Talk Tuesday-How Do You Hear The Voice of The Lord?

I have often heard Christians say, “God spoke to my heart.” I could remember being confused by this as a much younger Christian, yet as I journeyed with the Lord I began to understand. Jesus said, “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me,” John 10:27. “15 If you love me, keep my commands. 16 And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— 17 the Spirit of truth,” John 14:15-16. As a young christian, I had a passion for reading the Bible. I would sit and spend hours reading, then silently meditating on what I had read. It was as though some invisible force was connecting my heart to the words, and the words were challenging, shaping, moulding, correcting and transforming my heart. “For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart,” Hebrews 4:12; “26 But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you,” John 14:26.

Let me share a personal experience with you. It was my turn to lead worship last Sunday at church. As I was going through the list of songs, I asked the Holy Spirit to help me choose. He brought to mind a hymn, 'Great Is Thy Faithfulness'. I had never personally done that hymn in my worship set before, but I complied. Worship was anointed and sweet. Together as a congregation we sang, “Great is Thy faithfulness, O God my Father, there is no shadow of turning with Thee. Thou changest not, Thy compassions they fail not. As Thou has been, Thou forever wilt be.” Now as we got to the chorus, the truth of the words became palpable in the sanctuary, “Great is Thy faithfulness! Great is Thy faithfulness! Morning by morning new mercies I see: All I have needed Thy hand hath provided, Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord unto me!” All day I kept humming that song.

Since then, I have continued to experience an ongoing trial. As I woke up this morning, the first thing I heard was the song, echoing in my heart. As I proceeded to do my homework for my course on Spiritual Formation, which I am taking at seminary, I opened up my workbook to today's exercise. We are required to read the entire Book of Lamentations...and there I saw it! “Through the LORD's mercies we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness,” Lamentations 3:22-23. Section c) of my workbook states, “The following songs have been inspirational for the people of God throughout past and present generations. As you read (sing) these songs try to discover how they speak into your life today,” (Re-Connect, Spiritual Exercises To Develop Intimacy With GOD by David Sherbino, p.69). Below, in my workbook, was the song, 'Great Is Thy Faithfulness'!

Now some may attribute this to coincidence, but for me, it is the voice of God! The Holy Spirit led me to that hymn. The Holy Spirit began to work its truth in my heart through music, and today, through the reading of the actual scripture. As I sat to do my homework, I stopped in my tracks and stared in amazement at the words before me, 'GREAT IS THY FAITHFULNESS, LORD UNTO ME!' Now I can continue to walk through my trial with the peace that God's faithfulness will bring a blessed result.

How do you hear the voice of the LORD? How do you know it is He who is speaking, and not another? Please click on the comments link below to share your thoughts with the BGO Community of believers. We love hearing from you!

Talk Tuesday-Live According To The Spirit

We live in a culture in which it is becoming increasingly more difficult to live according to the Spirit. Our trendy postmodern society inadvertently pressures us to accept all things as good, while frowning on any stance against sin or the desire to live a Godly life in Christ Jesus by the power of the Holy Spirit. While our brothers and sisters face overt persecution in the 10/40 window, we in the Western World face persecution of a different kind. It is the covert pressure to renounce God's truth in exchange for the idea of living 'peaceably' with our neighbour. What we share in common with our fellow human beings is our 'sinnership'. What distinguishes us from the world is not our own righteousness, but Christ's righteousness imputed to us. The Apostle Paul tells us that, "God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God," 2 Corinthians 5:21. "This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe," Romans 3:22.

Let us, therefore, encourage one another to live according to the Spirit of God who created us for His honour, glory and purpose. Do not become weary of living out the Gospel of Salvation. Jesus said, "I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance," Luke 5:32. In the same way, He left us with the Great Commission of Matthew 28:16-20, to go and make disciples of all nations. Our peace, lies in loving GOD wholeheartedly, which will direct our hearts towards obedience in His Word through the power of the Holy Spirit.

Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace. Romans 8:5-6

And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever—the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. John 14:14-17

Talk Tuesday-It's Just a White Lie??!!

This Tuesday we are featuring a new Guest Writer who goes by the name 'Anointed'. Hope you will be blessed!

Andrew & Natasha

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Now a man named Ananias, together with his wife Sapphira, also sold a piece of property. With his wife’s full knowledge he kept back part of the money for himself, but brought the rest and put it at the apostles’ feet.

Then Peter said, “Ananias, how is it that Satan has so filled your heart that you have lied to the Holy Spirit and have kept for yourself some of the money you received for the land?” Didn’t it belong to you before it was sold? And after it was sold, wasn’t the money at your disposal? What made you think of doing such a thing? You have not lied to men but to God.”

About three hours later his wife came in, not knowing what had happened. Peter asked her, “Tell me, is this the price that Ananias got for the land?”
“Yes,” she said, “that is the price.”

Peter said to her, “How could you agree to test the Spirit of the Lord? Look! The feet of the men who buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out also.”
( Acts5:1-9)

This was the reading my husband and I discussed last night. However, today a relative called and asked what I was doing today and feeling stingy with my time I told a lie. As I got off the phone, the Holy Spirit immediately convicted me. My argument was this, “Yes, I lied but it was only a white lie.”

I confessed to my husband, “I just told a lie.” Instead of the great support and comfort I expected came more conviction. “Why the lie? That was so unnecessary.”

I repented before God and resolved to tell the relative the truth. “Phew! I felt so free!”

The reason I chose to share this on your Talk Tuesday is that as Christians, we often find ourselves using the ‘proverbial white lie’ to get out of ‘sticky’ situations.. We convince ourselves that it is not a big lie and no one will be hurt by it. A lie is a lie! When we lie to men, we lie to God and we test the Spirit of the Lord.

God bless,

Anointed

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