HEARING FROM GOD (Part 5)

(From a radio discussion of Bro. Julius and Bro. Ron).

Bro. Julius: We have discussed ways by which the Lord speaks to us. We have mentioned

revelation of the word , the still small voice, dreams and visions. We also said we must

distinguish the voice the Lord will use to speak to us from other voices in the spirit, and

from our own spirit. We discussed the presence of the Holy Ghost. The Lord promised that the

Holy Spirit will show us things to come. "Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come. He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you." (Jn.16:13-14).

The Holy Ghost is also called "the Comforter". As the Comforter, he can warn us of things to come. He warns by stirring up a feeling in our belly. The Holy Ghost knows the nerves he can touch in our body that will make us begin to feel good that something good is about to happen. He can also touch the right nerve to make us be cautioned of something.

I had a testimony. In 1979, I was driving home in the night from a distant city. I began to get the stir of the Holy Ghost inside me, perhaps to pray. But I did not know what to pray for. I thought the Lord wanted me to stop at a brother's house on the way. I branched at this little town on the road where this brother lived and we prayed together. I prayed for general things. As I left and headed home, the stirring came back to my belly from the Holy Ghost. I was feeling uneasy, so I started to just speak in tongues. When you don't know what to pray for, just pray in the Spirit. Let the Holy Spirit pray. I was alone in the car and was speaking in tongues. Close to my house there was road construction, and big rocks were peeping on the road. The car was low to the ground. I tried to avoid a rock which I thought was laying on the road by keeping it between the tires. Somehow, the car's belly hit the rock which lifted it off the road. The car would have somersaulted but because I had been praying, the Lord held up the car in the air. I was practically steering the car in the air temporarily as it was moving out of the road. I kept the car on the road and stopped to see the damage. The engine-oil block was torn by the rock. Except for that damage to the car, everything was okay. I thank God that I was able to patch the damage.

Though I would have preferred the testimony to have a better ending, I relate it to show that the Holy Spirit stirring in us may not be understood at first as we begin to learn to walk with the Lord. By reason of use, we should get better. Perhaps in my testimony, the only option was for me to not drive in the night on that day, and to wait in the other city till day-break. But if it was mandatory for me to return home that night, the prayer and Holy Spirit intervention softened the blow on the car.

Sometime we have to pray through, and refuse to go forward until we get clear what the stirring is all about from the Holy Ghost.

This is one of the ways the Holy Spirit can lead us with those stirring in our hearts.

Bro. Ron, Have you been able to distinguish the voice of the Spirit of God in your own life when He speaks to you?

Bro. Ron: Yes. I have a similar testimony to yours except that in my case it was a motorcycle. The bible said "acknowledge him in all thy ways and he shall direct thy paths." When I go on the motorcycle ride, I usually pray. This instance, I just hopped on the bike, and I didn't pray. I just went around the corner really. There was some gravel on the ground. I was turning the corner and the bike had leaned a little bit too much into the corner. I almost fell. The Lord had revealed to me at that point that it was an angel holding it up. Number one, the Lord can have mercy on us for our negligence if we don't pray. He'll still have mercy upon us, but we don't want to use that for our negligence in not praying. When I felt a little bit leaned too much, I almost fell and I ran into some gravel. The Lord had let me know that it was an angel that had held the bike up. To summarize it, I remember that I had a feeling in my stomach, before I went for the ride, to pray. But I was not very sensitive to the leading of the Spirit and I just went on anyway.

Bro. Julius: That is what we are talking about. It takes experience, and the bible said we have to exercise our senses. (Heb.5:14). Though one has the gift of the Holy Ghost, if one has not exercised the senses to get experience , one will not know when the Holy Ghost was stirring one to pray. Sometime it may be the same feeling, and it may not be a request to pray. It may be a signal that "don't do this particular thing". How will you know that the Holy Ghost is saying don't do it, or do it. The Lord has been teaching me these by the process of experience. It's like walking with somebody. You begin to get familiar with your friend. You know his do's and his don'ts. You know what he means when he winks his eyes. When two friends are close, by some finger snaps or whistles they can signal one another. For my kids, when I wiggle one finger at them, they know what I mean. Even my dog knew some signals: if I clap, the dog knew to come. The Holy Ghost can train you in some signals by experience.

Bro. Ron: There has been other instances too, when I go out and witness, the Lord would tell me to pray for somebody, or tell me to witness to somebody. Sometime the Lord will speak to me directly to give a word of exhortation to some person.

Bro. Julius: Let's discuss now how we distinguish the voice of the Lord. Folks are listening, and some will say, these guys are always saying "God told me, God told me; how are you sure it is God who spoke?" How do I know it is God? We said familiarization. Those signals which the Holy Ghost rouse up in the belly cannot be mimicked. Because those signals are inner witness, they cannot be duplicated like the devil can impersonate a voice or inspire a dream. For the devil to generate those inner witness in you the devil has to be inside you to duplicate it. Anything that comes from outside can be impersonated. A voice that comes to you can be impersonated. When we talk about the in-feeling of the Holy Ghost, that is one of the signals which you will use to assess the instruction you receive from the outside. You should now understand how Abraham could tell that the instruction to go sacrifice Isaac was from the Lord, because the Spirit in him would bear witness.

If an instruction comes to me and I doubt if it is from the Lord, the Holy Ghost will have to give a signal within me to bear witness if the instruction is from the Lord. Whether he said "go sacrifice Isaac" like Abraham received, which sound strange; if the Holy Ghost says it's the Lord, then we will know.

(Continue in Part 6). Return to main page.

Bro. Julius Adewumi

Gospel Distribution Ministry.

USA.