One of the most hilarious scenes in Nollywood movies is a prophet jumping about, ringing a bell in hand, stretching noisily “mmmm, mmmm” in purported communication with God to address the problems of an anxious worshipper. 

But when in the next scene the prophet is bathing the ‘client’, sometimes a married women, in a stream, it becomes clear who was speaking.

These days there are cases of some pastors making their worshippers drink ‘Dettol’ or spraying insecticides on the faces of worshippers for healing.

Hello, is this God speaking?
There are yet some others who kick the tummies of women or even suck breasts in churches on the “orders of God.”

Some of the things we attribute to the spirit are pure natural urges or raw human reasoning.

Of course, there are also demonic spirits or powers like in this case: “As Paul continues his outreach to Jews and God-fearers, he is accosted by a slave girl who had a spirit by which she predicted the future.”

Like Paul, true men of God know messages that are not of God.

US Pastor, David Jeremiah, had been wrongfully challenged over his position on a queue in an eatery by woman
Before he left, he identified the woman to waitresses and left enough money to pay for her order.

And as he drove off, he felt the urge to park to see the woman’s reaction to his kind gesture but he was quick to identify the urge as the force of a carnal spirit and not the Holy Spirit

God’s Word is clear about the difference between the carnal spirit and the Holy Spirit.

The word “carnal” comes from the Latin word for flesh.

Yes, God speaks

•God speaks to people through many ways, including:
He may speak in an audible voice: When John baptized Jesus, a voice spoke from heaven and said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased” Hearing the audible voice of God is not a common occurrence. But it does happen, and when it does, it’s not to be taken lightly.

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•He may speak in a still, small voice

•He speaks by popping words or Scriptures into our minds. We could find a verse in the Bible speaking directly to something we had been praying or asking about.

•He speaks through the prompting of the Holy Spirit

•He speaks by flashing pictures into our minds.

•God speaks through dreams.

•He speaks through others – could be through an anointed person or through your kids at home.

•He speaks through the Spirit-bearing witness.

•In whatever way He speaks, the message aligns with His will; it is for good and not for evil.

•These platforms are all available to the children of God, who have killed their carnal bodies and are filled with the Holy Spirit

Some shocking works of the flesh

The flesh and the Spirit of God are the two opposing powers by which we are dominated or ruled.
In most other cases what people claim they have heard from God are from demonic spirits or plain wishes.
Often what we claim to have heard from the spirit inside us are merely what we deem right in our own eyes.
Instead of judging everything in terms of good or bad works, it is more helpful to think in terms of flesh versus spirit of God.
The war between the flesh and the  Spirit is a continuous one. These are some shocking works of the flesh.
Adam eats the forbidden fruit. The consequences of this one act were substantial.

Abraham sleeps with the maid because to them God was taking too long. We can’t help God.
Moses, the humblest man on the face of the earth, had a very serious problem with his temper.
The Israelites refused to enter the Promised Land. It’s natural to be afraid of giants but God had told them he would be with them. Who’s bigger? Giants or God?
Jim Bakker was perhaps the most popular televangelist in the 1980s. All that ended when he was brought down by an enormous scandal that included sexual abuse and fraud.
Elijah ran like a chicken because a scary lady said some nasty things. It cost him his ministry.
David, the friend of God, concealed his adultery with a murder.

Solomon, the wisest man in the world, was a great lover of women, with over 1,000 partners.
Peter declared that he would never leave Jesus but later, out of fear for his life, he denied three times that he even knew Jesus.
Evangelical pastor Ted Haggard preached against the evils of premarital sex, adultery, and gay marriage. That was until he was caught in a gay sex scandal in 2006.
The common thread running through these is that in each case the person involved did what seemed right to them at the time.
What is right for us may not necessarily sit right with God.