When He speaks #2

When He speaks #2

Hi all,
Last week I shared the non-verbal ways Jesus said the Holy Spirit communicates to us. John 16:13: "When he, the Spirit of Truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak of Himself, but whatever He hears that will He speak; and He will show you things to come."

Today I'll share about when the Holy Spirit DOES speak (He will not speak of himself), but first...

The NT uses words like "reveal(ed)", "perceive", and "witness" to describe the Holy Spirit guiding and showing us things, all in non-verbal ways. I shared how these ways of communication are vague, like how Simeon knew he wouldn't die until he'd seen the Messiah, but didn't know the age of the Messiah.

Other examples
Another example is Luke 8:46 where Jesus was being mobbed by a crowd and perceived power flowing to someone, but he didn't know to whom!

And that's my final point on the non-verbal; when we receive a vague witness, revelation, or 'feeling' in our spirit, we will always need more information. In Luke 2:26 Simeon had it revealed to him that he wouldn't die until he'd seen the Messiah, but verse 27 says he came "by the Spirit into the temple" and saw Jesus.

He needed more revelation before he could act - he had a revelation of knowledge, but needed a revelation of timing. Paul too you remember from last week, had a revelation in Acts 27:10 that their lives were in danger, but needed more revelation. In his case an angel appeared and told him they'd be shipwrecked, but safe.

In Luke 8:46 Jesus needed more revelation to assist him to figure out to whom the power went. These show us that sometimes the Holy Spirit will provide additional revelation Himself (spiritually), as in Simeon's or Paul's case, or in the natural (natural information) as in Jesus' case, when the woman came forward admitting it was she who had touched him in faith.

But what if...
Paul was in Lystra in Acts 14, teaching a group of people, including a man lame from birth: "(Paul) steadfastly beholding him, and perceiving he had faith to be healed, said with a loud voice, Stand upright on your feet!. And he leaped and walked." (v8-9)

In this case of non-verbal Holy Spirit communication, Paul perceived in his spirit the man had faith to be healed, but he had to "steadfastly" behold him until he was ready to act - Paul stared at him and stared at him and stared at him, locking his attention on him as he perceived the man's faith.

These are the times when it's just you and the Lord - no fresh revelation from heaven is forthcoming nor is there more information in the natural. You have to lock your eyes on that perception in your spirit until you are sure that information is accurate. You ponder it, roll it over in your mind, weigh it out, staying on it until you are sure what you are sensing, then you act in the natural.

Long, long ago in a galaxy far, far away, I worked for Domino's Pizza as a manager. One day I felt very strongly the Lord impressing me to start my own pizza delivery company in an area were there would be no competition. I waited and waited, but each day that same level of knowing was there in my spirit, no more no less. I had no money to open a place of my own, had no idea where I'd get the $70,000 it would take, so I 'steadfastly beheld' that sense in my spirit.

I stayed on that for some time, then one day shared with a friend what I was sensing and immediately he said "I'll loan you $15,000!" I was amazed, but 2 days later another man I knew said he was looking to do something with $20,000 he inherited and wanted in. So I walked into the bank with $35,000 in my pocket, borrowed another $35,000, and opened my own place.

The point is that I had no further revelation from heaven or in the natural, so I stayed focused on the revelation I did have until things started happening for me. Like Paul who waited 'steadfastly' until he knew what he knew and then acted, it took a long time before I put the word out because I wanted to be accurate.

Speak to me!
Now I'd like to share characteristics of when the Holy Spirit DOES speak to us - the other 1/3 of John 16:13.

Philip is on the road from Jerusalem to Gaza in Acts 8 and saw an Ethiopian man in a chariot: "Then the Spirit said to Philip, Go near and join yourself to this chariot." (v29)

In Acts 10 Peter was thinking about a vision he'd seen and "the Spirit said to him, Behold, three men are looking for you. Get up and go down(stairs), and go with them, questioning nothing, for I have sent them."
(v19-20)

Notice in these 2 examples how specific and exact the Holy Spirit is when He speaks. This is the great contrast; the means of guiding and showing are vague and need more information, but when the Holy Spirit Himself speaks it is very exact and requires no more information.

Many people, experiencing the voice of the Holy Spirit for the first time, mistakenly think it audible, but in nearly all cases where I've asked for more detail, we were able to conclude He wasn't audible, just very loud and so pronounced in their mind/spirit that it seemed that way.

The first time I heard the Holy Spirit speak to me it was like a loud speaker in my mind. I was a teenager having a retreat with 2 friends to seek the Lord. While I was worshipping on my hands and knees and Nancy Honeytree was singing "I Am Your Servant" on the record player, suddenly the Lord said to me; "John, I love you." I was so startled I responded, "I, I love you too, Lord". Then he said "Turn to John 14:27". I said "Now Lord?" and he said "Yes, now". That was it.

It was loud, clear, and unmistakable. Since then I've heard the Holy Spirit many times, often when the Father tells me something prophetic about a future event, or in ministry situations when I have a word for someone.

We must be accurate when we report to someone what we've received from the Lord. Many people will say "God told me" when in fact all they have is a witness in their spirit, something they've perceived. Relatively rarely will someone hear the Holy Spirit outright as in the examples above with Philip and Peter. When that happens, then by all means report "The Spirit said to me".

But here is something interesting. Oftentimes but not always, I've found the more I dwell on a witness or impression in my spirit, the more clearly I begin to understand what is communicated, and often at some point the Holy Spirit will speak to clarify what had been merely a revelation or witness.

I first noticed this years ago while ministering to people. I'd drive away after a service and think about a word of knowledge I had for someone, and more revelation about them and for them kept coming - but the timing was wrong to deliver it so I just spoke it to the Lord and asked he show them that additional information.

The reason is of course that we have Life inside of us, an incorruptible seed that keeps growing and growing, so the more you dwell on that word or revelation or something you perceive, the more life flows out from it. But like I said above, sometimes there just is no more information from heaven, so you have to get either natural information or 'steadfastly' hover over what revelation you do have until you are sure you can act.

Not of Himself
Remember that the Holy Spirit will not speak of himself, but only repeats what he hears. I've been at this long enough I can tell you the difference between the Father's and Jesus' voice.

The Father's presence is a very dense atmosphere, solemn, and focused on very serious and very private issues because the Father is the Source of all, so He goes right to our "source" down inside. In the Father's presence there are fewer words of knowledge about what someone is feeling or what the Father is saying, because He normally deals privately with people (at least with me) so doesn't share that information.

The spiritual atmosphere becomes so heavy and thick people don't want to speak. The inexperienced may not understand and I've been in many meetings where someone starts talking right when they should be silent because they are either uncomfortable in the Father's presence or don't know what is happening.

It is best not to be afraid of the silence, and even when nothing is being done within you, sit still and let the Father through His Spirit minister to those he wants. Soon enough the stillness and weight of the atmosphere will lift and people will start moving about and talking and such.

But Jesus...
The atmosphere the Holy Spirit brings when sharing what he hears from Jesus is usually lighter, and often dealing with emotional and physical needs, rather than the deepest of the deep the Father addresses.

One time I was leading a group of Bible school students in a chapel. During the worship suddenly Jesus was there to my left. He walked up the 5 steps of the platform and stood in front of me, and asked "I'd like to minister to my people". I said "Lord, you're Lord, do whatever you want". He said, "You are the person in authority and I need your permission." Though I was in the Spirit I know that I visibly shrugged my shoulders and opened my hands in a gesture urging him to go about whatever he wanted to do.

I also realized he was teaching me a principle of how meetings must cooperate with heaven (rather than their own agenda), thus the comment about me being the authority in that meeting, but that's another subject.

During that time he walked among the students. The atmosphere was subdued but not silent with the presence of the Lord, but not with the weightiness of the Father. One of the young ladies he walked over to I eavesdropped on, and watched what he said. (I normally don't do this as it's none of my business, but felt he was also continuing to teach me and felt the freedom to observe)

While standing next to this lady the Lord turned back to me and explained that she was going to work in an orphanage in an African nation one day, and that he had told her this while young, but she'd had no further word and was wondering about it (she came to Bible school for that), so he came to reassure her.

When he put his hands on her and spoke to her, tears started pouring down her face. After her Jesus walked around to others but I only listened in on 1 or 2 more. Then he came back, climbed the steps and stood in front of me, said 'Thank you for allowing me to minister to my people', turned away and took 2 1/2 steps, and disappeared in that 1/2 step.

Afterwards I discussed with the students what I had seen, learned several had sensed and 2 others saw the Lord, and the young lady shared the exact thing the Lord had spoken to her and how she was aware he was right next to her, though she didn't see him.

All that to say this, can you understand the differences between the presence and voice of Jesus and the voice and presence of the Father and the way they minister? Jesus often focuses on emotional, physical, and other areas, but the Father's presence and voice stops you in your tracks and makes you want to sit, or lay down, and remain still. So when you do hear the Holy Spirit speak, you will know if he is reporting from the Father or Jesus as the head of the body.

It is the same Holy Spirit repeating exactly what he received from them, and he is the Spirit of Truth.

OK...enough today! Next week I'll share when angels are speaking....stay tuned! Hope it's a benefit to you.

Blessings,
John Fenn
www.iFaithhome.org

You can read of several visitations I've had in my book "Pursuing the Seasons of God" available through the web site above.