Apostle Allison Smith Conliff explores the vital importance of divine obedience and spiritual discernment, she utilizes the biblical narrative of King Jeroboam and an unnamed young prophet to illustrate how ignoring God’s specific instructions leads to spiritual demise. The message warns believers against being swayed by deceptive influences or "lying prophets," emphasizing that even a small lapse in judgment can result in severe consequences. Apostle Conliff encourages her audience to maintain a personal, steadfast connection with the Holy Spirit rather than seeking human validation or fame. Ultimately, the message serves as a call to prioritize God’s sovereigntyand remain loyal to His word to receive His full protection and blessings.

Key Points:

The sermon explores the spiritual dangers of receiving guidance from deceptive sources primarily through the biblical narrative of a young prophet who was misled by an older prophet, resulting in his death. The Apostle emphasizes several key themes regarding these dangers:

Deceptive sources often present themselves as legitimate authorities. The sermon notes that some individuals "stir up their own gift" and claim it is from God when it is not. These "lying tongues" often speak falsely because they want to "look good in their eyes" or maintain a certain status. In the biblical example, the old prophet from Bethel used a "loose or unguarded moment" to act as a "tool in the hand of Satan," intentionally lying to the younger prophet by claiming an angel had given him a contradictory word from the Lord.

A central danger highlighted is the failure of a believer to discern the source of a message. The Apostle warns that if you do not know who is prophesying into your life or "how to try every spirit," it can lead to your destruction. The younger prophet accepted the old prophet’s word without testing it, which the sermon identifies as a critical error; believers must be sensitive to the Holy Spirit to avoid being misled.

The consequences of following deceptive guidance are portrayed as severe:

• Unnecessary Suffering: Words have power, and receiving negative guidance from a leader, such as being told you will "never amount to anything", can cause a person to "suffer unnecessarily".
• Divine Judgment: Because the young prophet listened to the "wrong voice" and disobeyed God's clear instructions not to eat or drink in Bethel, he faced "divine judgment".
• Fatal Consequences: The sermon recounts how the young prophet was eventually slain by a lion on his journey home as a direct result of his disobedience fueled by the old prophet's trickery.

The sermon also warns against "gimmicks" in ministry, specifically the practice of paying for prophecies. The Apostle asserts that God's word is free and that those who require money to deliver a word are making the faith "look bad". Rather than leading a person to wholeness, these deceptive practices can leave a person "broken" instead of restored.

Finally, the Apostle warns that even if you are "running really really good," a "trickster prophet" can mess up your life if you open yourself to the wrong source, and those who have survived such experiences are urged to "never go back".

Rec. Date: 6th June, 2024