Friday, July 8, 2016

The Father is Good and Directs our Paths in Christ. Ps 81 Listening Skills

"Hear me, my people, and I will warn you -  If you would only listen to me Israel!  

Psalm 81:9

Listening seems to be one of the hardest discipleship lessons. 
Seems easy enough.  Yet we struggle with it so much. 

 Today the world is screaming a million messages. 
Somehow we learn to focus and not take in every voice. 
Today the internet, media, radio, phones, TV, movies, advertising all forward messages that seek our full attention.  

The reality is we don't give everything our full attention.  
So, are we making choices about what we listen to? 
Yes.  
We are making choices about what we 
listen to, 
See,
Hear, 
Give ear to,
every day all day.


In all the NOISE there is a still small voice. The Voice our souls require to live.The Voice our hearts require to remain in zeal and passion for Christ. 

 The NOISE wants our attention. 
It wants our focus.  

 Jesus wants us in step with him. 
Following Jesus is a literal reality. 
We are called to keep in step with the Spirit.  Galatians 5:25
I've always thought that meant go where he goes, live where he lives.  
Meaning I am where he is today. 
My life, reflecting the image of Jesus, through the power and presence of the Kingdom
actually in geographic locations set by the Lord.
Food for thought.


 

There are some keys that aid in listening. 
Still small VOICE

1. The absence of Noise is not required to listen - Focus is. 
When I was a kid, just saved, I learned to focus and read the Word in any environment.  I read somewhere from an old Saint that we had the ability to completely focus on the task at hand and shut out distraction and noise.  I believed him and set about learning how to do it. It really worked.  I could focus into the Scripture anywhere and abide, listen and hear the Lord regardless of what was going on around me.   For an ADD kid with little or no reading skills this was awesome.  I devoured the Scripture.
The world is a noisy place.  The city even more.  But our souls are cluttered as well.  Our minds filling with random and meaningless information all day.  It is vital that a disciple of Jesus learn to hear his voice. 

My sheep listen to My voice; I know them, and they follow Me. 28I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one can snatch them out of My hand.…  John 10:27

When we cannot hear......   It is vital that we reflect down to the roots and gain some Kingdom power and grace when our ears are dull.  If Jesus says, "listen to my voice" and that is essential to follow him, then we are spiritually equipped in Christ to do just that.    Most of the time distractions, hindrances, troubles, persecutions, opposition can divert our attention from the Master, from his voice and onto our problems and difficulties.  Focus is required to follow.  Listen and you will hear the still small voice.  

2. Abiding in his rest is central to a listening life.Believers have wrongly thought that a peaceful life is required to listen and hear God.  If that were the case we would only hear him occasionally.  The reality is our lives are filled with NOISE and distraction all day.   If we can only hear God in a quiet time we are missing so much more of the vibrant and living Voice throughout the Day.   Yes we need a quiet time, time in the Word and time listening without distraction to learn to listen when we face all distractions.  Then we need to walk in the grace we've acquired!   We listen all the time.  We are intended to be a moving breathing living sacrifice. (Rom 12:1-2)  We are putting up smoke all day long from a sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving.  Listening flows in the atmosphere of a living sacrifice. 
With this in mind, it is key that disciples learn to abide in the rest of Jesus deeply and willfully.   The rest of his salvation.  The rest of his forgiveness.  The rest of his righteousness.  The rest of his loving kindness.  The rest of his peace.  The rest of his hope.   Jesus went before us and carved a path of rest in the Abba Father that calms the soul and fills the mind with creativity and love.  Walking in the rest of Christ is trusting God for everything.  Walking in the Spirit is walking in the rest.  We abide in all things and in all things we are walking in the Spirit. 


For if Joshua had given them rest, God would not have spoken later about another day. 9There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God; 10for anyone who enters God’s rest also rests from their works,e just as God did from his. 11Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will perish by following their example of disobedience.
Hebrews 4:8f

3. Putting first things first is key.  First Love. The Kingdom First. Prayer first above all things. 
Having all the right thoughts about God is not enough.  In Revelation 2 we see that there is a standard of love for the Lord that is an essential ingredient.  The Ephesian church was a persevering group who knew the Lord.  Yet, through all the struggles and challenges their love grew cold.  This was not acceptable for the Lord.  He called them back to love or they would loose their lamp stand.  First is love.  Worship, passion and devotion to the Lord is the highest and first thing.   We cannot serve him purely out of doctrinal purity or rock solid perseverance.  When the heart grows cold in love for the Lord all else fades.  First Love is first.  
A Kingdom First life.  Matthew 6:33  What we pursue in life is generally clear.  We are called as disciples to go after the Kingdom of God and his righteousness first in everything.  His Kingdom come, his will be done first in everything.  We are called to follow in his footsteps and preach the repentance of the Kingdom and demonstrate his Kingdom present!  It's a freely given and given freely life of sowing by faith the grace given to us in the Kingdom of God.  
First above all things we do in the Kingdom is Prayer.  I Timothy 2:1-8 
Pursuing God and learning to abide in his presence at all times is the invitation to the Saints.  Prayer is the air of the disciple life.  It's the language of heaven.  It is the overcoming power of walking in the Spirit and bringing the Kingdom.  We are called into a life of placing prayer, worship and his presence first in our activity.   

When we face cchallenging times and overwhelming floods from the enemy going back to the simple devotions of the Lord are key to walking step for step with the Spirit.  

    

2016  
Transfiguration! 

Look forward, eyes filled with Abundance, Boundless, Victorious vision in Jesus.  

  Get a copy of my Prophetic Review 2016 - Salvation's Mountain Erupting with Open Doors, Shifts and Invitation.    
Encouragement, focus, wisdom and insight into the prophetic seasons of the new year.  
www.jeffreynoldsministries.com 

 

Thanks for Reading!   


 I love your comments. Ideas and thoughts.  
Please share em.
Re-shares are great. thank U.

Here are some other blogs posts that may interest you.  

1.http://jeffreynoldsonedesire.blogspot.com/2015/01/7-things-enemy-devil-doesnt-want-you-to.html
 


The dialogue is awesome.  Thank you. Testimonies?  Share em with me.  Re-Shares lov em.  Thank you! With much love in Jesus 
You can do this thing!  He's got you. 

Jeff Reynolds   --- 
Brother Jeff

www.jeffreynoldsministies.com
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