I always want to hear about books that have impacted the spiritual lives of believers. A few weeks ago I asked those of you who follow this blog to “comment” about books that have been transformative for you.  I’m going to share those responses with you now for some great holiday reading or even gifts.  These are in no particular order other than alphabetical. I asked only for the title and author.  The rest can easily be found on Amazon or Barnes and Noble.  Be blessed.

1. A Lineage of Grace – Francine Rivers
2. Approaching the Heart of Prophecy – Graham Cooke
3. Authority to Heal – Ken Blue
4. Born to Be Free – Tom Vermillion
5. Can You Hear Me? – Tuning In to the God Who Speaks – Brad Jersak
6. Christ the Healer – F.F. Bosworth
7. Dare to Believe – Becky Dvorak
8. Drawing Near – John Bevere
9. Intercessory Prayer – Dutch Sheets
10. Mere Christianity – C.S. Lewis
11. Sacred Marriage – Gary Thomas
12. Smith Wigglesworth on Faith
13. Sons of Encouragement – Francine Rivers
14. Surprised by the Power of the Spirit – Jack Deere
15. What’s So Amazing About Grace? – Philip Yancey
16. Ten Steps Toward Christ – Jimmy Evans
17. The Bait of Satan – John Bevere
18. The Battlefield of the Mind – Joyce Meyer
19. The Blessed Life – Robert Morris
20. The Celebration of Discipline – Richard Foster
21. The Chronicles of Narnia – C.S. Lewis
22. The Jesus I Never Knew – Philip Yancey
23. The Screwtape Letters – C.S. Lewis
24. The Supernatural Ways of Royalty – Bill Johnson & Kris Vallotton
25. When Heaven Invades Earth – Bill Johnson

Great books with spiritual themes are like teachers that open up the Word of God to us in ways that we had not seen before.  Often you discover a sentence or a phrase that becomes a “seed thought” for you that takes you to pockets of God’s truth that the author never had in mind, but it was a truth God opened to you. Sometimes the author speaks about a truth or a concept that you had sensed or experienced but didn’t know how to articulate.  After reading the book or the chapter you now have words to talk about what you had experienced.  Other books give us practical ways to pursue more of God and more of his Spirit or an understanding of certain people so that we might share our faith with them more effectively.  Others rekindle a passion in us that once burned brightly but had somehow lost its flame.  The Bible, of course, remains our primary source of light and truth, but books can be like sitting at the feet of teachers who accelerate our understanding and growth in spiritual matters.

Having said that, I am always asking people what books have been transformational for them.  Others ask me the same question.  Some books are classics and some have just recently pooped up on Amazon.  I would like to hear from you about books that were not just an interesting read but that impacted you. Maybe that book created paradigm shifts for you or just blessed your soul in tangible ways.

Would you simply comment on the best books you have read through the years and I will compile that list and post it on this blog soon.  With the holidays coming up, you may be looking for your next great read to snuggle up with in front of the fire. Maybe your small group is looking for their next study. Just give me the title and author of the book(s).  Keep your list to no more than five please.  Be sure the title is accurate so the rest of us can find it in the bookstore or on Amazon. I will add my four or five most favorite books as well.  You might also add a one-sentence descriptor telling us what the primary focus of the book was in case we are not familiar with it!  Thanks and be blessed today. I look forward to hearing from you!

In the fifth chapter of his gospel, John tells us a story that has been told so often that we tend to hurry through it without looking for fresh insights into Jesus.  It’s the story of the man that Jesus healed at the pool of Bethesda.  This was a pool that was known for miraculous healings.  John tells us that a great number of disable people  – the blind, the lame and the paralyzed – would lie around this pool each day. Their belief was that from time to time an angel of the Lord would stir the water and whoever got into the pool first, after the stirring, would be healed.

Jesus visited this pool.  Perhaps, he was simply walking by on his way to another destination in Jerusalem and simply by chance noticed the pool and the people around it.  More than likely, however, his visit was intentional and directed by the Father.  Immediately after this healing, Jesus declared, “I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing of himself; he can only do what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son does also. For the Father loves the Son and shows him all he does.”

This statement reveals that Jesus was highly attuned to the movement and purposes of his Father.  This quality suggests that Jesus was so focused on living out the Father’s agenda that he had developed a spiritual discernment to clearly sense the leading of the Spirit and the heart of the Father in every situation.  This longing to partner with his Father and to put the Father’s agenda ahead of his own, prompted the Father to show him what we was doing so that Jesus could, in fact, join him in those purposes.

Jesus shows us that a hunger to be totally obedient to the Father and to be lead by the Spirit every minute of the day prompts the Father to gives us eyes to see and ears to hear what he is doing.  One of the reasons Jesus performed so many miracles is that he was never operating outside of God’s purposes for that moment. When Jesus ministered healing to a person or a village, it seems that he was simply joining God in what God had already purposed to do. Since God had already determined to do those things, all of heaven was lined up to move when Jesus declared what the Father had already determined.  Jesus heard the Father, recognized the spiritual activity of the Father, spoke what the Father would have him speak and power flowed.

In this case, the Father apparently directed Jesus to the man who had been an invalid for thirty-eight years.  Dozens of others surrounded the pool who were also in need of healing but Jesus focused on one.  Finding him at the pool, Jesus asked what seemed to be a question with an obvious answer, “Do you want to get well?”  That question was an important question. As we all know, not everyone truly wants to be healed. Healing in this man’s life would have changed his identity, his routines, his responsibilities, and even the expectations that other’s had for him.  After thirty-eight years he had learned to be totally dependent on others. His entire life revolved around others meeting his needs and spending each day at the pool waiting for the miraculous stir of waters, knowing full well that someone else would always reach the water ahead of him.

After all those years of being “the invalid” he probably wasn’t sure if he could make it in a world where he would be expected to work and meet his own needs. Like a convict who has been in prison so long that he has become “institutionalized,” he wasn’t sure that he could make it on the “outside.”

Even so, Jesus healed him with a command to “Get up! Pick up your mat and walk!”  After a moment of spontaneous healing the man walked. Amazingly the Jewish religious leaders pushed back against this healing because it had been done on the Sabbath.  Religion misses the heart of God and so misses the goodness of God as well.  As a man stood before them who had been healed from nearly forty years of lameness, all they could see was that he was carrying his mat on the Sabbath and, thus, was violating the “rules” established by the religious elite. He had been lame but they were still blind.  Of course, the conversation quickly turned to the one who had done the healing, after all he has also had violated the Sabbath laws.  The healed man had no idea who he was and Jesus had quietly slipped away in the crowd.

Then comes a curious ending to the story.  Jesus found the man he had healed in the temple courts and warned him to stop sinning or else something worse than his lameness might happen to him. Suddenly, the story shifts from a healing theme to a redemption theme.  The man’s biggest problem had not been his inability to walk but a sinfulness that had placed his soul in jeopardy. We are told that the kindness of God leads us to repentance (Rom.2:4).  This intentional healing seems to have been an expression of God’s kindness designed to lead this man to repentance.

The warning issued later by Jesus suggests that the man had not been touched by God’s goodness sufficiently to lead him to repentance, so Jesus nudged him a little more in that direction.  It is possible that his now functioning legs had been used to pursue more of the sin in his life rather than thanksgiving to God.  The hardness of the man’s heart is suggested by the fact that after receiving the warning or rebuke of Jesus, the man hurried to turn him in to the authorities. Because Jesus had confronted him about his sin, even though it was out of concern for his well being, it seems that the healed man sought to punish the very one who had healed him.

So why even heal this man in the first place?  Weren’t there others at the pool more deserving and potentially more responsive to God’s kindness?  Undoubtedly.  But God loves the stubborn, the sinner, and the hard of heart as well.  God wanted to give this man every opportunity to say “yes” to Jesus. Perhaps, he was the one singled out at the pool because he was the one in greatest need of a spiritual healing.  Perhaps, he was singled out because he was right at the tipping point of developing a heart so hard that he would be beyond repentance.

We don’t know what the final response of this man was to God’s kindness.  What we do know is that the heart of the Father and the heart of Christ do not just pursue only those who are wide open to the kingdom of God but they pursue also those whose hearts are hardened by sin and beaten down by the world. Keep praying for the one whose heart you fear is closed to God.  God will seek him out anyway and draw him with both kindness and warning.  It is what love does even for those who don’t love in return.  If that hardened heart and sinful life has belonged to you, be sure that God still believes you are worth saving and is looking for you in the crowd even now.

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it. (Jn.1:1-5).

The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. (Jn.1:14).

The apostle John was a bit of a mystic.  He loved the symbolic nuances of scripture and liked to peel the theological onion to find deeper and deeper meanings and truth in God’s word.  He was also the closest to Jesus of all the apostles. He was the one leaning on the Lord at the last supper and the one to whom Jesus revealed his betrayer. He was also the one apostle who stood beneath the cross watching life ebb from the creator of the universe. When the Holy Spirit began to download truths about Jesus that were to be recorded in the gospels, John received the most theological of the downloads that give us insight not only into what Jesus did and said but who he was beyond being the Son of Man.

In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God. The Greek word translated as “the Word” in this text is “logos” and carries several related meanings.  It means an expression, a statement, a revelation, wisdom, the external expression of an internal thought, and so forth. If you think about it, Jesus is the visible expression of everything God thinks about us. He is a three dimensional revelation of the mind of the Father towards his creation. Jesus himself said that whoever has seen him has seen the Father (Jn.14:9).

If Jesus is the revelation of God and the expression of the heart and mind of Jehovah, then God surprises us. Who would have thought that the God who led Israel out of Egypt was also humble and gentle? Who would have thought that the God surrounded by Seraphim would be comfortable in the presence of sinners and that they could be comfortable in his presence?  But if Jesus shows us the Father,  then it is true. Who would have thought that the creator of the universe would be willing to sweat, thirst, and suffer mosquito bites for the sake of the spiritually dense (that’s all of us)?  Who would have thought that God Almighty would be moved with compassion so often when he saw hapless crowds or the blind and the lame?  Who would have thought that the high and holy God would be willing to attend weddings and turn water into wine or dance at bar mitzvahs? More than that, who would have believed the God who was a consuming fire on Sinai would have allowed ruthless men to brutalize him and drive nails through his feet for the sake of a fallen race? But there he is.

God surprises us and we are no more surprised than when we see him in Jesus.  Remember his thoughts toward you expressed in the life and heart of Jesus when you pray today.  Remember what lengths he went to so that you could have that conversation.  When you pray for sick loved ones, remember God’s heart for the suffering expressed through every command to “be healed.” Remember and take comfort and encouragement because you have seen the mind of the Father towards you. His name is Jesus.

For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands. For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline. (2 Tim.1:6-7)

Timothy was a young man who, like many of us, tended to discount his gifts, his ability and his influence.  By nature he apparently was loving and gentle and was much more comfortable standing in the shadows than being center stage.  You can imagine traveling with Paul who was bold to a fault and didn’t mind picking a fight with anyone (even Peter) when a principle of faith was on the line. I’m guessing that Timothy’s temperament was so opposite from Paul’s that Paul’s faith, boldness, miracles, and even his academics fueled a great sense of inadequacy in Timothy.

Most of us have felt that inadequacy when we have been around men and women who are world-shakers with “over-the-top” spiritual gifts. As much as possible, I pursue a greater understanding of the Holy Spirit and a greater anointing by going to conferences that are being led some of God’s “generals” in the faith.  It’s a dangerous pursuit because although I may receive the fresh word or revelation I was looking for and although I jumped in line for every impartation, I often go home feeling so spiritually inadequate that I want to check in my Bible and turn every ministry responsibility over to anyone that will take it. After a day or two of hearing their teaching, their insights, their testimonies, and then watching them minister in their gifts, I often crawl back home feeling like a totally inadequate servant of God.

That’s why Paul tells us never to compare ourselves to others because we will end up thinking too much or too little of ourselves. By the grace of God I usually recover in a few days and get on with being who God made me to be for the moment with a vision for more.  But, I can absolutely identify with Timothy.  Paul had to encourage him at times to speak with authority, to stir up the spiritual gifts that had been deposited in him, to step up in his leadership roles, and, at times, to not give into fear.

An amplified translation of the verse above might read, “Timothy, quit standing in the shadows. Quit holding back. Get busy exercising and developing the spiritual gift that was imparted to you through my hands. Step up and use it because God has not given you a spirit of fear or cowardice but of power – the same power that created the universe and that raised Jesus from the dead.  He has also given you a spirit of love and any spiritual gift exercised out of love for God’s people is powerful and life changing. And remember, He has also given you a spirit of sound thinking and self-discipline so don’t let your emotions rule you – especially doubt and fear.”

In Timothy’s case, his fear may not have been the fear of man and much as the fear of inadequacy. I think that form of fear restrains most of us and keeps us from becoming world-shakers ourselves.  We forget that spiritual gifts, like muscles and skills, must be developed and to be developed they have to be exercised.  Too many of us sit back and pray that God will give us a fully developed gift of healing, prophecy, leadership, teaching, worship, etc. and as soon as we feel that anointing settle on us we’ll get out there and start using that gift to change the world. God usually doesn’t operate in that way. To do so would be like giving a nine-year old the keys to a 650 horsepower Shelby Cobra and telling them to take it for a spin whenever he feels like it. Not a good idea.

If you have the Spirit of God in you, then you should have dreams of doing great things in the Kingdom of God because that greatness is in your spiritual DNA. If you have the dream, there is a good chance the Spirit is revealing your potential future and that the gifts are already in you for that destiny.  But they must be exercised, coated with love, and used with wisdom to produce their greatest fruit.

So, let me encourage you.  Stop standing in the shadows being held back by the fear of inadequacy because it is God who makes us adequate.  Let your sound mind rule your emotions and step out.  Fan into flame the gifts that are in you. Start exercising them today.  Don’t worry about making mistakes. You’re growing.  You’re practicing.  It’s always good to go to conferences, read another book, or ask for another impartation.  It’s always good to go after “more,” but God won’t give us more if we are not using what we already have.  And remember, the power that spoke worlds into existence and raised Jesus from the dead is literally resting in you waiting to be activated for those who will not give into fear.

How to Rid Your “House” of Unwanted Guests:  Identifying the Problem

Not everything is demonic. We have to deal with the appetites of the flesh and learn to say “No” to our fallen nature. You can’t cast out the flesh. You must crucify it.  Sometimes, in a fallen world, illness is simply illness; depression is caused by chemical imbalances, and broken relationships are created by our own negative choices.  However, many things do have demonic dimensions that must be dealt with before freedom and healing can occur.

Demons attach themselves to believers because someone has given them a legal right to do so.  We may have opened that door through persistent, unrepented sin in our lives, refusal to forgive those who have wounded us, or long-standing unbelief related to God’s truth.  It is possible that demons have come down through family lines as a consequence of “the sins of our fathers” or that someone with authority over us spoke curses that created “legal” assignments for the enemy.  Perhaps, we ourselves spoke those words. It is also possible that demons entered in through wounds inflicted by trauma, abuse, or rejection.

There are several common experiences or doorways that make individuals vulnerable to demonic affliction or that indicate or suggest demonic activity within a person.  If you recognize these “doorways” or manifestations in your life, it raises the probability that you may be struggling with demonic oppression.

Sins of the Fathers – This demonic door is opened when ancestors (especially males) rebelled against God and lived in unrepented sin.  This is especially true in the areas of sexual immorality, occult activity, violence, or addictions.

Child Abuse – Child abuse opens the door for the enemy in many ways.  Often the abuser has some authority over the child or the enemy can enter later through the child’s residual anger, resentment, unforgiveness and shame.

Sexual Sins – For some reason, our sexuality is a place the enemy has targeted in man to produce all kinds of destructive behaviors that alienate us from God, others, and ourselves. Sexual sin of all kinds is a place where Satan gains tremendous access to individuals and families.

Gender Confusion  – Scripture says that God “made them male and female.”   Although our fallen nature contributes to damaged genes and chemical imbalances in our bodies, it is not God’s will that His children be confused about their sexual identity.  If gender confusion is an issue, it may have demonic components.

Anger – Emotions of rage, anger, bitterness, etc. are usually established in childhood after a wounding experience, a painful wrong, or a perceived betrayal.  These thoughts and emotions are natural reactions to those “wrongs,” but if nurtured or kept alive by subsequent wounding, they can open the door for demonic spirits to come in and fuel these destructive emotions and mindsets.  They then become strongholds and may be experienced as rage, hatred, thoughts of revenge, or bitterness.

Abandonment through death, divorce, sickness, or neglect may open the door to spirits of sorrow, fear, and distrust.

Occult Involvement – Christian and non-Christian occult groups throw the door wide open to demons as they invite their presence, pray to them, or serve them.

Curses – Demonic spirits may be commissioned to enforce curses in the lives of individuals or families that are attached to sins or word curses. If you feel trapped in patterns of abuse, destructive relationships, poverty, crisis, etc. a curse may be operating.

You Conspire Against You by persistently engaging in sinful or destructive behaviors and thought patterns, even though you want to be free from those things.  You may say and do things frequently that “aren’t you.”   You may have tried prayer, the Word, accountability, counseling, etc., without victory over the issue. The demonic is indicated when the more you resist a sinful or destructive thought or feeling, the more it presses in on you.  It feels obsessive, compulsive and addictive.

If you struggle with any of the above issues, you may have unwanted guests that have harassed and tormented you for a short time or as long as you can remember. Many demon-afflicted individuals have struggled with sinful or destructive thought patterns so long that they believe it is normal and that everyone must fight those thoughts every day.  That isn’t the case. When the demonic is involved, deliverance makes an unbelievable difference in managing temptation and condemnation. Sometimes you may not be certain whether demonic activity is involved.  I recommend treating it like a spirit and if it isn’t you haven’t lost anything. If it is, you have gained your freedom.

The first step after identifying demonic activity in your “house” is taking away the issue that has given Satan a legal right to camp in your life.  Having done that, you can command those spirits to leave by the power and authority of Jesus Christ who has delegated that power and authority to every believer. If there is sin, you need to repent.  If there is unforgiveness, you must forgive. If there are generational sins you must acknowledge those and renounce them.  If there are curses you must nullify those in the name of Jesus.

In Part 8 of Dealing with the Demonic, we will explore those steps in more detail.

The demonic is a spiritual reality that the church is commanded to deal with through the authority of Jesus Christ.  By the church, I mean every believer.  Christ, through his death and resurrection, has disarmed the enemy but we are still left to enforce the victory.  My father served in the Pacific during World War II.  He fought in the Philippines and New Guinea. Long after the Japanese signed the papers of surrender, Japanese forces on islands throughout the Pacific continued to fight.  Some fought because they were not aware of their nation’s surrender.  Others fought because they wouldn’t accept the surrender. The victory was won, but still had to be enforced.

When Jehovah brought Israel to the brink of entering Canaan, God told Joshua to get the people ready to cross the Jordan into the land he was about to give them.  He promised that he would give them every place where they set their feet and that no would be able to stand against them as long as they were faithful to God. But…Israel would have to arm themselves, cross the river and engage the enemy in battle.  In heaven the victory was already won, God had already given the land to Israel, and he promised that by the power of God, they would overcome all opposition to their taking possession of the land.  But, there were enemy forces in the land and God expected his people to partner with him in driving out the enemy.

The question could be asked, “Why didn’t God just drive out the hostile tribes with plagues or angelic armies before Israel arrived? Why fight battles that have already been won?  Experiencing the power of God to deliver is a much greater lesson than simply hearing about the power of God to deliver.  It is in the battle that you grow strong and in the victories that your faith increases.  That is true in dealing with the demonic as well.  The victory is settled. The power of God goes before us. But we are called to enter into the battle with full assurance of victory.  To experience the authority of Jesus Christ and the transformation of lives as you command demons makes the reality of the spiritual realm and the power of Jesus Christ undeniable. Every promise of Christ is established that much more firmly in your heart because you have experienced what once you only read about.

Let me list some promises and precedents to underline the victory that believers are called to enforce on the earth today:

Jesus was commissioned by the Father to not only preach the good news but to set captives free.

 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor.  He has sent me to proclaim release for the captives, and recovery of sight to the blind, to set free those who are oppressed. (Lk. 4:18)

 Jesus has authority over the demonic:

 That evening they brought to him many who were possessed with demons; and he cast out the spirits with a word, and cured all who were sick.  (Mt.8:16)

All authority in heaven and on earth has been given unto me.  (Mt.28:18)

The Kingdom on earth is manifested by authority over the demonic.

 But if it is by the Spirit of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come to you. (Mt.12:28)

The Apostles were given authority over the demonic.

 These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: … As you go, proclaim the good news, ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.’  Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons.  (Mt. 10:5-8)

Seventy ordinary believers were given authority over the demonic.

 The seventy returned with joy, saying, “Lord, in your name even the demons submit to us!”  He said to them, “I watched Satan fall from heaven like a flash of lightning.  See, I have given you authority to tread on snakes and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy; and nothing will hurt you.  Nevertheless, do not rejoice at this, that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.” (Lk. 10:17-20)

All believers are given authority over the demonic.

And these signs will accompany those who believe: by using my name they will cast out demons; (Mk.16:17)

I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. (Jn.14:12)

We have received the same commission that Jesus was given to preach the gospel and set captives free.

Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” (Jn.20:21)

Having firmed up the promises and precedents for believers having authority, our next Blog will begin to discuss the work of demons and how the believer exercises the authority that has been given to all who follow Jesus.

This is the final installation of Hearing God.  If you desire to hear the Lord speak, you may need to consider and deal with any hindrances in your life to hearing him.

Hindrances to Hearing God

 1.  Religious Preconceptions.  (See 2 Kings 5:11-12)

Sometimes our religious training puts God “in a box” so that, when He doesn’t act according to our preconceived notions, we dismiss or reject what He is doing.

2.   Working for God rather than seeking God.   (See Isa. 58:2-9; Lk. 10:38-42)

Sometimes we get caught up in doing all kinds of things for God rather than seeking God himself.   Martha was busy serving Jesus, but Mary was sitting quietly and listening to Him.  Jesus declared that Mary had chosen the better option.

3.   An Unresponsive Heart  (See Ezek. 11:19, Heb.3:8)

Hardened hearts do not make good receivers.  If your heart has been hardened by life so that you are bitter, guarded, distrustful, or always in control ask God to break down those strongholds and give you a softened, trusting, and responsive heart to His love and His word

4.    Unrepented Sin.  (See Ps .66:17-18)

Take an inventory.  If there is a persistent sin you love, excuse, or justify, acknowledge it and submit that sin to God and the cross. If God is going to speak freely to us, we must love Him above all things and all people.

5.    Unforgiveness   (See Matt. 6:12-14)

God says that a relationship with Him depends on our willingness to forgive others as he has forgiven us. Decide to forgive those who have wounded you.

6.   Distrust (Fear)   (See Ps. 62:8)

If we distrust God, fear that he will not act in our best interests, or protect us from too much pain, we will not want to hear from Him. Sometimes we don’t want to let God into the secret places of our heart because we are afraid of what he might say or what he might ask us to do about those things. Trust Him.  He loves you more than you love yourself.

7.   Half-hearted Faith, Double Mindedness   (See Ja. 1:6-8)

If we are only partially committed to live for God or if we want to serve two masters – God and whatever else we love that competes with Him – we will not hear from him as clearly or as often as we want.  God is a God who must be first and the only “god” in our lives.

8.   The Enemy  (See Eph. 6:10)

Satan will often try to interrupt your attempt to hear from God with distractions, feelings of condemnation, “brain static,” etc.  Before you begin to be still and listen for God’s voice bind the voice of Satan by the blood and the authority of Jesus.

Be sure to examine yourself regarding these hindrances and deal with each one through repentance and a renewed commitment to serve and trust the Lord.  When you do hear from God, you may hear him as a thought or a stream of thoughts that arise in your mind spontaneously.  You may hear one word that God wants you to consider.  You may receive a mental image, an impression, or a prompting that you understand intuitively.  You may even hear an audible voice, though that is usually the exception and not the rule. Just remember, God wants to speak to you and speak to you often.

When we believe that we may have heard from God, we are to test what we have heard or sensed.

     Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God. (1 Jn. 4:1)

The first test for determining whose voice we have heard is always the Word of God.

We must determine whether or not the thought is consistent with God’s truth as revealed in His written word.  If not, disregard what you have heard. Of course, that also places a burden on us to know the Word of God well enough to test what we have heard against scripture.  We must always be aware that God will never contradict his word but He may contradict our understanding of His word.  Be open to the Holy Spirit giving you a new understanding of familiar scriptures as well as scriptures that catch your eye for the first time. If you are unsure whether a thought, a word, or an image lines up with scripture, share it with a spiritual mentor who has a strong biblical foundation.

There are four other good tests in addition to the Word of God.

1.  Does the “voice” or message seem consistent with the character of God or Jesus?

The character of God is revealed in the fruit of the Spirit passage of Galatians. “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. “ (Gal. 5:22)

John tells us that “God is love” (1 Jn.4:8) and Paul gives us a working definition of love.  He says, “Love is patient, love is kind.  It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.  It is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.  Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.  It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails” (1 Cor. 13:4-8).

The message and the “spirit” or “quality” of the message, then, will reflect those characteristics if it is from God. If the “voice” you hear is accusing, condemning, rude, boastful, mean, angry, or demeaning, it is not from God. If the voice asks you to do something contrary to scripture or if it violates his righteousness, it is not from God.

2.   Does the message produce peace in your heart?

Jesus said, “Peace I leave with you.  My peace I now give and bequeath to you.  Not as the world gives do I give to you.  Do not let your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid”  (Jn. 14:27). Paul also spoke about peace.  He said, “But the mind of the Spirit is life and peace, both now and forever” (Rom. 8:6). The fruit of the Spirit includes peace.

Sometimes God speaks things we don’t fully understand.  Sometimes He may send conviction about sin in our life.  Sometimes we may receive a word of discipline or a message about changes or even hardships we will be facing. But when God has finished speaking, there is always a sense of peace that surrounds His word.  God does not have plans to hurt us, but to bless us and, in our spirits, His word leaves that assurance.

3.    Do spiritual mentors sense that what you have heard is from God?

It is always valuable to have one or two spiritual mentors who have learned to hear God’s voice themselves and to share with them what you are hearing. They will often have a sense about the quality and content of what you are hearing that will help you develop your discernment.

4.  Confirmations

God is not offended when we ask him to confirm the word we believe we have received from him. In cases where we believe God is calling us to drastic action or significant changes in our lives, it is wise to pray for confirmation. Gideon asked for confirmation through the exercise of a ram’s fleece (see Judges 6:35-40) before he led Israel in battle. Jonathan sought confirmation through the verbal response of his enemies (see 1 Samuel 14:6-14) before he and his armor bearer attacked a Philistine garrison alone.  When we believe God has called on us to act in some life altering way, we may want to seek confirmation that we have heard him correctly.

Remember, we are not doubting God. We are simply making sure that we clearly heard from him and understood his intent. Confirmation can come in a variety of ways. Perhaps, circumstances line up in extraordinary ways or provision comes to us in miraculous ways. Individuals may come to us and tell us that God spoke to them about what we have been considering. We simply put our own “fleece” forward and ask for that confirmation just as Gideon and Jonathan did.  God honored their requests and we can expect him to honor ours. There will come a time when we will know God’s voice so well that confirmation will not be necessary, but as we are growing in this spiritual realm we may well want to seek his confirmation before acting.

More on Discerning God’s Voice in the next segment of this series.

This is the second part of a series about God speaking to his people.  In Part 1, we explored the heart of God that deeply desires to reveal himself to his people and all the ways in which he has done that through the centuries. In this part we will discover that God’s word frequently emphasizes his speaking and our hearing in addition to reading the written word.

There are actually two Greek words that are translated “word” or “the word” related to what God says.  Logos tends to emphasize the entirety of God’s written communication to his people which is the Bible.  Rhema tends to emphasize a fresh word from God, which is not a binding revelation for all believers, but something that speaks to a certain situation or an individual.  Both words are used in the N.T. and the natural reading of the New Testament would not suggest that God’s fresh word to individual believer’s or churches was confined to the first century. So, if you have been taught that God no longer speaks to his children apart from the written word, let me encourage you to take a fresh look at some familiar scriptures.

Although God speaks to us in many ways his primary agent for communicating with His people is the Holy Spirit. The written word of God is his most available communication to us but even when we are seeking to know God and his will through personal reflection on the scriptures, the Holy Spirit is the one giving us understanding and application of that word. We experience the Holy Spirit in those moments as insight or understanding, but without the Spirit “speaking” to our spirit, we could not even understand God’s word as he intends.  “The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him and he cannot understand them because they are spiritually discerned” (1 Cor. 2:14).

But through the Holy Spirit, God also speaks to our hearts and minds apart from our reflection on the Word.  Note the following scriptures and the words or phrases that have been bold-faced for emphasis.

The man who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep…He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out…his sheep follow him because they know His voice … they do not recognize a stranger’s voice … I am the good shepherd, I know my sheep and my sheep know me.  (Jn. 10:2-5, 14-15)

Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God.  (Rom. 10:17)

But when He, the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on His own; He will only speak what He hears, and He will tell you what is yet to come. He will bring glory to me by taking from what is mine and making it known to you.  (Jn. 16: 13-14)

The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God.  For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the man’s spirit within him? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God.  We have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit who is from God, that we may understand what God has freely given us.  This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words.  The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them because they are spiritually discerned. (1 Cor. 2:10-14)

The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children.  (Rom.  8:16)

This is what the Lord says, he who made the earth, the Lord who formed it and established it – the Lord is his name.  “Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.”  (Jer. 33: 3)

Notice that these scriptures use words that signify direct communication between God and his people.  It shouldn’t surprise us.  From Genesis to Revelation, the biblical record is that God spoke to individuals face to face, through his Spirit as the word of the Lord came to numerous men and women,  through dreams and visions, and through angelic visits.

God spoke in these ways in the Garden, from the Garden to the giving of the Law at Sinai, from the giving of the Law to the cross and, more than ever, after the cross and the sending of the Spirit by Jesus. Why would we assume he would suddenly stop speaking a fresh word to his people somewhere around the end of the first century when it is evidently the nature of God to speak to his children through his written word (whether the Torah or the New Testament) and through a freshly spoken word. Since, God is the same yesterday, today and forever should we not expect to hear his voice on a personal level since we are his children?