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The Word and the Spirit – Awakening Your Ear to Hear

~ kathrynspen ~ Leave a comment

In this beginning post  (and the ones to follow) about the value of the Word of God in developing the ear of your spirit to hear, I will be sharing both the practical side of this issue and the spiritual aspects ……. because it requires some of both in order to live a victorious Christian’s life.

You and I can set and listen to,  or read the Word of God – that’s practical –  it’s “our part,”  but because it is “spirit and life” (John 6:63) you will need to hear what the Spirit of God is saying even as you read – in order for faith to come.  That is because faith is a gift and even “a part of God” that is  resident in His word.  With a careful reading or study of John 14 and John 16 you will easily see that God intended our primary teacher of His word to be the Holy Spirit (aka the Spirit of Truth). Without Him as our teacher, we have dry letter of the law…. but Jesus came to give us something much better – a new covenant – a living word – “full of grace and truth”  (John 1:1-17).  What we hear may bring a much needed miracle to our life – or it may simply be instruction about which way to go with something.  One is supernatural….one is practical.  Sometimes we need both!

Do you recall the account of the two disciples on the road to Emmaus – which I shared with you in the March 26 post?  (Developing Your Capacity to Hear and Recognize God’s Voice)…..  When was it  that those two realized that it was Jesus Himself who had joined them as they walked and wondered aloud about all the things that had come to pass since they had seen Jesus taken and crucified?  When did they realize it was indeed Jesus whom they listened to as He walked with them and opened the scriptures to them?

Verses 30-32 (Luke 24) tell us that it was in the”breaking of bread together” that their eyes were opened and they knew Him. The “breaking of bread” represents the Word of God broken for them……  Several times in John 6:47-51 Jesus refers to Himself as the “bread of life”….. ” I am that bread of life……. which come down from Heaven that a man may eat thereof and not die”  (spirit food for spirit life) …..  I am the living bread which came down from Heaven”…..  And their hearts “burned” they said – as He shared the scriptures concerning Himself to them….. and then as He “brake the bread” and gave of it to them – that was when they realized who Jesus was…..  A quickening took place in their hearts – and revelation came as they were finally quiet enough to get past their own reasonings about seeing Jesus die -and now to listen to what was in their hearts as they had spent time listening to Him.

…… And so it is much the same with you and I as we draw aside to spend time in the Word of God with Him…..  We have His Word – and God is eager to speak to us – to show and tell us the things that we need to hear.  He gave us the Spirit of Truth to quicken the words to us that He wants us to hear – and with that quickening we “hear” and we see (by revelation) what we did not see  before.  This “quickening” of the Word has to do with “life” – for when the Spirit of God quickens something from God’s Word to us there is an “imparting” of the life that is in God’s Word into our spirit – and with that quickening there is revelation – a revealing of things in our spirit.

The revealing of these things brings in God’s light on the matter…… Does not Proverbs 20:27 tell us that “the spirit of man is the candle of the Lord” – through which He intends to give us light to see by…….  and  Psalm 112:4 says  “Unto the upright there arises  light in the darkness – because God is gracious and full of compassion for us.”    He wants us to hear what He has to say – so we can see what we need to see.

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In the next posts about the value of God’s Word, I would like to share some things concerning the character and the supernatural effects of God’s Word in the ordinary affairs of life as we come to understand the practical application of what He has given us.

“Recapping” of Some Things Important to Hearing in the Spirit

~ kathrynspen ~ Leave a comment

 

If you and I are going to learn to hear His voice – as Jesus, “the Good Shepherd” told us we could  in John 10:4,11,14  – then it is important that we understand some things about what happened to us when we received Jesus as our Savior….as we see in this recap of some things from my January 15 & 22 posts about our beginnings in Him …..

The first important thing that you must understand is that new life came into your spirit – in the form of a spiritual rebirth which the bible refers to as being “born again” (John 3:1-8).  In that spiritual rebirth you and I received eternal life and a new nature in our spirit. ….. Inherent within that new nature is the desire to know and follow after God – the father of our born again spirit… and Jesus His son, who paid the price to redeem us back to God. John 17:3  explicitly tells us that …….” this is life eternal – that they might know You, the only true God,  and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.”  Now we can come to know Him because He gave us that capacity with the new birth that took place in our spirit.the moment we received Jesus.

All of this adds up to the fact that we had a new dimension added to our life when we received Jesus –  giving you and I the capacity to begin to see and understand the things of the Kingdom of God – including “an ear to hear” in our born again spirit – so that we can learn to hear and recognize the “voice of God” – and be led by the Spirit of God.   Being born again is the start of this Spirit to spirit relationship with God – the beginning of our capacity to hear and know “His voice.”

We need to hear the voice of God – His Spirit  speaking to us (He is the One that Jesus promised to send to us to be our teacher and guide –  and to bring to our remembrance the things that He has already said to us (John 14:16,17,26)  Also in John 16:12-15  Jesus tells us: “I have many things to say unto you, but you cannot bear them now – but when He, the Spirit of Truth is come, He will guide you into all truth. He will take what He hears from God the Father and show it unto you.  All things that the Father has are Mine – these things He will show unto you that I may be glorified ….. and He will show you things to come.”  These are things we need to hear!  And…….

To recap what I have just shared, I would say this – God gave us ears to hear in our born again spirit – and in His word,  He tells us clearly that He wants us to hear – hear what the Spirit is saying!….And these few things that I have spoken to you about today are some things important to that hearing in the spirit…. (Matthew 13:9;  Luke 14:35;  Revelation 2:7,  11, 17, 29 & Revelation 3:6, 13, 20, 22.)

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On March 7th, I began sharing about the things I have found to be most helpful in developing our ability to hear in the spirit – and pertaining to that I shared several posts about the value of personal worship – and now in the next posts I purpose to begin sharing some things about understanding the true value of God’s word and how that very much plays a  part in developing our hearing in the spirit.

 

Learning to Hear and to Recognize the Voice of God

~ kathrynspen ~ 1 Comment

“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

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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”!

An Invitation to Worship and Believe

~ kathrynspen ~ 4 Comments

For those who know Who I am,  I am asking you to learn  to look to Me for the things that you need – you can always turn to Me – for comfort, for help, for security ….. for whatever it is that you need.

Lift up your head – give thanks and worship Me – for in My presence it becomes easy to believe!

Worship Me for who I am to you …. For I am your Provider and your Keeper –        The One that will never leave you ….  I will always be there.                                        And please realize that wherever  you are – you  can touch Me!                                  You can learn to draw whatever it is that you need from Me –                                         Even all things that I have promised you in My word – just remember that nothing is too hard for Me …….  And that all things are possible to the one that believes!

I am the living bread – the bread of life….  and if you learn to look to Me,                     I will sustain you through the hardest of days…..                                                                  And if need be, I could even cause the ravens to feed you!  (I did that for Elijah – Am I not the same God today ? …. And would I not do the same for you?! )            So trust My word that it is true – and worship Me!   For indeed I do ….             inhabit your worship and praise! …. And in My presence you’ll find it easy to believe.

“And all things – whatsoever you shall ask in prayer believing – you shall receive!”  (Matthew 21:22 )   This is My personal invitation to you – so worship Me and learn to believe!!

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

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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!)

Part II – How’s Your Hearing? …. More About the Born Again Spirit

~ kathrynspen ~ 2 Comments

Did God equip us to hear Him?….  There are a good number of verses in the bible that indicate clearly that this is so.   We find just some of these scriptures in the first three gospels of the bible:    Matthew 13:9,43     Mark 4:9,23 & 7:16      Luke 8:8   “If any man have ears to hear, let him hear.”  (Note that in Matthew 13:16  a “blessing” is pronounced for the ones whose ears do hear – and I would add that it is indeed a blessing to hear a word in our spirit when we’re searching for the right way to go!)  “He that has ears to hear, let him hear!”

Is this only a “natural” hearing – or does God equip us with ears that have the capacity to hear in the spirit?

Just hours before Jesus went to the cross for us, He had some very special last words  to share with His disciples – for them and for us – words which we find in John 14 – 17.  Now last words are often very important – especially when they are spoken to and for those that you love.  It is good to read all of those four chapters, but for our purposes today, we will only look at some verses that pertain particularly to our hearing – and the provision that God made for us through the cross and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

The first and very beautiful thing to remember  that Jesus tells us in John 14:1 is “Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God – believe also in Me.” Jesus then proceeded to tell them that He would be going away – but (v 16-17) “I will pray to the Father and He shall give you another Comforter that He may abide with you forever – even the Spirit of Truth – whom the world cannot receive because it seeth Him not, neither knows Him; but you know Him – for He dwells with you – and shall be in you.” …. + (v 25,26) These things have I spoken to you while I am yet present with you – but the Comforter, who is the Holy Ghost (Holy Spirit),  whom the Father will send in My name – He shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance – even whatsoever  I have said unto you.”  Obviously, to be taught – you must hear! And it is clear in these verses that this is a Spirit to spirit communication.

In John 16:12-15  Jesus continues speaking to those who have chosen to follow Him –  “I have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now – however, when He, the Spirit of Truth (aka the Spirit of God/Holy Spirit/Holy Ghost/Comforter) is come, He will guide you into all truth.”

Seeing then that the Spirit of God purposes to “teach us all things, remind us of the things that He has already shown us, show us things to come  -and  guide us into all truth” – we need to learn to hear  with those ears that He gave us.  God has ways of getting things across to His own, but He purposed for each one of us to hear and be led by His Spirit. (Romans 8:14)   This is a part of the capacity in our born again spirit that God provided for us.  (John 1:12 and John 3:1-8)

I just mentioned that “we need to learn to hear” with the ears of our born again spirit….  But seeing that there are many voices  out there to be heard ….  and the bible says that every one of those voices have some kind of meaning – the question then becomes “How will I know the difference between hearing in my mind (ie. with the natural man’s hearing) – and actually hearing with the ear of my spirit?  This is very important because “the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God; neither can he know them  – because they are “spiritually discerned.”  (I Corinthians 2:14).

How then will you know the difference between what comes to your mind versus the hearing by your spirit?  The quick answer to that would be to tell you that you will come to know the difference between the two the same way that a baby learns to recognize his mother’s or his father’s voice from that of any other.  And that is true, but there are a number of things given us in  the Word of God that you and I can do that will “lend” to developing that God given capacity to hear Him.

There are three very foundational things that I can look back to and say that those are the things that most helped me along the way to notably increase the hearing in my spirit.  There are also a few others which I would call “supporting factors” that I will touch on as well – but to just “throw these out there” would be like handing you a box containing something that needed to be assembled without giving you any instructions with it…. So I will just name the three major things that helped me (and I would tell you here that these are the things which I have observed and therefore come to believe – that without these three foundational things in our relationship with the Lord – we are not going to get the development of our spirit to Spirit relationship that is needed to hear well.  That’s you, me or anybody else – it has nothing to do with our salvation – but is strictly an observation that I have seen in my own spiritual growth and that of others.)

The three major things I will be sharing with you about in coming posts concern:  Personal Worship, Understanding and placing the value on God’s Word that is truly there – and Praying in the spirit  (not necessarily in order here).  I would like to share some things about each of these three major “gifts from God” that have been such a help and blessing to me as I learned about them.  I also want to stress before hand that this is not an exhaustive study – because “I DON’T KNOW THAT MUCH” – but I am called to teach in the Body of Christ and these things are strong within me to share because I know how much they have helped me.

Hope you are “hungry enough” to check out these short studies in some coming posts on this blog.

I just now “felt” God’s love for you – and want you to know that.  See you later!

THE HEART OF OUR CREATOR

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This is a special writing to me because I so see God the Father’s heart in this …. and I ask you to remember as you finish reading it – that even as Jesus gave the invitation to any who would hear “Come (to Me)whosoever will”  – the invitation still stands.

THE HEART OF OUR CREATOR

As I gave my Heavenly Father an hour just to “be with Him” and worship -almost immediately – I began to sense and to understand that He wants  to touch and to fellowship  with every single person in the world!  And that no one – NOT ANYONE – can stand in another person’s place with God!

I felt His love for,  and desire to fellowship with the multitudes of people around the world who do not know Him …. so many who do not know He is their Creator and Savior.  Yet there is a place with Him  for each one of them – a place that no other person can ever fill!

God our Creator so desires that fellowship with each one of us that He is “jealous” over just one hour …. so much so that He would say to those who do know Him as Savior – “Could you not take just one hour of your day and spend that time with Me?”  (Because) there will never again be an opportunity  like we have now in this time to CHOOSE  to fellowship with Him.

…… And to each one of the multitude of people that give their lives to so many other things – and live their lives with so many “unanswered ” needs – would He not say  (out of a heart of love) to each of them –  “How oft would I have gathered you “as a hen gathers her chicks and holds them close under her wings …. but you would not turn to Me so that I could take you there.”

I also understood this – that even as no one can ever stand in our place with God – even so,  neither can you or I ever give that fellowship that belongs to Him to someone or something else. But it is, and will remain an “unanswered” and “unsatisfied”  empty place in our life –  that we both live and die with – without Him.

THE ONLY STABLE THING

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Oh Father, God in Heaven – to move forward with You is always “the thing to do” …. We cannot consider the right of our own reasoning alone to lead us – but steadfastly move in the direction that You give us.  For things have a way of changing … with danger all around us,  and those who were once simply our “competitors” have become – without true reason – our enemies!

Who would have thought that the outlook of “right” and “good” could change so quickly? … and take on such “different colors”?  (All the while Your righteous judgements  NEVER change – and will endure forever!! – and that in spite of what any one decides to do here…..  )  Oh, Father, for us who have seen the right paths You gave us to walk in – maligned and shaken as many are leaving those paths to walk in what has become “politically correct and socially acceptable” …. (But You love us all still – that is the wonder!  And You’re calling to  each of us – if we would – to “get still” and know just WHO YOU ARE ….- and to taste that incredible LOVE that defines  YOU and caused  You – to give Yourself for the world!)

There is the path on the left – and the path farther over, on the right …..  But lest we forget …. there is also the path in the center  – the one You gave us to embrace and walk – the path illuminated by Your light …. that path being steady and sure!  There grace abounds and Your love is our comfort and makes us secure … and in the end it will  “win out”!  And surely, for those who walk on it, this path grows brighter as we approach that “perfect day”… and surely it “tastes better” than any other way – for Your presence is there  ( and nothing in this world can buy such a priceless treasure!)!

….  And whilst the world around us is being shaken, You are our Rock and never change!  So that as things in the world look a little shaky or uncertain – we can do as the Psalmist did do – and press in to You…… acknowledging that “while I may be a little  afraid, I CAN,  I WILL –  trust in You!  Because in life, You are the ONLY thing – Lord Jesus – that does not change!!

“Jesus Christ, the same – yesterday, today and forever”  Hebrews 13:8   He does not change. In this day and hour that we live in, He IS …  the only stable thing! Jesus I am so so glad to know You!  And very very glad I am to know – that any one who reads this – only have to ask in order to know You too!!

“COME TO ME”

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GOD’S CALL TO HIS PEOPLE ….

Come to Me.  Do not be afraid – I am “with you and for you.”  Do  not let fear or discouragement stop you.  I am  your God.

Come – and worship Me.  I will meet you.  You can be strong to rise up against fear – and the things that come in the door that “fear” opens.  My authority is in you to rise up over those things the enemy has planted to stop you.  Your fight is in the spirit realm – and that is where I operate to affect the natural realm…. So, come to Me!  You will find the strength that you need as you worship Me.

I love you!  Do not let people or pain from the past hinder you and rob you from returning to worship Me.  I love you.  I love you – and I am stronger than any of those things.

Come to Me!   I will meet you – and you will know the peace and confidence I have to give to you.  There is a refreshing that comes to those who choose  to draw aside  to worship Me.  In My presence, you will find the answer to things that stop you from walking strongly with Me.

COME!   You “chase” other things – CHASE ME!   You’ll find Me waiting to touch you.

Come to Me and know how much  I LOVE YOU.

 

ABOUT ME – and MY BLOG

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Because I think it’s important that you know a few things about the person  who is writing and sharing with you on this blog – and the purpose for doing the blog – I’m going to share about that here with you…… So the following is a little bit of “my story.”

As the Apostle Paul once said, “I haven’t arrived yet – but I have come a long way from where I started.”  That’s the reason I am doing this blog.  I want to help others who are walking in some of the places I have walked – and could use a little help to keep moving forward in their relationship with God.

My heart is full to share things that have helped me and blessed me along the way.  I remember and feel very keenly the longing …. just to hear Him!  I’m hearing much better now – and I’m still hungry to go further – but at least now I know more about “how to get there!”

Jesus is my Savior – and I have had such an incredible journey getting to know Him that I have a lot  of things to share!  Mistakes – yes, I’ve made them – but I have come such a long way since I received Jesus in 1978.  I was a young single mother then, and boy did I need Him!  I needed the change that knowing Him began to bring – and in the years that followed, I received a lot of His wonderful healing.  I began also to receive some of the “gifts” that God’s word says belong to us – and on this blog I will share out of the particular gifts that He has given me.

To be a little more descriptive about the things you will find on this blog site, I can tell you that it will include: Inspirational and devotional writings, Psalms and poems – which I write as I hear; writings that lend to personal worship; and short teachings on subjects where the Spirit of God has instructed me.  The substance of what He gives me as I have fellowship with Him is what I will share with you on this blog.

I value your input – through comments or questions.  And now I would like to welcome any and all who visit this blog – I’m so glad you are here!

WHILE I WAS “AWAY”….. and THINGS THAT TRULY MATTER

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I’ve wanted to post on my blog for over a week,  but important things were happening that needed my attention.  Sunday, I lost my mother – she had been very sick – with things rapidly deteriorating over the last couple of weeks.  Mom was 90. Yesterday we had her funeral – returning her body to the ground from which the word of God says that God formed and created man – finishing the master piece of His creation by blowing “the breath of life” into man.

My two sisters were with Mom when she took her last short breaths – for her, they told me,  there was no struggle – it was very peaceful.  There was some sadness of course as I heard that she had passed (from this life into the next)- but I am okay.  Actually  I am “more than okay”-  because I know and am very confident about where she is.

The last 3 days before Sunday, she was becoming unresponsive to the point of  being almost in a coma-like state.  A day or two before that, we had tried to engage her in humorous or otherwise memorable things that we had all experienced together as we were growing up – and got only small interest roused in her about those things – but accolades should go to my  two sisters for trying.  Just knowing some of her children were there with her must have meant something to her.  All of us very much wanted to do something that would make things easier for her – we knew she couldn’t be here with us very much longer and we did not want her to suffer …..

Then on Saturday afternoon while I was at home in the kitchen,  I began singing “How Beautiful Heaven Must Be” – an old song that I hadn’t heard in years (note here that I am NOT a singer) – but it was coming out of my spirit; and when I stopped singing for a minute or two, I caught myself humming the song.  All of this was happening while my mind was still pretty distraught – wondering what we could do to help Mama turn her mind away from all the pain we knew was filling her body – and look Heavenward.

The song just kept coming – until the realization came that although it was beginning to help my mind a little – “this song is for Mama!”  The Lord had spoken a scripture to me for her a day or so before – and with the added song, that realization stirred me to action.  I called my mother’s room – a sister answered the phone …. I told her that I knew Mama couldn’t answer me, but I wanted to give her a scripture verse and sing a song to her. Then as the phone was held up to Mama’s ear, I began singing the song, and talking to her about  Heaven and Jesus.  When my sister took the phone away from Mom’s ear, she said to me … “She heard you …. Her lips began to move as though she wanted to speak and her eyebrows moved as you were talking …. and her face, which had carried the look of death – my sister said – looked “happy.”  My sister was almost weeping as she told me those things and later my other sister who was at the end of Mama’s bed told me she saw the same thing.  That was all I needed to hear.  I had done what the Lord had shown me to do – and I was filled with peace!   A peace that has not left me since it filled my heart and mind that evening.

I got “the call” just about 24 hours later – my sweet mother had just passed – “about ten minutes ago” – my sister told me.  I had dreaded to face this day we all knew was coming…. but it hasn’t been that way for me.  If you think really knowing Jesus – and knowing how to “hear Him,”  doesn’t make a difference -think again!!

THE PERFUME OF HIS PRESENCE

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The following is a favorite poem that He gave me “a long time ago.”

                   THE PERFUME OF HIS PRESENCE

The perfume from the ointment in the broken vessel …..                                                  Was – and Is – God’s presence.                                                                                                      We are His temple …….                                                                                                                      For the bible says “God dwells in this vessel;”                                                                        And once the vessel is broken                                                                                                  The fragrance of His presence can begin to come through.

The brokenness can be little – or it can be great ….                                                             There can be “just a crack”….                                                                                                       Where only the faintest odor can get through …                                                                 Or we can yield to Him more fully – and let all that wonderful                                     fragrance of life eternal come through.

But until the vessel is broken,                                                                                                       the fragrance is “locked up within” ……                                                                                     Where no one can smell it, and no one can benefit ……                                                   “from the beauty of Him.”

He is like “:the perfect rose” – and the loveliness of the lily too ….                                 Jesus, You Are ….. all the wonderful fragrance of this life anew.                                 And it is ours to hold within, but …..                                                                                           this odor of “life unto life” that delivers from death –                                                         Was not meant to be kept ….. just for yourself.

THE BEST BEGINNING OF ALL (Part 2 of Jan 15, 2015 Post)

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We’ve been talking about what it means to be “born again” – and in this post, I will continue sharing where I left off in my January 15 post which I named “A Post About Beginnings.” It is pretty important that you read that before going further into this.

I would like to start here by addressing “an unspoken question” that some of you that read my January 15 post likely already are asking – at least to yourself. I know that – because I used to ask the same question myself after I read John 3.  The Question:  Does being “born again” mean the same thing as “being saved”? Yes,  yes it does refer to the same thing.  So, why then did I not use the term “be saved” in the post yesterday – seeing that the word “saved” is used many times in the New Testament while the words (or the term) “born again” appears in only two places in the New Testament.   First in John 3:1-8, which we looked at in my last post – and once in I Peter 1:23 we see the term “born again” where it obviously speaks of a supernatural birth of the spirit as well – and not a physical birth.  Yes, this amounts to the same thing as “being saved”- but the importance in making a distinction between the two terms is this:  both are one and the same in the end result – but the term “born again” IS WHAT ACTUALLY HAPPENED  TO YOU  the moment that you believed and invited Jesus into your life.  It sheds a very descriptive light on what actually took place in me and in you when we received Jesus as Savior.  That we see this – and so understand that we generally speaking, need to understand the things of the spirit  more than we do  – is important to our personal growth in the things of God’s Kingdom.  It is equally important to the increase of God’s Kingdom as well,  because people do not generally advance very far in things that they do not understand very well.

After I was born again, I sure knew that something “way out of the ordinary” had happened to me – but what it was, I couldn”t tell you,  and no one around me had a real answer either – so I continued to ask God what it was that happened to me and to others when we are born again.  You can’t teach a baby that is still in diapers about “trigonometry,” but even so, He did answer me and  I grew enough to begin to understand the beginnings of things of the spirit over the years.  And of course, this learning involved God’s word and taking a little time aside to spend time with Him regularly – praying and listening when the Holy Spirit quickened something to me.  Then over time, these things begin to unfold in meaning together as He shined light on one scripture with another the more explaining.  This is a major way that the Holy Spirit teaches us – and when this is taking place in your life, there will  be “a change” – a transformation of your life from the inside out that takes place – but like renovating a house, it isn’t done in one afternoon!  The plans can be drawn up and the contract signed, but the process that lies ahead takes some time!  After all, we’re talking about “the best beginning of all!”

I will finish this on my next post where I have a number of scriptures to share with you that specifically relate to or describe what happens to you at the moment  you are born again.  Have a great evening and I hope to visit with you here again.

A POST ABOUT BEGINNINGS

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In this beginning post, what shall I say?  Should I tell the people who come here – that tomorrow is my spiritual birthday?  It has been 37 years tomorrow since I was “born again.”  I would like to share that with them – because it’s a very special day to me – but even more importantly, I want each one of them to know what it means to be “born again”….. Such were my thoughts as I started this day.

Well, you  can see what won out in my thinking – for here I am writing to share with you about being born again.  The main thrust of this blog is to share with people who are already born again, but hungry for more help and information on how to go deeper in this life with Jesus Christ which they have begun; but there is nothing more important than mentioning to everyone that for one and all there is that beginning – a starting place – when our heart begins to want to “know Jesus” and we know  that we are in need of this Savior.  We’ve deeply realized that we’re not perfect – our faults, our “imperfections,” and some things even worse -* the word of God, the bible, calls these things “sin.” And it tells us that this applies to all men.  But the “invitation” is also to all – for the call goes out to us “Come, whosoever will”….. and “No one that comes to Me will I cast out,” *Jesus says.

What you do with this invitation is your choice, but I implore you to open your heart, and ask Him to come in – because I can assure you  that Jesus is who the bible says that He is.  For me, these 37 years (tomorrow!) of getting to know Him and God the Father, have more than sufficiently borne that out!  I’ll leave this part now about how to have your beginning in Him with these scriptures : Romans 6:23;  John 3:16,17;  John 6:37  to refer to for the things I mentioned from the bible between the two *  (in the last paragraph).

There are many things said in the  scriptures that can help you and I to better understand what the bible means when it says “you must be born again.”  Jesus said that to Nicodemus when Nicodemus came seeking Jesus one evening to inquire of Jesus who He was.  (John 3:1-8)  The explanation that followed Nicodemus’ question is so beautiful that it quiets our fears that anything and everything from the spirit realm is eerie and spooky, dark and haunting. Not so!  For Jesus made it clear that a man/human  must also be “born of the spirit” to enter into the Kingdom of God, or for that matter to even “see” the Kingdom of God (verse 3-5). He went on to further explain that there is the natural birth by which every man comes into this world – and there is a spiritual birth that comes to a person when they receive God’s plan of redemption in Jesus Christ.  “That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit (of God) is spirit “ ( verse 6)– making a clear distinction between the two births a man can experience and the fact that “You must be born again ” to enter into the Kingdom of God!

I have more to share about this –  and I will take it up again in a post tomorrow. I hope to see you here then.