This morning while doing chores I was talking with the Lord as the burden and grieving in my spirit for those that sit in the congregations of leadership that are not born again and the spirit of antichrist is in leadership and the pulpits. Many of the paritioners that falsely believe they are saved/born again by following the teachings of men and doctrines of demons. Those that deny Christ, the Holy Spirit or gifts of the Spirit are of antichrist.

Matthew 15:7–9 (NKJV)

⁷ Hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy about you, saying:

⁸ ‘These people draw near to Me with their mouth,

And honor Me with their lips,

But their heart is far from Me.

⁹ And in vain they worship Me,

Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’ ”

A house divided can not stand and when you deny the gifts of the Holy Spirit you are denying Christ Jesus. A true born again believer will not continue to sit in the seats/pews listening to wolves in sheep’s clothing or people who are not born again in the Holy Spirit. In a very short time if they are truly seeking the Lord in Spirit and Truth they be inspired by the Holy Spirit to bring correction and/or leave under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Quite often they are asked to leave after attempting to bring correction then they are slandered, mocked and persecuted by those who take scriptures out of context such as:

1 John 2:18–23 (NKJV)

Deceptions of the Last Hour

¹⁸ Little children, it is the last hour; and as you have heard that the Antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come, by which we know that it is the last hour. ¹⁹ They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us; but they went out that they might be made manifest, that none of them were of us.

²⁰ But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and you know all things. ²¹ I have not written to you because you do not know the truth, but because you know it, and that no lie is of the truth.

²² Who is a liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist who denies the Father and the Son. ²³ Whoever denies the Son does not have the Father either; he who acknowledges the Son has the Father also.

Hebrews 10:24–25 (NKJV)

²⁴ And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, ²⁵ not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.

They refuse to acknowledge that is the love of God that NO man/woman would be deceived and that all would come to the saving knowledge of Christ Jesus. So even when you bring correction in the love of Christ Jesus their pride and idolatry will not accept correction. They are lovers of self and not lovers of Christ Jesus.

See, you can take scriptures out of context to fool the undiscerning! I have had these scriptures used against me many times. The irony is that what they say is true, I AM NOT ONE OF THEM as I am in Christ Jesus. The spirit of antichrist uses these scriptures also just as Satan temped Jesus with Psalm 91 in the wilderness. I even had a Jezebel pastor mock me by name in front of the whole church saying that she didn’t need what I had which was the power of the Holy Spirit and Christ Jesus that she would get in on her own! “Let us kill the son so we can get the inheritance”! Jezebel kills the true prophets and prophetic voice of God Christ Jesus.

Are you “intellectually” born again believing in your “own” human wisdom and understanding, beliefs or interpretations of the Word of God or has the Holy Spirit of the Word of God revealed Christ Jesus to you?

Proverbs 3:5–8 (NKJV)

⁵ Trust in the Lord with all your heart,

And lean not on your own understanding;

⁶ In all your ways acknowledge Him,

And He shall direct your paths.

⁷ Do not be wise in your own eyes;

Fear the Lord and depart from evil.

⁸ It will be health to your flesh,

And strength to your bones.

Saul from Tarsus was highly intellectual and was even “commissioned” by the Pharisee’s high priest to capture and bring TRUE Christians to the Pharisees for execution. If you recall the encounter Saul from Tarsus had on the road to Damascus Saul became blinded with scales on his eyes. Obviously when you are blinded you can not see, but Saul heard Jesus talk to him. That is the first part of salvation leading to being born again. Are you hearing the voice of God/Jesus as Jesus said His sheep hear his voice. Secondly you must OBEY the voice/Word of God only then after hearing and obeying will your eyes will be opened! You must hear AND obey before your spiritual eyes are opened as the Holy Spirit says, COME. Saul responded “who are you Lord”. That is recognition of the Spirit, Voice and Person of Christ Jesus, this preludes your spiritual eyes to being opened and being “born again”.

You must have ears to hear, obey what you hear then comes eyes to see by being “born again”! This is exactly what Abraham did. He communed with God, Hear the Voice of God and was obedient to offer his own son as a living sacrifice! Now think of this. The only sacrifice God will/would accept is without spot or blemish so Isaac was without spot or blemish just as Jesus was without spot or blemish and the bride of Christ is called to be without spot or blemish! Isaac had the “seed” of Christ Jesus in him because he was of his “father” who had the “seed”. That seed is Christ Jesus! Abraham heard the Word/Voice of God, obeyed the Word/Voice of God then “righteousness” was imputed to Abraham!

Abraham was led by the Voice and Spirit of the Living God Christ Jesus! Are you being led by the Voice and Spirit of the Living God Christ Jesus? Are you truly “born again”? Saul later to be the Apostle Paul was led by the Voice and Spirit of Jesus and obeyed the Voice and Spirit of Jesus to become “born again”!

Jesus was obedient unto death! The Son of Man was obedient unto death as the “Spirit” is eternal and will never die! The Garden of Gethsamene was where the division of the Son of Man and Son of God was seperated! The cross was picked up before Jesus was ever placed upon it! That is why to follow Jesus you must pick up your cross and die to “self”. If you are a decendant of Abraham you would hear the Voice of God, Obey the Voice of God and die to your own will and earthly desires by picking up your cross!

Head knowledge or intellectual knowledge is of the flesh and God is a Spirit! We know that flesh and blood can not inherit the Kingdom of God and that Apostle Paul stated having known Christ in the flesh we NO LONGER follow Christ by the flesh! Your human reasoning is of the flesh, your own understanding!

1 Corinthians 3:18–23 (NKJV)

Avoid Worldly Wisdom

¹⁸ Let no one deceive himself. If anyone among you seems to be wise in this age, let him become a fool that he may become wise. ¹⁹ For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, “He catches the wise in their own craftiness”; ²⁰ and again, “The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise, that they are futile.” ²¹ Therefore let no one boast in men. For all things are yours: ²² whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas, or the world or life or death, or things present or things to come—all are yours. ²³ And you are Christ’s, and Christ is God’s.

I have said this many times and I can not say it enough. The Apostle Paul is a living testimony of the NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH. Paul did NOT follow the incarnate Christ Jesus rather Paul encountered the resurrected Christ Jesus! If you study the life of Saul from Tarus through to the Apostle Paul from Tarsus you will see that the Apostel Paul came out from Mystery Babylon the church of the Pharisees! I am not going to expound on Saul being from Mystery Babylon but only mention that the Pharisees used the political powers/systems to crucify Christ Jesus. I suggest you seek the Lord on this for yourself as we all should. I have written/posted on this previously.

One of the main points I want to bring to your awareness is that Saul from Tarsus considered himself a Pharisee’s Pharisee intellectually speaking! You see “head knowledge” is NOT “heart knowledge”. I could name many well known preachers today as well as those that have perished/passed on who had a great multitude of followers that do/did not have heart knowledge and true spiritual revelations of Christ Jesus.

They had/have their own “earthly wisdom” of deceptions and taught the beliefs of men and/or “other spirits”. Some have written their own bible traslations and expositions yet were NOT born again. They had NO revelation of the Holy Spirit yet claimed to be inspired by the Holy Spirit. Remember, “head knowledge” is NOT HEART KNOWLEDGE AND TRANSFORMATION!

The Holy Spirit does not dwell or reside in our minds. We need a “NEW HEART” and have the Word of God written upon it! That is why the Apostle Paul said “have this mind in you Christ Jesus”. We need the “renewing” of our minds which is the Holy Spirit casting down all false doctrine, teachings and beliefs! That is why the Holy Spirit will cast down all false beliefs, deceptions and false teachings when you walk and submit to the Holy Spirit. Let’s see how the Apostle Paul describes himself.

Philippians 3:1–11 (NKJV)

All for Christ

3 Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord. For me to write the same things to you is not tedious, but for you it is safe.

² Beware of dogs, beware of evil workers, beware of the mutilation! ³ For we are the circumcision, who worship God in the Spirit, rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh, ⁴ though I also might have confidence in the flesh. If anyone else thinks he may have confidence in the flesh, I more so: ⁵ circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of the Hebrews; concerning the law, a Pharisee; ⁶ concerning zeal, persecuting the church; concerning the righteousness which is in the law, blameless.

⁷ But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. ⁸ Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ ⁹ and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith; ¹⁰ that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, ¹¹ if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.

I want you to really reflect on what Paul is saying. Paul describes his personal achievements as a MAN being highly educated, pure of stock, obedient to the Law and yet Paul had to die daily to all of that to know Christ Jesus as the PERSON of the Godhead in the Spirit of the Lord. Notice Paul did not consider himself even while being an Apostle to be considered worthy of the resurrection! We have no worthiness of our own only a born again disciple of the Lord has imputed righteousness.

Many preachers today and many that have passed consistently preached and tought that the “gifts” of the Holy Spirit stopped during the time of the 12 Apostles. What they refuse to recognize is that is NOT TRUE. None of the disciples became Apostles until AFTER Christ’s resurrection! Jesus told the “disciples” it would be better that He would go so the Comforter could come and give them power from above.

John 20:19–22 (NKJV)

Christ Appears to the Disciples (Thomas Absent)

Mark 16:14; Luke 24:36–43

¹⁹ Then, the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in the midst, and said to them, “Peace be with you.” ²⁰ When He had said this, He showed them His hands and His side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord.

²¹ So Jesus said to them again, “Peace to you! As the Father has sent Me, I also send you.” ²² And when He had said this, He breathed on them, and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit.

Today people do not understand what it is to truly disciple people. What many are actually doing is teaching their “earthly intellect” and carnality and not spiritually building up a true disicple. Men following men verses truly following the Holy Spirit! Earthly intellect has NO spiritual revelations of Christ Jesus! That is why Paul said he gave them milk as unto babes because they could not handle Spiritual meat!

1 Corinthians 3:1–3 (NKJV)

Sectarianism is Carnal

3 And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual people but as to carnal, as to babes in Christ. ² I fed you with milk and not with solid food; for until now you were not able to receive it, and even now you are still not able; ³ for you are still carnal. For where there are envy, strife, and divisions among you, are you not carnal and behaving like mere men?

I have written this many times before. The Son of Man did NOT teach the disciples, the Son of God taught the disiciples! Here is a thought I want you to meditate and take to the Lord in prayer. Many people are worshipping the Son of Man (flesh) and not the Son of God Christ Jesus. Carnality follows carnality, Spirit follows Spirit!

John 4:21–24 (NKJV)

²¹ Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe Me, the hour is coming when you will neither on this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, worship the Father. ²² You worship what you do not know; we know what we worship, for salvation is of the Jews. ²³ But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. ²⁴ God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”

Meditate on this thought. God is Holy and in God there is NO darkness. Jesus and the Father will only receive worship that is HOLY not carnal! The flesh and human intellect has NO holiness of it’s own! Worship is Spirit to Spirit! The Holy Spirit to a Holy Jesus and Father! The trinity is ONE and is NOT divided.

So when a preacher or anyone tells you that there are no more spiritual gifts they are not representing the Lord Jesus! A house divided will not stand! The disciples became Apostles AFTER THE RESURRECTION OF CHRIST JESUS! Anyone that teaches the gifts have ceased is not led or following the Holy Spirit and NOT born again! It is the spirit of antichrist that denies the gifts of the Holy Spirit! The Holy Spirit and the Word of God are one together and will NEVER contridict one another! These people that teach there are no gifts are scholars, teachers, shepherds of their own making and idols to themselves and others! Let me also say that when the fullness of the gifts is represented the fullness of grace is empowered! There are five spiritual gifts and five is the number of grace! The fullness of Christ is represented! Christ incarnate was the fullness of the Father thus all five gifts were in Christ Jesus! A true mature Son of Christ Jesus and the Father can and will operate in all 5 gifts when lead by the Holy Spirit!

Revelation 2:2–3 (NKJV)

² “I know your works, your labor, your patience, and that you cannot bear those who are evil. And you have tested those who say they are apostles and are not, and have found them liars; ³ and you have persevered and have patience, and have labored for My name’s sake and have not become weary.

Ephesians 4:7–16 (NKJV)

Spiritual Gifts

⁷ But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ’s gift. ⁸ Therefore He says:

“When He ascended on high,

He led captivity captive,

And gave gifts to men.”

⁹ (Now this, “He ascended”—what does it mean but that He also first descended into the lower parts of the earth? ¹⁰ He who descended is also the One who ascended far above all the heavens, that He might fill all things.)

¹¹ And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, ¹² for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, ¹³ till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; ¹⁴ that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, ¹⁵ but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ—¹⁶ from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.

2 Corinthians 5:16–17 (NKJV)

¹⁶ Therefore, from now on, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know Him thus no longer. ¹⁷ Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.

Romans 8:1–17 (NKJV)

Free from Indwelling Sin

8 There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. ² For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death. ³ For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh, ⁴ that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. ⁵ For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. ⁶ For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. ⁷ Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be. ⁸ So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God.

⁹ But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His. ¹⁰ And if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. ¹¹ But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.

Sonship Through the Spirit

¹² Therefore, brethren, we are debtors—not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. ¹³ For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. ¹⁴ For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. ¹⁵ For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.” ¹⁶ The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, ¹⁷ and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together.

As I mediated on what the Lord revealed to me the Holy Spirit spoke and said to me UNTIL people acknowledge the COMPLETE GOSPEL and truly believe in their heart (not the mind) in the life, death and the resurrection of Christ that NO OTHER REVELATION CAN BE RECEIVED FROM THE LORD. True salvation must come first! You may argue on this and say the disciples were not born again when they were discipled but they were disciples of the Son of God, not the Son of Man! It was given to them to have ears to hear and eyes to see. Given by whom? Jesus Himself!

How can you receive revelations of “newness of life” or being a “new creation in Christ” if you do not believe in your heart Jesus is resurrected! If you deny the gifts of the Holy Spirit you deny the resurrection of Christ Jesus! Plain and simple! The Holy Spirit was given by the resurrected Christ Jesus! If you are not receiving revelations of Christ all you have is HUMAN INTELLECT like Saul from Tarsus!

1 Corinthians 15:12–19 (NKJV)

The Risen Christ, Our Hope

¹² Now if Christ is preached that He has been raised from the dead, how do some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? ¹³ But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ is not risen. ¹⁴ And if Christ is not risen, then our preaching is empty and your faith is also empty. ¹⁵ Yes, and we are found false witnesses of God, because we have testified of God that He raised up Christ, whom He did not raise up—if in fact the dead do not rise. ¹⁶ For if the dead do not rise, then Christ is not risen. ¹⁷ And if Christ is not risen, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins! ¹⁸ Then also those who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. ¹⁹ If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men the most pitiable.

When Peter was asked by Jesus whom do YOU say I am, Peter replied you are the Christ! So then Peter and the other disciples were taught by the Son of God by the Holy Spirit and NOT by the Son of Man! This is why the parables were made known to the disciples because they were taught by the Spirit of God by the Son of God!

Like I said, the Apostle Paul is the living example of the NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH. Let’s see how Paul describes true belief!

Ephesians 1:15–23 (NKJV)

Prayer for Spiritual Wisdom

¹⁵ Therefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, ¹⁶ do not cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers: ¹⁷ that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, ¹⁸ the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, ¹⁹ and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power ²⁰ which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, ²¹ far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come.

²² And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, ²³ which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.

Now let’s look at Romans for a moment to see where TRUE BELIEF is found within us.

Romans 10:1–13 (NKJV)

Israel Needs the Gospel

10 Brethren, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they may be saved. ² For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. ³ For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and seeking to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted to the righteousness of God. ⁴ For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.

⁵ For Moses writes about the righteousness which is of the law, “The man who does those things shall live by them.” ⁶ But the righteousness of faith speaks in this way, “Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’ ” (that is, to bring Christ down from above) ⁷ or, “ ‘Who will descend into the abyss?’ ” (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead). ⁸ But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith which we preach): ⁹ that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. ¹⁰ For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. ¹¹ For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.” ¹² For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him. ¹³ For “whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

Now please reflect on what I said in the beginning of this posting. Human intellect is not HEART KNOWLEDGE. Think of the parable of sowing seed and the different types of ground/heart conditions!

The eyes of your heart enlightened is not carnal head knowledge it is spiritual revelations of Christ Jesus in and from the heart! Remember the two commandments Jesus gave the first is to love the Lord with all of your heart, all your soul and all of your mind. The order is specific and intentional. There is no other way!

Matthew 13:1–58 (NKJV)

Parable of the Soils

Mark 4:1–20; Luke 8:4–15

13 On the same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the sea. ² And great multitudes were gathered together to Him, so that He got into a boat and sat; and the whole multitude stood on the shore.

³ Then He spoke many things to them in parables, saying: “Behold, a sower went out to sow. ⁴ And as he sowed, some seed fell by the wayside; and the birds came and devoured them. ⁵ Some fell on stony places, where they did not have much earth; and they immediately sprang up because they had no depth of earth. ⁶ But when the sun was up they were scorched, and because they had no root they withered away. ⁷ And some fell among thorns, and the thorns sprang up and choked them. ⁸ But others fell on good ground and yielded a crop: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. ⁹ He who has ears to hear, let him hear!”

¹⁰ And the disciples came and said to Him, “Why do You speak to them in parables?”

¹¹ He answered and said to them, “Because it has been given to you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given. ¹² For whoever has, to him more will be given, and he will have abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him. ¹³ Therefore I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. ¹⁴ And in them the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled, which says:

‘Hearing you will hear and shall not understand,

And seeing you will see and not perceive;

¹⁵ For the hearts of this people have grown dull.

Their ears are hard of hearing,

And their eyes they have closed,

Lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears,

Lest they should understand with their hearts and turn,

So that I should heal them.’

¹⁶ But blessed are your eyes for they see, and your ears for they hear; ¹⁷ for assuredly, I say to you that many prophets and righteous men desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it. (They were taught by the Spirit of God in Christ Jesus.) It takes the Holy Spirit to give revelations of Spirit and Truth!)

¹⁸ “Therefore hear the parable of the sower: ¹⁹ When anyone hears the word of the kingdom, and does not understand it, then the wicked one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is he who received seed by the wayside.

Let me just reflect on what is meant by received by the wayside.

Fall by the wayside: To be abandoned, neglected, or left behind because of failure, lack of interest, or inability to keep going (e.g., old habits fall by the wayside).

Have you let your heart take root of the seeds of the Spirit and Word of God? Have you “digested”/ “cultivated” the Word of God?

Revelation 10:9–11 (NKJV)

⁹ So I went to the angel and said to him, “Give me the little book.”

And he said to me, “Take and eat it; and it will make your stomach bitter, but it will be as sweet as honey in your mouth.”

¹⁰ Then I took the little book out of the angel’s hand and ate it, and it was as sweet as honey in my mouth. But when I had eaten it, my stomach became bitter. ¹¹ And he said to me, “You must prophesy again about many peoples, nations, tongues, and kings.”

The Holy Spirit ONLY testifies of Christ Jesus! Now go back and see that the disciples were blessed because it was given to them to see and hear! Hear what, the Holy Spirit in Christ Jesus discipling them! This is why NO MAN can truly disiciple anyone! This is also why false pastors, teachers, etc. use scriptures out of context such as faith comes by hearing the Word of God. They use it to get people to submit to them as being Lord over them! Remember the Word of God is Living and Active as it is from the very MOUTH OF GOD, GOD breathed! Do you hear the Holy Spirit speaking to you, spirit to spirit? Jesus said my sheep hear MY VOICE! Remember the spirit of a man can not receive the things of the Holy Spirit! I wrote another post on a false witness creates a false convert! I also wrote a post on the “wind and breath” being spirit! SECOND HAND KNOWLEDGE IS NOT PERSONAL REVELATION OF CHRIST JESUS. Jesus exposed this to the disciples when Jesus asked “who do people say that I am”.

1 John 2:27 (NKJV)

²⁷ But the anointing which you have received from Him abides in you, and you do not need that anyone teach you; but as the same anointing teaches you concerning all things, and is true, and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you will abide in Him.

Matthew 13 continued:

²⁰ But he who received the seed on stony places, this is he who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; ²¹ yet he has no root in himself, but endures only for a while. For when tribulation or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he stumbles. ²² Now he who received seed among the thorns is he who hears the word, and the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful. ²³ But he who received seed on the good ground is he who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and produces: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.”

Parable of the Wheat and Tares

²⁴ Another parable He put forth to them, saying: “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field; ²⁵ but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat and went his way. ²⁶ But when the grain had sprouted and produced a crop, then the tares also appeared. ²⁷ So the servants of the owner came and said to him, ‘Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have tares?’ ²⁸ He said to them, ‘An enemy has done this.’ The servants said to him, ‘Do you want us then to go and gather them up?’ ²⁹ But he said, ‘No, lest while you gather up the tares you also uproot the wheat with them. ³⁰ Let both grow together until the harvest, and at the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, “First gather together the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into my barn.” ’ ”

Parable of the Mustard Seed

Mark 4:30–32; Luke 13:18, 19

³¹ Another parable He put forth to them, saying: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and sowed in his field, ³² which indeed is the least of all the seeds; but when it is grown it is greater than the herbs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and nest in its branches.”

Parable of the Leaven

Luke 13:20, 21

³³ Another parable He spoke to them: “The kingdom of heaven is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal till it was all leavened.”

³⁴ All these things Jesus spoke to the multitude in parables; and without a parable He did not speak to them, ³⁵ that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying:

“I will open My mouth in parables;

I will utter things kept secret from the foundation of the world.”

Parable of the Tares Explained

³⁶ Then Jesus sent the multitude away and went into the house. And His disciples came to Him, saying, “Explain to us the parable of the tares of the field.”

³⁷ He answered and said to them: “He who sows the good seed is the Son of Man. ³⁸ The field is the world, the good seeds are the sons of the kingdom, but the tares are the sons of the wicked one. ³⁹ The enemy who sowed them is the devil, the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are the angels. ⁴⁰ Therefore as the tares are gathered and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of this age. ⁴¹ The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, and those who practice lawlessness, ⁴² and will cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth. ⁴³ Then the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears to hear, let him hear!

Parable of the Hidden Treasure

⁴⁴ “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and hid; and for joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.

Parable of the Pearl of Great Price

⁴⁵ “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking beautiful pearls, ⁴⁶ who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had and bought it.

Parable of the Dragnet

⁴⁷ “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a dragnet that was cast into the sea and gathered some of every kind, ⁴⁸ which, when it was full, they drew to shore; and they sat down and gathered the good into vessels, but threw the bad away. ⁴⁹ So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come forth, separate the wicked from among the just, ⁵⁰ and cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth.”

Parable of the Householder

⁵¹ Jesus said to them, “Have you understood all these things?”

They said to Him, “Yes, Lord.”

⁵² Then He said to them, “Therefore every scribe instructed concerning the kingdom of heaven is like a householder who brings out of his treasure things new and old.”

⁵³ Now it came to pass, when Jesus had finished these parables, that He departed from there.

Rejection at Nazareth

Mark 6:1–6

⁵⁴ When He had come to His own country, He taught them in their synagogue, so that they were astonished and said, “Where did this Man get this wisdom and these mighty works? ⁵⁵ Is this not the carpenter’s son? Is not His mother called Mary? And His brothers James, Joses, Simon, and Judas? ⁵⁶ And His sisters, are they not all with us? Where then did this Man get all these things?” ⁵⁷ So they were offended at Him.

But Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his own country and in his own house.” ⁵⁸ Now He did not do many mighty works there because of their unbelief.

Because of unbelief in the gifts of the spirit there is a powerless and unregenerated church in the power of the Holy Spirit! You can’t deny the Holy Spirit on the “right hand of power” and expect the “left hand” of the body to have Holy Spirit Power! A house divided will NOT stand! This is why the true sons/daughters come out from the congregations of men, religion, antichrist and become separate to Christ Jesus. The longer you sit in these false churches the more you grieve the Holy Spirit and quench the Holy Spirit. Eventually the church environment/structure becomes your idol and god and not Christ Jesus. Just to make a point, beware of people who want to stand in close proximity of the anointing of Christ Jesus because they want to operate under YOUR anointing pretending to be godly in Christ Jesus. You may doubt this but I received it directly from the Lord and scripture tells us this is possible.

Acts 5:15–16 (NKJV)

¹⁵ so that they brought the sick out into the streets and laid them on beds and couches, that at least the shadow of Peter passing by might fall on some of them. ¹⁶ Also a multitude gathered from the surrounding cities to Jerusalem, bringing sick people and those who were tormented by unclean spirits, and they were all healed.

Acts 16:16–18 (NKJV)

Paul and Silas Imprisoned

¹⁶ Now it happened, as we went to prayer, that a certain slave girl possessed with a spirit of divination met us, who brought her masters much profit by fortune-telling. ¹⁷ 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.” ¹⁸ 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.

I once had a Jezebel go to talk to a pastor whom I was to deliver a vision and Word of God and told the pastor before I met with him that the Lord said to her that I was to marry her and that I was not hearing from the Lord. When I met with the pastor he informed me of this and I said politely if the Lord has said this to her then the Lord will give her grace to wait because the Lord has not told me to marry her and I would be breaking covenant as I am still married in convenant to my wife who left me. I made a covenant with her for all of my life just as I have made and walk in covenant with my Lord Jesus.

2 Corinthians 6:14–7:1 (NKJV)

¹⁴ Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness? ¹⁵ And what accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever? ¹⁶ And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God. As God has said:

“I will dwell in them

And walk among them.

I will be their God,

And they shall be My people.”

¹⁷ Therefore

“Come out from among them

And be separate, says the Lord.

Do not touch what is unclean,

And I will receive you.”

¹⁸  “I will be a Father to you,

and you shall be My sons and daughters,

says the Lord Almighty.”

7 Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.

Just as we are called to discern the spirits we are also called to judge all things by the Holy Spirit! True judgment is done by the Holy Spirit and judgment is NOT passing sentencing/penance but rather rendering a decision if it is Godly, the will of God or of the Holy Spirit.

1 Corinthians 2:15–16 (NKJV)

¹⁵ But he who is spiritual judges all things, yet he himself is rightly judged by no one. ¹⁶ For “who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct Him?” But we have the mind of Christ.

Note you can not have the mind of Christ without the Holy Spirit leading you and guiding you into ALL TRUTH! So how can a wolf in sheep’s clothing or a person not “born again” guide and lead people astray that are led by the Holy Spirit? It would be wise to remember Jesus said His sheep are led to the slaughter and the blind lead the blind into the ditch.

Now even if a person teaches an error if they are born again they will get a witness that something is not right. How can a well known preacher whether currently preaching or departed preach for 10, 20, 30, 40, 50 years still preach the same errors? The Holy Spirit leads us INTO all TRUTH!

Jesus said MANY WILL COME IN HIS NAME! DO NOT BE DECEIVED! I will say it again and again a “MAN” can not make spiritual disciples! Why do you think the bible warns us of the spirit of antichrist as “even now there are many antichrists”. That was thousands of years ago, how much more deception and antichrists are there now? Do you trust in the Lord with all of your heart? If you do, the Lord Jesus would be your source for all truth as you guard your heart with diligence.

In closing I’d like to reinterate if you eliminate any of the spiritual gifts you deny the Holy Spirit as a whole! The Holy Spirit and the Living/Written Word are ONE!

John 1:1–5 (NKJV)

The Deity of Christ

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. ² He was in the beginning with God.

The Preincarnate Work of Christ

³ All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. ⁴ In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. ⁵ And the light shined in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.

Don’t confuse being physically alive with a spiritual life in Christ Jesus. A false disciple builds other false disciples. A false testimony of Christ Jesus can create other false testimonies to the undercerning.

Matthew 23:15 (NKJV)

¹⁵ “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel land and sea to win one proselyte, and when he is won, you make him twice as much a son of hell as yourselves.

If you have believed the lies that the gifts have ceased you have quenched the Holy Spirit and believed the lies of the antichrist spirit. Repent and seek the mercy, love and grace of the Lord Jesus NOW and ask the Lord Jesus to reveal to you in His Spirit of Truth where the lies of deception have taken root within you.

I do not write this in condemnation but in meekness and purity of heart that you may come to Christ Jesus and walk in ALL of His ways in Spirit and Truth. Do NOT be alarmed when you seek the Lord in Spirit and Truth truly desiring to know the person of Christ Jesus that others will mock you, discredit you and outcast you this is all a part of the journey and pilgramage home. Just as the Apostle Paul wrote about partaking the the body and blood that each of us should examine ourselves before partaking, we should examine ourselves in our devotions, worship and following of Christ Jesus in Spirit and Truth.

1 Corinthians 11:28–32 (NKJV)

²⁸ But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup. ²⁹ For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body. ³⁰ For this reason many are weak and sick among you, and many sleep. ³¹ For if we would judge ourselves, we would not be judged. ³² But when we are judged, we are chastened by the Lord, that we may not be condemned with the world.

Closing scripture:

John 17:6–19 (NKJV)

Christ Prays for His Disciples

⁶ “I have manifested Your name to the men whom You have given Me out of the world. They were Yours, You gave them to Me, and they have kept Your word. ⁷ Now they have known that all things which You have given Me are from You. ⁸ For I have given to them the words which You have given Me; and they have received them, and have known surely that I came forth from You; and they have believed that You sent Me.

⁹ “I pray for them. I do not pray for the world but for those whom You have given Me, for they are Yours. ¹⁰ And all Mine are Yours, and Yours are Mine, and I am glorified in them. ¹¹ Now I am no longer in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to You. Holy Father, keep through Your name those whom You have given Me, that they may be one as We are. ¹² While I was with them in the world, I kept them in Your name. Those whom You gave Me I have kept; and none of them is lost except the son of perdition, that the Scripture might be fulfilled. ¹³ But now I come to You, and these things I speak in the world, that they may have My joy fulfilled in themselves. ¹⁴ I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. ¹⁵ I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one. ¹⁶ They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. ¹⁷ Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth. ¹⁸ As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world. ¹⁹ And for their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they also may be sanctified by the truth.

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I would like to take some time to help people understand the manifestations of spirits and give some insight to assist with your discernment. Jesus spoke to me about the storm and the winds which also gave me further understanding of why when someone reads the bible or preaches the bible/Word I do not get a “living witness” in my spirit.

Many years ago when I got first saved I would be at a bible study or hearing a sermon preached and I knew they were reading from the bible but I did not receive an inner witness in my spirit. I immediately went to the Lord in question and concern. I said Lord I have the indwelling Spirit of Jesus in me why is your Word not witnessing to me as I should be rejoicing in hearing your Word. The Holy Spirit spoke to me and said, he is not one of mine and does not belong to me.

I immediately reflected on Apostle Peter saying to Jesus where should we go as you have the WORDS OF LIFE! I will elaborate more on this but for now lets start on what prompted me in the Spirit as the Lord revealed to me. Let’s read from Matthew.

Matthew 8:23–34 (ESV)

Jesus Calms a Storm

²³ And when he got into the boat, his disciples followed him. ²⁴ And behold, there arose a great storm on the sea, so that the boat was being swamped by the waves; but he was asleep. ²⁵ And they went and woke him, saying, “Save us, Lord; we are perishing.” ²⁶ And he said to them, “Why are you afraid, O you of little faith?” Then he rose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm. ²⁷ And the men marveled, saying, “What sort of man is this, that even winds and sea obey him?”

Jesus Heals Two Men with Demons

²⁸ And when he came to the other side, to the country of the Gadarenes, two demon-possessed men met him, coming out of the tombs, so fierce that no one could pass that way. ²⁹ And behold, they cried out, “What have you to do with us, O Son of God? Have you come here to torment us before the time?” ³⁰ Now a herd of many pigs was feeding at some distance from them. ³¹ And the demons begged him, saying, “If you cast us out, send us away into the herd of pigs.” ³² And he said to them, “Go.” So they came out and went into the pigs, and behold, the whole herd rushed down the steep bank into the sea and drowned in the waters. ³³ The herdsmen fled, and going into the city they told everything, especially what had happened to the demon-possessed men. ³⁴ And behold, all the city came out to meet Jesus, and when they saw him, they begged him to leave their region.

I have heard it preached and spoken many times that the disiples feared the storm even though they were experienced fishermen and I even heard they were fearful of the Lord which is not absolute truth. If they feared the Lord why get into the boat to begin with! Let me explain and reveal to you that they were not afraid of the storm what they were afraid of that they did not understand was the spirit that sent the storm! You must remember the disciples had NOT received the Holy Spirit until after the resurrection of Christ Jesus. They had no power of their own just as a saint with the Holy Spirit has no power of their own/flesh but only by the Spirit of the Lord! This is why we do not see miracles, demons cast out and the like. You must be led AND empowered by the Holy Spirit and do and speak only what the Holy Spirit instructs you to do! Otherwise you will operate in the power of the flesh and not the Holy Spirit.

Ecclesiastes 11:5 (NKJV)

⁵ As you do not know what is the way of the wind,

Or how the bones grow in the womb of her who is with child,

So you do not know the works of God who makes everything.

2 Timothy 1:7 (NKJV)

⁷ For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.

As you read fear is a spirit! The fear of the wind and waves in the storm was spirit! Experienced fishermen have experience in storms so the source of fear was spiritual NOT natural.

Zechariah 4:6 (NKJV)

⁶ So he answered and said to me:

“This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel:

‘Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’

Says the Lord of hosts.

What I am about to reveal to you is that spirits manifest in wind and in breath! Every word spoken has spirit thus the tongue both blesses and curses! Life and death are in the power of the tongue!

Proverbs 18:21 (NKJV)

²¹ Death and life are in the power of the tongue,

And those who love it will eat its fruit.

Matthew 12:36–37 (NKJV)

³⁶ But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment. ³⁷ For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”

Proverbs 13:3 (NKJV)

³ He who guards his mouth preserves his life,

But he who opens wide his lips shall have destruction.

Every word you “read” has spirit and that is why our minds are under constant spiritual attack! When you read you speak the words to your mind! The spirit that those words were inspired/written are attached spiritually to what you read! Your ears do the same thing! Everything you hear has spirit behind it!

What happened in the boat was that the spirit of Satan came against the will of Jesus and the disciples as they were headed to the county of the Gaderenes. Now that was in the land of Bashan where Mt. Hermon was located. Mt. Hermon is where the fallen angels made their “pack of agreement” to infiltrate the daughters of men. This is where Jesus transfigured and said I will build my church upon this rock, it was where the fallen angels had made their pack to infiltrate the daughters of men. So it was a principality and stronghold! Remember the gentiles had NOT received the law yet.

NOTES: Bashan. Region east and northeast of the Sea of Galilee. The exact boundaries of Bashan are difficult to determine, but it extended approximately 35 to 40 miles from the foot of Mt Hermon in the north to the Yarmuk River in the south, and stretched some 60 to 70 miles eastward from the Sea of Galilee.

According to the apocryphal Book of Enoch, the fallen angels (known as the Watchers) descended on the summit of Mount Hermon. It is a massive 9,232-foot mountain cluster located along the border of Syria and Lebanon. [1, 2, 3, 4]

Genesis 6:1–4 (NKJV)

The Wickedness and Judgment of Man

6 Now it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born to them, ² that the sons of God saw the daughters of men, that they were beautiful; and they took wives for themselves of all whom they chose.

³ And the Lord said, “My Spirit shall not strive with man forever, for he is indeed flesh; yet his days shall be one hundred and twenty years.” ⁴ There were giants on the earth in those days, and also afterward, when the sons of God came in to the daughters of men and they bore children to them. Those were the mighty men who were of old, men of renown.

There has been some debate on which mountain Jesus transfigured as some say Mt. Tabor and other Mt. Hermon. I believe it was Mt Hermon and that is where Jesus transfigured and said the “gates of hell” would not prevail! Jesus was there to redeem everything, absolutely everything and declared this by His transfiguration that the “Watchers/Fallen angels” answered and submitted to Him the One True God and that they would be defeated and Jesus would take back ALL dominion and authority.

Matthew 17:1–13 (NKJV)

The Transfiguration

Mark 9:2–13; Luke 9:28–36; 2 Pet. 1:17, 18

17 Now after six days Jesus took Peter, James, and John his brother, led them up on a high mountain by themselves; ² and He was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became as white as the light. ³ And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Him. ⁴ Then Peter answered and said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here; if You wish, let us make here three tabernacles: one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.”

⁵ While he was still speaking, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them; and suddenly a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Hear Him!” ⁶ And when the disciples heard it, they fell on their faces and were greatly afraid. ⁷ But Jesus came and touched them and said, “Arise, and do not be afraid.” ⁸ When they had lifted up their eyes, they saw no one but Jesus only.

⁹ Now as they came down from the mountain, Jesus commanded them, saying, “Tell the vision to no one until the Son of Man is risen from the dead.”

¹⁰ And His disciples asked Him, saying, “Why then do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?”

¹¹ Jesus answered and said to them, “Indeed, Elijah is coming first and will restore all things. ¹² But I say to you that Elijah has come already, and they did not know him but did to him whatever they wished. Likewise the Son of Man is also about to suffer at their hands.” ¹³ Then the disciples understood that He spoke to them of John the Baptist.

Revelation of the Church

¹⁸ And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. ¹⁹ 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 will be loosed in heaven.”

²⁰ Then He commanded His disciples that they should tell no one that He was Jesus the Christ.

Now you need to understand wind and breath are both spirit! When Jesus spoke and rebuked the winds and waves Jesus rebuked the spirit Satan had sent causing the wind and waves. Notice wind is spirit and breath is spirit! Here is a great example of discerning the wind/spirit.

1 Kings 19:11–14 (NKJV)

God’s Revelation to Elijah

¹¹ Then He said, “Go out, and stand on the mountain before the Lord.” And behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind tore into the mountains and broke the rocks in pieces before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake; ¹² and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a still small voice.

¹³ So it was, when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood in the entrance of the cave. Suddenly a voice came to him, and said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”

¹⁴ And he said, “I have been very zealous for the Lord God of hosts; because the children of Israel have forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your altars, and killed Your prophets with the sword. I alone am left; and they seek to take my life.”

John 4:24 (NKJV)

²⁴ God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”

Acts 2:1–4 (NKJV)

Coming of the Holy Spirit

2 When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. ² And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. ³ Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. ⁴ And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.

It was the wind/spirit of Satan rebuked by the breath/wind/spirit of Jesus, spirit against spirit! Jesus didn’t create a “natural wind” when Jesus spoke Jesus released His spirit and rebuked the spirit of Satan in and of the wind! So when the disciples marveled and said what MAN is He that can rebuke the wind it was not the Son of Man but the Son of God who rebuked the spiritual winds of Satan.

Let me continue on with wind and breath being spirit. If you go back all the way to Genesis and creation you will see when God spoke/breathed and spirit created! A person does not speak on the inhale only on the exhale! When you speak you exhale breath and spirit. If you are NOT a new creation born again in Christ Jesus you still release spirit and it’s NOT of the Lord! If I had to preach a sermon today about this it would be on the following scripture.

Luke 9:54–56 (NKJV)

⁵⁴ And when His disciples James and John saw this, they said, “Lord, do You want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them, just as Elijah did?”

⁵⁵ But He turned and rebuked them, and said, “You do not know what manner of spirit you are of. ⁵⁶ For the Son of Man did not come to destroy men’s lives but to save them.” And they went to another village.

You will never read that Jesus yelled our shouted when healing the sick or casting out demons. Spirit/breath with the Word and will of God is what is needed. You can’t scream a demon out of someone! Think about this. Demons do not respond to the love of Christ Jesus only the authority of Christ Jesus. There is no redemption for demons so they do not respond to the love of Jesus. Believing that you can “hug or counsel” someone free is not the same as taking spiritual authority over the demon(s).

Genesis 2:7 (NKJV)

⁷ And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being.

I was talking with a brother in Christ and I was talking about so many scriptures that pastors use to manipulate so they will become and idol to the church and lord over them.

The one I mentioned with ephasis was faith comes by hearing the Word of God. Many leaders/pastors use this to validate “THEIR MINISTRY” and not exalt Christ Jesus. Tossing around the name of Jesus making you think they belong to Jesus when they are wolves in sheep’s clothing. Would you be surprised if I told you Jesus did not have a ministry? Jesus ONLY did what He saw the Father doing and the Words Jesus spoke were not of His own. If you have seen Jesus you have seen the Father. We are to walk by the Spirit of God not doing our own will, works or speaking our own words but only do what Jesus is doing and speak what Jesus is speaking! You must have ears to hear what the Spirit is saying!

Philippians 2:7–12 (NKJV)

⁷ but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. ⁸ And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. ⁹ Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, ¹⁰ that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, ¹¹ and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Revelation 2:29 (NKJV)

²⁹ “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” ’

John 5:19–21 (NKJV)

Equality with God in Power

¹⁹ Then Jesus answered and said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do; for whatever He does, the Son also does in like manner. ²⁰ For the Father loves the Son, and shows Him all things that He Himself does; and He will show Him greater works than these, that you may marvel. ²¹ For as the Father raises the dead and gives life to them, even so the Son gives life to whom He will.

John 14:10–12 (NKJV)

¹⁰ Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father in Me? The words that I speak to you I do not speak on My own authority; but the Father who dwells in Me does the works. ¹¹ Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father in Me, or else believe Me for the sake of the works themselves.

¹² “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father.

You may know something that the Lord has given you revelation on but you are not to speak it until prompted by the Holy Spirit. Words spoken without the Holy Spirit are easily twisted, manipulated and used by Satan for deception. Words spoken without the Holy Spirit are powerless against the spirit realm without the unction of the Holy Spirit! Beware of those who claim to teach healing and deliverance “methods”, as a method is not being led by the Holy Spirit. No Holy Spirit no power to heal or deliver. That is why psycotherapy is so prevelant in the church and SOZO is demonic in it’s methods. The Holy Spirit works by divine revelation not a probing spirit! Jesus will tell you what HE wants to do for a person do not rely on your own understanding or the teachings of men! Seek the Lord for HIS will and desires for that person so Jesus can set the captives free!

Acts 19:13–17 (NKJV)

¹³ Then some of the itinerant Jewish exorcists took it upon themselves to call the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits, saying, “We exorcise you by the Jesus whom Paul preaches.” ¹⁴ Also there were seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, who did so.

¹⁵ And the evil spirit answered and said, “Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are you?”

¹⁶ Then the man in whom the evil spirit was leaped on them, overpowered them, and prevailed against them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded. ¹⁷ This became known both to all Jews and Greeks dwelling in Ephesus; and fear fell on them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus was magnified.

Ok, back to faith comes by hearing the Word of God used out of context. We know the bible was God Breathed and Jesus said my sheep hear my voice. So are you hearing the Holy Spirit speak to you and getting an inner witness in the Holy Spirit when someone preaches or teaches? The Written Word is from the mouth of God and are you hearing the Holy Spirit talk to you and witness within you? Are the words spoken “Living Word” or just merely spoken recital of literal reading/teaching of men? There are many parrots in the pulpits but very few pastors called by the Holy Spirit and born of the Holy Spirit. If the man in the pulpit is not born again ask yourself which kingdom he represents? He may call himself a Christain but he is not a Christian.

2 Peter 1:21 (ESV)

²¹ For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.

Hebrews 4:12 (NKJV)

¹² For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

Now let’s go back to when Adam was created and God breathed into Adams notrils the Spirit of God! So here you have the Holy Spirit as breath which is another manifestion of spirit which needs to be discerned. What creates a “spiritual atmosphere”? It is not just physical presence it is also spiritual presence! Every breath exhaled is spirit. Every inhalation of air is also spirit. Here is what is needed. All of our five natural senses must be submitted to the Holy Spirit to discern the spirits. Smell is a discerning of spirits as the prayers of the saints is incense to the Lord. Incense are inhaled in the nostrils. So every spiritual assignment against you can affect your sense of smell even to the point of chronic sinusitis! When one of your natural sense is under attack it can affect the whole body. Even cigarrete smoke can be used as a form of incense to a pagan deity! Smoke rises and the enchantments of assignments rises with the smoke! The Lord revealed this to me as a Jezebel was releasing curses against me while smoking. She would smoke while looking at me with eyes of hatred and murder releasing her assignments to pagan deities against me.

Why do you think Jezebel killed the prophets? If Satan can’t kill you spiritually Satan will try to kill you physically! What Satan and Jezebel did was silence the spirit/breath of the prophets! Satan and Jezebel want to kill Christ Jesus in you thus you are a personal target of the adversary! Both your physical and spiritual afflictions are spiritually released against you. That being said will you still be a true witness for Christ when you are persecuted, ridiculed, slandered, imprisoned, physically and spiritually attacked?

Matthew 10:28 (NKJV)

²⁸ And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.

When you pray for someone you speak the words over them and the words have spirit from your breath, what spirit are you speaking? Were your words inspired by the Holy Spirit? Were they spoken by faith in the Holy Spirit? I was once at a leadership prayer meeting that I was invited to. We all took a turn at praying and when it was my turn I prayed using scriptures. I was shocked at the end of the prayer session when I was approached by many who said they never heard anyone pray using scriptures! I said how else can you pray but according to the will and Word of God! What did the virgin Mary say? Be it according to your Word that I would be considered worthy! If you are not praying the will of God your prayers will not be answered or fulfilled. God is NOT contrary to His Word. You must discern spiritually by seeking the Lord how and what to pray. Too many pray against the will of God believing they are doing the will of God! Some people have to go through things to turn them back to Christ Jesus and you can’t pray them out of something Jesus has placed them into. You can however edify them by knowing the will of God and speaking to them. I have not been able to tell people they are “being tested” when they come to me for prayer trying to get out of a situation the Lord has allowed to happen. If you tell them their being tested the test is no longer valid. Abraham was test even to the point of sacrificing his own son. No one else was involved just Abraham and the Lord! If you give them the answer there was no real test! Abraham didn’t seek answers from people or his own wife about sacrifcying his own son as the Lord instructed him. Yes that is very profound indeed! Moses didn’t seek answers from others when faced with the Red Sea, he sought the Lord knowing he had not returned to the mountain to worship the Lord! His assignment/mission had not been completed thus Moses knew nothing could stop the will of God! You might be called to do something from the Lord that NO ONE will understand so don’t be discouraged!

Matthew 24:35 (NKJV)

³⁵ Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away.

John 1:1 (NKJV)

The Deity of Christ

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

Let’s get back to wind and breath being spirit. Let’s read Ezekiel.

Ezekiel 37:9 (NKJV)

⁹ Also He said to me, “Prophesy to the breath, prophesy, son of man, and say to the breath, ‘Thus says the Lord God: “Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe on these slain, that they may live.” ’ ”

In Ezekiel you have both breath and wind as the Spirit of the Lord! This is a great example! When Jesus was confronting the pharisees as in John 3:8 Jesus was referring to the Spirit of God! They did not know the Spirit of God and denied Christ as their Messiah.

John 3:6–12 (NKJV)

⁶ That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. ⁷ Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ ⁸ The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.”

⁹ Nicodemus answered and said to Him, “How can these things be?”

¹⁰ Jesus answered and said to him, “Are you the teacher of Israel, and do not know these things? ¹¹ Most assuredly, I say to you, We speak what We know and testify what We have seen, and you do not receive Our witness. ¹² If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things?

Psalm 135:7 (NKJV)

⁷ He causes the vapors to ascend from the ends of the earth;

He makes lightning for the rain;

He brings the wind out of His treasuries.

1 Corinthians 2:11 (NKJV)

¹¹ For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God.

While I love all of the Word of God I am deeply inspired by Paul’s Epistles as Paul is a representation of the Church post resurrection. Paul was not discipled by Jesus personally but rather encountered Jesus and was taught by the Holy Spirit. Everything Paul was taught was by the Holy Spirit. I might also add that NONE of the disciples became Apostles until receiving the Holy Spirit after the resurrection. That is how Saul became Paul, post resurrection. Jesus revealed Himself to everyone that He discipled and I believe that is the same today! Jesus as the Son of God and NOT the son of man discipled the disciples. It was the Spirit of God that discipled them! That is why Jesus told them it was best if He left so the Holy Spirit could come. In fact they would not even remember what they were taught without the Holy Spirit and there were still things for them to learn that the Holy Spirit would reveal.

John 14:25–27 (NKJV)

²⁵ “These things I have spoken to you while being present with you. ²⁶ But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you. ²⁷ Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

1 John 2:27 (NKJV)

²⁷ But the anointing which you have received from Him abides in you, and you do not need that anyone teach you; but as the same anointing teaches you concerning all things, and is true, and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you will abide in Him.

So when the great commission was given to the disciples after the resurrection of Christ Jesus and Jesus gave them the Holy Spirit they were NO LONGER speaking the teachings of men or the understanding of men but as they spoke revelations of Christ Jesus. This is why Paul said he had to give them milk because they were not ready for the meat of the Word!

1 Corinthians 3:1–4 (NKJV)

Sectarianism is Carnal

3 And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual people but as to carnal, as to babes in Christ. ² I fed you with milk and not with solid food; for until now you were not able to receive it, and even now you are still not able; ³ for you are still carnal. For where there are envy, strife, and divisions among you, are you not carnal and behaving like mere men? ⁴ For when one says, “I am of Paul,” and another, “I am of Apollos,” are you not carnal?

Ephesians 4:11–16 (NKJV)

¹¹ And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, ¹² for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, ¹³ till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; ¹⁴ that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, ¹⁵ but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ—¹⁶ from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.

Now that we have establish the wind and breath as spirit let me expound on Paul’s writtings. In Corinthias Paul talks about someone preaching another Jesus and a different spirit. Read below.

2 Corinthians 11:4 (NKJV)

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!

When you read more of Paul’s writings you will see that Paul talks about “wind of doctrine” which is spirit! That is why Paul says you can receive a different Jesus and a different spirit! This is rampant in the assembly of the congregations! Remember the demon spoke out, Jesus I know, Paul I know but who are you!!

Ephesians 4:14–16 (NKJV)

¹⁴ that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, ¹⁵ but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ—¹⁶ from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.

I hope you are getting revelations of discernment and why the Written Word and Living Word Christ Jesus are ONE not seperate! When you read Isaiah you will see how the “eagle” soars in the wind of the Spirit of the Lord! They don’t flap their own wings they soar in the wind of the Spirit! Isaiah is not just writing the Word of God as he is discribing his own personal experience! Every single Written Word of God is experienced life in Christ Jesus!

Isaiah 40:31 (NKJV)

³¹ But those who wait on the Lord

Shall renew their strength;

They shall mount up with wings like eagles,

They shall run and not be weary,

They shall walk and not faint.

Philippians 4:13 (NKJV)

¹³ I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

John 15:5 (NKJV)

⁵ “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.

Zechariah 4:6 (NKJV)

⁶ So he answered and said to me:

“This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel:

‘Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’

Says the Lord of hosts.

2 Timothy 3:16–17 (NKJV)

¹⁶ All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, ¹⁷ that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.

Matthew 16:13–20 (NKJV)

Revelation of the Person of the King

Mark 8:27–30; Luke 9:18–21

¹³ When Jesus came into the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, saying, “Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?”

¹⁴ So they said, “Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”

¹⁵ He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?”

¹⁶ Simon Peter answered and said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”

¹⁷ Jesus answered and said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven.

Each of us should be increasing in revelations of Christ which is the person of Christ and not just merely from the Written Word. Just as Paul wrote. Only the Lord by the power of the Holy Spirit can bear witness as to who is of the Lord Jesus and who is not. Do not be deceived! Seek the Lord. Just as the Father revealed to Peter that Jesus was the Messiah let Jesus reveal to you who is of the Lord Jesus!

Philippians 3:1–21 (NKJV)

All for Christ

3 Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord. For me to write the same things to you is not tedious, but for you it is safe.

² Beware of dogs, beware of evil workers, beware of the mutilation! ³ For we are the circumcision, who worship God in the Spirit, rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh, ⁴ though I also might have confidence in the flesh. If anyone else thinks he may have confidence in the flesh, I more so: ⁵ circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of the Hebrews; concerning the law, a Pharisee; ⁶ concerning zeal, persecuting the church; concerning the righteousness which is in the law, blameless.

⁷ But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. ⁸ Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ ⁹ and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith; ¹⁰ that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, ¹¹ if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.

Pressing Toward the Goal

¹² Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. ¹³ Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, ¹⁴ I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

¹⁵ Therefore let us, as many as are mature, have this mind; and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal even this to you. ¹⁶ Nevertheless, to the degree that we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us be of the same mind.

Our Citizenship in Heaven

¹⁷ Brethren, join in following my example, and note those who so walk, as you have us for a pattern. ¹⁸ For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ: ¹⁹ whose end is destruction, whose god is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame—who set their mind on earthly things. ²⁰ For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, ²¹ who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body, according to the working by which He is able even to subdue all things to Himself.

I want to briefly say having read Paul’s writing above do not be taken by cliche’s and slogans many repeat that are NOT biblical in meaning and intent! Just as Eve presented the apple to Adam do not be deceived. The cliché of “having a relationship with Jesus” is NOT biblical at all! We are not called to a relationship. Judas had a relationship, the Pharisees had a relationship, Pilot had a relationship and even Satan has a relationship. We were NOT CREATED FOR A MERE RELATIONSHIP WE WERE CREATED IN THE IMAGE AND LIKENESS OF OUR CREATOR! An athiest has a relationship as they deny Christ and that is their choice do not fall for cliche’s.

We do not need to know our identity in Christ as a dead man/woman has no identity of their own. I am not found in Christ the way they use this metaphor. Christ IN you the hope of glory not me in Christ! The cliché “my identity” exalts self it does not lift up Christ and exalt Christ Jesus. Satan’s trinity as I like to refer to is “me, myself, and I”.

Galatians 6:14–15 (NKJV)

¹⁴ But God forbid that I should boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. ¹⁵ For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but a new creation.

Galatians 2:20 (NKJV)

²⁰ I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.

Romans 6:1–11 (NKJV)

Dead to Sin, Alive to God

6 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? ² Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it? ³ Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? ⁴ Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.

⁵ For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection, ⁶ knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. ⁷ For he who has died has been freed from sin. ⁸ Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, ⁹ knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over Him. ¹⁰ For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. ¹¹ Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

In closing I want you to reflect on the beginning of this writing regarding the disciples in the boat with Jesus in the wind and waves and why they were in fear. They were not in fear of the wind or the waves but the spirit of the wind and waves which was Satan! I hope you can see this more clearly as I personally have NEVER heard this preached. All the preaching I heard was carnal in mind and not spiritual revelations. Now I will conclude and close with scriptures from Job. Reflect on all that happened to Job was the works of Satan while the Lord God still protected the life of Job.

Job 1:18–22 (NKJV)

¹⁸ While he was still speaking, another also came and said, “Your sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother’s house, ¹⁹ and suddenly a great wind came from across the wilderness and struck the four corners of the house, and it fell on the young people, and they are dead; and I alone have escaped to tell you!”

²⁰ Then Job arose, tore his robe, and shaved his head; and he fell to the ground and worshiped. ²¹ And he said:

“Naked I came from my mother’s womb,

And naked shall I return there.

The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away;

Blessed be the name of the Lord.”

²² In all this Job did not sin nor charge God with wrong.

If you were blessed and encouraged please feel free to share this posting for the edification and strengthen of the true body of Christ Jesus.

God bless you!

The post SPIRITUAL MANIFESTATIONS OF WIND AND BREATH appeared first on Abiding Bread.

As with any posting from anyone I do my best to try to communicate what is on my heart the best that I can. Please take all matters to the Lord in prayer. It is NOT my will that anyone be deceived. The enemy is after all of us, including me! I pray the Holy Spirit bears witness to all of you. If not then it could be for a different time in your walk with the Lord. DO NOT ACCEPT WHAT THE HOLY SPIRIT DOES NOT REVEAL BUT PRAY INTO IT. God bless the saints of the Lord and may the fullness of His love and spirit dwell and manifest richly within you.

The very first point of mention is that even though a sword is mentioned in both scriptures the spiritual implications of those scriptures above is completely different. You can read my posting of David vs. Goliath to get better understanding. https://abidingbread.com/2025/12/02/david-vs-goliath-the-mark-of-the-beast/

Too many Christians directly equate Hebrews 4:12 with the armor of God and they are completely different applications and one precedes the other in being equipped for battle. We know that a kingdom divided can not stand as well as when we are born again we receive imputed righteousness from Christ Jesus. This imputed righteous by the indwelling Holy Spirit still needs to do a work within us BEFORE we take the battle field in the Spirit realm.

Just because you received the Holy Spirit does NOT mean you are totally filled with light! We know this by the parable of the 10 virgins! So we still have darkness within us that the Holy Spirit wishes and desires to “cut away” from within us. That is the double edge sword. Too many also it is symbolic of the brethren as “iron sharpening iron” but that is just scratching the surface because when you sharpen any knife, sword or iron you need “honing oil” which is the Holy Spirit because we are talking about spiritual growth unto complete sanctification and holiness! Think Galatians 2:20 & 6:14.

The Word of God in Hebrews 4:12 is the living God not just the Written Word. It is the Lord by the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit that crucifies our old nature and gets us to the Garden of Gethsemane. What sorrowed the Lord is that the disciples fell asleep which means the same application process of what Jesus went through was not a living witness to them. They were called to die to “self” just as when they partook of the last supper! When you take communion you are actively committing to dying to “self” as whoever does not partake of the Body and Blood is not worthy to follow Jesus.

Hebrews 4:12–13 (NKJV)

¹² For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. ¹³ And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.

Notice heart, mind and soul! These represent the first commandment Jesus spoke that we must love Jesus with all of our mind, heart and soul! This is not possible when you deny the Holy Spirit access to these areas of our very being! Also notice the saints will give an account of denying the process of sanctification and pruning!

John 15:1–11 (NKJV)

The Relationship of Believers to Christ

15 “I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. ² Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. ³ You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. ⁴ Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.

⁵ “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. ⁶ If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned. ⁷ If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. ⁸ By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.

⁹ “As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love. ¹⁰ If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love.

¹¹ “These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full.

This is of vital importance as in the New Testament I can not reflect on even one single Apostle given unto a sinful nature! So this false metaphor Christians repeat that no one is without sin is TOTALLY VOID of the life, death and resurrection of Christ Jesus! You deny the gospel and the power of God by this statement! You deny the double edge sword which is the person of Christ Jesus! I say PERSON of Christ Jesus for a reason which I will expound on as we proceed. When you deny the double edge sword you deny THE FINISHED WORK OF THE CROSS OF CHRIST JESUS.

Romans 6:1–14 (NKJV)

Dead to Sin, Alive to God

6 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? ² Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it? ³ Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? ⁴ Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.

⁵ For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection, ⁶ knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. ⁷ For he who has died has been freed from sin. ⁸ Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, ⁹ knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over Him. ¹⁰ For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. ¹¹ Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

¹² Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts. ¹³ And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. ¹⁴ For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace.

Have you allowed the Cross of Christ Jesus to work within you? I am not talking about stumbling as we live in a fallen world and the influences of darkness as no saint is exempt from spiritual attacks of Satan. I am talking about the same sin being repetitive. I realize that many forms of bondage are not easy but are you calling on the Lord to crucify that sin, asking for HIS power and GRACE to overcome? Why is the mindset stronghold of being saved your final destination. Why are the churches sending out newly saved people telling them they are ready to minister? They have a testimony but are not yet ready for ministry. There is no real discipleship from the Holy Spirit. I keep saying this over and over you are to reflect, represent and reveal Christ Jesus. This means you do not represent your pastor, church, denomination, your own beliefs which may be false but you preach and speak IN SPIRIT AND TRUTH. When you speak with a mixture of flesh and spirit I guess you could say you speak with a forked tongue. I am not saying this out of cruelty. I have witnessed by the Holy Spirit when someone speaks starting out in the Spirit and then adds their own interpretation of expounds with their own intellect rather than revelations of Spirit and Truth. Hey, we are human and all being refined. This is why prophet utterance is only speaking by the power and unction of the Holy Spirit. Just as Jesus said the words I speak are not my own but of my Father. I only do what I see my Father doing! We must all develop this in our own walk with the Lord. Today the church has people say a prayer, dunk them in water and sends them out. How come it took three and a half years for discipleship when JESUS TAUGHT THEM and even then without the Holy Spirit they would not remember what they had been taught. In addition there were things Jesus said He could NOT teach them until the Holy Spirit dwelt within them. That is why in my previous post I said all of the Apostles had the same Gospel but each grew in continued revelations of Christ. Paul preached on Grace because it was a personal revelation by the Thorn in the flesh. Paul knew this was also a spiritual attack and wrote Ephesians six. John wrote the Book of Revelations. All of the Epistles were their testimonies of continue Revelations of Christ Jesus. It is the Apostles and Prophets that lay the foundation of Christ Jesus but not only the denial of the five fold ministry but also the false people in the five fold ministry corrupt the Word of God. The five fold ministry is the fullness of Jesus as five is the biblical number of GRACE! A true Apostle walks in the total of the five fold ministry or how could you “BUILD THE CHURCH”. Today we only have a pastor who eliminates the five fold ministry and he alone represents an all in one presence. Is the pastor prophetic? Let’s put it this way which office of the five fold ministry in the bible battles Jezebel? What office of the five fold ministry took on principalities? Which office took on Kings of other nations? When the church does not have the five fold ministry the saints suffer in edification. There again just as there are false pastors/prophets there will be false in all five offices. That does not mean those offices do not exist. It’s so sad today that the saints can’t distinguish between prophecy and the office of a prophet! When Paul said above all the gifts he wish all would prophesy he was referring to being living witnesses/testimonies of Christ Jesus. The spirit of prophecy is testimony of Jesus. Anyone that speaks/proclaims/preaches is prophesying but that does NOT make them a prophet! So preaching is a testimony of Jesus Christ. Many have another Jesus that they preach and thus a different Spirit.

I get many excuses when I bring up these points when people say Moses wasn’t perfect and yet Moses was commissioned. They do not see the difference between the Old Testament and New Testament! Visitation is NOT habitation, why do you think they brought the Arc of the Covenant?

Exodus 33:15 (NKJV)

¹⁵ Then he said to Him, “If Your Presence does not go with us, do not bring us up from here.

It is important to understand when the Lord went with them did the Lord only go in part or in fullness? Is the fullness of the Holy Spirit been developed and established within you? Is there still any darkness that you have within you? If so, the fullness of Christ is NOT going with you or within you!

Jesus is the fulfillment of the Old Covenant! Those born again do not live under the Old Covenant. To understand the New Covenant the Old Covenant is needed and visa versa. To understand the fullness of the Old Covenant the New Covenant is needed. That is why the full counsel of God’s Word is vital and essential!

Matthew 5:48 (NKJV)

⁴⁸ Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.

Philippians 1:6 (NKJV)

⁶ being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ;

Hebrews 12:14 (NKJV)

¹⁴ Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord:

Matthew 6:21–23 (NKJV)

²¹ For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

²²  “The lamp of the body is the eye. If therefore your eye is good, your whole body will be full of light. ²³ But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is that darkness!

Now let us look at how by allowing the fulfillment of Hebrews 4:12 which is the Person of Christ Jesus to work within you unto complete sanctification and holiness you can not fulfill Ephesians 6:10-20.

Ephesians 6:10–20 (NKJV)

The Whole Armor of God

¹⁰ Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. ¹¹ Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. ¹² For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. ¹³ Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

¹⁴ Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, ¹⁵ and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; ¹⁶ above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. ¹⁷ And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; ¹⁸ praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints—¹⁹ and for me, that utterance may be given to me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel, ²⁰ for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.

If you do not put on which means submit to Hebrews 4:12 you are unable to put on the power of His might or the completed armor. Thus you are not truly equipped for the battlefield! Are you sanctified by His Word? Has all of HIS WORD which is the LIVING WORD CHRIST JESUS FORMED WITHIN YOU. ARE YOU ESTABLISHED IN HIS IMAGE AND LIKENESS. I know this is contrary to the preaching of today but this is critical in the hour we live!

John 17:18–23 (NKJV)

¹⁸ As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world. ¹⁹ And for their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they also may be sanctified by the truth.

Christ Prays for All Believers

²⁰ “I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; ²¹ that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me. ²² And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: ²³ I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me.

Now let us try to wrap this up. As you seen in John 17 we are sanctified by truth. Is your church preaching in Spirit and Truth? Truth is established ONLY by The Holy Spirit. So are you allowing Hebrews 4:12-13 to be fulfilled in you? Christ Jesus was not glorified until after His death and resurrection and if Mary had touched Jesus before Jesus ascended that would have changed the outcome. You see human hands can not create the dwelling place of the Lord so a church structure or place of congregation is NOT the church. If Jesus had not ascended into glory before anyone touched Jesus the fallen nature would have been a contamination of the resurrection. You may ask how do we know this. Paul tells us and this is also why the modern day church is in the condition that it is and why false doctrines have created people influenced and inhabited by demons who call themselves Christians.

1 Timothy 5:22 (NKJV)

²² Do not lay hands on anyone hastily, nor share in other people’s sins; keep yourself pure.

I hope you have found this informative and that you received this in Spirit and Truth. I once had a woman come to a prayer group with several sicknesses. I was instructed by church leaders not to pray directly but to give any revelations to the leadership of the prayer group so they could pray. This is in total opposition to the Spirit of God! The one who receives revelation is the one empowered by that revelation because it was received from the Lord by the Holy Spirit. So the revelation empowers the prayer. The two leaders prayed with no healing. I said all that they have prayed is not your problem. I said the Lord revealed that your thyroid is the problem which is creating these illnesses and sickness. I asked if I could gently lay my hand on her throat and she said yes. As I prayed she began to cry as the Holy Spirit was manifesting. Her cry was not of hurt but of revelation of the prayer. When I finished my prayer she stated the revelation to me. She said she had been to a church for the “laying on of hands” for spiritual impartation and she feared she received a different spirit! There you go, the laying on of hands imparts spirits! I asked if I could pray again and she said yes. So I said greater is the Lord in her and greater is the Lord in me. In the name of Jesus come out now! She was delivered right there and set free! I was told this type of prayer was not allowed because the church had a SOZO deliverance ministry which is psychotherapy masquerading as spiritual deliverance! I know because the Lord allowed me to attend a few class session and even under a session. I was not blinded spiritually so I was unaffected by this process but it allowed me to discern and witness first hand this demonic false deliverance ministry. It is done by “probing spirits” as I have discussed in other postings. The Lord is not a probing Spirit He reveals to us by divine revelation as I mentioned a few sentences ago. The reason for probing spirits is to put a spiritual hook in you to create ungodly soul ties of bondage. You then are subject to repetitive sessions of SOZO or falsely believe you are set free. It’s of the devil! Impartation is the laying on of hands for the transference of spiritual gifts bu tit is the impartation of the spirit of those gifts which 99.9 percent of the time is transference of demonic spirits! You are receiving spirits! Paul approached this much differently with Timothy as the calling and gifting is from the Lord only! Notice the gift of God was already within Timothy!

2 Timothy 1:6 (NKJV)

⁶ Therefore I remind you to stir up the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands.

Acts 19:1–6 (NKJV)

Paul at Ephesus

19 And it happened, while Apollos was at Corinth, that Paul, having passed through the upper regions, came to Ephesus. And finding some disciples ² he said to them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?”

So they said to him, “We have not so much as heard whether there is a Holy Spirit.”

³ And he said to them, “Into what then were you baptized?”

So they said, “Into John’s baptism.”

⁴ Then Paul said, “John indeed baptized with a baptism of repentance, saying to the people that they should believe on Him who would come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus.”

⁵ When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. ⁶ And when Paul had laid hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they spoke with tongues and prophesied.

The post THE PROGRESSION OF SPIRITUAL EXPERIENCE AND GROWTH appeared first on Abiding Bread.

Ephesians 2:20–22 (NKJV)

²⁰ having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone, ²¹ in whom the whole building, being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, ²² in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.

Let me start out by saying I do not believe in the New Apostolic Reformation (NAR) at all, but that does not mean I do not believe in the five fold ministry or the gifts of the Holy Spirit. I also know the path to salvation is narrow and few find it so that being said the “path” or “call” to the apostolic or prophetic or any of the five fold ministry is even likely more narrow than the path to salvation. Many are called but few are chosen.

I also need to point out this simple truth that if vastly overlooked so it will help you understand why today’s denial of the five fold ministry is not true. It was NOT the Son of Man who taught the disciples it was the Son of God who taught them. All true disciples are taught by the Holy Spirit not man! So if a person teaches you without spiritual knowledge and revelation it is in vain! I will cover this more further in this posting.

John 14:10 (NKJV)

¹⁰ Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father in Me? The words that I speak to you I do not speak on My own authority; but the Father who dwells in Me does the works.

Matthew 16:13–17 (NKJV)

Revelation of the Person of the King

Mark 8:27–30; Luke 9:18–21

¹³ When Jesus came into the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, saying, “Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?”

¹⁴ So they said, “Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”

¹⁵ He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?”

¹⁶ Simon Peter answered and said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”

¹⁷ Jesus answered and said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven.

As you clearly see in the above scriptures it was the Son of God (Spirit of God) that taught the disciples but when you listen to a man or person you will often get their “understanding or interpretation” and not spiritual revelation from the Holy Spirit or Jesus. I always tell people when you receive spiritual revelation from the Lord it is eternal, forever a part of your spirit. It is NOT head knowledge, it is heart and spirit knowledge.

Let us also reflect that ANY of the five fold ministry offices can be infiltrated by the Antichrist spirit. No office or person/saint is exempt from this. Just because an individual has not experienced or operated in the Holy Spirit and cast out demons or healed the sick doesn’t mean that this doesn’t happen today through a saint today. If you haven’t cast out demons or healed the sick perhaps the problem is not with the Lord, it is with you.

Matthew 10:7–8 (NKJV)

⁷ And as you go, preach, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ ⁸ Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out demons. Freely you have received, freely give.

I have personally witnessed and exposed demonic spirits by revelation of the Holy Spirit that are within the church assemblies everywhere I go and only to get laughed at, mocked and ridiculed. So let us look at which five fold offices exposed witchcraft, Jezebel, Ananias and Sepphira and other demonic spirits in the bible.

Peter received revelation from the Holy Spirit that Ananias lied which kept a lying spirit from entering the church of Christ Jesus. Paul in Acts 16 cast out a spirit of divination that was following his ministry potentially affecting the TRUE WITNESS and revelation of Christ Jesus. The prophets exposed false prophets and Jezebel throughout the Old Testament. Samuel rebuked Saul and said “rebellion is as witchcraft”! Wow, could rebellious denial be witchcraft in the church because they rebel against truth and do NOT seek the Lord in Spirit and Truth? We wonder why the church is in suck dismal and pathetic condition spiritually as the denial of true apostles and prophets existence has made things even worse.

Matthew 10:40–41 (NKJV)

⁴⁰ “He who receives you receives Me, and he who receives Me receives Him who sent Me. ⁴¹ He who receives a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet’s reward. And he who receives a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man’s reward.

People will clearly tell you that true discernment is missing in the body of Christ and there are several reasons for this. Primarily the elimination of the five fold ministry which is necessary for true edification of the saints. While each born again person should have discernment I question why they don’t have personal discernment. The Holy Spirit is the only source of TRUTH and many have they put their trust in a person, NOT in Christ Jesus. I believe it is the lack of a true born again experience and/or total dependency upon the Holy Spirit in Christ Jesus. If you know your spouse, shouldn’t you know who is NOT your spouse? Jesus is the Bridegroom and the church is called to be His bride, shouldn’t we know the Bridegroom personally and intimately?

Amos 3:7 (NKJV)

⁷ Surely the Lord God does nothing,

Unless He reveals His secret to His servants the prophets.

While the scripture says prophets let’s focus on servants. I have heard right from the pulpits and lips of professing Christians that only the Lord knows the hearts of the people. This is correct but only a partial truth as the Lord reveals the hearts of people to His faithful and obedient servants! Just look back at Peter confronting Ananias, Paul with the young damsel with the spirit of divination.

Preachers are not called to preach to someone’s intellect they are to preach matters of the heart! Jesus wants to give them a NEW HEART AND A NEW SPIRIT. This is why there is no mention in much of today’s preaching about sin or matters of the heart! Preaching today is from man’s theology, man’s teaching, man’s beliefs, man’s wisdom rather than Spirit and Truth!

Ephesians 2:20–22 (NKJV)

²⁰ having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone, ²¹ in whom the whole building, being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, ²² in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.

Now I know what my critics might say. They look at the phrase “having been built” and take it out of context. This is why they say there are no more apostles and prophets. So tell me when did Christ Jesus stop building His church and why are you preaching the good news of the gospel if the church stopped being built? What that statement refers to is the established church on the foundation of Christ through the apostles and prophets. In truth many years ago the Lord showed me a primary reason the church is in such pitiful condition is because true apostles and prophets have been kicked out of the church of Jesus Christ and false ones are in the church claiming to be apostles, prophets, pastors, teachers and evangelists. Additionally to many preach against the offices of apostle and prophet as well as some of the gifts of the spirit.

Jeremiah 17:9–10 (NKJV)

⁹ “The heart is deceitful above all things,

And desperately wicked;

Who can know it?

¹⁰ I, the Lord, search the heart,

I test the mind,

Even to give every man according to his ways,

According to the fruit of his doings.

So if the Spirit of God dwells in you how is it you can’t discern or preach matters of the heart? If you don’t preach matters of the heart how do you preach true repentance? In the book of Acts it clearly states the Holy Spirit added to the church not a sinners prayer.

Today we have preachers that deny the offices of apostle and prophet yet them themselves claim to be the only office necessary such as pastor/teacher. So here is a question to consider. If the Holy Spirit is incapable of lying and the Holy Spirit reveals all truth how do these preachers make the claims that the office of apostle and prophet ceased. How is it they claim that certain gifts have ceased! Where there is one untruth how many untruths might there be? I’ll let you discern if it is and untruth or a blatant lie.

Hebrews 13:8 (NKJV)

⁸ Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

Numbers 23:19 (NKJV)

¹⁹ “God is not a man, that He should lie,

Nor a son of man, that He should repent.

Has He said, and will He not do?

Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?

1 Corinthians 3:11 (NKJV)

¹¹ For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.

There is a reason there is a five fold ministry and the number five signifies the fullness of grace! The divine power of God in fullness. I will admit and boldly proclaim that all five offices have been infiltrated by the Antichrist spirit but that does not mean they do not exist. Just because there are many calling themselves Christ doesn’t mean they are Christ. Many will falsely come in the name of the Lord but that doesn’t mean we don’t believe in the Lord.

1 Peter 2:6–10 (NKJV)

⁶ Therefore it is also contained in the Scripture,

“Behold, I lay in Zion

A chief cornerstone, elect, precious,

And he who believes on Him will by no means be put to shame.”

⁷ Therefore, to you who believe, He is precious; but to those who are disobedient,

“The stone which the builders rejected

Has become the chief cornerstone,”

⁸ and

“A stone of stumbling

And a rock of offense.”

They stumble, being disobedient to the word, to which they also were appointed.

⁹ But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; ¹⁰ who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy.

Matthew 10:40–41 (NKJV)

⁴⁰ “He who receives you receives Me, and he who receives Me receives Him who sent Me. ⁴¹ He who receives a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet’s reward. And he who receives a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man’s reward.

Matthew 10:11–15 (NKJV)

¹¹ “Now whatever city or town you enter, inquire who in it is worthy, and stay there till you go out. ¹² And when you go into a household, greet it. ¹³ If the household is worthy, let your peace come upon it. But if it is not worthy, let your peace return to you. ¹⁴ And whoever will not receive you nor hear your words, when you depart from that house or city, shake off the dust from your feet. ¹⁵ Assuredly, I say to you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for that city!

I have been to churches that the Lord has spoken to me Matthew 10:11-15 personally. They have not rejected me they have rejected the Lord Jesus!

Ephesians 4:11–16 (NKJV)

¹¹ And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, ¹² for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, ¹³ till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; ¹⁴ that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, ¹⁵ but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ—¹⁶ from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.

So ask yourself this question. Why would Paul write this regarding the five fold ministry after the book of Acts/Pentecost was written if there are no apostles or prophets as they would have had to been with the incarnate Christ? TO PREACH THAT THERE ARE NO MORE APOSTLES AND PROPHETS TODAY BECAUSE YOU WOULD HAVE HAD TO LIVED AND SEEN THE INCARNATE CHRIST IS LIKE SAYING THE BLOOD OF JESUS HAS NO POWER TODAY BECAUSE YOU WOULD HAVE TO HAVE BEEN AT CALVARY WHEN JESUS WAS CRUCIFIED.

Why were the Epistles even written in the first place if the “foundation” had been already laid and was established properly? Why was correction being brought to the “established” churches by the apostles if apostles are not necessary? Why is correction not allowed today within the church? When you say that someone would have to have been alive when the incarnate Christ was on the earth are you saying the resurrection never happened because NONE of the disciples became apostles until after the resurrection! My God is alive and living!

Why would Jesus tell the disciples that when the Holy Spirit came it would bring all of His teachings back to their memory? It was the power of the resurrection by the indwelling Holy Spirit that made them apostles. Has Jesus stopped His ministry by stopping the Holy Spirit to create born again believers and the five fold ministry? Has Jesus stopped building His church? I believe this is the major problem! Man is building his ministry and NOT THE KINGDOM OF GOD. How is it for salvation your faith must be in Christ and once you go or attend church your faith is in a man calling himself a pastor or preacher?

John 14:26 (NKJV)

²⁶ But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.

What they don’t see clearly is that none of the disciples became apostles until they received the Holy Spirit either by Jesus breathing on them or after Pentecost in Paul’s case. Jesus breathed on the disciples after His resurrection. So when you say you would have had to been with the Incarnate Christ this is not completely true as Paul was not with the original disciples Paul encountered the Resurrected Christ Jesus. The five fold offices are given by the Holy Spirit not by dispensational grace.

John 20:22 (NKJV)

²² And when He had said this, He breathed on them, and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit.

This is the perfect example of the New Testament church as Paul encountered the resurrected Christ not the incarnate Christ.

When Paul received the Holy Spirit he departed for approximately three years or more, but when Paul came back He wrote the epistles to put the Church back on it’s foundation! How could a relatively new convert see what was wrong with the church and people confessing to be Christians for many years can not discern what’s going on in the church?

One of the foundational oversights that goes neglected is that the incarnate Christ Jesus taught the disciples by THE SPIRIT OF GOD. It was the Spirit of God not the son of man that taught the disciples! The disciples were taught by the spirit of God! That is why Peter said to Jesus, you are the Messiah the Christ! Jesus responded flesh and blood has not revealed this to you but my Father has revealed this to you! A man cannot teach things of the Spirit of God they must be taught and received by the Spirit of God! This is why Jesus said it was best if He left so the Holy Spirit could come and bring EVERYTHING THAT WAS TAUGHT TO THEM BY THE SPIRIT OF GOD IN THE INCARNATE CHRIST JESUS AND THAT THE HOLY SPIRIT COULD BRING IT BACK TO THEIR REMEMBRANCE.

This explains how Acts 1:21-22 and 1 John 2:27 work together! Once the Holy Spirit is sent you would not need to have been alive with the incarnate Christ! The incarnate Christ taught by the Holy Spirit and 1 John 2:27 teaches by the Holy Spirit! In Acts 1:21-22 that is why they wanted someone who was around the teachings of the incarnate Christ because they were taught by the Spirit of God prior to Pentecost! It was the Lord’s desire that they all be commissioned/sent at the same time! So Paul was not with the incarnate Christ but by the Spirit of God through the indwelling Holy Spirit became an apostle for the Lord Jesus. That is why Paul spent approximately three years alone with the Lord because the Lord had been with the original disciples for three years. Do you see this similarity?

True discipleship has not changed! Today it is the Holy Spirit that disciples a born again believer!

1 John 2:27 (NKJV)

²⁷ But the anointing which you have received from Him abides in you, and you do not need that anyone teach you; but as the same anointing teaches you concerning all things, and is true, and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you will abide in Him.

1 Corinthians 2:11–16 (NKJV)

¹¹ For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God. ¹² Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God.

¹³ These things we also speak, not in words which man’s wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual. ¹⁴ But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. ¹⁵ But he who is spiritual judges all things, yet he himself is rightly judged by no one. ¹⁶ For “who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct Him?” But we have the mind of Christ.

There are many problems in the church today and they evolve from the basic principles that Christ MUST be the Chief Cornerstone and Head of the Church. When you deny there are apostles and prophets you deny how Jesus established and continues to establish His church and by doing this you allow the enemy to infiltrate the church because you have limited the fullness of how the Church is to be established. Just look at how Elijah mentored Elisha, Paul mentored Timothy and how Paul and the apostles encouraged the saints and edified the saints. Don’t confuse preaching with building a “spiritual house/church” for the Lord! They are not the same!

I know many will deny what this post reflects and that is your choice but be careful you do not deny the Lord or the fullness of the Lord by your lack of understanding, faith and belief! 

Let me ask you why then does Revelation 2:20 which is about the end of the age mention testing apostles to discern true ones from false ones if they don’t exist any longer in the church of Christ Jesus?

Revelation 2:2 (NKJV)

² “I know your works, your labor, your patience, and that you cannot bear those who are evil. And you have tested those who say they are apostles and are not, and have found them liars;

James 1:5–8 (NKJV)

⁵ If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. ⁶ But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. ⁷ For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; ⁸ he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.

Matthew 23:1–39 (NKJV)

Jesus Characterizes the Pharisees

Mark 12:38–40; Luke 20:45–47

23 Then Jesus spoke to the multitudes and to His disciples, ² saying: “The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. ³ Therefore whatever they tell you to observe, that observe and do, but do not do according to their works; for they say, and do not do. ⁴ For they bind heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on men’s shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers. ⁵ But all their works they do to be seen by men. They make their phylacteries broad and enlarge the borders of their garments. ⁶ They love the best places at feasts, the best seats in the synagogues, ⁷ greetings in the marketplaces, and to be called by men, ‘Rabbi, Rabbi.’ ⁸ But you, do not be called ‘Rabbi’; for One is your Teacher, the Christ, and you are all brethren. ⁹ Do not call anyone on earth your father; for One is your Father, He who is in heaven. ¹⁰ And do not be called teachers; for One is your Teacher, the Christ. ¹¹ But he who is greatest among you shall be your servant. ¹² And whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.

Jesus Condemns the Pharisees

¹³ “But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut up the kingdom of heaven against men; for you neither go in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in. ¹⁴ Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you devour widows’ houses, and for a pretense make long prayers. Therefore you will receive greater condemnation.

¹⁵ “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel land and sea to win one proselyte, and when he is won, you make him twice as much a son of hell as yourselves.

¹⁶ “Woe to you, blind guides, who say, ‘Whoever swears by the temple, it is nothing; but whoever swears by the gold of the temple, he is obliged to perform it.’ ¹⁷ Fools and blind! For which is greater, the gold or the temple that sanctifies the gold? ¹⁸ And, ‘Whoever swears by the altar, it is nothing; but whoever swears by the gift that is on it, he is obliged to perform it.’ ¹⁹ Fools and blind! For which is greater, the gift or the altar that sanctifies the gift? ²⁰ Therefore he who swears by the altar, swears by it and by all things on it. ²¹ He who swears by the temple, swears by it and by Him who dwells in it. ²² And he who swears by heaven, swears by the throne of God and by Him who sits on it.

²³ “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faith. These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone. ²⁴ Blind guides, who strain out a gnat and swallow a camel!

²⁵ “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you cleanse the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of extortion and self-indulgence. ²⁶ Blind Pharisee, first cleanse the inside of the cup and dish, that the outside of them may be clean also.

²⁷ “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but inside are full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness. ²⁸ Even so you also outwardly appear righteous to men, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.

²⁹ “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! Because you build the tombs of the prophets and adorn the monuments of the righteous, ³⁰ and say, ‘If we had lived in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets.’

³¹ “Therefore you are witnesses against yourselves that you are sons of those who murdered the prophets. ³² Fill up, then, the measure of your fathers’ guilt. ³³ Serpents, brood of vipers! How can you escape the condemnation of hell? ³⁴ Therefore, indeed, I send you prophets, wise men, and scribes: some of them you will kill and crucify, and some of them you will scourge in your synagogues and persecute from city to city, ³⁵ that on you may come all the righteous blood shed on the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah, son of Berechiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar. ³⁶ Assuredly, I say to you, all these things will come upon this generation.

Jesus Laments Over Jerusalem

³⁷ “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing! ³⁸ See! Your house is left to you desolate; ³⁹ for I say to you, you shall see Me no more till you say, ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!’ ”

I have always prayed this simple prayer to the Lord as while I know my calling and gifting neither belongs to me, it belongs to the Lord.

“Lord help me to be whatever you need me to be when you need me to be it”. While I know my gifting and calling it is never about me it’s about revealing Christ Jesus and if that is preaching, prophesying, praying, counseling or whatever I just want to be what Jesus needs in the moments He needs it for someone else. This is being led by the Spirit of God not walking in an “office” because it is Christ and Christ alone that needs to be revealed, released and prophesied.

I hope this posting has brought understanding and clarity. Above all seek the Lord and read the full counsel of God’s Word. I offer this one posing thought, ask yourselves why it was the apostles and prophets that were martyred, imprisoned, stoned, whipped, tortured and despised by the religious leaders and why by denial of their existence today they are still being martyred spiritually by the religious leaders?

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If you read and follow the Apostle Paul’s life all the way from the book of Acts through all of his epistles with the open minded view, you will see that Paul is the example of the NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH. Paul was NOT discipled by the incarnate Christ but he encountered the Resurrected Christ Jesus and was discipled by Jesus through The Holy Spirit!

1 John 2:27 (NKJV)

27 But the anointing which you have received from Him abides in you, and you do not need that anyone teach you; but as the same anointing teaches you concerning all things, and is true, and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you will abide in Him.

I have often posed this question to people and I believe it will help you to understand the principle of examining Paul’s conversion and how Paul walked out his calling with Christ Jesus. So here is my question: “Who discipled the disciples and who disciples the saints today? If you answer is Jesus to the first part of the question I have good news. Nothing has changed! Jesus still disciples today through the Holy Spirit which Jesus proclaimed would come. That is why Paul states who knows the things of God but the Spirit of God, who knows the things of man but the spirit of a man! The great commission is about preaching the Gospel so that they may be born again so the Holy Spirit can disciple them! Satan twists the real meaning and purpose. I’ll tell you if you try to disciple someone who is NOT born again you will get worn out quickly! Do you honestly think even with a hammer you could beat the Holy Spirit into them? Did not they torture Christ trying to beat the Holy Spirit out of Him! You can’t beat the Holy Spirit into someone or out of someone!

Note that Paul fasted 3 days after his encounter and was led into the wilderness after receiving the Holy Spirit. He fasted 3 days symbolic of the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ “dying to himself”. He had no outside influences teaching him as Paul went in the wilderness. John the Baptist had no outside influences because he was in the wilderness. Moses spent 40 years in the wilderness. Yes, Jesus also went into the wilderness after John the Baptist baptized Him.

There are no excuses ANY truly born again Christian can make about growing and maturing in Christ if they believe in the crucifixion, death and the resurrection of Christ Jesus and are TRULY born again.

Oh, I hear it quoted all the time but hardly ever witness any true spiritual or physical signs or spiritual fruit:

Philippians 1:6 (NKJV)

6 being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ;

1 Corinthians 6:11 (NKJV)

11 And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God.

2 Peter 1:2–4 (NKJV)

2 Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, 3 as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, 4 by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.

Hebrews 12:14 (NKJV)

14 Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord:

Let each of us be honest with ourselves in our spiritual progress. It grieves the Lord and the Holy Spirit in me when a Christian tells me “I have been doing this for 30 years” and there is little evidence of spiritual fruit, holiness, discernment and true revelations of Christ Jesus. They make it sound as if there is age discrimination in the Kingdom of God! If your last revelation of the Lord is your salvation there is a problem. Jesus doesn’t just “clean you up”, He builds you up in HIS Spirit and Power growing deeper in Him so that you may REVEAL CHRIST and not just talk about Christ.

We all need to be ready for the Lord’s return without spot or wrinkle for the Marriage Supper of the Lamb of God. I don’t know any person that can say they are a Christian and yet not know the Lord Jesus. So why is it Jesus can say depart from me you worker of iniquity “I never knew you”. Well lets reflect on an earlier statement. I’ve been doing this for 30 years! The “I’s” have it! We can do nothing of ourselves as that is what the Word of God tells us. (John 15:5) People are busy building their ministry, being “noticed” and in the spotlight. First, if they even have a ministry it is NOT theirs it is Jesus’ ministry. Second, they are not revealing Christ they are building and revealing themselves using the name of Christ so that makes them false prophets.

Back in 2011 the Lord spoke to me while I was in my quite time with Him as I recently left a well known international school of ministry because they worshiped false gods and did not even know the true Living God. I was grieving in the Holy Spirit regarding the poor spiritual condition of the church assembly from all of my travels and personal witness as the Lord revealed. The Lord then spoke to me and said of all of the people who went to church only three percent at that time were truly His. If that was in 2011 what is the condition today! I don’t question there is revival but the BIGGER question is what is the spirit behind the revival? The world is being prepared for the coming of the Antichrist so are these revivals of the Antichrist or of the TRUE LIVING GOD CHRIST JESUS. Don’t be deceived as the Word of God clearly states about a great apostasy and falling away! I believe that much of what is called revival is the Antichrist spirit. I won’t speak more on that because you yourselves need a revelation from the Lord and truthfully should always be seeking revelations of Spirit and Truth.

Philippians 3:1–11 (NKJV)

1 Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord. For me to write the same things to you is not tedious, but for you it is safe. 2 Beware of dogs, beware of evil workers, beware of the mutilation! 3 For we are the circumcision, who worship God in the Spirit, rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh, 4 though I also might have confidence in the flesh. If anyone else thinks he may have confidence in the flesh, I more so: 5 circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of the Hebrews; concerning the law, a Pharisee; 6 concerning zeal, persecuting the church; concerning the righteousness which is in the law, blameless. 7 But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. 8 Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith; 10 that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, 11 if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.

Now that you have read this far let us reflect on how the Holy Spirit operated through Paul’s life and what requirements it took Paul by the Grace and Power of the Lord through the Holy Spirit to life this life which we are ALL called to live. Even though we are not all called to be Apostles the Lord is no respecter of person and that is why I want you to read, study and think of Paul’s life in Christ Jesus.

Scriptures that come to mind are Galatians 2:20; Galatians 6:14; Romans 8:14; 1 Corinthians 2:11-16 just to name a few scriptures. Paul was able to bring correction to the church, discern unclean spirits, overcome principalities and powers of darkness and much more. Yet Paul did all this while overcoming whippings, beatings, imprisonment, hunger and the like. Paul wrote much of the Epistles from being imprisoned because as he states in Galatians 6:14 he was crucified WITH Christ and EVEN the world was crucified to Paul. This leads to something each us should consider. Is the world crucified to you? If we are “in the world but not of the world” should not the world hate us as it hated Jesus. A better way to describe this would be to think about this statement: I am imprisoned by this world because I don’t belong in this world. I belong with my Creator, Lord and Savior. The WORLD is persecuting TRUE CHRISTIANS because they do NOT LOVE THIS WORLD, THEY LOVE THE FATHER! So while Paul was in prison who put Paul in prison? Who cried out and yelled CRUCIFY HIM when Jesus was on trial.

You know I hear so much Christian “shop talk” about God has a plan for you and it sounds really encouraging as if to puff up ones ego/pride. Yes God has a plan for you and Jesus states it clearly and then Paul states it clearly also.

John 17:14–19 (NKJV)

14 I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. 15 I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one. 16 They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. 17 Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth. 18 As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world. 19 And for their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they also may be sanctified by the truth.

In verse 15 you find the plan of God for you. The rest of the scripture describes the reasons, preparations and plan of God. Let’s add some more scripture that continues on from verse 19.

John 17:20–26 (NKJV)

20 “I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; 21 that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me. 22 And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: 23 I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me. 24 “Father, I desire that they also whom You gave Me may be with Me where I am, that they may behold My glory which You have given Me; for You loved Me before the foundation of the world. 25 O righteous Father! The world has not known You, but I have known You; and these have known that You sent Me. 26 And I have declared to them Your name, and will declare it, that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them.”

We see in verse 20 that the purpose Jesus spoke about in verse 15 is so that there will always be a remnant on earth bearing witness to incarnate Christ and His death and resurrection and ascension!

Now let us see how Paul and Peter state the same thing.

Philippians 1:23–26 (NKJV)

23 For I am hard-pressed between the two, having a desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better. 24 Nevertheless to remain in the flesh is more needful for you. 25 And being confident of this, I know that I shall remain and continue with you all for your progress and joy of faith, 26 that your rejoicing for me may be more abundant in Jesus Christ by my coming to you again.

1 Corinthians 14:1–5 (NKJV)

1 Pursue love, and desire spiritual gifts, but especially that you may prophesy. 2 For he who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to God, for no one understands him; however, in the spirit he speaks mysteries. 3 But he who prophesies speaks edification and exhortation and comfort to men. 4 He who speaks in a tongue edifies himself, but he who prophesies edifies the church. 5 I wish you all spoke with tongues, but even more that you prophesied; for he who prophesies is greater than he who speaks with tongues, unless indeed he interprets, that the church may receive edification.

Before moving on with more scriptures I would like to emphasize the importance of what Paul is TRULY saying as it states in Revelations 19:10. Paul is saying he wishes “even more” or as other translations “above all” that you would prophesy. What is TRUE PROPHECY, this is where the body of Christ misses it! It is not merely giving words of edification or encouragement it is to BEAR TRUE WITNESS OF JESUS CHRIST! This is why so many are deceived because most of today’s prophecy is FALSE and not a true testimony or witness of the Lord Jesus.

In addition because our adversary has blinded the eyes and closed the ears of so many they do not hear true prophecy because they are likely already deceived believing doctrines of men, doctrines of devils, man’s theology and are NOT led, seeking, listening or bearing witness by the Holy Spirit of what is being said!

I don’t care who claims to be speaking, preaching, or giving prophecy if it DOES NOT BEAR WITNESS WITH THE INDWELLING HOLY SPIRIT REJECT IT! The spirit that is talking through them is NOT the Holy Spirit. Immediately take it to the Lord! All truth and nothing but the truth as confirmed and witness by the Power of the Holy Spirit! I will back this up with the following scriptures:

Hebrews 4:12–13 (NKJV)

12 For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. 13 And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.

When we read Hebrews 4:12 you will understand why when you do not get a witness from the Holy Spirit it is NOT from the Lord Jesus. His Word is living and you should have the indwelling Holy Spirit which is living so when something is preached, prophecied, or any spoken words pertaining the the LIVING WORD you must have an internal witness from the Holy Spirit.

Matthew 16:13–17 (NKJV)

13 When Jesus came into the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, saying, “Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?” 14 So they said, “Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” 15 He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” 16 Simon Peter answered and said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” 17 Jesus answered and said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven.

In Matthew as stated above you masterfully see the Lord asking them about who do people say I am. This includes what religious leaders say as well as the general population. So if it includes religious leaders it includes your pastors or anyone that proclaims to speak of Jesus. In essence forget what you are hearing or being taught and tell me who am I too you! Simon Peter reveals what the Father revealed to him! This was before Pentecost so why is before Peter had the indwelling Holy Spirit Peter received this knowledge and a professing “Born Again Believer” is unable to bear witness in the Holy Spirit? So how do people get TRULY SAVED? It is by the power and conviction being preached by the Power of The Holy Spirit! The Holy Spirit convicts and the Holy Spirit adds to the TRUE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST.

1 Corinthians 15:45–49 (NKJV)

45 And so it is written, “The first man Adam became a living being.” The last Adam became a life-giving spirit. 46 However, the spiritual is not first, but the natural, and afterward the spiritual. 47 The first man was of the earth, made of dust; the second Man is the Lord from heaven. 48 As was the man of dust, so also are those who are made of dust; and as is the heavenly Man, so also are those who are heavenly. 49 And as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly Man.

These scriptures clearly emphasis the difference between human and divine. Jesus is the Second Adam and Jesus is a life-giving spirit! Does your preacher, pastor and any person you listen to bare witness in the Holy Spirit or are you just listening to a bible recital?

I’ll say it again. The devil doesn’t care if anyone can read or preach the bible what the devil doesn’t want is for you to have the resurrected life in Christ Jesus. So the devil tries to REMOVE the Spirit of God from the Written Word and that leave image of the man of dust not the image of the heavenly Man!

When you sit under this type of preaching satan is attempting to drain you of the Holy Spirit getting you into a fallen nature because satan himself is fallen. Also you saints be on alert as you may have many false friends and even your false pastor may be a friend or appear friendly do not be deceived. They are likely attempting to use you because you are following Christ so that it increased the delusion because you sit under this false preacher. The object is for you to bring more Saints so they can be led to the slaughter also. It’s the frog in the pot once again where gradual deceptions lead you astray! When Jesus said His sheep are led to the slaughter He is referring to who you follow and obviously Jesus is not leading you to the slaughter!

A half truth is a lie, a truth told with ungodly purpose is deception and many won’t like this but where there is one lie how many more lies are there? The Holy Spirit is INCAPABLE of lying! There is NO darkness in Christ Jesus! Twisting a lie by stating “that is your interpretation” is deception. There is only one Truth not variations of what is truth. When a leader or anyone will not tolerate correction by the Living and Written Word it is because they are not of the Lord. I say this because the fruit of the Spirit includes meekness and the love of God is not self boastful or prideful.

I don’t care if ANYONE mentions the name of Jesus, God or Father! More importantly, who is your Jesus, God or Father? You see that is why Paul says IF ANYONE COMES WITH A DIFFERENT GOSPEL LET THEM BE ACCURSED!

Galatians 1:8 (NKJV)

8 But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed.

2 Corinthians 11:1–4 (NKJV)

1 Oh, that you would bear with me in a little folly—and indeed you do bear with me. 2 For I am jealous for you with godly jealousy. For I have betrothed you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ. 3 But I fear, lest somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. 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!

1 Peter 2:4–10 (NKJV)

4 Coming to Him as to a living stone, rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God and precious, 5 you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 6 Therefore it is also contained in the Scripture, “Behold, I lay in Zion A chief cornerstone, elect, precious, And he who believes on Him will by no means be put to shame.” 7 Therefore, to you who believe, He is precious; but to those who are disobedient, “The stone which the builders rejected Has become the chief cornerstone,” 8 and “A stone of stumbling And a rock of offense.” They stumble, being disobedient to the word, to which they also were appointed. 9 But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; 10 who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy.

So how is it today there is so little discernment, so little growth in the Lord so little fruit of the Spirit? Are we to believe there is no power in the Holy Spirit and that Jesus is not able? Lord help us! Each and every day each of us, yes including me should examine ourselves and question ourselves. Am I complacent, am I hungry for righteousness, am I closer to the Lord, as well as other concerns and reflection. Let us read the scripture below in closing and in personal reflection.

1 Corinthians 2:6–16 (NKJV)

6 However, we speak wisdom among those who are mature, yet not the wisdom of this age, nor of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing. 7 But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the ages for our glory, 8 which none of the rulers of this age knew; for had they known, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. 9 But as it is written: “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, Nor have entered into the heart of man The things which God has prepared for those who love Him.” 10 But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God. 11 For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God. 12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God. 13 These things we also speak, not in words which man’s wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual. 14 But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. 15 But he who is spiritual judges all things, yet he himself is rightly judged by no one. 16 For “who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct Him?” But we have the mind of Christ.

Well what was intended to be a short one page posting has lead to a lengthy one and I thank you for patience and attention to this posting. As usual when the Holy Spirit inspires me to write the Lord keeps expounding and giving more to write. I don’t mind as I enjoy it and it brings me closer to the Lord. The main thing is I try to convey exactly what the Lord wants me to convey and very often is goes against modern day belief and preaching. That alone should say something to you. Stay encourage in the Lord and if this posting has blessed you please feel free to share as the Lord leads you.

I utilize my blog as many forums will delete my postings, commentary and remarks to postings. At least this way if you are familiar with my blog you can always go there.

God bless you all and may the riches of Christ dwell deeply and firmly within you!

The post THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH THROUGH THE LIFE OF APOSTLE PAUL appeared first on Abiding Bread.

Let me begin by sharing a few words regarding a statement I made in a small group setting years ago so that it will open up your thoughts and self reflection.

Meditation and Self Reflection

I once asked a small group to meditate on this and it goes for all of the saints and even church leaders.

I asked them to reflect on this statement and I told them: “If I never preach, never prophecy, never lay hands on the sick, never have a ministry Jesus is enough for me and Jesus is my portion”. When they heard this the room went silent because it was something never mentioned to them before and they had never contemplated this before.

I proceeded to expound. If Jesus is not enough and your “portion” your spiritual gifting will never be enough for you. The focus of your heart will be based on your gifting as the measurement of spiritual success and not your relationship with Jesus! Your heart will be misaligned and the enemy will pull you away from Christ Jesus and personal pride will become your motivation not the Holy Spirit. The gifting and calling is irrevocable so a person may be gifted but that doesn’t make them Christ like. All of the spiritual gifts of Jesus must operate out of HOLINESS, nothing of us and ALL OF JESUS.

When Jesus was on the cross what was spoken to Jesus through the inspiration of the devil through a man: “If you are the King of the Jews remove yourself from that cross”. He wanted a demonstration of power AND it went against the will of the Father for Jesus to remove Himself from the Cross! What happened to Jesus in the wilderness when Satan tried to get Jesus to demonstrate His power and divinity? Did Satan not use Psalm 91 provoking Jesus to demonstrate His power, what about turning the rock into bread? We must not associate power or gifting with Spirit and Truth of Christ Jesus! Jesus spoke to the Devil “IT IS WRITTEN” for what is true godly power without The Holy Spirit and Truth! What did Jesus say to Peter when Peter said he would not let Jesus be taken captive? Jesus said get behind me Satan! It was contrary to the will of the Father.

I mention this because of what the Lord showed me and spoke to me about spiritual gifting as the Lord was revealing HIS gifting in me just after my salvation. I can not over emphasize that this was so liberating and almost as powerful as the gift of salvation! Spiritual gifts are not about performing or performance, it’s about revealing Christ Jesus! I don’t want you to deny the gifts of the Holy Spirit in fact I wish everyone would operate in the fullness of the gifts as when you allow Christ Jesus to operate through you, you grow in the knowledge, faith, trust and intimacy with Jesus. What I can’t stress enough is following the will of Jesus as stated above with Jesus on the cross, in the wilderness and Jesus rebuking Peter. I DO NOT QUESTION THE MOTIVE OF PETERS HEART as we ourselves would lay down our lives for loved ones and Christ Jesus. We must know the will of the Lord in all things before we act and only act or respond as the Holy Spirit leads us.

As I proof read this the Lord prompts me to write more. For those of you who are becoming aware of your spiritual gifts the Lord has prompted me to tell you DO NOT BE AFRAID TO ASK THE LORD QUESTIONS REGARDING WHAT HE HAS SPOKEN OR PROMPTED YOU TO DO OR SPEAK. The Lord is not offended by your desire to be obedient! He will answer you, so if you don’t fully understand just ask the Lord Jesus. Also remember that the words of knowledge or prophecy are not about you they are about the person receiving them and this may lead to your uncertainty. Using your “head knowledge” can taint, block and limit what the Lord wants spoken. When these situations arise just ask the Lord, how do you want me to speak this or apply this, what is my responsibility. Lastly and very vital, surrender the outcome! We are only responsible to do or speak what the Lord asks us. The Lord holds the outcome! That is why Jonah went through what he did. It is liberating and very freeing to surrender the outcome. We are not the Alpha and Omega, Jesus is!

We must not seek to perform or demonstrate the gifts but rather be led by the Holy Spirit to manifest and reveal Christ Jesus by letting Jesus work through us. It is by the power of The Holy Spirit that reveals Christ Jesus.

Gifting without the HOLY ONE is not operating in HOLINESS and the gifting is then corrupted and not of the Lord Jesus. This reminds me of what Isaiah spoke:

Isaiah 55:11 (NKJV)

So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, But it shall accomplish what I please, And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.

“My” is capitalized as it means the word of God inspired by the Lord.

Jesus will not share His Glory with humanity and when the spiritual gifts have become perverted, twisted and quite frankly demonic in nature and characteristics. They do not reveal Christ Jesus. The divine purpose of the Holy Spirit is to reveal Christ Jesus and bare witness and testify of Christ Jesus. When we operate in the gifts without the prompting or leading of the Holy Spirit we do not reveal Jesus!

John 15:26 (NKJV)

“But when the Helper comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify of Me.

Do not be misled by what people speak or claim they need such as prayer, healing or other needs. Stop and seek the Lord and ask the Lord, what do you say they need Lord, what would you like to do for them. This principle also applies when someone comes to you and says brother so and so, or sister so and so needs prayer because of this or because of that. DO NOT PRAY WITHOUT SEEKING THE LORD. If you are uncertain what to pray simply pray that the Lord’s will would be done and that the Lord would be glorified by His will being done. If you follow the words of what others say you might very well be cursing that person in the form of a prayer! Yes many prayers are actually witchcraft in disguise! I know first hand of this by personal experiences.

These are the words Jesus spoke to me about using spiritual gifts.

John 5:19–21 (NKJV)

19 Then Jesus answered and said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do; for whatever He does, the Son also does in like manner. 20 For the Father loves the Son, and shows Him all things that He Himself does; and He will show Him greater works than these, that you may marvel. 21 For as the Father raises the dead and gives life to them, even so the Son gives life to whom He will.

If we are to reveal Christ Jesus it MUST be Jesus doing the work through us, not us “performing” the gifts. There is a HUGE difference. This is Satan attempting to get us into PRIDE thinking it is us doing the work! As I refer to Satan’s trinity of ME, MYSELF and I. It is a snare as pride comes before the fall!

What I have written applies to ALL of the gifts of the Holy Spirit. There is another point I would like to mention regarding the gifts especially the gift of prophecy and words of knowledge. Just because the Lord gives you a prophetic word or word of knowledge does not mean that is the time to speak it or share it. You may be called to intercession verses speaking the prophetic word or word of knowledge. If there is no unction from the Holy Spirit to speak do NOT speak the prophetic word or word of knowledge as it is the POWER OF THE HOLY SPIRIT that fulfills that prophetic word or word of knowledge. Therefore it must be spoken only by the unction and prompting of the HOLY SPIRIT that leads you to speak, otherwise the adversary can easily twist and manipulate what is spoken or prophesied. Another example would be praying for an individual. For example, I love to read my bible in public while having coffee and quite often the Lord will have me pray for people. If the Lord puts it on your heart to pray for someone that doesn’t always mean you go to the person unless the Holy Spirit gives you the unction. You can pray for them from your seat. I have done this in public many times as well as approach the person as led by the Holy Spirit. What matters is that you prayed! Praise the Lord. You see quite often the delay is because the Lord is preparing them to receive the word of knowledge, prophecy or prayer that is why we must rely on the Holy Spirit to lead us and guide us on how we approach these matters.

I hope this helps some of you to stop striving and just let the Holy Spirit lead you and guide you. Don’t fall snare to the enemies schemes. I know I was blessed and thankful that the Lord spoke and revealed this to me early on in my walk with the Lord. Jesus kept me from the pitfalls of this. Don’t use the spiritual gifts because you can, do it because it is the will of God under the unction and prompting of the Holy Spirit. This will allow you to walk in greater spiritual peace, faith, trust, revelation and intimacy with Christ Jesus.

As I was talking with the Lord about writing this article He placed it upon my heart that this writing is critical be able to have spiritual discernment in these last days as the TWO WITNESSES will be coming forth in the near future. We must discern what miracles are of Jesus and what miracles are of the Antichrist. Oh, how the body of Christ needs spiritual discernment.

John 4:24 (NKJV)

God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”

1 John 4:1 (NKJV)

Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world.

If you have been blessed by this writing please feel free to share as the Lord Jesus leads you. Grace to you from our Lord Jesus and may you walk in peace and revelations of Christ Jesus.

The post PERVERTING THE GIFTS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT appeared first on Abiding Bread.