| Newsletter for Jan 2009
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Dear Friends, This month I am sharing a very unique prophetic word which the Lord gave at our church a few months ago. One thing that made it unique is that while giving me this word, the Lord was taking me to different passages of scripture, starting in John 14:16-18, 26 and 16:12-13. I believe you will find this word to be both a warning and eye-opening. BEWARE OF FAMILIAR SPIRITS The devil will try to mimic the ministry of the Holy Spirit. For those who seek to be used of me, but are not yet mature in me, they open themselves to influence by familiar spirits. Many evangelists and other ministers operate by familiar spirits more than they realize and more than those in their services realize. When you are mature in me you will immediately sense the difference between the Holy Spirit and familiar spirits. Just because it seems a gift of the Holy Spirit is manifesting does not mean it is the Holy Spirit. (Acts 8:5-10; 16:16) Many in my Church have been exalted by man because they seemed to be used mightily by my Spirit. In many cases, these ministers are operating by a mingling of my Holy Spirit and familiar spirits. Many Christians do not believe such a mingling is possible; they mistakenly believe that they are untouchable by the enemy. But was not my Son touched by the words of Satan himself? You should meditate on that encounter (Matthew 4:1-11; Luke 4:13). If such a thing could happen to Jesus, why would you believe you are exempt from this? Do you think the devil approached my Son in the form of something dark, black, ugly and evil? Satan was trying to seduce and deceive my Son to give in to his temptations. The temptations against Him were more subtle than many think. The temptations against Him were also more intense than you may realize; if the same kind of temptations were released against many Christians, they would give in, thinking they were honoring me or worshipping me. (2 Corinthians 11:12-15). My Holy Spirit is the only one who can help you. Without my Holy Spirit and His ministry in your life, not even my Word can fully help you. Why, you ask? Because even ministers who operate in part by familiar spirits use my Word in their lives and ministries. Remember, the operation of familiar spirits is very subtle and deceptive. They have the ability to lull my children into a place of spiritual slumber to where they feel everything is okay in their relationship with me. Many of my children are greatly influenced by familiar spirits and don't even know it because these spirits are operating through other Christians they trust and with whom they have established friendships. What you don't realize is that by maintaining these friendships you are opening the door for these spirits to influence your life and bring about this spiritual slumber. In your effort to be a good Christian friend and example to them, you are actually harming yourself more than you know. Many of you have family members who are operating by familiar spirits. Hear me clearly: a spirit does not have to inhabit or dwell in a person to influence that person; all it has to do is capture the ear of that person. Think of what I said in my Word to the Jews: (Exodus 22:18) Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live. These instructions were given to the Jews, not the Gentiles. This means that the Jews had to guard themselves against their own brothers and sisters who were doing these things. This is a type and shadow for the Church, for you have in your midst brothers and sisters in Christ who are following these same abominable practices. Many of the Jews who did this were not actually seeking to be used by Satan, but were enamored by the supernatural and spiritual power. It is the same in my Church. Many of my children are eager to be used by me in the gifts of the Spirit. They seek the operation of these gifts. They long for these gifts and seek for ministers who operate in these gifts. They do not think very highly of churches wherein there is not a constant flow of these gifts. What they have done is exalt the outward manifestation of the supernatural instead of the inward work of the supernatural: for do you not realize it is supernatural for a person to conform to the image of my Son Jesus and his Christ-anointing? Do you not understand that unless there is a work of supernatural power and anointing in you that you will never be able to conform to the image of my Son? Far too many of my children are too enamored with the manifestation of the gifts of the Spirit and too uninterested in spiritual growth. They would rather see a show than spend time with me to grow. This attitude opens the door for the operation of all kinds of deceiving spirits. Hear me: these deceiving spirits are constantly looking for people, especially my children, who they can influence and call their "home." (Matthew 12:43-45) When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest, and findeth none. Then he saith, I will return into my house from whence I came out; and when he is come, he findeth it empty, swept, and garnished. Then goeth he, and taketh with himself seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter in and dwell there: and the last state of that man is worse than the first. Even so shall it be also unto this wicked generation. All of my children have come in contact with these spirits - there are no exceptions. These familiar and deceiving spirits work at a level of subtlety that is rarely ever detected by those of my children who do not spend time with my Holy Spirit. The level of deception is almost impossible to detect unless your spirit has become very sensitive to the things of the spirit through the ministry and anointing of the Holy Spirit. These deceiving spirits work very hard to create confusion in my church. They try to keep my children away from church. If one of mine has made a heart-determination to attend church, then these spirits will work very hard to direct that child of mine to a church where he or she will grow very little and will be a very insignificant threat to the kingdom of darkness. Far too many of my children flock to services where they think they will get a word from Me through the minister. What they don't realize is that many of the words they have received have not come from me but from familiar spirits. Think it not a hard thing for familiar spirits to observe your life and then give details of your life to a minister who has not discerned the difference between my voice and the voice of a deceiving spirit? Many of my children have believed they have received a word of knowledge, word of wisdom or word of prophecy from me when in reality they have been given a word from a deceiving spirit. Whenever you act on a word from a deceiving spirit that masquerades as a word from my Spirit, you will be implementing the plans of the enemy into your life. This is how many of my children have seen their lives devastated when all along they thought they were acting on a word from me. Many would ask, "How then can we know the difference? How can we be sure that what we hear is real?" I have already given you the key to this in my Word: 1 John 2:18-27. The few ministers I have who emphasize developing a strong relationship and fellowship with my Holy Spirit through praying in tongues have been greatly criticized. But I would have you think: Am I the one who is the source of this criticism? Would I give instructions to one minister to pray in tongues and instructions to another minister to criticize such prayer? Am I a house divided? If I tell you in my Word to rely on the anointing of the Holy Spirit to protect you against deception, then where do you think these other ministers are getting their information to criticize praying in the Spirit? Are your eyes beginning to open? Are you beginning to see what is going on? The influence of familiar spirits and deceiving spirits is widespread in my Church. The severe lack of spiritual maturity and sensitivity has made this possible. The same thing is happening in the lives and homes of many thousands and thousands of my children; and the reason is the same. Have I not said in my Word to test the spirits concerning how people minister to you? (1 John 4:1) Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world. People think that if a minister gives them a "word from me," and contained in that word are details of their lives that no one else could know, that the minister was hearing from me. In many cases, this is true. But in many cases, a familiar spirit is in operation. Have I not warned you to know those who minister to you? (1 Thessalonians 5:12) And we beseech you, brethren, to know them which labour among you, and are over you in the Lord, and admonish you Too many of my children just want to be around someone through whom there is a flow of the supernatural. But you cannot forget that not everything supernatural is of me. Did not the rods of Pharaoh's magicians turn into serpents just as Moses' rod? I watch from my throne as my children rumble as a herd of unbridled cattle from camp meeting to camp meeting, revival to revival, and "miracle service" to "miracle service" in search of the supernatural and manifestation of spiritual gifts. I watch as pastor after pastor opens his pulpit to preachers about whom they really have no knowledge. I watch as these preachers minister by a mixture of my Holy Spirit and familiar spirits. I watch as my children sit in these services with their spiritual mouths open like little birds waiting to be fed worms by their mothers; but my children are not receiving worms, they are receiving wormwood. Guard yourself against these influences by fellowshipping with my Holy Spirit. Just as your skin is sensitive to a gentle breeze, my Holy Spirit can cause your spirit to be sensitive to even the gentlest of breezes originating from a deceiving spirit. If you do not fellowship with my Holy Spirit in this way, the anointing that abides within cannot be released to guard your heart. Do not take for granted this miracle gift I have given you by my Holy Spirit. Do you want the supernatural? Do you long for a manifestation of spiritual gifts? Then keep in mind that the ability to pray in tongues is supernatural and it is a manifestation of a spiritual gift. As often as you pray in the Spirit, you are experiencing the supernatural in a way that will take you deeper into me. Remember: Praying in the Spirit is the only spiritual gift that will produce spiritual growth and maturity in you; it is the only spiritual gift that will actually help you to experience more of me. Do not neglect this gift, for it will see you through into eternity. Yours in His grace, Jim |
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