We’ve gone through this before. When individuals start misusing or even abusing their offices or the gifts they have been given by the Spirit, people back away. The good, honest and true folk, who have been ordained by God and genuinely possess things given by the Spirit, are often swallowed up with the others. All of this, has played right into the hands of the enemy. And it’s also played right into the hands of those, who seek to control the laity; to stop the Spirit.

Without the true five-fold ministry in operation, it wouldn’t matter how people felt about Spiritual gifts anyway. And rather than allowing those who the Spirit has given knowledge and understanding for navigating such things, it all gets shut down; or at least kept to the weakest and minimal level of operation by less than a handful of hand-picked appointees. There is something different this time; the Spirit continued to teach chosen men and women, outside of strictly religious fraternities. The Spirit works, in ways men do not understand; trying to compete with Him, is not only silly, but dangerous. Many were driven out into the wilderness; some of us, are just now beginning to see, that it was already in God’s plan; in His will.

There are many fakes; there are many prophets in wolves clothing. There are those who are out for recognition, and as one good elder said here just now, there are those who are operating in the flesh. Sadly, good men and women, can be corrupted by money, power and the desire to be in control. There’s no need to say, that none of these started out as the real thing; that none of them had the goods to begin with; some did. I don’t know much, and don’t claim to know much, but I think I have see a lot of people over the years, who were immature in the gifts of God. With no support or any kind of encouragement, they may have let zeal and a real desire to be used, cause them to move too quickly or without direct leadership of the Spirit. Some, need to take their signs down. They need to learn humility.

The Spirit, in the past two or three years that I know of, has been insisting, that all true, born-again believers, use their spiritual senses for discerning. He has used some, to urge God’s people to get in the Spirit, know things in the Spirit, and live in the Spirit, as much as possible. Forget what people look like or what they say; try them in the Spirit. There are even those who preach what many call the Word, that are not of God; they are about the flesh. Paul said they would be. A sounding brass and a tinkling cymbal, still sounds, like a sounding brass and a tinkling cymbal. And you can only tell by being full of the Holy Ghost; if the instrument or the player, is false.

Don’t let fakes, puffed-up imitations or fleshly operators, make you doubt what the Spirit has placed in you. At any moment, much of this man made kind of operation, is going to fold. It won’t take the pressure, it won’t take the real heat, and besides, the angels of the harvest, are going to gather them out of the bride of Christ; first.

The Holy Ghost, is about to move some things, out of His way. He did it in the early church, and He will do it today also; remember, He well knows how. The enemy is trying to make some real folk, believe that what they have been given by the Spirit, is all for nothing. Dig, deeper. Do more intercession; pray harder, and ride it out. If He brought us here, He has a reason. It won’t tarry forever; wait for it.

Robert Blackburn