It is in that place of hardness, in the beginning of

the ministry that you see what you are made of. A grape

does not produce juice until it is squeezed. You cannot

have grape juice and wine, until you squeeze the grape.

Some people need to go through a little bit of pressure to

produce. Sometimes they get into trouble because of their

own stupidity. At other times, the hard place is where

they develop character.

 

The Bible says God tested Abraham. Also in

Jesus’ ministry He was led by the Holy Ghost into the

wilderness to be tempted of the devil. Some people don’t

understand how it is possible that the Holy Spirit will do

that. But God wants to see what you are made of before

He entrusts something great to you.

 

Nebuchadnezzar learned what the three Hebrew

boys were made of when he put them in the burning, fiery

furnace. They found out what Daniel was made of when

they put him in the lions’ den.

 

You Have to Start at ABC to Get to XYZ

 

So many people want to start at point Z but they

won’t start at A. Until you are ready for ABC, you can’t

get to XYZ. Be faithful with the little God gives you. It

might take five, ten, twenty, thirty or forty years to see it

come to pass, but have the stickability.

 

Stay with what God has called you to do,

irrespective of the rain, the sun, the snow, the winter, the

summer, the spring, irrespective of adversity, trials,

tribulations, and heartaches. Remain constant. Operate in

the fruit of patience and continue in what God has called

you to do. It will be a process, but God will move you

into a place where the ministry will come forth and into

maturity.

 

Kathryn Kuhlman went through hell and back

before her great ministry was born. She experienced

many failures and many hours of loneliness. She said that

she knew the day and time when Kathryn Kuhlman died.

Many people think they are out there and no one

recognizes them, but God knows and He sees. He looks

upon the heart. He is looking for a yielded and a willing

vessel.

 

There Is a Time to Come Forth

 

It is almost like a lady who becomes pregnant.

She would love to have the baby immediately, because it

will save her a lot of problems. We have had three

children. I’ve been with my wife during every birth. So I

know what my wife went through. It would have been

much easier to have all three at one time. It would have

taken nine months instead of twenty-seven.

 

As much as that lady wants to have her baby, she

has to wait for the time for the baby to come forth. When

a baby is born prematurely, it must be placed in an

incubator in intensive care. In the case of extremely

premature babies, their lungs are underdeveloped and the

child has less chance of surviving.

 

It is the same with ministries. People have tried to

give birth to a ministry prematurely and it doesn’t last
long. It will last a year, two years, or perhaps five years,

and then fade away into nothingness.

 

Two Kinds of Ministries

 

There are two kinds of ministries in the earth

today. There are the shooting star ministries that will

come in a blaze of glory and disappear or blow up. Then

there are the ministries that are solid, like the North Star.

 

They will stand the storms of life. They will stand when

everything else around is falling, when other ministries

are quitting, when people are pulling out of the ministry,

when the persecution gets hot. They will stand when they

clamp down even more on the television preachers, when

they mock the preachers in the newspapers and the

media.

 

These are men of God who will say, “We are not

going to compromise! We’ll not back down on the

healing ministry! We are not going to back down on

casting out devils! We are going to arise and boldly

proclaim the Word of God in Jesus’ name! It doesn’t

matter if they end up locking us in jail. It doesn’t matter if

we go to a foreign field and we give our lives there. Let it

be so. We will obey the call of God!” These are the kind

of people God is looking for.

 

Foundation Scriptures: Romans 8:14–16 and Proverbs 20:27

For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. 15 For [the Spirit which] you have now received [is] not a spirit of slavery to put you once more in bondage to fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption [the Spirit producing sonship] in [the bliss of] which we cry, Abba (Father)! Father! 16 The Spirit Himself [thus] testifies together with our own spirit, [assuring us] that we are children of God. 
Romans 8:14-16 AMP

The spirit of man is the candle of the LORD, searching all the inward parts of the belly.  Proverbs 20:27 KJV

1. God will enlighten us and guide us through our spirits

a. The spirit of man is the candle of the Lord, searching all the inward parts of the belly. The AMP says, “The spirit of man [that factor in human personality which proceeds immediately from God] is the lamp of the Lord, searching all his innermost parts.”
b. The spirit of man ­—the heart—is the lamp of the Lord. This means that God will lead you by His Spirit in your spirit.
c. Only when your heart is right and pure, can you trust what your heart is telling you. Only then can you
    clearly hear and surely trust the Spirit’s leading and guidance through your spirit.
How God speaks to you:
    • Still small voice.
    • His Word.
    • Confirmation through two or three witnesses.           
    • Dreams, visions, and an audible voice.

2. The Inward Witness

a. Under the Old Covenant, people were not born again; the Holy Spirit did not yet live IN them.
    They needed the guidance of a prophet.
b. Under the New Covenant, God lives in US. We are sons of God, led by the Spirit of God.
c. The inward witness or inward intuition can be described as either: a check, a red light, or a stop signal
    for NO and a peace, an assurance, a go-ahead signal for YES.
d. Immature believers (and carnal people) tend to look for manifestations and the spectacular to lead them,
    but the inward witness is just as supernatural as guidance through visions etc.
e. That inward witness will lead you into the will of God and the blessing of God. Many have become
    millionaires, just by following their heart.
f.  You know you are a child of God, not because someone prophesied it, or because you had a vision, or
    because you feel like it, but because of that inward witness.
g. Some people are looking for outward signs to lead them:
          • People put out fleeces like Gideon.
          • Sometimes God will allow a fleece for a baby
               Christian, but it is not His perfect will for you to
               be led like this.
          • Be careful you don’t get “fleeced” by the devil.
             He can also maneuver your circumstances.
 
3. The Inward Voice

a. The spirit man has a voice, just as the physical man has a voice.
          • The voice of the body is feelings.
          • The voice of the soul is reason.
          • The voice of the spirit is your conscience.
b. It is a still, small voice.
c. 1 John 3:20-21 NKJV says, “For if our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and knows all
    things. Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence toward God.”
d. You know when you have done something wrong—your own heart will tell you.
e. Listen to your heart—your conscience. Stay sensitive.

4. The Voice of the Holy Spirit

a. The Holy Spirit is our Comforter: our Counselor, Helper, Intercessor, Advocate, Strengthener, and
    Standby.
b. When the Holy Spirit speaks, it is more authoritative. It might be so loud that you will think someone
    near you said it. When God called Samuel, he thought it was Eli.
c. When the Holy Spirit directs you, it will always be in line with the Word of God.
d. If it does not line up with the Word of God, then it is not the Spirit of God.
e. God’s Word is His will; God’s Word is your plumb line.
f. Many people are doing crazy things under the guise of being led by the Spirit. They are not hearing
   from God—they are listening to their head—their carnal mind—and being moved by circumstances.
   Romans 8:6a AMP says, “Now the mind of the flesh [which is sense and reason without the Holy Spirit]
   is death.”
g. Always judge what you hear. Ask yourself:
              • Does this line up with the Word of God
              • Does it glorify Jesus?
h. Make God’s Word your final authority.
i. Warning: Don’t go after voices to speak aloud to you. The devil may just accommodate you.
j. Paul listened to the voice of the Holy Spirit in Acts 27:9-10, when he warned them, saying, “Men, I
   perceive that this voyage will end with disaster and much loss, not only of the cargo and ship, but also
   our lives.” Even though, they did not believe him, later, also by the Holy Spirit, he told them how they
   would be saved and what to do to be saved from dying in the storm.
k. We must be controlled by, manipulated by, and stimulated by the Holy Spirit.  
l.  Let peace be your umpire (Colossians 3:15 AMP).

5. Five Things You Need to do to Train and Develop Your
   Human Spirit

1. Give the Word of God first place in your life (Proverbs 4:20)
2. Meditate in the Word (Joshua 1:8)
3. Practice the Word. Be a doer of the Word. (James 1:22)
4. Pray in the Spirit (1 Corinthians 14:14-15)
5. Learn and decide to instantly obey the voice of the Holy Spirit in your spirit.