Lesson #1 Hearing God

Lesson #1  Hearing God

I know of a young person who wants to learn to hear God; I’ve told them I’d share little lessons I’ve learned combining them with their scriptural tether. 

 

The Platform  to Hearing God:

But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.  Hebrew 11:6

 

·      Faith is essential – ask Him to increase your faith

·      Faith pleases God – “I want to please You God and I know You are pleased that I want to hear You”

·      Must come to God – Constantly tell God you want to hear Him & set time aside daily for prayer

·      Must believe He is – “I believe You God” even if it seems you don’t – the very fact you are coming to Him reveals you truly do believe Him. Ask Him to help any unbelief you have (Mark 9:24)

·      Must diligently seek Him – “I won’t give up”

·      Must believe He rewards the seeker – put it back on Him – “You said You would reward me… I want to hear Your Voice”

Feel free to ask questions…

When God Leaves a Movement - Reason 5

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Introduction: 
Jesus said I will never leave you or forsake you. I am not discussing salvation in this article – I am talking about moves of God – revival, renewal and even some denominations. In the Book of the Revelation Jesus said some churches were in danger of having their candlestick removed – Jesus was speaking to churches as a whole not to individuals.  Individuals are dealt with differently than corporate groups or churches.  This article has in mind special times throughout history where there was a significant outpouring of God's Spirit.

When God Leaves a Movement

Sometimes what began as a genuine move of the Holy Spirit ends as a monument with the inscription:

“God Was Here”

Why does this happen?  

I’ve heard it said, “The devil knows he can’t stop revival so he adds to it.”  If the enemy can add the flesh, lies and heresies to what God is doing then the Holy Spirit will leave and let the flesh and the enemy have their way.  And since people are all too often willing participants, moves of God tend to ebb longer than they flow. Also, detrimental to a movement is when devotion to Jesus Christ is replaced with programs, formulas, and laws. When this happens we enter into a man-made Christianity – true Christianity is Christ-centered and Holy Spirit lead.

Consider these two scriptures:

Galatians 3: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? Are you so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit, are you now being made perfect by the flesh?

James 3: Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show by good conduct that his works are done in the meekness of wisdom. But if you have bitter envy and self-seeking in your hearts, do not boast and lie against the truth. This wisdom does not descend from above, but is earthly, sensual, demonic.  For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there.

Notice how James says, every evil thing are there? No wonder The Holy Spirit backs off from a movement when we are trying to control it by the flesh; He won’t anoint the flesh – He anoints what is of His Spirit! 

Quite some time ago a glacier dammed up the Columbia River in Washington State backing up the water into Idaho, Montana and Oregon; during this time the river took an alternate route and flowed over a cliff creating an enormous water fall nearly 10 times the size of Niagara Falls!  After the glacier melted the Columbia returned to its previous channel leaving a scalloped landscaped and the now, awesome Dry Falls (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dry_Falls). We traveled to see this remarkable sight in the late 1990s and as I looked over to the chiseled cliff which was once the massive water fall the Lord spoke to me and said, “Where the river once flowed it flows no more.” Along with His Voice was the understanding that the Dry Falls is a monument to past moves of God – Where His River once flowed It flows no more!  

I believe The Lord is in the process of raising up a people in these days who will not bow to the flesh and its desires but who will be a people on their knees; humble and led by the Holy Spirit, willing to do things His way, a people who can be trusted with gifts, power, and Anointing.  Let us be those kind of people!

Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time… 1 Peter 5

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Why I Love and Value the Prophetic: 5

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Why I Love and Value the Prophetic

Revelation for the Local Church

When we look at the Book of Revelation chapters 2 an 3 we find an amazing revelation of the Heart of God to His 7 churches.  In these two chapters Jesus Christ speaks to each church through the aggelos (ang’-el-os:  a messenger, envoy, one who is sent, an angel) of each church, giving revelation for their particular situation; He rebukes where needed, encourages when needed, He gives praise, and also points out what must be done for them to be successful before God if their lampstand is in jeopardy of being removed. The Lord still has specifics for churches today, some as severe as we see in The Book of Revelation and others not as severe – just guidance and correction to varying degrees.  The Prophetic when spoken into these situations can give precision in helping the church become more effective and pleasing to the Lord. 

Here is such a story.

Some years back the Lord had us at a church in a university town. During the months the university students were in town we as a church spent much time and resources focusing on them; their needs, their strengthening and their spiritual maturity.  However, as is the case in most university town churches attendance during the summer was much lower than at other times of the year leaving us mostly families with children while the students were away.

One day The Holy Spirit showed me a moving picture of the life of a tree.  In this movie the tree went through all the seasons of the year highlighting different stages the tree went through during each season. In spring the tree was fertilized and blossomed; summer it bore fruit (the fruit having seeds); autumn came, the leaves blew away; winter with pruning and the tree went through the cycle again. 

I shared this revelation with the leaders of our church; after some discussion and prayer we concluded God was giving us direction for our church.  The Tree itself represented the local church.  The tree (as it would look in winter with bare branches, the trunk and root system) was representative of the people who were there year round – the strength of the tree.  The fertilizer represented what we were supposed to do while the students were away so we would blossom.  The fruit – the students who were with us for awhile but then were picked off the tree and became nourishment for others and having the seed within they were able to reproduce themselves (2 Tim 2:2); finally, the leaves which blew off in the wind represented the students leaving at the end of the school year. 

Though this simple movie The Lord revealed His will for our church; we were to invest heavily in strengthening the community of believers who were there year round while the students were away for the summer. During the summer months the leaders changed the focus and format of the meetings in order to obey the revelation from the Holy Spirit.

This is just one account of the way the prophetic can impact a local church and of how the prophetic should yield to and work with the leadership of a church.

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Why I Love and Value the Prophetic: Rhema

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Why I Love and Value the Prophetic

Rhema to our Path

“Where is your Ruth?”

The world is rocking and the times have brought changes to many people’s lives.  Many have had to move to seek new employment leaving all they loved and knew behind, others have struggles for various other reasons each leaving in its wake tears and pain, while others have lost everything because of the economy. We find ourselves asking God, “Why am I here?”

 Your “here” may not be a physical “here” but very possibly an emotional or spiritual “here”.  If this is you then believe I have a word from the Lord for you…

“Where is your Ruth?”   

Naomi found herself in such a place as many currently find themselves. Naomi’s husband, Elimelech, moved the family to Moab because of a famine in Bethlehem. While in Moab Elimelech and both Naomi’s sons died; upon returning home to Bethlehem Naomi said, "Do not call me Naomi (my delight); call me Mara (bitter), for the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me.”  I went out full, and the LORD has brought me home again empty. Why do you call me Naomi, since the LORD has testified against me, and the Almighty has afflicted me?"

 

Naomi said she had come back empty; she thought everything had been taken from her - by the Hand of God nonetheless; pain and circumstances dimmed her eyes as to how wrong she really was about her situation.  One thing did came back with her, it was Ruth; a precious daughter-in-law of whom the people said was better to Naomi than 7 sons.

Ruth was worth Naomi's trip to Moab; even though Ruth was born a Moabitess she left her family and gods and clung to Naomi and her God.  Ruth ended up marrying Boaz; they had a son named Obed.  Obed had a son named Jesse – the father of King David… the ancestor of Jesus Christ; all because Naomi "due to famine" went to Moab with her husband and sons!

Sometimes this side of eternity it’s hard to understand why God does or allows what He does when our hearts are so broken we just can’t seem to see God in our circumstances (the Emmaus Road).  We need God to bring some light to our path…hopefully this message has brought some light to your path.

So who or what is your Ruth?  What was so important to God He moved you where you are or allowed your circumstances to be such that they are?  You aren’t where you are just because…there aren’t “just becauses” in the life of those who love God!  Trust Him in the fog.

From one man He made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and He determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live.  Acts 17:26

Ask Him who or what your Ruth is…

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