LESSON TWO
Book B
HOW TO HEAR FROM GOD TODAY
As God is the source of all blessing, it is important to hear from God today. the reason for Jesus coming to us was to reconcile mankind with God. God is a judge but He doesn't want to judge us. He is righteous but He wants His people to live in His blessings and not in His judgements. So He sent Jesus to bring us onto speaking terms with the Father, whom we shall call "Father God".
This means that now we can speak to God and He hears us and answers our requests. But more important that God is now able to speak to us.
"Every good gift and perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning". James 1:17 (NKJ)
With God looking after our lives and giving us wisdom on how to conduct ourselves and how to receive His blessings, we are able then to live in the abundance that the Lord Jesus talked about.
"The thief does not come except to steal, kill and destroy. I have come that they may have life and that they may have it more abundantly". John 10:10 (NKJ)
Jesus told us to ask God the Father for ourselves. He said that God loved us because we listen to Jesus and therefore we should not be shy about asking the Father to bless us or direct us. That Father god was only too willing to take up His role of the loving Father towards His children. Only to be ready to pour out His blessings upon His children and lead them in this blessing.
"In that day you will ask in My name, and I do not say to you that I shall pray the Father for you, for the Father Himself loves you, because you have loved Me, and have believed that I came forth from God". John 16:26,27 (NKJ)
Jesus was called Immanuel meaning God is with us, in His early days. His purpose was to bring back relations between God and the whole world.
On this basis we can now approach God with confidence. the confidence that we are loved by Him and that He wants interaction between Himself and us. The devil will often try to sow seeds of doubt about this fact. If he succeeds, then the interaction between God and man breaks down. It breaks down on our side. This means that we have a determining power with God. We can switch Him off if we so desire. God is love and love does not force itself on another person without that person's consent.
Many people think that God can override the individual's will but when it comes to choosing, we choose. God has already chosen to love us regardless.
STORY
A couple called Albie and Amanda were having a bit of a struggle in life. Even in their new life as Christians. The area of their struggle was financial. they never seemed to be able to pay the accounts. Bills mounted up and it seemed that God was nowhere to be seen in this area.
It is strange when we get so engrossed in a way of life that seems so bereft of blessings that we cannot consider that God could ever bless us with nice things financially because we have got so involved in the lack of these. Many people call it a "poverty spirit". an attitude of resignation that we have to hobble along in god, financially. Now for sure God never brings us to live in the lap of luxury. This would be very wrong. Our lives on this earth are given over to glorifying Him and preaching His gospel.
God said that if we did this we would lack for nothing. Anyway on the way to visit them one day, the Lord said to me "Ask them to ask Me for anything they want". Quite a tall order for those who can't even pay their bills. God did not judge them for their past inadequacies in wise financial planning. they were reaping partly what they had sowed. No, God wanted to show them something.
Amanda jumped at it immediately after an initial setback. "I want a car Lord", she declared. And from nowhere someone rang them within the next few days and said that God had put it on their hearts to buy them a car. Later Amanda recounts that she realised that she had settled for a lesser car than the one she really wanted and so went back to God and told Him and the same person rang her and told her that God had told them to get them a good one and revised the amount to give them so that they could get what they wanted.
"Therefore do not worry, saying "What shall we eat?" or "What shall we drink?" or "What shall we wear?". For after these things the Gentiles (unbelievers) seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things shall be added to you". Matthew 6:31-33 (NKJ)
No, God wanted them to be blessed but He had to have them to ask Him first. He wanted the dialogue. He desired the interchange between man and Himself. God wants our love and excitement. He wants us to have the most exciting lives of all. Sometimes we have a lack simply because we do not really ask God for it. Oh yes, we may casually ask or sort of send a vague prayer up to heaven. But God doesn't want "prayers". Prayers that "religious" people pray. No, He wants communication between us and Him and this can only come if we trust Him and believe what He says is for us. In other words having faith that He is what He says He is and does what He says that He does and loves us the way that He says that He loves us.
"You do not have because you do not ask. You ask and you do not receive because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures". James 4:2,3 (NKJ)
It is important to know that you cannot hear from God if you have a false idea of what He is like. Perhaps religious ideas have convinced you that God is different from what Jesus said that He is. Perhaps life's experiences of tragedy, lack, heartache and pain have lead you to believe that God is something other than He says that He is. Whatever it is that has caused it you need to change your ideas if you want to hear from God.
God told us to "renew our minds". He told us to meditate on His word. That He would never let us down and would never leave us. God told us that He cares. If you approach Him another way then you cannot hear Him when all He says is "RELAX". You do exactly the opposite because you do not believe properly and tense up. So compounding the problem of hearing nothing and therefore losing the blessings that God intended for you.
"And do not be conformed to this world (it's way of thinking), but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God". Romans 12:2 (NKJ)
Full and complete communication between God and man comes by a right heart and obedient lifestyle. This will keep the continued communication going on between our Father and ourselves under any circumstances and at any time.
TEST FOR LESSON TWO
BOOK B
QUESTIONS
