How did that happen How to discern Gods

How did that happen? How to discern God’s voice and what to do when you hear it

1 Samuel 3 NLT 3 Meanwhile, the boy Samuel served the LORD by assisting Eli. Now in those days messages from the LORD were very rare, and visions were quite uncommon. 2 One night Eli, who was almost blind by now, had gone to bed. 3 The lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was sleeping in the Tabernacle[a] near the Ark of God. 4 Suddenly the LORD called out, “Samuel!” “Yes? ” Samuel replied. “What is it? ” 5 He got up and ran to Eli. “Here I am. Did you call me? ” “I didn’t call you, ” Eli replied. “Go back to bed. ” So he did.

6 Then the LORD called out again, “Samuel!” Again Samuel got up and went to Eli. “Here I am. Did you call me? ” “I didn’t call you, my son, ” Eli said. “Go back to bed. ” 7 Samuel did not yet know the LORD because he had never had a message from the LORD before. 8 So the LORD called a third time, and once more Samuel got up and went to Eli. “Here I am. Did you call me? ” Then Eli realized it was the LORD who was calling the boy. 9 So he said to Samuel, “Go and lie down again, and if someone calls again, say, ‘Speak, LORD, your servant is listening. ’” So Samuel went back to bed.

10 And the LORD came and called as before, “Samuel! Samuel!” And Samuel replied, “Speak, your servant is listening. ” 11 Then the LORD said to Samuel, “I am about to do a shocking thing in Israel. 12 I am going to carry out all my threats against Eli and his family, from beginning to end. 13 I have warned him that judgment is coming upon his family forever, because his sons are blaspheming God[b] and he hasn’t disciplined them. 14 So I have vowed that the sins of Eli and his sons will never be forgiven by sacrifices or offerings. ”

Examples of God Speaking to People Old Testament • Joseph- Genesis 37 -50 • Gideon- Judges 6 and 7 • Moses- Exodus 3 • Writing on the Wall- Daniel 5 New Testament • Saul (Paul) on the road to Damascus- Acts 9 • Ananias- Acts 9 • The Apostles select a replacement for Judas- Acts 1 • Philip and the Ethiopian- Acts 8

Acts 8: 26 -30 26 As for Philip, an angel of the Lord said to him, “Go south [a] down the desert road that runs from Jerusalem to Gaza. ” 27 So he started out, and he met the treasurer of Ethiopia, a eunuch of great authority under the Kandake, the queen of Ethiopia. The eunuch had gone to Jerusalem to worship, 28 and he was now returning. Seated in his carriage, he was reading aloud from the book of the prophet Isaiah. 29 The Holy Spirit said to Philip, “Go over and walk along beside the carriage. ” 30 Philip ran over and heard the man reading from the prophet Isaiah. Philip asked, “Do you understand what you are reading? ”

Patterns from Scripture about when God speaks to people • God does speak directly to people. • When God speaks He interrupts lives, even of people who don’t believe, to get them on His path. • God has used visions, prayer, real appearances, dreams, audible voices, and his Word to speak to people. • When He spoke, the person ALWAYS knew it was him. • When He spoke, each person knew what God said to them. • God spoke to each person in a way that was meaningful to them and got their attention. • God was specific each time about what He wanted the person to do.

What we know about the Holy Spirit • • The Spirit of God lives in believers- 1 Corinthians 3: 16 Your body is a sanctuary of the Holy Spirit- 1 Corinthians 6: 19 The Spirit helps us the same way He helped Jesus – John 14: 16 The Holy Spirit guides us in all truth- John 16: 13 The Holy Spirit convicts us of sin, righteousness, and judgment- John 16: 7 The Spirit tells us what He hears from Jesus- John 16: 14 -15 Helps us to pray – Romans 8: 26 Jesus said that the coming of the Holy Spirit was BETTER for us than for Him to stay here on Earth-

Ezekiel 3 4 Then he said, “Son of man, go to the people of Israel and give them my messages. 5 I am not sending you to a foreign people whose language you cannot understand. 6 No, I am not sending you to people with strange and difficult speech. If I did, they would listen! 7 But the people of Israel won’t listen to you any more than they listen to me! For the whole lot of them are hard-hearted and stubborn. 8 But look, I have made you as obstinate and hard-hearted as they are. 9 I have made your forehead as hard as the hardest rock! So don’t be afraid of them or fear their angry looks, even though they are rebels. ”

Genesis 31: 3 New Living Translation (NLT) Then the LORD said to Jacob, “Return to the land of your father and grandfather and to your relatives there, and I will be with you. ” 3

Genesis 31: 13 New Living Translation (NLT) 13 I am the God who appeared to you at Bethel, [a] the place where you anointed the pillar of stone and made your vow to me. Now get ready and leave this country and return to the land of your birth. ’”

Romans 3: 31 Well then, if we emphasize faith, does this mean that we can forget about the law? Of course not! In fact, only when we have faith do we truly fulfill the law.

James 1: 5 -8 New Living Translation (NLT) 5 If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking. 6 But when you ask him, be sure that your faith is in God alone. Do not waver, for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind. 7 Such people should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. 8 Their loyalty is divided between God and the world, and they are unstable in everything they do.

Genesis 32: 9 -10 9 Then Jacob prayed, “O God of my grandfather Abraham, and God of my father, Isaac—O Lord, you told me, ‘Return to your own land to your relatives. ’ And you promised me, ‘I will treat you kindly. ’ 10 I am not worthy of all the unfailing love and faithfulness you have shown to me, your servant. When I left home and crossed the Jordan River, I owned nothing except a walking stick. Now my household fills two large camps Later in the week I knew that I needed to go be alone with the Lord.

Genesis 35: 1 -3 New Living Translation (NLT) Jacob’s Return to Bethel 35 Then God said to Jacob, “Get ready and move to Bethel and settle there. Build an altar there to the God who appeared to you when you fled from your brother, Esau. ” 2 So Jacob told everyone in his household, “Get rid of all your pagan idols, purify yourselves, and put on clean clothing. 3 We are now going to Bethel, where I will build an altar to the God who answered my prayers when I was in distress. He has been with me wherever I have gone. ”

Ezekiel 11: 16 -17 New Living Translation (NLT) 16 “Therefore, tell the exiles, ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Although I have scattered you in the countries of the world, I will be a sanctuary to you during your time in exile. 17 I, the Sovereign LORD, will gather you back from the nations where you have been scattered, and I will give you the land of Israel once again. ’

Romans 5: 3 -5 New Living Translation (NLT) 3 We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. 4 And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. 5 And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love.

Romans 6: 8 -13 8 And since we died with Christ, we know we will also live with him. 9 We are sure of this because Christ was raised from the dead, and he will never die again. Death no longer has any power over him. 10 When he died, he died once to break the power of sin. But now that he lives, he lives for the glory of God. 11 So you also should consider yourselves to be dead to the power of sin and alive to God through Christ Jesus. 12 Do not let sin control the way you live; [a] do not give in to sinful desires. 13 Do not let any part of your body become an instrument of evil to serve sin. Instead, give yourselves completely to God, for you were dead, but now you have new life. So use your whole body as an instrument to do what is right for the glory of God.

What should you do? • Commit your life to Jesus • Develop a deeper relationship with Jesus- read, pray, spend time alone with Him. • If you feel Him telling you to do something, spend time in prayer, then be quiet. • Do what he is telling you to do! Don’t delay! • Know that God will prepare you along the way.