Questions from "The Cove" Seminar

NOTE: I have categorized the questions, as many dealt with the same general subject areas.

Q. How can I be sure that God is speaking to me? If, as you said, they way God often speaks "feels like my own thoughts," then how do I know the difference between his thoughts and my own?

A. (See the book Power Praying. It is about how God reveals His will in the present tense. Also, see Riches Stored in Secret Places, pages 24-27 and 145-149. See Heart’s Cry)
That God’s present voice will never contradict either His Word of His character is a given.

When God is speaking to you, giving you direction, encouragement, or wisdom in the moment, know that He will be completely patient with you. He understands that your problem is not that you don’t trust Him, but that you don’t trust yourself. He is willing to keep telling you until you know that it is His voice you are hearing. Claim this promise:

I will go before you
and will level the mountains;
I will break down gates of bronze
and cut through bars of iron.
I will give you the treasures of darkness,
riches stored in secret places,
so that you may know that I am the Lord,
the God of Israel, who summons you by name. (Isa. 45:2-3)

He will take responsibility for making sure you hear Him. Don’t worry about whether you are good at hearing. He is good at speaking.

You will not find yourself in a situation that you are not ready for. Wherever you are—whatever circumstances you are in—He knows that you are mature enough to discern His voice for this. He is speaking in a way that you can respond to Him. Tell Him this: "Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening" (1 Sam. 3:9).

He will affirm and confirm His word to you. Stay alert to His Spirit, always watching for what He is saying.

I will stand at my watch
and station myself on the ramparts;
I will look to see what he will say to me.
(Hab. 2:1)

As you live a praying life, living in a continual flow of His power and provision, walking daily in relationship to Him and openness to Him, that which is from Him will grow stronger and stronger. It will take deeper root. It will not let go of you, even when you think you might let go of it. On the other hand, that which is from your flesh will shrivel up and die of its own accord. Claim Revelation 3:7: "What he opens no one can shut, and what he shuts no one can open."

Wait for His timing. Let Him bring His word into being. He is watching over His word to see that it is carried out (Jer. 1:12).

In the end, trust Him, trust Him, trust Him. He is not so uninvolved that He will watch you mistakenly take a step that you believe He is telling to take. He promises you: "I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you and watch over you" (Ps. 32:8). He will not let you ACCIDENTALLY miss His will.

He is building a relationship that is so intimate that He can "guide you with [His] eye"

(Ps. 32:8, KJV). He can pour out His thoughts to you and make His words know to you (Prov.1:23). He will move you and cause you to do His will. "I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws" (Ezek. 36:26-27).

Many times you will find yourself in the right place at the right time, with the right resources or the right information, and it will seem that what put you there was random—just a spontaneous thought or decision on your part. When you see the big picture you will realize that it was the living voice of the living God. His voice has become so familiar to you that there are times when you follow it instinctively.

Q. If God has finished His work, what is He doing right now?

A. (See the book He Leads Me Beside Still Waters. It is about the underlying, eternal meaning of "sabbath"—living at rest in Gods finished work. In this book, I go into detail and follow the thread of this truth from its beginning in Genesis through the New Testament.)

The work that is left to do is to get the finished work of God from the spiritual realm into the material realm. The conduit through which it flows is prayer.

"God, who has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time, but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus" (2 Tim. 1:8-10).

Do you see that the work was completed before the beginning of time, but was manifested and revealed on the earth at the ripe, appointed (fulfilled) time? When the time had come for that fully formed plan to take place in the context of earth and time, God had intercessors in place: Simeon and Anna (Luke 2:22-38). See Live a Praying Life for details of how Simeon and Anna fit into the picture.

Q. If God has everything finished and ready, where does free will fit in?

A. Although God has everything ready and waiting, all of His provision does not automatically flow into the circumstances of earth. "You do not have, because you do not ask God" (James 4:2-3). God has chosen to engage His people in everything He is doing on the earth. Scripture is clear that humans can refuse or ignore that which God has available. See Live a Praying Life for in-depth study of how God’s people participate in the release of His power in the circumstances of earth.

Q. Please give clarification of the "Kingdome" and "The Promised Land" that you say we are living in. In the book of Revelation, it seems that these are still to come.

A. Jesus, while in His earth-body, most often spoke of the Kingdom of God as present now, rather than as coming in the future (though both thoughts were present in His teaching). He preached that the kingdom of heaven was "at hand," or "close by." He used a word that meant if you reach out, you will touch it—its that close. It is here. In Matthew 12:28, He said, "… the kingdom of God has come upon you."

"The kingdom of God does not come with your careful observation, nor will people say, ‘Here it is,’ or ‘There it is,’ because the kingdom of God is within you" (Luke 17:20-21).

"For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves" (Col. 1:13-1). –NOTE: verb tense is a completed action.

In the book of Hebrews, especially in the fourth chapter, the Promised Land is clearly revealed as Christ. Just as the Israelites "entered into" Canaan, so we can "enter into" Christ. I suggest the following resources for a detailed treatment: Holiest of All by Andrew Murray; The Saving Life of Christ by Maj. Ian Thomas; He Leads Me Beside Still Waters by Jennifer Kennedy Dean.

The day will come when we will live our eternal life, our Kingdom life, our Promised Land, without the constraints of earth and time. There will be a time when we will know even as we are known; we will no longer see through a glass darkly, but face to face. There awaits us another way of experiencing eternal life. But we have the One who is Eternal Life right now.

When these bodies die and we leave time and space, it is our bodies that will be changed. Our spirits are already eternal. Our bodies are called "tents," not houses. This is because the very one who lives in this tent will move into a mansion.