Did God Offer a Book or a Walk And a Talk?

Mark Virkler's picture

When I got married, my lover, Patti, did not hand me a book of rules to keep to make her happy. She offered to walk and talk with me daily and desired that I would listen to her and honor and respect her by hearing and meeting the desires of her heart.


Likewise, my divine lover didn't offer me a book of rules either. He offered the same thing Patti offered, His voice: My sheep hear My voice (Jn. 10:27). God's desire was for us to have a walk in His garden where we would commune (Gen. 3:8). As I hear and honor His voice, I receive His wisdom, healing, and strength.

However, for years I was taught and believed that He was no longer speaking and I was to live out of a book, the Bible. What a tragedy, to reduce a relationship with Almighty God to a set of rules which I codified from a book, which I would then strive hard to keep. This constituted the first ten years of my Christian life.

God confronted the Israelites about living from rules rather than living from His voice

  • The Israelites were caught up in offering sacrifices and meticulous obedience to endless rules, and God says, that’s not what I instructed you to do. I told you to obey My voice.
  • I did not speak to your fathers, or command them in the day that I brought them out of the land of Egypt, concerning burnt offerings and sacrifices. "But this is what I commanded them, saying, 'Obey My voice, and I will be your God, and you will be My people; and you will walk in all the way which I command you, that it may be well with you' (Jer. 7:21-23).

Jesus confronted the Israelites about living from rules rather than living from God's voice

  • In Matthew 23 Jesus describes the Pharisees as being focused on laws and outer things, but inwardly they are messed up. 
  • Jesus declares: "He who is of God hears the words (rhemas = spoken words) of God; for this reason you do not hear them, because you are not of God" (Jn. 8:47). Young's Literal Translation replaces "words" with the clearest meaning, "sayings." So this verse is specifically referring to the spoken words from God, His voice in our hearts.
  • Do you think Jesus still stands behind John 8:47 today?

Jesus, our perfect example, modeled living out of the VOICE of His Father

  • "I can do nothing on My own initiative. As I hear, I judge ... I seek ... the will of Him who sent Me" (Jn. 5:30).
  • "But as it is, you are seeking to kill Me, a man who has told you the truth, which I heard from God" (Jn. 8:40). 
  • "The Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you and will be in you" (Jn. 14:17).
  • "When the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, that is the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify about Me" (Jn. 15:26).

Let's honor the Bible which instructs us to live by the Spirit

The Bible doesn't say, "Live by the book." It says, "Live by the Spirit" (Gal. 5:25).

We never want to diminish the value of the Bible. We are to meditate on it and hide it in our hearts (Josh. 1:8; Ps. 119:11). I LOVE the Bible! It is a wonderful book and I never write any blog without quoting it. We honor it because it records the stories of those who have gone before us. It provides examples of messing up and doing it right. We learn from the 50+ verses referenced in this blog how to live properly and how to live improperly. 

Jesus of course also knew the Bible. Because of this, the Spirit could draw forth Scriptures from His heart with great accuracy to meet any situation (Matt. 22:29; Lk. 24:27,32,45).

I love what Bill Johnson says, "It's hard for us to have the same fruit as the early Church when we have more honor for a book they didn't have, than the Holy Spirit they did have!"

I couldn't agree more. We are designed and created for communion. I find life is so much richer when I take walks with my Lord in His garden and commune with Him. My marriage is also richer when I take walks with my wife, Patti, and commune with her.

What is God saying right now to you and to me?

  • He is speaking to me: "Mark, thank you for teaching My church how to hear My voice."
  • Now let Him speak to you. Use the four keys of stillness, vision, spontaneity, and journaling.

 

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4 Keys to Hearing God's Voice

4 Keys to Hearing God's Voice

by Mark and Patti Virkler | 305 Pages | Retail: $16.99

Have you ever wished you could just sit down and have a long talk with the Lord? Wouldn't it be wonderful to move beyond having a theology that states that God loves you to actually hearing Him whisper words of love into your heart? When you're worried or confused, wouldn't you love to see the situation from His perspective and hear how He wants you to respond?


Price: $14.95

Dialogue with God

by Mark and Patti Virkler | 296 Pages

This top seller for 30 years from Bridge Logos provides a narrative, right-brain presentation of the principles of how to hear God's voice. Especially enjoyable for personal use, it makes a great gift for introducing a loved one to the voice of God. This book teaches the four keys to hearing God's voice in readable style, and also devotes two entire chapters to moving samples of people's journaling (i.e. their two-way dialogue with God).

Price: $17.95
Hear God's Voice Guaranteed Package

Hear God's Voice Guaranteed Package

9 Books | 10 CDs | 10 DVDs | Save Over 20%

Have you ever wished you could just sit down and have a long talk with the Lord? Wouldn't it be wonderful to move beyond having a theology that states that God loves you to actually hearing Him whisper words of love into your heart? When you're worried or confused, wouldn't you love to see the situation from His perspective and hear how He wants you to respond? When things don't seem to be going your way and your prayers aren't answered the way you had hoped, wouldn't it be great to hear Him tell you where He is in the midst of it, and what He is working out in your life? Are you ever just a little bit jealous of others who say with such confidence, "The Lord said...."?

Price: $175.00

How to Hear God's Voice

by Mark and Patti Virkler | 317 Pages

We recommend that you order the newest revision of this book titled 4 Keys to Hearing God's Voice. It includes 95% of the content of How to Hear God's Voice but is reorganized so it fits perfectly with the 10 DVDs on this subject by Mark Virkler. In addition, it gets you started using the four keys earlier in the book and gives you more journaling samples and exercises. Since we have removed the large margins, it is a smaller and less expensive book.

Price: $24.95

Prayers That Heal the Heart - Revised & Expanded 20th Anniversary Edition

by Mark and Patti Virkler | 320 Pages

Prayer counseling that breaks every yoke! Everything you need to experience deep healing of your soul and spirit.

Did you know that you don’t need to be continually plagued by negative thoughts, feelings, pictures or memories?

It is not part of the "human condition" to feel the constant nagging of doubt, insecurity, or anger. No matter what sin you are trying to overcome, what lie you think you’ll always believe, or what traumas your heart has suffered in the past, you will receive total freedom and restoration by praying these prayers in faith. 

Price: $19.95

Counseled by God

by Mark and Patti Virkler | 146 Pages

Have you ever been defeated by negative emotions such as anger, fear, guilt, inferiority, condemnation or depression? Have you tried to fight them off unsuccessfully? Is there an answer that is deeper than simply trying to mentally reason yourself out of these emotions? Is there a way that Jesus can speak a word of life into the depths of your emotional despair and bring healing on a deep level? Is there a form of Christian counseling that begins and ends with the movement of Christ within your heart, rather than simply with the words of man?

Price: $10.95
Hear God Through Your Dreams Workbook Cover

Hear God Through Your Dreams Workbook

by Mark and Patti Virkler | 92 Pages

A newer book has been released that accompanies this workbook: Click here for Hearing God Through Your Dreams by Charity Kayembe and Mark Virkler (featured on Sid Roth's "It's Supernatural", with almost a million views just on YouTube).


Do you often wake up feeling there was a significant message in your dream, but you’re just not sure what it is? Like Daniel and Joseph, do you long to be able to help others understand their own dreams and win them to Christ as you explain His night messages to them? Wouldn't it be nice if you could receive mid-course corrections from the Lord while you sleep? Do you wish you could be receiving divine inspiration, creative solutions to problems, and direction from the Lord during that third of your life that you’re “just” sleeping?

Price: $11.95

Hearing God Through Your Dreams

by Mark Virkler and Charity Virkler Kayembe | 292 Pages

Learn How to Hear God’s Voice, Even When You Are Sleeping

It is always fun to be on the winning team. Well look what God has done with Charity's new dreams teaching. It has taken off like a rocket with a live TV interview on Cornerstone Network and her Sid Roth interview which has almost a million views on YouTube!

Price: $16.99

Everyday Angels

by Charity Virkler Kayembe and Joe Brock 289 Pages

You can partner with Heaven’s angelic hosts!

Do you have guardian angels? Does God want you to know them? Find out what Scripture reveals and how YOU can interact with the company of Heaven!

The supernatural realm permeates our natural world! Therefore, experiencing angels should be an everyday occurrence–we simply need to open our spiritual eyes to their reality and role in our lives.

Price: $16.99
Hearing God

Hearing God - for Intimacy, Healing, Creativity, Meditation and Dream Interpretation

by Mark Virkler and Patti Virkler | 192 Pages

Reviewed by Sid Roth on It's SupernaturalWhat does it sound like to hear from Heaven? In this interactive journal, Dr. Mark Virkler takes you on a life-changing journey that reveals three powerful ways you can hear God’s voice and recognize how He is speaking in your life everyday.

Price: $16.95

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