I present these ways of hearing God's voice to encourage Christians to live in the "culture" of the Bible or the "context" of the Bible. As you read the Bible the Old and New Testament are filled with examples of God relating to His people, interacting with His people and speaking to His people. Unless you have been TAUGHT that the miraculous no longer happens you will read the Bible and see that God has always spoken to His people in many different way! Many people teach that God relates differently to us now than He related to the people in the Old Testament and the New Testament. And to be sure with the coming of Jesus forgiveness has been purchased for all men who will receive it. So much has changed with His coming! But God spoke and related to people in the Old and New Testament in many different ways: Through God becoming a human baby, By the Holy Spirit through the Bible, Hearing Holy Spirit in our 'Hearts', through other people, through Dreams, through Visions, through Angels, through Prophesy etc... etc... etc...
However ONE thing must be kept in mind. The Bible is the ultimate 'test' of what is from God and what is not! Our personal relationship with Jesus will never contradict what He has already said in the Bible. At times it is difficult to distinguish between God's voice, our thoughts and Satan's voice. There are several guidelines for 'weighing' or 'discerning' what we hear:
1. Does it contradict the Bible
(not just our 'interpretation' of the Bible, but the Bible itself)
2. Does it honor / glorify Jesus
3. What is the 'FRUIT' of what we hear?
Remember Galatians 5:22 "The Fruit of the Spirit (or what Holy Spirit produces) is Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Meekness, and Self-Control." Does what we hear produce these "fruit" or not?
Date - Example of Hearing through the Bible
3/20/93: Finding My Lost Keys in the Garbage Can:
God can use a Quick Picture or Imagination!
Richard (my roommate) and I were hanging out with a bunch of people at the park. He and some others were using the knife on my key ring to cut some food. As Dusk approached we all left. I caught a ride with Richard. When we got home I realized that I did not have my keys and neither did Rich. I got really stressed quick because it had my keys on it... but more importantly it had the families' keys that I was staying with (their house key and car key). I quickly called everyone that had been there and no one had the keys. I drove back out to the park and combed the ground for them. I was getting dark so I started using a flashlight. I got so desperate I burst out in prayer (why is it that asking God to help us is sometimes the last thing we do?) "Father, help me find my keys!" Sometime after several of these prayers I got a quick picture of a clear plastic grocery sac with my keys at the bottom of it. This was not a vision, but just a quick picture or imagination. Then I thought about the trash can nearby. All of the sudden I was thinking, "I don't want to go dig through a trash can... someone might see me." However the only way to know if that picture was God communicating with me was to dig in the trash can. I used the flash light and dug through some trash and sure enough there was a clear plastic bag. As I pulled it up I could see my keys at the bottom of it. WOW - Jesus does speak to us - it reminded me of the time Paul had a vision of the man from Macedonia saying, "Come to us and help us." (Acts 16) Paul and his companions did so and it turned out that God was behind it all and lots of people got connected with Jesus! That was an outright vision - what I had was only a really quick picture - but it is still God talking!
1/12/92: God Can Still Use Dreams to Speak to Us:
You Find This Example ALL Through the Bible!
I was in a period in my life when I had to decide where I was going to live and what I was going to do. One phase of life had just concluded and the next was starting. I had just finished a discipleship / Christian Leadership school that lasted about 3 months. What was next? The school was near a church in Lancaster, California. I was thinking of moving to the town to be a part of the church and serve in some capacity. But I was also thinking of moving back to Boulder, Colorado where I had come from. In between I was just living with my mother in Austin, Texas for a few months. I began to sense the Lord leading me to Lancaster but I didn't want to go because I hated desert (dry) climates and Lancaster was beyond barren! But I wanted to do God's will more than anything. I prayed and prayed for weeks. I though Lancaster was the right choice but I needed to hear from God (I mean what is so personal about this "Personal Relationship with Jesus" unless He is communicating and talking with us? Otherwise we are just hypocrites in saying it is "personal") Anyway, I fell asleep and had a dream that night. I was in my car stopped in front of a traffic light trying to turn left across traffic. But I was just waiting and waiting and waiting. Then I looked up and saw that the light was green! In fact there was a Green Arrow indicating that I could turn left! Once I saw that all my stress dissolved and I just turned left and go on my way. Once I woke up I had tremendous peace and remembered the dream. The interpretation seemed obvious. I had the green light,... go to Lancaster!
Well I did just that. I lived there 7 years and that was were I first became involved in youth ministry. This became (up to this point) the most wonderful phase of my life... many young people not only became my close friends.... but also encountered Jesus in wonderful ways. God still speaks today like He did in the Bible!
1/20/92: Holy Spirit Will Speak to Us Inside Our Hearts:
It was shortly after the dream that I began to make plans to live in California. I needed somewhere to live. I had met one couple through this leadership school that went to the Church in Lancaster and lived there. I called them and they offered me a room for about $300 a month plus food expenses! My first reaction was, "YES, this is great... it is all coming together!" Then instantly I had a 'check' in my heart... all of the sudden I felt like that was not a good idea... actually it felt like a good idea to me, but it just seemed like it wasn't a good idea to Him! I burst out, "Come on God,... how am I supposed to move to California if I don't have anywhere to live? Thankfully by His Grace I obeyed and quickly back peddled on the phone, "Ummm... this sounds great but let me think and pray about it ok?" They said that was fine and we hung up. Immediately I began to question God but that little 'check' in my heart just would not go away. Well I called them back and canceled. I still moved to Lancaster but I initially I lived with Richard and his family. Then after a week they asked me to live with them. Actually in the end I lived with them (God bless their souls...) for 7 years! What Saints! But it was a great time. They didn't even charge me rent for the first few years, loaned me a car and were an incredible FAMILY to me! I found out later that the other family would have been really difficult on many many levels. So it just goes to show that 1 God will speak and 2 He know exactly what is best for us! Richard and I went on to be best friends and His mom, Cathy, is like a second mother to me! Our God is more than just a powerful God,... He is also a Father!
