“The one who believes in me, as the Scripture has said, will have Streams of Living Water flow from deep within him.” (John 7:38)
“The spirit of man is the lamp of the Lord, searching all the innermost parts of his being.” (Proverbs 20:27).
“… we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming; but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Messiah,….” (Ephesians 4:15-16)
We are all “swimming” in an ever-darkening spiritual, cultural, and political “ocean” filled with diverse currents and creatures. But we do not have to be influenced or controlled by any of them. We can learn how to flow in the “Stream of Living Water” that flows from within our spirit. As we learn how to do this, we can stay in the “current” of God’s plans and purposes for our life. This “Stream of Living Water” is the Holy Spirit and is filled with His Wisdom, His Guidance, His Light, His Discernment, His Love, His Peace, and His Joy.
As we learn how to flow in this “Stream” that comes from deep within, we can easily recognize any voice or influence that does not fit into what the Holy Spirit is speaking to us and doing in and through our lives. They do not harmonize, compliment, or cooperate with our inner “Stream.” Those voices and influences do the exact opposite; they disturb and trouble us, they bring confusion and distress as they attempt to manipulate and control our thoughts and feelings and move us away from God’s plans and purposes.
These currents and creatures desire to take us out of our inner “Stream” and put us into any other. Satan does not care what current you are in, or which “creatures” are influencing you, as long as you’re not in the one that flows from your “innermost being.”
Staying in this flow is the secret of abiding in the Lord, of abiding in the “secret place.” This is the key to living a life of deep inner peace and freedom that is never intimidated, manipulated or controlled by outside, external voices or forces. Living in that “Stream” gives you a great authority to say “NO!” to anyone or anything that does not enter into agreement with what is flowing out of your spirit.
No one can get into that place within you and turn that flow off. But the enemy can attempt to convince you to reject, ignore or disobey it. In this way, it is the same as if the flow is stopped, because for all intents and purposes it has in your life. The truth is that the “Stream” is still there, waiting to be released. You turned away from it and allowed yourself to get into another “current” and be influenced by the voices of the many “creatures” in the “ocean.” The good news, the great news, is that you can repent. You can turn from those other voices and currents and return to the flow of the Holy Spirit coming out of your “inner man.”
When you are flowing in your own stream, you have power and authority to reject all the various other currents and creatures that are vying for your attention, your allegiance, obedience, loyalty, and finances.
You can live your life without fear of what the outside world is saying and doing, because you are living from your inner world. In this inner world will come all you need to live in the outer world. You will have the faith to “move mountains” to take risks, to venture into all kinds of new experiences. You will have confidence that you are hearing the Lord when He is speaking to you and leading you. Of course, this takes practice, and you will make mistakes, but this is part of the process of discipleship. You can learn from your mistakes, and not be afraid to make them. You understand that mistakes do not define you or determine your destiny. They help you learn what not to do or say. As you learn how to live in the flow that comes from your innermost being, you understand that God can truly cause “all things to work together for good” (Romans 8.28; Philippians 2:13) as He uses everything and everyone in your life to accomplish His plans and purposes.
YOUR “INNER LAMP”
“The spirit of man is the lamp of the Lord, searching all the innermost parts of his being.” (Proverbs 20:27).
What this verse, among many others (i.e., Zechariah 12:1; 1Corinthians 2:11), teaches us is that we have a spirit and it is the place where the Holy Spirit indwells us. Our spirit functions like a lamp. This is especially important for us to understand. When the Scriptures were written, one of the main sources of light that everyone used was a small handheld pottery oil lamp. When its wick was ignited, it gave you enough light to take one step. Of course, as you held it out you could walk, slowly, step by step, in the darkness.
God uses this natural source of light as a symbol for how He leads and guides us by His Spirit. Psalm 119:105 teaches us that the Word of God is a “lamp to our feet and a light to our path.” Psalm 18:28 promises us that God will “light our lamp” and “enlighten our darkness.’’
The Indwelling Holy Spirit
Just like a natural lamp needs oil as a fuel source and fire to ignite the oil to create light, so we need the presence of the Holy Spirit as our source of spiritual oil and fire. Since God is a Spirit (John 4:24) and made us in His image (Genesis 1:26), we are “spirit beings” with a physical body.
When we are “born of the spirit” (John 3:3,5), and become a “new creation” (2 Cor. 5:17), the Holy Spirit comes to abide within us, which is to say He comes to dwell in our spirit (John 14:17, 23). His presence ignites our “inner lamp,” and opens us to the opportunity to develop a deeper relationship with the Lord.
This is the “Secret Place”
Your “ignited inner lamp” – your spirit – is the “Secret Place of the Most High ” (Psalm 91:1, 139:15). I believe that this is the place Jesus was referring to when He taught us to go into our “secret place” to pray (Matthew 6:6). He was saying that we should pray from our spirit and let the Holy Spirit lead our prayers. In this way, we will not pray for our own will and desires, but for God’s will and His desires to be fulfilled in and through our lives.
Your Most Precious Gift
The indwelling Holy Spirit is the most precious gift that God can give to us. His abiding presence will empower us to be obedient and fruitful, if we will listen and obey. He brings us the knowledge of
God’s will (1Corinthians 2:9-11) and all the spiritual provisions we need for “life and Godliness”
(2Peter 1:3). He enlightens us, guides us, imparts faith to us and fills us with God’s Love, Peace, Joy, Wisdom, Knowledge, Revelation, and so much more. As we surrender our lives to Him and submit our will to His (Romans 12:1- 2; Galatians 2:20; Matthew 16:24-25), He can teach and train us as maturing fruitful disciples of the Kingdom (Ephesian 4:13; Colossians 1:28-29; Hebrews 6:1).
Embrace the Holy Spirit! Welcome Him! Listen to Him! Please Him! He will fill your life with:
“Joy that is inexpressible and full of glory” (1Peter 1: 8)
“Peace which surpasses all understanding” (Philippians 4:7)
“Hope that never fails” (Proverbs 23:18)
“Faith that can move mountains” (Mark 11:23).
By our wrong choices, words, and actions, we can grieve the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 4:30) and extinguish His fire (1Thessalonians 5:19-20). You do such things at your own peril!
Do not ignore Him! Do not disobey Him! Do not reject Him!
THE SEED AND THE SPIRIT
“The one who believes in me, as the Scripture has said, will have streams of living water flow from deep within him.” (John 7:38)
“For you have been born again not of seed which is perishable but imperishable, that is, through the living and enduring word of God.” (1Peter 1:23)
“The Seed is the Word of God …. and the seed in the good soil, these are the ones who have heard the word in an honest and good heart, and hold it fast, and bear fruit with perseverance.” (Luke 8:11,15)
“But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. He will glorify me because it is from me that he will receive what he will make known to you.” (John 16:13)
“But the Advocate (the Helper, the Comforter), the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.” (John 14:26).
The Greek word translated variously as “belly,” or “innermost being,” or “deep within,” is Koilia. It can also be translated as “womb.” This is incredibly significant and extremely important for us to understand. The womb is the place where the ‘seed’ is implanted. This is also the place where the “Streams of Living Water,” the Holy Spirit, flows from!
Jesus taught us that the Word of God is a “Seed” (Luke 8:11). This “Seed” of the Word of God implanted into your “Spiritual womb,” contains the “genetic instructions” that the indwelling Holy Spirit will follow to guide and teach you to find your gifts and fulfill your calling. As you obey the Word of God and listen to the Holy Spirit, you will grow and develop to full spiritual maturity and fruitfulness. (Ephesians 4:13; Colossians 1:28; John 15:1-8)
The soil in which the “Seed” of the Word of God is planted in your heart. We are warned to “guard your heart, because everything concerning your life flows from it” (Proverbs 4:23). Jesus strongly emphasized this warning in the parable of the “Seed.” He warned us that our wrong attitudes can reject the “Seed” so it never gets planted in our lives. He also warned us that things like worry, or the desire for riches, or fear of rejection or persecution can cause the “Seed” to be strangled and never grow, mature or bear fruit.
You are Responsible
Everyone is personally responsible for their own spiritual growth. If you are going to grow to spiritual maturity and bear much fruit for the Kingdom of God, you must train yourself to be sensitive and obedient to what the “Seed” and the “Spirit” are saying to you. If you do not do that, it will never be done. You will live a merely natural life, trusting in your own abilities, your own intellect, your own
perceptions, interpretations, choices, and decisions. You will never do the will of God because you are not listening or obeying Him.
FIRST STEPS
The first step you have to take is to open your heart and believe that what the Bible teaches is true and is for you. This is one of your first acts of faith. Please remember this, “Without faith it is impossible to please God, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him” (Hebrews 11:6). The next step is to act on what you now believe. This is how you begin the process of learning the difference between your own thoughts, feelings and imagination, and what the indwelling Holy Spirit is saying to you.
You start where you are in life, facing your realities as they exist. You begin to intentionally focus on the written Word of God, the Bible and the indwelling Holy Spirit who speaks to you. The heart of discipleship is learning to obey the voice of the indwelling Holy Spirit.
You have to give yourself permission to make mistakes and learn from them. Ask the Lord to begin to speak to you, and take your first little baby steps in listening and obeying. Like a toddler learning to walk, you have to take the risk of falling or failing. When you fall you do not give up, you just pick yourself up and try again.
This is the process of stepping out in faith. You must believe that God can cause all things, including your mistakes in not hearing or responding correctly, to “work together for your good” (Romans 8.28).
When God leads you, situations and circumstances in your life will line up with what He is saying. He will order your steps (Psalm 37:23), provide what you need (Philippians 4:19), and guide you (Psalm 32:8).
LEARN TO LISTEN
Learning how to “listen to your spirit,” learning how to hear the Holy Spirit who is dwelling in your
spirit, is the most important part of your life of faith. It is the key to our spiritual growth and fruitfulness for the Kingdom of God. Without developing this skill, you will never be able to live a life of faithfulness and fruitfulness as a disciple of the Kingdom.
You can be a good churchgoer, a “good person,” who does “good” things, without this. But you can never be an “overcomer” or a fruitful disciple without it.
Because this is so crucial, let me repeat it. Learning how to hear the voice of the indwelling Holy Spirit is the most important ongoing spiritual dynamic of your life.
FILL YOURSELF WITH THE WORD OF GOD
In order to deepen your relationship with the indwelling Holy Spirit, you must fill your mind and your heart with the Word of God. This will cause your thinking to be renewed and conformed to the will of God, (Romans 12:2; Ephesians 4:23; 1Corinthians 2:15). Filling your heart and mind with the Word of God (Psalm 119:11) will cause it to become a resource that will provide you with all you need when you experience the various problems, challenges and difficulties that we all inevitably encounter. This resource is what Jesus was referring to when He taught us that obeying His words, which are “Spirit and Life” (John 6:63), enables us to build our lives upon “The Rock,” so that when, not if, the “storms of life” come crashing upon us, we are able to “overcome” all things (Matthew 7:24; Revelation 21:7).
Here, once again, the Messiah was affirming the same instructions that are repeated throughout the Hebrew Scriptures. Here are just two examples:
“This book of instruction must not depart from your mouth; you are to meditate on it day and night so that you may carefully observe everything written in it. For then you will prosper and succeed in whatever you do.” (Joshua 1:8)
“My son give attention to my words; Incline your ear to my sayings. Do not let them depart from your sight; Keep them in the midst of your heart. For they are life to those who find them and health to all their body. Watch over your heart with all diligence, for from it flow the springs of life.” (Proverbs 4:20-22)
The Apostle Paul echoes this in his instruction to us: “Study to show yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth.” (2Timothy 2:15)
Take time every day to meditate on some part of the Bible. To meditate means to focus, to reflect and think. You can commit to memory those verses the Holy Spirit really connects you with. Discussing the Scriptures with others who share your desire to walk with the Lord is another way to study the Bible. As Proverbs 27:17 says, “As Iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.” This simply means that we help each other learn, change and grow.
Let me say this as clearly as I can. If you do not study the Scriptures, you will be spiritually shallow, immature and bear little fruit. Is this who you want to be?
Remember this! God will never speak anything that is contrary to what the Bible teaches. It is His book. He wrote it and will not contradict it. It is the sure guide for our spiritual life.
Your spiritual adversary, Satan, knows the power of the Word of God. When confronting Satan in the wilderness before His ministry began, Yeshua (Jesus) defeated him by declaring “it is written” and then quoting the verse (Matthew 4:1-11; Luke 4:1-13). Because of the power of the written Word of God, Satan does everything he can to dissuade us from reading and studying the Scriptures. Do not let him!! Pick up your Bible and begin to read it!! When your heart and mind is saturated with the Word of God,
you will be able to face all the challenges of life with the strength, the faith, the hope and the wisdom it gives you.
PRACTICE OBEYING THE WORD OF GOD
As you fill your life with God’s Words, you must put into practice what you learn. You must become a
“Doer of the Word and not merely someone who only hears and deceives themselves” (James 1:22).
Remember the last recorded words of Miriam the mother of Yeshua (otherwise known as Mary the mother of Jesus) at the wedding in Cana. She told the wine stewards, “Whatever He tells you, Do It!!” (John 2:5).
As you read the Scriptures and pray, the Holy Spirit will speak to you. If you do not hear anything specific, don’t worry. When the Lord wants to speak to you, He will. Every day practice focusing on what the Scriptures teach. Always remember that Jesus taught us that the entire Bible is summarized in two commandments: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the great and foremost commandment. The second is like it, you shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend the whole law and the prophets.” (Matthew 22:38-40)
Simply stated: Love God, Love Yourself, Love People. If you do not know what to do, follow this advice: “Do all the good you can, to as many people as you can, for as long as you can.”
A central part of discipleship is the process of putting into action what you are hearing in your spirit. It is here that you have to learn to take the risk of faith. If you make a mistake, you just have a new opportunity to learn.
Use your gift of repentance ((Acts 11:18; 2 Timothy 2:25), and always remember that because there is no condemnation to those who are in the Messiah (Romans 8:1), you can reject any of Satan’s attempts to make you feel ashamed, or guilty, or blamed as a failure. Those are talent burying and life destroying lies which the devil has used to destroy many lives. Don’t be his victim, be an overcomer! Amen!
Obedience is the key to hearing! As you pray, listen. When you hear, obey. As you cultivate a heart of obedience, your ability to hear will increase. The more you obey, the more you will hear. The better you get at obeying, the better at listening you will become.
The Scripture teaches us that “in the multitude of counselors there is safety” (Proverbs 11:14, 24:6). As you practice listening and obeying, there are times, particularly when you are going to make a major decision, when you should submit what you are hearing to others whom you trust and respect. Let them pray with you and test what you are hearing. If it is the Lord, they will also hear confirmatory words, or Scriptures, or have a Holy Spirit given peace that bears witness with your word.
If you are unwilling to submit your leading to others, be very careful. Satan dwells in darkness. God dwells in the light. One way that we get deceived is when we do things alone because we think we don’t need anyone but “the Lord.” Satan will use that kind of erroneous thinking to deceive us. God has made us all part of His Body, joined to other believers, with whom we are called to share our lives. Our walk with the Lord is not a “me and Jesus” walk, but a “we and Jesus” walk. Cultivate healthy relationships with those you can trust and respect. They will be a source of protection for you. If you don’t have people like that in your life, ask the Lord to help you find them. He will.
CHOICES
In this process of learning to walk with God in the pursuit of fulfilling His plans and purposes, we get tested. These tests are intended to take us to ever deepening levels of relationship to Him as Lord of our lives. They are a central part of the process of learning, changing, growing, maturing and bearing fruit as disciples of the Kingdom.
At crucial junctures in our life, we get opportunities to make choices and decisions. We can choose to obey or not. We can choose to submit or rebel. We can choose to say yes or no. Each choice takes us on a path, in the direction of a deeper walk with the Lord or away from Him. At these places, we must always be willing to “pick up our cross” and “deny ourselves” (Matthew 16:24). These are places of opportunity to deepen our relationship with the Lord. Of course, there are those who don’t make this choice. They have walked with the Lord at a level, and when tested, chose to remain at that level, or even begin to “drift away” as their hearts are “hardened by the deceitfulness of sin” (Hebrew 2:1, 3:13).
Thank God, we can repent when we make wrong choices and can get back on the “Path of Life” (Psalm 16.11; Proverbs 14:12).
Success
Some people teach that the Holy Spirit was given to us so that we can be successful; that is not true. The Holy Spirit is given to us so we can be faithful and obedient! The word successful can easily be misunderstood. Many think that it means that God wants you to have a lot of money, or fame, or celebrity, or accolades from others. There are many “successful” people, by worldly standards, who are very smart, rich and famous, but have no connection to or belief in God. They will never fulfill God’s purposes for their lives. Remember, the things that people value highly are detestable in God’s sight.” (Luke 16:15).
SO MANY VOICES
With so many different voices surrounding us, it is critical that we learn how to to discern between truth and lies, between good and evil, and hear and obey the only voice that matters, the voice of the Lord.
Demonic voices will continually speak lies, which is really the only weapon they have. These lies create wrong beliefs that are focused on destroying your relationship with God, preventing you from finding and fulfilling your calling, and robbing you of those gifts God has entrusted to you. If you believe those lies, they become the truth for your life and you will never fulfill your destiny in the Lord, and you will be ultimately defeated in your spiritual life.
Please do not misunderstand me. This is not a salvation issue! We are saved by grace through faith, not by our works (Ephesians 2:8). Thank God! This is an issue of growing to spiritual maturity and bearing fruit for the Kingdom of God.
We must be aware of the various sources of those lies. Sometimes the lies come from well-meaning friends and family who are always ready to give us their opinions and advice. Remember there is a big difference between advice and wise counsel. Wise counsel will always agree with the Word of God and will bear witness with your spirit (Romans 8:16; 1 John 5:6). While we treat these people with love and respect, we have to put their words into perspective. As we give God’s word priority, we can put everyone’s opinions and advice (well-meaning and otherwise) into their proper place.
When we give God’s words first place in our lives, we can, with love and respect, say “no thank you” to every word that is contrary to what the Lord is saying. This gives us a great sense of personal freedom. This is one of the things Jesus was referring to when He said, “He whom the son sets free is free indeed” (John 8:36). When we make Jesus Lord of our lives, it prevents anyone else from trying to take that place. We have an authority that prevents anyone from intimidating, manipulating and controlling us. That is real freedom!!
It is from this place of authority that we can “test everything, and only hold onto that which is good” (1Thessalonians 5:21). It is also from this place of authority that we “… test the spirits to see whether they are from God. For many false prophets have gone out into the world” (1 John 4:1). As part of that testing process, we must not allow superficial appearances to affect us, but make “righteous judgments” as we investigate those who seek to influence us (John 7:24).
Jesus taught us to examine the fruit of people’s words and lives. What do their doctrines, or dogmas, or philosophies, or ideologies, or politics produce? If they do not produce the “Fruit of Righteousness” (James 3:18) we must reject them. Let us consider well and practice diligently these verses:
“Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits. Grapes are not gathered from thorn bushes nor figs from thistles, are they? So every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a bad tree produce good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. So then, you will know them by their fruits.” (Matthew 7:15-20)
“For there is no good tree which produces bad fruit, nor, on the other hand, a bad tree which produces good fruit. For each tree is known by its own fruit. For men do not gather figs from thorns, nor do they
pick grapes from a briar bush. The good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth what is good; and the evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth what is evil; for his mouth speaks from that which fills his heart.” (Luke 6:43-45)
KEEP PRACTICING!
The more you practice something, the better you get at it. This is also true in our walk with the Lord. The more you practice listening and obeying, the better you will become at it. At first it is not easy to stay in the flow of the Holy Spirit coming out of your “innermost being.” But as you diligently study the Scriptures and pray from your “Secret Place,” you will steadily hear more clearly. You will learn, change, grow and progressively mature and bear more and more fruit for the Kingdom of God.
You will be able to safely stay in your own stream as you navigate the many currents and creatures in the oceans of life. You will never be distracted or disturbed by those other voices, those other currents, or those creatures. You will live a life of joyous fruitful victory! Amen!!
HERE ARE SOME VERSES FOR YOU TO MEDITATE ON
“I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever; that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you and will be in you.” (John 14:16-17)
“Jesus answered and said to him, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our abode with him.” (John 14:23)
“For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.” (Romans 8:14)
“For the Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God.” (Romans 8:16)
“For who knows a person’s thoughts except the spirit of that person, which is in him? So also no one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God.” (1 Corinthians 2:11-12)
Jesus said, “The words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.” (John 6:63)
Jesus said, “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.” (John 10:27)
Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—His good, pleasing and perfect will. (Romans 12:1–2)
“…lay aside the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit, and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth.” (Ephesians 4:22-24)
“…like newborn babies, long for the pure milk of the word, so that by it you may grow in respect to salvation…” (1 Peter 2:2)
“…Let the peace of God rule (act like an umpire) in your hearts…” (Colossians 3:15)
“I will instruct you and teach you the way you should go; I will give you counsel and watch over you.” (Psalm 32:8)
“In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and he shall direct thy paths.” (Proverbs 3:6)
