Servant Ministries, Inc.
Issue No. 102 Ira & Judy Milligan Nov
1, 2006
Hidden Mysteries of the Bible, Vol. II
Hidden Mysteries of the Bible, Vol. II has arrived from the
printers and is now available. The price is $19.95, but you
can order both courses (Vol. I & II) for $34.95,
including S & H. If you have already placed your order,
you should receive your copy within a few days.
These books are 8 ½ by 11, 120 pages each. They are spiral
bound for ease of use. Vol. I is a foundational Bible
course, while Vol. II is more advanced and builds upon the
information presented in Vol. I. Each book has 52 lessons
so they are ideal to use in weekly Bible studies in
churches or small groups.. They can also be used for
personal study. Call or write to obtain information about
bulk discounts for small groups and churches.
The Prophet’s
Perspective
Keys to Hearing
God
In our travels, both at home
and abroad, I’ve often been asked to minister on the
subject of “hearing God”. Although hearing God
isn’t difficult, recognizing His voice and knowing
His will in today’s fast paced, ever changing world
is challenging. One important key to discerning His voice
and separating it from among all the clutter and clamor
that we are confronted with each day is realizing that God
speaks in different ways at different times.
As I’ve traveled and ministered in various churches
across the nation, I’ve encounter many Saints who
sincerely believe they’ve never heard God speak to
them. Contrary to what they may think, Jesus said,
“My sheep know my voice”, clearly stating that
He speaks to His Own (John 10:27). The problem isn’t
that God doesn’t speak to His kids, the problem is
they haven’t learned to recognize His voice!
Although Paul said “it is God which works in you both
to will and to do of his good pleasure” (Phil. 2:13),
we all know that we have desires other than His Own working
in us, so we cannot always be sure that what we want agrees
which what He wants!
To help us with this problem, God will often speak directly
through our personal circumstances, opening and closing
doors at His Own will. Nevertheless, unless we understand
that He is the one working in our lives and willingly
cooperate with Him, we often find ourselves fighting
against closed doors. Likewise, if we fail to seize the
opportunities that He opens before us, we will fail to
obtain the blessings that He is making available to us.
The best way to know, “when to hold them and when to
fold them”, is to look and listen for a second, and
sometimes even a third, witness. God always speaks more
than one way (see II Cor. 13:1). If we listen carefully, He
will confirm His will and guide our paths in better ways
than by just controlling our personal circumstances (see
Psalm 32:9). Sometimes He confirms His will by speaking to
us as we study and meditate upon His written word. He also
uses personal prophecy, including those given to us through
our dreams, to inform us of what He is doing. Although less
common, at times He may use visions, especially while we
are praying. Anointed sermons is another way God makes His
will known. Or, He may simply speak in a still small voice
to our inner consciousness. Regardless of how He speaks, it
is paramount that we learn to recognize his voice if we
want to enjoy a close relationship with Him.
The next time you are faced with an important decision,
pray and ask God for His guidance. Then pay close attention
to the confirming signs and directions as they are given to
you. God will often inspire you with a specific scripture
then when you go to church your pastor will use the very
same scripture in his sermon. Or, you may wake up with a
song in you heart. If you will meditate upon the words of
the song, often the message of the song will witness to
what He is saying to you. Another way He may speak is have
a friend who knows nothing about your situation call or
visit you and address the issue that you have in question.
Regardless of how He chooses to speak, the greatest
hindrance to hearing God’s voice is always the same
– our will. If we don’t want to hear what He
has to say, we will turn a deaf ear and refuse to
acknowledge what He is saying. “But they refused to
hearken, and pulled away the shoulder, and stopped their
ears, that they should not hear” (Zech. 7:11; see
also John 5:30). God is speaking to you. Are you listening?
“Helping
Hands”
God’s goodness is without
bounds! It is fascinating to see how He puts people
together and uses them to help one another in so many
different ways. He has given us wonderful friends in nearly
every state in the nation! Thanks for your gracious help,
everyone. God bless you!
Prayer
Partners’ Update
We are in major transition at this time in our
lives and ministry. We expect even more change to take
place in 2007. For one thing, I’ve been asked to
accept apostolic oversight of several churches and I ask
for your prayers that God would give me the grace to
faithfully fulfill this important responsibility.
Hopefully (and prayerfully), in the upcoming year we will
be able to begin relocating our ministry to Colorado in
fulfillment of our long held dream of building a school of
ministry there. Specifically, we ask you to pray that God
will enable us to locate the land and raise the money to
buy both the land and build the lodge to accommodate the
school.
We appreciate your continual prayer support for ourselves,
our family and our ministry. May God richly bless you for
your sacrifices and service for His name sake.
Just Thinking
In war, some of the most effective fighters are
those who infiltrate the enemy’s camp and become as
one of them. By influencing the enemy’s behavior from
within, and revealing their intentions to their friends
without, they expose their plans and thwart their purposes.
Satan has used this tactic against the Church from the
beginning.
Satan’s troops are “false apostles
[including false teachers], deceitful workers, transforming
themselves into the apostles of Christ. And no marvel; for
Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.
Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be
transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end
shall be according to their works (2 Cor. 11:13‑15;
see also 2 Pet. 2:1-19; Jude 1:4-12).
How can you recognize them? In one word, they
are very “religious”. Religion takes precedence
over everything else in their theology. The truth is, Jesus
came to reconcile us to God and restore our relationship
with our fellow man, not to make us religious.
For example, someone recently wrote me with a question
about Sabbath keeping. It seems someone he knew was
subverting the souls of the Saints by saying that Jesus
taught the disciples to observe the Law, including keeping
Sabbath. Nothing could be further from the truth! The Law
was given by Moses and lasted until John. Grace and truth
came by Jesus Christ (see Matt. 11:13; John 1:17).
You may ask, what spirit drives these people?
What makes them teach bondage instead of liberty? The three
spirits operating through these deceivers are the spirit of
divination (python, see footnote Acts 16:16), witchcraft
and sorcery. Motivated by the desire for man’s honor,
they use false doctrine to bring the Saints under
witchcraft’s spell and sorcery’s evil control.
Don’t give place to a religious spirit. This spirit
is a counterfeit who imitates the Holy Spirit.
