Christian Ministry Articles and Teachings: 'Hear God Speak To You

"Hear God Speak and Write To You - GUIDELINES"
(Updated June 27, 2007)

Our Father Promised That In The Latter Days We Would Hear Him Internally:
I wrote the following in God’s book, ‘God Speaks To You In Your Native Tongue, Chapter 2 ‘God Forms An Earthly People For Himself’, "The LORD promised that in Abraham’s "seed all nations of the earth shall be blessed because" Abraham not only heard, but also "obeyed, God’s voice....

Matthew 1:1-17 shows us that Jesus Christ is a direct descendent of Abraham and King David. In Galatians 3:16-18 Paul explains that the "seed" of Abraham is Christ: ‘Now to Abraham and his Seed were the promises made. He does not say, ‘And to seeds,’ as of many, but as of one , ‘And to your Seed ,’ who is Christ. And this I say, that the law, which was four hundred and thirty years later, cannot annul the covenant that was confirmed before by God in Christ, that it should make the promise of no effect. For if the inheritance is of the law, it is no longer of promise; but God gave it to Abraham by promise.’

Obviously, all members in Christ’s one Body inherit the LORD’s promise. This is why Jesus commanded His disciples "... not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father, which, He said, ‘you have heard from Me; for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.’" <Acts 1:4-5>. In the Old Testament the LORD promised Israel the "Promised Land". All within the "One Seed", Christ Jesus, can receive the Promise of the Father, which is our Father’s own Spirit, who is holy.

Peter said, "Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit . For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call." [Acts 2:38-39; NKJV] Clearly, the "Promise of the Father" is the gift of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.

Peter explained to the Jewish crowd who heard God speak through the Apostles and disciples on the day of Pentecost, that Jesus Christ had been "... exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He poured out this which you now see and hear." [Acts 2:33; NKJV]

To Israel He said, and says:
"Behold, the days are coming, says the LORD, when I will make a new covenant {through Christ Jesus} with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah — not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke, though I was a husband to them, says the LORD. But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the LORD: I will put My law in their minds, and write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. No more shall every man teach his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, 'Know the LORD,' for they all shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them, says the LORD. For I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more." [Jer 31:31-34; NKJV]

AND

{Apostle Paul speaking and quoting the above scripture for Christ’s new physical and spiritual church:} "For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the LORD: I will put My laws in their mind and write them on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. None of them shall teach his neighbor, and none his brother, saying, 'Know the LORD,' for all shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them. For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more. In that He says, ‘A new covenant,’ He has made the first {through Moses} obsolete. Now what is becoming obsolete {Moses’ external Law} and growing old is ready to vanish away. [Heb 8:10-13; NKJV]

To the Christians and Israel He said, and says:
"... remember that you, once Gentiles in the flesh — who are called Uncircumcision by what is called the Circumcision made in the flesh by hands — that at that time you were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation, having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace, and that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity." [Eph 2:11-17; NKJV]

AND

"For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise." [Gal 3:26-29; NKJV]

AND

"we are sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise." [Ephesians 1:13; NKJV]

Therefore, all in the New Covenant, Christ Jesus, have been promised "I will put my laws {testimony, Word} in their minds and write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. No longer will a man teach his neighbor, or a man his brother, saying, 'Know the Lord,' because they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest."

Every Reader should open their Bible and read Acts 2:1-END. The Promise was delivered! and continues to be.

HEARING GOD WITHIN YOURSELF

This 'guide' is written with hopes of teaching and encouraging you to sit down daily, to permit the Lord time to communicate with you in the form of SPEAKING and/or WRITING. I encourage you to allow Him to SPEAK TO YOU AS YOUR Savior, God, intimate friend, husband, personal problem solver, protector and SO MUCH MORE!

All this is possible if you will learn how to "LISTEN" to Him, rather than just "TALK AT HIM". God lives in you. It is reasonable to assume that He wants to establish a personal relationship with you; and that He prefers to speak directly to you. Should the thing "created" (us), do all the "TALKING AT" the intelligent one, our Creator?. Does He need us to tell Him in prayer, what we or others need? God, prefers to tell us what we truly need, and have us submit, obey and stand in one accord with His decisions? As Jesus said "Thy will be done". Because He is our Creator and far more intelligent than we are, let us begin to LISTEN to Him.

There have always been people who have heard God, but now God is calling on all His children to participate in this close relationship. Yes, it was/is God's Will that mankind discover this truth now. Has the Word changed? No, and NO again. As God’s interaction and communication with His children increases, our understanding of the Word has naturally become more evident. It is His desire to have each of us hear His Spiritual voice from our heart, which is His heart and mind in us. The New Testament tells us,

"Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:" [(Phil 2:5 ; KJV]

"being manifested that you are a letter of Christ, cared for by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone, but on tablets of human hearts." [(2 Cor 3:3; NAS].

But our relationship is not one sided. What has God received? Through Jesus Christ you have become a son, a child, of God. Through the indwelling of God’s Holy Spirit, we have received the voice of God, and God has begun to transform mankind into His own image. God is receiving the relationship with mankind that He has desired from the beginning: a "family" in His image of holiness and righteousness, that He can trust and live with eternally. This family, like His son Jesus Christ, lives in submission and obedience to God’s nature, judgment and opinion through God’s voice. Remember, Adam and Eve heard God speak before and after their fall.

[Rom 8:14-16] "For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, "Abba! Father!" The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God," (NAS)

[Gal 4:6] "Because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, "Abba, Father." (NIV);

[Phil 2:14 & 15] "Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe" (NIV).

God is re-establishing His relationship with His children; I thank God that He has become my teacher, my friend, my (*) sponsor in all areas of my life. He is my LIFE GIVER Amen. It is such a blessing to know that I am just one of many, I hope all, who will hear His spiritual voice from within through His Spirit.

(*) "God has become my teacher, my friend, my sponsor...": Jesus insisted that I use the word "sponsor" in the sentence above. I didn't understand why, so I looked "sponsor" up in the American Heritage Dictionary: "One who assumes responsibility for a person or group during a period of instruction, apprenticeship, or probation; One who vouches for the stability of a candidate for admission; One who presents a candidate for baptism or confirmation: godparent (Latin - to make a solemn pledge). Thank you Jesus Christ, from all of us!

Certainly, God is NOT encouraging you to eliminate prayer. That would be against His written Word, the Bible. He is encouraging us to do just the opposite. He is telling all of you to allow the Holy Spirit to teach you how to pray properly. Prayer is a two sided, constant communication between God and you.

"LISTENING GUIDELINES"

Begin to see great miracles in your life, changes in your nature, the way you see Him and all that is around you.

1. Receive Jesus Christ As Your Savior: The Bible tells us that we receive the indwelling of Jesus Christ and the Father at the same time. Obviously "love of God" is a key factor in receiving Jesus Christ and our Father’s internal eternal life.

(John 14:23) Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him. (KJV).

You confess with your mouth and receive Salvation, but righteousness is received through our heart.

(Rom 10:8-10) "The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart" (that is, the word of faith which we preach): that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. NKJV

2. Receive and Acknowledge The Holy Spirit:
"We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what he already has? But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.

In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God's will." [Rom 8:22-27; NIV]

Salvation is the first step into receiving transformation into God’s righteous image. When you receive the Holy Spirit, you will hear God speak or sing through you in one to two different ways. Both are a result of the Holy Spirit speaking or singing through your mouth as He gives you utterance. You will either speak in tongues, that is "various languages", or you will "prophesy". Acts 19:4-6 is a perfect example of this, "... Paul said, ‘John indeed baptized with a baptism of repentance, saying to the people that they should believe on Him who would come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus. When they {the converts} heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. And when Paul had laid hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they spoke with tongues and prophesied {spoke (or sang) by inspiration (in prediction or simple discourse (speech or conversation)}." NKJV

In Strong’s Concordance of the Bible the New Testament Greek word translated as ‘prophesy’ is defined as: "to foretell events, divine, speak under inspiration, exercise the prophetic office". Though this definition informs us that one is prophesying when delivering "prophecy", or God’s Word concerning His future plans, it also teaches us that we prophesy anytime we "speak under {God’s} inspiration".

The Old Testament Hebrew word translated as ‘prophesy’ is naba’. It is defined by Strong’s as "to prophesy, i.e. speak (or sing) by inspiration (in prediction or simple discourse {speech or conversation})". Both the Hebrew and Greek definition of ‘prophesy’ agree, and to avoid confusion and enlarge the teachings in this Guideline, we have used the OT definition in both the NT and OT verses. When a messenger or prophet of God "prophesies" to a body of believers, they speak as the Spirit gives them utterance in a language that the speaker and listeners understand.

Actually, hearing God in your own language, or "native tongue" is the same as hearing God’s interpretation of tongues. God speaks all languages. God does not need to first speak in tongues, or various foreign languages, and then interpret in a language you can understand. If He chooses to He can, and does, speak to you in your native tongue so that you will understand what He says from the very first. This is why Paul said in 1 Corinthians 14:5, "I wish you all spoke with tongues, but even more that you prophesied {speak (or sing) by inspiration (in prediction or simple discourse {speech or conversation}; for he who prophesies is greater than he who speaks with tongues, unless indeed he interprets {speaks in your native tongue}, that the church may receive edification." NKJV

God’s Old Testament and New Testament Prophets:
The definition of 'prophet' is "a person who speaks by divine inspiration or as the interpreter through whom a divinity expresses His will; a predictor or soothsayer" (American Heritage Dictionary). All Word from God is inspired, in both the written and spoken form. However, not all prophecy foretells future events.

False prophets, psychics etc. allow spirits, other than the Holy Spirit, to speak through them. This is often referred to as "channeling". I think it goes without saying, that we Christians are completely against such practices. I consider it extremely dangerous to allow a spirit to speak through you without verbally acknowledging, and committing to God/Christ and His Holy Spirit FIRST. In fact, I believe channeling swings the door wide open to illness and even death for some. As Christians, we only want one, or all, of the Holy Divine Trinity speaking to, and through, us. We belong to one Spirit only, the Holy Spirit. Because we all possess the Holy Spirit (He lives in us), we are all capable of speaking the inspired Word of God, as the Holy Spirit speaks through us. Not all of us are Prophets, but we are all children of God who have been given the right to hear our parent’s (God’s) voice.

You are a Son of God. Our God wants a speaking relationship with His Sons. "Friend of God" or "Son of God" is a higher calling, and a more fulfilling relationship with God, than that of "a prophet". Why?

A prophet delivers the spoken word of God, as God says it. It is, normally, spoken to all of God's people, and there is very little input, if any, from God regarding the prophet's needs or personal life and questions. The relationship often is that of Employer to Employee", or Master to Servant". When this exact same "prophet"/person shares communion (communes; has conservation) with God, God is then the prophet's Father, Brother, Friend etc. The relationship is that of a "Son and Parent", a "Family Love".

Both relationships are beautiful, but one resembles the relationship of "employer to employee" while the other is FAMILY. Our Father has told me of the Joy in His heart when we share "Family time" together. We are all Sons of God in Jesus Christ.

Some religions/churches are very vague about who the Holy Spirit is, and what His function is. It is important that we receive and acknowledge the Spirit’s life within us because He is the unifier of the eternal spiritual church of Christ Jesus. God’s spirit is sent from our Father to live within each reborn child and gives us spiritual life and holiness. He takes us into God’s holy nature and causes us to become the image of Jesus Christ who is the exact image and nature of God our Father.

Satan is a "fallen spirit". Obviously, satan works to discourage and stop God’s people from receiving God’s HOLINESS through His Spirit.

From the beginning, I have heard Jesus Christ, our Father and the Holy Spirit speak to me, through the Holy Spirit in me. This is acceptable to me because the Bible is quite clear that all three are one. Again, Jesus says:

(John 14:10). Don't you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you are not just my own. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work {saying His Word}.'" (NIV)

(I Jn 5:7) "For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word {Christ Jesus}, and the Holy Ghost {Spirit}: and these three are one." (KJV)

At the time I confessed Jesus Christ as my Savior I was not told about the Holy Spirit, and as a baby Christian I had not yet read it in the Bible. I was not a new Christian, but I was a baby Christian. I had spent many years thinking of myself as a good Christian, however, I had read very little of the Bible. I was, in fact, starving to death for lack of Spiritual food.

Several years after asking Jesus Christ to be my Savior with my mouth’s confession, I was asked by a friend if I had received the Holy Spirit. I had to answer "I'm not sure". This is why I stress praying for and acknowledging the Holy Spirit. I'm not the only person on earth who wasn't, or isn't, sure they have received the Holy Spirit. Before you begin to "LISTEN" for, and to, God's voice, it is imperative that you know and acknowledge the life and indwelling of the Spirit of God within you.

How I Received The Voice Of God:
Years ago, the booklet I read said to pretend to speak in a (any) foreign language, which I did. Almost immediately the Holy Spirit took over and began to speak out loud in various languages {tongues} through my mouth. However, a friend recently suggested using the name of Jesus in praise until the Holy Spirit begins to speak. This pleased God’s Spirit within me, so I now teach this. This suggestion has been used by my friends denomination forever (?), and I feel most people will feel more comfortable using God’s name while praising God.

(1) "Abba": Strong’s Concordance defines this NT Aramaic) word as Father, but I have been told several times that this word implies a more intimate relationship than perhaps our English word "Father" does. I have been told that we probably can best associate this word with the English word "Daddy".

Scriptures using the Word "Abba":

[Mark 14:36] "And He {Jesus} said, "Abba, Father, all things are possible for You. Take this cup away from Me; nevertheless, not what I will, but what You will." NKJV

[Romans 8:15] "For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, "Abba, Father." NKJV

[Galatians 4:6] "And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, "Abba, Father!" NKJV

Please notice that in the following verses the Holy Spirit is praising God our Father as He spoke through the believers mouths:

[Acts 2:12] "And there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men, from every nation under heaven. And when this sound occurred, the multitude came together, and were confused, because everyone heard them speak in his own language. Then they were all amazed and marveled, saying to one another, "Look, are not all these who speak Galileans? And how is it that we hear, each in our own language in which we were born? Parthians and Medes and Elamites, those dwelling in Mesopotamia,... Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabs — we hear them speaking in our own tongues the wonderful works of God." So they were all amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, "Whatever could this mean?" NKJV

[Acts 10:45-46] And those of the circumcision who believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles also. For they heard them speak with tongues and magnify God. NKJV

The same little book, or tract, said to pray for "interpretation of tongues". That day I did not hear God speak through me in my native tongue, or interpretations", however, within the next year I began to sporadically hear God speak to me in my native tongue without first speaking to me in tongues, or foreign languages. I remember the first time I heard the Holy Spirit of God speak to me from within. He said "I love you".

I developed the habit of asking for "interpretation" just prior to purposely praying in tongues. My sister didn’t speak in tongues before hearing God in her native language, and still heard God speak to her in her native tongue, English, most all of her life. However, when we discussed this she strongly agreed that speaking in tongues is extremely beneficial, and also spoke in tongues throughout her years on earth.

Speaking in tongues edifies the person who is allowing God to speak through them, because we do not always know what to pray for. God’s Spirit, in us, sees what we truly need and often asks God our Father for the answer to His prayer in tongues. In this manner, our "old man" {minds} will not get in the way of God’s transformation and will in, and through, us.

I advise people to seek "hearing God" as I did because I know it works. I never heard God speak until I, with my mouth, prayed for the Holy Spirit, and then received Him.

Please Note:
My first choice for you, in regards to you receiving the Holy Spirit, is that you search for a person who believes the Bible is the Word of God, laying on of hands and speaking in tongues. It goes without saying they must have received Jesus Christ as their Savior and have accepted the filling of the Holy Spirit. I prefer they believe in the "giving of the Spirit" through touching with their hands. Sometimes this spirit filled person will be found in church and sometimes not. You are looking for a church in which they teach about the gifts of the Spirit. I believe, for most individuals, it is better to have assistance from others who know and love the Lord, and are filled with the Spirit.

My second choice is that you repeat the process God placed in my hands: praying in Christ’s name that Jesus ask His Father to give you the "gift" of His own Holy Spirit etc.

Most spirit filled people do not yet understand that when God speaks through you in your native tongue it is the same gift as speaking in various languages or tongues. Both are spoken through your mouth by the Spirit of God. God does not need to speak through you in tongues AND THEN interpret in your native tongue/language what He previously said in various languages, or tongues. After all He is God, and can do anything He wants to do. He can, and most often does, deliver the interpretation, or His thoughts in your native tongue, first.

It is imperative that you take responsibility for your relationship with God, and thus continue to study the Word of God through His Bible daily. We have entered a time of false teaching, and false prophets and teachers. The only way to ensure that you are with a group of individuals that are speaking and teaching His truth, is to know the Word yourself. Listen from your heart for God’s guidance. Understand you alone will stand before God and discusses what your beliefs have been, your heart’s condition etc.

Knowing the "Word" is an ongoing process. Christ is the Word. The only way to know Him, is to spend time with Him, read the Bible, and listen to His voice within you. Allow Him to teach you about Himself. "However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come. He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you. All things that the Father has are Mine. Therefore I said that He will take of Mine and declare it to you. (John 16:13-15; NKJ)

Again, I do not believe that it is necessary for you to speak in tongues in order to hear God speak in your native language/tongue. However, speaking in tongues is Biblical, and extremely beneficial to each individual's spiritual growth. Suggested Reading: "Speaking In Tongues The Language Of Men and Angels - GUIDELINES"

I believe that "speaking in tongues" shows God that you completely trust Him and you have determined in your heart to completely give your "self" over to God’s Will within, and through, you. "Tongues" is the only "gift" given to mankind in the New Testament that had not already been given in the Old Testament, in some degree or another. "Speaking in Tongues, the language of men and angels (and God)" is given only to NEW Testament Believers. Israel received prophecy, prophesying, dreams, visions, healing etc.

God wants us to understand what is being said through His Holy Spirit. Hearing God in your native language, is a result of Him wanting you to understand and learn from, and by, Him. This is the main reason God sent the Holy Spirit to live in us. Now, He can personally teach and interpret for us. It wasn't until recently that I realized, through the Holy Spirit, that My hearing Him in English is a result of receiving the "interpretation" I had prayed for. Because "interpretations" means God is interpreting His Word, thoughts and nature for us, interpretation is to be a continual daily process.

I still pray in tongues, but do so mostly when I feel at a loss as to what to pray and/or very defeated and/or weakened in my spirit man, spirit or mind. You may want to read "Speaking In Tongues The Language Of Men and Angels - GUIDELINES" for more information.

3. Love Is A MUST: The very most important thing, when wanting to hear God speak, is to seek Him with Love in your heart. You must LOVE, LOVE, LOVE Him {the Trinity} more than you love anyone else in your life, including your "self".

Many people believe they Love God {Jesus, our Father, Holy Spirit}, and yet they do not KNOW Him. What is the difference? I can't answer this question fully, but I do know the answer in part. Those who truly KNOW Him are in a LOVE relationship with Him. He is the first one they probably think of in the morning, and the last one at night. They include Him in every facet of their life. They are dependent on Him, and trust Him in all matters. God our Father and Jesus Christ are their center, and all of their being. In other words, God is as real, or more real than any other loved one in their life. Because God has become "their reality" many of these individuals have heard God speak before seeking to hear Him. However, many of these children do not realize that they have heard Him until they begin to listen and seek His knowledge concerning His voice.

"His sacrificial love" towards us, is the kind of Love I'm talking about. You must have a genuine desire to see Him happy. How do you know if He is happy, and that all His needs are being met? Ask Him. Form a relationship with Him. You must recognize Him as a "living Being" who not only inhabits the spiritual realm but is the spiritual realm. God our Father is the Spirit. Give Him understanding, and realize that He has feelings and needs just as you do. You are in the process of being created by Him, in His image. I have seen Jesus Christ cry and laugh, and felt the sadness of God our Father’s heart. I have also felt their unbelievable Joy upon celebrating a success in and/or through their children.

You should anxiously anticipate God’s voice speaking with you. As you rise in the morning, ask Him what His plans are for the/His day. Ask Him before you hurry off with your own preplanned schedule. Ask Him what His will is for your life; and in what areas He wants you and His children to grow.

The only way to hear Him speak to you is through love. It is Christ’s nature of love "in you" that detects and/or denies all other spiritual voices. This is also the best insurance/assurance you have of not hearing another spirit's voice; and if you do hear one, not accepting it as the "truth". "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength." [(Mark 12:30; NIV]

Along with the ever growing love you have for God, you must also understand that God loves you more than you love yourself or them. They Love you more than anyone else in this world is capable of loving you. I love my family so very much, but I need Jesus Christ, the Father and the Holy Spirit in order to continue to live. My family loves me very much, also, but I want them to love God more. This is as it should be. God must be first in your life because He is your LIFE.

(Luke 14:26) "If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters-- yes, even his own life-- he cannot be my disciple" (NIV)

(Luke 18:28-30) Peter said to him, "We have left all we had to follow you {Jesus}! I tell you the truth," Jesus said to them, "no one who has left home or wife or brothers or parents or children for the sake of the kingdom of God will fail to receive many times as much in this age and, in the age to come, eternal life." (NIV)

(Phil 3:8 & 9) What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ. (NIV)

(1 Jn 2:15-17) Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For everything in the world-- the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does-- comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever. (NIV)

Above all, remember that God is all things, including your heart. God will not judge you using your financial success, your worldly accomplishments, your popularity or beauty in the world. He will judge you according to your heart, and the works and words that came from it. Keep your heart dedicated to Him, and out of your love for Him put Him and His desires first.

4. Daily Meditation and Writing Time:

Hearing God Daily...
Daily meditation time is just what it says. Rise early in the morning. Pray in Jesus Christ's name that you hear Him, and EXPECT to hear Him. I call this "meditation time" because this is a time when He will be your leader. During this "quiet" time, in which your full attention is given to Him, allow Him to take you where He wants! He will give you what you really need, as opposed to what you think you need. Concentrate on feeling His Spirit, His goodness and love in you. In short, put your "self" aside.

I say "rise early" because God told me to do so from the beginning. He has shown me in the Bible that Jesus and many others, even in the Old Testament, rose early in the morning to pray and "commune" with God. You want to receive direction from God before your mind and heart have time to hear, or see, worldly concerns. Your heart and mind must be clear, or become clear when seeking to hear Him. This is one reason you will want to PRACTICE hearing the Lord daily. This is your commitment and responsibility to Him.

These are special times in which Jesus Christ will begin to teach you personally about the things He knows you need to learn. He doesn't have to guess. You have said to Him, through your actions as well as your prayers, that you WANT to spend time with Him. Listen to Him for your "togetherness with Him", and not for answers to your questions. Understand that He has much to teach you, and you should come prepared to learn. Look forward to spending QUALITY time with Him. God recently said to me, "The works I do in you take precedence over the works I do through you." Why? Because it is only when you grow into Him, His nature, that you become a useful tool for God's works through you. Notice, God said He is the "doer", whether "in you" or "through you".

Along with the teaching/learning more about His Word and Way, you will receive a knowledge of who Jesus Christ, our Father and His Holy Spirit are. Their one shared nature will become a reality to you because you will KNOW them intimately. They are one. You will FEEL the Trinity in you through our Father’s Holy Spirit’s indwelling in you. Their quiet time with you will cause you to literally "grow up into Christ’s nature and spiritual image".

You want to listen and meet Him within your deepest being. In order to do this, you will need to quiet your inner "old-man" and/or "old mind". The very best way to do this, is to close your eyes and REST/relax while listening for His voice within your heart and mind. Think about who Jesus/God is: His nature of love, understanding, compassion, generosity etc. As your spirit man, who is filled with God’s Holy Spirit, becomes more dominate than your flesh/old man/old mind/old heart, your nature becomes the image of God’s nature. It is much easier to hear God when we are one with Him, and know Him intimately. This process is never ending: the better you know Him the easier it is to hear Him, and the more you hear Him the better you know Him. There is no way to hurry this process, nor should you want to. Remember He is there, RIGHT THERE in, and with, you.

He is speaking to you continually. You must now learn to hear Him continually. You have read in the Bible to pray without ceasing? When you listen to God continually you are doing just that: 1 Thessalonians 5:16-22 teaches us: "Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise prophecies. Test all things; hold fast what is good. Abstain from every form of evil." NKJV

Occasionally, while you are in "His Rest", Jesus won’t say much if anything. At other times, He will say to pray, or tell you to get His Bible and read certain passages. I have even had Him tell me to look up certain words in either the English Dictionary or Strong’s Concordance. This is a time of peace and harmony within your deepest soul/mind/spirit, a time of REST with Him. Listen for Him to speak. He will! Remember there is no hurry.

Writing For God Daily...
If you have decided you would like God to write through you, you will first want to make a commitment to God to meet with Him daily to listen and write down His words, perhaps even when not wanting to. I personally suggest that EVERYONE write down what God says to them.

The first time I asked Jesus to write through me, I had just finished reading "God Calling" (AJ Russell). In this book, two ladies, who chose to remain anonymous, wrote down all Jesus said to them for one year. They had told God that they would come daily and write all that He said if He would speak to them. They had made a commitment to Jesus through God’s love in their hearts. They did this in the 1930's.

After reading this book, I asked Jesus "If I came to Him daily and listen for your voice as these two ladies did will you write through me also, as you did through them?" As I put the pen to the paper, He immediately said, "I will, and I wish all My children would write down what I say. It causes Mine to hear Me more clearly!" When you write down what God says to you, you can later go back and verify what was said to you.

If He has determined to write through you, put the pen to the paper and begin to write all that you hear Him/them say. Bring your pen and a special note-binder in which to write what He teaches and says through you. Keep all your writings together, and date each one. I have had Jesus Christ refer back to a certain date, and want to discuss it later. These are important documents! They are from God!

You have an appointment with God, through God’s Holy Spirit, in the name of Jesus Christ! Jesus Christ paid an extremely high price so that you might receive the voice of your parent through His Holy Spirit, and be transformed into God’s nature and spiritual image. Salvation comes through Jesus Christ’s sacrifice, but transformation comes through the Trinity, all three Beings, as needed by God’s will.

It is interesting to note, that the literal translation of "read" in the Greek (New Test.) is "TO KNOW AGAIN". I feel that the Holy Spirit brings to our "REMEMBRANCE" all that Jesus has said to us, through both the written Bible and those things He writes through us today. This is why they agree; this is why they MUST agree.

Why then is He talking directly to us? Because He wants an intimate relationship and friendship with you. There is much confusion and strife concerning the true interpretation of God's word today, and His voice clarifies and broadens our understanding of the Bible. Also, it is only through personal interaction that He can advise you on the things that are personally affecting both you, and your personal growth into His image.

5. Surrender and A Willingness To Obey God Without SELF Interest (Self-ishness): When we first begin to hear God's voice, or we are listening to others who have received this gift, we sometimes expect to hear a great revelation. Some Christians are far from hearing their family members (Father, Son, Holy Spirit) speak to them because they fail to enjoy the "togetherness time" with God. Know God as a family member, as your "love".

Rest in God's presence. God's spiritual voice is a "GIFT". Do not anticipate financial reward, or the ego boosting comments of others. The fact that God has become your personal friend, LOVER, advisor etc. is gift enough.

God told me that it is important to ask Him every morning what He wants/needs me to do for Him. He said this is far more pleasing to Him than my coming to Him with a list of my own plans, and then praying that He abides by my decisions. This is true even if "my plans" concern Him and His works. Don't decide what you need, and then pray for it. Let Him tell you what you need, then pray for that, knowing God is in COMPLETE agreement with you. Listen to Him, and your reward will be better than you KNOW how to ask for. Your daily prayer will become "Father, Your will be done".

"Love" and "Surrender To His Will" are one in the same thing. It is through "His love in you" that you surrender to God. God spoke of this some years back in His message "A Son To God. He said/says: "all things I give to my children as they have need of them to serve me and to grow into me, your Savior Jesus Christ, Christ Jesus. You, the giving of YOU (YOURSELF) completely is the finest and greatest gift you can give me, your LORD.

When you have given Me everything, not only your possessions but all of your thoughts, all of your cares, all of your fun, all of your joy, all of your LOVE - when there is nothing at all left to give of your "Self", and it is totally sacrificed to Me, your Lord, then you have given Me the Joy and Total LOVE you speak of. There isn't any other gift man can give Me.(PERIOD), that pleases Me. All other gifts are, as you have said, from a little child who tries to assure himself of his fathers love by giving tokens of his worth to a stranger that he will later know better. A FULL grown man, however, in a relationship with his Dad, Father, knows Him as a friend, and has the rights and knowledge of the old man's pleasures and dreams (visions). He brings Him, His Joys and Heart’s Delights at every opportunity. The Son's Delight is in seeing His Father's smile and Joy, not only at the gift that His Son has brought Him, but also at the knowledge that His Son knows Him well enough to know the secret desires of the old man's heart, His deepest being; and that His Son has done everything to see Him Happy, and in full Completeness."

Though God is rarely in a hurry, He does require obedience when you hear His voice clearly. Once you have determined that you have heard God correctly, it is imperative that you do what He has told you to do whether you particularly want to or not.

I have a very vivid memory of Him telling me to do something when I did not want to. Many years ago, I attended Sunday service in a small church. God told me to touch the shoulder of the man sitting in front of me, and say "By His stripes you are healed" (1 Pet 2:24). I absolutely did not want to do it. I kept telling God, "perhaps I haven’t heard you God, or haven’t heard you correctly. Maybe it is just my own mind telling me to do this."

The piano started to play and we all began to sing a hymn. I thought "Good, I missed having to do that." However, God told me to do it again. I began to shed tears. That is how much I did NOT want to do as God instructed. I realized, however, that when you do not do as God asks, you may not be given another opportunity. I was so young in Christ, that it never occurred to me that my brother, the man sitting in front of me, might actually miss out on Christ’s healing if I didn’t respond as God told me to. My concern was all about "me" and how I might appear before men. I was afraid of making a mistake or being seen by others and embarrassed.

Finally the music stopped, and pew by pew the people went up to the front of the church to take communion. As I walked forward, the man who had sat in front of me was returning to his seat from taking communion. Suddenly, I found myself walking towards this man with my arms wide open. I hugged him, and God said through me what He had told me to say. The man was so touched he began to cry. He truly had been ill and God knew it! We were both in tears.

Much to my surprise, the Pastor had noticed what God had done and came over to me. He announced, in front of the whole congregation, that this is the Love we should all expect before the throne of God. Everybody in the church was taught to (or did) recognize "a work of God", including me.

6. Compare His Guidance: Compare what you believe God is saying to you, to the New Testament teachings. Jesus Christ is the New Covenant and provides the best answer for mankind’s heart and mind conversion into the image of God’s. His way does not resemble our way.

Change to meet His standards and image. Do not attempt to change Him. He is the Word. There is but ONE Church, and there are no divisions or denominations in Jesus Christ's one Body and church. In short, use the Bible as the final word. All that you hear/write MUST agree with the Bible. If it doesn't, then go back to God and ask Him to explain what you have heard/written. Ask Him to show you where in the Bible it is found. Wait for God’s confirmation before acting.

7. God Is Alive NOW: Because God is alive, and He is your Father, Savior, Brother and Friend, He/they are speaking to you for a reason. It is in order to have a relationship with you, to communicate with you as with any other LOVED ONE. They do not think of this as a miracle. They are quite used to speaking with one another. God is not an EVENT; and He is not entertainment. He is the greatest love of your life, and He is your only LIFE (giver).

8. Don't Change One Word: Make an agreement with God that you will not change what He says; even if you do not understand it, think it is silly, or not meaningful. That is not up to you. God and His Word are ONE. God forbid that you try to change Him to meet what you NOW understand. If He writes through you, write down what you hear the voice inside of you say, and then reread it again, listening to Him for better understanding. Do not concentrate on "what if another person reads this". These messages should be private unless the Lord tells you otherwise.

If you do not understand something the Lord says, ask Him to explain it. Just as important, ask Him to show you where it is in the Bible. Many times, I have not immediately understood what God has said through me, and have had to research it later, while listening to Him for further teaching. If there is a question, VERIFY ALL THE WORDS you have heard, (ALWAYS) USING THE BIBLE. If it is in the Bible, you have heard the Lord. However, we have to use common sense and patience. Many times, God has given me new insight into what is written in the Bible. Often, I have waited months, even years, before understanding what He has written. Learn to be patient.

"But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways." [James 1:4-8; NKJV]

9. God will insist that He be able to TRUST you. Are you dependable? Can He count on you to keep some of His teachings to yourself until He tells you to share them? When He does tell you to do something, will you do it? Will you be patient and wait for confirmation of His Will?

God's conversations with us cause us to grow in the direction He wants. You will occasionally be disciplined and told that you have made a mistake. My feelings on this are "THANK YOU GOD", I know I will not be condemned with the world: (1 Cor 11:32) When we are judged by the Lord, we are being disciplined so that we will not be condemned with the world. (NIV)

10. You Will Be Held Responsible For What You Say, "God Said...": When we begin to hear God speak to us, we sometimes want to hurry and tell everybody who will listen. This is understandable. A wonderful gift has been given to you: it is GOD speaking to you personally. I feel there are two very important things to remember before you go bounding about repeating what He has said:

A. KEEP THIS IN MIND (ABOVE ALL THINGS) - We will all have to stand before God, and be judged for "OUR WORDS" <Matt 12:37; Rom 3:4>; and now you will be judged for what you say, "God Said...". If God tells you to say something and you do not say it, you are held accountable before God. However, if you say "God said..." when indeed He did not, then you will also be held accountable for that <James 3:1-2>.

(Matt 12:36-37) But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned" (KJV) .

B. Remember that when you begin to repeat God's word, as spoken through you, you are a tool of teaching for the Lord. This gift, when shared with our brothers and sisters becomes a responsibility before God. Because we love God’s family, our sisters and brothers in Christ, and put them before our "self", it is extremely important that God’s Word(s) are repeated "word for word" as He said them, within His nature and timing.

Please remember that satan is a deceiver, accuser and a liar who will use your mouth to speak, every chance he is given. Please read "Questions and Answers", "How Do I Know I Am Not Hearing Satan’s Voice?", below.

As a baby Listener and Writer of God’s voice, it is especially important to go back through that which has been spoken and written, and meditate quietly, asking God to confirm what He has said to you. Pray, and wait for confirmation. Check to be sure that the Bible is in agreement with the Words you have heard. Is what you have heard in agreement with Christ Jesus’ nature? When you first begin to hear God speak, you are "normally" in a "practice" mode. As with anything, you need to acquire experience with the new tool you have been given. Hearing our Lord speak clearly is both a commitment and a responsibility.

10. God Is Rarely In A Hurry: Listen closely, and if the voice you hear is rushing you in any way, go back and discuss it AGAIN with God. Always be sure that it is God that you have heard, and that you are hearing His Will correctly. God is rarely in a hurry, and satan normally is. Remember God controls all things, including time. He already knows how things are going to turn out (in your life). He loves you more than you love yourself. Test the thoughts you hear through prayer and waiting. Again, I have often gone back to Him and asked Him to repeat the same thing several times in order to confirm that I heard Him correctly the first time. Never stop believing you are hearing Him, or that it is His desire that you DO HEAR HIM clearly.

God is continually speaking to us in order to cause us to become transformed into His/His Son's

God is continually speaking to us in order to cause us to become transformed into His/His Son's image. If what you hear does not conform with Jesus Christ's nature and characteristics, His Love, then there is an element missing. Go back to God and talk it over again.

God shows and speaks His love to you because He makes corrections IN YOU through His love. With regards to His own children, God, unlike some humans, does not ridicule and set forth harsh judgments, but rather CAUSES change through His POWERFUL internal love. Do not be afraid to listen to Him, or His correction:

"If you endure chastening (correction), God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom a father does not chasten? But if you are without chastening, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate and not sons. Furthermore, we have had human fathers who corrected us, and we paid them respect. Shall we not much more readily be in subjection to the Father of spirits and live? For they indeed for a few days chastened us as seemed best to them, but He for our profit, that we may be partakers of His holiness. Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it" [Heb 12:7-11; NKJV].

Often times I have been hesitant to go before God when I knew He was going to correct me. I had to force myself to listen as He began to speak. However, most often I have been extremely blessed to find Him waiting for me with consoling words of love.

11. New Reality - God's: God's voice will, without a doubt, raise you to a new height in God's reality. You will begin to see yourself as less important than you have in the past. You will begin to see and feel the Lord's desires and extra drive towards both His completion in you and on earth.

As we first begin to serve the Lord many of us want to be the "star". When I first began to hear God, I was sure I was somehow extra special to Him because of all the wonderful spiritual gifts He was giving me. As I matured I realized we are all special to God, and He wants us all to hear His voice so He can RAISE us up into His own image and nature. As we grow, we realize that it is only when we see ourselves as one equal part of "the whole" that we are truly in His perfect will and love.

Not everyone is as anxious to receive from God as I was, and continue to be, but He is just as anxious to give to them/you as He is to me. No gift is given to any one "part" of Christ’s one Body, except in order to accomplish His one goal. His goal is the bringing together His one Body in His own fullness, righteousness and holiness. As you mature in Christ, you will begin to understand and appreciate the necessity and reality of your co-existence in His Body. This new understanding is your BEACON of MATURITY in Christ. When you begin to see that the Lord has no "SPECIAL ONE" in His own Body, except for the Head, Jesus Christ, you have begun to grow into His nature.

Let Him lead you into "communion" living with Him. When taking communion you receive only one piece of the communion bread, Christ’s Body. We have all received an equal share, or membership within His Body, and wait to hear the voice of the "Head" Christ Jesus. In order to live with one another, we must FIRST begin to live in the Spirit TOGETHER Amen. There is but one mind, and we must begin to listen to Him.

(Rom 15:6) That ye may with one mind and one mouth glorify God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. (KJV)

(1 Cor 1:10) Now I exhort you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all agree, and there be no divisions among you, but you be made complete in the same mind and in the same judgment. (NAS)

(Phil 2:5) Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus." (NKJ)

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

1. How do I know I am Hearing God and Not My Own Self (Voice/Mind)?
As you begin to hear God speak to you, He will prepare you not only to hear Him more clearly, but also how not to hear other voices . His voice will teach you about the other voices. Please keep in mind at all times, that God wants you to hear Him, and not His enemy satan. God is a good parent and He wants you to succeed in this. He does not set us up for failure.

Remember what Jesus said in John 10:25-30, "... ‘I told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in My Father's name, they bear witness of Me. But you do not believe, because you are not of My sheep, as I said to you. My sheep hear My voice , and I know them, and they follow Me. And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father's hand. I and My Father are one." NKJV

Through the voice of God, we are corrected. I was once corrected for praying for someone, and then when they asked if they could move in our home (because they needed help), I quickly said "no". God took me aside and showed me my own hypocrisy. He then proceeded to show me the hypocrisy of the world, and I truly thought I would vomit. We want God to correct us. Christians discuss "Judgment Day" a lot, normally with a little fear. If you hear God’s voice daily, and have given Him the opportunity to correct you through His voice while still on earth, there isn’t anything "evil" or negative" to "judge" you for after you pass from the physical into the spiritual realm. God will have already discussed it with you. Remember Hebrews 12:7-11, "If you endure chastening, God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom a father does not chasten? But if you are without chastening, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate and not sons. Furthermore, we have had human fathers who corrected us, and we paid them respect. Shall we not much more readily be in subjection to the Father of spirits and live? For they indeed for a few days chastened us as seemed best to them, but He for our profit, that we may be partakers of His holiness. Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it. NKJV

The first few times I heard God speak to me, it was the Holy Spirit’s voice. He said "I love you" while I was driving down the street in my car. After hearing this inner voice a few times, I realized that this was God answering my prayer that He speak to me. He confirmed this, telling me that I would not have said "I love you" to myself. The first time my grandson asked God to write through him, never having heard the voice of God before, God advised him on some personal issues concerning his family. God deliberately said things to him that this young man would not have said to himself. Wonderful things that helped him immensely, and encouraged him to have hope and strength in a situation he could not carry alone.

First, you must stand with, and before, God WILLING to hear what God knows to be the TRUTH regarding your thoughts and heart. Are you concerned about Him, His concerns and His family, or are you actually concerned about your "self". Do you wish to further God’s work on earth and in heaven, or are you wanting God’s glory for your"self"?

The Christian’s submission and willingness towards sitting down and analyzing their own heart and mind is critical in hearing God. In fact, a person who lies to others, lies to themselves also and rarely will they hear God speak to them. God is the TRUTH, and one of His first lessons will be "Don’t lie under any circumstances". Our ability to hear God in our heart leads us into all the truth about our"self". It is that truth and correction that sets us free to grow abundantly, and then begin this same cycle again. Allow God to correct you when you are listening to His voice, and you will blossom into a beautiful flower from the Seed, Christ Jesus, in you!

God is expecting you to make mistakes. Be quick to ask forgiveness in Christ’s name, and you are forgiven. Expect change in your behavior immediately, and also continuous change over a long time to come, maybe forever. If you fall down, allow your parent, God, to pick you up. This time hold onto His heart and hand more tightly through "time with Him", meditation, worship and praise speaking in tongues... Don’t turn aside from your parent, and His voice of loving correction. Understand you will never be old enough, nor mature enough, to walk God’s path home by yourself. Minute by minute you need to hear Him. He is your loving parent. In caring more about Him and His will for all, you are better able to hear His concerns and Will for you.

Most everything you will hear from God will concern His love for you, and His growth in you. He intends to transform your old "self" into the image of Christ’s nature. This is not done with discussions about how He can, and will, cause you to benefit, or succeed, in this temporary world. He intends to separate you from the world, and STAND with you firmly planted in His Kingdom. His intention, through His voice of love in you, is to lead you into His Rest, His Peace, His Comfort: His Kingdom.

In order to do, and see, this, the Christian will become, and often is, discontent or uneasy with "self". This is when we need to sit down alone, and quietly seek His love and peace. Several times a day Rest in Me, saith the Lord Amen Amen and again Amen. How do we rest with our Lord Jesus? Close your eyes and meditate on His goodness and love. Allow His nature and peace to become one with "you", while you listen within. When I first started hearing His voice, He told me to close my eyes and find a "focus point" within the darkness, such as a white dot to stare at. This clears your noisy mind and distracts it just enough to hear God speak to you. Listen, and allow Him to guide you. He knows the help you need, and He definitely wants you to hear His internal voice. It is His gift to all His saved and reborn children.

2. How Do I Know I Am Hearing God and Not My Own Imagination?
Recently, I had someone ask me how they would know if they were haring God or using their own imagination. This question is very similar to the fist question in this Guide’s "Questions and Answers", "How do I know I am Hearing God and Not My Own Self (Voice/Mind)". Please read the answer to this first question.

Genesis 8:21 says, "And the LORD smelled a soothing aroma. Then the LORD said in His heart , ‘I will never again curse the ground for man's sake, although the imagination of man's heart is evil from his youth; nor will I again destroy every living thing as I have done.’" NKJV

God’s voice is the antidote to our own imagination. As we listen to God’s voice we become His nature. He does not glorify man. For our sake He takes the glory unto Himself. If what you hear gives glory to God, it is pf God. Don’t allow satan to rob you of your mission, which is His gift to you. If you love God more than your "self" you protected by His voice of correction. Trust Me, saith the Lord Amen.

3. How Do I Know I Am Not Hearing Satan’s Voice?
For me, the easiest way to KNOW if I am hearing God or some other voice is to test the speaker’s nature. Because all humans are spirit-men in the flesh, I most often test the spirits of human beings at first also. This is one aspect of Spiritual discernment. The better you know Christ’s nature in you, the more accurate you become in knowing the "spiritual being" speaking to you. Though this knowledge is not always immediate, the surest way I know to recognize a spirit’s intent is to see, or not see, Christ’s nature in them. God is love, balance, harmony, never jealous etc. The nature we look for is described as "love" in 1 Corinthians 13:1-13:

"Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love {God’s nature}, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love {God’s nature}, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love {God’s nature}, it profits me nothing.

Love {God’s nature} suffers long and is kind; love {God} does not envy; love {God} does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love {God} never fails {because He is love} But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part. But when that which is perfect {Christ’s love in us} has come, then that which is in part will be done away.

When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things. For now we see in a mirror {my image of Christ in me}, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known. And now abide faith, hope, love , these three; but the greatest of these is love. NKJV

Have I ever heard a voice other than God’s? Yes, but it isn’t the hearing of other voices that can present a problem. It is what you do after you hear the other voice(s). There is no need for panic or fear. It is important to pray to God for His guidance and then not allow the voice to hurry you. Say, "in the name of Jesus Christ you leave here now", or something similar to this. Tell the spirit that only those with the Testimony of Christ in their hearts can stay, in the name of Jesus Christ. Always use the name of Jesus Christ! He is the power and the name {nature} all spirits must obey. God waited sometime before He allowed satan or an evil spirit to talk to me, and Jesus will most likely do the same for you. God’s purpose in allowing any spirit to talk to you, other than God Himself, is to teach you further about the spirit realm. I t isn’t to frighten you or harm you. The spiritual realm is real, more real than the physical which is temporary.

Where do we cast satan and his? Within this last year, Jesus told me that we are to cast them "outside the walls of New Jerusalem."

Do I still hear voices other than God’s? Yes, but very seldom, especially in comparison to God’s voice which I hear daily, throughout the day. It has become much more difficult to fool my spirit-man because my nature has become more like Jesus’ with every passing year. Thank you Jesus for your nature, and your loving spiritual voice of teaching and correction! This is the reason God shares His/their voice(s) with us. They want to cause us to mature into their image, which is their nature, not satan’s.

Remember, if you are not sure who’s voice you have heard, stop and do nothing until you sit and listen/re-listen to God, praying for His word and guidance. Pray in tongues if needed. Be sure and compare what you hear with God’s Word in the Bible. God NEVER disagrees with Himself. He can’t, He is the Truth.

Jesus answered this question for us, saying "Most assuredly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door {Christ Jesus is the ONE door}, but climbs up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber. But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice; and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. And when he brings out his own sheep, he goes before them; and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. Yet they will by no means follow a stranger, but will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.’ Jesus used this illustration, but they did not understand the things which He spoke to them.

Then Jesus said to them again, ‘Most assuredly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. All who ever came before Me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them. I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture. The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly. I am the good shepherd... And other sheep I have which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they will hear My voice; and there will be one flock and one shepherd. [John 10:1-16; NKJV]

Notice that Jesus said that the only reason the thief, satan or his, comes is to "steal, kill and destroy". Christ brings eternal life.

God’s mind and heart are concerned with the works of God, both in heaven and earth. As He speaks to you about His plans for His children, and how your love is to uplift and edify your brothers and sisters in Christ, you can be sure it is God you are hearing.

As we said above, satan is a deceiver, accuser and a liar who will use your mouth to speak, every chance he is given.

A DECEIVER: (Rev 12:9) So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. (NKJ)

AN ACCUSER: (Rev 12:10) And I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, "Now the salvation, and the power, and the kingdom of our God and the authority of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren has been thrown down, who accuses them before our God day and night.

A LIAR: (John 8:44) "You are of {your} father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own {nature; heart} for he is a liar, and the father of lies. (NAS)

Satan is "evil"; and preaches and teaches "evil". Strong's Numbers and Concordance with Expanded Greek-Hebrew Dictionary defines the Hebrew word "ra" as "bad or... evil..." This Hebrew word comes from ra`a` which is defined as, "to spoil (literally, by breaking to pieces)... to make (or be) good for nothing..." Satan preaches and teaches separation amongst people, especially God’s people. He wants God’s people "broken in pieces" and separated", thus making us "good for nothing", including God’s works in us and through us.

Satan will continuously feed the imagination with thoughts of "self", and all the forms this "self" indulgence takes; and he will attempt to keep you distracted from God’s voice, answer and love THROUGH anything that breaks "apart", including YOUR/OUR OWN MIND(s).

If it is my idea to serve God, but I constantly think on my own fame, wealth and glory, my intention to serve God is born from Christ in my heart, however my old "self" is also present in my imagination. If my desire to serve God’s family is great, and I have no thoughts of my own recognition or physical rewards, I’m in God’s grace and not my own heart’s imagination and glory seeking.

Two Things You Must Never Do....
I know of two things one must never do with regards to hearing God’s voice and satan’s, and any confusion that might occur.

1. All sickness and evil comes from satan. One must never, even if you believe it is God telling you to, EAT any disease or sickness whether in the physical or spiritual realm. If you believe you were told this in a vision, do not proceed. It causes physical death! This is in no way like John who ate the little black book in Revelations. He was not eating sickness. He ate God’s prophetic word. This is not a matter of obedience to God, it is a matter of Spiritual law. Again, all disease and sickness comes from satan, and you are never to eat it even if you believe you hear God’s voice telling you to do so. In all probability you will believe you are hearing God’s voice, if satan attempts to use this trick on you. Remember, God will never tell you to eat sickness/disease or evil.

2. God will never place a curse on another human being through your mouth. This is counter to Christ’s nature as shown to us in the New Testament. Christ is our NEW covenant and we do not walk under the Old Covenant any longer. God does not deliver curses through His children’s, Apostle’s or prophet’s mouths in the New Testament. If you believe you hear a voice telling you to do so, or a voice attempts to deliver a curse using your mouth you know this is not God speaking. Allowing satan to use your mouth in this manner brings you into "one accord", agreement, with the word of satan and not God. It may enable satan to use this very curse against you. The person delivering it, having heard satan’s and not God’s voice, may bring the following spiritual law into effect upon themselves: "Judge not , that you be not judged. For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you. And why do you look at the speck in your brother's eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, 'Let me remove the speck from your eye'; and look, a plank is in your own eye? Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye. [Matt 7:1-5; NKJV]

All of God’s wrath is delivered through physical nature in the New Testament, even in Revelations. We read that God’s two witnesses speak and God’s Word, His fire, comes from their mouths, but this is noy in the form of a curse {see below}. They deliver God’s wrath as "it is written".

[Rev 11:3-6] "And I will give power to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy one thousand two hundred and sixty days, clothed in sackcloth. These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands standing before the God of the earth. And if anyone wants to harm them, fire proceeds from their mouth and devours their enemies. And if anyone wants to harm them, he must be killed in this manner. These have power to shut heaven, so that no rain falls in the days of their prophecy; and they have power over waters to turn them to blood, and to strike the earth with all plagues, as often as they desire." [NKJV]

Christ Jesus did not curse anyone, and we will not be instructed by God to do so!!

Jesus said, "I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust." [Matt 5:44-46; NKJV]

AND

"Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, "Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree"), that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith. [Gal 3:13-14; KJV]

AND

"With it {our mouth} we bless our God and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the similitude of God. Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be so. Does a spring send forth fresh water and bitter from the same opening? Can a fig tree, my brethren, bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Thus no spring yields both salt water and fresh." [James 3:9-12; NKJV]

"MORE INFORMATION ON "LISTENING TO GOD SPEAK"

This is a short guideline, to help you hear God speak. Obviously, there is much more that can be said about this. However, I'm asking you to TRUST and KNOW Jesus Christ. Begin to allow Him to teach you. ALWAYS, READ THE BIBLE (DAILY), especially the New Testament. Remember, not only Jesus Christ, but all the Apostles and one hundred and twenty disciples heard God speaking through them <Acts 1:15; Acts 2>.

Because of Jesus’ death and resurrection God no longer limits His voice to His Holy prophets and a few chosen individuals. Through Christ’s blood we are all allowed into our Father’s presence where we can, and should, commune (communicate) together with Him. Paul, who never met Jesus in the flesh, wrote much of the New Testament BECAUSE he heard the voice of God. Praise God! Through His voice, God has continued to expand our knowledge without changing His original gospel. Remember it is His nature in you, His LOVE, that is the assurance of protection in all areas of your LIFE.

I believe that almost all problems that occur in "LISTENING" to God are due to our "EGO" and need for "SELF". In John 10:3-5, we are told that we will not follow the "STRANGERS" voice. "The watchman opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger's voice" (NIV). However, when we live for "SELF", we are very used to the "STRANGERS" voice; and indeed our own voice is not strange. In fact, we have grown so accustomed to our own voice that we prefer it over God’s.

We must all remember that because Jesus Christ is the Head over His own Body, we are all to receive our direction from Him. We want to share Jesus Christ’s teachings with others, but just as importantly, we must listen to His voice as He speaks, sings, prophesies, writes, teaches... through our sisters and brothers.

[Col 3:12-17] "Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection. And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him." [NKJV]

[Eph 5:18-21] "Be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord, giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, submitting to one another in the fear of God." [NKJV]

I can not over emphasis how important it is to God that we follow the instructions above, with regards to our sisters and brothers. God holds each of us responsible for the amount of "heart-felt" loving spiritual edification and comfort we give to another.

He has taught me that one of the most obvious manifestations of Christ’s/God’s nature and maturity in us is our ability to praise and thank God for His gifts through, and to, our brothers and sisters. We are to give our sisters and brothers the same patience and time God has given, and gives, us. This causes Christ’s nature to blossom in each of us. Rather than pointing to our own gifts from God, we are all held responsible for "pointing to" and "showing" our brothers and sisters their gifts from God. Christ displays this nature as He says: "Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father. And whatever you ask in My na