10/07/2022
BUILDING SPIRITUAL CAPACITY FOR DIVINE VISITATION
What is capacity?
1. the maximum amount that something can contain.
"the capacity of the freezer is 1.1 cubic feet"
2. the amount that something can produce.
"the company aimed to double its electricity-generating capacity"
In the context of our burden for this convocation, spiritual capacity is the maximum amount of diety that you can contain as a vessel. That amount or measure is called fullness. Capacity is equally the maximum amount of God you can generate or produce.
Creating or building maximum spiritual space or allowance in preparation for God's visitation therefore becomes the thrust of this ministry.
How clean, how holy, how pure is the vessel? God cannot inhabit iniquity. How big is your capacity to carry this very big God?
We must create more room for God. The totality of our being must be made available for God. We must be that body that is prepared to do God's will.
Only people who carry the fullness of God in this day and how shall be able to produce and generate and transmit divine frequencies to creation to address the challenges of the endtime. It shall only take a people whose spiritual capacity has fully developed to deal with the present challenges in the world without.
We are called to a place of enlargement. Our fellow grounds must be cultivated. Lengthen the cords and strengthen the stake. Break forth on the left and right. Come with vessels, not a few. God wants to empty the totality of Himself in us. Truly there's a body that the fullness of the Godhead dwells bodily. Make yourself to be in that body.
AREAS TO BUILD SPIRITUAL CAPACITY
1. SPEAKING IN OTHER TONGUES.
Building your most Holy faith by praying in the Holy Ghost Jude 1:20. In Isaiah God told the prophet what the challenge Israel had and how they can come to rest. He said, "With stammering tongue will I speak to these people, to whom he said, this is the rest; wherewith He causes the weary to rest."
Come unto me, all ye that are weary and heavy laden and I will give you rest.
We do not know what we should pray for as we ought to but the Spirit comes to our aid and makes intercession for us through groaning and inarticulate speech. Our understanding is limited but praying in the Holy Ghost connects us to God directly; bypassing the limited human mind.
If you're not speaking in tongues, you must desire to. If you do, speak in tongues at least 1 hour a day for just one month then call me and tell me what your experience was. It sure must be glorious. I am witness!
1 Cor 14:2 Paul said, "He that speaks in an unknown tongues speaks not unto men but unto God. No man understands him, howbeit, in the Spirit, he speaks mysteries ( hidden purpose or counsel). He speaks directly to God."Veree 4 - Whoever speaks in other tongues edifies himself speaks to God. Veree 5 - Paul said he desired that they all speak in other tongues tongues
2. Discernment and knowledge. this is cultivated by reason of exercising the senses (spiritual faculties). Teaching on the gift of discerning of spirit is very essential in the body of Christ because strange spirits, lying spirits are already masquerading as the spirit of prophecy to deceive and put whole congregations in bo***ge. The flipside of this burden of discerning spirits is the activities of another pseudo gift of discerning spirits which is the SPIRIT OF CRITICISM or CRITICAL SPIRIT. it is the counterfeit of the real gift of discerning of spirits. And this is how it operates:
Discerning (Diakrino- thoroughly separate) it also means to judge between good and evil.
One of the most vital gifts of the Spirit that a believer can walk in is the gift of discerning of spirits. The discerning of spirits is a revelatory spiritual operation that partners several spiritual senses to rightly identify the spirit working through a person or behind a situation. It is critical or very imperative that everyone who is pressing onto fullness must be exercised in the gifts of discerning of spirits. It can be a life-saving manifestation of the Spirit that peels back the curtain and creates an open window into the realm of the spirit.
The apostle said, "…to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning (Diakrisis) of spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, and to another the interpretation of tongues."
1 Corinthians 12:10 -
In my own life, countless times, this gift has manifested in the form of a warning about dealing with a person or situation before hand or at the instance of dealing with personsvor situations. A prophetic minister must have the discerning of spirits in operation.
Many people with Ill motives and even estranged zeal will come at wanting to project themselves as spiritual brethren. They'll stop at nothing to get close, recognized and endorsed by leaders of local assemblies any spiritual move or gathering.
These leaders must discern the spirit that is operating undercover. This happened in the life of the Apostle Paul in Acts 16:16-18 when the girl with the spirit of divination followed him around. What she was saying was not scripturally or morally wrong but there was a foul spirit behind her declaration. This spirit wanted to derail the apostolic mission of Paul but he rightly discerned and broke it.
Paul knew what spirit the young girl was operating under. The spirit of divination [puthon>Gk] where we got the word 'python' (a large snake or dragon). Divination is a serpentine operation masquerading as the spirit of prophecy. Even though that girl's message was correct. Paul was vexed and rebuked the spirit and cast out that evil spirit from her.
Because scriptures was quoted in a prophecy doesn't mean it is of God. Because the name of Jesus was mentioned doesn't mean it is of God. Many even whole assemblies have been so deceived 'in the name of the Lord'. It will only take a discerning heart not to be deceived. The days ahead demands this gift to be optimally functional in the body.
"There is a genuine prophetic operation of discovering spirits and avoiding deception. Yet, there are many offended, wounded and misguided believers and ministers who believe that they are being prophetic when, in fact, they are actually just manifesting a critical spirit." Discerning of spirits is different from critical spirit.
Those who operate by critical spirit continually find fault and identify perceived flaws with everyone except themselves. I have seen this foul spirit partner with a religious spirit to choke out the prophetic anointing and replace it with a disempowering deception.
• Spiritual things are spiritually discerned or judged - Gk> anakrino (scrutinized, examined by investigations and interrogation) 1 Cor 2:14-15 The spiritual man judges all things and he is judged of none.
• discernment is the ability to judge right and wrong. It is the ability to distinguish between good and evil.
• The raw materials or tools for discernment is the word of God, the character and nature of God. If a word, a vision does not agree with God's character, discard it.
• The Spirit of God sheds light on scriptures to give it spiritual sense that is applicable to current demands in God's economy, without contradicting God's eternal nature and purposes.
3. Knowledge-
There are different words translated as knowledge across scriptures but we are going to concern ourselves with developing capacity in the accurate knowledge of God. Gk> Epignosis. Then Knowledge,- GK > 'Eido' which means to have understanding or a grasp of something. It has to do with apprehension.
Ephesians 1:16
15 For this reason, because I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all God’s people, 16 I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers; 17 [I always pray] that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may grant you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation [that gives you a deep and personal and intimate insight] into the true knowledge [Ginosko] of Him [for we know the Father through the Son].
18 And [I pray] that the eyes of your heart [the very center and core of your being] may be enlightened [flooded with light by the Holy Spirit], so that you will know and cherish the hope [the divine guarantee, the confident expectation] to which He has called you, the riches of His glorious inheritance in the saints (God’s people), 19 and [so that you will begin to know] [iedo- understand or grasp] what the immeasurable and unlimited and surpassing greatness of His [active, spiritual] power is in us who believe.
These are in accordance with the working of His mighty strength 20 which He produced in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His own right hand in the heavenly places, 21 far above all rule and authority and power and dominion [whether angelic or human], and [far above] every name that is named [above every title that can be conferred], not only in this age and world but also in the one to come. 22 And He put all things [in every realm] in subjection under Christ’s feet, and appointed Him as [supreme and authoritative] head over all things in the church, 23 which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills and completes all things in all [believers].
2 Peter 1:2 God has blessed us with every spiritual blessings....
It takes (Epignosis) accurate knowledge to appropriate these blessings.
Epignosis has to do with the acknowledging, recognition or discernment.
The communication of faith only becomes effectual by the acknowledging (epugnosis) of every good things that we have in Christ. Philemon 1:6
There are lots of scriptures that places emphasis on knowledge as key to accessing the riches of God's grace. A lack of accurate knowledge or true knowledge of God, His word, His nature, His ability, His sovereignty etc puts a person in disadvantaged position where the enemy can easily deceive the person.
Those who KNOW their God shall be strong and do expliot. God's people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom gotten by knowledge of the Holy one.
Whom shall I teach knowledge? He that is weaned from the milk. There are depths in God we may never come into except we mature. Lack of accurate knowledge of God is a reflection of spiritual immaturity.
It is given to everyone of us to KNOW the mysteries of the kingdom of God. You do not have an excuse to remain shallow in your knowledge of God. You must have depths. By wisdom a house is built but it is founded by KNOWLEDGE. Faith is stirred by knowledge. Your knowledge of God provokes your faith into action.
HOW TO BUILD SPIRITUAL CAPACITY
1. Hunger and thirst - blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be FILLED. How much do you hunger and thirst for the living God. In a dry and weary land where there's no water, does your soul long and pant for Him as the derr pants for the water Brooks? Do you hunger for true knowledge of God? What are your pursuits in life? What are your priorities. If God is not given first place, forget it. We must seek Him first. Every other thing is secondary.
2. Yieldedness to God. You must be compliant. You must not be rigid but malleable in God's hand. You must surrender to God in totality. No holding back, no reservations. God is looking for those who have made a covenant with Him by sacrifice. Their whole life is offered to God and a whole burnt offering.
3. Obedience. It is like the second. Faith unto the obedience. We have received grace and apostleship unto the obedience of the faith. Obedience is at the core of the demand of the hour. We are blessed when we obey God's word and the promptings of the Spirit.
4. Intimacy with God - this is developed in the place of waiting and sweet fellowship with the Father, the Son and the Spirit as well as with one another. We must come into the secret chambers of God. That place of love and communion. We get to be one with Him. Equally, our participation in fellowship creates enlargement. We cannot play solo. God's endtime agenda will be fulfilled by a BODY whom He has prepared. You must find yourself in that body and function in that body.
5. 2 Tim 2:15 says study to show yourself approved unto God. It means to be up and doing. To hasten, to be in readiness, be vigilant and alert and be diligent and zealous in our profession of the faith which is in Christ. We are enjoined to be circumspect; making haste to redeem the time. We must hasten the coming of the Lord by our preparedness. We must watch and pray and give ourselves to the study of the word. How do you intend to know God when you do not read the scriptures? For they are they which testify of Christ. You cannot know God outside the word.
6. Exercising ourselves: spiritual exercises like fasting, waiting, evangelism, helps, amongst other things creates room for enlargement. We must be deliberate to exercise ourselves in the gifts of the Holy Spirit. When we administer the gifts well overtime, it will mature into ministry. Ministry is service to the house and to every of God's programmes He commits to our hands. You will never develop spiritual muscle or capacity if you do not exercise yourself in spiritual things.
7. Consecration. He that bears the vessel of the Lord must be holy, separated, consecrated. This whole matter of capacity building is hinged on making ourselves fit for God to dwell in us in fullness. The totality of God is to be emptied into us. This is the glory! This is the climax of it all! But it takes clean vessels (consecrated persons who walk in holiness and righteousness) to bear spiritual content. We are and must be a holy habitation for our God. We must develop maximum capacity to contain God and to dispense the grace of God to the world.
So much can be said but for the constraints of time, it suffices to feast on this two fishes and five loaves of bread, trusting God to multiply it, expound the thoughts of it to us. Amen! I have deliberately not quoted scriptures, leaving room for us to begin our first assignment in developing capacity. Put in the appropriate scriptures for every of the thoughts expressed and you'll be glad that you've exercised yourself in a spiritually gainful way to develop your capacity knowledge-base of God's word.
Remain blessed!
