Bible Study

Building the Trust Factor Between You and God’s Word

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“In the beginning was the Word.. and the Word was with God.. and the Word was God.  The same was in the beginning with God.. All things were made by Him, and without Him was not anything made that was made.”  (John 1:1-3)

The Word was God..??  God spoke the Word – and all things were created.. They were created according to the Word that He spoke… “Light be”.. He said in the beginning – and light was”…. And in the same way ALL things were  created..  (Genesis 1:1-31 & Hebrews 11:3).. “Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the Rhema (spoken)Word of God.. so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.”…..

If you have a problem believing that.. it could be for a couple of reasons – one of them  being that you may have tried to understand who God is.. based on the way your life has been lived… Another reason being… that you may not have stopped to consider – “that the heavens declare (enumerate, tell, make known – and even celebrate) the glory of God.. The sky that is visible to your eye.. displays His handiwork/His operations!”… And right at our feet – the grass that we appreciate and care for… have you ever considered that with all our knowledge and technology.. no man has yet been able to produce (“from scratch”) a single blade of that grass?!!  Plus take a good long look around you at all the order of the natural things we can see in the universe… And after that good look and some thought – can you still believe that something as diverse and ordered as what you just saw and considered.. began as a single cell (where did IT come from?).. or had its start from an explosion of gases?!!  I’m not trying to mock anyone – I just want you to THINK… Because it all started somewhere .. from something/someone that is ALIVE – and able to impart LIFE.”…

The Word was a living thing as God spoke it to create and make all things.  That is because the Word IS a part of God Himself.. God and His Word are one.  What God says “IS”... What God says WILL BECOME… because.. behind every Word of God is His integrity.. If it were not so, we could not depend on night and day.. or seedtime and harvest.. the four seasons.. or all the other things which He spoke the Word to set in place to continue… “as long as the earth remaineth”… They continue this day according to the Words that God spoke… (Genesis 8:22;  Psalm 119:89-91)… And God upholds all things by the Word He has spoken concerning it.  (Hebrews 1:3)

What does all of that have to do with our lives today??  That is a good and legitimate question.  Psalm 119:89,90 assures us that “Forever, God’s Word is settled in Heaven.. His faithfulness to all generations.”  God’s Word is the same today as it was in the beginning when He created the heavens and the earth by His Word… And today.. when the Spirit of God “quickens” a promise from the Word of God to us,  we can know that it is “a seed” waiting to be received by us into the good ground of a believing heart/our spirit …And as we “hear” and keep that word…it will “bear fruit” that looks like the promise God gave us!   (Luke 8:11-15)

Our part is to keep that word in our heart… hold on to what God has said .. and not allow our human reasonings… based on sense knowledge… to cave in and turn loose of the word when the enemy/aka the devil comes to  convince us that “it won’t work/things won’t change for you”, etc. etc.  (Luke 8:11-15).   The Word that God speaks has His life and ability in it.. to bring those things that the Word promises to pass! …. That is why God still “sends His Word” (Psalm 107:20).. TODAY.. to heal, deliver, and otherwise minister His grace and provision to those who take hold of that Word to keep it in their heart/spirit while it imparts the faith we all need to receive!….

And that process of keeping and holding forth that Word in the face of all the things to the contrary that we might see..or hear.. or feel – is called “fighting the good fight of faith.”  And that may take half a day – or – it might take half a year… But the experience of receiving things from God’s Word this way builds faith and trust in us… Because many of those things we believe Him for.. and receive.. are things that looked impossible any other way! And it brings you to the place that the “trust factor” between you and God gets stronger and stronger year after year… because faith in God grows as we interact with Him and His Word…

 

Daily Bread…. “Give Us This Day Our Daily Bread”

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`”Our Father, who art in Heaven…. Whose name is both awesome and Holy… Whom we reverence, worship, and adore….. Your kingdom come, Your will be done – on earth as it is in Heaven…..

And even as Jesus told us (Matthew 6:9-13) to “Pray after this manner” – even so we proceed to pray – “Give us this day our daily bread”…

But just what is it that we are asking for?…. “This day”is the time now present .. And “our daily bread” is “what is needed for our subsistence/our overall existence at present…..

And we know that “our daily bread” is more than just the bread/needs for our physical body — for Jesus told us in Matthew 4:4  “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.” It is for much more than our physical sustenance then – that we pray “Give us this day, our daily bread…..

Indeed it is for His grace for all those things we do not even know we will have need of for this day – understanding that our Father God is “able to do exceeding abundantly more than we can ask or think ” (Ephesians 3:20) – according to the power that is at work in us….. even the power of God’s Word and His Spirit –  in conjunction with our faith – believing that He hears us when we pray…..”Father give us the provision that we will need for this day – that for which our Lord Jesus has already paid.”….. And for all these things we give You thanks, and we give You praise!

 

Holding Fast to Your Confession of Faith

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In the posts for July 11,18,.and 24 (listed in Archives) – I shared with you about the value of speaking in line with what God has said……aka holding fast to your confession of faith  (Hebrews 4:14 & 10:23) – which is your acknowledgment – THAT…

  • God’ s words are true…
  • You recognize the power and authority of those words to bring into being the things that He has promised….. (and that they can cause circumstances that are working to the contrary of what God has said – to be changed, “overturned,” or moved out of the way)!!
  • And lastly, when you and I speak in agreement with what God has said,  we are giving Him thanks for what He IS doing to bring His word to pass in our situation

You and I can acknowledge the validity of these things concerning God’s word – BECAUSE – “It is not the word of men, but it is in truth the word of God – – which very actively and powerfully works in and for those who believe!”    (I Thessalonians 2:13)……And as Psalm 107:20 tells us -“God sent His word   and healed them and delivered them“…. Even so – He sends us His word/quickens or speaks to us His word to apply to a situation ….. and then He watches for us to “return” it to Him through the words of our mouth….. as our act of faith that we believe His word is true and that it shall be even as He has told us!….

In Romans 4:11-25  scripture refers to Abraham as”the father of all them that believe”…… “even those who walk in the steps of that faith that he walked in ….

When God  promised Abraham that he would have a son by his wife Sarah – Sarah was 90 years old (and had been barren all her life) and Abraham was 99. Nevertheless, God promised to make him “a father of multitudes/many nations (Genesis 17) …… From the natural standpoint – of course this was impossible – but scripture tells us that “Abraham – seeing beyond the hopelessness of his circumstances in the natural…. believed God….. believed what God had told him……and like with us when we believe God – HOPE – is birthed in us/in Abraham according to the Word God has spoken!

The Lord God had actually appeared to Abraham at age 99 – while he was yet named Abram….. but along with the promise of a son… God gave to Abram a new name – Abraham – declaring “a father of many nations have I made you.” So it was from that day forward, that every time Abraham heard his name called – he heard himself being called “father of many nations.”…. Likewise every time Abraham spoke his name to someone – he was calling himself “father of many nations.”  Are you getting the picture?  (…. faith comes by hearing and hearing what God has said)! …….

And on the other end of the faith that is growing and developing in our heart is the promise from God – who cannot lie – and fully intends to bring that promise to pass!  But the real issue here is this –   Will you and I yield to the pressure of the doubts and fear that come to steal our promise – OR – will we choose to stand our ground and speak in line with what God has said?….. Which is the way that you hold fast to the confession of your faith.   

We can do this because the God who gave us that promise – or spoke that word of direction to us – is both faithful and able to bring our confession of faith in what He has said – to pass!

 

 

An Example…… Confessing God’s Word in Prayer and Worship

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Today I am sharing a “writing” which I call “a confession sheet” because it is full of the word of God …… It came to me early one morning as an answer  to something I had prayed the day before – when I had asked the Lord to show me how to pray for a Christian friend who was struggling with some bondages in their life.

Before I get into the post – I’m going to share a few strong reasons  for learning to spend some time worshiping God and confessing His word as you pray…..

  • Mark 16:20 – informs us that “the Lord works with and confirms His Word with signs following.“
  • II Timothy 2:9 – says that “the word of God is not bound!”….. It can go into places and reach into situations where we ourselves are not able to go or get into – to affect a situation – (including people’s hearts and minds!)  + Psalm 107:20 “God sent His Word and He healed them and delivered them”…..   And remember the centurion (in Matthew 8) telling Jesus “You don’t even have to come to my house to heal my servant – but just speak the Word – and he shall be healed.“
  • In the same way, the Spirit of God will quicken/send a word to us….. with the expectation that we will receive that word and keep it – in our heart and in our mouth!!!….. speaking the life that is in that word into our own life – or even into someone else’s life.  In this way, you can cover someone’s life with the word of God – as you spend time thanking Him that His word is true!

CONFESSING God’s WORD IN PRAYER AND WORSHIP

I worship You, Father – You are the one true God, the Great Creator, Our Healer and Deliverer…. Provider and Keeper…….. Great and mighty God You are …. I worship and adore You! ……(Personal worship touches God’s heart deeply because He wants to be close to each one of  us – So I urge you to use your own words of worship here – expressing what is in your heart to God.).

Father, I thank You that You ARE  a rewarder of those that diligently seek You. I believe that You “are” – and I am a diligent seeker!…. Father, I am seeking You now for (name of person)….. and I thank You that You ARE perfecting the things that concern them…..

I thank You that You are:……..

Pulling down strongholds of error in their thinking – so they can recognize the truth when they hear it…… And for leading and guiding them into all truth, I thank You.

For enlightening the eyes of their understanding – that they may know the hope of their calling, and the riches of their inheritance in Christ Jesus our Lord.   Thank You that He is their Savior and Lord – and any place they are lacking in that – You are perfecting that part or place in them.  Hallelujah!

I thank You for causing them to see and understand the greatness of Your power towards all who believe.  And for helping them to see that even with a child like faith they can do all things that they need to do – and do those things well!….. because in Jesus, they are overcomers and conquerors!

Thank You for helping them to understand that they can live a life of overcoming and victory – because Jesus is Lord over every need that they have!   Oh Father, for redeeming their lives from destruction – even wrong things that they’ve bowed down to – I thank You.  I give You thanks and I give You praise for this – for nothing is too hard for You!

Thank You Father for helping them to see how much You love them…..and that nothing can separate them from that love!  … And for helping them to see the good plan You have for their lives.

Thank You now for causing Your wonderful grace to flow to them – redeeming and restoring every good thing in their lives……. even the years that the enemy has stolen!  And Father, thank You for taking and weaving in Your good into all those destructive things and bringing them back on line with that good plan You have for them……. Glory be to God – our Healer and Deliverer!  Thank You Jesus – You ARE the Redeemer and Restorer of every good thing!

———————————————–

NOTE: That is just an example of a time of confessing God’s Word as you worship and thank Him for supplying what you (or some other person) needs. And I can tell you that – as you focus on God as the provider of all of our needs, the Spirit of God will likely drop some other things into your spirit to pray – making this more personally yours in the time that you spend with Him worshiping and confessing His word – acknowledging that you have asked – and He is doing these things to perfect the lives of those for whom you pray!

Part 2 – Being a Doer of the Word… Wielding the Sword of the Spirit

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In this post, I will share a little about learning to use the Word of God as your sword of deliverance against attacks of the enemy….as Jesus did. This enemy that I  refer to here is specifically referred to as “your adversary, the devil” in I Peter 5:8…. and also named “the tempter” in Matthew 4 – as he comes to tempt Jesus to do other than what God had sent Him to this earth to do…. That is where we see Jesus taking the Word of God to “answer” every thing that the devil suggests to Him that He should do – but each time, Jesus answered and said “It is written…..” – using the Word of God to shut the enemy down – ie. we see that after his third unsuccessful attempt to lure Jesus away from His standing in God, verse 11 says  “the devil left Him.” Jesus resisted the devil and he left!

And that is exactly what the Word instructs you and  I to do when we find ourselves being tempted by this enemy….. because according to I Peter 5:8,9  “your adversary, the devil – as a roaring lion – walketh about seeking whom he may devour (oppose, swallow up) – whom we are to “resist – stedfast in the faith (the faith in what God has said)”….  that means that we are to speak in line with what God has said.  When the enemy comes to suggest anything contrary to what God has said about a matter – then you and I are to resist that temptation by speaking according to what God has indeed said about that matter.   Being a “doer of the Word” means that we apply the Word to our situation…. for as we do this, we are ” announcing”-  in effect – that we believe God that it shall be even as He has told us.  That is our resistance – it affects to “disconnect” us/our situation from the suggestions that the enemy is tempting us to take over what God has said….  And we are told to hold fast to our speaking according to what God has said..for His words SHALL BE FULFILLED “in their season.” (Luke 1:20)

How can such things be??  We have to get out of our own (man’s) way of thinking – because as Isaiah 55:9-11 (paraphrased) tells us – God thinks higher than you and I do.  His ways are higher than our ways …. and what He speaks, He is able to perform and intends to perform.  And as we get to know and trust Him, we can more and more be able to say with the Apostle Paul (Acts 27:25) “I believe God that it shall be even as He told me” – in the face of a storm that had raged so violently for days against the ship he was in – that all hope that they could be saved had been taken away……but the Apostle Paul said “I believe God that it shall be even as He told me”! … and so it was – for him – and so it can be for us!

…….And like Mary, whom God had chosen to be the mother of Jesus (Luke 1:26-38) – who though being a virgin at the time – understood that “with God nothing shall be impossible”…. and with these words: “Be it unto me according to Your Word”– gave her consent for the power of God to “overshadow/ envelope” her – causing this miracle of conception to take place in her.  Likewise with our words of agreement with what God has said, we release Him to begin to bring to pass the promise He has given us.  

The words that God speaks  have the power to perform to bring about  WHATEVER  He has promised! …. But realize this – that HE HAS MADE US to be  labourers together with Him in this process….. BECAUSE…..He gives us His Word and it is with you and I even as He said to Mary  “Blessed is he or she that believes – for there shall be a performance of those things that were told her from the Lord.”

God’s Words – are the sword we use to cut off the suggestions of the enemy …. and they are the words we speak to bring forth what God has purposed for our lives and for His Kingdom!  Its not because you and I are such hot rods – but it is because God cannot fail – and His words SHALL BE FULFILLED in their season…. He wants us to get in there and believe so that they can be fulfilled in our lives!

 

Part 3 – Praying in the Spirit … Why Pray in Tongues ?

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When you or I speak or pray in an unknown tongue – we are not speaking to men, but to God …. in fact I Corinthians 14:2  informs us that in the spirit we are speaking /praying the mysteries of God.  . and as we pray those mysteries that God is depositing into our spirit – we are being “set up” for God to begin to direct us and our lives in those things that He desires for us and for the people for whom we pray.

God wisely and lovingly put this together in this way  – because you and I don’t always know (actually we seldom know)  the whole picture concerning things that we need to know …. but He wisely deposits the knowledge we need about  those things into our spirit as our spirit prays (I Cor 14:14)…. And one very good reason for that is  – as we see in  Romans 8:26 – “we know not what, or how to pray as we ought”…..And  just as God intends to answer the prayers that we give voice to in English – even so, those prayers we are giving voice to that come in tongues out of us as we pray in the spirit – He intends to answer!

And I can honestly tell you that my prayer life – both the satisfaction of it and the answers to prayer – multiplied as I learned to spend time praying in the spirit (that is because you are much more likely to be praying “according to His will”)…. And I quickly noticed how much more alive the Word of God became to me as well.  It is as the old quote says “the proof is in the pudding.”  So I was very soon “sold” on the value of praying in the spirit….. and  It didn’t hurt that a hero of mine – the Apostle Paul – valued personal prayer in the spirit so highly that he told the Corinthians “I thank my God that I pray in tongues more than you all”… (and you can note that he didn’t have time to waste on things that weren’t important!) – So since he urged us to “follow me as I follow the Lord” …..

Perhaps  praying in the spirit should likewise be a priority to you and me – don’t you think?   I can also tell you that after praying in tongues for 15 – 20 minutes or so, I will generally  feel/or hear some things in English rising up in my spirit to pray for – and I will go with that until it feels “emptied out” – then I begin again praying in the spirit until I finish the time I have to give to praying – or until something else rises up in my spirit such as worship or maybe one of the writings that He frequently downloads into my spirit.  I have also learned that I can continue quietly praying in the spirit even after I leave the “place” of prayer and become involved in house work – or driving the car – or laying down to rest,  etc, etc……

If you think I place great value on praying in the spirit, you are very right and if you think I am urging you to  spend a little time developing that habit, you are right again.  You can start by taking 15 minutes  out of your day (or more if you can) aside from other things and begin praying in tongues.  Day by day as you pray – the Spirit of God gives you the utterance – so that you can know it is as perfect a prayer as you could possibly pray … and one that He will take coming from your lips – and answer in the best possible ways as you continue in those times of fellowship with Him…… praying in the Holy Ghost – as Jude 20,21  refers to it.  I am excited for you as you begin “building yourself up praying in the Holy Ghost!”

Thank You Lord for this incredible gift You gave to the Church….. I pray that many more of Your people will come to understand its value and receive it as a precious gift from You to them.

“I Have Learned”……. Being a Do-er of the Word

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The Apostle Paul said… “I have learned to be “content” in whatever state – circumstance, or situation I find myself in.   (Philippians 4:11)  The key phrase used here that I will share some things about in this post – is –  “I have learned”….. We generally tend to emphasize other parts of that verse, but one day the Spirit of God really quickened that little 3 word phrase to me – and it has served as a goad to me to keep moving forward on many ocassions……

“I have learned” indicates a process entered into.  It also indicates a willingness to apply yourself to going through that process – even as we can see that the Apostle Paul made such a decision (in Philippians 3:8-11) when he determined to pursue a thing that he considered to be  paramount to every other thing in his life…..  And in the verses that followed that – he expressed the fervency of his pursuit to press toward that mark – but immediately thereafter – he assured the readers of this passage that he had not yet “got there” – ie. he was not as mature as he would like to be or could be, but nevertheless – and in spite of some mistakes along the way – he was purposed to keep walking and moving forward in that direction – doing his best to  mind the things/rules that he had learned along the way.

“I have learned” he tells us….. indicating that he gained some ground as he kept minding and putting into practice the things he was learning along the way.   That is actually what the “famous” Romans 8:28 passage is talking about.   Let’s look at that one for a moment….. Because we hear so much that “God is sovereign – and that settles the matter” – (which it does), but because we mostly fail to understand the details of,  and the God placed boundaries on that sovereignty – we therefore swallow  “hook, line, and sinker” the teaching that EVERYTHING that happens to us was sent by God….. and is therefore to be passively and humbly received…..  But is that what it truly says and means?

Romans 8:28 – “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them that are called according to His purpose.”

One day as I was reading that verse, I heard God ask me the question:  “Who is it that loves Me?”….. and before I even had time to ponder it, I heard Him tell me the answer –  ie. He directed me to look at John 14:21 & 23…”He that has My commandments (My Word) and keepeth it – he is the one that loves Me.. .If you love Me, you will keep My words”…  THIS IS THE ONE FOR WHOM ALL THINGS WORK TOGETHER FOR GOOD!  (….and we know that all things work together for good to them that love God!!)  BECAUSE  he that loves Me – God says – will keep My word”……..

We’re not talking about a long list of “do’s and don’ts” (although that will have some part in this because it is God’s word) – but rather He is telling us that when He directs us in some way – do that!… If He tells you whether or not to “buy that house” for example – or – If He has quickened a Word to you about stopping exaggerating the truth – or maybe you felt really convicted as you read His Word that you needed to stop overeating – then  begin as much as you know how to, to do that – and as you walk, continue to mind anything that you learn that applies to your walking according to “what or how” He has directed you….. BECAUSE… it all has a cumulative effect – like pieces of a puzzle – and that thing that He directed you to do will weave together with all the other things that He has been telling you to do – BECOMING A PART  of the “all things work together for your good” chain of keeping His word (s) -which He has promised to bless!

You see we can’t just live any old way and expect that all of the things that  come our way are working for our good – but God can,  and wants to work with us to have a better outcome and a lot less ongoing grief in our life…. He wants to weave His good into every area of our lives – even those places where we think that we’ve missed it so badly that it can never work out right!  But we can – like the Apostle Paul – realize how important and powerful God’s words are – and LEARN  to keep them – ie. Do as James 1:25  admonishes us to do by being not just a forgetful hearer, but be a doer of God’s Word – realizing that the Word of God has power to change things – because God is “one with His Word(s) – and He works with His Word to perform it (to bring what He has promised to pass).  It has taken some time for me to “get it”- but I have learned that following each thing as best I can that He directs me to do – or holding on to a promise He has given me – will indeed have  its part in working all things together for my good!

Part II – Praying in the Spirit – What IS the Purpose?

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“I thank my God, I speak with tongues more than you all.”   (I Cor. 14:18) Who said that – and why would they place such high value on speaking with tongues?….. It was the Apostle Paul speaking to the Corinthian church – and to us who would even today be reading God’s Word……

(I made a point to tell you that it was spoken for us even today – because in many circles it is taught that the gifts of the Spirit are not for today – but there is no place in God’s Word that nullifies any of the spiritual gifts which God gave to the church after the resurrection and ascension of Jesus Christ.  A verse or two taken out of context has been used to appear to say that the gifts have passed away – but you would have to do away with MANY other new testament passages of scriptures in order for those one or two verses to stand – as evidence of the spiritual gifts having “passed away.” I am not trying to be ugly to anyone – for I have seen some things in the name of “spiritual gifts” that would turn me off too – but any true gift God has for us is too good to miss – simply because of misuse or misinformation….. So  my aim is only to share what the Word of God does have to say about this incredible gift of God for His church)

Incredible gift is right!….. that is “the why” for the Apostle Paul telling us that he speaks in tongues – “more than you all!” The Apostle Paul was a very busy man – and with all that he had to do for the care of the churches, he would not have had time – or taken time – for frivolous or trivial things!  That should tell us that it is important to look into this matter to see why he placed so much value on speaking/praying in tongues (aka praying in the spirit)…..

To begin with (in I Cor 14) – just four verses before he made the statement about his choice to spend time praying and speaking much in tongues – he tells us that … “if I pray in an unknown tongue – my spirit prayeth.” (verse 14)  And going back to verses 4 and 5,  he makes the statement “I wish that you all spoke with tongues”– and in verse 39 as he finishes that chapter – he tells us to “forbid not to speak with tongues” – all of these statements pointing to the fact that he found it very important that we understand the value that he placed on this gift…. and at the same time he made it clear that it can be used (misused) in a disorderly fashion in a church setting – that being the topic of that entire chapter…. . He was not belittling the gift (as some pull a verse or two out of the context of that whole chapter to say),  but rather he was addressing the proper use of the gift in a church setting so that all could benefit.  There is the church as a corporate body meeting together,  and there are the individual members of that body. The gifts were given to the individual members to profit withal…….“There are diversities of gifts but the same Spirit ….. and there are diversities of operations,  but it is the same God which worketh all in all – for the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal” (I Cor 12:4-7 paraphrased)……ie. Praying in the spirit – or any of these gifts that are used for the end result of ministering the life giving grace of God to others will benefit the minister – and the one(s) ministered to.  That is the “profit withal” that this scripture mentioned.

Okay, it’s an important gift – but “WHY”?   To begin to answer that I will share from two passages of scripture with you…… “He that speaketh in an unknown tongue edifieth himself…. for in the spirit he is speaking mysteries .” (I extracted two key statements here from I Corinthians 14:2,4 – highlighting them to you for a purpose)-  ie. “Edifieth himself” means “to be a housebuilder – to build (up), to construct – or instruct in such a way as to improve, enlighten or uplift and embolden.…..  That’s a lot of good stuff,  and at first look it might appear that this is a rather “self-serving” gift – but not so!

Why is that?  ….  Let’s look at one other scripture because one scripture often sheds light on other scriptures….. Jude 20, 21 :  “But you beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith – PRAYING IN THE HOLY GHOST – keep yourselves in the love of God…..   Hmmmmm … Indeed!  We do build ourselves up when we pray in the spirit (aka pray in the Holy Ghost) – and it is very important that we keep ourselves built up and strong – so that when the need arises, we are able also to help others……  And “keeping yourself in the love of God” –  (as this scripture attributes to praying in the Holy Ghost) – is no small thing either!

I’ve just shared with you a couple of super big reasons for developing the simple but strong discipline of praying in the spirit.  There’s more to share with you about this from the Word –  and from some personal experience about what has helped me along the way too – so I hope with all my heart that you who are reading this today will return to this blog for the next posts on this very important subject of praying in the spirit

….. And thank You Lord Jesus  for this incredible gift to your church!… and for unveiling its purpose in Your Word.

Learning to Hear and to Recognize the Voice of God

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“Did not our heart burn within us, while He talked with us by the way, and while He opened to us the scriptures”? !

Such was the hindsight of the two disciples after they had met and conversed with the risen Jesus along their way to Emmaus (Luke 24:1-13-32) …… And now – after the fact – it was like “ohhh man…. He was right there with us … talking to us as we walked – and we did not even recognize Him!

They didn’t recognize Jesus because they were so filled with their own thoughts and reasonings that they “couldn’t see the forest for the trees” – as we often say when we have had something right in front of our face and yet failed to see it ….. Why?…..Because their reasonings – ie. both the “possiblilities” and the “impossiblilities”  of the circumstances  (see the March 26 post) that filled their minds and thinking this day – blinded them to the same thing that often blinds us to the truth –  the fact of who God”IS” – that He operates on a higher level than we do….. &  that when God is involved,  we just might be confronted with some things that are wonderful – but “difficult” for us to understand …… that is unless we learn to consider – even in the midst of our reasonings – that God lives in the supernatural!! …. And if He says it ,  He can do it!!

Our hearing God by the hearing ear of our spirit is also a supernatural thing… . It is a Spirit to spirit hearing – a hearing that belongs to the spirit of a man that has been born again…. Yes – God can – and He has spoken (in certain times and for specific purposes) to men who were not born again – but after receiving Jesus, we were “born again” – and with that new birth that took place in our spirit,  we were  given the capacity to hear God speaking to us.  But it is like all our human capacities to learn and grow in different ways – in that it has to be developed!  

But let’s get back to the two that had met the risen Jesus on the road to Emmaus ….. and to what they shared with each other about that experience – ie .”Didn’t our heart burn within us – while He talked with us by the way,  and while He opened to us the scriptures”?

When God speaks to us, it is not at all uncommon to “feel” something “alive” with that hearing – and even though we learn to recognize His voice in much the same way that we learned to recognize that special voice of our mother or our father from the voice of any other – so we can learn to recognize the “voice” of God as well.  But understand, that there is “the recognizing” – AND – there is “the hearing” – so that we can  recognize who it is that we are hearing.

This is important because at times, even as we are maturing in that hearing by our spirit – we can be in the midst of deep thoughts about something – and have to question if we heard God speak a word to us.  That too is not uncommon – but at times when we have laid a question “about what to do” before the Lord – we must learn to quiet our mind – with its “reasonings” about that matter…..note that those “reasonings” of their minds was why  the two who walked with Jesus did not recognize Him …… So – we must learn to quiet our mind so that it is not so busy trying “to solve the problem” that we are hearing so many “answers” that they tend to get all tangled together!   When that is happening with your mind – it’s really kind of like trying to hear someone talking to you over the phone – all the while, someone beside you is talking to you (90 miles an hour ) at the same time – get the picture?

So, how do you quiet a “busy mind”?  I can share with you here some things that helped me when I was first learning this – all of which involve getting your mind to focus on something else.  One –  Isaiah 26:3 “Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace – whose mind is stayed on Thee.”  You can do this by meditating on a verse of scripture – or by focusing on memorizing that scripture.  Another thing I used to do when the focus on the problem was “eating my lunch” was that I would actually call a friend and ask them to give me something to pray about for someone in need.  Listening to and singing along with good music will also divert your mind from its insistence on solving a problem that only God knows the real way out of.

Now days I do not have a major problem with quieting my mind – but when I do have the least inclination in that direction , I usually do one of these three things: I begin deliberately giving thanks to God – or I will slip over into personal worship – or I set myself to begin praying in the spirit – any of these never fail to bring me into His presence where – as the Psalmist shares in Psalm 16:7-11  that “setting the Lord before you causes your heart to be glad, your tongue to rejoice, and your flesh also to rest.

The problem is not  that God does not want to communicate with His children, but the problem is that we aren’t hearing as we should…. but that is a problem with a solution – which is to LEARN to hear.  If that is a desire of your heart, know that God is ready to teach you and take you to that place of hearing – better and better – that is so greatly desired by those who know Him.  You CAN learn to hear and recognize the voice of God!  I did – after many years of longing for that….. and now in these posts starting with March 11 and going until ??  I will be sharing with you the things that have helped (and are helping) me!….those things are straight from the Word of God!  and by the way  I write because I hear –  to me that is so exciting!

Developing Your Capacity to Hear and Recognize God’s Voice

~ kathrynspen ~ Leave a comment

When you are born again – and getting to know Jesus, the main thing you want is to know Him more!…..   That is because it opens the door to the best and most important things that you can know in this world.

And this is not a “self serving” thing because our having personal fellowship with Jesus and God the Father – affects us in every relationship that we have.  I’m still “flesh and blood” after being born again ….  but I had this new dimension added to my life – the capacity to get to know Him and to begin to understand the things of the Kingdom of God.

……. But notice that I used the word “capacity“….  because if you stay so caught up in the affairs of this life that you do not take the time to get to know the One who gave you this new life in Him – then you may be very little different in many respects than those who have not accepted Jesus as Savior….. “I’ve seen that,  and I say that –  because  it is in our times of  personal fellowship with Him that we get to know Him – who He is and what He is like – and the things that belong to us because of that relationship. We spend time with Him …..  we get to know the “taste and the feel” of His presence –  and (a bonus!) we see a definite and very desirable change taking place in us! …… And it is no small thing that as we are enjoying all of this – that our capacity to recognize God’s voice is also growing!!

What is it like to “hear” God speaking to you personally??

This following  narrative  about two people that had walked with Jesus as His disciples – may very well express what it often  feels like to hear and recognize His voice….

LUKE 24: 13 – 32 (paraphrased):  On the third day after Jesus had been crucified, two of His disciples were walking to the village of Emmaus – which was about 60 furlongs from Jerusalem.  As they walked, they talked of all the things that had come to pass in the last few days – including the fact that some women  (also followers of Jesus)  had gone to the sepulcher of Jesus earlier that day  and found not Jesus, but had instead seen a vision of angels there – saying that Jesus was risen from the dead. …..

Thus as these two disciples walked on the road to Emmaus – talking and reasoning together” about all these things  – Jesus Himself drew near and started walking with them ….. But their eyes were held fast (“blinded” as it were)  by their reasonings (ie. that Jesus was dead) – so that they did not recognize Him.  “What are you talking about?”  Jesus asked the two.  In reply the two began to explain about who they had thought Jesus was – – but now He was dead – having been crucified and buried – this being the third day after His death …… along with the details of the women who had gone to the tomb  earlier in the day and seen “a vision of angels which said Jesus was alive!” ….. So that the two were filled this day with all kinds of thoughts and reasonings about what could possibly be going on here!   To which reasonings Jesus answered –  “Fools and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken;  Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into His glory”? ….. And then as they continued walking, Jesus expounded unto the two from all the scriptures the things concerning Himself.

As they drew near to Emmaus,  the two constrained  Jesus to stay with them, sup with them – and as Jesus sat at meat with them,  He took bread and blessed it – broke and gave of it to them   ….. And their eyes were opened and they knew (recognized) Him….  And He vanished out of their sight …..  Then they said one to the other  “Did not our hearts burn within us while He talked with us by the way,  and while He opened the scriptures to us?!!”

I could not give you a better description (in a nutshell) than what those two on the road to Emmaus just said about hearing His voice.

We were created with divine purpose – to very personally and experientially  know God our Creator …. John 17:3  “And this is life eternal  – that  they might know  You – the only true God,  and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.” 

There is no doubt that He wants us to hear and recognize His voice – How many times did Jesus say “he that has an ear to hear, let him hear what the Spirit is saying?  (Seven times in Revelation 2 and 3 – as well as several times in the gospels)   God gave us “an ear to hear” in our born again spirit – and it is very important that we spend one on one time with Him and start developing that capacity  we have in our born again spirit to hear Him.  He’s got things to say to you that you both need and want to hear …..  So … How’s your hearing?

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This and the three posts – on March 13, 17, & 20 – are the first posts in a series  that started March 11 about  “These Three Things …. Training Your Spirit to Hear” .  I have been sharing about the value of personal worship in getting to know the “feel” of God’s presence and in developing your spirit to hear and recognize His voice.  I’ll continue with the second and third things that we need for that in the coming posts on this blog.  I hope this is helpful to some of you.   Have a wonderful rest of your day!

Personal Worship …. Touching God’s Heart and Tasting His Presence

~ kathrynspen ~ Leave a comment

The following is a Prophetic Word Received Jan13,2013

We are coming into – are already in the beginnings of miraculous restorations  Such” miracles” will soon be commonplace in the Body of Christ.

(How shall this be?)…..  Men and  women, even children – yielding themselves to worship God.  Worship of a “purer” vein than most have tasted in our churches.  This worship will fill the homes and  the lives – the personal lives – of those who love Him.  He is our God , and we will  give the honor due Him.  We will  love, worship and adore Him.

Our God will have a people who deeply worship Him ….. (Did not Jesus say to the religious leaders who asked Him to rebuke *the multitude who began to worship Jesus as He made His way into Jerusalem  (Luke 19:29-40) ” I tell you that if *these should hold their peace, the stones would immediately cry out!”)    Yes, our God will  have a people who deeply worship Him – out of hearts set upon Him.  We’re talking about “first love” – the deepest affection of our heart belonging (where it belongs) –  to Him!  Our God reigns – first in our hearts who say we love Him – then in the world;  for He is soon to rule and reign on the earth which He made.   We are in that dispensation of time when we will see all things gathered back into His hands.  (ICorinthians 15:22-28  & Ephesians 1:10)

He is our God, and we will worship Him.  In true worship, all things are possible!…. and through us – by the mighty power of the Spirit of God working in us –  the world will  see Him!   He only is the King of Glory – and He will  be Lord and God and King in this world – for the kingdoms of this world are soon to be the kingdoms of our God!

Jesus, You are worthy of all glory and honor and praise – You are our God, and we worship You.  The kingdoms of this world – the earth and all things in it – are soon to be the kingdoms of our God!    (End of the prophetic word) – and into a short teaching on…..

…. Personal Worship…. When we take the time to worship the Lord, we touch His heart and we taste His presence.

God “dwells in the light” – and we also begin to be surrounded with that same light – even when our circumstances look dark – as we surrender our time, our heart and our mind to focus on Him – on who He is, what His Word says – and the incredible things He has done and does still do.   In fact He wants us to learn to “walk” in the light with Him – so that He is not hard to find when our circumstances try to dictate things of darkness to us.   (I John 1:3-7  tells us that we can “walk in the light” and stay in fellowship with Him)

The Psalmist said ” I have set  the Lord always before me – because He is at my right hand – I shall not be moved …..  therefore my heart is glad,  my tongue rejoices,  and my flesh also – shall rest in hope.” (Psalm 16:7)  Spending time with Him causes the flesh side of our being to rest – and experience “hope.”…. Also, the words “I have set” indicate that this is something you and I are to do.  God has given us the “tools” we need to work with – but it is up to us to make the choice  to learn how to use them!

How about choosing to become one of those worshipers that God seeks for?!

(John 4:23,24  “The hour cometh and now is – when the true worshipers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth – for the Father seeks such to worship Him.  God is a Spirit;  and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth.”)

You and I are triune beings – spirit, soul and body – just as it tells us  in I Thessalonians ..5:23.  We are to give some attention to the development of each one of the three – but God made the spirit to dominate the other two. (The spirit of man is the candle of the Lord – which He illuminates as we set our hearts and give some time aside with Him – Proverbs 20:27 & Psalms 18:28).    If you and I give ourselves to use the “tools” God gives us to feed and develop our spirit – it will be the one that dominates in our life as God intended…..  And we are seeing from this and recent posts on this blog that PERSONAL WORSHIP is one of the main gifts/tools  that He put in the born again spirit of man to help us connect with Him and develop a healthy strong spirit within us.

There is more than one way to spend personal time in worship …  For some music is special – Psalms 150.   Others may love to dance before the Lord in some of their alone time with Him –  Psalm 149:3;  Psalm 150:4. ….. And   Psalm 100:1,2   invites us to “come before Him with singing – ditto with Ephesians 5:18,19 and Colossians 3:16 ! … while Psalm 46 calls us into a “stillness” as does the 23rd Psalm as we meditate on “who He is and what He has done and will do.”   Psalms 63:5  and  103:1-6 invite us to bless His name and be joyful as we think about (and always remember!) all His  benefits – and the blessings of just knowing Him.!….  Speaking and celebrating His Word – acknowledging and giving thanks for all that He is to us – and for His promises that are always “yes and amen” to those who believe that His Word is true.   (Philippians 2:16 and II Corinthians 1:20)

……Whatever you do….. learn to worship – you’ll “touch God’s heart” and taste His presence.  You can’t do better than that …. because … “in His presence is fullness of joy”!

Personal Relationship Leads to Personal Worship

~ kathrynspen ~ 2 Comments

Welcome!  This post today is about the personal fellowship of worship that God wants to have with each one of us – but first let’s take a very brief look at a few of the main reasons that some born again believers feel that they don’t know “how” to worship the Lord on their own.

One reason would be  “church without a personal knowledge of  Jesus”…..  a place only of rules and regulations – apart from a personal knowledge of and fellowship with – the One  that “inhabits” the praises and worship of His people.  Most people that are like that themselves – or – go to a church like that for very long will find nothing there that teaches about – or  lends to personal worship.  But you know what –  even in some churches like that -.the Word of God still has a place – and that word has a way of weaving it’s way into people’s hearts – if they should begin to feel a hunger to know the “Author” more personally!

And when any  heart begins to hunger to touch God – to know and to hear Him, the promise in His word is that these will find Him – for He is very near to every one of us – if just perhaps –  we should decide to call on Him.  It is that way with getting born again – and it is that way afterward – if we will ourselves seek to know Him … and to worship Him.

But a second reason we may think (after being born again) that we do not know how to worship God outside of church – being that we may be looking too much for some kind of “soulish excitement” if I may call it that.  When the fact of the matter is that sometimes we just need to get quiet and still – and set our mind and direct our focus on Jesus.  Personal worship does not have to be loud or even with music.  You can start by just laying everything that would hinder or interrupt aside – go to a quiet place, start thinking of different things He has done or given that you should  be thankful for ….  and the further down that road of giving thanks to God and getting to know Him that you go – the easier it will be to just have a heart full of thanks – and that will lead to adoration and worship as night follows day!  And that is because God is so incredibly good – and great – that it is just natural  – to want to know Him more – as you get to know Him!!

….. But – we can be born again and yet  choose to stay right where we began – but myself (and plenty of others like me) didn’t want to camp there….  because one good taste of what it is like to know Jesus and God the Father. ..and there was no question of not pursuing to have more of the same!  So, I/we kept choosing  to go after Him.  In this scripture,  the Psalmist did the same …. ..

Psalm 91:1,2,9,14,15 …… The Psalmist – or you and I – “choose” to stay close to God;  and thereby we “learn”  to trust Him and make Him our refuge;  you and I choose to “set” our love (the deepest affection of our heart) upon Him – and that is not at all hard to do as you get to know and trust Him! ….  (Did you notice all the choices that He put into our hands to make – or not?!)  and the promise for choosing  those things is this:  “He/she will call upon Me and I will answer them;  I will be with them in trouble; I will set them on high because they “know My name;  I will deliver them and honor them;  and I will show them my salvation!”    There is no money on earth that can buy those things and the peace and gladness that come with them!  Hallelujah what a Savior – and what a Friend He has turned out to be!  !!!!!

Psalm 16:7-11 (paraphrased) …..  I will bless the Lord – for He has given me counsel – which will be there within my heart and mind to instruct me even in the night seasons.  And….. because I have set the Lord always before me – He is at my right hand so that I shall not be moved…..  therefore my heart is glad, and my tongue rejoices (in thanksgiving and worship to this One to whom I owe so much) … and my flesh also shall rest in hope …. because He will not leave my soul in those dark places ;  and He will show me and direct me onto the path of life;  and here and now – as I worship Him – I find in His presence there is fulness of joy – and at His right hand are the pleasures of eternal victory – forevermore with Him!

I hope that you received some things here to encourage you to choose to start worshipping the Lord at home in your own one on one time with Him.  And I hope that you will come again to this site to check for the next post about some more things that will lend to your becoming more and more sensitive to hearing His voice!  .

“These Three Things”……. Training Your Spirit to Hear

~ kathrynspen ~ Leave a comment

Hi!  This is just a little FYI that I am sharing with you about several posts that I will be adding to this blog in the coming days and weeks – the essence of which will  be bible teaching and sharing experiences that have to do with “These Three Things” …..  Personal Worship, Understanding and Placing the Value on God’s Word that is truly there ,  and Praying in the Spirit.  I don’t think that I can over state the value of these three precious things God has brought to my life for how much they have helped develop the sensitivity in my spirit to hear.

I will be starting these posts with a study about  “personal worship” – with teaching and  sharing about having a very personal – “one on one” time of worship between you and God – something He wants from every one of His children.  It’s an open avenue for Him to touch the deepest part of your being.

I’m not starting the study itself in this post, but below I want to share with you one of the many devotional writings and poems that I have received from the Holy Spirit – more often than not – I begin to HEAR these in my spirit at times when I am alone and worshipping God and our Lord Jesus.

THE DREAM OF FREEDOM

 Note: This writing was given to me for a dear friend – in whom I have been blessed to witness a remarkable growth and maturing of gifts into the call that God has for her – but it is also “an invitation”  to any and all who will read it and “believe” that God has more for them too.

The dream of freedom – lifting up as it were on eagle’s wings …..

The dream of healing – oh wonderful marvelous thing…….

Closer to Him who loves me, now I’ll be ……

Free to fly – and free to see – with the vision  that He gives me!

Heavenly dream – I can only imagine …..

What soaring with Him – yet still down here – could be!

(And now – I’m thinking ……   and writing…………….. still held captive by Him  and all that He is doing.)

As I watch you, I think of how incredible all of this is …….

And –  “Why do I not also want to fly?

Is it a laziness in me – or did He put this burning that is within me ……..?

To stay down here and help others as they dream of and aspire to get there

Where they can be free (still being here – and yet soaring with Him.)

Oh Jesus – I love the fellowship with You – the spiritual gifts and my call –                   And if that call keeps me ……

On the ground where I can see …….

All the marvelous things You are doing in others – then so let it be!

For this passion that burns within me – is to be –

Here and now – exactly “where and what”  You made me to be!

For I know that one day I will fly there too …..

Glory, oh glory – what a dream, Jesus, I have from You!

(And now as I am winding down, one last thought comes to me – an awareness that You gave each of those who love You their very own dream – and as you and I take that dream and spend time with Him – we will do exploits …. and we will indeed fly like the eagle – right here with Him!)

How’s Your Hearing?…. More about the Born Again Spirit

~ kathrynspen ~ Leave a comment

Are you able to hear the voice  of the Spirit when you have a decision to make? You really want to know what God would say – the direction He would tell you to go – but oftentimes it is not a lack of desire to hear Him, but a lack of knowing how  that thwarts us in our pursuit to hear.  That can be very frustrating – believe me, I understand that – I’ve been there and still have some times that it is harder for me than I would like; but I have come a long way in that area so that I can share some things about that with you.

First of all, our years in being born again or by virtue of growing up going to church – are not – the best measuring stick for determining how well we will hear God.  Before I start sharing what the scripture does say about hearing God, let me voice a couple of things that will affect your hearing negatively “right off the bat.” Which are these …..

Sometimes we have been taught that God does not speak to His people today – and even though that is totally unfounded by scripture – if we have grown up with that mindset, we tend to think  that is  what the Word of God actually says ….  And unless we are willing to ask God to show us as we search it out for ourselves in His Word – then the premise that  “God does not talk to us today”  becomes what we “believe.”

Another  fallacy we need to see for what it is – is that we necessarily know more about God than the person beside us because we have been born again longer …. or we have family ties or “closer connections” inside the church – these things making us to be more spiritually advanced than most others! Indeed we can learn some good things from any of those three things that I just mentioned – but the best “yardstick” to use in measuring how well you are hearing and experiencing the leadership of God is this … “How well and how often – do you hear an answer that you KNOW is from Him – when you have needed help and asked for His input?

Also, you should be – at least occasionally – hearing His voice giving some kind of input as you read His Word.  By and large we get to know God for who He is by actually spending time with Him and in His word – for ourselves!  – and then we need to go on and follow any instructions that He gave as we spent that time with Him.  (The Holy Spirit is a very good teacher – actually He’s the best! )  And learning to hear God speak to us personally comes the very same way – spend time with Him and in His word  – and then do anything that He has shown you to do!  And yes, we do need good teachers – God particularly gifted some to teach others in the Body of Christ  (Ephesians 4:11,12) – but we need to follow up on that teaching by doing what the Apostle Paul said of the Berean Christians in Acts 17:11 … that they “received the teaching of God’s word with all readiness of mind, then searched the scriptures daily to see whether those things they had heard were so.”

Can you and I hear the voice  of God?                                                                                   ….. and should we be hearing Him for important decisions that arise in our day to day living?  The answer to both those questions is unequivocally – YES!  But you and I need to go with what the word of God has to say – so let’ s begin to look at that.

First of all, we are all on an “equal footing” with God when we are born again – in that He gives to every person who receives Jesus the capacity  to begin to see and understand the things of the Kingdom of God (John 1:12; John 3:3-6).   And when the Spirit of God speaks to us/reveals something to us, it will be from His Spirit to our spirit…..  because the things of God are “spiritually discerned.” And “the spirit of man is the candle of the Lord” (Proverbs 20:27)  God “lights our candle” (Psalm 18:28)  in order to illuminate us with the understanding of things He wants us to know –  because “the natural man (our flesh man) is not equipped to receive and understand  the things of the spirit.”  See I Corinthians 2:9-14.  (Note that it is not talking strictly about the things God has for us in the afterlife/Heaven – for we will not need Him to reveal them to us there – but right here is where we need that revelation of what belongs to us.)

In John 10:3,4 Jesus – our Good Shepherd – tells us that as we grow from babes into more mature ones – we will know His voice so that we can follow His leading.  It is normal for those who know Jesus to begin to hear His voice….  And there are some things we can do – according to God’s word that will lend to more hearing.

I will begin to share about some of those things in another post.  Until then, if you have not already read the posts that I put on this site about what happens to you when you are born again,  they are titled “A Post About Beginnings”  Jan.15 and “The Best Beginning of All” on Jan 22.  You can find them the most quickly by going to the right side of this post – at the top right – just under the picture of the sunrise –  and listed under “Recent Posts.”