Joan Boney ... apostle/prophet
When God led the children of Israel out of Egypt, God provided a fire by night and a cloud by day to lead them through the wilderness. It is a very interesting example, although today God leads us another way there are still things to be learned from this OT example.
Numbers 9 ... And on the day that the tabernacle was reared up the cloud covered the tabernacle, namely, the tent of the testimony: and at even there was upon the tabernacle as it were the appearance of fire, until the morning. 16So it was alway: the cloud covered it by day, and the appearance of fire by night. 17And when the cloud was taken up from the tabernacle, then after that the children of Israel journeyed: and in the place where the cloud abode, there the children of Israel pitched their tents. 18At the commandment of the LORD the children of Israel journeyed, and at the commandment of the LORD they pitched: as long as the cloud abode upon the tabernacle they rested in their tents. 19And when the cloud tarried long upon the tabernacle many days, then the children of Israel kept the charge of the LORD, and journeyed not. 20And so it was, when the cloud was a few days upon the tabernacle; according to the commandment of the LORD they abode in their tents, and according to the commandment of the LORD they journeyed. 21And so it was, when the cloud abode from even unto the morning, and that the cloud was taken up in the morning, then they journeyed: whether it was by day or by night that the cloud was taken up, they journeyed. 22Or whether it were two days, or a month, or a year, that the cloud tarried upon the tabernacle, remaining thereon, the children of Israel abode in their tents, and journeyed not: but when it was taken up, they journeyed. 23At the commandment of the LORD they rested in the tents, and at the commandment of the LORD they journeyed: they kept the charge of the LORD, at the commandment of the LORD by the hand of Moses.
Today God leads HIS chosen by HIS Spirit which dwells in each person who belongs to God.
But the principles are the same: We stay still until the Spirit gives us a direction. Then we act on that direction.
But the devil imitates the Spirit, so we have to be sure what we have heard is from the Spirit of God. The devil appears to us as an "angel of light" bringing many good works for us to do. But these are not good works when authored by the wrong spirit. So we are told to "try the Spirits" to be sure those spirits are really of God.
It can seem like such a good work and still not be of God.
For me, the most secure way to try the spirit is through prayer, asking God to confirm to me if the direction is from Him. And then to wait until I'm shown one way or another.
II Cor. 11:14 ... Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.
Often Satan and the flesh and ego of man work together to do a seemingly "good" work which is not a good work. I see this frequently. The person comes to me saying, "God told me to write a book." So the book is written and then the person learns no one will publish the book. And there is no market for the book. But doggedly that person often goes ahead, paying out of his own money to get the book published or begging people to give money to pay to get the book published. When I see this, I know the person has followed the wrong spirit for each time God has told me to do something the way to do it has also been visible without begging for money.
I see the same thing over and over. Many people write to me calling themselves "pastors". Usually they want money to pay for their seemingly "good" works. And they often send me a long list of many other works they have planned. Again, I believe such have followed the wrong spirit and often have followed their own egos.
So we must be careful to try the spirit to see whether or not that idea or thought is from God.
Jesus said: Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. 22Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? 23And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
Mt. 7
So unless the work is authored by God by HIS Spirit it will be a work of iniquity although it may seem like a good work.
Try that spirit that brought that idea to you before you go out to do a work for God.
So many people go out as ministers and just end up copying the works of others and living in want. This is not of God. Yet often they bind themselves and their families into great hardship thinking they sacrifice for God.
Sometimes God has brought a strong delusion to the person so the person can believe and follow a lie and end up being damned.
II Thess. 2 ... And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. 11And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: 12That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.
Often that unrighteousness they have pleasure in is some form of seemingly godly work, religious work. But when we hear them speak, we hear of their works which have appearance of good but we do not hear anything that reflects the speaking of the Spirit of God. We often think back and know they said nothing of the Spirit although they often spoke of God and the Bible. When this happens we know they are not led by the Spirit of God but by another spirit and their own religious desires. And mostly they want us to pay for their works.