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Knowing the Things of God chapter 11 part 92 page 205

When I finally surrendered to the calling on my life, I began to really study the bible. The one thing that kept grabbing me was that we should be able to hear the voice of God and have the power to minister in spiritual gifts. The only way I knew to obtain these gifts was to ask for them. So every morning at 5:45, I would go to the church sanctuary and walk and pray for an hour or more each day.

After about 8 to 10 weeks of faithfully praying and asking God to be used in signs and wonders, He spoke to me. Now, this was not some faint whisper I heard. It was His audible voice booming in this wideopen space. He started with this exact question: “Do you want to do the stuff?” Without thinking, I responded with a loud “YES,” wondering why it had taken so long for Him to hear my prayers. He then interrupted my thoughts, saying: “Then love my people the way I do.”

I took a quick self-examination of my abilities to love people like Jesus loved the people and realized I couldn’t do that of myself. So from that day forward I changed my prayer to: “Lord, teach me how to love your people the way you do.”
Within just a couple of weeks of that, I was invited to travel with a group of apostles and prophets who were scheduled to travel through Texas to minister in a number of churches. It was at the very first church we visited that Prophet Gary Brooks prophesied and laid hands upon me to receive the spiritual gifts of prophecy, the word of knowledge, and the word of wisdom.

“For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable” (Rom. 11:29).

It is true that when God blesses you with a spiritual gift it is irrevocable. In other words, it cannot be taken away. Many folks have a real problem with this, but He will not take the gift back if misused. He simply removes the vessel. That is something to truly fear. The scripture above also gives an explanation as to why the gift is still working when ministers go astray, living a life in sin but still ministering in the spiritual gift for which they are known. Unfortunately, there are also ministers who lead God’s people with an iron fist and make demands of their flock that are unreasonable.

Those kinds of misgivings concerned me for years until the Holy Spirit taught me about these truths regarding spiritual gifts. After I had received the prophetic gifts, my life was radically changed. However, at the same time I was troubled over what our Lord Jesus had said in this verse: “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of Heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in Heaven. Many will say to me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in your name, cast out demons in your name, and done many wonders in your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you who practice lawlessness!'” (Matt. 7:21-23).

In the beginning of this ministry, I thought that I could do no wrong in the eyes of God. Soon, however, these verses shattered me and made me question my own salvation; I wondered how I would ever be sure that I was pleasing God. Even while ministering in the gifts of the Holy Spirit, I could mess up and hear Him say, “Turn from me, I don’t know you.” How could I ever get it right? What must I do to please God and not feel at risk of losing my position in Heaven? It seemed to take years before the Holy Spirit came to me and told me what I needed to do to keep myself safe in the eyes of God. What He said is easy to repeat but much more difficult to accomplish. Once again, these were His words: “Love My people the way I do.”

Abiding in God’s Will part 93 page 207

“If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you” (John 15:7).
This verse of scripture has a much deeper meaning than you may think. To “abide in me” is to live in Christ and Him in you, and you are forbidden to meditate or touch anything that is not of Him. This part of the verse is not too difficult to understand because anything of sin should not be let in.

It’s the next part of the verse that has been misunderstood for a long time by many and needs further explanation-“and my words abide in you.” Here is what most people think this part of the verse is saying: if you stay away from sin and read your bible every day, or as often as possible, then you are abiding in His word. Therefore, their belief is that the promise in this verse in John 15, “you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you,” is automatically working for every believing Christian. When it doesn’t work in their life, they question their faith and the truth of the bible.

We must be willing to answer the call of the Holy Spirit and be willing to follow Him to the depths of our sanity. He will take you through various situations along this journey, teaching you what His words really mean. Whether it’s the written word or the spoken word, we must obtain understanding because this will increase our knowledge; and with knowledge we will become much wiser.

Now let’s give this some thought. It’s not too difficult to read your bible and restrain yourself from offending God, so why doesn’t every Christian receive whatever they so desire? After all, the bible promises it to be so. The promise in this verse we are discussing states that “you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.”

This is a very powerful promise and I will explain how you are to obtain it. Know that the first part of this puzzle of truth must be broken down in order for us to see the prerequisites outlined within it. When we do this, we can receive the full measure of the promise and its manifestation. Allow me, if you will, to stretch your faith a little and share with you what I have been taught by the Holy Spirit. The next few steps are not meant to offend, but rather to help set you in a place to begin walking in the fullness of the promises of God.

Remember this one thing: the Holy Bible is 100% from God and is all true! Truth will always work when applied as instructed. If what you have been taught in the past is not working, then it is not being taught correctly and it is time to ask the only true Teacher for the correct answers. The Holy Spirit is the author and teacher that will give you all truth and nothing but the truth. Also, remember that what is written in the Holy Bible is not all there is to know about living this life as a child of God. We can continue to learn daily from our God, for He is NOT dead but alive and He is speaking to you and me.

Who or What is the Word of God?
part 94 page 209

First of all, your bible is not the Word of God. Jesus Christ is the Word of God, and He can speak to you through the written words found in the bible. Do not be confused-He is not wood pulp and ink, bound in genuine leather. The Holy Scriptures are a compilation of divine events that are inscribed testimonials about God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.

When you are reading from your bible, you need to know the difference between the logos word and His Rhema Word. Many words in the bible have more than one meaning, for they originated in another language than English. When we read our bibles in the English translation, the same word can be used over and over and have the same meaning. However, in the original text it may have had multiple meanings.

If you are reading your bible and you are just obtaining information as you study, you are reading the written word (or the logos word). The Holy Spirit can use any book, billboard, poster, man, woman, child, and even a donkey to speak to you. There is no limit to how God can speak His Rhema Word (or His life-giving word). We are always looking for the life-giving word, the Rhema Word of God. The Rhema Word changes our lives, gives us direction, heals, and delivers us. Do you know what it’s like to have the Holy Spirit speak His Rhema Word to you in the very hour you have need?

This is the Rhema Word this verse is talking about, not just whatever you want to read or claim for yourself. The verse is referring to the Rhema Word from Jesus Christ, who IS the living Word in this verse. “If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.”

I hope and pray you understand this part and use it as your spiritual compass to guide you through life. Continually keep your spiritual antennas up, ready to receive every life-giving Rhema Word that comes to you. It is your Master, King, Lord Jesus speaking to you. Pray, hear, and obey, for it is the Christian way!

Hear and Obey, or Go Your Own Way
part 95 page 211

Jesus is not dead. He is alive and speaking to you and me. The problem is that we have become dull of hearing. We have become so involved in what the world has to offer with all of its noise, its propaganda, and its advertisements, that it has become difficult to know God’s perfect will for our lives. The Holy Spirit is always trying to speak to us over the noise of this world and He wants to tell us what’s to come in our future-if we will only hear Him.

By hearing a prophecy from a prophet, you will have the unction and desire to hear God for yourself. How will we be able to know except there is one given to us to hear God for us? One of the ways God speaks to us is by revealing His will through personal prophecy. This can reveal things that only God would know because no other one would know the person’s situation. By hearing a prophecy from a prophet or prophetic minister, you will have the unction and desire to hear God for yourself.

God is speaking to us 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 groaning’s 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” (Rom. 8:26-27).

The disciples said to Jesus, “Speak plainly, we do not understand you! You speak in parables, saying things that are confusing.” If the disciples who walked with Jesus in the flesh could not comprehend what He was saying, how much more difficult is it for you and me to understand? We who are born of the Spirit must hear Him who is Spirit. It is a challenge, and it is not something you can just begin to do. It has to happen to you before you begin to understand. When it happens to you, you will have a choice of whether you will hear and obey or go your own way.

Obedience is the Way page 96 page 212

It is not our sacrifice or our works that God wants from us, but it is our obedience of what He wants us to do. It is through obedience that all of the blessings of God come to us. Were you not called by God to confess Jesus to be His only begotten Son, and Lord and Savior for all mankind? Was it not by the conviction of the Holy Spirit that you knew within yourself that you were a sinner? It was only possible when the Holy Spirit spoke to you and gave you the choice to receive Him as Lord and Savior, or not to receive Him.
Do you know that the Holy Spirit wants to speak to you today? He wants to speak to you and tell you about all the good things He wants to do in your life. He also wants to give you instruction so that you can receive all the blessings that He has in store for you. The Lord wants you to pray, hear, and obey; how else will you know what you are to do for Jesus and His kingdom?

Jesus said He did nothing by his own authority. He only did what He saw the Father do and spoke only what the Father told Him to say. That is the Christian way! Jesus knew how to follow the Father because His instructions were written on the tablets of Jesus’ heart by the very finger of God (see Proverbs 7:3). Did you know that God wants to seal His instructions on the tablets of YOUR heart? He will do it when you begin to fervently pray, hear, and obey.

The Yo-yo Way part 97 page 213

Many people fail to receive the things of God because of three primary reasons:

1. They refuse to take the time to pray and ask the Holy Spirit what He desires them to do.

2. After they have prayed and received the word of the Lord, they do not seek Him for confirmation.

3. They step out into their own decisions, failing to obey the instructions He has given them, only to find everything falling apart as they attempt to do it their own way or the way they think is best.

We can get in this yo-yo experience where God has asked us to do something that we do not want to do, so we take our lives back and do it our own way. It’s like we are stomping through His blood at the cross to take back the life we supposedly gave Him. Whose life is it anyway? God said, “My servants will humble themselves and pray. Give yourself unto me and watch what I shall do for you.” You have to be willing to go all the way. No matter what the cost or fears you may have!

Unfortunately, most people today want Christ only for prosperity, a mate, and a fine life. That is not the proper exchange. You must give Him your whole life for whatever He wants to do with you. It does not matter if you suffer in the process because you will suffer in the name of Christ. What a great reward that is in store for those who suffer in His name! The outcome is His. When He is through with your life, you will be much more complete and your life will be better than you could ever have imagined. There are things He wants to bring out of us. There are things that He wants to strip from us. He wants to turn that mirror around to let us see how He sees us and how others look at us. When we have truly given our lives to Him, we will find ourselves blessed far greater than if we had done it our own way.
However, the devil would have you believe that our Heavenly Father will ask too much of you. I tell you the truth; Satan is a liar and the truth cannot be found in him. He is the father of lies. Do not believe him!

Jesus is the Word of God part 98 page 215

“You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of me. But you are not willing to come to me that you may have life” (John 5:39-40).

You cannot study the scriptures like you study any other book. You must let the Holy Spirit take you into the Holy Scriptures where He wants to teach you. Jesus’ Spirit is alive, and He is still speaking to us today. He can speak from the Holy Scriptures; however, there are a few who take the liberty to make the book say what they want it to say.

Throughout the ages, men have tried to change His written word by inserting their own interpretation. There are still ministers today who bypass portions of the Bible, taking editing privileges, as if they are the author of this Holy instrument, twisting and manipulating Scriptures to fit their own doctrine.

I have found that those who pray while seeking truth are led by the Holy Spirit through the Scriptures. The Holy Spirit confirms His Word throughout the Bible. If you can systematically find the constant connection from Genesis to Revelation, you will discover the thread of truth that is craftily weaved throughout the 66 masterpieces, collectively called the Holy Bible. The bottom line is that you cannot know the truth within the Bible without hearing and knowing the Holy Spirit. He is truth and He is the author of this living will and testament, distributing it to the heirs of His inheritance, through His gifts and promises that are sealed by His blood.

“He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God” (Rev. 19:13).

Those who choose to reject the Holy Spirit, or who cannot receive His baptism, miss out on so much of what Jesus promised us. I thought for a number of years that I had received the baptism of the Holy Spirit. I remember when I was baptized at the age of ten; my pastor said, as he lowered me into the water, “I baptize you in the Name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.”

It wasn’t until I was an adult that I learned about the Holy Spirit. My dad asked if I wanted to go to a Full Gospel Business Men’s Fellowship to have dinner and listen to a businessman speak. At the time, I was a bank president, and thought to myself, “Why not? I might have the opportunity to meet some business people.”

The meeting was held in a banquet room in a very expensive hotel. I met a few people, and then they called the meeting to order. They introduced the speaker, and he began telling us about his life as a successful businessman who was living the life of the rich and famous. Then he started having problems in his business, and then his wife left him. Because of this, he turned to God and was introduced to the Holy Spirit.

I thought, “That was a strange thing to say. How are you introduced to the Holy Spirit?” Since my denomination did not ever teach anything about the subject, I didn’t even know there was such a thing as the Holy Spirit. The speaker kept on talking, and I was very interested in what he was saying; however, it was all foreign to me.

The speaker closed his message by asking those who were in need of prayer to come forward so that he could pray for them. The line started growing, and to my surprise, my dad was in the line. Frankly, I did not even know he was a Christian. This was a very strange but educational evening.
As I was listening to the speaker pray over various people, one businessman kneeled down next to my chair and began telling me all these things that the Holy Spirit had told him to write down about me. Then he started reading what he had written. As he walked away, I thought to myself, “This fellow is way out there.” I found it to be rather humorous!

Turning back toward the prayer line, I noticed that my dad was lying flat on the floor. Seeing this shocked me because my dad would never lay down in one of his fine suits, but there he was on the floor. I wondered, “Why is no one helping him? Can’t they see something is wrong?”

I jumped up and made my way to see if Dad was all right, but someone grabbed me by the arm and pulled me into the prayer line. I voiced my concern for my dad, and he assured me that he was just fine, saying that he was slain in the Spirit. Now, that just did it for me! This place was off the chart, and who were these people?

My time finally came, and I was standing right before the speaker. The first thing he asked me was, “Are you baptized in the Holy Spirit?” Well, I knew he must be referring to what my pastor had said over me as he baptized me at the age of ten, so I said that I had been.

One of my dad’s friends was standing next to me, shaking his head side to side as if to say, with no uncertain body language, “No, he is not!”

I started to explain to the speaker, but he said, “Shut up.” He put his hand on my shoulder. Now, when he said that, I knew within myself that it had to be God speaking through him. Don’t make me explain it because I can’t! Let’s just say that I knew in it in my “knower.”

After the man prayed for me, I had a hunger for more of God. I was going to find out how to get baptized in the Holy Spirit, if it was the last thing I did!

Knowing His Will part 99 page 218

“But the anointing which you have received from Him abides in you, and you do not need that anyone teach you; but as the same anointing teaches you concerning all things, and is true, and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you will abide in Him” (1 John 2:27).

His Word rightly divides those who know about Him from those who really know Him. His anointing will guide you through the bible, teaching you His will for your life as well as imparting things into your spiritual DNA. He will brand your heart with the calling He has for your life.

After the Full Gospel Business Men’s meeting I attended where my dad was slain in the Spirit, and I shortly afterwards received the real baptism of the Holy Spirit, I jumped into God’s favorite game-hide and seek. When I was lost, He found me, saved me, and filled me with the Holy Ghost. Now it was my turn to go find Him, and I had many questions to ask. Since that day, I have learned so much. I try my best to share what I have learned in my quest for truth.

One of the things I have learned, looking through His eyes, is that the majority of the Body of Christ worships the Bible rather than Him whom the books of the Bible are about. I don’t know about you, but my Jesus is not wood pulp and ink, bound in genuine leather. In fact, I never refer to the Bible as the Word of God. I reference this wonderful and most powerful book as the Holy Scriptures, just the same as Jesus did.

How you use the Holy Scriptures will determine whether you are living the abundant life Jesus promised or not. Some are compelled to take up arms with the bible and use it to slice and dice other Christians in the attempt to remove the splinter from their spiritual sibling’s eye. These people struggle, wondering, “Why am I hurting so badly even though I faithfully tithe and give offerings?” The devourer continues to eat away, and they don’t know why.

Going to their bibles, they begin to rigorously re-study, making sure they have been following the “formulas” correctly, as well as the multiple steps they have been taught. Frustrated and confused, their hearts become an easy target for Satan’s fiery darts of doubt and disbelief.

The famous line from the old movie City Slickers comes to mind. Remember when the old rugged cowboy said, “All you need to know is one thing.” Well, these days everyone wants to know, “What is the one thing that will make me happy again?”

I am here to tell you what that one thing is that will give you peace and happiness in this life, even if the herd has been scattered and you’re lost in the wild wilderness. As we journey together in these surroundings of unknown territory, you can find His divine abundance in the midst of a world that is going madly into an abyss of debacle and decay.

It always comes down to what He is saying to you TODAY. Not what He said to someone else or the testimonies you have read about Jesus in the Bible. You must go to Him for what you need, or at least find out how to seek Him. Don’t tell me you cannot hear Him and know His will. You can! I will tell you how. It’s not that you can’t hear Him; it’s just that you have not been taught how to find Him.

How many times have you heard a preacher give a wonderful testimony of how Jesus saved him from financial bankruptcy, turned him around, and gave him everything he asked for? You wished it would happen the same way for you! Don’t go and do exactly what that preacher did, because that won’t work for you. Learn how to find Him on your own and He will give you what He wants you to have, but there may be times you need someone to hear God for you because you are so emotionally involved that you’re unable to hear clearly through all the noise in your head.

For years I have heard very good and powerful ministers say that if we can get His written Word down into our spirits, then we will have the authority to speak the Word, and thus we will have whatever we ask. They mean well, but their instruction is backwards. Instead of first getting God’s Word in your head, and then down to your spirit, it needs to go the other way around-from your spirit first, then to your head.
In order to receive true revelation knowledge, you must first pray. If you know how to pray, and then pray through until you know without a doubt your prayer has been heard. Then just go about your day! At some point when you least expect it, His Word will come to you.

Then, ask Him to confirm His word. Most of the time He will lead you to His written Word, and there you will find your confirmation. This is because He will lead you right where you are to read. Once you have your confirmation, you need to obey by doing what He has impressed upon you or spoken to you. Truth will always work. So if what you are doing is not working for you, you need to find His way. I know this way works, for I have been practicing it, and teaching others, and it does work! We all agree that this is the way He intended it to be.

Our mission is to Pray, Hear, and Obey-for this is the Christian way.

Remember what Jesus has said, “Come to me and you will find life.” I believe He is speaking of the good life and in abundance. -Amen, so be it!

Jesus said, “Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you” (Matt. 6:33).

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