Walking by Biblical Principles vs. Walking in the Holy Spirit.

While biblical principles are foundational, they were never meant to replace intimate dependence on God. Instead, they serve as guardrails to ensure our relationship with Him stays on course. But living as a "Fully Actualized Kingdom Saint" means moving beyond just principles to a dynamic, moment-by-moment obedience to the Holy Spirit’s guidance.

1. Proverbs 3:5-6 – Trusting God Over Our Own Understanding

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight."

This passage isn’t just about a general trust in God but about actively recognizing His presence and guidance in everything. If we truly acknowledge God in all our ways, it implies:

• Discerning His Presence: We must develop the spiritual sensitivity to recognize when He is leading.

• Understanding the Battle: There is another voice (the enemy, our flesh) trying to hinder our obedience. If we aren’t intentional about seeking God’s guidance, we may mistake our own reasoning for His will.

2. Jesus’ Example – Only Saying and Doing What the Father Revealed

Jesus lived in absolute dependence on the Father. He said:

• "The Son can do nothing of Himself, but only what He sees the Father doing" (John 5:19).

• "I do nothing on My own but speak just what the Father has taught Me" (John 8:28).

This is the essence of walking in the Spirit—not merely following biblical principles as static rules, but responding to the living voice of God. Jesus, though He knew the Scriptures perfectly, did not simply apply them apart from the Father’s direct guidance.

3. Continuous Dependence – Pray Without Ceasing & Taking Thoughts Captive

• "Pray without ceasing" (1 Thess. 5:17). This means keeping an ongoing, active awareness of God's presence—not just saying prayers, but being in a constant state of listening and responding to Him.

• "Take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ" (2 Cor. 10:5). We must not let our minds operate independently from the Holy Spirit. Even good ideas, if they are not from God, can become distractions.

• "In that very hour, it will be given to you" (Luke 12:12). This reinforces the idea that the Holy Spirit is our moment-by-moment guide. We don’t have to rely solely on principles or past knowledge; God gives fresh revelation for each situation.

4. The Great Commission – Are We Making Disciples of Christ or Disciples of Ourselves?

"Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them…and teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you" (Matt. 28:19-20).

The danger today is that instead of making disciples of Christ, many churches and teachers unintentionally make disciples of themselves—reproducing their own understanding, methods, and theological systems rather than leading people into a living, Spirit-led relationship with Jesus.

• Biblical principles are good, but walking in the Holy Spirit is better.

• Principles can be learned, but the Spirit must be followed.

• Principles can be taught intellectually, but the Spirit must be discerned through intimate relationship.

Jesus didn’t send the disciples out with a systematic theology textbook. He sent them with the Holy Spirit. When we disciple others, our goal should be to lead them into a living, Spirit-filled relationship with Christ, not just teach them principles.

5. Fully Actualized Kingdom Saints – Walking in the Spirit

To be a fully actualized Kingdom Saint, we must:

• Acknowledge God in all our ways (Prov. 3:5-6). Recognizing His active guidance, not just assuming we know what to do.

• See and do what the Father is doing (John 5:19). Looking for His present activity and aligning with it.

• Speak what He is speaking (John 8:28). Not just teaching principles, but being led by the Spirit in what we say.

• Pray without ceasing (1 Thess. 5:17). Staying in constant communion with the Lord.

• Take thoughts captive (2 Cor. 10:5). Not letting our own understanding dictate our decisions.

• Make disciples of Christ, not ourselves (Matt. 28:19-20). Teaching others to walk with the Spirit, not just follow rules.

Conclusion: The Harder but Higher Path

“It’s much harder to walk in the Holy Spirit and only do what He wants us to do.” But that is the path of true discipleship. Principles are easy to apply in our own strength, but true faith requires radical dependence on God’s voice.

This is the core of God’s Strategic Will—to bring us into a relationship where we walk in His guidance, provision, and care every moment. Being a Fully Actualized Kingdom Saint means being fully yielded to His Spirit, trusting Him completely, and letting Him direct every step.

The Prophetic Power of Testimony: Revealing God's Heart and Mind

"The testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.” (Revelation 19:10)

When we hear the word "prophecy," many think of predicting the future. While biblical prophecy does include foretelling, it is just as much—if not more—about forth-telling: revealing God’s heart and mind to His people right there, right then.

 Luke 22:11-12 "And when they bring you before the synagogues and the rulers and the authorities, do not be anxious about how you should defend yourself or what you should say, 12. For the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say.”

The prophets of the Old Testament were not just predictors of future events; they were spokespersons for God, calling His people to repentance, trust, and obedience. In the New Testament, we see an even deeper connection between prophecy and testimony. Revelation 19:10 declares: “The testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.”

This means that when we testify about what Jesus has done, we are engaging in a prophetic act—revealing His presence, power, and purpose in a way that invites others to encounter Him personally.

Prophecy as Sharing God's Heart

Paul exhorts believers to: “Pursue love, and earnestly desire the spiritual gifts, especially that you may prophesy.” (1 Corinthians 14:1)

Why is prophecy emphasized? Because prophecy edifies, encourages, and comforts (1 Cor. 14:3). True prophecy expresses God's heart—His desires, His warnings, and His love for His people.

Old Testament prophets like Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Micah were not just predicting events; they were revealing God's grief over sin, His longing for repentance, and His promises of redemption.

“He has shown you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?” (Micah 6:8)

This same prophetic purpose is fulfilled when believers share their testimony of what God has done in their lives.

"Come and See" vs. "Go and Tell"

In the Gospels, two powerful invitations emerge:

1. "Come and See"

When Philip invited Nathanael to meet Jesus, he simply said, "Come and see" (John 1:46). Similarly, the Samaritan woman told her town, "Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did" (John 4:29).

2. "Go and Tell"

Jesus often instructed those He healed or transformed to share their experience: “Go home to your friends and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how He has had mercy on you.” (Mark 5:19)

After the resurrection, Jesus told His disciples, "Go and make disciples of all nations" (Matthew 28:19).

Both invitations apply to us today. Our testimony invites others to "come and see" what God has done, and it commissions us to "go and tell" how His grace has transformed our lives.

Your Testimony as a Prophetic Invitation

When you share your testimony, you are not just recounting past events—you are revealing God's active presence in your life. The Holy Spirit uses personal testimonies to convict, encourage, and draw people to Jesus.

“If all prophesy, and an unbeliever or outsider enters, he is convicted by all, he is called to account by all, the secrets of his heart are disclosed, and so, falling on his face, he will worship God and declare that God is really among you.” (1 Corinthians 14:24-25)

Your testimony can be a doorway for the Holy Spirit to speak into the lives of others.

Conclusion: Walking in the Prophetic Power of Testimony

To prophesy is to declare God's truth—His heart, His mind, and His redemptive work. Your testimony is a prophetic tool in God’s hands, revealing Christ to a world in need.

When you share what He has done and is doing in your life, you fulfill the calling to speak forth God's heart, bringing others into an encounter with Him.

So, let your life be a living prophecy. "Come and see." "Go and tell." Let the testimony of Jesus be the spirit of prophecy in your life, pointing others to the One who saves, transforms, and restores.

In the economy of God's Kingdom, there is no leadership but that of the Holy Spirit.

We are called to go and make disciples. A disciple is fundamentally a follower. In the kingdom of God, they are a follower of Jesus Christ.

https://rickhowerton.wordpress.com/2015/05/06/you-are-my-disciple-if-the-five-ifs-of-a-disciple/

John 13:34-35 "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this, all people will know that you are my disciples if you have love for one another.”

In the world, leadership is highly valued. But in the kingdom of God, it is servanthood that is the path to greatness. So what is a true Disciple of Christ?

Rick Howerton Sums it up very well...

"IF someone exhibits love toward others, learns and lives the expectations unearthed in Scripture, denies self in all situations, has as their first relational allegiance Jesus Christ, and will die for the cause of Christ, then they can rest assured, they are a disciple of Jesus Christ."

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All that are led by the Spirit of God, they are the children of God.

The greatest among you will be servant of all 

The Threshing Floor.

Matthew 3:11 "I baptize you with water for repentance, but he who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire 12 His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor and gather his wheat into the barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.”

And behold, I Am with you always,

There is never a time that the Holy Spirit is not present in our lives.

Matthew 28:18-20 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

Luke 12:32  “Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.

Hebrews 13:5 Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”

Being. Continue to be. AKA: True Identity

The more you get to know God, the more you learn about yourself. And the more you are able to dependently (relationship) walk in your true identity. Doing those things that He has before ordained that you should do.

You are, so "be". And you will do. This is the place of true Joy!

"Discipleship". A term right from the clavis of "Christianese". Rarely defined succinctly.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christianese

Here is the best definition I have come across, from Greg Herrick's "Understanding The Meaning of the Term “Disciple”...

Let’s summarize what we’ve been talking about thus far. For our purposes, then, a “disciple of Christ” is someone who has been called first to know Christ, then to follow him, and then to make disciples of all nations. That is, in our knowing Christ we are becoming like him—thinking, feeling, and living as he commands. In this spiritual ambience of personal relationship with him, that is, in light of our experience of the kingdom, he summons us to be his disciples. We are to follow him, through thick and through thin, knowing that he is there and that he will reward us in his time; after all, he is the Master. But discipleship not only involves being with him, being like him, and following him, it also means that we make it our goal to disciple others—indeed, every nation under the sun. The Great Commission is not just another good idea—though it is that—it is the church’s marching order. As far as I know, he never communicated another plan.

The Will of the One who has "All Authority"

Matt. 28:18 And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying,...

 “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth...

19 Go therefore (So now because of this go) and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

John 10:27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.

Valid

1 having legal efficacy or force; especially : executed with the proper legal authority and formalities
2 a : well-grounded or justifiable : being at once relevant and meaningful b : logically correct