Brother Yun, Faith, General

A Chinese Christian Leader Speaks Out

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NOTE: The following are extracts from a wonderful book, ‘The Heavenly Man’ by Brother
Yun – one of the House-church leaders from China who has been imprisoned and tortured
for his faith. He is speaking here of what it will take for the Western church to see revival:

Part 1 – CHINESE LEADER SPEAKS OUT – Re: “Revival in the West”

By Brother Yun.

Many pastors in Europe and America have told me they want to see great revival. I’m
frequently asked why China is experiencing revival but most places in the West are not.
This is a big question to answer, but some reasons are very apparent to me.
When I’m in the West, I see all the mighty church buildings and all the expensive
equipment, plush carpets, and state-of-the-art sound systems. I can assure the Western
church with absolute certainty that you don’t need any more church buildings. Church
buildings will never bring the revival you seek. The pursuit of more possessions will never
bring revival. Jesus truly stated, “A man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his
possessions.” -Lk 12:15.

The first thing needed for revival to return to your churches is the Word of the Lord. God’s
Word is missing. Sure, there are many preachers and thousands of tapes and videos of
Bible teaching, but so little contains the sharp truth of God’s Word. It’s the truth that will
set you free.

Not only is knowledge of God’s Word missing, but obedience to that Word. There’s not
much action taking place.

When revival came to believers in China, the result was thousands of evangelists being
sent out to all corners of the nation, carrying fire from the altar of God with them. When
God moves in the West, it seems you want to stop and enjoy His presence and blessings
too long, and build an altar to your experiences.

You can never really know the Scriptures until you’re willing to be changed by them.
All genuine revivals of the Lord result in believers responding with action and soul
winning. When God truly moves in your heart you cannot remain silent. There will be a
fire in your bones, like Jeremiah, who said, “His word is in my heart like a fire, a fire shut
up in my bones. I am weary of holding it in; indeed, I cannot.” Jeremiah 20:9.
Furthermore, it’s only when we step out in obedience and sharethe gospel with people
that we come to know God’s blessing in every area of our lives. That is why the Apostle
Paul wrote to his co-worker Philemon, “I pray that you may be active in sharing your
faith, so that you will have a full understanding of every good thing we have in Christ.” Philemon v.6.
I’ve seen people in Western Churches worshiping as if they’re already in heaven. Then
someone invariably brings a comforting message, like, “My children, I love you. Don’t be
afraid, I’m with you.” I’m not opposed to such words, but why is it that nobody seems to
hear a Word from the Lord like, “My child, I want to send you to the slums of Asia or the
darkness of Africa to be my messenger to people dying in their sin.”?
[From ‘The Heavenly Man’ – pg 296-297.]

Book available from ‘Amazon.com’ and other outlets.

Part 2 – CHINESE LEADER SPEAKS OUT

By Brother Yun.

Before I travelled to the West I had absolutely no idea that so many churches were
spiritually asleep. I presumed the Western church was strong and vibrant because it had
brought the gospel to my country with such incredible faith and tenacity. Many
missionaries had shown a powerful example to us by laying down their lives for the sake
of Jesus.

On some occasions I’ve struggled while speaking in Western churches. There seems to be
something missing that leaves me feeling terrible inside. Many meetings are cold and and
lack the fire and presence of God that we have in China.

In the West many Christians have an abundance of material possessions, yet they live in a
backslidden state. They have silver and gold, but they don’t rise up and walk in Jesus’
name. In China, we have no possessions to hold us down, so there’s nothing preventing
us from moving out for the Lord. The Chinese church is like Peter at the Beautiful Gate.
When he saw the crippled beggar he said, “Silver or gold I do not have, but what I have I
give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk!”

In a similar way, I pray that God might use the Chinese church to help the Western
church rise up and walk in the power of the Holy Spirit. It’s almost impossible for the
church in China to go to sleep in its present situation. There’s always something to keep
us on the run, and it’s very difficult to sleep while you’re running. If persecution stops, I
fear we’ll become complacent and all asleep.

In THE WEST…
Multitudes of church members are satisfied with giving their minimum to God, not their
maximum. I’ve watched men and women during offering time in church. They open their
fat wallets and search for the smallest amount they can give. This type of attitude will
never do! Jesus gave his whole life for us, and we give as little of our lives, time, and
money as we can give back to God. What a disgrace! Repent!

This may sound strange, but I even miss the offerings we used to give in China. On
numerous occasions, the leader of a meeting would announce, “We have a new worker
who is leaving tomorrow to serve the Lord.” Immediately every single person would
completely empty their pockets of everything they had. With that money, the worker
would buy a train or bus ticket and leave the next day.

Often this money was not just everything we had in our pockets at that time, but
everything we owned in the whole world.

Just because you have a church building doesn’t necessarily mean Jesus is with you. He is
not welcome in many churches today. In Revelation 3:20 Jesus said, “Here I am! I stand
at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and
dine with him, and he with me.”

Often this verse is used as an invitation for salvation, but actually the context Jesus was
speaking in was very different. He was standing outside the door of the church of
Laodicea, knocking to get in!

[From Yun’s book ‘THE HEAVENLY MAN’, pg 295-298.]

Part 3 – CHINESE LEADER SPEAKS OUT

-Brother Yun.

The Great Commission has not changed. There are many churches trying to create a
heaven here on earth, but until the Western Church obeys the Great Commission and
takes the gospel to the ends of the earth, people are just playing with God and are not
really serious about the truth. Many churches look beautiful on the outside, but are dead
where it counts, on the inside. If you truly want to see God move, the two main things
you must do is learn the Word of God and have the obedience to do what God tells you to
do.

In Finland in 1999 I was asked to be one of the main speakers at a conference attended
by about one thousand church leaders. The main speaker was a well-known American
preacher. Every time he spoke it was about the love and goodness of God. During the
prayer time everyone fell down on the floor and laughed.

After I spoke I commanded people to kneel down at the foot of the cross of Jesus, and
they wept! Tears always come first before the Lord truly moves. He will never pour his
blessing out on unsanctified and selfish flesh. The cross of Jesus must be at the center of
everything we do.

If you do these things you will see revival. Are you willing to give your all to God and to
His service? “Those who are wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens, and those
who lead many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever.” -Daniel 12:3.

Many Christians have also asked me why miracles and signs and wonders are so prevalent
in China, but not so evident in the West.

In the West you have so much. You have insurance for everything. In a way, you don’t
need God. When my father was dying of stomach cancer, we sold everything we had to
try to cure him. When everything was gone, we had no hope but God. We turned to Him
in desperation and saw Him mercifully answer our prayers and heal my father. We reasoned
that if God could do that then He could do anything, so our faith grew and we’ve seen
many miracles.

In China, the greatest miracles we see are not the healings or other things, but lives
transformed by the gospel. We believe we’re not called to follow signs and wonders but
instead the signs and wonders follow us when the gospel is preached. We don’t keep our
eyes on the signs and wonders; we keep our eyes on Jesus.

Every house church pastor in China is ready to lay down his life for the gospel. When we
live this way, we’ll see God do great things by his grace.
[From the book ‘The Heavenly Man’, pg 298-300.]

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The Walk

Are We “Right With God”?

by Lesli Turner
leslit@yahoo.com

It’s not about church, it’s about God. It’s not about religion(s), it’s about God.

Are we doing what God wants from us as a society and as individuals, or not? Everyone’s
spiritual relationship with God and Christ is their own private matter, but now is the time
to be reflecting.

The end is sooner than most of us ever thought. It is starting – a "beginning of the end,"
if you will. Start praying and fasting. God is going to close the door to some (Matt.
25:10). Don’t be one of those people. The door is going to be closed on people who call
themselves Christians, too, not just those who are "of the world." (Matt. 25:10, see whole
chapter as well). Make sure you are getting "right with God" and that you don’t end up on
the wrong side of the door [to the marriage supper]. (Rev. 19:9)

God has been working with me intensely in the last several months, but He’s also working
with others as well. I know this, not because those others sound good when they tell
their spiritual stories or because they look like nice people, but because the little voice
inside me said that the Spirit resides within them. That little voice is my own wonderful
bit of Spirit in me that God, so graciously, gave to me. And more and more, it has been
pointing out to me others who have the Spirit. It has been showing me others who have
"an ear" and are listening (Mark 4:23). It has been shown to me even in people I only
met a couple of times before, briefly, and immediately I was able to sense a difference in
them from the previous times I spoke to them.

God is going to pour out His spirit in the end times……believe me, it is happening. (Acts
2:17-18) And isn’t it also possible that it has been happening for years or decades? Just
maybe no one believed. But regardless, right now, His fields are ripe for harvest and He
wants those who will hear Him and follow Him to reap the harvest. (John 4:35-38) He
needs His people! Just like the minutemen in Boston, who rode through the town, to warn
of the British coming, God is sending some of His people out now to tell the others to
wake up. Whatever it is you were waiting for that you thought God wanted you to do –
well, now He wants you to do it. No matter what your gift may be, we all have a basic job
to do, if we call ourselves Christians. We are to be preaching the good news, the gospel.
Share it with others and let your light shine. (Matt. 5:16) If you have other gifts or jobs
beyond that, that God wants you to do or share, then the Spirit will let you know in time.

If you’re anything like me you’ve always had a voice, a presence in your life. But the
world gets in the way and clouds that voice sometimes (or maybe a lot of the time). If
you keep reaching for that voice, that presence, eventually it becomes clear. Let that
voice of God that has always been there for you, come in and speak to you now, loud and
clear. Call to Him and He’ll answer. (Psalms 116:1-2, Psalms 145:18)
Search your souls and your hearts. Admit your shortcomings and sins and then repent. If
you can’t do these things, pray for God to guide you in doing this.

Talk to God – every day, all day. Pray to Him at every single decision, no matter how
small. How many decisions do you make each day (aside from minor things like waking
up and turning the light on)? Even after these minor things – that is still a large number
of decisions every day. Always be asking for His guidance in these things.
We live in a world of deception. Satan has worked long and hard, for thousands of years,
to make it the world it is today. Part of the deception is that we feel we need to do
everything ourselves. How many of you only go to God with the large decisions? Or only
when you have problems? It saddens God to see that people have been so massively
misled. Part of having a relationship with God is always talking to Him and praying to
Him. Come out of the world. And let go of the need to do everything yourself – it is a
habit that we were never supposed to have had.

It is amazing to me how much I have been entrenched in the world and I didn’t even
know it. Now I know the meaning of "the whole world is deceived." (Rev. 12:9) It never
meant much to me before and now it means so much to me, in such a great way, that it’s
incredible. For someone who grew up in the Christian faith, I always took my belief in
Christ and the God family for granted and thought I didn’t need much work – I’m a
Christian, after all. I’m so glad I’m not as bad off as someone who grew up in a bad
house with no mention of God or that I’m not a drug abuser.

Guess what – I was still just as engrossed in the world as any of the types of people I just
mentioned – just in a different way. My "being a Christian" attitude subjected me to a
different kind of worldliness – a world of vanity, perhaps. I was lulled into a false sense of
security because of my upbringing. I was just as deceived as everyone else, but, sadly, I
didn’t even know this. It sounds cliché but there it is.

I thought because I prayed once or twice a day and had conversations with God several
times a day (no, not out loud) that this was enough. I usually did not consult Him on
most things – mainly only when I had a really bad problem. But now I know that was not
anywhere near enough and I was trying to carry all of my own burdens – I thought this
was my job. I thought, God only wants the big stuff. Why did I think this? I thought this
because this is Satan’s world and has been – for 6000 years. Let’s not let it be His world
anymore – we, as Christians, have the power to call on God and take Satan out of this
world – even if it only means taking Satan out of our individual vessels – that is still better
than nothing. That is one less place in the world where Satan and his demons can reside.
Let’s try to take Satan out of this world in as many places as we can, starting with our
own individual selves. Let’s prepare the way for Christ’s return, for the beginning of the
end. Let’s hasten the return of this world the way it should have been and remained,
before Adam and Eve took the fruit.

Make sure you know exactly where you stand in this life and in this world. Ask God to
work with you and show you His will for you and always work with Him in faith and
humility. Fast and pray and don’t be left out of the marriage supper.

And please do not think of the end time as some mysterious story that you might have
heard or skimmed over in the book of Revelation. It is very real and it is coming. And
believe it or not, it will probably be a lot more subtle than you or I realize. I’ve already
seen the signs for a few years now, but they are becoming much more prominent now.

Also be aware that this is not a time to fear or dread; get your life in order and have faith
in God. It will be a good thing because it means, FINALLY, the end of this horrible world
of war, death, murder (and the list goes on). This bad place will be coming to a close and
a new chapter of peace and love will open. I cannot wait for that to happen.

You may be reading this message with complete skepticism or think that I’m a full-blown
nut-job or "religious freak." Trust in this – I do not attend church services anywhere and I
do not attend religious conferences. I do not overtly trust in organized religion, mainly
because of its susceptibility to corruption by humans (their vanity and their many other
shortcomings). A priest/reverend hierarchy over the "little people" is not what God had
intended. This is what the "Nicolaitans" were, as referred to in Rev. 2:6. Nico means "ruler-over", and laitans means "the laity". God did not want priests and ministers ruling over the laity. It’s not what Christ or His apostles did. They did not set up churches and ask for money to do some great work, and then pay themselves off of the money collected. They went about the area preaching the gospel, led by the Spirit. That is it. There was no man-run church involved, no organized religion.

So if you find yourself scoffing or laughing at this message because you might be thinking
I’m wacko, then recall, if you can, the many stories in the Bible (Old Testament and New)
where those who laughed were, in many cases, brought to a swift, and usually an
untimely, demise (the Flood, Sodom and Gomorrah, etc). Please keep that in mind before
making any value judgments. Have an open mind, not a closed mind. Have ears to hear
(Mark 4:23), before you make a judgment.

And if you are saying, "consider the source,"…then yes, consider the imperfect source.
I’m as imperfect as anyone else out there but the idea is to repent (Matt. 3:2), move on
and try to make ourselves better, and to focus on God and the Word. We have to do this
with God’s help, because we can’t do it on our own. I think I tried that a few times – and
failed miserably.

Thanks for reading. Please carry on in faith and prayer and may God bless you all.

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The Walk

Hearing from God and Testing the Spirits

by Eric Wheeler
eric@sharingtheway.com

 

The other day I was speaking with a lady who was telling me that she regularly hears
from God. But as she was speaking, I noticed that her “revelations” didn’t quite measure
up to the Word of God, that is – the Bible. Brothers and sisters, the Apostle John warns
us to test the spirits! Not every spirit that speaks, human and otherwise, is of God!
Notice: “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God.
Because many false prophets (messengers) have gone out into the world” (I John 4:1).

When I first heard from God, I was very skeptical and very circumspect. I had been
raised in a church that did not believe in “hearing from God” literally. That is, if the
“word” or message was not given to the ordained ministry or to a “recognized” clergy
member then it most certainly was considered “demonic” or in error. In the church that I
attended for over twenty-five years, God simply did not talk to lay-people! Or so we
thought! When God first began talking to me (which started occurring after many months
of praying, studying His Word, and yearning to know Him), I was greatly troubled. At
first, I thought that I was literally hearing from demons or going crazy! I simply couldn’t
allow myself to believe that God actually speaks to people today. ‘That is something that
quit happening two-thousand years ago when the apostles died. And besides, nowadays,
God only speaks to us through the ordained ministry’, or so I erroneously thought.
But as time went on, I began to “hear” from Him more frequently. Sometimes I would
hear an audible voice. Sometimes, I would see visions or have dreams. In each case, I
would receive some kind of message or word that would give me new spiritual
understanding of the Scriptures. Every time that I “heard” His voice, whether audibly or
in my head, He would point me to the Scriptures. Every time that I had a dream or a
vision, the Spirit would narrate scenes with phrases that began with, “It is written [in the
Bible]….” I would then immediately go and check the Bible to see if the “revelation” was
indeed true and accurate. The Holy Spirit will always point you to the Word of God! This
is how we know whether it is the Holy Spirit talking to us, or some other false spirit. Each
and every time I was given a “word”, I was very careful to question everything that I
heard and saw to make sure that there was indeed Biblical precedence for what I was
being shown or told. Brothers and sisters, we must do this! Every time we “hear” from
God and receive a “revelation” from Him, we need to weigh it against Scripture to see if it
is true or not. The Scriptures tell us and warn us to do this! Notice these Scriptures:

“But evil men and impostors [spirits] will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being
deceived. But as for you, continue in the things which you have learned and been
assured of, knowing from Whom you have learned them, and that from childhood you
have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through
faith which is in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable
for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of
God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.” (II Tim. 3:13-17).

“[Look] to the Law and to the Testimony [the Scriptures]! If they do not speak according
to this Word, it is because there is no light in them.” (Isa. 8:20).

“When He [the Holy Spirit], the Spirit of Truth, has come, He will guide you into all Truth
[the Word of God]. For He will not speak on His own authority [or own agenda], but
whatever He hears [from God] He will speak. And He will tell you things to come. He will
glorify Me [the Word of God], for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you.” (John
16:13-14).

“Jesus answered and said to him, ‘If anyone loves Me, he will keep my Word…He who
does not love Me does not keep My Words. And the Word which you hear is not Mine, but
the Father’s who sent Me…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 [Jesus’ Words].’” (John 14:23-26).

“If anyone teaches otherwise and does not consent to wholesome words, even the Words
of our Lord Jesus Christ, even to the doctrine which is according to godliness … from such
withdraw yourself.” (I Tim. 6:3-5).

All spirits and “voices” that we hear, whether human or non-human, visible or invisible, of
this world or not of this world, must speak in accordance with the written Word of God –
that is, the Bible. If any “revelation” comes to you that does not speak in accordance with
His Word, then it is not God speaking to you! That is why we are told to, “Study [the
Scriptures] to show yourself approved unto God, a workman that doesn’t need to be
ashamed, rightly dividing the Word of Truth” (II Tim. 2:15). Brothers and sisters, we
need to know the Word of God so intimately that we are not easily led astray into
deception like most of the world, especially by those who claim to represent Him or “come
in His name”.

Jesus warned that many would come in His name, saying that yes, He was indeed “the
Christ”, but that they would deceive many (Matt. 24:4-5)! Jesus was not saying that
these false prophets were coming in their own names, saying that they were “the Christ”!
No! But rather, they would come in His name (in the name and form of Christianity) and
deceive many with their false teachings. In other words, many throughout Christianity
would be deceived because of the false doctrines that false teachers will bring into the
church. The Apostle Paul warned us of this shortly before his death: “For the time will
come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires,
because they have itching ears, they will heap for themselves teachers, and they will turn
their ears away from the Truth [the Word of God], and be turned aside to fables.” ( II
Tim. 4:3-4).

This is what happens when the people sitting in churches don’t study the Word of God or
“hear from God” [the Holy Spirit] themselves. They are easily led away into deception.
They become reliant on fallible human beings (their pastors and teachers) to “rightly
divide the Word of God” for them, and so then they are consequently lead astray and
deceived because they are not firmly grounded in the Word of God nor have His Holy
Spirit of Truth residing in them. It is the Holy Spirit that reveals the Word of God to us
and in us – that is, “the mind and things” of Christ (I Cor. 2:10-11; 16). For Jesus Christ
is the actual literal Word of God incarnate in human form. And it is through His Holy Spirit
in us that God fulfills His Word (Jesus Christ) in us. As it is written: “Behold, the days are
coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with
the house of Judah. Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the
day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt…This is the
covenant I will make with the house of Israel [people of God] after those days, says the
Lord. I will put My laws in their mind and write them on their hearts. And I will be their
God, and they shall be My people. None of them shall teach his neighbor, and none his
brother saying, ‘Know the Lord’. For all shall know Me, from the least of them to the
greatest of them.” (Heb. 8:10-11).

God wants to speak to all of us directly. The Scriptures reveal this! For God told Moses to
gather all of Israel (the people of God) together because He was going to speak to them
all directly. But notice what the disbelieving and fearful people said: “Surely the Lord our
God has shown us His glory and His greatness, and we have heard His voice from the
midst of the fire. We have seen this day that God speaks with man; yet he still lives.
Now therefore, why should we die? For this great fire will consume us, if we hear the
voice of the Lord our God anymore, then we shall die. For who is there of all flesh who
has heard the voice of the living God speaking from the midst of the fire, as we have, and
lived? You [Moses] go near and hear all that the Lord our God may say, and tell us all
that the Lord our God says to you, and we will hear and do it.” (Deut. 5:26-27). Instead
of wanting to hear God for themselves, they fearfully and faithlessly wanted Moses to
serve as a mediator for them between them and God. Notice God’s response and lament:
“Oh, that they had such a heart in them that they would fear [respect and trust] Me and
always keep all My commandments [My Words], that it might be well with them and with
their children forever! Go and say to them, ‘Return to your tents.’ But as for you
[Moses], stand here by Me, and I will speak to you all the commandments, the statutes,
and the judgments which you shall teach them, that they may observe them in the land
which I am giving them to possess.” (Deut. 5:29-31). God wanted to have direct
communication and a personal relationship with His people, and yet, they, in their fear
and disbelief, refused! Years later, Jesus, as God on earth, also expressed this same
desire and lament when He said to the city of Jerusalem, “How often I wanted to gather
your children [Israel] together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were
not willing!” (Matt. 23:37).

The disbelieving Israelite s didn’t want God to talk with them and have an intimate
relationship with Him. They were afraid that if God got “too close” to them He would find
out what they were really like (“discover their nakedness”) and consequently they would
be required to have to change. So they wanted to keep God at “arms length” so to speak,
so that they could have “a form of godliness” in front of others, and yet “deny the power
thereof” and keep it from actually changing and transforming their lives (II Tim. 3:5). But
intimacy with Christ is about trust and “opening up” and becoming honest and “naked”
before Him, allowing His piercing Light to shine in even to the darkest corners and closets
of your life to completely transform you.

Unfortunately, not much has changed among the spiritual “Israelite s” (the Church) today.
Many of us still want to have God speak to us through a mediator (i.e. a pastor, a priest, a
minister, an elder, etc.), because most of us are still afraid to have God so intimately
involved in our life. But the Bible says that there is only one Mediator between us and
God, and that is the Lord Jesus Christ – the Word of God (I Tim. 2:5). But sadly, many in
the Church (in Christendom) today don’t immerse themselves in the Word of God [the
Bible and the Lord Jesus Christ], and therefore, are easily led astray by false “Christian
leaders” just as Jesus said that they would be (Matt. 24:5). You see, my dear friends, it
takes the Holy Spirit of God to understand the Bible – the Word of God (I Cor. 2:7-14).
The world cannot understand Him or His Word, and neither can they receive Him (John
14:17; I Cor. 2:14). For God has hid His Word from the world (Col. 1:25-26; Isa. 29:9-
14). But in these last days He has revealed Himself to us by His Spirit, speaking to us
through His Holy Son Jesus (Heb. 1:1-2). We need to be open-minded enough (not
fearful) and mature enough in the Spirit of God and in the Word of God to hear what the
Spirit is saying to us. After all, isn’t that exactly what the Scripture says to us seven
times in the Book of Revelation? “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit
says to the churches.” (Rev. 2:7; 2:11; 2:17; 2:29; 3:6; 3:13; 3:22). Why then do a lot
of church leaders try to suppress what the Holy Spirit is saying to the churches or to some
of its members? Why do so many so-called “believers” not even believe that the Holy
Spirit speaks to us directly any more, when it is so clearly stated in the Bible?

When we spiritually “hear” or “see” some thing that we have never seen or heard before,
we need to do as the Scriptures tell us to do. Don’t automatically dismiss it out of hand
as “demonic” or erroneous just because the “message or word” being spoken or seen
might be something new and mysterious. See if what you are being told or shown
measures up with the Scriptures or not. If so, then hold fast to it. If not, then discard it.
Do as the Apostle Paul admonished us: “Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise
prophesying. Prove all things. Hold fast to that which is good.”(I Thes. 5:19-21).
“Prophesying” is how the Holy Spirit communicates with us. It is not necessarily always
“foretelling the future”. It is speaking under the direct inspiration and influence of the
Holy Spirit. People who have the “gift of prophecy” are often sent to give inspired
messages to people or groups of people on behalf of God for their spiritual edification ( I
Cor. 12:10; I Cor. 14:1-5). That is where we get the term “prophet” from. They have
the “gift of prophecy” or maybe even “the gift of the word of knowledge” (see I Cor. 12:7-
10). They are messengers of God. But remember too, that prophets are human, and
they are fallible! They make mistakes, and the Scriptures say that they can only
“prophesy in part” (I Cor. 13:9). This means that God hasn’t told them everything or
shown them everything regarding the message that He gave them to deliver. That is why
we must always seek God and His Word in order to not be mislead or deceived. We must
do as Paul instructs: When we receive a “new word” or are faced with a “new
understanding or teaching”, we must be open-minded enough, and “receive the word with
all readiness of mind, and search the Scriptures daily to find out whether those things are
true” (Acts 17:11).

I mentioned earlier that the church that I had attended for over twenty-five years, didn’t
believe that the Holy Spirit or Jesus Christ literally talks to people today. In fact, when I
began to realize that it was indeed God [the Holy Spirit and Jesus] who were actually
speaking to me, and not “demons” as I was told by the pastor, I was consequently
disfellowshipped from the church. The pastor and the four elders told me, “God does not
talk to ‘just anybody’, and that if He indeed were going to talk to somebody today, it
would most certainly only be to those who He has appointed and ordained as ‘ministers’,
and it would certainly not be to just one person either!” The pastor also added, “Besides,
the Holy Spirit doesn’t speak to people like that [meaning, audibly]!” I responded, “Yes,
He does! In fact, the Scriptures say that the Holy Spirit spoke directly to Philip in Acts
8:29”. He snapped back, “That was only a one time event!” I answered, “No, it wasn’t.
According to the Bible, the Holy Spirit also talked to Peter and to Paul, and they were
described in the Bible as being ‘ordinary uneducated men’”. But it was too late, the
pastor and the elders had already stopped their ears from listening, and escorted me out
the door! I have not been “allowed” or welcomed back to the church that I grew up in
ever since. That was six years ago.

I have no regrets though. God has since shown me a lot of amazing truth from the Bible.
He has spoken to me and shown me things that I could never (and would never) have
understood had I still been sitting there in church all of these past years. He is more real
than the churches know or believe! We don’t need a mediator between us and God, other
than the Lord Jesus Christ! In fact, in some cases, some “leaders” are more of a
hindrance to the Holy Spirit, than a help! God wants to, and has always wanted to, deal
and communicate with His people directly! His desire is to gather us closely to Himself in
His arms and softly speak to each of us as His little children whom He loves deeply. So
much the so “that He gave His only begotten Son that whoever believes in Him should not
perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn
the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.” (John 3:16-17).

In closing, I would like to say to my readers that if you truly are looking to “hear” from
God, and are desperately wanting a deeper more intimate relationship with Him, go to
Him and confess your sins. Tell Him that you desire to know Him in a way that you have
never known Him before, and then get up and get baptized (total immersion in water).
Pray and ask Him for His Holy Spirit to change your life, and seek His face with your whole
heart. Study His Word and obey what He tells you, and He will answer your prayers
beyond your wildest dreams and far exceed your limited imagination.

 

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Dave Shobe, Faith, General

Absolute Truth

Note from the Moderator: This is an article from a young man, David Shobe, who is a recent convert and newly baptized believer. He called me one night two months ago and said that he needed to get baptized right away! When I asked him why, he replied that God had been calling him for years, and he had always resisted, but now he had no choice but to surrender to Him. Again, I asked him “Why?”. He said, “Because I cannot deny my wife’s miraculous change and healing! It’s astounding!” “What do you mean?”, I asked. He explained that his wife, Jill, had had many severe mental and emotional problems since childhood. She had been under psychiatric care and prescribed medication for many years, and was a diagnosed “severe manic-depressive”. She had repeatedly tried to kill herself, been addicted to drugs, was abused as a child, and as a result, has suffered from severe depression and abnormal mood swings most of her life. About a month ago however, God, in His infinite mercy and forgiveness, acted through another recently converted woman (Jill’s sister-in-law, Renee) and cast out the demons that were afflicting her in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ!
Whereupon, Jill then immediately got baptized and received the gift of the Holy Spirit and has been completely changed! David went on to explain that he just can’t believe the difference in his wife! “She is calm and happy, totally at peace, and full of love and joy all of the time”, he said. “Words can’t describe how much my wife has virtually changed overnight! And the changes are real! Thanks be to God, for giving me my wife back! Therefore, I now believe! And I must be baptized right now.”, he shouted at me over the phone. Needless to say, I invited him over to my house and baptized him “in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit” (Matt. 28:19) that very night. Since then, he and Jill have grown tremendously in God with the power of the Holy Spirit working in their lives, and he recently sent me this article that he wrote for a college assignment where the class was asked to write on the meaning of “Absolute Truth”.

[If you would like to contact either David Shobe or his wife, Jill, directly please feel free to email them at David Shobe dshobe@gmail.com or Jill Shobe me2u-co@hotmail.com Both the article and the moderator’s comments above are published with David and Jill’s permission].

ABSOLUTE TRUTH
By David Shobe
dshobe@gmail.com

Is there such a thing as absolute truth? I believe that in fact there is, and that there has
to be. I am not ready to say that I know what that truth is, but I am quite certain of it’s
source. Who, or what might this source be? How can I know that the source is real?
Where is the evidence for this source?

Could this source be mother nature, as some Native Americans and certain societal
radicals have held? No, it cannot be nature, for nature is not a source in the sense I am
writing about. Nature is merely a bit of creation, or a happy accident, depending upon
your point of view. Nature can feed the mind and body, but it cannot feed the soul.
Could mankind be the source? No, of course, this is a ridiculous question. If man was the
source, would the question ever need to be raised? We would already have all the
answers. There would be no war, no hunger, no greed, nor any other of the plethora of
evils in this world.

The source is God. Jesus Christ Himself. I know that many will laugh or scoff when they
read this, as would have I before He called me. Ignorance of the Truth breeds fear, and
fear needs a defense. Often laughter and ridicule are our greatest weapons. But there is
no need for a defense.

I have seen many miracles performed by God through believers and non-believers alike. I
have spoken to, and with God. I have heard the Devil, and he has heard me. I have seen
and heard things that if I approached a psychologist with, I would probably be locked
away in an institution.

Am I crazy? Some may believe I am, and I suppose that’s okay. I want to say that I
don’t care, but I do care. I want people to see and hear the Truth. I want them to hear
the Good News that Christ Jesus brought. I want everybody to learn how to truly be free,
not because some government or person says so, but because God says so.
This may sound contradictive in light of what I just said, but I seek possession. Not in the
vein the world knows. Don’t get me wrong, I do not want to have the “Emily Rose
Experience.” Rather, I want to be filled with the spirit of the Almighty Himself!
I sense ridicule rising in the hearts and minds of my audience again. In our culture we
are bombarded with images of “independence” as the ideal. I submit that through my
faith in Christ Jesus, I am truly independent. I am independent of this world. My spirit
has already transcended this plane. I am a Resident Alien to this world through my faith
in His Truth.

My faith has been tested and fortified through trials and tribulations. The road leading to
faith is not an easy one. As I have stated previously, I have seen and heard some crazy
stuff. I have seen demons. Not physically, but when I closed my eyes one night, I could
see them. They were teeming around my bed. God was calling out to my wife. He
wanted her, wanted to save her, and the demons knew it. Oh my goodness, were they
mad!

I’m sure you’ve all seen Hollywood’s portrayal of demons, and let me tell you, they’re
pretty close to spot on… Anyway, I’m seeing all of these demons writhing, screaming,
and piling on top of one another trying to get at my wife. When this kind of stuff is going
on in real life, not in some movie, it’s crazy scary. I don’t think I have ever been more
afraid in my life. But these demons are trying to attack my wife, the woman I would die
for!

Suddenly, a thought pops into my head: ‘Get the Bible, now!’ So I jumped out of bed and
got it. I went to church practically my entire childhood, but I knew next to nothing of His
Word. It didn’t matter. Call it circumstance, or blind luck, call it whatever you want, but I
knew where to turn to in the Bible. Those demons were really ticked now! As soon as I
rebuked the demons, invoking the name and power of Jesus Christ, the demons were
gone, disappeared!

I don’t think that at that time I considered myself a believer, I definitely didn’t consider
myself a Christian, not in the true sense of the word anyway. I knew of God, and I had
seen miracles, but someone was running interference. Do I need to tell you who that
was? The Enemy continues to run interference to this day, and will until the end of the
world. But it’s not all bad.

God uses the Enemy to reveal truths to believers and non-believers constantly. As Bono
(one of the greatest Christian philosophers of our time) of U2 said in the song God Part II,
“I don’t believe the Devil, I don’t believe his book, but the truth is not the same, without
the lies he made up.”

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Eric Wheeler, Hear God's Voice, Holy Spirit, Inspiration, My Sheep Hear My Voice, Vision, Voice of God

Is God Real to You? – Follow Up

Note from the Moderator: Many people have often been surprised to hear me claim
that God actually audibly speaks to us today. I thought that it might be spiritually
beneficial and interesting to our readers to share with you a recent discussion that I had
regarding this topic with a sister in the Lord, named Marrissa. With her permission, I
have published part of our email discussion below.

Sent: Wednesday, October 26, 2005 1:32 PM
Subject: RE: “Is God Real to You?” – article

Hi Eric,
I’m not sure if the entire “list” is going to get this response or not. However, your article
prompted me to really think about God speaking audibly to you. I, personally, find it
amazing (and even a little difficult) to comprehend what it is like to actually hear God’s
voice. Can you explain it? Have you ever asked Him specific additional questions that
He’s answered?

Also, there are so many people who go through fertility problems. Why do you think He
chose you, specifically, to talk to about your questions?

I can’t stop thinking about what it must be like to actually be able to hear God. Why do
you think He doesn’t just audibly talk to the rest of us and make it easy?

God bless,
Marissa M.

From: Sharing The Way [mailto:info@sharingtheway.com]
Sent: Wednesday, November 02, 2005 11:09 AM
Subject: Re: “Is God Real to You?” – article

Hi Marissa,

I want to first thank you for your excellent questions! They reflect a real hunger and
thirst for the truth and a deep desire to really know God, and I am honored that you have
allowed me the opportunity to share His words with you as well as some of my
experiences with Him.

You have asked me four questions in your letter below. But in a sense, I feel that they
are all four summed-up in these two questions: 1) Does God really speak to people
today? 2) And if so, then why doesn’t He speak to everybody? Let’s look at some
revealing Scriptures and promises that God gives to us in the Bible that might help answer
these questions:

1) DOES GOD REALLY SPEAK TO PEOPLE TODAY?

The answer is absolutely yes! But the problem is that most people don’t believe it is
possible. Therefore they don’t ever hear God or listen to Him. Notice these Scriptures:

John 10:26-27 – Jesus said, “But you do not believe, because you are not of My sheep, as
I said to you. My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.”

John 8:46-47 – Jesus said, “Why do you not believe Me? He who is of God hears God’s
words.”

Heb. 3:12-15 – “Beware brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in
departing from the living God. But exhort one another daily, while it is called ‘Today’ lest
any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. For we have become partakers
of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end, while it is said:
‘Today if you will hear His voice, do not harden your hearts as in the [day of]
rebellion’.”

Notice that in all three of these Scriptures, there is a correlation between “believing” and
“hearing”? They clearly state that in order to hear God, you must first believe! The
Scriptures confirm this. “For it is impossible to please God without faith [belief]. For he
who comes to God must believe that He is [exists], and that He is a rewarder [a giver or
answerer] of those who diligently seek Him.” (Heb. 11:6).

Jesus told a disbelieving Pontius Pilate that “everyone who is of the truth hears My voice!”
(John 18:37). To which Pontius Pilate blankly replied, “What is truth?” Obviously, he
didn’t recognize or believe that Jesus Christ and the Bible were the Truth. Therefore, he
didn’t hear from God anymore. The Bible says that God’s Word is truth (John 17:17). And
it also says that Jesus who came down from heaven as the actual Word of God incarnate
in human flesh is the literal embodiment of that Truth. For He said, “I am the Way, the
Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14:6). In
other words, unless you believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and are in Him, you will not
“hear” from Him on a regular basis. You might “hear” from Him once or twice, just like
Pontius Pilate did. But unless you value Him, and believe in Him, and pursue after Him
with all of your heart in faith (in a state of belief), you will in no wise have any fellowship
with Him! Fellowship consists of an on-going relationship with Him based on
communication. And yes, this includes both talking with Him and hearing from Him.

Let me show you from the Scriptures what I mean. Take the example of Cornelius in the
Bible. Here is a man who sought a relationship with God from his heart. He pursued God
with what “little understanding” he had. In other words, because he was faithful with
what “little” God had spiritually given him, God gave him more, just as He said that He
would (see Matt. 25:21,29). Notice the story of Cornelius in Acts 10:1-48. Cornelius
loved God and served Him with what little he spiritually had [that is, with what he
spiritually understood]. So because of his faithfulness, God gave him more by sending His
servant Peter to him to give him (and his entire household) the Holy Spirit. The
Holy Spirit is the very mind, nature, and spirit of Jesus Christ (I Cor. 2:10-16; Phil
2:5). It is how and by what means we live in Him and He in us. It is how we have
fellowship and communion with God. It is primarily how He communicates with us –
through His Holy Spirit! Notice, the Holy Spirit doesn’t speak of His own agenda, but
whatsoever He hears from God that He will speak to us. For Jesus said this: “He [the Holy
Spirit] will guide you into all Truth. For He will not speak on His own authority, but
whatever He hears He will speak. And He will tell you things to come. He will glorify Me,
for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you” (John 16:13-14). The Bible also
says that without the Holy Spirit a person is not God’s. Notice: “Now if anyone does not
have the Spirit of Christ dwelling in him, then he is not His” (Rom. 8:9).

Jesus speaks to us by and through His Spirit. Notice this in the Scriptures. In times past,
God primarily spoke to His people by the mouths of prophets and apostles. But that is
now not the case! Notice – “God who at various times and in different ways spoke in time
past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son…”
(Heb. 1:1-2). When you have the Spirit of Christ [the Holy Spirit] dwelling in you, you
hear from Jesus Christ (God) quite often. In fact, He speaks to me through His Holy Spirit
almost everyday. And what He has to say and what He shows me is always incredible!
God literally talks to me – and not to me only! But to everyone who has His Holy Spirit.
The Bible is full of New Testament examples of this. Notice:

Acts 9:4-5 – “Then he [Saul/Paul] fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to him,
‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?’ And he said, ‘Who are You, Lord?’ And the
Lord said, ‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.”

Acts 9:10 – “Now there was a certain disciple [believer] at Damascus named Ananias.
And to him the Lord said in a vision, ‘Ananias’. And he said, ‘Here I am, Lord.’ So the
Lord said to him…”

Acts 10:13 – “And a voice came to him, ‘Rise, Peter! Kill and eat.’ But Peter said, ‘Not
so, Lord! For I have never eaten anything common or unclean.’ And a voice spoke to
him again the second time, ‘What God has cleansed you must not call common’….While
Peter thought about the vision, the Spirit said to him…”

Acts 8:29 – “Then the Spirit said to Philip, ‘Go near and overtake this chariot’.”

Acts 18:9-10 – “Now the Lord spoke to Paul in the night by a vision, ‘Do not be afraid,
but speak, and do not keep silent. For I am with you, and no one will attack you to hurt
you. For I have many people in this city.”

Acts 13:2 – “As they ministered to the Lord and fasted, the Holy Spirit said, ‘Now
separate to Me Barnabas and Saul [Paul] for the work to which I have called them’.”

Acts 23:11 – “But the following night the Lord stood by him and said, ‘Be of good cheer,
Paul. For as you have testified for Me in Jerusalem, so you must also bear witness at
Rome’.”

Remember all of these examples given above happened after Jesus’ crucifixion,
resurrection, and ascension into Heaven. He was (and is) speaking from Heaven where
He now sits on the right hand of God the Father (Heb. 12:2). Jesus is the same
yesterday, today, and forever (Heb.13:8). Since I received the baptism of the Holy Spirit
awhile back, Jesus has spoken to me many times audibly, as well as sometimes through
visions and dreams. It is amazing to realize that the Scriptures speak of these things, and
yet, most of us just sit in churches all of our lives never realizing it. In one sense, we
don’t believe that Jesus is just “as alive” today as He was then! This is a big reason why
most people don’t hear from Him today! They don’t believe that He really is alive and that
He is as REAL today as He was in the first century! But I can assure you that He is very
real, and that He is very much alive and involved with His people today.

2) WHY DOESN’T GOD SPEAK TO EVERYBODY?

This is a good question. Perhaps, it is best answered by Jesus Himself. Jesus’ own
disciples asked Him why He so often spoke to the masses of people in parables. He
answered them and said, “Because it has been given to you to know the mysteries of the
Kingdom of Heaven, but to them it has not been given” (Matt. 13:10-11). God is simply
not calling everybody to know Him at this time – only those who are destined to know Him
now are being called by Him. And that doesn’t necessarily mean that all of those who are
destined to be called by Him at this time are going to respond to Him either. Everyone is
still given free will and free moral choice. Let me explain. Please look at the
following Scriptures:

Rom. 8:28 – “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God,
to those who are the called according to His purpose. For whom He foreknew, He also
predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn
among many brethren. Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called…”

I Cor. 1:26-28 – “For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise [men] according
to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called. But God has chosen the
foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things
of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty, and the insignificant things of
the world and the things which are despised [looked down upon] God has chosen.”

Matt. 20:16 – Jesus said, “For many are called, but few chosen.”

John 6:44 – Jesus said, “No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws
[calls] him.”

Also, notice that God made the gospel [“the good news”] a mystery – hidden from most of
the world so that most of the world would not understand Him or know Him! Notice how
many times the word “mystery” is used in the Scriptures below (these are not all the
Scriptures either). God truly has hidden His Plan from the majority of the world!

Mark 4:11-12 – “He [Jesus] told them, ‘The mystery of the Kingdom of God has been
given to you. But to those on the outside everything is said in parables so that they may
be ever seeing, but never perceiving, and ever hearing, but never understanding…”

Rom. 16:25 – “Now to Him who is able to establish you by my gospel and the
proclamation of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery hidden for long
ages past …”

I Cor. 2:7-8 – “But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, a wisdom that has been
hidden and that God destined for our glory before time began. None of the rulers of this
age understood it, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.”

Eph. 1:9 – “And He made known to us the mystery of His will according to His good
pleasure, which he purposed in Christ.”

Eph. 3:1-9 – “For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for the sake of you
Gentiles– Surely you have heard about the administration of God’s grace that was given
to me for you, that is, the mystery made known to me by revelation, as I have already
written briefly. In reading this, then, you will be able to understand my insight into the
mystery of Christ, which was not made known to men in other generations as it has now
been revealed by the Spirit… This mystery is that through the gospel… Although I am
less than the least of all God’s people, this grace was given to me to preach to the
Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to make plain to everyone the
administration of this mystery, which for ages past was kept hidden in God who created
all things.”

Eph. 6:19-20 – Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given
me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel for which I am an
ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should.”

Col. 1:25-27 – “I have become its [the Church’s] servant by the commission God gave me
to present to you the word of God in its fullness — the mystery that has been kept
hidden for ages and generations, but is now disclosed to the saints. To them God has
chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is
Christ in you, the hope of glory.”

Col. 2:2-3 – “My purpose is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so
that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may
know the mystery of God, namely, Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of
wisdom and knowledge.”

Rev. 10:7 – “But in the days when the seventh angel is about to sound his trumpet, the
mystery of God will be accomplished, just as He announced to His servants the
prophets.”

God is working out His Plan here on this earth that very few know of or are even aware
of. It is impossible to know and understand the “mysteries of God” without the Spirit of
God. Even the Scriptures say this! “But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, the
hidden wisdom which God ordained before the ages for our glory, which none of the rulers
of this age knew… But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit
searches all things, yes, the deep things of God… No one knows the things of God except
the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is
from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God… But
the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness
to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned” (I Cor. 2:7-14).

The world as a whole does not, and cannot, know God or the things of God. Because they
do not have His Holy Spirit. But don’t worry, Marissa, the Scriptures also promise that
God will give His Holy Spirit to them who ask Him and to those who obey Him (Luke
11:13; Acts 5:32). The problem is that most people don’t ask Him or seek after Him to
know Him intimately. Because they really don’t believe in Him, they don’t put forth the
effort that it takes to really get to know Him. They are too preoccupied with this world
and what it has to offer. That is why Jesus said, “Blessed are those who hunger and
thirst for righteousness. For they shall be filled!” (Matt. 5:6).

I hope this helps explain some things. Please let me know if I’ve raised more questions
than I’ve answered. May God be with you.

Eric Wheeler
eric@sharingtheway.com

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Eric Wheeler, Hear God's Voice, Holy Spirit, Inspiration, My Sheep Hear My Voice, Vision, Voice of God

Is God Real To You?

By Eric Wheeler
eric@sharingtheway.com

I remember the first time that God became really real to me. It was about ten years ago
in the spring of 1995. The church that I had been faithfully attending for twenty-five
years was beginning to radically change things that I had believed in all of my life. These
“doctrinal changes” they were teaching began to throw my entire belief system into a real
crisis and left my spiritual life in a real quandary. The very things that I had based my
whole spiritual relationship with God on were now being brought into question, and
consequently, it caused me to realize that without them, I was spiritually empty and poor.
As I mentioned in a previous article, recognizing one’s own “spiritual poverty” is a good
thing (Jesus called it a “blessed” state) because it causes one to begin to cry out in truth
and search for God in humility and earnest. It causes one to yearn to find the truth no
matter what the spiritual and physical consequences are.

It was during this time in my life that I truly found God and realized how real He really is.
It was during this difficult time in my life that I began to actually hear directly from Him
instead of through a preacher or an “ordained minister”. In fact, over the years as I
began to hear from Him more regularly, I began to find myself in more and more conflict
with the “professional theologians” of our day. Let me explain. I want to share with you
what has happened in my spiritual relationship with God which has left me with a
profound sense of God’s existence and personal revelation of Himself to me. These things
have deeply changed my life, as well as my family’s life. In some cases, they have cost
me “everything”, and yet, in all ways they have given me everything. It seems that in
order to truly know God, you have to be willing to “pay the price”. Jesus spoke of this
cost of discipleship. He said, “If anyone comes to Me and does not hate [love less] his
father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he
cannot be My disciple [follower]. And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me
cannot be My disciple…Whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be My
disciple” (Luke 14:26-33). Paul, too, said that “he suffered the loss of all things” in order
that he might gain Christ and truly know Him (Phil. 3:8).

As I mentioned above, my “wake-up call” to the reality of God began about ten years ago.
My wife, Teresa, and I had been trying to have a baby for six years to no avail. It was
very discouraging and frustrating. Nothing seemed to work. One day after some medical
testing, we were conferring with the fertility doctor when he flatly said, “Eric and Teresa,
let me be blunt with you. Eric, you have some fertility problems. Teresa, you have some
fertility problems. Together, that means you have serious fertility problems. Quite
frankly, pregnancy isn’t going to happen! Have you ever seriously considered adoption?”
Needless to say, we were both devastated.

I remembered thinking then, ‘How could this be? Surely, this can’t be true! Children are
a gift from God. The Bible says so! I know God. He would never let this happen to me!
Both Teresa and I are “good church-going Christians”’, I self-righteously thought to
myself, ‘And if we are indeed infertile, then there must be a good reason for it!’ Instead
of letting the pain and hurt of the truth sink deep into my heart, I began to spiritually try
to “reason it away”. I began to say to myself things like, ‘Oh well, it must be God’s will.’
‘There must be a good spiritual reason for this then.’ ‘Maybe the end of the world is
closer than we think.’ ‘After all, there are Scriptures that say it is better to not have
nursing babies during the end times for the sake of convenience and traveling, and
hardships, and whatever.’ These are the kinds of “spiritual” thoughts and statements that
I began to use to comfort myself and my wife with that only lead to more questions and
more frustrations, and clearly demonstrate a shallow and immature understanding of God
and His loving ways. But I was trying to spiritually cope with my severe sense of utter
disappointment in God and how He could even allow such a thing to occur in my life. The
truth is I was really hurting inside, and I was afraid of God, and didn’t want to “offend”
Him by questioning His judgment in not giving us a child! It was easier for me to just
dismiss my feelings and disappointment with God, rather than face the truth, and become
real and honest with God, and to go to Him with that disappointment. All of these feelings
were happening to me at the same time in my life that I was being forced to question
what I really believed because the church that I had been attending all of this time was
also causing me to have to question the doctrines that they had been teaching me for all
of these years. It was a very spiritually difficult and trying time for me and Teresa. But
just as God’s Word clearly testifies, it is during these trying times that God performs His
work in us and produces His spiritual fruit (Jam.1:2-4).

After a number of months of denying my true feelings, I had pretty much convinced
myself that I was taking relative solace in the fact that I was indeed living within God’s
will by accepting “His judgment” that we were not going to have any children. But that
hypocrisy and ignorance was soon to be exposed. My wife and I were taking a walk late
one evening around our neighborhood when we both happened to notice a woman
pushing a baby carriage down the sidewalk. Upon seeing the baby carriage, my wife
immediately collapsed in tears on the side of the road, sobbing, and pleading with me
inconsolably, “How can God do such a thing to us?,” she demanded. “Why can’t we have
any children?!” From my heart, I knew I couldn’t answer her. I knew that I couldn’t
adequately explain to her or to myself why God had allowed this to happen. I knew that I
didn’t truly have the answers. So for the first time in my life I determined in my heart to
confront my fears and my anguish by truly asking Him directly with all sincerity and
honesty, why He had done this to us. In my grief, I ran home leaving my poor wife sitting
there on the side of the road crying.

When I reached my front door, I ran inside, grabbed my Bible, and threw myself on my
bed in tears. I cried and cried, asking God how could He do this to us? Afterall the times
that I put Him first in my life, why has He chosen to not give us children? I was so hurt
by Him and I proceeded to let Him know it! I held nothing back. I finally figured that
since, it was truly what my heart was saying to God anyway, I might as well go ahead and
say it to Him with my mouth. Right then and there, I became honest with God, and with
myself. I held up my Bible in tears and begged Him for an answer. I cried out, “Lord, you
promised me in this Book that if a man delights himself in the Lord, and follows Your
ways, then his wife would be a fruitful vine, and his children would be like olive plants
sitting round his table (Psalm 128:1-4). You said that children would be his heritage and
his reward as a gift from you (Psalm 127:3-5). Lord, I have sought You and Your ways
since my youth. I have tried to serve You with my whole heart all of my life. I believed
You, Lord! I believed what You promised in Your Word! Why then have you done this to
me? Why have you chosen to make me and Teresa barren?” I soaked my bed that night
with my tears, pleading with Him for an answer.

All of a sudden, I heard a booming voice that shook my room! I felt His Presence all
around me. I had never heard from God before in all of my life. In fact, the truth is, I
had never expected to. But I guess, now was the time. Now was the time that I had
finally become open and honest with God and stopped hiding my feelings from Him. So it
was at that time that God became “open and honest” with me so to speak (Psalm 18:25-
27). I became “naked” before Him, and stopped running from Him, by hiding my true
feelings and my true thoughts. I became an “open book” to Him, not caring about how it
appeared, or whether or not my thoughts and words were “correct” or not. I stopped
“playing church” on that day and began to “be the church”. I became a believer that day
by actually becoming real with God. And you know what – on that same day, He became
real with me! It happened when I was at my lowest point emotionally – when I was
vulnerable; when I was in a spirit of “brokenness” and honesty. It happened when I
allowed the true feelings and thoughts of my heart to come out of my mouth. For it says,
“The Word is near you, even in your mouth and in your heart… For with the heart one
believes to righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made to salvation.” (Rom.
10:8-10).

As I stated above, the Lord spoke to me audibly that day as His voice shook my bedroom.
He said, “Eric, don’t worry! Your wife will give birth to a baby girl. And you shall call her
name Elizabeth.” The room filled with the power and authority of His voice. I sat up in
total amazement at what I had just clearly heard. He not only had called me by name,
but He answered me with wonderful news! Immediately though, before I could say
anything with my mouth, my carnal mind shot back, ‘Elizabeth? Why Elizabeth? I don’t
even like the name Elizabeth! Can’t I make her middle name Elizabeth, and call her first
name something else?’ Without hesitation, the Lord said to me, “That is fine.” I then
realized that the Lord had just read my mind. Once again, I instantly became afraid and
immediately tried to shrink back in order to guard and hide my thoughts, so as not to
“anger” Him. But then, I soon realized my own foolishness, and had to laugh at myself,
saying, ‘Eric, God reads you like an open book. Why are you trying to hide from Him?’

I soon realized that that is what I had been doing all along. I was trying to hide from Him
because of my lack of faith and my spiritual insecurities. That is what Adam and Eve were
also trying to do. They were trying to hide their true spiritual state from God. That is,
they were trying to hide their sins, their thoughts, their actions, their feelings, their
shortcomings, and their inadequacies, etc. from God as if He couldn’t see them. After
they ate of the forbidden fruit, it says that their eyes were opened and they saw what
they really were (“naked”), so they made clothes for themselves and hid from God. When
they realized what they truly were before God – that is, they were “naked” (or “spiritually
lacking”) – they tried to “clothe” themselves and hide from Him (Gen. 3:6-11).
Unfortunately, this is what we humans do! Instead of confessing what we truly are before
Him and what we really think and feel (our true spiritual condition), we try to “cover”
ourselves up by appearing to be something we’re not or by pretending to feel something
we don’t. As if we, being human, can fool God. Notice that is exactly what Adam and Eve
did. They tried to clothe themselves. But God stripped away their “self-made clothing”
(picturing their hypocrisy, and their excuses, and their pointing of fingers at each other),
and instead He made clothes for them out of animal skins which pictured the coming
Jesus Christ as the sacrificial Lamb which God was going to provide for all of us to cover
our spiritual nakedness and inadequacies.

Like Adam and Eve, I too, wasn’t being open and honest with God. I was portraying
myself and my feelings one way outwardly, but really feeling something quite differently
inwardly. That is called hypocrisy. In fact, the word hypocrisy literally means “to mask”.
That is what we humans naturally do. We wear masks. We try to hide our true feelings
and thoughts from each other and from God because we feel that they may not be
appropriate or right. But doing this is living a lie. And God has not called us to be liars,
but to speak the truth in love to one another (Eph. 4:15, 25). For God is the God of
Truth, not a god of lies. And we are told that as His children, we are to be holy and true
just as He is holy and true (I Pet. 1:15-16; Rev. 3:7). Therefore, if our thoughts and
feelings are not right, then we need to confess them openly to God and ask Him to
“clothe” us with the blood of His Holy Son Jesus and to change us by putting in us a new
nature and spirit which is the Holy Spirit of God. He will do this if we simply ask Him to
by confessing our true spiritual state to Him (repentance), by becoming baptized in water
(picturing being covered by the blood of Jesus Christ), and by receiving the gift of His Holy
Spirit (being given a new Godly nature). This is what God has commanded His people
everywhere to do (Acts 2:38; Acts 17:30). This commandment is to the Jew [religious]
first, and then to the Gentile [non-religious] (see Rom.1:16; Rom. 2:6-11; Rom. 3:21-
31).

About a month after hearing God tell me that my wife, Teresa, was going to have a baby
girl, we found out that she was pregnant. Sadly though, she miscarried this baby about
three months into her pregnancy. She then immediately became pregnant again. She
lost that one too within a few short weeks of conception. I remember leaving the doctor’s
office that day feeling greatly discouraged after having received this devastating news. In
my frustration and disappointment, I cried out to God in my car on the way home. He
immediately spoke to me, “Eric, remember I told you, ‘Not to worry! Your wife will give
birth to a baby girl’”. The Lord was showing me during this time in my life that I needed
to be willing to trust Him and endure with Him in faith believing His promises. A few short
months later, Teresa again became pregnant. This time the pregnancy took. About six
months into her pregnancy as my wife was busily flipping through a name book, realizing
that she indeed was going to carry this baby full-term, she asked me what we should
name our daughter. (We had an ultrasound done which told us the sex of the child). I
told her to look up the name “Elizabeth”. She read it to me. I was greatly encouraged
and moved when I heard her say, “It means ‘oath of God’ or ‘God promised!’”.

My firstborn daughter, Kate Elizabeth Wheeler, was born July 12, 1996. My wife and I
now have three beautiful children from the Lord. Praise His Holy name. I know God
exists. I hear Him. He talks to me often and He is more real than any of us can imagine.
He has since told me to tell others that He is more real than they believe, and that He
loves them more than they know. Call out to Him today. He will hear you. After all, He
promised!

Eric
eric@sharingtheway.com

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The Walk

In Faith & Weakness We Are Over-comers!

by Jerry Olson
olsonjd@netscape.com

Who are these overcomers?

"By faith the walls of Jericho fell down. By faith Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David
and Samuel and the prophets, who through faith subdued kingdoms, worked
righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the violence of
fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong." (Heb.
11:30-34)

Paul told his spiritual brothers, "And I, brethren, when I came to you, did not come with
excellence of speech or of wisdom declaring to you the testimony of God. For I
determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. I was
with you in weakness, fear, and much trembling" (I Cor 2:1-3).

We also read where Paul had a weakness in his flesh and asked that it be removed. But
what was the Lord’s reply? "Concerning this thing, I pleaded with the Lord three times
that it might depart from me. And He said to me, " My grace is sufficient for you, for
My strength is made perfect in weakness." (II Cor 12:8-9).

"Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecution, in
distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong." (II Cor 12:10).

All Christians are to become overcomers.

I Cor 4:1 says, "Let a man so consider us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the
mysteries of God. Moreover it is required in stewards that one be found faithful."
I John 3:1 says, "Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we
should be called children of God! Therefore the world does not know us, because it did
not know Him."

Joel 2:12: "Now, therefore,’ says the Lord, "Turn to Me with all your heart, with fasting,
with weeping, and with mourning."

Jesus said to His disciples, "Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit
indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak" (Matt. 26:41).

Jesus gave us an example for our Christian walk with Him.

Let us read about what He did prior to a great encounter with the devil, when He knew He
would need extra strength. "Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be
tempted by the devil. And when He had fasted forty days and forty nights, afterward
He was hungry. Then the tempter came to Him…" (Matt. 4:1-3). Jesus was very weak in
the flesh at this point, however He was very strong in the spirit. He knew that He needed
this extra "power from on high" in the form of the Holy Spirit, in order to defeat the devil,
at the devil’s game.

Notice what it says in Matt.17: 15-21: "Lord, have mercy on my son, for he is an epileptic
and suffers severely; for he often falls into the fire and often into the water. So I brought
him to your disciples, but they could not cure him. Then Jesus answered and said, ‘O
faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I bear
with you? Bring him here to Me.’ And Jesus rebuked the demon, and he came out of
him; and the child was cured from that very hour. Then His disciples came to Him
privately and said, ‘Why could we not cast him out?’ So Jesus said to them, ‘Because of
your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will
say to this mountain, "Move from here to there", and it will move; and nothing will be
impossible for you. However, this kind [of faith] does not go out except by prayer and
fasting."

Luke 2:36-37: "Now there was one, Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the
tribe of Asher. She was of great age, and had lived with a husband seven years from her
virginity; and this women was a widow of about eighty-four years, who did not depart
from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day.

Act 10:30-31: "And Cornelius said, " Four days ago I was fasting until this hour; and at
the ninth hour I prayed in my house, and behold, a man stood before me in bright
clothing, and said, ‘Cornelius, your prayer has been heard, and your alms are
remembered in the sight of God."

Act 13: 2-3: "As they ministered to the Lord and fasted, the Holy Spirit said, " Now
separate to Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them. Then, having
fasted and prayed, and laid hands on them, they sent them away."

If we want to be strong in the Spirit of God, we will want to fast. I think it is
obvious that these people fasted so as to accomplish work for God, and be close with
God. They didn’t do it to be seen of men or to serve self, but to have power from on high,
for the Lord’s work. We will find power in weakness.

I Cor 2:3-5: "I was with you in weakness, in fear, and in much trembling. And my
speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in
demonstration of the Spirit and of power, that your faith should not be in the wisdom of
men but in the power of God.

I Cor 15: 42-44: "So also is the resurrection of the dead. The body is sown in corruption,
it is raised in incorruption. It is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory. It is sown in
weakness, it is raised in power. It is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body.

II Cor 13:4: "For though He was crucified in weakness, yet He lives by the power of
God For we also are weak in Him, but we shall live with Him by the Power of God toward
you."

By faith they overcame their weakness.

By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to the place which he would
afterwards receive as an inheritance (Heb 11:8).

Noah was a man who endured hostility and ridicule from men for over 100 years because
he had faith that God would do as He said.

Joseph remained faithful to God through many hardships and in spite of brotherly hatred,
slavery, deception, and imprisonment.

Joshua and Caleb were the only adults of the original children of God that came out of
Egypt that were allowed by God to enter into the promised land, because they were men
of faith.

All of these individuals; like you and me today, had to remain strong in the faith,
although weak in our flesh, for each must endure their own humanity and weakness.

Ministers of God & Ministers of Christ through weakness!

II Cor 6:4-6: "But in all things we commend ourselves as ministers of God; in much
patience, in tribulations, in needs, in distresses, in stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults,
in labors, in sleeplessness, in fastings; by purity, by knowledge, by long-suffering, by
kindness, by the Holy Spirit, by sincere love."

II Cor 11:22-28: "Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they
the seed of Abraham? So am I. Are they ministers of Christ? I speak as a fool – I am
more. In labors, more abundant; in stripes, above measure; in prisons, more
frequently; in deaths, often; from the Jews five times I received forty stripes minus one;
in weariness and toil; in sleeplessness often; in hunger and thirst; in fastings often; in
cold and nakedness. Besides the other things, what comes upon me daily – my deep
concern for all the churches." As servants of God through faith, these overcomers
did these works!

I Cor 4:1-2: " Let a man so consider us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the
mysteries of God. Moreover it is required in stewards that one be found faithful".

James 1:21-22: "Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and
receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. But be
doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves."

James 2:19-20: "You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe
and tremble. But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead?"

Gal 5:22-25: "But the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, long suffering, kindness,
goodness, faithfulness; gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. And those
who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live in the
spirit, let us also walk in the spirit."

Overcomers will share the fruit of the spirit with all men, regardless of how they
are treated, as they walk out their faith with humility.

Phil 3: 8-9: "But indeed I count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of
Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as
rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness,
which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which
is from God by faith."

Col. 3:12: "Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies,
kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, long sufferings."

Col .3:14: "But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection."

Titus 2:11-13: "For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men;
teaching us that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly,
righteously, and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and glorious
appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ."

Overcomers have endurance through faith in Jesus our Lord!

Eph 6: 10-12: "Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His
might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of
the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against
powers, against the rulers of darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in
the heavenly places."

Hebrews 10:36: "For you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the
will of God, you may receive the promise."

I pray we will maintain our vigilance as servants for our Lord, be strong in our
walk with boldness and purpose, that we can stand with Him in His kingdom.

**** WARNING ****

Rev 3: 16-17: "So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spew
you out of My mouth. Because you say, ‘I am rich have become wealthy, and have need
of nothing, and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked."

Rev 21: 4-7: "And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more
death, nor sorrow, nor crying; and there shall be no more pain, for the former things have
passed away. Then He who sat on the throne said, ‘Behold, I make all things new.’ And
He said to me, ‘Write, for these words are true and faithful.’ And He said to me, ‘It is
done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. I will give of the
fountain of the water of life freely to him who thirsts. He who overcomes shall inherit all
things, and I will be his God and he shall be My son."

Our power over our fleshly weakness is found in the strength of our faith, as we
learn to rely on our Lord. For in Him only, is our salvation, and in Him only are

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The Walk

Do You Believe?

by Welton Tucker
tucknsandisplace@comcast.net

Note from the moderator: Below is a letter that I received from an elderly friend of
mine whom I know to be filled with the Holy Spirit. He is a humble man that I respect in
the Lord very much. He is seventy years old, and goes by the name of "Tuck". He
contacted me last week saying that the Lord told him to write this message down and
send it to me. When he was given this message, he was sitting with his wife at the
hospital as she received her kidney dialysis treatment which she has to endure three
times a week. Out of love and devotion to his wife, he faithfully sits beside her comforting
her during these grueling treatments which usually take up to 4 and 5 hours a day. His
selfless example of love and devotion to his wife and to God reminds me a lot of Simeon
and Anna in the Bible. They were two elderly people living in Jerusalem at the time of
Jesus’ birth whom the Bible says "faithfully served God day and night in the Temple, and
who waited for the consolation of Israel [the promises of God to be fulfilled]". It says that
both of these faithful servants of God were filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied about
the coming of the Lord Jesus (Luke 2:25-38). How appropriate that Tuck’s
message below has the same theme – the imminent coming of the Lord Jesus Christ!

Greetings in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Jesus is soon to return. But do you really believe that Jesus will return? Are preachers
really preaching the gospel of the Kingdom or the gospel of man? Before Jesus left the
earth, He charged his disciples to go into all the world and preach the gospel to all
nations. In Matthew 28: 18-20 Jesus came and spoke to them saying, "All authority has
been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the
nations; baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit;
teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you
always, even to the end of the age."

Do you really believe Jesus is going to return for His people? Jesus says in Matthew 24:
36-39: "But of that day and hour no one knows, no, not even the angels of heaven, but
My Father only. But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man
be. For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and
giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and did not know until the
flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be." This
meant they did not believe it was going to rain! Do you believe Jesus is going to return?
Lots of preachers preach money, not the gospel of the Kingdom. They preach
members, not giving to the poor or the fatherless or widow. Instead, they are taking from
them. I tell you the truth, Jesus Christ is soon to return! The warnings are going
out. The 24th chapter of Matthew is beginning to be fulfilled at this very moment! What
you see happening now is just the beginning of sorrows. It is going to get worse. When a
woman’s birth pain begins the baby is getting ready to come. When we see all these
things happening, Jesus Christ is about to return. When the trees are young and tender,
summer is near. In my final words today, ask yourself: ‘Am I dressed to meet Jesus
Christ?’ ‘Do I have on my wedding garments?’ If not, repent and believe the gospel, and
put on God’s armor. Many are looking for a place of safety – but always remember, the
place of safety is in Jesus Christ.

Love Your Brother in Christ,
Welton Tucker

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General, Jerry Olson

Knowing God

By Jerry Olson
jerrydeanolson@yahoo.com

I am the Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last.” (Rev
:22:13)

God the Father of our Lord Jesus the Christ – Then Jesus said, “Father, forgive them
for they do not know what they do.” (Luke 23:34)

“I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” (Mat 22:32)

God is a Creator. “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth” (Gen 1:1).
So God created man in His own image. (Gen 1:27)

God as Patriarch. A patriarch is one who rules by paternal right. God our Father will
always be in charge and will always be our patriarch. He gave us life through His Son
Jesus. “Do not fear little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the
Kingdom” (Luke 12:32).

“The sons of this age marry and are given in marriage. But those who are counted worthy
to attain that age, and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry nor are given in
marriage. Nor can they die anymore, for they are equal to the angels and are sons of God,
being sons of the resurrection” (Luke 20:34).

Our Fathers plan, even from the very beginning was to have a family, and be a part of His
family.

“Behold, what manner of love the Father has bestowed upon us, that we should be called
the children of God” (I John 3:1).

“Because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying
out, ‘Abba Father’. Therefore you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son, then an
heir of God through Jesus (Gal 4:6-7). “But as many as receive Him, to them He gave the
right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name” (John 1:12). “Do
you not know that we shall judge angels?” (I Cor 6:3 )

God knows His children. “For whom He fore knew, He also predestined to be conformed to
the image of His Son, that He might be the first born among many brethren” (Romans
8:29).

God is Love. (I John 4:8)

God is Faithful. (Heb.10:23)

God is a Giver. (I Cor 2:12) “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and
comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of
turning” (James 1:17).

God is Pure. (Prov 30:5)

God is Peace. “And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your
hearts and minds through Christ Jesus” (Phil 4:7).

God is of Purpose. “Who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to
our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ
Jesus before time began” (II Tim 1:9).

God is merciful. (Deut. 4:31; Luke 6:36)

God is Judge. “They will give an account to Him” (I Peter 4:5). “So then every one of us
shall give account to himself to God” (Rom. 14:12).

God gives grace. “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble” (James 4:6).

God is Light. “God is light and in Him is no darkness at all” (I John 1:5).

God can be wrathful. “And the wrath of God is complete” (Rev 15:1).

My question to all that may read this, is this: Do we truly know God by what we read
about God? Can we really know anyone by just reading about them? If you want to know
anyone you must spend time with them. Talk with them. Get to know them by
developing a relationship with them. All good friends and close family members trust one
another.

How might we have a close relationship with God, so as to know Him personally? In
Hebrews 8 starting at verse 10 we read, ” For this is the covenant that I will make with
the House of Israel: ‘After those days’, says the Lord, ‘I will put My laws in their mind and
write them on their hearts. And I will be their God and they shall be my people. None
of them shall teach his neighbor, and none his brother, saying, ‘Do you know the Lord?’
For all shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them” (Heb. 8:10-11).

In Numbers chapter 14, we read about Joshua and Caleb who were both ordinary men.
But what separated them from the other men in Israel? Their belief in God! They said, “If
the Lord delights in us, then He will bring us into this land and give it to us, a land which
flows with milk and honey. The Lord is with us do not fear them” (Num. 14:8-9) . They
believed what the Father had told Israel. The others did not believe and
consequently, they all died in the desert over the next 40 years. All of them died except
for the youth. The older ones did not know God, they hadn’t learned to trust in God, in
spite of the fact that He had called them His special people and taken them out of Egypt
with a mighty hand.

In Acts 13:22, we read about the testimony of God: For God said, “I have David, the son
of Jesse, a man after My own heart, who will do all My will.”

We read in I Samuel 17 how Jesse, David’s father, had sent him to his brothers serving in
Saul’s army – the Army of Israel. David said, “Who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that
he should defy the armies of the living God?” David’s brothers and Saul the King said,
“David you are not able to go against this Philistine to fight. For you are but a youth!”
But David answered them and said, “The Lord, who delivered me from the paw of the lion
and from the paw of the bear, He will deliver me from this Philistine” (I Sam. 17:32-37).

I believe that if a son is to know the Father, he must know the Father’s heart!

As children of God, we must come to know God in the spirit. “There is therefore now no
condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh,
but according to the spirit… For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually
minded is life and peace… So then those who are in the flesh cannot please God… For
you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the spirit of
adoption by whom we cry out ‘Abba Father’ “(Romans 8:1-15)

Hebrews 11:6 says, “But without faith it is impossible to please Him. For he who
comes to God must believe that He is, [not 99% but 100% belief] and that He is a
rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.”

Stop for a moment and really think about it! Ask yourself, ‘What area in my life is there
right now that I have the opportunity to put all of my trust in the Father, so He will
become more real to me, in order that I may understand Him and know His heart?’ Our
opportunities and challenges will be different for each of us. For some it will be finances,
others perhaps possessions, a health issue, business, maybe family. Every Christian
struggles with something. Fear causes our faith to be in lack, but trust is what our Father
wants from us. It is fear, doubt, worry, and human reasoning that cause our faith to
diminish!

God loves us. He is our Father. He wants a close relationship with each of us. God is
real. He is not some distant idea or Being that we are to fear. He is our Father! Would
any Father fail to give good gifts to His children. James 1:17 says, “Every good gift and
every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom
there is no variation or shadow of turning.”

Life is very short. Why live it, without knowing God?

We lack because we ask not (Jam. 4:2). We have not learned who our Father is and that
He is real. God wants a relationship that is strong and meaningful with His sons and
daughters.

We must become as little children. Picture a small son who is being asked by his father,
“Just jump into my arms, son! Have no fear about the height, I will catch you!” Trust is a
powerful thing. Why is it so hard for sons that are full grown, to jump into their Father’s
arms? Little children do it without hesitation. If daddy said it, then it surely must be OK,
they believe.

“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” (Psalms 46:1)

“God reigns over the nations; God sits on his holy throne.” (Psalms 46:8)

Are you ready to know God?
All sons of God could be ready to jump, without giving it a second thought. After all, God
does the catching! Remember God is a loving Father.

Jesus said, “Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little
children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.” (Mat 18:3).

“Preserve me, O God, for in you I put my trust” (Psalm 16:1)

Did not God say, “Surrender your life to Me, and I will provide all of your needs?” (see
Matt. 6:8; 6:25-33)

“Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will
drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body
more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather
into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?
Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature? So why do you worry about
clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow. They neither toil nor spin. And
yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Now
if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the
oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?” (Matt. 6:25-30)

Hebrews 6:18 says that it is impossible for God to lie.

What is it that we think we are protecting or saving anyway? Or maybe risking? Do we
think we are saving our life perhaps?

All men die, but not all men know God and really live.

Jerry
jerrydeanolson@yahoo.com

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