A couple weeks ago, I saw a Facebook post where a religious leader was ‘going off’ because someone used some of ‘her words’ in their own post. She seemed to be upset because they were using her idea or the foundation of her message without crediting her as a source.
I was taken aback by her commentary for a few reasons, I’ve placed my notes below.
– God is pouring HIS Spirit out upon all flesh (Joel 2:28, Acts 2:17). He is synchronizing HIS people to do HIS work. Many times, He is telling more than one person the same thing at the same time. When we are not ashamed (Romans 1:16), not confused, and not afraid, we share what He is saying. We need to remember this and be glad that He thought enough to share it with us, rather than blast people because they ‘say the same thing’ that you said.
– I don’t know what the original message was (what is was claimed to be- a testimony or a ‘Word from the Lord’ …) but the Gospel of Jesus Christ is NOT ours.
– I feel honored when the Lord shares revelation with me. It lets me know that He loves me and He cares. I don’t think that what He is saying to me is ‘mine’. On the contrary, it is His, He is directing me to take on what He said, and then share it with others for them to take on and then share and so on…
– We overcome by the blood of the lamb and by the word of our testimony (Rev 12:11). We must share. This being true: How else can we live right and work to overcome the whiles of the enemies of God? We must share our testimony, less we will not overcome. Perhaps this is why many people are not overcoming- because we are not properly testifying.
– The gospel is hid from those who are lost (II Corinthians 4:3). Ok… so someone wrote something that you wrote… You’re upset about that. In a conversation with the disciples, Jesus stated, ‘If you love me, feed my sheep’. I feel compelled to question your motive. Are you ministering to people to help them- to set captives free, to help people establish and maintain a relationship with Christ, or are you writing to satisfy your own vanities?
Instead of being upset, realize that it’s great that someone’s ‘getting it’!! The shameful events is when people aren’t understanding the underlying message.
I propose that we should be glad that we are getting together ‘on one accord, in one place’ in God (Acts 2:1-2) and that now, ‘… nothing will be restrained from them, which have imagined to do. (Genesis 11:6); for when we are together in obedience, that is when He blesses us (Matthew 14:15, Matthew 15:32).
We need to pray that those who do not understand get an understanding- that they fall in love with Jesus for themselves…
– What if Moses, Paul, Peter, or another leader of old felt this way and intimated their subordinates or others who read their writings? Would the Bible have ever been written? What if they felt this way and decided that they did not want to publish what the Lord had given them? Where would we be?
It is wrong to think in this vein, and there is something especially wrong with expressing this line of thinking publicly. Moreover, selfishness are vanity present.
– In general terms, the transference discussed here is similar to the spiritual transference of testimonies, relations, and prophetic releases. In the Bible days, stories were transferred by word of mouth many years before they were written into and compiled into what we know of as the Bible Collection of Books. These collections of divine words have been recited and are in the hearts of many people who believe in Jesus Christ. As a matter of fact, the WORD promotes the spread of its contents:
I will say to the north, Give up; to the south, Keep not back: bring my sons and daughters form the ends of the earth; Even everyone that is called by my name: For I have created him for my glory, I have formed him; yea, I have made him (Isaiah 43:6-7).
Wherefore, comfort one another with these words (I Thessalonians 4:18).
Go, ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, an of the Holy Ghost (Matthew 28:19).
Then I said, I will not make mention of Him, not speak any more in his name. But His word was in mine heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I was weary with forbearing, and I could not say (Jeremiah 20:9). Moreover, Jesus specifically told some one not to share the instance of a miracle and they did anyway…
Tell ye your children of it, and let your children tell their children, and their children and another generation (Joel 1:3).
This being true, the Word, Jesus Christ warns of those who might preaching contrary lessons. For if he that cometh preachest another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receiveth another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him (II Corinthians 11:4).
Furthermore, the Bible foretells of what they may try to say. Beware, lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ (Colossians 2:8) – we should rather be, Rooted and built up in Him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving (Colossians 2:7).
– We should be emphatic about building the Kingdom of God- like the Dukes of Hazard (Acts 15:26) overcoming His enemies that we are not stuck in ‘who said what (first)’.
The biblically-recorded Apostles of Jesus Christ went through great lengths to deliver the message of salvation and good tidings. They insisted on preaching and teaching on the name Jesus. The pressed their way through to their destiny in Christ, despite threat of imprisonment, beatings, imprisonment, others being murdered, they still exclaimed that they will believe God, rather than men (Acts 5:12-42). Despite these and other antagonisms, floggings, and the prospect of losing their lives, many followers never failed to follow Christ because they recognized that God did not give them the spirit of fear, but rather of power, and of love and of a sound mind (II Timothy 1:7). These individuals had heard of the message of Jesus Christ, and chose to follow His voice rather than their own, or the voice of mere men, or spiritual enemies of Christ. Moreover, generational after generation, the stories of old- the Bible and the personal life histories with testimonies are shared to glorify the name of Jesus!
– I assert that if you get upset when in a similar situation there are two options:
Either what you’re talking about is NOT from GOD- merely from your mind alone,
or
Your words are from God but you do not understand the mind of God.
It seems that if leaders continue to hold tight to this ideology they may be inhibiting the legacy of Christ. I cry, Lord, what ever you are doing in this season, don’t do it without me! Rude, immature, statements about how somebody’s ‘copying what you said’ are intimidation tactics and are not the spirit of Jesus Christ.
True followers, YOU are the word of God manifested in flesh, don’t you dare return what He truly said unto Him void- share it and don’t expect a citation.
#UseMeLOrd #IamButAVessle #DontDoItWithoutMe
Closer 