Manual-Intimacy-With-God.Pdf
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© 2003, Mark and Jane Burlinson, Releasers of Destiny, 2041 Woodlawn Drive, Conway, SC 29526. www.releasersofdestiny.org Scripture taken from the New American Standard Bible, © Copyright The Lockman Foundation 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 Used by permission. Credit: The teaching in this series has grown out of the writing and teaching of Dr. Mark Virkler. His book “Communion With God,” available from Communion With God Ministries, www.cwgministries.org, is an invaluable resource for those learning to hear God’s voice. Chapter One How do I Hear God's Voice? Many Christians do not believe that they can hear God personally, intimately, continually. How did Jesus hear His Father’s voice? John 12:49 For I did not speak on My own initiative, but the Father Himself who sent Me has given Me a commandment as to what to say and what to speak. John 15:15 No longer do I call you slaves, for the slave does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I have heard from My Father I have made known to you. John 14:10 Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father is in Me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on My own initiative, but the Father abiding in Me does His works. The Importance of Hearing God's Voice: John 10:7 & 9 So Jesus said to them again, Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. I am the door; if anyone enters through Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture. John 10:10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly. Satan's objective is to steal, kill and destroy (by lying - Genesis 3:4). Jesus came that we may have abundant life. To whom are we listening? John 10:11, 10:14 & 10:27 I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep. I am the good shepherd; and I know My own, and my own know Me. My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. Jesus is our shepherd. If we are his sheep we should hear his voice—it is an inseparable part of being a child of God: How Can I Hear God speak? Quiet myself: Psalm 46:10 “Cease striving and know that I am God; “ Focus on Father or Jesus: John 5:19-20 Therefore Jesus answered and was saying to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, unless it is something He sees the Father doing; for whatever the Father does, these things the Son also does in like manner. “ For the Father loves the Son, and shows Him all things that He Himself is doing; and the Father will show Him greater works than these, so that you will marvel. Tune to spontaneous flow of thoughts: John 7:37-39 “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, ‘From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.’” But this He spoke of the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were to receive; for the Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified. Journal: Habakkuk 2:1-2 I will stand on my guard post and station myself on the rampart; and I will keep watch to see what He will speak to me, and how I may reply when I am reproved. Then the LORD answered me and said, “ Record the vision and inscribe it on tablets, that the one who reads it may run. This process of writing down what we sense God is showing us is perhaps the biggest key to freedom in hearing God’s voice. By writing we are giving our rational minds something to work at so they can stop analyzing what we are receiving. Interruptions from our rational minds can greatly hinder our receiving what God wants to show us. There is also a safeguard in writing down what we hear from God - we can check it against scripture to test it and we can remember what God said Safeguard: Spiritual covering. Ephesians 5:17-21 So then do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. And do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord; always giving thanks for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God, even the Father; and be subject to one another in the fear of Christ. Hebrews 13:17 Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they keep watch over your souls as those who will give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with grief, for this would be unprofitable for you. A relationship of friendship, not authority. Submit to someone who is: a close friend with solid biblical orientation sensitive to the voice of Holy Spirit willing to commit to the friendship (a shepherd who is willing to lay down their life for the sheep). They also need to be submitted themselves. They read what you've written and ask God “Is this consistent with Your heart of love for Your children and with all You have written in scripture?” This is not about ‘shepherding’. Chapter Two Hearing Aids What Might Be Hindering Me Hearing?: a) Rationalism Rationalism is a key paradigm in western thought and it resists hearing God speak. Rationalism says “True reality is the physical world” and “Reality is perceived through the mind”. The table below compares rationalism and God’s truth. Rationalism says: God’s truth is: True reality is the physical world True reality is the spiritual world Reality is perceived through the mind Reality is perceived through the spirit My goal is to develop my mind My goal is to develop my spirit I live out of what my mind is telling I live out of what my spirit is telling me me My mind directs me through My spirit directs me through calculated, cognitive and analytical spontaneous, flowing thoughts that thoughts are placed in it by the Spirit of God My mind is cultivated by using it in My spirit is cultivated by using it in academic study communication with God Direction is received from my spirit by waiting quietly upon the Lord, Direction is received from the mind allowing Him to spontaneously inject by analysis of stored knowledge into my heart His thoughts, burdens and visions Out of the mind flows logos - the Out of the spirit flows rhema - what written, recorded Word God is speaking to me at that moment A Christian with a developed spirit A Christian who has only developed flows with the power of the Spirit and his mind, flows with a knowledge of is grounded in a knowledge of the the logos logos b) Relying only on logos and neglecting rhema logos is: the written word in scripture. the fullness of spoken words forming the Christian proclamation in the New Testament. rhema is: uttering or speaking out something specific. This is the role of the Spirit of God. Matthew 4:4 Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word (rhema) that proceeds out of the mouth of God. We need both rhema and logos. Logos gives us: an absolute standard against which to measure all ‘truth’. a safeguard to keep us from error. our instruction manual for life. Rhema is: the interaction of the individual with God. the effective speaking of God in our lives. the way God gives us faith and sets us free. Jesus did nothing on His own initiative, only that which He saw and heard the Father doing. John 5:19-20, 30 Therefore Jesus answered and was saying to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, unless it is something He sees the Father doing; for whatever the Father does, these things the Son also does in like manner. “For the Father loves the Son, and shows Him all things that He Himself is doing; and the Father will show Him greater works than these, so that you will marvel. “I can do nothing on My own initiative. As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is just, because I do not seek My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me. Rhema gives us: Productivity Luke 5:5 Simon answered and said, “ Master, we worked hard all night and caught nothing, but I will do as You say and let down the nets.” Effective ministry John 3:34 For He whom God has sent speaks the words of God; for He gives the Spirit without measure. Life John 6:63 “ It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing; the words that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life. Authority John 14:10 “Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father is in Me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on My own initiative [authority], but the Father abiding in Me does His works. Relationship John 8:47 “ He who is of God hears the words of God; for this reason you do not hear them, because you are not of God.” Fullness of desire John 15:7 “If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.