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Good morning. Good morning. Happy Tuesday. And welcome to Bible
Based Spiritual Equipping. And we are in a series, how to hear
the voice of God. How to hear the voice of God. And I think
this is one of the most important things that I have
learned. I put on the tagline there that it is the difference
between religion and relationship. The difference
between religion and relationship. I know that I had
walked many, many years, decades of religion. I loved God. My
heart was in the right place. I loved God. I knew the word. I
had been educated in the word. I had been a teacher in the word.
I had traveled all over the world teaching the word. But I
knew how to pray to God. I didn't know how to listen. I
didn't know how to hear the voice of God. Now, I want you to
imagine any relationship, someone that you love. What kind
of relationship would it be? Let's say you're your spouse,
okay, or your boyfriend, girlfriend, whatever. What kind
of relationship would it be if you continuously, if you
continuously talked to them and you told them what it was that
you wanted and what it was that you needed? Maybe you even
praise them. Maybe you study all about them. You find out
their entire background. You study. You learn all about them.
You could introduce them. You could tell anyone all about
them. You know even things that most people don't know. But you
never opened your heart to hear from them. What kind of
relationship if you had a one-sided conversation? You
talk. And you know so many prayers are like that. And
they're sincere, fervent prayers. And I know God honors
it. But what we're going to learn today takes it to a whole
new level. So let's start praying. I am going to just pray
right now. I'm not going to be listening. But who knows? God
can download and speak right now. But let's open with prayer
and let's dive into lesson number three. And today we're
going to be talking about the ways that God speaks. You see
God speaks so many different ways. He speaks in a burning
bush. He speaks in a voice in the clouds. He speaks in a
vision. He speaks in a dream. He speaks through angels. So many
ways. And as we discover this, I say in coaching that awareness
is the first step of transformation. And so as we
have an understanding of how God speaks, we get hungry for
it. We desire. We open for it. And it happens more and more
and more. And that moves us from religion to relationship.
To actually hear what God is saying for here, for now, for
us personally. God so longs to have that kind of intimate
relationship. And so I'm so glad you're here. Those of you
joining on Facebook Live. Those of you that are on
AnyMeeting.com if you want to see the slides. So we're going
to start with prayer. Inviting the Holy Spirit to speak to us.
And then we're going to dive into the ways that God speaks.
And I'm so excited. Those of you that are on AnyMeeting, I
need you to mute if you could.
I'm hearing background noise or on the phone. If you could mute please. Thank you.
All right, let's start with prayer. Father, I just thank you for this time. I thank
you for your goodness. I thank you for your mercy. I thank you that when you
sent Jesus, when you sent Jesus, you said it's good that I go away because if I go
I'll send the Comforter, the Holy Spirit, and He, the Holy Spirit, the Comforter,
the Counselor, the Advocate, the Standby, He will live in you and He will guide
you into all truth and He will show you things to come. I thank you for that God
and I invite Holy Spirit for you to be on this call, on this study. I ask that
you speak to every person listening live and on the recording. May the words of my
mouth, the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight. We just invite
you to invade the home and the minds and the hearts of everybody listening. And as
we're going through this pandemic, if there's anyone that is struggling with
fear, I ask that you break that spirit of fear. You are the God of all comfort. You
are Jehovah Shalom, the God of peace. I ask that you just bring that peace that
passes all understanding. And Father God, for anyone that needs healing in their
body, I ask that you bring their entire body into alignment with the kingdom of
God where there is no sickness and there is no disease. You said on the
cross it is finished, by your stripes we have been healed. So wherever someone's
body is out of alignment and they're facing dis-ease, I pray for healing touch.
Father God, wherever there is confusion, I pray that you will make the crooked
path straight. I invite you here to rule and reign Holy Spirit and have your way
in Jesus name. Amen. Amen. Welcome to all of you that are joining on Facebook Live.
It's awesome to have you. We are in lesson three, how to hear the voice of God.
How to hear the voice of God. This was something that just turned my life
around. I spent decades studying the word, teaching the word, but actually learning
to hear the voice of God. I didn't even know that was possible. And when I learned
that, it changed everything. To know that God has given us access to infinite love
and infinite wisdom. Why would we want to do it any other way? So I'm so excited to
have you here. Here's an overview of the ways that God speaks and we're gonna
break it down over these next couple weeks every single way. So yes, he speaks
foundationally in the word, the logos, the written word. He speaks through
creation. All right, I'm gonna have to go over here for just a second, figure out
where the noise is and mute it. So give me just a second. I'm gonna mute this one
right here and let's see where else is noise coming. I think I am hearing quite
a bit of noise. So all right, thank you. I think I've muted the noise now. All
right, good. Welcome. Thank you. And I will go back to sharing the slides now.
Thank you guys for your patience. All right, so we see all of these different
ways that that God speaks in his creation. Through visions, we're going to
look at different kinds of visions. Through dreams, we're going to look at
the different types of dreams. Through the still small voice, through trances,
you're going to see some amazing examples of that even in today's lesson,
how God speaks that way. Through impressions, through mind reading, you're
going to see fascinating things there. So again, awareness is the first step of
transformation. As you begin to see the ways that God has spoken, you can get
familiar how he may speak. And you know, we've laid the foundation and you can go
back and review lesson one and lesson two, we laid the foundation that God's
heart is relationship. And that there has been from the Garden of Eden, this two
way communication that we saw in past lessons that it got hindered by fear.
Fear broke the communication and isn't that true in any communication? So fear
broke the communication. And we saw, Lindsay, I need you to mute your mic,
please. We saw that by the time of Moses, fear,
them to choose individuals to be the ones to speak for them. Alright I'm gonna
have to shut the mic off and figure out where it is. I've got all things muted.
Somebody has noise coming in so if you can mute. Alright I'll go back to it.
Forgive that interruption but it would make for a very noisy recording. Alright
so we saw that God was speaking and then something changed where they say
oh no God is too big, too scary. They got the image that God is scary and so they
began to ask other people to speak for them. They had intermediaries so
that there would be a man that would go to God and that man would come and tell
them what God was saying instead of going directly to God. And so we saw that
in Exodus 20 you speak to him and we'll listen to you. And so we saw that God
spoke through prophets but something changed when Jesus came to earth. The new
covenant everything began to change in the New Testament. Now a whole new era
came and the new era is called the new covenant. In scripture we got the old
covenant which was the law and the time of the Ten Commandments and all of that
and then we have the New Testament the new covenant and in the new covenant
Jesus sent the Holy Spirit and the new covenant says we are the temple. We are
the temple of the Holy Spirit. We are the container of the Holy Spirit so that now
the Holy Spirit lives in us, guides us, leads us, speaks to us, teaches us, shows
us things to come. And we saw last lesson that the way that we see ourself
changes how we see and how we hear from God. That was powerful be sure you go
back and catch that. Alright so today let's start diving into the way that God
speaks. We've seen so many examples you know in Moses we saw that he spoke in a
burning bush right? We saw in Joseph he spoke in a dream. We saw in Peter he
spoke in an open vision. We saw with Jesus he spoke as a voice in the clouds.
We saw with Paul he was a blinding light and voice and so we're gonna look at all
these different ways and as we do I pray that you you open your heart to have a
hunger to want to know what God has to say for you. You know we're in such a
interesting time right now with this pandemic and you know there's news and
then there's the good news and the good news is that God is always with us and
he's always speaking and he loves us and he loves to guide us. He loves to direct
us. He loves to give us comfort. He loves to heal us and so as we open ourself and
know and understand how it is that he does this our whole world changes and so
I pray that this blesses you the way that it has me and hi to those of you
saying hi on Facebook live. Great to have you there. Thank you Rosie. Alright so
let's talk the first way is the obvious way. It's what most of us know and it's
on one sense it can be on the religious side that we just know it as history. We
we just know it as you know we memorize verses or we think of it as something
very far away but it's also can come alive as as we ask the Holy Spirit to
speak through it and that is the written word the logos the written word and we
saw last week that 2nd Timothy 3 16 says that every scripture has been written by
the Holy Spirit the the breath of God the Ruach breath of God. Can you please
mute your phones and your microphones please mute. Alright so we saw that every
scripture is written by the Holy Spirit the breath of God and I love Psalms 1
19 18 where David said open my eyes to see the miracle wonders hidden in your
word. What a prayer that is. As we ask God open our eyes so that when we read the
word Holy Spirit bring it to life what does it mean here in 2020 what does it
for me right now what is it God that you have for me what are what is the Holy
Spirit saying for me right now
now. And so I love that prayer in Psalms 119, open my eyes, open my spiritual
senses. Do you know for every sense that you have, you have your eyes, you have
your taste, your smell, your ears, Scripture says that you also have a
spiritual sense. And so you see all these things about eyes in Scripture and
Jesus says you have eyes but you don't see, you have ears but you don't hear.
Paul prayed that God would open the eyes of our heart. David said taste and see
that the Lord is good. So part of hearing the voice of God is having hunger. It's
opening yourself to God and saying I don't want religion, I want to know you,
I want to tap into you. You are infinite love, you are infinite wisdom, you are
infinite potential, I want to know you. Please open my spiritual senses. That's
the first step and that's what that's what David was praying right here, open.
So the second thing we saw how God speaks is in creation, right? And it says
in Romans 1 20, reading in the Passion Translation, that the invisible qualities
of God's nature have been made visible. How many of you felt that as you've been
out in nature? Can you feel the power of God in a volcano? Can you feel
the the beauty and the love of God in the lily, in the intricate... I have a
hummingbird that comes on my patio every day. Do you feel the abundance of God
as you look at the apple trees? I mean how many orchards are in one apple tree?
Right? So the very nature, Romans 1 20, the very invisible qualities of God have
been made visible in nature. And so this is why it's so important that we go
out and we spend time and and we see God. We see so much about God, his love, his
beauty, his power, his abundance. It says in Psalms 19 1, that his testament is
written in the stars. The heavens declare the glory of God. All right, today we're
gonna get into a fun one. I think it's fun. It's an amazing story. In this story,
we're gonna be in Acts chapter 10. As soon as we get there, we're gonna be
talking about visions and dreams. And how many of you have had dreams and you
wonder, what does it mean? And is that God speaking? And what do I do with my
dreams? So you're gonna see an amazing story in Scripture. And I find it so
fascinating because it has a number of characters involved. We're gonna be in
in Acts chapter 10. And so you're gonna see different cultures brought
together. Cultures that didn't understand and didn't get along. You're going to see
what I love, what I think is one of the biggest miracles, divine appointments.
You're gonna see how God connects people through these visions, through these
dreams. He has a way of bringing people together that would not normally come
together. And it opens their heart to build a relationship with each other
where there would not be a relationship. So stay tuned all the way to the end.
This is juicy all the way to the end of this. But just a couple background verses.
You can write these down in your notes. One of them is Numbers 12 verse 6. Just
write these down as references. Numbers 12 verse 6. I read from the Amplified
translation usually. It's my favorite. And so in Numbers 12 6 in the Amplified, God
said, hear now my words. If there's a prophet among you, I the Lord will make
myself known to him in a vision. And I will speak to him in a dream. Now we see
this in Scripture from cover to cover. And God is the same yesterday, today,
tomorrow. So he's still speaking in visions and dreams. We see in the New
Testament, that was the Old Testament, in the New Testament in Acts chapter 2
verses 17 and 18, it says, and it shall be in the last days. All right, let's get
really current, right? It shall be in the last days, says God, that I will pour out
my spirit upon all mankind. And I love this verse, all mankind, because it talks
about all genders, all age groups, all cultures. And that's something really
important to me. I love seeing that in Scripture.
It says, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy.
Speak the truth about God.
And your young men will see divinely prompted visions.
And your old men will dream divinely prompted dreams.
And it goes on to speak like that.
So we know that this is one of the ways
as we look at how does God speak to us today?
Well, we can look at how he's spoken in the past
and we know he's the same God yesterday, today and tomorrow.
So, all right, here's one of my favorite stories.
If you wanna follow along, if you have your word,
I'm reading from Acts chapter 10.
Let's start with verses one through five.
I'm reading from the Amplified Translation.
This is a fascinating story.
It's rich with jewels that we can apply
right here, right now.
It says that now at Caesarea,
and I've been there, amazing place.
At Caesarea, there was a man named Cornelius.
He was a centurion of what was known
as the Italian Regiment.
So this is a non-Jewish that he would be called back then,
you know, a Gentile.
The Jews hated them.
They called them dogs because they were very oppressive
to the Jewish people.
They were under the oppression of the Romans.
And so this man is a leader.
Centurion means he rules a hundred people.
And look what it says about him in verse two.
Never judge, no matter what background
someone's coming from.
It says he was a devout man
and one who along with his household feared God.
He was generous too.
It says he made many charitable donations
to the Jewish people and he prayed to God always.
So we get a little, the curtain is pulled back
on the character of this Roman man,
this Roman high position man.
And it says about the ninth hour,
that would be three o'clock in the afternoon,
about the ninth hour of the day, look at this,
he clearly saw a vision.
An angel of God who had come to him and said, Cornelius.
So here it is, this is the middle of the day.
I don't think he's been drinking.
He gets a vision and he sees an angel.
So he sees, he sees the angel and he hears,
he hears his name.
Cornelius of course, like you or I might be, was frightened.
And he stared intently at him and said, what is it?
Lord, sir.
And the angel said to him, your prayers and gifts
of charity have ascended as a memorial offering before God.
And now he gets instructions,
clear instructions of what his next move is.
This is what I love about this story.
How many of us want clear instructions?
What's our next move?
Many of us are having to pivot our careers.
We're starting new careers.
What is God's next move for us?
And so God gives them his next move right here.
And it's bold and it's fascinating.
He says in verse five, now send men to Joppa
and have them call for a man named Simon,
who's also called Peter, and invite him here.
All right, so Peter's one of the 12 disciples.
This is, you know, this is the book of Acts.
Jesus has already died, risen.
The Holy Spirit has fallen on them.
And Simon Peter lives in Joppa.
He's a fisherman.
And now, if you can imagine this,
a Roman who you fear and you hate is going to call for you.
Fascinating story.
Let's go verses six through 10.
Verse six, and he's staying with Simon the Tanner,
whose house is by the sea.
And when the angel who was speaking to him had gone,
this is fascinating,
Cornelius called two of his servants
and a devout soldier from among his own personal attendants.
And after explaining everything to them,
he sent them to Joppa.
Now, what is notable here
is that Cornelius not only heard the word,
he acted in faith.
He didn't doubt.
He didn't say, man,
I must not have gotten a lot of sleep last night.
Wow, this job must be just getting to me.
Did I really, I mean, if I do something,
if I say this to my leaders,
they're gonna think I'm nuts,
that I saw an angel.
He's gonna call his servants
and the people that respect him so much.
as an authority and say hey guys um so I saw an angel and an angel told me to I
want you guys to go over to the Jews. Imagine how that must have felt you know
if you if you put yourself in that situation but Cornelius didn't doubt and
this is one of the first keys to hearing the voice of God is to is to treasure it
to to pray to be open to receive it and then if you get a word from God if you
get a dream the minute you wake up write it down if you get a vision write it
down so that you can pray into it and ask God to continue to reveal say God
reveal what did this dream mean what's my next step treasure it honor it if you
got a prophetic word read it over and over let it go deep in you so we see
that Cornelius was a devout man he was a praying man and that when he got this
vision he didn't doubt he didn't just go wow that was interesting he acted on
it immediately and so look at verse 9 the next day as they were on their way
now this is what I love how God brings people and cultures together that would
never be brought together the the power of these divine appointments is amazing
so the next day so you got Cornelius's men on their way to Joppa so get this
it's a couple day journey so they're walking on their way over in Joppa now
God is gonna work in Peter's life I love the way when we're open and we're
receptive that he prepares our heart for what is coming so that when it happens
we can truly get what God is doing so check this out Cornelius's men are on
their way and as they're on the way we the camera switches and we get a glimpse
into Peter's life so Peter now a devout Jew right remember the Cornelius was a
Roman a devout Jew it says in verse 9 that Peter went up on the roof of the
house about the sixth hour about noon all right to pray so the common
denominator with Cornelius and with Peter is that they are both prayer
warriors and they're praying even in the middle of the day even in the work
day okay and so you see that at noon Peter goes up to pray verse 10 he gets
hungry he wanted something to eat but he's waiting for the meal and he's up
there on the roof praying and verse 10 says he fell into a trance this is one
of the ways that God speaks so we're looking at all these different ways that
God speaks and so we're gonna see that he too has a vision so Cornelius had a
vision through an angel Peter has a vision verses 11 through 16 of Acts 10
so verse 11 says Peter saw the sky opened up and an object like a great
sheet descending lowers by its four corners to the earth so he's up on the
roof praying and he sees the sheet being dropped down verse 12 says that the
sheet contained all kinds of four-footed animals crawling creatures of the earth
and birds of the air now if you have studied the Jewish diet and the idea
their religion of clean and unclean you would know that these are all things
that the Jews consider unclean untouchable they don't eat them they're
not interested in eating them and so you go all right so it says it contained all
kinds of four-footed animals verse 13 now Peter hears a voice it says a voice
came to him get up Peter kill and eat now you have to know that from Peter's
perspective this had to be absolutely appalling it'd be like saying to you
all right I just saw a vision go rape a child I mean I'm trying to take
something extreme right that you would be absolutely not that was what Peter
was feeling right here he says get up Peter kill and eat verse 14 Peter says
no way Lord not at all Lord I've never eaten anything that is common unholy and
ceremonial unclean he was very religious to the T no way verse 15 and the voice
to him a second time and said what God has cleansed and pronounced clean
No longer consider common or unholy
he was taking something that Peter knew as a way of teaching a principle and
It says in verse 16 just to be sure that he got it. It says and this happened three times and
Then immediately the object was taken up into heaven. So you begin to see here that
What we see is not always like the surface value, right?
He's showing him something that he understands to be able to show him something that he doesn't understand
And so the voice in this trance tells him hey if I say it's clean
Don't call it unclean. All right verses 17 through 20
It says now Peter was still perplexed and completely at a loss
As to what his vision could mean
Now, I know the feeling of that Peter's completely confused because he'd grown up from the time
He was old enough to understand
he had been taught these religious principles and
so now
He's seeing something that completely seems to counteract or
contradict
Everything that he knew and he understood
You see this happened to me the very first time that
God talked to me
back in
2004 and
He told me to pull down my Bible
I was in my office and he told me to pull down my Bible and he told me to read 1st Corinthians
chapters 12 through 14 and
When I read it
It was as if my eyes were open and he he I read it and I said exactly like Peter I'm like
That's not what I was taught
that's that's not what I've heard all my life and
So part of us hearing the voice of God is being open
Because there may be things that religion taught us
That relationship is going to need to undo and so what you're going to see with Peter here is you're going to see the
transformation from religion to relationship
He had a separation in not only food but in people
There was a cultural separation a Jewish person would never have anything to do with a Roman Gentile
They considered them the filth of the earth the dogs. There was so much prejudice back and forth
They hated them
They were oppressed by them. There was so much division and God's gonna say
My children are my children my children and I need to teach you if you're gonna understand me as infinite love
If you're gonna understand the work, I want to do in the world. I so loved the world
I'm the one that made all cultures if you're going to truly walk in the love of God
You're gonna have to break these cultural divides you're gonna have to break through
this separation and
so Peter's gonna have to learn this lesson to go to the next level with God and
So it says that Peter's still perplexed
He's completely at a loss as to what this vision could mean
What in the world was God saying don't call?
Unclean what I call clean when he'd been taught all his life
When as he's considering this this is Peter's perplexed
He's at a loss as to what his vision could mean when the men who'd been sent by Cornelius
having asked direction to Simon's house arrived at the gate a
Divine appointment is about to happen a God setup is about to happen
Have you ever experienced a God setup to completely unlikely people being brought together for God's divine purpose?
Love this stuff gets really juicy
so verse 18 and they called out to ask whether Simon who's also called Peter was staying there and
While Peter was thoughtfully considering the vision look at this the Spirit said to him
Remember we said the role of the Holy Spirit is to guide us into all truth to show us things to come
To cause us to remember things and so causing Peter to remember things
And so now the Holy Spirit is speaking to Peter. He doesn't understand what's happening to him
It says well Peter was thoughtfully considering the vision the Spirit said to him now listen
Three men are looking for you get up go downstairs and go with them without
Hesitating or doubting because I have sent them myself
Wow
Talk about preparing a heart. And Peter had a choice here. Like we always have a choice. He can
obey or he can question and doubt or say, I need to ask people what people think. I need to go to
my priest. I need to figure this out. No, we see that Peter, like Cornelius, was obedient. Verses
21 through 24, Peter went down to the men and said, I'm the one you're looking for. For what
reason have you come? Verse 22, they said, Cornelius, a centurion, an upright and God-fearing
man, well-spoken of by all Jewish people, was divinely instructed. Love those words. Divinely
instructed by a holy angel to send for you to come to his house and hear what you have to say.
So Peter invited them in and gave them lodging for the night. This is unheard of. He lets them
stay in his home. Okay. And the next day, Peter got up and left with them. And some of the brothers
from Joppa went with him. Verse 24, on the following day, again, another day's journey
back, on the following day, they enter Caesarea, this Roman village, and Cornelius was waiting for
them. And check this out. And had called together his relatives and close friends. We're about to
have church here. We're about to have a revival service here between two opposite cultures. God
is going to show up and show out. I love this story. Verse 25, when Peter arrived, Cornelius
met him. Now, Cornelius has not been trained in the Jewish religion, in the scriptures. He's just
a good man that prays and believes in God. So he makes the mistake. He goes to Peter and he falls
down on his, at Peter's feet and worships him. And Peter raises him up and goes, no, no, no, no.
Stand up. I too am only a man. Verse 27, as Peter talked with him, he enters the house and it says
he found a large group of people assembled. God had gathered an entire group to hear what Peter
has to say. Verse 28, he said to them, Peter says to them, you know that it's unlawful for a Jewish
man to associate with or befriend a Gentile or to visit him. And yet God has shown me that I'm not
to call anyone common or ceremonial unclean. I love this. See, those of you that know me, my passion
is cultures coming together. My passion is for us to break down all the walls that are keeping us
from getting the richness of what God has for us. So this story just moves me that God spoke to
Cornelius and Cornelius obeyed and God spoke to Peter and prepared his heart to do what religion
says you don't do. Verse 29, Peter goes on. He says, therefore, when I was sent for, I came without
raising an objection. So Peter says, I ask you, what reason have you sent for me? Like Jesus,
what do you want? What do you desire? Verse 30, Cornelius said, four days ago to this hour,
I was praying in my house between 3 and 4 p.m. and a man dressed in a bright, dazzling clothing
suddenly stood before me. And he said, Cornelius, your prayer has been heard and your acts of
charity have been remembered before God. Verse 32, therefore, send word to Joppa, invite Simon,
who's also called Peter, to come to you. He's staying at the house of Simon the Tanner by the
sea. So I sent for you at once and you've been kind enough to come. Now then, we're all here
present before God to listen to everything that you have been instructed by the Lord to say.
Can I say that I believe so strong that God's going to do that for you?
That on the other side of you stepping out in faith, on the other side of you believing in God,
on the other side of you hearing from God and obeying, there are people who have been praying
for you. There's the people you're looking for, whether you're in sales or you're in business or
You're in ministry or you know, whatever you are. You're a teacher. Whatever God has placed you in
the people that you're praying for the
Opportunities the open doors that you're praying for are
Praying for you
God is is preparing them for you. This is why it's so
important that we boldly step into the call that God has for our life because on the other side of that are people waiting for
Cornelius did not know anything that Peter knew Peter had been raised for a lifetime to
understand God to understand who is Jehovah Jireh my provider to understand who is Jehovah
Shalom the Prince of Peace to understand who is Jehovah Rapha my healer Peter was equipped to bring that
Cornelius he just knew there was a God in Rome. There was many gods
He didn't have the fullness and the richness it's gonna be the same way for you. This is why
Hearing the voice of God changes everything. This is why moving from religion knowing about God
to relationship knowing God on the inside is so
Important. Hmm. Let me say one more side of that that I think is so powerful. God revealed this in the shower this morning
You know scripture says that the kingdom of God is within us
It says that we're the temple of the Holy Spirit. We're the container of God
so when you
Open your heart and you build this relationship that it's not just one way you talking at God
But you listening you receiving you communing you
fellowshipping with God
You're also fellowshipping with yourself
The highest version of you you're you're tapping into infinite wisdom
You're tapping into infinite knowledge infinite potential infinite direction infinite
creativity
You know, there's two ways to do life
You can try to figure it out yourself
You can muscle it up and you can pound your head against the wall
And when that doesn't work you can go to a different wall and you can pound yourself against that you can work yourself
exhaust yourself push yourself or
You can tap into what's already been given what was already purchased for you
What is already available for you right here right now and so here we have these people ready to listen and
Peter opens his mouth and
It's the most fascinating sermon we're gonna pick up with the sermon next week
but he opens his mouth and he says most certainly I
Understand now you see God gave him an inner standing and honors
Understanding on the inside. He says I understand now
That God is not one to show partiality
To people as though Gentiles were excluded from God's blessings
But that in every nation the person who fears God and does what is right by seeking him is
Acceptable and welcomed by him verse 36, you know the message which he sent to the sons of Israel
Announcing the good news of peace through Jesus Christ. Who's Lord of all, you know
The things that have taken place throughout Judea starting in Galilee after the baptism preached by John how God?
Anointed he goes into speaking the good news the gospel how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with great power and
he went about doing good and
healing all who were oppressed because God was with him and and how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and
we are personally eyewitnesses of
everything he did both in the land of Jews and in Jerusalem in particular and
That they put him to death by hanging him on the cross and
That God raised him to life on the third day and caused him to be plainly seen
Not to all people but to witnesses who were chosen and designated beforehand
That is to us who ate and and and drank together with him
After he rose from the dead so
Cornelius is getting to hear firsthand
From the people who actually
Experienced Jesus who ate with them and and drank with him and he goes on to share the great commandment
he says he commanded us to preach to all people both Jews and
Gentiles to testify that he's the one that's been appointed and ordained by God and all the prophets
testify about him that through
His name, everyone who believes in and whoever trusts and relies on him,
accepting him as Savior, as Messiah, receives forgiveness.
And check this out, while Peter was still speaking these words,
the Holy Spirit fell on all those who were listening
to the message, confirming God's acceptance.
All the circumcised believers who came with Peter
were amazed, absolutely amazed, because the gift of the Holy
Spirit, the gift, the gift of the Holy Spirit, the one
who guides us into all truth, who shows us things to come,
who causes us to reveal the gift of the Holy Spirit
had been poured out even on the Gentiles.
They heard them talking in tongues, edifying, magnifying, praising God.
And Peter said, verse 47, can anyone refuse water for these people to be
baptized since they've received the Holy Spirit
just as we did? And so we have this
amazing changing of an entire community.
Amazing what God can do when we open our heart.
So what's the takeaway? What's the takeaway?
You had two people from two different cultures
praying, no matter what culture you come from.
And two people that were willing and open
to break through religious paradigms, they were willing to have God
speak to them, not just them speak to God, not
put God in some religious box, but they were hungry,
they were open, they were receptive to hear what God had to say.
And whenever God finds an open, a receptive, a hungry heart,
you can count on that miracles are going to follow.
You see, with God, the supernatural is meant to be natural for us.
You're a supernatural being. You're meant to walk
in all power and all authority. You're not meant to be weak and helpless. You're
not meant to be a victim. You're not meant to walk in fear.
You're meant to walk in power. You're meant to know that all your needs have
already been provided, that you have all power, all
authority, all love, all goodness, that you're never alone, you're
never forsaken, and that God has a plan and a purpose for your life, for my life,
for our life, and that that purpose is usually out of
the box that we think. Get ready to have your world rocked. I've
had my paradigm shifted so many times. I like to say I have stretch marks on my
stretch marks. Things that I was taught were totally
wrong, and God comes along and shows, no, they're not wrong. And I pray that for
you today. I pray that this has opened your eyes. We're going to keep this every
Tuesday at 7 30. We're going to keep looking at the
ways that God speaks, because awareness is the first step
of transformation. As we learn how God speaks,
then we can experience the full power of God, the full measure. We can step
into the fullness that God designed for you, that he created you before the
foundation of the world, before you were even born. God put this
in you. There's things that only you can do.
There's people only you can reach. There's discoveries only you can make.
There's love, and healing, and relationship,
and bridging between cultures. There's so much of that that needs to
happen right now. We've got to tear down these artificial
barriers. If there's anything this pandemic is teaching us, is that
we're one world. We're one people. I don't care what color your skin is.
I don't care what religion you're brought up in.
I don't care what traditions you have. It's time for us to come together,
because we all have so much to learn from each other, and the Holy Spirit
wants to work in you in such a mighty way
to tear down these walls, to rebuild these bridges. Thank you so much
for being part of this. You can go back and watch the the previous replays for
lesson one and two. Again, we'll be here every Tuesday 7 30 a.m.
There's also other free things you can get. I send out
a newsletter. It's the best of scripture and science.
I send it out every Sunday. This past Sunday, it was defeating your giants.
I think you'll love it. You can go to prosperinallthings.com
That's prosper in all.
Things dot-com and you can subscribe to the newsletter. You can have a free session with me
You can leave it in the comments here. Let me know. Let me know
How God is working in your life through these through these talks
Let me know what the Holy Spirit is showing you. Let me know how I can be praying for you
It's so great to be here with you. I love you be blessed
Walk in peace walk in healing walk in joy, and we'll see you same time same place next week
God bless you