A Call to Holiness pt 7
02-28-2019
I love how Peter makes sure that those reading his letter knows that he spent personal time with Jesus! 2 Peter 1 (16-21) He is making it clear that we realize that nothing he or the other Apostles wrote was made up, but he, himself was there when God declared from heaven, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”
Vs 19 tells us “And we have the prophetic word more fully confirmed, to which you will do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns (the season breaks) and the morning star (affirmation, declaration, light) rises (springs up) in your hearts (soul).”
He continues with a reminder that pure, true prophecy is not spoken by the will of man but by the Holy Spirit and we must learn that any prophetic word given to us must line up with scripture. A prophetic word is sent forth to bring the knowledge (light) of Jesus Christ into our lives and shine into the dark places (the places where there is a lack of knowledge). One thing we have to understand is that every prophetic word spoken over us, that is from God’s heart, will bring revelation and knowledge into areas where we lack the ‘knowing’ or understanding and it will edify and build us up! This is how God speaks to His children! Never does He condemn, belittle or make His children feel ‘less than’!!! Yes there will be times we aren’t hearing God for ourselves and He will send someone to bring a word of correction, but like I said if it’s from the heart of God, even correction is firm yet loving!
Peter is making sure we know the difference between true prophecy and false prophecy because there are so many people out there running around claiming to be sent from ‘God’ and they are speaking things over people that God did not say. The Word of God tells us that the words we speak can bring life or death (Prov. 18:21). The NLT actually says, “The tongue can bring death or life; those who love to talk will reap the consequences.” I’m telling you this… if anyone ever speaks over you in the name of God and it does NOT line up with scripture or even confirm within your spirit… immediately cancel it out because they have just as much power in their words as a true prophet! Better yet, don’t let just anyone speak over you! If you don’t know them and their life walk, just let them know you would rather not they speak over you.
2 Peter 2 is a firm warning from Peter about false prophets, teachers and destructive doctrines. This is why I believe we are in a time that discernment and the knowledge of the Word is more vital then ever. One of the things God began to speak to me a few years ago was that we were coming into a season where keen discernment was going to be key in every area. There are teachers out there claiming to be teaching the Word of God, yet they are twisting and turning His words in order to fit their lifestyles and those they want to please. This my friend is destructive.
Get this… in verse 1 Peter tells us that these false teachers will secretly bring destructive heresies! When you go back to the root of heresies it means disunion, take for themselves! These false teachers are crafty in their speech and actions, they gain followers by bringing disunity to the body of Christ! Do we not see this happening all the time? We have people rising up in churches, getting offended or just refusing to submit to authority, they go through the church in their crafty little ways planting false prophetic words or seeds into people’s minds then they step away to build their own church with half the body of believers they were in. OH MY GOSH church, this will not only bring destruction in the body as a whole, but Peter tells us this is the recipe for those false teachers to bring swift destruction upon themselves. We’ve got to wake up and start discerning the spirit, the heart, the thought behind the choices we make and the voices we hear!
Peter goes on to tell us some pretty hard-core information. I think this is what I’m learning to love about Peter, he wasn’t afraid of the crowd and their thoughts toward him. He simply spoke the truth and that was it! Why? Because we are supposed to be leading people to Christ, to maturity in Him and growing disciples that grow disciples… this takes a truth that not many want to hear! When we mix that truth with God’s grace it changes lives, unlike ear tickling messages that help people stay in their mess so that they stay dependent on the pastor for all their needs.
Go back and read 2 Peter 2 – you will get the gist of what I’m talking about, but it’s too much to add to the blogging! But Peter did say this… “The Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptations…” This tells me that when we are following God with all that’s in us and we mess up, you know, we hear a word and feel like it was all God, so we act on it not realizing that it wasn’t Him?!? He will deliver us from that!
He goes on to tell us that those who walk as teachers and prophets in a carnal mindset, brushing things off as if it’s not important… those who are desiring the tainted and contaminated words that are being thrown around out there and those who defy authority and those who speak against those God has placed over them… False teachers, false prophets or even prophets gone astray… according to verse 17 they are wells without water and storm clouds that darken but don’t produce rain.
Like I’ve said over and over… DISCERNMENT IS KEY in this day and age!
One of the things Peter points out is that these false teachers will promise liberty and freedom, yet they are so enslaved in bondage themselves that they lead new believers back into bondage and the entangling cycle of bondage just keeps building.
In order to walk it the true holiness of our God we must be watchful of those we allow in our lives. Some people just do not have a place to speak into us. I want to encourage you, as you allow people into your life check out their fruit. Does their fruit represent the holy character of our Father? Do they walk as Jesus walked? Are they portraying His image in this world?
Remember we are told in Matthew 7:20 that we will know them by their fruit!
Father I personally want to repent for allowing people to speak into my life that were not supposed to be speaking. I ask that every unfruitful and false word spoken be uprooted from my life in Jesus name. Father I declare over myself a spirit of discernment that is keen and wise but not judgmental. I declare a spirit of wisdom, revelation and knowledge to begin to see truth as truth and throw off anything that has been twisted or is deceptive. Father continue to guide me into all truth so that I can be a conduit of YOU to this world, I can be the light (knowledge) of Jesus Christ in the dark places (lack of understanding). In Jesus name; Amen