Developing Our Spiritual Senses
Preached by Apostle Aje Pelser, Harvester Reformational Church, Cape Town, March 2022

Before we continue with our journey of discovery of Jesus in Revelation, I was reminded to develop our collective spiritual awareness.
It’s one thing to do a spiritual historical study about the churches in Revelation, but for the message to sink we need to hear what the Spirit is saying to the churches then and now.
It’s perhaps too much to ask one to develop one’s senses in a short sermon on a Sunday morning, but I can at least give you some scriptural examples that will stimulate your spiritual senses.

One of the greatest keys to unlock your spiritual senses is a desire in your heart. It draws God in all spheres of existence. If you seek him, you will find Him, in spirit and in truth.
John was in the spirit on the Lord’s day while he was in exile in a cave on the Isle of Patmos.
Rev 1:9 I, John, both your brother and companion in the tribulation and kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was on the island that is called Patmos for the word of God and for the testimony of Jesus Christ.
Rev 1:10 I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s Day, and I heard behind me a loud voice, as of a trumpet,

Spiritual senses transcend physical limitations.
Spiritual senses need to be exercised, through doing God’s will. Hebrews 5:14; John 4:34

See
God often asked his prophets: “What do you see?”
Jer 1:9 Then the LORD put forth His hand and touched my mouth, and the LORD said to me: “Behold, I have put My words in your mouth.
Jer 1:10 See, I have this day set you over the nations and over the kingdoms, To root out and to pull down, To destroy and to throw down, To build and to plant.”
Jer 1:11 Moreover the word of the LORD came to me, saying, “Jeremiah, what do you see?” And I said, “I see a branch of an almond tree.”
Jer 1:12 Then the LORD said to me, “You have seen well, for I am ready to perform My word.”

Zec_4:2 And he said to me, “What do you see?” So I said, “I am looking, and there is a lampstand of solid gold with a bowl on top of it, and on the stand seven lamps with seven pipes to the seven lamps.
Zec_5:2 And he said to me, “What do you see?” So I answered, “I see a flying scroll. Its length is twenty cubits and its width ten cubits.”

Hear
Isa 6:8 Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying: “Whom shall I send, And who will go for Us?” Then I said, “Here am I! Send me.”
When God the Father recognized Jesus Christ as His beloved Son, He stated very clearly that we must, “hear Him”.
Matt 17:5
5”While he was still speaking, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them; and suddenly a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Hear Him!”

From MBTC Subject Manual: “Hearing God’s Voice.”
1. Realize that you can’t see God. These ears aren’t made to hear God.
2. The Hebrew has no word for reply, so if God hears you, He is obliged to respond. If you’ve heard God, you are obliged to respond.

To hear
Look at the following depth of meaning in the Hebrew word for “hear”, “shâma‛” pronounced “shaw-mah’”: Hebr. Strong’s #8085
“to hear intelligently, often with the implication of attention and obedience;
to hear attentively; call (gather) together;
to hear carefully; to hear certainly;
consent, consider, be content, declare;
to hear diligently; discern; give ear; cause to hear, make to hear or hearken;
to hear indeed; listen, make a noise; be obedient; obey; perceive; make a proclamation;
publish, regard, shew forth, make a sound;
to hear surely; tell; understand; “whosoever heareth”; witness.

Response
God demands a response. God is not going to speak to us because we are curious to see whether He can speak or not.
If God is going to speak, we must then obey what He is going to say.
That’s why most don’t hear from God, because they don’t want to hear what He has to say.

Approaching God
Realize the following 4 things when you approach God:
1. He is Invisible
2. You must have faith in Him
3. Ask the Father in Jesus’ name
4. Response/ Action is required once you’ve heard from Him

Please make a decision to study this subject further, there is never enough time to cover all the notes completely and I urge you to connect with MBTC and learn to hear from God with an open Bible.

Touch
Isa 6:6 Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a live coal which he had taken with the tongs from the altar.
Isa 6:7 And he touched my mouth with it, and said: “Behold, this has touched your lips; Your iniquity is taken away, And your sin purged.”
A spiritual preparation was required for the task of delivering the prophecies that God would give Isaiah.
Jeremiah went through something similar.
Daniel had a physical encounter with the one having the likeness of a man – described in very similar fashion as Jesus in John’s vision.
Dan 10:18 Then again, the one having the likeness of a man touched me and strengthened me.
Dan 10:19 And he said, “O man greatly beloved, fear not! Peace be to you; be strong, yes, be strong!” So when he spoke to me I was strengthened, and said, “Let my lord speak, for you have strengthened me.”
It is worth reading the entire chapter of Daniel chapter 10 because there are clues to developing spiritual sense locked in the verses. Unlock them through faith in Jesus’ Word that His promises in the Old and New Covenants are yes and Amen in him.

Taste
In spiritual visions we see that taste is part of the experience, and it is there to confirm the Lord’s will in the situation.
Eze 3:1 Moreover He said to me, “Son of man, eat what you find; eat this scroll, and go, speak to the house of Israel.”
Eze 3:2 So I opened my mouth, and He caused me to eat that scroll.
Eze 3:3 And He said to me, “Son of man, feed your belly, and fill your stomach with this scroll that I give you.” So I ate, and it was in my mouth like honey in sweetness.
John had a similar experience:
Rev 10:10 Then I took the little book out of the angel’s hand and ate it, and it was as sweet as honey in my mouth. But when I had eaten it, my stomach became bitter.
Rev 10:11 And he said to me, “You must prophesy again about many peoples, nations, tongues, and kings.”
Some of the words contained in the scroll had judgment against the nations and were thus bitter.
The Word of the Lord is sweet to those who obey and bitter to those who don’t.

Smell
Examples of the spiritual sense of smell:
1:12 While the king is at his table, My spikenard sends forth its fragrance.
Joh_12:3 Then Mary took a pound of very costly oil of spikenard, anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped His feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the oil.

2Co 2:14 Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place.
2Co 2:15 For we are to God the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing.

Rev_5:8 Now when He had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each having a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints.

Rev_8:3 Then another angel, having a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all the saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne.
Rev_8:4 And the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, ascended before God from the angel’s hand.

Rev_18:13 and cinnamon and incense, fragrant oil and frankincense, wine and oil, fine flour and wheat, cattle and sheep, horses and chariots, and bodies and souls of men.

As you read, pray and ask God to develop your spiritual senses for His purposes. Ask in Jesus’ name and begin to pray in tongues, expectantly waiting on the Lord. Do this regularly and go through your prayer journal where God has spoken to you before. If you show God’s words are important, then He will speak to you more.
You might find yourself recognizing many instances when your spiritual senses were stimulated and you had forgotten about it!