1 John 4:1 reads, "Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world."
How many times have you heard stories of people doing horrible things because "God told them to"?
How often are people in the Church spun into confusion because "God" told them something would happen, but it never did?
Have you ever been certain that you were called to go somewhere, do something, be with someone, etc. only to have it fail horribly?
Friends, it is crucial, as warriors for Christ and ministers of the Gospel, that we KNOW our Daddy's voice!
But how can I be sure?
The first, and most important way, is to spend lots of time intentionally in His presence! This includes praise and worship (He inhabits the praises of His people. Psalm 22:3), praying in the Spirit (Your direct line to God, and a vital piece of the armor of God. Ephesians 6:18), and staying in constant communication (Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, and give thanks in all circumstance. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18).
When you spend this much time with someone, it's impossible to mistake their voice! Remember, none of these are a one way road! These are all two way communication! He hears you, AND HE RESPONDS!
Secondly, remember there WILL be other voices! No, I'm not talking about being schizophrenic. Although,I do believe that people diagnosed with this condition are just more sensitive to the spirit world with the absence of deep rooted identity in Christ, but that's another topic. In John 10, Jesus tells us that sheep know their Shepard's voice, and a stranger's they will not follow. Jesus is the Good Shepard that laid His life down for us, His sheep. What Jesus does NOT say, is that once you know the Shepard's voice there won't be any other voices! The enemy and His demon minions are always speaking to us, telling us to think, feel, and do things that don't glorify God, and are meant to hurt us and others. That snake comes to steal, kill, and destroy, beginning with the mind of all those created in the image of God. That's all of mankind! In snake like fashion, he has learned to disguise his voice to sound like an angel of light, so we MUST know the difference! If we hear something that seems a little off, or leaves us with an unsettled feeling, we should test the spirits. This DOESN'T offend God! He's proud of you for wanting to be sure you're following Him alone! This is also NOT the same as putting God to the test! That would be like if Jesus threw Himself off the cliff when being tempted to see if God would send His angels to catch Him! Testing God can be summed up as... being irresponsible and expecting Him to rescue you in the process! Testing the spirits is totally different!
How do I test the spirits?
Examining the scriptures is critical! If you're receiving a message that does not line up with the Word of God exactly, it must be rejected! The enemy knows the bible inside and out, and will manipulate it to manipulate us. In the desert, Jesus was tempted by the devil using "near" scripture. Jesus combated against those attacks using the correct Word of God.
If the attack is not directly biblical, we must know what to ask! First of all, a demon can not say, "Jesus is Lord"! That only comes from the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:3)!
They will not acknowledge that Jesus is the Christ (1 John 2:22), or that Jesus came in the flesh (2 John 1:7). If you're not sure, ask these questions!
If feelings of guilt, shame, or condemnation accompany this clarification process, you can be sure that's from the evil one! Our Daddy is sooooo proud of us, and He's cheering us on the entire way on this journey to knowing Him more deeply and moving from glory to glory!
Pursue Him alone, in Spirit and in Truth!
Run with me Church!
Www.purusamor.com
How many times have you heard stories of people doing horrible things because "God told them to"?
How often are people in the Church spun into confusion because "God" told them something would happen, but it never did?
Have you ever been certain that you were called to go somewhere, do something, be with someone, etc. only to have it fail horribly?
Friends, it is crucial, as warriors for Christ and ministers of the Gospel, that we KNOW our Daddy's voice!
But how can I be sure?
The first, and most important way, is to spend lots of time intentionally in His presence! This includes praise and worship (He inhabits the praises of His people. Psalm 22:3), praying in the Spirit (Your direct line to God, and a vital piece of the armor of God. Ephesians 6:18), and staying in constant communication (Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, and give thanks in all circumstance. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18).
When you spend this much time with someone, it's impossible to mistake their voice! Remember, none of these are a one way road! These are all two way communication! He hears you, AND HE RESPONDS!
Secondly, remember there WILL be other voices! No, I'm not talking about being schizophrenic. Although,I do believe that people diagnosed with this condition are just more sensitive to the spirit world with the absence of deep rooted identity in Christ, but that's another topic. In John 10, Jesus tells us that sheep know their Shepard's voice, and a stranger's they will not follow. Jesus is the Good Shepard that laid His life down for us, His sheep. What Jesus does NOT say, is that once you know the Shepard's voice there won't be any other voices! The enemy and His demon minions are always speaking to us, telling us to think, feel, and do things that don't glorify God, and are meant to hurt us and others. That snake comes to steal, kill, and destroy, beginning with the mind of all those created in the image of God. That's all of mankind! In snake like fashion, he has learned to disguise his voice to sound like an angel of light, so we MUST know the difference! If we hear something that seems a little off, or leaves us with an unsettled feeling, we should test the spirits. This DOESN'T offend God! He's proud of you for wanting to be sure you're following Him alone! This is also NOT the same as putting God to the test! That would be like if Jesus threw Himself off the cliff when being tempted to see if God would send His angels to catch Him! Testing God can be summed up as... being irresponsible and expecting Him to rescue you in the process! Testing the spirits is totally different!
How do I test the spirits?
Examining the scriptures is critical! If you're receiving a message that does not line up with the Word of God exactly, it must be rejected! The enemy knows the bible inside and out, and will manipulate it to manipulate us. In the desert, Jesus was tempted by the devil using "near" scripture. Jesus combated against those attacks using the correct Word of God.
If the attack is not directly biblical, we must know what to ask! First of all, a demon can not say, "Jesus is Lord"! That only comes from the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:3)!
They will not acknowledge that Jesus is the Christ (1 John 2:22), or that Jesus came in the flesh (2 John 1:7). If you're not sure, ask these questions!
If feelings of guilt, shame, or condemnation accompany this clarification process, you can be sure that's from the evil one! Our Daddy is sooooo proud of us, and He's cheering us on the entire way on this journey to knowing Him more deeply and moving from glory to glory!
Pursue Him alone, in Spirit and in Truth!
Run with me Church!
Www.purusamor.com
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