THE SPIRIT IS ALWAYS SPEAKING

 By: Barry Bennet
Are you expecting to hear Him?
However, when He, the Spirit of Truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth. For He shall not speak of Himself, but whatever He hears, He shall speak. And He will announce to you things to come. (John 16:13)

I am often asked for advice and counsel and I always try to be helpful. However, it is alarming that so many look to man for answers and never expect to hear from God. It is as if the subject of hearing God for oneself is not even considered. If you ask someone, “What has the Lord told you?”, you are often met with a blank stare. Most Christians have no idea that they are able to hear God.
The problem begins with the fact that we live our lives much as we did before we were born again. We allow our senses and emotions to rule us and we look to the world for wisdom and acceptance. In a sense we are living by “bread alone.”
“But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.” (Mt. 4:4)
As spiritual beings, we are created to live by the words of God. That is our “default setting.” When we ignore the words of the Spirit, we are creating an environment in which we will seem just as lost and confused as unbelievers.
While godly counsel is certainly helpful and needed as we grow in wisdom, it does not produce faith. Faith comes by hearing God (Rom. 10:17). As James says, “Is any among you afflicted? let him pray” (James 5:13). Why? Because prayer is the environment for hearing. Prayer takes our eyes off of the need and puts them on the Answer. Prayer sees the unseen. Prayer tunes in to the voice of God. Prayer expects to hear.
Exercise yourself in the area of hearing God. Make sure what you hear is based on God’s Word. The Spirit will lead you to the Truth of the Word. Faith will be activated and your life will enter a new dimension.

JESUS NEEDED TO BE HUMAN AND NOT FROM A MAN'S SPERM.

In genesis, God gives the earth to mankind as a good parent would distribute gifts to his children. Then God blessed them and said, “Be fruitful and multiply. Fill the earth and GOVERN it. Reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, and all the animals that scurry along the ground.” Genesis 1:28. NLT. (Emphasis added) If you give gifts to your children, you do not take it but you can advise them to use it well and if they err, you can help them out so they continue enjoying the gift. The virgin birth was prophesied right in the beginning. The savior was to be the seed/offspring of a woman. I will put hostility between you (serpent) and the woman, and between your seed and her seed. He will bruise your head, and you will bruise his heel.” Genesis 3:15 (REV) The devil 'bruises' us all the time - causing us pain and suffering. But the seed of the woman - Jesus Christ, will crush his head i.e will destroy Satan. When Man sinned, Satan was not tempting him for nothing. He (Satan) tricked him and became the ruler of this earth. The time for judging this world has come, when Satan, the ruler of this world, will be cast out. John 12:31 NLT. Because it was man who contracted to give the earth to Satan, man (the descendants if the parents and great grand parents are dead) had to break the contract. When Adam sinned, sin entered the world. Adam’s sin brought death, so death spread to everyone, for everyone sinned. Rom 5:12 NLT Because one person disobeyed God, many became sinners. But because one other person obeyed God, many will be made righteous. Rom 5:19 It was for that purpose - restoration of all things that Jesus came. He was born a human child in every way except the mans sperm was not involved. He grew in wisdom, stature and favor with God and man (many obedient and wise children do attract many favors even now) And Jesus kept increasing in wisdom and stature and in favor with God and man. Luke 2:52 (REV) So you see, just as death came into the world through a man, now the resurrection from the dead has begun through another man. 1Cor.15:21.
Now since the children participate fully in blood and flesh, in a similar way he also himself shared the same so that through death he could make ineffective the one who holds the power of death, that is, the Devil,e and free all those who were held in slavery all their lives by their fear of death. Indeed, it hardly needs to be said that he did not come to help angels, but to give help to the seed of Abraham. This being the case, he had to be made like his brothers in every respect in order to become a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, so that he could wipe away the sins of the people. For since he himself was tempted in that which he suffered, he is able to help those who are tempted. Hebrews 2:14-18 (REV)
I will raise up a prophet like you from among their fellow Israelites. I will put my words in his mouth, and he will tell the people everything I command him. I will personally deal with anyone who will not listen to the messages the prophet proclaims on my behalf. Deut.18:18 NLT.