How do I discern the voice of God?

      How do I know if I am hearing from God? How do I know if that prophetic word was right? How do I know what God's will is? These are some typical questions Christians ask.

      During this past September's School of Apostles and Prophets (SOAP), Apostle Ricci Hausley, founder of SEPC, taught an informative and helpful message entitled "How to Discern the Voice of God". He continued with it on church the following Sunday. He structured his message around what God's voice is not, in order to show us what his voice is. Apostle Ricci taught us five things that God's voice is not. Whether we receive a prophetic word from a prophet or hear God’s voice for ourselves, we need to discern the word and keep these five things in mind. 

1. God's voice will not contradict the Bible. 

       Prophets and prophetic words don't minimize the importance of knowing the written Word of God. We can't focus so much on prophecy that we don't read our bibles. 1 Thessalonians 5:20-21 states "Do not despise prophetic utterances, but examine everything carefully; hold fast to that which is good". 

       Likewise, if God speaks directly to us, we still must judge that to see if it agrees with what is written in His Word. Sometimes we may think that God is speaking to us but the voice may be coming from our own thoughts, or it could be coming from the enemy.

2. God's voice is not the voice of confusion. 

      

     Oftentimes in life, we come to a fork in the road and have to make a decision. This could be regarding ministry, career or any life decision. What should my major be in college? Which job should I take? Should I get involved in this ministry? Is this the person God wants me to marry? As Christians should, we often ask God to guide us in what direction to take. We could be praying or just thinking and believe that we hear the voice of God regarding the decision. How do we know for sure if this is God speaking? An important thing we look for is peace. If we feel uncomfortable or confused about a decision, it is never from God. 

     I used to have a bad habit of hearing God's voice and feeling peace but then going back and trying to reason out what had been heard, trying to make sense of it logically. Needless to say, I would sometimes end up being disobedient to God because I would listen more to human logic than to the Holy Spirit. 

3. God's voice is not complicated.

       

     I have heard people say things like “How do you know if God is speaking to you?” or “God just doesn’t speak to me. If he does, I don’t understand him.” Some people may be looking for a super spiritual revelation or loud booming voice when listening for God’s voice. Others may think too logically and reason that a big God would not want to talk to regular people. I usually tell these people that God desires to speak to everyone and that he speaks in a way you could understand. God speaks simply.     

     When Apostle Ricci spoke about this during SOAP, he mentioned that 2/3 of the world’s population reads below a sixth grade level. God will not speak in some lofty, complicated way that most people won't understand. Apostle made another good point by saying that the message of salvation is so simple that even a child could understand it. This shows how simple God is! 

4. God's voice will not leave you in a state of anxiety and distress. 

     The voice of God will not instill fear and anxiety in our lives. God is the Prince of Peace. Fear is not in his nature. The voice of God will never “rush” us to make a decision based on fear or worry. Most decisions that we make hastily come from our emotions, not the voice of God. This is very important to keep in mind when making decisions. We should never do things too quickly because our emotions will often rush us.            

5. God's voice does not bring condemnation.

     Apostle Ricci taught that God tries to adjust us, not condemn us. He will never make us feel guilty or ashamed. If we hear a voice in our head that says something like “You really messed this up”, then this is not from God. This is straight from the enemy and needs to be discarded. God will never embarrass us in front of other people either. The Holy Spirit is a gentleman. If we receive a prophecy that is harsh and judgmental, then it is not from God. Prophecy is supposed to edify, comfort and exhort.    

      We need to keep all these things in mind when personally hearing from God or when receiving a prophetic word from a prophet or prophetic minister. People aren’t perfect and can make mistakes. Apostle Ricci stated during his teaching that those who are mature know how to discern the voice of God. As Christians, we should desire to be mature sons and daughters of God and be able to discern.  

Blessings,

Debra Szubrowski 

Blog Editor 

Do you want to hear God's voice?

      

       Do you want to hear from God? Is there a situation in your life where you need direction? Do you simply want to have a deeper relationship with God?  One of the most important things students learn at the Samuel Elijah Prophetic College is to learn the different ways that God uses to speak to us. God speaks to His people in a variety of ways and does so on a regular basis. 

      During the first year of training at SEPC, students learn about five specific ways that God may use to communicate with us: seeing, hearing, feeling, speaking and knowing. Now God’s voice is not limited to these five channels. He also speaks through His written Word (most important), creation, godly counsel, and opened and closed doors, to name a few other ways. However, these specific ways are personal and consistent expressions in which God wants to get through to us, if we only let Him do so. God does not speak to everyone in the same way but every believer can hear God’s voice through at least one of these ways.   

Seeing

       One way God speaks to people is by showing them things. This could either be a mental picture or an open vision. Dreams also fall into this category. This type of communication with God is seen throughout the entire Bible from Joseph's dreams to the visions of Old Testament prophets to the awesome revelation of John in the New Testament. There are hundreds of examples of dreams and visions in the Word of God. 

        The exciting thing is that God still speaks through dreams and visions today! Acts 2:17 states: "In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams.” God speaks to people through dreams, visions and mental pictures all the time. Have you ever seen an image of someone’s face as you were spending time in prayer? Have you had a significant dream that you couldn’t stop thinking about? Did you ever see a vision during a worship service? These are all examples of seeing.

Hearing

      Sometimes people hear God. This doesn't necessarily mean an audible voice. The majority of the time it is an inner voice which is very much like a thought, except it is not from your own intellect. Have you ever had a thought that seemed like it did not come from you? Maybe it was so profound that you would not think of it on your own? For example, years ago I got a little lost on the way to a prophetic conference. I felt compelled to go to this conference and was going on my own. This was before I had my GPS, which I can't live without now. As I was driving, I heard the word "Centennial". Soon after, I saw a sign that said "Centennial Ave". I don't remember how I knew to turn left or right but I made a turn and came to a familiar landmark that soon led me to my destination. I didn't know the area at all and would have never thought of that street name on my own!

Feeling

    God speaks to some people through the sense of feeling. One may feel a burden for someone by actually sharing in the other person’s emotional state. For example, some people could feel the anxiety or distress of another person. Likewise, they may feel a strong burden of depression. God is speaking to them about the other person through this and is asking them to take action, which is always a call to intercession in prayer.

Speaking 

     God can speak to believers through speech. For example, a prophet or prophetic minister will often prophesy to people without seeing or hearing anything. The words that come out of their mouth are what God speaks to them. They don’t know these words ahead of time. 

Knowing

     Sometimes people just "know" things. God speaks through gut feelings. I’m sure most of you who are reading have experienced a time where you just knew something wasn’t right. It could have been a bad feeling about a person or a situation. Sooner or later, you found out you were right. There was no logical explanation for what you were feeling at that moment. You just knew. That was God speaking to you.

God desires to have a growing, active relationship with every believer.  Communication is an important part of every thriving relationship. All believers need to discover the ways God speaks to them and have a desire to hear from God on a regular basis. The more we desire and engage in communication, the more God will speak to us.

Blessings

Debra Szubrowski

Blog Editor

From Membership to Sonship

From Membership to Sonship

         Thinking about taking a course at the Samuel Elijah Prophetic College but not sure which one? Why not consider our Apostolic Mentoring course? The Ricci J Hausley Sons and Daughters Assembly that took place in mid-March gave all who attended a taste of what students learn in this dynamic course.

         All who came out to the Assembly were greatly blessed and challenged as Apostle Jim Becton, Apostle Ricci J. Hausley and Prophet Michael Fram brought prophetic and pivotal messages to Eagles Nest Christian Fellowship and to those connected to Apostle Ricci! Many timely words were preached at this gathering- far too many to discuss here. A major theme of the assembly was that God wants His church to shift from membership to Sonship, which will take a change in mindset on behalf of the saints. This theme is covered extensively in the Apostolic Mentoring course.

         The saints were challenged as Apostle Jim Becton preached about the call for us to change inwardly in order for God to change things on the outside. I took a good look at myself at this point. Prior to the gathering, God had been speaking to me about making changes spiritually. I felt the tug of the Holy Spirit on my heart, urging me to stop going about business as usual and to make my relationship with the Lord the central focus of my life again. I had been distracted. I repented and asked the Lord to renew me. So as Becton preached about repentance, changing mindsets, and allowing God to move, I felt like it was confirmation for me.

        We must be willing and ready for change. New wine could not be poured into old wineskins. We have to change our mindsets and ways of doing things. Change is hard for many people, but it is necessary for spiritual advancement and for the shift.

         The shift that was spoken about by all three preachers was the shift from membership to Sonship in the church. Apostle Ricci stated "All human beings have a basic need to be loved, affirmed and cared for." He told us that the purpose of a spiritual father or mother is to fulfill this need in their spiritual children. The saints need to ask themselves these questions: Do I have a spiritual father or mother? Are these needs being fulfilled in my life or do I have an orphan spirit, thinking nobody cares about me? Do I feel the need to perform to get approval? If I have been exposed to the Sonship message, am I understanding and applying it?

          If one does not have a spiritual father or mother, then they must ask God to divinely connect them to one. If they think they can serve God on their own, without spiritual parenting, then they are closed-minded to the shift that God wants to do in the church at large. This is where the need to change mindsets comes in. God wants to work through relationships. We need each other.

         Furthermore, I am asking my own questions. Am I applying what I hear every week? Am I teaching and showing this message to those around me who need it? Everyone needs this message. It’s not just for the church, but is a basic human need that largely goes unmet. God is calling His church to serve more than the local congregation, but to serve the world. He is calling local churches to branch out and connect with each other and with the community.

         Those who attended the RJH Sons and Daughters Gathering should not forget what was imparted to them during that weekend. May this message go forth.

Exciting New Things

       Greetings students, friends and fans of the Samuel Elijah Prophetic College. We kicked off the year 2015 with some exciting new things! January's School of the Apostles and Prophets had a huge turnout, which included many members of SEPC's brand new extension school in Trenton NJ. Apostle Ricci is teaching a beginning course on the prophetic for eager students in the Trenton area. The course is taught via Skype. SEPC is excited to share their prophetic expertise with this region.
        Our February School of the Apostles and Prophets will take place this week, on February 5, at
7:30 pm. Pastor Theresa will be teaching and running the prophetic activations. She is known for stretching people prophetically with her activations. It doesn't matter how much experience one has with prophecy. All are encouraged to join in! We expect a great move of God in people's lives.