Radically Led by the Holy Spirit: INTRO
I hope people serious about Jesus would see these series of articles, especially by those left behind after the rapture.
Photo by Ksenia Kudelkina on Unsplash.
What They Think It Is
- Attending church faithfully
- Listening to sermons
- Choir or worship team member
- Formal look
- Voice quality
- Lively singing
- Emotional prayer or worship
- As long as you pray and read the bible
Try asking long-time church members how they're sure they're led by the Holy Spirit. Chances are, they'd refer back to the following. Let's summarize the 8 points above:
- What they heard from Sunday school and Sunday sermons and say that learning makes them Spirit led.
- As long as they abide by their denominational doctrines they're led.
- When the sermon or singing "touched them."
- Being active in church.
Except for prayer, all the above give us nothing but head knowledge. There's a BIG difference between head knowledge and actual experience.
Tying Spirituality with Church Performance
Often, they tie being spiritual (or Spirit-led) with church performance. They even think that if they miss church on Sunday, they'd become "weak" spiritually.
- They derive strength from church attendance and participation.
- They associate true worship with a church building.
- Fellowship to them is seeing and enjoying each other in church and doing ministry.
Here's What Genuine Fellowship is:
According to John:
That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched—this we proclaim concerning the Word of life. 2 The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us. 3 We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. 4 We write this to make our joy complete. [1 John 1]
The apostle said true fellowship is sharing with us their personal experience of Christ:
1. which we have seen with our eyes,
2. which we have looked at
3. and touched with our hands),
...so we may also experience him in person. This common experience is genuine fellowship.
These things are supernaturally revealed by the Holy Spirit:“What no eye has seen,
what no ear has heard,
and what no human mind has conceived”—
the things God has prepared for those who love him—
10 these are the things God has revealed to us by his Spirit.[1 Corinthians 2]
Only The Holy Spirit Can Do ThisAlways remember that only the Holy Spirit can open our eyes to see God's good, pleasing and perfect will:
17 I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. 18 I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, 19 and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is the same as the mighty strength 20 he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, 21 far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that is invoked, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. [Ephesians 1]
What GOD wants to reveal to us through the Holy Spirit:
- Know God better
- Know the hope he called us to
- Riches of his glorious inheritance in us
- Incomparably great power in us
(which is the same as HIS resurrection power) - We are seated with Christ in the Spirit realms [Ephesians 2.6]
And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus..
Now, why the wrong but popular perception today? Because church people do not know how being led by the Spirit is anymore. They terribly lack the experience.
Hearing God's Voice and Being Led
You cannot be led by the Holy Spirit if you don't hear God's voice, and vice versa. This experience is the only way you can be genuinely led. Church and its ministries are good but they cannot help you become Spirit-led. Church programs and activities are not how you become Spirit-led.
Doing God's genuine will is only through:
- Hearing God's Voice when you meditate his Word.
- Being supernaturally led by the Holy Spirit.
Hearing God is impossible
Some do not believe anymore the possibility of hearing God literally. This is a serious concern and issue in the modern church today because Jesus unequivocally said only children of the devil cannot hear God's voice.
43 Why is my language not clear to you? Because you are unable to hear what I say. 44 You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desires...
47 Whoever belongs to God hears what God says. The reason you do not hear is that you do not belong to God. [John 8]
In fact, you have to make sure you hear God's voice and are Spirit-led before you can be launched to any ministry. Ministry without this is garbage. If you're not genuinely led, you're just doing man's religion. You're working hard for nothing because Jesus said, "the flesh counts for nothing" [John 6.63]. More on this in later articles.
Spirit-Led and Flesh-Driven
Program-Led
Those not led by the Spirit (flesh-driven) rely mostly on what they get from man (or what man can produce), not the minute leading of the Holy Spirit. Not by hearing God's voice. Like robots, they rely on "relevant" programs fed them by man's church. Or even seminars and religious schools. But nobody in Jesus' ministry used programs planned by man, no matter how "relevant." He didn't use schools either. Jesus emphasized how "The Holy Spirit will teaching you all things."
Feeling-Led
There are also those who confidently assume they are led, but their confidence is based on nothing--like their emotions, traditions, spiritual gifts (or what they think are spiritual gifts), strange spiritual experiences (goose bumps), etc. They claim they hear from God (they're fond of saying, "God told me") but it's nothing but pure wishful thinking. They, too, are flesh-driven or man-led, though they sound so spiritual.
Woe to the foolish prophets who follow their own spirit and have seen nothing!
[Ezekiel 13v3]
Looks-Led
Most likely, people think that those led by the Holy Spirit are people who say nothing but spiritual things, who are very nice people, always smiling, very decent or formal looking, post nothing but bible verses on FB, or speak formally in church with a modulated voice and very careful with words (often sounding poetic when they speak in church). These things are good but they don't automatically equate to any level of spirituality. We are easily led to believe physical appearances (and voice tone) reveal spirituality because we go by what we appreciate in the flesh, not the Spirit. This was precisely why the Jewish leaders missed the Messiah, Jesus.
12 We are not trying to commend ourselves to you again, but are giving you an opportunity to take pride in us, so that you can answer those who take pride in what is seen rather than in what is in the heart...
16 So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer.
[2 Corinthians 5v 12 and 16]
And church folks will keep missing God's genuine moves if they remain operating in the flesh and the systems of this world and not by being radically Spirit-led alone.
Led from the Very Beginning
Being led starts in the womb, while we're yet unborn. The ministry is this serious that God manages everything during pre- and post-birth. In fact, I dare say even pre-conception, before the creation of the world. The Holy Spirit's work has always been there. Therefore, being led by HIM is so vital, to say the least.
3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. 4 For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. [Ephesians 1]
Says Grammarly, "The present perfect tense is an English verb tense used for past actions that are related to or continuing into the present. It's easily recognized by the auxiliary verbs (or helper verbs) have and has, as in, 'I have gone fishing since I was a child.'"
We cannot use "every spiritual blessing in Christ" for our benefit unless the Holy Spirit leads and enables us. We're already "blessed" (it's already happened and go on happening, the blessings are ours now) with "every" spiritual thing we need--and I mean every thing we need. But they're just waiting idly there in the heavenly realms if we remain in the world's system and not led by the Holy Spirit. You cannot be in the world's systems and be led supernaturally by God at the same time.
For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want. [Galatians 5v17]
John the Baptist was "led" as an infant still in his mother's womb when he jumped in excitement due to the Holy Spirit at work in Elizabeth when Mary greeted her [Luke 1v41]--a clear hint that the Spirit of God was at work at womb stage. And I believe the same happened to Jesus--and to all of us, for God is no respecter of persons. He did it with John, he does it with everyone he calls. It even happened to Jeremiah, and I suppose to all the prophets and apostles.
4 The word of the Lord came to me, saying,
5 “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you,
before you were born I set you apart;
I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.” [Jeremiah 1]
And "setting apart" and being "appointed" or "sending off" a person for ministry is the Holy Spirit's department:
2 While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” 3 So after they had fasted and prayed, they placed their hands on them and sent them off.
4 The two of them, sent on their way by the Holy Spirit, went down to Seleucia and sailed from there to Cyprus. [Acts 13]
How the Prophets Were Led
We watch what works in other churches, for instance, and imitate them, thinking what works for them will work for us, too. Or, assume that what God tells them is what he'd also tell us. So we mindlessly "copy and paste."
But Isaiah, Jeremiah and Ezekiel didn't copy from each other, neither did Joshua from Moses. They each grabbed the spoken Word for them from the mouth of God. It was the Holy Spirit who made sure that they had different approaches and accomplishments, though a bit similar in numerous ways. They were radically led. They didn't try to figure out things and see and decide what would work. Instead, they each got directions and instructions straight from the Lord.
God made Moses part the Red Sea but God made Joshua stop the river current from flowing. Kind of similar but different. They didn't decide among themselves what to do to achieve the result they needed. Moses did not meet with his 70 elders and talk about options and plans. "Okay guys, we're trapped between the Egyptian army and this sea called Red. Any suggestions?" Nothing like that happened. God directly told Moses what to do because GOD already had a plan.
Joshua never thought that copying what Moses did was a good idea. It was God who decided everything.
They didn't decide among themselves what to do to achieve
the result they needed.
Jeremiah was called during the fall of Jerusalem and the start of the exile. Ezekiel was called at the height of the exile to Babylon. They were called to do different things and they had to get specific instructions direct from God. Ezekiel did not copy from Jeremiah or tried things that worked for other prophets before him. Jeremiah dealt with disobedience among political and religious leaders, while Ezekiel dealt with rebellious people who desecrated the temple. They didn't decide on what best options to do. They just followed orders from the supernatural revelations they got from GOD. They didn't plan programs, activities or gimmicks. They were radically and supernaturally led.
HOLY SPIRIT GUIDES US IN FIGHTING DECEPTION
Church today needs to learn these things. We need to know and experience how to be genuinely and supernaturally led by the Holy Spirit, especially in these last days of sly deceptions by the enemy. Deception is fought only by being Spirit-led.
4 We use God’s mighty weapons, not worldly weapons, to knock down the strongholds of human reasoning and to destroy false arguments (imaginations, and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God). 5 We destroy every proud obstacle that keeps people from knowing God. We capture their rebellious thoughts and teach them to obey Christ. 6 And after you have become fully obedient, we will punish everyone who remains disobedient. [2 Corinthians 10]
How the Apostles Were Led
Peter was obviously different from Paul or John in his ministry approach. Peter was the apostle to the Jewish believers while Paul to the gentile believers, and neither copied from the other. They each relied on God's supernatural revelation to them. But sometimes, the Holy Spirit would lead Paul to minister to some Jews and Peter to some Gentiles. They didn't sit down to plan it. "Hey, how about switching ministry now and then?" Nope. It was the Holy Spirit that made it happen, and through HIS revelation, they discerned and agreed that,
7 On the contrary, they recognized that I had been entrusted with the task of preaching the gospel to the uncircumcised, just as Peter had been to the circumcised. [Galatians 2]
It was a decision reached by noting what God was revealing through the Spirit about what HE had been doing in Peter's and Paul's ministries, particularly their preaching, and how the Holy Spirit was moving and leading them in supernatural signs and wonders. It was not their own assessment or through credentials, titles and degrees as we do so today.
8 For God, who was at work in Peter as an apostle to the circumcised, was also at work in me as an apostle to the Gentiles. 9 James, Cephas and John, those esteemed as pillars, gave me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship when they recognized the grace given to me. They agreed that we should go to the Gentiles, and they to the circumcised.
The apostles recognized the "grace" given Paul, not his credentials, diplomas, certificates and what-have-you. And that grace involved the supernatural works of the Holy Spirit. Anywhere in the bible, especially in the New Testament, supernatural signs and wonders always accompanied preaching of the Word. Being radically led by the Holy Spirit makes you see the supernatural qualities in leadership, not the things the flesh appreciates.
John's ministry was focused more on the world at large. James focused on works and faith while Jude on the end-times. They didn't decide to be in these ministries on their own. They were led. They didn't just copy from each other or decide that what worked for other apostles could also work for them. They moved according to the revelation they got.
Being radically led by the Holy Spirit makes you see the supernatural qualities in leadership, not the things the flesh appreciates.
We Bypass the Jesus Model
Jesus is the Way and Model (Author and Finisher) of our faith. We know this, memorize and recite the bible verse well--even preach a lot about it--but we don't get it. We still do ministry as we see fit and adopt other models we see are effective and works, even if they do not resemble anything like what Jesus did, or if we don't hear from God about them.
Often, we get models from the world--from marketing and advertising--and just add bible verses to make them sound legit. Why? Because we see how they bring in a lot of people and income and build mega churches. We're not led by the Spirit. We're led by the flesh.
SMART
Example is the SMART principle. Some church experts say church goal setting should follow the SMART principle to be effective and productive---where S stands for specific, M for measurable, A for achievable, R for realistic and T for time-bound. And they say this is sound planning according to sound doctrine.
Well, you cannot be specific with your goals because God determines what happens or what we can achieve, in case we have forgotten. You simply obey each step as Abraham did. He was told to go to a land "I will show you." Moses had to follow the supernatural pillars wherever it went. Where they led, Moses and the Israelites followed. And so on.
Aiming at specific targets, like how many new members to get this year or how many will be baptized, is secular marketing. Ministry as Jesus and the apostles did it was different. They simply obeyed the voice of the Father. Results were left to the Holy Spirit. God through his Holy Spirit moved and decided what, where, when and how. More on this in other articles to follow.
Measurable, achievable and realistic? Instant healing of the sick when Peter's shadow fell on them wasn't realistic and achievable by any amount of human planning. And it wasn't measurable (you cannot establish the trend of the progress) because God could do something different anytime in countless ways--especially ways that baffled human understanding, like how Dorcas was raised from the dead.
Time bound? God does things in his time. He may do a great miracle a second from now or after a whole generation expires. How can we produce a timeline or time table for target dates? We can't if we're led by the Spirit. Only God makes target dates and time tables.
About that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. [Matthew 24v36]
Jesus didn't have any program, set goals or specific targets in mind. He didn't sit down with his apostles, planned, set schedules and asked God to bless them. He simply obeyed what the Father said and showed him and followed what the Father had scheduled. He clearly said, "I CAN DO NOTHING..."
19 Jesus gave them this answer: “Very truly I tell you, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does. [John 5]
The problem today is, we do ministry by making our own plans and doing our own thing--or what we see works in others. If Jesus believed he could do NOTHING by himself, we believe the opposite--we believe we can do it by our own, or worse, using the world's systems. And we've been doing it this way for years and decades.
LEARN MORE ABOUT GOD's NEXT MOVES!
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