Hearing the Voice of God

You haven’t lived, until you have fully committed to live by the voice of the living God!

While at church some time ago, at Victory.com, Pastor Sharon spoke on ‘Hearing the Voice of God’. It was excellent, and Holy Spirit did speak to me several critical things I needed to hear. He will speak to you too. Last year, I wrote up the basics of this teaching, and felt impressed, to edit, add, and repost it for you, fully trusting that God will again speak clearly to you about your life and future.

Matt 4 :4 But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.

So many can quote this verse, but if you ask them when the last time they authentically, positively heard the voice of God Almighty in their lives, they cannot be sure.

They have a mixture of Scripture, tradition, emotions, and their own interpretations of all of that, that they can tell you about for hours, but very, very few can honestly say: “God said to me…” and then quote the clear mandate of God for their lives, with absolute accuracy.

How well I have struggled in this!

Gone to God in fervent prayer, and heard Him speak something profound, then did one of several things with what He said:
1. Ran out and tried to obey what He said, with zeal and passion, without asking Him about the mechanics of His instruction, things like: When? How? With who? Where is the provision for it?
2. Applied my own interpretation to what He said. A perfect example of this was the time He clearly spoke to me to go to Rwanda and preach. Next day, Victory announced that they were doing a missions trip to Rwanda, so in faith, I signed up, and sent out support letters, and guess what? Needed $3500, and only $2000 came in for the trip. Missed the deadline, and it looked like I had missed God. Still remember the day of the deadline when the trip organizer called and asked me if I had the money for the trip. When I said ‘no’, he announced, well, ‘I guess you are off the trip then’. I was emotionally devastated, and went to the Lord in anguished prayer, getting what seemed like no answers. Then the businessman in me kicked in a couple of days, and I call the organizer back and asked, ‘Hey! What about the $2000.00 I gave you?” He replied that since it was a dedicated offering for that trip, I had three choices:
1. I could sow it to the ministry to help with crusade expenses.
2. I could donate it to another team member who was already going.
3. I could apply it to another missions trip at another date.
I prayed about it, and felt impressed to give it to a couple on the team who were not just going on the trip, but who were staying for the entire year.
I felt impressed to pray for this couple daily, and we became friends on Facebook. About a year later, I was doing a remodel on a client’s house, and they received a significant savings on some materials we purchased, on a project I was managing for them. The client, a man of God, when he found out about the $12,000 savings said: ‘I need to find a missionary, going someplace!” As God would have it, that morning, I had received a Facebook message from the Rwandan missionary, inviting me to come to Rwanda, and speak in one of the two Victory Bible schools there. So I said to the client: ‘Well, I was just invited to go preach in Rwanda, this morning’, and the conversation went like this: ‘Wasn’t that the country that had genocide, where all those people got killed with machetes?’ “Yes,” I replied,” You gonna go?” “By faith,” I answered, “Good answer, ever been to Africa before?” “Nope”. “What does your wife think about all of that?”” Oh, I’m sure she would be thrilled”,I replied,( spoken sarcastically.) Suddenly, the client stopped, and looked at me with deep wisdom and understanding, and said: ‘I think that will be a good experience for you, tell you what, you fly, I’ll buy!”

And it got done. Raised $6000 in about a week, the client paid the air fare, and off I went for 2-1/2 weeks to Rwanda, speaking 2-5 times a day. Got to bless Rwanda, and God richly blessed me, and turned loose the fire of God in my life, that has never stopped or become quenched since that trip.
So you see, I had authentically heard the voice of God, but I interpreted His timing and application of what He said, my way, not His.

I heard a minister say, in pastoring a congregation filled with prophetic people, all at various levels of personal growth in their character that errors in hearing the voice of God usually are not from incorrectly hearing what God said (people generally, actually hear, clearly), but are generally in the areas of interpretation, and application.

3. The third problem in hearing the voice of God, is when we have heard another voice, and made a mess of things. These other voices only come from two other places, human or demonic. I deliberately left out angels, because although they speak to people too, they only speak the Word of God; hearing from an angel, with an authentic message from God, is equivalent to hearing directly from God.

Let’s look briefly at the other two sources of voices:

Human
a. 1Co 14:10 There are, it may be, so many kinds of voices in the world, and none of them is without signification.
Pr 11:14 Where no counsel is, the people fall: but in the multitude of counselors there is safety.
It is good to hear from godly counsel, but no matter how great the counsel of men is, the counsel of God is always greater. It is always better to obey God than men. Much has been said regarding hearing direction from God through the voices of people, but wisdom is this:
Generally, if someone speaks to you by the Spirit of God, it should be something that God has already spoken to you, confirming what you are to do. There is much written about this, but it comes down to this: Hear from God, present it to people, and listen to their response, but before you pursue any serious decision, take the counsel of people to the Lord, to hear ultimately what He says!

Heard a preacher say: Every godly relationship is only destroyed by a third voice.
Joseph authentically heard God, but telling his brothers got him thrown down a well, almost killed, and then sold into slavery.

We need to know who we can share things with, and when and where it is appropriate.
So many times, God speaks, and then other people give their opinions, or interpretations about what they think you ought to do. Probably, what God has told you to do, involves other people, (and if it is a God sized mandate, it is huge, and will involve other leaders). We may be called to work with other leaders, but sometimes, the other leaders or people authentically called to walk with us in our mandate, meet the carnal nature of ungodly counsel.

Psa 1:1 Blessed is the man Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly,

Sure the devil is the accuser of the brethren, but people too, can have carnal natures. The ABC’s of satan, are accusation, blame, and criticism, but he can also work through slander and insinuation, to deliberately discredit you, in the eyes of people called to your vision.
Presently, I am watching several, potentially wonderful relationships being destroyed, through the venom, and toxic slander of certain people against us, that have swayed some people of God, over into offense, bitterness, and hardness of heart.

Slithering serpantlike behavior, designed to assassinate the character of people, that are threats to the status quo. Ugly, yea, even among Christians…

We, as people of God, need to consider the source and motive of all counsel, even that which appears godly, with the Word of God, and the voice of Holy Spirit to our own hearts.

I have greatly erred in this in the past years, in sharing inappropriately, secrets from God, with the wrong people. Caused me an incredible amount of personal pain, and brought trouble to the church and ministry that I love with all of my heart, in fact, am willing to spend the rest of my life serving. Surely God is merciful, but I pray I become more like Mary, with deeper truths shown to me:

Luke 2:19 But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart.

Hindsight is said to be 20/20, and I have hurt some people that I love deeply, by inappropriately sharing some of the things God showed me, with the wrong people. Love covers a multitude of sins, and I have asked God to forgive me, now, I pray that the people I have hurt will forgive me also. Human hearts are precious things, easily broken….

Yes, I am a bold preacher, but in intimate close relationships, I want to be like Jesus and God our Father.

David could talk to God about anything, and he said:
2 Samuel 22:36
“You have also given me the shield of Your salvation; Your gentleness has made me great.

I hope, in my zeal, passion, and pain, that I have not destroyed some of the very things that I am called to build…

Then there is the Demonic:

Demonic deception is dangerous, insidious, and much to be guarded against by:
Confronting any voices you are hearing in the spirit, by the Scriptural test:
1Jo 4:1 Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world. 2 Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God:
3 And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.
4 ¶ Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.
If a spirit is speaking to you, that sounds like the Holy Spirit, command it to say: ‘Jesus Christ has come in the flesh!”
I have heard demons say: ‘Jesus is God’ or ‘Jesus is the Son of the most High God’ with great emphasis and drama, but they cannot confess that ‘Jesus Christ has come in the flesh’, only Holy Spirit or one of God’s holy angels can say those words, according to the Word of God.

YOU MUST DO THIS TO WALK WITH GOD!

1Ti 4:1 Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;

Here is a couple of articles on this: https://chrisaomministries.wordpress.com/2014/11/10/test-the-spirits-love-truth/

https://chrisaomministries.wordpress.com/2015/05/23/love-truth-best-protection-for-these-last-days/
The earth is full of messed up Christians, denominations, cults, and divisive doctrines who all claim to have heard God, yet the fruit of their revelation is evil, and a mess!

Jesus said that Matt 7: 13 Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:
14 Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.

15 ¶ Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.
16 Ye shall know them by their fruits.
Be a fruit inspector, if a persons life and teaching do not line up with the fruit of the Holy Spirit described in Gal 5:22, then refuse to listen to, or follow them. For leaders, read 1 Tim 3:1-7, as a character qualification in their lives. If that is not in place, do not submit to them.
I remember Kenneth E Hagin instructing us regarding spiritual warfare, and our authority over the devil.
‘Do not try to fight the devil in the realm of reason, the mental realm. He has been deceiving people for thousands of years. If you fight him there, you can lose. If you hold him in the arena of faith though, you win every time!.’

1 John 5:4
For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith.

Many great books are written on being led by the Spirit and Word of God, keep reading them, and above all, stay in the Word of God, and 2Ti 2:15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
Hear God, confirm what you are hearing in the Scripture, and then seek Him for wisdom how best to accomplish that what He told you do. Hear godly counsel, then take to prayer and the Word, their advice. Then in passion, zeal, and fire, step out and obey, expecting signs, wonders, and miracles to make a way for you to do that which He has authentically commissioned you to do. Refuse to yield to paralysis by analysis, and GO!

Let’s Pray:
‘Father, I thank you for speaking to me today, confirming that which you have created me to do, showing me things to come. I believe you will send the right people to confirm to me, or educate me on the mechanics of what you want done, and to protect me from demonic assignments designed to distract or destroy me or your people in any way. Holy Spirit reveal any lies I have heard or believed, and set me free from their deception, in your name I pray, Lord Jesus, my way, and my truth! Amen’

Internet Adultery

Internet Adultery
Over the years, I have endeavored to walk in not only practical holiness, but purity of heart.
With respect to women, I have endeavored to keep ministerial boundaries, never ministering to someone of the opposite sex, unless my wife was present.
Yet, this new venue of ministry, Social Media, is exciting in that it allows us to reach many more people with the truth of the Word of God, quickly, and to develop on-line gospel relationships that have had tremendous impact for the kingdom of God!
Billy Graham used to instruct young ministers, regarding personal integrity, simply: Don’t touch the girls, (or guys, for you ladies) the gold, or the glory.
I remember, back in the days when I was single, running a ‘big-brothers’ club in a subsidized housing project. As a single young man, employed, who was obviously a role model for children, it was almost as natural as breathing, to get hit on by single mom’s, who were desperate for adult companionship, and a husband. Rather, that become brutal with them, and join the ‘He man women haters club’, I cried out to God for help, wisdom, and purity of heart.
James 1:27 Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.
This is the verse, we would use to get us out into the streets, to practically help, wherever possible. Notice, if you will, how this reads:
1. Want to be pure and undefiled before God our Father? (Emphatically, YES!)
2. Here’s what you need to do, go visit the fatherless and widow.
3. Where do you go visit them? Right in the middle of their mess, ‘in their distress’. It is implied here that we would become part of their solution, that we would do something to alleviate their suffering. This might be simply in taking the children fishing, swimming, or bike riding, while the mom gets a well needed rest, or simply goes out with the girls.
4. Here is the trick: remain unspotted from the world. That means: no flirting with the girls, staying clear of the alcohol/drug and often criminal culture that exists in some of these communities. Holiness of conduct and purity of heart, are the only thing that kept us, as people did everything in their power to try and get us in involved in some of their schemes. Many nights of anguished prayer, and countless hours listening to the audio Bible, to remain cleansed, renewed, and washed by the water of the Word, to stay mentally, emotionally, and spiritually clean from some very challenging ministry sessions.
During this time, God graciously delivered me from my traditional, flirtatious ways with women, granting me the ability to see all women as sisters, mothers, aunts, and grandmothers, treating them with honor, with no games.
Back in the days of youth ministry, we used to instruct singles, regarding purity of heart, that not only was sex outside of marriage sin, but that Jesus said: Mt 5:28 But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.
This meant nor pornography, or sexual innuendos, or flirtatious behavior.
I remember making the statement: If you, in your conduct and conversations, awaken desires in a member of the opposite sex, that can only be legitimately fulfilled in a marriage relationship, it is sin to you, and you need to take it to the cross.
Yet, on Social Media, we see this type of conduct, all the time. People without shame, or boundaries, openly making provocative comments, that definitely incite romantic passions, publically, or in private messages, over the internet.
A good friend of mine, is fighting for his marriage.
In marriage counseling, he heard an alarming statistic: That 8 or 9, or every 10 divorces, brought Facebook posts, or copies of their unfaithful spouses Tweets, to court as evidence. Seems that folks had been having affairs, and keeping them going, using Social Media.
Seems this new rise in Social Media adultery, is not new to my world. Here are a couple of articles on it, that are well written:
Online Affairs Are Emotional Adultery

Finding a Lost Lover on the Internet: Easy to do, but Dangerous if You’re Married

http://www.survivinginfidelity.com/healing_library/confrontation/internet.asp
I too, have been guilty, of this. In allowing women, other than my wife, access to my heart, at a level that should have only been available to my wife. To me, it is sin.
I think of the scene in the movie, ‘Fireproof’, where the guy smashes his computer because of his pornography addiction.
I am not into porn, I hate it. If you are, get out of it, it’s destroying you.
Yet, like my good friend, rather than deal with brutally difficult issues in my own marriage, I have carried on ‘spiritual’ conversations on Facebook and Twitter, at a level of intimacy, that should have been reserved only for my wife.
My good friend, deleted all of his Facebook and Twitter accounts, and blocked certain people from his phone and texts.
So, there is only one way of freedom for me, and that is to include my wife, on all of my accounts, and conversations on Social Media. Joint accounts, that keep me accountable for every word I post, or comment I make.
You know, many have said, that ‘Wisdom is the principal thing, and in all your getting get wisdom’. That is Biblical, but not totally accurate. The actual verse reads:Pr 4:5 Get wisdom, get understanding: forget it not; neither decline from the words of my mouth.
Pr 4:7 Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding.
In all of your wisdom, get understanding.
Apart from Jesus, Solomon is recorded as being the wisest king that ever lived.
Yet, he blew it, in having many wives:1Ki 11:3 And he had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines: and his wives turned away his heart.
1Ki 11:4 For it came to pass, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned away his heart after other gods: and his heart was not perfect with the LORD his God, as was the heart of David his father.
Here is understanding. Wisdom did not keep his leadership pure, nor on track with God. Purity of heart, and faithfulness to one wife, would have.
Mal 2:14 Yet ye say, Wherefore? Because the LORD hath been witness between thee and the wife of thy youth, against whom thou hast dealt treacherously: yet is she thy companion, and the wife of thy covenant.
Mal 2:15 And did not he make one? Yet had he the residue of the spirit. And wherefore one? That he might seek a godly seed. Therefore take heed to your spirit, and let none deal treacherously against the wife of his youth.
My ministry to folks over Social Media will continue, but my wife will be reading every prayer request, post, and comment, that comes back from the teachings posted.
My marriage may not be perfect, but I will remain faithful to it, in the brutally hard times, as well as the good ones.
I pray you do the same:
Let’s Pray:
‘Father, I raise up a cry for marriages, families, husbands, wives and children. I ask Sir, that you deliver us from our lusts, the seductions that would creep in, and destroy our homes. Forgive us, where we have erred in this, and purify our hearts, minds, and relationships, from ungodly entanglements, and adulterous affairs, whether physical, or merely emotional. I ask this, knowing I am heard, for I ask in Your name Lord Jesus, AMEN!’

Eye of the Needle!

Eye of the Needle
Mt 19:24 And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.Mr 10:25 It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.Lu 18:25 For it is easier for a camel to go through a needle’s eye, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.
Eastons comment: Used only in the proverb, “to pass through a needle’s eye” #Mt 19:24 Mr 10:25 Lu 18:25 Some interpret the expression as referring to the side gate, close to the principal gate, usually called the “eye of a needle” in the East; but it is rather to be taken literally.
I heard a preacher once comment on this verse, for those of us seeking financial prosperity, describing how one needed to lay down everything at Jesus feet, and that Jesus would not only replace, but multiply everything we gave Him.
How historians described a side gate into the city, that was named the ‘eye of the needle’, where traveller’s who came on camels, had to literally unload their camels, have them get down on their knees so that they could squeeze through the gate. As soon as they went through, everything was reloaded, and off they went.
The fact that this account is given in three gospel accounts is significant. I believe it is a way God deals with us, who have position and wealth. There comes seasons where the way becomes exceedingly narrow, and we must seek Him, and follow Him very specifically, accurately, with no compromise. Seems like we have to lay down everything we have, to make it through the trial sometimes. Yet, today as I worked and worshipped, pondering my financial lack and intense trial, as I have deliberately sought God with all my heart, for His clarity and direction for the next mandate for my life, I was reminded of this sermon, I heard so many years ago.
In the midst of my thoughts came the voice of the Holy Spirit, with great authority and encouragement: “ONE IS NEVER DIMINISHED WHO COMES INTO THE PRESENCE OF THE GREAT KING!’
And so I press in for the high calling of God in Christ Jesus, without compromise, having not paid any bills this month, fighting daily for things like food, transportation, etc.
Well, it is good to be here. Again and again, He continues to speak to me, confirming and revealing great things that appear too wonderful to ever make happen in my own strength or ability. They are the design, plan, purpose, and calling of King Jesus. He alone is Lord, and well able to make them happen.
26 And they were astonished out of measure, saying among themselves, Who then can be saved?27 And Jesus looking upon them saith, With men it is impossible, but not with God: for with God all things are possible.28 Then Peter began to say unto him, Lo, we have left all, and have followed thee.29 And Jesus answered and said, Verily I say unto you, There is no man that hath left house, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my sake, and the gospel’s,30 But he shall receive an hundredfold now in this time, houses, and brethren, and sisters, and mothers, and children, and lands, with persecutions; and in the world to come eternal life.31 But many that are first shall be last; and the last first.
As Paul Harvey would say, this is the rest of the story for an obedient disciple, a hundred fold increase. First though, is always ‘the eye of the needle’

Let’s pray:
‘Father, for friends struggling in this place today, bring your provision, comfort, strength, encouragement, and clear voice. Speak Lord Jesus, and we will follow, whatever the cost, Amen!’