Old Jerry

I am a man and one of the voices that I hear is that of wanting a woman. So the voice is telling me that I can have her if I try hard enough. But staying in touch with the scripture daily helps me to squash that voice.

Making mistakes makes us learn that we are not perfect and that we can go on and follow God. We will know then things are of God when they work out for the best. God is trying to train us and the best way to learn is to make mistakes.

No, Gideon dose not ask for a sign because of his unbelief. The difference between Gideon’s seeking confirmation and “testing God” is that he was already a believer and he was going to follow God’s instructions and just wanted to make sure that he was hearing and interpreting correctly. God doesn’t mind if we ask for confirmation because we need to make sure that it was from God and not from on own selfish believes. God might be upset when we ask for a test because we don’t believe in him.

The way that pride can corrupt our hearing from God is that we brag when we do hear from God. We know that when we say that God told us then people will listen and honor you. I think that we can protect ourselves from deceiving our pride is to just do what God said to do and don’t say anything about it.

The reason that it we are to obey God’s commands so important without understanding is because we don’t have the big picture. We know that God only wants the good for us and if we don’t do what He wants then we will never get that good. We can see that if we are obedient we will understand God’s working because we will be able to see the good that He wanted for us.

If we have a relationship with God then we will get close to Him. We will know what He wants us to do and we will be able to follow. To hear his voice is just one aspect of being close to Him. We are to “press in” to know the Lord which means to fast and pray so that we can get close to Him. Paul’s passion for a relationship with God inspires me to be close to Him.

Eli’s counsel to Samuel when he recognized that God was calling the boy was to tell him to tell that Lord that he was listening and to do what the Lord had told him to do. That was good counsel and that would be good counsel for us. For Samuel to recognize that he is a servant was the kicking off of his ministry.

I think that God doesn’t talk to us sometimes because we are not listening. Then again it might be that He wants us to think about it. We may need to fast and pray and get closer to God in order to get His answer.

I think that you ask God to help you to relate to that person so that you can talk to them. I have been nudged from God to talk to them about Him and I don’t know if they had received help. I am not good at perceiving that kind of thing. I have learned that even if that person doesn’t open up to me I have just planted another seed in them that might someday flourish.

The similarity between God’s brief, inarticulate nudges or promptings, and David’s use of the Urim and Thummim is that the answer was from God. God will give us direction when we are listening to Him When David needed more that a “yes” or “no” answer then God spokes to him in a different way and to give him direction.

I think that promptings are clear enough from the Holy Spirit when we are seeking God’s direction. We can usually figure out what He wants us to do if we are open to his nudging. A “no” is just as important as a “yes” because we don’t always know what is best for us. A “no” may keep us on the right track. I have felt God’s prompting to take some action and I hope that I followed through. I was able to help some people in Mexico to build a place where children could go to school and worship.

It was important for Simon to get a clear command from the Spirit to go with his visitors because otherwise he probably would have not bothered. For Simon these men were unclean and pagans and he didn’t want anything to do with them. When Simon was criticized for going with those guys he gave them an account about what happened while he was praying. When I obey the Spirit and take action I know that I’ll be criticized for later is have to depend on my faith to carry me through. I hope that I haven’t disobeyed but I probably have when I am faced with criticism for obedience.

If Paul hadn’t been sure of his instructions from the Holy Spirit to go to Jerusalem then the prophets that spoke about the dangers of going there would have been able to convince him not to go. I think that I would have tried to dissuade him especially if had the knowledge that he was going to be harmed. I don’t know about the maturity to do the things that God wants us to do but it takes faith. When we choose to take the easy way after God has told us to take a different path then we are not doing the will of God and we don’t get any satisfaction out of what we have done.

I think that Paul was more than encouraged when God spoke to personally. I know when that happens to me I feel that I am on top of the world. We learned that God really cares about us because of the way that He spoke to Paul.

I think that the author contrasts the “still small voice” to the wind, earthquake and fire so that we will know that God is in everything that we do. It doesn’t have to be the big things but it can be the small things also. God’s voice comforted and renewed Elijah by telling him that he wasn’t the only one left and renewed him by giving him a partner and assigning him somethings to do. The reason that it is easy to miss God’s gentle and quiet voice is because we are too busy doing our thing and ignoring everything that is going on around us.

The Holy Spirit can speak to Christ even though we don’t know what to say. The Holy Spirit nudges us into the things that Jesus Christ wants us to do. So if we want to do God’s work here on earth then the Holy Spirit directs us into doing those things as long as we are listening.

The promises concerning the Comforter is that he will be with us always. He will live with us. He will teaches us all things, and bring to memory all things that Jesus has taught us. We will have his peace. In order for to hear God we have to be in tune with the Holy Spirit.

I think that Jesus said “By myself I can do nothing” because he is in turn with the Father. He only want to do what the Father wants him to do. Jesus is the son of God because the Father sent him down here to be with us. We have always got to stay in turn with God and do the things he wants us to do. That is the pattern that I see for my life and ministry. Jesus would “see” and “hear” the Father when he was having his private time with Him.

The pattern I see emerging in Jesus’ prayer life is that of seeking God whenever He can. He needed to talk to God so that He could be doing His work. I think that he spends quiet time with the Father before the day begins because in the morning all the creatures are singing and it quite relaxing. That is when you can realize how great God really is. This prayer time makes it possible for him to be able to put up with the people he will have to deal with. The disciples thought he should be healing all the time and Jesus knew he was put on this earth to teach.

I find that God keeping a list of us who love him is quite comforting. Knowing that we are his private and treasured possession lets us know that He will not be throwing away nor burning us up. I don’t think I deserve this but it is a gift and I am going to accept it.

The reason that God calls people who neglect to tithe “robbers” is because nothing belongs to us. It all belongs to God and He has let us use His resources. So if we don’t tithe we are robbing God from what belongs to Him. I think that God withholds blessing from those who don’t fully tithe because they don’t love Him. It isn’t about the money it’s about the love for Him. The Old Testament law may not obligate a Christian believer to tithe but it is sure a good guild line. The principle of stewardship we can learn from this passage is we should give back to God a portion of what He gave to us.

I rejoice that God doesn’t change because I know what to expect. If God changed can you imagine the way that the world would be today? With today’s society the world would be in chaos. God can answer our prayers in accordance with his wisdom. This would be all in the will of God. Yes, our prayers have an effect. It draws us closer to God.

The purpose of the Messenger is to prepare the way by telling the people that they are sinning and that they need to repent of their sins. The Messenger of the Covenant will show us the way to righteousness. We need refining and deep cleaning because we keep running amuck. Unless we keep on our toes, we will let the world corrupt us. I think that the way that God wants to refine me and cleanse me is by keeping me studying the Bible and having pastors that is showing me the way.

Malachi teaches us that marriage is for life. If we want our prayers answered then we will stick to the partner of our youth. Some of the things that I think would help improve Christian marriages today is to realize the God is involved in our marriage. He won’t answer our prayers if we don’t follow Him and that He made us and we should obey Him.

The church pastors and teachers are to teach us what the bible says. They are to explain it so that we understand the word of God. The role of the teaching priest that I see as most vital in my situation is to be taught the truth.