Rodney Howard Browne teaches that if you
do any study on issues, try not to get side
tracked away from the simplicity of the gospel. Do not
run off on a tangent into something that does not produce
life.
You will always know if you are into false
doctrine when you begin to lose your joy and your peace.
The scripture says, “In thy presence is fullness of joy; at
thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore” (Psalm
16:11). Let peace be your umpire.
Allow the Holy Spirit to lead and guide you in
your study of the scripture. Remember that the Holy
Spirit is the teacher. He will take God’s Word and make it
alive for you. The letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.
Having a Hearing Ear
Jesus said, “My sheep hear my voice. The voice
of a stranger they will not follow.” (See John 10:5, 27.) It
is interesting to find out that many Christians who have a
“quiet time” really have a quiet time because they never
hear from heaven. They never listen to see if God would
actually speak to them.
“As many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are
the sons of God” (Romans 8:14). God will lead you by
His Spirit, but there needs to be a sensitivity to the
anointing and it only comes with spending time in His
presence. Only then do we recognize when God is
speaking to us and instantly obey. In other words, we
need to develop a hearing ear.
He That Has Ears to Hear
“He that has ears to hear what the Spirit is
saying,” is a phrase that is repeated throughout the New
Testament. It’s not talking about the natural ear, but the
spiritual ear.
We know the story of Samuel and how he heard
someone calling his name. He went to Eli and said, “You
called me.” Eli said, “I did not call you.” This happened
several times and then Eli realized that it was God who
was speaking even though he did not hear that voice (not
having ears to hear). He then said to Samuel, “Go lie
down and when you hear the voice, say, ‘Speak, Lord, for
your servant is listening.'” (See First Samuel 3:1-10.)
The Case of the Broken Telephone
We have heard the sayings, “There is none so deaf
as those who will not hear,” and “People hear what they
want to hear.” I am reminded of a story I heard of a
farmer who wanted God to speak to him, One morning,
as he was sitting on his front porch of his farmhouse, a
hand appeared and wrote in the sky the letters G P.
Instead of finding out any further information, the
farmer sold his farm and went on the mission field to
fulfill his heavenly direction. After failing hopelessly and
spending much time in prayer, he heard the Lord speak to
him. He said, “What is the problem, son?”
The farmer said, “Lord, I obeyed You. I did what
You told me. I read the letters in the sky and knew it
meant, Go Preach.” The Lord then said to him, “Son, the
letters did not mean, Go Preach; they meant, Go Plow.”
In this man’s zeal for God, he ran ahead and
misinterpreted the will of God for his life.
Perfect Timing
It is interesting to realize that most people don’t
miss God in the general direction of what God has called
them to do. Rather, they miss the timing, partly because
they don’t listen to what the Spirit of God is saying.
They have never developed their spiritual ear to
the point of hearing God’s voice more clearly. Instead,
they are led by circumstances and situations in their lives.
Blown by the winds of adversity, they wander around
aimlessly, never accomplishing the will of God.
Charismatic Gurus,
Have You Had Your Fortune Told Lately,
and Other Horror Stories
Another scenario is that some Christians gravitate
to so-called “prophets” ( charismatic gurus of the day ( to
get another “word from God.” But it’s always something
vague, something remote, and it never produces a
workable, tangible reality in their lives.
After several years, the individual has a large
collection of predictions, dating back over the years, and
not one has come to pass. But it’s another nail in the
religious coffin of death and bondage.
The truth of the matter is that prophecy is
confirmation, not information. The Bible says, “As many
as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.”
It does not say, “As many as are led by the prophets are
the sons of God.”
