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When you understand your relationship with God — you understand your significance.
Why Did God Create Humanity
The family aspect of God
God Wants Me to be His Friend
Faith
Nothing Can Break Our Bond
God Adopted Me
Though my father and mother forsake me, the Lord will receive me.
—Psalm 27:1
Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption to sonship, the redemption of our bodies.
—Romans 8:23
Our new birth makes us naturalized citizens of God’s kingdom. It returns us to our original position of authority and dominion over the earth as God intended from the start in the garden of Eden. As citizens of God’s Kingdom, we voluntarily align ourselves with God’s government and God’s country, embracing the language, its ideals and its values. John 3:3
But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship. Because you are his sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, “Abba, Father.” —Galatians 4:4-6
“Happy birthday to me. This is my 46th adopted birthday.
There is one thing about being a believer that I fully comprehend and that is what it means to be adopted into God’s family. You see as an 8 year old underfed, with no belongings, rotting teeth, used to hiding daily just to stay out of harms way, when the social worker walked me to the door of what I know today was a modest ranch style home, I was met by my dad at the door with his big Brown eyes like mine saying “well come on in” with my new momma crying and hugging me in a way I have never been hugged before, I knew I was home and I had no doubt that EVERYTHING that was theirs was now MINE. The furniture, my beautiful new bedroom with all the frills and new toys, the yard, my own bathroom, food in abundance, the cars that were clean, my new brothers, extended family, a new lineage, but most importantly my momma and daddy that would care for me and not hurt me and would teach me how to live and want the best for me. That is what happens when you come into God’s family and choose him as your Savior. Everything He is, everything He has, is yours. Think about the implications of that statement.” —Julie, Mt. Juliet, TN, 02/11/2016
How Can I “Hear” God’s Voice?
God speaks in a variety of ways though man may not perceive it.
John 10:10
My sheep hear my voice. John 10:27
4) Scripture quickens us / stored in our hearts Psalm 119
We read to encounter the author*. (*refers to God, the author of the Bible)
5) God speaks to our heart. Our conscience “bears witness” (Romans 2:15). There’s not a person in the world who, at some time or another, has not sensed within themselves that there is something to which, Someone to whom, they are accountable.
6) Holy Spirit will impress words on our hearts Acts 20:23
1 Cor 2:11b The Spirit of God knows the thoughts of God
Led by the Spirit of God. Rom 8:14
Holy Spirit bears witness w/ our Spirit (confirms) Rom 8:16
Fasting is in the same category as giving or serving. It’s a posture of weakness so God can break in with the substance of the Holy Spirit.
Prayer is also a voluntary weakness. Speaking to someone who doesn’t speak back audibly.
1 Cor 12:9 In your weakness, God will perfect His strength.
Choose humility and God puts glory on us.
6) Impressions/pictures that need to be interpreted properly and articulated properly
7) hear the audible voice
8) Dreams and visions
9) Divine coincidences
10) angels
11) nature—The Lord speaks in creation. “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament shows His handiwork” (Psalm 19:1).
12) still small voice—There is only one place in Scripture where God is said to speak in a “still small voice,” and it was to Elijah after his dramatic victory over the prophets of Baal (1 Kings 18:20-40; 19:12).
13) one way then another—one time He wrote on a wall; another time He appeared and spoke through a burning bush
14) language of the Spirit
15) worship / music
2 Kings 3:15 A harpist plays while Elisha creates a posture of worship so that he can hear from the Lord.
God Speaks Through Thoughts
Other people
The prophetic
Prophecy: hearing the voice of God and speaking it out
The place where you feel His peace
Dreams/Visions Numbers 12:6; Daniel 7:1; Acts 16:6; Matthew 5:?; Hosea 12:10
It takes the Spirit of God to interpret dreams from God
A feeling/sensing—you know that you know
Sometimes through a thought, then your heart beats out of your chest until you follow his leading
Symbols
Our searching for Him
It’s intriguing to us to seek Him
Circumstances
1. Mirror your circumstances with the truth of God’s Word
God will never contradict Himself. He will never speak to us — even through our circumstances — in a way that will contradict His written word. I hear people at times claim God is telling them to do something that is in violation with what God has already said. That’s never God.
2. God uses people to confirm His voice
Even in circumstances, in my experience, God often sends people into our path to confirm His will for our life. Other people who attempt to follow God with their life can help us to hear from God.
3. Recognize that God operates from a plan
Proverbs 16:9 says, “In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps.” Rick Warren has sold millions of books telling us that we should live our life with a purpose. God’s purpose.
Looking back over my life, I could never have scripted it, but I see how God has used me according to an overall plan. He’s used my life experiences to shape me for where I am today. God knows how to use a past for His good.
4. Examine your circumstances in light of God’s overall plan
When trying to hear from God through the circumstances of life, I should not try to make a decision on one event or set of circumstances. Circumstances may or may not be God speaking to me. I should look at my life over a span of months or years.
Jeremiah 29:11 indicates that God has a definite plan to proper us and give us hope, but it would take the people 70 years to get there. (We often miss that part when celebrating that verse.)
4. Examine your circumstances in light of God’s overall plan
When trying to hear from God through the circumstances of life, we should not try to make a decision on one event or set of circumstances. Circumstances may or may not be God speaking to us. We should look at our life over a span of months or years.
Jeremiah 29:11 indicates that God has a definite plan to proper us and give us hope, but it would take God’s people 70 years to get there. (We often miss that part when celebrating that verse.)
When I look at my life over time, I will be able to see what God has been doing. When the circumstances of life consistently line up over time with God’s overall plan it is possible that God is trying to speak through those circumstances.
How many times do I have to hear the same thing — or experience the same circumstances — before I recognize and obey the voice of God?
5. Don’t allow circumstances to keep you from hearing or obeying God
Paul says in 1 Corinthians 16:8-9 (NIV) “But I will stay on at Ephesus until Pentecost, because a great door for effective work has opened to me, and there are many who oppose me.” The common-sense thing to do when everyone opposes you would be to leave, but Paul knew the circumstances were not indicative of God’s will for his life.
Sometimes my circumstances may look gloomy, but I haven’t heard the truth of my circumstances until I have heard from God. God has typically spoken to me clearest during my darkest days — because that’s when He has my closest attention.
Fear is a great tool of the enemy. The devil can use circumstances also to lead me away from God. This is where the Scripture and other people I trust can help me discern if I’m hearing God’s voice or not.
6. I need to ask God to show me His perspective on the circumstances
“You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” (Jeremiah 29:13 NIV)
As followers of God we will spend our whole life trying to discern the will of God for our life; listening for His voice. If we desire to hear from God through our circumstances we must intently listen for the voice of God.
Hearing from God is not always easy. When life is coming at me, I cannot seem to understand what is going on, I shouldn’t be afraid to ask for clarification. I should feel free to ask, “God what did you mean by that?”
Many times I think I know what God is saying, but it’s in the seasons of questioning that I am more intentional to go back to Him for clarification. I’ve even taken days away to intentionally listen during the confusing times.
7. Remember: God’s primary desire in speaking is for kingdom purposes
We limit God to this finite world when we fail to remember He is an infinite God. When I are trying to discern God’s voice through the circumstances of life, I should consider how what is happening around me fits into God’s kingdom plan to save a lost world from destruction and to mold His children into the image of His Son.
“Don’t believe everything you hear just because someone says it is a message from God; test it first to see if it really is!” 1 John 4:1
How to test what you’ve heard
Fasting and prayer
Scripture
Peace
Does it agree with the Bible? God’s Word does not change.
Does it cause us to love?
John 3:23 is “a grand summary of the whole Bible.” “And this is His commandment that we should believe in the name of His Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as He has commanded us.”
So the Holy Spirit bears witness to the genuineness of a believer or a prophet in two ways. One is by producing the fruit of love. And the other is by producing a genuine confession of doctrinal truth about Jesus Christ. A heartfelt act of love and a heartfelt confession of truth are both owing to the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives. Therefore the genuineness of our love and the genuineness of our belief about Christ are the evidence of God’s work in our lives. They are the Holy Spirit’s testimony that we are the children of God.
Does it cause us to believe?
John 3:23 is “a grand summary of the whole Bible.” “And this is His commandment that we should believe in the name of His Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as He has commanded us.”
1 John 3:24–4:6
And by this we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit which he has given us. Beloved, do not believe every Spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are of God; for many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this you know the Spirit of God: every Spirit which confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, and every Spirit which does not confess Jesus is not of God. This is the Spirit of antichrist, of which you heard that it was coming, and now it is in the world already. Little children, you are of God, and have overcome them; for he who is in you is greater that he who is in the world. They are of the world, therefore what they say is of the world, and the world listens to them. We are of God. Whoever knows God listens to us, and he who is not of God does not listen to us. By this we know the Spirit of truth and the Spirit of error.
Galatians 1:8 says, “Even if an angel comes from heaven and preaches any other message, let him be forever cursed” (NLT).
Proverbs 12:19 says, “Truth stands the test of time.”
Truth stands the test of time.
Proverbs 12:19
When I don’t understand God’s plan
If there is suffering in this world, Does God really care?
God is Trustworthy
God speaks in a variety of ways though man may not perceive it.
John 10:10
Resources for Further Study
The Pursuit of God —A.W. Tozer
In the muddle of day-to-day life, have you somehow forgotten that Christianity is a living, vibrant relationship with a personal God? In this classic bestseller and recipient of both the ECPA Gold and Platinum Book Awards, The Pursuit of God reminds and challenges you to renew your relationship with your loving God. In each of the 10 chapters, Tozer explains one aspect of hungering for God and ends with a prayer.
Hearing God —Dallas Willard
“God spoke to me.” “The Spirit spoke to my heart.” “God revealed the idea to me.” Being close to God means communicating with him–telling him what is on our hearts in prayer and hearing and understanding what he is saying to us. It is this second half of our conversation with God that is so important but that can also be so difficult. How do we hear his voice? How can we be sure that what we think we hear is not our own subconscious? What role does the Bible play? What if what God says to us is not clear? The key, says best-selling author Dallas Willard, is to focus not so much on individual actions and decisions as on building our personal relationship with our Creator. In this updated and expanded edition of Willard’s beloved book, originally published as In Search of Guidance, you’ll gain rich spiritual insight into how we can hear God’s voice clearly and develop an intimate partnership with him in the work of his kingdom. Including new material from Dallas Willard’s teaching at the Renovaré Institute and reformatted to be even easier to read, this classic continues to endure as one of today’s best resources for learning to listen closely to God.
Fingerprints of God —Jennifer Rothschild
Recognizing God’s touch on your life. To a blind person, human touch is essential. In the absence of facial expressions, it reassures and comforts. But can you still feel the warm and soothing touch of an unseen God? Author and musician Jennifer Rothschild, who lost her vision at the age of fifteen, explains how God’s touch works from the inside out, warming the heart, mind, and soul. It lifts weights that eyes could never see. It washes away the anguish of guilt, the bite of fear, and the ache of loneliness. With the gentle pressure of His hand on our shoulders, we can find our way through the darkest of nights.
Experiencing God: Knowing and Doing the Will of God Workbook—Henry T. Blackaby
Book is the revised and expanded edition that helps leaders to promote the classic, best-selling, 13 week study and conduct an Experiencing God Weekend or churchwide spiritual growth emphasis. Written by Henry Blackaby, Richard Blackaby, and Claude King, the Experiencing God Bible Study is based on the Experiencing God book, which has sold millions of copies worldwide. Through examination of biblical and contemporary illustrations, participants will understand and apply seven realities of experiencing God. Churches will be helped to better function as the body of Christ, as members understand how to experience God as a church.
Experiencing God Documentary – Downloadable Edition explores stories of how the study has impacted lives. Experiencing God has helped thousands of people see the world through a different lens. They have begun to see it how God sees it, they have uncovered God’s will for their lives and then done it. This film will take you on a journey as you watch someone else experiencing many of the realities found in this movement of God. It will explore many stories that have been uncovered showing how God has placed Experiencing God in hands of international leaders, prisoners, and Christ followers who have been awakened to see the world how God see’s the world.
Biblical Adoption Is Not What You Think It Is —David Neff
For one, it wasn’t about the child, but mostly the family.