but let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the imperishable quality of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is precious in the sight of God. (1 Peter 3:4)
I was in my prayer time this morning and the Lord showed me a vision. I saw a sports car driving down the road. The car looked new. It had a nice paint job, fancy spoiler, new tires, aluminum rims, the works. I said to myself, “that’s a nice car right there.” As the car drove down the road, all of the people on the side of the road turned to look as it zipped past in all it’s glory.
Then, the Lord took me to an automotive shop. I saw the same car pull in and get hooked up to an emissions testing machine. The machine went crazy as the emissions that were coming from the car were filthy. The car easily failed the emissions test. I saw the hood popped open, and when I looked at the engine I was amazed to find that it was filthy, grimy, and looked like it had never been maintained.
The Lord said, “Looks can be deceiving, but emissions don’t lie.” It kind of reminded me of the following scripture.
“Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits. Grapes are not gathered from thorn bushes nor figs from thistles, are they” (Matthew 7:15-16)
Many are coming and indeed are beginning to show up who will claim to be prophets, anointed, preachers, even the Son of God. We, as the Spirit-filled body, have two choices: Be tossed around by their fancy words, shiny exteriors, and shows of power (many will do signs and wonders), or we can learn to discern them by their fruit. True prophetic ministry will always add to the revelation of Jesus Christ. We must learn to discern people by what kind of emissions their ministry produces, not our perceptions of whether or not they are “anointed.”
