That which has been is what will be, That which is done is what will be done, And there is nothing new under the sun.

   Is there anything of which it may be said, “ See, this is new”? It has already been in ancient times before us.   

Ecclesiastes 1:9-10 NKJV

Many times in my Christian walk, if I implied that God wanted to do something new or even express old truths from a fresh perspective folks would get a distant, far away look in their eyes and quote this passage. However, I believe this passage requires further study. One foundational principle of hermeneutics (which is the science and art of Bible interpretation) is that we always view a scripture in the light of the rest of the Bible. Do you realize how many “new” things God talks about after this scripture?

 I am the LORD, that is My name; And My glory I will not give to another, 
Nor My praise to carved images. 
    

 Behold, the former things have come to pass, 
And new things I declare; Before they spring forth I tell you of them.”

Sing to the LORD a new song, And His praise from the ends of the earth, You who go down to the sea, and all that is in it, You coastlands and you inhabitants of them!

Isaiah 42:8-10 NKJV

 “ Do not remember the former things, Nor consider the things of old. 
 

  Behold, I will do a new thing, Now it shall spring forth; Shall you not know it? I will even make a road in the wilderness 
And rivers in the desert.

Isaiah 43:18 NKJV

 “ You have heard; See all this. 
And will you not declare it?
 I have made you hear new things from this time,  Even hidden things, and you did not know them.

Isaiah 48:6 NKJV

How long will you gad about, O you backsliding daughter? For the LORD has created a new thing in the earth— A woman shall encompass a man.”

Jeremiah 31:22 NKJV

 “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 that I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke, though I was a husband to them, says the LORD.

Jeremiah 31:31-32 NKJV

 Through the LORD’s mercies we are not consumed, Because His compassions fail not. 
      

 They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness.

Lamentations 3:22-23 NKJV

New heart and new Spirit. (Ezekiel 36:26)

New tongues (Mark 16:17)

New Birth (John 3)

New Commandment (John 13:34)

New creation (II Corinthians 5:17)

New and Living Way (Hebrews 10:20)

 There is nothing new under the sun.

I believe the qualifier to that verse is “under the sun”. In this natural world, there is no new thing. However, God is not limited to this natural world. In Christ neither are we.

 But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us,

 even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved),

  and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,

Ephesians 2:4-6 NKJV

This is good news because satan is called the god of this world.

 The eyes of those who do not believe are made blind by Satan who is the god of this world.

2 Corinthians 4:4 New Life Version

Since there is nothing new under the sun, then satan cannot bring something new from out beyond Pluto somewhere against us. Satan is limited to what is common to man.

 No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.

1 Corinthians 10:13 NKJV

The fact is that God is infinite.  As long as God is infinite, there is more to learn about Him. There is always a deeper depth of relationship with Him than we are currently experiencing. There are deeper depths to the moving of His Spirit than we have experienced before. God is a God of wonders.

Wonder- something strange,” causing the beholder to marvel, is always used in the plural, always rendered “wonders,”

A sign is intended to appeal to the understanding, a “wonder” appeals to the imagination, a power (dunamis) indicates its source as supernatural.

(Vines Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words)

According to W.E. Vines, if God does something you could fully understand it is not a wonder. It is sad how many Christians stand in judgment of the various ways God manifests Himself. However, some of the same people say that God works in mysterious ways! When someone dies unexpectedly in a tragedy or do not receive their healing for whatever reason they say, “Well brother, God works in mysterious ways.”  According to Jesus, anything that steals, kills and destroys is not from God (John 10:10),but from satan. When someone moves in the Spirit in a way that their flakey flesh does not like or understand they criticize it.

Many object to the way the Spirit of God moves because they cannot find a specific scriptural example for God moving in that way. The truth is God has an infinite amount of ways of moving in our lives. John says that if everything Jesus did was recorded, that the world could not contain the books. The Bible gives us a representative sampling of ways God moves.  Where did Peter find a scriptural precedent that people can be healed from his shadow? Where did Paul get the Spiritual “green light” to use aprons and handkerchiefs to minister healing and deliverance to people? These are examples of wonders.

Paul says that our natural mind cannot receive the things of the Spirit of God because they are spiritually discerned.

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.

1 Corinthians 2:14 NKJV

The word natural man literally means “soulical man”. You will not be able to discern the will of God with your natural mind. Mind renewal is important, but is a result of spiritual illumination that ends in the renewal of the mind.

So if you see something a minister does that you do not understand, just put it on the shelf and pray for God to give you insight. But, never come against something just because you do not understand it. Discrediting someone’s ministry is one way of not discerning the Body of Christ.

 But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup.

 For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body.

 For this reason many are weak and sick among you, and many sleep (die prematurely).

 For if we would judge ourselves, we would not be judged.

1 Corinthians 11:28-31 NKJV

We should be open for God to manifest Himself in whatever way He desires even if it is new to us.

Call to Me and I will answer you and show you great and mighty things, fenced in and hidden, which you do not know (do not distinguish and recognize, have knowledge of and understand).

Jeremiah 33:3 Amplified

Need direction? Want to be sure you are being led by the Spirit of God? Want to further develop sensitivity to the voice of the Holy Spirit?

Get the answer to these questions and more in this teaching ministered at Russellville Christian Center.

For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.
Romans 8:14 NKJV

There are actually principles found in the Word of God that increase sensitivity to the Spirit of God. God is always speaking. If we are not hearing Him it is not because He is not saying anything. The church I attend owns the radio station KMTC. I do not pick up KMTC on my radio unless I am tuned to their station. If I am not picking it up I do not need to call their station mad at them, especially if my tuner is not set to their station. I may be on an AM frequency when they are on FM. I may be too far away, out of range (Selah). I do not need to sit down and cry saying that God does not want me to hear the radio. The only reason this scenario sounds ridiculous is because we are so developed in natural understanding that very few people do not know how to operate a radio. We should be equally diligent to understand how matters of the spirit function. 1 Corinthians 1:1 literally says concerning matters of the spirit, I do not want you ignorant (gifts is italicized, the Greek word spiritual is “pneumaticon”, literally translated “spirituals” or “matters of the spirit”).

Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I do not want you to be ignorant:
1 Corinthians 12:1 NKJV

I am going to discuss some of the ways to get your “spiritual tuner” set to God’s “frequency”.
The first key I want to consider is that God always moves from the general to the specific. There are two realms to the will of God, God’s general will found in the Word of God, and the specific will that is unique to the individual. A good example of this is what has come to be known as the “great commission”.

And He (Jesus) said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.
Mark 16:15 NKJV

That Word is valid to every believer whether or not you have a five-fold ministry call on your life. But although the Bible says “Go into all the world” it does not say “Travis, go to Mexico next week and have a crusade”. “Go into all the world” is God’s general will, whereas, “Travis, go to Mexico” is God’s specific will. This is important for several reasons. First of all, we need to understand we need not put the faith destroying words, “If it be thy will” at the end of our prayers when we are dealing with God’s general will expressed in the Bible. You need not pray, “Heal uncle Ned, if it be thy will. If not give him grace to bear it.” Why? Because we have God’s will concerning healing in Isaiah 53.

And by His stripes we are healed.
Isaiah 53:5b NKJV

We certainly would not pray, “Lord, save uncle Ned if it be thy will, If not give him grace to bear it. He is willing to go to hell for thy glory”. Why? Because we know God’s will relative to Uncle Ned’s and everyone’s salvation, God does not show partiality.

Then Peter opened his mouth and said: “In truth I perceive that God shows no partiality.
Acts 10:34 NKJV

For there is no partiality with God.
Romans 2:11 NKJV

We do, however, need to seek God’s will when it pertains to God’s specific leading. “Lord, do I need to buy this stock? “ “Lord, do I need to go this church?”
The next reason it is important to differentiate between God’s specific will and general will is understanding God flows from the general to the specific. For example if you are not faithful to the local church, you are not in position to expect to hear God for his specific will for your life. God is merciful and there are exceptions but I want to be in position where I can expect to hear from God. God tells us not to forsake the local church.

not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.
Hebrews 10:25 NKJV

I get amused at spiritual tumbleweeds rolling from church to church that always have a “word” for you. I got a word for them, GO TO CHURCH! Until you get that right, you probably will not get any specific direction for your life.

But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.
James 1:22 NKJV

According to James if you see something from the Word of God and do not act on it you are self deceived. We all know people who say that everytime it comes time for a church service an “emergency” happens and they just cannot make it. Yet the same people make every ball game, fishing tournament, garage sale or Tupperware party within a fifty mile radius. Why? They are self deceived. They are not trying to lie to you when they say they cannot make it. They truly believe it. Others tell you that they cannot pay their tithes and yet eat out every meal. They are self deceived. We have to purpose to do the Word if we are going to be sensitive to God’s leading in the realm of the specifics of our life.
Another way of illustrating this principle is that power steering only works when the car is moving. We have to do what we are all called to do in the Word of God to be in position for specific leading on how we are to function in the Body of Christ. Every believer is called to be these five things.

1. Supernatural witness (soul winner)
2. Intercessor
3. Helps
4. Giver
5. Worshipper

To the degree that you fulfill these ministries that are common to every believer, is the degree you will find and fulfill your individual grace and giftings.

The second key to developing sensitivity is Faith.

By faith we understand …
Hebrews 11:3 NKJV

Faith is foundational to leading and understanding. My spiritual father Dr. Jefferson Thompson told me years ago that I am not to trust in my ability to hear God but rather, God’s ability to speak to me if I trust Him. We can get so intimidated by the notion of hearing from God that we become like the donkey chasing a carrot on a string. We have to have faith in God’s leading even if it is painfully apparent that the last hundred decisions we made were contrary to the leading of God.

If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.
James 1:5-8 NKJV

Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is.
Ephesians 5:17 NKJV

Notice that Paul equates wisdom with understanding the will of the Lord. So when we harmonize these two passages we understand that if we lack understanding of the will of the Lord or His leading, let us ask in faith regardless of our track record. Repent of past mistakes and move on.

The third key to developing spiritual sensitivity is humility.

The pride of your heart has deceived you…
Obadiah 1:3 NKJV

Those who refuse to walk in biblical humility are deceived and do not even know it. The more proud you are the more deceived you are.

But when his heart became arrogant and hardened with pride, he was deposed from his royal throne and stripped of his glory.
Daniel 5:20 NIV

Pride causes hardness of heart thus dulling us to the inner promptings of the Holy Spirit.

“ God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble.”
James 4:6 NKJV

Though the LORD is on high, Yet He regards the lowly;
But the proud He knows from afar..
Psalm 138:6 NKJV

The fourth key to developing sensitivity is keeping the strife out of your life.

For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work.
James 3:16 KJV

Unity, agreement, and harmony is what God inhabits.

“Again I say to you that if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven. For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them.” Matthew 18:18-20 NKJV

Many believers misquote this verse and say where two or three are gathered Jesus is in their midst. But He gives part of the qualifier in verse 18 which is agreement.

Behold, how good and how pleasant it is For brethren to dwell together in unity!
It is like the precious oil (symbolizing the Holy Spirit) upon the head, Running down on the beard, The beard of Aaron, Running down on the edge of his garments.
It is like the dew of Hermon Descending upon the mountains of Zion; For there the LORD commanded the blessing— Life forevermore.
Psalm 133:1-3 NKJV

Also notice that the oil which represents the Holy Spirit starts at the head. We have to have a submissive attitude to spiritual authority to have sensitivity to the Spirit of God. God inhabits unity and demonic forces inhabit strife. Many are taken off of the earth prematurely because they were in strife which led to confusion which opens the door to every evil work. Marital strife can be a source of dullness.

Husbands, likewise, dwell with them with understanding, giving honor to the wife, as to the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life, that your prayers may not be hindered.
1 Peter 3:7 NKJV

Abram did not receive any further revelation (which is part of God’s leading) until he remedied the strife.

And there was strife between the herdsmen of Abram’s livestock and the herdsmen of Lot’s livestock. The Canaanites and the Perizzites then dwelt in the land.
So Abram said to Lot, “Please let there be no strife between you and me, and between my herdsmen and your herdsmen; for we are brethren.
And the LORD said to Abram, after Lot had separated from him (the source of the strife)…
Genesis 13:7-8,14 NKJV

The fifth key that is crucial to being led on a consistent basis is praying in other tongues.

He who speaks in a tongue edifies himself…
1 Corinthians 14:4 NKJV

Praying in other tongues edifies (Greek-builds up) our spirit man causing the voice of our spirit to supersede the voice of the flesh and mind.

These are sensual persons, who cause divisions, not having the Spirit.
But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit,
Jude 19-20 NKJV

It is these who are [agitators] setting up distinctions and causing divisions–merely sensual [creatures, carnal, worldly-minded people], devoid of the [Holy] Spirit and destitute of any higher spiritual life.
But you, beloved, build yourselves up [founded] on your most holy faith [make progress, rise like an edifice higher and higher], praying in the Holy Spirit;
Jude 19-20 Amplified

In order to compare scripture with scripture we must acknowledge that the praying in the Holy Spirit that Jude is talking about is the same praying in the Spirit Paul speaks of in 1 Corinthians 14 which is praying in other tongues.

For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my understanding is unfruitful.
1 Corinthians 14:14 NKJV

The spirit of a man is the lamp of the LORD, Searching all the inner depths of his heart.
Proverbs 20:27 NKJV

The spirit of man [that factor in human personality which proceeds immediately from God] is the lamp of the Lord, searching all his innermost parts.

Proverbs 20:27 Amplified

Because the spirit of man is the lamp of the Lord, that is the part of us that God communes with. Because praying in tongues is spiritual activity it makes us more aware of our spirit from which that leading originates. Bro. Keith Moore says that if you are expecting a call you have to stay close enough to hear your phone. Praying in tongues keeps us in contact with our spirit thus making us more sensitive.

The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God…
Romans 8:16 NKJV

The sixth key to developing sensitivity is that you have to be willing to be led.

If anyone wills to do His will, he shall know concerning the doctrine, whether it is from God or whether I speak on My own authority.
John 7:17 NKJV

If you want to truly be led you have to be willing to do His will. Some believers say that they have peace about doing something but they are not willing to hear a “no”. They have their mind so set on something that they are just going through the motions of seeking God’s will.

If you are willing and obedient, You shall eat the good of the land;
Isaiah 1:19 NKJV

The seventh key to being led is anointed praise and worship. Praise and worship prepares our heart for God’s leading.

While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.”
Acts 13:2 NIV

Praise and worship also brings God’s manifest presence (for more information on this see “The Three Levels of God’s Presence”, also on this site) which is key to receiving direction.
But You are holy, Enthroned in the praises of Israel.
Psalm 22:3 NKJV

…thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel.
KJV

But now bring me a musician.” Then it happened, when the musician played, that the hand of the LORD came upon him (Elisha). And he said, “Thus says the LORD…
1 Kings 3:15-16a NKJV

The eighth and final key to developing sensitivity that we will discuss is fasting.

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.”
Acts 13:2 NKJV

We must understand that fasting changes us and develops sensitivity. It does not change God. Fasting to change God’s mind is a hunger strike. Hunger is one of the most dominate voices of the flesh. We can develop sensitivity by temporarily putting under the voice of the flesh making way for the voice of our spirit.

I humbled myself with fasting…
Psalm 35:13 NKJV

When I wept and chastened my soul with fasting…
Psalm 69:10 NKJV

Please consult a physician before going on an extended fast.

THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING LED

For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.
Romans 8:14 NKJV

I want to say first of all that this is by no means an exhaustive study on being led by the Spirit. This is such a vast subject I am only giving a representative overview to get you started in the exciting, fulfilling life of being led by the Spirit. We spend our life learning to be led by the Spirit and developing sensitivity through relationship with the Holy Spirit. Paul tells us that one of the primary marks of our sonship is the ability and willingness to be led by the Spirit of God. It is possible to know the principles of redemption, faith and confession and not be led and still fail. Many believers are trying to override God’s leading with confession (don’t get me wrong, confession is a vital part of walking in victory). I heard a good example of this from Bro. Keith Moore. He was working for Kenneth Hagin Ministries taking calls for prayer. A lady called and said that she claimed Psalm 91 over herself and got mugged anyway. She wanted to know why her angel did not protect her. After questioning her for a few minutes he found out that where she was mugged was a rough part of town. He then asked if she felt she needed to go there, to which she responded not only did she not feel she needed to go, she actually got a check in her spirit about going from the Holy Spirit. Please understand me, I am not being critical, I have done it. Many of us has done it. But let us not kid ourselves. We cannot override God’s leading with confession. This is why some people go home to heaven early.

We Are To Be Led By The Spirit And Not By Need.

Many ministers in particular wear themselves out because they are not led. They never have time for their own families because they are not led in to whom they minister to. I realize I am not called to help everyone. We would be a lot more effective if we were led. Many bankrupt themselves ministering to the poor. Jesus said that the poor we would have with us always (Matthew 26:11). So if we are led by need there will never be enough. There are also many worthy causes that need millions of dollars of support. So the answer is be led. If everyone does what God leads them to do, God’s purpose will be carried out in the earth. God himself is not and cannot be moved by need. Jesus is touched by the feeling of our infirmities (Hebrews 4:15) but not moved by them. God can only move through our faith in the Word of God. If God was moved by needs there would not be a need in the world. Our need moved God 2000 years ago when He sent His Son to the cross. In that act of redemption every need of ours was met in the mind of God. We have to appropriate it by faith. So if we are going to be led by the Spirit we cannot be led by need.

We Are To Be Led By The Spirit And Not By “Fleeces”

Many believers are “putting out fleeces before the Lord”. If you are not familiar with this line of thinking it comes from a misappropriation of the story of Gideon in Judges 6.

So Gideon said to God, “If You will save Israel by my hand as You have said—  look, I shall put a fleece of wool on the threshing floor; if there is dew on the fleece only, and it is dry on all the ground, then I shall know that You will save Israel by my hand, as You have said.” And it was so. When he rose early the next morning and squeezed the fleece together, he wrung the dew out of the fleece, a bowlful of water.  Then Gideon said to God, “Do not be angry with me, but let me speak just once more: Let me test, I pray, just once more with the fleece; let it now be dry only on the fleece, but on all the ground let there be dew.”  And God did so that night. It was dry on the fleece only, but there was dew on all the ground.
Judges 6:36-40 NKJV

Although it is true that Gideon did ask to be led by wet and dry fleeces and God honored it, we have to view this story in light of its historical context. First of all the Bible is progressive revelation.

But the word of the LORD was to them, “ Precept upon precept, precept upon precept, Line upon line, line upon line, Here a little, there a little,”… Isaiah 28:11 NKJV

Simply put the characters in the Old Testament did not know everything we know under the New Covenant. Both Paul and Jesus said they were revealing mysteries kept secret from the foundation of the world. So we cannot get away with doing some of the things people did under the Old Covenant because they were walking in all the light they had. We, however, should know better.
The second thing to consider about Gideon, as well as all other Old Testament believers, is they were spiritually dead. The New Birth was not available as we know it until Jesus presented His blood on the Heavenly Holy of Holies. That is why God had to deal with His people in such drastic ways. They did not have the Spirit of God residing in their spirit to the same degree we do under the New Covenant.

He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.” But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified. John 7:38-39 NKJV

The Holy Spirit would come upon the prophet, priest, and king to accomplish a particular task. Jesus had the Spirit of God come upon Him and remain.

And John bore witness, saying, “I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and He remained upon Him.  I did not know Him, but He who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘Upon whom you see the Spirit descending, and remaining on Him, this is He who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’  And I have seen and testified that this is the Son of God.” John 1:32-34 NKJV

Jesus also said when we receive the Holy Spirit under the New Covenant, that He would remain with us.

Now that we have the Holy Spirit we should flow with God’s process under the New Covenant which is being led by the Spirit.
The third fact about Gideon is that his whole nation was out of fellowship with God. The whole reason God called upon Gideon to deliver His people is because they had gone into captivity because of their rebellion.
You may say, “Well brother that is all well and good, but I have never put out a fleece.” There are different variations of the fleece that believers use all the time. The underlying principle of the fleece mentality is trying to determine the will of God through natural circumstances. Some say, “Lord, if this is Your will, open the door, if not close it.” That is a fleece prayer. We are led by the Spirit, not opportunities. Satan will always offer a shortcut to your divine destiny. This is what satan did when he offered Jesus all the kingdoms of the world. Jesus would ultimately gain authority over the world through His death burial and resurrection. Satan was offering it to Him without having to pay the price for it. So if we require evidence in the seen realm to follow God’s leading Satan can compensate us with a counterfeit. On the other hand we are not to be led by “closed doors”. If you are led this way, all satan has to do is throw up a few roadblocks and you will say, “well, it must not have been the will of God after all”. No! If we have God’s Word and leading on it we should keep standing and keep knocking until the door opens.

“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.  For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.
Matthew 7:7-9 NKJV

Another example of a fleece prayer is, “Lord, if this is really you, let three men with red hats walk by.”  Once again, if you are looking in the natural seen realm, you are opening yourself up for deception.

If you want to be in position to expect to receive God’s leading, you must be led by the Spirit.

Another way God led his believers that was valid under the Old Covenant was casting lots. This is how the apostles selected Matthias.

This part is a little blind to us in English. In the Greek the word “sons” is the word “Huios” (pronounced whee-os). It literally means mature sons. Contrast that word with “children” in Romans 8:16.

The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God,
Romans 8:16 NKJV

The word translated children is the Greek word “teknon” which simply means offspring. In Hebrew culture when a son reached maturity his father would take him to the city gates, where all the business of that day was carried out (much like city hall or the courthouse of our day), and would say, “This is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased. Hear him.” From that day forward when the son spoke it was as if the father was speaking. He carried all the clout of the father. He would give him his signet ring that acted as a stamp that is just like the fathers signature. This is when he transitioned from a child (teknon) to a son (huios). So according to Paul, being led by the Spirit is one way we are released into greater measures of responsibility.

Not Seeking God’s Leading Is A Manifestation Of Pride.

Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit”; whereas you do not know whatwill happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away. Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that.”  But now you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil.
Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin.

James 4:13-17 NKJV

When we refuse to seek God’s direction we deny His Lordship which is the height of arrogance thus causing God’s grace to wane off of our life.

But He gives more grace. Therefore He says: “ God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble.” Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.

James 4:6-7 NKJV

It is also not wisdom to not seek counsel from someone eternal when we are finite (see James 4:14).

God’s Provision Is Tied To His Leading.

The LORD is my shepherd, I lack nothing.

Psalm 23:1 NIV

To the degree we submit to God as our Shepherd is to the degree we can expect to walk in His provision. We see this illustrated in the life of Elijah in the time of famine.

“Get away from here and turn eastward, and hide by the Brook Cherith, which flows into the Jordan.  And it will be that you shall drink from the brook, and I have commanded the ravens to feed you there.”

1 Kings 17:3-4 NKJV

The provision was at the Brook Cherith. Had he not gone there he would  not have received God’s provision. Just when he started to get settled in God led him to move again.

Message Continued on Part 2.

Message Completed on Part 3.

It’s human nature. Everyday people try to shrink God down to size—make Elohim experience their human experience. Yes God did, through Christ, victoriously walk though our mortal existence. And in so doing, He empowered us to do what many in previous generations only dreamt of doing—live outside the box. It is His nature to constantly remind us that our thoughts and His thoughts are vastly different. Visualize it. Isaiah wrote, “As far as the East is from the West…. And as far as Heaven is from Earth.” Think a thought, then, multiply it one hundred times! Ephesians 3:20 declares that the Lord is able to do immeasurably more than we can ask or think! So whatever level you’ve been thinking on, it’s probably too low. If you truly believe in the awesomeness of God, then you must believe that not only can He do awesome things in your life, but He wants to as well! Let’s take the lid off the box, a Blessing Blocker you probably didn’t even know you’d put God into.

I’ve been there. I thought I was doing everything God wanted me to do. Somewhere along the way though, I’d placed barriers on myself and God. Isaiah 1:19 says, “If you are willing and obedient, you will eat the good things of the land,” verse 20 contrasts, “But if you resist and rebel, you will be devoured by the sword.” In these situations, I was actually unknowingly resisting and rebelling. I thought I was being willing and obedient. What I had done was allowed my experiences and distorted thoughts to trap me and limit God. These verses in Isaiah seem easy enough to understand (and verse 19 is definitely easy to quote!), but applying them could pose a challenge.

Case in point: Think about a difficult situation you are facing or have faced. As far as you know, you’ve been faithful to God in everything. Now at some point, was there an action the Holy Spirit prompted you to take that defied your natural mind? Why would Elisha tell Naaman to dip in the Jordan River seven times and be clean? What was Jesus thinking when He spat on the ground and made a spit and dirt patty to heal a blind man? And what was up with Peter and John when they, while broke and in the middle of controversy, had the audacity to tell the lame beggar at the gate called Beautiful to get up in the name of Jesus?! They were all out of the box!

The bottom line is this people—The Blessing can’t flow inside the box. I don’t care how long you’ve been saved. You must guard your thinking on this. Constantly renew your mind, hear sound teaching and, by all means, protect your spirit. Don’t listen to any and everything people say, or what’s flowing though the media. Check your caller ID—don’t just pick up the phone! It could be the box calling!

If I seem extra passionate on this point, it’s because I’ve recently been on a personal journey out of the box. It was an epiphany. My thinking on an area was so tightly in the box, that at one point I literally had a person sitting in my home telling me what to do, and I missed it! It took me two years to realize that God was using that person to speak to me.  The box also blocks God’s Blessing in our lives by stealing our time. Two years? Yes, two years. Thank God that this mistake was neither grave nor at the point of no return. My husband and I saw God using it to show us that when we say absolute things like always and never, we limit Him. Whoa! The only thing we should be absolute about is His Word. We’d been obedient, but we weren’t willing. And actually, we weren’t trusting. We weren’t willing to hear and obey God no matter what. So we put Him in a box and struggled until we corrected the mistake. How’d we correct it? We took the barriers off our thinking. We began to trust God in that area and let Him do His part.

Please understand that even though our paths may cross, and our testimonies may be similar, God will not require the exact things from us (outside the basics, of course). Even in the Bible you will not find identical stories of people’s experiences with God. Decisions must not be based on what someone else did or said. It’s not always safe to repeat a previous action either. Remember our examples in the Word. God’s people were always asking for His direction and permission to do things, even if they’d done those same things and succeeded or failed before.

Go ahead and bottle-feed your baby if God gives you peace about that. I did, and my children live in divine health. Go on the missions trip that none of your friends signed up for; you may meet your spouse. Witness to the person that everyone else has given up on. You might help save their life. Don’t abandon your dream, but stop trying to tell God how to use you and how to bless you—you can’t manipulate him. You must be willing and obedient. Solomon wrote in Ecclesiastes 12:13, “Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.” Don’t allow the box to block you from The Blessing. You must learn to seek Godly advice, hear God, and obey Him. Liberate yourself. Whatever He tells you to do, do it. Put this Blessing Blocker where it belongs—in the box!

You crown the year with your bounty, and your carts overflow with abundance.
—Psalm 65:11 NIV

Don’t look at what the world is experiencing. The Lord has already crowned this year with bounty! Remember He is the Ancient of Days. He knows all things and holds time in His hand. Everything He created was called good. In order to experience the Blessing all year long, we need to remind ourselves daily of Psalm 118:24 which says, “This is the day that the Lord has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it!” That’s 365 blessed days and it equals a year crowned with bounty!

In the beginning God created. What did He create—time, days and seasons for people to enjoy. And, He said it was all good. Genesis 1:31 recounts, “And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good.” So regardless of what the media, politicians or your co workers are saying, THIS YEAR IS GOOD AND WILL BE GOOD BECAUSE GOD CREATED IT. Furthermore, His reason for making it good was and still is for His children to enjoy.

A land which the LORD thy God careth for: the eyes of the LORD thy God are always upon it, from the beginning of the year even unto the end of the year.
—Deuteronomy 11:12

His eyes are upon you if you are in covenant with Him. This is included in our Blessing. The LORD is good to all; He has compassion on all he has made (Psalm 145:6). And we have biblical proof that anything God makes is bountiful, blessed and flowing with abundance. This should be our experience no matter what year it is or the economic status of our country. As a matter of fact, I believe when the world has lean times, it is a better opportunity for God to show off in our lives. People will want to know why and how our days and years continue to prosper.

Finally I’d also like you to meditate on God ending things the same way He began. Creating. Revelation gives us a glimpse. Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the old heaven and the old earth had disappeared. Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” So he took me in the Spirit to a great, high mountain, and he showed me the holy city, Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God. It shone with the glory of God and sparkled like a precious stone—like jasper as clear as crystal (Revelation 21:1-2, 10-11). This sounds like bounty to me! If none of the other verses convinced you, just focus on these. They will remind you of how the Lord is living and His expectations for you this year and every year until His return. He created it, crowned it and blessed it and He expects you to have a blessed year from beginning to end.

Be blessed friends and have the perfect day everyday!
Psalm 138:8
—Shontta

Step One. Pray the Word. It is the perfect will of God. Hearing the Word of God not only builds your faith, it sows the Word directly into your heart and enables the Spirit to speak. Many times you will be reading/praying the Word and get your answer.

Step Two. Pray in the Spirit. It is another form of perfect prayer. Your natural mind is unfruitful and can’t hinder your prayer (1 Corinthians 14:14).

In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God’s will.

—Romans 8:26-27

Step Three. Live by the Spirit. Galatians 5:16 says, “So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature.” Verses 22-23 later list the following fruits of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. If you intentionally personify these traits everyday, when the Spirit does give you a command you know it because there will be no mental clutter.

Step Four. Listen and obey. We have the secret! In Him are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge (Colossians 2:3). All we have to do is obey. Imagine a person who lived their whole life totally committed to God’s Word—obeying it to the letter. This person, however, never actually “heard” from God. He only did what the Bible taught. What are the odds that his life would be successful? You get the picture.

Of course the scenario in step four is impossible because a man or woman of that stature would surely hear from God many times. Even sinners on occasion hear from God—it’s called a conscience. We are spirit beings. Now the conscience can be seared (1 Timothy 4:2) and therefore become ineffective. But, it was put in every human by God. So the more you discipline yourself to follow His Word, you will inevitably be following His Spirit. Jesus said, “My sheep listen to my voice (John 10:27).” You learn to know His voice by knowing His Word.

Clues that Expose the Enemy’s Voice

1. If the voice is talking about killing, stealing or destroying, it’s not of God (John 10:10; Jeremiah 29:11).
2. If you can’t verify it in the Bible, it’s not from the Lord (1 John 4:1). Any voice you hear should line up with Scripture.
3. If it’s negative, it’s not God (Psalm 145:13). Even in chastisement, God is gracious.

Tips for Following the Spirit in Decision Making

1. Go in the direction of peace, even when your flesh is unsure. Know that your steps are ordered and it’s all working out for your good (Psalm 37:23; Romans 8:28).
2. Don’t stop moving. If you’ve not gotten a clear answer, just keep doing the right things and stay prepared. My natural father always tells me, “Stay ready so you won’t have to get ready.” This way when God speaks you’re nimble.
3. Have a short memory—forget past mistakes. So you flubbed a decision, who hasn’t? Psalm 138:8 is true concerning you. Don’t get deterred from following the Spirit just because you miss it.

Again, follow the Word and you’ll always be in line with the Spirit. My goal in this series of articles is to simplify the processes of life by the Spirit and prayer in the Spirit. I give Scripture references to encourage you to seek these things out for yourself. It is the best way to start following the Spirit of God. It’s just like following a recipe. You may not get it perfect the first time, but the more you tweak your life by the Word, the better it becomes.

Be blessed friends, and have the perfect day everyday!

—Shontta
Psalm 138:8

But when He, the Spirit of Truth (the Truth-giving Spirit) comes, He will guide you into all the Truth (the whole, full Truth). For He will not speak His own message [on His own authority]; but He will tell whatever He hears [from the Father; He will give the message that has been given to Him], and He will announce and declare to you the things that are to come [that will happen in the future].

—John 16:13 AMP

Jesus explains clearly what the purpose of the Holy Spirit is. He tells us what happens when we allow The Spirit to dwell in us. Let’s look at the three reasons here:

1. He guides us into all truth. This is for the times when you need to make a decision or are trying to get to the bottom of something. Personally, I have used this portion of scripture anytime I am looking for anything. It has been valuable in teaching my young son how to depend on the Holy Spirit to help him. Most recently, he was looking for one of his favorite toys that his father bought for him. We prayed, “Holy Spirit you know all things. Show us where the toy is. We thank you for doing it in Jesus’ name.” At first my son was frustrated because he had looked everywhere, but I told him to be quiet and go on with his day. You see, the Spirit is a gentle guide—we can’t be led while in a frazzle. A couple of days passed and we hadn’t found the toy. I asked my son, “Has the Holy Spirit ever let us down? Don’t we always find what we’re looking for?” He agreed. His faith and belief in the Spirit is strong because I’ve taught him to depend on Him for guidance. Yes, of course, we found the toy and praised God!

1. He relays messages to us from the Father. This is what is called a rhema word—or a word spoken directly from God to the believer by His Holy Spirit. The verse says that He tells whatever He hears from the Father and makes it known to you. So the Spirit is, in effect, a conduit or channel to the Father and we gain access by the Son Jesus Christ. This is why prayer in the Spirit (in other tongues) is mandatory if you want clear messages from the Father. At some point, we need to shut off our natural minds and pray the perfect will of God. Paul said in 1 Corinthians 14:14, “For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my mind is unfruitful.” Sometimes we are like my son, so mentally frustrated that we can’t hear what God is trying to say to us by His Spirit. But, when the rhema word comes and tells us exactly how to handle a situation, it always leaves us in awe. Praying in the Spirit and praying the Word—these are the only two ways I know to pray the perfect will of God. Then, those messages from Him become more clear and easier to recognize.

1. He tells us what will happen in the future. Wow! Who knows how many volumes could be written on the testimonies from this portion of the verse? How many scores of believers have averted disaster, become wealthy and broken engagements because the Spirit told them what would happen in the future? I’ve noticed however, individuals be hindered at two extremes. On one hand, the Spirit tells them the future and they become afraid and shrink back. On the other, some become arrogant and trample God’s grace and favor by self righteous acts and narcissism. Nevertheless, don’t be stifled! God always provides provision for the vision. After all, it is His vision for your life (Philippians 1:6). Joshua saw his future and God himself encouraged him to be strong and courageous (Numbers 14; Deuteronomy 1:38; Joshua 1). Forty years prior, Joshua saw what his future held. He could have become arrogant or fearful being privy to this information, but he held fast to the promise of God, got quiet and lived his life. Do you need to know your future? Get full of the Holy Ghost and He’ll tell you.

If you have not had an Acts 2 experience, this is what is necessary for you to receive the gift of tongues. The Holy Spirit is not supposed to lay dormant in you. You must exercise it daily in prayer. Allow Him to guide you as the verse says. This will revolutionize your thinking and change your life! Solomon wrote in the Old Testament, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not to your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your path (Proverbs 3:5-7).”I know people all around you are panicking, but if they were saved and full of the Holy Spirit they would be at peace. What about you? Are you afraid? Confused? Don’t know how to handle your situation? Trust in the Words of Christ, get baptized in the Holy Spirit and pray in the Spirit—He will guide you into all the Truth.

Be blessed friends and have the perfect day everyday!

—Shontta

Psalm 138:8

Step One: Pray the Word of God

The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.—James 5:16 NIV

One thing that almost always hinders our prayer lives is improper forms of prayer. According to this scripture there is a form of prayer that is effective; so, there must also be forms of prayer that are ineffective. The best way to avoid this and know that you’ve succeeded in prayer is to rehearse God’s word back to Him. Two great places to start are Psalms and Proverbs for daily confessions. I suggest reading a Proverb a day; whatever the date is read that Proverb aloud. Some faith-building Psalms to start with are 1, 23, 34, 91, 103, 112,121 and 138. As you grow in this, begin to inject your favorite passages from all over the Bible into your daily confessions. For example, before I teach a fitness class of any kind, I recite Psalm 121. I also attach several other scriptures regarding the tongue. I ask the Lord to guide me with His eye (Psalm 32:8). These are Word-based prayers and I can have full confidence in their effectiveness. To me, praying the Word is the equivalent of taking the purest form of an anecdote. Uncut is the strongest form possible. When you begin to pray this way, your prayers will almost always be aloud. Remember in Mark 11:23 Jesus said that you will have whatever you say.

Step Two: Pray in the Holy Spirit

But you, dear friends, build yourselves up in your most holy faith and pray in the Holy Spirit.—Jude 1:20 NIV

The gift of the Spirit with evidence of speaking in other tongues is your secret weapon; it is your sixth sense. Paul said that the one who prays in the Spirit edifies or builds himself up (2 Corinthians 14:4). When you need a spiritual tune up, this is exactly what could be hindering you—your spirit is not built up. Again in my profession as a fitness instructor, I am constantly in contact with people who are strong and well built in their physical bodies. In their spirits and minds however, they are fragile and weak. People are confused and doubtful about their lives—not sure who or what to believe. But Jesus said, “But when He, the Spirit of Truth (the Truth-giving Spirit) comes, He will guide you into all the Truth (the whole, full Truth). For He will not speak His own message [on His own authority]; but He will tell whatever He hears [from the Father; He will give the message that has been given to Him], and He will announce and declare to you the things that are to come [that will happen in the future] (John 16:13 AMP).” When we use our prayer language our spiritual sense becomes heightened, we are more aware of people and situations around us and God’s presence is more tangible in our daily lives. By praying in the Spirit, Romans 8 becomes real to you because you are then led by the Spirit.

Step Three: Hear the Word of God

So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God.—Romans 10:17

The concept is simple, the more you hear (and obey) the Word of God the more you hear God. Your ability to hear the voice of God is directly related to the amount of His word you hear. Jesus told us to be careful how we listen because to the one who has spiritual knowledge would more be given (Luke 8:18 AMP). Here are three ways to hear the Word. One, through your own mouth (see step one). Next, go to a Word-based church at least twice a week and hear the Word preached. And finally, use technology—listen to cds, watch television or internet broadcasts and load up that mp3 player with the Word so you can listen to it while you’re working out or in your car. The difference in your awareness will be amazing. It’s the same concept as tuning up your car so it performs better. You too will perform better by taking these steps to tune up your spirit. And in hearing the Word, remember what James told us. He said in James 1:22 do not just listen to the word and deceive yourself, do what it says.

In these times it is imperative that you as a child of God know, hear and follow His voice. Jesus said in John 10:4-5, “And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice. And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers.” This is how you live above the circumstances and experience plenty in a time of famine. Tune up your spirit—pray the Word, pray in the Spirit and hear the Word of God!

Be blessed friends and have the perfect day everyday!

Psalm 138:8

—Shontta