Thank you for joining me on the journey towards being led by His Nature rather than His word
In the last remarkable message the Lord graciously allowed me to write and release. We discovered that it is possible to be led by His Nature rather than His word. That in fact Jesus was a witness of this and created an invitation through Him to do the same.
But we also learned that there is a journey to being able to be led by His Nature.
Firstly we need to learn and know,
How to be led out of His word or by His every word.
Then, How to be Led by His Spirit.
Before being led by His Nature or out of His Nature.
What I mean by being led by His Nature is this, we move when he moves. He no longer needs to tell us what to do. Then we think and react to what He says. But instead we move, speak and do in line with His heart (His Nature of who He is )
Each of these ways we can be led by Him, are building blocks towards revealing the Father through His Son Jesus !
Transition means we have now moved, to the next level.
As the previous parts have become a lifestyle.
In the psalms we hear David;s heart cries to reach another level of consciousness of the Lord.
Psalms 42:8
Yet all day long God’s promises of love pour over me.
Through the night I sing his songs,
for my prayer to God has become my life.
Psalms 109:4 (TPT)
Though I love them, they stand accusing me like Satan
for what I’ve never done.
I will pray until I become prayer itself.
What these scriptures reveal is how our walk with the Lord has different levels and stages. That we are meant to transition into, as we grow in belief, trust and faith.
What may challenge us today about Him, will become a lifestyle tomorrow, because we know Him more.
As we enter the next level of His glory, we become closer and closer to Him. Until we reach the place Jesus did, where Jesus and the Father were one.
Jesus had entered the place of the absolute knowledge of the Father. That whenever the Father moved, Jesus would move in harmony, in sync and absolute unity.
The most interesting fact is this, Jesus entered this place as a man in flesh.
Why ?
To reveal, that it is also possible for you and me to do the same.
So let’s start this journey together today with the first step.
How to be led by His word.
This part of the journey will be released in three parts.
Each part adding another level, creating a firm structural foundation, to build on.
The first step is to understand and learn the importance of being led by His word.
As this is how Jesus started and so this is the best place for us to start too.
Remember Jesus words to the satan in
Matthew 4:4 (NKJV)
But He answered and said, “It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’ ”
Jesus knew the power of the Word personally, as it was who He was.
All that He had surrendered to become flesh and be a witness for us !
John 1:1-5 (NKJV)
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.
As the scriptures Jesus read, studied and taught, revealed who He was and would be again. As for this season He was standing in, He had chosen to lay this part of Himself done.
Imagine reading from this prospective.
Well we can in part, as the scriptures say in
Genesis 1:27 (NKJV)
So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.
Discovering that we are made in His image is so vitally important.
As it means we already reveal parts of Him.
So in fact we are closer to revealing Him than we may think.
I think the next step is to understand.
Although all of the bible is in Him.
Not all of Him is in the bible.
Why is this important ?
The bible is like a doorway or window to reveal Him and to enter into, a relationship of knowing Him.
The scriptures reveal His ways,heart, mind and will.
But this is only a starting point.
For each time we read the scriptures, they draw us closer together to Him, through His spirit.
We learn from these experiences, how He speaks to us individually.
From this place we discover our identity in Him.
The unique part of Him, which is who we are in Him.
As the scriptures say
John 10:27 (TPT)
My own sheep will hear my voice and I know each one, and they will follow me.
One of my greatest delights is helping people hear Him and see Him work through them.
But over the years of doing this, I have discovered again and again.
That He speaks in so many ways.
That each person hears Him, completely. uniquely different.
There is no five step program or single way that can be taught, to hear the Lord.
It is also the same when the Lord reveals Himself, which we will be looking at in our next part.
Why ?
For the way He chooses to reveal who He is,also how He speaks and the language He uses, is especially design by Him.
To be seen and heard, by the one He has created with an eye to see it and ear to hear it.
Job 33:15-16 (NKJV)
In a dream, in a vision of the night,
When deep sleep falls upon men,
While slumbering on their beds,
Then He opens the ears of men,
And seals their instruction.
Even the way He chooses to delivery His word, can vary.
For it is a perfect match, by Him, for the one who the word is intended for.
This is why it is so hard to teach people how to hear His word.
In fact impossible without Him.
As so often our teaching models, will be based on our understanding, knowledge or personal experiences.
The way He chooses to speak to us.
Also the language, the voice and way He chooses to deliver His word to us.
But just because we hear the Lord one way or another.
That does not mean others will hear in the same way or manner we do.
For example take the prophet Eli and his intern Samuel.
Eli totally missed, that the Lord was speaking to Samuel and Samuel did not understand it was the Lord speaking to him either.
Why ?
This is what we are going to look at in our next part of this series.
Here’s you challenge for this week
1. Grab your bibles and read 1 Samuel 3:1-19.
2. Why do you think Eli missed that the Lord was speaking to Samuel ?
3. Why did Samuel not know that it was the Lord speaking, directly to him.
4. Is there anything Eli could have done to prepare Samuel for this moment?
Father I know that the sum total of all your words adds up to absolute truth. That every one of your righteous decrees is everlasting. Also the revelation of your word thrills me, like one who has discovered hidden treasure.So Lord help us all to have an ear to hear your every word. But also to help others to hear it too. Amen
For those of you, who want to place an offering at the alter or plant a finical seed in the fertile ground of the Lord. Maybe you could contribute in someway towards His House, we are currently building. To equip the saints for ministry, then release His word through them, in a variety of ways.
Below is a link to a secure website, so you can do this safely online.
https://give.tithe.ly/?formId=87bf3759-ef4a-4ae2-ac5d-902b82587e44
Or our bank account details for New Zealand memebers,
Encounter Centre – 03-0481-0007448-000
If you require a receipt for tax purposes please email to info@encounterministries.org.nz
Craig Patten
Founding Pastor/Prophet
Encounter Centre & Ministries