Have you checked the truth you think you have with what the Scriptures say? I did not ask you if you read the Bible. I did not even ask you if you believe the Bible. You already believe a lot of things. Are they true? How do you know that they are true? What you believe must be true if you are going to live your life by it. Otherwise, you will fail. I am talking about putting on a piece of the armor. No one else can do it for you. Search the Scriptures to see if these things are true!

Ephesians chapter 4 may be one of the most important chapters in the entire New Testament. In this chapter Paul compiled a great deal of information that is only found in pieces in other parts of the Bible. In this series we are going to focus on what is commonly called the armor of God. Even though many books have been written on the subject, I have never heard it explained as I think it should be. My title to this podcast is just a foretaste of what is to come. Speakers often will only say that the verse just tell us to stand and then they move on to talking about the armor the Roman soldiers wore. I certainly mean no disrespect. But how is that helpful to me? By the time I finish this series of messages you will have a very clear and thorough understanding of the significance of these verses from Ephesians chapter 4. So, welcome to a new and exciting season of insights. Don’t miss a single session.

I am not implying that it is possible to never face fear in your life. That would be ludicrous. When I talk about living without fear I mean that you can learn how to deal with fear in positive ways. Some types of fear are good and can be helpful. Now, this does not mean you should live with constant anxiety. It means there are simply things that should not be a part of your life. This is too complicated to try to explain in just a few words so plan to listen to this podcast several times.

We all know that the day will come when we will face death. We all have known a number of people who have died. But this common knowledge and anticipation does not remove the fear of death. We must reach beyond our experience and find a solution from a greater source. Of course that is the Word of God. But the question is this. How do we apply what the Bible says about death? In this podcast I will tell you the three things you must do to conquer this fear.

The Apostle Paul provided us with a very clear list of the fruit of the spirit. However, it is common for some Christians to confuse (or at least to not make the distinction) between that fruit and their emotions. Love, peace and joy are good examples of this. So in this podcast I have provided ways to help you make these distinctions. Keep in mind, the fruit is more powerful and effective than your emotions.

In all the years I have been in the ministry I have never found another issue that was dealt with as ineffectively as the matter of peace. Frankly, I think more unsound advice has been given in this area than any other. And I am talking about what should be the positive side of this issue. When we go by how we feel instead of what our own spirit is trying to tell us we are making a serious mistake. So, pay close attention to this teaching.

This message and the two that will follow have been shortened in length for a definite reason. I am dealing with some very challenging material. It is information you will probably want to listen to several times. I would venture to say this will be brand new insight for most of those who hear it. However, these messages contain the keys to the control we must have over our emotions.

When Jesus taught in the Synagogue and quoted a very familiar passage from Isaiah about being anointed was Jesus talking about our emotions? I think that is a very valid question. Yet, we usually only apply that to our physical well-being. Most of our challenges are the result of the things on the inside of us that need to be healed. Listen carefully about the way this can happen for you.

There are eight major emotions that all of us have that can and do at times hinder us in our walk with the Lord. You know what those emotions are. When I mention them, you will immediately recognize them. You experience them on a regular basis. It may not have occurred to you that they are the reason you hesitate to do what God tells you to do. But it is true. More importantly, if you have gotten that far, you still may not know how to fix this. I can help you. So, listen carefully.

Your emotions will be involved in the decision making process. Just be sure that what you decide is not based strictly on those emotions. You will live with those decisions, but how you feel about what you decided can change very quickly. And the change can be drastic. Emotions are a very important part of our lives. But God did not intend for us to run our lives based on how we feel. The just shall live by faith – not feelings.

Without question, we are all emotional beings. Some show it more than others. However, what matters is how much we allow our emotions to determine how we live. We are spirit beings. Emotions spring from the soul. Our choices should be made based on what we know in our spirit and not what we feel in our soul. This takes years of discipline and determination. Consider the degree to which fear dictates what you do. That is not a criticism. It is just something to provoke you to think.

A favorite Scripture I have often quoted is found in Numbers 23:19 which says: “God is not a human who lies or a mortal who changes his mind. When he says something, he will do it; when he makes a promise, he will fulfill it.” If we really believe that, then why would we ever attempt to accomplish what God has said He will do. Excitement can provoke us to try to make things come about more quickly. Rest assured, it never works.

You can’t live in the past. Don’t even try. But sometimes we realize the problems we have today are the result of not listening to what God said to us in the past. So, pay close attention to what God is saying to you (at this very moment) about your future. God knows what lies ahead and He is trying to tell you some things to say and do or maybe to not say and do. This is called walking in the spirit. Try it!

Many people hear the voice of God on a regular basis. However, they are not sensitive enough to the Spirit of God to even know it is God talking to them. They just assume it is their own imagination. This does not mean their conscience is seared. That is an entirely different matter, which I discuss in this podcast. But we can learn things about being sensitive to God by learning what has happened in the lives of those whose conscience is seared.

When we talk about the people mentioned in the Bible we often only recall the good things we know about them. But the good stuff is not the only reason we know their names. Some of them made terrible decisions. The decision to follow God’s voice is just the first step. If there is difficulty and you mess things up that does not mean you didn’t start out following God. Don’t quit! Never quit! Keep listening. Keep following. God is for you and not against you. Never forget that!

It is my desire to eradicate the idea that it is difficult to be “Led By The Spirit” eventhough that seems to be a common belief. While there may be many reasons for wanting to hear and recognize God’s voice, I can think of none more important than this. We would make better decisions and live longer and be more fulfilled if we paid more attention to what God desires to say to us. This should be a way of life!

The real key to spiritual balance in the life of every Christian comes from a combination of sources. But, if we take what we have learned from a life experience and consider it to be more authoritative in our life than the Word of God, we have made a huge mistake. We must always judge the accuracy of the prophetic words we hear by the Word of God. Believing unfounded claims about the future can cause us to have serious challenges in our personal relationship with Jesus.

Is it your opinion that all prophecy must contain a prediction about the future for it to be real prophecy? While it is true that many prophecies do predict the future, there are even more that do not. I will tell you more about that in this podcast. Then I will challenge you to consider that the Holy Spirit talks to you about your future on a regular basis. What would you call that?

God has provided many ways to help us understand His Word. I am not talking about the people He uses as much as I am talking about the methods the people use. Paul was very clear about this in one of his letters to the church at Corinth. And if any group ever had a need more understanding it was that church. But we can be the same way if we only rely on human understanding. Listen carefully to these insights.

Who can you depend on? What can you depend on? We live in such a strange and divided society it can be very hard to find anyone or anything you can depend on. Yet, in almost every home there is a very special book filled with guidelines for our lives. It is very reliable. It will teach you how to recognize God’s voice. How often do you read that book?

If your life is going to be stable, you must have enough confidence in something, that it has the final say regarding everything in your life. Some people think of this as a person whom they have great respect for. It may be someone who died years ago. It may be a philosophy or a religion. None of these is good enough. The only thing that should have the final word in our lives is the Bible. Let me tell you why.

We can learn a great deal about recognizing the voice of God by considering the different ways the Apostle Paul taught that the Holy Spirit speaks to us. No matter how this may strike you, the most important thing to remember is that when God speaks there can be no question that it is Him. What causes confusion is when people pretend to be speaking words God has said and yet there is no “distinction” in the sound.

We expect to be able to recognize the voice of someone we love by the distinct sound of their voice. There is nothing wrong with this. However, it becomes a problem when we apply the same approach to the voice of God. According to the Bible, God’s voice can be described in many different ways. Yet, the most common sound we have been taught is to listen for a soft whisper. God does not always speak in this way.

We usually depend on the sound of a person’s voice to determine who is speaking to us. We consider this to be so normal that we try to approach God in the same way. Yet, according to what we will discover in God’s Word there are several other ways we should learn to recognize God’s voice. It is all about what happens inside of us when God speaks to us. I will talk later about how the voice of God sounds. But for now, enjoy this foundational material.

Professional guides can be expensive. They have information we do not have. They have been places we have not seen and we may not even know that they exist. Those who hunt and fish often hire these guides because of the success it can bring to them. Think of the Holy Spirit in the same manner. Of course, there is one marvelous exception. This guide does not charge a fee. He wants to guide you, probably more than you want Him too.

The Bible has much to say about the Holy Spirit and the fact that He speaks to us. Has He ever spoken to you? I believe He has. One of the things that convinces me of this is the fact that in one Scripture, our bodies are described as the Temple of the Holy Spirit. So, doesn’t it just make sense that we should hear what the Holy Spirit says? Of course it does! So, my objective is for you to listen to my podcasts so that I can help you learn to hear what the Holy Spirit is saying to you.

It is too easy to give the appearance of listening. A lot of people do it in church every Sunday. However, I have found that when things are being said that are helpful to me, I am eager to hear what is being said. Are you aware that God blesses what you have? That question should provoke you to want to hear more. But who talks about things like that? Jesus did and so do I. Jesus was always looking for people who were eager to hear. So am I.

There are many teachers who say a lot of things and millions of people appear to be listening. Yet, the results are disappointing. This is true in our churches, and in society. Most Christians do not mature and become the people of God they should be. The fatal flaw is summed up in this phrase. They have no true understanding. Hearing alone is not sufficient. Successful actions only occur when we understand what we have been taught.

As strange as this podcast title may seem to be, it is Biblically correct. Certainly, it flies in the face of what many people want to think about the unborn. But their desire does not nullify the truth. The Bible speaks of this wonderful relationship in several different ways. So, no matter what you may have been told in the past, this insight includes you!

Before the fall of man in the Garden of Eden, it seems as though God did all the talking and Adam only listened. And there is every indication that he obeyed what God told him to do. However, after the fall this communication turned into more of a conversation. At the very least it shows us that God talks to people who do not have a relationship with Him. And they also talk to God and He hears them.

According to the story of creation which is found in the book of Genesis our creator designed us so we could hear His voice. The evidence is found in God’s actions. The first thing God did after He created Adam was talk to him. After the fall of man, the first thing God did was talk to both Adam and Eve. God’s plan has not changed, because God never changes. Listen carefully and I will explain this further.

In this message I am sharing the reasons I believe that God does indeed speak to every person on this planet.  Frankly, I believe most Christians have been led to believe God only speaks to certain, very special people.  Simply stated, the Bible is clear that God speaks to all of us.