Hello Peeps!
Well, today, I want to talk about the dangers of imitating a believer without revelation. God has given us all the ability to seek His face in order to produce “Good Fruits” of the Holy Spirit that can manifest in various gifts provided by the Holy Spirit. However, having said that though, there maybe people around you that may become jealous for the gifts of the Spirit that are made manifest in your lives, and will try to imitate these gifts that God has specifically given to you, for you to perform at His Will based on the measure of faith that you have grown as you pursue the virtues of holiness as a way of life.
Now it’s not a bad thing to admire someone that God is using to do great things; however, having said that though, do not turn your admiration into idolization. Do not allow yourself to covet or become jealous of someone else’s anointing/giftings to cause you to pursue to imitate what God has blessed the other person to have because that is the nature of their calling. If God hasn’t called you to Pastor, then don’t pursue that ministry. If God hasn’t called you to Prophesy, then don’t pursue that ministry. If God hasn’t called you to be an anointed Psalmist, then don’t pursue that calling. If God hasn’t called you to be an Evangelist, then don’t pursue that ministry. If God hasn’t called you to be a Teacher or to do Healings or Miracles, then don’t pursue these ministries, etc etc.
The Holy Spirit provides a diversity of gifts for any believer to perform, so do what God has called you to do and be obedient to follow His leading. Do not focus on another person’s ministry and start to feel jealous at the level of their Charisma when God has designed you for a different purpose that will have a Christ-centered impact when you obey the call on your life. Focus on your OWN calling. There are serious ramifications that could befall you when you start to pursue things you shouldn’t be pursuing leading you outside the will of God for your life.
An example of this can be found in the story concerning Bar-Jesus (also known as Elymas) in Acts 13:1-12:
13 Now in the church that was at Antioch there were certain prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. 2 As they ministered to the Lord and fasted, the Holy Spirit said, “Now separate to Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” 3 Then, having fasted and prayed, and laid hands on them, they sent them away.
Preaching in Cyprus
4 So, being sent out by the Holy Spirit, they went down to Seleucia, and from there they sailed to Cyprus. 5 And when they arrived in Salamis, they preached the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews. They also had John as their assistant.
6 Now when they had gone through the island[a] to Paphos, they found a certain sorcerer, a false prophet, a Jew whose name was Bar-Jesus, 7 who was with the proconsul, Sergius Paulus, an intelligent man. This man called for Barnabas and Saul and sought to hear the word of God. 8 But Elymas the sorcerer (for so his name is translated) withstood them, seeking to turn the proconsul away from the faith. 9 Then Saul, who also is called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked intently at him 10 and said, “O full of all deceit and all fraud, you son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, will you not cease perverting the straight ways of the Lord? 11 And now, indeed, the hand of the Lord is upon you, and you shall be blind, not seeing the sun for a time.”
And immediately a dark mist fell on him, and he went around seeking someone to lead him by the hand. 12 Then the proconsul believed, when he saw what had been done, being astonished at the teaching of the Lord.
Bar-Jesus (aka Elymas) struck with blindness
The point of this story is that you cannot pursue to imitate another person’s giftings and/or anointing if you don’t have any revelation of how they came to be able to perform such wonders. Bar-Jesus is the epitome of what I call “Revelation without authentication by simple imitation”. You cannot thrive on another person’s revelation and assume that you can imitate what they do to get the same result of attention. That is a very dangerous game to play. You can fool others but you certainly can’t fool God with this one. The gifts of the Spirit are NOT to be used for personal gains nor are they intended to be used to puff up one’s PRIDE and ARROGANCE; rather, they are purposed to give Glory to God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. If we have to imitate anything, then we must become imitators of Christ, Our Lord.
Those with a powerful ministry have cultivated what they have by developing a strong personal relationship with God the Father and the Son, Who provides them with the gifts to be able to perform such miracles and wonders provided by the Holy Spirit. If you don’t know what it takes for a person to be able to do such things in the first place without knowing what they have had to sacrifice and do to walk by faith in order for God to use them to work such a powerful ministry, then you have no reason to covet or be jealous of their ministry and/or giftings. You don’t know the blood, sweat and tears someone may have had to endure just to be used by God in a powerful way in their ministry that God has called them to do.
Don’t seek the power of God’s anointing to be made manifest in your life for selfish reasons, selfish ambitions and selfish gains. God doesn’t reward a jealous fool. He is a rewarder of those that diligently seek Him.
But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.
It takes genuine FAITH to perform miracles and to be able to do amazing things that God as called you to do. Pursue what God has called you to do rather than being distracted and focusing on someone else’s powerful anointing and ministry. If you pursue jealously for such things without revelation, you will have a Bar-Jesus experience in your life and become blind to the TRUTH. I guarantee that. God doesn’t play with such nonsense. Learn to stay in your lane that God has placed you on rather than seeking to overtake someone in the path of your life simply because you are jealous of the road that they are riding on. God knows exactly what you are able to handle so learn to continue to grow and seek God to increase your level of faith so that He can use you to do amazing things in the future. You have to seek God diligently (is the key word here) if you seek to be used in such a powerful way. Pursuing an increase in the gifts of the anointing provided by the Holy Spirit should be done with pure motives and intentions, which should be to advance the cause and message of Christ Jesus. God won’t reward a fool and God knows when someone is seeking power with wrong motives. Be pure about your intentions and motives when you seek God for Spiritual gifts to increase in your life.
The Gifts of the Holy Spirit are mentioned in the following scripture:
1 Corinthians 12 (AMP)
The Use of Spiritual Gifts
12 Now about the spiritual gifts [the special endowments given by the Holy Spirit], brothers and sisters, I do not want you to be uninformed. 2 You know that when you were pagans, you were led off after speechless idols; however you were led off [whether by impulse or habit]. 3 Therefore I want you to know that no one speaking by the [power and influence of the] Spirit of God can say, “Jesus be cursed,” and no one can say, “Jesus is [my] Lord,” except by [the power and influence of] the Holy Spirit.
4 Now there are [distinctive] varieties of spiritual gifts [special abilities given by the grace and extraordinary power of the Holy Spirit operating in believers], but it is the same Spirit [who grants them and empowers believers]. 5 And there are [distinctive] varieties of ministries and service, but it is the same Lord [who is served]. 6 And there are [distinctive] ways of working [to accomplish things], but it is the same God who produces all things in all believers [inspiring, energizing, and empowering them]. 7 But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit [the spiritual illumination and the enabling of the Holy Spirit] for the common good. 8 To one is given through the [Holy] Spirit [the power to speak] the message of wisdom, and to another [the power to express] the word of knowledge and understanding according to the same Spirit; 9 to another [wonder-working] faith [is given] by the same [Holy] Spirit, and to another the [extraordinary] gifts of healings by the one Spirit; 10 and to another the working of [a]miracles, and to another prophecy [foretelling the future, speaking a new message from God to the people], and to another discernment of spirits [the ability to distinguish sound, godly doctrine from the deceptive doctrine of man-made religions and cults], to another various kinds of [unknown] tongues, and to another interpretation of tongues. 11 All these things [the gifts, the achievements, the abilities, the empowering] are brought about by one and the same [Holy] Spirit, distributing to each one individually just as He chooses.
12 For just as the body is one and yet has many parts, and all the parts, though many, form [only] one body, so [b]it is with Christ. 13 For by one [Holy] Spirit we were all baptized into one body, [spiritually transformed—united together] whether Jews or Greeks (Gentiles), slaves or free, and we were all made to drink of one [Holy] Spirit [since the same Holy Spirit fills each life].
The Workings of the Holy Spirit
You can also experience a Seven Son’s of Sceva moment if you try to imitate someone’s gift without revelation or even without the unction to function by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Take a look at this scripture in Acts 19:11-20:
Miracles at Ephesus
11 God was doing extraordinary and unusual miracles by the hands of Paul, 12 so that even handkerchiefs or face-towels or aprons that had touched his skin were brought to the sick, and their diseases left them and the evil spirits came out [of them]. 13 Then some of the traveling Jewish exorcists also attempted to call the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits, saying, “I implore you and solemnly command you by the Jesus whom Paul preaches!” 14 Seven sons of one [named] Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, were doing this. 15 But the evil spirit retorted, “I know
Bar-Jesus trying to imitate Apostle Paul
and recognize and acknowledge Jesus, and I know about Paul, but as for you, who are you?” 16 Then the man, in whom was the evil spirit, leaped on them and subdued [c]all of them and overpowered them, so that they ran out of that house [in terror, stripped] naked and wounded. 17 This became known to all who lived in Ephesus, both Jews and Greeks. And fear fell upon them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus was magnified and exalted. 18 Many of those who had become believers were coming, confessing and disclosing their [former sinful] practices. 19 And many of those who had practiced magical arts collected their books and [throwing book after book on the pile] began burning them in front of everyone. They calculated their value and found it to be [d]50,000 pieces of silver. 20 So the word of the Lord [concerning eternal salvation through faith in Christ] was growing greatly and prevailing.
It just goes to show you, that a demon or demon(s) can recognize who has the anointing and the authority to bind and loose a person from their demonic oppression between a person who simply doesn’t have the revelation of where that power comes from and attempts to do the same thing. Such a person operating at such a high level of ignorance will suffer for such a mistake and will be put to shame. That is why deliverance ministry isn’t a joke and anyone wanting to be in this ministry needs to study, learn and seek God for guidance concerning this area of ministry because there is so much involved with it that it’s not enough to simply have the knowledge about this ministry if you have not been called to nor do you have the anointing to lead such a ministry. God has to call you to that ministry if you want to be effective. Do what God has called you to do and do not pursue another person’s ministry if God hasn’t called you to it. Again I say, STAY IN YOUR LANE.
My prayer is that people learn to be respectful of other people’s ministries and anointing and to not be jealous of other people’s anointing and ministries. Purpose to seek the gifts of the Holy Spirit with pure motivations and intentions and God will bless you in the fullness of time and commission you to go out into the world and be His disciples spreading the Word of Salvation to the nations. That is what we should seek to pursue more than anything, Amen!
Well, to finish off this post, I have a song by Aaron Thomas called Cheated. I pray that this song ministers to your spirit today. God Bless You Everybody 😀 !
Sherline's Watchu Thinkin' Blog 
You nailed it. The illustrations are good.
Any gift imitated is a gift of carnality.
Good song.
Thanks for sharing.
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I’m glad that this post blessed you. Thanks for visiting 😀 – Sherline.
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