”But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord. “ (2 Corinthians 3:18)
THOUGHTS FOR CONSIDERATION:
Greetings again my Brethren. Okay, let us this month go ahead and finish up this section of the teaching looking at the ways God uses divine communication to lead and guide us in our lives. Now, it is NOT important to focus (like on Angels) on the divine ways God communicates to lead and guide us, but what is important is God is using many way (we just looked at 11 ways) to lead and guide us. God is ever leading and guiding us if we have the spiritual wherewithal to be able to discern what he doling. So, the final way God may use to get our attention is through human instruments. Now, before I get going I would like to start with a HUGE caution. Take heed, when someone tells you God spoke to them about you. It is a HUGE red flag if you are a Believer. This is the same way of saying God could not speak to you so He had to speak to me so I can tell you what he said. This is probably the best way, especially young Christians, are manipulated and controlled by pastors, evangelists, Bible teachers, you name it. “God told me something about you.” Now it is true, God will tell other people things about us, BUT these words from God are for edification and NOT notification. If God shares something with you about another person it is for prayer, for you to pray for their edification, but if God directs you to tell them like with the Prophet Nathan and King David (2 Samuel 12:1-8) you better be in the right heart condition, which is NOT to want to share it, but rather knowing this would be disobedience in fear and trembling before God, so you do it. When we lived in Georgia the LORD shared something with me about our pastor and like a baby unskilled in the word of God I went to him and confronted him well, even through true and he knew it, he did not with open arms receive what I had to say. Oh no, from that day forth (he has since been gathered to his elders) there was a separation and a loss of fellowship between us. Take heed my friend. But on a positive side in the Book of Acts we find an example where God spoke to a man about Saul, later called Paul, that set his life on the course, purpose and plan God had for him. In Acts 9 we read, “And there was a certain disciple at Damascus, named Ananias; and to him said the Lord in a vision, Ananias. And he said, Behold, I am here, Lord. 11 And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the street which is called Straight, and enquire in the house of Judas for one called Saul, of Tarsus: for, behold, he prayeth, 12 And hath seen in a vision a man named Ananias coming in, and putting his hand on him, that he might receive his sight. 13 Then Ananias answered, Lord, I have heard by many of this man, how much evil he hath done to thy saints at Jerusalem: 14 And here he hath authority from the
chief priests to bind all that call on thy name. 15 But the Lord said unto him, Go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel: 16 For I will shew him how great things he must suffer for my name’s sake. 17And Ananias went his way, and entered into the house; and putting his hands on him said, Brother Saul, the Lord, even Jesus, that appeared unto thee in the way as thou camest, hath sent me, that thou mightest receive thy sight, and be filled with the Holy Ghost.” (Acts 9:10-17) I usually do not like to cut and paste this much Scripture, but I feel I needed to this time to make my point. Notice a few points from these verses: The first point Ananias was a disciple. God will not speak to a non- Believer about a Believer. God does not work that way. God keeps His things within His family so His family can be edified. Again, it is NOT about notification so the individual can reason or maybe dispute God’s word, oh no. When God’s word comes there is no doubt, no question what is spoken is from God. Now I was not there, but I feel sure when the Prophet Nathan stood before King David and he spoke, “thou are the man” there was no question in David’s mind or heart, he knew 100% what Prophet Nathan was saying and he also knew ii was 100% from God. That is how a real word from God operates. You know that you know that you know. Deep in your heart, deep in your gut where the Spirit lives, God’s words bear witness in us and we have two choices to ether agree or disagree. The King agreed, paid the price for his disobedience, but God said of David, he was man after His own heart. I wish to God He would say at that about me. Point two God not only spoke to Ananias, but also spoke to Saul. God spoke to both at the same time. After all out of the mouth of two witnesses God’s word is revealed. Confirmation is required in most cases. Now, there is always exceptions to everything in God, but in maybe 70 to 80% of cases God’s word will be confirmed in some way or the other. Do not look for the confirmation as much as we need to be listening to God. The confirmation is for us to help us believe. And lastly point three, it happened as Paul saw in his dream, the confirmation to Saul. How could Saul not believe in God from that day forth? How could Saul not believe God had a plan for his life? We always see God in retrospect, then it seems we believe, but the important thing though is to believe and not doubt in your heart.
Next month we will start a new section looking at how the word of God may be received in a diversity of circumstances to lead and guide us in our lives. He is speaking to us, but do we have the hearing ears to hear what the LORD is saying to us? Written by David Stah
