Supernatural Oversight of the Ministries of God
Well, Just a simple teaching on spiritual oversight of the people of God. Much can be said, and has been said about pastoral and spiritual leadership, but today I want to simply bring a little nugget that the Lord brought to my remembrance for your edification. Over means above, and sight is to see, therefore oversight means sight from above.
Ac 20:28 Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.
Oversight might be better said, as ‘implementing the visionary directives of God, in to our organizations and ministries’.
Eph 2:6 And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:
We see Paul being led by the vision of the man from Macedonia, Joseph being led by heavenly dreams, and interpretation of dreams.
So, God can lead you through dreams and visions, divine pictures that show you what to do, or what is going on in the realm of the Spirit.
I want to touch on a thought from the ministry of the prophet, that is the spirit of seeing and knowing.
In the following passage, we see the prophet Elisha operating in the spirit of seeing and knowing, where he literally saw, by the Spirit of God, events that were so geographically far away, there is no way he could have heard or seen them naturally. It seems God allowed his human spirit to travel through space, to actually be present at the event where Gehazi lied to Naaman, to take an offering, that he had expressly forbidden.
2 Kings 5:26 And he said unto him, Went not mine heart with thee, when the man turned again from his chariot to meet thee? Is it a time to receive money, and to receive garments, and oliveyards, and vineyards, and sheep, and oxen, and menservants, and maidservants?
He saw, supernaturally, and judged, and Gehazi got the very leprosy that Naaman had been cleansed of, on him. God was merciful on him though, for lepers were banned from the camp of the Israelites, yet Gehazi repented, and did right in his latter years, and God must of healed him.
2 Kings 7:9 Then they said one to another, We do not well: this day is a day of good tidings, and we hold our peace: if we tarry till the morning light, some mischief will come upon us: now therefore come, that we may go and tell the king’s household.
Gehazi must have been healed of leprosy, because we read of him again, speaking to the king. If he still had leprosy, he could not appear before the king, for he would be forbidden to enter the city.
Lev 13:45 And the leper in whom the plague is, his clothes shall be rent, and his head bare, and he shall put a covering upon his upper lip, and shall cry, Unclean, unclean.
46 All the days wherein the plague shall be in him he shall be defiled; he is unclean: he shall dwell alone; without the camp shall his habitation be
Yet, he must have been cleansed, because here we see him before the king:
2Ki 8:4 And the king talked with Gehazi the servant of the man of God, saying, Tell me, I pray thee, all the great things that Elisha hath done.
2Ki 8:5 And it came to pass, as he was telling the king how he had restored a dead body to life, that, behold, the woman, whose son he had restored to life, cried to the king for her house and for her land. And Gehazi said, My lord, O king, this is the woman, and this is her son, whom Elisha restored to life.
OK, shoot the rabbit, and let’s get off this rabbit trail.
Supernatural oversight, prophetically by the Spirit of God is our topic, remember?
Jesus did it, operating in the spirit of seeing and knowing: Joh 1:45 Philip findeth Nathanael, and saith unto him, We have found him, of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets, did write, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.
Joh 1:46 And Nathanael said unto him, Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth? Philip saith unto him, Come and see.
Joh 1:47 Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him, and saith of him, Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile!
Joh 1:48 Nathanael saith unto him, Whence knowest thou me? Jesus answered and said unto him, Before that Philip called thee, when thou wast under the fig tree, I saw thee.
Joh 1:49 Nathanael answered and saith unto him, Rabbi, thou art the Son of God; thou art the King of Israel.
Jesus saw Nathanial in the Spirit, as one called to become one of His disciples, when there was no natural way He could have seen him otherwise.
Let’s look at the apostle Paul, providing supernatural oversight, by the Spirit of God, prophetically, by the spirit of seeing and knowing.
Colossians 2:5 For though I be absent in the flesh, yet am I with you in the spirit, joying and beholding your order, and the stedfastness of your faith in Christ.
This is back in the day before internet, cell phones, emails, and faxes, and yet Paul was given supernatural revelation into the spiritual condition of one of the churches he fathered and provided oversight to. Geographically, he was not in Colossae any longer, he was absent in the flesh, yet he was with them in spirit, and he could see what was going on in the church, because he could ‘behold their order’. Behold, means ‘to look upon’, and this verse literally says that Paul was able to see through time and space, and actually participate in the worship services of one of the churches he provided leadership to!
I wonder how much better we could lead, if we were more attuned to what the Holy Spirit is showing us about the ministries He has given us authority and oversight in, instead to trying to lead by merely sense knowledge, instead of spiritual insight.
In this next account, we see God, through Paul, rendering judgement upon an individual involved in incest:
1 Corinthians 5:3 For I verily, as absent in body, but present in spirit, have judged already, as though I were present, concerning him that hath so done this deed,
4 In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when ye are gathered together, and my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ,
5 To deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.
I am only reviewing to stir up your pure minds in the things of God.
The Spirit of seeing and knowing can see across time and space, and literally see spiritual or natural events, by the Spirit of God, and know exactly what to do about them.
This works not only in churches, but also in communities where we are called to minister. I remember several years ago, how we had pioneered a children’s outreach that we called a ‘Big Brothers Club’, where we took children out of a really rough government housing project for swimming, bicycling, hiking, and fishing trips. We would aggressively pray for God to save these children, and their parents, yet we would do this on Friday nights, and Friday night was check night in the hood, we called it ‘King for a Day’, where people, either on welfare, or working, would take every bit of their money, and would blow it on Friday and Saturday nights on alcohol, crack cocaine, and marijuana, and sometimes when we would bring these children home after a Friday night swim, the whole neighborhood would be literally one big party. Picture if you will: Loud music, clouds of dope smoke, people dancing, fighting, cars squealing rubber, electric atmosphere.
I got tired of it, and decided to pray and fast, and weep before the Lord, because my heart broke for these poor children having to go home to these drug dens of iniquity. I remember one Friday after dropping off the children, and leaving the community, that the Lord opened my eyes, and I saw a demon hovering over the neighborhood, and the Lord caused me to know that this demon was responsible for all the drug use and drug trade. I saw him, and he saw me, and I commanded him to leave my community, and instead of leaving, he turned and cried out for help! Then I saw another demon on some sort of chariot or something fly up beside him, and the Lord caused me to know that this second spirit was a party spirit, and he was stirring up the people, and causing them to party and think they were having a good time. The first spirit pointed to me, and said: ‘We need to join forces because of him!”, and they both looked at me. I commanded them both to Go, and get out, in the name of Jesus, and suddenly, I couldn’t see into the spirit anymore.
Yet, that community calmed down after that. Police arrested many drug dealers there, and over the next year, we led many children and parents to the Lord from there. I was literally able to govern the community in the Spirit, in prayer, even when I wasn’t there. God gave me spiritual oversight there for several years, until He moved me out of the country.
Perry Stone tells the story, of how, by a revelation, he knew of a minister, that saw a demon in the back of a church, that the Lord caused him to know had been there for over 20 years, preventing Holy Spirit from moving, and growing the church. The minister rebuked it, and the church immediately grew by 1000 members!
Many ministers have been alerted and shown sin in their leaders or congregations, that they are able to confront in prayer and the public preaching of the Word, thus protecting the dignity of the person who needed to repent, and the integrity of the ministry.
The problem with this type of ministry has always been, deception. It’s the only weapon satan has left, for he has been stripped of all power and authority, when Jesus rose from the dead.
2Co 11:14 And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.
Ga 1:8 But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.
Satan may be a liar and the father of all lies, and deception may be his only weapon, but he uses this weapon very well in the earth, even today. Just as there is true prophetic ministry and oversight, there are demonic spirits that emulate the gifts of God, with the sole intent, of causing ministries and people of God to go astray.
De 18:10 There shall not be found among you any one that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, or that useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch,
11 Or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer.
12 For all that do these things are an abomination unto the LORD: and because of these abominations the LORD thy God doth drive them out from before thee.
13 Thou shalt be perfect with the LORD thy God.
From the time in the garden, satan knew that if he could just get the people of God to disobey God, he would have them in his power, for how well he knows the holiness of God.
Jas 2:19 Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.
He knows he has no power against God, and that we do have power with God, and authority from Him. He hasn’t changed, he still whispers, ‘has God really said?’, to attempt to get us off of the Word of God, to deviate from the authority of the Scriptures. In a large sense, he has been successful.
Mohammed went up in a cave to seek God. Supposedly, an angel claiming to Gabriel appeared to him, and put him in a spiritual stupor, after clasping him, and imparting to him, ‘the oracle of God’ which Muhammad then had written, and which is now known as the Quran. Islam now claims to have a billion followers in the earth, far from Jesus, living a life of fear, violence, hatred and strife, all because one man of God, listened to another voice, heard another spirit, that pretended to be of God. Remember, demons lie, then deceive. Jesus said ‘by their fruits you will know them.’ And the fruit of Islam, has been a bloodbath for centuries.
So it is with Mormonism. A strong leader name Joseph Smith, attempting to honestly lead his people into the promised land, had a vision where Jesus and Mary supposedly appeared to him, and gave him ‘a more complete revelation of the Bible’, and the book of Mormon was written. Though Mormonism is not as bloody as Islam, Walter Martin cites 84 key differences between Mormon doctrine and the Bible, and so you end up with a moral people, devoid of spiritual power, anointing, and living truth brought alive from the presence and power of Holy Spirit. 2Ti 3:5 Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.
Since these two deceptions were the crux of the last US Presidential election, I mentioned them as examples, but I greatly encourage you to get a copy of Walter martin’s book, Kingdom of the Cults, to protect yourself from error. I wonder what the kingdom of darkness is doing during this Presidential election, to seek demonic influence and rule?
Jer 14:
14 Then the LORD said unto me, The prophets prophesy lies in my name: I sent them not, neither have I commanded them, neither spake unto them: they prophesy unto you a false vision and divination, and a thing of nought, and the deceit of their heart.
15 Therefore thus saith the LORD concerning the prophets that prophesy in my name, and I sent them not, yet they say, Sword and famine shall not be in this land; By sword and famine shall those prophets be consumed.
16 And the people to whom they prophesy shall be cast out in the streets of Jerusalem because of the famine and the sword; and they shall have none to bury them, them, their wives, nor their sons, nor their daughters: for I will pour their wickedness upon them.
In this verse, we have prophets that should have been speaking by the Holy Spirit, the revelations of God, yet they were hearing and seeing by another spirit, a spirit of divination, and they became deceived in their hearts.
This sends chills down my spine, in the fear of the Lord, for I seek holiness, the fear of the Lord, and truth above every other thing. None of us are immune to error, and as we studied church history in the lives of some of the most powerful servants of God, we see some that went off. William Branham denying the trinity, and perhaps moving in a mix of true prophetic, and divination or familiar spirits, John Alexander Dowie, claiming to be ‘a reincarnation of John the Baptist’ in his latter years, and on it goes. What about many today who ‘prophesy’ money out of people’s pockets, in the name of the Lord? Surely there are true prophets that move in the financial realm, but how many times have we heard an offering taken up, that just doesn’t sit right in our heart?
Act 16:16 ¶ And it came to pass, as we went to prayer, a certain damsel possessed with a spirit of divination met us, which brought her masters much gain by soothsaying:
17 The same followed Paul and us, and cried, saying, These men are the servants of the most high God, which shew unto us the way of salvation.
18 And this did she many days. But Paul, being grieved, turned and said to the spirit, I command thee in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her. And he came out the same hour.
Gotta listen to our hearts, and test the spirits. If something doesn’t seem right, it probably isn’t right.
1 John 4:1 ¶ 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.
Just finished a great little book, given to us by Billye Brim, called The Authority of the Believer, by John A. Macmillan. It is a great book on spiritual authority and warfare, but the last couple of chapters talk about many cases of demonic interaction with people. One chapter talks about the rise of modern day spiritism stems from actual communication with spirits claiming to be the souls of loved ones who had died some years previously. As these spirits communicated through tapping, and other methods, the group of adherents to this mess, went from two teenaged girls, to over 10 million. Just because an experience is supernatural, does not mean it is of God.
Please stay grounded in truth, as you move in the revelatory gifts of the Holy Spirit. I have to believe that as I stay rooted and grounded in the Word of God, that God Himself will send both laborers and teaching materials about demonic errors to keep us clean spiritually.
Like any Bible doctrine, there is a ditch on either side. With this teaching the two ditches are demonic deception resulting in supernatural revelation coming from demons instead of God, and then on the other side, strict legalism, resulting in no tolerance, or allowance of prophetic ministry and guidance to the church of the living God. There is a straight and narrow way through these perils!
The cure for misuse of a gift is not no use, rather, correct use.
1Co 14:1 Follow after charity, and desire spiritual gifts, but rather that ye may prophesy.
1Co 14:39 Wherefore, brethren, covet to prophesy, and forbid not to speak with tongues.
Let’s pray:
‘Father, I take my place in your kingdom, determined to feed, lead, and take oversight over the people you have called me to. Open my eyes to the true state of the ministries you have me leading, and give me wisdom on how best to pray, preach, feed, and lead your people, to best grow them up in you, and your perfect plan for us, and deliver me and protect me any and all false prophetic, dreams, visions, or manifestation. Keep me in truth, at all cost, and prevent me from going astray. In any case that I have heard or seen things in the spirit, that are not from you, but are demonic deception, please show me, cleanse me, and keep me pure and holy in your sight, and submitted to your Word, in your name I pray Lord Jesus, Amen’