Due to a disagreement between the two of them, Paul and Barnabas had now gone separate ways. Barnabas now ministered alongside with Mark, and Paul went with Silas, and later they added Timothy. And the churches were being strengthened in the faith, and were increasing in number daily.
“They passed through the Phrygian and Galatian region, having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia; and after they came to Mysia, they were trying to go into Bithynia, and the Spirit of Jesus did not permit them; and passing by Mysia, they came down to Troas. A vision appeared to Paul in the night: a man of Macedonia was standing and appealing to him, and saying, ‘Come over to Macedonia and help us.’ When he had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go into Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them.” (Acts 16:6-10 NASB1995)
Now, I know I have spoken on this subject more than once, but I believe this is critical that we get this, especially as we see the DAY approaching. For there will come a time when the church will be under severe persecution, and more than ever before, we will have to rely on the Holy Spirit to guide us in what to do, and in what to say, and in where to go, and in what to not do and not say, and in where not to go, too. But really that time is now!
For the Bible does not say, “Sue Love, I want you to go to the internet, and I want you to write down what I teach you, and I want you to give these writings to the internet so that a herald may ‘run with it.’” Now, the calling of God on my life was certainly based in the Scriptures, and the Lord did use the Scriptures in order to call me to this ministry, but the Scriptures themselves did not direct me to write and to post writings on the internet.
Yes, the Scriptures do teach us the basic principles of the Christian life and how it is to be lived. But it is the Holy Spirit who speaks within us to guide us and to direct us each day in what to do, and in what to say, and in where to go or to not go, and in how we are to spend our time, and who we are to witness to, and in what the Lord wants us to say specifically to anyone. But the voices we hear within us must be tested against the Scriptures.
Why? Because there are many people today claiming to have heard from the Holy Spirit, but in ways that are contradictory to the teachings of the Scriptures. Like the Bible does not teach us to just start mumbling nonsensical words and we will thus be speaking in tongues. For tongues is a gift given to us of the Holy Spirit, and it is not something we produce in our own flesh. And it must be exercised in biblical and in orderly ways.
And the Bible teaches self-control, so if you are doing what is out of your own ability to control, claiming it is of the Holy Spirit, it is not of God, not of his Spirit, and it well could be of a demonic spirit, instead. So be discerning!! And this is not in reference to people with physical conditions which cause their bodies to act in ways in which are out of their control, such as in seizures or in twitches or in shaking, etc. This us under a different category.
But “Do not quench the Spirit; do not despise prophetic utterances. But examine everything carefully; hold fast to that which is good; abstain from every form of evil.” (1 Thessalonians 5:19-22 NASB1995)
For, when we quench the Spirit by deciding that the Spirit does not speak to us individually in guiding us in what to do and in where to go, then God is not able to use us in the way in which he called us from even before we were born. We have to be able to hear within us the Spirit saying, “No! Don’t go there. Don’t say that. Delete, or stop that. This is not where I want you. I have something else for you to do, something you have never imagined.”
And when the Holy Spirit within us prompts us to not go there, we must not then continue in what we were doing. We need to stop, and go the opposite direction. And if by the Holy Spirit we are given a vision from God appealing to us to go to a specific place and to speak to a specific person or people, and if what we are hearing is not against God, and not against his word, but is in agreement with the Scriptures, we should not hesitate to follow the leading of the Spirit in where he directs us to go and in what we’re to say.
[Mark 13:11; Luke 2:26; Luke 4:18-19; Luke 10:21; Luke 12:11-12; John 14:26; John 15:26; John 16:13; Acts 1:8; Acts 2:17-18; Acts 11:12; Acts 13:2; Acts 16:6-10; Acts 20:23; Romans 8:9,14; 1 Corinthians 2:14-16; 1 Corinthians 12:7,11,18; Romans 12:1-8; Ephesians 4:1-16]
Fit for Service
An Original Work / October 5, 2011
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love
Holy Spirit, come within us.
Cleanse our hearts,
and from sin free us.
Make us holy vessels fit
for service to the King.
Fill us with Your love and power.
Anoint us within this hour
To be living witnesses
For Jesus Christ, our King.
Our praise to Him bring.
Father God, our heart’s desire,
Come and speak to us in power.
Revive our hearts to obey You;
Live for You always.
May we love and serve You only,
Walking with You;
Not a phony.
May we always tell the truth,
And show integrity.
Your true servants be.
Jesus, Savior, sanctify us.
Purify our hearts within us;
Be transformed into Your likeness,
Holy unto You.
May we always listen to You
Speaking Your words
Now within us.
May we heed Your counsel to us;
Follow You today.
Do all that You say.
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Guided by the Holy Spirit
An Original Work / September 12, 2025
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love
