Hear Him!

by Lynette Woods

Things are hidden temporarily only as a means to revelation. For there is nothing hidden except to be revealed, nor is anything kept secret except in order that it may be made known. If any man has ears to hear, let him hear. Mark 4:22,23.

One thing about us humans which is very "natural" and yet of very real concern is our propensity to give our attention and our time to humans instead of, or as a substitute for, Jesus Christ Himself. This is an age-old temptation for us. We just naturally prefer to listen to and worship someone we can see here and now rather than "hearing" and "seeing" the Unseen Invisible One for ourselves.

Is God Still Talking?

Dr. Charles Stanley

How can we hear God’s voice speaking into our lives? Take our online lesson to learn about listening to God

“Hear, O My people, and I will admonish you; O Israel, if you would listen to Me! “Let there be no strange god among you; Nor shall you worship any foreign god. “I, the LORD, am your God, Who brought you up from the land of Egypt; Open your mouth wide and I will fill it. “But My people did not listen to My voice, And Israel did not obey Me. “So I gave them over to the stubbornness of their heart, To walk in their own devices. “Oh that My people would listen to Me, That Israel would walk in My ways! “I would quickly subdue their enemies And turn My hand against their adversaries. “Those who hate the LORD would pretend obedience to Him, And their time of punishment would be forever. “But I would feed you with the finest of the wheat, And with honey from the rock I would satisfy you.” (Psalm 81:8-16)

Children have selective hearing, the ability to tune out an adult’s voice whenever they want. Either they are absorbed in their own activities and do not want to be disturbed, or they do not like what they are hearing so they ignore the voice. The adult is speaking, but you would never know it by the child’s response. At times we behave the same way toward our heavenly Father, don’t we?

Hearing From The Lord

In the bible we see how God spoke at various times to his people.
Notice that it was only various and not all the time.
When he spoke it was revelation that required His people to do something.
God now speaks to us through His son Jesus and he requires us to be
His servants wherever we are. He will be with us.
He will watch over us.
He will guide us.

Heb 1:1-2
1 God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets,

2 Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;

Learning To Fail and Succeed in God

Written by Rev. Daniel Forster

Take Today’s Next Step: Overcome fears. Share your faith.

God gives us the choice of how we wish to see the obstacles and mistakes that fill our lives. Like the other choices He allows us to make, we can either listen to the world and let failure consume us, or we can listen to Him and learn to succeed through Him.

“And Peter answered him, ‘Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.’ He said, ‘Come.’ So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, ‘Lord, save me.’ Jesus immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him, saying to him, ‘O you of little faith, why did you doubt?’  (Matthew 14:28-31 ESV)

Charles Stanley: Tips for Being Led by the Holy Spirit

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(Charles F. Stanley)

One of the world’s most beloved Baptist pastors shares how to walk in step with the Holy Spirit’s promptings

Several years ago during a photographic trip, my group had been traveling up a trail for almost three hours, and I began to have a funny feeling that we were going in the wrong direction. I asked the guide about it, and he assured me that everything was fine. Not wanting to be presumptuous, I kept walking. After a few minutes, I noticed that my sense of uneasiness persisted; in fact, it was growing stronger. I pulled out my compass and looked at the map. Sure enough, we were headed away from our intended destination.

It took us close to an hour and a half to return to where we had taken the incorrect turn off the trail. Sadly, this meant that by the time we got to the site, our window for taking photographs was cut short.

What does it mean for God to discipline us?

First of all, it means God loves the one whom he is disciplining (Hebrews 12:6). 

Second, it means that God is working correction into the person whom he loves. If you've been a Christian for any length of time, you have probably experienced the discipline of God. It can be very strong or it can be very gentle. Either way, it is the loving grace of God to be disciplined by him.

Sometimes God communicates to us via scripture where he enlightens the word of God to our hearts and our minds and brings us to the place of confrontation with our sin. 

Other times, God uses events that are out of the ordinary. They are too "coincidental" to be coincidental. In these times, God is getting our attention. 

Why Did God Sit Me on the Shelf?

Dr. Julie Barrier,


Just got home. Opened the frig. An odiferous gallon of sour milk reminds me that I should have pitched it days ago. Milk has a short shelf life. The rotten cow juice makes my Cheerios taste like poo.

Avocados are the food of the gods, in my estimation. Especially if you pair them with salsa and Doritos. If you grab avocados in the grocery, they are rock-hard and tasteless. Stick them in a sunny windowsill for two days and they become silky and succulent. Leave them too long and they become brown and pasty. Blech. Their shelf life is miniscule. 

Hostess Twinkies have a shelf life of fifty years. I’m not kidding. Hostess is out of business, but the cream filling may be re-purposed as cement for space stations in 2050.

Listening Hard for God

"Where there is no vision, the people perish" (Prov. 19 :18).
Waiting upon God is necessary in order to see Him, to have a vision of Him. The time element in vision is essential. Our hearts are like a sensitive photographer's plate; and in order to have God revealed there, we must sit at His feet a long time. The troubled surface of a lake will not reflect an object.

Our lives must be quiet and restful if we would see God. There is power in the sight of some things to affect one's life. A quiet sunset will bring peace to a troubled heart. Thus the vision of God always transforms human life.

Jacob saw God at Jabbok's ford, and became Israel. The vision of God transformed Gideon from a coward into a valiant soldier. The vision of Christ changed Thomas from a doubting follower into a loyal, devout disciple.

Expect to Hear His Voice

"The sheep that are My own hear and are listening to My voice, and I know them and they follow Me." (John 10:27, The Amplified Bible)
So many believers are unsure of their ability to hear God or know His voice. They're always afraid that they won't be able to tell when the Spirit of God is talking to them.

What they don't realize is this: Hearing the voice of the Spirit is a privilege that the Bible says belongs to every believer (Rom. 8:14). All we have to do to exercise that privilege is to receive it by faith and put ourselves in a position to hear.

Picking up the Pieces

Written by Linda McCutcheon

Are you hurting and facing unbearable pain? We can pray for you.

“Our Lord, You Always do Right” (Psalm 119:137-160 (CEV).

As a woman who actively seeks to obey God, there have been confusing times when I read these words and wonder with a breaking heart feeling like the wind has been knocked out of me. It goes on to say that “your decisions are fair”.

How can I believe these truths when humans disappoint or hurt us deeply? How do I pick myself up and put one foot in front of the other? How is it that we are left grabbing our hearts trying to breathe? How can I understand that the Lord ‘who always does right’ watches me as I am left crumpled and defeated? It doesn’t feel it was a right decision.

The Top 10 Bible Verses of 2012

What were the most-read Bible verses on Bible Gateway in 2012?

We’ve crunched the numbers to find out which parts of the Bible were the most heavily looked up and read last year. 

Here’s a countdown of the top ten most popular Bible verses of 2012, based on Bible Gateway visitor data:

10. Proverbs 3:6

“In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.” (KJV)

9. Psalm 23:4

“Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.” (NIV)

8. 1 Corinthians 13:4

“Love is patient, love is kind, it isn’t jealous, it doesn’t brag, it isn’t arrogant….” (CEB)

7. Proverbs 3:5

“With all your heart you must trust the Lord and not your own judgment.” (CEV)

No More Surprises

Written by Kenneth Copeland   


"But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searches all things, yea, the deep things of God" (1 Cor. 2:10).

God is not full of surprises. He's not an unpredictable being who likes to keep you guessing. Countless believers, however, have the idea He is.

"You just never know what God is going to do," they say. They base that idea on 1 Corinthians 2:9 which says, "Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him." They interpret that scripture to mean that God is keeping secrets from His people.

But, praise God, He isn't!

In fact, verse 10 says He's given us His Spirit to reveal those secrets to us! He wants us to know everything that's on His heart.

The Long Miles

Written by Gail Morris

Do you find it hard to hear God in the busyness of the day to day? Take today’s lesson “Listening to God” to help refocus your attention.

“After he became the father of Methuselah, Enoch walked faithfully with God 300 years and had other sons and daughters.” (Genesis 5:22)

One morning during my walk, I came across something that made me shake my head. I heard a noise behind me. It sounded like an engine, but not car-like. Through the darkness, I could only determine a vague outline of a moving object. While I kept my pace, the noise came closer. I glanced over my shoulder again and watched as a golf cart cruised by me.

The Holy Spirit in You

Charles Stanley explains the significance of the Holy Spirit living on the inside of each of us. Click below and find out what this Southern Baptist preacher has to say.

http://www.charismamag.com/multimedia/video?id=15

How Do You Know When God is Speaking to You?

By Allen White 

Photo courtesy of melter.

“I believe that God is directing me to __________________.” How do you handle that in a small group? Whether the group member feels led to quit his job, move to another state, or end a relationship, how do you help your group member discern the truth?

From the very beginning, God has been in relationship with people. Today, we’re not walking in the garden with God in the cool of the day or getting inspiration to write new books of the Bible, but God does speak to us. The question is how do we know that it’s actually God and not wishful thinking or indigestion? Here are some tests for what you might be hearing:

1. What does the Bible say?

Be Skillful

"The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger: but they that seek the Lord shall not want any good thing." (Psalm 34:10)

Did you know that, according to the Word of God, there is no lack in the Body of Christ? Everything we could ever need, every problem we could ever face has been covered by the blood of Jesus. His exceeding great and precious promises have supplied it all.

Why then do many of us keep on suffering lack? Because we haven't, as Hebrews 5:13 says, become skillful in the Word of righteousness.

It takes skill to apply the Word of God. Sometimes we just sling the Word around and try to use it any old way. We pray some ignorant prayer and then say, "Oh well, God knows what I mean" and expect it to be answered.

A Letter From God

As you got up I watched and hoped you would talk
to me. Just a few words, such as thanking me for
something good in your life yesterday or last
week, would do.

But I noticed you were busy selecting the right
clothes for work. I waited again to hear from you.
When you ran around the house collecting papers,
I knew there would be a few minutes to stop and
say hello, but you never slowed down.

I wanted to tell you that I could help you
accomplish more than you ever dreamed possible
if you would just spend some of each day with me.
At one point you waited fifteen minutes in a chair
with nothing to do. I waited to hear from you.

The Divine Healer

About a dozen years ago, I began to apply Romans 12:1. It urges us to offer our bodies as living sacrifices to God. The apostle Paul also tells us twice in 1 Corinthians that our bodies are God's temples. He draws two powerful images: living sacrifices and temples.

To me that means God is concerned about us caring for and protecting our bodies. After all, our bodies are the essence of what we work with. Our minds may be more important, but they surely don't function independently. If our bodies aren't important, why would we have a resurrection that promises some form of physical substance? 

Then why do we tend to discount the body or pay too little attention to its care? I've begun to realize the answer-for me, that is. If we acknowledge our responsibility to care for the temple of God, then we're held accountable for how we treat it. And if we misuse our bodies or offer God blemished sacrifices, what does that say about our commitment?

So first off, I acknowledge I'm a temple abuser. I have offered my badly-taken-care-of and less-than-perfect body to God. For years, I was among the sleep-deprived generation. I ate a lot of foods that harmed my body. Until I faced some serious physical problems, I didn't think much about exercise. I allowed stress into my life when I could have found healthy ways to correct it. 

My Favorite Teacher

"Watch out if you get Miss Linder," said a boy in fifth grade. "She's the meanest teacher in the school." I was in third grade then and didn't worry about Miss Irma Linder. But when I entered fifth grade, I was assigned to her class. 

She was tough. Mean. Demanding. She had eyes that saw everything we did, even with her back to us. But despite it all, Miss Linder was my favorite teacher in grade school. I learned more from her than any of the others. She had a way of making me want to learn. When I did less than my best, I had the feeling that I had let her down as much as I had let myself down. 

Since then, I've had other teachers I've loved or admired. But there's no question about my all-time, lifelong favorite teacher. His name is Jesus. Even his enemies called him "teacher" (rabbi) and recognized his great skill of communicating truth to his hearers. 

When I talk to my Favorite Teacher, I hear myself begin sentence after sentence with, "Teach me...." Those are sincere words and express my heart's desire. I want to learn and I believe my Favorite Teacher wants me to learn.

Fighting Evil or Seeking Good?

Written by John Grant
Learn how to listen to God 

“If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” 2 Chronicles 7:14

We recently observed the National Day of Prayer, something officially observed in our land since President Truman signed a proclamation in 1952. There were numerous events but for the most part people kept on doing what they normally do with scant observance of the reason for the day. There was not a word about it in my hometown newspaper.

It seems that all to often there is a lackadaisical attitude about prayer, but the Scriptures admonish us to pray. Hebrews (10:22) tells us to draw near.