Hearing God's Voice
We have been studying all about faith, how God uses it, what it is, and what ingredients we need to add to it. Several times in this book I wrote about that faith comes by hearing God speak, or in other words, faith is the by-product of our intimacy with God. "So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word [rhema or voice] of God" (Romans 10:17).
Hearing God during our times of suffering has been invaluable to me.
In my experience the most important time for me to hear God's voice is when it does not seem like God is working in my life, when the promises of God seem to be for others and not for me, or when circumstances continue to worsen. There are seasons of God's dealings that we will not completely understand. His ways are higher than ours. Although He has usually revealed to me why He had to take a certain path, He has seldom revealed that to me until after the suffering was over.
It is during those long suffering periods that God's voice is precious!
"If any of you lacks wisdom [hearing God's voice], let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him" (James 1:5). That is a promise that I stand upon when I just can't understand why certain things just take so long to change. While I understand that we cannot demand that God speak to us, there have been times when I brought this Scripture before Him, and asked in faith. I can remember times when within just a few hours He spoke.
Even in those times we have to ask in faith, in trusting in His Word.
"But let him ask in faith [for wisdom], with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind" (James 1:6).
In all Biblical dispensations, hearing God's voice has been a major issue.
Many of the patriarchs heard God's voice. One of the most important of these was Abraham.
"So the days of Terah were two hundred and five years, and Terah died in Haran. Now the LORD had said to Abram: 'Get out of your country, From your family And from your father's house, To a land that I will show you. I will make you a great nation; I will bless you And make your name great; And you shall be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, And I will curse him who curses you; And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed'" (Genesis 11:32-12:3).
During the dispensation of the Law, hearing God's voice was emphasized.
"Now it shall come to pass, if you diligently obey the voice of the LORD your God, to observe carefully all His commandments which I command you today, that the LORD your God will set you high above all nations of the earth. And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, because you obey the voice of the LORD your God" (Deuteronomy 28:1, 2).
During Jesus' time on earth He emphasized hearing His voice.
"My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me" (John 10:27).
After the resurrection hearing His voice is much more common.
That is because the Holy Spirit has been poured out on mankind and it is He who caused us to hear God's voice.
"Then I turned to see the voice that spoke with me. And having turned I saw seven golden lampstands, and in the midst of the seven lampstands One like the Son of Man, clothed with a garment down to the feet and girded about the chest with a golden band" (Revelation 1:12, 13).
"Now the Lord spoke to Paul in the night by a vision, 'Do not be afraid, but speak, and do not keep silent'" (Acts 18:9).
"For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God" (Romans 8:14). The Strong's Concordance defines the Greek word sons: huios, which means a son who is maturing into the likeness of his father, as opposed to a son who was simply begotten.
God's voice heals.
In my experience through the Bondage Breakers ministry, the only way addicts of any kind can be healed is by hearing God's voice. This is emphasized in most addiction ministries. If we stop and think about it, we all are in need of the same kind of healing. All of us are somewhat addicted to many ungodly things and habits, including addiction to the works of our flesh. We can even become addicted to comfort and pleasure. Many find themselves seeking God for an easier life.
Jesus made it clear. He said if you want salvation, deny yourself, die, then follow Me.
If we don't practice God's presence and learn to continually hear His voice, faith will not come. If faith does not come, then we cannot inherit His promises, we will not have everything we need for life and godliness, and we will not see change in our lives. God cannot use us to the extent He would like to unless we can hear His voice.
Peter's last words before he died.
In a previous chapter about Peter's ingredients, he warns his readers to make sure to always be intimate with God in order to hear His voice, in order to obtain His promises which will bring everything needed for life and godliness. This must have been of extreme importance to Peter since these were among his final words. In 2 Peter chapters 1 and 2, he warns that there are only two paths. First was the Word of God rising in your hearts like the daystar rises to bring morning light. The other path was to be influenced by false teachers bringing selfishness and even worse things.
Peter's final words were strong.
"For this reason I will not be negligent to remind you always of these things, though you know and are established in the present truth. Yes, I think it is right, as long as I am in this tent, to stir you up by reminding you, knowing that shortly I must put off my tent, just as our Lord Jesus Christ showed me. Moreover I will be careful to ensure that you always have a reminder of these things after my decease" (2 Peter 1:12-15).
Hearing God's voice brings knowing not conventional learning.
When Peter James and John were taken up by Jesus' transfiguration in Matthew chapter 17 they just knew Elijah and Moses without ever seeing them before. They had no pictures of them, they just knew. When the Holy Spirit takes you into the Kingdom of God, God's presence, and you hear His voice, knowing just comes. Often it is a knowing of more of Jesus. Sometimes it is a knowing of who you are in Christ and of His love. Other times it is a knowing of yourself and how undone and sinful you are. Then He gives you the opportunity to appropriate forgivingness and grace and then He replaces you. Your flesh burns off. Supernatural things are accomplished for your life and for the furthering of the Kingdom of God.
Passionately pursue knowing God in His presence! The rewards are eternal not just for this temporal world.
The Flowing River [7]
Quote from Watchman Nee from his book A Table in the Wilderness, June 20. (6)
"There will I meet with thee, and I will commune with thee from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubim which are upon the ark of the testimony (Exodus 25:22).
What is the basis of our communion with God? It is His glory. At the mercy seat with its shadowing cherubim we have fellowship with-God, and they are "cherubim of glory." It is in the place where God's glory is manifested, with its implied judgment upon man, that we find mercy there and there alone. Cannot God, being God, show mercy where he will? No, he can only show mercy where his moral glory is also maintained. He does not divorce the mercy seat from the cherubim.
It is the shed blood that makes communion possible for sinful man. Because of it God can show mercy without violating his glory; he can commune with man without denying himself. Thus the blood of Christ is essential to fellowship, absolutely essential. Nevertheless it is not the basis of fellowship. When I commune with blood at his mercy seat it is not on the precious blood I gaze, but on the glory. The veil is taken away, and with unveiled face we all behold the glory of God."
As a child of God, you are entitled to experience an ever-deepening relationship with the Lord. This includes enjoying fellowship in His presence, but it is much more. Matthew chapter 6 emphasizes reward in prayer as opposed to answered prayer. The reward is God Himself. Other results of prayer are simply by-products. If you are sincere about deepening your relationship with Jesus you may, but there may be a price to pay. God reveals Himself to those people who submit to and obey Him (John 14:21). God also reveals Himself to those who seek him diligently and with pure motives. Often we must remove ourselves from the familiar, and find time to set aside just for Him. God seems to honor those who hunger and thirst for true righteousness and holiness. If you do not hunger for these, at least ask God to give you that hunger.
We know that God's presence never leaves us, but I am talking about something totally different. I am talking about entering into His glory, His awesome and very private glory. This is different from corporate worship. This is just you and God in His Holy of Holies! This kind of encounter does not necessarily include a manifestation in your physical flesh. Although it may include that, it may simply be a deep inner and quiet connection. You experience His glory to such a degree that your life is eternally transformed. I am talking about a deeper baptism in the Holy Spirit, beyond the gifts. I am talking about His holiness invading you and burning off your Adamic nature. As you read on, know that when I use the word "presence" I am talking about this extra dimensional realm.
When a believer knows with faith that Jesus wants to fellowship with him, he can experience that fellowship provided he submits to God's conditions. His conditions are simply to submit to Jesus as Lord, and to quickly obey His Word. "For all those things My hand has made, And all those things exist, Says the LORD. But on this one will I look (to pay attention to): On him who is poor (afflicted, humble, needy and weak) and of a contrite spirit, And who trembles at My word" (Isaiah 66:2). One major attribute of humility is the wiliness to repent and turn from our old ways, which are unlike God's character.
Those conditions may seem like "old stuff" for many Christians, but there is more to these than may first meet the eye. So many Christians are in "prisons" that are not necessary. They have compromised being real and honest with themselves and with God. At some point in time they knew that they had compromised, but now they do not even realize that they are in "prison." Often the enemy maintains his prison doors with tactics that are very religious.
Many do not want to face pain, and refuse any type of confrontations. Therefore they compromise not receiving God's best. Others live by rules, legalism, or performance in some sort of pretended holiness. They feel that they are pleasing a harsh God. Still others live by "false grace" feeling that God understands that they are not perfect, therefore why even try to live by faith. They pray when they are in a hard place, but none of these people are enjoying the person of Jesus, the very presence and fellowship of the Creator! They may enter the Kingdom of God when they die, but they are living in Hell while they are on Earth.
The Flowing River will build your faith, and will invite God to fulfill His desire to reveal Himself to you. It will also give you some things that you need to do in order to react to His invitation. After I had known the Lord for less than one month I went to a convention and the evangelist made the statement, "The Lord is my best friend. He is closer to me than my wife." When I heard that I became hungry for the same thing, and have pursued it ever since.
Bible studies, sermons, books, discipleship lessons are all good, but if you do not experience the presence of the Lord you are missing the nugget of the Christian life. When you know that Jesus is in the room with you, everything changes. Your joy comes, afflictions seem to diminish, faith rises, and His grace becomes bigger than everything in life that you need to face.
When I discovered this Scriptural path for entering His presence called The Flowing River, my friendship and intimacy with Jesus expanded greatly. I discovered this during times when I could not sense His presence, and when things in life were not going very well with me. I discovered that I could go for a 30-minute walk and in my mind go through the Flowing River pathway, and I would find myself at peace and in contact with the Lord. The goal is to eventually dwell in this place as a lifestyle. This is also a "what to do path" to cooperate with God for getting your practical needs supplied.
People are really hurting.
Some cannot pay their bills, others have received a bad doctor's report, some have children who have gone astray, and perhaps others have families that are falling apart. We need to be able to know how to cooperate with God through the blood covenant lifestyle so that we can make it in this life, between now and the time we leave this body and go to Heaven.
Besides enjoying God's presence, there is a very practical "what to do" path in the Flowing River.
Do we really need to follow a path?
This idea of following a pathway to enter the presence of God is in no way meant to reduce your relationship with God to a formula, or to infer that you must enter into His presence in the way I am going to describe. I do believe that the Flowing River contains relationship skills that will either enhance your relationship with Jesus or perhaps even allow you to make contact for the very first time.
When my children were very young it was always up to me to initiate relationship times. However, as they grew older they began to have more choices and the relationship and fellowship that we could enjoy depended more and more on how they related to me.
The children that would come to me just for friendship, for advice, for appreciation and thanksgiving would always enter into a deeper relationship with me than if they simply came to me for an allowance or to pay a bill. I always had grace, and how they acted never varied my love for them, but I had deeper fellowship with them when they exercised their free wills and their relationship skills. Even if at times they would act in an adverse way, my unconditional love would kick in (most of the time). My mercy and grace is what was supposed to draw them to me, but they needed to react and make a choice.
In a sermon recently preached at Southeastern University, Dr. Mark Rutland helped me to put some of this into proper perspective. He said the following:
"We are not trying to access the supernatural, but the supernatural, the Living God, Jesus Himself, is trying to access us. Witchcraft, sorcery, and divination attempts to contact the supernatural."
Response and obedience to God's beckoning is what gives us contact with Him in the supernatural. Again, it is God's initiative that even gives us the desire to obey Him that we might be in contact with His living presence. God is pounding at your door saying, "Please obey Me." Contact with Him often depends upon your obedience.
Obedience is a lifestyle not an event. There is a progressive ladder of obedience. As you live longer, the issues for obedience grow and build upon one another. The price continually gets higher. We are called to take up our cross, and we do that. However next time the cross carries a higher price. We never have to take up that old one again, but the new one requires more sacrifice and more obedience because the prize becomes more valuable.
Be prepared! I have seen many people experience Jesus after going through the Flowing River just one time. Make this a habit and your life will change eternally.
God's purpose is to reach a dying world and at the same time bless us. How?
We were blessed in order to become a blessing to a lost and dying world. God told our forefather Abraham, "I will bless those who bless you, And I will curse him who curses you; And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed" (Genesis 12:3).
The only way we can bless others is to allow Jesus in us to do it through us. The only way He can do it through us is for His character to prevail over our old Adamic nature. This pathway I am going to describe is an opportunity for you to allow God to work His holiness and true righteousness into your life. As you begin to take up your cross and allow the loving God to gently chasten you, you will become more and more like Jesus, a partaker of His character. He will free you from your inner prisons, He will gently bring you to repentance about issues that are hurting you, and your life will never be the same. However, this path is not without pain. If you are lazy, if you will not confront yourself and others who are harming you, you will not enter into this life of fellowship with the Lord. As we become cleansed and become more like Jesus, we enjoy more of His presence, and our lives simply bless others.
Without holiness no man shall see God!
I thank God that righteousness and holiness are legally imputed to us as gifts. But as you deepen your relationship you begin to experience a true and actual transformation of your character into righteousness and holiness. I am not talking about some put on holiness. That kind of religious play-acting produces bitter and angry people, whereas true holiness produces joy, love, and all the fruit of the Spirit. "…and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness" (Ephesians 4:24).
Highway 35. The Highway of Holiness in Isaiah chapter 35.
"A highway shall be there, and a road, And it shall be called the Highway of Holiness. The unclean shall not pass over it, But it shall be for others. Whoever walks the road, although a fool, Shall not go astray" (Isaiah 35:8). Isaiah chapter 33 speaks of the Israelites experiencing judgment due to their sinful lifestyle. Isaiah 34 speaks of God bringing them through the overcoming process and Isaiah chapter 35 shows the result, which is holiness. The benefits are listed in chapter 35. They include joy, singing, the desert and wastelands becoming springs of waters, deserts blooming with roses, abundant rejoicing, seeing the glory of the Lord. It describes blind eyes being opened, feebleness being healed, fear turning into faith, the thirsty given springs of water, and living above your spiritual enemies. It would do you well to study this chapter in this context.
Ezekiel 47:1-12 shows a picture of a flowing river.
The picture God showed to Ezekiel was of the Temple of God, its ordinances and design, and a river flowing from it. God spoke to Ezekiel and showed him that this was a river of life flowing from God down to the Dead Sea into the putrid waters. This river would heal the waters and make them alive. The Scripture in chapter 47 of Ezekiel says that this river started out as a small stream as it came out from under the Temple, but then it progressively became deeper and deeper until it eventually emptied into the Dead Sea. As it did, the Sea became alive with life. The sea in the Bible normally stands for the sea of lost humanity. God was showing Ezekiel that the only way that dead people could live would be to be touched by God through something called a river that was to flow from His very presence. John 7:38 says, "He who believes on Me, as the Scripture has said, 'Out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.'"
The River flows in to cleanse you – The River flows out to save a dead world
"Write it down Ezekiel."
God told Ezekiel in chapter 43:10-11 to write down this picture of the Temple and its ordinances so that the people could see it and so that they could repent and thus be a blessing to others. That is what the Flowing River lesson is all about.
Where is the temple today? 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 says, "Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit in you, whom you have of God? And you are not your own, for you are bought with a price. Therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's."
We cannot become blessed nor be a blessing without the real presence of God.
We need the presence of God to set us free and cleanse us in order to do any kind of ministry, even effective prayer. Here is the pattern for experiencing the fullness of the Lord for your life, for your church and for the world. We need the presence of God to set us free and cleanse us in order to do any kind of ministry, even effective prayer.
Here is the pattern for experiencing the fullness of the Lord for your life.
"And they were continuing steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine, and in fellowship and in the breaking of the loaves, and in prayers. And fear came on every soul. And many wonders and miracles took place through the apostles" (Acts 2:42-43).
Notice the three things the apostles did daily that resulted in many wonders and miracles:
1. The apostles' doctrine. This is the daily study of the Word of God.
2. Prayers. This most likely included more than one kind of prayer. The early church often confessed who they were in Christ, and confessed the Word.
3. Fellowship and breaking of bread. This was daily communion, or the taking of the cup and the bread in remembrance of the blood covenant.
The early church took communion at least weekly, if not daily. It was their way to enter into the presence of God and experience a deep knowing of Him in a personal way. It was not a religious practice, it was a time of enjoying Him in a real way.
The purpose of communion was to bring the partakers into God's presence. The story in Luke 24:30,31 is an example. In it they found healing and all their needs supplied. Luke 24:30-31 says, “Now it came to pass, as He sat at the table with them, that He took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. Then their eyes were opened and they knew Him; and He vanished from their sight.”
The presence of God, through His flesh and blood covenant, meets all our needs. (Taken from Dick Reuben's video series, "A Pattern for Revival Fire: Covenant Meal - The Lord's Table.")
The Flowing River is a daily exercise that does the same thing (not to replace communion, but in addition to it). The Flowing River walks one through the blood covenant and brings the person through the veil, which is His flesh, into the Holy of Holies right into His presence! We need His presence daily, not just once in a while!
In John 6:51 Jesus says that He is the Living Bread that came down from Heaven. Hebrews 10:19-20 talks about a new and living way of coming into the Holy of Holies through the veil that is the flesh of Jesus.
What all of this is saying is that the way into the presence of God is through the recognition of the blood covenant; His blood and flesh. You will see that going through the Flowing River recognizes the blood covenant much in the same way as does communion.
We need to know that there are enemies that want to stop God from being real to us.
Our enemies come at us in three main ways:
Our will -
Our mind -
Our emotions-
are attacked by Our Flesh, the World and Satan.
Question:
How do we overcome these enemies to get into God's presence for FELLOWSHIP?
Answer:
God has already provided for all victory over all enemies! The way into His presence was provided at the Cross when the veil was torn from top to bottom - Mark 15:38. Now it is our job to cooperate. We must take up our cross - that will give us the victory!
Luke 9:23-25 says, "And he said to them all, 'If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it. For what is a man advantaged, if he gain the whole world, and lose himself, or be cast away?'"
The word for life in Luke 9 means "soul" or the will, mind and emotions. The word deny means to say no to.
The key to abundant life and receiving all that Jesus has for us, including His presence, is to complete the blood covenant by taking up our cross.
Many of us know the magnificent, all inclusive, all powerful work done by Jesus on the Cross of Calvary; how He shed his blood for our sin, and rose from the dead to give us life. We cannot add to that. However, in order to take advantage of that work, we must also die. We must take up our cross, deny ourselves and follow Him. We must lose our life.
Our relationship and fellowship with God are based upon a blood covenant. To the Western mindset that can be a foreign thing. The closest comparison we have is marriage, and so many people have an understanding of this relationship that is contrary to the Bible. Ask yourself this: Would you negotiate with your mate-to-be on how many other intimate relationships you are allowed after your marriage?
TWO deaths, Jesus' and yours activate the blood covenant!
What is so important about a blood covenant?
1 Peter 1:18-19 says, "For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect."
Leviticus 17:11 says, "For the life of a creature is in the blood, and I have given it to you to make atonement for yourselves on the altar; it is the blood that makes atonement for one's life."
The spiritual life can be exchanged by the law of substitution. A blood covenant changes your family inheritance.
Family inheritance. This basically means that people may be born into a certain family, and from that family lineage they will receive blessings and curses as their inheritance. However blessings and curses can be changed. Tribes in Africa, in American Indian culture and other Asian type societies have always looked for ways to swap or trade blessings and curses with other people.
Since ancient times, people have drank blood that was offered to their god, so that they could be like God.
Before the Foundation of the World, God prearranged to have Jesus crucified according to the eternal Spirit, which means that the substitution principle was in effect before any man was created (Revelation 13:8).
In order for a blood covenant to truly be effective, there must be blood shed by two parties, or there must be two deaths and two crosses. We must die to our self and commit all we are and all we have to Jesus. The good thing is that Jesus also commits all He has and all He is to us!
When we connect the Cross of Jesus to our cross we are plugged into God, and Power happens!
There are always two crosses that must connect to make a blood covenant.
The Tabernacle is a powerful symbol of the two crosses to use as a prayer guide. It will help us take up our cross and walk us into the very presence of God for FELLOWSHIP!
Quote from God's Plan and the Overcomers (6) - Watchman Nee.
The Old Testament tells us how the chosen people of God lived on earth. At first, the tabernacle served as the center of the 12 tribes; later it was the temple that became their center. The center of the temple was the ark. The tabernacle, the temple and the ark are all types of Christ. As long as the children of Israel maintained their proper relationship with the tabernacle or the temple they were victorious, and no nation could overcome them. Even though their enemies learned how to fight while they themselves were not familiar with fighting, the children of Israel overcame all their enemies nonetheless. But the moment they had problems with the tabernacle or the temple, they were taken into captivity. Nothing else, whether they had powerful kings or great wisdom in themselves mattered at all; the only concern, which mattered, was whether or not they had offended the ark of the tabernacle or temple. If the Lord had the preeminence, then theirs was the victory. So too with us today. In minding the victory of Christ, we also have the victory.
As you journey into fellowship with God, picture taking a walk through the Tabernacle as the priests of the Old Testament did.
The Tabernacle
God's reason for the Tabernacle was to apply blood in order to restore the Glory of intimate fellowship.
First: His Cross
Under the Old Covenant, Israel held an annual day of atonement, called Yom Kippur. The sins of Israel were to be dealt with on this one day of the year when the high priest prepared to go through the Tabernacle on behalf of Israel for their sins.
At the Bronze Altar, in the outer court, there were two young goats called calves. One was given a scarlet cloth around its neck indicating it would be slain for blood. The other was tied up outside the gate indicating it was to be the scapegoat. The first goat was slain at the altar and the priest took its blood into the Holy of Holies, where he presented it with incense off the altar of incense (the place of praise). As the incense burned, it filled the Holy of Holies with smoke, which represented (and actually released) the presence of God. The priest would sprinkle the blood on the mercy seat once and in front of it seven times. Outside, every person in the camp lay prostrate through all of this. No one saw any of it happening, yet it meant that his or her sins would be forgiven for the entire year.
Next, as the priest returned and changed his clothes, he laid his hands on the head of the other goat, the scapegoat, symbolizing the transfer of all of the sins to the head of the animal. There was to be a very rugged man chosen to take the scapegoat into the desert wilderness and lead it to a place where it could not return. He would take it to an inescapable place. They would go to a valley surrounded by ledges and cliffs and the goat was lowered down so it could never escape (Leviticus 16:21-22).
Now as the priest laid hands on the scapegoat, beginning the second part of the ceremony, he confessed the sins of the entire Israel. He would say, "Lord, place my sins and the sins of the people on the head of this goat. Now go and depart." As they led the goat out of the camp, all of the people stood and rejoiced. They could all see and understand, even the children. The scapegoat is symbolic of Jesus being our scapegoat, being lowered into Hell for us with our sins on His head. He took our sin and removed it forever, never again to be found or to return. Psalm 103:12 says, "as far as the east is from the west, so has He removed our sin from us." Micah 7:19 says, "that thou will cast all their sins into the depths of the sea."
Hebrews 9:12-14 says, "Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us. For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh: How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?"
Second: Our Cross
Our soul is three parts: will, mind (intellect) and emotions. The Holy Place represents that part of our being, the soul. It has three pieces of furniture that represent our Will, Mind and Emotions (see above picture). Saying no to these and yes to what God has is the taking up of our cross.
Our will -
Our mind -
Our emotions-
are attacked by Our Flesh, the World and Satan.
Now we will take a journey to each of these items in our prayer time and journey right past our enemies into the very presence of God!
What is taking up your cross all about?
We teach here in this Flowing River chapter that we need to "take up our cross" in order to realize the Glory of God, His presence in our own personal lives.
In the Garden of Eden Eve thought that she could have both the Glory of God and independence. She did not believe that taking the path to independence, The Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, would lead to such a tragic end. In doing so she would not only lose the Glory of God in her life, but she would enter a realm that she had never agreed to specifically. That realm is what the Bible calls the world system, the Whore of Babylon, the evil woman as described in Proverbs 7.
God told her if she ate of her own independence that she would die, or literally be separated from God. She did not realize what that really meant.
She had not experienced the dead end of the world's way. She thought God had lied, and that gave her insecurity.
"But I fear, lest somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ" (2 Corinthians 11:3).
Eve had the total Glory of God and yet was tempted away. That shows that the temptation, the lie, is very strong for you and for me. Often it takes our experiencing the failure of the World's way in order to value Jesus just for Who He is, and do whatever is needed to prepare for His Glory in our lives.
We need to understand that our independence by default takes us to the Whore, the world. There is no other choice except for God. We are deceived because we don't know that independence takes us right into the arms of the Harlot.
The Harlot is spoken about in Proverbs 7. It shows how the World, the Harlot, entices people. Then compare that to Proverbs 8 which talks about Wisdom, which is Jesus Himself and how He lures people.
When I saw Jesus in 1979 I already knew that there was nothing in the way of the World that was of any value. I saw that nothing in the World's system works. I was in bondage to it and controlled by it.
Taking up our cross really means agreeing to God's ways especially if they are painful and not comfortable at the time, but knowing that it will lead to our benefit, our abundant life and to God's eternal purpose for us and His Kingdom.
Can we really take up our cross without help? We can only take up our cross to a point, but not all the way. We don't have enough hands to crucify all of ourselves; the last nail must be inserted by the world. We must experience some sort of pain and breaking to really get the job done. God does not do this, the world does. We can offer to God those things that we control, those things that we are aware of. However, God sees with vision we do not have. He knows those things in your soul that are keeping you from complete healing and connection with Him. The more of you that can die, the more of Him can live in you. His plan is not to clean up your old life, but to have you experience the crucifixion with Him.
"The Flowing River"
(Daily Prayer Guide)
To Journey Into The Presence of God
Instructions:
1. Read the first 7 pages first, then again at least once a month. Then start here on this page on a daily basis, taking at least twenty minutes to make contact with God.
2. When you start through the tabernacle your back is to be toward the world and your face toward Jesus. This is important, for the Holy Spirit will not honor you with His presence if you are facing in the wrong direction (spiritual direction, Acts 26:18).
3. Go to each "stop" and deal with that subject in prayer with the Lord. Look up some of the Scriptures. Be alert for areas of repentance, for this is one of our main contributions toward this fellowship time with God.
4. It is preferred that you go through all these stops at one time. You can do it in twenty minutes. However, if you do not have time in one sitting to go through this entire process, do not give up. Instead, begin the process in the morning, and go through at least one step. Then, do the next one at lunch. If you need to, go ahead and continue the next day. Eventually, live a life of this process and it will be a natural process of always staying in His presence.
The Outer Court
First Stop: The Bronze Altar - The Cross of Jesus.
Forgiveness.
The blood covenant swaps everything that we have that is bad for everything that God has that is good. However, we cannot have forgiveness of sins without making Jesus Lord (Romans 10:9-10).
Start out today by being honest with Jesus. 1 John 1:9 says, "If we confess our sins He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness."
A big part of taking up your cross is being GUT LEVEL HONEST with God. You need to be totally transparent and tell Him everything. Take time to pour out your heart to him as you would your best friend! 1 John 1:7 says, "But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin." Jesus said in John 3:19 that sin had no power as long as people came out into the light with the truth, and did not attempt to hide in darkness. Jesus did not die for our excuses; He died for our sin!
Here are some relationship disciplines that we feel are extremely important if you are going to pursue an authentic relationship with the Lord Jesus.
Relationship Disciplines and Skills.
God is inviting you to discipline your life to relate to Him and get to know Him. This is how the blood covenant blessings flow into your life:
1. Make a firm decision to pursue the relationship. Offer yourself completely to God (Romans 12:1-2). This is our blood covenant response to a mighty blood covenant offered to us by God.
2. Take time to listen. You must take in His Word. Words are blood covenant containers. You must always be in a disciplined Bible study of some kind. Ask the Holy Spirit to show you.
3. Take time to talk. Speak your words. Some people write down your thoughts and feelings in a journal, which can be very valuable. If you have never taken time to be honest with God, you should write down your thoughts, emotions and feelings daily in a journal. You will see God speak back to you! Be gut level honest. Honesty with your blood covenant partner Jesus will cause your sin to go on Him. You cannot and will not overcome any bondage without this gut level honesty.
4. Take time to talk. Speak His Words. Read Psalms and Proverbs by the day. One discipline is to read aloud five Psalms every morning. Use the system of the calendar. As an example, on the 24th of the month read Psalms 24, 54, 84, 114 and 144. Also read Proverb 24. In this system the student will read all Psalms and Proverbs every month. Using this system renews the mind, speaks the Word to Satan, and allows the suffering believer to relate his/her emotions to the Psalmist's. Provisions can be made for months with 31 days, and for Psalm 119. God may lead you to other Scriptures to read out loud as you progress, but this is a good start, and can be a continued blessing for the rest of your life.
5. Obey God. Ask God to give you something simple, something small every day that you may obey. It may be just encouraging another. It may be not driving down the same street that fed your addiction. It may be confessing your sin to Him.
This is a big thing!
John 14:21-23 says that when we obey His Word that He will reveal more and more of Himself to us. Once you have "seen" Jesus, your relationship with Him will no longer be a discipline, but it will be a passionate pursuit. The apostle Paul had this passion when he said in Philippians 3:10, "[For my determined purpose is] that I may know Him [that I may progressively become more deeply and intimately acquainted with Him, perceiving and recognizing and understanding the wonders of His Person more strongly and more clearly], and that I may in that same way come to know the power outflowing from His resurrection [which it exerts over believers], and that I may so share His sufferings as to be continually transformed [in spirit into His likeness even] to His death, [in the hope]."
6. Communion. Take communion on a regular basis. Many people take it daily.
7. Stay in fellowship. It is important to be in fellowship with strong Bible believing, Spirit filled believers for refreshing and encouragement.
You need to walk in love, and when you fail, run to God to be cleansed.
"The Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus has set us free from the Law of Sin and Death"(Romans 8:2). If we stay turned toward God and stay honest with Him, He will see us through even in our mistakes and stumbling.
Look at the Flowing River Appendix F and give yourself an honest evaluation.
If there are no known sins then confess Galatians 2:20 and 2 Corinthians 5:21.
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