How does God communicate with us?

[Sower]

1 hour ago, Michael37 said:

Directly or indirectly Satan influences anyone who gives him a foothold.

Ephesians 4:27 says, "And do not give the devil a foothold." This verse is a reminder to be vigilant and not allow any opportunity for evil to take root in our lives. It's about maintaining spiritual integrity and being mindful of our actions and thoughts.

"be vigilant and not allow any opportunity for evil to take root"

OK, be vigilant, and let's just say I'm very vigilant taking every thought captive, resisting lustful thoughts that I assume are either my own fleshy thoughts, or 'thoughts' or 'impressions' from an evil source. So if not my own, just exactly how did I receive them from the devil? What is his method of inducing them into my mind.

I do not hear an outside audible voice nor my own voice I hear/recognize when thinking/debating to myself. Could there be some kinda 'trojan' bug we inherit through DNA (old man-corrupted hard drive mind) that is activated within that generates the pre determined impulse/thought of the programmer, the devil?            Weird  I know.

My purpose in this discussion is, when I sin, it is I, me, who missed the mark. Nobody makes me sin, nor can the devil make me sin, nor anger nor lust etc etc make me sin. I do not ever look to blame sin beyond myself.

They were all my choice and I have no problem whatsoever admitting that God says our heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?
I accept that as truth, and can believe it. Of anybody. There's biblical examples.
I do not morph over this, and actually God has blessed my understand to know I cannot do it, and I now petition/beg him to make straight my path. And he does, his promises are true.

So back to how satan influences/deceives etc. What can he do, physically to cause me to sin. Constructing a highway bill board of a nasty picture I see by chance,  changing to X rated channels on my TV/PC, etc etc. What! And these other people, and preachers that teach/preach false beliefs against the gospel truths, why did they? How exactly did the devil cause them to believe a lie? And then they audibly vocally preach that lie that I might be influenced, and be deceived.

I do fully know what the word says about spiritual warfare and the full armor and the enemy. I am aware concerning money you do not study the counterfeit money to recognize it but study the real currency, perfect money, and then can recognize the false, the counterfeit.

But I know this is not about recognizing false money but a war, not flesh, those people who preach untruths, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.

So my question. What is the "link"/methodology" that creates/delivers the evil message(s) to end up in my mind?

Thanks Michael.

Addendum;
I know spiritual evil exists. I've shared this here before, that as a young believer a few yrs I studied a book by Jessie Penn Lewis on spiritual warfare. I would stay up till 1-2 o'clock at night studying the enemy. One night really getting into it, 3 AM in the morning, I suddenly experienced a dread, a presence but more a presence of many.

I knew they were around me and felt breathless with fear and oppression. Closed the book and hit the rack praying aware they followed me into the bedroom with my wife. Nothing physically happened, sight or sound.

The next mourning my wife ask me if I had felt any oppression the night before that she felt in bed herself. I had not told her yet of any of my experience.
I put the book on the shelf and started reading my bible again.
               Standing on the Promises of God.

[Michael37]

50 minutes ago, Sower said:

So my question. What is the "link"/methodology" that creates/delivers the evil message(s) to end up in my mind?

As children we were taught to say "Get they behind me, Satan!", and to recite the Lord's Prayer with emphasis on "Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil", whenever we felt conflicted by thoughts, words, and deeds, and influences beyond our control.

# Satan sows seeds which mature and bear fruit if allowed.

Mat 13:24-25  Jesus put before them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field.  (25)  But while everyone was asleep, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and slipped away.

# Heavy curses can come upon those who give them cause. (using profanity, harbouring resentment etc.)

Pro 26:2  As the bird by wandering, as the swallow by flying, so the curse causeless shall not come.

# Love of money is the root of all kinds of evil

Act 5:1-3  Now a man named Ananias, together with his wife Sapphira, also sold a piece of property.  (2)  With his wife’s full knowledge, he kept back some of the proceeds for himself, but brought a portion and laid it at the apostles’ feet.  (3)  Then Peter said, “Ananias, how is it that Satan has filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and withhold some of the proceeds from the land?

Act 5:4  Did it not belong to you before it was sold? And after it was sold, was it not at your disposal? How could you conceive such a deed in your heart? You have not lied to men, but to God!”

[Neighbor]

My testimony is God leads me about using whatever means God wills. That includes using  my guardian angels.  It includes instilling visions and also dreams as well.

My immediate salvation came by way of angel. I have had visions that have been confirmed afterward by God that have led to altering my life's path; and I often have dreams  that do require some sense of translation  or seeking of a meaning, that also becomes confirmed by events that then unfold. Plus I have had occasions of telepathy when my children were in danger or hurt.

There is just lots of "stuff" that happens, all real,  in the past, present, and I suspect will continue into my own future. Just as has also happened with  my own children and wives. 

God puts  exclamation points on certain events, visions, and dreams, that simply cannot be ignored. They can be resisted; but not ignored, nor successfully denied. God wills out!

 

[D. Adrien]

By scriptures. I'm not sure if it is appropriate here, but considering the numerous massive, violent storms witnessed globally in the past few years, here is an interesting passage:

Jer. 23:18-20, (ESV)

For who among them has stood in the council of the Lord
to see and to hear his word,
or who has paid attention to his word and listened?
19Behold, the storm of the Lord!
Wrath has gone forth,
a whirling tempest;
it will burst upon the head of the wicked.
20The anger of the Lord will not turn back
until he has executed and accomplished
the intents of his heart.
In the latter days you will understand it clearly.

I understand Christians also suffer in these calamities as in wars and numerous other unpleasant events of life.

 

[Neighbor]

“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you,  that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.

[Neighbor]

Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
And lean not on your own understanding;
In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He shall direct your paths.

 

Do not rely  on "Jiminy Cricket faith "; that of letting your conscience be your guide. For the conscience of mankind is pliable and often opposed to the  word and will of God. It vacillates and then bends to the will of man, being justified  not by God at all, but by man alone to man's fulfillment of his own will in spite of God's  will for man.

 

[Vine Abider]

17 hours ago, missmuffet said:

God communicates with us by:

1. The Bible

2. Nature

3. Prayer

4. The Holy Spirit

5. Other born again believers

6. Our conscience.

Satan harasses us by:

1. Temptation

2. The flesh

3.Deception

4.Doubt

5. Unbelievers

I would add the world to Satan's influence. 

Might also include the inner Anointing, but that is basically synonymous with the indwelling Spirit of Christ in us.

[Neighbor]

 Again;

Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
And lean not on your own understanding;
In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He shall direct your paths.

And do not presume to list and thus limit the manner in which God can communicate with any  or all  of His creation.

..."And some of the Pharisees called to Him from the crowd, “Teacher, rebuke Your disciples.”

 But He answered and said to them, “I tell you that if these should keep silent, the stones would immediately cry out.”....

 

 

 

 

 

[Neighbor]

And the stones do cry out even now giving testimony and prophecy of God of creation of Yeshua and of an end with new beginnings. As do all the heavens placements of heavenly bodies.

[Neighbor]

13 hours ago, BornAgain490 said:

So, are you saying that if the Holy Spirit came to you in a dream and revealed something to you, you'd keep it hidden with yourself?  Seems like it would be a great witnessing moment.  Don't you think that when God reveals things to us by the Holy Spirit in a dream that He wants us to share it?

Can you imagine if Joseph kept his dream hidden from Mary and, instead of fleeing to Egypt, stayed in Bethlehem after the wise men visited?  

Hi, I know that at least in some circumstances God does not want it shared. For some will take it as a boast as example, others will want for the same for themselves and resent God if they too do not receive the same.

From Biblical record: 

[Paul's Visions]

 I (Paul) must go on boasting. Though there is nothing to be gained by it, I will go on to visions and revelations of the Lord. I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven—whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows.  And I know that this man was caught up into paradise—whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows—  and he heard things that cannot be told, which man may not utter.  On behalf of this man I will boast, but on my own behalf I will not boast, except of my weaknesses—  though if I should wish to boast, I would not be a fool, for I would be speaking the truth; but I refrain from it, so that no one may think more of me than he sees in me or hears from me.  So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited.  Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me.  But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.  For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.