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Monday, April 22, 2002

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Acts 11:1-18
Psalm 42
John 10:11-18

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do you hear the spirit?

"The Spirit instructed me to accompany them without hesitation." —Acts 11:12

"The Spirit said to Philip, 'Go and catch up with that carriage' " (Acts 8:29). When the church of Antioch was worshipping and fasting, "the Holy Spirit spoke to them" (Acts 13:2). After a meeting in Jerusalem regarding Gentile Christians, the leaders of the Church concluded: "It is the decision of the Holy Spirit, and ours too" (Acts 15:28). It wasn't that the first Christians had a "hot line" to the Holy Spirit, because sometimes they missed the messages from the Holy Spirit (see Acts 16:6, 7). Nonetheless, the first Christians lived by the assumption that the Holy Spirit was speaking to them and that they were usually hearing His messages.

How often do you openly say or consciously think that the Holy Spirit is directing you? Are you baptized, immersed in the Spirit? Is the Spirit on your mind, in your heart, and on the tip of your tongue? Are you filled with the Spirit? Do you hear the Spirit better than you did last year? What have you done to improve your spiritual hearing? Do you even hear things from the Holy Spirit that are contrary to what you would naturally want to hear?

The Spirit is our Teacher (Jn 14:26), Guide (Jn 16:13), and God. Therefore, we must let Him help us hear Him.

Prayer:  Holy Spirit, break through my spiritual deafness. "Let him who has ears heed the Spirit's word to the churches!" (Rv 2:7)

Promise:  "There shall be one flock then, one Shepherd." —Jn 10:16

Praise:  The Holy Spirit put a desire to regularly read the Bible in Patricia's heart.

Reference:  (For related teaching, order our leaflet, Hearing God, or on audio tape AV 45-1 or video V-45.)

Nihil Obstat:  Reverend Giles H. Pater, November 15, 2001


Imprimatur:  †Most Reverend Carl K. Moeddel, Vicar General and Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, November 16, 2001