HEARING FROM GOD (Part 2)

(From a radio broadcast of Bro. Julius Adewumi)

Radio Discussion between Bro. Julius Adewumi, and Bro. Ron Rucker.

Bro. Julius: In part 1, we discussed revelation of the word of God, whereby, you can be reading the bible and the Lord will open your understanding that will make you to know and get understanding of a doctrine, or to know what God wants you to do in a particular situation. This is one method. What other method do you know by which the Lord communicates with us?

Bro. Ron: You can be witnessing and the Lord can talk to you by the "still small voice" to give additional word to somebody.

Bro. Julius: The "still small voice". That is another very commonly used method. Let's read where that terminology was used to describe the communication from the Lord to his servant Elijah. (1Kgs.19:11- ). Elijah was in a cave waiting upon the Lord, and the Holy Spirit told Elijah to go and stand outside the cave, for the Lord will pass by. "And he said, Go forth, and stand upon the mount before the Lord. And, behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and brake in pieces the rocks before the Lord; but the Lord was not in the wind: and after the wind an earthquake; but the Lord was not in the earthquake; And after the earthquake a fire; but the Lord was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice." (1Kgs.19:11-12).

What do you think? is the still small voice a physically audible voice or spiritual?

Bro. Ron: It is audible small voice.

Bro. Julius: Let's say three people are gathered in a place, and this still small voice comes to one of them. If it is physically audible, I mean the three people should be able to hear what the voice says. Even though it is directed to one of them, will the other two guys be able to hear what the voice says? Is it you only that will hear it, or everybody in the room will hear it?

Bro. Ron: Yes, I think everybody should be able to hear it.

Bro. Julius: God can use a physically audible voice which everybody in the vicinity can hear if he wants to. An example was when a voice spoke to the Lord Jesus Christ, and the people heard it and some said "it thundered", while others said "an angel spoke to him". (Jn.12:28-30). But that was not a still small voice. Most of the time, that is not how it comes. What I am saying is this: God can talk audibly to everybody in the room if he chooses to do that. That is easy. It means He uses "a voice". He can also direct the voice to one single person in the group, and only the person will hear it. It will still sound as perfectly audible as if all heard. But others will not hear. When God talked to Moses on mount Sinai, the bible said all the people heard him. It means he used "a voice".

I am not ruling out the fact that God can speak physically audibly if he wants to. That is when God moves into our realm.

For example, God can manifest a physical hand, as he did in Babylon before Belshazar king of Babylon. (Dan.5:5). The bible said the king saw the part of the hand. That was physical, without having his eyes spiritually opened. A physical hand wrote on the wall, and what was written was physically seen there perhaps until read by Daniel. From the spirit, it manifested into the physical. God can manifest a voice from the spirit world into the physical world. He has done that many times. Ofcourse he does not have to do that. He can simply make our spiritual ear hear it. A dozen of Christians can be in a room, and God will talk to you and you only will hear it. The rest of the people may not hear it. That is what he uses most of the time.

For example, one time I went with a Christian brother to preach in a village. We started talking to an old man who accepted the Lord Jesus as his saviour. After giving him some edification for a while and we were about to leave, the still small voice came to me and gave me another bible verse to tell the man. Because I have spoken so much, I was reluctant to say anymore, since I thought the man is saturated with the word by now. When I stopped talking the brother who went with me just spoke and added the bible verse to the man. I just knew that the Lord wanted the verse to be given to the man, that was why he gave it to my partner to say. The Lord can talk to one person in a crowd, or to many people at the same time.

But how do we hear the still small voice? Just as you cannot tell which of your ears is really hearing a voice physically, unless one ear is shut or deaf. Similarly, when the Spirit talks, you will just hear it. With discerning of spirit, I have also been able to recognize the direction a voice comes from.

When we begin to discuss this aspect of Christian walk, like listening and hearing from God, it is very important for Christians to be able to distinguish the voice of the Spirit of God from other voices which are also in the spirit. Demonic voices are in the air because they are also in the spirit world. Once the demons see that someone is becoming attentive, trying to hear something from the spirit, they can press in to confuse. The devils will always try to confuse the Christian by whispering so many things to your hearing. You must therefore learn to distinguish the voice of the Spirit of God to you. It's just like in the world; if you go to a market place, how will you recognise your daddy's voice? Let's suppose your daddy is in the market in the midst of some men, and you say "daddy, daddy", but he said "you sit down there honey!" How will you recognise that it's your daddy who spoke though you cannot see him in that crowd?

Bro. Ron: Through his voice; you are familiar with his voice.

Bro. Julius: Good. There is need for familiarity with the voice of the Lord, or rather with the voice the Lord will use to talk to you. When the Lord wants to begin to talk to a Christian, he will familiarise that Christian with a voice, he will be using to talk to you. That will also bring us to the next method, which is visions and dreams because God also talks through visions and dreams. I have heard some theologians say "No, it's not for this generation". But in the book of Joel, the Lord prophezied that in the last days your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, see dreams, and visions. Not for the Jews only, but for the Christians also. "And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions."(Joel 2:28). So we must not rule out the fact that God speaks through dreams and through visions. But we must be familiar with the pattern or symbols God will use in those dreams. Let me distinguish between a dream and a vision when both appear upon the bed. In most of my visions, it is my eyes that will be seeing these things. I could see myself still on my bed while viewing this drama before my eyes. It's like watching a drama . I will be like the observer. That is how I identify visions. But in dreams, I might find myself also in the drama. Let's say in my dream I come to your house, we eat together, and go somewhere. That is what I will classify as a dream.

In all of this discussion, we are trying to portray that the Lord can speak to us by the still small voice, by dreams and by visions. Next, we will discuss dreams and visions.

(Continue in Part 3) or Return to main page

Bro. Julius Adewumi

Gospel Distribution Ministry.

For questions and requests send email to: juliusa