From time to time I get questions about how do I know “GOD said….”, and that’s a fair question, deserving an answer. I’ve been in church services where the minister said before almost every sentence “And God said…”, but in my spirit I knew God said no such thing to them. How can I state that so boldly? Simple: it didn’t line up with God’s written Word.

It is written in 1 John 4:1-6,
1 Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.
2 Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God:
3 And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.
4 Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.
5 They are of the world: therefore speak they of the world, and the world heareth them.
6 We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error.

Everything the Holy Spirit tells us as believers, will glorify and align with God’s will. The Holy Spirit isn’t there to glorify any man or glorify the flesh. There are many false prophets out there, who twist God’s word to satisfy people’s fleshly desires. And of course, you know, if people are hearing what they want to hear in church that tickles their ears, they’ll be back. And if they come back, they’ll probably bring some money with them. For example, there are those who tell their congregations that God wants to make everyone of us rich. Well, He does make SOME rich, but few. Why? Because most people with money will use it to satisfy their flesh.

It’s a fact that some preachers try to get people to “give” their way to prosperity, and yet the Bible tells us in Proverbs (that’s the Book of Wisdom),
Proverbs 13:11, Wealth gotten by vanity shall be diminished: but he that gathereth by labour shall increase.
Proverbs 14:23, In all labour there is profit: but the talk of the lips tendeth only to penury.
So if you give to them, THEY get rich, but you don’t. And yet people keep doing it, hopi ng to “hit the big one”, like winning the lottery. And they fall for the “give to my ministry, and God will give you thirty, sixty, or a hundredfold return.” Well, if ANY preacher was THAT “anointed”, don’t you think that all the Wall Street investors would be pouring all their money into them? I rest my case.

What’s that got to do with “and God said…”? a LOT! God is not in the business of deceiving people, that’s the devil’s job. And he’s really good at it, too, seeing as how he’s been doing it since deceiving a third of the angels in heaven to turn from God and follow him. He did it to Eve, then Adam, right on down to today’s generation. And what is the by-product, or the “calling card” the devil leaves behind? Jesus summed it up like this in John 10:10, “The thief cometh not, but for to kill, and to steal, and to destroy; but I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.”

Many, hoping to please their fleshly desires, use or twist God’s written word to say things it really doesn’t say. I’m really cautious to say “and God said…” unless I know for a fact that God DID say such and such. How can we know for sure what God really said? Well, I can tell you for sure, He didn’t tell us to celebrate Halloween, for example. He didn’t tell us it’s ok to abort and murder babies. He DID give us the Ten Commandments, thus it’s safe to say when reading them “And God said…” because those commandments were indeed the spoken and written Word of God. And anyone who says God said they don’t apply to us DEFINITELY has not heard from God.

When we listen to the devil’s sly words, we end up deceived, and that costs us dearly. It can even cost a person their life, and definitely their soul. There is a Spirit of Truth, and a spirit of error. Right now in our world, the loudest voice speaking is the spirit of error. Look around you: there is unrest everywhere, lies and deception all around us, and even some are so bold as to say that God told them that abortion is ok. In truth, it’s a lie of the devil to kill, steal, and destroy. God said, ”Thou shalt not murder.” He didn’t say, it’s ok to murder a baby if it’s inconvenient for you to raise it and take care of it, or if it interferes with your social life or career. Hereby we can quickly recognize the spirit of error.

I was recently asked how I knew it was God telling me in 1993 that He had healed me, when I had liver cancer and melanomas. After all, it could have been the devil, or my own imagination even. Well, first off, it agreed with His written Word, having two or more witnesses that establishes every word, that being Isaiah 53:5, But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. 1 Peter 2:24, Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed. Psalm 103:2-3, Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits: Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases;

Secondly, it’s now been over 27 years, and I’m STILL healed, so I know it wasn’t my imagination or the devil. I don’t “imagine” I’m healed, I KNOW I’m healed, and the devil is a killer, not a healer. So I’m pretty confident God said it to me, as I heard it with every cell of my being. I’m also confident that anyone else that literally takes God at His Word, like I do, can have whatsoever He says they can have. Have I ever questioned if I’m hearing from God or not? Only every day! You see, the devil will deceive you if you let him. You have to train your spirit to know the difference between the Spirit of Truth, and the spirit of error. How do you do that? By careful study of God’s Word, day by day, week by week, year by year.

I’ve learned a thing or two in these 27 years, let me tell you. I can teach you in short order what has taken me years to learn. Being a “doubting Thomas” will rob you of many blessings. I’m not saying to just blindly believe every “word of prophecy” you hear, or every preacher that comes down the pike, but do as it says in 1 John 4:1:3, as I told you earlier. I have actually asked the “voice” I heard, “Did Christ Jesus come in the flesh?” and more than once heard the reply, “Noooooooo!” Well, then it wasn’t God saying it. It was the deceiver trying to deceive me. And he just keeps trying to do it, too. It’s taught me to really be on my guard against his lies.

But when it comes to believing what is written in God’s Word? I believe every Word. Maybe you’d call it “blind faith”, but it isn’t blind at all. I just believe God, not only when it agrees with what I want to hear, but also when it isn’t what I want to hear. And for that, I’ve been truly blessed! Not everything has been peaches and cream, but the LORD has saved me out of a lot of the snares of the devil, just by having my spirit tuned into HIS Spirit. And He will do the same for you, too, if you’ll just start believing His Words and acting on them.

Just “hearing the Word” doesn’t help. It requires acting upon it in faith. It isn’t always easy. But you’ll always have the peace of the Holy Spirit inside you, even when He tells you to do something that takes you out of your comfort zone.
Here’s another way to know if “God said..”: you’ll have peace about it inside. I’m not talking about “feel good”, as in, it tickles your ears, I’m talking about, it will glorify God, and not your flesh. If it makes your flesh feel good, it most likely wasn’t God telling you to do it. It takes practice, but you can do it. When is the best time to start? Right NOW!

If you don’t know Christ Jesus of Nazareth, Y’shua Messiah, as your LORD and Savior, settle that part first, right now. And grow from there. Everlasting life begins when Christ Jesus becomes your LORD and Savior. It doesn’t begin when you die, it begins the moment you become that new creature in Christ Jesus. And it lasts forever. How do I know? God said so in His written Word in Romans 10:9-13,

9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
11 For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.
12 For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him.
13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

And in 2 Corinthians 5:17, Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
Start this day in the Spirit of Truth and tell the spirit of error to take a hike. Take God at His Word and stop doubting, but BELIEVING! Amen?

COPYRIGHT 2020 Jerry Baysinger   All Rights Reserved.