September 06-11, 2010

Monday September 06, 2010
Recognizing the Voice of God
Read John 15: John 10:27

This question has been asked by countless people throughout the ages. Samuel heard the voice of God, but did not recognize it until he was instructed by Eli. Gideon had a physical revelation from God, and he still doubted what he had heard to the point of asking for a sign, not once, but three times. When we are listening for God's voice, how can we know that He is the one speaking? First of all, we have something that Gideon and Samuel did not. We have the complete Bible, the inspired Word of God, to read, study, and meditate on. “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work”. When we have a question about a certain topic or decision in our lives, we should see what the Bible has to say about it. God will never lead us or direct us contrary to what He has taught or promised in His Word.

Second, to hear God's voice we must recognize it. Jesus said, “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me”. Those who hear God’s voice are those who belong to Him—those who have been saved by His grace through faith in the Lord Jesus. These are the sheep who hear and recognize His voice, because they know Him as their Shepherd and they know His voice. If we are to recognize God's voice, we must belong to Him.

Third, we hear His voice when we spend time in prayer, Bible study, and quiet contemplation of His Word. The more time we spend intimately with God and His Word, the easier it is to recognize His voice and His leading in our lives. Employees at a bank are trained to recognize counterfeits by studying genuine money so closely that it is easy to spot a fake. We should be so familiar with God’s Word that when God does speak to us or lead us, it is clear that it is God. God speaks to us so that we may understand truth. By applying what we hear to the truth of Scripture, we can learn to recognize His voice.


Tuesday September 07, 2010
Keeping Your Heart Pure
Read Hebrews 10:23-25

God the Father is not the only one who seeks to place his spontaneous thoughts into our minds. Just as the Holy Spirit speaks to us words of comfort and words that will encourage and build us up, the accuser, satan wants to project negative thoughts, feelings and discouragement on us as well. He will accuse you and tell you how unworthy you are to come into the presence of a Holy God. He will remind you of your weaknesses and of sins already confessed and he will try to tell you that there is no forgiveness for you and that the blood Jesus shed is not sufficient to cover your sins.

Does any of this sound familiar? Have any of these thoughts appeared uninvited into your mind? You do not have to put up with these thoughts! By the authority of Jesus Christ, we can reject the words of the enemy and replace them with the peace of the Holy Spirit. We must keep a watch over our hearts, protecting it from the lies of the enemy. We also must keep watch so that no other person’s negative, destructive spirit can become an influence on our lives. It is very easy to be drawn into bitterness, anger and despair and be drawn into the conversation of those around us. If at all possible, try to avoid people who consistently wallow in sin, hopelessness or criticism. It is important to come together with other believers who encourage love and doing good for others. There are four things that help us in keeping our heart pure: A sincere heart, fullness of faith, a heart sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and a body washed by water. These are the final elements needed for us to see that we need to have day to day, moment by moment, intimate fellowship with God. When we have a one on one intimate relationship with the Father, this keeps our heart pure and that leaves no room for the accuser to intrude.


Wednesday September 08, 2010
The Purifying Fire
Read Matthew 3:11

The first true appearance of God, to Moses, revealed Him as fire. God had made Himself known to Abraham and his family, as the Most High God, as an Unseen Voice directing them. God showed Moses He was fire, as in the burning bush. When Moses recounted Israel’s wanderings, he referred to “the goodwill of him who dwelt in the bush”, Deut 33:16.

He came to deliver Israel but the bush meant no goodwill for Egypt! With an outstretched hand and mighty arm He brought Pharaoh to his doom. Inevitably there are two aspects to deliverance. To deliver anyone FROM something He must deal with what holds them. If it is human, too bad for them, but the basic intention of God is compassion not destruction.

The fire of God led Israel through the trackless wilderness, lit their altars and sheltered them like a mother with her children but the same holy fire destroyed usurping priests, yet rested on the 120 disciples on the day of Pentecost. The fire of God is always the same. God is a burning furnace of dancing flames with multi-effects, dividing, searching, testing, aggressive, enlightening, warming, exhilarating, guiding, and life-changing. Through spending time with God he refines and purifies us, it His Holy Spirit that changes our lives forever. It does not matter who you are, but where stand with God whether He is a consuming fire or your protective shield. It is the test of our experience – does the fire burn us, or burn with joy in our souls?


Thursday September 09, 2010
Testing Revelation
Read Mark 7:16

There are many factors other than the Holy Spirit that can influence our spirit and cause impurities in how we hear God. In order to not be misled by other influences, we must test any kind of revelation for evidence of other influences. Vision and revelation from God, satan or ourselves, will each have very distinctive characteristics. Thoughts from our own spirit are born in meditation and this brings a progressive building of ideas based on what we have learned. If we have been feeding on what is worldly or evil that will be what comes out of our heart. If we are guarding our spirit, only what is good and pure is what our spirit will reflect.

Satan flashes ideas or images into our mind and they are destructive and evil. Many times they bring us into fear and/or bondage and often times we feel pressured and compelled to obey their prompting. Their thoughts are contrary to both the nature and spirit of God.

Revelation from the Holy Spirit is encouraging and comforting. It has not fear of testing and even encourages it. It is completely in harmony with the nature and word of God. Rhema quickens our faith and brings peace to our inner man. It encourages the development of the fruit of the Spirit in my life. Every revelation should also be compared to the written word of God. The word of God is our absolute standard of truth and any revelation from God will be in perfect agreement with the letter and spirit of the word.


Friday September 10, 2010
Praying Until You Praise
Read Philippians 4:6-7

Don’t fret or worry! Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it a sense of God’s wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It is wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life. Philippians 4:6-7 (The Message)

A need has not really been prayed for until it has been overcome by the power and promises of God, and until you have entered into peace. We are to begin our prayer by presenting our request to God and then we move into supplication which is a more intense form of prayer. But how do we move from asking to thanking? How do we move from begging to receiving? This comes by taking the time to feel the movement of God. He may show us or tell us that the request has been granted. Sometimes there may be a lifting of the burden or simply a sense of peace. We relax in the knowledge that He is in control. We must let the peace of God rule in our hearts determining when the matter is settled and praise can break forth.


The Weekender September 11 & 12, 2010
The Movement of God in Prayer
Read Romans 8:26

There is an inclination to think of prayer as an activity of the believer. We decide to pray for, how to pray, and what answer we want. We come to God and present our request but this view only represents a part of the true picture of prayer. Romans 8; 26 says “The moment we get tired in the waiting, God’s Spirit is along side of us helping us along.” If we don’t know how or what to pray it does not matter. He does our praying in and for us making prayer out of our wordless sighs and our aching groans. He knows us far better than we know ourselves, knows our pregnant condition and keeps us present before God.

Because we don’t know how to pray as we should, the Holy Spirit works through us in our weakness. There is no need to hide our weakness or struggle in our weakness. We must learn to rest in the dependence upon the Lord to work through our frailty. His strength is perfected in our weakness. God himself will be the initiator of our prayers when a need is presented to us. If we will wait quietly before Him, the Holy Spirit will form the proper words for us. If we will still our hearts before Him in worship and contact the Holy Spirit who dwells in us, He will reveal to us the way we should pray. When the Holy Spirit has taken hold of us, giving us wisdom an how to pray, we can then speak what the Lord has revealed.