[Faith-talk] FW: [URCTCPrayerGroup2] MONDAY Edition: HOW DOES GOD SPEAK? by Sister Sherry Cook

[Eric Calhoun]

Original Message: 
From: "BeeJay" <beejayokla at cox.net>
To: <URCTCPrayerGroup2 at yahoogroups.com>
Subject: [URCTCPrayerGroup2] MONDAY Edition: HOW DOES GOD SPEAK? by
Sister Sherry Cook
Date: 
Mon, 20 Jun 2011 14:47:50 -0500

One of the hardest things for a new Christian is figuring out how to hear
God's voice. How does He speak? Is it audible? How does one have a
'listening ear' for the voice of God?

Before Jesus was resurrected, God DID speak to people in an audible
voice. That's because His Spirit did not reside WITHIN people. After Jesus
was resurrected He used other ways to talk to man. In the Old Testament
there are many scriptures referring to God speaking to man, but in the New
Testament there are none.

God is a quickening Spirit. 

The best way to receive the quickening of the Spirit is to receive the
baptism in the Holy Spirit with evidence of speaking in tongues. The Holy
Spirit IS a quickening Spirit. It's through the indwelling of the Holy
Spirit that a Christian comes into a close fellowship with God. It's not
hard to receive the Holy Spirit.

God speaks to His children in many different ways. He speaks in dreams
and those dreams are usually in riddles that one has to figure out. It
helps to know some of the symbolism God uses. For instance, you might have
a dream about a car crash. It's likely that dream wasn't really about a car
crash. Cars in dreams usually represent finances. The dream was probably
about crashed finances. Oceans and rivers in dreams speak of life (River of
life). Pools speak of cleansing. If someone is pushing you into a swimming
pool in a dream, they are probably being used by the Lord in cleaning you
up in some way or another. If you dream you're naked, your righteousness
may be lacking someplace. We're to be 'clothed' in righteousness among
other things spiritual. 

God speaks in songs. He gives me songs all day and all night long. I've
learned to LISTEN to the lyrics to see what God might be saying to me.

More than any other Way, God speaks through His WORD. That's why it's so
essential to attend a good church where the pastor moves in the Spirit.

      Listen to what's preached as if it's God speaking specifically to
YOU. It probably IS. When you read a devotional and it SPEAKS to your
Spirit and bears witness with the Spirit of the Lord in you, THAT'S God
speaking to YOU. 

      He'll SHOW you things in various ways, and sometimes it may only be
a FEELING or it may only be a DECISION you make. I can be a very impulsive
person. One time we decided to refinance our home to consolidate some
bills. Since then God has showed me that BIG debt isn't the answer to
getting rid of little debt. Anyway, we jumped into our car and headed
downtown to refinance. We hit every slow driver and ever red light in TOWN.
God was fairly SCREAMING at us to SLOW DOWN. Then songs started coming on
the radio about temptation and being tempted. I said to my husband, 'I'm
getting the impression we need to not DO this.' We turned around and went
home. When Christ came in, God became very MUTED. A Christian may be
hearing God very clearly every day and just not realize it.

      Scriptural References:

      Ephesians 2:1-2
      King James Version (KJV)

      1And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; 

      2Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this
world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now
worketh in the children of disobedience:

      Luke 11:13
      King James Version (KJV)

      13If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your
children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to
them that ask him? 

      Romans 10:14-15 & 17
      King James Version (KJV)

      14How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed?
And how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? And how
shall they hear without a preacher? 

      15And how shall they preach, except they be sent? As it is written,
How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and
bring glad tidings of good things! 

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