Heart Cry!

Great new video by Andy over at Faith Defenders!

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From my many years in the charismatic church, I have been so familiar with those who speak what they hear from the Lord, and hands up as high as I can; I was probably right at the front of the queue on this one!

Without casting any aspertions on anyone other than myself, I will describe this process typically as it was to me personally, whilst at the same time I would also loudly declare that I reject this practice with as much propulsion that I can muster!

1. Firstly I would make it clear that my heart has always been filled with love and gratitude towards Jesus, the whole time I've been saved. But it was warm fuzzy emotions, not true love. For true love for Christ is manifested only by obedience to His commands, and if you don't really pay any attention to what those commands are (John 14:15); how can you claim to truly love Him? 
2. Anyway, during times of fellowship with other Christians, especially when faced with a situation requiring love or encouragement to be ministered to another, my first instinct would be to quietly pray. Which as far as step one goes, fantastic!
3. This prayerfulness however, would be accompanied by cocking a spiritual ear to hear what the "still small voice" of the Spirit would say. For years this "source" would be the well I drew from for the most part in ministering the love of God to others. Quite often I would receive truly uplifting messages for those I was ministering to, and in some cases they could be directly linked Scripturally, but more often the case not with any clarity.
4. As a result, many of these "...I believe the Lord laid this on my heart..." messages, though were delivered from the most noble of intentions, did little to minister the Voice of God into the situation at all. For they were just messages for the moment, given out of the wellspring of my own heart. And though they did bless the hearer, it was only to the extent that my own compassion and goodness was able to bless them.

What I have learned since those days is, whether we like to accept it or not, God ONLY speaks to us through His Word. This does not mean that you must have a Bible in your hands to hear His voice speak, but He will never speak beyond the meat of His Word that you have digested spiritually, through reading the Scriptures, or hearing His Word preached by others. And that does not mean their opinions, testimonies and cliches, but the unadulterated words of Scripture, given in the Holy Bible.

The crying shame is, that if I had spent much time feeding upon His Word then as now, and then followed exactly the same process as I outlined above, then things would be completely different. The Spirit often still speaks to me through that "still small voice" as I reach out to Him in prayer, longing for His Word to deliver to those around me that I know need to hear. But the difference is now, what He speaks to me is ALWAYS directly from the Word of God in Scripture. And this is where the ultimate confidence comes in, that the words that I am imparting to another, WILL ACHEIVE THAT FOR WHICH THEY HAVE BEEN SENT! For they are not my words, but God's.

I still know many in the charismatic church, and love them dearly. I still hear of the endless words of knowledge prophesied from the flesh, and the spiritually discerned "words from the Lord" I outlined above. I still rebuke much of these things, and often get into hot water over the stand I take at times. But I am utterly convinced that if only more would awaken to the dire need to feed upon His Word first and foremost, then everything would be so different.

The truth is that, if we consider what we are doing in any way, shape or form, to be ministering to others in the name of Christ, then it must, must, MUST be firmly founded in His Word. Whether prophecy, or words of wisdom and encouragement. If we minister these things, we must have the confidence to be able to know without doubt, that what comes out of our mouth is true, for "THUS SAITH THE LORD!" And this can only be so when we hear it from His Word alone.