenly Father. He was always open to the guidance of the Holy Spirit, in every moment.

I am learning to experience the guidance of the Holy Spirit better and better. This is a learning process for all of us.

My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.

I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand. Jn 10:27–28 NIV

Are you not yet travelling with Jesus? You can start now.

Build your Faith. Start Small

Are you stuck in your Christian life? People talk about Bible study in your church, but you're not an academic. Start small, you can read a Psalm and half a chapter of Mark, Luke or John every morning or evening.

It is not important to be a trained theologian. What matters is that you gain insight from God.

But how does this wisdom come?

“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.
For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. Mt 7:7–8 NIV

It is better to read a little with childlike faith and feel God's heart than to read many theological books without knowing God's heartbeat.

Some pray long prayers. They speak to God, but do not listen in their hearts to hear God's answer.

My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. Jn 10:27 NIV

God wants to encourage and guide you, and sometimes correct you with love. He speaks in the Bible when you seek God's guidance in your Bible reading, but not only directly through Bible texts.

Do you know any poems or worship songs? If a song touches your heart, you can worship God in that song and He can speak to you through it as well.

I was once in a blessed church service. The preacher prayed for me and I felt the loving presence of God. Then an old poem came to my mind, a poem by Heinrich Heine. Here is a rough translation.

Quiet stealing through my mind,
sweetly ringing spring song,
ring out a little spring tune,
ring out little song!

Ring out to the house,
where the flowers are blooming:
If you see a rose
tell them I send my love.

A few years later, Jesus called me to travel to Germany. After arriving in Frankfurt, I spent a few days as a house guest in a beautiful village in the Taunus Mountains.

In the morning, after a delicious breakfast, I went out into the garden. It was 25 December and spring was still a long way off. I looked around the garden until I saw a plant. There before my eyes was a rose.

God speaks through signs and wonders, but signs and wonders are not always spectacular. If your heart, eyes and ears are open to God, you will also experience signs and wonders.

Do you want to get to know God? Start small.

God's Transforming Love

What did Jesus say when he began to preach?

Now after John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of God,
and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.” Mark 1:14–15 ESV

This is how Jesus began his ministry as a preacher. What does repentance mean? We immediately think of sin, repentance, confession, turning away from sins.

Jesus came to suffer the punishment for our sins on the cross. Jesus took our guilt on the cross. Without taking this understanding to heart, you can not be a Christian. 

"Jesus died in my place." This is the confession of a true Christian.

Repentance is a translation of the Greek word METANOIA. It means, "to change your way of thinking." We need to invite God's Spirit to transform our whole way of thinking.

Be having a change of mind regarding your former life, and be putting your faith in the good news. Wuest Expanded NT

Of course, it's not just about your thoughts. God wants to transform your whole life, and we have to be willing to go along with it from the heart.

METANOIA means repentance and transformation, but we can never do it ourselves without God's power and love. We must entrust our lives to the loving care and transforming power of God.

It is not about improving yourself and living virtuously. God's loving purpose for you goes much deeper.

Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, unless you are born again, you cannot see the Kingdom of God.” John 3:3 NLT

Those who allow themselves to be transformed by God are transferred from the natural realm to the heavenly realm by God's Spirit. This is like a new birth.

For he has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of his dear Son, Colossians 1:13 NLT

In a natural birth, the fetus does not become a better fetus, but a baby that needs to breathe. That is a transformation. So it is with the new birth. A new Christian must live in the realm of the Holy Spirit.
 
The new birth is the beginning of a whole new life.

The goal of a natural baby is not to become a stronger and better baby. The baby is on a journey.

A baby becomes a toddler, a toddler becomes a child. Then comes the transformation of puberty. The child is in a process of transformation. The goal is to become a man or a woman.

What does METANOIA mean? Not just turning away from sin, but an attitude of opening your whole life to God's transforming love.

Jesus had no sin from the womb, and he never sinned. He never needed to repent, but his way of thinking developed and changed at every stage of his life, just like ours.

Jesus did not live with the omniscience that belonged to his eternal being. He depended on God's wisdom at every stage of his life.

So Jesus explained, “I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself. He does only what he sees the Father doing. Whatever the Father does, the Son also does. John 5:19 NLT

The wisdom he needed as a preacher was different from the wisdom he needed as a carpenter. The wisdom he needed as a teenager was different from the wisdom he needed as a child.

The child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom; and the favour of God was upon him. Luke 2:40 NRSV

Jesus never spoke of Christians. He talked about disciples. A disciple is one who is always learning something new. The learning process that God wants to give you includes study, but much more a process of transformation.

My way of thinking today is different from my way of thinking a year ago.
My way of thinking today is significantly different from understanding six months ago.

I don’t think I was necessarily wrong two months ago, but I am constantly receiving fresh insights from the Holy Spirit.

Wisdom from God

 Solomon was young and inexperienced. He was sincere and loved God. He was very intelligent, yet humble.

There are many people who inherit wealth and power, who are proud, and do not want to accept instructions from God or men.

But Solomon was not like that. As a young and inexperienced king, he was aware of his responsibility and his own inadequacy.

He wanted to be a good and righteous king for his people.  

God saw his heart and He visited him in a dream.

At Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream at night. God said, “Ask. What should I give you?” 1 Kings 3:5 CSB

If you are like Solomon, if you want to live faithfully and responsibly, you must be aware of your inadequacy.

Solomon had a task from God. So do you and so do I.

If you think your knowledge, competence and intelligence are enough to fulfil your calling from God, then you have no idea. You need to recognise your inadequacy.

God saw Solomon’s heart, and He sees your heart. He wants to speak to you and help you.

How did Solomon answer?

Now, O LORD my God, You have made Your servant king instead of my father David, but I am a little child; I do not know how to go out or come in. 1 Kings 3:7 NKJV

He realised that his experience and competence were so limited that he did not even understand how to begin.

Many people try to get ahead with their own talents and only ask for God's help when they go horribly wrong, but Solomon understood better.

If you want to live a blessed and fulfilled life, you must involve God as your companion and guide at the very beginning of everything you do.

God wants to help you with your whole life, not just rescue you when you fall over.

Trust GOD from the bottom of your heart; don’t try to figure out everything on your own. 

Listen for GOD’s voice in everything you do, everywhere you go; he’s the one who will keep you on track. Proverbs 3:5–6 The Message

Knowing God or knowing about God

 Knowledge puffs up, but love edifies.
And if anyone thinks that he knows anything, he knows nothing yet as he ought to know.
But if anyone loves God, this one is known by Him. 1 Corinthians 8:1-3 (NKJV)

I have read this passage many times, but it never really impacted me until just now. I just read these words by a pastor’s son.

• “I thought I was close to God because I knew all the answers. I could answer every question small group leaders or youth pastors threw at me about relationship with God. But I had fooled myself into thinking that was the same as relationship with Jesus. I still struggle with this to a degree.” 

John Piper's son tells his story.

Then I started to dig deeper and I found these words in the New Living Translation.

… But while knowledge makes us feel important, it is love that strengthens the church.
Anyone who claims to know all the answers doesn’t really know very much.
But the person who loves God is the one whom God recognises. 1. Cor 8:1-3

I recall a story told by a well known preacher.

    A Christian goes to his pastor with a difficult question. The pastor gives an apparently wise answer and the church member goes away happy.
    Meanwhile, in Heaven the Father turns to Jesus.
“Jesus, did you hear what that pastor just said? That is a new idea to me. Did you tell him that?

Knowledge is good, but head knowledge without deep heart understanding is dangerous in some areas of life.

A child may admire his father’s knowledge, but it will no good if he doesn’t experience his father’s love.

How many Christians believe in the love of God? They learn to know more and more about God, but they have little or no experience of the love of God.

Some even criticise Christians who talk about deep spiritual experiences. They say experiences can be deceptive and feelings are unreliable. The only safe ground to stand on is biblical truth. By this they mean Bible knowledge.

But if we read Bible truth in the Bible itself, we see that the heroes of faith all personally experienced God Himself. God spoke to them and they listened and believed. 

They were filled with the Holy Spirit. This was an experienced reality, not just a doctrine.

The God of much modern conservative evangelicalism only speaks through bible verses and bible knowledge. This is not the God I see in the pages of the Bible itself.

Of course, we need Bible knowledge, but Bible knowledge without experiencing God just makes you more religious. That is very dangerous. This was the sin of the Pharisees. It is still a huge problem today.

Let God be the Judge.

Moses was a good man. He was loyal to his oppressed Hebrew compatriots, although he could have enjoyed his privileges as an Egyptian prince.

By faith Moses, when he became of age, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, 

choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin, Heb 11:24-25

He loved truth and justice. He hated cruelty and oppression.

One day, after Moses had grown up, he went out to where his own people were and watched them at their hard labour. He saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, one of his own people. 

Looking this way and that and seeing no one, he killed the Egyptian and hid him in the sand. Exodus 2:11-12

Preachers of New Testament doctrine like to oversimplify this story. They say Moses was a murderer but God forgave him because He saves sinners.

Moses was a freedom fighter, a liberator. For him, killing the oppressor was an act of justice and mercy for the oppressed.

Nevertheless, it was not God’s way. Moses’ greatest strength was his weakness. His human reaction was completely counterproductive. He had to flee the country and live as a fugitive in exile for 40 years.

Before God could use Moses to liberate his people, Moses had to become a mature character conscious of his human weaknesses.

After 40 years shepherding sheep in the wilderness, Moses was called to liberate his entire nation. By this time Moses knew his limitations. He was actually reluctant.

But Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?” Exodus 3:11

You may have a passion for truth and justice, but as long as you pursue your cause in your own way or relying on your own gifts and talents, you will not realise your dreams, even if those dreams came from God.

I know a preacher who had wonderful gifts. He was an amazing missionary and personal evangelist.  He wanted to rescue the worst sinners. He desperately longed to help rebuild broken lives.

He was sincerely ministering to dangerous sex offenders, but in his zeal he made terrible mistakes.
He failed to protect vulnerable young women in his church from extreme peril through contact with known sexual predators.

If we resolutely fight against evil, but rush into battle according to our own ideas, we will battle against one evil but in the process allow another evil to flourish.

There are preachers who are zealous to preserve Christian marriages. They will do anything to keep a family together and prevent divorce.

But this single-minded crusade for marriage can have catastrophic consequences.

There are husbands who coldbloodedly plan to entrap a woman in marriage and then systematically manipulate her to become his abject tormented slave. 

This also happens in Christian churches.
When wives protest, they may be beaten, raped or deprived of contact with friends.

When tortured wives try to assert themselves, zealous preachers blame the woman for being rebellious. If the woman leaves her husband, she may listen to sermons accusing her of breaking her marriage vows.

The wife who argues with her husband is judged as rebellious.
The woman who leaves her husband is condemned for breaking her vows.

But the man who rapes, beats and tortures his wife or criminally assaults even his own children is respected.

Tragically, all this actually happens. These abuses are widespread in Christian circles.

He has shown you, O man, what is good; And what does the LORD require of you
But to do justly, To love mercy, And to walk humbly with your God? Micah 6:8

“For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,” says the LORD. Isa 55:8

 

The Women also Spoke

On the day of Pentecost, 50 days after the cross, 120 disciples of Jesus were dramatically filled with the Holy Spirit.

Peter was no longer the coward who denied Jesus. He stood up fearlessly and spoke words of power to the crowd. 

These words of power and life were the Keys to the Kingdom. They opened the door of salvation to 2000 hearers that day.

The prophetic words of Jesus were fulfilled.

"And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth when ill be loosed in heaven." Mt 16:19 NKJ
 
When God gives words of grace and truth, they are words of life to any and all who will receive them.
 
But was it only Peter who spoke God’s life giving words that day?

There were 120 disciples who spoke words from God to the crowd that day. They spoke in languages they had never learned and the hearers from many nations understood God’s message in their own languages.

Who were these 120 disciples? Where they only men who were ordained to preach?
Peter clearly dismisses this idea.

And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God, That I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh; Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,  Acts 2:17 NKJ

So did the women also declare the Gospel in a public meeting?

In Acts chapter one, we have clear confirmation of Peter’s revolutionary words, although they were not Peter’s words, but the words of the Holy Spirit quoted from the prophet Joel.

These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with His brothers.  Acts 1:14 NKJ
 
Yes. The women were also there. The 120 disciples included women. The women also spoke to the crowd with the authority of the Holy Spirit.

What do keys do? They lock and unlock doors.

The words of Peter and the other 119 male and female disciples unlocked the door of salvation and locked the door of condemnation for all who believed and received their message.

"And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth when ill be loosed in heaven." Mt 16:19 NKJ

Locking and unlocking is another way of saying binding and loosing.
 
Jesus gave his disciples the Keys of the Kingdom, Keys, not just one key.

Keys represent God given authority. 

Words of inspired preaching, teaching, prophesying and testimony are all keys that open the doors for God to reach people with his goodness and power.

So who has the authority to bind and loose, or to lock and unlock?

• Only Peter? Clearly no.
• Only the apostles? No.
• Only ordained preachers? No.
• Only men? No.

Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will have been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will have been loosed in heaven.
Again, truly I tell you, if two of you on earth agree about any matter that you pray for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven.
For where two or three are gathered together in my name, I am there among them." Mt 18:18-20 CSB17

Where two or three male or female disciples are together in unity and agreement, their words of faith and believing prayer can bind or loose, can lock or unlock spiritual doors.

Speak to your Problem

Jesus said that believers should ask God to help but in another text he said that believers are authorised to speak directly to a problem with divine authority.

"Truly I tell you, if anyone says to this mountain, 'Go, throw yourself into the sea,' and does not doubt in their heart but believes that what they say will happen, it will be done for them. Mk 11:23 NIV

He was telling us, that we are authorised as believers to speak not only to God but to speak a decree, to speak to a mountain.

What does Jesus mean by a mountain? We can command whatever is opposing God’s people and God’s will to be removed. 

How can we know what is opposed to the will of God? Through Scripture, through listening prayer and the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

Jesus also told us we can move the hand of God by asking Him to act.

If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. Jn 15:7

How are we to know what to do and how to pray?

 In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans.

And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God's people in accordance with the will of God.  Rom 8:26-27 NIV

When Christians apply the teaching to speak to a mountain, they often use the words, DECLARE and DECREE.
The meanings can be different but they overlap.

Both can be an announcement with legal force and effect.

A jury declares an accused person guilty or not guilty. This is not a statement of opinion or fact but a legal transaction in the form of words.

When a doctor declares a person to be dead, he or she is legally dead.

A ruler can issue a decree, which then has legal force. An official or ambassador can be authorised to issue a decree on behalf of the ruler.

When Paul wrote parts of the NT, he was authorised to write legally binding declarations or decrees on behalf of God.

There are some conservative Christians who are zealous for the Word of God, but they accuse Charismatics of neglecting Bible truth because we emphasise the leading of the Holy Spirit. 

As a Charismatic Christian, I would ask my fellow believers:

If Jesus in one text tells us to ask God to help and in another text, He tells us to speak directly to our problem, how are we to know which bible text to apply unless we are continually supernaturally guided by the Holy Spirit?