Join Cherri as she shares insights on avoiding the common pitfalls of relying on external signs for divine guidance. She explains the importance of internal spiritual listening and how to walk confidently by faith. Learn effective steps to connect with the Holy Spirit and understand various ways God communicates with us.
Welcome to Victorious Faith. We believe you will be blessed, encouraged, and receive fresh faith to begin your day as you listen to today’s message with international missionary and Bible teacher, Cherri Campbell.
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Good morning. Welcome to Victorious Faith. I’m Cherri Campbell. This morning, I’m going to continue sharing with you a message that I preached in our Victorious Faith services called How to be Led by the Holy Spirit. And I believe this message is really helping you. So join me now in our live service for the continuation of this message, How to be Led by the Holy Spirit. But I said this to the Lord, Lord, in Psalm 40, verse 8, it says, I delight to do your will, O Lord. And that became a regular prayer of mine because I was saying, Lord, right now, this is not what I want to be doing, but I’m choosing. I delight to do your will, O Lord. And then the NIV says, I desire to do your will, O Lord. And if you make that a regular prayer, Psalm 40, verse 8, then you will see God able to lead you because that’s that open heart. That’s that willing heart. And once you’re open and willing, God can start directing. Amen. So that’s a first qualification for being able to hear God’s voice and be led by the spirit. Now I’m going to give you some steps to being able to hear God’s voice and be led by the spirit. And the first step I’m going to say is in two parts. And this may seem really simple, but first step is believe that he does speak to you. Because like I said, there are Christians who say, well, God never talks to me. Well, if you say God never talks to me, then you’re missing it to start with. You’ve got to believe he does. He is talking to you. He’s talking to you every day. It’s just that you’re not recognizing him. But there is that faith. And we’re going to be bringing in faith all the way through this. It all has to do with faith all the way through. But you’ve got to believe he is speaking. He is talking. Psalm 25, verse 14 says, the Lord confides in those who fear him. Now, fear, of course, we know is old English, but it means to reverence and honor the Lord, to fear the Lord. So the Lord confides. You can say, well, God confides in me. God confides in me. That’s pretty deep. You know, like a person you confide in is a person that’s usually someone really close. So God is desiring to confide in you and reveal to you his heart, his plans and his purpose. Also in Jeremiah 33, three call to me and I will answer you. Did God say I might answer you if I’m in a good mood that day? Sometimes I’ll answer you. No. He said, I will. That’s his promise. So you can’t say God doesn’t talk to me. If you’re calling to him, he said he will answer. Amen. And he will tell you great and unsearchable things. Also in John 10, let’s go to John 10 verses two through five, John 10 verses two through five. The man who enters by the gate is the shepherd of his sheep. The watchman opens the gate for him or the door and the sheep listen to his voice. Are you a sheep? If you’re born again, if you’re a child of God, you’re also a sheep. Hallelujah. So what did the sheep do? They listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and he leads them out. So God is going to lead you when he has brought out all his own. He goes on ahead of them and his sheep follow him. Why? Because they know his voice. Are you a sheep? This says that, you know, his voice. That’s a promise. Now, something the Lord showed me. Oh, many, many years ago. 10, four. John 10, four. Now in our society, not when I’m on the mission field, I have to explain, but you guys know what I mean. When the truckers are riding down the road or the policeman is in his car, holding the CB radio and he’s getting done, he says, 10, four. Now what does 10, four mean? It means I hear you. I understand. And I’m on my way. Think of a police officer. The dispatcher calls him and says, go over there. He says, 10-4. That means I’m hearing and I’m understanding your direction and I’m on my way. I’m going. 10-4. So whenever God speaks to you, you can say, 10-4, God. Based on John 10-4. Hallelujah. John 10 for his sheep. Follow him because they know his voice. And you can say 10 for God. That means I hear you. I’m understanding. I’m on my way doing it. Hallelujah. Praise God. Praise God. You see, God wants you to hear him more than you do. Christians, they kind of want to hear God, but they’re also busy with a lot of other stuff. God really, really, really wants you to hear him. So God is going to all kinds of effort to help you to hear him. Sometimes he jumps in your face and sometimes he’s screaming and not, you know, audibly, but trying to give you all kinds of. signs and information to direct you. Okay. So the first part of this step is believe that he does speak. And then the second part of this step is realize how God can speak to you. This is one B realize how God can speak. And first of all, let’s start with what you don’t do. Don’t put out fleeces. And if you know what I mean by fleece, Gideon in Judges chapter six, God was calling Gideon to go gather an army and go fight the enemy. And Gideon was saying, how can I know you’re with me? And that you’re going to do this thing. And so he had a lamb’s wool fleece and he laid it out on the ground outside. And the first night he said, God, now I want you to wet the fleece with dew, but the ground dry. So the next morning he got up and the fleece was wet with dew. He wrung out a bowl full of water and yet the ground all around was dry. And then the next night he says, well, don’t get mad at me, but I’m going to ask you for another sign tonight. Make the ground wet with dew and the fleece dry. So the next morning he woke up and the ground was all wet and the fleece was dry. Now there are a lot of Christians and I think older traditional churches might have talked about this more. We don’t hear it so much today, but it’s putting tests out. And it’s like, God, if you want me to do this, then cause four red trucks to drive by and in the next 30 minutes. And then if there’s four red trucks, I’ll know it’s your will. Or they’re saying, God, if you want me to do this, then have so-and-so call me. God, if you want me to do this, then make this happen. And what is this? They’re looking for some, they’re putting tests out. If this happens, then I know it’s God’s will. Don’t do that. Why was it okay for Gideon? Because Gideon and the Old Testament did not have the Holy Spirit living inside. Under the Old Testament, without the Holy Spirit living inside, all they could do was hear from God externally. And they had things like the Urim and Thummim, and I don’t understand how it worked, but it was the breastplate of the priest. It would light up. That would be God talking to them and giving them direction. They had to have external things to tell them what to do. In the New Testament, you’re born of God and born of the Spirit, and the Holy Spirit living in you guides you. in you guides you now why don’t do the tests because outside in the natural world there are a lot of other influences including the devil if you’re depending on a natural external sign the devil could make that happen He can prompt somebody to say something or do something. He can make four red trucks drive by your house and make you miss God because you’re relying on the physical realm. We walk by faith and not by sight. But if anytime you’re depending on a physical sign, you are out in a dangerous territory where there can be other influences other than God that make it happen. And then a lot of people have really gotten messed up. You know, I put a test out to God and I said, God, if you want me to do this, then have, you know, the pastor from Canada call me and he called me. So then I thought that I was supposed to do it. And then they end up in a big, big mess because they really weren’t supposed to. You see, a lot of Christians have gotten in a mess looking for these physical signs. Don’t do it. It’s dangerous. You can get misled. So then what do you do? Oh, let me say one more thing about outward signs. Another one that is really common is Lord. If it’s your will open the door. Have you ever prayed that Lord? If it’s your will open the door. Well, the door can be wide open, but just because it’s open doesn’t mean it’s God’s will. I mean, that’s what a counterfeit is. That can be a counterfeit. In Ishmael, before I was able to go full time into ministry on the mission field, I had an invitation to go to Mexico and be a babysitter. Well, I’m not called to be a babysitter. I’m called to be a teacher. But there was an open door to the mission field. It wasn’t God. And I’m glad I didn’t take it. because it wasn’t the will of God for my life. So you see an open door does not mean go through it. Cause sometimes there can be multiple open doors. There can be this door is open. This door is closed. Don’t say, Lord, if you don’t want me to go close the door. Well, maybe the door is closed, but he wants you to use your faith and knock it down. I mean, there are times when you’re supposed to go somewhere and everything in the natural says you can’t do it. Why? Because what God calls you to do is impossible. In the natural, everything God calls you to do is impossible. You don’t have the money. You don’t have the ability. You don’t have the knowledge. And so it looks like that’s a closed door. No, it’s not. God wants you to use your faith and blow the door off. Go that way. Use your faith to get there. So you see, a closed door does not mean it’s not God’s will. An open door doesn’t mean it is God’s will. So that’s what I think Christians are doing. Open the door. If you want me to go close the door, if you don’t, that can get you in a mess. You can get on the wrong path by following that. Because like I said, you might have to blow the door open. Amen. So how does God speak to you? He speaks to you one through the written word, through the written word to, he speaks to you through sermons, the preached word. If the preacher is speaking by the anointing, God can speak through them a word to you and you’re listening and going, oh, that’s what I’ve been asking God about. You know, if there’s the anointing working, there’s the preached word, the sermons. Also, God can speak through other people. Maybe your husband, your wife. Sometimes you don’t want to hear from them. God, don’t use my wife. I’m tired of listening to her. Well, it might be exactly the person God wants to use. It might be your best friend. But God can speak to you through other people. Also, number four, he can speak to you through prophecy. Five through dreams and visions. Six through angels. Seven through God arranged circumstances. And this is where God just lines everything up. And like, wow, this is, it’s like that thing, right? Staring you in the face. This is God. God has put it all together. God arranged circumstances. Eight, your conscience. Now I’ve heard some Bible teachers say your conscience is the voice of your spirit. It’s telling you this is right. And this is wrong. The conscience. What you just heard was the continuation of a message that I preached in our victorious faith services called how to be led by the Holy Spirit. And we will continue this message again tomorrow. So join me again tomorrow. And remember, God loves you. You are blessed and highly favored by the Lord.
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We’re glad you joined us today for Victorious Faith with Cherri Campbell. We invite you to visit our website at victoriousfaith.co, where you can listen to the Victorious Faith radio broadcast, find biblical study helps, contact Cherri, and make donations. You can also write to us at P.O. Box 509, East Lake, Colorado, 80614. Victorious Faith is a God and Partners supported ministry. As you sow seed and partner with this ministry, we believe God with you for the full harvest of victory you need in your life. Please join us again Monday through Friday at the same time to begin your day with fresh faith. And remember, faith is the victory that overcomes the world.
