Are They Really Hearing Jesus?

By Michael Wells
Posted Friday, April 9, 2004

Over the years I have had similar experiences to yours of people walking up to me and telling me that they had a word from Jesus for me. The words have been as varied as the people. Some have told me I was out of God’s will to be traveling to minister and needed to return home immediately. Others have told me that the Lord was telling me to go out. Go out or come in, which is it? All purport to be speaking on God’s behalf. How do we know the difference? There is no doubt that genuine words from Jesus can come through the conduit of another believer, but His word will not be an attempt to create something in us, but to witness to what is already there. God is a very intimate God and doesn’t tell our secrets to others; He is far too confidential for that. Therefore, someone’s telling me about a “hidden sin” or a “dark heart” is not received. When a word does come that could be construed to be negative, it will--if it is truly from the Lord--lift the spirit, for with the word will come the power and the truth to set me free. There is another problem with some so-called “words of the Lord.” The carnal will use them as a method of manipulation, invoking the Lord’s name and our love for Him to move us in their direction. Saying, “The Lord said . . .” really means, “Keep off the grass and don’t question me.” A sure sign that this is happening is that the one speaking refuses to be questioned. The carnal want theirs to be the last word. Probably the most pertinent question when judging if something is from God or man is simply, “Why didn’t Jesus tell me?” Any parent will tell you that when one child is representing the parent to another sibling, something isn’t right. If I want to tell my child something, I simply tell him, I don’t send another to speak for me. If God wants to tell us something, and we know His sheep hear His voice, why would He send someone else? There are examples of His doing that in the Old Testament, and the people knew exactly what the prophet was talking about; it wasn’t something vague or something that they couldn’t see was wrong. This brings us to one other point, which is that the carnal make things vague to protect themselves. It reminds me of the Indian fortuneteller standing on the corner and saying to each person passing by, “You seem happy, but something is wrong deep inside!” On any given day, he would be spot on for at least half of the people. God has no need to be vague, and the “words of the Lord” calculated to appeal to the flesh are. “You are going to have an expanded ministry!” “You are going to have all your riches returned to you!” “You are going to have healing!” It is all so appealing to the flesh. I would rather hear, “You are in Him, and so being in Him, He will bring the revelation of Christ in you, the hope of glory!” Carnal men want to give a word that is spectacular. Again, always question the motive behind what is being said to you. Is the motive to move you toward Jesus? The “word” should bring neither condemnation nor exaltation; it should be about Him. Now, I have received tremendous encouragement from the words of believers that were not from them but from Him. Therefore, don’t let all the phony words deter you when a blessing is to be had. Simply judge what is being said.