In order to help build God’s Church in your vicinity, you have to do things God’s way… the message above will help us understand the difference between a ‘church’ being a club, congregation or a church that the Lord is building. This is a prophetic message for our times.
The book that accompanies this message can be read for free, click on the book (below) for access. It can also be purchased at the CFC bookshop here. The other book that compliments this, is “God’s Work Done in God’s Way” just like Jesus and apostles. There’s a proven testimony by Apostle and Brother Zac Poonen of how this has already been done in our time!
There are many other wonderful free resources at the CFC site and here, that will truly bless you, as they have many around the world.
In our Friday meeting a couple of years ago, a brother shared a quote which has stuck with me, and I’ve been blessed by it since: “Give God room to work”.
Notice in John 6 what happened immediately after Jesus fed the multitude:
John 6:12-15 When they were filled, He said to His disciples, “Gather up the leftover fragments so that nothing will be lost.” So they gathered them up, and filled twelve baskets with fragments from the five barley loaves which were left over by those who had eaten. Therefore when the people saw the sign which He had performed, they said, “This is truly the Prophet who is to come into the world.” So Jesus, perceiving that they were intending to come and take Him by force to make Him king, withdrew again to the mountain by Himself alone.
The people wanted to make Jesus king. Is that a good thing? I hope Jesus will be King in my life! It sounds like a great thing. But it was BY FORCE – they were trying to force God to make Jesus their king in THEIR own way.
Is it God’s will for Jesus to be King of my life? Definitely. But these people were filled with all their own ideas about HOW THEY were going to accomplish God’s will, in their own power, and what type of king Jesus would be.
They weren’t submitting to God’s timing for it, or His method for it.
And I’ve seen – when I’m lacking in faith, or holding onto something tightly, then I can be temped to try to force God’s hand when it’s not there. Pushing things before the time, or not giving Him room to work in His way.
But Jesus would never push, He submitted not only to God’s will but God’s timing and method too.
I was blessed by what a brother shared in our Friday meeting some time back about how someone at his work was blaming him for some big issue that was going wrong. His coworker emailed him accusing him of causing a big problem, and with their coworkers and bosses CC’d on the email so everyone would see it. So he emailed his coworker back privately and said, “No it’s not like that, that’s not the issue…” and continued to explain the details of the issue and what the real problem was. But again the coworker kept coming back to him sending emails and blaming him for this thing going wrong, accusing him that the problem was on his side. Instead of continuing to reply to this difficult coworker, this brother felt the Lord speak a word to him: ‘GIVE ME ROOM TO WORK’.
So he stopped emailing and responding to his coworker, he just stayed quiet – not defending himself or anything. He would let God work. After some time this coworker discovered that it was indeed his own fault, and he came back and apologized saying, “Hey – I’m sorry, I was wrong. I discovered that you were right. The problem was from my side.” The problem was solved without this brother having to fight with this coworker. He simply stayed quiet, and gave God time and room to work.
And I was challenged by that thought ‘Give God room to work’. Am I giving the Lord room to work, or am I praying (with a pretense of faith) while at the same time still forcing His hand in something?
It’s easy to prevent the Lord from working in our life by keeping a very tight grip on things, having ideas about what God’s will is and how we’ll accomplish it – trying to “Help” God’s hand. But very often, the Lord wants our side of the job to be simply to “cease striving, and trust” (Psalm 46:10). Give Him room and time to work.
For a lot of situations in my life, I’ve prayed and at the same time tried to think of methods to solve my problems, and while not saying it I’ve tried to push His hand in my own way. But then after all my methods failed, I’ve found myself in a spot, where I said, “I’ve failed. Ok Lord, you have to do something. I recognize now that all my efforts are futile, I’m powerless and you want me to lean on you. I resign myself – you have to do the work.”
Imagine some difficult problem you have and you’ve been fighting and not seeing the fruit yet. One encouragement you can take is: being desperately at the end of yourself is a good place to be! It’s because now God has room to work. That’s when we can learn to pray. Not just to pray, but to REALLY pray! Where we’re not praying with a “plan B” (a backup plan we have in mind if God fails us) anymore.
It’s such a restful place to be!
Give God room to work and give Him time to work.
Isaiah 40:31 (AMP) “Those who wait for the Lord [who expect, look for, and hope in Him] Will gain new strength…”
I don’t particularly like spiders; but have you ever watched one getting ready to eat? Using just the right number of sticky threads, he carefully prepares his web and positions himself to wait for an unsuspecting victim. When one comes along and is caught, the spider feels its vibrations and immediately runs to devour his meal.
Like a spider seeking his prey, the enemy of your soul is hoping to have you for a snack. The Bible says you should “be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour” (1 Peter 5:8). One of the ways Satan devours Christians is through false ministries. He strategically sets up his web of deception and waits for you; but he can only devour you if you let him.
As God pours out His Holy Spirit in these last days, you can expect to see more and more legitimate signs and wonders. But, whenever God begins to move, the devil always tries to distract people with a counterfeit move. Jesus said, “For there shall arise false Christ’s, and false prophets, and they shall show great signs and wonders; so that, if it were possible, they shall deceive even the very elect” (Matthew 24:24). This prophecy has been in the fulfillment stage for about 2000 years but never more so than at the present time. Satan knows his time is short, and he is doing all he can to deceive God’s people. Therefore, you need to be spiritually sharp so you can avoid the devil’s web of deception. Seeing is not Believing Many people unwittingly get caught in the devil’s web of deception because of their eagerness for supernatural experiences. Even some Christians think that just because an occurrence is supernatural, it must be from God. They couldn’t be more wrong! The Apostle John wrote, “Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, to see if they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world.” We’re told not to blindly believe every spirit, prophet or prophecy, but to test the spirits and judge the prophecy. In other words, don’t just look for supernatural experiences. Instead, look for those things you are certain come from God.
When the Holy Spirit was being poured out in the book of Acts, something very tangible occurred. In fact, the devout Jews criticized what was taking place and tried to explain it away as drunkenness. Peter gave us some good criteria for judging supernatural manifestations when he said, “For these are not drunk, as you suppose, since it is only the third hour of the day. But this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel: ‘And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God, That I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh; Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, Your young men shall see visions, Your old men shall dream dreams. And on My menservants and on My maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those days; And they shall prophesy” (Acts 2:15-18). Notice he said, “This is that.” If you cannot look at an experience and find it in scripture, you don’t want it as part of your theology!
Recognizing False Ministries
False ministers point to themselves and not to Jesus. The Apostle Paul wrote, “Take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood. For I know this, that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock. Also from among yourselves men will rise up, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after themselves” (Acts 20:28-30). False ministers draw disciples to themselves, claiming to have spiritual insight local pastors and church leaders do not have. They have a “special” revelation from God. True ministers are messengers who always point to Jesus, not themselves.
False ministers are usually critical of local church leadership. Jude referred to ungodly men who deny the Lord as “grumblers and faultfinders who follow their own evil desires.” They were recognized as those who boasted about themselves and flattered others for their own advantage. That is what deceivers do — they attack and criticize the leadership of your local church while exalting themselves
False prophets usually bring a negative message, especially for those who resist their “ministry.” Their theme is doom, gloom, and destruction. The first time I went to Russia, someone prophesied I was going to die in a plane crash. I prayed about it and didn’t feel the prophecy was right. So, I went as planned and, in just one meeting, over a thousand people were saved. Five hundred churches were planted as a result of that trip. If I were the devil, I would have tried to stop it, too!
The Bible says we are to be led by the Spirit of God, not by prophetic words. If I had I allowed myself to be directed by prophecy alone, I’d never have gone to Russia. Just remember, prophecy should be used to confirm what God is already speaking to you.
False ministers will let you know they are “special” messengers from God. They want to make you believe God speaks to them in a way He does not speak to you. Many people have regrettably poured their hearts, their finances, and their lives into the hands of false ministers just because they were told, “God sent me to you.” Remember, a person is not necessarily on a divine mission from God just because they say so.
One of the easiest ways to spot a false ministry is by discerning the spirit of the minister. A true representative of God is teachable and humble. False ministers are rebellious and un-teachable. They feel no one but God has the right to tell them what to do. Be careful not to get involved with such a minister. If they have a know-it-all attitude, they have already opened the door to the devil’s deception. You don’t want to walk through the door with them!
False ministers display “gifts,” but their fruit is bad. Jesus warned, “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thorn bushes or figs from thistles? Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit” (Mat 7:15-17). He did not say you would know the good from the bad by signs, miracles, or gifts, but by their fruit. Learn to look beyond the supernatural display to examine the fruit of the ministry.
Finally, false ministers are often “drifters” who have no real roots. If you could do a background check on them, you would probably find that false ministers have gone from church to church, leaving a long trail of confusion, division, deception, and destruction. The Bible says we are to know those who labor among us. In other words, don’t blindly receive the ministry of someone who is not known or recognized by your local leadership.
Knowing the Truth
The most important thing you can do to discern a false ministry is to know what a true ministry looks like. The better you know someone, the less likely you are to be fooled by someone disguised as that person. The better you know the Lord, the less likely you are to be fooled by someone falsely representing him.
I challenge you to stay full of the Holy Spirit and to stay in the Word of God. Hold your local church leadership in high regard, recognizing that they may see things you do not see. Finally, take a bold stand against false ministries and help those who are deceived.
Signs of False Ministries
1. They point to themselves, not to Jesus. 2. They are critical of local church leadership. 3. They bring a negative message. 4. They say they are “special” messengers sent from God. 5. They’re usually rebellious and un-teachable. 6. They display “gifts” but have bad fruit. 7. They’re “drifters” who have no verifiable roots.
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**By Duane Vander Klok at walkingbyfaith.tv / Photo by Pixabay
**How to have a relationship with God and be saved: The Path To Salvation, please click: HERE
“For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds” – 2 Corinthians 10:3-4
While Scripture clearly teaches that healing is part of the atoning work of Jesus on the cross (Isaiah 53:5; Matthew 8:17), even after we have gone through all the scriptural truths and prayed in faith, God in His sovereignty may still choose not to heal. We see this throughout the Bible—in the lives of faithful servants like Paul, Timothy, and Job. Paul was not delivered from his “thorn in the flesh.” Timothy dealt with frequent stomach issues. Job endured great suffering over an extended period. These examples remind us that healing is not always immediate or guaranteed, and sometimes God’s greater purposes are worked out through our weakness and dependence on Him.
But what do you do when you don’t see the healing manifest in the physical realm? Derek Prince discloses six common barriers to healing—and how to overcome them. The notes below are from the sermon Invisible Barriers to Healing.
Prayer: “Oh, God, I come to You in Jesus’ Name, and I confess my sin of unbelief. I do not try to excuse it. I am responsible for it. I am sorry for it. I ask You to forgive me and to deliver me from it and impart to me Your faith. I want to declare: I believe in God the Father, I believe in Jesus Christ His Son, I believe in God the Holy Spirit, and I believe in the Bible—the true, authoritative Word of God. I believe, Lord Jesus, what you said, “God’s Word is the truth.” Amen.”
C. Unconfessed sin (Proverbs 28:13) [Ask God to reveal any areas of unconfessed sin]
Prayer: “Oh, God, I acknowledge I am sorry. Forgive me, cleanse me in the blood of Jesus. Thank you for forgiving me, God. I receive your forgiveness. Now, God, because You have forgiven me, I forgive myself.”
D. Resentment and unforgiveness toward others (Mark 11:25)
Prayer: “Holy Spirit, I ask You now in Jesus’ Name to speak to my heart and show me areas of bitterness, resentment and unforgiveness and make me willing to forgive. If there has been any resentment in my heart—any unforgiveness, any bitterness— I renounce it now. I lay it down. If anyone has ever harmed me or wronged me, I forgive them now, as I would have God forgive me. Lord, I forgive them in Your Name, and I believe You forgive me. Thank you, Lord, in Jesus’ Name.”
Prayer: “Lord, if I have ever been involved in the occult, even ignorantly, whatever it was, I confess it as a sin and I renounce it. I ask You to forgive me and I commit myself now that never again will I be involved in those things. Forgive me, Lord, and release me from their influence. Right now. In the Name of Jesus. Amen.”
2. Royal Arch Degree – The god Jabulon (Ja = Jehovah, bul = Baal, on = Osiris). This is an abomination in the sight of the Lord.
3. One example: Woman with baby, six weeks old, that would not take nourishment (girl’s father was a Freemason). Baby took three full bottles after curse broken.
Prayer: “Lord Jesus Christ, I want to serve You and love You. If there is in my life (or in my family) a curse of Freemasonry or any other cult, I ask You to release me and forgive me and break its power over me right now. In Jesus’ Name.”
G. Effects of a curse over a family:
1. Mental and emotional breakdown
2. Repeated and chronic sicknesses (especially hereditary)
3. Repeated miscarriages or female problems, barrenness, etc.
4. Breakdown of marriage and family alienation
5. Continuing financial insufficiency
6. Accident prone
7. Suicides or unnatural deaths
Prayer: “Thank you, Lord Jesus, that on the cross You were made a curse that I might be redeemed from the curse and enter into the blessing. And because of what You did, Lord Jesus, in Your precious Name I release myself from every curse over me and my family and I claim the blessing that You purchased for me with Your blood. Thank you, Lord Jesus.”
H. Evil spiritsassociated with sickness (Luke 4:40–41).
Direct cause of sickness:
1. Spirits of infirmity, crippling, pain
2. Curvature of the spine
3. Spirit of death (Look on dark side of things, morbidity, dressing darkly)
Prayer: “I shall not die, but live, and declare the works of the Lord.” (Ps. 118:17) I. Ministry to the sick (Mark 16:18) After prayer, keep your plug in.
In Ezekiel 16:49-50, God describes the real sins of Sodom that led to the destruction of that city (in Genesis 19). Most of us have always associated Sodom with sodomy (homosexuality) and other sexual sins. But sexual sin was the ultimate result of a way of life. What was it that led them into such depths of evil? Here we are told that Sodom’s sins were actually:
1.Pride
2. Laziness
3. Gluttony (love of good food)
4. Neglecting the poor and needy
These were the reasons why God wiped out that city. It is interesting to note that God does not even mention their sexual sin. Sexual sin in Sodom was the result of their lazy, comfortable life-style. What can we learn from this? That there is a close connection between:
Pride and sexual sin.
Laziness and sexual sin.
Gluttony and sexual sin.
A lack of concern for other people and sexual sin.
Consider just these four areas. Many of you who are young have to admit that you are finding it very difficult to overcome your sexual passions. That is an extremely difficult area. But why not begin by overcoming in these four easier areas? You may, then, find it easier to overcome in the sexual area.
Begin first of all, by humbling yourself in all situations. Avoid all arrogance.
Then begin to be hard-working and diligent in whatever you do.
Then try fasting – avoiding food – once in a while.
And fourthly, begin to think a little more about the needs of people around you and see how you can help them.
Try this prescription for one year and you may discover that overcoming your sexual passions becomes easier. We cannot overcome any sin without grace from God – but He gives His grace only to the humble; and He helps only those who are kind and helpful to others.
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