What are you hearing?

Father, glorify thy name. Then came there a voice from heaven, saying, I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again. The people, therefore, that stood by, and heard it, said that it thundered: others said, An angel spake to him. (John 12:28-29)

In our last study, we saw the mystery of the Alpha and Omega and how it was prophetic in nature. Today, we are continuing our study on the book of Revelation on another topic. We are going to address the subject–What are you hearing? I am sure we have heard many in the body saying–I need a word. People want to hear from God and walk in his ways.

The first thing I want to do is ask the following question. Are you listening? You can be hearing people talking to you but are you listening? Let take Jesus as our example. Jesus was having a conversation from heaven with the Father. (John 12:28-29) At first, people just dismissed it as Jesus spending time in prayer with God. All of a sudden, a voice answered him. It was the voice of the Father.

This took the people around him by surprise. The voice was so loud that there was no doubt that God was speaking. The problem was that some people were not listening. Some said that it thundered, not hearing the contents of what was said. The others claimed that they heard an angel, not recognizing the voice of the Father.

This voice was a loud and booming voice. The few that heard it was the Apostle John. He was being trained to hear the father’s voice. A skill that he would use at a later time in his life. Learning to listen to the Father’s voice takes practice and time.

The voice of a trumpet

The voice of the Lord came upon the Apostle John, again, at another time in his life. While spending time in the isle of Patmos, he decided to seek the face of the Lord. Hidden in a cave and isolated from all civilization, he did not get discouraged. Let look at the verse below–

I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet (Rev 1:10)

Notice he was in the Spirit. There is a good possibility that he might have been praying in tongues. Praying in tongues has been so misunderstood in the body, that it has caused many to miss their blessings. I believe that the Apostle had spent some time praying in tongues. This, in turn, allowed God to unravel a mystery. A word that he would carry to the seven churches.

A still small voice.

Another way of hearing God is in the still small voice. Let’s look at the verse below–
And he said, Go forth, and stand upon the mount before the Lord. And, behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and brake in pieces the rocks before the Lord; but the Lord was not in the wind: and after the wind an earthquake; but the Lord was not in the earthquake: And after the earthquake a fire; but the Lord was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice. (I Kings 19:11-12)

We associate hearing God’s voice with the spectacular. In the verse above, it was not in the great and strong wind nor in the earthquake. Like John, the prophet Elijah was taking refuge in a cave. It was during that time, that he heard a still small voice.

Sometimes, we let outside circumstances take the place of the voice of God. This kind of mentality could mislead us and cause us to miss God altogether. God spoke to his prophet in a still small voice. There are times when God will speak to you when everything around you is calm and quiet.

There are other ways in which God speaks to his people, but I will leave you with this thought— Study and meditate on his word. (Joshua 1:8) The Bible has the words of life and is a sure prophecy to you. Practicing and doing that will sharpen your spiritual hearing.

Consistency in that area will prepare you for the service of God. It’s time to develop your spiritual hearing so you can discern the times in which we live. So, having that in mind, let’s apply that principle so that we can be useful vessels in the kingdom of God. Who knows what impact you might have on future generations to come!

Reprint courtesy of the Christian corner community church. 

Pastor's thoughts

     
                     
                    

                           Examine me, O Lord, and prove me; try my reins and my heart.
                                                                       (Ps 26:2)


     Greetings. The word for today is Examine. When was the last time you had a heart examination before the Lord? If truth be told, we cannot judge ourselves entirely without the help of the Holy Spirit. He is our independent counsel and will tell us the truth about ourselves. As we analyze Ps 26:2, we see the word examine comes from the Hebrew word "Bachan", which is associated as Gold tried in the fire.

When Gold is tried in the fire, the impurities rise up and it is purified. When being examined by God, you will be like gold and tried in the fire. Usually, it is done when we are going thru trials and testings. It is at this point, God will allow those fiery trials to bring out whatever impurities lie in our minds and heart. The second thing he does is to try our reins, The word "reins" comes from the Hebrew word "Kilyah," which means the seat of emotions. This is where our soul is located (The mind, will, and emotions) It is at this point that the Holy Spirit will point out the pollution that has been set in our mind and how it affects our decision-making process.

Brethren, that is why mind renewal is so important. The word says that we have the mind of Christ, but it does us no good if we don't take his promises and apply it to ourselves. The word Christ is associated with lifting burdens and destroying yokes. As we renew our minds with the word, the fire will bypass us and we will pass inspection. As we take on his mind, we will think clearly and avoid deception in our lives.

The word says that we will have what we say. On this day, take some time and meditate in his word. Make mind renewal a priority and you will have the clarity to make good choices, have discernment, and avoid the traps of the enemy. Remember, you have the mind of Christ! Take what's yours and go onward to victory.

Confession---Dear Lord, I thank you for speaking to me. Forgive me for allowing my mind and heart to become polluted with the affairs of this world. Lord, try and examine my heart and mind. Help me to find any hidden motives or things that are not aligned with your will. I take the mind of Christ. I cast my cares and burdens to you. I declare that yokes are being destroyed in my life and family. I have the mind of Christ. I am more than a conqueror. Thank you for giving me the victory in Jesus name...amen.

Photo by Jon Tyson on Unsplash

Stay within your calling.

"And they withstood Uzziah the king, and said unto him, It appertaineth not unto thee, Uzziah, to burn incense unto the Lord, but to the priests the sons of Aaron, that are consecrated to burn incense: go out of the sanctuary; for thou hast trespassed; neither shall it be for thine honour from the Lord God.

 Then Uzziah was wroth, and had a censer in his hand to burn incense: and while he was wroth with the priests, the leprosy even rose up in his forehead before the priests in the house of the Lord, from beside the incense altar.

And Azariah the chief priest, and all the priests, looked upon him, and, behold, he was leprous in his forehead, and they thrust him out from thence; yea, himself hasted also to go out, because the Lord had smitten him."

                                     (2 Chronicles 26:18-20)

                        The word for today is find your calling and stay in it. We, all, have a calling and assignment in our lives. As we study 2 Chronicles 26:18-20, we see an example of entering into the wrong calling. King Uzziah was a great king who was used of God in a mighty way. His calling was to be a King and use his leadership skills to bless Israel but something happened along the way. He, got sidetracked. I, personally, believe that he, probably, observed the Aaronic priesthood and their ways of worship. 

                             This, most likely, fascinated him. He, probably, felt like he should bring the censer to burn incense unto the Lord. His intentions might have been good but he forgot that this privilege was given to the descendents of Aaron, who were called to the priesthood. After a while, he took upon himself the duties of the priesthood. The priests, observing this, stood in his way. They tried to prevent the King from making the greatest mistake of his life.  Seeing this, pride rose up in King Uzziah's heart and he become angry. Suddenly, something happened---leprosy started to form in his forehead. 

                            How does that applies to us? Brethren, if you feel a calling for ministry, do not, just, jump in and do it. Our feelings can trick us much like King Uzziah. Our soul (Mind, will and emotions) need to fall in line with the word. (Heb 4:12) Hebrews 4:12 clearly tells us that God's word is like a sword and it separates soul and spirit. In other words, it is the final authority. 

                                 Next, confirm your calling with the church leadership. Finding a good church and Pastor is important because it keeps us from error. The word says that in the multitude of counsellors, there is safety. Do not take it upon yourself to start a ministry without taking the time to wait and confirming your calling. Take heed of what happened to King Uzziah. 

                                 Another way to confirm your calling is through the gifts that God has given you. Whether it be natural,spiritual or both, you have been endowed with special gifts,talents and skills to fulfill your calling. Once you enter into your calling and domain, you cannot help but excel.  Some people are like a fish out of water. They think because they have a desire to sing, they should sing in the choir but upon hearing them, it is plain that they do not have the gift to sing. Where he leads, he provides. 

                            God wants us to offer the best that we have in us to him. So, in this day, if you do not know your calling and assignment, find out. If you do know your calling but you feel led to enter another field of ministry, take heed. Talk to God about it and avoid a costly mistake. 

Bible reference provided by www.biblegateway.com

Having trouble hearing from God?

                                             
                           
                      

                                         (courtesy of stockimages at FreeDigitalPhotos.net)
                                                    Don't get discouraged. Help is on the way!
                                                     

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

                Having trouble hearing from God? You are not alone. Many are frustrated and angry at failing to hear from God. Others have put a "fleece" only to find out that they have been deceived. In order to hear from God, you must ask yourself---What is my relationship with Jesus? Are you spending quantity time with him? 
             I, recently, celebrated my 36th year of marriage. I have spent a lot of time with my wife knowing what gets her uncomfortable and what she likes. When she calls me on the phone, I recognize her voice. Why? Because I have spent some time knowing her and have trained my ear to know her voice. 
             The same in the world of the Spirit. God knows that, most of us, have busy schedules. Some of us, just, pray for 15 minutes and have a minute devotional. Beloved, God understands that we have things to do, decisions to make and earn a living. Here is some food for thought---Have you ever set aside an hour to pray and hear from God? Jesus told his disciples to tarry an hour, yet, they fell asleep. (Mark 14:34-38) 
                         My friends, there is a lot to prayer that you and I have, yet, to understand. Let me illustrate a personal example. My prayer routine is for the first 30 minutes to praise and worship, intercede and then talk to God. Afterwards, I dedicate the last 30 minutes to Bible study and hear what God has to say. There may be some days in which I, just, praise and worship without asking him for a thing. Prayer does not have to be a dull routine. In fact, when you praise and worship, you release the spirit of prophecy over yourself. (Rev 19:10)
                         Brethren, there are many ways in which to hear from God. The main thing to know is that God speaks through his word. We live in a "feeling" world. Remember the popular phrase--If it feels good, do it? Many carry that thought in making important decisions and then when things don't go right, they blame God. Don't blame God. Check your feelings. Be careful with your feelings. Always make sure you have a direct confirmation from God. 
                 To better understand this, let's look at the following----

 And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul. (Gen 2:7) 

Pay special attention to the word soul. Many times we confuse soul with the spirit but they are different. The word says that man was created in the image of God. (Father, Son and Holy Spirit) Man is a tri-part being--Spirit, soul and body ( I Thess 5:23) Just as God has different personalities manifested so the same is with man. Adam was not mentioned as a living spirit (Which he was), but the word makes special mention of soul. Why?
                      To understand this, the soul is the mind, will, desires and emotions. Adam had his mind tuned into God. He could trust his feelings and emotions but something happened. The moment Adam and Eve sinned, their soulish part got separated from God and they became carnal. Jesus solved that dilemma. When a person becomes born-again, they get the mind of Christ. The same mind that was operating just like Adam in the garden. 
                   When you have the mind of Christ, you have wisdom at your fingertips. (I Cor 1:30) The solution to all of your problems. Scientist have discovered that man, only, uses less than 10% of their minds. I believe during Adam's time, his mind was super advanced. Who knows what kind of inventions existed during his time in the garden of Eden? 
            History confirms this, too. Many caves have writings and images of people traveling through the skies with advanced spaceships. Here is some food for thought, even though Adam was kicked out of the garden, his mind was still advanced. While others in his family lines went into sin and depravity, God preserved a remnant that became a holy priesthood. (Gen 4:26)
                  In fact, Adam was so advanced that he live more than 900 years! Man started to get his years shortened because of sin and nature. When the rains came during Noah's time, some scientists believe that a protective shield was penetrated which allowed harmful ingredients to shorten man's life. Also, notice that when man started eating meats, his life span got affected. (Gen 9:3) 
                  Now in spite of all this, why do Christians get filled with anxiety and do not make use of the mind of Christ? Part of this is ignorance of their identification with Christ. In my next study, I will elaborate more on hearing the voice of God. God bless. (More to come.)

Bible verses courtesy of www.biblegateway.com
                             
                    
                  

                    

                               


                 

Pastor's thoughts---

   Hearing God's Voice

                             One of the most common things that you heard today is the phrase--I need a word, Many Christians, when they go through trials and tests, would say that they are not hearing from God. Even in the church, I am amazed when they have a visiting prophet, they go to services with the expectancy of getting a personal word. I, once, saw in a service how there was a line of people just waiting to get a word from the prophet.

                          Please do not get me wrong. We should honor the prophets and other ministry gifts that God sends to the church but our lives should not revolve, entirely, on that. The word of God is a sure prophecy (II Peter 1:19) Think about this---GOD IS SPEAKING TO US 24 hours a day through his word. His word is his will. Many are looking for a sign. Yes, there are times when God might use a sign to speak to us but we should learn to hear his voice in our inner being. Remember, friends, we walk by faith and not by sight. 

                      How do we develop ourselves to hear God's voice? By having fellowship with him. Take some time and practice hearing his voice. If you draw near to him, he will draw near to you. (James 4:8) We tend to view prayers as a time to pour out our hearts and that is part of the process, but there is more to it. One missing part of the puzzle is to be quiet and practice hearing his voice. As we do that, we will learn to hear his voice and see his hand guide our lives. God bless.

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