The Kingdom of God!

 

Chapter 138

 

 

 

Last week I said to you that you will never be able to understand what the Bible is talking about if you don't have the Holy Spirit living within you! If you depend upon your intelligence to understand the things of spiritual nature, you will never know the truth, but it will remain a mystery to you.

 

When I was growing up, the church I attended often spoke of how difficult it was to completely understand the book of Romans and the book of Hebrews. It was difficult for them to understand these two books because they were denying the presence of the Holy Spirit that dwells within us. Your carnal mind cannot understand these things because they depend on what their five senses tell them.

 

The Word of God can only be understood by listening to the one that wrote the Bible, the Holy Spirit of God! Dr. Charles Stanley was not Pentecostal, but he believed the statement of Jesus in John 10:3-5, (NIV)

 

"The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger's voice."

 

Our problem with hearing the voice of Jesus speak to us is our carnal mind. We have not been taught how to listen to the Spirit of the Lord. When we pray, it's a one-way conversation with the Lord because we have not been taught to listen. Someone says, "Well, I tried that and didn't hear a word!" I know what you mean because I was once exactly where you are.

 

That's because I didn't understand where my thoughts came from! I just thought they were just mine and nobody else. However, there are many voices trying to get your attention. The flesh has needs and desires and will speak them to your mind such as, I'm hungry. My left leg is hurting, do something about it. I really would like to have some sex tonight. I am tired, sleepy, etc.

 

Not only that, but evil thoughts will come into your mind, and you will have to deal with them. You should watch what movies you watch because they will plant ungodly thoughts in your mind. You definitely need to watch what news programs you watch. Many are masters at lying to you so they can control your thinking.

 

In all this clatter going on in your mind, how do you know when the Lord is speaking to you? First, you must be a follower of Jesus and you must be a student of His teachings. Paul had a lot to say about this. First in Romans 12:2,

 

"Be not conformed to this world: but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God."

 

And also in Eph, 5:

 

"Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving. For of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure or greedy person.such a person is an idolater,has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things God's wrath comes on those who are disobedient. Therefore, do not be partners with them. For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) and find out what pleases the Lord. Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. It is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret."

 

Paul tells us what to do in 2 Cor. 10

 

"The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ."

 

When a thought comes into our minds that doesn't line up with what the Lord has taught us, we need to cast it out and think of heavenly things. Paul said in Phil. 4:8, (NIV)

 

"Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable,if anything is excellent or praiseworthy,think about such things."

 

This is what we must do every day and take authority over the thoughts that don't line up with the word of God. Because I know that I am spirit and my spirit has power over my mind, when I start to think something that I shouldn't, I say, "David stop that! You don't need to be thinking on that!"

 

When we practice doing these things, it will be much easier to discern the Lord's voice when He speaks to us. Have you ever gone to bed praying for something and wake the next day and know what to do?

 

I was just like you and didn't think that the Lord had never spoken to me! I was securing an electrical meter socket one day in the middle seventies and I was having trouble getting a new screw put in. The power was on so if I had slipped and shorted my screwdriver, it would probably have burned it up. So, I ask the Lord to help me put that screw in and it went right in and I begin to praise Him for helping me! Paul said in 1Thess. 5:18,

 

"In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you!

 

What thoughts come into your mind when you concentrate on heavenly things? This is how most of the time the Holy Spirit speaks to us and if we will by faith do what He tells us to do we will be doing things we never dreamed of doing.

 

I have told you before that in 1980 I was in a meeting with Lenny Anderson, and he was telling us about a trip he had made to North Africa. This thought came into my head. "David, I want you to go to South Africa!" I said I would go if He opened the door for me. About three months later a friend of mine from Christ For The Nations was speaking in our church. I took him out for lunch, and he told me that CFTN was taking a group of preachers and young people to South Africa to hold a conference and he asked me to go with them and teach on the Holy Spirit. I immediately told him that I would go and ended up going to South Africa three different times and preaching in several churches and meeting some of the greatest people in the Kingdom of God.

 

It's called, walking by faith. It is taking the Lord at His word! Paul said in Rom. 8:17,

 

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

 

Did I hear an audible voice talking to me? No! But I did recognize the voice of the Lord. I could relate to you so many times this has happened to me in my lifetime of serving the Lord. I am sure there were times also when I didn't listen to the Lord.

 

To learn to listen to what the Lord is saying to you, you will have to learn to take control of your thoughts and clear your thoughts and concentrate on allowing His thoughts to enter your thinking. This is a process of learning and requires you to walk by faith. As you learn to walk with the Lord and listen to Him it will open your ears and eyes to discern the leading of the Holy Spirit.

 

Then you will be able to see things and discern the presence of the Holy Spirit in them. You will find out that if the Lord can speak through an animal, such as the donkey, in the Old Testament, then He can speak through someone that is not a Christian and you will be able to recognize that it is the Lord.

 

The Lord speaks to us in many ways. He speaks to us through music, through events and through people who don't even know that it is the Lord speaking through them. They just think it's their own wisdom talking to you. I believe that is why Paul said in 1Thess. 5:18,

 

"In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you!"

 

Listen to me carefully, The Lord has a purpose for you being here on this earth at this specific time and He has a plan already mapped out for your life and if you will only get involved in His Kingdom and be willing to do whatever He asks of you, you will be blessed beyond measure.

 

We live in a world where the darkness is coming out into the open and boldly proclaiming the wiles of the devil, but you know what? Darkness flees when the lights are turned on so be encouraged in the fact that Jesus said in Matt. 5:14 and 5:16,

 

"You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid."

 

"Let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven."

 

To God be the glory forever and forever! Amen!

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