Foundations of Manifestations?by Pam Clark
As one who is called to a five fold prophetic ministry office, it concerns me when I see things that are not right. As one who sees the foundational aspects, I am grieved when I see a wrong foundation laid or built upon. Too often in the Church today, people are building on manifestations without the Word and testing of the manifestations of the "gifts" of the spirit.Some of the greatest warfare I have experienced is in challenging this area. People are so excited to learn about the spirit world that they will take anything unusual or mysterious and label it God when it may not be God. Satan often comes in the guise of the ministry. His best work seems to be done through the systems of the religious. There is such trust there and the structure has been laid by God, so what better place to defile than that? He knows what to do. Satan was the anointed cherub who covered (Ezekiel 28:14)--he was upon the holy mountain of God; he walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire--those are God's created beings. He understands covering, worship and ministry--he was a part of it all--until iniquity was found in him. Then he was corrupted and defiled and choosing not to repent, he was cast out of Heaven where God is. Seeing man created in the image of God and as the object of God's love, he is angry and malicious. He will destroy man at any cost, as he has nothing to lose since his destiny is determined and sealed -- for the Lake of Fire. His only joy is to destroy the inheritance of God. He is a danger worthy of respect. When Cain was upset for not getting his sacrifice right, the Lord said to him: "Why are you angry? And why has your countenance fallen? If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin lies at the door. And its desire is for you, but you should rule over it." Genesis 4:6-7 God wants us to rule and reign with Him. He is not asking us to be God but to serve with Him in the dominion and rulership over this planet. It's difficult with a formidable enemy, but God believes we can do it and overcome. In fact, He staked His all on that when He sent Jesus to the Cross! In His weakness, we became strong by what He did for us. As man, Jesus faced the full force of the evil one and won. Through Him, we can do the same thing! But sin is wily, subtle and often coy. Sin will flatter and entice and paint an attractive false picture. It will promise all kinds of good while producing nothing, or only bad. In the wait of false hope, we get ripped off until the thief is found out. As humans we were subjected to this against our will, but to rule and reign with Christ, we must learn to take dominion over it. God wants us to use all of our faculties for dominion! He wants to anoint us with His abilities to rule and overcome. In doing that, we do not rule over people, but we do walk in power. We may be called to shepherd and guide people, but we do not dominate them to the exclusion of their personal spiritual life with God. Many get snared, and we all have been at one point or another, but any time something comes between God and your personal relationship with Him, it is called idol worship and whatever that is becomes cursed for us -- even if it is not bad in and of itself! And until things line up properly, they will stay that way! The spirit dimension is very vast and unseen. It goes beyond our five senses into the far reaches of time and space. It goes into the faith realm where things are created and by the opposite power, destroyed. To not know the will of God can be to oppose Him. This is a dangerous place to be. We must know His Word! God upholds all things by the word of his power. But since He wants us to take dominion, He has given us the ability to know what that means by things not working out! But by learning and mastering, we become pleasurable company for Him. If Satan can pollute your walk and relationship with God, he can defile and defeat and disqualify you. He can only work with the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eye and the pride of life, but that is enough to destroy man in his relationship with God. Because we have been Satan's victims, and that at his pleasure, we desire power over our circumstances and lives. There is almost no one I know who will not say that they wish things could be better in some area of their life. And because of that, if we are not wise to his devices, we can be overcome by not being on guard in our faith life. Without faith, it is impossible to please God; for he that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a Rewarder of them who diligently seek Him! (Hebrews 11:6) So while faith may seem like a struggle, there is a reward in it. And by the same token, there is doom if not. As we come into the deeper things of God, the things that are beyond the five senses realm, we can be easily impressed. They say an expert is anyone who knows more than you do about something, and there are many self proclaimed experts! Some of these people are very devious. Some don't even know that they are being used by the enemy. In the book of I John 5, it says:
20 And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us an understanding, that we may know Him who is true; and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life. Because the devil is a deceiver and liar and murderer from the beginning, we need to be aware of his devices. In the beginning he lied to Eve. Through her, he deceived and murdered Adam. Surely he did die, but through faith we can overcome in this life. We only have one life, contrary to what anyone may have told you. It is appointed unto man once to die and after that the judgment of God on how that life was lived. Since Satan is a murderer from the beginning, he is still trying to destroy and deceive man away from his spiritual life. As was said earlier, this is his only joy. Therefore he will present many lying signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, the very elect. There are many who present their spiritual wares and impress many people. Some things can sound and seem so religious and right and if you have nothing to compare it with, you will probably believe that it is true, but in truth, we must test the spirits. When you see spiritual gifts, what impresses you? Are you impressed with the one who manifests the gifts or are you impressed by your new depth of relationship to God? Sometimes we feel so important and special to be around impressive spiritual phenomena. But is it really God? We often hope so, but we can be disappointed as well. People who really seemed to have loved you suddenly want nothing else to do with you. You are blamed and accused of many things, most of which you can't even relate to but things you meant for good or were not meant for evil are construed as plots. What has happened? You didn't take the bait, and now the enemy is angry. It mystifies you, but in reality, you were mystified before. What you have seen may be right to a great degree because the enemy will cloak his lies in truth to make you believe the lie. You learn but it seems at such a price! If you keep your heartfelt relationship with God intact, you will survive and believe it or not, even prosper, but the experience may leave you reeling for a season. Hang in there! It will get better! You have just learned to take dominion. Because these are the last days, the degree of spiritual activity is on the rise. There are more manifestations of the spirit world than ever before. There is more conflict for the souls of men because one, there are more souls alive than ever before on the earth and the population is growing; and two, these are the end times. You can read all about it in your Bible. It can read like the daily news! More and more stories on the supernatural are gaining notice. When seen that this draws interest, the marketplace caters to it. The marketers don't care if it is true or not, they just want to make a buck. But the enemy cares a lot as he wants to destroy souls by it. So the enemy will empower the marketers to prosper in the false. That's the marketplace. But then there is the church realm, the area where the believers who win other believers congregate. This is the main target of the enemy. He is after anything that propogates the message of salvation and deliverance. If he can distract the seekers, he will do his best to keep them satisfied with false hopes and half truths. Believing that is the best they can get, they easily go for it. But there are others who will seek until they find the truth and when they do, it becomes very precious to them and their joy propogates others into the Kingdom. It is here where false accusations can be one of Satan's best methods against both the believer and the unbeliever who would seek to come in. We are not ignorant of his devices. God is building a structure of relationships in harmony and peace. Unity is a powerful force in the spirit realm. So naturally the spirits of division will be at work to counteract unity in Christ (or the Anointing). I have met many people who have had incredible revelations. There are many now who will tell you they have been to Heaven. This is a gift of revelation. There are many more who will tell you they have seen or had experiences with angels. The Apostle Paul had this gift, but he also said, "...There are some who trouble you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ. But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so now I say again, if anyone preaches any other gospel to you than what you have received, let him be accursed. For do I now persuade men, or God? Or do I seek to please men? For if I still pleased men, I would not be a bondservant of Christ. But I make known to you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached by me is not according to man. For I neither received it from man, nor was I taught it, but it came through the revelation of Jesus Christ." (Galatians 1:7-12) Paul does not exclude himself from this category of possible false teaching, but does not deny his gift of revelation. In no way does he lift himself up as one who has a handle on the ministry of revelation. He was very humble and real. Most false teachers and ministers will not have this posture of humility. They will often have a spirit of forthrightness for the things they suffer in carrying this gift of revelation, but they will not lord their gifts as special over you. How many people have been deceived because they were told an angel told them something and exhibited a "special" power or privileged revelation? God does not operate that way. Paul was eager to share his revelations, but knew as an apostle that he must lay it on the proper foundation. The gifts of God, if not used, will not manifest freely. The anointing will lift. One cannot jump from one realm into the other very easily because the proper foundation must be laid. But Satan will work to corrupt a chosen vessel, and even the Apostle Paul declares in Philippians 3:
9 and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith; 10 that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, 11 if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead. 12 Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. 13 Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, 14 I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. 15 Therefore let us, as many as are mature, have this mind; and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal even this to you. 16 Nevertheless, to the degree that we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us be of the same mind. 17 Brethren, join in following my example, and note those who so walk, as you have us for a pattern. 18 For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ: 19 whose end is destruction, whose god is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame; who set their mind on earthly things. 20 For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21 who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body, according to the working by which He is able even to subdue all things to Himself. 4:1 Therefore, my beloved and longed-for brethren, my joy and crown, so stand fast in the Lord, beloved. Don't build on manifestations that cannot be proven.
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