You would like to hear from God? Part III The High Cost of Hearing from God.

HEARING FROM GOD WILL COST YOU SOMETHING

This post is about hearing from the Lord. In fact, which is a query often posited by Christians, ‘How do I hear from Him?’

There are many online articles, and even some books written, that deign to answer this question. Some enumerate the ways God ‘speaks’, i.e.. in ‘visions’, and ‘quiet words’.. some suggest Bible study, fellowshipping with other believers, learning to listen, or by ‘loving God with all your heart’, and so on.

Remarkably, I did not find a source that mentioned the bottom-line-basic requirement of being ‘born again’ and ‘baptized in the holy spirit - which is to be - ‘filled with the spirit of God’. Without holy spirit, the danger is a person cannot test the spirits - They cannot possibly know ‘who they are hearing from’, God knows, there are many many counterfeit voices out there, vying for attention.

Then too, many of the instructions sounded like a ‘paint by numbers’ exercise in spirituality. Do this - and get that. Quid pro quo.

But is that what really works?

If so, why does it appear that true revelation, and a world wide body of believers ‘led by the spirit’ is missing in evidence. If it were a matter of just ‘following the steps’, why are there FORTY SEVEN THOUSAND Christian denominations in the world?

Is Christ divided?

Is there more than 1 God? 1 Spirit? 1 Baptism? 1 Lord? 1 Body of Christ?

Taking a more analytical look at the question, begs more questions.. that is, if these ‘paint by number’ instructions for ‘hearing from God’ were actually the way to go.

In fact the Bible has a remarkably small list of men who appear to have ‘heard from God’ in Scripture even in the Post Pentecost records - which ‘small’ proportion seems to be reflected in modern times.

Sure, we can list Luther, Hus, Tyndale, Paul, Peter, Philip, Mueller, Carver, Wilkerson, Gurnall, Scrivner, and another maybe 100 or so men (and women) in the last several centuries that obviously heard from God- whose lives impacted the world for Christ. But how does that compare to the billions of people that have lived in the last 6,000 years?

If it’s all so simple - Why don’t more people hear from GOD?

I think the answer may be found in one more thing that I found missing from the retinue of posts positing ‘the way to hear God speak’, which is what I wish to cover today - and that is - the HIGH COST of hearing from God.

IT IS ASKED - HOW MAY I HEAR FROM GOD?

I would reply - ‘But saint, Do you know what you are asking for?..

Do you know that a close relationship with the Lord will cost you?

In the first place, King David noticed - people who DONT hear from God - those who have no ‘fear of God in them’, never seem to have troubles. Though, after communing with God, the King was shown the truth about ‘them’. (‘them’ / ‘they’ often refers to people in the Bible ‘outside the fold of God’s Kingdom.’)

¹⁸ Surely thou didst set ‘them’ in slippery places: thou castedst them down into destruction.

¹⁹ How are ‘they’ brought into desolation, as in a moment!

‘they’ are utterly consumed with terrors.

²⁰ As a dream when one awaketh; so,

O Lord, when thou awakest, thou shalt despise ‘their’ image.

This world does not ‘take prisoners’. It’s a ‘zero sum game’. The battle lines are drawn. Some keep a ‘low profile’ and hope for the best, by imagining there is ‘neutral territory’,(There isn’t) where they can safely and anonymously ride out the storm of life. Others want to be moved up in the ranks of the troops to ‘hear from the Commander in Chief’, not realizing they will be - skylined¹.. spiritually speaking.. Sought out by the ‘enemy of all goodness’ for a beating if he finds an unguarded spot.

There is no thing more wonderful in this life, than a word from the Chief Shepherd in your ears., or a leading of the Holy Spirit in your heart. Tho, there is a price to pay.

THE PRICE TO BE PAID

The price paid by those in close communication with Christ, is evidenced in the heartfelt laments expressed the seeker of God’s own heart - King David. Also the laments of Jeremiah, Hosea, Elijah, Ezekiel, Jacob, Joel, Paul, Job and many other prophets and patriarchs who found that ‘friendship with God, is enmity with the world’. (And vice versa)

Are you ready for that?

Jesus said not all men were.

..saying..

^‘Hear then the parable of the sower:

When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart. This is what was sown along the path.

As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy, yet he has no root in himself, but endures for a while, and when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately he falls away^.

As for what was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and it proves unfruitful.’

Matthew 13:18-22

Some don’t understand the Word of God; Some are deterred by the tribulation that accompanies the walk of obedience to God; and others prefer wealth and comforts.

• To give up misunderstanding demands study;

• To be undeterred by tribulation demands personal resolve and a fearlessness that can only come from patience which issues in experience, which issues in hope. A process.

• To give up the ‘love of money’.. I have no advice for that save to say, it is critical to love Jesus more than mammon.

These are just some of the costs of discipleship.

By the Way - The protracted battle of endurance of the patriarchs proves the “Courtrooms of Heaven’ fad to be what it is - a false doctrine of devils.

IF we were supposed to just go up to heaven, have our case heard, and swiftly eliminate our problems and persecutions.. then somehow the Patriarchs missed that missive by a mile. Why didn’t THEY know about this ‘get outta jail free’ card?

The Scripture’s assurance however, is:

‘Many are the afflictions of the righteous

BUT

OUT OF THEM ALL,.. the Lord GOD delivers.’ Psalm 34:19

Hearing from God, has another cost..

Developing an ear for God’s mouth requires time away from pleasurable pursuits… It is a sacrifice that is required for those in the ranks. We don’t get to put off our uniforms, dispense with our armor, and lolligag on the beach, as the world loves to do.

William Gurnall² put it the best in his own inimitable way, when he said:

‘Indeed there is no duty in a Christian’s whole course of walking with God, or acting for God, but is lined with many difficulties, which shoot, like enemies through the hedges, so that he is put to dispute every inch of ground as he goes’.

Then as if to punctuate my point he says..

There are only a few noble spirited souls (who dare to take heaven by force) that are fit for this calling”. W. Gurnall

Then as if to even further punctuate my point he says..

The Christian is to proclaim and prosecute an irreconcileable war against his bosom sins.. ‘As David said, ‘I have kept myself from my iniquity’. W.G.

And the Christian is to prosecute an irreconcileable war against his bosom desires.. Consider the man who - of the whole earth - God called out, and spoke to as a friend’.

Abraham, when called to take Isaac, his only son whom he loved, and offer him up with his own hands’.. soul, take thy lust, thy Isaac, the thing which has caused most joy and laughter, from which thou hast promised thyself the greatest return of pleasure or profit; lay hands on it, and offer it up; pour out the blood of it before me..’ W.G.

We could almost stop the presses right there! HOW MANY of us, would lay our only begotten child on the pyre, and do as Abraham showed himself willing to? Could you?

GEORGE WASHINGTON CARVER’S SECRET TO CLOSENESS WITH GOD - was also ‘sacrificial’..

In Part II of this study, we examined George Washington Carver.. a man who heard from God regularly, by a ‘leading in judgment’ that translated into a remarkable number of inventions which - had he any interest in money - would have put him above Nikola Tesla for quantity of patents!

We learned Carver’s secret of his close fellowship with God, was rising before dawn his whole life, spending 2 hours with the Lord before repairing to his laboratory to hear the secrets of the plants.

NOW, we will hear that another exceptional saint, who was led by the Lord to build 3 orphanages in Bristol England, to where he was housing, educating, feeding and clothing as many as 2,000 children at any one time.. which children never once went without their meals.. a saint who also paid for the printing of Bibles and tracts - giving away more than 250,000 Bibles in his lifetime; and paying the tuition for hundreds of children to go to school.

During his lifetime, this saint, George Muller, raised the equivalent of $129,000,000 which he gave away!.. having secured provision for all these things by answers to prayer!

How God respected Muller’s prayers is the subject of many books.

And, just like George Washington Carver, George Muller’s secret to close fellowship with God, came with a price - which is the subject of PART IV - tomorrow.

Wait for it.

1. To be ‘skylined’ is a military term that refers to a soldier who’s on a hill, making his silhouette an easy target for gun fire.

2. The Christian in Complete Armour 1677