Church leadership

IN SEARCH FOR SOUL REDEMPTION. NOTE 3

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IN SEARCH OF SOUL SALVATION NOTE 3

The principle of soul redemption.

BY ISAIAH-PHILLIPS AKINTOLA

2 Timothy 3:5

Having a form of godliness but denying its power.

Have nothing to do with such people.

FOR SOUL REDEMPTION. NOTE 3

PRESUMING SPIRITUAL MATURITY

Thanks for stopping by to read the concluding article on this subject, I hope it will help to realign your heart to the current emphasis of the Lord, or maybe, reaffirm the things you already know regarding this vital subject.

There are still lots of loose ends regarding our understanding of redemption we need to carefully address, especially in this period, heaven is inviting us to a more ascended, position of governmental authority and representation.

Countless many, as we can see in the word of God and in modern history were defeated by the enemy during their prime days of strength and glory. A very good example of this is that of Rehoboam, Son of King Solomon. The scripture affirms that when Rehoboam’s position as the King of Israel was firmly established with all the fortified cities he had built and the great numbers of armies at his disposal, he and the rest of the people abandoned the laws and ways of God.

It was clear that this king did not understand the principle of redemption, solidly built on an ongoing, developmental relationships. He thought he could use God to achieve something grand for himself and the nation with maintaining a heart of love and commitment to the ways of God.  This is the same value system many have applied towards their relationship and interaction with the things of the Spirit, and this is the reason why many are struggling to find joy, peace, and righteousness in their so-called Christian faith.       

2 Chronicles 12:1-2

After Rehoboam’s position as king was established and he had become strong, he and all Israel a with him abandoned the law of the Lord. Because they had been unfaithful to the Lord, Shishak king of Egypt attacked Jerusalem in the fifth year of King Rehoboam.

For us to effectively present ourselves as accompany of them ready to represent the Father’s prophetic intention for this season, we must close the various gaps of truth, insight, Revelation, and wisdom within the basic philosophy of our spirituality.

Becoming an integrated, spiritual, kingdom entity is a must in our qualification of advancement to the next frontier, and I do believe this is one of the main reasons the Spirit of the Lord is calling our attention to this subject of the salvation of the Soul.

What differentiates David from Saul was where they stand regarding the work with God in leading the people, and how they responded to the voice of God when they were both found wanting. Perfection is never about a sinless life as critically important, we daily press towards a sacred life of consecration, but about how we honestly respond to our sinful acts.

King Saul responded with lies, deceit, and self-glory to the voice of God’s judgment while David responded in repentance, humility, and submission to the judgment of God. These two individuals highlight the configuration of the hearts of those called and anointed by God to carry out an assignment for him.  Pride and self-deception are one of the most powerful weapons the enemy has used right from the days of the fall of the first man and his wife in the garden. 

To effectively deal with the dysfunctional character, nature within us, we must be honest, truthful and willing to allow God into every aspect of our lives. Those who hide behind the term, ‘am a Christian’ without adhering to the value standard of a Christ-like life are deceiving themselves, and the enemy loves such individuals.    

 Apostle Paul, in his letter to Timothy, who was the resident Elder of the Church of Ephesus, highlighted this critical point, which is still the main challenge of today’s Church, which is, the idea that we can replace authenticity with a form. A form is that which looks like, feels like, sound like, but in fact, it’s fake. This text speaks of having a form of godliness but denying its power is something that should seriously concern any true spiritual leader and any serious follower of Christ.

The form of godliness has almost replaced the authentic, particularly, amongst spiritual leadership, and this has unfortunately opened the many lives to the lies of the enemy, particularly in the arena of spirituality. Many of the messages, teachings, and so-called biblical initiatives we see being practiced today are nothing but products of forms of godliness while the power of the gospel of the kingdom is being denied.

This lie has eaten deep into how the majority see and relate to the salvation’s relationship. There’s a lot of activity to show some sense of commitment to the ways of God while deep beneath the hearts of this professed believers this a disconnection. The mismatch in the Church today is a serious issue of not understanding the nature or function of the operation of the Soul, which I believe needs to be urgently addressed before it’s too late.

THE COST OF PRESUMPTION

To presume, and generalize knowledge, and the progressive experience in spiritual subjects is to make one of the greatest errors in the art of spiritual journey. Spiritual things from biblical perspective are often not related to formulas. Secondly, when it comes to the issue of Spiritual maturity, you begin to talk about the reality of kingdom principle and Christ lifestyle which is alien to what many have come to believe and accept as Christianity today.

Most of the teachings and traditions being practiced in our Christian gathering and denominations are a clear extension of the refined Roman-catholic Spirit and Judaism, traditional practice. These two schools of thoughts are the most influential customs that influence what today known and called the Christian religion is, and of course, they are not consistent with what Christ established as his ecclesia.  You must have noticed that this two-main influence, with many others, carries a form of godliness, but denies the power of right biblical value relationship.    

A FORMULA OF RELATIONSHIP, WHICH ONE SHALL IT BE?

A formula by design will always give a predicted result as long as your calculation is defined and precise in relating to your expected result. However, in spiritual dealings and realities, you can accurately get all the formulas right and still not arrive at your predictive, expected outcome. Why? The Father never intends to relate to his body of the earth from a mentality or perspective of some formulas or laws. Yes, in our early days of the salvation experience, we might assume that the Father can be related to from a position of specific formulas.

MY PERSONAL JOURNEY

 Example, I could still remember when I was growing in the Lord, often times when I pray regarding certain issues of need, I will usually get my prayer answered almost exactly the way I have requested it. I had somewhat mastered the formula of my approach to God in terms of what I desire him to do in my life, and to some level, it seems the Father was playing along in relating to me in terms of this limited, somewhat religious mind frame I was using to approach him.

I was innocent, naïve, or even ignorant regarding the ways of the kingdom. Back then, I am not sure if I do understand what salvation truly means and how to experience the spiritual life within my new relationship with the Father.

All I did was an extension of what I see many do around. I didn’t understand that there’s anything like spiritual development or the right protocol value of approaching the things of the kingdom. All I understood was the language of the word of faith; confess it and claim it, and then, a lot of hype in my praise and prayers; and of course, a passionate sense of worship without necessarily understanding what I was doing as long as there’s the result. I was result oriented and not principle and value focus like many believers back then. 

If I can pray the more and worship with more passion, God will answer my prayers. As you can see, my motive of doing those things was already predicated on what God can do for me, rather than, doing those things because I am a son, called and chosen to give glory to my Father who has already given all things to me. 

RITUAL OR SPIRITUALITY?

The unfortunate thing however was, these powerful spiritual principles of approach back then were taught from a perspective of what I can gain or get in return for my benefit. Basically, this concept, or idea of spirituality, is a user-friendly philosophy of spirituality’. Everything is passionately pursuit if it is going to bring me a blessing, increase, promotion personally, and prosperity regardless of the alternative Father may have in store for me.

As you can see, the principles were right, but the motives were utterly wrong. Unfortunately, this is how many are still approaching the things of God, which is formula based. This is an approach of a slave, orphan spirit many are still expressing in their spiritual quest.  The Father does not desire to deal with any of his children from this fallen, humanist, religious value. Formula is a deep reflection of the ministry of the law still operating in our lives.

We are called to journey in the redeemed nature of our Spirit in a true relationship; a relationship that is born out of trust, faith, and complete obedience to the ways and life of the kingdom of God. 

The term relationship is one of the most abused and misunderstood words today, both in the body of Christ and generally in society. And this is a deliberate, strategic plan from the kingdom of darkness to corrupt, dilute, and desensitize the power and value the word, like many others within the hearts of men.

WHEN SPIRITUALITY MEANS SOMETHING ELSE

There’s no strategy as powerful as reducing or nullifying the meaning of something in the public domain until such a thing means something else from its original meaning of intent. This is one subtle way the enemy has tried desensitizing our spiritual sight and values, especially in this contemporary Age. The battle to reduce the meaning of words and discredit the power of God’s values and philosophy has been ever-increasing warfare in our time.

We live in a day where truth today is viewed as relative. People now have the audacity to challenge the truth and value behind every word spoken by our Lord Jesus Christ.  Keeping the true meaning and intention of words in it’s original, intended, context has become critical to the objective in maintaining the very essence and value of kingdom truth. 

The purpose and value of truth are reduced if the words used in conveying such truth is not clear or understood to be saying what it is intended for. Therefore, if I say I love you, and you don’t understand the original meaning and purpose of the word love, you will undoubtedly borrow the general meaning and value system society uses to measure the value of what I am saying to you. This is a grave matter that needs those in the apostolic ministry to clarify, at least this is one of the core objectives of those in the office of the authentic apostolic governmental ministry.  Words are no more words if they’ve lost their very essence, values, and core objectives.

RELATIONSHIP, A JOURNEY TO SPIRITUALITY

Therefore, to say that relationship is the very essence of our spiritual development is a serious statement when we capture the true essence of the word term relationship from divine meaning and perspective.  A relationship is the single thread that ties the mystery of the Godhead together in that order of perfect unity that makes them one in three. My point is, there’s more to understand in the very nature and life of God in relating to relationship than we can comprehend with our unregenerated frame of thought. 

The idea of a religious formula, rituals, and the inscription of the laws is easily understood from the carnal, humanist frame of thinking, but God does not live in such a realm. Even when he gave us the law, a type of formula, was for the objective of schooling us to understand certain fundamental principles required to build the necessary character values have been in living in slavery, abusive lifestyle for a long season. It’s more challenging to manage freedom if one has been in bondage for as long as one can remember.

You need to set specific guidelines and rules in place to protect those coming into this freedom. Freedom can soon have turned to self-bondage when the right values and understanding of lifestyle has not been taught. This is what the Lord did when he gave the children of Israel the commandment of approaching him and relating to one another in the camp.

The moment we move into the art of living according to his eternal design, the good, elementary principle of formula and laws no longer suffices or applies to us because we’ve transited into the lifestyle of the covenant through the blood of Jesus Christ, for this is the heart of our calling in kingdom order of relationship.

UNDERSTANDING SPIRITUALITY

Back to the point, I was trying to make about the idea of maturity. I have highlighted all this explanation to make this critical point that I hope you’ll now be able to appreciate. You cannot presume or jump into conclusion when it comes to spiritual development and maturity. Therefore, to assume the fact that you stand shoulder to shoulder with your teacher at school, or boss at the workplace suddenly makes you equal with them.

 Or better still, to assume the fact that you have the same matured body features and figures with your parents suddenly make you equally developed as your mother or Father is to express utter ignorance that can cost you dearly according to the word of God.

Maturity, in particular, spiritual maturity, is not merely defined by a person’s Age; if your definition of maturity or the respect of individuals is merely limited to their age gap or material acquisition and influence in society, then you’ve certainly proven that you lack the knowledge of basic life principles and the core values that drives human existence.

 I see this sense of disrespect within the body of Christ in the name of spirituality, especially on social media. If you have ‘knowledge’, such knowledge, regardless of how potent must function within an atmosphere of humility, honour, wisdom and respect. If your quest for knowledge exhibit pride and arrogance, you have nullified the law that makes truth work within your life, and therefore, you will be rejected from accessing divine things.

The template that gives you the code to access spiritual Revelation is a template of humility to those who are given the mission of spiritual apostolic stewardship. Because many have not been taught that spiritual things operate through the ministry of what could be likened to the ministry of certain folks within kingdom called gatekeepers, they assume they can just walk into the presence of the Father to ask for anything in terms of spiritual Revelation. 

THE PROTOCOL OF BIBLICAL SPIRITUALITY

Spiritual things work through divine protocol and these protocols work through specific underpinning value systems that interfaces between heaven and earth. If you lack the knowledge of the ways of the Spirit, you will be denied access to the ascended life of God, or the things of his kingdom, especially in a position or atmosphere where there’s a corporate gathering of the Saints.

There are people within the body of Christ who are designed over regions to be portals of revelatory access. These elders at spiritual gates of nations, cities and communities regulate and carefully administrate the apostolic construction, or prophetic engagements that generally flows into regions and atmospheres according to heaven’s divine season.

This is the idea behind the Church and the angle position within the seven nations in Asia minor according to the book of Revelation. Those churches are planted to regulate the spiritual, socioeconomic, and political destiny of their cities for Christ. They are the original governing leaders of their communities.  

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CHRIST, OUR NATURAL HABITAT

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CHRIST, OUR NATURAL HABITAT

Allow me to bother you again with one of the life-messages of wisdom. Many Christians today have become so naturally accustomed to specific and essential, practices to the extent that we have almost forgotten the transforming-life lesson we should be learning from them.

Yesterday evening my wife brought these plants home, and she immediately got a cup with water inside and dropped the plants in it. I didn’t give much attention to it except for the fact that she said one of the plants is a pine tree.

 

This morning while I was making myself a cup of tea, the Holy Spirit drew my attention to the cup and asked me, what do you see? I immediately cut the reason for the question; if the plants are not secure in the appropriate environment, they will eventually die in the next few hours or days depending on their longevity.

The right habitat of the plants does not only secure their existence but also their potential in growing and fulfilling their ordained purpose for life.

What a profound truth that we daily take for granted. Living daily in the environment that sustains who we are made to be is an ever-fresh revelation we should always cherish if we must remain relevant in life.

We’ve been placed in an environment that sustains everything we are, and should represent as humans made in the likeness of God. A life lived in the consciousness of the abiding presence of God is one that receives provision for life and godliness according to brother Peter.

Let me remind us that we do not have any excuse whatsoever not to remain in our natural habitat as followers of Christ, and for those who are none-Christians, nature speaks to us of who we are, and how we ought to be sustained in life even without a preacher.

This is the reason the book of Romans declares that as humans, we have no excuse for not living our lives according to the ethics code of God.

Romans 1:20
For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.

Why is it easy to see the repercussion of not transplanting a plant in their right habitat of water supply, yet, it seems so difficult to accept our own inherent sustained environment within the stream of living water?

While these plants do not have the will of their own to jump out of the water, and if they can, they will eventually die. We, however, see the will of these plants bound to the eternal objective of what they’ve been ordained for in their service to the use of man and the rest of creation.

Man, as the most superior of all Gods creation has been given a will because the one who created him has a will. However, we have not truly fathomed, understand, nor appreciate why we’ve been given a will that should be continually surrendered to the one who gave it to us as part of our daily devotional service to him who created us for his own good pleasure.

We’ve assumed that because we have a sense of where we came from, at least as Christians, immediately translates to been secured within the environment of our sustainability which of course is a terrible lie.

Refusing to consciously yield ourselves in obedience to the will of God is like a fish out of the water, assuming it will survive. Friends, this is not just some natural law, but a spiritual one, that should be daily sustained and in practice if we desire peace and fulfillment.

If you ever assume that you can survive with your supposed advanced intelligence and secured financial muscle without you abiding continually in the presence of Christ who is the source of all things, is a lie and you will soon die if you don’t remain in your natural spiritual habitat in Christ.

I hope these few lines will stir and motivate your spirit mind to start abiding in Christ our eternal source.

BEING SPIRITUALLY CARNAL. PART 2

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BEING SPIRITUALLY CARNAL. CONCLUSION.

By Isaiah-Phillips Akintola

A considerable amount of Church community has managed to raise men and women who are more popular than the very Christ they claim to be representing. We today have church folks who believe more of what the preacher says in excitement than what is biblically correct.

The image of the man of sin is now seating in the temple, demanding worship and praise from the people of God. Many of our church folks have been bewitched by falsehood; truth has fallen to the ground, and no one seems to care.

Today, the act of carnality has become more fun and trendy to many, including church leaders, who by default ought to be the very exemplary standard-value of spiritual representation. Hardly do we see the concept of a church community gathering today that is not driven by some form activities that merely seek to exalt men.

We have raised a generation of Christians who are uncomfortable with a message that probes the heart and demands a change of character lifestyle. Our gospel messages and initiatives are focus around getting the people motivated for as long as we do not require them to change or sacrifice for the things of the Spirit. The pressure of material blessings, increase Church numbers,, and financial success has led many so-called church leaders to the house of wicked people to get demonic power to increase or maintain their status.

The voice of sensuality is growing more powerful than the sound of the spirit that seeks to please the Father, and we all need to corporately address this perverted spirit before we lose the next generation to the soulish, demonic lifestyle.

The world of the soul-life is a well-organized universe that requires individuals who have successfully graduated from the University of identifying each component and operations of the Spirit of truth, particularly, in the area of the principle of human redemption with the capacity to engage and expose the complex nature and operations of the unregenerate soul.

It does take a person who has lived and operated in the conscious, carnal character and a degree of the sound spiritual state of life to assist us to make sense of what it means to be carnally spiritual, and this is what we find I found in Paul and David.

What do I mean by this? David understood a profound character mechanism of the ministry of the (principle) laws of God in the conversion of the human soul.

Now, that takes a certain degree of relationship with the values of God’s word to be shown such level of profound truth. It is true that man, including those of us who have claimed to have experienced salvation to front a sense of spirituality that is derived from the soul realm because we’ve not been exposed to a certain depth of truth in our work with God.

The soul of man can virtually mimic, or even perform certain acts of spiritual activity, including what we may term as miracles, especially when it’s exposed and accustomed to the knowledge and operational system of the spirit, and there’s no doubt that the soul is very familiar with the peripheral environmental activity of the spirit. In the ascended operatives dimensions of the spiritual life, no part of the unregenerate soul faculty is allowed to function without their submission to the divine order of the spirit.

The function of the soul faculties alongside the governing authority of spirit-man is the divine pattern from the beginning. However, the fall has brought a sharp division that has continued to prevent a man from operating in his restored, ascended spiritual lifestyle. It must be clear that our spirituality and its operatives cannot be complete without the functional mechanism of the entire soul faculties.

The priority of heaven in this season is not just for us to understand the functional division of these two realms but to find the divine pathway of restoring them so that Man can once again function in that synchronized position of his restored life. Every autonomous faculty of man, particularly in the soul realm must be regulated and reunited under the governing, leadership system of the kingdom of God’s Holy Spirit.

Many of the spiritual realities and kingdom initiatives we are trying to achieve through an idealistic pursuit like the ministry of the oneness of the Body of Christ may not be quickly achieved due to our obscurity of this truth.

The unity of the Body of Christ and the corporate function of the ascended gifts will only become a true reality when we’ve successfully unseat the soul from the leadership position of the Church and general behavioral human lifestyle.

Unfortunately, the understanding of this highly, technical, operational mechanisms of the unregenerate soul-life is still a mystery to several believers, including many of the so-called spiritual leaders who have allowed the enemy to seduce and subdue their spiritual faculty into this sensual, demonic type of leadership.

Being able to function in what may be termed or seen as spiritual is perhaps one of the deadliest deceptions today especially within the Body of Christ, and we are warned to be wary of such manifestation when we see them in operation.

I have to some degree experienced what I am sharing through this note. Therefore, it is not some theoretical or some third-hand information.

it might be commendable to practice a form of spirituality that is based on some mental process information we’ve gathered, or have been exposed to due to the privilege of proximity and association with those who are knowledgable in spiritual matters.

But certainly not recommended nor commendable when such knowledge has not been duly processed and refined within the crucible of heaven’s designed process.

When ministry does not flow from a pure, devotional state of an ongoing relationship with the Father, it will ultimately produce fruits sourced from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil which will manifest itself in pride which will lead destruction. It is so easy to build our dependence on what we know mentally, and present such mental knowledge to people as a first-hand spiritual experienced; this is called spiritual deception.

When we mention the term carnality, we are quick to think of a particular sin which is true to some extent, but the very nature of carnality as I have earlier described is a lifestyle that operates through sensual knowledge depend on the soul-faculty for what it sees, belief, choose, and decide, and many unfortunately operate their concept of spirituality from the point of view.

Therefore, carnality is to allow the position and influence of men, including that of so-called men God and spiritual leaders to override the mind of Christ and his standard of truth in our lives.

Carnality which is the soul-life is to be more afraid of men than the one who called us and send us to represent him.

Carnality is to lose your voice when heaven expect you to speak in defense of its values and standard. Carnality is when you and I seek to judge things, including people through their material or physical disposition.

Carnality is when the title of our so-called ministry r gifts becomes more important than the very life-fruit of him who called us and sent us to represent him.

Carnality is to eat and be Continually sustained by the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

There are two kinds of wisdom in the scripture just as they are two types of knowledge, one sourced from the tree of life while the other emanates from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

The scripture informs us that knowledge will increase in the last day, and we are seeing the fruition of this biblical prophecy coming to pass before our very eyes; an awareness that contradicts the principle of God and the respect for each other is increasing at all levels.

One of the characteristics of the last days is a total shift from the depending on the wisdom and knowledge of God to depending on the philosophy and ideology of man.

Human wisdom is one of the most significant challenges of today’s church, and the reason is clear, the wisdom or knowledge of God sound and looks foolish to man.

Sensuality is mixed with the knowledge, Eastern philosophy is becoming more prevalent and accepted among the western culture.

These forms of thinking that derive its source of information and inspiration from the soulish, sensual thinking is rewriting the template of how humans see and process morality and spirituality.

Of a truth, this is the age of knowledge as it has been prophetically declared according to prophet Daniel, and we are seeing the power of knowledge giving rise to many things not just in the general society but within the Church, which is contradicting every form of sound, biblical values of spirituality.

Knowledge is a product of the Spirit. However, we are now witnessing the accelerated, advanced development of another type of knowledge which the fallen man is very much familiar with, gaining precedence over the wisdom that comes from the tree of life.

This knowledge that flows from the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil has almost taken over the entire spiritual culture and worship system of the Church.

What is generally define as spirituality today are mostly sourced from the fruit of this tree of the knowledge of good and evil, and unfortunately, very few are keenly aware of this important deceptive and seductive activity taking place before their very face.

Today’s definition of spirituality is a learned art, mimic by what the soul as glean from those who many sees and deem to be successful. When we see and judge success merely by the obvious, it means that we subject to demonic control, manipulation, and witchcraft.

Being spiritually carnal is a term I have coined out to give voice and perspective to one of the most challenging topics in the contemporary Christian faith and human development. Particularly, in an era where carnality is now wearing the image of what men define and termed as spiritual.

The increased influence materialism and visualization has continued to Rob the church of the true sense of spirituality. When we base reality on what can be touched and seen, am afraid, we cannot go on with the Lord to that place of spiritual maturity.

Please note this point, being carnal does not necessarily prevent us from being aware of specific information either natural or spiritual.

We can be very aware or exposed to profound spiritual knowledge and still be highly sensual in our values and desire because information on its own does not have the transforming power of change. What we do with what we know is where the power of truth lies.

Here is a profound statement that gives voice to what I am trying to convey. Truth is not just about what we know or do with what we believe. The truth is about who we are becoming by what we believe in thought and through experience.

Lucifer is one of the most spiritually intelligent beings, yet, totally sold out to a sensual lifestyle, expressed in rebellion to the set standard of the Father. Some of his deadliest weapons at his disposal today are the ability to manipulate the knowledge and truth he was exposed to while he was the cherubim that cover the glory of God, and his the single reason the ecclesia must study and understand the doctrine of truth.

What defines true, biblical spirituality is not just about the degree of knowledge we have acquired or have been exposed to which have eventually become part of our residual, intellectual property.

But a continual relationship with the Father that keeps such knowledge or information alive in the place of unbroken, daily relationship.

I firmly believe that this was the principle and value the Father was instilling within the mindset of his children when he introduced the principle of manna in the wilderness.

Living out of the proceeding word is a powerful spiritual discipline that keeps us away from the deception of soulish, self-dependence attitude.

Learning to depend on the Lord for our daily [provision of sustenance] bread either for our emotional, psychological, material, or spiritual need is the most beautiful thing, and the most important spiritual principle we can ever attain.

Total dependency on Christ is the highest level of faith attainment in the spiritual journey. This has however proven to be one of man’s most challenging spiritual quest due to the advanced operational nature of the unregenerate soul faculties in man.

It is easy to depend on your own will, desire, or emotion regarding a need or decision that than to trust and wait for the Father’s verdict. Human needs, particularly, emotional or material always expose human carnality.

The children of Israel proved this point time and lever gain. Whenever they met a situation of need, they would run back to their default position of reasoning which is usually soulish and not spiritual. exposed.

In fact, at a point in their journey due to the delay of Moses on the mountain with the Father, they decided to choose another means that will lead them to the Promised Land rather than waiting for Moses, the leader God choose for them.

Further still, you will see them praise God whenever things work for their favor. Their understanding of spirituality means that things should always work out for their favor, then they will give praise and glory to God.

This lifestyle is, however, a profound manifestation of pure carnal tendency which is what we see being practiced in today’s context of Christianity.

The soul faculties are designed in a manner that they can both receive and [release] give knowledge in whatever form or format such knowledge or information is required.

In other words, when a person gets to be exposed or grows in a particular environment that offers the privilege to know certain arts, by default, such a person is able to duplicate or replicate the art in a different environment.

This is a law; what we learn can be replicated with or without our personal interest. This same goes for the concept of language.

When a child is born a different environment to his or her mother’s tongue, the child naturally picks up the lingual of such environment of birth. Knowledge is a learned art beyond the orthodox four walls of a classroom.

General knowledge is usually imparted through contacts and the influence we come under. Knowledge is what we are exposed to particularly through cultural philosophies.

Religion and even spirituality is a learned art that can be further developed into a personal experience depending on what caught our attention and what happens when our attention is caught.

This is one of the reasons why we are commissioned to go preach the good news to the world, and then make disciples of all nations. So, how would the people hear without anyone being sent?

When we consider the various aspects that make the communication of the truth or the gospel of Christ to the world, we see a progressive pattern that carries a systematic, continuous form of engagement and development until individuals arrive at their point of deciding that they need to have a relationship with the Lord.

The arriving point of deciding to have a relationship with Christ is never an instantaneous thing as many have assumed and this one of the end I am trying to raise as we examine this principle before us.

Many unfortunately have remained in the awareness point of what the scripture revealed about truth and spirituality, and in fact, have to build things and ministry around this awareness knowledge that is yet to be translated into a relevant relationship with Christ and his kingdom.

In an Age where another form of spirituality that does not involve pure relationship that flows from the heart of total devotion to the Father is fast gaining popularity across the world, we need to reexamine what defines the art of true, biblically sound spirituality so, don’t fall into the trap of this New Age spirit.

The rise of the New Age ideology of spirituality has continued to give precedence to this false, ancient lie that promotes that ideology that one can be spiritual without necessarily adhering to the value standard of God’s oracle.

The New Age spirituality promotes any form of religion that allows a man to be whatever he decides to be for as long as he or she feels right about it.

This is undoubtedly a false religious belief that must be challenged with the most advanced, biblical, prophetic insight and wisdom.

I do believe there’s a synergistic connection between sound biblical spirituality and human development. There’s no way we can accurately arrive at a perfect development without the restored inflow of biblical spirituality.

While the fallen man has continued to enhance the various aspects of his unregenerate soul faculties in terms of his exposure to foreign knowledge in the realms mental, emotional, and intellectual aptitude. He, however, remain estranged to the divine, unified, perfected life of his being in Christ.

Until the soul and his entire faculties surrender to the divine authority of the awakened spiritman, he will never enter the day of unified, perfected rest.

This is the day the Lord is calling us back to the realm of total harmonization of our entry back to its first state in the Father.

The division man experienced in the garden between his faculties must first be identified and restored before the advanced reformation and restoration of the various part of the body of Christ, and his ascended gifts can become a true unified, corporate church that executes the bedding of the Father seamlessly without friction.

This is, however, not going to be easy as many have assumed. we will have to first return to correct the assumption we have nursed and built regarding the ministry of salvation and redemption.

The lack of a well-balanced, knowledge of the way of the Lord has led us to the point of presuming the ways and arts of the Spirit. unfortunately, this false reality has become the very template of the operation of many in terms of dealing with life issues.

Our ignorance of the divine precepts of the kingdom of God has led us to create a false reality of a spirituality we today call Christianity, and this has to be of the major hinders to the precise development and transformation of the total man and his society.

I do not mean to be cynical with this title but to rather help to paint a picture of the dilemma of today’s spiritual dysfunctional state.

This is a subject that has fascinated me for many years as a follower of Christ who had struggled in many occasion to understand myself and the meaning of spirituality, and why I fail in many cases from living out the standard showed to me by my Lord.

An honest follower of the Lord must have at some point arrived at the reality of asking some of these critical, challenging questions especially around their weakness and failure to enter the realm of rest and upward development in the art of biblical spirituality.

Frustration, challenges, and resistance are synonymous to any honest seeker of the way, the truth, and life of Christ standard for lifestyle.

In my years of pastoral ministry service, I’ve come to this conclusion that many do genuinely desire to walk with God, but their inability to understand the origin and nature of their weakness and struggle in terms of gaining mastery over their carnal behavior is a major setback.

The practice of spirituality either by biblical values or on some other foreign ideological means requires the involvement of the entire soul faculties.

Therefore, who or what controls the soul realm of soul carries the upper hand in influencing the decision we make regardless of the direction or intention of such a person’s spirituality. Spirituality cannot be divorced from the harmonization of the entire human faculties.

It is essential we state that spirituality is the harmonization of the entire human faculties bringing glory to the Father. The spirit, soul, and body of man must be in agreement when the act of spirituality is being practiced.

Devotion cannot be completed until there’s a valid agreement between what the spirit desires to how the soul process and response to the passion of the spirit.

After all, both the passion and longing of the spirit can only be revealed through the faculties of the soul which are the very seat of human will, intellect, and emotion. And once the soul faculties agree on a desire that reaches her either through the imagination or thought realm, the chemistry of action goes into effect; action follows suit.

What eventually determine sound spirituality must be based on discipline, agreed action of the soul-faculty. It is highly possible to live and practice what many terms as spirituality within a divided, dysfunctional belief system, and in fact, this is the present concept of how many today practice their Christianity, or else, we will not have had so much of Christian activity with very little or no result. I would like us to examine this concept as we search to biblical answer in answering this long, ancient challenge to the Church. We need to deal with every form of carnal tendencies that will hinder us from enjoying the full life of the Spirit.

We need to address the desire and passion that seeks to mix spiritual truth with carnal activities; this is the day of spiritual purity so we may adequately represent the advancement of the kingdom of God to our world and generation.

TOWARDS THE REFORMING OF THE BODY OF CHRIST AND SPIRITUAL LEADERSHIP.

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MISSIONS AND THE CHURCH-18

 

Exposing spiritual pride

By Isaiah-Phillips Akintola

The bride of Christ is maturing in all dimensions of her faculties. The Spirit of Christ is now being allowed into those realms and positions he had been earlier refused access, and this is highly commendable.

However, the level of continual arrogance and pride manifest through some so-called, privileged access to some apostolic, ascended truth or revelation about the Father and his prophetic, kingdom realities by some brethren amongst us is a thing of great concern that should be addressed even though we’ve been talking about this for years now.

This is a day of light; this penetrating light is shining from a more brighter position of truth and wisdom that speaks to the issues of spiritual pride within us and in the body of Christ across communities.

No one can be close in his or her natural, human work with the Father than the privilege position Lucifer once enjoyed at the presence of the Father until iniquity was found in him.

Doing the things that prevents (lawlessness) iniquity to gain access into our hearts is one of the highest spiritual values and discipline we can attain in our relationship and various ministries.

In my work with God I’ve learned to discover that there’s just a fine line between truth and error; between light and darkness. It’s so easy to miss the primary things of the Spirit while we focus and fixative on secondary matters.

It’s so easy to lose focus and direction while trying to carry out what we believe is the heart of our assignment. Ministry and relationship are two unique, different things that we cannot afford the mistake of separating them or allowing one to overshadow the other.

One of the warnings the Lord echoed to the hearing of Cain was that sin lays at his doorsteps because of his wrong attitude towards his brother, and if he refused to gain mastery over it, it shall enter in and destroy him, and that was what eventually happened.

Ministry and our relationship with divine things are birth through a deep, close work with the Spirit of Christ as we saw manifest in the garden when Adam enjoyed a regular visitation of the Father in a time frame the scripture calls the ‘cool’ of the day.

This work of the Spirit which is both reformative and transformative by nature produces mobility to walk toward the direction of the formation of the Body ministry in a manner that is revealed through one’s testimony of the in-depth work of the cross of Christ.

The deeper we work in the ascended life of Christ produced by the cross, the close and more precise we can see the inner work of Christ in the lives of our brethren who may not be recognized or accepted by the blind multitudes.

Not being able to see or identify with the inner scar of the sacrificial work of the cross in the life of traveler of light with his unperishable bag of kingdom treasure that wax not old, is a clear reflection of such a person’s spiritual blindness and deficiency of apostolic life.

The truth is, What will eventually unite the various parts of the body of Christ on that mountain of confluence will certainly not be the degree of our revelation, or how we’ve been able to authenticate and articulate such revelation. What will begin to unify the broken, fragmented Body of Christ is going to be our ability to manifest before others, the fragrance of the sentence of our spiritual death at each season or junction of our call to migrate to a new spiritual position of life in Christ.

Many have romanced the loadable ministry of the unity of the body but have indeed invested very little or nothing in the divine call to die to their loftiness and sense of spiritual pride and ministry exclusivity.

It is highly essential and required that we are able to clearly articulate the ascended revelation of Christ and his kingdom as part of the reclaiming of our identity and culture as members and followers of the new nation in Christ.

However, our articulation of this identity must align with the in-depth formation of Christ in every sector of our human existence.

The reformation of our humanity is the only channel by which humans both saved, and nonsaved alike can see and appreciate the fruit of Christ and his kingdom lifestyle through us.

Revelation is for your personal reform in the journey while the participation of such revelation is your testimony of the new man you’ve become in Christ which then gives you the courage and boldness, but not in pride to express your authority of revelation to represent Christ to others.

If you keep saying what you’ve not genuinely become through the grace of spiritual process in redemption, you’re not better than a glorified, 21st century Pharisee.

Some I felt we need to consider or reconsider carefully. Pls, share this note to benefit others. Thank you.

BEING SPIRITUALLY CARNAL

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BEING SPIRITUALLY CARNAL.

 

By Isaiah-Phillips Akintola

 

THE LAW OF THE LORD IS PERFECT, CONVERTING THE SOUL.

 

Part 1

 

Introduction.

In this latest article, I have sought to provide insight, answer, and direction to some of the most perplexing questions before the Body of Christ in relating to what has been erroneously defined and termed as spirituality or Church practice.

Several young and upcoming spiritual leaders today are confused, particularly in the area of determining the correct footing of what could be defined or described as an appropriate biblical practice of spiritual leadership. Jesus made a profound statement when he said, these people draw close to me with their mouth, but their heart is far from me.

This is one of the most deceptive characters highlighted regarding a spiritual relationship. The fact that we can vocalize all the right spiritual ‘things’, and still be spiritually disconnected and dysfunctional is a serious issue that should not be ignored or neglected.

The increase of sensual and demonic inspired leadership practice demands that we raise our prophetic discernment and biblical doctrine and spirituality such that everyone can easily identify false spiritual projections, particularly, in this season of increased darkness. We cannot fold our hands while charlatans continue to corrupt and misrepresent the prophetic intention of God for the Church and the nations.

We should engage these raised false altars and impression that has brought so much shame to the Body of Christ. I have tried to examine this highly interesting but complex subject through the eyes of the Spirit. It’s my prayer that you will take the time to carefully study and meditate on some of the points highlighted in the article. Please feel free to engage me in any area you may seek further expansion.

When we buy the lie…

one of the major lies we have accepted as humans but particularly a major part of today’s church is to believe that one part of human is spiritual while the other aspects are none spiritual. The truth is, every single aspect of man is intricately designed to be spiritual both in existence and function. The creation of man and its various complex functions are all reflection of a certain degree of spirituality that takes the spiritually inform and awakened to understand.

Being spiritual is an integration of who we are, what we represent, and how we function emotionally, intelligently, physically, and of course, spiritually. Let’s examine some simple but critical facts that can assist us in the understanding of how human beings get to be shaped, develop, and function in behavior. I am not an expert on human development but I can say that I have extensively read books and research materials that back my knowledge on this subject. Further still, my work in the matter of spiritual development and leadership has given me rear opportunity to glean certain biblical values that have enhanced my insight and understanding.

 

Development and knowledge

 

We’ve all had of what is known as early childhood development (ECD). Experts reckon that the first 1000 days in the life of a child is critical because that is the formative process period of a child’s interaction to life. In other words, this period determines how the child will see, view and interact with so many things we define to be behavior and intelligence.

Intelligence is shaped and enhanced through early exposure to the necessary information and nurturing the brain requires to effectively function. As this point of fact applies to the natural realm, so does it apply to the concept of the spiritual infancy development of man.

Meaning that environment, either physical or spiritual plays a significant role in shaping our idea of knowledge and how we interpret such knowledge, especially in the area of defining truth and its application to real life events. The development or better still, the none development of the soul, which is the residence of human attitude, character, and behavioral pattern control how the brain process information, and how humans react and respond to such information, regardless of the spiritual state or carnal tendencies of such a person.

The brain which is part of the faculty of the soul operates based on a particular system of data inflow, particularly when such data is released frequently on a systematic, repetitive format.

Research has proved that the brain does not recognize the difference between imagination and reality. Thus, whatever gets infused within the human brain cognitive character long enough, becomes by default, the very reality the brain projects to such a person — this a profound law that has enhanced or even weaken the developmental journey of humans throughout history.

 

 

The power of reinforcement

 

Repetition reinforces what the brain thinks, sees, believes, and accept as its reality. No wonder the word of God declares, “as a man thinks in his (mind) heart so he is.

Any form of thought pattern, good or bad, creates a profound sense of reality within the mind if they are not immediately dealt with correctly.

Whatever we believe and accept as spiritually correct becomes what our brain accepts and reinforce as the truth within the various faculties of our being as the truth.

If we, therefore, do not have a biblically set pattern of determining and measuring truth and spirituality, we can easily fall into any deceptive trap of the enemy, and in fact, this is what the enemy is busy with today to lure many into his den of destruction.

I’ll like these basic facts to be the footing of some of the principles I want us to examine through this article as we continue to find the divine pattern for our spiritual reformation, transformation, and ultimate restoration even as the battle of light and darkness continues.

 

 

Unveiling carnality within spirituality.

2 Timothy 3:1-5

 

But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God—having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with such people.

To be carnally minded is death and but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. The term carnality is a berry broadened word that goes beyond a particular act of sin. The biblical definition of carnality is anything outside the standard order and functional state and value system of the Spirit of God.

I will frequently use this term on a broad definition that should help us make sense of what the Spirit of the Lord is emphasizing in this hour, even as we continue to witness the false impressions of spirituality all around us. To understand and thoroughly apply the perfected law of the Lord in its true essence is to begin to step into the journey of the conversation and transformation of the soul back to its ordained, original place and function in Christ.

There are several ascended truths and high values we can glean from this profound statement made under divine inspiration through David, centuries-long before Christ our Redeemer came to earth. It’s evident that the main focus of the Spirit in this season is the conversion of the human soul and its entire operational faculties.

The need to continue to unravel the character nature of the soul-man is necessary to begin preparing the Body of Christ for the next spiritual emphasis of kingdom lifestyle and its governmental expression. There are just too many assumptions flagging around today in the name of biblical spirituality, or in the name of some kingdom manifestation that is totally contradictory to God’s divine order and value pattern.

Many out of shared zeal in our time have sought to run with some kind of apostolic mandate or prophetic message without clear knowledge and insight into how the deceptive, operative influence of the unregenerate soul seeks to corrupt and disregard the advancement of kingdom assignment. I do not believe that we can fully enter the scope of the third day ascended ministry of the ecclesia without a clear, broadened, prophetic insight into every sphere of human faculty operational system.

It will be a great mistake to venture into the realm of high-level kingdom spiritual activity within the context of the humanist, New Age definition of spirituality without a well-balanced, matured sense of biblical spiritual wisdom and authority of engagement.

 

Removing the footing of assumption

 

Therefore, pressing into the realm of kingdom possibility in this hour necessitate that each one of us returns to the school of Christ, and be upgraded on how the soul-man seeks to manipulate and circumvent the divine protocol of accurate spiritual ministry lifestyle.

In my past articles, I have sought to deal with the concept of the soul and how the mind operates. In this article, however, my focus is slightly different in the sense that I am trying to unravel how the unregenerate soul-man can almost successfully camouflage in its operations as an authentic spiritual manifestation.

 

It is a known fact that is worth repeating that many of the acts of war, destructions, wickedness, enslavements, corruption, perversion, religious cultism, social abuse, and many other destructive tendencies we’ve witnessed in history till this very day, all emanate from the fruit of the rebellious, unregenerate souls of men. The soul faculties of man by the act of the fall is morally corrupt and continually wicked in its desire and aspirations. The unrefined behavioral patterns of men find their roots from the fallen, Adamic character of the soul.

Beyond this, the influence of illegitimate leadership power either from the viewpoint of political manipulation, socioeconomic degradations, or the abuse of spiritual authority, are all products of the fallen, dysfunctional character values within the human soul. When that which is defined to be spiritual and sacred becomes the very instrument of deception, perversion, corruption, then, such narrative of spirituality calls for significant concern, and this is what I am seeking to highlight through this note.

What worries me is, a significant part of today’s church is fast losing the true meaning and essence of spirituality to that which is soulish and carnally motivated. As I read and interact with folks, especially on social media platforms, I see how a vast number of church members; individuals we once thought have spiritual understanding, stand up in defense of criminals who call themselves men and women of God.

It baffles me to see how folks confront and criticize authentic followers of Christ who stands up in defense of the truth. It is surprising to see how so-called Christians today can rise in defense of that which is indefensible. These brethren seem not to know nor understand what is biblically deem heretic from what is spiritual and doctrinally correct. I cannot but wonder what in the world is going on within the mind frame of many of our church folks today.

YOUR GIFT IS NOT ENOUGH FOR EFFECTIVE MINISTRY

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 By Isaiah-Phillips Akintola 

When a relationship that ought to effectively drive our corporate, assigned prophetic activity is merely built on the peripherals of some humanistic, civil, politically correct ideology, we can be rest assured that we are not ready to confluence as Christ regents in matters of kingdom civilization and engagement for the redemption of creation.

If Church leaders are afraid to speak truth to themselves, how can we corporately speak truth to the powers that be? While it is highly critical that we learn to be respectful and civil with each other, it is, however, more critical we learn of truth and to speak the truth openly and cautiously to each other so we can corporately grow in the unity of the faith according to sound, biblical injunction. The fear of being rejected for speaking truth to each other is a clear sign that our understanding of the input of the ministry of the Saints to each other is still very shallow and immature to say the least.

I am afraid to declare that such kind of relationship will never produce the in-depth, intended objective of the Spirit, regardless of how powerful we may individually move in our ministry gifts. Ministry gift is not what perfects the saints; it is of rather the experiential life and nature that shapes the wineskin that houses the gifts and their various functional capacities in the community. Gifts without the maturing of wineskin will do more damage to the construction and perfection of the ecclesia.

 

Jesus, at the age of 12 was already super gifted but had to submit to the life-process of maturing and perfecting the wineskin that will ultimately house and effectively express his gift. I have met many gifted folks who are yet to be matured in the quality of life that can carry and dispense what they’ve been gifted with.

To build a ministry or relationship from the standpoint of a powerful gift without the essential character quality lifestyle to regulate and dispense such a gift is a setup for the manifestation of the spirit of pride that will ultimately lead to destruction.

This is one of the reasons Paul warned Timothy not to commit spiritual things to [immature] novice. Being gifted without a refined character to carry and represent such gift is one of the most dangerous things than can happen to you as a Christian.

The need to go through seasons of spiritual development, coupled with real-life challenges is indeed helpful in shaping and imprinting the right character qualities needed in operating our gifts. I was a highly gifted person that was so obvious to many around me, but the Lord brought me to a place where he paralyzed that gift for a season because he needed to work on certain blind spots of my life that I could not see not accept even when I was shown by others.

A significant hindrance to our corporation as gifted leaders in the Body of Christ is center around pride and insecurity. When we are yet to learn, as ministers of the gospel the significance of the ministry of the Saints, we cannot effectively function in our individual ministries to the world and creation.

Our definition of ministry is entirely out of biblical order and priority. We judge and approve each other based on gifts, influence and material acquisition and not on the level of spiritual experience and maturity.

There are people I have met on my journey of spiritual apostolic transition, including young Millennials who are still in the thirty-fold reality of the understanding of spiritual things, who have tried to undermine my prophetic assignment because they cannot find around me those material things they’ve been asked to look for when a so-called ‘seasoned apostle or prophet’ stand to speak. In most cases when I feel like giving them a piece of my heart in rebuke, the Lord often correct me not to do so, because that would mean that I am subjecting myself to their ungodly, carnal opinion.

Our measuring standard and values of spiritual matters need to be drastically readjusted if we are ever going to enter the prophetic scope of divine engagement; the correction of sight must be a major priority for many of us particularly here in Africa. The condition of poverty propelled through the false gospel of mammon and materialism has almost destroyed the right footing and template of sound spiritual relationship and leadership in the Body of Christ.

There’s a company of individual’s heaven has prepared and sent that will help us embrace the process of the maturation of our gifts and wineskin, but we need humility and the spirit of mutual submission to awaken our hearts to see and embrace them. Regardless of how gifted you are in this season, you need to come to terms with the current emphasis of the Lord, which is, all gifts must be collapsed into the character lifestyle of the Spirit of Sonship.

This means that the Lord desires a corporate man in the earth that will function in the ascended power of the ascended Christ. Gifts were only given to the Body of Christ when Christ ascended on high.  Therefore, only those with the ascended character lifestyle of Christ can function in the full potential of their callings and gifts. The emphasis of the Lord for this hour is a lifestyle that is correctly configured to house not just our gifts but to understand the humanity of others even as we seek to connect with their spirituality for effective ministry.

This lesson will assist us to discern others, particularly leaders beyond just the operation of their gifts. The anointing is a seal of our calling and assignment, but to effectively function in the anointing, we also need to be developed in the Spirit of wisdom and understanding such that our insight and knowledge regarding other folks can tamper with matured ministry of mercy and grace. The ministry of mercy and grace are the trophies of our victory through the journey of accurate transition of our gift and callings. When we are able to finally see people the way the Lord sees them, then, we are able to relate and flow in the spirit of mercy and grace as we corporately share hearts and gifts together for the kingdom advancement.

To engage with a well matured, apostolic [value system] ministry on this third day, the church, especially, its leaders and the elders must learn the routine of handling necked truth with wisdom, mercy and grace without being ashamed of each other’s weakness of failure. One of the principal characters of truth is that it exposes the very core of our being, and when we are truly open to others and their gifts, we will not only see their ability, but we shall also see and share in their disabilities, and this is highly critical in the principle of relationship in administering our ascended ministry gifts.

If we are unable to effectively manage the weaknesses and exposures of each other’s blind spots and spiritual defects, we are merely playing church and peddling with things meant for mature elders, seers, prophets, and watchmen at the gate. It’s about time the church and its leadership leaves behind childish ways and thinking.

When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me. 12 For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known. 1 Corinthians 13: 11-12

FROM THE SHADOW TO LIGHT

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FROM THE SHADOW TO LIGHT

THE WELL AND THE SAMARITAN CHURCH

By Isaiah-Phillips

Prophetic spectrum to current affairs

Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again… John 4:13

 

 

WHO WILL STAND AND SPEAK?

 

The church of the Lord globally is currently in the turning point of a new spiritual era that requires we confront things we’ve been avoiding and hiding within the deformed and veneered, commercial, religious system of our time. There’s an urgent need to precisely answer some of the most crucial questions, members of the Body of Christ and society are generally asking, particularly, regarding the overreached, abusive nature of what is accepted as spiritual representation.

 

In this article, I intent to draw your attention to an important scripture many are quite familiar but as the Spirit of truth impresses this scripture to my heart a few days back, I begin to witness a new divine emphasis and direction with regards to the demand of the Father for the deliverance of his Church from the hands of those the Bible calls peddlers of the word of God.

There’s nothing more dangerous than to be spiritually abused, and it becomes even more deadly when it is done with the bible and in the name of Jesus Christ. While many may continue to deny the reality of leadership deficit, deception, and spiritual abuse in the Body of Christ, yet, it is obvious that the Church of Christ globally is being drained and taken advantage of by those I call commercial gospel peddlers.

 

The story of the Samaritan woman at the well brings to light many things we should carefully examine and highlight as the Lord continues to speak in line with the present reformation and restoration of his Church. This subject is further amplified in the account of the gospel of John chapter 5 about the story of the temple pool at Bethseda. the Falsehood at the center of this great capitalist, commercial, motivated, church system is driven by the blind, crippled, and impoverish lives, despirate for some kind of a spiritual intervention.

 

John chapter 5:1-6

Sometime later, Jesus went up to Jerusalem for one of the Jewish festivals. Now there is in Jerusalem near the Sheep Gate a pool, which in Aramaic is called Bethesda and which is surrounded by five covered colonnades. Here a great number of disabled people used to lie—the blind, the lame, the paralyzed. One who was there had been an invalid for thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him lying there and learned that he had been in this condition for a long time, he asked him, “Do you want to get well?”

 

THE WELL DUG BY MEN

When a well dug under the inspiration of God for a season, which has elapsed continue to be used as the current voice and direction of the Spirit, it becomes an idolatrous system. The scripture said regarding Moses the servant of the Lord that he kept the veil on his face while the glory that used to shine from his face had faded away. This false sense of attachment to what has become obsolete, redundant, and irrelevant in the prophetic calendar of the Spirit is a big issue that must be addressed if we must step into the new day of the Lord, and I’ll like to address this as the Lord will give me utterance in the light of his present truth.

 This is the moment of confrontation and intervention that demands that we are exposed to a higher [intense] degree of Christ brilliance at a level that will reveal every form of shadow within and outside the parameters of our existence.

The standard is, we serve a God in whom there is no variableness nor the shadow of turning. In other words, the variations of the fallen, human ideologies, cultures, the system that sought to eclipse our minds from the original purpose and destiny of the Father for us is starting to fade away under the dawning of this increasing light of Christ shining from the surface of the stream of life we are invited to drink.

This is the dawning of the third day prophetic activity of the Spirit of the Lord; a day of the unprecedented revelation of God’s light and glory that will expose and blind every form of shadow in and around of the world. We’ve now been invited to a new sphere of the revelation in our journey towards maturity in Christ, who will be making his appearance within the religious system of what had kept us all bond or limited from entering the full reality of what we’ve been destined for before time began.

The more we see and honestly embrace the current illuminating light of heaven, the more the shapes and images of human shadows and influences in our thought pattern over the years, begins to shatter even as Christ becomes more magnified in us. In Christ, there is no influence of earthly, carnal reflections. Last year we spoke about the nearness of the kingdom and how we ought to prepare for this so, we don’t get cut up unprepared and unawares.

THE NEARNESS OF THE KINGDOM

The nearness of the kingdom of God is the nearness of the divine light of heaven, ordained to remove every form of false light that have shaded and shape our minds from stepping into kingdom lifestyle. The day of breaking away from the silhouetted nature of power, religious forms and shapes men have falsely embraced. The time has come for us to embrace the reality of truth which is often painful because we will need to be confronted by the blinding light of heaven. Every form of shadow within the spiritual structure of our existence must now give way to the glorious brightness of Christ light emerging from the dawn of this new kingdom Age.

 The purity of hearing come through the level of light we expose our soul and spirit too. To the degree, we embrace this present light of the Christ is to the level we are going to see and walk in the glorious light of what we’ve been called to represent. Shadow is defined as a dark area or shape produced by a body of coming between rays of light and a surface. Rather than producing light we’ve been producing shadows due to the lingering [human system] darkness still present and alive within us.

The light of heaven only reflects what is in the human heart; when the heart is filled with falsehood and lies, you can be rest assured that whatever form of light found within such a space will not produce a fruit that comes from the very life of God. The light the soul produces is a light that is born out of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil and it will never bring you into the realm of divine truth which brings deliverance and reform to the total man. When there’s a willingness to face the reality before us as the ministry of Christ light increases, what then happens is that this light goes way beyond the power of illumination into becoming transformative.

THE CHURCH AT THE WELL

As the Father brought my attention to the life of the Samaritan woman at the well, I began to gain fresh insight to a parallel truth that speaks directly to the condition of the present-day church as a company of people operating within the system of shadow. The present, active reality of shadow ministry is more dangerous than darkness itself, in the sense that a shadow gives is a false reflection. A shadow is a refraction of light upon a dark image or surface which is an operation of deception. Only the Father carries the technology to produce light out of darkness.

On the other hand, man can produce an image out of another shape through the operation of a shadow, and in fact, this is the current position in many churches today. Many have produced some forms of images that are given the power to ‘talk’ out of false light being offered to the people, and those lights have produced some form of temporary relief and therefore, millions have become addicted to this temporary light designed to ultimately destroy them.

 

While I am trying not to be too technical with the example, I cannot but stress this point of light, shadow, false wells dug by men for spiritual consumption. The parallel reality of what was witnessed at Jacob’s well between Christ Jesus and the Samaritan woman with the present state of today’s church is so profound that need critical scrutinization.

Water can reflect the precise image of the one who comes to the stream, but not everyone is truly prepared to wait for the calmness of the water to reveal an image. Most have come to the well because they are thirsty and desperate; they need a quick solution to get them out of their needs. Due to the mode of material and financial survival many lives in, they hardly can see what the Lord is trying to show them at the well.

Secondly, the life of the Samaritan woman at Jacob’s well, typifies many of us regarding how our mindsets have been negatively shaped and have been framed through the years of rigorous religious practice and life’s challenges — this woman who is a type of today’s church who has come to accept a particular way of lifestyle as her primary source life existence even though such a source does not really minister to the very inner realities of her needs and challenges.

Further still, the Samaritan woman, beyond the fact that she had a significant dosage of religion, mixed with a long time, abusive relationship, combined with her own traditional belief strongholds, yet had a flicker of inner [light] awareness of a need for some different type of ‘water’ that can wash her and quench her inner thirst.

AN OPEN CONVERSATION

She was willing to open herself to the truth when confronted with the inner reality of her true self which is very rare today. Many of us, including those who claim to be in the forefront of what the Spirit of the Lord is doing, is filled with deception, we can hardly stand being honest to ourselves and others.

 

The greatest lie is when we begin to lie to ourselves just because we don’t want others to see us as weak, poor, uneducated, uninformed, or even spiritually blind. Following humans and religious folks dread being observed to be wrong, regardless of the issue. They would instead continue to support what is false and abusive just because they don’t want others to them, but we told you that you’re wrong from the start.

 

The Samaritan woman at the well seems to have come to the end of herself for two main critical reasons, one, she was willing, to be open and honest with Christ. Secondly, she recognized that the well, she’s been coming to drink from do not satisfy her true, inner need as much as the good does provide specific temporal provisions.

This [Church] woman was willing to exchange her seemingly default dependence and sustenance which always demand her traveling daily to the well for this new concept of talking well standing before her. Many may not appreciate what this woman was confronted when someone suddenly stood before her and claimed he is the living water she needs.  Of course, you will expect her to fight, froze or flight, but she was willing to listen and be honest as she engages in this new season of her life.

Many of us have grown so accustomed to the daily journey of going down to Jacob’s well to fetch water that only gives us temporary pleasure or satisfaction. We have been wrongly wired to co-depend on some kinds of religious substance, people who claimed they represent God in our lives, religious rituals, our customs and tradition, our workplace, our children, our spouses. To some, is their friends, parents, what the media says about them, what the politicians promised them, and the list continues.

This is the reality of the religion called Christianity today, mostly in American and the African set-up by the church. There are all kinds of alternatives today that have replaced the correct position of Christ and his assignment in our lives, particularly, within the community of what we call church. There’s no doubt that the idea and the look of the type of church we are building today are not better than Jacob’s well this woman kept returning to, hoping to find lasting sustenance.

 WHEN THE WELL NO LONGER MEET YOUR SATISFACTION

There’s no doubt that this well met some essential needs in her life and of course, that’s the reason she kept coming back, but this well dug by man cannot meet the very core need of her. Just as this woman connected Jacob’s well to important aspects of our custom and tradition, which is a big deal to her, many of us to have chosen to remain connected to certain places, people or circumstance both physically and mentally just for the fact that those people or places are directly or indirectly related to our tradition, nationality,  former way of life, even if those things or people are abusive, we remain there. These things or individuals have become our coping method and to some degree, our definition of spirituality, this is what I call the Samaritan church.

The Samaritan church is well dug by great icons; renowned men and powerful and highly skillful women, individuals who fought and defended specific cause for the advancement of society. Some of them were a significant voice in their time who did great things in the name of God, and we’ve built a towering image of memorials to remember, and this is good. However, these individuals are no longer alive in the new dynamics of your needs and challenges.

They might be able to inspire faith, courage, and determination in pressing towards your ordained destiny, and that’s all they can do with the lingering memory of their past achievement in you. You need to zero into the mind of the Lord for this moment of your life; you must seek what the Spirit of the Lord is saying regarding his prophetic strategy in dealing with the current situation.  Drinking from dead wells in the name of custom, tradition, and past experiences that have long become obsolete to the present demand of the Spirit is a soul-tie.

LEAVING THE OBSOLETE INSTRUCTION

There are many past experiences, individuals, and events that have become wells we keep returning to, hoping we will get the same feeling, experience, or even answer the people of the past received. Therefore, we become more fixative on the ministry of revival, instead of redemption and reformation. Our pursuit for revival is more about trying to experience what happened in the days of some great revivalist.  The fact that heaven gave the power to some individuals to dig wells for their time and generation does not mean such well will satisfy the complex needs of today.

 

Divine instruction is crucial to relevancy and advancement to the frontier of divine engagement.  How many lives, ministries and church are stuck today on the visionary word given to a vessel of God some hundred years ago? There are countless numbers of churches out there that have not revolved with the shift in prophetic seasons. Many of the denominations and traditional churches began with a leading, prophetic position of accuracy. Many of the founders and leaders of those churches had God for their times and season but has times and season changes, many refused to move on with the Father as he demands a change of their perceptions and wineskin for the next announced season.

 The stocked to the first voice they had from the Lord. They are like Abraham, who had the initial voice of the Lord and was obedient to the voice but on like Abraham, when God spoke to him the second time regarding the same issue, he was able to hear and allow his zeal to commit murder. Many had the voice of the Lord the first time, but never kept their ears and eyes open to receive further instruction and directives from the Lord. Many did not wait to listen to the elapsing time of a prophetic word. Their ministry has killed more people in the name of zeal the redeem or restore.   The well they dug in the name of ‘a ministry’ is today a blockage for a new generation to see and experienced the living well standing before them.

The more people travel to these wells of Jacob, hoping to experience the same intervention of the past, the more people get weary, tired and dissatisfied even though they dare not show their weariness. They must continue to make the trip to Jacob’s well. The fact that God met us in space and point in the past does not make such a spot the permanent resident of God. The Father is nomadic; his plan and desire are to reveal himself where ever his people gather and find their voice.

In the scripture, their various types of wells and streams built at various times and seasons that speaks directly and specifically to the peculiar need of such a season. duplicating such instructive prophetic words will not only be a violation and abuse to divine instruction but a manifestation of idolatry.  If we don’t understand the context of the speakings and instruction of the Lord for a season, we will make the mistake of trying to repeat an experience that was designed for a season in time, and that will make us the enemy of God.

New spiritual emphasis demands that we shift and change our modus-operandi if we must remain highly relevant to the movement of the Spirit. While some will need to move from our former position of life due to the evil influence and resistance to change, others might not need to leave their community if the leaders are willing to change their garments and wineskin to the current demand of the Spirit.