Taught By God!

By Pastor Bill Taylor

A publication of My Father's House, inc. Volume 11/ Issue 5

Prophecy: The foolish people who claim to be Mine but aren’t; the false church, quotes the scripture, “Jesus is My righteousness,” but fails to understand that Christ is your righteousness when Christ is your behavior. When His Spirit controls your behavior and when you take hold of the living Christ by faith and He becomes Lord in your hearts and you behave according to His leading, then His righteousness manifests in you and His righteousness is credited to you. And that’s salvation. But the foolish and the false church doesn’t understand how My righteousness works, so they quote the scripture and say that Jesus is their righteousness and think they’re saved, and they think that I see them as being righteous. But by lacking understanding they don’t possess what they think they possess, and they don’t attain to what they think they have and in the judgment they’ll find that they’re not Mine and they’re lost and never possessed My righteousness at all because they failed to understand the words they spoke and quoted and claimed as their own. Their failure to understand is fatal. Now, that’s the way with all of the things which I teach. You can hear My Word, but if you don’t understand it, it will do you no good. Understanding and obeying My Word saves you, says the Lord. (Prophecy delivered at “My Father’s House”)

 This I say, therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you should no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles walk, in the futility of their mind. You’ve not so learned Christ, if indeed you’ve heard Him and have been taught by Him, as the Truth is in Jesus. (Eph4:17,20,21) And my speech and my preaching weren’t with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, that your faith shouldn’t be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God. (1Cor2:4,5)

We all have a sense of righteousness, a sense of what’s fair and what isn’t! Wicked people become indignant when things get in the way of their fleshly desires, what they want to do. But to the righteous, indignation is always about something that isn’t right or fair according to justice. And when we cry out to God about such things we can’t be content to lament the injustices but we must have faith Jesus will move to correct them. This should be a regular part of our night watches. We mustn’t be content to think about what Jesus used to do or what He might do sometime in the future but we need faith Jesus will move now; the power of God will manifest now! The reality is we very much need God to come in power and set many things in order. There are too many things going on that just aren’t right, aren’t fair, and much of the evil is falsely being done in Jesus’ or God’s name; nasty false churches and false “christians” persecuting the true Christians and spreading lies and slanders. Remember when the Baptists were stealing our counseling rooms at the prison, interfering with our services; slandering us and thinking they’ve a right to do it because they’re “God’s people.” And how many “authorities” have we encountered who’ve used their governmental powers to oppose truths they disagree with when their job should be to maintain freedom of religion for all the various “faiths.” Can Jesus put a stop to such things by His power? Now therefore, be wise, O kings; be instructed, you judges of the earth. Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son, lest He be angry, and you perish in the way, when His wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all those who put their trust in Him. (Ps2:10-12) Every place where we encounter injustices, lies, the wickedness of people who try to interfere with Godly ministries for selfish, sectarian purposes, we can pray for the Lord to set things in order. These things you’ve done, and I kept silent; you thought I was altogether like you; but I’ll rebuke you, and set them in order before your eyes. (Ps50:21) The wicked won’t get away with such things for long! If Jesus is King of kings and Lord of lords then the buck stops where Jesus reigns. Do you have a righteous complaint? If it isn’t settled somewhere else then this is the place it’s sure to be dealt with. If it doesn’t get dealt with righteously by the authorities in the earth then Jesus will deal with it from heaven. That’s the way authority operates. If you can’t get righteousness out of the lower levels of government you go to the higher levels. And if you can’t get it from them, then you go to God! The throne is established in righteousness. (Pr16:12) Therefore if a wise ruler wants to establish his throne he’ll do righteousness. To please God a ruler or authority must administer justice because that’s the purpose God has intended authorities to fulfill! (Rom13:1-4) In the parable of the “unjust judge” Jesus says, “You see how even this unjust judge will give justice just to get this woman off his back.” Now what do you think of God Almighty from whom all justice flows? Is He going to ignore an unacceptable situation?  And shall God not avenge His own elect who cry out day and night to Him, though He bears long with them? I tell you He’ll avenge them speedily. (Lk18:7,8a) “Speedily” Jesus says! Though He bears long with the wicked He’s still going to judge speedily. In other words even if it seems like He’s slow, He isn’t being slow. He’s working His justice out carefully and thoroughly to get the job done well! Blessed is the man whom You instruct, O LORD, and teach out of Your law, that You may give him rest from the days of adversity, until the pit is dug for the wicked. (Ps94:12,13)

It’s an abomination for kings to commit wickedness, for a throne is established by righteousness. (Pr16:12) God appoints “authorities” so people will have a place to come for justice. That’s why there are governments and rulers; so disputes can be righteously settled; so wicked oppressors, thieves and tyrants can’t abuse people with impunity. The authorities are appointed by God to defend the righteous and if necessary supreme national leaders may even send forth an army to correct large scale injustices. (Rom13:1-4) If you understand the purposes of the appointed authorities then you should be able to grasp what Jesus’ throne is for; it isn’t just for Him to sit on to make a pretty picture. It’s the supreme government of the universe from which all justice flows. I watched till thrones were put in place, and the Ancient of Days was seated; His garment was white as snow, and the hair of His head was like pure wool. His throne was a fiery flame, its wheels a burning fire; a fiery stream issued and came forth from before Him. A thousand thousands ministered to Him; ten thousand times ten thousand stood before Him. The court was seated, and the books were opened. (Dan7:9,10) That fiery stream is justice and judgment flowing forth. Christ’s throne is the place where you’ll find justice and righteous judgment. When you’re righteous in what you’re requesting Jesus will give you the justice you deserve. Take away the wicked from before the king, and his throne will be established in righteousness. (Pr25:5) Jesus’ throne is established in righteousness and there’ll be nothing wicked permitted to stand before Him. So you won’t get into the presence of Christ unless you’re holy. If His throne is established in righteousness; only the righteous have access to His throne. The king establishes the land by justice, but he who receives bribes overthrows it. (Pr29:4) The king who judges the poor with Truth, his throne will be established forever. (Pr29:14) Judging the poor with Truth includes judging without partiality as where James exposes the sin of treating a rich man with respect because you think he can do you good while the poor man who has nothing to give you is seated ignominiously at your footstool! (Jms2:1-4) Often the rich man gets justice in today’s world and the poor man doesn’t. But in the Kingdom of Christ it doesn’t work that way. And wherever you see things aren’t working righteously if you call out to Jesus He’ll set it straight because He’s the King of kings and He’ll never be partial. He’ll establish justice according to what’s right not according to man’s foolish judgments of status, prestige or success. But from those who seemed to be something -- whatever they were, it makes no difference to me; God shows personal favoritism to no man -- for those who seemed to be something added nothing to me. (Gal 2:6)

Now anything that illustrates the nature of God also is an indication of the nature of “Christ in you” which means you’ll behave in this same way as Jesus would if He’s actually in you. (1Jn2:6) If you’re guilty of partiality that’s a certain evidence that Christ isn’t in you.

If the land is established by justice, (Pr29:4) what’s the church established by? If the land is established by justice what’s your home established by? If the land is established by justice what’s your business established by? There was a very unjust situation going on in the tabernacle concerning Eli and his sons in the pre-Davidic generation. Because of his unjust behavior Eli’s priesthood wasn’t established but cursed! Now the sons of Eli were corrupt; they didn’t know the LORD. And the priests’ custom with the people was when any man offered a sacrifice, the priest’s servant would come with a three-pronged fleshhook in his hand while the meat was boiling. Then he’d thrust it into the pan, or kettle, or caldron, or pot; and the priest would take for himself all that the fleshhook brought up. So they did in Shiloh to all the Israelites who came there. Also, before they burned the fat, the priest’s servant would come and say to the man who sacrificed, “Give meat for roasting to the priest, for he’ll not take boiled meat from you, but raw.” And if the man said to him, “They should really burn the fat first; then you may take as much as your heart desires,” he’d then answer him, “No, but you must give it now; and if not, I’ll take it by force.” Therefore the sin of the young men was very great before the LORD, for men abhorred the offering of the LORD. Now Eli was very old; and he heard everything his sons did to all Israel, and how they lay with the women who assembled at the door of the tabernacle of meeting. Then a man of God came to Eli and said to him, “Thus says the LORD, ‘Did I not clearly reveal Myself to the house of your father when they were in Egypt in Pharaoh’s house? Why do you kick at My sacrifice and My offering which I’ve commanded in My dwelling place, and honor your sons more than Me, to make yourselves fat with the best of all the offerings of Israel My people?’ Therefore the LORD God of Israel says, ‘I said indeed that your house and the house of your father would walk before Me forever.’ But now the LORD says, ‘Far be it from Me; for those who honor Me I’ll honor, and those who despise Me shall be lightly esteemed. Behold, the days are coming that I’ll cut off your arm and the arm of your father’s house, so that there’ll not be an old man in your house. And you’ll see an enemy in My dwelling place, despite all the good which God does for Israel. And there shall not be an old man in your house forever. But any of your men whom I don’t cut off from My altar shall consume your eyes and grieve your heart. And all the descendants of your house shall die in the flower of their age.’” (1Sam2:12-17,22,27,29-33) All because Eli didn’t establish his house with justice but he let injustices flourish.

God promised Jeroboam that if he’d obey the Lord he’d have an eternal kingdom. Then it’ll be, if you heed all I command you, walk in My ways, and do what’s right in My sight to keep My statutes and My commandments as My servant David did, then I’ll be with you and build for you an enduring house as I built for David, and will give Israel to you. (1Kng11:38) If he’d obey the Lord the Northern Kingdom would be his and his descendants forever. But he disobeyed and began to do some very unjust things. And Jeroboam said in his heart, “Now the kingdom may return to the house of David: If these people go up to offer sacrifices in the house of the LORD at Jerusalem, then the heart of this people will turn back to their lord, Rehoboam king of Judah, and they’ll kill me and go back to Rehoboam king of Judah.” Therefore the king asked advice, made two calves of gold, and said to the people, “It’s too much for you to go up to Jerusalem. Here are your gods, O Israel, which brought you up from the land of Egypt!” And he set up one in Bethel, and the other he put in Dan. Now this thing became a sin, for the people went to worship before the one as far as Dan. He made shrines on the high places, and made priests from every class of people who weren’t of the sons of Levi. (1Kng12:26-31) Jeroboam removed the Levites in order to build up his pagan religion. For the Levites left their common-lands and their possessions and came to Judah and Jerusalem, for Jeroboam and his sons had rejected them from serving as priests to the LORD. (2Chr11:14) So God completely cut off his house at the fourth generation. Baasha killed him in the third year of Asa king of Judah, and reigned in his place. And it was so, when he became king, he killed all the house of Jeroboam. He didn’t leave to Jeroboam anyone that breathed, until he’d destroyed him, according to the Word of the LORD which He’d spoken by His servant Ahijah the Shilonite, because of the sins of Jeroboam, which he’d sinned and by which he’d made Israel sin, because of his provocation with which he’d provoked the LORD God of Israel to anger. (1Kng15:28-30) Over and over through the books of Kings and Chronicles you see the wicked kings are cut off completely like “Ahab” (2Kng9:7,8) because they didn’t establish their throne in righteousness. Is it so difficult to see and do what’s right? For some people it seems impossible and yet the sense of rightness is always easy to see! The law and the prophets is fulfilled in simply “treating others the way you want to be treated” and that’s justice. (Mt7:12) If you do that you’ll get your fair share and others will have theirs. People who can’t do this are “selfish.” They refuse to give up what ought to go to others at the cost of denying themselves and that’s the heart and soul of wickedness! If you’re truly in Christ everything you do will be fair. You won’t be taking more than you ought and leaving someone else with less than they need. And as for you, O My flock thus says the Lord GOD “Behold, I shall judge between sheep and sheep, between rams and goats. Is it too little for you to have eaten up the good pasture, that you must tread down with your feet the residue of your pasture-- and to have drunk of the clear waters, that you must foul the residue with your feet? And as for My flock, they eat what you’ve trampled with your feet, and they drink what you’ve fouled with your feet.” Therefore thus says the Lord GOD to them “Behold, I Myself will judge between the fat and the lean sheep. Because you’ve pushed with side and shoulder, butted all the weak ones with your horns, and scattered them abroad, therefore I’ll save My flock, and they shall no longer be a prey; and I’ll judge between sheep and sheep.” (Ezek34:17-22) Because you’ve eaten the good and left the bad for your brothers I’m going to judge you. It’s obvious you don’t love your brothers! You’re willing to cheat your brothers out of what’s fair and right because you love your belly more than you love your brethren. (Phil 3:19) The simplicity of real Christianity is in loving your brethren enough to make sure they get what they need and what should rightfully be theirs. Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others. (Phil 2:3,4) Because Christ is in me it’s more important to me that my brethren get what’s fair than I do. I’ll put myself in second place to make sure they get what they need because that’s what Jesus would do. As Christians we’re not concentrating on getting our rights but making sure others get theirs. But where someone in the flesh is taking advantage then we have to put a stop to that, because it’s not right that we should be “sacrificing” needful things to serve someone else’s lusts. For I don’t mean that others should be eased and you burdened; but by an equality, that now at this time your abundance may supply their lack, that their abundance also may supply your lack -- that there may be equality. (2Cor8:13,14) In correcting our children on these matters we had to explain to them it’s not always eating too much and leaving too little for the rest of the family. That’s not the whole problem. Sometimes the sin is you’re eating too little of the right things and too much of the wrong and because you’ve no love for your brethren you’re not giving them their fair share of the things you prefer for yourself. Whereas justice comes down to being fair and making sure everybody’s treated fairly. For example, what did Elie have for breakfast yesterday? She had a bacon-lettuce-tomato sandwich. Why did she have that? Not because she had a lust for bacon-lettuce and tomato but because there were leftover tomatoes and lettuce from yesterday’s salad. Instead of throwing the leftovers away she found a way to use them up. What did I have for breakfast this morning? We had some leftover steak in the refrigerator and I could have had steak and eggs for breakfast but what I had was an egg salad sandwich. Whenever we have salad with dinner we usually slice some hard boiled eggs for a garnish, and this morning there were leftover sliced eggs. So while Elie was using the leftover tomatoes and lettuce, I mixed some mayo with the leftover eggs and made me a sandwich for breakfast. Not because I wanted an egg salad sandwich but because that was the thing that most needed to be used. So both Elie and I are using up leftovers and then Ruben comes out and wants the steak for his breakfast. And Ruben is always like that – He’ll take the best of everything and leave veggies for his brothers while claiming he’s helping to use up the leftovers.  So even in how we use up leftover foods we can see who the real “Christians” are because they’re not pleasing their flesh but choosing to do what’s right and being considerate of their brethren. Because of the righteous there’s less wasted money, and a fair distribution of the leftover foods to everybody. But what does the one in the flesh do? He robs the others. The thief comes to steal, kill, and destroy. (Jn10:10) The thief takes the “steak” and doesn’t help use up the less popular leftovers. So in his wicked carnality, Ruben says, “I’m going to help use up leftovers by eating the steak!” But we don’t need any help using up the steak it’s the leftover salad and potatoes we need help with. Do you see the deceit in this? Does he really think he’s doing good when he says, “I’m also helping to use up the leftovers.” Yes, but which ones? We don’t need any help using up the steak! Help us by using up the less popular leftovers and you’ll get a piece of the steak when the time comes. So we’ve had to put a leash on Ruben and chasten him to keep him from taking the best of everything and leaving the worst for his brothers. (Since then because of his continual selfishness Ruben has been removed from both our home and the church.) Unlike Eli’s none of my sons are going to get away with this kind of wickedness because my house is being established in righteousness.

Now why do you think the congregation of “My Father’s House” has been chastened so often? Because God’s church is also established by righteousness. Justice, fairness, equity have to be enforced in “My Father’s House” too! It seems there’s always someone who’ll put us to the test to see if we’ll just ignore them when they’re doing wrong, which of course, would be sin to us. You shall not hate your brother in your heart. You shall surely rebuke your neighbor, and not bear sin because of him. (Lev19:17) And then there’s the sin where Eli rebukes his sons with words (1Sam2:23-25) but won’t chasten them or exercise any authority towards them. So he deceitfully puts on the appearance that he’s righteously opposing their sin while in reality he’s letting them be just as wicked as they want to. It’s not real righteousness until someone will actually deal with the sin and put a stop to it. One of the children of Israel presented to his brethren a Midianite woman in the sight of Moses and all the congregation of the children of Israel. Now when Phinehas saw it, he rose from among the congregation and took a javelin and went after the man of Israel into the tent and thrust both of them through, the man and the woman through her body. So the plague was stopped among the children of Israel. Then the LORD spoke to Moses saying, “Phinehas has turned back My wrath from the children of Israel, because he was zealous with My zeal among them, so that I didn’t consume the children of Israel in My zeal.” (Num25:6-11) It’s actually reported there’s sexual immorality among you, and such sexual immorality as isn’t even named among the Gentiles -- that a man has his father’s wife! And you’re puffed up, and haven’t rather mourned, that he who’s done this deed might be taken away from among you. For I indeed, as absent in body but present in spirit, have already judged (as though I were present) him who’s so done this deed. In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when you’re gathered together, along with my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ, deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus. (1Cor5:1-5) Because we won’t tolerate flagrant or persistent sin in members of “My Father’s House” and because we’ll remove an unrepentant sinner (Mt18:15-17) “My Father’s House” church is hated by most false christians and false churches. Today most so called “believers” are Eli’s. They may talk against sin, but they won’t do anything to actually stop their people from sinning. They think to love a sinner you ignore his sin but God says that’s hating him. You shall not hate your brother in your heart. You shall surely rebuke your neighbor, and not bear sin because of him. (Lev19:17) So “churches” and “christians” who ignore sin aren’t going to be established because the only way to be established is in righteousness and they don’t have it. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand. (Jms5:8) If the things of God must be established in justice and in righteousness, then our Christian life also has to be established in justice and in righteousness. And may the Lord make you increase and abound in love to one another and to all, just as we do to you, so that He may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all His saints. (1Th3:12,13) Only that which is established will last. Whatever isn’t established will fall apart or wash away in the flood. (Mt7:26,27) Jesus teaches we can only be established on the Rock of doing His Word! (Mt7:24,25) That means loving your neighbor as yourself and making sure you’re giving a fair share to those around you. And to be certain you’re doing right it’s best to give people even more than what’s fair, and treat them better than they deserve which is the way of love. But we can only continue to do that with people who receive our grace and use God’s grace rightly. If we give them grace and they waste it on their fleshly lust, we must put a stop to it or we’ll end up being like Eli. So even though we love to bless people if they won’t use the blessings rightly, we must withhold the good we’d like to do. But to those who receive God’s blessings thankfully, they’ll get good treatment from us and from God.

Through wisdom a house is built, and by understanding it’s established. (Pr24:3) There’s a difference between wisdom and understanding. Generally wisdom is knowing what needs to be done. Understanding is knowing why. By wisdom Jesus is building the house of God. And yet when God says by understanding it’s established that means the building won’t last unless the members of His house have understanding. Wisdom builds in a certain way, but when situations change it’s usually necessary to adapt to the new situations. Without understanding, however, you may change the wrong thing and do damage to the house. Understanding allows us to see why something needs to be done a certain way and how to change whenever it’s necessary to preserve the needful function. Christ’s church is built of living stones – each person is a functional part of the whole. If the church is to last the members need understanding so they can function properly no matter how situations or circumstances may change.

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy one is understanding. (Pr9:10) Discretion will preserve you; understanding will keep you. (Pr2:11) Since God’s house is a living structure composed of living stones people who are functional members, for His house to be established and remain, God must give understanding to His living stone people. So much of what’s going on in the preaching and sharing in the true church is God giving His people an understanding of His ways. When we understand His purposes, the things He’s doing and why, we can follow His Spirit and effectually participate in what He’s doing without being confused, surprised, or out of step with Him. (Am3:3) Attaining to a good understanding has much to do with having “ears that hear,” as in “He who has ears to hear let him hear what the Spirit is saying to the churches.” (Rev2:7) Why is the Spirit speaking to the churches? To establish them and give them understanding. The true church of Jesus Christ is put together with Christ’s wisdom manifested in the structure, the authority, the ministrations, the operations of the gifts of the Spirit and such. But stability comes when the people are in agreement with what the Spirit is doing because they understand and are pursuing God’s purposes. The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; a good understanding have all those who do His commandments. (Ps111:10)

Where the people don’t understand God’s purposes there can be no real unity nor progress in holiness! A church that lacks understanding is like a building made with untempered mortar. By understanding the mortar is tempered and the walls are made strong. Without understanding anything can come along and push the walls down. Because, indeed, they’ve seduced My people, saying, ‘Peace!’ when there’s no peace -- and one builds a wall, and they plastered it with untempered mortar -- say to those who plaster it with untempered mortar, that it will fall. There’ll be flooding rain, and you, O great hailstones, shall fall; and a stormy wind shall tear it down. (Ezek13:10,11) Children are also unstable. That we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting. (Eph4:14) Because they lack understanding children are easily blown about! Where the people are untaught and unstable wicked men can easily seduce the church. Whereas when the church has understanding these deceivers can’t overcome the people because the believers will see through their false doctrines and reject them. So the church is built by wisdom, but established by understanding. And both of those works must be going on right now. There’s a present work of building the church up in wisdom but there’s also a work of establishing the saints in understanding. To be stable the saints must understand God’s purposes and what the Spirit is doing right now and the part that’s expected of the saints in being fellow workers with Christ! For example one of the most troublesome problems the true church and disciples of Jesus are involved in right now is distinguishing between false “intellectual” christianity that’s all in your head versus the true Christianity which is the Spirit of Christ actually manifesting in the believer. Now if you as a believer don’t understand the difference between mere knowledge and the Living Spirit you’d be quite prone to be led away by intellectualism. If you don’t rightly understand Spirituality the intellectual christian might deceive you with his scriptural expertise and you wouldn’t even know that he doesn’t have Jesus in him. True Spiritual believers, disciples who have understanding, are looking for the reality of Christ in their brethren because by knowing what real Christianity is they also know what to look for to discern the true brethren. Therefore, from now on, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we’ve known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know Him thus no longer. (2Cor5:16) True disciples are looking for the manifestation of the Christ Spirit, which is of ultimate importance to Immanuel, “Christ in us!” This is the very reason “My Father’s House” is here. If we can’t demonstrate Christ is in us we’re no different from almost every other “church” these days, who’s “christianity” is all in their heads and not of the Spirit! Which shows that even if you build your church according to seemingly Christian principles it’s still going to fail if you don’t teach the members to actually know Christ because the church is established by understanding. And you can’t get beyond this Truth that to the real church understanding ultimately means knowing the Lord. This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You’ve sent. (Jn17:3)

This I say, therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you should no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles walk, in the futility of their mind. (Eph4:17) So unbelievers walk in the futility of their minds but what do “intellectual christians” walk in? An intellectual christian has knowledge, he can quote scriptures, and he can tell you right or wrong according to the scriptures but what he can’t do is tell you what Jesus is doing or saying right now. He can’t tell you where he’s supposed to go according to the Spirit; he can only choose where he goes according to his own understanding, his own wisdom, his own predilections, his own biases. So he lives according to his own wits which is the “futility of his mind!” (Eph4:17) It’s not much different from living according to the law – the man who does these things shall live by them (Lev18:5) – which isn’t the same as knowing what the Lord is saying to you. Everyday I have numerous testimonies of being led by the Spirit and that should be true for any Christian who’s abiding in Christ. Because “abiding” must be continual and you’re never to be led by anything but the Spirit, you ought to be able to see the Spirit’s in everything you’re doing. One of the challenges we face as Christians is although I can see because I’m in the driver’s seat how Jesus is leading me, to a person on the outside I don’t look any different than they look and they don’t think I’m being led by anything different from how they’re led. They assume I’m just following my own wisdom which is what they’re doing, making their own choices and such as they muddle through life in the futility of their minds. So they assume I make my decisions in life the same way they do and they don’t believe there can be any real differences between us. Now what you should be and I’m praying for is that God will demonstrate not only that there’s a difference between the Spiritually versus the intellectually led “believer” but that it’s an awesome difference. Also we ought to testify about the Spirit leading us so it can be made known to others. If the Lord is to establish Spiritual Christianity in His church, so called “christians” who don’t know the Spirit have to see there’s a difference between just knowing things about Jesus and actually being led by Him. And that must come out in our testimonies where we can demonstrate what it means to be led by Him. And of course there’s also the gifts of the Spirit including miracles and other such manifestations of God’s power! You don’t get a miracle by intellectualism. Therefore He who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you, does He do it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? (Gal 3:5) You hear God and obey what He’s showing you to do if you want to see Him manifest His power. Hearing and obeying God is what it means to be led by the Spirit. Nothing proves more quickly that Spiritual Christianity is different from intellectual than signs and wonders because no-one can deny God is present when the Spirit is manifesting in power. And everyone can see its not coming out of man’s intellect but faith when such things are happening!

When it comes to being led by the Spirit, I can give numerous examples. Of course, everything we preach in every service, as well as every Glory of His Grace book comes from the Spirit’s leading, but what many “believers” don’t realize is the Spirit wants to lead you in your everyday things also. Recently, for example, I was intending to have a “Ramen” snack after a service. Ramen is an oriental noodle soup that costs about 12 cents a pack. It’s a pretty good deal for an inexpensive snack and you can easily dress it up by putting a poached egg in it, or a slice of roast beef, or some green onion etc. It’s a very popular food in Japan and I was well acquainted with it there before it hit America. So usually I have some around and last night since we had some left-over roast beef, I was intending when I came home to have some Ramen with a piece of roast beef in it. But when I actually got home I had no appetite. I couldn’t eat. So I went to my room, did some praying and some editing on the Glory of His Grace. Then when I came out, Jonathan mentioned there was a leftover avocado in the fridge which we had with salad the night before. One thing about avocados is they don’t keep. To keep a peeled avocado more than a few hours you have to paint it with lemon juice. So I’d intended to use that avocado but I’d forgotten about it. Originally I was planning to spread it on toast and put a little garlic salt on it; it’s quite tasty that way. But as soon as Jonny mentioned the avocado my appetite came back and I knew what to eat. God was purposely keeping me from eating something wrong, ramen which would keep, in order that I’d eat the right thing, the avocado which needed to be eaten now if it wasn’t to be wasted. It was very apparent to me that the Spirit was doing this. As a leftover the avocado has precedence over the other foods because it spoils more quickly so it needs to be used right away! Now this may seem trivial and you might think, “Why is the Spirit worried about such a little thing?” But why shouldn’t He be? Why shouldn’t He be in charge of everything in your life? Years ago I heard of a pastor and his wife who had a wonderful “word of knowledge” gift. They were quite active in ministry to the youth in their church and if some of the teenagers might go out and get into an unseemly party, when they’d come to church the pastor’s wife would corner them, take them by the ear and say, “You better repent and get right with God and never do that again.” There was such a powerful word of knowledge it was almost like Elisha when he said to Gehazi, “Didn’t my spirit go with you?” (2Kng5:26) This pastor and his wife were watching over those kids Spiritually and God was letting them see what the kids were doing. But one night the Spirit woke the pastor to go into the church basement and turn off an electric light. You’d think why would the Spirit be concerned about such a little thing? He who is faithful in what is least is faithful also in much; and he who is unjust in what is least is unjust also in much. (Lk16:10) If He who’s faithful in little is faithful in much and the Spirit is faithful in much then He must also be faithful in little. So if you really know the Holy Spirit, you know He must be taking care of the little things in your life or He won’t be taking care of the big things. So don’t despise the little things the Spirit is watching over. If you won’t let Him watch over the little things He won’t watch over the big ones either. And here you can see the difference between the devil and God. God is orderly. He does all things well. (Mk7:37) Which means He uses all things well. So you see Jesus commanding His disciples to pickup the scraps after God has miraculously multiplied the loaves and fishes. (Jn6:12) God doesn’t waste anything. Jesus will gather up those leftovers and give them to the poor. And that’s the character of God. Satan would like that avocado to rot. He’d like the basement light to keep on burning and waste the church’s money. The devil’s always on the side of destruction and waste while God is on the side of wisdom and prudence. How much is God on the side of prudence? To the littlest detail that it’s practical to perform. If there was a more important thing to do than turn off the light in the basement God would have led the pastor to do the most important thing first and wouldn’t have bothered with the light until the right time. The lazy man doesn’t roast what he took in hunting, but diligence is man’s precious possession. (Pr12:27) God rewards diligence. If you want to know God you must learn He’ll always lead you to do the most beneficial thing that can be done at any time. And that’s always true of the leading of the Spirit.

A recent example of the Spirit’s leading in our home concerns our wall oven which was about thirty years old. About a year ago Elie and I tried to buy a new oven but we couldn’t find one that would fit the wall opening. Over the last few years the manufacturers have changed the sizes of these kinds of ovens and we couldn’t find anything that would fit our existing space. So because at the time the old oven was still working, we tabled the idea of buying a new oven and stopped looking. Then recently the oven’s heating element burnt out and when I tried to order a replacement part, no-one had anything. The oven was so old it seemed even replacement parts were now extinct. But the next morning I prayed, “I’m putting this in Your hands God. I don’t care if you want me to call every parts dealer in the state or to buy a new oven.” From our previous experience I knew the price range of a new oven would be five hundred to twelve hundred dollars. I expected a replacement element might cost about eighty to a hundred dollars. So I cast my care upon the Lord and as soon as I was done with my prayer time the Spirit began to lead me to pull the old oven out of the wall. After I got it out, I measured the size of the hole. Then we had Bible study. Immediately after Bible study I had the boys remove the back seat of our van. The Spirit was leading me to buy a new oven. I knew in my heart that was the way God wanted me to go. Remember last year I tried to buy an oven and couldn’t find one, but this day I knew God would lead me to one. So Elie and I got in the van and drove to the most likely dealer. We looked through their stock of in-the-wall ovens and found only one close to where it might fit and it cost over five hundred dollars. Then Elie spotted an oven on the floor at the end of the row. It didn’t have a price on it. But I measured it and it was the perfect size. I found a salesman and asked him the price and he said this oven had a minor blemish, so it was being liquidated for only $180. Of course we bought it. Everything was in place. It was like clock work. I already had the back seat out in the van so the oven went in easily and we didn’t have to pay delivery charges. At home, I already had the other oven out, so I was able to put the new one right in and install it myself in less than half an hour. Now we have a new state of the art oven and it cost almost nothing. Is this the Spirit’s leading or not? You see the same Spirit that’s concerned with not wasting the avocado is helping with the new oven; the little things as well as the bigger things; but it’s the same Spirit. Now get to know Him. He’s our very present help with everything (Ps46:1) – the Spiritual as well as the temporal! After all, if a physical necessity is out of order, that can hinder the Spiritual things we’re doing for God. In the Spirit life everything is connected. So to keep God’s works flowing smoothly, the Holy Spirit will lead in such a way as to help us keep the temporal things in order too. These things are all interrelated. People who aren’t led by the Spirit may talk about God, but their avocado rots. They may claim to know God but they end up running all over town and never find the replacement part because they’re not led by the Spirit. God’s the only one who knew whether to replace the part or the oven. By myself I didn’t know which would be the way to go. But in Christ “I know all things!” (1Jn2:20) This is what the New Covenant is all about! We don’t need a God who doesn’t talk to us, and where we just talk “about” Him. We need a God who sees our problems and can tell us what we need to do about them. Many times we can’t know what’s the best thing to do about something. How could I know whether to look for a new part or a new oven? Looking for a new oven might become a distraction that would take three weeks, on the other hand looking for a replacement part could also be a distraction that takes a month. By myself, I don’t have an answer as to which to do because I can’t see what God sees. So to do the right thing I must be led by the Spirit of God who does know which is the best way to go. Now, last year I thought I’d missed God when we were hunting for an oven because it seemed like a wasted trip. But now I know that trip was foundational to today. Because a year ago when we went looking we got a good idea of where to go and what the prices were so when the time came there was a real need I found this oven for only one hundred and eighty dollars and I knew there was no sense looking any further. I knew that’s the best deal we’re ever going to see, so we immediately took it. Last year’s trip had primed us so we could recognize a good deal when it came. So what happened a year ago wasn’t a waste it was of God! Now these are testimonies of the daily experiences we have as disciples who are actually led by God’s Spirit. People who have an “intellectual” religion never have such testimonies. All they can do is talk about their god as a “historical” figure. They’re never led anywhere by him. Their god isn’t real to them in the now! He’s not the “I am” to them! (Ex3:14) And concerning the leading of the Spirit even people who believe in being led by the Spirit are often waiting for God to tell them to do this or that. God didn’t “tell me” to go shopping for an oven but He impressed upon my consciousness that it was the right thing to do. Sometimes God does speak, but often the Spirit leads by light. When you see what to do and you do it and it bears good fruit you know that’s the Spirit leading you. And look how effectually God can lead as concerning the avocado where the Spirit took my appetite completely away to keep me from going in a wrong direction until He could bring to my remembrance the avocado needed to be used first. The Spirit is quite able to lead powerfully in ways where He doesn’t have to speak to you. He can incline your desire to go some place, or take the desire away! He’s done that many times with me. If God doesn’t want me to go somewhere He takes the desire away. Now if I’m in the Spirit why should I go where I don’t desire to go? If the Spirit wanted me to go wouldn’t He give me the desire? (Ps37:4) We’re not dealing with obvious moral issues here; we’re dealing with guidance. A moral issue is something you should do whether you feel like it or not because it’s the right thing to do. But a guidance issue is something you’re not obviously required to do because there’s no apparent moral value to it. Whether you eat or don’t eat you’re no better off (1Cor8:8) so why not do what the Spirit’s giving you the desire to do – don’t eat if you don’t have an appetite because there’s nothing moral attached to it. Trust the Spirit to guide in such things.

Hezekiah for the most part was a godly king. He brought forth many reforms, (2Kng18:3,4) yet towards the end of his life he got into pride and God’s wrath came upon him. In those days Hezekiah was sick and near death. And Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amoz, said to him, “Thus says the LORD ‘Set your house in order, for you’ll die and not live.’” Then Hezekiah turned his face toward the wall, and prayed to the LORD, and the Word of the LORD came to Isaiah saying, “Go and tell Hezekiah, ‘Thus says the LORD, the God of David your father “I’ve heard your prayer, I’ve seen your tears; surely I’ll add to your days fifteen years. And this is the sign to you from the LORD, that the LORD will do this thing which He’s spoken: Behold, I’ll bring the shadow on the sundial ten degrees backward.”’” So the sun returned ten degrees on the dial by which it had gone down. (Is38:1,2,4,5,7,8) But Hezekiah didn’t repay according to the favor shown him, (when God healed him) for his heart was lifted up; therefore wrath was looming over him and over Judah and Jerusalem. Then Hezekiah humbled himself for the pride of his heart, he and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so that the wrath of the LORD didn’t come upon them in the days of Hezekiah. (2Chr32:25,26) God withdrew from him, in order to test him, that he (Hezekiah) might know all that was in his heart. (2Chr32:31) God knows what’s in Hezekiah’s heart but He wants Hezekiah to see what’s in it.

The heart of the king is in the hands of the Lord and He can turn it any way He wants. (Pr21:1) Kings and authorities are put in the earth to fulfill God’s will (Rom13:1-4) and if we’ll pray for them (1Tim2:1,2) God will turn their hearts in ways that will answer our prayers. But if God turns the heart of a king to do right not because the king himself has a good heart but because God’s people are praying and God is responding to their prayers, then there isn’t any credit to the king; there’s no reward where God’s done it and not the king. Even though God has moved on the king to do it it’s still all of God. And that’s similar to where Jesus says “They’ll cast out devils in My name and I’ll say depart from Me you workers of iniquity.” (Mt7:23) God has seen iniquity in Hezekiah and even though God may have controlled that iniquity so it couldn’t damage God’s people still He wants to expose it so Hezekiah can be cleansed. God may keep you from stumbling for the sake of others. He may have blessed Hezekiah for the sake of the nation and restrained him from indulging in his hidden iniquities. And God may be restraining you and you can thank Him for doing that but it’s better to have no iniquity than to just have your iniquity under restraint. It’s better to be cleansed! So you can see where Jesus says, “Depart from Me you workers of iniquity” (Mt7:23) these people who cast out demons in His name hadn’t dealt with their own iniquity. No matter what good God has done through them on behalf of others it won’t save them because they didn’t deal with their own sin. So concerning Hezekiah’s iniquity, to expose it the bible says He (God) withdrew from him. (2Chr32:31) This tells you God could have stayed near Hezekiah in such a way as to keep Hezekiah from sinning but He withdrew His Spirit so what’s actually in Hezekiah’s heart could be seen and dealt with. And this relates to for example, where newborn Christians may have a season where they walk in such grace that virtually everything they do is perfect in the Spirit but then after a while the honeymoon’s over and they start getting into struggles where they may wonder what’s happening? Well, God may have kept you by His Spirit and proven He’s with you. He’s able to control things, to keep you from stumbling and all of that but He doesn’t want to leave iniquity in you and just cover it, so He withdraws His Spirit enough to let your iniquity be seen so you can repent and get cleansed. If there’s iniquity in you, God can cover it or he can expose it so you can get rid of it. Now which is the preferable thing? I don’t want iniquity in me. Even though God is able to keep the iniquity from manifesting, wouldn’t it be better if it wasn’t there? So that’s what God did with Hezekiah. He exposed Hezekiah’s pride so he could repent and humble himself, and He’ll do the same with you.

Remember “The house is established by understanding.” (Pr24:3) What has God just given you? Understanding! What would happen if you didn’t have this understanding and you started seeing your iniquity and thinking God was withdrawing from you? You could lose your faith couldn’t you? But if you understand what’s happening you can see God wants me to repent and get cleansed of my iniquity. So you can do what’s necessary and the Spirit will come back and bless you again, if you have the understanding. With understanding you don’t get panicked or shaken by the things that are going on. For the house to remain it must be established. It doesn’t just need to be built wisely it needs to be maintained wisely and understanding is what keeps it. (Pr2:11)

This I say, therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you should no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles walk, in the futility of their mind. (Eph4:17) Unbelievers walk in the futility of their mind. If I tried to figure out in my mind the best thing to do to fix my oven it would have been futile. The only thing my mind could show me was to try to find a part to fix my oven or to buy a new oven with the right measurements to fit the hole. But I’m walking blind. I have no idea if what I need even exists. One dealer told me, “You won’t find an oven to fit that opening anymore. You’re caught between a rock and a hard place; you’ve got an extinct oven you can’t get parts for and a hole in the wall that they don’t make ovens to fit. So you can’t get a new one and you can’t fix the old one.” But I knew the Lord would show me some way to deal with it. And by following the Spirit we had a new oven working before dinner time. I knew how to hook it up because I paid attention when I pulled the old one out, so I didn’t have to pay $100 for installation. I’m blessed because my God is real. He isn’t just an imagination and I’m not walking in the futility of my mind. I’m asking God to lead me. I’m trusting Him to lead me and He does. Also I don’t limit God by prejudicial reasonings. For example, if I thought, “I can’t afford a new oven. I have to find the part. I must go the cheap way.” That’s a prejudicial reasoning. I’m willing to pay if I have to. It’s up to God to supply my needs. If He tells me to buy a $1000 oven, I will. Or if I had to rebuild the opening in my wall, I would have. Whatever God requires, I’d have done it. I’m not stingy with my money. I’m prudent not stingy. I don’t throw money away. I use it wisely but I’m not stingy. Stinginess is a curse and it’s demonic and it will tie you up and even keep you from helping needy people. I’m quite able to help needy people when the opportunity arises. If I need to buy a new appliance I can because I’m not bound by stinginess. The “futility of their mind” is what fails “intellectual christians” because no matter how much they know they don’t really know whether to go right or go left. All their information tells them is historical! I need a God who can show me the future! However, when He, the Spirit of Truth, has come, He’ll guide you into all Truth; for He won’t speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He’ll speak; and He’ll tell you things to come. (Jn16:13) My God can show me whether to go to the right or the left. (Is30:21) And son of man, appoint for yourself two ways for the sword of the king of Babylon to go; both of them shall go from the same land. Make a sign; put it at the head of the road to the city. (Ezek21:19) God says, “Ezekiel, stand at the crossroads and make a sign because Nebuchadnezzar is going to come here and he needs to know whether to go right or left; whether to attack Jerusalem or Ammon, and I’m going to guide him. I’m going to cause him to attack Jerusalem.” My God shows me which way to go. If He’ll even guide pagan kings like Nebuchadnezzar, He’ll sure tell me, His child, which way to go. So I’m led by the Spirit. And being led by the Spirit doesn’t always mean I hear an audible “word” from God. Much of the time it means praying for guidance then doing the thing that seems right. Doing what seems right after you’ve prayed for guidance is “believing you’ve received.” (Mk11:24) The Spirit caused me to feel like pulling my oven out which is similar to my testimony concerning when I had an electrical short in the house wiring. Where I was praying in tongues, seeking the Lord and God led me to the garage to open an outlet there where I found the short. The Spirit led me to it supernaturally. But when I’m doing this, it doesn’t feel supernatural. Sometimes it’s like “Why am I doing this?” I’m doing what I feel led to do and it turns out to be of God. So why am I looking to buy a new oven? Because that’s what I feel led to do. I don’t feel God’s presence all over me. I don’t have goose bumps. I don’t have a word from God. But this seems to be the right thing to do. I’ve prayed and sought the Lord’s guidance. Now the door is open and I have peace to go this way so I’m going and I trust God will make it work out. Then you see “Bang!” Suddenly like a skyrocket exploding everything lights up and it all works out. Even if it didn’t feel like God was there, He was. We walk by faith not by feelings!  (2Cor5:7)  It doesn’t depend on what it feels like! God is there even when it doesn’t feel like He’s there. Christianity isn’t living by the futility of your mind. It’s Spiritual! To be led by the Spirit means you’re walking in faith. And your faith must be that God is with you no matter what you feel like! I’m not trying to fix my oven problem to satisfy my flesh. It’s a necessity; I’ve a family to feed. We were planning on having a ham for dinner but we couldn’t put it in the broken oven so the Spirit led me to use the crock-pot instead. We had a good dinner because God showed me an alternative. The Spirit’s always there to show me what to do. We don’t live by the futility of our minds (Eph4:17) but we live by faith in God to lead. And when God leads we gain testimonies to encourage faith in others. Why am I pulling my oven out of the wall if I’m just going to look for a part? I’m being led to pull this oven out of the wall. God is putting a desire in me to measure the hole and see what the back end of this oven looks like, how it’s wired and all that. Why do I need to know these things? It’s the Spirit! He’s preparing me to replace the oven. He’s the same Spirit who can make me hungry or not! The same Spirit who’s setting everything up and in order so I can finish what needs to be done efficiently and get on with the work of the Lord. But you have not so learned Christ. (Eph4:20) He hasn’t taught you to live by trusting your own understanding (Pr3:5) and He hasn’t taught you to live by satisfying your lusts. If you’re making decisions to please your flesh it’s not Jesus who’s teaching you! If you’re trying to live by your wits that’s not of Jesus! In order to solve the oven problem first I had to determine what was really wrong, and Jesus showed me how to do that. The heating element wasn’t heating so I pulled the element out and wired a light bulb across the socket. The bulb lit up, so the element was getting electricity it just wasn’t heating. Every step of the way Jesus is showing me what the problem is. But in myself I don’t know how to fix the problem so I’m not living by my wits, or any confidence in my own abilities to deal with this. From the very first when a problem shows up I’m talking to God about it, “Lord I’m trusting you to lead me in this. I don’t know how much money it’s going to cost, how much time it’s going to take, how much trouble it’s going to be but I know I belong to you. So lead me any way you want. If I need to search for a part and that’s the way you want me to go it’s fine with me. Because I don’t have a will in this matter. I don’t have a better place to be.” If I was planning to do something else, and that plan is shot because this needs to be done its fine with me because I don’t live for myself. My plans change when God’s plan is different from mine. So I don’t have a will that’s contrary to God. It’s having your own will that gets you in trouble. “I have other plans Lord so I can’t go shopping for an oven until I finish these other things I need to do.” No! If you belong to Jesus, you don’t need to do anything except what Jesus shows you to. When Jesus changes my plans, it’s fine with me! Why should I be there if He wants me to be here? It’s foundational to being led by the Spirit that I don’t have a preference of my own so I’m free to go where the Spirit directs me to go. And God promises He’ll direct me. For example, Commit your works to the Lord and He’ll establish your thoughts. (Pr16:3) Why do I have the thought to pull the oven out of the wall? Because my works are committed to the Lord, so He’s establishing my thoughts. The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord. (Ps37:23) Because as a true disciple of Christ I’m a good man, God orders my steps and establishes my thoughts. So when I go shopping for the new oven I’m not wondering should I be doing this or something else? I’m confident that what I’m doing is what God’s leading me to do. If this isn’t what He wants me to do He’d have shown me something different. If there was an alternative way to go God’s peace wasn’t in it. The peace is in doing this so God must be in it. (Col 3:15) I’m confident God’s with me in this! Are you doubting God when He said He’d order your steps and establish your thoughts? Are you going to argue with Him? Will you feel better if you do some other thing! No! While you’re doing the other thing you’ll be thinking you should be doing this. Some place you must decide God’s with you. You have to make the determination that it’s no better to be going in the other direction and doubting than it is to be going in this direction and doubting. The problem isn’t the direction you’re going, it’s the doubting! I have to trust the Lord is with me. I’m going in this direction because God has put it in me to go this way. On the surface the Spirit’s guidance doesn’t seem to be a moral issue but what it comes down to is “Whatever’s not of faith is sin.” (Rom14:23b)

You’ve not so learned Christ, if indeed you’ve heard Him and been taught by Him.  (Eph4:20,21) Now this is the problem with 99% of contemporary “christianity” -  indeed they haven’t heard Him and haven’t been taught by Him. That’s the problem. When Paul says “if indeed” it’s a similar thing to when he says, “examine yourself to see whether Christ is in you.” (2Cor13:5a) You’d better take a careful look and see if Jesus really is in you because if He isn’t you’re not saved! Don’t you know Jesus Christ must be in you unless you’re disqualified? (2Cor13:5b) So Paul’s saying you haven’t learned of a Christ who leaves you to live by the futility of your mind; to be pushed around by your lusts. That’s not the real Jesus! Jesus is Lord over these things. Now have you indeed heard Him and been taught by Him? Don’t you understand the New Covenant is They shall be taught of God. (Jn6:45) Anybody who claims to be a Christian who’s not hearing God is a fraud! (Gal 5:4) This only I want to learn from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the “hearing of faith?” (Gal 3:2) Without the hearing there’s no faith. Faith hears God! (v5) But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we’ve preached to you, let him be accursed. As we’ve said before, so now I say again, if anyone preaches any other gospel to you than what you’ve received, let him be accursed. (Gal 1:8,9) The true gospel speaks of the “hearing of faith” and the leading of the Spirit. The true gospel is the one in which you’re taught of God. Jesus is your Master Teacher. (Mt23:8) You’re going to be led by His Spirit not by your wits, not by your lusts, not by your own senses. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. (Rom8:14) “The sons of God know My voice (Jn10:4) and they’re led by My Spirit.” The leading of the Spirit often seems very subtle. While it’s going on at times it doesn’t seem like something supernatural is taking place but when it’s over there’s a testimony. And the faith that’s being led by the Spirit includes a consciousness that I’m not leading myself. It may not feel supernatural but it’s not me. I’m dependant upon God. I’m trusting He’s leading me and I know He’ll get me where I need to go. So even though it doesn’t feel supernatural, it’s the Spirit who’s responding to my faith who’s leading me. Now, who’s leading you? If you’re being led by anything but the Spirit you haven’t learned Christ at all yet. If you’re being led by anything but the Spirit of Jesus you have not so learned Christ because that’s not the way Christ is taught in the true gospel. If you’re truly learning of Christ you know He’s a living power and a guiding presence in your life. That’s the way you must know Him. You must know the living Christ. You must be led by that living Christ, the Christ who can subdue your appetites like He did with me concerning the avocado; the Christ who can make a decision for you when you don’t have the knowledge yourself to make a wise decision. For example, I couldn’t know whether it was better to buy a new oven or search for a part to fix the old one. Logically it might have seemed better to look for the part since that could be cheaper. So I’m going in a direction that defies logic. Why? Because I’m not being led by logic. I’m being led by the Spirit! This is what the Spirit is guiding me to do and I’m trusting He’s leading me. I’ve learned Christ as a living presence in my life who teaches me, guides me, who helps me overcome my various problems and supplies my needs. I’ve learned that Christ. I haven’t learned a Christ who excuses carnal lusts like so many false christians who have a selfish desire to do something and then say it’s God leading them to do it. I haven’t learned that Christ! I’ve learned the Christ who over powers my flesh and crucifies my selfishness, “if indeed you’ve heard Him and been taught by Him.”

We just received a letter from a young man who said God was teaching him some things which were strongly confirmed by one of our Glory of His Grace books. By the mouth of two or three witnesses every word shall be established. (2Cor13:1b) What can we see concerning this man? Who’s teaching him? God’s teaching him but God wants him to know for sure he’s hearing God so He confirms the Word to him through our book. That not only proves to the young man that he’s hearing God, but it shows him we’re also of God. So he requested some of our other Glory of His Grace books whereby he’s received more and more confirmation that the things he’s receiving are of God and now he wants to be associated more closely with us, because he’s been what? Taught of God! Now what did Jesus say? “Everybody who comes to Me is taught of God!” (Jn6:45) Why do they come? “Because the Father draws them.” (Jn6:44) Why has this young man come to us? The Father drew him. He didn’t come because he’s been taught of man he came because he’s heard God. “Therefore everyone who hears the Father comes to Me.” (Jn6:45) We’re seeing the outworking of Spiritual Christianity right here. These men don’t come to us because of something in their head. They don’t come to us because they’re following their senses. If they come that way they won’t stay. The true brethren always come because they’re taught of God. They come because they’re convinced God is leading them. No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him. And they shall all be taught by God. Therefore everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to Me. (Jn6:44,45) And that’s exactly what this young man’s letter is demonstrating. If indeed you’ve heard Him and been taught by Him, (Eph4:21) then you know about being led by the Spirit. You know it’s not your head leading you. This man who came to us is being led by the Spirit. And as a true follower of Jesus I’m being led by the Spirit. I’m not led by my senses. I’m not led by my own mind. We can see another example in, And this they did not only as we’d hoped, but they first gave themselves to the Lord, and then to us by the will of God. (2Cor8:5) So these Macedonians (Philippians) were taught of God to come to Paul and help him out in his ministering to the Judean church. They didn’t do it because Paul asked them to. They didn’t do it because they thought it up themselves. They did it because they asked God what to do and God led them. What’s being demonstrated here is Spiritual Christianity. (in 2Cor8:1-6) It’s a very important thing that we demonstrate the difference between intellectual (false) christianity and Spiritual (true) Christianity. There’s an awesome difference but most contemporary “christians” can’t see it. Intellectual christianity can quote scripture but it doesn’t save because the living Christ isn’t in it. You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me. But you’re not willing to come to Me that you may have life. (Jn5:39,40) We must actually show people what Spiritual Christianity is so they can escape this intellectual trap and get into the reality of knowing the living Christ! And you need to remember what it means to hear and be taught by the Holy Spirit and make sure that’s still going on. Remember the Galatians started out in the Spirit but ended up losing their faith. (Gal 3:3;5:4) You need to make sure you’re still hearing and being taught by Christ, and you haven’t reverted to depending on the futility of your own mind because your mind isn’t big enough, your senses aren’t good enough to lead you. By your senses you can’t tell where to go and what you need to do because by yourself you can’t see the whole picture as God can. Many times in my following the Spirit, God didn’t show me He just led me. He didn’t tell me, “There’s an oven over there!” I just followed Him and He led me to it. Do you want to be led in such a way where God tells you everything in advance? How much of that would be faith? When God led the Jews in the desert often they’d end up thinking they had no food or water then God would show up and tell them what to do. The point is you’re following Him and because you’re following Him you’ll have what you need. Not because He tells you all the details of what will be there. I didn’t know the oven I needed would be at the first store I went to. But I knew if I followed God at some point I’d find what I needed. Now, how have you learned Christ? What kind of Christ do you know? The one that you hear and the one who teaches you, “My sheep know My voice” is the only Christ I’m interested in. That’s the Spiritual one. That’s the Christianity that actually does you some good. If you don’t hear Him, if you’re not being taught to trust Him your religion is useless!

 Prophecy: I’m the living God and I’ll have a people who demonstrate I live in and through them. I’m not interested in having a people who theorize about Me, pontificate about Me, talk about Me historically but can’t demonstrate I’m alive in them today. Such people act as though I’m dead in the present and as though I’m a God who lives only in the past. But I live today and I’ll have a people who show that I’m alive today. I’ll have a people who have faith for Me to live in them today, who can testify I live in them today. How many sing, “My God lives” but where’s your proof? Where’s your testimony? When one of you prophesies do you know what you’re doing? You’re demonstrating that I live NOW and I speak TODAY through you. And when things come out of your mouths that reveal the secrets of hearts you prove I’m the present God in you who sees the unseen things. When you lay hands on the sick and a healing or miracle occurs you’re showing I’m God, the Almighty right NOW. I’ll have a people who demonstrate Me NOW. I’ve shown you there are many who claim to be Mine who don’t have My Spirit, don’t know Me, don’t hear My voice, don’t obey Me and they’re not Mine! To them I don’t live so I’m not their God! But I’m raising up a people who are taught of Me, who hear Me. And that people will testify and they’ll do the works of faith that show I’m their God who lives! And only if you do that can you be My people, saith the Lord.  

 Prophecy: You have no testimony apart from the leading of My Spirit, saith the Lord! What gives you a testimony is when you can say, “The Lord led me to do this and I did it and this is what happened.” There can be no testimony apart from the leading of My Spirit, and you can’t have the leading of My Spirit unless you have faith. A “christian” without a testimony is not a real Christian. He’s “christian” in word but not in reality. If you’re to be of My sons you must have continual testimonies that flow out of a life that’s lived by the leading of My Spirit and where you’re continually giving thanks and praise to Me for what My Spirit is doing. Such a Spiritual life flows out of a continual faith that expects to be led. You must desire to be led, and ask to be led, and have faith to be led by Me, saith the Lord. Now, receive My Holy Spirit that I may lead you in all things, saith the Lord. (Prophecies delivered at “My Father’s House”)

 A Letter from the Pastor

(Written in response to a request of sponsorship for seminary/ Bible School) 

When the Lord called me to preach, He spoke to me audibly and commanded that I was not to be taught by man, seminaries etc., but I was to be taught by Him. It’s written in the prophets, “And they shall all be taught by God.” Therefore everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to Me. (Jn6:45) He then opened a door to a prison ministry where I preached once a week. Again He audibly informed me “This is where I’ll teach you to be a preacher!” A few years later He told me to start “My Father’s House Church” which is one of the most Spiritually and scripturally accurate churches in the world today. Jesus audibly told me to name it “My Father’s House.” After a prolonged season of prayer, Jesus again audibly instructed me to publish His teachings in the Glory of His Grace! He also audibly told me that I would teach preachers! The Glory of His Grace is now spreading God’s light around the world through our internet site, which receives thousands of “visits” per day. If you wish to be a preacher you’ll get a hundred times more useful information by reading and studying the Glory of His Grace than going to any ten seminaries. The Glory of His Grace is fresh manna, “Present Truth,” revelation from God not rehashed doctrines of men passed on from man to man by people who often don’t even understand what they’re teaching. Desiring to be teachers of the law, understanding neither what they say nor the things which they affirm. (1Tim1:7) For those who dwell in Jerusalem, and their rulers, because they didn’t know Him, nor even the voices of the Prophets which are read every Sabbath, have fulfilled them in condemning Him. (Act13:27) Notice that everything God has accomplished through me (1Cor15:10) has been by the “hearing of faith” (Gal 3:2,5) not of the “wisdom of words” For Christ didn’t send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel, not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of no effect. (1Cor1:17)

And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, that your faith shouldn’t be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God. (1Cor2:4,5) Did Jesus tell His disciples to go to seminary before sending them to preach or did He command them to be baptized in the Spirit and Power of God? And being assembled together with them, He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father, “which,” He said, “you’ve heard from Me; for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.” (Act1:4,5) Are you going to save nations by the wisdom of words or by the hearing of faith? For I’ll know not the word of those who are puffed up but the power! (1Cor4:19,20) If you want to serve God successfully you don’t need intellectual knowledge but God’s anointing, wisdom and power. You must have the “hearing of faith!” This only I want to learn from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? Therefore He who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you, does He do it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? (Gal 3:2,5) For I’ll not dare to speak of any of those things which Christ hasn’t accomplished through me, in word and deed, to make the Gentiles obedient in mighty signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God, so that from Jerusalem and round about to Illyricum I’ve fully preached the gospel of Christ. (Rom15:18,19)  

When God calls a man to preach He never sends him to seminary. No place in the bible did God ever send someone to be taught of men in a seminary. Rather, He either speaks to the one He calls directly as He did with Moses, Elijah, Jesus, Saul-Paul, and me, or He assigns the man to a man of God as He did with Joshua, Elisha, Jesus’ disciples, Timothy, etc. If God isn’t speaking to you directly and you feel called, your best move is to get into a real church and serve a real man of God as Elisha did Elijah etc., until God calls you higher. The Holy Spirit is God’s teacher and the true church is His school. Seminaries are a departure from the true church and a reversion to the ways of the world.    

The bible says, Those who are led by the Spirit of God are the sons of God! (Rom8:14) Now a seminary can teach you that scripture. (which you could also learn by reading your bible on your own) Then they could “test” you on the scripture by asking you in their exams “Who are the sons of God?” in which they would mark you correct if you answer “Those who are led by the Spirit of God!” And then they can give you a diploma and even “ordain” you to preach because you answered correctly. And yet even though you can rightly define who the sons of God are, you aren’t a son, because they’ve never taught you to walk in the Spirit of God. They’ve only taught you the principal and not the practice. They’ve taught you to repeat the Word without actually doing the Word. And that’s the failure and fallacy of manmade bible schools. They don’t produce Spiritual men of God, real men of God, they only produce “intellectual” false christians. Now concerning things offered to idols: We know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge puffs up, but love edifies. And if anyone thinks that he knows anything, he knows nothing yet as he ought to know. But if anyone loves God, this one is known by Him. (1Cor8:1-3) Instead of filling you with “love that edifies” they fill their students with “knowledge that puffeth up!” They’re trying to teach “Christianity” the way the world teaches math or science and it doesn’t work that way with Christ.  

I recently received a pamphlet from Blessed Hope seminary in which one of their professors, Dr. Elliot Johnson says, “I’m PROUD of Blessed Hope, I’m PROUD you’re considering becoming a student.” Pharisees are proud! Jesus is meek. (Mt11:29) How can PROUD men teach you to become a humble Christian? This false teacher doesn’t even recognize pride is a sin. They glory in their shame! (Phil 3:19) I’ve written over a hundred Glory of His Grace books on Spiritual Christianity and I’m not “proud” of any of them; though I’m constantly amazed at the great truths God has revealed in them and I’m very thankful for the grace God has given me that He considers me a vessel fit to use in revealing His Truth to His elect! You’re on the wrong track with seminary/bible school and it’s flesh not Spirit. It will profit you nothing. And further, my son, be admonished by these. Of making many books there’s no end, and much study is wearisome to the flesh. (Eccl 12:12) For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but faith working through love. (Gal 5:6)  

There are 100 Glory of His Grace books available to you tuition free! We don’t “sell” the gospel! For we aren’t as so many, peddling the Word of God; but as of sincerity, but as from God, we speak in the sight of God in Christ. (2Cor2:17) Every Glory of His Grace book was written by inspiration of God who called me to write these books and even named the Glory of His Grace ministry when He called me. If you’d prayerfully study these books as the Spirit leads, Christ himself would teach you. He won’t give you a written exam, but He’ll give you opportunities in real life to DO the things He’s teaching you, and He’ll confirm the Word you’re learning through true life experiences, including signs and wonders if you have the faith for it! If you’re faithful to follow Christ, when you’re done, you won’t get a diploma, but you’ll actually know how to be led by the Spirit of God and have God’s anointing and if you take hold of the true bible faith you’ll even be laying hands on the sick and seeing them recover, prophesying and witnessing in the power of the Spirit of God.                 

Seminaries “peddle” the gospel. (see 2Cor2:17) You pay your tuition and pass their course and they sell you a diploma and claim you’re fit to preach. Have you not cast out the priests of the LORD, the sons of Aaron, and the Levites, and made for yourselves priests, like the peoples of other lands, so that whoever comes to consecrate himself with a young bull and seven rams may be a priest of things that are not gods? (2Chr13:9) Yet the Kingdom of God isn’t in word but in power. (1Cor4:20) Are these seminary professors capable of endowing you with any power when they have none themselves? Don’t be carried about with various and strange doctrines. For it’s good that the heart be established by grace, not with foods which haven’t profited those who’ve been occupied with them. (Heb13:9) Jesus says, How can you believe who receive honor from one another and don’t seek the honor that comes from God? (Jn5:44) Diplomas are men honoring men! And He said to them, “You are those who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts. For what’s highly esteemed among men is an abomination in the sight of God. (Lk16:15) The anointing and power of the Spirit is how God honors a man! If Jesus is calling you then why do you go to men to answer His call? But I make known to you, brethren, the gospel which was preached by me isn’t according to man. For I neither received it from man, nor was I taught it, but it came through the revelation of Jesus Christ. (Gal 1:11,12) Are you impressed by them because they charge you money and I don’t? They zealously court you, but for no good; yes, they want to exclude you, that you may be zealous for them. (Gal 4:17) Did I commit sin in humbling myself that you might be exalted, because I preached the gospel of God to you free of charge? For you put up with it if one brings you into bondage, if one devours you, if one takes from you, if one exalts himself, if one strikes you on the face. (2Cor11:7,20) False christians and false preachers search the scriptures because in them you think you have eternal life… but you aren’t willing to come to Me (Christ) that you may have life! (Jn5:39,40) If you really desire to have a deeper understanding of God’s Word, get to know Jesus personally and the Holy Spirit whom He sent to be your chief teacher. The same Lord who told me NOT TO GO TO SEMINARY TO BE TAUGHT OF MEN isn’t going to tell you to do the opposite. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. (Heb13:8) who’ll remind you of my ways in Christ, as I teach everywhere in every church. (1Cor4:17b)

In Jesus’ Name,

                       Pastor Bill Taylor

The Glory of His Grace is offered free of charge. However, tax-deductible contributions can be made to “My Father’s House” and are much appreciated.
Write to:

 My father’s House, inc.
a Spirit filled Church of prayer, evangelism and discipleship!
 

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