Tag: #HearfromGod

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The Sixth Sense

Your physical health, emotional wellness, safety, and financial stability, will become increasingly dependent on your ability to hear Him.

The Free Dictionary defines it as a power of perception seemingly independent of the five senses. A sixth sense sometimes carries a psychic association. This article has absolutely nothing to do with that.

I stood there in disbelief, trying to take it all in. It was so surreal that cold day in November 2008. I was back at Camp Casey, Korea, 30 years later. It’s a theater now, but back in 1978, it was the chapel and the place where it all began.

The Camp Hovey Chapel back in 1978 was a Theater when I visited in 2008.

I was in that chapel playing the piano when my strange new friend, Master Sergeant (MSG) White, walked in. White approached a man sitting and meditating in the chapel and started talking to him. MSG White began telling the man things about his life that he could not possibly have known. I’d never seen anything like it.

I asked MSG White what that was. He casually replied, “Sometimes the Lord will speak to your heart about another person.” Second Lieutenant Willis –me- was awe-struck, and it didn’t stop there.

It was as if MSG White had “cheat codes” -inside information- that caused people to open up about their spiritual condition. I will never forget that Saturday when MSG White opened his Bible and began reading to this one Soldier who was hanging on every word:

“O death where is thy sting? O grave where is thy victory…But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” (1 Corinthians 15:55-57)

I sat there as a bystander listening when the strangest thing happened. Like the snap of a finger, the fear of death left me. This event took place only weeks after our Brigade Commander stated that we would be at war with North Korea in a few months.

Well, that was many years ago. MSG White did not have a “sixth sense.” He was hearing the voice of the Holy Spirit. (John 16:13-15) Over the next eight months, I saw demons cast out of two individuals by the power of the Holy Spirit and a Korean women’s leg healed by that same power. (Acts 1:8)

Then just as I was about to leave Korea, I received the baptism of the Holy Spirit, which I was resisting because I thought speaking in tongues sounded weird. (Acts 2:4)

I realize I gave you, the reader, a lot to unpack. Please allow me to narrow my focus and get to the point of this article.

It is imperative that you become familiar with the voice of the Holy Spirit. Your physical health, emotional wellness, safety, and financial stability, will become increasingly dependent on your ability to hear Him.

Notice what is missing on this chart. Jesus said I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly. (John 10:10b)

The great news is that God desires to reveal Himself to you. The challenge is that MANY voices are competing for your attention.

These voices can be persuasive, manipulative, and deceiving. These voices can also be wise, prudent, and informed and still lead you off course.

The Holy Spirit speaks to your heart, not your mind. You can’t always explain why you sense or know certain things.

Human reasoning often rejects revelation from the Holy Spirit; therefore, it takes courage to follow Him. Following the Holy Spirit will prove you to be exceedingly wise, but you may appear to be a fool to some in the process.

To follow the Holy Spirit is to go against the grain, swim upstream, and invite the ridicule of others. But, to follow the Holy Spirit is the pathway to God’s blessings, favor, healing, and provision.

Jesus said the world cannot see, receive or know the Holy Spirit. (John 14:17) Paul put it this way:

“But people who aren’t spiritual can’t receive these truths from God’s Spirit. It all sounds foolish to them, and they can’t understand it, for only those who are spiritual can understand what the Spirit means.” (1 Corinthians 2:14, NLT)

Don’t be lead astray in these days of trickery and deception. Ask God for wisdom and invite the Holy Spirit to speak into the decisions you make.

Cultivate sensitivity with the Holy Spirit by spending time with God and reading the Bible. Better days await you. God Bless! Press On!! Kevin Willis

PS: I have written five articles with the title How to Hear the Voice of God Parts 1-5. You can find these articles in the archives of this blog site.

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God Spoke to Me – Stories of Three Godly Women

Better days are ahead for those who place their trust in the God who not only hears our cry, but speaks, leads, and directs His people.

We planned our panel discussion weeks before. Three guys would answer questions about hearing from God before a small live audience and Bethel Temple’s growing digital church.

The Lord wanted something different. At 3:30 am, I had an impression to see if my wife would be willing to speak at the service later that evening. 

You see, when Vanessa was a teenager, God spoke to her about me before we ever met.

Later that morning, I asked my two-panel mates, Dave and Nate, to see if their wives would be willing to speak as well. All three wives agreed after some encouragement.

The stories of three godly women blessed our church. I thought you would enjoy them as well, and, by the way…God also wants to speak to you!

Provided at the end of this article is a link that has their full 5-8 minute presentations.

A father and daughter healed by the God who speaks. -Irma Williams

My Dad left my Mom, three brothers, and me when I was 5 years old. I did not have contact with him for 25 years. Sometimes I would wonder about his circumstances, but I was indifferent most of the time.

As a child, I never learned to say, Dad, or Daddy, or Dad, I love you. I got saved in 1989, and in 1995, with my husband’s encouragement, I began writing my Dad.

We corresponded with each other, and then began having phone conversations. The day came when my whole family went to visit him.

During one of our conversations, like a whisper, the Holy Spirit impressed me to tell him, “I love you Dad!” At first, the words would not come out of my mouth.

God gave me a loving relationship with my Dad!

It took a long time. I was trembling and tearing up. Finally, the words came out. I told my Dad that I loved him. Those words signaled the beginning of a new chapter in our relationship.

For the next 25 years, our relationship grew-to God be the glory! I was able to call him Dad. He told me that he loved me and I told him the same thing.

Sometime earlier, my Dad gave his life to Jesus. The man who had abused my Mom and abandoned us as children was now dead. My Dad became a new man in Christ, and a powerful evangelist sharing the good news of Jesus!

My Dad made it clear to the residents of his town of 14,000 people that it was either heaven or hell based on their response to Jesus.

My Dad passed in April 2020 after serving the Lord for 41 years. I want to encourage you that God can restore any relationship.

Ask Him. He will speak to you and guide you along the path of healing and restoration. –Irma

God spoke through a young man’s life. -Leah Rucker

Nate and I met each other in college.  I was a sophomore. He was in his senior year. We met at a time when I was beginning my walk with the Lord. Nate, on the other hand, was running with the Lord.

The evidence of God in Nate’s life both spoke to me and intrigued me. I had not seen this before. God used Nate to provoke me to go deeper in my pursuit of God.

I was discovering God through the Christian community, family, and friends, but especially through Nate’s life. Out of our times of fellowship, we began a dating relationship.

Nate and I began serving together in ministry and particularly in the area of music ministry and worship. I could hear God speaking through us to others. I noticed that we had God’s grace on our lives to bless and encourage others.

Through our dating relationship, serving together in ministry, and fellowship with others, I believe we were becoming what the Bible refers to as “equally yoked together.” (2 Corinthians 6:2)

Your life can speak to people in ways you may never understand!

We had grace on our lives to be mutually supportive. We were able to encourage one another through difficulties. We were not perfect in our dating relationship; however, we continued to grow.

There were times when a minister would give inspired words of encouragement to individuals gathered in a service. 

One more than one occasion, I noticed that the inspirational word Nate received was either identical or close to what I received.

I never heard God speak to me audibly about marrying Nate. God spoke to me through Nate’s life.

God drew me to Himself and gave me a choice to serve Him, so it was with my decision to marry.  I felt that I was drawn and led to choose Nate.

We just celebrated one year of marriage. –Leah

When God speaks and does not make sense. –Vanessa Willis

When I was a 17-year-old senior in high school, I met a young man at my afterschool job who was also a senior at another high school. 

On Halloween, October 31, 1978, after working with him for one month, he asked me to be his girlfriend, and I agreed.

He told me we could not date on Sundays because that is the Lord’s day. Growing up Baptist, I understood about the Lords day.

His commitment at such a young age impressed me because I wanted more of God in my own life; however, around Christmas time, I noticed some “red flag” behaviors in him.

In January, I prayed and asked God to take this boyfriend away if he was not for me. Later that month, he called me to tell me he would finish high school in another state.

Then three days later, he informed that he would not be leaving the area.  These circumstances seemed odd, but I was glad he was not leaving.

Also, in January, a new young man came to my church. As he walked to the front of the church to give his offering, God spoke to my heart that he was to be my husband.  

This word was strange, and I was not interested, because I had a boyfriend. In February, during a phone conversation, my boyfriend said he wanted to have sex.

I did not want to, but I did not want to lose him. We were to talk later that evening. I decided to agree to his request. Thankfully, he never called me back.

The new young man became a member of my church. He was on active duty in the military and was a deacon in his previous church in Korea.

I began to ask God to confirm what He told me about Deacon Willis. Over the next three years, God began confirming this strange word.

Six weeks before Deacon Willis was to leave for another duty station, God brought us together. We dated for three weeks and got engaged.

I held on to God’s strange word for over three years.

We were married a little over seven months later. We have been married for 37 years. God keeps His word! –Vanessa

Irma heard God speaking to her in a whisper. Leah heard God speaking to her through Nate’s life, and through the grace of God on their lives.

Vanessa heard God speaking as an inward voice. God is still speaking into the lives of these godly women. You can have the Living God speaking to you as well!

Have you received Jesus as your Savior? If not or you are not sure, let me show you how at the following link: https://dreamprayernetwork.com/gods-plan-of-salvation/

Better days are ahead for all who place their trust in the God who not only hears our cry, but speaks, leads, and directs His people. God Bless! Press On!! Kevin

Forward to the 51:30-minute mark of the video at the following link to hear the full versions of Leah, Vanessa and Irma in that order:

https://www.facebook.com/watch/live/?v=942290599620397&notif_id=1596063342824038&notif_t=live_video_explicit
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How to Hear from God Part. 1

If God promised to guide you, tell you, speak and declare to you, then why would He make it hard for you to hear His Voice?

This article begins a series on hearing from God.  As I began to develop this post, I felt the strongest impression to document a challenge facing spiritual leaders. 

Since hearing from God requires sensitivity to such impressions, I decided to insert it here.  This is a word of encouragement for spiritual leaders and those who support them:

“In the debilitating course of social distancing, quarantine, disease and death, the devil has sent a spirit of discouragement against leaders in the church.

The effect of this attack is draining the energy of many leaders; the intent of this attack is to cause malaise and fatigue and eventually…hopelessness.

In an environment where spiritual leaders can and should recharge, many are feeling more drained than before the pandemic.

Let’s stop this now!!

Spiritual leaders experiencing these attacks should heed Paul’s admonition to stand in the power of God’s might. (Ephesians 6:10-17)

Concerned individuals should pray for their leaders, and encourage them in practical ways with phone calls, texts, emails, inbox posts, uplifting letters, etc.”

More on this impression later.  Let’s establish a foundation for hearing from God.    

The Bible contains two Testaments, sixty-six books, 1,189 chapters and 31,102 verses.  I have been a Bible student for over 40 years.  I have walked several hundred college students through the entire Bible over the past 14 years. 

In my studies, this verse remains one of the most remarkable to me: “Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I (Jesus) go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper (the Holy Spirit) will not come to you. But if I (Jesus) go, I will send him (the Holy Spirit) to you.” (John 16:7)

Divine Helper Sent For You.

Jesus told the disciples that it was better for them that He leave so that the Holy Spirit could come.  When you consider what Jesus did, how could His departure be better for them? 

As the Biblical story unfolds, we learn that Jesus and the Holy Spirit are one with the Father.  (John 14:11a, 16-20) Jesus fulfilled His mission through death, burial and resurrection.

Unlike Jesus in His earthly ministry, The Holy Spirit is not constrained by space and time.  The Holy Spirit equips, enables, and empowers believers to make disciples of all nations.  (Mt 28:19-20; Acts 1:8)

The Holy Spirit desires to speak to God’s people!  We must express a desire to hear from Him, and cultivate the art of doing so.

Jesus said “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 (Jesus), for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you.” (John 16:13-14)

Here is our fundamental premise.  If God promised to guide you, tell you, speak and declare to you, then why would He make it hard for you to hear His Voice?

We need to hear the Voice of the Holy Spirit.  One fact is true concerning all of the “game changers,” “earth-shakers,” and “shot-makers” (the most notable characters) in the Bible. They prevailed because God spoke to them and they followed His guidance.

I am talking about people who overcame pandemics, famine, war, unrest, distress, impotency, barrenness, death sentences, and “incurable” diseases.

Yesterday morning, I read how Saul was hunting down David to kill him.  David was always one step ahead of Saul. Why? God kept telling David how to avoid Saul. (1 Samuel 23-24)

You are about to make some critical decisions that may have huge implications for your life.  Why? Because the COVID-19 pandemic has removed or shifted many of the foundations upon which we trusted.

Government leaders, corporate leaders, spiritual leaders and heads of household be advised: your foundations have been removed or shifted! 

COVID-19 outbreak has sent many in search of more stable foundations.

What you were leaning on, counting on, depending on, basing your hopes upon, in many instances is now gone, but there is a firmer foundation.

God is a speaking God.  All earthly foundations have been shaken, but God’s Kingdom cannot be shaken.  (Hebrews 12:26-28)

Sources that you can trust-men and woman of character-who love God are saying the same thing.  There is opportunity ahead. 

This note of optimism does not gloss over the 67,454, coronavirus-related deaths in America (as of 4 May), and quarter-of-a-million fatalities around the globe.

We find ourselves in need of comfort and strength. We also find ourselves in need of invention, innovation, and creativity.  The Holy Spirit is the source of them all. 

The Holy Spirit desires to speak to you. He wants to be involved in establishing new and more enduring foundations in your life. 

If you are interested in a refreshing, reinvention, or reframing in your life, then cultivate the art of hearing from God. 

If you are interested in beginning or restarting your walk with God, please go to the following link: https://dreamprayernetwork.com/wp-admin/post.php?post=302&action=edit

I opened this blog post by documenting an impression that I believe came from the Holy Spirit.  Whether the Holy Spirit was the source of my impression is for others to judge. 

The Bible is the final authority in measuring the validity and accuracy of all such impressions, words, and encouragements.

In the coming weeks, I hope to help you cultivate the art of hearing from the Holy Spirit.  May I ask you to do some reading in preparation?  I request that you read chapters 14-16 of the Gospel of John. 

Key verses from those chapters are below.  Until next time.  God Bless! Press On!!  Kevin

Bible
Word of God

“If you love Me, keep My commandments. And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever—  the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you. John 14:15-18

But when the Helper comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify of Me. And you also will bear witness, because you have been with Me from the beginning. John 15:26-27

Nevertheless, I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you. And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: of sin, because they do not believe in Me; of righteousness, because I go to My Father and you see Me no more; of judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged. John 16:7-11

However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He 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.  All things that the Father has are Mine. Therefore, I said that He will take of Mine and declare it to you. John 16:13-15

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