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Expect To Hear God's Voice

It is a lot easier for us to believe what the devil says that what God says, simply because we were born into sin (see John 3:6). We do it all the time. For example, if the electric company sends you a bill, and you have no money, you immediately think they are going to turn off the electricity because you can't pay the bill. Any bad report that you receive, you believe the worst right away, even though it has not yet happened. But, let God say something good is about to happen in your life, and doubts automatically come rushing into your mind. It seems almost a foreign thing for us to hear the voice of our Creator.

We should accept and believe for something great to happen every day and expect Him to speak something good and encourage us as any good father would. We need to be in a relationship with God so that we are always expecting to hear His voice. Most of the time He speaks so gently His voice sometimes is just a whisper. If you are caught up in your own thoughts and emotions, you will miss God. You will go on your own way without even acknowledging His existence. You must learn to force your soul (mind) not to let your emotions take control.

Jesus Is Alive and His Gifts and Promises Are For Today

We believe that Jesus still heals today. Do you realize what the Church had to go through to come to the place where mainstream Christianity believes that Jesus is still healing people today?

Do you know that in one country where William Branham visited there were over 200 pastors waiting at the airport to make him get back on the plane and leave because they did not believe in the gift of healing for today? I am not saying that Branham was the healer, but rather one who believed it and was blessed with the gift. Those church leaders did not believe that anyone could operate in the gift of healing.

How are you going to receive healing if you do not believe? But now the Church has come to a place where it believes in healings. We believe in miracles and we see miracles; if you hang around these kinds of people, you will see them too. There are people everywhere who are ministering in miracles because Jesus is alive today. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever (see Hebrews 13:8).

So, What About Prophecy?

Have you ever thought about this? I have been approached by men of God who said that if Jesus prophesied in the Bible and gave personal prophecy, then they would believe in personal prophecy today, too. Jesus did give personal prophecy. There was a time when Jesus was being judged. He had been arrested and taken from His disciples. But before Jesus was taken, He said that Peter would denounce Him three times before the rooster crowed. Peter did not believe what Jesus had said. None of the disciples believed Him. They said they would serve Him to their death before they let anyone take Him!

But they scattered! Then what happened? Peter ended up cursing Jesus, three times until he heard the rooster crow. Immediately, Peter remembered what Jesus said. Jesus had prophesied to Peter and given him a personal word (see Matthew 26:33-75). The word superseded what Peter even wanted to believe. Understand that Peter did not want to deny Jesus. He sincerely wanted to die defending Jesus, yet his flesh took over and he acted cowardly. He could not fulfill his own will. Do you know why? It is because the Word was working in his life.

The ultimate will of God superseded Peter's will. Jesus was showing His disciples that it was because of God's will that these things happened. This experience showed them how powerless they were without Him and how much unbelief still existed in their hearts. However, that is not all. That was also an example of prophecy. It was the foretelling of something to take place, and it happened just as Jesus said it would.

What About the Word of Knowledge?

Jesus also operated in the word of knowledge. The word of knowledge is the revelation of things that have already happened or things that are happening right now in your life. This is seen when you know that no one else knows something in your life, but when the Lord reveals it to another, you know God knows what is going on in your life. When you hear the word of knowledge come forth, you will wonder how he/she knew that. That is not the point. The point is, God knows what you are doing at all times.

For example, there were a few times in my life when I had heard the Holy Spirit speak to me. When I was about 35 years old, I was home watching television using our new satellite dish when I came across an X-rated program, and the Holy Spirit said to me, "The eyes and ears of God are everywhere," as if to say, "You need to change the channel, because He sees you." I was not yet baptized in the Holy Spirit, therefore, I did not understand spiritual things. I started looking around the room wondering how God could do that. I started thinking maybe He looks through the eyes of an insect on the wall, or maybe through the eyes of my dog that was lying down on the rug next to the fireplace. I thought to myself, How does He do that? How can the eyes and ears of God be everywhere?

It just goes to show you that without the baptism of the Holy Spirit you cannot help but be ignorant of spiritual things. God is Spirit, and He is in all places at all times. He is talking to each and every one of us even if we are not listening. He talks to us about all kinds of things: difficult circumstances, beloved people in our lives, how we can walk more closely with Him, and many different situations. How can He communicate to so many people all at the same time about totally different things? Sometimes He talks to whole masses of people about the very same thing all at the same time, for He is omnipresent.

So, What About Tongues and Interpretation of Tongues?

We believe in tongues and the interpretation of tongues today. However, still today there are some who believe the gift of tongues is of the devil. I do not understand how they can believe that! It is clear in the Bible that it is a spiritual gift, and it is not from the devil. But what is the gift for? Is it there to just "ward off evil spirits" like garlic hanging around your neck? Or like a rabbit's foot in your pocket? What is it there for?

I recall back in 1992 I was ministering in a church in Fort Worth, Texas, every Monday night. Each night this one woman would sit right in front of me and speak in tongues the entire time I was preaching. After about three Monday night services I made a point to ask the woman why she continued to speak in tongues while I was bringing the message. Her answer was that she was chasing off any evil spirits that might come through my teachings and protect the people. This is when I discovered that people just have not a clue as to what the gift of tongues is for. It is very simple and you will see in two verses what tongues and interpretation of tongues is for.

In the law, it is written: "With men of other tongues and other lips I will speak to this people; and yet, for all that, they will not hear Me," says the Lord. 1 Corinthians 14:21 (and Isaiah 28:11-12)

God gave men stammering tongues, and yet for all that, they will not hear me. Do you know that the whole purpose of tongues is to hear Him? Paul says that if you pray in tongues, then pray that your mind is fruitful of those things spoken that you do not understand.

Therefore let him who speaks in a tongue pray that he may interpret. For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my understanding is unfruitful. What is the conclusion then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will also pray with the understanding. I will sing with the spirit, and I will also sing with the understanding. 1 Corinthians 14:13-15

What good does it do if I speak in tongues and not understand one word? How will you ever know what God is saying? But if there is an interpretation, then you will know what God is saying. When we pray in the spirit, we edify ourselves. What does that mean? Did you know the prophecy is for edification? That it is for comfort and for building up? It is like you are prophesying to yourself when you pray in the spirit (tongues) and then pray in your natural tongue what the Holy Spirit revealed to you Spirit to spirit.

Likewise, the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God. Romans 8:26-27

It is very edifying when you hear the voice of God, no matter what He is saying. Even if it is bad news, He can make it sweet as honey. There is something edifying about it, even when you are told you will go through difficulty. If we know God is in it with us, we have the courage and know we will make it with His help.