What's Really Going On?
What’s Really Going On? || Day 4 - The Second Attack on Prophetic Manifestation
2 Timothy 3:1-17 NLT
"You should know this, Timothy, that in the last days there will be very difficult times. For people will love only themselves and their money. They will be boastful and proud, scoffing at God, disobedient to their parents, and ungrateful. They will consider nothing sacred. They will be unloving and unforgiving; they will slander others and have no self-control. They will be cruel and hate what is good. They will betray their friends, be reckless, be puffed up with pride, and love pleasure rather than God. They will act religious, but they will reject the power that could make them godly. Stay away from people like that! They are the kind who work their way into people’s homes and win the confidence of vulnerable women who are burdened with the guilt of sin and controlled by various desires. (Such women are forever following new teachings, but they are never able to understand the truth.) These teachers oppose the truth just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses. They have depraved minds and a counterfeit faith. But they won’t get away with this for long. Someday everyone will recognize what fools they are, just as with Jannes and Jambres. But you, Timothy, certainly know what I teach, and how I live, and what my purpose in life is. You know my faith, my patience, my love, and my endurance. You know how much persecution and suffering I have endured. You know all about how I was persecuted in Antioch, Iconium, and Lystra—but the Lord rescued me from all of it. Yes, and everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution. But evil people and impostors will flourish. They will deceive others and will themselves be deceived. But you must remain faithful to the things you have been taught. You know they are true, for you know you can trust those who taught you. You have been taught the holy Scriptures from childhood, and they have given you the wisdom to receive the salvation that comes by trusting in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work."
As we discussed yesterday, demonic attempts will come to lure us out of position to receive prophetic manifestations. We also know that the enemy moves in repackaged cycles. As it comes to the church, his attacks follow a fivefold cycle. Today, we will talk about the second of these attacks.
He attacks the prophetic or the prophetic word in the church.
This also includes the gifts, anointing, and moving of the Spirit. This is an attempt to get the church to start depending on itself and to remove the anointing and gifts of the Spirit. This will produce a church that is natural and not supernatural.
This is an attempt to make a mockery out of the church. How? Because we say we serve a supernatural God, but the supernatural is not present. We say we serve a God that heals, but no one gets healed. We say we serve a God that delivers, but no one gets delivered. We say we serve a God that baptizes with Fire, but we have to send people off to camp to get it.
Church we must make up our minds that we are not going to allow the devil to get us to question the word of God. We must commit to not leave a move of the Spirit for convenience. Even though we know people sometimes get in the flesh, we must refuse to throw out the Spirit with the flesh.
Let’s pray: Father, I ask in the name of Jesus that you grant me favor to contend for the prophetic, in the face of every demonic attack. I will never compromise the supernatural for the sake of convenience. I position myself today to receive the fullness of prophetic manifestation. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Further reading: 1 Timothy 4:1-2 (NLT), 2 Timothy 4:1-5 (NLT), Romans 1:16, 1 Corinthians 2:1-4