WHO HAS THE WORD OF THE LORD?

by Glenice Mills

“Who has the word of the Lord?” There is a desperate cry from many in the body of Christ who are searching for God’s word at this time. We are in a defining epoch time that is strategic for what lies ahead in the next season for many Christians, the body of Christ, and for nations.

The Lord has had me quiet the past couple of months. I have been quietly observing what is happening in the prophetic and what I see is very concerning.

The truth is: it is very easy to succumb to pressures from people who say to you “what is the Lord saying.” There are so many words out there, some saying one thing, others saying something else.  Confusion is ruling over many. As we know God is not the author of confusion, satan is.

For example we just need to listen to prophetic words about America and who is going to be the new Republican nominee. Some are saying Donald Trump is going to win, others have said Marco Rubio, and some say Ted Cruz. All the prophetic voices are saying they heard from the Lord. Each is adamant they have heard correctly. However some will prove to be correct and others will be incorrect. So what happens to the one’s who get it wrong? Will they willingly put up their hands and say I got it wrong. Probably not. Will they take some level of responsibility and accountability for their inaccuracy? Probably not.

It is easy to speak what we think is right when we want something to go a particular way. It comes from our will, from self, rather than from the Lord. It is our soul realm that is speaking, rather than by the Holy Spirit. It is an easy trap for prophets to fall into. If we want something bad enough we will ‘conjure’ up words to make them fit our desires. Conjure is witchcraft and it is rife in the body of Christ right now.

Also some speak from a wrong motivation. Just like with the girl who followed the apostle Paul speaking words that sounded right but were from a wrong spirit - in this case a demonic spirit.

Acts 16:17,18 this girl followed Paul and us, and cried out saying, “These men are the servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to us the way of salvation.”
And this she did for many days. But Paul, greatly annoyed, turned and said to the spirit, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.” And he came out that very hour.

Discernment is needed like never before. Sadly this is one gift that is lacking in the body of Christ. We need one’s like Apostle Paul to speak up and confront the spirit – the spirit of divination.

There are so many opinions, ‘words of the Lord’, and demanding wants from many Christians. It is opening the door for deception. Who are we to place demands on God? It is born out of a sense of self-entitlement – if I can’t have it then no one else can. It is about our motivations – whether we pray from a place of faith, coming to a Holy God, and seeking Him for what He would want for us, or wanting something because we think we should have it. There is a big difference.

Another area of great concern is the competition among the prophets for ‘who’s got the word of the Lord?’ There is rampant competition out there birthed out of selfish ambition. We have a jostling for position, for who is the number one trusted prophet. Often they can be the one’s who speak words that tickle the ears of those who want to hear the good things. This is dangerous ground for a prophet, it is where compromise sneaks in, watering down a prophetic word so as not to offend. Now more than ever we have to be aware we don’t bow to political correction because it makes the people hearing the word feel good. However it is a feel good in the moment, rather than a sustaining word.

A word from the Holy Spirit, that impacts a person, bringing repentance, leads to greater truth and understanding with new life coming. A ‘feel good in the moment word’ keeps the body of Christ immature. There is a higher standard and greater maturity required of God’s people in this hour. We cannot stay babies on the milk; we must grow up and grow into Him in a greater measure.

There is a frightening downward spiral when selfish ambition takes root in a prophet. It opens the door for a spirit of delusion to come; bringing spiritual blindness that ultimately deceives. It is pride birthed in self – every idol of self.

One of the most insidious is self-promotion. With Facebook, websites and other forms of social media there is a platform for the prophets to speak. This is great, as the words get out into the cyber realm speaking to many in the nations. However the problem arises when we have a competitive jostling of whose got the loudest voice, who has the most followers, who is the ‘in’ person at a given time.

It is a powerful privilege and honour to be a spokesperson for the Lord, to be His prophet. We should not adulterate ourselves in order to appease. There is a lot of spiritual adultery – selling ourselves for gain, whether that be financial, notoriety, or promotion, it must not and cannot be in a prophet.

There is a higher standard required for the prophets and the prophetic. Let’s watch out for the traps that would derail us, that would bring the name of Jesus Christ into disrepute.

TO THOSE WHO HAVE EARS

by Patricia Usiobaifo

I have never really understood why we seek advice from leadership or those in authority over us if we have no intention of heeding that advice. I see this time and time again both in the church and the work place when we give someone permission to speak into our lives and situations and yet then either fail to implement or act on the advice given or indeed we do the opposite to what has been suggested or asked of us. In the church we seek out wisdom from a trusted source often because we are not hearing for ourselves what God is saying to us concerning a specific situation or concerning a decision we need to make. Surely we are not seeking an opinion from that person, or even their earthly wisdom, surely we are seeking to hear from them a God perspective since they have the Spirit of God residing within them and they are the Godly authority placed over us for our covering and protection. Is that not why we ask that person to begin with, because we trust Christ in them? So why then would we seek out an Apostle for their advice if we have no intention of following that advice? It is not only a waste of their precious time but it is also incredibly disrespectful.

Staying stuck in your stuff because you haven’t heard from God concerning your situation is simply an excuse, it is either so you can keep doing what you are doing, it is rebellion or it is fear. Either way God has spoken to you loud and clear regarding His heart for your situation …….you may not have heard the audible voice of God or had it written in the sky  but you have heard clearly through His chosen servant and mouthpiece. Who better to ask than someone who will stand before God and give an account for how they were Christ to you while you were in their care?

Just as loving parents want to save their children from hurt and pain, from repeating the same mistakes they have made in their lives, so an Apostle will advise you  to save you falling into snares and traps set for you. They speak from the heart of God and from their countless experiences.
Do yourself a favour, if you don’t intend to follow instruction then don’t ask. Remember once you have asked you are then without excuse. Shalom.