The Ascent Of Man Part 5 Honing in to Heaven!
copyright 2003 by Greg Nichols
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(Print this out, you may wish to read this one more than once!)
Honing In To Heaven: Hearing God's Voice
The ascent of man in our series has taken many twists and turns, but the destination is Heaven. But there are a few more stops along the way before we arrive! Honing in to Heaven is another way of saying zeroing in upon God Himself. How can we do that? It is not enough to recognize the need for God, or that Darwin is wrong and the Bible true, we must have a transformation take place in our lives that ratifies our new knowledge and gives it significance. Is that transformation the new birth? Yes, and no. The new birth or born again experience is necessary for all people to enter Heaven, but it is only the start or the beginning of a long successful walk with Jesus and our Heavenly Father. There is so much more for you and I.
“If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the Earth. For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.” Colossians 3: 1-3
The apostle is speaking here of the ascent of our hearts and minds towards God in Heaven. This is to be the posture of a Christian their whole saved life. Our aim is Heaven, but not just when we die, but rather every day. We are supposed to go after a piece of Heaven every day after we are saved. One scripture explains that the Holy Spirit on Earth, in us now, is the earnest deposit of our future experience in Heaven.
“Now He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who also has given us the Spirit as a guarantee.” (Earnest or down payment) 2 Corinthians 5:5
We are to hone in on Heaven. Our focus is and should be upon Jesus, and our Heavenly Father, who is in Heaven. Our minds and hearts go there. We long for Him. This Earth is like a hotel; it is not home. We are homeward bound and passing through, and we think of our home all the time; it is with our Father, and our friend and Savior, Jesus Christ. Our hearts not only go there, but He comes to us. He dwells in us, and with us, and speaks to us. God’s Holy Spirit comes inside and takes up residence, and makes known the will of God to us, and leads us besides still waters. He speaks tenderly, as a Father. His rod and staff correct us and care for us.
“To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.” Colossians 1: 27
In this writing, I hope to teach you a truth that you can instantly sink your teeth into today, and for the rest of your Earthly life. Some of you know this. Others may scoff. But few really believe it from their hearts so that they may put faith in it. This can be a very life changing teaching. A major question is answered if you are open here.
Does God Speak To Man?
The highest ascent of man while still on the Earth is a relationship with God. I do not mean just long prayers and Bible study, or even church attendance; I mean frequent times of conversation and meaningful exchange with our Creator. God is our Father. What kind of Earthly father would it be if never a word was spoken by him? He would be downright neglectful. God is not neglectful. What kind of relationship would it be if you had a friend and you did all the talking constantly, and that friend was never allowed any input? On your end of the friendship, it is yap, yap, yap, yap, yap, yap, all day long, week in and week out. You do all the talking. Not only does the friend have no opening to speak, but you act as if you could care less what he has to say. Would this friendship prosper? No! It would shrivel up. The friend would withdraw slowly and quietly. Many of us have done just this scenario to God. I have done it. I wish to do it less than I do. How about you?
You may think I am speaking in riddles, for after all, most think it is an impossibility for God to speak, or for us to hear His voice. It just is not done. Joan of Arc was burned at the stake for hearing voices and reporting them. This is 2003 and you just do not hear voices now days, or you are crazy. This thinking is prevalent in the church. If this is so, how might anyone have a two-way relationship with God? How can God get anything done on the Earth? Who does God have to talk to?
Spiritualism and Dead Talkers
There are many people on television that speak with the dead. Whole shows are built around it. People think this to be a gift, and they really are open to it. The persons who do it are not thought to be crazy. Speaking with the dead is becoming commonplace, but speaking with God is crazy. This seems mixed up! The dead talkers make loads of money doing it and are very popular. I believe these people are con-artists, and, if they do hit on a nerve and speak an accurate phrase or sentence about their subject, they are conversing with a demon. They think they are speaking with a dead human, and I think they are speaking with a demon. The demon will not unveil itself to them, or to their followers. Either way, if speaking to the dead is believable, what is so hard about the concept of speaking with and hearing God speak? Many might think that He would not take the time to speak with a tiny individual, an obscure person, let’s say from Iowa, or New Jersey. I say, though, what kind of inferiority is that? Of course if God were who He says He is, He would speak to any lowly individual, anywhere, at anytime. He would not just tell the Pope what He wished to convey to man, or just the leadership of a church or denomination. God would speak to those important people, but also to any simple man, woman or child. God chose Bethlehem, a stable, and a manger for the birth of Jesus. God chose a carpenter to redeem the whole world. I am certain he would choose an obscure person in the back woods, or in the urban tenements, to speak with as much as any other seemingly more important person on Earth.
The scripture has much to say about God speaking to man. If you will just open your heart up for awhile here, I believe I can deposit a new insight from God that can help you to hear from Him. This is an ascent for you to God, and one He desires to see you have. There is no thrill on Earth like hearing from God and knowing that you heard. I will not say it happens daily, but it could. God’s system and Kingdom is set up so that He might speak with you daily. But you must know how to listen. You must also know how He speaks, and you must know Him well enough to know when a voice is not Him, for it is not in line with His character. God’s enemies from the Kingdom of darkness love nothing more than to speak and imitate God and have you believe it is God speaking. Their intent is to deceive man to disobey God, or mistrust Him, or go his own way, as Satan once deceived Eve.
God Is Always Speaking
Most believers do not know that God is speaking quietly every day to almost everyone. He does have that ability. This is based on Omnipresence, an attribute that only God has. The object is not getting Him to speak, it is getting people to hear and listen. God’s voice is much like a radio station. It transmits 24/7, but if you are not on that station’s frequency, you hear nothing. God has a frequency also. God’s frequency can be tuned in by ordinary people, and it can be more fine tuned each day. By the way, what message is God transmitting 24/7? Messages like “I love you child. I made you and I care for you. Accept My Son and live with Me forever. I gave Jesus for you. You do not have to go to hell. Believe in Me and trust Me. I want to be your Father. I want to help you live your life. I love you. Come to Me. Receive Me…….” There is so much more God says. God speaks through men, women and children. God speaks apart from people, to people, in a very quiet voice, not detectable to the human ear. But the voice is heard within. A pastor I used to have said he heard God in his “knower.” We have a place inside called our “knower.” Some call it intuition. Some call it conscience. I call it my spirit man. I believe that to be a very scriptural term. My spirit man has spiritual ears. They are not my physical ears, but rather they are spiritual. Those are the ears I will use in Heaven. They hear God. I must tune my spirit man to hear with my spiritual ears.
“He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” Revelations 2: 7
Do you think that in the above scripture God is speaking to people who are dispersed among others born without ears? I have never seen a person without ears. God is not saying if you were one of the lucky ones to be given ears, listen. God is saying that every man has a set of spiritual ears that he can hear God with, if they are in tune. I do believe that scripture teaches that at times, God can also speak audibly within hearing of our physical ears. This is not very common. Otherwise, God is speaking constantly to man’s spiritual ears. Isn’t this simple and easy? Do not make it hard. Do not add anything to the simplicity of God. Do not be religious. Do not judge these things with man’s interpretation. If your denomination does not teach this, I can’t help that; the Bible does.
The Holy Spirit of God speaks all the time.
“For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.” Romans 8: 14
How would the Creator lead man? He leads with His voice. If this is not true, what are you going to do with this leading scripture? To be led, one must hear. A method of communication must take place. Many believers right now are under the erroneous belief that the Word of God, the Bible, is the only way God speaks to man at this era of the church. This is wrong, I am sorry to tell those believers, and I can prove it from scripture. God speaks today along with His Word of scripture. They go side by side. The apostle Paul taught this. So did the apostle, John, and all the others. Any person thinking that God does not speak today, and that only using the Bible is the sole means for communication with God, is stunted from his or her calling, and from blessings. God spoke to me to write this writing to you. He wants to have you hear Him. He has blessings for you. He cannot get you to hear about them from Him. A good teacher will give scripture to back up a claim. I will do so for you.
Do not get me wrong here. I am a Word man. I adhere to the Bible as accurate and as the whole technical manual for man’s future. I love the Bible. But you must have a speaking relationship with God’s Holy Spirit in addition to reading the Bible. God is speaking through the Bible, to all men, but God speaks to each man individually also, in the current time.
Living Long
Do I have your interest up? Would you like to listen to God and hear Him speak often? Might this prosper you? Might this help you be healed, or blessed or delivered from an addiction? You bet it will. Early men, according to Genesis, lived over 900 years. Then, some a few generations later lived about 700 years. Then, some a few generations later lived 500 years. Then, some lived over 200 years after that. Later, men like Moses lived 120 years. Now, man lives about 70-80 years. Why is there this gradual decrease in ages over the generations? I used to think that it was because mankind sinned greater and greater as time went on. But one day I heard a Bible teacher explain that as each generation came along, man decreased in his ability to listen to God. Man simply could not hear from God as well. God speaking to man and man hearing gives life, and blesses. God’s Words give life and extends lives. It is possible I was also right about the sin, for God’s speaking and man’s hearing God speak can help remove and stop sin. Then, righteousness, healing, blessings and long life are results of hearing from God. Let’s look at Jesus’ Words:
“The words that I speak to you, they are spirit, and they are life.” John 6: 63b
Earlier man heard more from God, and sinned less as a result, and lived longer. By the time Jesus came on the earth, man heard very little from God. No prophet had spoken for God for hundreds of years. It was time for Words from God. Jesus came speaking abundantly and strongly. Jesus opened a door of communication that is still open today. Jesus operated in the anointing of the Holy Spirit, and then when He went back to Heaven, in His ascent to His Father, He sent His Holy Spirit here so all men on Earth could listen to God, hear from God, speak for God, and really know God. They could be sons of God as Jesus was. There could be a two-way relationship with the Father. This truth and principle is to last until Jesus’ second coming. The Holy Spirit was and is to be the way of man’s ascent to God, while yet on Earth, and man’s final ascent to Heaven. The Holy Spirit is a major player in the ascent of man in the form of listening to God.
Respect For The Bible
I cannot emphasize enough that you respect and love the Bible, as God’s Words to you. This is the basis for hearing Him speak today, aside from and in addition to, the Bible. Every scripture is true. Every word from God is significant in the Bible.
Any voice ever heard spiritually must line up with the Bible. This is scriptural. The apostles outlined this formula, for the want of a better word. Even if God Himself speaks to us, we need to make sure it lines up with the Bible. If it is God, it will line up perfectly. God has instructed us to not trust any comments from the spiritual world which do not agree with Biblical teaching and principles. Ways of God and principles of God are quoted enough in the Bible to get a clear sketch or thread of truth on every issue of doctrine, and on every principle of God’s Kingdom. Peter, James and John were on the mountain with Jesus when the Father spoke out of Heaven in a clear audible voice. The 3 disciples heard the words. They were amazed. Later, a much older Peter is giving instruction in his epistle, and he indicates that even that voice from the Father in Heaven would not be as sure and safe as the writings of scripture. God is giving us a napkin test whereby we cannot be deceived. But we must have great wisdom.
“And we heard this voice which came from Heaven when we were with him on the holy mountain. We also have the prophetic word made more sure, which you do well to heed as a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star arises in your hearts; knowing this first, that no prophecy of scripture is of any private interpretation, for prophecy never came by the will of man, but Holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.” 2 Peter 1: 18-19
Peter calls all scripture prophecy. Peter also says that there is no private interpretation, but rather all scripture would be clear to all men, so that they could all profit. The Words of God from the Bible give life. They give direction. They promise us blessings. They show us how to be, who we are, and who God is. They also give us a rulebook for voices from the spiritual world.
“Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world.” 1 John 4: 1
The apostle John says to test every spirit and voice, even God’s voice, to see who it is. There is a degree of seasoning that must come to a Christian to be able to do this. He or she must simply know scriptures, and developed spiritual maturity. Until they do, they must hang close to a mentor in the Lord to help them do this. That mentor will know, but even the mentor must be tested against scripture. This is very serious business.
The Shepherd’s Voice
Several months ago, the nation was stunned by the shooting of random people by a mad man who was in our nation’s capital. The police were baffled, and this sniper was pure evil. This was having an effect on our whole country, as citizens sat entranced by the horror of yet another shooting on the nightly news. This went on for weeks. I began to pray over this several mornings per week, and I asked God to cause this guy to be caught. I know many Christians around the nation did the same. The shootings seemed to continue. No progress was being made in the case. Unknown to me and many other prayers, the persons involved were making mistakes and creating a trail for police.
On October 23, 2002, after asking God about this man, I actually sensed God was speaking to me, and I wrote some details about this man. It was early in the AM, and when my wife got up, I shared it with her. Either that evening, or the next evening, we watched the news and there was an announcement that the man was apprehended. But there were actually two men. They were John Mohammed and John Lee Malvo. My wife and I looked at each other stunned. I reached for my notes. I had clearly written down that the man’s name was John. I had no last name, but just the first. I did not have anything in my notes about a second man. In my notes, about 50% - 60% of the information was accurate, the rest of the information was not accurate. But the second or younger man’s name was not really John, he only took the older man’s name to imitate him. In any case, the name John was very important in the case, and the main older killer was named John.
Why did this happen? Was it a lucky guess? I don’t think so. I believe God was showing me that the man could be caught and would be caught in answer to my prayers and the prayers of many other believers. The name thing was personal between God and I. God will show you things that get your attention. Why? So you will prayer more and get into the mix on incidents just like the Washington D.C. sniper. Should I have sent in the information? Maybe. But there was no time. He was caught the next day. But if I have faith in my prayers, and the God I am praying to, why would I have to send in his name? God is there and on the job. I believed that, so getting an inside look was a blessing for me. In many cases, there is nothing for me to do but pray while God does the work. God may not want me to involve myself other than to pray. At other times, He may ask me to act also. I shared this with you not as a boast, but as an example to the vast untouched arena of praying to and listening to God. He will speak and give you secrets.
Why can I believe God will tell me secrets? The Bible says so.
“My sheep hear my voice, and they follow Me, and I know them.” John 10: 27
If I belong to Jesus, then He says I hear His voice. He said it. I am not saying it. He said it. If you believe it, you will begin to hear His voice. How do we hear? God’s voice is quiet, it is faint, it is inward. It can be an inner sensation. It can be what you might think are your own thoughts. God’s voice can be mixed into your thoughts. You might not know the difference between God’s voice and your thoughts. This is an acquired skill. You must know how God thinks and speaks. It is also a faith issue. If you cannot believe you’ll hear God’s voice, you won’t. If you believe some of the scriptures I have shared here, those are the basis for faith to hear God. Let these scriptures go inside you like a seed and grow, until your faith to hear from God is huge!
There is an old pulpit joke about the guy who came to church on Sunday and told the pastor, “you said I could hear from God, but the devil says I will never hear God’s voice.” Did you spot the humor? No? Think about it. This is all too a common occurrence. People hear Satan very clearly, but can’t hear God. What’s up with that? Satan, demons and fallen angels are continually speaking to man, negative, filthy, and evil suggestions. Other things they say are more subtle like, “you are not going to make it, you are not worth anything. You don’t have a right to be happy, or blessed.” Those are not things God says about you. In the Bible, God says you are going to make it. He loves you and wants to call you His own. He wants to help you. He is for you. He longs to talk to you and have you listen. He longs for you to talk to Him. And, he longs to bless you mightily.
Enormous Benefits
The benefits to hearing from God and being able to obey Him and follow His instructions are enormous. This principle and practice could save your life, make you money, keep you from a bad decision, and the list of benefits goes on and on! This practice could change the rest of your life. I urge you to look up every scripture I have shared and read them in their context. Then, write these scriptures down where you can look at them often.
The Right Frequency
Remember that I said God has a frequency. You can do things to tune in to the frequency. Do you believe or have faith in this promise from God that He wants to speak to you? Do you love others? Do you forgive others? Do you think positive “I can” thoughts? Do you hate sin when you do it and struggle with it, and try to do better? Do you repent for sins? Are you a giver or a taker? God is a giver! Are you stable or somewhat flakey? God is stable. Are God’s directives important to you? He wants to save fallen people, and usher them into His Kingdom. Is that your heart? God has a certain set of character traits. Do you know His character? God has certain ways. Do you know His ways? God has thousands of promises in the Bible? Do you know some of them?
How is your patience? God is never in a hurry, and if God is speaking, you have time to get the right answers. I am not saying He is slow. I am saying that God does not pressure us. Satan pressures us, and drives us to quick decisions. God’s way is for us to slow down, take more time, and pray about it some more. Can you get quiet, and shut out the noise of devices, and your thoughts, and wait for awhile to hear from God? This helps greatly. If you want to hear God, you must pay the price. I will re-phrase that. You must "pray the price."
The Nail On The Head
God showed me once my daughter who was pregnant was carrying a boy. Almost everyone else in the family said it would be a girl. I stayed with what I believed God said, and was confirmed correct. Although I have had other grandkids since, God did not do this again. I do not have a gift to predict the gender of children. Why that one time? God alone knows the answer, but it probably had to do with Him blessing me at that time, and His way of using encouragement. For me to read more into it than that would be erroneous, and prideful. If I stay in a mode of openness and understanding that God can tell me anything He wants, when He wants, and I really know nothing unless He decides to share, then I am more in tune with God’s frequency. If I try to become something I am not, and I perceive I can hear God at my will instead of His, then I am headed for huge error and destructive behavior. Religious movements that have been in error to the point of cultism have begun this way. If I need a healing, in my soul, and I have an identity crisis, then I might take hearing from God wrong and again move into pride and error and try to become something I am not. If I get healed in my identity, and I am secure with who I am, in God, then I am content to be a simple servant to God's voice, and understand my place in the principle with humility. We are also never to add anything to what God speaks to us, no matter how tempting it is.
You Can Bless Others By Hearing God
Recently, I had a powerful experience with listening to God. A pastor friend of mine who lives in another city, had called looking for advice on his mortgage, (I am a mortgage broker) since it had gotten severely overdue. I actually prayed with him, but could not help him at that time. I forgot about him in the daily business of living. A few weeks later, my wife and I had some funds we knew were to be sowed into God’s Kingdom, or the lives of people. The amount was $571. I decided for some reason to take the $71 and share it with one person that came to my mind, and that person explained that it was timely because their bank account was overdrawn by a little less than that amount, and that is what they were looking for. It was very timely.
We had $500 left and it occurred to me to send it to this pastor for his mortgage. It had been a few weeks since I spoke with him. Without telling him, I mailed it on a Monday or Tuesday. About the following Saturday, I got a letter from the pastor who told a wild story. The preceding Sunday, he had really been praying for his mortgage situation. God told him to announce the problem to his small church family. God also told him that he would put $500 gifts on people's hearts to solve the mortgage issue. Before church, God gave him the number $500. As he walked into church, he saw a banner on the wall put there by another group that shares the building. The banner said BB500. He did not know what this meant. The pastor took it as a confirmation of what God wanted to do. During prayer, he boldly pointed at the banner and said, “be blessed, sow $500.” One family, at God's direction, had already made out a check for $500 on the way to church. Two other families proceeded to give $500 each, in response to the words from the pastor. The pastor’s letter explained to me that two of these families had already reported breakthrough answers to prayers that week after sowing the $500. Around that same time, the pastor’s employer realized a mistake on his pay and reimbursed him $508. Then, later in the week, about Thursday, the check from my wife and I arrived at his home for $500. He was excited and sat down and wrote me the letter which I received on Saturday. My wife and I had no knowledge of what had happened at his church.
What exactly happened here? Several families and this pastor all heard God speak. God is a good God. I got to be part of a bigger miracle. Hearing God’s voice and obeying is how you sow for a miraculous life. Did I hear God say “give that Pastor $500?” No! Did I feel a strong impression to do it? Yes. But let’s examine this for you the reader. Remember I said that God has a frequency? I was actually just feeling compassion when my wife and I sent the $500. I am God’s son, and made in His image. I have learned about His compassion from the Bible. I have felt His compassion. When I had compassion, I was put on His frequency and heard exactly what to do. Get it? It is so simple. The nail was hit on the head. Someone walking in love and compassion is close to the right frequency. God likes to be exact so people know He was involved. If I had done anything different, or given more than $71 to the one person, I would have been out of step with God.
You Can Hear God!
You can hear from God. You can walk such a walk that very frequently you have a testimony like this one. I cannot say this happens all the time, but every few months, I see things like this. Over 20 years of walking with God, I have seen so many times when God spoke, or shared a secret, I am beyond faith in this principle, I know it with all my soul also. I know God speaks. I still use faith for it, but I also know it is real, and true, and the way God deals with me and other believers! I will listen to God! The ascent of man into a realm of the miraculous while yet on Earth is achievable, but hearing from God comes first. Let your minds, your heart, and your ways, ascend to God, on His throne, to listen to His voice, and begin to see the kind of life that God desires you to have.
End of Part 5
Next time: The Ascent Of Man Part 6 Honing in to Heaven: The Last Segment
If You Have Never Received Christ!
There is a time for everything under the sun, and now may be your time to receive Jesus. God gave Him to you and I as a gift, and if you never do receive Him, you will miss out on the greatest offer and deal humanity has ever received. This is no accident here that you have read this ezine. This was a Divine appointment for your Divine destiny. God set this up and has led you to this point, so go ahead and seal the plan of God, for you, that is, and receive His Son, Jesus. You must be born again to see the Kingdom of God. (John 3:3)
Maybe you have only been away from God, but knew Him at an earlier time. God says, "Come back child" and has arms extended open for you. Get right in your life with God today! You owe it to yourself.
Pray this:
Simply repeat this prayer aloud now:
Lord, I am a sinner, and I need you. Jesus, I receive you now. You are God, and I recognize your death and resurrection. Come into my heart, save me, and give me eternal life. Forgive me of sin, and wash me clean of all unrighteousness. I am now your child, and I thank you for saving me. Thank you Lord.
In Jesus Name, Amen.
If you said that prayer from your heart, you are now saved and a child of God. The possibilities are endless here for your new life, but best of all, Heaven is settled for you!!
Watch for the next issue of White Fields Ezine, we are going to take this to new levels! You will get this same chance to say this prayer if you did not this time, in every issue.
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