While on campus as a fellowship executive, I remember we had a prayer meeting where executive members were asked to give their counsel on a burning issue.
A number of persons who spoke told us what the Holy Spirit told them and those things were conflicting. Almost everyone who spoke said, "The Holy Spirit said" and the confusion was more. Immediately, I knew something was wrong because God's Spirit can't contradict Himself.
Those days it was common to hear the brethren ask "What's the Holy Spirit saying" and from there several persons will say what the "Holy Spirit" said. Quite a number of times, those ideas were conflicting. God is not the author of confusion.
A man of God told me how God dealt with him to go correct himself on the altar after his ministration. While ministering, he gave a pseudo word of knowledge saying "Thus saith the Lord".
Later, the Holy Spirit told him go tell the congregation that the word of knowledge he gave was his idea not from him. He obeyed that instruction fully. That takes some courage&humility. Doing that, I know he earned the respect of his listeners.
It is common in Christian circle today for people who want their opinion to hold sway to give authority to it by saying "The Holy Spirit said". People now give authority to lies and human ideas by using " Thus saith the Lord".
The abuse of that phrase in our generation is rife and common in the Charismatic circles probably because someone want to appear to others as "Spiritual". Some brethren even use it as a mechanism to control others in church.
If they give an idea or suggestion, they give it a ring of authority for others to tilt towards them. It is even worse when some brothers want to propose to a sister. The way and manner they present it to the sister will make it look like "If you don't say 'Yes', you'll be disobeying God not me".
The scripture reveals to us what will happen to anyone who uses "Thus saith the Lord" falsely: “Son of man, prophesy against the false prophets of Israel who are inventing their own prophecies. Say to them, ‘Listen to the word of the Lord. This is what the Sovereign Lord says: WHAT SORROW awaits the false prophets who are following their own imaginations and have seen nothing at all!" (Ezekiel 13:2-3 NLT).
Stop trying to give authority to your ideas by adding "Thus saith the Lord" to it. If you have a good idea, you can present it as yours without fear of rejection.
I have had some brethren tell me what they claimed the Holy Spirit is telling them about life&ministry but later changed what was said to another thing. Probably they were influenced by what they saw&they fell in love with it so they thought it was the Holy Spirit speaking to them.
Often, I counsel that If you are unsure about a thing or the leading you have received, It is better to say "I perceive" than to say "The Holy Spirit said". The latter is heavy and delicate when the Spirit has not spoken.
If you love a sister and you're at peace with her, don't tell her "Thus saith the Lord" when the Lord has not spoken. Just tell her plainly why you want her to be your woman and how you're at peace with the idea of marrying her in your mind.
Wives, stop using "Thus saith the Lord" to manipulate your husbands. It is common to some church women to bring their husbands under control because they appear more spiritual. Most gullible husbands also fall for that trick often and they stand by whatever their wives tell them because she's a "seer". What a shame!
God frowns at using His name to endorse lies.
In the old testament, it led to the death of some prophets especially during the days of Jeremiah. In our time, don't think that God is happy with the numerous lies coated with His name.
The last time I checked, this is what the bible says about liars: "But the cowardly, the unbelieving,... and ALL LIARS —they will be consigned to the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death”( Rev 21:8. NLT).
