I return to Matthew today because I had a dream. In the dream I was given another word, “harvest”. I now have a number of words: “Hosea”, “glory”, “precious vessel/jar”, “holy”, “harvest”. I have been reading the Bible with my eyes on the kingdom of heaven. My focus has been on God. And now I have come to the word “harvest”. This time I got out of bed without hesitation and rushed downstairs to record down the word. I do not want to miss a thing.
When I recorded the word, I had the bible in front of me and I realized that I could look at the alphabetical index at the back of the Bible. It then dawned on me that I had been reading and meditating on a lot of words starting with “H”. I list here the words that I have meditated on in this quest of Biblical living: hallowed (hallowed by God’s name, as in Lord’s Prayer), harlotry (spiritual harlotry of Israel in Hosea), hear (the Spirit), heart (God sees our hearts), heaven (kingdom of heaven), holy (God), House (of prayer), hymn, hymns, hypocrisy (of the Pharisees and gang), hunger (blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness for they shall be filled), and hell (fear God who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell).
So I am hearing God through the Holy Spirit after all.
Jesus told His disciples why He spoke to the multitudes in parables. “Because it has been given to you to know the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given.” (Matthew 13:11) “Therefore I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. And in them the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled…” (Matthew 13:13_14a)
Then Jesus assured the disciples, “But blessed are your eyes for they see, and your ears for they hear.” (Matthew 13:16)
The people were not blind or deaf. But they did not perceive in the spirit the things of God. Jesus explained that He spoke the truth (God’s words). Those people could not understand because they could not listen to His word. Therefore they could not believe Him. “He who is of God hears God’s words; therefore you do not hear, because you are not of God.” (John 8:47)
The good news is, as Jesus has assured His disciples, blessed are your eyes for they see and your ears for they hear. People of God can see and hear of spiritual matters relating to God. I have been receiving such assurances and signs and evidences of this truth.
I have come to the conclusion that as a novice, we can ask God to show us words and signs to help us to understand Him more and to learn to hear the Holy Spirit. God is willing to help us know Him more. He will find ways to reach us and reveal Himself to us as I have recorded before. Every one will find his or her own way as the Holy Spirit leads. I have heard testimonies of the different ways that the Holy Spirit guides different people.
So far I have seen pictures and words (in my mind), heard words (in my heart) and dreamed dreams with a specific message for me to read the Bible. Now I realized that when I read the Bible, the Holy Spirit in fact is guiding me as well. I cannot see or hear Him but He is here guiding me to read and understand and give attention to the right passages that He wants me to see and know God. These are all ways that God has answered my prayers.
However, I have prayed to God that when I am no longer a spiritual novice, I do not need to be guided by God consciously. One day I should live so much in the consciousness of God that I do not need to ask what His will is, or how to choose or decide on certain choices in life.
Oswald Chambers advised that “if we are saved and sanctified, God guides us by our ordinary choices, and if we are going to choose what He does not want, He will check, and we will heed. Whenever there is doubt, stop at once.”
AAA Jack
6-3-2009
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