More About Empowerment
In this post I want to deal with a few issues connected to being empowered by the Holy Spirit and ministering with the gifts of the Spirit.
Levels
There are levels to the anointing and operations of the gifts of the Spirit. You can be more or less anointed to prophesy, for example. One may operate more powerful in gifts of healing than another, or the same person at one time more than another.
The level of anointing for empowerment is variable, much of which is determined by you. There are some things you can do to increase or decrease the anointing in your life. There are others that are up to the Father's will, and not yours.
The Baptism Variable
One variable is the difference in anointing from being born of the Spirit to then being baptized with the Holy Spirit.
We control this first variable, because YHWH has already willed that all men be saved (born of the Spirit) if they will only receive of that work that is by grace through faith. He has also stated his will concerning the baptism with the Holy Spirit, and it is for all those who choose the first work, when they are baptized into Messiah. So, this variable is up to us.
This work does not require in any way, shape, or form, that we earn it. It is BY GRACE alone. This is why the gifts of the Holy Spirit in 1 Cor 12 are literally "grace gifts" if we translate the Greek word used there.
Please note that the gifts and the baptism are two separate things. The baptism with the Holy Spirit brings us to a higher level of empowerment, in all we do for the Kingdom, whether one of the grace gifts or if simply preaching or teaching. For myself and everyone I know who has received the baptism with the Holy Spirit, there was an immediate and noticeable difference in the anointing level when doing Kingdom work.
For one, there would be times I spoke about a scriptural topic to someone, say at work, and they say, "I feel that. When you talk about healing, I feel tingles all over like warm oil going all over me." This is why it is common for a consecrated Pentecostal preacher to make you feel like you are about to be knocked right out of the pew, while a normal Christian preacher may say eloquent words but you don't feel the power eminating from the pulpit with the words.
In other words, there is a tangible level of anointing that comes with the baptism with the Holy Spirit. Where before the Word alone was anointed and would accomplish works, now the Holy Spirit puts an extra and tangible anointing on the works, making them more effective.
One more example: I'll use my wife this time. When Kathy prophesies to someone, they can feel a tangible anointing come over them. I've watched as people literally broke down weeping right there from a simple prophetic word spoken to them.
Don't undervalue the anointing. What do you think would happen if you prophesied to an unbeliever and that powerful anointing hit them? Do you think they'd be more or less likely to believe in YHWH and the gospel of Messiah you preach to them? This is why Yahshua said "wait" to his disciples - wait until you are baptized with the Holy Spirit and then go be a witness. It makes a huge difference.
Kathy is a little feminine woman, and if you met her in person you would not think of "power" at all. We joke about how she has the anointing of YHWH sneaky (like YHWH Yireh, or YHWH Raphe). He uses her to sneak up on people and the enemy, because they don't see her coming. She's this little petite lady with a mighty anointing. It is amazing to watch the anointing in action through her. That can be true for you too. YHWH wants to use you to sneak up on the enemy and be a powerful witness. You can be a mighty man or woman of YHWH, but you first need to be baptized with the Holy Spirit.
The initial filling is just the beginning. Once a person is baptized with the Holy Spirit, they need to stay filled or seek refillings often. We don't want to live on past anointing - we want fresh anointing.
The Consecration Variable
I'm going to make this one quick and simple, as it really is. All of Self = None of YHWH. Some of Self = Some of YHWH. None of Self = All of YHWH. Simple math. This variable also is up to you. To the degree you consecrate yourself to YHWH is to the degree he'll pour out his Spirit upon you to use you mightily. The anointing on you from day to day can and does vary.
Think of King Saul. He was anointed, but then he failed to keep himself consecrated, holy unto YHWH. Because of that, though he was the "anointed King" of Israel, the reason David would do him no harm though Saul was in the wrong, his actual anointing or power in action began to wane. After a while, it was gone, and an evil spirit was able to get to him and torment him. Where the Holy Spirit had been, an evil spirit took up residence.
Consecration is not so much about rules and regulations as it is the attitude of the heart. How much do you live for the Kingdom? Are you all about the Kingdom?
This variable is so important, that even people baptized with the Holy Spirit can and do cause the Holy Spirit to depart by lack of consecration. You cannot live on experiences of the past. You have to have an ever-active relationship with YHWH and consecration unto him. Then you'll walk in fresh anointing.
I've personally laid hands on people who readily received the baptism and spoke in new tongues. The anointing was obviously on them for a season. But, they failed to put their fleshly desires under and consecrate themselves unto the Kingdom work, and the anointing they received that day began to diminish. Eventually, they were back to like it had never happened. One more time I'll state, you cannot live on the experiences of the past, though your testimony is important. You must live in the NOW. NOW faith is... not then faith was...
The Knowledge and Understanding Variable
Our ability to submit to the anointing and leading of the Holy Spirit and "flow in the Spirit" is at least partly determined by our knowledge and understanding of such things.
For example, you'll flow much better in the anointing and gifting for prophesying if you know and understand more about it. I've seen people anointed by the Spirit who sometimes operated in the gifts and anointing in a hit and miss kind of way. Every once in a while they hit it, and operate in a powerful way. It could be more often, if they'd only seek to know and understand more about the ways of the Spirit, so they may cooperate with him.
This variable is also up to you. All of the knowledge needed is found in Scripture. You just need to study and meditate on it, letting it get on the inside of you to build up faith in your heart regarding that subject (say healing, or prophesying). Pay attention to how the gifts and anointing operated through other men by the examples in Scripture, with Yahshua the Messiah being our chief example. He operated in all of the gifts and anointing, having the Spirit upon him without measure.
If you want to see how any gifts besides tongues and interpretation worked, look at Yahshua. Tongues and interpretation are specifically new covenant gifts, as a sign of the new covenant. The book of Acts and Paul's letters are the best to learn about speaking in tongues.
It also helps to know of and read the living epistles of recent generations or the present time. Watching how someone alive today, or alive recently, operates in the anointing and gifting of the Holy Spirit, can help you begin to know and understand more about it yourself, so you can also submit to the Spirit and operate in fuller cooperation.
The Practice Variable
Practice makes perfect, as they say. You won't be as good at first at operating in the power of the Spirit as you will one day, if you keep at it. The point at first is to be baptized and then be willing to operate supernaturally as the Spirit anoints and gifts you.
As you are faithful with a little, he'll give you more. If you are not faithful with the little, even the little you have will be taken away. It is the law of use. If you don't use your left arm at all, eventually it will wither away and become useless. Likewise, if you don't use the gifts you are given, they'll go away. You may repent and get them back, but to ever increase from where you once were, you must become faithful in using what you are given by grace.
Consider it like weight lifting. The more you go to the gym and workout, the stronger you get, the more endurance you have, the leaner you get, etc. There comes a point where you hit the genetic limit of your body, but until then you are able to keep improving. It is like this with practicing the works of the Holy Spirit he works through us. As you prophesy more, you get stronger in that area, until you hit the limit of HIS WILL for your ministry and anointing at that time.
So, this variable is under your control, until you match up to his will for how much he will empower you. He will not give you more than you can handle. We don't give keys to a Dodge Viper to a little 5 year old and let them drive it. But up to that point, which is a variable out of your control, seek to receive and practice. Practice, practice, practice. Don't let gifting and anointing be dormant.
The Destiny Variable
Your destiny, or calling, in Messiah, is another variable, and this one is not under your control. You cannot do anything about this one. This one was decided by the omniscient One before you were born on earth. You can work all of the other variables until you obtain your full destiny, but this is the ceiling. I'm not sure many men of YHWH have ever hit this limit, so don't concern yourself with it.
You'd have to be consecrated and ministering in power every day for a whole lifetime on earth in this age, to even think of hitting this limit. Paul may have, as he said he had finished the race, and was ready to go home and receive his reward. Peter may have, as he was at an extremely high level of empowerment by the anointing before he was killed - so that even walking by people in the streets healed them.
You've got a long way to go before you will come close to reaching the limit YHWH has for you in this age. Even this variable may be able to be increased, though it is up to our Father in heaven to will it.
The main point I have for mentioning this one, is to say that you can trust YHWH to empower you for your calling. He isn't desiring to under-empower you - that is, he isn't going to send you on a mission and leave you without the ability to carry out the mission.
The Sins Variable
I pluralized "sins" on purpose. Your sin is dealt with when you come into Messiah, once and for all. You have not more "sin." It was washed clean by the blood. Sins are a different story. Sin is the thing that separates man from YHWH and has him in the devil's kingdom, since he first ate that fruit. It was not the commandment itself that Adam violated that caused this. That would be one of many sins. No, it was the very nature of the serpent, the serpent's seed as we read it, that is "sin." It is being a part of the Kingdom of Sin and Death. People confuse the two and think that by your sins (breaking of commandments) that you are fallen. No, no, no.
Sins are simple "missing the mark" according to the Hebrew Scripture. It is like when an archer shoots but does not hit the mark. This can be caused by blindness in full or in part - you don't know where to shoot that arrow. Or it can be caused by true disobedience - refusing to shoot the arrow correctly at the right target. The former is lesser and the latter is greater, being outright rebellion, of course.
Most sins are committed because of Sin. Paul said in Romans that Sin dwells in the body, it is called the "carnal nature" or serpent's seed, and it is what causes us to do what we don't want to do, and not do what we want to do. In other words, the good I want to do (because in my heart I love YHWH and his Word), I can't fully do, and that which I hate, that I do (in the flesh). My flesh keeps wanting to commit sins (lying, stealing, coveting, etc.) because of that nature of Sin dwelling in it. My inward man, being renewed in Messiah, hates those things.
So, once I'm set from from the bondage to Sin in the inner man, I'm free to dominate the flesh and overcome sinning as well. I don't have to give into the desire to commit sins. However, this is not always an easy battle. It does get easier as you mature spiritually and your spirit is becomes stronger than the flesh.
Many new believers get really discouraged and let condemnation come back in, because they can't understand why they still struggle so much with doing "bad" things. They hate it, don't want to do it, but it just seems hopeless. Sadly, they usually don't find enough mature (in spirit) believers around them who understand what is really going on (the war between the spirit and the flesh) and can encourage them to keep at it, and not give up, and it will get better over time.
See, the gifts of the Spirit are given and can be had right away, but the fruit is grown. It takes time, and maturity, to bear the fruit of the Spirit, truly (we aren't talking about the fake religious versions people try to work up).
Though grace abounds and still committing sins in the flesh will not keep you from the Holy Spirit, or the gifts of the Holy Spirit, consistently sinning will diminish the anointing on you. This is because the Holy Spirit gets grieved when we keep giving into the desires of the flesh. When we grieve him, being a person with feelings, he will depart. You then have to repent and make yourself welcoming for his return, if you want to pick back up where you left off. When he empowers you, part of that power is to help you overcome the flesh, the world, and the devil. If you are refusing to fight that fight, the Holy Spirit will depart.
Whatever the case, don't give up. Keep fighting against the carnal desires that lead you to commit sins. You are free from Sin in your inner man, and need to fight it and overcome it in the outer man. This is one of the three things every believer is called to overcome: their own flesh with carnality, the world (other flesh with carnality), and the devil (the originator of the carnality or Sin).
A broken and contrite heart goes a long way with YHWH in bringing his grace into action. As long as you inwardly hate the sinful nature of the flesh, you have such a heart.
The Religious Variable
YHWH hates the false religiousness of men. Just look at who Yahshua the Messiah, anointed by the Holy Spirit, spoke to in the harshest manner. It was the Pharisees and Sadducees of his day. He hated their false pretenses of worship and devotion, their self-righteousness, their empty rituals and sacrifices, their lip praise with hearts far from him, their arrogance and pride against other "sinners", their hypocricy, etc. If you want to know what YHWH thinks of such religious people, just look at how Yahshua reacted toward them.
Consider this, Yahshua responded in an offish manner at first to a Canaanite woman with a demon-possessed daughter. Remember that the Canaanite race was not supposed to still exist by that time, but Israel failed in their old covenant mission. Consider that her daughter may have been demon-possessed because Canaanites were demon-worshipers and no doubt had many generational curses on their lineage. However, when she responded with faith in him, he responded favorably. She humbled herself before YHWH, and he healed her daughter. He then complimented her and her faith.
Now, that same Yahshua called the religious Jews such harsh names as "vipers" and "sons of the devil." He rebuked them to their faces, but did not do so to the Canaanite woman who came to him humbled and for help. Consider this well. Because the religious variable is an important one and is completely up to you.
What is the primary sign of such a religious attitude? They do not receive YHWH in person, NOW. For such people, he was great back then and he will be great in the future. But right now we are in charge here and our religious traditions and rituals reign. They are those who give him lip service, but there hearts are not really with or for him.
So, whether Yahshua the Son, or the Holy Spirit sent to be with us now, they resist him. Like in the record of the New Testament, they tend to even call the works of YHWH's Holy Spirit "of the devil." From such people depart, and if you have in any way participated, REPENT!
Let us get something straight. The devil isn't the Healer, YHWH is! He isn't a creator, he's a counterfeiter and deceiver. So, he doesn't create or regenerate (such as new limbs on a person's body). He rather steals, kills and destroys. He doesn't fill people with an evil spirit speaking in tongues and have them praise Yahshua the Messiah and support the work of Messiah. People possessed of evil spirits DO NOT support the work of the gospel. As Paul said, no one says Yahshua be cursed by the Holy Spirit, and no one says Yahshua is Lord or Master except by the Holy Spirit (revealing such to them).
Get it straight, and don't get religious and speak on things you don't understand, like speaking in tongues, casting out devils, or healing the sick. If you see someone doing these works in the name of Yahshua (any pronunciation in any language), they aren't working for the devil. A kingdom divided falls, and the devil is not going around casting out the devil. Yahshua himself taught this when he was accused of casting out devils by Beelzebub (the prince of devils).
That is the height of bad religion, but it can be lesser and still keep you from fully receiving of the Holy Spirit in your life. Make your own will up now to simply seek to follow Yahshua and receive of the Holy Spirit exactly as they did in Scripture. If they had it and operated in it in Scripture, you need to also. The Kingdom of Messiah did not start being built one way, and switch to another method (without the Holy Spirit) later on.
So, drop all religiousness, and set your eyes on our examples in Scripture. Then be a doer and not just a hearer. Religious people (like modern day Pharisees and Sadducees) are all about supposed knowledge and understanding of Scripture - they love theology, and other ologies, and they love priding themselves on their knowledge and "right doctrine" - but they don't do squat (they don't prophesy by the Holy Spirit, they don't lay hands on the sick and see them healed, etc.). Again, it is always about back then in Scripture and oh that glorious day some day, to such people. Don't be in that crowd. NOW faith is...and it requires ACTION to be living faith.
When you live by NOW faith in action, as you become known for the works the Holy Spirit does through you, you will receive opposition from the religious crowd. You can bank on that. Yahshua said that if they hated him, they'll hate you. If they wouldn't listen to him, they won't listen to you. If they wouldn't follow him on earth, they won't follow you. But, the opposite is also true.
If you are doing the works as enabled by the Holy Spirit and they attack such - don't worry, they can say they are followers of Messiah all they want, but they'd attack him in person and on earth too. They wouldn't recognize him. They have this false image of Messiah in their mind that they submit to, but it isn't the real one.
Self-righteousness may be one of the greatest offenses you can grieve the Holy Spirit with. Again, we see this by the reaction Yahshua had in person toward the religious of his day, who were self-righteous. However, when a prostitute touched him to clean his feet and anoint him with oil, he gladly accepted such worship. Selah.
The ironic thing is that some of the Sacred Names people who think modern Christians are baal worshipers because of the use of "Lord," would lose a show down with true Pentecostal believers, because the Holy Spirit is obviously with one group, and not the other. Wake up and smell the coffee, or rather the anointing, folks. Religiosity does not please YHWH, and never has. Humility before him, to receive from him, is what he looks for when he's wanting to give out gifts. You don't have to have all the answers - you just need to be humble and ready to receive.
Submission to Authority Variable
You will not get very far with YHWH if you refuse to submit to authority around you - those with higher positions in the natural or the Kingdom of heaven. This is another reason the Sacred Names movement is so fruitless - it is full of self led people who refuse to submit to any spiritual covering of authority or pastoring over their lives. They lie to themselves that it can be just "Yahshua as my King." That would be true if he had not appointed five-fold ministers to be in leadership in the Body. But, he has. And you need to submit to such if you want to fully receive of the flow of the anointing oil from the Head down to the feet.
If you are not in proper alignment in the Body, you will experience lack of anointing - period. Aaron being anointed as high priest speaks of this, as Yahshua the Messiah is the true eternal High Priest. When Aaron was anointed, they didn't just dab a bit on his forehead. No, they poured a whole horn full of oil over his head, so it went all the way down to the feet. Likewise, the anointing of Messiah flows down to his feet in the Body of Messiah.
But, if you are a separitist who puts yourself outside of the Body and its leadership on earth, you aren't in a position to receive of the corporate anointing. This will hinder you from ever fully reaching your potential destiny in the work of Messiah in this age. It will also mess with your treasure in heaven, or rather lack thereof.
Some people won't follow leadership unless it is perfect. Sorry my friends, you will not find any perfect men on earth right now, not even in the Body of Messiah. We all still have flesh with a carnal nature. We all still have imperfection being worked out of us by the Potter. Leaders are not better than anyone else. They are simply appointed and anointed by YHWH to lead. They are gifted and able to help you, even if they themselves have personal struggles. The sooner you figure this out, the better.
Now, I'm not talking about a leader who wants to control you. We aren't talking about cultish stuff here. We are talking about Scriptural leadership and following in the Body of Messiah. A Scriptural leader in the Body is only there to EQUIP YOU for the work of the ministry (every believer is called to be a witness and minister, though they may not be called to be a leader in the Body). That is all. He is not there to take the place of Messiah in your life - you still have first and foremost your personal relationship with HIM. He is not there to control all of your decisions - but rather to give advice that you are free to follow or not.
Many churches and even pastors do not understand Scriptural discipleship. Yahshua is our example in this. He showed us how to make disciples.
If you are not a part of a local assembly of believers and under some sort of pastoral authority, seek such humbly and prayerfully. Fight off the spirit of rebellion, or arrogance, or whatever hinders you in this. You won't find perfection, but the Holy Spirit will lead you to someone who can help you grow in Messiah more. Beyond this, there are other specialist ministries that aren't pastoral so much, but are still for equipping the saints. Some excel at teaching, or preaching, or writing articles and books, etc., to equip the saints. You can participate and glean from as many as these as you want, but be a part of a local group with authority covering you in Messiah.
Even for leaders this is important. I'm a leader, and am even currently training inner circle people, outer circle people, and people are gleaning from me here to be equipped who I don't even know on a personal level. But, I still go to a local assembly and submit to the leadership there, and serve with my gifts and anointing there, in unity with the leadership.
Remember, the corporate anointing for the Body, which is the most powerful anointing, flows from the Head down, and you must find your proper alignment in that order to receive fully of the anointing. If you do not, you will always be lacking in some way of the anointing of power.
I will go far enough to say that it is worth a physical relocation if necessary, to get in the right assembly with the right leadership for you, as led by the Holy Spirit. It make the difference between fulfilling your destiny in and for Messiah, or not.
The Prayer Variable
Prayer is so vital to being empowered. By prayer I don't mean a one way conversation wherein you spout off all manner of prayer by rote or things that sound nice but don't come from your heart. I'm talking about a real relationship and real conversations (two ways) with YHWH. Prayer includes speaking and listening. Prayer is between you and YHWH what quality time is with our spouses. For example, when Kathy and I have quality time, it is just for us to sit and speak, or enjoy some activity together, etc. It is time just for building and maintaining our close relationship.
That is what prayer is for the believer. Prayer is what builds your relationship with YHWH. If all you do is talk all the time and don't listen, that isn't going to build you up much. It might puff you up, though, if you are like the Pharisee that prayed, "I thank you I'm not like that guy, that sinner over there."
Like with any relationship, it starts out shallow. As time goes on, you get closer to each other, and the relationship is deeper. With YHWH, you can get to the place where "deep calleth unto deep," which is Spirit to spirit. He communes with you, and you commune with him.
If you keep at it, though at first you struggle to even hear the Shepherd's voice in the spirit, or distinguish such from your own mind, or other sources, you get to where you become ever aware of his Presence and he can speak to you anywhere and any time and you get it.
Don't get down about where you are now, if you think you aren't close to him and have trouble communing. Seek and you will find. Keep at it. Study and meditate on what Scripture says about our relationship with HIM in Messiah, and how to commune with him. Grow in this area step by step, and don't beat yourself up over current shortcoming.
This is for all of us. Granted, those who are prophets in the Body tend to hear the heartbeat more easily. That is their calling - to know the mind of YHWH - and at times share this with the Body. But, we all can continue to seek and find and get to know our great Shepherd more.
Praying daily, throughout the day, is an important variable in being empowered. In fact, there are non-Pentecostal pastors who have not been baptized with the Holy Spirit who walk in a greater anointing of ministry than some Pentecostal pastors who have, because those pastors pray A LOT while the others are neglecting their prayer life.
So, pray. Pray without ceasing. That is hard without praying in the spirit (tongues as the Spirit gives utterance) and becomes much easier after the baptism is received. However, some who have been baptized with the Spirit still manage to neglect this. You'll be glad if you do not neglect this.
When we say "voice," this does not mean an audible voice in the air, or even in the mind. Spirit speaks to spirit. The message may come to your mind in various ways. You may feel an inner nudging in a direction, or a warning to not go in a direction. If you are born of the Spirit, you can trust this leading of the inner man. You may have the interpretation of tongues come that is his voice answering you, while you are praying in the spirit. Prophesying may occur. Or, the interpretation of what your spirit gets just comes into your mind like you were reading a book aloud (in this case you hear the voice of the inner man speaking the interpretation of what the Holy Spirit brought to the spirit of man). It could be you see a vision, or have a dream.
The point I'm making is that there are many ways he speaks. Knowing about him and his character from Scripture helps greatly in discerning if it is his voice or not. For example, if you hear, "You dummy, why did you do that? I'm so disappointed in you. You're always messing up!" That isn't YHWH! In all my years I've never had him put me down. In doing so he'd be putting himself down as my Creator and the Potter who is molding me into what he wants me to be. YHWH isn't insecure in his work, so he doesn't see his workmanship as bad. As it says in Genesis, he sees it as good.
No, that is either a devil trying to bring discouragement and even condemnation, or your own carnal mind. Pride and insecurity are two sides of the same coin, and the carnal mind is full of it.
The voice of YHWH will always speak in a manner that keeps his character the same as we find in Scripture. He changes not. Since Scripture was written as the Holy Spirit moved on the prophets and apostles of old, he has not changed. He's the same YHWH.
I'm not talking about our interpretation of the letter of the law and sins. With that standard, some holiness Pentecostals would think my wife can't be hearing his voice because she wears pants and make-up. We're talking about his character, like in the example of "You dummy" above. He doesn't just speak to the perfect (or he'd have none but himself to speak to at this time). No, he'll speak to us though we don't know everything and aren't perfect keeping our flesh in line with his laws.
We can all hear our Shepherd's voice if we are his sheep, despite everything else. Again, if he could only speak to those who are perfect in the earthly (flesh), YHWH could only speak to YHWH. Only the "let us" in Genesis could have a conversation. He created us for relationship. He wants to have a relationship with us.
He will not violate his own principles, however. He may violate our interpretation and understanding of the letter of the law. For example, he had one prophet lay on his side and eat food cooked over cow dung (originally he told the prophet to use his own dung, but the prophet refused being too grossed out by that, so he gave him permission to use cow dung instead - because the prophet had an issue over the clean and unclean from his understanding of the law). Another prophet was told to go around naked for so many days.
Religious legalists to this day would want to stone that prophet that went around naked. The point I'm making is that he may mess with your understanding of the letter of the law, because the law as given through Moses with temporal outward observances is not to be confused with the Eternal Law. There is no unclean animals in heaven, and the Eternal Law has no commandments about unclean or clean animals, as it matters not in the spirit realm.
There are no tzit-tzit wearing angels in the Kingdom of heaven. You won't be wearing any. There is no outward literal temple where they all go in heaven to offer animal sacrifices. We are the Temple of the Spirit eteranlly, a spiritual house of living stones. All of the law of Moses outwards are actually types and shadows speaking of spiritual truths, but they themselves are not the spiritual truths.
So, he may just mess with your understanding of the law of Moses and how it relates to you, but his voice will never contradict his eternal character and principles. His eternal principles are in Scripture, but you must find them line upon line, here a little, there a little, and have spiritual eyes to see. There is an eternal principle typified by the Sabbath day, for example.
All of the primary issues of the law of Moses are teaching us of spiritual principles, just as Yahshua's parables do. Yahshua wasn't talking about literal earthly seed and soil and birds, etc. He was speaking of spiritual things using natural things. The law is the same way. The law of Moses is a great place to learn many of the character traits and principles of YHWH. The only right new covenant reason to be a doer of the law of Moses is to learn, not to be righteous in your own works done in the flesh. Your flesh can't get white-washed enough to be acceptable to YHWH. You can't keep commandments as given through Moses good enough. Don't even go there. That is a snare of Satan to use the law of Moses to bring death, not life, and condemnation, not salvation.
The garden still contains two trees in the middle. Moses said he sets before us life and death - that is the two trees in the garden. Satan uses the law to bring death, by saying you can be like YHWH through your knowledge of good and evil. YHWH says that you have to partake of the Tree of Life (Messiah, the Word who came in the flesh) to have everlasting life, and that actually the tree of the knowledge of good an evil will kill you. People who use the letter of the law for righteousness are holding a big gun aimed to kill people spiritually. It brings death just as it did in the garden. This is why Paul said that the letter kills but the Spirit brings Life.
But, if you can keep from the temptation to use the written law as a tool of trying to become like YHWH through your knowledge of good and evil, go for it. Learn from it. There are great principles of YHWH hidden therein for spiritual eyes to see. You can only become like YHWH, through the Tree of Life, the Word become flesh.
Some of that may seem off topic, but it is important we realize that discerning the voice of YHWH is not based on our legal understanding of good and evil. There are spiritual principles that are eternal that are veiled in Scripture to the natural mind.
I'll give one more example to beat the dead horse just to be sure you get it. Abraham heard the voice of YHWH tell him to sacrifice his son Isaac. Now, to the outward understanding of good and evil, this would be evil, and against the law. However, Abraham still believed this was YHWH speaking and carried out the order. He was about to slay his son when the angel stopped him and told him it was only a test, that YHWH did not want him to kill Isaac - he had passed the test.
A lot of religious legalists would have simply written the voice off as "that can't be YHWH, he would never tell me to sacrifice a man!" Wrong. He did call for the sacrifice of the man, named Yahshua of Nazareth. He also called for the wholesale slaughter of a whole race of people - the Canaanites. Your knowledge of good and evil based on the letter of law is flawed. If you go by that to determine if you hear YHWH or not, you'll miss him.
Here is the best way I know to relate to you at this time concerning how you can discern good and evil, truly, to know if the voice is YHWH speaking to your spirit, or it is an evil spirit. For one, the Holy Spirit speaks to your spirit, the vast majority of the time. Yes, angelic visitation is a possibility, or even an audible voice like when they heard "This is my Son in whom I'm well pleased." But those are exceptions, not the rule. Evil spirits usually speak directly to your carnal mind - that is, they speak to your natural mind, and tempt your carnal desires.
The Holy Spirit does not tempt you. It is written that YHWH does not tempt any man to sin and cannot be tempted by sin. Satan tempts, not YHWH. Does the voice appeal to your carnal desires? Then I'm 100% sure it is not YHWH. The Holy Spirit speaks to your spirit and encourages spiritual desires - eternal desires; desires for YHWH and his Kingdom to come on earth as in heaven.
That really is the best way to know. Whether and evil spirit or just your own natural mind speaking from itself, it will appeal to the flesh - to the carnal lusts of the flesh, and the selfishness of the flesh. If the Holy Spirit, such will appeal to eternal Life and the principles and Kingdom of eternal Life.
Both Satan and the Holy Spirit may quote Scripture. Just because something sounds scriptural or is a direct quote, does not mean it is the voice of YHWH speaking to you. Satan tempted Yahshua to commit suicide using a quote from the Psalms - tempting him to jump off the temple. Likewise, Satan has tempted some extreme Pentecostals to play with snakes in church and drink poison. He knows how to use Scripture to appeal to your carnal desires and pride. But, only the Holy Spirit will speak Life to you, and things of Life. He will never appeal to your carnal nature, but instead wants you to crucify your carnal nature, taking up your cross daily.
May you be able to tell the difference, and discern rightly. Receive the promise that his sheep know his voice, and as his sheep, that includes you. You don't have to live without his voice any longer. You are able to be led by the Holy Spirit. And as you seek to do so little by little now, you will grow in this area and come to be more and more sensitive to the leading of the Holy Spirit sent from heaven.
Pray without ceasing...
Wow, that is a lot of variables!
Don't get discouraged! YHWH is looking for willing people, not immediately perfect people. In all of these areas I'm still growing. I have not reached perfection in any of them. You will not in short order either. YHWH is love, and remember, love is patient, love is kind...etc. (1 Cor 13). He isn't going to get impatient with you.
Learn from what I've written here which I've learned from Scripture and practice, and begin to practice. Practice makes perfect, but you'll be practicing for the rest of your life. The goal is improvement, even if just little by little. YHWH will delight in seeing you take baby steps toward him. He said to draw nigh to him and he will draw nigh to you. He didn't say you have to traverse the whole gap yourself. So, be encouraged!
Do not despise small beginnings. You must be faithful with the little before you receive more. Just keep being faithful, and keep seeking more. Don't give up. Only quitters lose in this thing, and you are not a quitter!
Levels
There are levels to the anointing and operations of the gifts of the Spirit. You can be more or less anointed to prophesy, for example. One may operate more powerful in gifts of healing than another, or the same person at one time more than another.
The level of anointing for empowerment is variable, much of which is determined by you. There are some things you can do to increase or decrease the anointing in your life. There are others that are up to the Father's will, and not yours.
The Baptism Variable
One variable is the difference in anointing from being born of the Spirit to then being baptized with the Holy Spirit.
We control this first variable, because YHWH has already willed that all men be saved (born of the Spirit) if they will only receive of that work that is by grace through faith. He has also stated his will concerning the baptism with the Holy Spirit, and it is for all those who choose the first work, when they are baptized into Messiah. So, this variable is up to us.
This work does not require in any way, shape, or form, that we earn it. It is BY GRACE alone. This is why the gifts of the Holy Spirit in 1 Cor 12 are literally "grace gifts" if we translate the Greek word used there.
Please note that the gifts and the baptism are two separate things. The baptism with the Holy Spirit brings us to a higher level of empowerment, in all we do for the Kingdom, whether one of the grace gifts or if simply preaching or teaching. For myself and everyone I know who has received the baptism with the Holy Spirit, there was an immediate and noticeable difference in the anointing level when doing Kingdom work.
For one, there would be times I spoke about a scriptural topic to someone, say at work, and they say, "I feel that. When you talk about healing, I feel tingles all over like warm oil going all over me." This is why it is common for a consecrated Pentecostal preacher to make you feel like you are about to be knocked right out of the pew, while a normal Christian preacher may say eloquent words but you don't feel the power eminating from the pulpit with the words.
In other words, there is a tangible level of anointing that comes with the baptism with the Holy Spirit. Where before the Word alone was anointed and would accomplish works, now the Holy Spirit puts an extra and tangible anointing on the works, making them more effective.
One more example: I'll use my wife this time. When Kathy prophesies to someone, they can feel a tangible anointing come over them. I've watched as people literally broke down weeping right there from a simple prophetic word spoken to them.
Don't undervalue the anointing. What do you think would happen if you prophesied to an unbeliever and that powerful anointing hit them? Do you think they'd be more or less likely to believe in YHWH and the gospel of Messiah you preach to them? This is why Yahshua said "wait" to his disciples - wait until you are baptized with the Holy Spirit and then go be a witness. It makes a huge difference.
Kathy is a little feminine woman, and if you met her in person you would not think of "power" at all. We joke about how she has the anointing of YHWH sneaky (like YHWH Yireh, or YHWH Raphe). He uses her to sneak up on people and the enemy, because they don't see her coming. She's this little petite lady with a mighty anointing. It is amazing to watch the anointing in action through her. That can be true for you too. YHWH wants to use you to sneak up on the enemy and be a powerful witness. You can be a mighty man or woman of YHWH, but you first need to be baptized with the Holy Spirit.
The initial filling is just the beginning. Once a person is baptized with the Holy Spirit, they need to stay filled or seek refillings often. We don't want to live on past anointing - we want fresh anointing.
The Consecration Variable
I'm going to make this one quick and simple, as it really is. All of Self = None of YHWH. Some of Self = Some of YHWH. None of Self = All of YHWH. Simple math. This variable also is up to you. To the degree you consecrate yourself to YHWH is to the degree he'll pour out his Spirit upon you to use you mightily. The anointing on you from day to day can and does vary.
Think of King Saul. He was anointed, but then he failed to keep himself consecrated, holy unto YHWH. Because of that, though he was the "anointed King" of Israel, the reason David would do him no harm though Saul was in the wrong, his actual anointing or power in action began to wane. After a while, it was gone, and an evil spirit was able to get to him and torment him. Where the Holy Spirit had been, an evil spirit took up residence.
Consecration is not so much about rules and regulations as it is the attitude of the heart. How much do you live for the Kingdom? Are you all about the Kingdom?
This variable is so important, that even people baptized with the Holy Spirit can and do cause the Holy Spirit to depart by lack of consecration. You cannot live on experiences of the past. You have to have an ever-active relationship with YHWH and consecration unto him. Then you'll walk in fresh anointing.
I've personally laid hands on people who readily received the baptism and spoke in new tongues. The anointing was obviously on them for a season. But, they failed to put their fleshly desires under and consecrate themselves unto the Kingdom work, and the anointing they received that day began to diminish. Eventually, they were back to like it had never happened. One more time I'll state, you cannot live on the experiences of the past, though your testimony is important. You must live in the NOW. NOW faith is... not then faith was...
The Knowledge and Understanding Variable
Our ability to submit to the anointing and leading of the Holy Spirit and "flow in the Spirit" is at least partly determined by our knowledge and understanding of such things.
For example, you'll flow much better in the anointing and gifting for prophesying if you know and understand more about it. I've seen people anointed by the Spirit who sometimes operated in the gifts and anointing in a hit and miss kind of way. Every once in a while they hit it, and operate in a powerful way. It could be more often, if they'd only seek to know and understand more about the ways of the Spirit, so they may cooperate with him.
This variable is also up to you. All of the knowledge needed is found in Scripture. You just need to study and meditate on it, letting it get on the inside of you to build up faith in your heart regarding that subject (say healing, or prophesying). Pay attention to how the gifts and anointing operated through other men by the examples in Scripture, with Yahshua the Messiah being our chief example. He operated in all of the gifts and anointing, having the Spirit upon him without measure.
If you want to see how any gifts besides tongues and interpretation worked, look at Yahshua. Tongues and interpretation are specifically new covenant gifts, as a sign of the new covenant. The book of Acts and Paul's letters are the best to learn about speaking in tongues.
It also helps to know of and read the living epistles of recent generations or the present time. Watching how someone alive today, or alive recently, operates in the anointing and gifting of the Holy Spirit, can help you begin to know and understand more about it yourself, so you can also submit to the Spirit and operate in fuller cooperation.
The Practice Variable
Practice makes perfect, as they say. You won't be as good at first at operating in the power of the Spirit as you will one day, if you keep at it. The point at first is to be baptized and then be willing to operate supernaturally as the Spirit anoints and gifts you.
As you are faithful with a little, he'll give you more. If you are not faithful with the little, even the little you have will be taken away. It is the law of use. If you don't use your left arm at all, eventually it will wither away and become useless. Likewise, if you don't use the gifts you are given, they'll go away. You may repent and get them back, but to ever increase from where you once were, you must become faithful in using what you are given by grace.
Consider it like weight lifting. The more you go to the gym and workout, the stronger you get, the more endurance you have, the leaner you get, etc. There comes a point where you hit the genetic limit of your body, but until then you are able to keep improving. It is like this with practicing the works of the Holy Spirit he works through us. As you prophesy more, you get stronger in that area, until you hit the limit of HIS WILL for your ministry and anointing at that time.
So, this variable is under your control, until you match up to his will for how much he will empower you. He will not give you more than you can handle. We don't give keys to a Dodge Viper to a little 5 year old and let them drive it. But up to that point, which is a variable out of your control, seek to receive and practice. Practice, practice, practice. Don't let gifting and anointing be dormant.
The Destiny Variable
Your destiny, or calling, in Messiah, is another variable, and this one is not under your control. You cannot do anything about this one. This one was decided by the omniscient One before you were born on earth. You can work all of the other variables until you obtain your full destiny, but this is the ceiling. I'm not sure many men of YHWH have ever hit this limit, so don't concern yourself with it.
You'd have to be consecrated and ministering in power every day for a whole lifetime on earth in this age, to even think of hitting this limit. Paul may have, as he said he had finished the race, and was ready to go home and receive his reward. Peter may have, as he was at an extremely high level of empowerment by the anointing before he was killed - so that even walking by people in the streets healed them.
You've got a long way to go before you will come close to reaching the limit YHWH has for you in this age. Even this variable may be able to be increased, though it is up to our Father in heaven to will it.
The main point I have for mentioning this one, is to say that you can trust YHWH to empower you for your calling. He isn't desiring to under-empower you - that is, he isn't going to send you on a mission and leave you without the ability to carry out the mission.
The Sins Variable
I pluralized "sins" on purpose. Your sin is dealt with when you come into Messiah, once and for all. You have not more "sin." It was washed clean by the blood. Sins are a different story. Sin is the thing that separates man from YHWH and has him in the devil's kingdom, since he first ate that fruit. It was not the commandment itself that Adam violated that caused this. That would be one of many sins. No, it was the very nature of the serpent, the serpent's seed as we read it, that is "sin." It is being a part of the Kingdom of Sin and Death. People confuse the two and think that by your sins (breaking of commandments) that you are fallen. No, no, no.
Sins are simple "missing the mark" according to the Hebrew Scripture. It is like when an archer shoots but does not hit the mark. This can be caused by blindness in full or in part - you don't know where to shoot that arrow. Or it can be caused by true disobedience - refusing to shoot the arrow correctly at the right target. The former is lesser and the latter is greater, being outright rebellion, of course.
Most sins are committed because of Sin. Paul said in Romans that Sin dwells in the body, it is called the "carnal nature" or serpent's seed, and it is what causes us to do what we don't want to do, and not do what we want to do. In other words, the good I want to do (because in my heart I love YHWH and his Word), I can't fully do, and that which I hate, that I do (in the flesh). My flesh keeps wanting to commit sins (lying, stealing, coveting, etc.) because of that nature of Sin dwelling in it. My inward man, being renewed in Messiah, hates those things.
So, once I'm set from from the bondage to Sin in the inner man, I'm free to dominate the flesh and overcome sinning as well. I don't have to give into the desire to commit sins. However, this is not always an easy battle. It does get easier as you mature spiritually and your spirit is becomes stronger than the flesh.
Many new believers get really discouraged and let condemnation come back in, because they can't understand why they still struggle so much with doing "bad" things. They hate it, don't want to do it, but it just seems hopeless. Sadly, they usually don't find enough mature (in spirit) believers around them who understand what is really going on (the war between the spirit and the flesh) and can encourage them to keep at it, and not give up, and it will get better over time.
See, the gifts of the Spirit are given and can be had right away, but the fruit is grown. It takes time, and maturity, to bear the fruit of the Spirit, truly (we aren't talking about the fake religious versions people try to work up).
Though grace abounds and still committing sins in the flesh will not keep you from the Holy Spirit, or the gifts of the Holy Spirit, consistently sinning will diminish the anointing on you. This is because the Holy Spirit gets grieved when we keep giving into the desires of the flesh. When we grieve him, being a person with feelings, he will depart. You then have to repent and make yourself welcoming for his return, if you want to pick back up where you left off. When he empowers you, part of that power is to help you overcome the flesh, the world, and the devil. If you are refusing to fight that fight, the Holy Spirit will depart.
Whatever the case, don't give up. Keep fighting against the carnal desires that lead you to commit sins. You are free from Sin in your inner man, and need to fight it and overcome it in the outer man. This is one of the three things every believer is called to overcome: their own flesh with carnality, the world (other flesh with carnality), and the devil (the originator of the carnality or Sin).
A broken and contrite heart goes a long way with YHWH in bringing his grace into action. As long as you inwardly hate the sinful nature of the flesh, you have such a heart.
The Religious Variable
YHWH hates the false religiousness of men. Just look at who Yahshua the Messiah, anointed by the Holy Spirit, spoke to in the harshest manner. It was the Pharisees and Sadducees of his day. He hated their false pretenses of worship and devotion, their self-righteousness, their empty rituals and sacrifices, their lip praise with hearts far from him, their arrogance and pride against other "sinners", their hypocricy, etc. If you want to know what YHWH thinks of such religious people, just look at how Yahshua reacted toward them.
Consider this, Yahshua responded in an offish manner at first to a Canaanite woman with a demon-possessed daughter. Remember that the Canaanite race was not supposed to still exist by that time, but Israel failed in their old covenant mission. Consider that her daughter may have been demon-possessed because Canaanites were demon-worshipers and no doubt had many generational curses on their lineage. However, when she responded with faith in him, he responded favorably. She humbled herself before YHWH, and he healed her daughter. He then complimented her and her faith.
Now, that same Yahshua called the religious Jews such harsh names as "vipers" and "sons of the devil." He rebuked them to their faces, but did not do so to the Canaanite woman who came to him humbled and for help. Consider this well. Because the religious variable is an important one and is completely up to you.
What is the primary sign of such a religious attitude? They do not receive YHWH in person, NOW. For such people, he was great back then and he will be great in the future. But right now we are in charge here and our religious traditions and rituals reign. They are those who give him lip service, but there hearts are not really with or for him.
So, whether Yahshua the Son, or the Holy Spirit sent to be with us now, they resist him. Like in the record of the New Testament, they tend to even call the works of YHWH's Holy Spirit "of the devil." From such people depart, and if you have in any way participated, REPENT!
Let us get something straight. The devil isn't the Healer, YHWH is! He isn't a creator, he's a counterfeiter and deceiver. So, he doesn't create or regenerate (such as new limbs on a person's body). He rather steals, kills and destroys. He doesn't fill people with an evil spirit speaking in tongues and have them praise Yahshua the Messiah and support the work of Messiah. People possessed of evil spirits DO NOT support the work of the gospel. As Paul said, no one says Yahshua be cursed by the Holy Spirit, and no one says Yahshua is Lord or Master except by the Holy Spirit (revealing such to them).
Get it straight, and don't get religious and speak on things you don't understand, like speaking in tongues, casting out devils, or healing the sick. If you see someone doing these works in the name of Yahshua (any pronunciation in any language), they aren't working for the devil. A kingdom divided falls, and the devil is not going around casting out the devil. Yahshua himself taught this when he was accused of casting out devils by Beelzebub (the prince of devils).
That is the height of bad religion, but it can be lesser and still keep you from fully receiving of the Holy Spirit in your life. Make your own will up now to simply seek to follow Yahshua and receive of the Holy Spirit exactly as they did in Scripture. If they had it and operated in it in Scripture, you need to also. The Kingdom of Messiah did not start being built one way, and switch to another method (without the Holy Spirit) later on.
So, drop all religiousness, and set your eyes on our examples in Scripture. Then be a doer and not just a hearer. Religious people (like modern day Pharisees and Sadducees) are all about supposed knowledge and understanding of Scripture - they love theology, and other ologies, and they love priding themselves on their knowledge and "right doctrine" - but they don't do squat (they don't prophesy by the Holy Spirit, they don't lay hands on the sick and see them healed, etc.). Again, it is always about back then in Scripture and oh that glorious day some day, to such people. Don't be in that crowd. NOW faith is...and it requires ACTION to be living faith.
When you live by NOW faith in action, as you become known for the works the Holy Spirit does through you, you will receive opposition from the religious crowd. You can bank on that. Yahshua said that if they hated him, they'll hate you. If they wouldn't listen to him, they won't listen to you. If they wouldn't follow him on earth, they won't follow you. But, the opposite is also true.
If you are doing the works as enabled by the Holy Spirit and they attack such - don't worry, they can say they are followers of Messiah all they want, but they'd attack him in person and on earth too. They wouldn't recognize him. They have this false image of Messiah in their mind that they submit to, but it isn't the real one.
Self-righteousness may be one of the greatest offenses you can grieve the Holy Spirit with. Again, we see this by the reaction Yahshua had in person toward the religious of his day, who were self-righteous. However, when a prostitute touched him to clean his feet and anoint him with oil, he gladly accepted such worship. Selah.
The ironic thing is that some of the Sacred Names people who think modern Christians are baal worshipers because of the use of "Lord," would lose a show down with true Pentecostal believers, because the Holy Spirit is obviously with one group, and not the other. Wake up and smell the coffee, or rather the anointing, folks. Religiosity does not please YHWH, and never has. Humility before him, to receive from him, is what he looks for when he's wanting to give out gifts. You don't have to have all the answers - you just need to be humble and ready to receive.
Submission to Authority Variable
You will not get very far with YHWH if you refuse to submit to authority around you - those with higher positions in the natural or the Kingdom of heaven. This is another reason the Sacred Names movement is so fruitless - it is full of self led people who refuse to submit to any spiritual covering of authority or pastoring over their lives. They lie to themselves that it can be just "Yahshua as my King." That would be true if he had not appointed five-fold ministers to be in leadership in the Body. But, he has. And you need to submit to such if you want to fully receive of the flow of the anointing oil from the Head down to the feet.
If you are not in proper alignment in the Body, you will experience lack of anointing - period. Aaron being anointed as high priest speaks of this, as Yahshua the Messiah is the true eternal High Priest. When Aaron was anointed, they didn't just dab a bit on his forehead. No, they poured a whole horn full of oil over his head, so it went all the way down to the feet. Likewise, the anointing of Messiah flows down to his feet in the Body of Messiah.
But, if you are a separitist who puts yourself outside of the Body and its leadership on earth, you aren't in a position to receive of the corporate anointing. This will hinder you from ever fully reaching your potential destiny in the work of Messiah in this age. It will also mess with your treasure in heaven, or rather lack thereof.
Some people won't follow leadership unless it is perfect. Sorry my friends, you will not find any perfect men on earth right now, not even in the Body of Messiah. We all still have flesh with a carnal nature. We all still have imperfection being worked out of us by the Potter. Leaders are not better than anyone else. They are simply appointed and anointed by YHWH to lead. They are gifted and able to help you, even if they themselves have personal struggles. The sooner you figure this out, the better.
Now, I'm not talking about a leader who wants to control you. We aren't talking about cultish stuff here. We are talking about Scriptural leadership and following in the Body of Messiah. A Scriptural leader in the Body is only there to EQUIP YOU for the work of the ministry (every believer is called to be a witness and minister, though they may not be called to be a leader in the Body). That is all. He is not there to take the place of Messiah in your life - you still have first and foremost your personal relationship with HIM. He is not there to control all of your decisions - but rather to give advice that you are free to follow or not.
Many churches and even pastors do not understand Scriptural discipleship. Yahshua is our example in this. He showed us how to make disciples.
If you are not a part of a local assembly of believers and under some sort of pastoral authority, seek such humbly and prayerfully. Fight off the spirit of rebellion, or arrogance, or whatever hinders you in this. You won't find perfection, but the Holy Spirit will lead you to someone who can help you grow in Messiah more. Beyond this, there are other specialist ministries that aren't pastoral so much, but are still for equipping the saints. Some excel at teaching, or preaching, or writing articles and books, etc., to equip the saints. You can participate and glean from as many as these as you want, but be a part of a local group with authority covering you in Messiah.
Even for leaders this is important. I'm a leader, and am even currently training inner circle people, outer circle people, and people are gleaning from me here to be equipped who I don't even know on a personal level. But, I still go to a local assembly and submit to the leadership there, and serve with my gifts and anointing there, in unity with the leadership.
Remember, the corporate anointing for the Body, which is the most powerful anointing, flows from the Head down, and you must find your proper alignment in that order to receive fully of the anointing. If you do not, you will always be lacking in some way of the anointing of power.
I will go far enough to say that it is worth a physical relocation if necessary, to get in the right assembly with the right leadership for you, as led by the Holy Spirit. It make the difference between fulfilling your destiny in and for Messiah, or not.
The Prayer Variable
Prayer is so vital to being empowered. By prayer I don't mean a one way conversation wherein you spout off all manner of prayer by rote or things that sound nice but don't come from your heart. I'm talking about a real relationship and real conversations (two ways) with YHWH. Prayer includes speaking and listening. Prayer is between you and YHWH what quality time is with our spouses. For example, when Kathy and I have quality time, it is just for us to sit and speak, or enjoy some activity together, etc. It is time just for building and maintaining our close relationship.
That is what prayer is for the believer. Prayer is what builds your relationship with YHWH. If all you do is talk all the time and don't listen, that isn't going to build you up much. It might puff you up, though, if you are like the Pharisee that prayed, "I thank you I'm not like that guy, that sinner over there."
Like with any relationship, it starts out shallow. As time goes on, you get closer to each other, and the relationship is deeper. With YHWH, you can get to the place where "deep calleth unto deep," which is Spirit to spirit. He communes with you, and you commune with him.
If you keep at it, though at first you struggle to even hear the Shepherd's voice in the spirit, or distinguish such from your own mind, or other sources, you get to where you become ever aware of his Presence and he can speak to you anywhere and any time and you get it.
Don't get down about where you are now, if you think you aren't close to him and have trouble communing. Seek and you will find. Keep at it. Study and meditate on what Scripture says about our relationship with HIM in Messiah, and how to commune with him. Grow in this area step by step, and don't beat yourself up over current shortcoming.
This is for all of us. Granted, those who are prophets in the Body tend to hear the heartbeat more easily. That is their calling - to know the mind of YHWH - and at times share this with the Body. But, we all can continue to seek and find and get to know our great Shepherd more.
Praying daily, throughout the day, is an important variable in being empowered. In fact, there are non-Pentecostal pastors who have not been baptized with the Holy Spirit who walk in a greater anointing of ministry than some Pentecostal pastors who have, because those pastors pray A LOT while the others are neglecting their prayer life.
So, pray. Pray without ceasing. That is hard without praying in the spirit (tongues as the Spirit gives utterance) and becomes much easier after the baptism is received. However, some who have been baptized with the Spirit still manage to neglect this. You'll be glad if you do not neglect this.
When we say "voice," this does not mean an audible voice in the air, or even in the mind. Spirit speaks to spirit. The message may come to your mind in various ways. You may feel an inner nudging in a direction, or a warning to not go in a direction. If you are born of the Spirit, you can trust this leading of the inner man. You may have the interpretation of tongues come that is his voice answering you, while you are praying in the spirit. Prophesying may occur. Or, the interpretation of what your spirit gets just comes into your mind like you were reading a book aloud (in this case you hear the voice of the inner man speaking the interpretation of what the Holy Spirit brought to the spirit of man). It could be you see a vision, or have a dream.
The point I'm making is that there are many ways he speaks. Knowing about him and his character from Scripture helps greatly in discerning if it is his voice or not. For example, if you hear, "You dummy, why did you do that? I'm so disappointed in you. You're always messing up!" That isn't YHWH! In all my years I've never had him put me down. In doing so he'd be putting himself down as my Creator and the Potter who is molding me into what he wants me to be. YHWH isn't insecure in his work, so he doesn't see his workmanship as bad. As it says in Genesis, he sees it as good.
No, that is either a devil trying to bring discouragement and even condemnation, or your own carnal mind. Pride and insecurity are two sides of the same coin, and the carnal mind is full of it.
The voice of YHWH will always speak in a manner that keeps his character the same as we find in Scripture. He changes not. Since Scripture was written as the Holy Spirit moved on the prophets and apostles of old, he has not changed. He's the same YHWH.
I'm not talking about our interpretation of the letter of the law and sins. With that standard, some holiness Pentecostals would think my wife can't be hearing his voice because she wears pants and make-up. We're talking about his character, like in the example of "You dummy" above. He doesn't just speak to the perfect (or he'd have none but himself to speak to at this time). No, he'll speak to us though we don't know everything and aren't perfect keeping our flesh in line with his laws.
We can all hear our Shepherd's voice if we are his sheep, despite everything else. Again, if he could only speak to those who are perfect in the earthly (flesh), YHWH could only speak to YHWH. Only the "let us" in Genesis could have a conversation. He created us for relationship. He wants to have a relationship with us.
He will not violate his own principles, however. He may violate our interpretation and understanding of the letter of the law. For example, he had one prophet lay on his side and eat food cooked over cow dung (originally he told the prophet to use his own dung, but the prophet refused being too grossed out by that, so he gave him permission to use cow dung instead - because the prophet had an issue over the clean and unclean from his understanding of the law). Another prophet was told to go around naked for so many days.
Religious legalists to this day would want to stone that prophet that went around naked. The point I'm making is that he may mess with your understanding of the letter of the law, because the law as given through Moses with temporal outward observances is not to be confused with the Eternal Law. There is no unclean animals in heaven, and the Eternal Law has no commandments about unclean or clean animals, as it matters not in the spirit realm.
There are no tzit-tzit wearing angels in the Kingdom of heaven. You won't be wearing any. There is no outward literal temple where they all go in heaven to offer animal sacrifices. We are the Temple of the Spirit eteranlly, a spiritual house of living stones. All of the law of Moses outwards are actually types and shadows speaking of spiritual truths, but they themselves are not the spiritual truths.
So, he may just mess with your understanding of the law of Moses and how it relates to you, but his voice will never contradict his eternal character and principles. His eternal principles are in Scripture, but you must find them line upon line, here a little, there a little, and have spiritual eyes to see. There is an eternal principle typified by the Sabbath day, for example.
All of the primary issues of the law of Moses are teaching us of spiritual principles, just as Yahshua's parables do. Yahshua wasn't talking about literal earthly seed and soil and birds, etc. He was speaking of spiritual things using natural things. The law is the same way. The law of Moses is a great place to learn many of the character traits and principles of YHWH. The only right new covenant reason to be a doer of the law of Moses is to learn, not to be righteous in your own works done in the flesh. Your flesh can't get white-washed enough to be acceptable to YHWH. You can't keep commandments as given through Moses good enough. Don't even go there. That is a snare of Satan to use the law of Moses to bring death, not life, and condemnation, not salvation.
The garden still contains two trees in the middle. Moses said he sets before us life and death - that is the two trees in the garden. Satan uses the law to bring death, by saying you can be like YHWH through your knowledge of good and evil. YHWH says that you have to partake of the Tree of Life (Messiah, the Word who came in the flesh) to have everlasting life, and that actually the tree of the knowledge of good an evil will kill you. People who use the letter of the law for righteousness are holding a big gun aimed to kill people spiritually. It brings death just as it did in the garden. This is why Paul said that the letter kills but the Spirit brings Life.
But, if you can keep from the temptation to use the written law as a tool of trying to become like YHWH through your knowledge of good and evil, go for it. Learn from it. There are great principles of YHWH hidden therein for spiritual eyes to see. You can only become like YHWH, through the Tree of Life, the Word become flesh.
Some of that may seem off topic, but it is important we realize that discerning the voice of YHWH is not based on our legal understanding of good and evil. There are spiritual principles that are eternal that are veiled in Scripture to the natural mind.
I'll give one more example to beat the dead horse just to be sure you get it. Abraham heard the voice of YHWH tell him to sacrifice his son Isaac. Now, to the outward understanding of good and evil, this would be evil, and against the law. However, Abraham still believed this was YHWH speaking and carried out the order. He was about to slay his son when the angel stopped him and told him it was only a test, that YHWH did not want him to kill Isaac - he had passed the test.
A lot of religious legalists would have simply written the voice off as "that can't be YHWH, he would never tell me to sacrifice a man!" Wrong. He did call for the sacrifice of the man, named Yahshua of Nazareth. He also called for the wholesale slaughter of a whole race of people - the Canaanites. Your knowledge of good and evil based on the letter of law is flawed. If you go by that to determine if you hear YHWH or not, you'll miss him.
Here is the best way I know to relate to you at this time concerning how you can discern good and evil, truly, to know if the voice is YHWH speaking to your spirit, or it is an evil spirit. For one, the Holy Spirit speaks to your spirit, the vast majority of the time. Yes, angelic visitation is a possibility, or even an audible voice like when they heard "This is my Son in whom I'm well pleased." But those are exceptions, not the rule. Evil spirits usually speak directly to your carnal mind - that is, they speak to your natural mind, and tempt your carnal desires.
The Holy Spirit does not tempt you. It is written that YHWH does not tempt any man to sin and cannot be tempted by sin. Satan tempts, not YHWH. Does the voice appeal to your carnal desires? Then I'm 100% sure it is not YHWH. The Holy Spirit speaks to your spirit and encourages spiritual desires - eternal desires; desires for YHWH and his Kingdom to come on earth as in heaven.
That really is the best way to know. Whether and evil spirit or just your own natural mind speaking from itself, it will appeal to the flesh - to the carnal lusts of the flesh, and the selfishness of the flesh. If the Holy Spirit, such will appeal to eternal Life and the principles and Kingdom of eternal Life.
Both Satan and the Holy Spirit may quote Scripture. Just because something sounds scriptural or is a direct quote, does not mean it is the voice of YHWH speaking to you. Satan tempted Yahshua to commit suicide using a quote from the Psalms - tempting him to jump off the temple. Likewise, Satan has tempted some extreme Pentecostals to play with snakes in church and drink poison. He knows how to use Scripture to appeal to your carnal desires and pride. But, only the Holy Spirit will speak Life to you, and things of Life. He will never appeal to your carnal nature, but instead wants you to crucify your carnal nature, taking up your cross daily.
May you be able to tell the difference, and discern rightly. Receive the promise that his sheep know his voice, and as his sheep, that includes you. You don't have to live without his voice any longer. You are able to be led by the Holy Spirit. And as you seek to do so little by little now, you will grow in this area and come to be more and more sensitive to the leading of the Holy Spirit sent from heaven.
Pray without ceasing...
Wow, that is a lot of variables!
Don't get discouraged! YHWH is looking for willing people, not immediately perfect people. In all of these areas I'm still growing. I have not reached perfection in any of them. You will not in short order either. YHWH is love, and remember, love is patient, love is kind...etc. (1 Cor 13). He isn't going to get impatient with you.
Learn from what I've written here which I've learned from Scripture and practice, and begin to practice. Practice makes perfect, but you'll be practicing for the rest of your life. The goal is improvement, even if just little by little. YHWH will delight in seeing you take baby steps toward him. He said to draw nigh to him and he will draw nigh to you. He didn't say you have to traverse the whole gap yourself. So, be encouraged!
Do not despise small beginnings. You must be faithful with the little before you receive more. Just keep being faithful, and keep seeking more. Don't give up. Only quitters lose in this thing, and you are not a quitter!