One of the primary ways God speaks to us today is by giving us a thought. We can try that thought by asking God to confirm that thought.
When we believe the thought is from God, the devil will come immediately to cause us to doubt.
I have found it is so much better for me if I go through the door quickly, asking God if that is really what HE wants me to do.
John 10:10 The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.
If the thought is from God, the devil comes to steal the instruction and to stop you from doing what God says ... or to delay you so devil can have more opportunity to try to persuade you not to do that.
Saturday, I was confronted with two times where a thought came and I asked for confirmation and I needed quick confirmation.
If you missed Saturday's blog, please read it for the following are examples from that blog.
I had to withdraw association, hopefully for a season, from a woman in our little church group.
I had told her I would go to airport with her when they deliver the puppy she has ordered.
Should I go with her or cancel? I asked God.
And I needed to know immediately if I should cancel so she would not be grieved when the puppy arrived.
She needed to adjust if I was not going with her. I wanted her to be able to enjoy going out to get puppy and not have any grief hanging over her.
I didn't think I would be going with her because I had to withdraw association from her. But I wanted to do what God wanted me to do so I asked God to confirm it to me in a concrete way that I could understand.
Later I was reading passages in Ezekiel 1-3 to build myself up in the work of a prophet.
I reached Chapter 3, and I saw something that charged through my body and I felt answered my prayer concerning what to do about going to pick up puppy.
Ezekiel 3:25 But thou, O son of man, behold, they shall put bands upon thee, and shall bind thee with them, and thou shalt not go out among them:
I realize this is not a traditional way of hearing from God but I was very shocked when I read this and really felt God showed me what not to do and gave me an immediate, concrete answer to my prayer,,, for I had told God I needed a concrete answer and a way I could believe showing me what HE wanted me to do about this.
Immediately I sent an email to Sandra saying: "I'm not going with you to pick up puppy."
*****
The night my cat, Samantha, died, I was terribly grief stricken.
I was not going to get another cat because I am so old and was afraid I would out live a new cat and then what would happen to cat? Who would take care of cat?
I prayed to God that night Samantha died. "Oh, God ... I need help!"
Immediately I heard (in form of a thought) ... "Get on Internet and buy a Siamese cat."
The next morning, I found a breeder on Internet and she said, "I can have a kitten to you by Wednesday." (that was Saturday)
I ordered the kitten at once and there was no more grief over Samantha.
God changed my plan to fit my need.
*****
Last November, 2017, Sandra heard a word from God: "Now is the time for you to get a dog."
It is currently late March, 2018, and she still has no dog at her house.
Sandra has a history of fretting. The time delay, gave her more time to fret, and doubt, and get in trouble and open doors for Satan to work in the situation.
"Now" ... means: at the moment, at present time, at this moment
What should have been joy turned into struggle as she worked her own mind to figure out what was perfect rather than asking God for HIS wisdom, which is perfect.
James 1:5 If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.
She turned what should have been a blessing into a curse... and still has no visible puppy 4-months later.
She turned from God to humans for her counsel and wisdom and instruction and searched several books to see what to do.
As she was trying to be perfect "mommy", she read book after book ... Finally God said to her: "Just because it's written in a book doesn't mean it's right."
She threw away all books she had bought ... except for one book ...
God showed me it was like Lot when the angel told Lot to flee to the mountain as God was getting ready to destroy Sodom.
Genesis 19
And there came two angels to Sodom at even; and Lot sat in the gate of Sodom: and Lot seeing them rose up to meet them; and he bowed himself with his face toward the ground;
... 12-13
And the men said unto Lot, Hast thou here any besides? son in law, and thy sons, and thy daughters, and whatsoever thou hast in the city, bring them out of this place:
For we will destroy this place, because the cry of them is waxen great before the face of the LORD; and the LORD hath sent us to destroy it.
And the men said unto Lot, Hast thou here any besides? son in law, and thy sons, and thy daughters, and whatsoever thou hast in the city, bring them out of this place:
For we will destroy this place, because the cry of them is waxen great before the face of the LORD; and the LORD hath sent us to destroy it.
... 15-25
And when the morning arose, then the angels hastened Lot, saying, Arise, take thy wife, and thy two daughters, which are here; lest thou be consumed in the iniquity of the city.
And while he lingered, the men laid hold upon his hand, and upon the hand of his wife, and upon the hand of his two daughters; the LORD being merciful unto him: and they brought him forth, and set him without the city.
And it came to pass, when they had brought them forth abroad, that he said, Escape for thy life; look not behind thee, neither stay thou in all the plain; escape to the mountain, lest thou be consumed.
And Lot said unto them, Oh, not so, my Lord: Behold now, thy servant hath found grace in thy sight, and thou hast magnified thy mercy, which thou hast shewed unto me in saving my life; and I cannot escape to the mountain, lest some evil take me, and I die:
And when the morning arose, then the angels hastened Lot, saying, Arise, take thy wife, and thy two daughters, which are here; lest thou be consumed in the iniquity of the city.
And while he lingered, the men laid hold upon his hand, and upon the hand of his wife, and upon the hand of his two daughters; the LORD being merciful unto him: and they brought him forth, and set him without the city.
And it came to pass, when they had brought them forth abroad, that he said, Escape for thy life; look not behind thee, neither stay thou in all the plain; escape to the mountain, lest thou be consumed.
And Lot said unto them, Oh, not so, my Lord: Behold now, thy servant hath found grace in thy sight, and thou hast magnified thy mercy, which thou hast shewed unto me in saving my life; and I cannot escape to the mountain, lest some evil take me, and I die:
(Lot thinks he knows more than the angels of God. But eventually he is going to get to the mountains and safety, though his wife was destroyed in the delay.)
(Lot says:) Behold now, this city is near to flee unto, and it is a little one: Oh, let me escape thither, (is it not a little one?) and my soul shall live.
(The angels agree to allow Lot to do as he chooses ... later Lot does as the angels told him to do in first place.)
And he (the angels) said unto him, See, I have accepted thee concerning this thing also, that I will not overthrow this city, for the which thou hast spoken.
Haste thee, escape thither; for I cannot do any thing till thou be come thither. Therefore the name of the city was called Zoar.
The sun was risen upon the earth when Lot entered into Zoar. Then the LORD rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the LORD out of heaven;
And HE (God) overthrew those cities, and all the plain, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and that which grew upon the ground.
But his wife looked back from behind him, and she became a pillar of salt.
(By failing to do as God told him, Lot suffered loss.)
(The angels agree to allow Lot to do as he chooses ... later Lot does as the angels told him to do in first place.)
And he (the angels) said unto him, See, I have accepted thee concerning this thing also, that I will not overthrow this city, for the which thou hast spoken.
Haste thee, escape thither; for I cannot do any thing till thou be come thither. Therefore the name of the city was called Zoar.
The sun was risen upon the earth when Lot entered into Zoar. Then the LORD rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the LORD out of heaven;
And HE (God) overthrew those cities, and all the plain, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and that which grew upon the ground.
But his wife looked back from behind him, and she became a pillar of salt.
(By failing to do as God told him, Lot suffered loss.)
... 30
And Lot went up out of Zoar, and dwelt in the mountain, and his two daughters with him; for he feared to dwell in Zoar: and he dwelt in a cave, he and his two daughters.
*****
As Sandra searched for the perfect puppy ... and searched her books to see how she could be the perfect "mommy" ... and waited to get the puppy delivered ... November, when she heard "now" is the time to get a dog, passed into almost April ... and still no dog at her house.
During the months of delay and waiting, many temptations and much stress came and doors for Satan were opened for her to be attacked with many needless, troublesome thoughts ... and all she could seem to think of was the puppy and how to be mommy.
Remember how she kept the one book after God spoke to her telling her just because something was in writing in a book didn't mean it was right ... She was trusting in that one book rather than trusting in God to help her deal with the issue which God Himself had ordained for her.
I would think this would sadden God to see she could not trust HIM but could put her trust into a human to teach her about raising a puppy.
But this is a typical pattern Sandra has used for all her life ... to figure it out herself without turning to God ... and to trust in humans rather than trusting in God ... trusting in that which she could see rather than trusting in the unseen.
Moses showed us an opposite pattern:
Hebrews 11:27 By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king: for he endured, as seeing HIM who is invisible.
*****
I met Sandra in 1980 ... as long as I have known her she has been a weak, whining person, though she read Bible continually ... raised in a church from the time she was a baby ...
Instead of growing stronger though the years, she grew even weaker from year to year.
The reason for her downward drift: She read the Bible but did not do the scriptures but she thought she did the scriptures because she constantly read the scriptures.
She was eating and drinking the Word of God to her own "damnation" as it says in I Corinthians 11.
The Lord's supper is eating and drinking the Word of God ... We must do this in a "worthy" manner, doing the Word of God in an appropriate way as we correctly apply the Word of God to our own lives on this present earth.
I Corinthians 11:27-32
Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord.
(Reading Bible incorrectly ... for Jesus is the Word.)
But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup.
(examining himself by the Word of God, conforming his own way to the Word of God... and so let him eat of the scripture, examining himself by that which the scriptures say)
For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord's body.
For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord's body.
(damnation means to do yourself harm through all eternity ... a very serious mistake of man)
For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep (die).
For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged.
But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world.
If we "judge ourselves" correctly by the Word of God, making proper corrections by the Word, we will not have to be corrected by others ...
If we fail to correctly do the Word of God, then God might have a human correct us for we are failing to see our mistake and bringing damnation upon ourselves and God is trying to save us.
*****
Finally, a few days ago, I had to tell Sandra to stop reading Bible, stop reading this blog, stop reading her many notes and collection of scriptures, temporarily ... and just pray to God for a season ... for she was eating and drinking the Word of God incorrectly and was therefore bringing damnation upon herself. I Corinthians 11:29.
*****
Had Sandra gotten a dog in a timely manner, when she heard to do so last November, 2017, would that have changed things?
I believe it would have. I believe God had a plan to use that dog to help Sandra to settle her own flesh down. I believe it would have made a big difference.
It is almost April now and she still has no dog... when God said, "NOW", last November.
Sandra cannot do the instruction of the Word given by God in a correct way. Instead she eats and drinks the Word to her own damnation.
*****
When I hear a word from God, I go through that door as fast as possible, knowing the longer I hesitate the more opportunity I give Satan to attack me to keep me from doing what God has told me to do.
Mark 4:3-9
Hearken; Behold, there went out a sower to sow:
And it came to pass, as he sowed, some fell by the way side, and the fowls of the air came and devoured it up.
And some fell on stony ground, where it had not much earth; and immediately it sprang up, because it had no depth of earth:
But when the sun was up, it was scorched; and because it had no root, it withered away.
And it came to pass, as he sowed, some fell by the way side, and the fowls of the air came and devoured it up.
And some fell on stony ground, where it had not much earth; and immediately it sprang up, because it had no depth of earth:
But when the sun was up, it was scorched; and because it had no root, it withered away.
(We develop root by keeping the Word that applies to our situation before us day and night and doing what that word says over and over, thus growing into a strong plant.)
And some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up, and choked it, and it yielded no fruit.
And other fell on good ground, and did yield fruit that sprang up and increased; and brought forth, some thirty, and some sixty, and some an hundred.
And he (Jesus) said unto them, He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.
***
Mark 4:13-20
And HE (Jesus) said unto them, Know ye not this parable? and how then will ye know all parables?
The sower soweth the word.
And these are they by the way side, where the word is sown; but when they have heard, Satan cometh immediately, and taketh away the word that was sown in their hearts.
And these are they likewise which are sown on stony ground; who, when they have heard the word, immediately receive it with gladness; And have no root in themselves, and so endure but for a time: afterward, when affliction or persecution ariseth for the word's sake, immediately they are offended.
And these are they which are sown among thorns; such as hear the word, And the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful.
And these are they which are sown on good ground; such as hear the word, and receive it, and bring forth fruit, some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some an hundred.
The sower soweth the word.
And these are they by the way side, where the word is sown; but when they have heard, Satan cometh immediately, and taketh away the word that was sown in their hearts.
And these are they likewise which are sown on stony ground; who, when they have heard the word, immediately receive it with gladness; And have no root in themselves, and so endure but for a time: afterward, when affliction or persecution ariseth for the word's sake, immediately they are offended.
And these are they which are sown among thorns; such as hear the word, And the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful.
And these are they which are sown on good ground; such as hear the word, and receive it, and bring forth fruit, some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some an hundred.
*****