- Mar 5, 2024
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What Do You Have To Hide, Part 2
Some fear prophetic ministries, not wanting the things in their "closet" as they say to be exposed. But even when the Spirit of God does expose rather unseemly sides to our character or personal lives, such instances can nevertheless greatly strengthen our faith, because we realize only God would know the intimate details of our lives that are now being shared.
I quoted one such instance from 1st Corinthians 14 in Part 1, where Paul talked about a man coming into a service and being "convicted by all" for some transgression through manifestations of corporate prophecy:
24 If all prophesy, and an unbeliever or an uninformed person comes in, he is convinced by all and convicted by all. 25 And thus the secrets of his heart are revealed; and so, falling down on his face, he will worship God and report that God is truly among you. (1 Corinthians 14:24-25)
Such was also the case with the woman Jesus spoke to at the well. She likely didn't want the matter of how many men she had been with to be the topic of conversation before a man of God, yet she knew instantly that He was supernaturally aware of details of her private life in a way only God would know, so she went immediately and told the people in her community to come see about Him.
7 A woman of Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, “Give Me a drink.” 8 For His disciples had gone away into the city to buy food. 9 Then the woman of Samaria said to Him, “How is it that You, being a Jew, ask a drink from me, a Samaritan woman?” For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans. 10 Jesus answered and said to her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, ‘Give Me a drink,’ you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water.” 11 The woman said to Him, “Sir, You have nothing to draw with, and the well is deep. Where then do You get that living water? 12 Are You greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well, and drank from it himself, as well as his sons and his livestock?” 13 Jesus answered and said to her, “Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, 14 but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.” 15 The woman said to Him, “Sir, give me this water, that I may not thirst, nor come here to draw.” 16 Jesus said to her, “Go, call your husband, and come here.” 17 The woman answered and said, “I have no husband.” Jesus said to her, “You have well said, ‘I have no husband,’ 18 for you have had five husbands, and the one whom you now have is not your husband; in that you spoke truly.” 19 The woman said to Him, “Sir, I perceive that You are a prophet. 20 Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, and you Jews say that in Jerusalem is the place where one ought to worship.” 21 Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe Me, the hour is coming when you will neither on this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, worship the Father. 22 You worship what you do not know..." 25 The woman said to Him, “I know that Messiah is coming” (who is called Christ). “When He comes, He will tell us all things." 26 Jesus said to her, “I who speak to you am He”... 28 The woman then left her waterpot, went her way into the city, and said to the men, 29 “Come, see a Man who told me all things that I ever did. Could this be the Christ?” 30 Then they went out of the city and came to Him. (John 4:9-30)
This is one reason why the Lord sometimes exposes our personal lives to the light of day. He wants it known that He is real, and that He is indeed the Christ. But another can be because we need genuine correction, and this should not be avoided either. It is for our good, not our harm. I recall a dream I interpreted for a woman one time where it was eventually revealed that she was being tempted by spirits of covetousness, and while she became rather resentful when I told her this, it was intended for her good, to protect her from spirits that were attempting to ruin her life, both financially and spiritually (see link at bottom of this page).
Was this not what God was doing in the case with King David, when he gave himself over to committing sin with another man's wife and then tried to cover it up by having him killed? What was David's spiritual state when he attempted to do these things that were so evil? Not good. Was he better off keeping those matters concealed, or having them revealed when the prophet came and exposed what he had done before all Israel? Having it exposed at least put him on the road to either repenting before the Lord or suffering the consequences, which is far better than potentially losing his eternal soul by becoming completely corrupted.
So what would you do if the Spirit of God exposed you for some transgression? I once had a brother send me a dream that was about a personal issue, and it was rough. Very aggressive dream. But I asked him how deeply he was entrenched in the issue being describing, and his answer revealed the dream likely wasn't about him, it was very likely about me. Did I try to cover it up by playing it off on him? No. I encouraged him that his problems with that issue were minor, and that they were more like a mouse than a gorilla, so he had nothing to worry about, at least where that dream was concerned. Is it comforting to admit to a brother when you have issues in your own life that are worse than his? No, it's never a great feeling, but scripture says we are supposed to confess our faults to one another so that we may be healed, and that requires being honest and humble. And we actually CAN trust other human beings with our personal business sometimes, especially when they have been specifically chosen by God to receive a dream or vision on our behalf.
So what do you have to hide? Are you afraid the Spirit of God might embarrass you publicly, or bring your affairs to light before strangers you are not sure will still approve of you? Are you afraid your personal business might end up being broadcast to the world? We must learn to trust God, that when He reveals things about us to others it is for our good and not our harm. He is called the Good Shepherd for a reason, and He will keep us safe, bringing us increasingly to the place where we know we have a Lord who sees all things and will aways protect us from harm, so long as we still want His help.
Blessings in Christ,
Hidden in Him
__________________________________
What Do You Have To Hide, Part 1:
Kathryn Kuhlman, and the Spirits of Covetousness
Some fear prophetic ministries, not wanting the things in their "closet" as they say to be exposed. But even when the Spirit of God does expose rather unseemly sides to our character or personal lives, such instances can nevertheless greatly strengthen our faith, because we realize only God would know the intimate details of our lives that are now being shared.
I quoted one such instance from 1st Corinthians 14 in Part 1, where Paul talked about a man coming into a service and being "convicted by all" for some transgression through manifestations of corporate prophecy:
24 If all prophesy, and an unbeliever or an uninformed person comes in, he is convinced by all and convicted by all. 25 And thus the secrets of his heart are revealed; and so, falling down on his face, he will worship God and report that God is truly among you. (1 Corinthians 14:24-25)
Such was also the case with the woman Jesus spoke to at the well. She likely didn't want the matter of how many men she had been with to be the topic of conversation before a man of God, yet she knew instantly that He was supernaturally aware of details of her private life in a way only God would know, so she went immediately and told the people in her community to come see about Him.
7 A woman of Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, “Give Me a drink.” 8 For His disciples had gone away into the city to buy food. 9 Then the woman of Samaria said to Him, “How is it that You, being a Jew, ask a drink from me, a Samaritan woman?” For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans. 10 Jesus answered and said to her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, ‘Give Me a drink,’ you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water.” 11 The woman said to Him, “Sir, You have nothing to draw with, and the well is deep. Where then do You get that living water? 12 Are You greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well, and drank from it himself, as well as his sons and his livestock?” 13 Jesus answered and said to her, “Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, 14 but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.” 15 The woman said to Him, “Sir, give me this water, that I may not thirst, nor come here to draw.” 16 Jesus said to her, “Go, call your husband, and come here.” 17 The woman answered and said, “I have no husband.” Jesus said to her, “You have well said, ‘I have no husband,’ 18 for you have had five husbands, and the one whom you now have is not your husband; in that you spoke truly.” 19 The woman said to Him, “Sir, I perceive that You are a prophet. 20 Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, and you Jews say that in Jerusalem is the place where one ought to worship.” 21 Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe Me, the hour is coming when you will neither on this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, worship the Father. 22 You worship what you do not know..." 25 The woman said to Him, “I know that Messiah is coming” (who is called Christ). “When He comes, He will tell us all things." 26 Jesus said to her, “I who speak to you am He”... 28 The woman then left her waterpot, went her way into the city, and said to the men, 29 “Come, see a Man who told me all things that I ever did. Could this be the Christ?” 30 Then they went out of the city and came to Him. (John 4:9-30)
This is one reason why the Lord sometimes exposes our personal lives to the light of day. He wants it known that He is real, and that He is indeed the Christ. But another can be because we need genuine correction, and this should not be avoided either. It is for our good, not our harm. I recall a dream I interpreted for a woman one time where it was eventually revealed that she was being tempted by spirits of covetousness, and while she became rather resentful when I told her this, it was intended for her good, to protect her from spirits that were attempting to ruin her life, both financially and spiritually (see link at bottom of this page).
Was this not what God was doing in the case with King David, when he gave himself over to committing sin with another man's wife and then tried to cover it up by having him killed? What was David's spiritual state when he attempted to do these things that were so evil? Not good. Was he better off keeping those matters concealed, or having them revealed when the prophet came and exposed what he had done before all Israel? Having it exposed at least put him on the road to either repenting before the Lord or suffering the consequences, which is far better than potentially losing his eternal soul by becoming completely corrupted.
So what would you do if the Spirit of God exposed you for some transgression? I once had a brother send me a dream that was about a personal issue, and it was rough. Very aggressive dream. But I asked him how deeply he was entrenched in the issue being describing, and his answer revealed the dream likely wasn't about him, it was very likely about me. Did I try to cover it up by playing it off on him? No. I encouraged him that his problems with that issue were minor, and that they were more like a mouse than a gorilla, so he had nothing to worry about, at least where that dream was concerned. Is it comforting to admit to a brother when you have issues in your own life that are worse than his? No, it's never a great feeling, but scripture says we are supposed to confess our faults to one another so that we may be healed, and that requires being honest and humble. And we actually CAN trust other human beings with our personal business sometimes, especially when they have been specifically chosen by God to receive a dream or vision on our behalf.
So what do you have to hide? Are you afraid the Spirit of God might embarrass you publicly, or bring your affairs to light before strangers you are not sure will still approve of you? Are you afraid your personal business might end up being broadcast to the world? We must learn to trust God, that when He reveals things about us to others it is for our good and not our harm. He is called the Good Shepherd for a reason, and He will keep us safe, bringing us increasingly to the place where we know we have a Lord who sees all things and will aways protect us from harm, so long as we still want His help.
Blessings in Christ,
Hidden in Him
__________________________________
What Do You Have To Hide, Part 1:
Kathryn Kuhlman, and the Spirits of Covetousness
