Anointing, Spiritual Gifts, and Development.

So I'm Tim Pratt Jr. Um, and here, listen, I just want to get straight into it, but before, I want you to scroll up to the top of this page. I believe it's pinned, uh, where the details with fellowshipping with us, uh, if you're in that Palm Bluff or surrounding areas. And, uh, on the other side of that, if you're in Stuttgart or somewhere close to that, then I want to encourage you to go plug in with Lively Stone Ministries, uh, like I said, Stuttgart, Arkansas, uh, with Pastor Allen Allen and Lady Allen. Uh, and once again, like I said, Woodchopper Ministries, Pastor Tim Dale Pratt Sr. Lady Pratt, Lady Marcia Pratt. Uh, and so that being said, let's jump into it. I do have something I just want to basically shoot straight from my heart, share my heart with you all, and I want to keep this straight to the point. So I'm kind of talk a little fast. Uh, I've been told that, you know, hey man, Tim, slow down, you know, make sure you're not leaving people on the highway. Uh, I get with the way I communicate and definitely gotten better in that area. Uh, but nevertheless, I want to just make this quick, uh, and really just no story, no setup, nothing. Let's just get into it. So there's a teaching out there that has been consistent, and I have fell for it. Oh my God, I fell for it, where it's you can pay for the anointing. I had to pay for this anointing, uh, and I think we're confusing that with the cost of discipleship. Um, you know, we've seen it time and time in scripture. If any man come after me you know, count up the cost. And, you know, basically true discipleship, the plan of salvation, uh, you know, Jesus nailed it. He, he took care of that. It was in him at the cross of what he did on Calvary. Uh, so salvation is free, no one can boast. But if we are to become his disciple, uh, it is going to cost of our life. And that's a continuation through the power of the Holy Spirit, as some say, sanctification. Uh, so you have justification, sanctification, and, you know, glorification, you know, and I glorify our bodies when, when we're free from the presence of sin. Uh, but right now sin is very much present and we live in this flesh. Um, and so, uh, kind of understanding that, because I— man, we can read a lot of scriptures, but like I said, for the sake of time, I want to just get to the point of this video. Um, so going back to that, the reason why I say that is because you, you can't pay for this. You can't pay for the approval of God. Um, our life and discipleship as we follow Christ, that is costing our life, meaning that we're dying to self daily. It is self— this, like, it's, it's self— that we're dying to self daily. Um, the anointing is literally God's approval in this simple term, set apart. God said, I approve of this person. Uh, it will destroy yokes that have been set apart to do my work. Simply put, that's the anointing. You cannot pay for it. It's nothing you can do to move up and all this type of stuff in levels and so on and so on. Because the way we teach it is almost like, oh, you know, I have this anointing and then this anointing, and there's only one anointing. It's only one anointing, one Holy Spirit. And this is why we have so much division now with so many churches. Um, one anointing. Now this is the thing, our development, our development in our gifts our development in that anointing, in being set apart and having God's approval. If God has called me and anointed me to do something and I have a life that's devoted, truly devoted to him, and I'm consecrated, and I'm— and no matter my intellect or whatever, no matter how knowledgeable— because you have a lot of theologians out there, a lot of instructors that truly, they're just head knowledge, they don't truly have a relationship with the Holy Spirit. They think they do, but they don't. Then you have ones that are very intellectual intellectual, but they're like, Paul, hey, I still submit this. And that's why you see them being so effective. And you know, you get into debates now with people that call themselves scholars, and I truly believe you can only be one true scholar of the Bible. Now you have to believe you have a lot of historians, a lot of people that devote a lot of time. But let's get back on track because that's a whole nother topic. But nevertheless, the point that I'm, that I'm trying to make is this, um, you can't pay for the anointing. It is simply saying it's God's approval and the Holy Spirit is working through you and he's equipping you. And so if you're consecrated in that area and you're spending time, you know, you're devoting yourself and it's submitted, God can use that. So of course it's not, but versus a person that's, you know, they're following Christ, but they're not really consecrated like they should be. They don't really study the word of God, but they're not, but you know, like, they're, they're growing, and but they're, you know, kind of in because they're just not like, you know, really studying the text, and that they're not exercising their gifts, uh, because they might think they can only exercise it on the platform. Then if you take that first person, it's going to appear that they're more anointed, but really it's just development. It's, it's more so that If you take, like I say, two basketball players that have the same talent, but if one is going to the gym every day, every day, and then he's connected with, you know, a trainer— let's look at this as disciple, like, so now he's been discipled, and then he's a part of a community, then now he's playing organized ball, he's a part of that community, that maybe that local church, versus this person that might go to the gym Monday, Wednesday, and then it's all over. They're going, you know, not really, but they're going. This person is going to elevate a lot faster, but it was the same talent. And so it's the development, it's, it's, you know, what are you doing to truly develop in the whole— develop in Christ, develop these things in the Lord. That's simply what it is. But we have— we, if we're not careful, we teach it in a way as if, like I say, you know, um, there's going to be more anointing. Then the double portion thing comes into place, okay? You know, just using, um, my sons. If, if I'm truly bringing them up in the Lord and, you know, they get things a lot faster than me, of course they should go out and do greater things. But one, they have been around it, they have been around the teaching, you know. Like, let's say if it's like I, I grew up to be 40, 45, not just coming to the— not like the true knowledge of God Okay, it's not that God can't use me to be effective, but let's say if my kids get it at 14 and 11, and then my daughter was like— my boys or my daughter gets it at 10, like, that's— you see what I'm saying? Like, that's a, that's a lot of time. It's not that— once again, that it's enough, it's a, it's a better or greater anointing on their life. It's just the fact that it's development, it's time with God, it's, you know, the presence and things like that. But then you have people that, uh, have such a conducive heart that— and I believe it was Charles Spurgeon or someone, or Moody or someone, they said— I was reading in school at one point in time, it was like when they were so devoted, had a heart so conducive, where it's like their growth was like light years. But that's because they maintain a conducive heart posture, meaning that the seed and the words that was going out, they were responding to it over and over and over. So you do have that element too. But once again, it's not that it's a faster anointing more anointing. It's that conducive part in that, that dedicated, consecrated life. So let's not confuse that with discipleship. Uh, the other thing I want to hit on, man, kind of going back, uh, it's gifts. So with that, you have people— and I've said this publicly— I'm at the point now where I don't really too much care how gifted or talented someone is if they're not submitted. Because we're at a point now, we've been at that point, I've been there because of the sensationalism that we're worshiping the gifts rather than the gift giver. And we are making things about us, but we're saying God gets the glory when he really doesn't. Because even when you look at it, it's all about us and how you did this, you did this. And I've even seen to the point where even it's a lot of sermons now, and I don't really want to get into like taking shots, uh, because that's a whole nother topic for another day. Um, but, um, even in the point of watching things, I'd be like, wow, man, you know, I learned more about you and what you're going through or what you went through more than I was pointing to Christ. And, you know, then this motivates this whole other movement where you have people that take time and, you know, they believe they're preaching truth. I understand you have to call out false prophets according to the word of God. I get that, you know, it's a way to deal with false prophets. But a lot of times we are just— we're, we're angry and, you know, we're starting ministries with just tearing down others in it and calling out this person, you know, taking their sound bites and things like that. And, you know, it was a pastor that I heard one time, he said, man, I don't really too much get into that. And he's a very sound pastor. Um, a teaching pastor, man, you know, line upon line. And he said, I don't really get into that. I don't really get into like doing that type of stuff. He said the best way to help someone know if a stick is crooked is to lay a straight stick right beside it. The best way to know if a stick is crooked is to lay a straight stick right beside it. And that's what I try to model. When he said that, man, I repented. I was like, Lord, I don't, I don't want to do that anymore. Uh, just keep preaching the truth, not my opinion, you know, not my politics, uh, not what I think, not my story, not all about my life. Yes, share my testimony and things like that, but when it comes down, when it's all said and done, preach Jesus and live through the power of Holy Spirit. Live the gospel. I don't want to just be a marketing agency for him. I want to be proof that The Holy Spirit and what Jesus did for us through the power of God is real. It's real. And so with me, I no longer care because, you know, people, whatever they function in, um, and I'm just speaking whatever they function in, um, whatever, whatever they operate in, if it's not submitted unto the Lord, I don't care. Because if they have practiced habitually staying— how do you know if they're truly not submitted? Well, for one, we can just look in the context of scripture. Looking when people— like right now in the body of Christ, or just in the context of local church, when people get upset or get rebuked or corrected, um, how it sparks division. So now you have two people that's preaching the gospel with so much conviction, or three or four people preaching the gospel with so much conviction but yet haven't even got it right. You're out of order. I've been there, trust me, I can start on myself. I've been out of order, but you're out of order. You're, you're, you're preaching the gospel but yet walking in division. This is why we need grace. This is why we need mercy. I don't believe it was a coincidence that, you know, in the scriptures grace came before truth. I want to be full of both and walk in love. I want to demonstrate things like Christ did. You know, at one point Christ was very tenderhearted with the kids, and then I believe it was the next chapter, um, he was flipping over tables. Um, he couldn't be tenderhearted in that moment. So it was discerning what was operating and what was going on, and it was a righteous anger because he sinned not. And so we want to have a righteous love, and Paul gave us some instructions. We can find this all throughout scripture, but in Philippians 1, you know, when he said that we need to add knowledge and all discernment to our love. Um, in the simplest terms, just think about a river, you know. If a river is not contained, it can become reckless, man. It can wipe out and destroy a lot of stuff. And that's unfortunately what we're doing with a lot of our love, especially in today's modern culture. You know, we say love and let God separate, but I beg to differ. Now, I'm not going around here, you know, putting people in heaven and hell, but what I'm saying is this, um, I can love righteously according to the word of God. I want my love to be reckless. I don't want people to think that I'm affirming something that God is against. I don't want them to think, oh man, well, you know, he's a man of God and he loves— no, I don't want you to confuse. I, I hate the sin, but I love the individual. Uh, I hate what God hates and I love what he loves. And through the power of the Holy Spirit, that's what I want to be cultivated into, even if it's something operating in me that I have to hate. So many of us won't be that honest about that. There are some things that I'm like, no, this is not of God, it needs dealt with. It needs to be purged out and molded out. And that's just honest prayer, honest dialogue with God. Because it's not that I'm better, it's not that I'm better, but it's just maintaining a repentant heart and saying, Lord, help me. Because I truthfully know that when the scripture talks about the heart being deceitful, it's not because it so much deceives other people, it's the heart. So it's deceitful because it deceives us. But through the power of God and his word, because God sounds like his word. So if you're hearing something audible and you can't support it with scripture, then it's not God. Because if God can say something, it can't be supported with this, then we all might as well just start adding to the Bible. So what I'm asking you to examine your heart, or hate the things God hate, even if it's operating in you. And if something is not of God operating, you repent. Simply repent. Don't let it lead you to a habitual state of practicing something that's in total opposition to his word. I'm telling you, man, I, I have plenty of opportunities to start practicing things that's totally against his word, and I would be a walking contradiction. A walking contradiction. And this is the thing I'm gonna tell you. Sometimes it's very, very difficult because I want to respond the way Tim Pratt Jr. wants to respond, and by my own standards, in the world's standard, I will be justified. But according to his word, I'll be completely wrong. So I want to encourage you, examine your heart. Examine your hearts, man. Uh, a lot of us say that we love God with lip service only, but I like to say this: if I say I love my wife and my kids, so on and so on, But I stay out at all times of night. I'm out sleeping with different women, getting different hotel rooms, never spending time with my kids. Um, they barely know me. But I get on here all the time and say, 'Long as I got my family, I love my family.' It's just lip service. And the Bible tells us this, man, you know, it's in scripture, and I'm paraphrasing it: people worship God with their mouth but they walk in darkness. So according to God, you're a liar, we a liar. It's all inclusive if we're living like that. So no matter what you say, your posture, your heart posture is rejecting God, but your mouth is worshiping him. And if he goes step further, he said many will come to me on that great day, I did this in your name, I did that name, and basically I'm paraphrasing once again. He said depart from me, I never knew you because you moved in an iniquity pattern, meaning that you really never had fellowship with him. You only had it by mouth only, but your posture rejected him consistently. And I don't know about you, but I don't want to stand there face to face and be told that. And so once again, man, it— you know, whatever is happening in this world, we have to be on guard because it is so quick to start taking this word and becoming dogmatic. And yeah, you know, you have a right, like I said, right, you know, you just want to see the full order of God. But if you're not careful, man, you will start beating the living crap out of people and tearing down people that you maybe should just be truly praying for as much as you, you know, putting out content about them. I've been there. I preached like that before. I've done podcasts like that before. And when God worked on me, like I say, if it's truly a false prophet, you know, they have to be dealt with and you should— they should be called out. But some people truthfully just need prayer. They're not a false prophet, they just need prayer and they need direction, they need guidance. And maybe that's a time where maybe instead of just attacking them, it's just saying, hey, let me just preach the truth. Let me go back to just laying a straight stick alongside a crooked stick and then allow the Holy Spirit to do what he do. Because anytime we try we try to take that mantle upon ourselves and convict people, it's always going to feel like condemnation. But when we preach the God— preach the gospel, preach the true uncompromising word of God full of grace, truth, and love, and we get out the way, the Holy Spirit, he convicts, he draws them to Jesus Christ because we're not in the way. So never try to take the mantle of changing anyone because it was never our responsibility. I just want to be the light and salt to the world, to the world. And I want to encourage you to examine your heart. Let us all examine our hearts, man, and truly make sure that our motives are pure according to the word of God and through the power of the Holy Spirit. Because even Paul wrote in the context of mixed motives. There's times I truly think that I'm motivated to do the will of God, and truthfully, my motives are coming through frustration. Or to advance my kingdom or to advance my ministry over God. Excuse me. But these things have to be submitted. And so once again, it's maintaining a heart posture of submission, saying, Lord, oh no, this is not of you. I detect some things because I have the Holy Spirit and I'm reading your word. This is not of you, and it's even operating in me, and I need you to purge this. I need you to help me work this out. It's honest prayer, not trying to perform anything. And so this is why I'm saying, like, even going forward, man, when I communicate, I truly believe— now there are times I'm crystal clear that God has spoken to me, but because of this humanity, a lot of times it's, Lord, I believe the Lord is telling me, I believe the Lord is leading me, I believe— because I could be wrong and it could have been my humanity in the way. And if it's that simple, it's just like this: hey, listen, that was not God, that was me, I missed it, my humanity got in the way. Because God will never contradict himself. God is not going to tell you, hey, I spoke, I say go do this, and then turn around and say, no, I didn't tell you to do that. That's a contradiction. That's a contradiction. A lot of us speaking away, man, it's almost like you would think God changed his mind, don't know what he want to do. But that's our humanity getting in the way, and we just need to be honest. And say, listen, no, no, I miss God. I thought I heard him, but truthfully, that was my humanity. That was my will, you know, getting in the way of the Holy Spirit. Paul could have done this when the Spirit wouldn't permit him to go. The Bible says the Spirit didn't permit him to go. He wanted to go to Asia. And thank God he was sensitive and yielded to the Holy Spirit, but he could have overrode it and went anyway and said, well, our God was leading me here. And it was like, no, no, no. The Holy Spirit wasn't permitting him. And so this is why we have to be so sensitive, man, and have grace and truly make sure that we submitted unto God, because this world is full of distractions, man. And so I told y'all, listen, I just want to share my heart. I know we hit on a few things, man, but I was just— I believe I was led through the power of God just get on here and talk. And I've been saying this thing now, just shoot from the hip, not really just thinking too much about it, but just sharing and flowing in the spirit of God, man, because it's souls It's souls out here that need to be snatched, if I may say snatched, out of the fire because they are hanging in the balance. And I don't have time to be sitting up here worrying about what somebody think about me, how I communicate, and so on and so on. Like, if I know according to scripture I'm truly walking in love and walking through the power of the Holy Spirit, listen, I'm gonna do the will of God. Do the will of God because there are souls. And dude, I want to end with this last point. Do Do we really take the time to understand what eternity means? Someone possibly being lost for eternity, never being able to repent and get it right with God again because they consistently reject him. And you think I have time to sit up here and complain about ABC123? No, I want to stay busy and do the will of my Father, do the will of my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, do the the power of the Holy Spirit. So I want to once again encourage you, I mean, examine your heart. Let us all examine our hearts and ask God to search us and reveal those things that need to be, uh, just purged out of us so that we can live a life blameless. So people can look at us and say, I know, based on the way that they're living, man, they have truly been touched by God. Or can they look at us and say, Man, all that preaching they do, but when I look at them when it's time to demonstrate it, how they act towards other in demonstration time, I'd rather just stay on this side. Don't be like that, because remember, you are— you could be the only Bible somebody reads by your lifestyle. You could be the only Bible somebody reads by their lifestyle. So I pray that this blessed you, man. Uh, listen, I love you all. Take some time to examine your heart. If you know you need to get it right with the brother and the sister in the body of Christ, get it right. Start with self. Let the Bible read you. This is the only book that can read you back because this scripture is living and it's active.