A Word of Warning to Help Us Be Focused and Ensure Better Prophetic Days Ahead

“Let all things be done decently and in order” (1 Corinthians 14:40).

“See that you make everything according to the pattern shown you on the mountain” (Exodus 25:40).

God has a plan for you and for me in this prophetic family. His plan and His order are for our good (Jeremiah 29:11; Jeremiah 3:15–16). God is leading us to our “promised land” — to a “place of abundance.” Will you walk in God’s way to where He is leading us?

Referring to the sins and failures of the Israelites in the Old Testament, Scripture tells us that all these things were written for our instruction — so that we may avoid their mistakes and sins against God and be encouraged to live fruitfully in the present time (1 Corinthians 10:8–11).

The sin of Israel, and the reason God allowed them to die in the wilderness instead of bringing them into the promised land, the land flowing with milk and honey, was that they rejected God’s vision delivered through the prophet Moses and said, “We cannot…”.

We have already seen God’s prophetic vision of who we are called to be as a church. This is God’s revealed and commanded standard for us — both as a church and as individuals.

1. Beware of “strange fire.”

To see ourselves differently from what God has revealed to this church, or to bring something else into this church, is what God calls “strange fire.” “Strange fire” destroys the vision of the promised land. The apostle Paul was so aware of the negative influence of “strange fire” that he refused to preach where believers had already been taught a different doctrine with a different vision (Romans 15:20).

In order to see the full realization of God’s good prophetic plan for us as individuals in this church, we must: first, believe and be convinced that it was God Himself who brought us to this church (John 6:43–44); second, be devoted to the vision and message of this church (Acts 2:42; Jeremiah 3:15–16); third, fully trust God and believe in His sent servant (2 Chronicles 20:20b; Matthew 10:40–41); fourth, seek the growth and expansion of God’s Kingdom through this church according to its vision — praying for the salvation of others and compelling them to come (Matthew 6:33; 1 Timothy 2:1–4; Luke 14:23).

We are warned to set aside every “strange fire” in our minds and hearts and to receive the “fire” that God has appointed for us in this His church. God opposes those who bring “strange fire” into His church (Leviticus 10:1–3; Acts 5:1–10).

Only the “fire” appointed by God for us in this church will make you a light shining in the midst of all darkness.

We are called and established in Ukraine, with our center in the city of Kaniv, to fulfill a prophetic mandate from God, not human ideas. “For we did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ…” (2 Peter 1:16). For more than three decades in Ukraine, God’s servant has faithfully followed one assignment given to him by Jesus. He is firmly committed to pleasing ONLY Jesus, not people (Galatians 1:10; 1 Thessalonians 2:4).

We are who we are not because of what anyone thinks, but because of what God predetermined even before our birth, before we were brought into this Church of Jesus Christ. Therefore, let us be careful not to disappoint God, our Creator.

2. Beware of comparison.

As the Church of Christ within the universal Body of Christ, we must not compare ourselves with any other, but remain in the vision and work of Christ to which we are called (2 Corinthians 10:12). Jesus is interested in our uniqueness and distinctiveness. That is why He chooses people with different callings and gifts (1 Corinthians 12:5–7).

3. Beware of competition.

As a church—your church—we are not in competition with any other church (2 Corinthians 10:13–18). We preserve our distinctiveness in Christ by the grace given to this church in order to fulfill the prophetic mandate revealed to God’s servant in 1995: to reach and save at least three million people of Ukrainian origin, alongside a global reach (Joel 2:1–11; Isaiah 2:2–3).

Comparison and competition are forms of double-mindedness. When you compare yourself with others or compete with them, you lose your spiritual identity. Scripture warns: “A double-minded person is unstable in all his ways” (James 1:8). It is impossible to be spiritually planted in one soil while comparing yourself to others.

That is why we hear God’s servant say: “He is different, and no one should dare to compare him with others.”

The prophetic picture painted by the prophet Joel clearly stands against comparison and competition: “A great and powerful people; their like has never been before, nor will be again after them through the years of all generations… Each marches in his own path, and they do not break ranks. They do not jostle one another; each marches in his own way…” (Joel 2:2, 7–8).

Our victory is in the uniqueness of our calling and vision: “…and when they fall upon the sword, they shall not be wounded” (Joel 2:8). ❤️

Many churches, including some well-known ones we are aware of in Ukraine, have already ceased to exist. Many “born-again” believers have also fallen away, and some have returned to traditional forms of worship.

A spiritual decline is taking place in Ukraine. Everyone who prays and has spiritual eyes can see it: the so-called “revival” of the 1990s is already a thing of the past. We, who stand today only by God’s mercy, must awaken and receive wisdom from God about what to do (Ephesians 5:14–17).

Now let us consider two warnings.

4. Beware of counting numbers.

When someone asks you, “How many people are in your church?”—although this question is unbiblical—the response should be: “Have you already counted how many people die every day and go to hell?” Recall Jesus’ response in Matthew 9:36–38.

We are called to be a mega church. A mega church is evidence of a harvest of souls (John 4:35–36). Opening branches of this church in other cities and villages is not ambition, but a prophetic mandate that we must fulfill in our generation.

Our only concern should be the thousands and millions of people who are not yet born again and do not belong to any church. They are standing in line for hell. But we can stop this (Ezekiel 3:18–19; Ezekiel 33:8–9).

5. Beware of depriving Heaven of joy.

We must always thank God for every member of our church. However, we must be careful not to boast about the number of people in the church—even if they are tens or hundreds of thousands (1 Corinthians 3:7).

We must never forget that there are more people outside without Christ than those sitting in church gatherings. Jesus’ vision is always directed toward crowds without Christ.

Heaven rejoices only when a new person comes to the church and accepts Christ (Luke 15:7, 10). The salvation of unbelievers is the joy of Heaven.

Therefore, friends, let us stop childishly playing in the “charismatic wilderness,” as Israel did, while the Promised Land is waiting to be taken.

Jesus is Lord! ❤️✝️