Today we are considering: What Manner of spirit Are You of? or you can put it this way: What Manner of Spirit Am I of in Discipleship or in Ministry? And it's even good we start from where the prayer ended in Isaiah 66 reading rom verse 1, see what the Bible says: “thus says the LORD: “heaven is my throne…” in case you are confused, don’t be. It says: “heaven is my throne and earth…” from North America to South America, from Europe to Africa, from Asia to Australia or what you could call Australasia (a continent that comprises of Australia and New Zealand). Now, anywhere that you could imagine on this earth, the Bible calls it “the footstool of the LORD.” So, you can imagine the size of our God.
It says: “Where is the house that you will build me?” Perhaps you can tell yourself: if only I can build my God a house, my God will be pleased with me. Perhaps if I can give God this offering, my God will be pleased with me. Perhaps, if I can do this, if I can do that, my God will be pleased with me. It means there is an inherent desire or search in a man to please the Lord. It is because we want to please the Lord that we are asking “Lord, should I build you a house?” Now we are looking at this matter as if it is an isolated matter, but a Scripture will connect to it now.
God was asking, and you must understand that the question of God was the product of the questions of men. It was because people were asking questions that God asked questions. It says: Where is the house that you will build me? And where is the place of my rest? See what verse 2 says:
For all those things My hand has made,
And all those things exist,”
Says the Lord.
“But on this one will I look:
It is important that we meditate on this last statement. As humans, when we use these words, it means something. For instance, you are a proprietor of a school and you are like: what kind of gift will any student of that school give to you? And you are thinking that they are planning to gift you, you are the one that gave it to them. But on this student will I look, what are you trying to say? This is the student that will please me. On this student will I be proud. Now, God who made heaven and earth said: where will you build me that would earn you my love, my accolade, my praise? But this is what really turns me on as your LORD: “but on this one will I look, on him is poor and of a contrite spirit and who trembles at my word.”
If I can find a man, find a woman who is poor, and of a contrite spirit, don’t just be poor, in addition to being poor in the spirit, also have a contrite spirit. Because if God combines two things together, don’t separate them. Don’t put asunder. God said on this one will I look at: one who is poor and of a contrite spirit, and one who trembles at my word. So, you must understand that God is turned on by the right spirit. “Create in me a new heart o God, renew in me the right spirit.” So, a wrong spirit, a perverse spirit turns God off, makes God to draw away from man. But on this the LORD is turned on, and attracted, the Lord will always respond to the prayers of this one, the Lord would always back the words of this one. Why wouldn’t the Lord back the word of a man who trembles at His words?
When a man speaks and the power of God accompanies it, is it not because such a man trembles at the word of God? God says “those who honor me I will honor”. So, you tremble at His word, the creations of God will tremble at your word. On this one will I look at, one who trembles at my word. However, he has a contrite spirit. So, we are looking at the nature of that spirit, a contrite spirit. So, if a spirit is opposite of contriteness, that spirit God will not look at. So, it seems to us now that God looks at spirits. Why wouldn’t He? Bible says: God is Spirit and those who worship Him, those who seek to please Him. Don’t forget, that was where we began from.
The whole thing is that men want to please God. When we see religions, they are attempts by men to seek God and to please Him. So now, we can see how it all started. Men wants to please God and God is also attracted to certain spirits. Certain spirits don’t encourage Him and certain spirits encourage Him. Now, at this point now, I want us to go to the book of Luke, haven seen that. Luke 9 and we will read from verse 28-36. The Bible says:
“Now it came to pass, about eight days after these sayings, that He took Peter, John, and James and went up on the mountain to pray. 29 As He prayed, the appearance of His face was altered, and His robe became white and glistening. 30 And behold, two men talked with Him, who were Moses and Elijah…”
Our goal is to answer that question: What Manner of spirit are you of? Bible says:
“Two men talked with Him, who were Moses and Elijah 31 who appeared in glory and spoke of His decease which He was about to accomplish at Jerusalem. 32 But Peter and those with him were heavy with sleep; and when they were fully awake, they saw His glory and the two men who stood with Him. 33 Then it happened, as they were parting from Him, that Peter said to Jesus, “Master, it is good for us to be here…”
Look at it again: Jesus didn’t say anything. And you must remember or note that what came out of their mouths was an exposure of what was in their earth. They thought about it, and they spoke. Without hearing any word from Jesus, they said: “Master, it is good for us to be here and let us make three tabernacles…” God said in Isaiah 66: where is the house that you will build me? Can you see where it is joining together now? So, there is this inherent desire in every man to build God an edifice. We want to work for God. They asked Jesus at a point: How can we do the work of the Father? We want to do the work. Jesus replied them by saying they will do the work by believing in Him that God has sent.
Now these people said: let us make three tabernacles, one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah; and the Bible says not knowing what he said. Verse 34, Bible says: “While he was saying this, a cloud came and overshadowed them; and they were fearful as they entered the cloud. 35 And a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is My beloved Son. Hear Him!”
Now, does that not contradict their initial plans? How they thought they will fulfill the mandate of God on their lives was by building a tabernacle for each one, one for Moses, one for Elijah, one for Jesus. And God said: this is my beloved son. Building the tabernacles is not the primary thing, the primary thing is that you hear Him. Do we see now? Because we are looking at the manner of spirit that we are of. The spirit that a man is of or a woman is of does not fall on them like ripe pawpaw. There is a channel through which it comes. There is a place in Ezekiel where it was written: and the Spirit entered into me. So, I heard a word and a voice and as I was hearing and listening, the Spirit entered into me. So, the same Spirit in the word became the same Spirit in me because I listened.
If you want to have a spirit, then it means you must give attention to that spirit. The Bible says in Romans. “So, faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God.” That is faith towards God. Faith towards men or spirits come by hearing and hearing the word of the spirits. So, if you subject yourself to a kind of spirit, it's only a matter of time, you will share in the same spirit and it will be like a waste of your time listening to a kind of spirit and praying against the same spirit you listen to, a waste of time. You do revival, you do vigil so that spirit will never be comfortable in you, but that is the spirit you are listening to.
God said: hear Him! Did God say: hear them? Now let us look at the last verse: it says: “When the voice had ceased, Jesus was found alone. But they kept quiet, and told no one in those days any of the things they had seen.” When the voice ceased, they found Jesus alone. And that is to show them that they didn’t need to worry about the things they have seen earlier because when all is said and done, only Jesus matters. When all is said and done and the world comes to shake them, when the pressures of life come to examine them, what they must release is the Spirit of Christ.
Now, in the same chapter, let's jump to verse 51. Luke chapter 9:51. We want to see the practicality of what is going on. That's to show us that God who said “hear Him” knew what He was saying. He knew what they were doing. They were busy. Perhaps they were hearing Him, hearing this, hearing that, they were up and down while they were being up and doing. Now let's start from verse 51.
“Now it came to pass, when the time had come for Him to be received up, that He steadfastly set His face to go to Jerusalem, 52 and sent messengers before His face. And as they went, they entered a village of the Samaritans, to prepare for Him. 53 But they did not receive Him, because His face was set for the journey to Jerusalem.”
The Samaritans could not receive Him because the face of the Lord Himself was set to another place. So, was it the fault of those people? Not completely their fault. “And when His disciples, James, and John saw this…”, please do we remember the three brethren that saw Moses, Elijah, and Jesus in glory? They were Peter, James and John. Now, out of the three, only one was missing here. Only brother Peter. But James and John were there. Now these men that heard something, see what happened to them. “And when His disciples James and John saw this, they said, “Lord, do You want us to command fire…” Now, you know they didn’t ask Jesus to command the fire by Himself? They said Lord Jesus, do you want us to command the fire, we will do it. “Do You want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them, just as Elijah did?”
They could have said just like Elijah, our mentor did. Just like Elijah, our model did. Elijah did, we saw it, we believe it, we confess it, that becomes our experience. Under pressure, let us produce what we saw in Elijah. But see the response of the Lord in verse 55. “But He turned and rebuked them, and said…” you know rebuke is a strong word. The Bible didn’t say he turned and stop them. He didn’t counsel them; He didn’t advise them. He didn’t just correct them, He rebuked them. Jesus said: “You do not know what manner of spirit you are of.” So, if Jesus said they did not know, do they know it? So, if you do not know the manner of spirit you are of, are you really of that spirit?
If a man is aware that the spirit of lion is inside of him, will he not function after His awareness? But when you are ignorant, can you behave after it? And if you do not know the spirit you are of, it means there is a disconnection between you and that spirit. The spirit is available, but you are not fully intertwined, you are not fully in sync with that spirit. It means there is a gap between you and that spirit. The Bible says: The Lord is the Spirit… and look at it, where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. The Spirit of the Lord could be in a place but yet people may not be in contact, in direct experience of that Spirit. Jacob said: The Lord was here and I didn't know it.
They were with Jesus. The Holy Spirit was fully in Christ. So, the Holy Spirit was around them. They were hearing the words of the Spirit but at this moment, they were not in full awareness of the Spirit. And so, they could not behave after the Spirit. And do you actually know what normally cause this? When we are exposed to spirits, when we are being built by different spirits at the same time, there is a chance that we might not be fully in any at the same time. You know in James; the Bible was talking about a man who is double-minded. James was very bold and said such a man would not get anything from the Lord because he is double-minded and a double-minded person is unstable in all his ways. The man has many ways, he is not stable in any of them because he has different ways.
That is why God was very clear with the people: no man can serve God and Mammon. If you do that, you will be unstable in all your ways. Joshua said choose whom you will serve this day, whether the god that your fathers served on the other side of the river, but as for me and my family, we will serve the LORD. Simply he was saying that are not double-minded when it comes to them serving the Lord with the whole of their earths. When the apostle Paul was admonishing the believers in Philippians, 2:5, he said: “let this mind be in you that was in Christ…” he didn’t say “let these minds…”
Don’t have many minds, have one mind, and how will it come; by who and what you listen to. So, at this time, these disciples had exposed themselves to Moses and Elijah and because they had done that, they were flowing, certain streams were flowing of them that were not consistent of Christ. You know, James said: can both a fresh water and the salt water flow from the same source? So, where you expose yourself to and what you expose yourself, you know, there was something that was written in Battle of Destination that I cannot forget. It says: your source determines your flow. Where you are connected to, will determine the things that flows through you.
When I was in university, I was a born-again brother. I became born again before entering university. But despite that, every time I was with my wife anywhere, and I had spoken at length, and suddenly, I now use an ‘F’, I almost get a spiritual slap. It is spiritual because it comes with scolding. My wife knew I was born-again, but instantly, she would rebuke me and every time she rebuked me then, it made me feel like I am not born-again. So, it became a source of concern for me, I was praying about it. And suddenly, suddenly, it stopped as if I never said it. Now, if I want to say the same thing, I have to be deliberate. In those days, it comes out accidentally, like an accidental discharge.
But what was creating it, there was an exposure to a fountain that flows it into my heart. A word can’t proceed from your mouth if it never came into your hearts. How did it come? By the things you saw, by the things you heard. So, God said, this is my beloved son, this is the one that is an exact replica of me. Listen to Him, let Him become the source of your knowledge. Source the things you know from Him. If you can do that, then you have sourced the things you must know from me. Because He proceeded for me. Do we understand? Not everything proceeds from God. But He proceeded from me. Now let's look at it again. Because I said not everything proceeded from God, you know I've said that, but let's find it again, so that we will know whetherI was adding my own to it.
Let's read verse 55 again: “but He turned and rebuked them and said…” let me replace ‘you’ with James and John “do not know what manner of spirit they are of.” Now see what verse 56 says: “For the Son of Man did not come to destroy men’s lives but to save them.” And they went to another village.” We have read this earlier it is just that we didn’t pay attention, there was a comparison that was done earlier between Jesus, Moses and Elijah. And the disciples thought Jesus was like them But Jesus was saying I have not come to destroy lives, others before me could have destroyed lives, but I did not come to do so. I came to save.
So, if you are of mine, then you must save lives with your words. When you say fire, come down consume, you know you have to speak it. We use our words, to destroy lives. But Jesus said, the Spirit that is consistent with His Spirit is a spirit that uses words to save lives. Now, look at it again. It says: let me read that again: “for the Son of Man did not come to destroy men's lives but to save them and they went to another village.” So how do you know if you are of a spirit? You save men's lives with your words. You know they say word is like egg, once it comes out, that is all. You cannot get it back again. It breaks into pieces. That's how a word can break lives into pieces. A word can bind them. That's why the assignment of Christ to the poor says to preach the good news to the poor. They are already poor.
It is like somebody is down. The only word that is useful to the person is the word that is uplifting. You can't bring somebody that is down, down, you must take the person up. If you want to help somebody that is hungry, you give the person food. So, the kind of spirit that you are of will also influence what you use your words for. We live in a world where almost everybody is being made to think he or she is nobody. If you must add value to my life, then you are making me to be somebody or to think I'm somebody. Now, while we are concluding, let's just read Hebrews chapter 1:1-2 for us to have a better idea, although we also read Deuteronomy, as the Lord gives us grace. The Bible says:
“God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets…” do we see that? In the times past. Any time God wanted His people to know Him, to hear from Him, He used the prophets, you wouldn’t blame God for it, that was the stage the people were in. There were times when they wanted to teach us in primary school how to count, they use one object and two other objects, and then they collect them together and then they will tell us to count them. Some of us were giving stones inside bottles, and then count any number from it. But is that how it was done today? No! So, when you were young, you were brought up in that manner to help your understanding. Now you are of age, your comprehension has been developed, you can learn virtually. Do we see it? The same knowledge, but two different means.
Everything is not tied to the knowledge, is tied to the growth of the people. Now look at it. Verse 2: “has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things…” Now, do we know the meaning of the phrase ‘heir of all things?’ Another word is ‘the inheritor of all things.’ Another word for it is the ruler, because the heir is the one that replaces the king in rulership. So, when you now say heir of all things, it means He is made the ruler of all things, He has authority over all things. So, in the time past, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets. So, anytime our fathers want to tells us what God told them, they will say “prophet so and so and so said and I quote.” And they were fine. It is an aberration for you to go about quoting men now, when God has instituted His son as a means of communication.
When you catch revelation today, you should catch it in Christ Jesus. When you want to learn out or add or subtract or how to walk or jump or fly, you learn it in Christ. As you see it in Christ, you do. Don't look at Elijah and do when Christ has come for you. Look at it in case you say I'm the one who has the choice. I can choose to look at Elijah, does he concern you, brother? If you choose to follow Elijah, see what would have happened to those people. Fire would have killed those people in Samaria just on a matter that is not totally their fault. The Bible said the reason they didn’t receive Jesus was because the face of Jesus was set on another place, was it their fault? It didn’t require death.
Elijah said: chose whether Baal is the god or the Living God. But do you know what Elijah did to those who didn't choose God? He slaughtered them! That was a ministry, but is that the ministry of Christ? So, if you do that now, you could still call yourself a Christian, but you are behaving in a different spirit. And God said on this one, we I look at, one who is poor and have a contrite spirit and who trembles at my word. So, you could ask yourself, am a man of God, I'm a preacher, I'm a servant of the Lord. Do I behave in the manner of Spirit of Christ's or in the manner of spirit of Moses?
The Pharisees told some people: ‘we are of Moses disciples.’ Who is a disciple? A disciple is one who listens to another one. So, God was mandating other people to be discipled by Jesus. They said, even when Jesus was with them, we will not be discipled by Him, we will be discipled by Moses. And God made the judgments. God said, don’t listen to Moses to become like Moses. Don't listen to Elijah to become like Elijah. If Elijah spoke like Jesus, listen to that. If Moses spoke about Jesus, listen to that. But whom must you listen to? Listen to Jesus. Why? He is from God. The Bible calls Him the express image of the invisible God.
Haven realized that Jesus is the express image of the invisible God, the means through which we are connected to things in the kingdom. Bible says: God has made Him heir of all things. If you are looking for some things, who is the ruler of that thing? Christ. If you believe it, you will never lack it. Jesus clearly called Himself Prince of peace, if that thing that is lacking in your life is peace, Jesus is the Prince of Peace, the heir of peace, He rules over peace. If you are looking for anything, it is in Christ. If you read Colossians, the Bible made to understand that God has put all things under Him. So, that is just like tautology or that we are repeating the truth.
Now, in Deuteronomy chapter 18 from verse 15 downwards, Moses made certain statements, that the LORD your God will raise up a prophet like me and from among you, he says, him You should listen to. If any prophet speaks a word that I the Lord did not put in their mouth, such a prophet must die. But there was a strong word for anyone who refused to listen to him, that prophet. You know, Bible says in that Hebrews, anytime God wanted to speak to our fathers, who did God send? So, when Elijah wants to talk about the one that God wants to send, do you want him to call Him another name? That's what he was used to. Lest you now group Jesus among the prophets, Jesus was vindicated by God. Bible says, a voice came from heaven, and it says: “This is my beloved son, hear Him.”
This is not just a prophet. He is my son. Of course, a prophet is a messenger, a messenger of righteousness, a messenger of the truth. He embodies the kingdom. He goes about preaching repent for the kingdom of God is at hand. That makes Him a messenger. He brings the good tidings of the kingdom. He came to tell the people that the hour of salvation has come, that makes Him a prophet. But beyond the Prophet, He was everything. Bible says: He has become the heir of all things. If Apostle Paul can say “I've become all things to all men”, so you could imagine Jesus. Although He was rich, yet He became poor. And we through His poverty have become rich.
He became all things. You have a choice to build your life around the epistle of Moses. To say: as for me, I am a mosaic believer. Me I am an Elijah, the spirit of Elijah is upon me, as long as you are quoting that, you can look spiritual, but you are lacking in the kingdom. Jesus said it clearly, out of all. If fact, Jesus used the word, there is no prophet that is greater than John, but the least in the kingdom, the kingdom that Christ brought, is greater than he. So, if you now build your life to be like Elijah, who is like the, the forerunner of John, what happens to you? Your greatness is not compared to the greatness in the kingdom. Do we understand?
At a point, John the Baptist, he sent his messengers to Jesus, are you the one that is coming or do we wait for another, the great prophets? It got to a point that he was overwhelmed. Did you ever see Jesus do like that? And Jesus had to ask them that: when you were looking for John, who were you looking for? Were you looking for the reed that was easily blown by the wind or were you looking for the one that was clothed? That is when He now said: out of all prophets. He didn’t bring him down or belittled his ministry, He said he was the greatest. But the least in this kingdom is greater than him, you have the choice to make. Would you follow orders of your fathers or would you follow the pattern that God has instituted?
Would you go about building your ministry after the principles and the pillars of Moses? Some people will say Seven books of Moses. Or maybe some people have the Eighteen books of Elijah. Why you could succeed or perform well; you wouldn't be fulfilling your ministry. The ministry that God has given to you is after the order of Christ. If you have been born again through Christ, then you must listen to Christ and be raised up in
