No Crutches

Every single thing I can possibly lean on, God takes away... until I learn to stand with no crutches and learn to lean on Him alone.


This is the cost of following Christ.



Are you willing to follow?

Pray This Way

Kathi Pelton: "The Power of The Father's Prayer"
[from the Elijah List website]

"Our Father, Who is in Heaven, holy is Your Name; Your Kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in Heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For Yours is the Kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen." Matthew 6:9-13 and Luke 11:2-4

Over the past couple of months, I have found myself beginning each day by praying the entirety of the "Father's Prayer." I have to admit that I have never done this in my entire Christian life. I have prayed the prayer occasionally, but never daily with such a sense of the power of the Holy Spirit backing up these Words. Although I do not know, I would not be surprised to find out that many of God's people around the world are being led by the Spirit to pray these words.

Holy Is Your Name

"Each of the four living creatures had six wings and was covered with eyes all around, even under his wings. Day and night they never stop saying: 'Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come.'" Revelation 4:8

It is so appropriate that the first line of the Father's prayer is the echo of what is heard in Heaven both day and night, "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty..." As Jesus taught His people to pray, He knew the sounds of Heaven and taught us to come into the unity and the sounds of His Kingdom as we approach our Father. As we pray this first line, "...holy is Your name..." we are joining with the angels in raising an anthem of "Who He is."

In our schools here in the USA, the day begins with the Pledge of Allegiance to our nation, and in Canada each Monday morning the national anthem is sung by the students. So, as God's people, we can begin our day with our "pledge of allegiance" or singing the anthem of Heaven that shouts "Holy is Your Name."

As I enter into each new day, I want to declare that He alone is Holy, that He alone is God Almighty, and that He was and is and is to come. Even now my Spirit is rising up as I write this, declaring, "Holy is Your Name!" There is great power in this statement alone. It is an acknowledgement of His Holiness, His might, and His Name being the name above all names.

Stop even now and begin to let your spirit join with the voice of Heaven and say, "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come." I believe this is the most powerful statement we can make. It must be, since the four living creatures never stop saying it! May all His living creatures, in Heaven and on Earth, begin to say both day and night, "Holy is the Lord."

Your Kingdom Come, Your Will Be Done

"...Your Kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in Heaven..."

As God's people we long to see His Kingdom come on earth as it is in Heaven. My greatest desire, above every other desire, is to see the desires of God's heart accomplished in the lives of His people. Though I live with many personal desires, each one of them are laid down at the feet of Jesus and submitted to His desires alone for my life.

Recently, my family took a foster baby into our home. He is a six-month-old, adorable baby boy. Our entire family has fallen in love with this little bundle of joy. Our five teenagers have become the source of his constant entertainment. Though we have less sleep (way less!), less free time, and less energy, we have gladly exchanged these things for the beauty of his little smile, the sweetness of having his little fingers stroke our faces, the tenderness of kissing his cheeks, and the adorable giggle that he releases when we act funny.

But, here's the dilemma: There's another daddy and mommy who love him too and are longing for his return to their arms. In my natural thinking, it would make sense if God gave him to us for adoption since he would be raised in a Christian home, but God understands things in ways that I can never understand or figure out. It just may be God's will for him to return to his birth parents.

Each morning (and sometimes numerous times throughout the day), I pray the Father's prayer over him, "Your Kingdom come and Your will be done..." By doing this, I submit my desire over to His perfect will, knowing that His will carries wisdom that my desire alone will never comprehend. I believe that as God's people do this in every area of their lives, it is a pleasing sacrifice that invites Him to entrust us with the deepest desires of His heart.

Our Daily Bread

"...Give us this day our daily bread..."

As many in these days face economic struggles, there is a reality to the prayer for our "daily bread." Although I believe that this verse is speaking of provision of our daily needs, I also believe that it speaks to the daily needs of us spiritually, emotionally, and in every way. This year, it's often been daily comfort that we needed to eat of.

For our family, 2008 has been an especially tough year as we have faced numerous deaths, the greatest financial struggle of our married life, unexplainable delays and trials that have stretched us and our faith beyond anything we have ever experienced. But God tells us not to worry, because our daily bread will be provided...this is a promise to us. Let's look at this promise in Luke 12:22-34:

"That's why I'm telling you to stop worrying about your life - what you will eat or what you will drink - or about your body - what you will wear. Life is more than food, isn't it, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds in the sky. They don't plant or harvest or gather food into barns, and yet your Heavenly Father feeds them. You are more valuable than they are, aren't you? Can any of you add a single hour to the length of your life by worrying?

"And why do you worry about clothes? Consider the lilies in the field and how they grow. They don't work or spin yarn, but I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was clothed like one of them. Now if that is the way God clothes the grass in the field, which is alive today and thrown into an oven tomorrow, won't He clothe you much better - you who have little faith?

"So don't ever worry by saying, 'What are we going to eat?' or 'What are we going to drink?' or 'What are we going to wear?' because it is the Gentiles who are eager for all those things. Surely your Heavenly Father knows that you need all of them! But first be concerned about God's Kingdom and His righteousness, and all of these things will be provided for you as well. So never worry about tomorrow, because tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own."

As God's people, we struggle with the worry that will come and hit us without advance notice. It is hard in those moments to feel very excited about the faith that we have been called to walk in. But here's the truth: Faith is not a feeling - it is a posture and conscious decision that we make for our lives.

We must daily submit our flesh and it's feelings to the truth that our spirits know. When our family lived as missionaries for a number of years, it rarely "felt" good to not have a weekly paycheck to depend on, but once again, it was not a walk of feelings but rather a walk of faith. Our faith came from the promises of God as we just read in Luke 12. God will give us our daily bread.

Forgive Our Sins

"...and forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us..."

We have been forgiven of so much! The longer I walk with God the more I realize how much I have been forgiven. It has been like the peeling of an onion. I now see the truth of the sin behind some of the things that seemed permissible in my youth. The good news is that I am not condemned in any of these things because of the merciful forgiveness that flows from God. I understand the words that Jesus speaks about the woman in Luke 7, who washed His feet with her tears and dried them with her hair:

"For this reason I say to you, her sins, which are many, have been forgiven, for she loved much; but he who is forgiven little, loves little." Luke 7:47

Jesus was quick to love and quick to forgive, and I want to be like Him. Whether it was tax collectors, prostitutes, or fishermen - He forgave their sins and poured out His unconditional love upon their lives. We must do the same.

Last week my husband and I were at the memorial service for his best friend's father. During the service, this man's sons got up to speak about coming to the place of forgiving their father for not being everything they needed him to be when they were young. Do you know how they came to this point of forgiveness?

It was when they became men and fathers and began to realize how we all fall short, even when it is our deepest desire to be all that our children want us to be. When they were able to forgive their dad, they began to see all the beautiful gifts that he possessed. Prior to the point of forgiveness, all they could see were his failings, but after forgiveness they saw what an amazing man they were privileged enough to call "Dad."

Forgiveness is a gift that we give ourselves, because when we forgive we set ourselves free. My husband loves to say, "Unforgiveness is like eating rat poison and expecting the rat to die." This is such a true statement. We have been forgiven much so we need to love much. What a great act of love...to forgive someone who has sinned against you!

Even while dying on the Cross, Jesus was forgiving the ones who hung Him there as they divided up His clothing, "Jesus kept saying, 'Father, forgive them, because they don't know what they're doing.'" Luke 23:34

Deliver Us From Evil

"...and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil."

This is such a powerful verse to pray. This is a prayer for God's "keeping grace." I would rather be kept from sin and evil than to have to be forgiven for it! There is so much evil in this world and temptation that is put before us each day that we must ask God to lead us away from it. I am sure if you were to talk to other brothers and sisters who fell into sin in their past, you would discover they needed God to deliver them from temptation, because that came before the sin (evil). I would bet that none of these people desired to fall into sin. None of us want to either, so this simple prayer is important as we walk out our Christian life.

This is a prayer that we should be teaching our young people as they begin to face the many temptations that will dance before them to allure them into evil. Not even Jesus was kept from temptation, although He never gave into any of it. Not one of us is beyond temptation, but we can ask God to keep us from being led into temptation.

Final Thoughts - Thanksgiving

"...For Yours is the Kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever. Amen."

"Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise; give thanks to Him and praise His name."--Psalm 100:4

As I have been beginning each day with the Father's prayer, I have also been reminded of another verse to enter each day with. Psalm 100:4 exhorts us to enter into His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise. I want to enter into each day with thanksgiving and praise. Thanksgiving is the key to open the gates, and praise is the way to go through His courts.

I also want to encourage each of you to enter each day with thanksgiving and praise. As we pass through our U.S. holiday called Thanksgiving, let us mark this day with the beginning of a year that we release thanksgiving each and every day to our God. As our nation enters into a new era with a new President, let us open up the gates for the King of Glory to come in with thanksgiving and praise.

"Lift up your heads, O you gates; be lifted up, you ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in. Who is the King of glory? The Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle. Lift up your heads, O you gates; lift them up, you ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in. Who is He, this King of glory? The Lord Almighty - He is the King of glory." Psalm 24:7-10

Kathi Pelton
Light Streams Ministries
Email: jkpelton@sbcglobal.net

- - - - -

ElijahList Publications
310 2nd Ave SE,
Albany, OR 97321
www.elijahlist.com
email: info@elijahlist.net
Phone 1-541-926-3250

We Teach

This is part of the Great Commission. And we are all called to do it. Some may be more anointed for it than others, but that doesn't make that an excuse to not teach. It's the same with evangelism. It's the same with healing, and preaching. We're all called to do it regardless of the levels of anointing.

So, we teach. We teach the young to mature. We teach the lost the way to salvation. We teach children to obey their parents; wives to submit to husbands; husbands to love their wives. We teach humility to the arrogant. We teach self-control to the willfull. We teach people to praise and worship in spirit and in truth.

We teach.

Without the passing on of what the older generation knows to the younger one, there will be much more than just culture, education and heritage that will be lost. The greatest price that will be paid for the lack -- and, God forbid, absence -- of instruction is the loss of vision. And the Bible says that without vision, God's people perish.

We teach.

The Elisha generation are a fledgling batch of prophets, preachers, teachers, apostle and pastors in the making. They are presidents, governors, engineers, nurses, businessmen, policemen and artists in seed form. We teach them so they can learn what we have learned from God through our own mentors and leaders. We teach them so they can stand on their own two feet, then onto our shoulders and see much farther than we ever saw, go farther than we ever went, and reach higher than we ever reached.

We teach.

We pass not only the baton to the Joshua generation but also the vision the Lord has given the Moses generation. We pass on the wisdom and the discipline. We pass on the courage and the faith. We pass on the pursuit and the perseverance. We pass it on through teaching.

We teach.

We serve by teaching. We serve by imparting. We serve by rebuking, correcting, instructing and training. But all this is useless if the Timothy generation do not receive from the Paul generation. No amount of teaching can ever penetrate a heart shut up by pride and apathy. Our words cannot reach a mind set on things other than Kingdom things. But we still teach.

We teach...

...not because it is easy, but because it is essential. We teach not because it is a chore, but because it is a calling. We teach not because it is wanted, but because it is needed. We teach what we know, what we have received from the Lord in the hopes that the vision will be caught and catch on.

We teach.

We have to.

We must.

We need to.

We will.

We are.





We teach.

DGen Lesson: Knowing the Names of Jehovah

Last month, I had the opportunity to do a more focused teaching on two of the guys in the cell group.

The topic that I shared with "Warrior and Follower of Christ" and "Tender-hearted One Whose Salvation is God" was about some of the names of God, the characteristics and promises attached to those names.

The Bible says in Proverbs 18:10 that "the name of the LORD is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe," and the emphasis during this cell group session was that knowing God through His names gives us security and confidence that the God we serves is a strong tower that we can run to for safety.

Here are the Jehovah names of God from the Bible.
[Bolded ones are the ones discussed during cell group time]


Jehovah
The Lord - Exodus 6:2-3

Jehovah-Adon Kal Ha'arets
Lord of Earth - Josh 3:13

Jehovah-Bara
Lord Creator - Isaiah 40:28

Jehovah-Chatsahi
Lord my Strength - Psalm 27:1

Jehovah-Chereb
Lord the Sword - Deut. 33:29

Jehovah-Eli
Lord my God - Psalm 18:2

Jehovah-Elyon
Lord Most High - Psalm 38:2

Jehovah-Gador Milchamah
Mighty in Battle - Ps 24:8

Jehovah-Ganan
Lord Our Defense - Ps 89:18

Jehovah-Go'el
Lord My Redeemer - Is. 49:26, 60:16

Jehovah-Hamelech
Lord King - Psalm 98:6

Jehovah-Hashopet
Lord My Judge - Judges 6:27

Jehovah-Helech 'Olam
Lord King Forever Ps10:16

Jehovah-Hoshe'ah
Lord Saves - Psalm 20:9

Jehovah-Jireh
Provider - Gen. 22:14, I John 4:9, Philip 4:19

Jehovah-Kabodhi
Lord my Glory - Psalm 3:3

Jehovah-Kanna
Lord Jealous - Ex 34:14

Jehovah-Keren-Yish'i
Horn of Salvation - Ps 18:2

Jehovah-M'Kaddesh
Sanctifier - I Corinthians 1:30

Jehovah-Machsi
Lord my Refuge - Psalm 91:9

Jehovah-Magen
Lord my Shield - Deut. 33:29

Jehovah-Ma'oz
Lord my Fortress - Jer. 16:19

Jehovah-Mephalti
Lord my Deliverer - Psalm 18:2

Jehovah-Metshodhathi
Lord my Fortress - Psalm 18:2

Jehovah-Misqabbi
Lord my High Tower - Psalm 18:2

Jehovah-M'gaddishcem
Lord my Sanctifier - Ex 31:13

Jehovah-Naheh
Lord who Smites - Ezekiel 7:9

Jehovah-Nissi
Banner - I Chronicles 29:11-13

Jehovah-Rohi
Shepherd - Psalm 23

Jehovah-Rophe
Healer - Isaiah 53:4,5

Jehovah-Sabaoth
Lord of Hosts - I Sam 1:3

Jehovah-Sel'i
Lord my Rock - Psalm 18:2

Jehovah-Shalom
Peace - Isaiah 9:6, Rom 8:31-35

Jehovah-Shammah
Present - Hebrews 13:5

Jehovah-Tsidkenu
Righteousness - I Cor 1:30

Jehovah-Tsori
Lord my Strength - Psalm 19:14

Jehovah-Yasha
Lord my Savior - Isaiah 49:26

Jehovah-'Ez-Lami
Lord my Strength - Ps 28:7

Jehovah-'Immeku
Lord Is With You - Judges 6:12

Jehovah-'Izoa Hakaboth
Lord Strong -Mighty - Ps 24:8

Jehovah-'Ori
Lord my Light - Psalm 27:1

Jehovah-'Uzam
Lord Strength in Trouble - Is 49:26


[this list is lifted from the Prayer Today website]

You Know You Can Hear God

James W. Goll:
"Our Geiger Counter of Guidance: Hearing the Voice of God"
from the Elijah List website


Thank you for all of your prayers for my family and me in this season of adjustment. One thing I have always tried to do is remember the ABC's, especially when change is happening all around me. That is why I want to share an excerpt from The Beginner's Guide to Hearing God, titled "Geiger Counter of Guidance."

In these times we need to be moving according to the leadings of the Spirit and not moved by the media, world events, people's opinions or the latest news report. We need to, like John the Beloved, lean our head upon the chest of our Messiah, listening for the very heartbeat of God and cultivating a friendship with Jesus.

True guidance is not just a one-time thing or a one-time event - it is finding the Guide Himself. Remember, Jesus did nothing of Himself. He only did those things which He saw the Father doing. This is our model and example. Let us "look to see" what our Father is initiating. Then we need to DO IT!

These are times when we truly need divine guidance and wisdom. For some solid foundations in this area of discerning the voice of God, I encourage you to read The Beginner's Guide to Hearing God. It is an excellent source to start learning how to hear the voice of God.

May you grow in your knowledge of the love of Jesus this week as you listen to His heart!

In Christ Jesus!

James W. Goll

Our Geiger Counter of Guidance

"Therefore the LORD longs to be gracious to you, and therefore He waits on high to have compassion on you. For the LORD is a God of justice; How blessed are all those who long for Him. O people in Zion, inhabitant in Jerusalem, you will weep no longer. He will surely be gracious to you at the sound of your cry; when He hears it, He will answer you.

"Although the Lord has given you the bread of privation and water of oppression, He, your Teacher, will no longer hide Himself, but your eyes will behold your Teacher. And your ears will hear a word behind you, 'This is the way, walk in it,' whenever you turn to the right or to the left." Isaiah 30:18-21

Perhaps you have come a long way in your journey of learning to hear God's voice. But as for my life, I always have to review the A, B, C's! Reflect back with me for a moment...from the starting block of realizing our need to hear God, we became familiar with our personal tutor, the Holy Spirit, given to guide us into all truth.

Yes, there are many courses to take in the lost art of hearing God. We must have a working knowledge of the Word of God. We must have the spirit of revelation, according to Ephesians 1:17-19. But now I want to give you some important guidance lessons for wisdom for the journey. We have been given a "Geiger Counter of Guidance."

Hear the Clicking?

Do you remember playing games as a child? One child would be blindfolded and the others kind of steering them around. Some object in the room would be selected and the one blindfolded would have to try to find it. Shouts of, "HOT!", "No, COLD!" proceeded from the children participating in the room. Hot, of course, meant you were getting closer to the desired object. Cold meant you were going in the wrong direction. It was fun, remember?

There is an interesting instrument called a Geiger counter. Its use is actually similar to the game I just described. A German physicist invented the Geiger counter in 1945. It is an instrument used for detecting the presence and intensity of radiation (as cosmic rays or particles from a radioactive substance) by means of the ionizing effect on an enclosed gas, which results in a pulse that is amplified and fed to a device giving visible or audible indications. The thing I remember is the distinct clicking sound it makes.

The closer you get to the substance and the greater intensity of its matter, the louder and faster the clicking noise becomes. I have often thought that is a lot like hearing God's voice once you put all the pieces together. There is an inner witness that you learn to pay attention to. You check in with the Holy Spirit; you listen to your "knower"; and you bear witness or you don't. When you are filled with the Holy Spirit there is a divine guidance system that comes with the package.

Are you getting warmer - closer to the desired subject?

Or are you getting colder - further away from the will of God?

Do you hear the clicking...?

Ten Principles of Divine Guidance to Help you Find God, Not Just His Will

Number One: The Will of God is Made Known in the Word of God.

Now let's start by getting real basic. One day you read in Exodus 20:14, "Thou shalt not commit adultery." That registers in your spirit and remains. Not long after, you are walking in the mall and you hear some inner nudge say something like, "Look at that person. They really want you!"

But because the Scripture is hidden in your heart, it is easy to reject that thought. You don't even have to evaluate whether that voice was God, you know it isn't. You know because you have read the Word and have hidden it in your heart. So our first guidance principle is always the will of God is made known in the Word of God. God's Word is the final judge in all guidance.

Number Two: The Will of God is Confirmed through Circumstances.

Years ago in my senior year of college, I was quite zealous for the Lord. I probably needed a little bit more tethering in those days, but I was so on fire for God and I didn't care anymore about the pursuit of credentials in this life. I was ready to quit college at the end of my first trimester of my senior year, needing only 20 more hours to complete my degree.

I was ready to quit university, but I diligently sought the Lord's direction. "Oh God, I just want to forget this stuff and get on with my real calling." I don't know for sure how I said it, but it was something like that with an addendum: "But if You want me to finish out this year, I bid You to do something. Show me Your will!"

Then a surprising thing happened. I was ready to quit in November with only six months to go till graduation. Somehow I received another scholarship and was given a Religious Leadership Scholarship at a secular university to help me financially complete the rest of my year. So I decided, "That's a pretty good circumstantial sign. I'd better go ahead and complete what I have finished!"

I realize there are some exceptions to this one, but God does guide us circumstantially as well. I'm glad I completed that degree.

Number Three: The Holy Spirit Speaks from Where He Dwells.

Where does God dwell? God not only dwells in Heaven, but if you are a child of God, and if you've been filled with the Holy Spirit, He lives within you. According to 1 Corinthians 6:19, "We are the Temple of the Living God." He speaks to us from where He dwells. Where does God dwell? Colossians 1:27 tells us plainly, "Christ in us is the hope of glory" (Scriptures paraphrased).

Have you listened to your heart lately? What is beating in your heart? The Holy Spirit is Heaven's Representative in all-true guidance. John 16:13 states, "But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come."

Number Four: Divine Guidance Comes from Meeting God's Conditions.

Isaiah 58 is an incredible passage of Scripture where God's chosen fast is brilliantly described in detail. It speaks about honoring God and the observance of the Sabbath. Removing the pointing of the finger and feeding the poor are also addressed. Several key conditions and the attitudes required are listed.

Then God's corresponding promise is listed in Isaiah 58:11, "And the LORD will continually guide you." But the conditions are listed first.

The passage quoted at the beginning of this chapter (Isaiah 30) gives us marvelous promises: The Lord will be gracious to you; He will be your Teacher; You will hear a word behind you. On and on it goes... But conditions are laid out that must be met as well. "When He hears the sound of your cry..."

What are the conditions that must be met for your promise to be unlocked? Has He heard you really cry out to Him? Meet the conditions and His eye will surely guide you.

Number Five: True Guidance is Accompanied by the Peace of God.

There is peace in the midst of a storm. Peace does not mean there is no storm. Peace does not mean there's no warfare either. There is a center of quiet that is in the midst of the turbulence of life. True guidance from God does not push you; it brings peace and satisfaction.

James 3:17 remarks, "...the wisdom (which comes down) from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without hypocrisy." I love the order. Pure, peaceable, gentle... Isn't that everything you would want hearing God to be all about? Don't you want to bear good fruit?

Number Six: Much Guidance from God Comes Unaware.

Much of our guidance comes undetected. We're often unaware that we are being guided. Why? Because of His marvelous ways! Also because we've asked Him to continually guide us! We want to do His will.

Psalm 25:9 wisely depicts, "He leads the humble in justice, and teaches the humble His way." I love the ways of God. Again, a condition is spoken which unlocks the provision. Humility is the doorway whereby we learn not just the will of God, but the ways of God.

Thank You, Lord, for Your gentle nudges, whispers in the night and even what seems like pushes and shoves at times. Even Your electric cattle prodding's are wonderful. Thanks for guiding us even when we did not acknowledge it was You.

Number Seven: Divine Guidance Does Not Mean We Know All the Details.

Oh-oh, that isn't what you wanted to hear. Now the Lord wants us, in a sense, to have a rooftop view. But along the way it's often only the knotholes that we get to look through. There are those special times perhaps, in revelatory giftings and experiences that we see A, B, C and even see a portion of the end of the matter of X, Y and Z. These experiences are for a great, awesome purpose. They're to ruin your life, so that you will never, ever be able to be a successful, boring Christian again. You will know you have a destiny in God and you will pursue the God of destiny no matter what!

But most of the time, you will only see what is in front of you. A word of wisdom - enjoy life. Life is more than just another meeting or hot word. Life is precious. Live it to the fullest and for His ultimate glory!

Number Eight: The Process of Guidance is Not Always Pleasant.

Isaiah 55:8-9 declares, "...My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways,' declares the LORD. 'As the heavens are higher the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts.'"

There is Good News though. The New Testament teaches us that we can have the "mind of Christ." But still, guidance isn't always pleasant. He calls us to authentic apostolic lifestyles where bearing our cross is not a pain but a delight.

God has made a decision in His walk with you, that you will never remain in a static position. And when you start freezing up, God just says, "Change!" That's when guidance doesn't appear to be very pleasant, because there are breakings that occur.

Then it's time to choose His way over our way. It might seem painful for the moment, but the end result will be His life expressed through us in exchange for our own efforts. Choose Life. Choose His ways!

Number Nine: Hearing God Speak Should Prompt You to Action.

Daniel 11:32b promises, "but the people who know their God will display strength and take action." I want to be a person of faith and who does exploits in the name of the Lord. Don't you?

If there's been a failure or a fumbling, cry out for the great mercy of God. I've been learning our God is the God of the fiftieth chance. His mercies are new every morning. Great is His faithfulness. Wash yourself in the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ and learn from the past. But forgetting what lies behind, press forward into the upward call of Christ Jesus. Faith comes by hearing and hearing the words of Christ. Let's show that we are a genuine community of faith and get to movin' for Jesus' sake!

Number Ten: Guidance is a Skill to Be Learned Over a Lifetime.

It's not a one-time experience where you heard God speak once and then you rehearse the same old testimony all the rest of your life! It is a skill to be learned over a lifetime and passed on to others.

One time I was sitting at my office desk getting ready for an appointment when the Holy Spirit whispered to me, "You are now hearing Me through a gift." Interesting. So I listened some more since a gift was being activated! The still small voice continued, "But when it comes to you and Me, I speak to you through a relationship."

Be like John the Beloved and lean your head upon the chest of your Messiah and Master. Listen for the very heartbeat of God. Cultivate a friendship with Jesus. True guidance is not just a one-time thing or a one-night stand, it is finding the Guide Himself.

Here is my parting word of wisdom: Hearing the voice of God is a lifetime relationship that can never be taken away.

Blessings and Grace,

James W. Goll
Encounters Network
Email: info@encountersnetwork.com



ElijahList Publications
310 2nd Ave SE,
Albany, OR 97321
http://www.elijahlist.com/
email: info@elijahlist.net
Phone 1-541-926-3250

Ojos y Alas

The cleanness of your hands can deliver even those who are not innocent.

Even if no one is praying for you.

Go to a quiet place. Get some rest.

Great patience. Careful instruction.

Command and teach.



What to do and how to get there.