❤️HOW TO KNOW GOD'S WILL FOR IMPORTANT DECISIONS IN YOUR LIFE. Part 6 of 6. How God Makes Known His Will for Specific Decisions and Needs. Continued. In both instances, what we experience by-passes the mind or intellect. Both the witness within our spirits, and the inner voice of the Holy Spirit may at times go contrary to our personal feelings and emotions" regarding some matter but we will know, nevertheless, what God's will is concerning the situation and what we should do. Feelings and emotions can deceive or confuse us if we rely entirely upon them, for this is the realm in which both Satan and the intellect reign; whereas the enlightened spirit of a Christian, and the voice of God's Spirit within will always guide us correctly if we will listen to them (Jn. 16:13) 1 Cor. 2:10-16; 1 Jn. 2:27). Of course, usually what we feel about a situation will be in harmony with what we are inwardly impressed to do, but it is not our feelings or emotions through which God's will is imparted to us. Inasmuch as God frequently desires to alert us to some spiritual or physical danger, prepare us with regarding some event that is about to occur, or inform us concerning His will about some present or future matter, then it is imperative that we become sensitive to the inner voice of the Spirit if we are to hear Him when He speaks. It is a real blessing to be so sensitive to the Spirit's voice that you know when you are moving in the will of God. Being yielded to the Spirit is the secret of being "fruitful in every good work." When we are fully yielded to Him, and sensitive to His voice, then we can always move with Him, fulfilling God's will, and we will not have to waste time planning and scheming, or running all over the place hoping that we are doing God's will and fulfilling His purpose. By Prophecy Occasionally God will inform us of His will regarding some matter, or concerning some problem about which we are praying, through prophecy or the ministry gift of the prophet. Generally, this will be a confirmation of what He has already been speaking inwardly to us about, and not the giving of guidance by prophecy as such. It cannot be overemphasized that it is God's purpose to lead the Christian inwardly by His Spirit or the inward witness (Rom. 8:14; 1 Cor. 2:14-16). Christians are not to seek guidance through prophecy or visions, inasmuch as some people have been misdirected or led astray, sometimes with serious consequences, on the basis of an alleged prophecy or revelation given to them by some overzealous individual who felt that he (or she) had an anointing to "prophesy" to them. In one case a minister who was sure that he had been led of the Spirit to leave a certain church to minister in another place was then prophesied to by a self-appointed prophetess and told that the Lord wanted him to return to the former church which he had recently left. This left him thoroughly confused as to what he was supposed to do, not knowing which of the two conflicting "revelations" was from the Lord. In two other instances, certain individuals who were seeking guidance were informed by overzealous Christians with an "anointing" that they were to move to a certain city and state as this was God's will for them. In neither case was the guidance from the Lord. Some Christians have actually been appointed to some office such as prophet, teacher, elder, or evangelist, and some Christian groups have been set in "divine order" by misguided individuals who interpret emotional feeling, spiritual enthusiasm, or actual delusion by Satan, as an anointing to prophesy. In other instances, a genuine anointing to speak in tongues or to minister the simple gift of prophecy to the church for "edification, and exhortation, and comfort" (1 Cor. 14:3) was misdirected to some particular individual and ended up as personal guidance coming forth from their own spirits instead of the Holy Spirit. In another instance, a woman "prophesied" to the leader of a group that it was time to discontinue teaching them, as God wanted them to begin to stand on their own feet without teaching. Shortly after his ministry was terminated, the leader of the group realized the mistake and contacted him three times wanting to know if he thought the prophecy had been genuine, inasmuch as it was obvious to all that they had not reached such a place of spiritual maturity where they no longer needed Biblical teaching. Christians should not seek guidance by prophecy or visions. We have reference here only to the attempt to seek or give guidance by means of personal prophecy or revelation through some over zealous individual, not to prophecy and visions in general which God does give to His Church for edification, exhortation, and comfort (1 Cor.14:3; Joel 2:28-29). Occasionally, God Himself chooses to speak to us through prophecy and vision in order to lead us, but in every case it will be in harmony with His Word, and it will authenticated by the fact that it is usually a confirmation of what the Spirit has already shown to us personally. Also, occasionally, prophecy becomes the means by which God leads us in order to fulfill His will about some important matter. By Scriptural Teaching; One of the most important channels through which God desires to speak to His people and reveal His will to them is one that few people recognize and appreciate as they should, and that is through the ministry of biblical teaching. Frequently, in a meeting people will come and ask for an appointment for spiritual counseling concerning some question or problem confronting them. Instead, they should first plan to attend all the teaching sessions, inasmuch as God has sent this ministry into their midst at this time to help solve such problems as this for which they feel they need counseling, and that He often gives the necessary guidance through the teaching. On several occasions people who have taken such advice have come afterward and stated that they no longer were in need of counseling as God had given them the answers they needed through the teaching ministry. Certainly God knows the various problems and needs of His people, and that it would be impossible for any one minister to deal with everyone individually who requests counseling and help. Therefore, through the teaching ministry He provides the solution for those who are willing to pay the cost of sacrificing some of their time and interest in other things to avail themselves of it. Sadly, there are some individuals who will not do this. They will insist that you give them individual attention and special time, as they believe that their problems are of such a nature to warrant it, but at the same time they will not avail themselves of the ministry God has sent into their midst to help them. It is useless to expect God to give you special guidance and revelation about some matter when you do not avail yourself of the biblical ministry that He is sending into your locality for precisely this purpose. Your problems and the decisions you must make are not really much different from those of most other Christians. It is only because they affect you personally that you think this. And even if your problems were unusually different, nevertheless, there are certain spiritual principles set forth in God's Word which can be brought forth through teaching which will show you how to deal with your situation and what your responsibility is with regard to it. We have found this to be true time and again. For example, some faith principle which can be applied for healing a disease can also be used to solve a financial or marital problem, if you know what it is and how to apply it. But one must be willing to avail himself of the teaching ministry and literature available in order to learn these truths, for "faith cometh by hearing the Word" (Rom. 10:17). For instance, such passages as Matthew 18:19, Mark 11:22-24; John 14:14; 1 John 5:14-15; Philippians 4:19, and Psalm 37:4 have almost limitless potential for fulfilling practically any need of every description when the believer knows how to apply them and accepts their validity for today. For the thousands who accept the responsibility of learning how to live and walk by faith themselves, they discover that they are able, not only to help themselves, but also liberate others from their problems and oppression. God desires for us to mature to the place where we do not constantly need to be ministered to, but can minister to others and their needs. Through Circumstances; Sometimes God confirms His will to us through circumstances, controlling or changing events in such a way that we are able to recognize His providential hand at work to fulfill His purpose in our lives. God informed Abraham that his descendants would spend 400 years in Egypt before He would bring them forth to inherit the Promised Land (Gen. 15). At the time God told him this, Abraham did not have a single descendant, for as yet Isaac had not been born. From this time, we see God beginning to bring His will for Israel to pass through the providential control of circumstances and events. Twenty-five years later Isaac is born by a miracle to Sarah, who is barren. His son Jacob in turn has twelve sons, one of whom is Joseph, his favorite. Because of envy his brothers sell him into slavery into Egypt, which begins a new phase of the fulfillment of God's plan to get Abraham's descendants into Egypt, a famine later compelling Jacob and all of his descendants to migrate there to live. After several years of hardship and adversity, Joseph had been miraculously elevated to a high position in Egypt by Pharaoh, a divine foresight to prepare the way for the Israelites. Thus, their arrival in Egypt was no accident, nor were they merely victims of circumstances, but we are clearly shown the providential control of God throughout, a fact which Joseph himself discerned (Gen. 50:20). The fulfillment of God's plan for our lives often depends, to some degree at least, upon our awareness of His providential working and controlling our daily affairs and experiences. As stated previously, God's plan for your life did not begin when you were born or when you were converted, but the Scriptures declare that the believer was chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world and called to fulfill His glorious plan and purpose (Rom. 8:28-30, Eph. 1:3-6), Moreover, God has often been working in the circumstances of your life for months or years before He reveals some aspect of His purpose to you. We are not to seek guidance by asking God to reveal His will to us through outward circumstances generally, but as we pray for His leading, usually He will impress upon us what course of action to take. Frequently, He will then confirm this inward leading through circumstances and events in our lives, which, if we are spiritually observant enough, can be discerned. CONCLUSION. We do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding (Col. 1:9) The Apostle prays. It is not sufficient just to have a knowledge of God's will, but as the quotation above indicates, we must also have spiritual wisdom and understanding to be able to apply it and profit from it. Wisdom is the ability to use knowledge correctly and effectively. Solomon knew God's will for his life - he was chosen to be the King of Israel. But he was also aware that if he was to succeed in this task and fulfill God's will as he should, then he would need more than mere human wisdom and the limited understanding man acquires through study and by experience so he prayed for the impartation of divine wisdom, discernment, and understanding. Thus, it is one thing to know God's will; it is another to have the wisdom and understanding to apply it. A man may know a very great deal, and yet not be a wise man. Occasionally, for example, we see a student who graduates from college with a high academic standing sometimes fail completely in some career or profession which he has chosen, simply because he lacks the wisdom to apply his knowledge in a practical way to his life. A wise Christian, therefore, is not just one who knows His Lord's will, but he is one who also understands how to use this knowledge in the proper place, in the proper way, and at the proper time. For instance, every believer knows, on the basis of Jesus' clear teaching in John 15, that the Christian is called to "bear fruit." But the mere possession of the knowledge of this fact does not impart to the believer the wisdom to accomplish it, for the churches are literally exhausting themselves in all manner of religious programs and activities in an effort to accomplish God's will in this regard, without any significant achievement. It is one thing for the Christian to know that he has been called to bear fruit, but only the Holy Spirit can reveal to him the understanding that it is not in doing, but in dying that we bear fruit (Jn. 12:24). Paul's prayer is that "you might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding ... being fruitful in every good work" (Col. 1:9-10), revealing, thereby, that fruitfulness does not lie merely in knowing God's will, but also in possessing the spiritual wisdom and understanding to apply it. As was shown earlier, fruitfulness is not merely religious activity, such as serving in two or three offices in the church, visiting as many homes as possible in the community to invite people to church, giving out tracts, busyness with churchwork, attending all the services, reading the Bible through at least once a year, and so on. Fruitfulness does not come by religious commotion, but through crucifixion; not by doing, but by dying. God calls no one to work for Him, but to learn to move with Him. This truth is not something one can discern with reason or intellect, but comes as a result of the impartation of divine wisdom and understanding to those who ask for it, "For the Lord giveth wisdom: out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding" (Prov. 2:6 ). Again, it is one thing to know that the believer is called to experience a measure of trials and tests of his faith (1 Pet. 2:19f; Jam. 1:2-4), but human wisdom will never help him to see the eternal purpose in those trials, nor enable him to respond in such a way that he will profit and not lose by such sufferings and testing. It requires divine wisdom and understanding to meet temptations, and to bear trials, so that such testing, instead of depressing and defeating the believer, will be able to accomplish God's will and purpose in his life. It requires divine understanding for him to see that Romans 8:28 is valid for him in time of trial and adversity, as well as in time of prosperity and blessing. Thus, when you seek a knowledge of God's will for your life, and for making decisions in important matters, also ask Him for wisdom and spiritual understanding to apply the knowledge He imparts to you, for the Scriptures tell us– Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding (Prov. 4:7). Amen and amen! Edited. Shared. ❤️ God willing, more will be posted soon. All glory to Jesus alone.

Hello, I would like to share with you the message from 14 août 2026 from “The Good Seed” daily calendar. Oh, give thanks to the Lᴏʀᴅ, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever. (Psalm 107:1) God is good! We find many passages in the Bible that speak of the goodness of God. They encourage us to walk the path of faith with Him every day.  – Awareness of God’s goodness prompts us to seek help and protection from Him. “How precious is your lovingkindness, O God! Therefore the children of man put their trust under the shadow of Your wings” (Psalm 36:7).  – When we have stumbled, God’s goodness leads us to repentance and confession: “For You, Lᴏʀᴅ, are good, and ready to forgive, and abundant in mercy to all those who call upon You” (Psalm 86:5).  – God’s goodness encourages us to pray to Him and present our concerns to Him: “But as for me, my prayer is to You, O Lᴏʀᴅ, in the acceptable time; O God, in the multitude of Your mercy, hear me in the truth of Your salvation” (Psalm 69:13).  – Because we know that God is good, we desire to live in reverence toward Him: “For as the heavens are high above the earth, so great is His mercy toward those who fear Him” (Psalm 103:11).  – God’s goodness remains even when human supports fail: “For the mountains shall depart and the hills be removed, but My kindness shall not depart from you, nor shall My covenant of peace be removed, says the Lᴏʀᴅ, who has mercy on you” (Isaiah 54:10).  – Until we reach our destination, we can rely daily on the goodness of our faithful God: “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I will dwell in the house of the Lᴏʀᴅ forever” (Psalm 23:6). Today’s reading: Joshua 14:1-15 – 1 Corinthians 12:1-13

❤️HOW TO KNOW GOD'S WILL FOR IMPORTANT DECISIONS IN YOUR LIFE. Part 5 of 6. How God Makes Known His Will for Specific Decisions and Needs. Continued. God is under no obligation to fulfill the promise in James 1:5 to give us wisdom unless we are willing to meet the conditions for obtaining it. Moreover, God declares that He only answers prayer when the motive is right, and that mere asking is not sufficient (Jam. 4:3). Frequently the Christian prays for guidance, or a revelation of God's will about some matter, but already has his mind made up as to what he wants to do, or how he would like for God to answer. Some people have been known to lie awake all night pleading with God to answer their prayer with no higher motive than the desire to persuade Him to come over to their side and give them their own way. Therefore, it is just as great a fallacy to emphasize the notion which is so popular today that prayer is the solution to all our problems, as it is to neglect prayer, using it only in an emergency. That is to say, we find the unscriptural idea being promoted on every hand that mere prayer is supposed to be the panacea for all our needs. In every time of crisis, when problems or troubles arise, when a difficult or seemingly impossible situation confronts us, the first thing most people advise is prayer. "Have you tried prayer?" they will ask. Or we are told, quite sincerely, "Did you know, prayer changes things?" They do not tell us, of course, just how prayer will change things, nor do they teach us how to pray about the problem confronting us. We are not advised, furthermore, as to whether or not God requires anything from us in the matter. "Just pray" we are told, "for prayer usually helps." However, as we have seen, God clearly states that He does not answer every prayer, in fact, He emphatically declares that He does not even hear our prayers unless they meet the conditions He has set forth in His Word. One of the most important conditions we must meet when asking for divine wisdom and guidance is that we must ask in faith, believing, without any reservations, that God will answer our request. This is clearly stated in James 1:5-7: "If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraids not; and it shall be given him. But how? Let him ask in faith, nothing doubting; for he that doubts is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive anything of the Lord." The prayer of faith is simply a prayer of expectation. What God tells us here in James 1:5-7 is that when we ask for divine wisdom and guidance we should pray expecting Him to grant our desire. Moreover, the prayer of faith is to be offered but once, for Jesus tells us in Mark 11:24, 'What things soever you desire, when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you shall have them." Faith asks but once for God to fulfill a promise. To continue to pray, pleading with God to answer, is our confession that I do not really believe that He has answered when we pray as He tells us to do (Mark 11:24). In view of this fact, if we pray ten times for the same promise, we have prayed nine times in unbelief, for faith knows when to stop praying about the promise and start praising God for the answer. There is a time to stop praying or you will pray yourself out of faith. When is this? You should always stop praying for a promise when you believe you have received the answer. Since Jesus tells us to believe we have received when we pray, quite obviously we should do our believing and receiving when we pray. Then we should cease praying for the answer and begin praising God that the manifestation of the answer is on the way. Jesus does not say in Mark 11:24 that the symptoms will improve immediately when we pray, or that the circumstances will show immediate change, but that we are to believe that He has both heard and granted our petition when we pray and that we shall have it. Faith keeps a distinction between accepting the answer and receiving it to our sight. We are to accept the answer when we pray (believe that God has granted our petition), and we shall have it (manifested to our sight). Merely because we do not see it immediately does not mean that God has not heard our petition and granted the answer, but only that He has not manifested the answer as yet. The question often arises concerning the widow and the judge in Luke 18, as to whether or not Jesus here approves of repetition in prayer for the same thing. This is not, however, an instance of repetition prayer, for Jesus would not contradict Himself elsewhere, but here He is stressing the need of persistence and perseverance in prayer; that is, holding onto a promise by faith, reaffirming daily, by praise and thanksgiving, that we believe that He has heard and granted our petition. In Matthew 6:7-8, Jesus condemns repetition prayer as typical of the prayers of the heathen, saying, "But when you pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking," but "when you pray believe that you receive" (Mk. 11:24). Our first concern, therefore, when guidance from heaven is needed is not merely to resort to the shallow suggestion we so often hear today that one should "try prayer" as it may help, but it should be a time of searching the Word, and then our hearts, to see if we are fulfilling the conditions for God hearing our prayers and granting our petitions. As A. W. Tower once remarked, the popular notion that God always answers prayer (with "yes" or "no") is a device of Satan to deceive the carnal or indifferent Christian whose request was not answered because of his failure to meet God's conditions. To think that God always answers prayer, even if He says "no," is to take God's refusal to answer a disobedient Christian as the answer itself, contending, "Well, after all, God did answer me - He said 'no'." Such a view of prayer is contrary to Scripture, for God clearly states that He does not even hear those prayers which are not in harmony with His will (1 Jn 5:14-15; Ps. 66:18). Moreover, if an individual erroneously believes the popular notion that God always answers any prayer, and that "no" can also be an answer, then this person is never challenged to face the fact that his failure to receive an answer was due to his disobedience, lack of faith, or his failure to meet some other condition. I can personally testify to the fact that when we are careful to meet the scriptural requirements, then God delights in directing our steps, giving divine guidance and wisdom concerning those matters we place before Him. Thank God it is true, if any man lacks wisdom he may ask of God and it shall be given to him. Do you need wisdom or guidance in some important matter? Have you tried asking God, and in faith expecting Him to answer you? You are invited to do so in James 1:5. By Direct Revelation; As stated at the beginning of Chapter 2, there are eight scriptural methods by which God's will is revealed - three are active, in which we take the initiative, and five are passive, whereby we become the recipients of divine revelation concerning God's will for us. Passive revelation always comes to us unsought. Direct revelation may be either by vision, as in the case of Paul's vision in Acts 16 which was revelation of God's will for him to carry the Gospel into Europe; by direct voice, as seen in the case of God's call of Samuel (1 Sam. 3); by angelic visitation, as, for example, in the angel's visit to Mary and his revelation to her of the birth of Christ; or by dream, as we find, for instance in God's revelation to Daniel of the establishment of His Kingdom (Dan. 7). Jesus promised to continue revelation to the Church after His ascension, saying, Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself, but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak; and he will show you things to come (Jn. 16:13). When the Church lost the experience of the baptism in the Holy Spirit, she closed the channel and source of revelation. As a consequence, the Church changed her theology to conform with her experience, and there arose the erroneous concept that God purposed that all revelation was to cease with the apostles in the first century. It is interesting that there is not a word in the Scriptures to support this theory, but, on the contrary, God clearly states in 2 Corinthians 12-14 and Ephesians 4:11 that He has set in the church the gifts and ministries of revelation. In Romans 12:3-6 and 1 Corinthians 14 He admonishes us to ask for and use the gift of prophecy. In Joel 2 He clearly promises that in the last days "I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams" (2:17); While He promised in John 16:13, quoted above, to continue revelation to the Church through the Holy Spirit whom He would send. The various methods by which He would give His people direct revelation are stated to be by means of prophecy, vision and dream (Num. 12:6; Acts 2:17-18; 1Cor. 12; 14), by direct voice and vision (Jn. 16:13), "speak"' and "show" and on occasion, by angelic visitation (e.g. Luke 1; Acts 10:12; 27:23-24; cf. Heb. 13:2). It is important that we understand that although God occasionally uses each of the passive methods of revelation to unveil His will to us when He so chooses, we should not seek guidance by these means. Why does God choose the direct means of revelation, as, for example, through visions and dreams as a method of communication of His will and purpose? Why does He not merely illumine our minds as to His will as we pray or read His Word seeking guidance? Among other reasons, occasionally He must speak directly to us because of the urgency of the matter about which we are seeking guidance which must be dealt with immediately, or in a certain way, often contrary to what our wisdom and logic might tell us to do. At other times He speaks directly, imparting instruction or guidance, not concerning some matter about which we are praying, but about some important purpose which He wants to accomplish in or through us, which could only be made known to us by direct revelation. Again He speaks to us in visions for the obvious reason that one picture is worth a thousand words. God sometimes communicates His will to us through dreams, inasmuch as the state of sleep has certain definite advantages. At this time the conscious mind is at rest and is free from distractions. The spirit, of course, remains awake and can accept without analyzing and questioning what God desires to impart to us. Moreover, through the medium of vision and dream God can impress upon us revelation which transcends the sense realm and the ability of the intellect alone to comprehend. In some instances, God speaks directly in an audible voice in order to instruct us or reveal His will in some matter. By Indirect Revelation: God speaks to us occasionally by direct means, but generally He communicates His will to us indirectly. It may in the form of an inward knowing or witness in our spirit, or it may come as an inner witness to our spirit, or it may come as an inner witness from the Holy Spirit. At other times the Holy Spirit may give the guidance we need by the illumination of our minds to understand and interpret some portions of scripture which He will direct us to, or by giving the necessary wisdom and insight we require to make the correct decision concerning some matter about which we have prayed for direction. It is in the realm of indirect revelation that the importance of being completely yielded to the Holy Spirit is so evident, as was pointed out in the first chapter. To the extent one is yielded to the Spirit will he be sensitive to His voice when He speaks, and to the extent one is sensitive to His voice will he be able to respond. Moreover, there are many voices seeking to influence the believer, some of which are from God and some are not. Unless one is fully yielded he may be insensitive to the voice of the Spirit, or be deceived and ensnared by that which is false. A small puppy will respond to anyone who calls or offers it a crust of bread, but a well trained mature dog will not do so. It is sensitive only to the voice of its owner. It did not get this way by spending all its time running and playing with the other dogs, but it is the result of devoting long hours in discipline and training, learning to obey and respond to the voice of its master. We become sensitive to the influence and leading of the Spirit in the same manner. God is preparing His children for spiritual warfare ahead which will consist of men and women who will be so sensitive to the voice of the Spirit they will respond immediately and obey without question. Like a computer, they will be able to filter out that which is false and sense any error immediately. They will not have to call the pastor and ask if this or that doctrine is scriptural, or whether the prophecy which they heard is true or false, or whether or not some task they feel led to undertake is from God, the flesh, or the devil. However, the only way the believer will become sensitive will be through total consecration to Jesus and fully yielding to the Spirit. At present we find Christians so untrained in the Scriptures and so insensitive to the voice of the Spirit that many frequently will reject what God is saying and allow themselves to be deceived by that which is false and unscriptural, just as Jesus predicted would occur in these last days (Matt 24; 2 Tim 4:1-4). Again and again we are hearing of those who are falling victim to various errors, such as ultimate reconciliation where God will save everyone regardless if they repent or not including the devil and his demons, false hyper-grace gospel where a Christian does not need to confess sin after he is saved or does not need repentance to stay in fellowship with God, errors on the Godhead where they deny that the Father, Son, Holy Spirit are co-eternal and co-equal, once saved always saved that it does not matter how a person lives his life after salvation, we are all sinners even after salvation and no need to live a consecrated life, the give to get carnal prosperity gospel where you give me money and 100 fold comes back so you will be rich. Or the heresy taught by some that Jesus had to become a sinner on the cross to redeem us and suffered three days in hell tormented by demons. We find others, in a time where we are witnessing the revival of all forms of the occult, being deluded by believing everything supernatural is from heaven, and everyone who prophesies, has a vision, or predicts the future is from God. We find men and women calling themselves Apostles and Prophets commonly now who were never appointed or anointed from heaven but self-appointed deceiving many. As Jesus said, take heed lest YOU be deceived. (Matt 24:4) DISCERNING THE VOICE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT AND RECOGNIZING THE WITNESS WITHIN; In order to mature in faith and become effective instruments in God's hands so that we will be in the right place at the right time, doing the right thing, it is necessary for us to learn how to recognize the inner witness of the Spirit, as well as discern the voice of the Holy Spirit. These are the two basic ways by which God leads and directs His people, whether in answer to some prayer for guidance, or in order to fulfill His will and purpose in their lives. We find that God frequently endeavors to speak to His people by means of the voice of His Spirit in order to direct guide, teach, or influence them along some line, but since they have not been taught how to discern His voice He often goes unheeded. Jesus said, "My sheep hear my voice and they follow me" Jn. 10:27). How can they follow Him if they do not know how to discern His voice? He certainly did not mean that He intended to shout down out of heaven in order to direct them, but He did promise that He would speak to them by His Spirit which would be within them: "Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you in all truth" (John 16:13), and "he shall teach you in all things" (14:26). Some Christians are waiting for God to give them a revelation through a vision or prophecy concerning His will for them, or regarding some important matter about which they are praying, when, if they only realized it, God is already trying to communicate His will to them by His Spirit within them. If they would spend a little more time in His Word and in prayer, and be willing to get still before Him for a while, then they would begin to discern His voice and hear Him speaking inwardly to their spirits. The inner voice of the Holy Spirit is the voice of God speaking directly to your spirit in order to guide, admonish, teach, warn, or influence you concerning some matter (about which you may or may not be praying). God also enables us to know His will regarding some matter about which we are praying, or about some question which concerns us, by means of a witness within. This is an inward knowing in your spirit that a certain contemplated action on your part, or some doctrine, or revelation, for example, is right or wrong. Not only is the Christian the temple of the Holy Spirit, Who abides within to speak the direct revelation of God's will to him (Jn 16:13; 1 Cor. 2:10-13), but he also has, by virtue of the new birth, a new heart to discern spiritual things himself, and know the will of God intuitively by his own spirit (1 Cor. 2:14-16). He has received an anointing which abides in him and teaches him all things (1 Jn. 2:27). Thus, we find that it is also through his own enlightened spirit that the Christian is able by an inward knowing or witness to discern whether or not something is right or wrong. Let us say, for example, that you are praying about some matter about which you must make a decision, such as whether or not to buy a certain piece of property, marry a particular individual, or accept an invitation to speak to some religious group. If after thinking and praying about the question you find that inwardly there is a positive confirmation in your spirit to go ahead in the matter, or, you find that you experience a sense of uncertainty, reluctance, or heaviness of spirit, then this is an inner witness in your spirit informing you of God's will in the matter. In the former instance, your spirit was witnessing to you to go ahead, and in the latter, it was a warning not to take the proposed action. The witness within is an inward knowing intuitively, through the enlightened spirit of a Christian, that a certain contemplated action, a doctrine, some individual, or a ministry, for instance, is right or wrong, whereas the inner voice of the Holy Spirit is God speaking directly by His Spirit within you concerning some matter. It must be stressed, however, that the inward witness and the inner voice of the Spirit are not merely some "feeling" we may have about a matter. They have nothing to do with what one feels either with the physical senses or the emotions. It is either an inward knowing (inner witness) that something is right or wrong, or it is an inner awareness that the Spirit of God is speaking directly to our spirit about some matter (inner voice of the Spirit). Edited. Shared. To be Continued. ❤️ God willing, more will be posted soon. All glory to Jesus alone.

The Mice in the Piano Pastor Joseph Clark August 12, 2026 “He who denies the existence of God, has some reason for wishing that God did not exist.” —Saint Augustine “Whoever acknowledges Me before others, I will also acknowledge before My Father in heaven. But whoever disowns Me before others, I will disown before My Father in heaven.” —Matthew 10:32–33 The Mice in the Piano Once upon a time, there were two little mice. They were brothers, and they had lived their entire lives inside a piano. It was the only world they had ever known. Their parents and siblings had died of old age, leaving the two brothers as the last members of their family. They spent their days exploring their strange little world and listening in wonder to the beautiful music that constantly filled the piano. They could not see where the music came from. Their parents had taught them that the music was produced by a great and mysterious being who lived beyond their understanding—the one who played the piano. The two mice loved to think about this great player. They talked about him, wondered about him, and delighted in the beautiful music he produced. Then, one day, one of the mice went exploring. When he returned, he was thoughtful and unusually serious. “There is no great player,” he told his brother. “It is all a myth. I have seen the inside of this piano. The music is produced by wires, hammers, strings, and mechanisms. I have seen them with my own eyes!” The brothers abandoned their belief in the great player. They were convinced that they had finally discovered the truth. They understood the mechanisms of the piano, and therefore they believed they had explained away the musician. They examined the wires, hammers, strings, and mechanical workings repeatedly. The more they learned about how the piano worked, the more confident they became that there was no need to believe in a player. But they had overlooked something very important. Knowing how the piano works does not explain who is playing it. And so, while the two mice congratulated themselves on their newfound wisdom, the great player continued to play. The mice simply could not see him. The Limits of Human Understanding There is an important lesson in this little story. Human beings are intelligent. We have learned extraordinary things about the universe. We have explored the depths of the oceans, walked on the moon, examined the microscopic world, mapped the human genome, and discovered astonishing laws governing the physical universe. But our ability to understand something does not mean that we understand everything. The Bible repeatedly reminds us that humility is essential when approaching God. Jesus said: “Unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” —Matthew 18:3 He also said: “Let the little children come to Me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven.” —Matthew 19:14 And again: “Whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.” —Luke 18:17 Jesus is not telling us to abandon reason or become intellectually childish. Rather, He is calling us to humility, trust, and dependence upon God. Scripture says: “Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.” —Matthew 18:4 The Christian life begins with recognizing that God is God—and we are not. “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God.” —Ephesians 2:8 And: “The righteous shall live by faith.” —Romans 1:17 Faith is not a rejection of reason. Faith recognizes that human reason has limits. Living in a Skeptical Age In 1897, Francis Pharcellus Church wrote his famous response to eight-year-old Virginia O'Hanlon concerning her question about Santa Claus. Church observed that people can become skeptical of anything they cannot see or fully comprehend. Although Church was writing about Santa Claus—not God—the broader observation is worth considering. We live in an age that often treats what can be measured as though it were the only thing that can be real. But there are many things we accept as real without seeing them directly. We cannot see gravity. We cannot see thoughts. We cannot see love. We cannot see electricity itself. Yet we observe their effects. Likewise, Christians believe that although God cannot be placed under a microscope or reduced to a laboratory experiment, His existence can be considered through the evidence of creation, reason, morality, human consciousness, history, and ultimately the revelation of Jesus Christ. The fact that we cannot see God with our physical eyes does not prove that God does not exist. The mice could not see the piano player either. That did not mean he wasn't there. When People Mock Our Faith A close friend of mine, an Archbishop, once told me a humorous story from his childhood. He had been at a park with his mother when he ran over excitedly and told her that the sun was actually a star and that the stars in the sky were also suns. His mother, apparently overwhelmed by the complexity of the information, responded with a blunt declaration that, in essence, the sun was the sun and the stars were the stars—and that was the end of the discussion! Sometimes we can become uncomfortable when someone challenges what we believe. That is particularly true when people we respect dismiss Christianity as foolishness. Richard Dawkins, Woody Allen, Isaac Asimov, Mark Twain, Carl Sagan, and many others have expressed skepticism toward Christianity or belief in God. But Christians should not respond with anger or hatred. We should respond with grace. Forgive them. Pray for them. Love them. And share the Gospel with them. The Apostle Peter instructed Christians: “Always be ready to give an answer to anyone who asks you for the reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect.” —1 Peter 3:15 That is an important distinction. We are called to defend the faith, but we are not called to be quarrelsome. Jesus said: “If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, leave that home or town and shake the dust off your feet.” —Matthew 10:14 And He warned: “Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls before swine.” —Matthew 7:6 There comes a time when we must recognize that arguing louder will not make someone believe. Our responsibility is to faithfully proclaim Christ. The Holy Spirit is responsible for changing hearts. What About Suffering? One of the most common objections to belief in God is the existence of suffering. People ask: “How can I believe in a loving God when there is so much suffering in the world?” This is a serious question, and Christians should never dismiss it with a shallow answer. The Bible itself contains people crying out to God in the midst of suffering. Job asked difficult questions. David cried out in the Psalms. Even Jesus wept at the tomb of Lazarus. Christianity does not pretend that suffering is imaginary. Instead, Christianity tells us that suffering exists in a fallen world and that God entered that suffering Himself through Jesus Christ. The cross is Christianity's answer to the claim that God is indifferent to human suffering. God did not remain distant from our pain. He entered our world. He suffered. He died. And He rose again. The Apostle Paul writes: “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.” —Romans 8:18 C.S. Lewis famously described pain as God's “megaphone” to a deaf world. Suffering does not prove that God does not exist. For many people, suffering instead becomes the very circumstance that drives them to ask the deepest questions about meaning, morality, mortality, and God. What About Hell? Another question frequently asked is: “How can a loving God send people to Hell?” The Christian answer begins with the extraordinary love of God. Jesus said: “For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.” —John 3:16 God offers salvation freely through Christ. The Gospel is not a message that God delights in condemning people. It is a message that God has provided a way of salvation. Jesus came to seek and save the lost. The seriousness of judgment is precisely what makes the offer of salvation so important. God does not force anyone to love Him. The Gospel calls us to repent, believe, and receive the grace of God. Faith and the Evidence of Creation The universe raises enormous questions. Why is there something rather than nothing? Why does the universe possess order? Why are the laws of nature intelligible? Why does human consciousness exist? Why do human beings possess an awareness of moral obligation? Science can investigate how many things work. But questions concerning ultimate meaning and purpose extend beyond the laboratory. The Christian does not believe that science is the enemy of faith. Quite the opposite. The universe is intelligible because Christians believe it was created by an intelligent God. The laws of nature can be investigated because Christians believe those laws reflect an ordered creation. The human capacity to reason can be used to explore the universe because Christians believe human beings were created by God. Science can tell us much about the mechanisms of the piano. But science alone cannot answer the question: Who is playing the music? Believers in the Scientific Community Christianity has never belonged exclusively to the uneducated or uninformed. Throughout history, many highly accomplished scientists have believed in God. Among them are figures such as: Isaac Newton, whose work transformed physics and mathematics. James Clerk Maxwell, one of the great figures in electromagnetic theory. Gregor Mendel, whose experiments established foundational principles of genetics and who was also an Augustinian friar. Georges Lemaître, a Catholic priest and physicist whose work on an expanding universe helped establish the foundation of what became known as Big Bang cosmology. Francis Collins, physician-geneticist and former director of the National Human Genome Research Institute, who has publicly identified as a Christian. Charles Townes, Nobel Prize-winning physicist and inventor of the maser and co-inventor of the laser, who was an openly religious Christian. These examples do not prove Christianity simply because these scientists believed. But they do demonstrate something important: Faith in God is not incompatible with intellectual achievement. A person does not have to abandon intelligence in order to believe in God. Nor does becoming a Christian require someone to stop asking questions. Christians should welcome honest questions. The Problem With the Piano Mice The two mice made a fundamental mistake. They confused an explanation of the mechanism with an explanation of the ultimate cause. They discovered the wires. They discovered the hammers. They discovered the strings. They discovered the machinery. And then they concluded: “Therefore, there is no piano player.” But that conclusion did not logically follow from their discovery. In fact, their discovery of the piano's complexity could have led them to ask an entirely different question: Who designed this? And that is the question we must ultimately ask about our universe. Where did everything come from? Why is there something rather than nothing? Why does the universe operate according to discoverable laws? Why does consciousness exist? Why do we have an innate sense that some things are genuinely right and others genuinely wrong? And perhaps the greatest question of all: Who are we, and why are we here? The Christian answer is that we are creatures made by our Creator. We are not accidents without purpose. We were created by God, for God, and ultimately for relationship with Him. We Are the Mice There is another lesson in the story that we must not miss. Perhaps the greatest danger is not being ignorant. Perhaps it is believing that we know everything. We are the mice in the piano. We live inside a universe vastly larger and more complicated than our minds can fully comprehend. We see only a fraction of reality. We understand only a fraction of what exists. And yet we sometimes look at the small portion we understand and confidently declare that nothing exists beyond it. The Bible reminds us: “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways, declares the LORD.” —Isaiah 55:8 And: “Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and how inscrutable His ways!” —Romans 11:33 The proper response to a God who is greater than our understanding is not arrogance. It is humility. It is worship. It is faith. The Music Continues The two mice eventually stopped believing in the piano player. They became convinced that they had explained everything. But outside their tiny world, the musician continued to play. The music never stopped. The fact that they could not see him did not mean he was absent. And perhaps that is where many people find themselves today. They have examined the mechanisms of the universe. They have learned about physics, biology, chemistry, mathematics, and astronomy. They have become fascinated by the machinery. But they have never stopped to ask whether there is a Creator behind it all. The Christian message is that there is. His name is Jesus Christ. He is not merely an idea, a philosophy, or a comforting story. He is the Son of God who entered human history, died for our sins, and rose from the grave. And He calls every one of us to respond. Jesus said: “Whoever acknowledges Me before others, I will also acknowledge before My Father in heaven.” —Matthew 10:32 The question is not merely whether we believe that God exists. The deeper question is: What will we do with Jesus Christ? The piano is playing. The music is all around us. The question is whether we will remain convinced that there is nothing beyond the wires and hammers—or whether we will humble ourselves, listen carefully, and seek the One who is playing the music. Do not be so certain that you have explained the piano that you never look for the Player. —Pastor Joseph Clark

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What was it about Jesus’s voice or words, "Follow me”, that caused people to drop what they were doing and follow him. Peter and Andrew were casting a net into the lake; they left their nets and followed him. (Matthew 4:19) Matthew was sitting at the tax collector's booth and he got up and followed him. (Matthew 9.9). There are several examples of those who did follow, some didn't. There is a cost of surrender, self-denial, your cross. Is Jesus saying those words, “Follow me", today? Look closely at those words, "Follow me". He is not saying take the lead but follow. He doesn't start leading then hand you the reigns and say take over. If God is your co-pilot, you should trade seats. How do you become a good follower? 1 Thessalonians 5:23, tells us that we are made up of spirit, soul and body and in John 4:24, God is spirit. So, we must connect with God spiritually. You must improve your spiritual awareness to be led by the Spirit. As a kid, you might have went outside in the snow and followed your dad, you can't match him stride for stride, your legs are not as long, so you do the best you can. As you grow, someday, you will step in his steps in the snow. In the same way, you follow Jesus, do what you see that He did, do the best you can but don't quit. So, is Jesus still saying "Follow me"? Absolutely, 1 Timothy 2:1-4 tells us how to live, what pleases God and that it is God's will that all people are to be saved. So, keep studying the word, keep praying the word, keep sharing the Good News and keep believing to have ears to hear to understand and eyes to see to perceive all that the Father has for you.