HOW I TRAIN MY SPIRIT TO HEAR THE VOICE OF GOD WHEN BAD THINGS WANT TO HAPPEN BY PASTOR CHRIS

0:00 You know, sometimes you have this deep feeling that something's going wrong and you don't know exactly what it concerns. The times you're not sure what it is. You just know within your spirit this is not okay. And sometimes, you know, the spirit of God trying to get you do something and you you may be too hard-headed to listen. I remember one time some years ago, I was having a uh I believe it was a convention of some kind and uh we set out to go. I was driving. [Music]

0:46 I was to speak during this session of meetings and I wanted to be there this particular day [Music] but it was getting late and I was wondering why am I not leaving as early as I want to. Everything that could stop me from leaving as early as I wanted seemed to be happening. Finally, I drove out of Lagos about 2:00 p.m. [Music] But uh after I gone about 20 25 minutes, [Music]

1:32 I had this heaviness within my spirit. Not knowing why, I thought through everything. What could be wrong? What could be wrong? What could be wrong? Wasn't sure. So, I decided, okay, maybe I'll just go back and change all the tires because, you know, I want to fly. You understand? So I drove back to Lagos, got to one of the guys and asked them to remove all four tires and replace them. They did all this little over 2 hours.

2:18 I started the journey. Now I was more more confident. But I had been told there was nothing wrong with the tires. I don't know why, but you know, I I just But this delay was there and I had to go back and remove all the tires and then get back on the way. Eventually got into Benin City. And I told Reverend Tom, I said, "We got to go." He said, "Tonight." I said, "Yes, we're going." So hopped into the car and off to worry. As we got to the gate of the hotel where I was supposed to stay, they told me that the arm has just finished with everybody

3:06 and that they went from room to room. This was several years ago. So they had visited all the guests. So you see why I went back to Lagos. when you have in your spirit, it's like, you know, a lot of times we don't like to recognize when the spirit of God is getting our attention. We don't like to listen, especially if it's trying to get our attention about something that we really want to do. A certain fellow wanted to go into this company how he wanted to work there.

3:55 He went to his pastor and the pastor said, "Why do you want to go there?" Oh, he said, "I I I've I've always dreamed of working there anyway." So he convinced the pastor and uh he went shortly after he started the company was closed. [Music] Where's he going to go from there? The dream's over, right? Because the spirit of God had been talking to him about not going there and he wasn't going to listen. He wasn't going to listen.

4:42 [Music] Anticipating evil is what I'm talking about. as a young guy married with two lovely children and um he said he wanted to relocate with his family to some Greenland. So he had been very involved in a church. The pastor loved the family. they you know they they were very much involved in the church everything was fine but he wanted a new life and um

5:30 the wife was in support you know sometimes some people don't pray oh they just if the thing sounds nice they are ready so he traveled When he got there, after he got himself good accommodation and everything, the wife was waiting, you know, for him to send for them. So he sent her a letter that please, I have decided to start a new life here. So you face your own life.

6:19 You see the point is you know where do some people get husband from hell you know where do they get them from? And also that some husbands you know where they get wife from hell. You know, people who are so unreasonable, so wicked. No, this guy was the nicest guy you would meet. He was so I mean, he was he was it. No wonder she fell for him. Listening to your inside, listening to the voice of the spirit within you. will keep you from many hurts,

7:10 will keep you from a lot of ham listening within you. Train your spirit to listen. And I told you, if you want your spirit to be a sure guide, you need to study the word of God. You don't know the word of God, you are sunk. That's for sure. Because you see, the Holy Spirit speaks to you with the voice of God's word. That's how he speaks to you. And you also have to understand it's not, you know, sometimes some people say, "Well, but I want to do this for God."

7:56 Does God want it? Did you know that a certain king was killed? King Uzziah was killed. First he became lepros and um carried away until his death. What happened to him? He was a prosperous king. Everything was good with this guy. The Bible says God made him to prosper until he said one day, "I know it's the priest that offer the incense to God, but I I think I'd like to do that too." So he went into the temple of God and decided to offer the incense to God, which was the job of the priest. So the

8:43 priest stormed into the temple and said, "Oh, king, live forever. But this thing you want to do is the responsibility of the priests. So we advise you to stay out of this. The Bible says his pride was too much. He wouldn't listen to the priest. So he went ahead and offered it. And as he did, right away leprosy struck him. And the priests saw that he had become lepous. and immediately carried him out of the temple. But he wanted to offer the incense to God.

9:29 What was wrong with that? What was wrong with that was no man taketh this honor upon himself. [Music] That's what the Bible says. you know a certain church got split. You know the the the elders were very angry. So they moved out of the church and they started another church. So when they started another church they called one of the senior members among them that you will be our pastor. So they anointed him. is like the king Zedekiah who was made king by the king of

10:16 Babylon. So they appointed him to be their pastor. So he was pastoring under the anointing of these elders. See, it pays to serve God God's way. Are you hearing me? It pays to serve God God's way. You may be a better preacher than the pastor. That don't make you the pastor.

11:04 You may know the Bible more than the pastor, but no one is called to be a pastor because he has known the Bible. [Music] Are you listening to what I'm telling you? Many people don't know how to anticipate evil. They don't know when the hand of God is against them. They don't know. They don't know when the hand of God is against them. Always you ask yourself, "This thing I'm going into, this thing that I want to do,

11:49 what does the word of God say about it?" Ask yourself, I told you the other day how that Paul wanted to go and preach in Asia and the spirit said no. But God already said go into all the world. He could have argued with God. He could have argued with him within himself to say that cannot be God. God says go into all the world and preach the gospel. How can he stop me from going to Asia? Definitely it's not God. No, there's specific guidance. But he wasn't listening to the voice of God's spirit. Then he decided to go to Bethnia and the spirit of God said no. What did Paul do? He stayed back. For some others, they go right ahead and get punished.

12:35 He stayed back. Hallelujah. There are things that we find ourselves doing and they are just traps. They are traps. It's not every open door you enter. Some open doors are traps. [Music] Are you following this? Some open doors are traps. I mean that story we we just read from the Acts chapter 27. Did you notice what

13:21 happened? Paul said to them, "Sars, let us stay here and not go. The the the journey I perceive will be dangerous." And now winter was coming. And they said, "But this place is not good for us to winter in. Let's move over to Crit. It's all part of Crit, you know, another part." They said let's go over there. [Music] So the owner of the ship had argued that look this is a business I know. So the centurion decided okay and majority of the people agreed with the owner of the ship

14:07 and they decided to leave. When they left, the Bible says the weather got better and they said, "Look, we have achieved our purpose. Everywhere has become calm." That rascal over there trying to tell us what to do. And they were happy. And then all of a sudden, the weather changed. Suddenly the winds became postures, tossing the ship this way and that way until by themselves they started throwing away everything. For many days they couldn't see the sun. They couldn't see the stars. It was dark. Two weeks

14:53 in the dark. Then we read something. He said, "Finally, all hope that we should be saved was lost." They had lost all their belongings. They've cast everything into the ship to lighten the ship. What they were now fighting for was their own lives until all hope of being saved was lost. And Paul said to them, "You should have hearkened unto me when I told you to stay back." Now listen, this is very important.

15:40 Just because, see, just because um you've prayed about it, somebody says, "Well, I've prayed about it." Prayer should help you get into God's will. When you pray, you listen to God. You don't pray and tell God, follow me. I'm going, so I have prayed, so follow me. He's not your errand boy. When you pray, you listen to God. Then the spirit of God convinces you. So you follow him.

16:26 But many times we think that okay I prayed about it and because I have prayed about it it's okay. Paul prayed about it. They still lost everything. Only their lives were saved. Why? Listen. Paul was a prisoner there. Don't forget he was the prisoner. He it was not a a holiday. He was a prisoner with a few others. [Music] and they were being taken to Caesar because he had appealed to Caesar. So he was under Roman guard as a prisoner. It was not his choice to go on that ship.

17:12 And the angel said to him, "Be not afraid, Paul, for thou must be brought before Caesar. you'll get to your destination. And God has given you the lives of all those who are sailing with you. Which means the only reason they were saved was because of Paul. Because Paul was not the one who was hardheaded. He would have listened, but they forced him to come along. Come along. [Music] They dragged him on and he was a priest. So he had to appeal and pray to God, Lord, I know that we are on the wrong journey

17:57 and pray for the salvation of the lives of these men. Praise God. Hallelujah. You still there? Yes, sir. So don't say, "Oh God, I've decided I'm going to do this." You said whatever we ask. You said, "So you'll be with me." You said, "Look, I'm with you always. So I claim it that you are with me." Part of part of what you are claiming is spiritual guidance. And in that guidance, God tells you, "Son, not this way." So you should listen.

18:42 [Music] He said, "The spirit of God when he comes, the spirit of truth shall guide you into all truth, for he shall not speak of himself, but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak, and he will show you things to come." That's in John 16:3. He will show you things to come. So you should be, you know, you should, you should decide in your own mind to listen to God, listen to his spirit. And I did tell you on Sunday about these prophets that we get all around us. You remember there's some people who are always hanging around to prophesy to us.

19:28 Okay? And uh I told you on Sunday how many many people have had their businesses destroyed because of one brother so and so who was very good as a prophet. Okay. Meanwhile he was not a prophet at all. Now they bring him they want they they have a a new business they want to do. They call him brother prophet to come and pray along and then he always see something. I see he always see something for them. The Bible didn't say as many as are led by prophets. It says as many as are led

20:14 by the spirit. The spirit, not the prophets. You need to be careful in your life. You know, I believe in prophetic utterance. I believe but um when you talk about prophecy that reveals the future and about one's life, it's not the gift of prophecy that is in operation. The gift of prophecy may help to bring it out, but that revelation of the future actually has to do more with the word of wisdom and the word of knowledge

20:59 as contained within the office of a prophet. Not the gift of prophecy. The gift of prophecy serves for three major things. Turn in there. 1 Corinthians chapter 14. Have you found it? Read verse 3. 1 2 go. [Music] He that prophesieth speaketh unto men, unto men to edification

21:46 and exaltation and comfort. Those three things, the gift of prophecy would speak onto you to edification, exhortation, and comfort. Doesn't tell you about your future. Except, of course, where um it's a prophetic utterance for exultation, comfort about the future. but doesn't reveal your future as it were. [Music] Like come and look at this business for

22:33 me. I want you to pray. I have this man I want to marry. I have this woman I want to marry. Then you call three people with the gift of prophecy. They should assemble and they all start praying. [Music] And they will see something. They will surely see something because they were as stupid as yourself. You see what I mean? Because for you to call them that was stupidity in the first place and they too stupidly came and said, "All right, all right." So tell us what the matter is. You now told them say, "Okay, let's pray and pray because they're ignorant of the scriptures." This is what causes problems on many people. That's why you find some Christians after everything has been all all right with them for

23:19 many years somewhere along the line they just fade off. They just fade away because they kept following these wrong principles just fade away because the the word of God is no longer sufficient for them. Then you have those wives who believe, you know, they're very smart. They use prophecy to control their husbands. See, my wife is very spiritual and she too, she's smart. She knows. [Applause] [Music]

24:04 [Applause] Before long, she prophesies to him that all the cousins must leave the house. There's a witch in the house. There's a witch. Always. There's always a witch. And it will certainly be the smallest cousin that came from the village. Is a witch that must go. There's a witch in the house. Don't try to control your husband with prophecy. [Music] Say only what God says. Don't add to it.

24:49 Don't add to it. It could destroy that marriage. Just a matter of time until you finally prophesy him into a business that you thought he should do or because he's close to a certain friend of his and you don't like that friendship, you start said the Lord. Thus said the Lord, be you not unequally yolked together with unbelievers. [Applause] [Music] Just just sit down with him, open the Bible and discuss it. Don't use prophecy to do it

25:35 because after a while, you better be ready to sustain the marriage with prophecy. I didn't say don't prophesy. I'm just telling you to be careful and let the word of God be your firm foundation. Let God's word be your foundation. The Bible says, "Test the spirits whether they be of God." Test the spirits. Test the spirits. Every once in a while you have a group of brethren in the church that in in a

26:22 church, not necessarily in this church, they find themselves uh uh gravitating towards one brother or sister from somewhere who is said to be very gifted. Before you know what, every Tuesday they gather there to this brother's place. [Music] He doesn't come to church. He probably goes elsewhere or stays at home to see from God. And then they come here on Sunday, come here on Wednesday, on Tuesday in between they go to somewhere where this brother

27:09 teaches them the Bible. [Music] What pastor Chris could not finish on Sunday. That brother now takes it up. So all the questions they could not ask me here, they take to him over there to be asking. and he starts explaining. Let me tell you something. It's always the way out of truth. [Music] I've been a Christian many years and I have seen this kind of groups again and again often with um you know they usually have a good mind a

27:57 good motive but good motive is not enough. Usuza had a good motive when the ark of God stumbled and he tried to stop it. But the Bible says the anger of the Lord was kindled against Usuza and he killed him. God killed him for touching the ark. He had a good motive. Good motive is not enough. See there are two types of sins. You got to understand this. You have spiritual sins and then you have physical sins that people commit or either uh well whether

28:44 with physical sins but the spiritual sins are those saints that are very dangerous and you can only know them through the light of the scripture. For example, pride is a spiritual sin. It is difficult to to define. You cannot know pride except through the word of God. You can't know it. You can say someone is proud because you think he is. That doesn't mean he's proud because pride is of the spirit. He's of the heart. Only God's word can judge pride.

29:32 You can accuse anybody of pride. Doesn't mean he's proud. You might be the one that are actually proud. You see, but the word of God is the only one that can discern pride. And that's why when when when such a person studies the word of God, he will discover that oh this is pride. This is what God calls pride. Rebellion. What is rebellion? It is very difficult to discover. [Music] Bible says rebellion is as witchcraft. Stubbornness is as iniquity. What is rebellion? Very simple thing. God said to Saul, "Go and destroy

30:18 Amalecch." And then he didn't really do it. He did part of it, okay? And came back, kept some things which he said he was going to sacrifice to God. Samuel came and said, "Have you obeyed the commandment of the Lord?" He said, "Oh yes, I have." Then Samuel said, "So what is this beating of the sheep that are here?" Oh, he said, "Oh, um, the people took them to sacrifice them unto God." Samuel said, "Really?" He said, "Saul, to obey is better than sacrifice." To obey is better than sacrifice.

31:14 Okay, that group I just talked about now and that fellowship that those people went to, they could uh gather there for as many times as they want. And then the leader there now says, "Okay, I want you to send this seed to Pastor Chris, tell him that we we really appreciate him. We're very glad." And then they now take the seed and come here and say, "Pastor, there's a fellowship we have been attending." He answers all our questions and lays hand on us every week. So he told us to bring this seat to you that you've really blessed his life. And I say brethren, did I ask you to go there? Is it one of your t leaders? No. Is it one of your pastors? No. Did I send you there? No. To obey is better than this sacrifice. And to the fat of rams.

32:02 Take this seed. go and give it back to him and come back and stay in church. You see what I mean? To obey is better than sacrifice. To hacken than the fat of rams. He told him, he said, "Rebellion is as witchcraft." So he called that rebellion. But that's not the way Saul saw it. That's not what he thought. He was shocked. And Samuel said, "Now the Lord

32:50 has turned his back on you and has rejected you from being king." [Music] In shock, Saul began to plead with him. Please, I'm sorry. That's not what I thought. We we we brought them to sacrifice to God. I'm sorry. We brought the best of the sheep, the best of the oxen. I'm very sorry. Someone said, "Leave me alone." Then he hung on to his sketch and it got turned and he says, "I have told you as you have turned this thing, so has the kingdom been turned away from you. It got worse."

33:36 See how that man lost that kingdom for violating simple instructions. See, spiritual saints are very they they're simple things. Let me give you a story. You know, can Ehagen said something some years ago that was very touching. He had been uh uh he was called into the office of a prophet, but he enjoyed the ministry of a teacher more. So he preferred to function as a teacher more than he would in the office to which God called him primarily. So one day he had an accident.

34:21 He fell and broke his arm and the spirit of God said to him that he'll talk to him later about it. Finally Jesus appeared to him and said to him, "You had that accident because I was trying to get your attention." Why? He said, "If I had not allowed that to happen to you, you would not." Now, he was at this time 35 years old. I want you to notice he was at this time 35 years old when this thing happened. Then the Lord said, "You would not have lived past the age of 55 because you put your teaching ministry above your prophetic ministry which is against the order of the word of God."

35:11 Because of that he would not live past the age of 55. Now, so he got his attention with that accident and said, "So now put this straight and you will live past that age." He put it straight and he knew he would live past the age of 55. He died at 86. Way past 55. [Music] How simple. Can you imagine that kind of a saying was going to cost him his life? Something as simple as that. Yeah, in the eyes of men it's simple, but not with God. I told you on Sunday about Moses striking the rock.

35:58 Cuz he was angry. And God said, Moses, you don't strike the rock. You talk to the rock. He says, "For this you will see the promised land, but you will not enter." Imagine that. [Music] Spiritual sins are the the the little things in the eyes of men. You wonder, so what's this all about? It's not what's this all about? It's what does God say it is? What does God say it is? Someone was so angry and he said, "Ah, the pastor said you must come and see pastor my food." He was angry. Pastor, my food.

36:45 Not food though. Food. Hallelujah. Glory to God. Hallelujah. Develop your spirit. Develop your spirit. Tell somebody, develop your spirit. Develop your spirit. But to do that, say it. Say, to do that, you must listen to the word. that has already been written for us. That has already been written for us. Yeah. Yeah. Because that's the voice of God to us. The scriptures. The scriptures given to us. That's the voice of God to us. That's how you learn the voice of God.

37:30 Know the scriptures. You know, some people are praying. They want God to talk to them. They say, "After all, what I'm asking God for? If you open the Bible, you won't see it. I'm asking God between shell and mobile, which one should I go to? How how now can I know it from the Bible? If you study that Bible, you will know the difference. You will know when God is saying shell or mobile or none of them. You will know. The guy was interested in three ladies in church. He wasn't quite sure of their names, but he just liked them. So finally got a friend of his together and he said that we're going to pray. There are three ladies I like in church. God is going to show us which one. So

38:17 finally at one said um the one whose name is in the Bible is the one that God has chosen. So they went and found out that the three of them had their names in the Bible. Further confusion. Hallelujah. Okay. Do you know how to do draw your sword? Some people do draw your sword to tell the will of God. Let me show you draw your sword. When I was a young Christian, I also did it. Father speak.

39:03 [Music] [Applause] So you open it and can I tell you something? Several times God actually spoke to me like that. I'm telling you, he did until I started learning God's word. And then as I knew better and I did, my conscience was worrying me. You know why? Because I knew that the middle part I I was too familiar with my Bible. I knew where the middle area was. Proverbs,

39:48 Psalms, they are the middle part of the Bible. If I move this way, I'm going to Jeremiah. I don't like Jeremiah. So, which side should I go? So, I devised a new method. Lord, I'm just going to let the Bible fall. [Applause] [Music] You know what Paul said? When I was a child, I spoke as a child. I understood as a child.

40:36 I thought as a child. He said, "When I became a man, I put away childish things." Put away childish things. Grow up. Put away childish things. That's not the way God wants to talk to you. He doesn't want to do this to talk to you. He wants to talk to you in your spirit. That's the shest guide. But it must be trained. It must be trained.

41:21 See that spirit must be trained. Hallelujah. That spirit must be trained. And some of the things we're doing, some of the things we're doing like sharing along these lines will help you begin to have the consciousness of spiritual guidance. You know, sometimes when you find yourself not having sufficient finances over a long period of time or going through some some pain over a protracted period of time, those things you get your attention, they should let you know your way of doing things is wrong.

42:10 [Music] And so you must adjust. I told you I did a personal study on why people suffer for a long time. It got my attention. I wanted to know why do people go through problems for a very long time. Suffer either a health problem or financial problem, an emotional problem for a very long time. Why? And I found the answers from the scriptures. So, um, it's never God's will. It's never God's will for you to go through like that for a long time.

42:56 Make up your mind. Make up your mind. Don't become used to a situation. There must be progress. There must be progress in your personal life. There must be progress. God wants to see progress in your life, in every area of your life. He wants to see it. It's his desire and he has made everything available that should ensure that you make that progress. It's God's dream for you. Hallelujah. It's God's dream for you. Say, I'm making progress in the name of Jesus. I'm making progress in the name of Jesus. I will develop my spirit. I

43:44 will develop. See, God wants to make you his dream. He has a dream for you and he wants you to be that dream that he has for you. life can be better than what it is now. God says the wilderness shall become a fruitful field and the fruitful field shall become a forest. Hallelujah. So if if if there's been dryness in your life, it can become a fruitful field. And if you have had a fruitful field, it can become a forest, which means it's got to be progress.

44:33 Say it again. I'm making progress. I'm making progress. By the power of the Holy Spirit. By the power of the Holy Spirit. I'm making progress. I'm making progress. By the hand of God. By the hand of God. I'm making progress. I'm making progress. I'm getting greater by the day. I'm getting by the day. The knowledge of God. The knowledge of God is in my spirit. is in my spirit. The knowledge of God The knowledge of God is in my spirit. is in my spirit. And I'm winning. And I'm winning. I'm a victor. I'm a victor. Because greater is he Because greater is he that is in me that is in me than he that he that is in the world. That is in the world. Thank you, Father. Thank you, Father. For making me a victor. For making me a victor. For

45:20 making me a success. Making me a success. And I am prospering. I am in every way. in every way. I'm moving forward. I'm moving forward. In the name of Jesus. I see me. I see me moving forward. Moving forward. I see me. I see me being influential being influential for the gospel. for the gospel. I see me I see me changing lives. Changing lives. I see me I see me making a difference. by the power of the Holy Spirit. by the power of the Holy Spirit. Thank you, Father. Thank you, Father. Your kingdom is at work in me. You are at work in me.

46:06 Heaven is at work in me. Hallelujah. Thank you for watching this video. We hope you found today's message uplifting and encouraging. If you enjoyed this video, please give it a thumbs up and share it with someone who may need to hear this message. Don't forget to subscribe to our channel for daily inspiring content. Together, let's continue to spread the light of Christ and make a difference in the world. God bless you and we will see you in our next video. Bye-bye. [Music]