30 March 2016

ANOTHER ESSENTIAL ASPECT OF DISCIPLESHIP

By John Ollis

We have mentioned most of  the essential ingredients in Biblical Discipleship in the last blog on this topic, and in this blog I want to talk about an aspect of discipleship that is hardly even considered, and yet is an essential key for the new believer to develop to  spiritual maturity..
Physically we are born with 5 natural senses :
Hearing, seeing, touching, tasting and smelling,  and these automatically begin to operate from birth.
When we are born again we also inherit 5 spiritual senses, but somehow these do not seem to work as automatically  as our natural senses, and need to be trained, and this is where the role of a Discipler/Mentor is essential, otherwise difficulties and excesses can occur.
THE SPIRITUAL SENSE OF HEARING:
We must learn to hear the voice of God, Paul tells us there are many voices in this world and they are all significant (1Cor.14:10) We must learn to clearly hear the voice of God. God wants to speaks to us in many ways.
He speaks to us through the preaching of the Word,
There is the still small voice of God deep in our spirit.
God wants to speak to us from the Scriptures, letting the Logos word become a Rhema word.
So many believers have a say once a year experience of hearing God speak to them, GOD WANTS TO SPEAK TO US EVERY DAY. This is where a Mentor is so important, to help us recognise what is the voice of God, and not some other voice. As young believers it is not easy to discern what is the voice of God, but as we relate and share with our Mentor He helps us, to clearly hear the voice of God. Let us never feel we have “arrived” and don’t need a Mentor anymore, it is always  good to bounce off your Mentor what you believe the Lord has said to you.
Never forget that if you feel God has spoken to us, what you feel He has said MUST ALWAYS LINE UP WITH THE WRITTEN WORD OF GOD. GOD WILL NEVER SPEAK CONTRARY TO THE SCRIPTURES.
Paul tells us in Rom.10:17 that (as we meditate on the Scriptures) the written Word (Logos) becomes the quickened personal (Rhema) word and this produces FAITH in pour hearts. If you will spend a few minutes every day meditating on the Scriptures God will speak to you and you will receive a Rhema word.
Just as wax can build up in our ears and making listening clearly difficult, we must make sure there is no unconfessed sin in our lives (no spiritual wax)  to hinder us hearing the voice of God.
God wants to speak to us every day, we must make the time to meditate on the Scriptures daily, it takes discipline and effort but the results can be life changing.
We have an enemy (the devil) and we are in a constant battle with him, he does not want us to succeed) we must learn to take the Sword of the Spirit which has become the Rhema of God to contend with the evil one.
Naturally speaking (and speaking personally) our hearing can deteriorate and we have to use hearing aids. But, as we walk in the Spirit, we can maintain perfect hearing, and constantly hear the voice of God speaking  to us.
If you do not have a Mentor, let me encourage you to seek one out, so that all your 5 spiritual senses will develop more and more, and assist you in your walk to maturity.
If this blog has helped you please let me know.