the circus & the voice of God

went to a class last night in franklin. heard a former trapeze artist/circus owner talk about the voice of God. it was straight forward and pretty profound. to me... he spoke simply but there was a lot of good things - here is the boiled down version;

we can hear the voice of God. we really can.


a few things before step #1)


A. the Holy Spirit won't force you, he leads & guides us. we need to sit still - to be quiet, and to think, with the expecation that the Holy Spirit will guide our thoughts. (you will make mistakes - that's okay! moving towards more intimacy with him is far better that playing it safe and staying a safe distance away.) *another comfort; God will not say anything that doesn't line up with his word.


B. we can expect God to fulfill his promises. the Holy Spirit has promised to speak to us & to reveal the Father to us. without the Holy Spirit (HS), we cannot hear the "more wisdom" that God wants to give us (john 16:7). when the HS comes, we'll be ready (john 16:13). the HS was sent to reveal everything of the Father. some people can't handle this* ( I cor 2:9 *"this" being all the things that God has prepared for those who love him").



C. the problem isn't hearing (he is speaking!); it's like we're radio's that aren't tuned in or turned on. he is speaking, but we are not tuned in to hear. we need to learn the language and to practice, practice, practice. (this required time - committment - again, the HS is not going to force you, he leads & guides)



D. the language of the HS is "to show us"(pictures). over 230 times God reveals through visions & dreams. there is also the parables & the prophets who acted & lived out illustrations for us.


Okay, so about the 7 steps....



step #1. pray: "Holy Spirit, you promised that you would speak to me and reveal the Father to me" *this takes time. listening. if think he is telling you something, write it down (if it is from him, he will confirm it) *just a note; the bigger the revelation, the bigger the fight - and the longer the struggle. expect that and don't be discouraged by it.


step #2. peace: do you have peace with you meditate about it (not that you will constantly feel peace, but are there times when you can, and do?) you can practice what peace feels like and what anxiety feels like (think about God's goodness, his love for you, his acceptance of you...as you meditate and relax in that - notice the peace, then think about dark and difficult situations and things - notice the anxiety)


step #3. the Word: *always use the Word! (John 1:1-3) he will never tell you something that is in conflict with or contradicts his word (Heb 4:12) his word is living *always ask for at least 5 scriptures to confirm the decision - if a big decision, ask for more! then wait without anxiety - it is not your job to go dig through books & scriptures looking for the confirming scriptures - that is the job of the Holy Spirit. just do your regular reading, your daily devotions, etc and wait...


step #4. wise counsel: Proverbs 11:14, 12:15, 13:10, 15:22 (just a few) - *wise counsel is always plural. some terms; knowledge (raw data), understanding (i know how to use the data), wisdom (experience, i am actually doing it). when we seek wise counsel we need to look for a trustworthy person with experience in what we are asking them about. (sometimes he goes to his kids with a question, because they have the most wisdom/experience about the dilema). a spouse should definitely be consulted, but when the decision affects them as well, they cannot be considered your sole "wise counsel" because they are too involved - you both need to get outside counsel about the situation - someone who is not emotionally tied to the decision. *a note about wise counsel; the devil will want to get us to rush to make a decision - God is never in a hurry (unless it's a life/death situation).


step #5. circumstances: (Ephesians - the story about the macedonia trip "wide open door = many adversaries) be wary of circumstances, they can be used by God, but they can also be manipulated by satan and by us. because of this, circumstances (like what seems like an obvious open door or opportunity) should be taken last in the list of 7, and never by themselves! *see #7.


step #6. the supernatural: visions, dreams, trances, angels (can be demonic too* although he's experienced many supernatural experiences that were from God, some of his most intense spiritual experiences were demonic - and so he is not going to base his life on these things!). he did give a great example of how we should deal with supernatural confirmations; he and his wife had felt very stirred up; like they were being prepared to move - he got a call from a man who had met him once at a conference a year or two prior. the man said; "when i shook your hand, i felt like i got a word from the Lord, but that i was not released to tell you about it until now." he asked the man what the word was and the man said; "for some reason, you're supposed to move to nashville." his response? "great! when he tells me, i'll let you know." he then took that to the Lord and started going through these 7 steps. (the Lord eventually did confirm, but his point was that it would not have been wise or obedient for him to take that one "word" and to run with it).


steps #7. timing: timing is crucial. we deal with hours and days - when preparing us for big things, God often deals in decades. how do you find out what the timing is supposed to be? once God has confirmed a decision, you take that and ask "when do you want me to do this?" - and go through steps 1-6 again.

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the main things i took away - expect more. much, much more. ask for more. spend much more time with him in his word and in talking & listening...and then wait for it....wait for it.....