God’s Voice

God’s Voice

Unlike the accounts in the Old Testament – where God spoke to men on the mountain tops or shouted from the skies – we don’t hear anything in the weather forecast about a chance of God’s voice billowing from the clouds or stories of mountain climbers talking with God face to face after scaling a summit. In today’s world it almost seems as if God is silent. There are many that claim they would whole heartedly come to repentance if they just heard even a whisper from above. Much of the world refuses to follow God because they can’t see God. They want a sign – and He seems to just keep silent. Why is that? Why doesn’t God speak to us the way He once did before?

Well, in all honesty, did it make a difference? When God was speaking to Moses face to face on Mt. Sinai, weren’t the Israelites turning away from God just a stones throw down away from where Moses was standing? They were right down the mountain! They could see a great pillar of smoke and they knew that God was right there in their midst, and yet they still turned to something else.

God has given us all kinds of chance, all kinds of proof to His existence. He spoke, He blessed, He healed, He performed great miracles, He gave signs – He sent His only Son – yet somehow to the human heart that still isn’t enough. They want to hear the voice of God, even when He’s already spoken through so many things.

I tell you that the voice of God is still being spoken. He has never stopped speaking, only we don’t know how to hear. God speaks through His followers. What used to be a 3 week journey up the mountaintop is now a 3 minute (or less) prayer away. Thanks to the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, God’s Spirit dwells within each and every follower that comes to know Him. (1Corinthians 6:19-20) God is speaking through your heart. His voice resides within your very being. He speaks to you, He comforts you, He hears you – only if you’d love Him and believe Him in return. Not only that, but He wishes for the rest of the world to hear His voice as well.

How can anyone hear His voice if they don’t believe – but by Christians amplifying the voice that speaks inside of them. On most music devices there is a headphone jack and there is an internal speaker. You have the option of listening to your music quietly and personally, or you have the option of sharing your music with everyone around you. Are we going to pop in the headphones to our faith and enjoy it independently or are we going to unplug those headphones and let the rest of the world hear.

The voice of God can be heard today. He speaks through those that would be His megaphone.

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Trying Too Hard or Not Hard Enough

One of the many difficulties to the modern day Christian is evangelism. How does one tell of the inerrant word of God to a world that has decided they’ll have nothing to do with it? The answer, however, is simple. God will provide. If you so much as put the effort into someone’s life, to genuinely love on them and share the good news, God will do the rest. We may not always see the harvest of the seeds of faith we plant into other people’s lives but that should not discourage us. We should also not be so concerned about “on the spot salvation”. That process is between them and The Lord, we must be careful not to sell Jesus like a product just to get the recipient to “pray these words after me”. Be bold in your approach but not to the point of condemnation. Of course you’re itching to tell them how much their drug problem can affect their lives, right off the bat – but how would they better receive your concern? By saying it at the beginning of the conversation and turning them off to what you have to say? Or by telling them at the end, establishing rapport, and leaving them with something to think about? We must evangelize with great fervency, but still hold self control. In all things move in the Spirit, for nothing in witnessing is ever predictable. Evangelism might be the 800lb Gorilla in the room that some Christians don’t want to touch, because of its unpredictability. But when you move in the Spirit and take the step to “preach the gospel to every creature” God will always be at your side.
(Mark 16:15, Matthew 28:19-20)

No Offense

This has been such a great week for me, evangelistically. God has been opening doors to tell complete strangers about Jesus. Two particular instances this week, however, stood out to me. When sharing The Good News with two separate individuals, at some point in the conversation both responded with the phrase: “no offense but I don’t believe in what you do.” What got to me wasn’t the phrase itself, but the way they winced as they said it; as if they were about to receive a biblical beat down. Is this our reputation to the mainstream world? Yes we are supposed to preach the gospel to every creature, but have we as Christians become violent with our approach? We must study the ways of our Teacher and always be ready to witness at any given time – in a loving manner. We want them to receive the joy we have, not face the criticism that Jesus died for. Let your light shine so that it may lead others to the Savior. Witness with conviction but know that you are not the final Judge. (Mark 16:15, John 8:7, Matthew 7:3)