Truly Hearing Heavenly Intent
An all-creatures Bible Message

Truly Hearing Heavenly Intent
 
A Sermon Delivered to
The Compassion Internet Church
 
1 October 2017
 
Frank L. Hoffman, Pastor

Scripture References

Psalm 78:9-33
Philippians 2:12-30

Truly hearing heavenly intent should come naturally to everyone who considers them self to be a believer, but unfortunately only a small percentage of people live in the heavenly will of God.
 
This heavenly living is required for us to be truly hearing heavenly intent, because it comes to us through the Holy Spirit.
 
For some reason, which we can speculate about, most people live like they are living in the corrupt ways of this world instead of following the heavenly will of God, and these people include many who say they believe as well as many clergy.
 
Something is terribly wrong.
 
In Psalm 78:9-33, we read about many of the people who are not truly hearing heavenly intent…

9. The sons of Ephraim were archers equipped with bows,
Yet they turned back in the day of battle.

If people are truly hearing heavenly intent, where there is no pain or suffering or death, here on earth they would not have wars to settle disputes nor would they train for battle, for they would be peacemaking children of God.

10. They did not keep the covenant of God,
And refused to walk in His law;

We strongly believe that the covenant of God includes many more things than those included in the Law, but most of the people seem to ignore these facts.
 
They should know that dominion does not mean to brutalize the animals by killing and eating them whenever they want, for they would lovingly care for them and protect them from harm.
 
They should also know that since human beings were part of creation, we should also be living at peace with one another.
 
And, if we all did this, there would have been no need for the Law, for the Law was only presented to us to be a guide to lead us back into the heavenly will of God.
 
People distort the truth and believe the lies, which is a problem that has existed to this very day; it’s the way of the devil.

11. And they forgot His deeds,
And His miracles that He had shown them.

They forgot all the wonderful things that God did, including creating a peaceful garden that reflected His heavenly will.
 
And the psalmist reminds us of some of the other things, but we also need to remember that they all occurred after we fell from grace, when our ancestors disobeyed God and instead sided with the devil.

12. He wrought wonders before their fathers,
In the land of Egypt, in the field of Zoan.
 
13. He divided the sea, and caused them to pass through;
And He made the waters stand up like a heap.

God did these things because most of the people didn’t believe and He believed if He did some dramatic things, it would wake people up to what He truly wanted them to do.

14. Then He led them with the cloud by day,
And all the night with a light of fire.
 
15. He split the rocks in the wilderness,
And gave them abundant drink like the ocean depths.
 
16. He brought forth streams also from the rock,
And caused waters to run down like rivers.

The Lord did this because the people were grumbling against Him and Moses, and He hoped the people would once again begin truly hearing heavenly intent.

17. Yet they still continued to sin against Him,
To rebel against the Most High in the desert.
 
18. And in their heart they put God to the test
By asking food according to their desire.

And we need to remember that the people’s desire was not in the heavenly will of God; it was their own worldly desires for flesh.

19. Then they spoke against God;
They said, "Can God prepare a table in the wilderness?

The people grumbled against God; doubting Him.

20. "Behold, He struck the rock, so that waters gushed out,
And streams were overflowing;
Can He give bread also?
Will He provide meat for His people?"

Note carefully that the Lord gave them the water they desired even though He was angry with them for grumbling, but even then they were still not satisfied, for they grumbled for more and more.
 
People who are not truly hearing heavenly intent are rarely or never satisfied.

21. Therefore the LORD heard and was full of wrath,
And a fire was kindled against Jacob,
And anger also mounted against Israel;
 
22. Because they did not believe in God,
And did not trust in His salvation.

God has a limit to His patience.
 
Think about how angry and saddened God must be by the way most Christians and Jews are living in their worldly ways today.

23. Yet He commanded the clouds above,
And opened the doors of heaven;
 
24. And He rained down manna upon them to eat,
And gave them food from heaven.
 
25. Man did eat the bread of angels;
He sent them food in abundance.

But even then they were not satisfied, and grumbled about not having flesh to eat, which we all should know is not in the heavenly will of God.

26. He caused the east wind to blow in the heavens;
And by His power He directed the south wind.
 
27. When He rained meat upon them like the dust,
Even winged fowl like the sand of the seas,
 
28. Then He let them fall in the midst of their camp,
Round about their dwellings.

We are told elsewhere that the quail were three feet deep, which plainly tells us that they were not living, for living birds do not sit on top of one another.
 
Instead of killing any living birds, we strongly believe that the Lord created the dead birds and had them rain down upon their camp.

29. So they ate and were well filled;
And their desire He gave to them.

God gave them the desire of their heart even though it was not in His heavenly will.

30. Before they had satisfied their desire,
While their food was in their mouths,
 
31. The anger of God rose against them,
And killed some of their stoutest ones,
And subdued the choice men of Israel.

Once again, God had enough of their irreverence and ungodliness.

32. In spite of all this they still sinned,
And did not believe in His wonderful works.
 
33. So He brought their days to an end in futility,
And their years in sudden terror.
NASB

We keep thinking about the way the world is today with all of its violence, bloodshed, pain, suffering, and death; people are not living in the heavenly will of God and they are not truly hearing heavenly intent.
 
They are living as though they are only listening to the devil.
 
If we just look at the suffering and death most people are eating, we know that it is ungodly.
 
As we look at Philippians 2:12-30, note the way that Paul addresses the ungodliness in the world that is all around us, and even in our midst.

12. So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling;

Paul sees and understands the even people who follow the teaching of Jesus and the heavenly will of God, can fall short of the glory of God because of the evil in the world around us, so he cautions us to work out our salvation with fear and trembling.
 
In other words, Paul wants us to seriously examine ourselves and everything we do and say, to make sure we are truly hearing heavenly intent and not the ways or voice of the devil, so that we do nothing to jeopardize our salvation.

13. for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.
 
14. Do all things without grumbling or disputing;

In other words, don’t be like the Hebrews in the wilderness who grumbled all the time and angered the Lord.

15. that you may prove yourselves to be blameless and innocent, children of God above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you appear as lights in the world,

We often wonder why so many flesh eaters get angry at us when we talk about being vegan, and we believe that their anger is really a reflection of the fact that they really know the truth and are fighting against it.

16. holding fast the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I may have cause to glory because I did not run in vain nor toil in vain.

Vegan living is really the word of life, just as living in the heavenly will of God is, for neither does any harm to any part of creation (humans, other animals, or the environment in which we all live).

17. But even if I am being poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I rejoice and share my joy with you all.

Paul is saying that even if we die in the process of serving God in His heavenly will, we should continue to rejoice, because we know we will be in heaven with the Lord forever and ever.

18. And you too, I urge you, rejoice in the same way and share your joy with me.

Paul, like all of us, need to be encouraged from time to time, particularly when we may be facing death, or even when people turn against us because they don’t want to hear the truth that we are speaking.

19. But I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you shortly, so that I also may be encouraged when I learn of your condition.
 
20. For I have no one else of kindred spirit who will genuinely be concerned for your welfare.

We should all seek to be like Timothy, who is truly hearing heavenly intent, so that we think like Jesus, and minister in the same way that He did.

21. For they all seek after their own interests, not those of Christ Jesus.
 
22. But you know of his proven worth that he served with me in the furtherance of the gospel like a child serving his father.

In other words, Timothy’s godly life traveled before his actual presence, so that they knew what it meant to be truly hearing heavenly intent, so that they and we would not fall into the worldly traps that are all around us.

23. Therefore I hope to send him immediately, as soon as I see how things go with me;
 
24. and I trust in the Lord that I myself also shall be coming shortly.

This is the kind of faith and trust that we all need to have, because when we don’t, we have a greater risk of falling back into the evil and worldly ways that are all around us.
 
And Paul realized that a lot of people have trouble doing this, so he sends them encouragement.

25. But I thought it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus, my brother and fellow worker and fellow soldier, who is also your messenger and minister to my need;
 
26. because he was longing for you all and was distressed because you had heard that he was sick.
 
27. For indeed he was sick to the point of death, but God had mercy on him, and not on him only but also on me, lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow.
 
28. Therefore I have sent him all the more eagerly in order that when you see him again you may rejoice and I may be less concerned about you.
 
29. Therefore receive him in the Lord with all joy, and hold men like him in high regard;
 
30. because he came close to death for the work of Christ, risking his life to complete what was deficient in your service to me.
NASB

Timothy and Epaphroditus are examples of how all clergy should be, but unfortunately most clergy seem to support worldly ways more than the heavenly will of God where there is no more pain or suffering or death.
 
This means that clergy should be truly hearing heavenly intent and setting an example of God’s heavenly will here on earth as it is in heaven.
 
Therefore, if they are not doing this, then it is up to the rest of us who are truly hearing heavenly intent to set such an example not only for the people around us, but also for the clergy.
 
We should be doing everything in our power to end human caused pain, suffering, and death here on earth, as well as encouraging others to do the same.
 
We can help free creation from its present corruption.
 
We can have peace on earth.
 
We can.
 
Amen.

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