In this Q&A video, Pastor Bill Johnson discusses how to test a word from the Lord and the importance of feeding our hearts on what God has said.
hello welcome once again to revival
chats it’s my privilege to host my name
is Dan Farrelly and I’m part of the
Bethel pastoral team and I’m here with
Bill Johnson senior leader it’s good to
be together that’s nice yeah it’s
another time when we just get folks have
sent in questions and so we might be all
over the place and already know there’s
one that’s gonna stomp es Sophia don’t
you have every answer for every other
question yeah yeah one of the folks that
wrote in said that they’ve heard you say
that when we receive a word that a word
we received from God must be tested
could you expand on this how do you test
this but not operate in a spirit of
opposition the word of Lord in the
context of that particular teaching when
I say every word is to be tested I don’t
mean that we test it when when we have a
word from the Lord that word will be
tested it will be opposed Matthew 13
when he talks about when Jesus taught
about the parable of the seed and the
sower which is a cornerstone parable it
affects our understanding of others yeah
when he taught on the seed Nisour he
said when persecution opposition
affliction arises because of the word in
other words the word into our life
attracts opposition the enemy doesn’t
want it to take root he doesn’t want it
to for us to bear fruit and so he’s you
know the Lord gives you an encouraging
word that you know you’re a great father
and you’re going to have many multiple
generations of people who follow him so
there’s this word given to you to
encourage you well the enemy will start
addressing well but you did this wrong
or well you but you did you know or or
well but look at these godly parents and
their kids didn’t do so well so what is
he doing
he’s opposing the word over your life
and what we have to do is we feed our
heart on what God has said not in what
he hasn’t said and what the enemy does
is he gives us an option another option
besides what the word of the Lord is
this has no power the revelation is all
power but if I lend my heart to the
powerless word it undermines the word
that has power that makes sense
so it’s it’s like we’re guardians of
what God has given us you know we’re the
only ones with the key to the garden of
our own heart so I have to protect what
God said so the word is opposed so that
we can see the strength of the word but
the Lord mercifully allows the enemy to
bring up another option because then we
get a reward for our beat obedience
there’s no reward where there’s no
options but in this for the scripture
though so that’s the context like once
the word of Lord is like we’ve figured
out what it is and and that we don’t
deviate from that we realized the
enemy’s gonna bring opposition sure sure
but the scripture passes it’s a test
everything you know hold to the good and
then Corinthians were let one prophet
stand and then the prophet and then fast
if it’s the word Lord exactly how does
that fit in this context is well that’s
that’s the process we use to come to
realize what is from God once we’ve
realized it we have to we are obligated
to hold to that we’re done testing at
that plant once once we’ve identified it
and I’m sure this has happened to you
too or there’s certain things that come
to you you know I don’t want to sound
unbiblical you don’t need to test it it
came so proven that it was from the Lord
that you almost are embarrassed to say
you know please confirm I mean the way
it can such a specific answer to a
specific question the way it came it was
it was so confirmed to you that there’s
no more question yeah but that maybe
would be part of the test the fact that
it has already come proven other things
are good ideas and they you know they
they may be nice thoughts they might be
and there’s to be cool if this happened
and and we really need to test and see
whether or not that idea came from the
Lord if it was really something that
he’s blessing or not and so we take it
through that process for sure but some
things come so proven that I would feel
like an unbeliever to say this is really
you yeah you know I wish it was
everything but that’s not that way but
but but testing to see if it’s from the
Lord that’s the important process but
once you once you know don’t question
from that point yeah it’s not that he
won’t answer it’s just it’s not a good
way to develop trust you know
it reminds me the story of Gideon which
is always a just such an odd story in
the sense of the guy has an angel come
and talk to him and they still the
speaks encouragement over his life like
you know you’re amazing man he’s like
that’s not that’s not enough yeah how do
I know this it’s because we you know
it’s a story the Lord’s graciousness at
some logo with a pretty much an
obstinate guy yeah who you know needs
lots of signs to actually kind of get
into where he’s supposed to be you know
like I want you to raise up an army it’s
like are you sure you know I’m gonna
sneak yeah yeah the ultimate is he says
if you’re afraid go into the enemy’s
camp yeah and so the next thing he’s in
the enemy’s camp tells us he’s afraid
after all these actions happen the Lord
sends us to the weirdest place is to get
encouragement you know if an angel
showing up isn’t gonna do it while
saying yes absolutely it so he’s not
quite the model yeah you know a lot of
things were the Lord just was gracious
all through the process even though the
people didn’t do well and we are in that
number two houses grace covers however
there is the principle that when doors
says something you know he doesn’t
repeat himself always and it’s it’s the
foolishness to think well he’ll just
he’ll give me another chance though
that’s not always the case
that’s um you know I I love to preach
about the second chance and the third
chance that God gives us and it’s true
they’re not everything not everything
comes that way some things are too
unique and special to keep repeating our
options keep repeating chances they have
to be embraced in that moment because
it’s that kind of courage that can
contain it once you get to break through
so anyway it’s it’s all part of the the
fun process of hearing what he says and
then just holding to it you know yeah