Seeing and Hearing 12: Together as Friends

We leave the context of the parable of the seed and the soil to bring our point home. We’ve been talking about an intimate relationship with Father, one that involves seeing and hearing. Now we look to Jesus as our example. Observe how he lived his life watching and listening in the Father’s presence. As we look at him, let’s remember we are called to follow him and do as he did. He is the way to the Father (Jn. 14:6).

“Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees [blepo, to see with the eyes] the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, that the Son does likewise. For the Father loves [phileo] the Son and shows [deiknuo, to show, expose to the eyes] him all that he himself is doing” (Jn. 5:19-20).

“You are my friends [philos] if you do what I command you. No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know [eido, to perceive with the eyes] what his master is doing; but I have called you friends [philos], for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you” (Jn. 15:14-15).

What do you see?  As Christians we should see what our Friend is showing us. In the Gospel of John we should never understand the word ‘command’ in legalistic terms. A servant only does what he’s told to do (hearing). He does not know what his master is doing because he doesn’t get the full picture (seeing). He hears commands, but he doesn’t see, he doesn’t get it. He simply performs the task.

Friends do things together. Jesus said to Philip, “…the Father who dwells in me does his works” (Jn. 14:10). Father and Son are friends and do the work together. One is not a friend if his master doesn’t show him what he’s doing or if the master shows but he doesn’t see. He may be a very good servant, but he is not a friend. Masters command; servants go and do without the master’s presence. Father shows; sons see and join the Father in his work.

The word ‘command’ in the Gospel of John is related to what Father is showing the Son and what the Son is showing us. Obeying the command is simply allowing your life activity to be influenced by what he is showing you. The Son does only what he sees the Father doing. What the Father shows him he receives as a commission, as a command. It’s as though the Father says, “I am showing you what I am doing because I want you to do it with me.”

Thirty to forty years ago it became popular to wear a wrist-band with WWJD (What Would Jesus Do?) written on it. The idea is great, but it doesn’t get at the heart of the issue. It leaves us with the responsibility to figure out what he would do “if he were here.” He is here, and he is doing something. He wants us to see what he is doing and join him in his project. The wrist-band should have read WIJD (What Is Jesus Doing?)

Friends do things together. In biblical friendship there is a leader and there is a follower. Jesus lived his life as a human being with his Father/Friend as his leader. The Father showed the Son what he was doing and the Son did what he saw Father doing. He called us to live in the same way. He shows us what Father is doing and we’re invited to join the Father and the Son in the action we see in the Spirit. This is the highest level of disciples.

There is a word contained in the visions God gives. What you see is his call and commission for you to join him as a friend and do it together with him. If you don’t see him doing, you can’t do with him; you can only fulfill legalistic demands. You’re a servant, not a friend if you don’t see. Even so, you are still called to be a friend. He wants us to look to him, see what he is doing and do it with him rather than simply obeying commands.

You may remember the experience I shared in a previous blog where I saw myself preparing for the day before I got out of bed. This reminds us of the fact that everything we ‘see’ does not necessarily come from God. For example, sometimes we ‘see’ lustfully, desiring to have something another has. Sometimes we think we ‘see’ God healing someone and pray for them, but they don’t get healed.

Here’s the question, “How can I know when it is Jesus showing me what the Father is doing?” Our answer to this question brings us back to the issue of hearing. Jesus said his sheep hear his voice. We may apply this to our dilemma: we must be able to discern whose voice accompanies the seeing we experience. There is a word contained in the vision, and there is a voice connected to the word. The voice that comes with lustful seeing is not his voice. The voice that comes with spiritual seeing is his voice.

We have arrived at a crucial junction. Am I still a sheep if I don’t hear his voice? This will be the topic of our next blog.

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Looking Forward,
Fount Shults
On Word Ministries

http://onword.org

Seeing and Hearing 11: Cleansed by Word

“I am the vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. Every branch of mine that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you.” (Jn. 15:1-3)

We usually think “clean” means cleansed from sin. Sometimes it does. But in this text the word for prune and the word for clean are from the same root. “You are clean” means “You have been pruned.” Washing removes impurities. Pruning cuts back what has already produced fruit, not impurities. It is an act that prepares a branch to produce more fruit. It is not dealing with past sin but with future potential. If the branch is not pruned it will become unfruitful.

God has dealt with sin once for all at the cross. He no longer deals with your sin; his focus is on developing in us the fullness of what he created us to be. That fullness only comes by an intimate relationship with himself and his Son through the Holy Spirit. Our Father wants to partner with us to produce more fruit for his kingdom. Jesus died to deal with our past; he was raised to make a way to a future with his Father (Jn. 14:6). From our position in the Vine (Jesus) we produce fruit for Father here and now. Producing fruit is not about heaven; it’s about a fruitful relationship here and now.

The instrument of pruning for more fruit is the living, spoken word. Whether there is a cutting away of a dead branch or a pruning of a fruitful branch depends on how the “branch” hears the word that is spoken. If I am impressed with fruit I produced yesterday, I may be in danger of refusing to hear the pruning word. By refusing the new word I fail to bear more fruit. That’s why after the parable of the sower Jesus warned the disciples to take care how they hear (Lk. 8:18).

The spoken word is also what produces fruit.

Jesus continued, “If you abide in me [the vine], and my words [rhemata] abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples” (Jn. 15:8). This is clearly not about “heaven some day.” Rhema refers to a spoken word. To abide in a spoken word means to live your life in positive response to that word. Bearing fruit and proving yourself to be a disciple are related to the way you hear and respond to the word he is speaking to you today.

In my 40 years of teaching on college campuses I never applied for a job. Each time I changed jobs it was because Father spoke a word to me, “You have done what brought you here to do; now I have a new assignment for you.” Each time it was a rhema to me. Someone would then call me and invite me to come. That would confirm the direction for me. I also received invitations at times when Father was not speaking to me about leaving. I refused several upgrades because I didn’t hear a word from Father. This is what it means to allow his rhemata to abide in you.

Rhema is from the root rheo which means to flow (like water in a river). In English, rheostat controls the flow of electricity in a circuit. In a vine there is sap flowing through the branches. That flow produces fruit. Apart from this sap the branch can do nothing (Jn. 15:5). The word picture in this text implies that the spoken word, flowing from his mouth, is what causes the branch to bear fruit.

“Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word (rhema) that proceeds from the mouth of God” (Lk. 4:4). The word presently proceeding from his mouth is the word by which we can live. What he is saying is always in the flow of what he is doing. If we want to flow with him we must get in the flow of the proceeding word.

Now let’s look at the vine. Imagine me drawing a picture of a vine on a chalk board. Where is the vine? All you see is the branches. Jesus did not say, “I am the stock (or the root) and you are the branches.” The branches are the vine, the vine is the branches. Jesus is not producing fruit for his Father in this world apart from the branches. He is in the individual branches which are connected to him and to one another. Branches that are not connected do not produce fruit.

There is a difference between being attached and being connected. A dead branch is still attached to the vine but it doesn’t receive the flow of the proceeding word. It is dead-wood on the vine. A branch that is connected receives the life-flow of the proceeding word and produces fruit. It’s all about the way we hear and respond to what he is saying to us today.

“Take care how you hear.”

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Looking Forward,
Fount Shults
On Word Ministries: http://onword.org

Seeing and Hearing 10: How and What you Hear

“Take care how you hear, for to the one who has, more will be given, and from the one who has not, even what he thinks he has will be taken away.” (Luke 8:18)

In Matthew Jesus warned, “Take care what you hear,” but in Luke he said, “Take care how you hear.” The first concerns the content of the message and the second concerns the way you listen to the message. Our focus has been back and forth between the two, but in reality the two are essentially the same. How you are hearing is related to whether you are listening to your own voice or the actual message. What you are hearing is not the true message if you are listening to yourself rather than the speaker.

“Seriously consider how you hear” means take responsibility for the condition of your heart and ears. The condition of your ear is connected to the condition of your heart. A hard heart will shut out any word that threatens your previous understanding. A cluttered heart will choke out the word and keep it from bearing fruit.

We can see this clearly in Acts 2. There were two responses of the crowd that gathered when the Holy Spirit was poured out on the disciples. One group asked, “What does this mean?” The other group scoffed, “These men are drunk.” The first were hearing properly; they knew there was a message in the events that were unfolding before them. The second were listening to their inner critical response to the same events. They were blinded by their prejudices and not get [see] the message.

Those who are convinced of their righteousness have no desire to hear anything different. If they acknowledge the reality of the events, they will have to admit they’ve been wrong. After I was impacted deeply by the Holy Spirit I shared with a friend. His response surprised me. He said, “If I agree with you, I will have to admit I have been wrong all these years.” I have had many reject the testimony, but no one stated so clearly what was really going on inside. He was unwilling to change his position.

Another implication of seeing what you hear is this: our duty is not so much to talk to people about our Father, but to show them by a life that unfolds from the action of the Holy Spirit. Peter did not preach until after the Holy Spirit had moved. His sermon was simply explaining what had happened. The message cannot be spoken effectively apart from the movement of the Holy Spirit (see I Cor. 12:3). Even for Jesus this was true: “the power of the Lord was with him to heal” (Lk. 5:17).

Most of the crowd rejected the message. These who rejected it were probably the same ones who had accused the disciples of being drunk. I believe the three thousand that asked, “What must we do?” were the same ones who had asked, “What does this mean?” Those with a critical spirit do not hear the message; they only hear words they can easily discount.

These two groups were hearing the same words, but they were not hearing the same message. The ‘how’ of their listening was affecting the ‘what’ of their hearing.

We often speak of the ‘tone of voice’ to imply an attitude behind what is audible. There is a heart attitude, or a “spirit,” that is carried by the tone in the voice. Perhaps we also need a phrase to indicate the ‘tone of hearing.’ You can listen with an attitude. The burden to speak is on the speaker, but the burden to hear is on the listener. Listening to God means paying attention to his heart attitude toward the situation we are facing and what we are thinking about doing. Our heart attitude is exposed by the way we listen.

When we confuse our own heart attitude with his voice, we are listening to ourselves, not to him. We are often vain enough to think God agrees with our prejudices. If what you’re thinking is not loving, compassionate and encouraging, it is probably from your own heart. When we speak or act from that platform, we are walking according to the flesh. We are not doing what we see Father doing.

Our Father sent Jesus to free us from our prejudices. Jesus said, “If you abide in my word, you will know the truth and the truth will make you free” (Jn. 8:22). To abide in a word means to allow that word to influence the way you live, the way you relate to others. To know the truth means to experience the reality of which the word speaks.

The Jews in John 8 were unwilling to admit they didn’t already have truth (they were prejudice). They also denied they were in bondage. They remained in bondage because they were only listening to themselves. Many in our world today are in bondage because of their unwillingness to allow their ideas to be challenged. Jesus said Isaiah was talking about those people when he wrote:

“For this people’s heart has grown dull, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest they should perceive with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and should turn again, and I should heal them.” (Isa. 6)

Notice the connection of eyes, ears and heart in this passage. The parable of the sower and the seed is all about those three and how they relate to the success of the word-seed in a person’s life. My friend above did not want to change; even in the face of evidence. He wanted to maintain his prejudice. His ears were dull of hearing anything that did not agree with what he already believed. As a result, he failed to experience (know) the truth of the availability of the Holy Spirit in his life.

Perhaps now you can see the importance of the exercises I have suggested – paying attention to what is happening in your imagination while you are reading or listening. If you will make a habit of this, it will position you to experience truth and find ever increasing freedom in your life.

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Looking Forward,
Fount Shults
On Word Ministries http://onword.org

Seeing and Hearing 9: Measured Attention to Voice

“Pay attention to [see] what you hear: with the measure you use, it will be measured to you, and still more will be added to you.” (Mk. 4:24)

The mention of “the measure” requires clarification.

The parable is about hearing the word of the kingdom in a way that will produce kingdom fruit. The “measure” apparently refers to the amount of serious attention we pay to (how well we see) what we hear. The measures indicated in the parable are reflected in the different qualities of the soil. The hardened soil of the path gives the word no positive attention. The rocky soil gives it some attention, but not enough to bring it to maturity. The soil infested with weeds gives more attention to the cares of this world than to the word-seed.

Our focus in this blog will be on the fact that Jesus said to pay attention to (see) what you hear. There is a voice connected to what you hear. It could be the voice of the old nature, the voice of the new nature (human spirit), or the voice of God. Jesus did not say to pay attention to what you read. Reading Scripture is a good thing, but we must learn to listen while we are reading.

We do hear a voice while we are reading. Sometimes we hear our own voice commenting on what we’re reading. Sometimes we hear the voice of Paul or Moses. Sometimes we hear the Holy Spirit while reading, especially if we know the author. We can hear the voice of God while reading Scripture if we’re intimately acquainted with him. But focus on our interpretations can filter out our Father’s voice.

When we speak of voice, we do not necessarily imply an audible voice. There is the voice of our conscience. There is also the voice of the internalized authority. For many years after my father died (I was 23) I heard his voice telling me I was incompetent and stupid. Those voices were obviously not audible. Voice simply implies that something is being communicated to those who hear. So the question is which voice is influencing you; which voice are you hearing?

Unfortunately, while reading Scripture many hear the voice of their favorite preacher or the voice of their denominational leaders rather than God’s voice. Many hear themselves congratulating themselves for a new insight they deem worthy. These voices are in the foreground for them; they are facing these voices and allowing them to influence their interpretation. They seldom listen to the voice behind them saying, “This is the way, walk in it” (Isa.30:21). The fact that the voice is behind them indicates they are walking away form the one speaking.

The measure of attention you give to any given voice determines how much influence it has in your daily life. If I am living for the approval of the crowds, I will hear their voice and behave in a way that (hopefully) will gain their favor. The word ‘hopefully’ indicates that the voice may be the internalized voice of the crowd; it’s what I think will please them. If I am living for the approval of some human authority, I will respond to their voice even if it goes against something I consider important. I have done that in the past.

So the voice we “hear” receives our measured attention. And the word-seed from that voice will produce fruit according to its kind. “That which is born of flesh is flesh, and that which is born of Spirit is spirit” (Jn. 3:6). If we are living for the approval of man, responding to that voice will produce flesh activity. If we are living for our Father’s approval, his voice will produce fruit of the kingdom. This is why Jesus said we must pay attention to what we hear, which voice we are listening to, because the measure you give will be returned to you with increase. We choose flesh or spirit increase by giving attention to voices.

In my meditations on the returning prodigal, Invitation to Intimacy, I defined repentance as seeing things differently. The shift in the way we see things happens when we hear a voice that’s different from the one we’ve been listening to. The prodigal “came to himself” when he realized his father was a man who cared for others, even his servants. He had been listening to his own voice telling him otherwise. He was now hearing a voice speak a different message, and he paid attention to this new voice; he saw it.

Paul did not tell us we need to transform our way of thinking. He said, “…be transformed by the renewal of your minds” (Rom. 12:2). The passive voice indicates we are not the agents of that transformation. The agent is the word-seed that we choose to hear and give measured attention. The direction of our life shifts when we turn and hear the voice behind us saying, “This is the way, walk in it.” When that invitation comes, we will choose to walk differently if we really “hear” the word.

The purpose of the exercises we have suggested has been to help you identify the voices you normally give attention. We are really not ready to hear differently until we come to a crisis where it is obvious we’ve been listening to the wrong voices. In the pig-sty we are able to hear a new word from a different voice. But, why wait for the crisis? Have the courage to listen for a word that will contradict your flesh.

Our new exercise is this: begin to listen for the voice “behind you” and be willing to give measured attention to that voice. None of us are void of areas in our life where we need to be corrected. In this way we live life preparing ourselves for encounters with our Father and his loving embrace.

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Looking Forward,
Fount Shults
On Word Ministries http://onword.org

For more on hearing God, go to http://www.cwgministries.org/

Seeing and Hearing 8: Words and Images

“Pay attention to [see] what you hear.” (Mk. 4:24)

When Jesus explained the parable of the sower and the seed, he told the disciples to pay attention to what they were hearing. The Greek word translated “pay attention” is a word that simply means to see [blepo]. It means to see with the eyes, but it also means to understand. We do the same thing in English when someone explains something and we say, “I see what you mean.”

Our Western culture is well trained in the art of engaging ideas and concepts about spiritual realities and expressing those ideas with words. But we are deficient in the art of engaging the realities of which we speak. Most are content to have a mental grasp of the concepts so they can engage in conversations about God. Westerners often give wordy evidence of the fact that they don’t really know what they’re talking about. They don’t have any personal experience of divine realities.

Our culture is deceived into thinking we understand a matter if we understand the words. That’s why many churches have become theaters or lecture halls. The audience wants to be entertained or taught. Few desire to change, to be transformed into the image of Christ. Our people are like the multitudes that followed Jesus in the first century. They were satisfied to be part of the crowd, to be there when he taught and worked miracles. They forsook him when he didn’t do what they expected him to do.

The Hebrew culture used words, but they used words to create images. That’s why Hebrew is called a story-telling language. The majority of the Old Testament is stories. Even Psalms and Proverbs are full of events and relationships. The Hebrews did not have a theology as such; they had a history with God. They did not develop a theology until after the Babylonian exile. Even then their theology was tied to the stories as interpreted by the Rabies. In other words, they were still dealing with story-images.

The Early Church also focused on the story-images of the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ and their personal history with him. They did not develop a theology until the Church Fathers, including the Apostles, began to recognize and address problems in understanding the events of the life of Jesus. The problems of the Church began when the focus moved from the life, death, burial and resurrection to ideas and concepts about God. Talk about God is empty if there is no personal relationship with him in your own life history.

A personal anecdote will help move us forward. Lynda and I attended a concert featuring a violinist from Korea several years ago. The music stirred me to tears. There were no words, only the movement of the chord progressions and the melody carried by the violinist. Where did the deep emotions come from? The music had a message, but it was a message without verbal explanation. Though I was not aware of the images dancing around within, I was deeply affected. I didn’t understand the music; I simply enjoyed it.

A student of comparative religions was in Tokyo, Japan in 1958 where he attended one of the traditional dances of the Shinto religion. Trying to understand the message of the dance he asked the monk, “What is your theology?” The monk replied, “We don’t have a theology; we dance.” Their theology is in the dance, and they don’t try to understand the dance, they simply engage the imagery with the dancers. As with the music, so with the dance, one does not have to put it into words in order to experience it. Words can even cause you to miss the experience.

When we shift from story-images to philosophical propositions we run the risk of deceiving ourselves into thinking we understand. As a result, we have a mental grasp of a concept, but we fail to engage the reality available in the simple telling of the story. We have a relationship with an idea rather than with the person who died, was buried and raised from the dead. We fail to die with him in our personal experience because we are content with the doctrine of our position in him. We are left with a desire to live the resurrected life, but with no power to live it.

Since God is spirit, he can only be experienced through engaging the images of the story of his dealings with mankind. Jesus did not tell us to develop a theology; he told us preach the coming kingdom. Preaching produces images in the hearts of the people which gives them access to the events of the kingdom: healing, deliverance, provision and victory over the enemy. Those realities come to those who engage the images of the coming kingdom, not to those who develop talk about the kingdom.

Continue to engage the images that dance around within you while you are listening to or reading the gospel stories. Remember that you are invited to be a part of the story. You can experience the kingdom.

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Looking forward,
Fount Shults
On Word Ministries http://onword.org

Check out Mark Virkler http://www.cwgministries.org/

Seeing and Hearing 7: Active Response Required

“For to the one who has, more will be given, and he will have an abundance, but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away” (Matt. 13:12, Mk. 4:25 and Lk. 8:18).

The context of our last few blogs has been the parable of the sower and the seed. The seed is the word of the kingdom. The soil is our heart. We noticed our need to allow Father to dig out our ears so we can hear. We saw that hearing is a matter of heart-to-heart communion. Our human spirit is one with the Lord. Kingdom fruit is produced by intimacy with God, by receiving word-seed. The language of the spirit is imagery, like dreams and visions. All parables present an image. We need to “see” the word we hear. (More on that later.)

Now we move to the question of receiving more of the secrets of the kingdom, more word-seed so we can produce more kingdom fruit. The key to this question is in the statement that those who have nothing will lose what they do have. That sounds like double-talk until we consider the context. The “have-nots” are those who heard the word but fruit never appeared. They had nothing to show for what had been planted. We shouldn’t expect Father to sow more seed in unproductive soil.

To receive more seed, then, we must first produce fruit from what was planted earlier. When we hear a word from Father, we must do what he says. This was the point of Jesus’ story of the two who built a house, one on the sand and one on the solid rock. The storm struck both structures, but the only one that withstood the wind and rain was the one built on the rock (Matt. 7:24-27). The wise man heard the word and allowed it to influence his behavior while the foolish man did not act on what he heard.

James also encouraged his readers to be doers of the word, and not hearers only (Jas. 1:22). According to him the ones who do not act on what they hear are self-deceived. Many today are deceived into thinking they are spiritual simply because they can quote large portions of Scripture. If they are not being transformed in their ability to love others, they are deceived. They receive the word but it doesn’t penetrate their heart. It doesn’t grip their imagination and produce a transformation.

Jesus told the Pharisees to go learn what it means that God desires mercy, not sacrifice (Matt. 9:13). “Go learn what this means” is a rabbinical style that challenges disciples to go practice the precept and experience its meaning. Pharisees could have quoted many Bible verses on mercy, but they did not know by experience what it meant because they never showed mercy. In other words, they did not allow the word-seed to penetrate the soil of their heart and produce the fruit of mercy.

Some people think they can’t hear from God (receive a word-seed). Often the reason we fail to hear from God is because we didn’t act on a previous word. In our culture we are content to grasp the concepts and understand the message. However, we don’t know what the word really means until we act on it and experience the reality of which it speaks. The problem is not that he isn’t speaking; the problem is we’re not listening. If the word-seed doesn’t change our way of relating, it will rot in the soil of our heart even though you may remember the words. By not acting on the word, we lose what we have.

Paul said, “He who loves another has fulfilled the law” (Rom. 13:8). Abba Father is continually speaking to his kids about the way they treat their family and friends. Yet the relational difficulties for Christians are the same as those of the world. In fact, sometimes men of the world have better relationships than many in the Church. That’s probably because some tend to hold a higher standard for others than they do for themselves. They try to pressure their spouse and kids to perform well so they will look good in the eyes of the community. The word-seed has not yet penetrated their heart.

So, if we want to receive an abundance of word-seed we must practice loving one another as Christ loves us. That is the implication of the parable of the sower. God is love, so Jesus is the Son of Love and the gospel is the message of love. To be conformed to the image of Christ is to become a son or daughter of love. The word of the kingdom is a word of love because the coming kingdom is a kingdom ruled by the law of love rather than by the love of law.

In previous blogs we suggested an exercise of paying attention to your mental and imaging activity while others are speaking or as you read the Bible. The purpose of those exercises was to bring us to an awareness of the movements in our heart (or spirit). We need to see what’s happening inside if we want to change. The word for repentance means to see things differently. If we have not changed, we have not learned. And we can’t change until we see in a new way.

Our next blog will focus on seeing. Meanwhile, continue to pay attention to the thoughts and images that “play around” as you listen and read. If you have not been doing the exercises, it’s not too late. The exercises are necessary for those who desire to make these teachings practical. The concepts will not be practical for those who do not practice the word they hear.

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Looking Forward,

Fount Shults
On Word Ministries

http://onword.org

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http://www.cwgministries.org/

Seeing and Hearing 6: Seeing the Word

“To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of God” (Matt. 13:11, Mk. 4:11 and Lk. 8:10).

In our last blog we noticed that the human spirit has the capacity to hear from God directly. The kingdom is given ‘spirit-to-spirit.’ So, how can we have the ‘spirit-to-Spirit’ encounter that is called “knowing (experiencing) the secrets of the kingdom?” Buckle your seat-belts. We are going to a place where many have never been. We have all been called to enter this place, but few have heard the call. Our answer will require more than one meditation.

Our first observation has to do with how the Holy Spirit communicates with our spirit. The Bible is full of examples of God speaking through visions and dreams. The major language of the Spirit is imagery. There are examples in the Old Testament as well as the New. Amos begins, “The words of Amos…which he saw” (Amos 1:1). In Isaiah we read, “The word which Isaiah the son of Amoz saw” (Isa. 2:1). The prophets were originally called seers for that reason (I Sam. 1:9).

In the New Testament we find evidence of this as well: “Old men will dream dreams and young men will see visions” was a prophetic word for our day. Joseph’s dream contained a word to accept Mary; Peter’s vision contained a word to go to Cornelius’ house. The book of Revelation is a record of what John saw. That series of visions definitely contained a word from the Risen and Exalted Lord. Jesus was showing John the process of the unfolding of the kingdom of God. Since it came in visual images, our culture has tried to interpret the images by an exercise of the intellect. Few have approached it by the spirit.

Paul prayed that, “having the eyes of your heart enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which you are called…” (Eph. 1:18). When Paul spoke of the “eyes of the heart,” he was referring to the capacity to see spiritual realities. (In this series we are using the words heart and spirit interchangeably.) The realities he mentioned are not recognized by the natural man, or by the soul apart from the spirit. Many Christians do not see the hope to which they are called. They don’t see because they look through the “eyes of the soul”.

When we look at the life of Jesus we find an element that clarifies in other texts. Jesus did “only what he saw the Father doing” (Jn. 5:19). The added element has to do with the connection of what you see by the spirit to how you behave. The activity of Jesus’ life was simply an obedient response to the word he saw from his Father. He was consumed by his Father’s love. He was consumed by what his Father was showing him.

This morning as I was waking, even before I got out of bed, I ‘saw’ myself preparing to do the things I would be doing today. As I prepared for the day I was simply living out what I had visualized. I was consumed by what I had seen before I got up. If the things I wanted to accomplish were things our Father was showing me, then the visual images were related to his word to me for the day. If the things I had seen were my own agenda, then the images were related to my walk in the flesh.

Once we notice the connection between seeing and doing in the life of Jesus, we can return to the Old Testament and find the same relationship. The problem began when Eve “saw that the tree was good…,” and acted on what she saw. The flood was a result of the imagination of the people being on evil continually. They didn’t merely imagine evil; they behaved according to what they visualized. We were created to act out what we visualize because Father wants us to respond to what he is showing us

A rich man’s wealth is a stronghold in his imagination (Prov. 18:11). A wealthy man’s imagination contains a word about his possessions that affects his relationship to his wealth and, consequently, to Father as well. If he imagines that his wealth is a gift from Father to promote the kingdom, his relationship with Father is good and he will use his wealth accordingly. He understands that the Lord is his strong tower, not his wealth (Prov. 18:10).

The words that Isaiah and Amos saw contained a warning. The people were rebelling against what the Lord had spoken to them. The words which the prophets saw were a call to repentance. Prophets didn’t rebuke the people for failure to keep rules; they warned that the people were rebelling against the voice of the Lord. Hearing the voice of God was the issue throughout the Old Testament.

To act differently we must see differently. To see differently we must first learn to listen differently. We must learn to listen with our imagination as well as with our mind.

We suggested an exercise of noticing the self-talk and the imagery that takes place while you are listening to others speak. Those who did the exercise will have noticed that their response to life situations was directly related to the self-talk and the imagery. This week notice the imagery that appears while you are reading Scripture. What do you see when you are reading Scripture? It may be easier to start with a narrative. Watch it happen and join the action in your spirit.

Looking Forward,
Fount Shults
On Word Ministries

http://onword.org

http://www.cwgministries.org/

Seeing and Hearing 5: Our Human Spirit 1

“To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of God” (Matt. 13:11, Mk. 4:11 and Lk. 8:10).

Our second question (from the first blog) is closely related to the first. How can one qualify to be ‘given to know’ the secrets of the kingdom? To find our answer to this question we must take up the issue of the human spirit (or heart). Receiving the kingdom is a spiritual function, not an intellectual or emotional one (though understanding and feelings are often there). I yearn to learn how to allow my spirit to function according to God’s design.

A new day has dawned in world history. Some didn’t wake up yet. We will not be able to continue ‘doing church’ the way we’ve always done it – not if we want to be in the flow of the Spirit. A renewed way of thinking and speaking must emerge. Truth always remains the same, but we must talk about it differently. To make this transition successfully we must bring the concept of the human spirit to the fore and learn to walk by the spirit.

The secrets of the kingdom are given Spirit-to-spirit.

“But he who is united to the Lord becomes one spirit with him” (I Cor. 6:17). Our human spirit and the Holy Spirit are joined as in a marriage covenant. Our human spirit has access to the Father and the Son through the Holy Spirit. We have “confidence to enter the sanctuary” (Heb. 10:19), but we do not enter physically or soulishly. We enter by the spirit; our human spirit is already joined to the Holy Spirit in that realm.

It’s clear that the early Church experienced something in the spirit that’s missing for most of us today. Perhaps that missing element is the key to receiving the secrets of the kingdom. John received the Revelation while he was “in the Spirit on the Lord’s day” (Rev. 1:10). Paul said to the Corinthians, “For though absent in body I am present in spirit…. When you are assembled, and my spirit is present…” (I Cor. 5:3-4). Our culture takes this to mean, “I will be thinking about you.” (I am still seeking insight on this one.)

One problem is that our culture neither recognizes nor nurtures the human spirit. Some don’t even acknowledge that there is a spirit. Our contemporaries affirm those who are smart and productive, and reward them with praise and finances. Because of that, we are well trained to perform in a consumer society. There are producers and there are consumers. People are even admired for being able to shop well.

Even the Church has become a consumer society. We are impressed with those who produce good teachings (intellectual) and those who produce worship that makes us feel good (emotional). We are impressed with those who produce sermons that move us to action (volitional). All these things are good, but if we are consuming these with our flesh (soulish nature) we are missing the spiritual element that is available in the services.

As consumers we tend to select a church that offers what we prefer just like we select a department store or a movie. That puts ministers in a position where they could become producers to meet the desires of the consumers. The pressure to perform comes from a desire to be appreciated and paid well. A consumer mentality will not pay people for being spiritual, only for being productive.

The majority of the people do not recognize the difference between a ministry that is spiritual and one that simply caters to the flesh of the Christian consumers. So, what we will be presenting in the following blogs will be counter-cultural. If the Church is to survive and thrive, we must learn to recognize, acknowledge and celebrate the human spirit in communion with our Father and his Son by the Holy Spirit.

Continue to pay attention to how you listen and what you see in your spirit as you hear.

Our next blog will raise the question of how we can move from being consumers to becoming consumed by Fathers love.

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Looking Forward,

Fount Shults
On Word ministries

http://onword.org

See also http://www.cwgministries.org/

Seeing and Hearing 4: Dig me an Ear

“He who has ears, let him hear” (Matt. 13:9).

In previous blogs we raised the question of how we can allow the word-seed to penetrate the heart and produce fruit. We will continue that line of questioning and suggest an answer here. (Go to http://onword.org for previous blogs.)

David wrote, “In sacrifice and offering you have not delighted, but you have given me an open ear [literally, you dug me an ear]. Burnt offering and sin offering you have not required. Then I said, ‘… your law is within my heart’” (Ps. 40:6-8).

One of the blessings of the New Covenant, according to Jeremiah, would be God writing his law on the hearts of his people (Jer. 31:33). David was able to have that experience before its time. The word (law) was in David’s heart because God dug out his ear. If our Father did that for David in the Old Covenant, how much more will he be willing to do it for us in the New? So how can we receive the open ear?

Our Father knows our tendency to listen with a filter. “For he knows our frame; he remembers that we are dust” (Ps. 103:14, emphasis mine). He knows how we are put together (framed) because he is the one who formed our inward parts and knit us together in our mother’s womb (Ps. 139:13). As our creator, he knows how we think and how we process life.

David was filtering out what God was trying to say to him concerning his sin with Bathsheba. We all do that when we’re up to no good. To get David’s attention, God sent the prophet Nathan with a story (word) that opened his ear (II Sam. 12). The story of the lamb flushed out David’s filter and the word penetrated his heart.

Father designed us to respond to words as we develop from childhood to old age. Words shape (frame) our life. He made us responsive to words because of his desire to form us into the frame (image) of Jesus Christ by speaking to our heart. But early in life our frame was influenced by words from family and friends, and we have a tendency to filter out what doesn’t fit into the framework of the previous words we received.

That also is God’s design. The ideal is that we allow the word of God to be the filter of all other words.

Our ears are the gates through which words find access to our developing frame. There is a war between two opposing words – the previous word and the new, different word. When a new word is rejected, the next level of development is also rejected. If the rejected word is from the flesh, we avoid negative development; if it is from the Spirit, we fail to attain the next level of conformity to the image of Jesus Christ.

The first victory of God’s word in our life is when we are born again, “not of perishable seed but of the imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God” (I Pet. 1:23). When the word-seed of the gospel penetrates our heart, we are born again. But we grow to maturity by receiving a daily portion of “word-milk” (I Pet. 2:2) from our Father. (See my book, Pilgrimage to Personhood.)

Many Christians have become “spiritual-lactose intolerant” because of previous words from friends, family and religious leaders. To overcome this intolerance we must allow Father to question our personal understanding of how he speaks and what he might or might not say. This is the key to the open ear. We must judge any new word by the “living and active word.” If we have any other standard, we will have trouble hearing what Father might be saying to us today.

We must distinguish between the living word of God and our interpretation of that word. Many fail at this point. Our human tendency is to assume our interpretation of his word is equal to the word itself. Jesus Christ is the living and abiding word who is now seated at Father’s right hand. Even our interpretation of Jesus can be mistaken. This is the mistake that caused the Pharisees to condemn Jesus. They did not merely misinterpret his words because of previous words they had received; they misinterpreted him.

We must learn to allow Jesus to interpret himself. If we have a heart after God, we will allow our understanding to be adjusted by the presence of Jesus in our life. If we are into defending ourselves and our religious tradition, we will be unwilling to hear any word that contradicts what we already believe.

Pray, “Father, dig me an ear that I might hear your word today.” Pray this daily until something changes in your heart. You will know your heart has changed when you willingly receive revelations that expose and challenge your preconceived notions.

To get the most out of this series, continue the exercise of listening to the self-talk that emerges as you go about your day. Continue also the attempt to capture the visual images that dance around as you read or listen to others. Add to that a willingness to receive adjustments to your previous understanding.

If you desire to receive notification when new blogs are posted, simply enter you email address above to the right.

Looking Forward,

Fount Shults,
On Word Ministries

http://onword.org

Check out Mark Virkler’s view of communion with God.

http://www.cwgministries.org/

Mark and Patti Virkler on Hearing God

You Can Hear God’s Voice!
By Mark and Patti Virkler, co-authors of “4 Keys to Hearing God’s Voice”

Christianity is unique among religions, for it alone offers a personal relationship with the Creator beginning here and now, and lasting throughout eternity. Jesus declared, “This is eternal life – that they may know God” (Jn. 17:2). Unfortunately, many in the Church miss the great blessing of fellowship with our Lord because we have lost the ability to recognize His voice within us. Though we have the promise that “My sheep hear My voice,” too many believers are starved for that intimate relationship that alone can satisfy the desire of their hearts.

I was one of those sheep who was deaf to his Shepherd until the Lord revealed four very simple keys (found in Habakkuk 2:1, 2) that unlocked the treasure of His voice.

Key #1 – God’s voice in your heart often sounds like a flow of spontaneous thoughts.

Habakkuk knew the sound of God speaking to him (Hab. 2:2). Elijah described it as a still, small voice (I Kings 19:12). I had always listened for an inner audible voice, and God does speak that way at times. However, I have found that usually, God’s voice comes as spontaneous thoughts, visions, feelings, or impressions.

For example, haven’t you been driving down the road and had a thought come to you to pray for a certain person? Didn’t you believe it was God telling you to pray? What did God’s voice sound like? Was it an audible voice, or was it a spontaneous thought that lit upon your mind?

Experience indicates that we perceive spirit-level communication as spontaneous thoughts, impressions and visions, and Scripture confirms this in many ways. For example, one definition of paga, a Hebrew word for intercession, is “a chance encounter or an accidental intersecting.” When God lays people on our hearts, He does it through paga, a chance-encounter thought “accidentally” intersecting our minds.

Therefore, when you want to hear from God, tune to chance-encounter or spontaneous thoughts.

Key #2 – Become still so you can sense God’s flow of thoughts and emotions within.

Habakkuk said, “I will stand on my guard post…” (Hab. 2:1). Habakkuk knew that to hear God’s quiet, inner, spontaneous thoughts, he had to first go to a quiet place and still his own thoughts and emotions. Psalm 46:10 encourages us to be still, and know that He is God. There is a deep inner knowing (spontaneous flow) in our spirits that each of us can experience when we quiet our flesh and our minds. If we are not still, we will sense only our own thoughts.

Loving God through a quiet worship song is one very effective way to become still. (Note II Kings 3:15.) After I worship and become silent within, I open myself for that spontaneous flow. If thoughts come of things I have forgotten to do, I write them down and dismiss them. If thoughts of guilt or unworthiness come, I repent thoroughly, receive the washing of the blood of the Lamb, putting on His robe of righteousness, seeing myself spotless before God (Is. 61:10; Col. 1:22).

To receive the pure word of God, it is very important that my heart be properly focused as I become still because my focus is the source of the intuitive flow. If I fix my eyes upon Jesus, the intuitive flow comes from Jesus. But if I fix my gaze upon some desire of my heart, the intuitive flow comes out of that desire. To have a pure flow I must become still and carefully fix my eyes upon Jesus. Again, quietly worshiping the King, and receiving out of the stillness that follows quite easily accomplishes this.

Fix your gaze upon Jesus (Heb. 12:2), becoming quiet in His presence and sharing with Him what is on your heart. Spontaneous thoughts will begin to flow from the throne of God to you, and you will actually be conversing with the King of Kings!

Key #3 – As you pray, fix the eyes of your heart upon Jesus, seeing in the Spirit the dreams and visions of Almighty God.

Habakkuk said, “I will keep watch to see,” and God said, “Record the vision” (Hab. 2:1,2). Habakkuk was actually looking for vision as he prayed. He opened the eyes of his heart, and looked into the spirit world to see what God wanted to show him. This is an intriguing idea.

God has always spoken through dreams and visions, and He specifically said that they would come to those upon whom the Holy Spirit is poured out (Acts 2:1-4, 17).

I had never thought of opening the eyes of my heart and looking for vision. However, I have come to believe that this is exactly what God wants me to do. He gave me eyes in my heart to see in the spirit the vision and movement of Almighty God. There is an active spirit world all around us, full of angels, demons, the Holy Spirit, the omnipresent Father, and His omnipresent Son, Jesus. The only reasons for me not to see this reality are unbelief or lack of knowledge.

In order to see, we must look. Daniel saw a vision in his mind and said, “I was looking…I kept looking…I kept looking” (Dan. 7:2,9,13). As I pray, I look for Jesus, and I watch as He speaks to me, doing and saying the things that are on His heart. Many Christians will find that if they will only look, they will see, in the same way they receive spontaneous thoughts. Jesus is Emmanuel, God with us (Matt. 1:23). It is as simple as that. You can see Christ present with you because Christ is present with you. In fact, the vision may come so easily that you will be tempted to reject it, thinking that it is just you. But if you persist in recording these visions, your doubt will soon be overcome by faith as you recognize that the content of them could only be birthed in Almighty God.

Jesus demonstrated the ability of living out of constant contact with God, declaring that He did nothing on His own initiative, but only what He saw the Father doing, and heard the Father saying (Jn. 5:19,20,30). What an incredible way to live!

Is it possible for you to live out of divine initiative as Jesus did? Yes! Fix your eyes upon Jesus. The veil has been torn, giving access into the immediate presence of God, and He calls you to draw near (Lk. 23:45; Heb. l0: 19-22). “I pray that the eyes of your heart will be enlightened….”

Key #4 – Journaling, the writing out of your prayers and God’s answers, brings great freedom in hearing God’s voice.

God told Habakkuk to record the vision (Hab. 2:2). This was not an isolated command. The Scriptures record many examples of individual’s prayers and God’s replies (e.g. the Psalms, many of the prophets, Revelation).

I call the process “two-way journaling,” and I have found it to be a fabulous catalyst for clearly discerning God’s inner, spontaneous flow, because as I journal I am able to write in faith for long periods of time, simply believing it is God. I know that what I believe I have received from God must be tested. However, testing involves doubt and doubt blocks divine communication, so I do not want to test while I am trying to receive. With journaling, I can receive in faith, knowing that when the flow has ended I can test and examine it carefully, making sure that it lines up with Scripture.

You will be amazed when you journal. Doubt may hinder you at first, but throw it off, reminding yourself that it is a biblical concept, and that God is present, speaking to His children. Relax. When we cease our labors and enter His rest, God is free to flow (Heb. 4:10). Sit back comfortably, take out your pen and paper, smile, and turn your attention toward the Lord in praise and worship, seeking His face. After you write your question to Him, become still, fixing your gaze on Jesus. You will suddenly have a very good thought. Don’t doubt it; simply write it down. Later, as you read your journaling, you, too, will be blessed to discover that you are indeed dialoguing with God.

Some final notes: Knowing God through the Bible is a vital foundation to hearing His voice in your heart, so you must have a solid commitment to knowing and obeying the Scriptures. It is also very important for your growth and safety that you be related to solid, spiritual counselors. All major directional moves that come through journaling should be confirmed by your counselors before you act upon them.

For a complete teaching on this topic, order the book 4 Keys to Hearing God’s Voice at www.CWGministries.org or call 716-681-4896. Online catalog of 60 books by Mark & Patti Virkler as well as 100 college courses through external degree: www.cluonline.com