Chapter Two

Listening to the Heart of God

When I meet people in the streets they often deal with emotions of their heart that they were no longer aware of and others that they were. When the convicting power of God deals with a heart, the darkness is lifted and the truth is exposed. I remember a man named Jeff that I met at a bus station. God led me to follow him, and I did as he started to walk off into the darkness. I encouraged him to stop and I began to share with him my concern for his soul and shared Christ with him. He listened and was eager to pray and to receive Christ into his life.

Jeff shared with me and said, "The words you spoke were so truthful and full of light." This man's words gave me an insight into what was happening in his heart as I spoke to him. Somehow God used my simple words and pierced this man's heart and reached down deep into his soul and shined the light of the gospel into it. This man shared with me that he had lived with prostitutes and drug dealers and he felt he had to leave and get away from all of it. Other sins in his life were exposed and he began to walk the best way he knew how but still did not have a relationship with Christ. He said he took a job as far as he could from where he had lived and tried to stay busy so he would not revert back to his old life.

Jeff was following his heart, the best way he knew how and his heart was leading him to Christ all along, without him even knowing it. I found it encouraging that God was dealing with him so intensely and He was leading Jeff to Him. Every day Jeff was walking further away from sin. Then one day God arranged for me to share Christ with him and to help him complete his new life. Now Jeff has a heart that is new and a heart that will not fail him but will lead him into eternity with Christ. I will always remember that night when I went to the bus station. I had been in one of my favorite areas in town witnessing and felt led to go across town to the bus station. Oh, how precious is our Lord who can direct our lives if we will just listen to our heart.

I am reminded of a scripture in the book of Acts that is much like others who heard the Word and their heart responded to what they heard. Let's remember that when we share Christ with others there is more happening than what can be seen. The person of the Holy Spirit will speak to their heart with such intensity that they will hear Him, that they will come to a knowledge of Christ, become saved, walk away from their past, and repent of their sin.

Acts 2
37 Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?
38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.

Most of us on a daily basis deal with certain aspects of our heart. We must let God examine our lives and allow Him to expose our heart to the Light of the Gospel. God is speaking to His creation, but are we listening? In my own life when God called me, He began to cause me to deal with certain things in my life. For years, He has spoken about what I needed to change in my life and I had to deal with these areas of my life to walk further in my calling with God. It is a choice to follow God further and we must be willing to change.

For years, the Lord has preserved my life in some of the worst areas in our nation. I have had guns, knives, and ice picks pointed at me and attempted robberies but God has protected me through all of this. I do not trust in what I have seen or what I have experienced in the streets. I simply trust in Him. I have come to know that I can enjoy life to its fullest by walking free from fear. Only God can produce this trust that I have in Him. It is my prayer that if God is calling you to this type of ministry, you too would find peace in the midst of uncertain circumstances and trust Him with your life. We must not fear those who we are there to help. The Bible speaks of love being able to conquer our fear.

1 John 4
18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.

My night ministry began with my witness in city parks at night. These parks were in the inner cities and had many addicted people and youth identifying with gangs. At first, I was concerned for my life when it became dark. While it seemed that the number of conversions for Christ would increase, I would often quit witnessing at dark or stay close to well lighted areas. It seemed that the darkness brought fear, and I was not enjoying the freedom that I would like to have to witness.

One evening while I was in a park, I was walking along side a lost person and sharing the gospel. As I witnessed, I started feeling very uncomfortable as a group of youth who considered themselves as a gang began to follow me. The further I walked, the closer they seemed to get. I was witnessing in the darkest area of the park with a gang of youth coming closer and closer. I would look at them and then turn back to witness and then look back again. I finished my witness, and now I was alone and seemingly in danger. I prayed and said, "God I cannot witness with fear in my life. I want to be able to see the hearts of the people." Immediately, I heard the Lord say, "Then give me your life, and I will remove the fear." I simply said, "Lord, I give you my life." I said these words with all of my heart. Amazingly, from that night forward, I have never had fear in my life. Since that time I have walked alone at night in many of the worst cities of America and have felt at peace. Any of us may die at any time. I have come to trust God more than this life itself.

John 3
30 He must increase, but I must decrease.

Our walk with God would become so clear if we could simply change our focus. Most people have their eyes and lives focused on this world and life's struggles. Our life must be focused upon the kingdom of God. This life is so short and the rewards are so meaningless. Only our relationship in Christ will endure eternity. The question is where is your focus?

Many people have asked me how they can hear God. The most powerful and assured way to hear God is in His Word. The Word of God was inspired by God and therefore contains His voice. You can hear His voice as you begin to read His Word. The more you can hear His voice in the Word the more you will hear His voice. This concept is so simple and yet so true. I enjoy following the life of Christ through the gospels and see Christ walking from one need to another. He spent so much of His time sowing His life into those that would simply follow Him. He is looking for those who will follow Him today. I see a Jesus in the scriptures who stopped along a street one day, saw a man in a tree named Zacchaeus and spoke to him and said, "Zacchaeus, make haste, and come down; for today I must abide at thy house." He spent time with people and spoke to them regardless of wealth or their stature. This same Jesus is alive today and extending His hand to the lost as you extend your hand. Be a follower of Jesus Christ and listen to His voice!

John 10
27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:

It is time for all of us to begin to listen to the scriptures for ourselves. Many Christians will go from church to church to hear from God and yet He was with them all along. We must obey the voice of God to continue to hear His voice. Adam and Eve heard God's voice and failed to obey it. In the beginning man was given the ability to hear from God. Adam walked with God. The longer that sin grips a person's heart, the further that heart will lead them away from God. After Adam and Eve sinned they could still hear from God.

Genesis 3
8 And they heard the voice of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presense of the Lord God amongst the trees of the garden.

Although Adam and Eve heard from God, they were not looking for him. They already had their heart full of sin. This is much like those we witness to in the streets. They are walking so deep in sin that they choose to ignore the things of God. Only an encounter with the convicting power of God will expose their sin and allow them to hear God. It was God's desire to restore His creation back to Him.

Moses heard from God and God used him to direct the lives of many. He enjoyed the fellowship of God on a daily basis. Others that followed Moses often found themselves in disobedience and wanting to go back to Egypt. Although God was speaking through Moses, the people were not hearing for themselves. It is the will of God to speak personally to all of His creation. We must put ourselves in a position to hear Him.

John 5
37 And the Father himself, which hath sent me, hath borne witness of me. Ye have neither heard his voice at any time, nor seen his shape.
38 And ye have not his word abiding in you: for whom he hath sent, him ye believe not.
39 Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.

How many times do we seek to hear from God in times of tragedy or trouble? We need to prepare to hear from God and maintain our relationship with Him. We should not ignore the condition of our heart because someday we may not recognize the symptoms of sin in our life anymore when we no longer struggle because we no longer resist. When we have accepted defeat and sin into our life, we are out of fellowship with God. There is hope in this struggle. Never ignore the storm warnings that come to your life. Begin to walk closer to God and hear His voice in His scriptures and in your heart and life. God has made a choice for you to enjoy freedom. There was a cost and that was sending His Son to pay the price for your sin. There is a cost for you and that is to deny yourself and take up your Cross and follow Him.

Matthew 16
24 Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.
25 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it.

I challenge you to walk closer to God and He will walk closer to you. Listen for His voice in your daily life and in the scriptures. What I enjoy so much about God is that I find great comfort in knowing that He is always listening to my prayers and thoughts I have of Him.

Street University Lesson Two

Group Discussion

1. Discuss how you hear the voice of God.
2. Discuss hindrances to hearing the voice of God.

Bible Study

1. Find an example in the scriptures where God was speaking and the person did not recognize His voice. 1 Sam 3:4-10
2. Find an example in the scriptures where Christ spoke to Ananias and sent him to a specific street, a specific house, to pray for a specific person that was expecting him to pray for his sight. Acts 9:11-12
3. Search the scriptures to know that God will dwell in the heart of a believer. Isa 57:15; Rev. 3:20; 1 Cor 1:3

Assignment

1. Spend time in the gospels and listen to His voice in the scriptures.