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Why So Many Christians Are Not Led By The Spirit | Pastor Craig Field | Sun. Feb. 22, 2026
01:08:25
Why So Many Christians Are Not Led By The Spirit …
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Praise God. Well, today I want to share some thoughts with you. If you open your Bibles, please, I want to talk to you. Today I had another sermon ready. I was getting it ready, and then the Lord spoke to me and he said, I don't want you to talk about that on Sunday. He said, I want you to talk about the most important subject of all. Now you think, what could that be? Well, other than being saved, obviously, what is the most important subject of all? Dad Hagin said, the most important thing you can teach a believer is how to be led by the Spirit. And I know I did a 30 something odd series, but all of you forgot everything I said. Just kidding. This is not a long series. I've titled this why so many Christians are not led by the Spirit. Because some things rose up in my spirit and the Lord prompted me. Thank you for your precious anointing Holy Spirit this morning. Thank you, people. Receive it in Jesus name. The Lord prompted me and he said, what is the number one reason or subject matter when you counsel people? I had to think about that. I had to go back into thinking the last 10, 20, 30 people trying to remember what we talked about. And it dawned on me. That's why he was saying it to me. The number one reason why people come for counseling is because they don't know how to be led by the Spirit. The number one reason of why I counsel people, not the only reason. The number one reason. There are others, but the number one reason is because people don't know there's something going on in their life and they don't know what to do. So they're asking their pastor, which is fine to do, but they're asking their pastor, what do you think I should do? Does it bear witness with your spirit? Do you have a warning? Do you have a check? But let me just say something to you. There's nothing wrong with doing that on big things, but ultimately you've got the Holy Ghost. And if you know how to be led by the Spirit, you wouldn't necessarily have to ask me. Not that you shouldn't ask me, because on big things, I go to Pastor Nancy and I say, this is what I'm sensing, you know, But I'd kind of like you to weigh in. And that's only if I. I'm not sure if I'm 100% sure. I don't need to ask her because I know God myself, right? God's greater than her. Right? But if I'm not sure or if something so important so it could change the trajectory of something, or it could have a domino effect that could affect things in the future. And it's a big decision. You know, unless I'm 100% sure, which sometimes I am and sometimes I'm not, I will go to her and say, I'm not updating you. I'm coming to ask counsel. Pastor, what do you think about this? And because she's over me and because I've humbled myself to ask her, but I've also spent time waiting on God. See, the minister is not a quick fix for you not to pray. Because I've waited on God and I believe I probably know the answer, but I'm just needing a confirmation. She will then pray and then talk to me. And many times by the Spirit or by a word of wisdom or a word of knowledge, and it will confirm some things. But listen, if I just go to her about everything, how am I ever going to grow? So a lot of people ask me, what do you think? And I say to them, I don't know. Unless God gives me a word of wisdom for you, how am I supposed to know? I'm not God. But it's okay for you to ask me. But you can't just always ask because you'll never learn how to hear yourself. And many times God won't show me because he's trying to get you to learn. But on other big situations, it's good to double check, you know what I'm saying? But even then, you should still be praying. But I thought about it, Jenny. The vast majority of cases that I give counseling on in some form or another, it's because people don't know what to do. But if you know how to be led by the Holy Ghost, you will know what to do. I'm just trying to help you. And it's not that I'm trying to get out of counseling, because I actually enjoy it. I enjoy helping people if I'm able to. But the Lord just said. He said, don't preach that sermon. He said, I want you to talk to them this morning. So I'm under a mandate today. Talk to them again. Just a brief overview. You can't put 37 Wednesday nights into one Sunday morning service. I'm just giving you a brief overview, some highlighted points, okay? About what it means to be led by the Spirit and why so many Christians are not led by the Spirit. So let's start, please, in the book of First Kings, chapter three and verse nine. Can you turn there with me? First Kings, chapter three and verse nine, Hallelujah so happy to be home. Just love you all so much more than you know. First Kings, chapter three and verse nine. I'm going to read it from the Amplified. And Solomon is talking to God. He says, what do you want from me? And he says, so give your servant an understanding mind and a hearing heart to judge your people, that I may discern between good and bad. For who is able to judge and rule this? Your great people. Hallelujah. Now I'd like to read that also from the message translation. First Kings, chapter three and verse nine. And Solomon said, you are extravagantly generous in love with David, my father. No, that's verse six. Sorry, sorry. Let me. That's a great verse too, but let's just go down to the verse nine. Here's what I want. Solomon said, give me a God listening heart so I can lead your people well. Discerning difference between good and evil, we could say, don't just think good and evil like evil, evil and good. Good. What about what's good or evil for your life? What about what's the perfect versus permissive will for your life? That could also be considered good and evil. Do you understand? In other words, I know the difference between what I should do and what I shouldn't do. For who on their own is capable of leading your glorious people? A God listening heart. Did you see that? And I'm trying to find it again because I've lost it now. The Amplified Classic. Where did you go? Amplified Classic. Don't be doing this to me today. I told you to behave. There it is, verse 9. An understanding mind and a hearing heart. God listening and hearing. Now let me quote you for sake of time, Proverbs 4:7. Do you know what Proverbs 4, 7 says? Wisdom is the principal thing. What does that mean? The most important thing in your life is wisdom. Now, for years, I didn't understand what that meant. I thought that just meant you need to be smart. Pastor Nancy really explained it to us, and she really taught that wisdom, the word wisdom. If you look at it from a scriptural context, there's a wisdom on our side. Can you just think of wisdom as a coin? I'm helping you because for years I didn't understand this. Wisdom is a coin. There's two sides to the same word. One side is toward us and one side is toward God. So the part of wisdom that is toward me is. Wisdom means I have a listening ear, a listening heart. I hear. I hear. Wisdom means to hear. That's why he was the wisest man but he said, give me a hearing heart. Wisdom means to hear God. That's wisdom toward me. What is my responsibility with wisdom I need to hear now. What is God's responsibility regarding wisdom? Wisdom toward God is. Wisdom is God's thoughts, God, God's mind. Do you understand? The wisdom of God in the New Testament is referring to God's way of thinking or what God is thinking. Now listen, if God is thinking something, then that's his will. And if it's his will, it's his plan. So the wisdom of God is the plan of God, the thoughts of God for your life. If you know the plan of God and and the thoughts of God towards your life, your problems are over. It's not about your problem. It's about you don't have wisdom. And I don't mean smartness or just how you handle something, because there's a natural wisdom. But I'm not talking about natural wisdom. I'm talking about heavenly wisdom. Heavenly wisdom is my ability to hear the thoughts of God and the plan of God for my life. Wisdom toward me is my ability to hear. Wisdom toward God is his thoughts. The wisdom of God is his thoughts and his plan for humanity. So do you understand? Wisdom is toward me, but it's also toward God. I have to hear. But what am I hearing? I'm not hearing just what I think. I'm not hearing what my friend thinks. I'm not hearing what CNN thinks. I'm hearing the thoughts of God. So I don't have any problems. I have a wisdom problem. Well, I don't know if I should buy that house. It's a wisdom problem. Well, I don't know if I should marry that person. It's a wisdom problem. Should we have three kids or nine? Well, I could answer that right now for you, but I won't. It's a wisdom problem. Derek, Dr. Winston's assistant has nine kids. Kenny, Pastor Nancy's assistant has 10 kids. Just don't be some big minister's assistant. That's all I'm saying. Because it goes with the thing that you have a lot of kids. I don't understand that wisdom. Well, I don't know. I got a job. I don't like the job. I don't know if I should remember Chantel, I don't know if I should leave the job or not leave the job. It's a wisdom issue because in her case, God said stay. But in somebody else's case, God may say go. Why aren't people led? What they really need is wisdom. They don't realize they need wisdom. And let's get the right terminology. Biblically, yes, we're led. You could call it I need to be led by the Spirit, but really it's wisdom. And what does the Bible say? Wisdom is the principal thing. So what we could say is hearing the. The plan of God and the mind of God is the most important thing in your life. That's why Kenneth Hagin said the most important thing you can teach a believer is how to be led by the spirit. It basically means how to have the wisdom of heaven operating in their life. Are you with me? Now put that quote up on the screen. I'm only giving you one, but put that quote up. I love this quote. I think about this often. I don't have to figure it out. What a relief. I don't have to figure it out. I just have to hear what is in the mind of God, the wisdom of God. I don't have to form something in my mind. I just have to turn to my spirit that's in your belly instead of my mind and hear. Life should be simple. We make it complicated because we don't want to turn to our spirits or we don't know how to turn to our spirits. So wisdom is hearing the mind of God in your spirit. Another way of saying that is wisdom is hearing or knowing the mind or wisdom of God in your spirit. That's why Solomon said, make me wise, give me an understanding heart. In other words, I want to hear you. That's really what he's saying. More than money. Remember God said, you didn't ask for money, wealth. You didn't ask for the next of your enemies. And you didn't ask for health and long life. You asked to hear me. So because you asked, the best thing you could have asked is to hear me. Now I'm going to give you money. He was the richest man that ever lived. He lived long and he had peace, the necks of his enemies. There was no trouble in his kingdom. Hallelujah. And yet the man who God appeared to. And he heard and he was. People came from all nations. Princes, queens, kings came from other nations to sit and listen to his wisdom because he could hear God. And yet after all of that, after God appearing to him because he dated the wrong girl. Are you listening to me? Relationships ruin lives. He wasn't satisfied with the Jewish girls he wants now the girls from the other tribes who worship demons. Because he's got a sex problem. He was a sexaholic. If he was in a psychiatrist's office, they'd call him a sexaholic. You don't need no thousand concubines and wives. You just don't need them. I can't even deal with one, let alone a thousand. I'm just speaking straight to you. That boy had a problem. He wanted all these girls. He wanted to be sleeping with all these girls. And by picking a girl instead of wisdom. After God appeared to him and he had wisdom, but now he's getting in the flesh because he wants a girl. Watch what you want. Because they turned him to worship demons, he lost his mind. He walked away from God. And his end was terrible. The man who God appeared to, who said, you're the wisest, richest, you're everything. And yet, because he got away from hearing and he got into looking and lusting and he got away from hearing. It ruined his life. Doesn't matter how much money you got. He had more money than any of you will ever have, times of trillion. Don't matter how much money you got, don't matter how much favor you've got, don't matter what kind of a job or position or title or power you got. If you don't know how to hear, you're in trouble. And most people come to me because they don't know how to hear. And hearing is easy. So I'm going to help you with some very basic principles because, I mean, this is. I've got 37 weeks worth of notes in my phone. I can't even get through one week because we started late because I had to show you videos. But I'll just give you a couple little. I'll give you just a couple little things. It's not about your problems. It's about having wisdom. Now have a look at Ephesians chapter one, please, very quickly. Verse 17, Ephesians chapter one. Because there's so much. But I'm just having to give brief highlights and I would encourage you, if you really want to learn this, you need to go back and listen to the series. That's why I taught the series. Not so that you could just ignore it. You really like, seriously, instead of all the social media and all your movies and all your everything, why don't you just put it on while you drive and just listen? Because there's a lot of information and revelation that is in that series now that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, verse 17, Ephesians one may give unto you the spirit of wisdom, revelation in the knowledge of him, the spirit of wisdom. Now, wisdom is the thoughts of God or the mind of God. So what is he saying? That the Lord will give us in our spirits to know the mind of God. That's really what he's saying. The spirit of wisdom is the Holy Ghost is going to put in our spirit because he's the spirit of God, putting in our spirit man, the wisdom of God. The wisdom of God is the thoughts in the mind of God. Why? So that we would have a revelation. Because notice it says spirit of wisdom and revelation. When you know what God is thinking, you have a revelation. How does faith come? Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the revealed rhema, revelation of the word of God. Not just what you read in the scriptures, but what he's saying in your own spirit. That is a word from God when he talks to you. Now, when you get that word that there's a revelation, wisdom, you know, the mind of God. Now you have the spirit in your spirit of wisdom, knowing the thoughts and revelation. Because when you know the thoughts, you get revelation about what to do. And then when that revelation comes, faith comes. Because faith comes by hearing and hearing by the revelation of the word of God. So now you've heard. I mean, think about the package. God has made it so simple. You've heard, now you've got the wisdom. That hearing produces a whoa, revelation. I know what to do. And that revelation produces faith. Now I can believe to do what I need to do. But it all comes back to the wisdom, to hearing, to hearing the mind. Now you need to claim this verse because this verse promises you that you're going to have. He's going to give you that spirit of wisdom. You need to speak that every day. Thank you, Lord, that you give me the spirit of wisdom and revelation and the knowledge of you in the knowledge of your word which is written, but also the word of God to me as an individual. Hallelujah. It's so important, it's so hugely important that you grasp this. Because if you don't understand the wisdom of God, which is simply the mind of God, don't let the word wisdom throw you. It's you hearing. If I have wisdom, I'm hearing what am I hearing? His thoughts. That produces a revelation in my life. That revelation produces faith. So that now I can walk out what he's told me to do. And then, yes, I can ask advice, I can ask pastor, I can ask other people. But I really, you know, the Bible says, and I won't read it for sake of time, but it's first John 2:20, it says you have an unction of the Holy One and you know all things. Now, that doesn't mean you know everything. You don't come to church. That's not what it's talking about. It means you still come to church to learn. But it means when you're looking at two houses, why come and talk to me? Why would I know? Now, God may show me to help you, but if you keep doing that, you'll never learn. Which is why I've noticed a trend. New people in our church. God shows me a lot about their lives. People that have been sitting here for three, four, five years. He shows me almost nothing about their lives. Why? Because he wants them to figure it out. Because they've been sitting under the word, don't. Just leave now and go to another church. Because I can tell the screws are turning in people's minds. Okay, three, four, five years, then I'm gone. Because the next pastor, I'll be new. And then the Lord will just show them everything about me. And I don't have to pray. No. Because the Holy Ghost, you can't fake him. He knows that you know and that you just jump ship. And he will make sure the pastor tells you nothing. Just saying don't get it. Don't try to run away. This is something that's wonderful for us to learn and grow in. Hallelujah. So it's so important I have a look at 1st Corinthians 2, verse 7. Can you look there? Are you okay with me today? I know this is just very kind of simple, but I don't know. He just said, talk about this, son. So I said, yes, sir, you're the boss. I'll talk about whatever you say. First Corinthians, chapter two and verse seven. And it says, but we speak the wisdom of God. What is the wisdom of God now? In this case? The wisdom of God in a mystery. Even the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the world unto our glory. Now, what is this hidden wisdom? What is this mystery? The context of this chapter is that Jesus was going to come. Born of a virgin, live his life perfect, then be crucified, take all of the sin and darkness of the world, become sin and go to hell. Pay our price. Rise. Get born again in front of Satan. Rise. Rise in the spirit realm, up out of that Hades into paradise. Have a party for two and a half days, then come in bodily form, raised up from the dead on the third day and go and breathe the same day on the disciples. Benny didn't start that. Lift your hands People, Benny Hinn didn't start that. Jesus went. He breathed from his spirit. And the Bible says, as he breathed upon the disciples in their secret hiding place in the upper room there, where they were hiding because everybody was looking for them. They got born again. My God, I remember where I was. Six years old, six and a half. Brown shoes, brown sandals, brown shorts, brown belt, brown shirt, brown hair, brown eyes. What the heck is up with my mother and brown? A fiery sermon by Pastor Dillman. Living Waters Church by the Sea Durban, North, South Africa May 23, 1982. Brother Randy got saved two weeks before me. We're the same age spiritually, but he's much older. I'm much better looking, but he's the same age spiritually. And I went up and the altar was so high, it was way bigger than me. And I sat up there just. And a man named Tony came and he took me to the back and he prayed a prayer. He told my mother, he said, I've never seen a child more sincere for God. I was praying with all my heart, Jesus, come into my life and save me. I will live for you. That changed everything. I got born again. Do you remember when you got born again? This is the mystery, the hidden wisdom that Jesus was going to get born again. The first born again man. We're the church of the firstborn again man. And he rose up this mystery. Satan couldn't figure it out. Put that verse back up. Satan couldn't figure it out. And then put the next verse. But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery. What is the wisdom of God? The plan of God, the thoughts of God. But this is the big thought of God to save humanity. But he has an individual thought for Jessica. But he has big thoughts to save all of humanity. This wisdom is the biggest wisdom of all. It was a mystery. It was hidden. Nobody understood it, not even Satan. God ordained before unto our glory. Go to the next verse, which none of the princes of this world knew. For had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of Glory if they knew the wisdom. They don't know the mind of God. Do you understand? Wisdom is the thoughts, plan, mind of God. This context is about the bigger picture of salvation for humanity. But it applies on the microcosm to your life. There is the wisdom of God for you. We already have proven scripturally that wisdom. Give me a wise heart, a hearing heart. So our wisdom is to hear what is God's wisdom? His plan. What are we hearing? His plan. You don't got problems You've got a wisdom issue. If you've got wisdom, you'll know what to do. Do I do the surgery or not? Wisdom issue. Which church do I go to? Wisdom issue. Now go down. Sorry. 9. Don't laugh at me, worship leader. You did a good job this morning. But as it is written, eye is not seen nor ear heard. Neither has entered in the heart of man the things which God has prepared for them that love him. What good plans he has. But God has revealed them unto us by his Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things. Yes, the deep things of God. What man knows the things of man saith the spirit of man which is in him. Even so, the things of God knows no man but the spirit of God. Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God that we might know. You know, I used to stutter. Not anymore. That we may know the things that are freely given to us by God. Notice it says here, for he has revealed them, verse 10. By His Spirit. And then at the end of verse 12, that we may know the things that are freely given to us of God. He wants to reveal them by the. He wants his wisdom to be revealed by the Spirit to us. That's why it says that we thank my. I thank my God that he's given you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him by the Holy Ghost. In our spirit. God wants us to. He wants to reveal things. He doesn't want you in the dark. Religious people quote verse nine, but they never quote verse ten. Oh, eye is not seen, the ear has not heard. Oh, it's such a mystery. Shut up. Read verse 10, you weirdo. God has revealed them. Religion wants everything to be mysterious. Religion wants you never to know anything. Religion wants you to be as blind as a bat living your life. But God, the spirit life says, I want you to know. I want you to know. It's not big mystery. I want you to know. I'm serious. You got a guard against that religious mentality? Well, I don't know. And that's holy. No, it's not. It's holy to know. And verse 13, it says, which things freely given to us of God, which things we speak, but not with the words which man's wisdom teaches, but which the Holy Ghost teaches. Okay, well, how do you speak with words that you don't understand, but that the Holy Ghost teaches you. Lord, I don't know what to do. But I'm going to speak what I'm supposed to do. But if I Don't know what to do. How can I speak it? Well, because it's not what your brain taught you. It's not what your circumstance taught you. It's what the Holy Ghost taught you. So how do I speak what the Holy Ghost teaches me? And I can then interpret in English, which is also words that the Holy Ghost teaches. Okay, so quickly. First Corinthians, chapter 14. I'm speeding you through. First Corinthians, chapter 14, verse 2. For he that speaketh in an unknown tongue speaketh not to men. I'm not talking to you, but to God. For no man understands him. How be it in the Spirit. In the spirit. In the spirit. In the spirit. He speaks mysteries regarding that thing. Father, I don't know what house to buy. Well, you can come ask me, but probably God's not going to show me because he wants to teach you how to hear. You need wisdom. You need to hear the thoughts of God. How do you hear it? You got to speak them. How do you speak them? If I don't know it, how do I speak it? Because it's what the Holy Ghost teaches you. Mashto, Father, concerning the mystery of what house to buy, I pray it out now in tongues. Do you understand what I'm doing? This is what people don't do. It's easier for them to come for a counseling appointment to get an answer from the pastor. But you can't be lazy as a Christian if you want to be led by the Spirit. It's easy, but it's going to take a little bit of effort. Not laborious, awful effort, just some prayer life. So what do I do? I say, father, concerning X, I pray the mystery of that thing out in tongues by the words of the Holy Ghost. Now, if you choose to let me interpret my tongues in English, I'm very happy to do that. And I ask you for that because Paul told me to ask. But if you don't. Kenneth Hagin said the vast majority of the time the Lord did not let him interpret his tongues. But he did at times. But he said most times he didn't. But you don't need to worry about. It's easier if you interpret, because now you know in English what the answer is. For example, and this is a fake. This is not real. I'm just giving you an example. Lord, I don't know which house. Is it tree long, or is it Armstrong? And then all of a sudden, by the Holy Ghost, because it's a gift of the Spirit, I can't force it. The Holy Ghost has to choose. I feel an utterance, I feel an unction. And it bubbles up on the inside of me and I start saying, mata ushta tree trama kushto to treelong, tree long, tree long. I got my answer. But it doesn't always happen that way. The most times it happens, remember, you have an unction from the Holy One. You know all things. That doesn't mean you don't come to church. It means the things that you, in your individual life, you don't need me to teach you because the unction will teach you what to do in these scenarios. That's what it means. You don't need anyone to teach you for you know all things. You know the things that pertain to your individual life. You don't know all the things that pertain to the scripture. That's why you come to church, to be fed. But about your individual life, your unction knows everything. The Holy Ghost inside you knows everything. So how do you get that unction to move? How do you get that unction to reveal itself? You pray in other tongues and they don't worry if there's no interpretation. Just pray. So here we go, we're praying, okay, 10 minutes, 15 minutes. Maybe your threshold is 18 minutes. And then you just can't pray anymore. Don't worry about it. Don't beat yourself up. You've prayed enough. Go about and do your day. Well, I didn't hear God. I didn't hear God. God didn't speak to me. Relax. Just go and do your day. You did your part, Father. I'm praying out the mystery. I thank you. You're going to reveal by your spirit, I have a right to freely know all things. And I'm praying it out not with words that I understand, but words the Holy Ghost teaching me. You see how I'm interpreting scripture with scripture, and I'm living the scripture now. The next day, Mashta huta, maybe I pray five minutes. Then the next day, maybe I pray 30 minutes. Then the next day, maybe I have more time and I'm more hungry. I need to know an answer, Lord, the deadline is coming. So I pray a little bit more and I pray maybe an hour. It could come. The answer could come in your spirit the first day, it could come in your spirit. The seventh day. It could come while you're praying. It could also not come while you're praying. Just you open up your eyes in the morning. One day. You don't know why, but you know that happens to me more often than I'm Even showing me while I'm praying. I just pray because I'm doing my part. He is going to do his part. He's going to reveal it to me by his spirit. Now, it could be by English interpretation, but most of the time Kenneth Hagin said it's not like that. And it's not even by interpretation of tongues. It's by an inward knowing. So a little while later could be the day I'm praying. It could be a week later, but I just keep praying until it comes. Are you listening? I'm giving you answers. This will save your life. You don't know what to do about something. It's okay to come ask me, but you can't be lazy. You've got to seek God yourself. And you got to pray, pray, pray until deep in here there's a. I don't know why, but I know that I know that I know that I know that. I know that I know and I don't know why. And it feels kind of weird. And my mind's fighting me, but I just know. And my mind wants to do this, but I know not to, or I want to do this, and I know that's right. Go ahead and do it. But I have to know. That's the bearing of. Now have a look. Quickly. Romans 4. You're taking too long now. You're holding me back. Romans chapter. What did I say? Not four. Romans 8. Come on, don't distract me. Romans chapter 8. Romans. Do you know the verse? It's a famous verse. Let's read it anyway. Verse 14. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. Verse 16. How are you led? The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that. That we are the children of God. He bears witness with our spirit that we are the. We've been given the greatest advantage in the world. Jesus said in John 16:7. If I don't go, you're not going to have an advantage. It's expedient. It's advantageous if I leave because I give you the Holy Ghost and the Holy Ghost knows everything. He knows even the deep things of the Father. He knows he's plumbed the depths of. Of the eternities of God. He knows everything about everything. And when you know nothing about nothing, pray and talk to the one who knows everything about everything. And you won't got no more problems. That's why God told Kenneth Hagin. I don't mind my people being rich. I mind them being covetous and greedy. But if you Learn to follow my spirit. If you learn to follow my spirit, if you learn to know the wisdom, I'll make you rich. People want money. You should want wisdom. The biggest advantage I have, bearing of witness. What is the bearing of witness? Now listen closely. I'm going through a lot very quickly. There is three distinct types. Number one is the bearing of witness. That is a knowing on the inside. That is the number one way God leads you. And it is the only way. Are you listening? The only way that cannot be mimicked by the devil. Which is why it's the safest, but it's the least dramatic. But you should be looking for the safest, not the most dramatic. A vision is great, but it can be mimicked. You better know God if you're going to have a vision. Because a lot of people ruin their lives. And they're not visions from God. That inner witness, that knowing in your spirit. You don't know why, you just know that you know. And you didn't know yesterday, but you know today. Why? Because you had prayed it out in tongues. The second is called the inner voice. It is better called, as dad Hagin said, the still, small voice of your spirit. The Holy Spirit lives in Winston's spirit. The Winston's spirit. Okay, I need to read you this verse, otherwise it won't make sense. Psalm 18:28. Okay. Psalm chapter. Is that Psalm? Psalms 18:28. Let me just read this. Otherwise, what I'm about to say is not going to make as much sense. Psalm 18:28. For thou wilt light my candle. The Lord my God will enlighten my darkness. You see that? You will light my candle. God lights the candle. Now, Proverbs 20:27, Proverbs 20:20 and verse 27. The Spirit of a man is the candle of the Lord, searching all the inward parts of the belly. Where's your spirit? It's in your belly. That's why when Pastor Nancy says, I look to my spirit, she looks down here. Your spirit is in your belly. Your spirit is the candle. Who lit the candle when you got born again? See, if you're not saved, your candle not lit. But when you got born again, the light of God, the light of the Holy Ghost lit your candle. Now your candle, your spirit is alive unto God. That's why it's lit. But your spirit, man in your belly is searching. Where does the Holy Ghost live? In your belly. Where is your spirit? In your belly. The Holy Ghost is living in your spirit, which is in your belly. And your spirit is lit on light on fire. By God. And it is searching. Listen, your spirit knows things your mind doesn't yours. Why? Because your spirit is in contact with the Holy Spirit and your mind is on a contact with the Holy Spirit. That's why we have to renew our mind with the word. But my spirit, Jenny, is searching the Holy Ghost right now. And it's picking things up from the Holy Ghost that my mind doesn't understand. So now there's the inner witness where I had no things. Then there's the inner voice, the still, small voice. That's my spirit, not the Holy Ghost. My spirit, who's learn things from being around the Holy Ghost now can talk to me. And it's very still, very gentle, very slight. That's your spirit, that's not the Holy Spirit. Then there is the authoritative voice of God where you hear the Holy Spirit speak. And it is not like that little tiny voice. It is strong and it is loud. And you shouldn't be searching for that. Because if you start praying, holy Spirit, please speak to me. Demons will start speak to you. Because you don't have a scripture that lines up with that. There's a scripture that says God speaks to us, but not for us to claim that or to start praying after that. You can only claim the inner witness, that is the knowing. So just be satisfied with that. But as you develop your spirituality and knowing what is God and what is not God, you will start to hear that little still small voice which is your spirit talking to you. And you can trust that voice. But you can also have pizza the night before and think you're hearing a little voice and it's a devil or it's your flesh. That's what I'm saying. Even the inner voice can be mimicked, but the inner witness can't. Why? Because the inner witness comes out of your spirit. And your spirit is sealed by the blood of Jesus. And no dark influence can ever enter your spirit because nothing can overcome the blood. So when that knowing comes, it's always right and always pure. But if you're hearing even the still small voice, but you don't have a renewed mind or you're just a little bit unbalanced, you can hear a voice, think it's your spirit and it's actually a demon. Do you understand then that authoritative voice even more, it can be mimicked. Which is why how do you know what to do? How do you know how to get the wisdom? Pray in the Holy Ghost, pray in words the spirit of God teaches you. And just don't be stressed and just Wait. Because the number one way, and it really should be the only way that you're satisfied with, you shouldn't ever look for anything else. If something else comes, it's a bonus. But the number one way is a knowing is going to come. It has to come. It has no choice, because I did my part and I prayed it out. Now God's going to, by the Spirit, reveal it to me with a knowing. And I don't know why Rosita. I just know that. I know. I've said to her and Errol many times, I was praying, it don't make no sense. I don't even want to do this in the natural. But I just know that. I know that. I know. I just know that I know. In fact, to think of not doing it makes me feel sick to my stomach because it's a grieving to the Holy Ghost. If I were to not do what I know to do. But I know, see, I don't have to ask anybody now. I have an unction, and I know all things. Are you with me? But I also had to spend some hours praying it out in the spirit. Specifically, you need to target your tongues, not just in general. Mata hastakuda. You can do that in general, yes. But when there's a need you have, you need to specify that in tongues. Are you listening? Father, concerning this situation with my husband, I pray out the mystery. I don't know what to do, but I pray because people say, should I divorce? Should I what? I don't know what to do. There's all these problems. Well, if you have wisdom, you don't need to ask me, why don't you pray that mystery out? Father, concerning the mystery, I pray and pray and wait and pray and wait until you wake up one morning and you know, your mind may say divorce, but the knowing in this case may be stay. Or your mind may be staying, but the knowing in this case says leave. You've got to know your problem. You don't have problems. You just have a lack of wisdom. That's your only problem. Well, I'm not a good person. Anyone that comes to God asking wisdom, he will give it liberally without finding fault. Hallelujah. So don't expose, don't say, well, I'm not a very good Christian, so I can't get wisdom. Every believer, even the newest ones, as soon as they're born again as a child of God, they have the bearing of witness. The most fundamental right for a Christian is being led by the Spirit. And yet it's the one that people struggle with the most and people preach about the least. Are you with me? Oh, Jesus, help us. Help us, Help us. Now, I'm going to give you just a list as I close, because I know that you're all praying for the clothes. I'm just. I'm just kidding. I love this subject so much. And I could teach this all afternoon. And we might just do that. We might just get pizza and whoever wants to leave can leave. I don't know. But I'm gonna give you some different ways God reveals things to you, okay? I'm gonna give you 10 ways. Number one is the inner witness is the most important and the only way that can't be mimicked, okay? And it's that joy and peace. Romans 15:13. When there's a joy and peace, that inner witness, it's really a knowing. But it also contains the components of joy and peace. Number two is the scripture when it jumps off the page. But you can't completely trust that because what if you're a bit weird and you read. No, I've seen it happen too many times. And you read a scripture and your interpretation is way out to lunch. Oh, that was the Lord leading me. No, no, it's not the Lord leading you. So you've got to know the word. You've got to have an honest heart. Because not everybody's interpretation of a scripture is the leading. But it is a way that God leads us. And it's a big way that God leads us is through the scripture. But the inner witness still trumps that. Are you with me? The next one is what I've already said. Number three is this is the still, small voice which is your spirit speaking to you. And it comes up from within you, and you can trust it. But I've also noticed that I've seen many times people say they're hearing that little voice, and it's not even according to the Bible. So if it's not according to the Bible, it's not God. Do you understand? So you can trust it if you know God. But the inner witness is still number one. So that inner voice, okay? And then of course, there's the next one, which I've already said is that distinct strong voice that is the Holy Ghost. That's not your spirit, that's the Holy Ghost. But again, the devil can give you a strong voice. And you think it's from the inside, but it's coming from the outside. So you've got to know God well enough to trust these other areas. Are you with me now. What about the gift of prophecy? As you're speaking out in tongues or as you're worshiping, you begin to either interpret your tongues or prophesy. Well, that's one way God can speak to you. But you better know what you're doing. And it better be a gift of the spirit, not you manipulating it because you're trying to speed up an answer. And I've seen people do this. They don't want to wait. They're a drive through McDonald's Christian, they want to make answer. And so they start to prophesy and say all these things in their own prayer language and it's not God at all. And then there's entire denominations that teach you can prophesy at will, which is complete fallacy. It's a lie. It's by the Holy Ghost and it says he wills not with you and your four little friends in your smoke filled room prophesying to each other. And there's a lot of nonsense that goes on in the body of Christ. You better listen to me. I know what I'm talking about. Don't listen to that nonsense. Prophecy is real, but it's got to be by the Holy Ghost. And if you don't even know the Holy Ghost and you don't even understand what prophecy or tongues of interpretation really is, it's not going to happen for you. You just stay with the inner witness. That's the safest way and the least danger. Then another way. What are we on now? Six. Greg, you didn't know that we're on six. Greg, we're on six is a closed vision or a spiritual picture. This is when you see something in your mind's eye but you know it's from God. God can do that with you, but it can still be mimicked. Are you with me? Then we've got. That's a closed vision or a spiritual picture. Then of course there's an open vision where you actually see it like with your eyes open. And that's wonderful. But I've seen people. I've had them in my room. Demons appear to them looking like angels. They think God is leading them and they're listening to a demon. So just because you have an open vision does not mean your life is set. Everything has to go through the scriptures and filtered through the inner witness. Which means if you don't have a prayer life and you're just going with all this stuff, that's dangerous. Are you with me? Next one is an angelic visitation. Well, well, an angelic visitation really is part B of the previous point, because if an angel appears to you, it is an open vision. Okay, but I'm saying you could have an open vision and see Jesus, see angels or whatever. You got to be very careful with that. Very, very careful. What about. What are we on now? Seven, eight. A dream. You can have a dream. This is one of the most common places people mess up. Well, I had a dream. Well, so did Martin Luther King. He had a dream. No, no, no, Pastor, not that dream. I had a dream last night. Out of curiosity, was it Pizza Hut or Domino's that you had before you went to sleep? I'm not saying, like, Sonia is one of those very few people I know that God gives her spiritual dreams and they're accurate. But you got to learn. You got to learn. And it's got to filter through the inner witness anyway. And it's got to filter through the Scriptures anyway. A dream can happen, but it's not something you seek after. And don't pray for it, because you will get dreams and they won't be from God. Jesus said, I'm trying to poo poo every other arena except the inner witness, because it's the only one that will be safe for your life. What about a public word of prophecy? Yay. And again, I say yay. Now that can happen. Praise God. We've had it happen in our lives and it'd be accurate. But it's still gotta go through the inner witness. And a public prophecy can only confirm what's already in my spirit. It cannot lead me. So don't go to a church to get a prophecy because it's unscriptural. That can only confirm. And it's got to go through the inner witness to confirm. What about an audible voice? You actually hear a voice, like, from outside you. You better be very careful with that because that can be mimicked. But it's another way that God can lead you. What about an animal? Lord have mercy. What about nature? The clouds appeared until Osborne's crusade and formed the face of Jesus and thousands of people got saved. But you can't look up in the cloud tomorrow and say, does that look like the house I want to buy? Or does that look like the house I want to buy? What do you think, honey? That's just weird. That rooster walked up to that man and said, they're coming up the driveway. And he got out without dying. And Balaam said, what you doing, beating me? God can use animals, but he's probably not going to use your cat this afternoon to Tell you about who to marry. Just serious. There's a new thing going now with psychics where you pay them extra money and they draw the person you're supposed to marry. Now the person's out there looking for the model. And it ain't God's plan. Because you need wisdom. You don't need psychic wisdom. You need Holy Ghost wisdom. Now I got to say this before we close, because one of the biggest problems. Are you listening? That robs Christians from being led is something called open doors. And the other one is called fleeces. And really an open door is a fleece. Now, Gideon put out a fleece because he didn't have the Holy Ghost. And if you put the do here and that there, then I'll do it. Well, dad Hagin did it once in his whole life. Got fleeced by putting out the fleece. He said, if they vote me in 100%, 1939, I'll do the pastorate. He did the pastorate. They voted 100%. Never happens. The devil orchestrated 100%. He got in there out of the will of God, signed a 15 year contract for 15 month contract for 15 months. He would pray in the study, the fire of God would fall. He'd get in the pulpit, there'd be absolutely no anointing. He did not preach one sermon in 15 months under the anointing. It was so depressing. His wife finally said, you're pretty good at giving talks, Kenneth Hagin, because he got out of the plan of God, because he put out a fleece. And he said, lord, listen to me now. I'm helping you if you open this door. An open door is not the inner witness, because the devil can open doors as fast as God can. God opened that door. God gave him favor. And it was out of the plan of God completely. Don't put out fleeces. Look to your spirit. And this happens. Even it just happened recently. Somebody said to me, well, I'm going to this place and if they offer me something, then I'll know it's God. And I'm like, oh my God, you've just put out a fleece. Lord, if they offer it to me, I'll know it's you. No, because the devil can orchestrate the offer. And he wants you to get separated from your church because that offer would separate them from me. You don't think he's going to make sure you get the nice big fat paycheck offer because he wants to separate you from the place where you're planted to grow. But they're looking at a fleece and an open door. And if they do this, I'll do this as opposed to. And look to your spirit. I don't care if the door opens. I don't care if it's closed. I don't care if the money's there or not there. Look to your spirit and pray until you know. Then if the door is closed, it will open. And if the door is open but you know, don't go through. Don't go through. It doesn't matter how many doors open. It matters that you have the wisdom of God. People need to hear this, because this is the number one thing that trips people up, is open doors. Well, Lord, please open a door for me. You shouldn't be asking God to open a door for you. What are you saying? I have a plan for my life. Please, would you figure it out? Open it up for me. That's not what I pray. I say, father, what is your plan for my life? That's the wisdom of God. And I have wisdom to hear the thoughts of God. I don't want you to open a door for my plan. I want you to show me your plan. And whatever your plan is, the door will open. And if the devil's blocking it, the power of God will blast it open. But I'm not looking for an open door. I'm looking for the plan. You know how many people should wreck their future, change the trajectory of their whole life, affect their children, affect their safety, affect their finances because of open doors and fleeces? It is not new covenant. Harsh. Honey, I'm just telling you. It frustrates me to no end because people sit here and listen. I haven't said this for a while. Maybe I should say it more often, but it's not about God. Open the door. You have just put a welcome mat for demons. Because demons are masters at opening doors and closing them and whispering to you and making you think it's God and it's not God because it's all in this realm which is God. Satan is the God of this realm, this mental realm, this emotional realm, this all he influences. He can. He can. He can booby trap you, but there's a place he can never touch. And that is your spirit sealed by the blood. And if you'll pray in the Holy Ghost, he will reveal to us by his spirit. For we have a right to know all things. And as we reveal it, as he reveals it with a knowing. I don't care if I have a vision. If I have a vision, it has to match my knowing. I don't care if an angel appears to me. It has to match my knowing. I'm going to say something that might offend you, but it's the truth. And if Jesus himself were to appear to me, it has to match my inner witness. And it always would. Because Jesus would never violate his own word. And he knows no matter what happens out here, it's got to match here. The problem with so many Christians is that they're so. And they don't take the time to know here. So they buy the wrong house and they marry the wrong person and they move to the wrong city and they get the wrong job and they do this wrong and they do that wrong. And then 10 years later, their life is in a mess. Then they come for counseling. Pastor, could you please fix everything? Just wave your magic wand, say abracadabra in Jesus name. It doesn't work that way. You want a good life, you gotta learn to be led by the Spirit. Today, if you've made mistakes, God will help you and he'll give you mercy. And if you've married somebody and it's a mistake, you can't get out of that. Unless they're abusing you or unfaithful to you, you're stuck. You better make the best of it or learn how to make arsenic pie, one of the two. You better learn to make the best of it and pray for that mate that God gets a hold of them. Because you came into covenant. And I'm sick and tired of Christians treating divorce like it's a little puppy dog. They throw that word out all the. Well, I'll just divorce. Well, no. You're in a holy covenant before God. And unless you have a justified reason to divorce, you stay there and you pray until it gets better. But he quits all the time so easily. You don't quit because you're having trouble in your marriage. Everybody has trouble in their marriage. You learn to do the word so that the trouble turns sweet. Are you listening to me? Because people throw that divorce word around way too easily. And the Bible says God hates divorce, although he grants it, because the hardness of people's hearts. But if your heart is soft and their heart is hard, just keep working and praying until you get the bearing of witness where you know that you know. Not because you don't like them, not because you're tired, but because you know it's time to leave this abusive relationship. Do you understand, people? I've got to talk straight to you because everybody wants to just get Married, have their little fun and then divorce and it displeases the Holy Ghost and it's going to shipwreck your future. Everybody wants to take the job that has the big paycheck. Pastor Nancy says all the time. Dr. Dufresne said all the time. You don't leave your church for a bigger paycheck because you play. You stay where God plants you and then use your faith for the bigger paycheck to come to you, not you to run after the bigger paycheck. But if you learn to be led, you'd know that was not right. But people do it all the time because they want money more than they want a local church. The local church will bring the money because the local church brings revelation that will bring the wealth and the protection. Little Amana may not be with us today if they hadn't come to that Holy Ghost service. Are you listening to me? How serious this is? I'm not trying to make you afraid. I'm telling you the truth. There is answers in the house of God. Not just through me, but directly God. Directly to you. You can sit here today and I'm talking about this and God could be talking to you about something completely different. But because you're here, because you honored, because you humbled, because you came to to that anointing that has a voice in your life that God can get things over to you, drop things into you that I'm not even preaching about just because you're in the room. It's worth the drive. I don't care about the snow. It's worth the drive to come and get answers. So what are you going to do? You're not going to focus on fleeces and open doors? You're not going to focus on visions and prophetic words. You're going to focus on. It's not exciting, but it works. You're going to pray. I prefer vision. No, no vision. Pray. But I want a prophetic word. I want a perfect word. No prophetic words. Pray. God may give you all of those extras as a bonus, as a confirmation, but you pray and you keep praying every day until you know when you know. It's the one most wonderful thing, Willy. When I don't know what to do and I pray and all of a sudden I know. I don't know why I know. I just know that I know that I know that I know. And it's so easy. I don't have to ask anybody. The unction knows all things and I make the decision and it works. And faith Came to make the decision because I got a revelation by the wisdom. And that revelation produced faith. Now I can actually believe as I step out and make that action. Hallelujah. Praise the Lord. God is so in love with us. Can I just remind you I'll end now. This really is my last verse. It is an ending verse. I know none of you believe me, but it really is an ending verse. Because I know time is far spent, but you got to hear it. I just can't remember which chapter it's in again. Yeah, I think. Always think it's three, but it's two. Ephesians, chapter two. Ephesians, chapter 2. Quick, quick, quick, quick, quick. Ephesians, chapter 2. Ready, read. I'm not even there, so I can't read. Ephesians, chapter 2 and verse 10. This is Ephesians 2, verse 10, amplified classic. Oh, my God. For we are God's own handiwork. I'm his workmanship. I'm his special treasure, recreated in Christ Jesus, born anew that we may do those good works which God predestined, planned beforehand for us. Now watch this. Taking paths which he prepared ahead of time. Why am I trying to figure out what I need to do when he already did the path before I was born? I just need to know what he said. That's why I don't believe in guidance counselors. I don't need you to tell me what university to go to. I need to hear what the plan of God is for my future. Because it may be university and it may not. Just because everybody says you should do something. The richest people in the world never went to university. I'm just saying you got to know the plan of God, not just what the trend of society says. Listen to this. Taking paths which he prepared, Greg ahead of time. That we should walk in them, living the good life, which he prearranged and made ready for me to live. Why would I try to make my own path? I'm a human. I'm stupid. I'm going to screw it up. Well, I want you to be a doctor because a doctor is what everybody. No, mom and dad, that's not the plan for me. I'm going to be a surgeon, not a doctor. Whatever it is, I'm going to drive. I'm going to be an engineer. I'm going to be a preacher. I'm going to work as a teacher. I'm going to work in the government and try to turn it from the inside out. Good luck. What is? We need people in politics. We need People in. What's our version of the White House again? Parliament. Is that all we call is Parliament? Well, we need people in Parliament. We need people in the place downtown Toronto where they all gather in that big circle. What's that called? Parliament. We need people in Parliament. Queen's Park, Kings Park, Prince's Park, Duke's Park. We need people in all the parks. We need people influencing for our rights, not just what the devils are influencing. We need people in the schools because they're going to hell in a handbasket. We need people in the hospitals. But what is God's plan? Not your parents plan in their carnality. Who wants you to be a doctor? What is God's plan? What is God? Not what? I want to be a game ranger. I really want to be a game ranger. And God said, I didn't ask you to deal with those animals. I've got another set for you to deal with. They're called humans. I cried, no, Lord. Animals don't talk back. They may try to kill me, but they don't talk back. He said, don't worry, they'll try to kill you too, and talk back. What was the plan for me? Ministry. And then, well, David in the jungle. Snakes. Miracles. That's what I want, Noble heart. Totally out of the plan of God. I'm going to Peru. Como estas? I go and do language training in Guatemala for three months. I rent a scooter. I'm adventurous. I'm driving around. Just after I left, the volcano erupted that I was right beside. Thank God it didn't erupt when I was there. I'm driving around, lord, I love you. That's not enough to say, lord, I love you. Bluebirds say, lord, I love you too. She is bored out of her skull, pregnant with Quinn. Don't want to go on no scooter. So she walks around that nasty little square in Antigua, Guatemala. I'm sorry. By our standards, it's nasty. By their standards, it's beautiful. And she just prays in tongues hours a day. Nothing happened the first week. 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. I'm telling you, sometimes you got to pray long. Then she starts to get an inward witness something's wrong. We're not supposed to go to Peru. She'd say, honey, and I'd say, woman. I don't say generally. I say, woman, you know, you submit now. And she'd laugh and then throw something at me and I'd say, God, we're going to Peru. We're doing language training. I can almost say a whole Sentence in Spanish, we're going. And I would travel, pastors would prophesy over me. Yea, again, I say, yea, thus saith the Lord. God has called you to Peru. Not people in our group, other people. And then money started pouring in. $100,000 paid all our expenses. We got all the money, we got all the prophecy. And I can speak three sentences in Spanish. We are ready to go. But my wife said. And I just said, it's hard. It's hormones. Pregnant, what do you call it, pregnancy hormones. That's all it is. Don't worry about it. You'll be fine. Well, she has the baby. Then I said, it's post pregnancy hormones. Don't worry, you'll be fine. She said, I have a grieving. And I said, well, I don't. I remember we got in a big fight, the biggest fight we've ever got. We almost got divorced. I said, we're going. And she said, you can't talk to me like that. Who do you think you are? I said, I'm the man of God here. She said, you're not my man of God. She said, I don't violate the inner witness for anybody, not even you, buddy. And if you go, you go alone. Quinn and I are staying here. So I went, fasted and prayed for three months. And finally. And I said, lord, you got to get it over. I wasn't asking for wisdom. I was telling God what to tell Jenny. But even through my nonsense and my pride and my arrogance, God is merciful. And he finally, after three months, I remember where I was. I was in those. Those dunes up in Brampton, you know, where they've now sealed off. And you have to pay money before you could just go in there and do whatever you want. And I was lying down. I had red all over my clothes from those red dunes. And I was seeking God. And he spoke to me and he said, listen to your wife. That was the hardest thing God's ever said to me. Listen to your wife. She has heard me and you haven't. And then I said, but what? And he said, son, and he was so loving. He said, your heart is right. You want to go and live in the jungles. Who would want to do that? You want to go in David Hogan's footsteps. You want to see miracles. I love your heart, but. And then he dropped the hammer. He said, if you go to Peru, you will wind up on the ash heap of ministry. It will destroy your future and everything I have planned. Your wife knew because she prayed you decided to Go on the scooter. See, I should be leading as the head, but I was carnal and she was more spiritual than me. Thank God for a spiritual wife. Humble yourself sometimes, husbands, to listen. Because your heirs together in the grace of God. You submit to one another before it tells her to submit to you. It says, submit to one another. Read your Bible, verse 21, Ephesians 5. It's later. It says, wives submit, but before it says, submit to each other. So I humbled myself, I repented to her, and I said, honey, I still want to be a missionary like you wouldn't believe. I wanted to be a game ranger, and then I want to be a missionary, and I can't be a game ranger, and I can't be a missionary. I said, lord, what do you want? He said, go work for Dr. Coulter. I said, another associate pastorate. He said, go. He said, you'll only be there two years. So the whole time I'm planning, what am I going to do after two years? What am I going to do after two years? And then finally, when the two years came, God said, now seek me. And I said, lord, I already know what I want to do, and it's not in Canada, and it's nothing to do with pastoring a church, so let's just establish that baseline, and then we'll keep talking. And he said, you are going to do a church. And I cried. When I stopped crying, he said, and it will be in Canada. Then I cried again. Then, I'm not choking you. I actually did. And then when I stopped crying the second time, I. I said, oh, God, please just let me take over church. Not from scratch. Not from scratch. And he said, and you will start it from scratch. Then I wept. And we started in this precious lady and man's basement. Well, in my house, then in their basement, and then in this building. And all these years later, I've been trying to be faithful. But notice, I could have ended. I could have shipwrecked my life because I didn't have the inner witness. I had prophecies. I had open doors. I had lots of money flowing. That's got to be God. None of it was God. The devil orchestrated the whole thing to get me on the ash heap of ministry. Why? The only thing that cannot be mimicked is the inner witness. And I didn't spend enough time praying. But she did. And I'm grateful, Jenny. I say this publicly, that you stood up to me and you didn't cower by my. By my being demanding, saying, you're Going, she said, you go on your own. I will not violate the inner witness. Thank God for that. It saved my life. I would have probably died as a missionary there. Can I say this as I close? I won't say because I don't know who's watching, but in the last six months I travel a bit now. I've been on two trips. Both times God said, your mandate is this. But because I wanted to help people, I extended the trip or went earlier to preach more. I did that twice. God didn't tell me to do that. I just want to help people. You can have a noble heart and get out of the plan of God. On both those trips, one a demon walked into my room and I had to call Jenny because it was an overwhelming force and she had to start to intercede and pray at home. And it broke. Why did that happen? I got out of the perfect will of God and into the permissible. The trip in one caspect was perfect. The other aspect was permissive. When you're in permissive because you don't follow the inner witness, you open a door to the devil. The other trip I got sick. Never sick, I never get sick. But because I extended it to do something helpful but it wasn't the plan of God and there was no witness about that section of the trip. The trip that was right was perfect. The trip that was wrong, I got sick. Do you understand? Doesn't matter how much faith and dominion I use. I opened the door by getting in the permissible of God. And the Lord said to me, I know your heart wants to help people, but you don't go anywhere and you don't preach anywhere until I tell you. Because yes, they may be helped. But if it's not my plan, you. You crack the door. And this time it was sickness. What if next time it's an accident? What if next time I get killed? Thank God it was only sickness and it wasn't death. But the closer you get to God, the less margin for error you have. And so I've now I even cancelled things. I've actually paid more money to cancel things to make sure I am only doing what he said, then I'm safe. But how do I know that, Greg? Praying in tongues. When I look at the calendar. Praying in tongues and following the inner witness, not following the open doors. There are so many countries opening doors I can't even. I've lost track. I could be gone for the next five years and not be in the same church twice. And I'm not exaggerating. There are doors all over the world that are opening for me. Open doors means nothing. Favor means nothing without the inner witness. I've got to know what is he saying? What is the plan? The mind of God. I have to hear it. I have to know it. By the inner witness. I've got to know that. I know that. I know. Then I do it. And I'll be safe and I'll be prosperous and I'll do exactly what God has said and I won't burn my body out. My wife out, you out, the children out, the finances out. The devil can't touch me if I stay in that perfect will. How do I know that? By the inner witness. How do I get the inner witness? Praying, not prophecy. Praying, not open doors, not favor. Praying. Praying not fleeces. Praying. Everyone say praying, please start doing it more. Pray specifically about the needs you have. God will show you. He loves you. He wants to reveal it. Father, I thank you in the mighty name of Jesus right now for every congregation member with your heads bowed and your eyes closed. I thank you Lord, that you love them with an everlasting love. And it is your deep and everlasting desire that they would know the path that you've set before them so that they can live that good life that you prearranged. And Lord, you want to reveal it. We have a right to freely know the things given to us of the Father. You want to reveal them to us by your spirit? How? By praying it out in other tongues and speaking out words of the Holy Ghost, even through prophecy or other areas, but praying it out primarily so that we'll know that the candle on the inside of us in our belly would know, that we know, that we know the wisdom, the mind of God for our lives. That we would hear the plan of God, that we would know it by the inward witness. Lord, I've given them some solid meat, potatoes and vegetables today. I pray that they would listen to the sermon again if they need to, and they probably do. And if they want a far more in depth study to go back on our archive live streams and listen to our how to Be Led by the Spirit Wednesday night series. It's One decision can ruin a life. One decision can put a life off course and it could take years to get it back on course. It would be so much better if they just didn't make the wrong decision. And it's not hard to be led. We've just got to increase a prayer life. So we thank you Father, for it. I give you praise and glory in the house of God today. Thank you for all the wonderful things you're doing in their life. Thank you for giving me the best congregation in the world. I love them with an everlasting love. I wish they would know that I know I can be a bit aggressive and bold, but Father, let them not interpret boldness as meanness. I do truly love them, and I thank you for them. I thank you for their faithfulness. I thank you that they're going to invite somebody to church next week and we're all going to become more soul winners. I give you praise and glory in Jesus precious name.