Collection of Prophetic Thoughts and Teachings

By Riaan Engelbrecht

This collection of propehtic teachings and word are designed to make us think, ponder, reflect and consider our spiritual walk with Jesus. It is designed to bolster our faith, but also to equip and challenge the believer.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Riaan Engelbrecht
• Release date: Jan 20, 2021
• ISBN: 9798201301576

Riaan Engelbrecht

Ps Riaan Engelbrecht is the founder of Avishua Ministries, the vice-president of Lighthouse Ministries International and the station manager of Lighthouse Radio. His ministry deals primarily with the prophetic, but he also has a passion to teach the Truth of the Lord Jesus and His Kingdom for only the Truth of the Lord sets us free (John 8:32).  He is also a qualified and seasoned journalist.

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Led astray

SO WHY ARE SO MANY Christians/believers being so deceived these days by false teachings and doctrines? Why are so many being led astray, or caught up in all kinds of man-made traditions, or bound by a pseudo-religion? Why are so many struggling with their pride, with fear and doubt?

It is simple. For they know not the voice of God. After all it says in 2 Timothy 4: 3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; 4 and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables.

To have an itching ear implies you are not listening to God. The Apostle Paul makes it clear many within the church will turn their ears away from the Truth. And since Jesus is the Truth, many will therefore turn away from Jesus. In Revelation, to the seven churches, we read time after time the following: He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit say ...

In Isaiah 30 we find a prophecy about the restoration of Israel following captivity and a return unto God and His Ways. It says 21 Your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, This is the way, walk in it, Whenever you turn to the right hand or whenever you turn to the left.

So when we truly walk with God, we shall know the way, for we shall hear the voice of God and it shall move us in Truth and in the manner of the Kingdom. By knowing His voice – intimately – one shall not be led astray. For His voice shall guide, and lead and it shall be the light and the lamp unto one’s path and feet.

John 10 declares the following: 1 Most assuredly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door, but climbs up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber. 2 But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. 3 To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice; and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4 And when he brings out his own sheep, he goes before them; and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. 5 Yet they will by no means follow a stranger, but will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.

The Lord pressed it again on my heart today so many who declare Lord, Lord do not know His voice. They are led away both by the stranger, and by the wolf in sheep’s clothing. For we can only know the voice of the Lord when we abide in Him, when we yield, submit and LISTEN.

Do we then truly know His voice? Samuel, before he walked in his mandate, was called by God and Samuel’s response was the following: Speak, for your servant is listening.

Do we then listen when He speaks? Are we following Him? Are we keeping in step with Him? Or are we lost, listening to other voices? For remember, if we do not know the voice of God, then how can we know we are being led astray or not?

Lord, may we know your voice. Lord, may we listen. And may we understand what You are saying. And may we be obedient.

May we love and defend the Truth

Jan Hus (John Huss), a Czech religious reformer hundreds of years ago, was well-known for standing on the Truth of God. At the time of his trial and execution, he continued to refuse to recant and even said: I would not for a chapel of gold retreat from the truth!

Yes, he was not willing to back down from the Truth of God, despite all the opposition and threats from the ruling Catholic Church at the time. He was not willing to be brought with gold, because he loved his Lord above all else. This is the same man who said the following: Therefore, faithful Christian, seek the truth, listen to the truth, learn the truth, love the truth, tell the truth, learn the truth, defend the truth even to death. He also said the following: Love the truth. Let others have their truth, and the truth will prevail.

How the Church needs such a love, understanding and passion for the Truth again! Are we willing to seek the Truth of God and not the truth of man? Are we willing to truly learn it, love it, tell it, defend it and yes uphold it no matter the cost? Jan Has, like the Apostle Paul, endured great persecution, and spiritual attacks. He was not merely preaching some kind of gospel, but THE TRUTH of the Kingdom of Heaven. As servants of God, we are called to preach, teach and declare only the Truth of God, for the Truth sets man free (John 8:32).

To be set free implies deliverance. Jesus came to set the captives free by declaring Himself to the Truth. And so they who believe and follow Jesus follow the Truth, and they are then set free from the bondages and yokes of this world. For in Jesus we find the liberty of the Spirit and the power of redemption and forgiveness.

2 Corinthians 10 declares, 3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. 4 For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, 5 casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, 6 and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled.

True warfare and deliverance is the declaration of Truth! And this is not the truth of any denomination but only the Truth of God. And we declare the Truth in our preaching, teaching, and prophecy and when we move in the gifts of the Spirit of God. Paul declares in Galatians 1: 6 I marvel that you are turning away so soon from Him who called you in the grace of Christ, to a different gospel, 7 which is not another; but there are some who trouble you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ. 8 But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed. 9 As we have said before, so now I say again, if anyone preaches any other gospel to you than what you have received, let him be accursed. 10 For do I now persuade men, or God? Or do I seek to please men? For if I still pleased men, I would not be a bondservant of Christ.

For too long the true Gospel has been perverted and twisted for man’s own gain and pleasure. Too long we preach a different gospel to please man! Yet there is no power in such a gospel. True power to destroy the work of the devil lies in the declaration of Jesus, who is the Truth, and the Way and the Life. For anyone who preaches a different gospel is accursed! Yes, any other gospel brings a curse and not a blessing. The Truth drives back the darkness. We just need to preach Jesus again who is the Truth!

May we as servants of God, as disciples and spiritual leaders, love the Truth, seek it, defend it, uphold it, and declare it with every breath we have for it is the power of the glorious resurrected King of kings! May we declare, pronounce and speak it, and may we never back down or recant. For our God is true and everlasting and in Him we find our liberty, freedom and acceptance. Praise the Lord.

The Lie that Poses as the Truth

*Here's a nice, very true, story...

According to a 19th-century legend, the Truth and the Lie meet one day. The Lie says to the Truth: It's a marvellous day today! The Truth looks up to the skies and sighs, for the day was really beautiful.

They spend a lot of time together, ultimately arriving beside a well. The Lie tells the Truth: The water is very nice, let's take a bath together! The Truth, once again suspicious, tests the water and discovers that it indeed is very nice. They undress and start bathing.

Suddenly, the Lie comes out of the water, puts on the clothes of the Truth and runs away. The furious Truth comes out of the well and runs everywhere to find the Lie and to get her clothes back.

The World, seeing the Truth naked, turns its gaze away, with contempt and rage.

The poor Truth returns to the well and disappears forever, hiding therein its shame.

Since then, the Lie travels around the world, dressed as the Truth, satisfying the needs of society, because, the World, in any case, harbours no wish at all to meet the naked Truth.*

How true is this story not! For indeed there are many practices, customs, rituals and doctrines within the churches that have become foreign and alienated to the truth of God. They pose as a lie, and so the Gospel of Jesus has, overtime, been diluted with different shades and colours and textures and shadows of truths by mankind, who have allowed themselves to be deceived by the truths and realities of the world.

The wisdom of this age has sparked to life all the destructive forces of excesses, greed, materialism, wealth, power, and the exaltation of the Self through selfish desires, wants and needs. This world has become lovers of itself, cold to love, boastful in its wisdom yet void of godly truth. And so the church has so often fallen victim to the folly of such wisdom, allowing for the spirit of religion and rebellion to take its course.

How we need the wisdom of the Lord once again in our churches and for the wisdom of the Lord to rest upon the lips of His servants! For then we shall counter the wisdom of this age!

It says in Job 28:28: 28 But to man He said, Behold, the reverential and worshipful fear of the Lord—that is Wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding.

We live in a world where man seeks after his own wisdom and relies upon his own intellectual faculty to determine the Truth of God. And such Godly wisdom comes by fearing the Lord, obeying Him, seeking Him and walking in His Spirit. Such wisdom speaks not of foolishness, ignorance or deception as we see so often in Churches, but it speaks of God’s will, His plan, His Kingdom, His Truth and His Way.

It says of God’s wisdom the following:

Job 12 v 13: To God belong wisdom and power;  counsel and understanding are his.

Isaiah 40 v 28: Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom.

Romans 11 v 33: Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out!

God is all-wise, infinitely wise. It says for example in Psalm 147 vs 5: Great is our Lord and mighty in power; his understanding has no limit.

God’s wisdom is also vastly superior to human wisdom. Isaiah 55: For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. 9 As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. Let us remember God remains the source of wisdom. It says in Proverbs 2 v 6: For the LORD gives wisdom; From His mouth [come] knowledge and understanding, and also Daniel 2 v 20: Daniel answered and said, Let the name of God be blessed forever and ever, for wisdom and power belong to Him.

It speaks of the mind of God, His intentions, His plans and purposes. There is indeed much deception and deceptive teaching in churches these days (2 Timothy 3, 2 Peter 2, Book of Jude), as well as idolatry, New Age practices, enlightenment, humanism and rationalism. What we need is the wisdom of God!

What we need is God’s Word spoken in a time like this! Not a word to please man, not a word out of which man can benefit, not a word that will entertain, not a word to exploit God’s Kingdom, not a word without power, but indeed, we need a word that shakes the gates of hell, sets people free from spiritual bondages, shatters demonic strongholds, that breaks every false teaching and prophecy and that manifest the power of God! How we need to walk in Truth again by exposing the Lie that poses as the Truth!

The blessings that follows the follower of the Lord

A DISCIPLE FOLLOWS Jesus.

This in a nutshell is what a disciple is all about. It says in Matthew 4: 19 Then He said to them, Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men. 20 They immediately left their nets and followed Him.

Thus a disciple is called to follow the Lord, never man, or any other idea, philosophy, religion, mind-set or way. For when we follow the Lord, we follow in His Way, for He is the Way, Truth and Life. This is what it means to be a disciple. To follow. Thus to follow what Jesus says, and does. To follow in His Path.

A disciple does not determine the path or the scope or way of the narrow road, but the disciple follows and listens. It is written in Psalm 63:8: My soul follows close behind You; Your right hand upholds me. And this is how it should be for the disciple, keeping so close with the Lord that your very soul is close behind Him. Thus your will, your mind and heart must be in step with the Lord, under His shadow, guarded and submitted. Such is the nature of the disciple. This is the reality of Psalm 119: Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. God is our light, so as we stay close to Him, He shall guide and direct out very steps and our soul.

It also says in Proverbs 15:9: The way of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord, But He loves him who follows righteousness. So to follow is really a matter of following and seeking after righteousness, thus remaining in right standing with God by following the path of purity and holiness.

The Lord said in Matthew 6: 33: But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. What does it mean to be added? It implies what follows. What follows when we seek His Kingdom and righteousness is all these things. Such ‘things’ is what Jesus talked about in Matthew 6 when it comes to provision and God’s hand upon our lives.

And then, as we follow the Lord, treading the narrow path of life, we read in Psalm 23:6: Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I will dwell in the house of the Lord Forever. So when we follow, then goodness and mercy follow us. Thus as we follow after the Lord, in such a manner that our soul is close behind Him, then what follows us is goodness and mercy. And such goodness and mercy speak of the green pastures and quiet rivers to which the Good Shepherd leads us, thus the fulfilment of the Lord’s Promise in Mathew 6.

Let us also consider Proverbs 3: 1 My son, do not forget my law, But let your heart keep my commands; 2 For length of days and long life And peace they will add to you. 3 Let not mercy and truth forsake you; Bind them around your neck, Write them on the tablet of your heart, 4 And so find favor and high esteem In the sight of God and man. 5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; 6 In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths. 7 Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the Lord and depart from evil. 8 It will be health to your flesh, and strength to your bones.

Solomon teaches in Proverbs 3 about the importance of obeying God and His commandments, thus His Truth and walking in His Way. This is exactly what Jesus said in Matthew 6 about seeking His Kingdom and righteousness. Now, remember that Jesus said all these things will be added when following after the Kingdom. Solomon writes that length of days and long life and peace they will add to you. So Scripture does not contradict itself.

When we thus follow the Lord, and therefore obey, yield and submit to His ways and truths, then surely mercy, goodness, long life, peace and length of days shall follow us! But then we must abide in the Truth for the truth sets us free (John 8:32), and such truth is the truth as taught by the Spirit of the Lord (John 16).

Take also note of what Solomon writes that we must not let mercy and truth forsake us. David speaks of mercy and goodness following the follower of the Shepherd, so this means that we must guard mercy and goodness by staying true to the path and thus true to the Lord. Thus, guard our heart, guard our mind, and stay true to the path of the Lord. This is the way of the disciple.

Solomon also writes that those who obey and follow the ways of the Lord will find favour and high esteem in the sight of God and man. So the follower of the Lord will indeed not only find mercy, goodness and long life, but also favour and high esteem in the sight of God and man! Praise the Lord! But this means that we must trust in the Lord with all our heart, and not to lean on our own understanding and in all our ways acknowledge Him. This implies complete trust in God, and submission, yielding and thus following. For this is what it means to be a disciple of God – to follow His ways, His understanding and His wisdom. And yes, as we follow, He shall direct our paths.

All of this truth is supported by Psalm 1: Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful; 2 But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night. 3 He shall be like a tree Planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit in its season, Whose leaf also shall not wither; And whatever he does shall prosper.

Solomon also reminds us not to be wise in our own eyes, to fear the Lord and depart from evil. If we do so, we shall enjoy health to our flesh, and strength to our bones. Regarding evil it is written in Romans 12: 17 Repay no one evil for evil. Have regard for good things in the sight of all men. 18 If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men. 19 Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, Vengeance is Mine, I will repay, says the Lord. 20 Therefore If your enemy is hungry, feed him; If he is thirsty, give him a drink; For in so doing you will heap coals of fire on his head.

Remember, according to Job 28:28, to fear the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. So we must revere and fear the Lord for His greatness, and thus walk in mercy and wisdom.

And yes, healing also follows the disciple of the Lord! And so it is also written in Proverbs 21:21: He who follows righteousness and mercy finds life, righteousness, and honor.

Want long life, mercy, goodness, health, strength and favour to follow you? Then be a true disciple. Follow the Shepherd (John 10) and thus shall things will follow.

The Lord also said the following in Mark 16: 14 Later He appeared to the eleven as they sat at the table; and He rebuked their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they did not believe those who had seen Him after He had risen. 15 And He said to them, Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. 16 He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned. 17 And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; 18 they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.

Take note of verse 17: And these signs will FOLLOW those who believe .....

So signs will FOLLOW who? Yes, those who believe in Jesus, therefore who are a follower of the Lord. Thus a true disciple. And what are these signs according to the Lord? It says: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; 18 they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover."

Take note thus the Lord said what WILL follow is the following:

a) Cast out demons

b) Speak in new tongues

c) Take up serpents and not be hurt by anything deadly

d) Lay hands on the sick and they will recover

This was of course all put in action through the manifested and indwelling power of the Holy Spirit when the Church was birthed on Pentecost.  Mark 16 is precisely the instruction God gave to the 12 disciples in Matthew 10: 10 And when He had called His twelve disciples to Him, He gave them power over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease.

Take