Hearing God

[btettemer]

If one is to turn over his life to God, how does one know what God is saying?  When he spoke to Moses at the bush, I am sure it was difficult for Moses to miss the message.  Obviousy Saul of Tarsus also received a very clear message.  It seems God's messages are a bit more subtle these days--at least his messages to me seem to be so subtle, I am not sure I am even receiving them.  How does He speak to you? How does one recognize His voice?

[Willowbirch]

I believe that God's word is still alive today; it is not just a history book written thousands of years ago. I do not go to it nearly enough, but when I do, I find answers that I have been seeking, as well as some I'd never thought of asking for. I also feel (sometimes) His Spirit in me, gently prodding me towards what would be pleasing in my Father's sight. (I fail miserably sometimes.)

God may not be speaking in an audible voice; but the God who created the ear is the same who created our eyes, hearts and minds, so why should He not speak to us through these as well?

[Heidi]

This is a very good question. We actually discussed this in bible study on Wednesday. In the OT, the holy Spirit had not yet entered the earth. It was only given to certain people directly from God. According to OT people who heard specific messages, they either heard an audible voice or sensed a commanding presence or heard a whisper. Today, since Jesus sent us the Holy Spirit to reside on us, each person senses it uniquely and i believe it is sometimes difficult to sense what is from God and what is not. Clearly whatever agrees with scripture is from God but i also believe that God allows us to do whatever we are led to do, even if it's wrong, in order to teach us. All of us can only respond out of our maturity level and we will act accordingly.

[Petro]

The Word of God itself produces hearing and hearing the Word of God produces faith.

Note:

Rom 10
17  So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

Gods Word says, he made man, with a conscience to accuse him, or excuse him.

So ingrained into the nature of each person is the ability to
distinguish right from wrong, and then He gave His  commandments that any man who is interested in kinowing were He stands with God, can examine himself.

By the way the commandments were not given that any man by keeping them could be saved, even if one could them perfectly.

So in order to no whether one has sinned against God, he must be willing to listen to what Gods word says, this is why Jesus said;

Mat 11
15  He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.

And He wasn't talking about spiritual ears herein because at this passage he is speaking of John the Baptist and the message he was procaliming.

So Gods Word when listened to by sinners, can be heard and trusted upon, and when men put this trust unto action God the Holy Spirit is able to produce results in this persons life.

Consider Gods own words;

Isa 55
11  So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.

So, Faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the Word of God.


Blessings,

Petro

[Reba]

One day i was crying, whinning, you know the general complaining. " Why does GOD not talk to me HE does this and that for so 'n' so etc." I was rambling on and on  a wise old woman said.  " Why dont you shut upand listen?"

 i said "Thanks Mom"

In agreement Willowbirch

[John the Baptist]

If one is to turn over his life to God, how does one know what God is saying?  When he spoke to Moses at the bush, I am sure it was difficult for Moses to miss the message.  Obviousy Saul of Tarsus also received a very clear message.  It seems God's messages are a bit more subtle these days--at least his messages to me seem to be so subtle, I am not sure I am even receiving them.  How does He speak to you? How does one recognize His voice?

*********
God speaks to us by His 'inspiration'! 66 Books of the Master's WORD TO US. (see 2 Tim. 3:16) This is not a one time statement that we can forget, for we have it ALL written down! Isa. 8:20 gives the TEST for us to know for SURE if what man says is LIGHT or darkness. (God or 's'atan)
One part covers all of mans wordings to define what the Holy Spirit inspired THEM to pen. ('their' testimony) But NOTICE the other part of the verse to test LIGHT by? The Law of God is the ONLY part of Scripture that He Himself wrote!

And what has man done with this EVERLASTING COVENANT? (see Heb. 13:20) Check Dan. 7:25! One thing FOR SURE, God STATES FLAT OUT THAT THEY ARE LIGHTLESS! Now for your question? Could GOD 'SPEAK' any more plainly to you in person???

Still not sure? Wow!! Read 1 John 2:4 then. Here we see that for one to say that they know (or love) Christ, yet reject keeping His Commandments [IS A LIAR, AND THERE IS *NO TRUTH IN him]! Sounds like V-E-R-Y straight TALK FROM THE MASTER, to me!

[Psalm 119]

Reading the Word of God is hearing God's voice. But of course, you must be one of His to hear.

"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 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." John 10:2-5

Heidi,

The Holy Spirit has always been....Just as Jesus has always been.

"Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Do not cast me away from Your presence, And DO NOT TAKE YOUR HOLY SPIRIT FROM ME."  Psalm 51:10-11

Psalm 119

[aw]

Many times we have these that just plain give us the answer and they line up with scripture.

The INNER WITNESS is used by God on occasion s well. I like Col 3:17 t let the peace of God rule in your heat deciding with finality all questons that arise in your minds.

I think we should also know that many times the voice sounds like our own since His Spirit bears witness with our spirits.

aw

[Symphony]

btet...

How do you "know" anything that you are about to do??

Somebody put those thoughts there.


Unless you think that YOU originated those thoughts.


  (hehe)

     

[John the Baptist]

Reading the Word of God is hearing God's voice. But of course, you must be one of His to hear.

"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 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." John 10:2-5

Heidi,

The Holy Spirit has always been....Just as Jesus has always been.

"Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Do not cast me away from Your presence, And DO NOT TAKE YOUR HOLY SPIRIT FROM ME."  Psalm 51:10-11

Psalm 119

*********
Is there ever a time that God does not speak to man at the start? (one who accepts or 'one' that does not) How does any come to Christ then if He is not taking the 'lead'?

But your post is a very 'spiritual' one. Thanks!

"WE are of God: he that knoweth God, heareth us: he that [is not of God] heareth not us. Hereby [know we the Spirit of Truth, and the spirit of error." 1 John 4:6

Lets have the forum take the test of Rom. 2:14-15 & see if they can understand how these Bible uneducated Gentils were saved?? they had never even seen Christ, or had never even heard His 'written' Word preached or taught by 'man', yet, there is VITAL EVIDENCE that they knew the Master and His 'Epistle' (character) of 2 Cor. 3:3 & were Born Again, says Paul! But HOW?? Surely the previous verse from 1 John 4:6 must apply for this knowledge!

Does the forum possess this knowledge? Lets ask?

[John the Baptist]

This is a very good question. We actually discussed this in bible study on Wednesday. In the OT, the holy Spirit had not yet entered the earth. It was only given to certain people directly from God. According to OT people who heard specific messages, they either heard an audible voice or sensed a commanding presence or heard a whisper. Today, since Jesus sent us the Holy Spirit to reside on us, each person senses it uniquely and i believe it is sometimes difficult to sense what is from God and what is not. Clearly whatever agrees with scripture is from God but i also believe that God allows us to do whatever we are led to do, even if it's wrong, in order to teach us. All of us can only respond out of our maturity level and we will act accordingly.

*******
Hi again:
Was not the Holy Spirit active in creation? He moved upon the waters. After Christ went back into heaven He sent the conforter back to UPLIFT HIMSELF, right? (among other things) Surely ALL agree that while on earth, Christ had all power at His command, and the Holy Spirit's GodHead power was fullfilled in and by Christ? What more was needed before Christ left earth??

In the Old Testament God (Christ to be) was continually with His called ones! In a cloud by day & a pillar of fire by night! The leadership (high priest & Prophets had access to His 'speakings'! See 'Thummin & Urim' (Ex. 28:30 & Lev. 8:8 for Judgements, i think?)

Yes, it was not until Christ sent the Holy Spirit back after His Atonement that Christ was omnipresent in worldwide completeness. Up until that time, His past denomination were to draw ALL of the world to them by their [conditional] prosperity & blessings.

---John

[ollie]

Romans 10:13.  For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
 14.  How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?
 15.  And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!
 16.  But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Esaias saith, Lord, who hath believed our report?
 17.  So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

God calls and speaks to us through the preacher and the true preacher of God today relates to the hearer the word contained in the Bible. One must study the Bible to be sure the things the preacher preaches are according to God. There are no miracles today to show the preacher is of God. Today his word must be compared with the written word to know, "thus saith the Lord."
 The Bible is complete in God's will for man and miraculous visions, dreams and mind revelations are not necessary today to reveal God to us. God calls and speaks to us through His inspired word given to us through the Holy Spirit to and penned by Holy men of God. It is the Bible.  It is the only authority and revelation of God that is needed. Man tries to add to it and distort it and that leads many down the wrong pathway because they do not take the time to find out for themselves if it be of God or not according to His word in the bible. Many times they go on feelings created in them by the preacher.

[Heidi]

But i do think there are many times in life where it's difficult to know what God wants us to do. An example is my 25 yr. old daughter who has been in college majoring in Art for 6 years. She is always broke because she doesn't have time to make enough maoney on the side to support herself. It's hard for me to know if God wants us to keep giving her money or let her find the time to support herself. I will get as many opinions on this from Christians as there are christians. Also, many people have wanted to borrow money from me. I have no problem with loaning them money but what is good for them? Again, there are no clear cut answers from scripture. I think there are a lot of similar situations in life where it's not easy to discern what God wants us to do.

[Willowbirch]

One day i was crying, whinning, you know the general complaining. " Why does GOD not talk to me HE does this and that for so 'n' so etc." I was rambling on and on  a wise old woman said.  " Why dont you shut upand listen?"

 i said "Thanks Mom"

In agreement Willowbirch

(hehehe) This world needs more mothers.

[Left Coast]

God speaks to us by His 'inspiration'! 66 Books of the Master's WORD TO US. (see 2 Tim. 3:16) This is not a one time statement that we can forget, for we have it ALL written down! Isa. 8:20 gives the TEST for us to know for SURE if what man says is LIGHT or darkness. (God or 's'atan)
One part covers all of mans wordings to define what the Holy Spirit inspired THEM to pen. ('their' testimony) But NOTICE the other part of the verse to test LIGHT by? The Law of God is the ONLY part of Scripture that He Himself wrote!

Yes John God did physically write the 10 commandments.
God also controlled the words that came out of peoples mouths.

Exodus 4:15  And thou shalt speak unto him, and put words in his mouth: and I will be with thy mouth, and with his mouth, and will teach you what ye shall do.
Isaiah 51:15  But I am the LORD thy God, that divided the sea, whose waves roared: The LORD of hosts is his name.
Isaiah 51:16  And I have put my words in thy mouth, and I have covered thee in the shadow of mine hand, that I may plant the heavens, and lay the foundations of the earth, and say unto Zion, Thou art my people.
Jeremiah 1:9  Then the LORD put forth his hand, and touched my mouth. And the LORD said unto me, Behold, I have put my words in thy mouth.

There are many more examples. All of the bible is Gods commandments. There is no indication we are to raise any part of it above another.
You gave a reference to 2 Tim. 3:16. Look at what it says:

2 Timothy 3:16  All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:

Those 6 words, is given by inspiration of God, come from one Greek word, theopneustos.
The first part of the word comes from the word, theos, it means God.
The second part of the word comes from the word, pneo, it means breath.
All scripture is God Breathed.
The 10 commandments were written by the hand of God. But the entire bible is God breathed, it is in breathing we have life.
Yes God used all sorts of amazing methods to show HE HAD AUTHORITY. There is no indication, that I know of, other than the visions of a false prophet or two, that any method was more important than another.

Still not sure? Wow!! Read 1 John 2:4 then. Here we see that for one to say that they know (or love) Christ, yet reject keeping His Commandments [IS A LIAR, AND THERE IS *NO TRUTH IN him]! Sounds like V-E-R-Y straight TALK FROM THE MASTER, to me!

You did not quote 1 John 2:4 accurately. Let me put it in context we are told to examine ourselves, test whether we are saved or not:

2 Corinthians 13:5  Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves.

God does not leave it to us to figure this out. Our hearts are so corrupt that they will deceive us.

Jeremiah 17:9  The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?

So God gives us A TEST. So we can examine ourselves.

1 John 2:3  And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments.
1 John 2:4  He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.

Will we keep Gods commandments perfectly? NO! Read Romans 7:22 - 25.
However if we are born again it should be our desire to keep Gods commandments, ALL OF THE COMMANDMENTS OF THE BIBLE. When Christ fulfilled the earlier commandments, new moons, holy days, the 7th day Sabbath. We are to follow the updated commandments.

Matthew 28:1 ¶ And on the eve of the sabbaths, at the dawn, toward the first of the sabbaths, came Mary the Magdalene, and the other Mary, to see the sepulchre,(YLT)

Why does the test work?
When we become saved it is because God has taken out our heart of stone and given us a heart of flesh.

Ezekiel 11:19  And I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within you; and I will take the stony heart out of their flesh, and will give them an heart of flesh:
Ezekiel 11:20  That they may walk in my statutes, and keep mine ordinances, and do them: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God.
Hebrews 10:16  This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them;
Hebrews 10:17  And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more.

We are a new creature, BORN AGAIN. The old creature found pleasure in sin, the new creature delights in the law of God.
God has to give us the heart to percieve and hear His word.

Deuteronomy 29:4  Yet the LORD hath not given you an heart to perceive, and eyes to see, and ears to hear, unto this day.

What can we do? We can cry out to God. We can beg for His mercy. We can prayerfully search His word. And it just might be He will have mercy on us.

Psalms 51:10  Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.

As posted by Psalm 119:

Reading the Word of God is hearing God's voice. But of course, you must be one of His to hear.

Very well said.