CORRECTLY HEARING THE VOICE OF GOD by David Wilkerson

When the voice of God is not heard, men run and labor for Him without a mandate—they are on their own. I have been there: doing good things, taking on challenges, believing fully that I was standing up against the worker of iniquity. And I wound up thousands of dollars in debt, weary and disillusioned, crying for help at every turn. I had not been sent by God but I didn’t understand. I was broken, burdened, willing to give up so much; it was not born out of prayer—it was human compassion.

But then I said, “No more, Lord! Not a step more unless You command it. Not a move until Your voice is heard!” And whatever money was needed was there because God supports what He originates. It is joy with no burden, peace with no begging. The begging in ministries today is a result of men doing good things without being sent by God’s voice. Their own desires are being mistaken for God’s bidding.

Jesus would not make a move unless He heard from heaven. “I speak to the world those things which I have heard of him. . . . I do nothing of myself; but as my Father hath taught me” (John 8:26, 28). “The Father which sent me, he gave me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak. . . . Whatsoever I speak therefore, even as the Father said unto me, so I speak” (John 12:49-50).

Here are four safeguards for correctly hearing the voice of God:

1. His voice always brings you to Jesus and exposes all sin and lust. John heard His voice and said, “When I saw him, I fell at his feet” (Revelation 1:17).
2. His presence (or countenance) always accompanies His voice. You will be overwhelmed and overjoyed by the glory of His presence.
3. His voice will give you scriptural assurance. The Holy Spirit will lead you to confirmation in His Word. Everything God speaks must line up with Scripture at every point.
4. Whatever He speaks will stand before the judgment seat of Christ in its purity and selflessness.

THE SCHOOL OF THE HOLY GHOST by David Wilkerson

Why did things go wrong for David? Because he was in the school of the Holy Ghost! God was producing character in him—and only trouble can bring it forth. There were to be no more Sauls, undisciplined and untrained by a lack of trials. Saul started out right but soon wilted because he was never tested. God now sought a man He could trust, a man with whom He could build an enduring house.

There was never a moment the Holy Spirit was not with David. God could have sent angels; He could have spoken a word; He could have sent a heavenly host to keep David out of trouble. Instead, He permitted it all so that David would come to the end of himself and throw himself completely on the Lord. We would have had none of those great psalms of trust and faith had David not been tested.

Some of you are at Ziklag with David—or you are headed there! In 1 Samuel chapter 30, the story is told of how the Amalekites had overtaken God’s people, devastating lives and property. David was in great distress, as his own people spoke of stoning him because they blamed him for the disaster. “But David encouraged himself in the Lord his God” (1 Samuel 30:6). As he turned to the Lord (verse 8), he was assured that all that was lost would be restored to him. In verse 19, we see the final outcome: “David recovered all.”

David got back his family and his goods, but there was so much more that was restored to him. Most important was that he regained his confidence in God, his assurance that God was still with him. The power of his anointing was renewed, along with a new hatred for the enemy. On that day David got his diploma! He had learned to inquire of the Lord and to encourage himself in the Lord. From that day on, he grew stronger and stronger—and prevailed.

WAR IN MY MEMBERS?

Last night I fornicated. I came home feeling very convicted. I cried before God from the depth of my heart. I repented with my whole heart. i sought redemption in the blood of Jesus. I woke up this morning, went to town, saw ladies dressed licentiously and I felt the urge to go back into sin. I say to myself what!!!! why am I my still feeling the pull of sin? Did I not repent? Have the demons of immorality resurfaced? Did God not forgive me? Gradually I felt the power of sin in my members prevailing. It looked like a lost battle. Thoughts started running through my mind. My imaginations started going wild. I cried out to God but it seemed I couldn't overcome the urges. Am I paying for the sin I committed?This is a likely scenario for those who are under the power of sin. They mean it, they genuinely confessed and repented but the next moment temptation comes their way they feel all is lost. They feel they were not sincere.

Romans 7:22-2322For I delight in the law of God after the inward man:

23 But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.

Galatians 5; 17For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.

The scripture doesn't mention demons here or demonic influence. I believe in demonic oppression of a soul especially in situations where one is strongly under the influence of sin, has lost self control. This war in our members is a day to day situation we face. If I asked you if you feel the pull of sin you will definitely answer in the affirmative. If I asked further do you desire to worship God in liberty of soul and spirit you will give me the same response. So here, there is a soul who longs to live right before God, who hates his sin, who hates the pull of sin but is under the bondage of it. He is conscious of the law at work in his. It is all about consciousness. He feels it, he feels the inclination, his flesh says so.Further, if I mentioned if you are aware you have been liberated from sin your jaws might go ajar. You will ask how? Well it is written in the bible.

Romans 8;2For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.

It may look unreal to you right. Then why am I still under the bondage of sin? Why do I still feel the pull of sin you will ask? Like I said before, knowledge comes with consciousness. I believe we all battle with this at some point in our lives. The pull of sin looks real to us more than our liberty. We feel we are indebted to our flesh. The law of the Spirit of life in Christ works this way. You believed in the sin of law and death. You felt its pull. The law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus is also another law. The law of the Spirit is lived by faith. We don't see it. We may not feel it but we believe it because God said so. As we believe, we yield to that law. Day after day it becomes real to us. Once in a while our flesh may drag us. We should remember our fallen nature which was crucified with Christ is an enemy. It's hungry, it's destructive. If the conditions are met it's craving willincrease in us. So we then every day we live with this consciousness of our found liberty, we confess it.

Secondly, we should understand the law that wars in our members is not spiritually friendly. It's like the world and the kingdom of God. Whatever God does to the world it will not be kingdom friendly. The Son of God did not come to give aid to the Adamic nature. He came to create a people of His own brand. No matter what we do to our flesh, it wouldn't improve. So now it's a war between our human spirit which is supposed to be chaired by God's Spirit against the laws of our members which comes from the Adamic nature. The one whom we yield to rules. If sin comes knocking and we lean on the power of self to overcome, we will fall again. We may wonder why? We may tell God " God, you know I did all in my capacity to stand but I just couldn't resist that temptation". Like Apostle Paul said, nothing good dwells in the flesh. It's strength, might and success is just not enough to aid us to overcome. After man's fall, no attempt of man to overcome sin on his own prevailed. The flesh is weak so is it's will power.

If we live each day with this consciousness that the Spirit of God gives us the inner strength to resist and overcome sin despite all our flesh tells us at that moment we will live a victorious life. The war will go on and on till rapture. Day in day out we will be presented with a choice. A person you perceive not to be in your class abuses you verbally. Naturally you feel the pull to give it back to him. Within, a gentle voice calms you down advising you not to say anything. It may not make sense to you. You may feel less human at that moment but as you yield to The Spirit of God, you are strengthened. You grow in grace and you overcome by the day as you learn to yield to Him. Most of the sins we fall to are as a result of desiring our own way. The Spirit of God never leaves us in trying moments. He is always there to give us direction and comfort. He is always there to remind us son or daughter give that over to Me, you can't do that. In conclusion we should know it's not about how we feel under tempting moments but the One we lean on to keep us safe in such moments.

                                              Glory To Jesus

SO GREAT A SALVATION by Gary Wilkerson

“Therefore we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it. For since the message declared by angels proved to be reliable, and every transgression or disobedience received a just retribution, how shall we escape if we neglect such a great salvation?” (Hebrews 2:1-3, ESV).

The law that God delivered to man “proved to be reliable.” Yet this seems like a paradox. If this law was impossible for any person to keep, how could it be reliable? First of all, the law was never meant to be the means of our salvation; it was meant to show us our need for salvation. And the law reliably did that. Yet time after time Scripture reveals how miserably man failed to keep God’s law.

Note something else in this passage. Once again, the writer uses the word “great” to describe what Jesus has done. Christ has made the perfect covenant with the Father, one that works to secure “such a great salvation” (2:3). Talk about something reliable! Christ’s gift of salvation sets us free from the law of sin and death and is designed to work in our lives. Moreover, the New Covenant of grace is the power of God at work in our lives. It empowers us to follow His commands with His strength, not our own. “God also bore witness . . . by gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will” (2:4).

With such a great gift of salvation, why would anyone neglect it? Here’s why: We are conditioned to respond to laws with works. Even in the realm of faith, we tend to fall back on works. We may give mental assent to being saved by grace, but deep down many of us still believe works are the way to secure God’s blessings.

Our minds are conditioned since childhood to fall back on law-keeping whenever we fail. There are basic rules in every household: Clean your room; help clear the dinner table. It’s a conditional arrangement based on rewards and punishment, and most parents use it to maintain their sanity.

This system may work well in family life, but not in Kingdom life. Yet, since most of us grew up this way, years later we continue to see life through this lens. Whenever we fail in anything, our reflex is to fall back on works.

Works can never achieve what only the cross could provide or add a single degree of holiness to our lives. Works that are truly holy are the result of God’s grace. They’re what we do in gratitude, joy and faithfulness because we’ve been provided “so great a salvation.”
 

LET HIM BE EVERYTHING TO YOU by David Wilkerson

Years ago I stood at an altar beside my wife and heard my father (who was the minister) ask Gwen, “Will you accept David to be your lawful husband?” We exchanged vows, each saying, “I will.” Gwen has loved me in a thousand ways, but never better, never more, than when she let me be the man of the house. It took a while for her to step aside and let me do the “husband” things—especially since I’m really not very mechanical. But she learned to tactfully encourage me to fulfill this role.

God intended for a husband and wife to reflect His relationship with us, His bride: “For thy Maker is thine husband” (Isaiah 54:5). We are “a bride adorned for her husband” (Revelation 21:2). But Jesus is not like any earthly husband. When He says, “I will,” He has all power and glory to see it done. You can find our Lord’s vows to His beloved all through His Word.

Our love for Him appropriates it, rests on it, and lets Jesus be God to us. Here are some of the vows He has made to all who have pledged their love and faithfulness to Him:

“I will bear; even I will carry . . . you” (Isaiah 46:4). “Can a woman forget her child? . . . Yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee” (Isaiah 49:15). “He will abundantly pardon” (Isaiah 55:7). “I . . . will heal him . . . and restore comforts unto him” (Isaiah 57:18). “Before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear” (Isaiah 65:24). “For he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee” (Hebrews 13:5).

Jesus is our righteousness, our health, our deliverance, our rock of salvation, our daily bread, our comfort, our provider, our strong arm, our defense, our light, our joy, our peace—our everything in time of need! Let Him be God to you. Don’t fret and try to work things out yourself. Prove to Him that you will trust His power!
 

DWELLING IN UNDERSTANDING

Romans 14:16
New Living Translation
Then you will not be criticized for doing something you believe is good.

King James Bible
Let not then your good be evil spoken of:

Sometimes we believers are not persecuted because the devil incited others to do so but because we don't apply wisdom. Many young believers and preachers get confrontational with others over issues that can be resolved amicably. An action may be good but the approach may be bad.

You are a Christian living with your neighbours. Every night you play music or you pray aloud to steal people's sleep. Your landlord wants to kick you out and you think he is a wizard. No! He may not be a wizard. Your ignorance threw you out of the house. The bible says we should lead a peaceful life with all men. Your prayer is good but your approach is wrong. It's time to grow up. Understand prayer is more than yelling. God doesn't have a problem with his ears.

You are a student in the hostel with roommates. Every night you will not allow your roomies to sleep. You play loud gospel music in the name of you are saturating the room with God's presence. Who said The Holy Spirit fills a room when there is loud music? Can't you use an earphone sir? Your roommates start confronting you and you think they are not spiritual. My friend let not your good be spoken evil of. Dwell with them in peace.

When Jesus walked the earth He often withdrew to the mountains to pray. He knew and understood the principles of prayer. He knew it wasn't an eye service so He said when you pray go into your closet and your Father who sees in secret will reward you. I am not in any way saying we are to keep mute when praying. There are times one cannot control what comes out of his mouth when The Holy Ghost takes over but that shouldn't disturb my neighbour.

Let us learn to be empathetic. Wisdom call!!!

DIVINE JUDGEMENT

At some point in our lives we find ourselves in a situation to judge based on what we teach and preach. In John 8 the scribes and Pharisees brought an adulterous woman to Jesus. They were testing Jesus to see the kind of judgment He was going to pass. According to the law an adulterer was deserving of death. According to Jesus, He did not come to condemn the world. He did not come to abolish the law but He came to fulfill the law. So now we had the law and the words of Jesus. If Jesus altered the law the scribes and Pharisees will find a just means to accuse Him. Jesus being the Word Himself(the rhema and logus) manifested Himself this time as grace and truth so in John 1:17 John writes the law came through Moses but grace and truth came through Jesus.

The law says an adulterer should die. Grace says the penalty has been paid by Christ. Walk in the newness of life. Then comes Truth which is the revelation of the Word. In the new covenant this principle applies in judgment. Sometimes we are presented with issues of this nature. A pastor is reported to be in adultery. As a matured believer people will like to ask your opinion. In situations like that we should exercise grace and truth. Again, Jesus told His disciples not to take thought of what they would say when they stand before the Sanhedrin. He promised The Holy Spirit will speak through them. When we are faced with controversial doctrines in the body like adornment,judgement,Sabbaths, we should not be quick to speak our opinions lest we mislead others. We should whisper to Jesus and remind Him of His promise of The Holy Spirit.

Many issues in the body have led to conflicts because God's children did the work of The Holy Spirit. They applied the letter which killeth instead of the conviction and leading of The Spirit so many are not edified. Nothing is learnt at the end of the day. The toll of people who practice schism and self righteousness rises by the day. This is one big disease in the body of Christ even on fb. You find situations where one sect believe they have found the most profound revelation ever thus exuding an attitude of superiority. Is that not carnality?

Glory To Jesus