bertha

Q5. (Proverbs 11:14) Why is it valuable to counsel with spiritual people in the Christian community when we’re learning to discern God’s voice? Spiritual people are daily seeking God's will and purpose. God reveals his plans to those who faithfully seek Him. Therefore, it's only wise to seek their counsel. Prov. 15:22 Without counsel purposes are disappointed: but in the multitude of counsellers they are established. How is having a spiritual mentor helpful? A spiritual mentor can help keep you on the right track. He can offer spiritual guidance when we question our next move or when doubt creeps in. What is the danger of always going to another person to confirm God’s word? We will never learn to discern God's voice. We must take a leap of faith and learn from our mistakes as well, for we will once in a while err in recognizing God's voice, but with time comes maturity(spiritual). Just like a child learning to walk. He can hold on to mommy's hand forever because of fear he might fall, or take those few first steps and fall, but eventually learn to walk on his own. Why is out-growing a mentor a common occurrence. Out growing a mentor is a common occurrence because it is a sign that one has finally learned to recognize God's voice and also is a sign of spiritual maturity.

Q4. (Mark 14:36; 1 Peter 3:7) Why is it necessary to recognize and then surrender our desires when we are seeking God’s will. What happens if we neglect to do this? We don't want to miss out on the opportunity of God speaking to us, therefore we must be willing to obey God's voice. We get knowledge of who God is and what He desires from us and for us through scripture. When that small voice comes , we can compare it to the Word of God, which will confirm that it is God speaking and not ourselves. When we humble ourselves and surrender our desires, we can be ready to accept God's will. How can holding on to sin distort what you think you are hearing from God? Sin is often the result of our own selfish desires. Sin will separate us from God and will hinder our prayers. Therefore, when there is unconfessed sin, we can be sure that what we hear is coming from our own deceitful hearts and not from God. Walking in humility and purity of heart causes us to hear God’s voice more clearly by being more sensitive to the Holy Spirit He guides the humble in what is right and teaches them his way.

Give an example of what the voice of the flesh – our lusts and desires – might sound like. Give an example of what the voice of the world might sound like. Give an example of what the voice of the devil might sound like. Why is a knowledge of the Scripture necessary for discernment of these voices The voice of the flesh would have you believe that you deserve that promotion, or that bonus, or that car, etc.. Who cares whether your wife gets mad, you deserve to go out drinking once in a while. You're not hurting anyone. The voice of the world: You hear a song that reminds you of when you and your friends used to hang out at the clubs, drinking, and partying. Makes you want to pick up the phone and call your old friends. The voice of the devil: You are worthless. Nobody loves you. God won't forgive you this time. You might as well quit while you're ahead. You are a failure. The pain will go away if you kill yourself. Knowledge of the Word of God is necessary because it is through the word of God that you can discern whether the voices you are hearing come from God or not. You get to plug in to God, engage with him, so that you allow the word of God to renew your mind and your thoughts, thent it will become easier for you to hear His voice and know for certain it is Him.

Through experiences in life, we mature in the physical life and is the same with the spiritual life. We learn from our trials and errors. The results of those errors will better prepare us to recognize God's true voice. We can learn to be more attentive the next time; to be sensitive to the Holy Spirit; to pray and read the bible with discernment; to wait on the Lord and not to act in haste. Being a disciplined Christian is a lifetime process. God is our Creator. He knows us, inward and outward. For this reason we were given a Helper, a Counselor, because God knew that we would err in our walk with God. Alone we can do nothing. In this learning process, God is drawing us closer to Him until we are totally dependent in Him to the extent that we no longer will follow strange voices but His only.

Q1. ((Judges 6:36-38; Psalm 95:7-10) Does Gideon ask for a sign because of his unbelief? No. He wants to be certain it is God speaking to him. What is the difference between Gideon’s seeking confirmation, and “testing God” in a way that displeases God? Testing God is disbelieving. It's demanding God to prove himself; to manifest Himself if He really(sarcastically said) is God All Powerful like He says He is. On the other hand, testing God is seeking confirmation that what we have heard or seen is God speaking to us and not ourselves wanting it to be God. Does God mind if we ask for confirmation? No. God does not mind. So as long as we are sincere in our asking. God weighs the hearts and knows whether we are really just confused and are needing more instruction from Him, or whether we just don't like what He is asking us to do and just want to hear a different answer(probably wanting to do things our own way). I believe this latter action would upset God.

1 Samuel 3:7; Hosea 6:3; Philippians 3:10-14) Why is a desire for a relationship with God more important than seeking to hear his voice? Because a relationship begins with trust between 2 people. Not only do we learn to trust God, but God also learns to trust us with His knowledge and wisdom. "The secret of the Lord is for those who fear Him, and He will make them know His covenants"(psalm 25:14). How does hearing his voice contribute to the relationship? Once the relationship is established, we can train our ears to hear and listen to God as He speaks to us. We have a desire to want to hear God and please Him. "My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me" (John 10:27). Why are we commanded to “press in” to know the Lord? we are commanded to press our way through in spite of the circumstances or current situations in our lives. In other words, we must continue on in this christian race with our eyes on Jesus who is the author and finisher of our faith. Chase after God's heart as a man chases after his true love to conquer her heart and make her his. We, too should run after God, conquer his heart and make Him yours. How does Paul’s passion for a relationship with God inspire you? I admire Paul's passion for God. As I remember Paul's words: "I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ", I'm encouraged to want to seek God and to have that same passion as Paul's. Though I fall way short when I compare myself to Paul, I know that if I press on forward, I, too can have that special bond with my Father.

Q1. (1 Samuel 3:1-10) What was Eli’s counsel to Samuel, when he recognized that God was calling to the boy? "Speak, LORD, your servant is listening". Was it good counsel? Yes, definitely. What is the significance of Samuel recognizing that he is a servant? Identifying himself as a servant, shows Samuel's humility and willingness to hear and obey God. Also, as a servant, he is placing his trust in God, ready to follow His commands.

I believe sometimes it's God's way of saying, "Be still, it's not time yet. I'm still working on this". In the meantime, we should stay busy doing God's work, whether it's praying for someone, ministering, serving, or whatever God has us doing. We must not give up, thinking God isn't answering. Instead, we can use this time to seek God's heart and grow closer to Him; to trust Him at all times and whether He answers us or not, we should not lose hope, but instead remember that God is still God. Sovereign God. Promise Keeper. He knows best. Let us wait patiently on our Lord. He might just be building us up in character and spiritually.

We should be asking God to allow His Holy Spirit to speak through us. To let us know when to approach that person, and how to minister to them without being judgmental. Many times God has nudged me about making a call to someone. Not understanding why, I simply call to see how they are doing. One sister(probably 96 yrs old) in particular hadn't been attending church because of her frail health. Though I moved to a different church, I still had her number. One day the Lord placed it in my heart to call her. She was very happy to hear from me. She said that she was feeling very lonely. And though she had a lot of friends(church family) no one had bothered to call her lately or visit. She said God answered her prayer when she received a call from me. She continued to say she felt as if everyone had forgotten about her. I thanked God for nudging me to call her and for allowing me to be sensitive to His Spirit and obeying.

Q1. (Acts 8:26-40; 16:6-10) Are promptings from the Holy Spirit clear enough when we're seeking God for direction? I'd like to say "yes" if you are truly seeking God's direction. Yet, we might sometimes question whether it's God prompting you or is it just you wanting it to be a prompting from the Holy Spirit. Why is "no" just as important an answer as "yes"? God is Sovereign and knows what lies ahead. His "no" can be a matter of life or death on your part. He can be protecting you from harm. It could also mean it's just not the right time, he's still working in the hearts of people, to prepare them to receive the gospel. Have you ever felt God's promptings to take some action? If you followed through, what happened I've been praying for my son to attend church with me. I invited him on several occasions. He kept saying no. So I continued praying for him and left him in God's hands. I kept picking up my grandkids(his children) to take them with me to church, as I had been doing for a time. It just so happened that suddenly my grandson(5 yrs old) no longer wanted to go to church, followed by my granddaughter(4 yrs. old). They cried each time I stopped by to see if they wanted to go to church with me. I found it strange because they were always so eager to go to Sunday services. Then my teenage granddaughter was struggling with wanting to go to church, as well. I cried, I felt discouraged, and prayed like never before. Sometimes, I just wanted to give up and let them be. I didn't want to force them into going to church, but I didn't want to lose them to the world. So I waited on God. Then, it happened. God spoke to me(my spirit). It was time for me to make the invitation again. I was prompted by God to have a "talk" with my son about how He would hold him accountable for his children if they were to lose their souls because of his negligence. I was struggling on how to go about having that talk when God just took over. The Holy Spirit gave me the grace to speak to my son and to my surprise my son agreed to start going to church for their sake. I couldn't believe how easy that seemed to be, but I knew it was all God's doing! Though he only accompanies Sunday mornings, I thank God that I was able to listen to that nudge. It is a beautiful feeling when I see my son walking in with all 3 of my grandchildren to church. This is just the beginning of good things to come. I thank God for His Awesomeness! I am praying for my daughter in law, as well. I know God will bring her to Jesus' feet in due time. He will do it again! In His Perfect Timing!

Q4. (Acts 10:19-20) Why was it important for Simon to get a very clear command from the Spirit to go with his visitors? Peter was a devout Jew, they had a tradition that they would not enter the home of a non-Jew, for to enter would somehow contaminate them or make them unclean. What would he have done if the word weren’t so clear? Peter would have refused to accompany them. What does he do when criticized for taking this action (Acts 11:2, 12)? Relates the Holy Spirit's message to him, along with the experience he had when he went into a trance and saw the mantle descend from heaven with the unclean animals and was commanded to eat. He simply obeyed the Holy Spirit and after witnessing Cornelius' household get save and be baptized by the Holy Spirit, he added: "If God gave them the same gift he gave us who believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I to think that I could stand in God’s way". What kind of faith does it take to obey the Spirit and take an action you know you’ll be criticized for later? An unrelenting, totally persuaded type of faith. Do you disobey when you know you might face criticism for obedience? No. At least I don't think I disobey just because people would be critical of me. I know that the one I live to please is God. I pray that like Peter, I will be sensitive to the Holy Spirit, to be able to hear His voice more clearly, and to obey and be led by Him.

Q3. (Acts 19:21; 20:22-24; 21:12-14) What would have happened if Paul hadn’t been sure of his instructions from the Holy Spirit to go to Jerusalem? He would have been persuaded by his fellowmen to avoid going to Jerusalem. Would you have tried to dissuade him? I probably wouldn't because if he was determined and convinced that it was the Holy Spirit giving him directions, then who am I to put a stop to God's calling. I would definitely be very concerned for his safety, pray for him, and let God's will be done. It’s comforting to receive encouraging words. What level of maturity does it take to receive a direction that might lead us into hardship and danger? You would have to be very mature spiritually, in sinc with God, aligned with His Spirit to be able to listen and distinguish God's voice from your own and be willing to to obey HIs commands at all costs. What happens when we choose the easy way, when God leads us on a difficult path? We could be losing out on a spiritual blessing from God. God might be wanting to move us to another level spiritually(growth).

Q2. (2 Corinthians 12:9a; Acts 18:9-10; 23:11; 27:24) How do you think it feels to Paul for God to personally encourage him when he is afraid and hurting? What do we learn about God that he speaks to Paul in this way? I believe this brought great comfort and reassurance to his spirit. Paul regains courage, feels empowered, and is eager to continue the mission God had assigned him. We learn that God loves and cares for each of us personally. He is faithful in his promises. Reminds us that He is in total control of all things, and though we may experience hardships in our lives, God is always there, guiding us through His Spirit, comforting us when we hurt, lifting us up to continue the course set before us.

Q1. (1 Kings 17-19) Why do you think the author contrasts the “still small voice” to the wind, earthquake, and fire? How does God’s voice comfort and renew Elijah? Why is it easy to miss God when his voice is gentle and quiet? I believe it's because we all assume that since God is Omnipotent(all powerful) we expect a loud thundering noise when he speaks, or a trumpet sounding voice, etc. Therefore, we miss out on God's tender, still voice, gentle whisper, that is trying to get our attention. God comforts Elijah in that He personally visits Elijah, as He whispers gently into his ear, makes Elijah feel loved, protected, and that God actually cares for his well being. He reminds Elijah that God has not forgotten about him. Reminds Him that his God given mission is not finished yet. Lets Elijah know that he is not alone in his walk with God, there's other brothers in Christ that have also remained faithful, and so he must not lose heart. We can easily miss God speaking to us because we are constantly surrounded by all types of noises; from a busy work schedule, demanding children, loud radios, social media, etc. We might think that attending a bigger church, with larger crowds, louder music, louder speakers, will somehow bring us closer to God, and so we fail to realize that what God wants is time alone with us. " Be still and know that I am God. Forget about all your worries, anxieties, troubles, hectic life, and come to me. Let me worry about all that. Right now, I want to have supper with you. Just you and Me". GOD.

Q4. (1 Corinthians 2:9-16) How does the Holy Spirit make “the mind of Christ” available to us? How does this make you dependent upon the Holy Spirit? How does this relate to listening for God’s voice? When we put our "self" aside and walk in the spirit, we can harmonize with God's Spirit. Knowing God, fellowshipping with Him daily, reading His Word, meditating on it, and acting upon it, we are making the Holy Spirit available to speak to us. Jesus was dependent on the Holy Spirit and allowed himself to be guided by Him. This had a big impact on his ministry here on earth. We, too, must allow ourselves to depend on Him(Holy Spirit) if we want to prosper in our ministry, our marriage, our relationships with others, and all areas in our lives. We must be still and let the Holy Spirit have his way in us. Many times as we pray, we go on, and on, and on, without pausing to allow God to speak to us. God can speak to us in different ways; through His Word, a sermon, a worship song, an advice from a Christian brother/sister, friends, etc. That's why we must always have our spiritual ears open. We don't want to miss God's voice.