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[0:00] Thanks for checking in on this podcast. You are about to hear an inspirational teaching from Caris Ministries. If God has used this ministry to bless you in any way, please take a moment and write to us at amen at caris.org.

[0:15] We are always inspired and blessed to hear how God is blessing people all over the world through what he is doing here at Caris. Also, if you would like to support this ministry financially, you can do so online at caris.org so we can continue making podcasts such as this available free of charge.

[0:39] We came for an encounter. Someone say encounter. Encounter. Say it louder. Encounter. Every Christian who is struggling and who is talking anyhow, things are hard nowadays, he likes encounter.

[0:55] It can be a bishop, a pope, or a pastor. If you lack encounters, your Christian life will not be exciting. Because you believe in God that it may happen.

[1:09] But if you get encounters, you just know things have already happened. Someone shout hallelujah. Hallelujah. I want to show you, I think, six things that can block or interfere or affect encounters in the Holy Ghost.

[1:30] In other words, why am I not having an encounter? Why am I not having an encounter? Why is it that only a few people are seeing it?

[1:41] As for me, I don't see anything. Listen. Listen. Seeing it is not a sign of spiritual maturity. Let me add that quickly. Did you hear what I said?

[1:53] Seeing. Revelations. Dreams. Solomon. He had a dream. God appeared to him. He said, ask me what you want. But he liked women. And it didn't end the way it could have ended.

[2:04] So, seeing visions is not necessarily a sign of spiritual maturity. So, the fact that someone says, every time I close my eyes, I'm seeing things.

[2:17] Every time I close my eyes, I'm seeing things. It doesn't mean a person has advanced spiritually. So, what does it mean? It just means that the person has opened themselves up and they are finding it easy to pick up things.

[2:28] How many of you are aware that even some of the children, they can see small, small images on an iPhone or something.

[2:39] They can see people better than some of the adults. That doesn't make them matured. Hallelujah. So, there are things that come.

[2:51] But when you are working with God, encounters are necessary. When you have encounters, you end up sometimes hearing. You end up sometimes seeing. You end up sometimes not seeing or not hearing.

[3:04] But you know something has hit you. And most of the time, more happens in our subconsciousness than in our conscious minds. So, those who are waiting to see something, hear something, know something, before they realize that God has visited them, usually they miss it.

[3:27] Because someone can be knocked or can be caught up in the spirit and may not see anything. It doesn't mean the person didn't go into the spirit. It was not caught up. What it means is that when you are caught up in the spirit, it helps the spirit of God, those encounters, help the spirit of God to impart more of himself into you.

[3:48] So, he robs himself more of himself onto you. And when you lie down, when you wake up, you are not the same person who went down. You may look the same, but you are definitely not the same.

[4:00] That's the uniqueness of encounters. But many encounters usually result in inner knowing. Either you see something, you hear something, but much more, there's going to be an inner witness.

[4:14] When you have an encounter with God, he always leaves an inner witness in your spirit. The inner witness. What's an inner witness?

[4:26] It's almost like an intuition. You know what an intuition is? Where maybe your brother brings a friend to the house or your sister brings a friend to the house.

[4:39] And you see the person and they are going to sign a contract. You call your sister and say, I don't know. I feel there's something not right about that guy. He says, but why are you saying that?

[4:50] I don't know about it. So, intuition. Intuition is when you feel, hmm, this person or this thing, I feel quite funny about this. I feel quite good about this.

[5:02] Let's invest here. This is our intuition. Okay. Now, inner witness is similar to that. But inner witness is usually in your heart.

[5:12] Whereas intuition is in your soul or your mind. Inner witness is more in your spirit because it's a spiritual thing. Inner witness is it. It always appeals to your spirit.

[5:24] Look at that 4 verse 22. So, all bore witness to him and marvel at the gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth. The words he was speaking was not ordinary words.

[5:35] It's not like big English. Okay. It's just normal words I'm speaking. But there's something behind it. The words were pregnant. The words were pregnant.

[5:47] So, he spoke. And something arrested them. And they knew that this man that they said was not normal. Something behind it. They knew that it's you.

[5:58] So, then they said, ah, but he can't be a prophet. He can't be a unique person. We know his mother. So, they switched off. Verse 22. Habbo says that. And they said, is this not Joseph's son?

[6:11] Look at verse 23. They said, you say to me this proverb. Physician, heal yourself. So, they knew. They knew him so much that they had the witness inside them.

[6:25] But they denied. They refused to allow. Their minds blocked the witness that was happening. They switched it off and engaged their minds. Some of you, have you met people who say, oh, me, when I go to a church, I just watch everything carefully.

[6:41] If it's not a good church, I will know. You know what? They don't know anything about the Bible. They say, if it's not a good church, I will know. So, when I go to a church, I sit down quietly. I watch.

[6:52] Sometimes, they will have an inner witness that God is moving. I say, oh, no, these lights, God can't move in these lights. You see that thing?

[7:04] God cannot move in this light. God cannot move under this corner. So, their minds block. Their witness, their spirit is beginning to pick. So, there are people who literally, they are in an atmosphere and suddenly something is about to come on them to pick them into a realm and they switch off.

[7:22] They know it's coming. They know. But they say, hmm, do I really want this? So, the things that block encounters.

[7:34] Things that block encounters. Number one, lack of desire. Lack of desire. Do you want it? Lack of desire.

[7:45] If you lack desire, you don't have the encounters. The anointing you respect is the anointing you attract. Do you know that? That's true. I've said it here. I've told you before. That's why Jesus couldn't do miracles in his hometown.

[7:58] Because he didn't respect the anointing. So, he couldn't work for them. Jesus never went to where he was needed. He went to where he was wanted. So, where he was, where people will receive him, he will go.

[8:10] So, there are people who may be dying and God will not show up because they don't want him. Even though they need him, they don't want him. So, he won't waste his time there. Don't go to where you are tolerated.

[8:25] Go to where you are celebrated. Some of you know this already. So, if you want the anointing, if you want encounters, in the first place, what are the things that block encounters?

[8:39] Lack of desire. Lack of desire. If you really don't have a desire, you know, I can't be bothered. Do you want God to bless you? If he wants to, he won't bless you. He won't bless you.

[8:51] I'm telling you. If you have this cavalier, nonchalant attitude or approach towards the blessing of God, it will never come. Jacob, he has to steal. He has to cheat. He has to trick people to get anointing.

[9:03] To get a blessing. He has to trick people to get a blessing. The first time on food, he says, sell me your birthright. And then the second, the first time when he was there being born, he held his brother's hip.

[9:14] Then he came to food. He says, sell me your birthright. Then his father was about to bless his brother. He had to trick and get it. Now, when he met God himself, God said, let me go. He said, no, you have to bless me. Jacob will do anything for the blessing.

[9:29] If you don't desire, it doesn't come around you. So, anything about God first must be desired. So, then, what are the things that blood people from receiving encounters in God?

[9:42] Lack of desire. Let's all say lack of desire. Lack of desire. Lack of desire, too. What affects, the thing that affects lack of desire is value system.

[9:55] Let's all say value system. What do I mean by value system? Now, you have your very important assignment at work. You love your work.

[10:07] And then you call them, sorry, I can't come. Because today I can't come. Meanwhile, the prime minister was coming to your office. You tell them, I can't come. Because my wife is in labor. Why won't you go?

[10:18] Because your wife being in labor is more vulnerable to you than the prime minister coming to your office. Even though some guys will go. Why would they go?

[10:28] Value system. Value system. It has to do with value system. The reason why some people won't bother to come to church like you do is their value system.

[10:39] It depends on how valuable, how they deem the presence of God valuable. The time people come to church is a reflection of their value on the things of God.

[10:50] Because it's these little drops of water that make a mighty ocean in the blessing of God. But you will not realize it. Because many people are bent on just now. The interim.

[11:00] What am I doing now? What am I doing now? I've done enough. Tomorrow. What am I getting? Tomorrow. But over a long period of time. It's a value system.

[11:10] So, your desires, our desires are heavily influenced by how much value we place on the things of God or what we are doing. Are you getting what I'm saying?

[11:22] So, our desires are influenced by our value system. The value placed on the things of God is what influences our desires. That shows how much we desire for it.

[11:33] If you realize that your next breakthrough is connected to tonight, you will give up everything to persuade. If you realize that your next blessing, like Solomon.

[11:46] God, Pastor, God told Solomon that because you have not asked me for riches, I will give you things that you didn't ask me for. He didn't know. But if he realized that the rest of his life was going to be determined by that encounter, do you think he will take it lightly?

[12:03] He will take it lightly. So, say desire. Desire. One of the things that block encounters is lack of desires. Desire. I can't be bothered. Number two, lack of discernment.

[12:17] Lack of discernment. I'm not talking about discernment of spirit. I'm talking just discernment. The natural discernment. You have to discern. Many times people don't discern what is going on, so they trivialize what is going on.

[12:30] So, lack of discernment makes people not have encounters. Because if you lack discernment, what happens is you trivialize what is going on. And suddenly you become very important to yourself.

[12:42] We are in public. So, this is how I behave in public. You trivialize what is happening. But someone will not cease having encounters. Amen. You want to look cool and yet still encounters.

[13:01] Hallelujah. Amen. So, discernment. Say lack of discernment. Lack of discernment. Number three, sin consciousness. Let's just say sin consciousness. Sin consciousness. Sin consciousness will block your encounters.

[13:14] There's a difference between sin and sin consciousness. Sin consciousness is when sin is on your mind. Either you are thinking of committing one.

[13:31] Or the one we just committed is still on your mind. Or because of this thing I've done, God will hear me. God will hear me. You are so conscious about sin. That's why sometimes when someone is in the spirit and jumping, you are thinking.

[13:46] But this person shouldn't be jumping like that because he's been doing stuff. I know. So, you think that sin consciousness makes you think people don't qualify before the presence of God.

[13:56] And you yourself don't qualify. But what makes us qualify is Christ consciousness. If you can focus on Christ, it will shock you. It doesn't matter where someone is coming from.

[14:08] I'm not saying sin is unimportant. Sin can affect your destiny. It will stop you in your tracks. But when it comes to encounters, check. Saul was on his way to go and kill people in Damascus.

[14:19] Or to go and get them arrested. And he had an encounter with God. So, it's not the sin that God is afraid of. It's the heart he's looking for.

[14:32] So, if sin is staying in your mind, that's why sometimes wrong images you watch. As soon as you start worshipping, the images start coming. Flashing. Flashing. Images.

[14:46] We are worshipping. We are sitting behind people. And you worship. Concentrate and worship. Somebody will have encounters. Number four is distractions.

[15:00] Things that will distract your attention. Distractions. Like physical distractions. Like what I was talking about. Somebody's head. Somebody's trousers is torn. Somebody's cat is not long enough.

[15:12] Sometimes we are praying. Someone is falling. The way he's rolling on the floor. Then you stop and you're watching. And then you are asked. Everybody lift up your enclosure. But you are just.

[15:25] You are watching the way this person is jacking the leg. Jacking the leg. Jacking the leg. Sometimes naturally it comes. You can watch. But it's better. When you see someone jacking the leg. Jacking the leg. You must ask yourself.

[15:35] What's happening to me? Hey. I have to. Let me also get inside it. My own. Is it not coming? No. No. It's important.

[15:50] I don't know. You'll be distracted. Physical distractions and mental distractions are even bigger. Mental. There's so much on your mind. Sometimes you know we are in the midst of encounters and worship.

[16:01] Suddenly you remembered something. The letter they gave to you at work. And then the thing that you are worried about. You remember. Ah. You didn't do this. Mental distractions.

[16:11] That's why when Saul was going to meet Samuel. Samuel was trying to say. The donkeys that are missing. What's on your mind? Assaulted. Get rid of that.

[16:22] So that you can focus. And receive. An impartation into destiny. So distractions. And then last two. Pride. Pride.

[16:34] You know how pride plays out? When it comes to encounters. That block encounters. Pride play. Pride play. Play out in this way. Another way.

[16:44] One of the ways. Pride plays out. Is. Self-centeredness. And self-consciousness. You are so very. You know. You don't. You are so concerned about yourself.

[16:57] Your image. You don't. You don't want to. Embarrass yourself. You are thinking you will embarrass yourself. Or you are thinking. You do something. Somebody will laugh at you. Usually people who are concerned about that.

[17:08] They usually. Look down on others. There is. Most of the time. It's a sign of the way. They view others. So they don't want people. To view them like that. So they have to.

[17:19] Block it. And. Oh I'm very important. You know. I can't flow like that. Pride. I want to say pride. That's how pride plays out. Because you are important. When we are thinking that. Nothing else matters.

[17:31] Jesus. You are the center. Something in you. Says that you are the center. It's all about you. It's all about you. That's the biggest expression of pride. When you think it's just about you.

[17:43] When you think it's just about you. Even when a message is coming. It's just about you. When an instruction is coming. It's just about you. When they say everybody lift up their hands. Oh no. Why? Why must I lift my hands up?

[17:55] Why? Oh. Just. Just let that out. Just say it and we will do it. What is it? What is it? Oh. I'm telling you. I'm telling you.

[18:06] There are people sometimes. I have to scream. Close your eyes. So. I say it. Not to rebuke people. But to. Help people to switch.

[18:18] Because you can be distracted easily. By some of the things that are going on. Do you have someone say. You can be distracted. So. Please. You have to. Learn how to open up.

[18:29] Say open up. When it comes to receiving from the Holy Spirit. And. God will do it for you. And then. So. It's about. Don't be too sensitive.

[18:41] If this is your power. If this is your glory. If this is your presence. Then. Let it rain. You must have that approach. That God.

[18:52] If it's you coming on me. Then. I must as well receive it. Because you know how to fix it for me. You know how to fix my image. You know how to fix. Honor me so much. That. That. What I may think.

[19:03] I was even. Embarrassed about it. People didn't even notice it. They don't remember. Yeah. The honor that God can bring on your life. Is not worth comparing. The. The seeming.

[19:15] Embarrassment. You think you may go through. But. By opening up to Jesus. Does that make sense? Yes. So. Please. Watch out for.

[19:25] Pride. And then finally. Laziness. Laziness. Block it both from receiving. Having encounters. Everybody.

[19:36] Let's pray. You pray a little bit. Shri shri shri shri shri. You are tired. You had enough.

[19:47] It's enough. Ah. Ah. It's enough. I've had enough. Ah. I've been praying. Now all day. I've been eating. I've fasted. So. Sometimes.

[20:00] It's physical laziness. Or mental laziness. The mental laziness. The. The discipline. That is required. To stay focused. Some people. Cannot just stay focused.

[20:11] They always have to watch something. And the discipline. It requires. To stay focused. They are lazy about it. And some of us. It's. It's in us.

[20:21] And sometimes. This atmosphere. God uses this atmosphere. To build. Build. Discipline into us. Did you understand what I'm saying? Yes. He's doing. We may look like he's doing one thing.

[20:32] But there are a lot of other things. That are connected to what he's doing for me. Mental laziness. Physical laziness. Let's rise up. You are not unwell. He's always.

[20:44] 930. Listen. Sometimes. We can be so lazy. You are not sick. You are not pregnant. You just can't be bothered. So people. You can see people.

[20:54] You are having encounters. And you are sat down. It happens sometimes. Even in during worship. Someone will just sit down. And you see people. I'm moving. They can't be bothered. They are sitting down. But God will give you an encounter.

[21:11] I said God will give you an encounter. God will give you an encounter. Amen. I'm talking about an encounter that will change your life. Amen. Amen. And I can. Joseph said God was here and I did not know.

[21:24] God was here and I did not know. Write these six points down. Quickly. One. Write it down. Desire. Two.

[21:35] Faith. Three. Word. The word of God. What is one? Desire. Two. Faith. Three. Word.

[21:45] The word of God. Four. Readiness. To obey. Readiness. Readiness to obey. Five.

[21:57] Humility. Six. Prayer. And then seven. Atmosphere or company. What did I say one is? Seven.

[22:08] Two. Faith. Three. Word of God. Four. Readiness to obey. Five. Humility. Six. Prayer. And seven. Atmosphere or company.

[22:19] Atmosphere or the company you keep. These are the factors that trigger encounters. The atmosphere you find yourself in.

[22:30] Readiness to obey. God, what is it that you want me to do? So you are ready for whatever God wants. Are you getting what I'm saying? Why am I teaching these things?

[22:41] Because someone. We are living in times of revival. We are living in times of encounters. And it is the revivals and the encounters you have that changes your life for good.

[22:52] Based on what God wants to do in your life. If God wants to do something and you lack encounters with God, it can't help you. So I want to be responsible enough and point somebody to the factors of revival.

[23:06] Or factors of encounters. The factors of encounters. Things that will help you get an encounter. So desire. You have to hunger. My soul thirsts after you, Lord.

[23:17] I desire you, Lord. I want you, Lord. You thirst. You hunger. Sometimes you become even violent in your thirst. You're violent. That is where you deal with laziness. You are so violent, you can't be bothered.

[23:28] You are pushing, pushing, pushing, pushing. When you catch yourself slacking, you wake yourself up again and keep pushing. Violent. Because there's a desire in your heart. So these things are important.

[23:40] Desire. Faith. Without faith, it's impossible to please God. And then the word of God. When you go home, read your Bible. When you are free, read your Bible. Program the word of God into your life.

[23:53] Feed your system. It makes you very ready to catch revelations. Joseph said the Lord was here and I didn't know. Genesis chapter 28 verse 16.

[24:05] The Lord was here. So lack of discernment. If you are not aware, God is here. You will miss God. I've prayed for people for the past almost 25 years. I've prayed for so many people for Holy Spirit baptism.

[24:17] And I realized those who receive faster are the people who are very desirous. Desire is paramount. Because if you don't exercise your desire, your background and a lot of other things will come in.

[24:31] Can block you from receiving what. That's why anyone who has a strong desire for God, it doesn't matter where they are coming from. God bypasses all the past to enter their life, to prepare them.

[24:45] The woman said, Jesus said, where are those who are accused of? He said, no one. He said, I also go and sin no more. It's a future I'm all concerned about. God is not really interested in credit history.

[24:57] Human beings are. Do you hear what I said? Human beings are, but God is not. So when we come to the presence of God, take advantage. Let him polish you so much.

[25:09] By the time human beings want to use your credit history against you, you're actually higher than they. You've gone farther than they can get you. Higher than that, they know some stuff. They will use it against you.

[25:21] People know some stuff about you. You may think that no one has seen you on the internet. The history is stored up somewhere in the provider. With the provider.

[25:33] So you can delete everything from your computer, but it's stored with the provider. The day they want to use it against you, they will bring it up. My encounter will take care of you.

[25:46] Is someone ready for an encounter? Someone ready for an encounter? Thank you for listening. For more resources, please visit caries.org or call us on 0207 740 9960.

[26:02]  God bless you.