If God Could Speak

"Long ago God spoke to the fathers by the prophets at different times and in different ways.  In these last days,  He has spoken to us by Hi Son...." (Heb. 11:1, HCSB). 

There is a story in India of six men touching an elephant and each having different experiences which is supposed to explain how we all see God in a different light, thus explaining worldviews or religions.  The men are blind and each touches a different part:  one touches the trunk and thinks its a tree trunk; another the tusk and thinks it's a spear; another a tail and so forth.  But the men don't know they're touching an elephant!  They don't know they're just touching part of the elephant.  But if the elephant could speak there would be divine revelation and they wouldn't be confused but know the truth.

But in the analogy, God is supposed to be the elephant and the fact is that He did speak to us in the Bible and through His final revelation of Jesus.  We need someone who is not blind to know the true nature and we are assuming all the men are blind and have limited knowledge.  What if they touch different elephants?  The analogy may have cute comparisons but it's not valid when you break it down and analyze it.  God entered our world and became one in the nature of the elephant and that person is Jesus, the icon of God, and all we need to know.

God spoke the world into existence and He is here and He is not silent.  God speaks every day through the Word of God and our voices--He uses us to be His spokespersons.  God first spoke, then created, then acted on our behalf.  He's listening to us if we listen and don't turn a deaf ear, but be attentive to His signals.  As C. S. Lewis said, "God whispers in our joys, speaks in our conscience, but shouts in our pains; it's God's megaphone to rouse a deaf world." The problem is not God trying to make contact but our refusal to listen and hear what He has to say.  He speaks, we just don't listen up! As in the analogy, if the elephant spoke the confusion, conjecture, and speculation would cease and man would know the truth to set him free.  To know Jesus is to know that truth and to be free in spirit.

It seems to me that if archaeologists found the love letters of Cleopatra that the world would seek out to read them wholeheartedly with gusto; however, we have the love letter of God and men ignore that.  God has sent His Word to the world and we must heed and hearken to what He has to say, for He knows our needs and what we need to know. So we need not ponder whether God could speak but realize that He has spoken and all we need to know is in the Bible; there is no need for more revelation or doctrines.

"In the beginning was the Word...."  The Greek word used is Logos or "thought expressed." Jesus is the express image of God (cf. Col. 2:9).  The elephant is supposedly the expressed thought of God to the blind men.  However, the difference is that Jesus opens the eyes of the blind and makes them see:  "I was blind but now I see!"  It was the devil who blinded the eyes of the unbeliever, but upon salvation, they are opened to the truth and he sees the big picture or the whole elephant.
       Soli Deo Gloria!

The Still, Small Voice

"For God may speak in one way, or in another, Yet man does not perceive it.   In a dream, in a vision of the night, When deep sleep falls upon men, While slumbering on their beds, Then He opens the ears of men And seals their instruction" (Job 33:14-16, NKJV).  

"[W]ho carries out the words of his servants and fulfills the predictions of his messengers..." (Isa. 44:26, NIV).   

"[W]ho confirms the word of his servant and fulfills the counsel of his messengers..." (Isa. 44:26, ESV). 

 "'And afterward, I will pour out my Spirit on all people, Your sons and daughters will prophesy, Your old men will dream dreams, Your young men will see visions'" (Joel 2:28, NIV).  

"God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience, but shouts in our pains: it is His megaphone to rouse a deaf world."  --C. S. Lewis

Jesus is saying to us in His message to the seven churches:  "Is there anyone out there listening?"  Just as He says in John 10:27, NIV,  as follows:  "My sheep listen to [or hear] my voice; I know them, and they follow me."  God wants to be heard when He speaks.  ALL EMPHASIS MINE.

The starting point is to listen to the preaching of the Word and find salvation.  "For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe" (1 Cor. 1:21, NIV).  God's charge to Israel known as the Shema in Deut. 6:4 meant to hear!  Even men of learning need heed prophetic utterances:  "...' Hear my words, you wise men; listen to me, you mean of learning.  For the ear tests words as the tongue tastes food.  ... 'If you have understanding, hear this, listen to what I say" (Job 34:2-3, 16, NIV).

WE MUST DEVELOP A TASTE FOR GOD'S VOICE BY READING THE WORD AND HEARKENING UNTO PREACHING. "'... Has the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, As in obeying the voice of the LORD?  Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, And to heed [or hearken] than the fat of rams" (1 Sam. 15:22, NKJV).

"God moves in mysterious ways, His wonders to perform." (cf. Isaiah 45:15).   So goes the famed hymn by William Cowper.  Elijah was desperate to hear from the Lord and in a cave heard an earthquake, but God was not in the earthquake, nor in the wind, nor in the fire, but in a gentle whisper or still, small voice of the Spirit that he couldn't mistake--when God speaks to you, you know it and can quote it verbatim.  One thing we all need is to be sensitive to the leading of the Spirit to know the will of God.  Balaam had to be spoken to by a donkey before his ears were sensitive to God--see how spiritually hard of hearing we can become?

All Christians could use a spiritual wake-up call to get with the program and back in line and on track with the will of God.  We have all gone our own way and astray at times and need accountability and repentance.  Our ears become insensitive to the spiritual the more we pay attention to the mundane and secular and without putting God in His rightful place.  Our spiritual ears have muscles just like our lips do that pray and they can become atrophied and dull of hearing to God by misuse or lack of use.  We all could use some sensitivity training here!  Practice makes perfect: a lifetime of ignoring God will not make it easy to hear from God.

But we must beware lest we become too mystical and listen to the inner voice even if it doesn't line up with Scripture. You have to draw the line somewhere or strike a balance between listening to the still, small voice and heeding the Word and not getting mystical.  New Age people believe in listening to the God within--but how do they know it's God?   The Quakers are highly mystical, claiming that you should put primary emphasis on your "inner light" or what God says to you, as opposed to good, sound doctrine or preaching.  Why should I trust someone else's "inner light?"  The Mormons believe they have heard from God solely based on feeling a "burning in the bosom." 

Note that God doesn't just focus on our feeling, but uses our intellect and willingness to hear from Him.  Mystics are so confident that God has told them something He hasn't told others and many heresies have been founded by them, and mysticism is also an error of believers who don't rely on Scripture as their sole rule of our faith.  If God says something it will be verified and confirmed (cf. Isa. 44:26)!

We read the Bible through the illuminating ministry of the Spirit and are convicted by its message to apply to us personally and this is when we can have an "Aha!" moment with Scripture or some would call an existential experience or epiphany like Psalm 119:162, NIV, says, "I rejoice in your promise like one who finds great spoil [treasure]."  We can treasure the Word more than our necessary food according to Job 23:12. "Thy words were found and I did eat them, and thy word was unto me the rejoicing and joy of mine heart .... " (cf. Jer. 15:16).  

Remember, a conviction is the work of the Holy Spirit and God honors His Word and it will not come back void (cf. Isa. 55:10-11).  We should always read the Bible until we actually feel God speaking to us and not just for academic reasons or to fill a regimen or duty to God.  All of us can have a genuine existential encounter with the Word!   The point about being convicted is that we must heed the Spirit's voice and listen as well as take action--if we ignore conviction then it becomes more difficult to hear God the next time and we can become spiritually hard of hearing.

Jesus addressed the seven churches in the book of Revelation each with a common phrase regarding the voice of God:  "Let him who has an ear to hear what the Spirit says to the churches...."  We can learn from all the churches!  God has a special, personal message to each church or body of Christ and tailors it for them, but we must use the ears God has given us and not turn a deaf ear to the gospel message nor any Spirit-inspired one.  This verse is speaking of our spiritual ears and sensitivity to the leading of the Spirit.  What the Spirit says to one church may also be applicable to other churches, for there is no one-size-fits-all church and believers may be hard-wired differently according to the makeup of their church.

We must listen attentively to God because He can speak volumes in many ways: dreams, visions, signs, word of mouth, sermons, even the voice of a child.  However, God has promised that He will always speak through the Word, though He hasn't retired dreams, visions, nor signs.  That's why it's so important that sermons be Bible-based and refer to it as the primary text, for God has given us His Word that it will not come back void and will accomplish that which He desires (cf. Isa. 55:10-11, Jer. 1:12).  When we refuse light, light is withdrawn (cf. Hos. 5:6).  Our spiritual ears can become calloused by ignoring God and not obeying what He does tell us plainly.

In sum, the key to hearing from God is to know God and walk in the Spirit with our spiritual antennae sensitized to anything the Lord might say and take heed or listen up, because the better we know someone the better our communication:   What we don't want is a failure to communicate!  Sometimes hearing from God may seem like a hunch or premonition or feeling that you feel inclined towards--God is in charge of this too, but it must be biblical and we shouldn't just go by feelings.

I know of a missionary who heard God say out of the blue, "Go to Mexico!" He wasn't hesitant, but obedient to the heavenly calling and went directly to Mexico without further ado. I believe prophecy is a bona fide spiritual gift and God tells "prophets" messages of exhortation (in agreement with Scripture) to the local church and for edifying of the body. Many Christians claim to be "in touch" with God audibly in the sense of even hearing His voice on occasion, and they seem to have no doubt that it is Him speaking. They are not just having a "hunch" or "getting an impression," but can quote God verbatim (if they can't quote God verbatim something is wrong!).

As for most of us, we have to rely on getting an occasion goose bump or "Aha!" moment in the Word to feel or sense His guidance. God has given us this 6th sense known as faith. David was "a man after God's own heart" who heard God's voice but also depended on the prophet Nathan and others to give him messages from the Lord, and yet he is not any less of a man of God. When God speaks directly to an individual that isn't necessarily meant to be a new revelation or prophecy, it is called "personal address" by theologians. Though we have the Holy Writ, this doesn't preclude God's audible voice today.

But when Christians rely on hunches or inner voices it gives rise to "fanaticism," as portrayed by Hannah Whitall Smith, the commonsensical Quaker writer. Even though God can speak through the air vents, it is better to seek His voice in His Word.

NB:  Jesus is knocking at the door of our heart seeking fellowship and promises that if any man hears His voice, He will come in and commune (cf. Rev. 3:20). Jesus said, "My sheep hear My voice and I know them and they follow Me."  John 10:27  And  "He who is of the truth hears My voice." John 18:37  It is not normative to hear "voices," but he who is spiritual can discern God's message to him in divers manners.  He is in God's wavelength and in tune with the Spirit. 

CAVEATS:  WE NEVER SHOULD INTERPRET THE BIBLE ACCORDING TO SOMEONE'S PERSONAL MESSAGE FROM GOD, BUT THE MESSAGE IN LIGHT OF THE BIBLE TO SEE IF IT LINES UP WITH SOUND TEACHING.
YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE BIBLICALLY SAVVY OR A SCHOLAR TO HEAR FROM GOD; 
JUST HAVE A NEEDY HEART, WILLING SPIRIT, AND OPEN MIND!   ALSO, IF GOD IS GOING TO MAKE A MAJOR ANNOUNCEMENT OR MESSAGE, HE WILL VERIFY AND CONFIRM IT (CF. ISA. 44:26). 
 AND DON'T APPLY YOUR PERSONAL HUNCHES TO SOMEONE ELSE! NOR EXPECT THEM TO OBEY THEM.   Soli Deo Gloria!

"Speak, Your Servant Is Listening"

"... 'Listen to me, you wise men.  Pay attention, you who have knowledge'"  (Job 34:1, NLT).
"Now listen to me if you are wise. Pay attention to what I say" (Job 34:16, NLT). 
"Your words were found, and I ate them, and your words became to me a joy and the delight of my heart..." (Jer. 15:16, ESV).

Samuel was advised to assure God he was listening under the condition that God would surely speak and he was God's servant. God speaks to His servants!   Samuel was all ears, so to speak, and was attentive to God's message from then on: "Speak, for your servant hears."   For at Shiloh God revealed Himself to Samuel through His Word (cf. 1 Sam. 3:21)--the primary channel of communication.  People often have a failure to communicate with God and turn a deaf ear to Him; however, God says that "to hearken is better than the fat of rams,"  (cf. 1 Sam. 15:22).  We must always be ready and have the communication link open to God in prayer, as we walk with God and "practice the presence of God", like Brother Lawrence, a seventeenth-century Carmelite monk, wrote about and experienced.

 When we are in sync with God and in tune with His will He speaks through the Word, which is exalted above all (cf. Ps. 138:2) and we rejoice as one who finds great spoil (cf. Ps. 119:162).  Jeremiah rejoiced at God's Word and delighted in what he read as you might call an "Aha!" moment (cf. Jer. 15:16).  God hasn't retired dreams or visions (cf. Joel 2:28), but He chooses to teach us and speak through His Word primarily.  Jesus said that His sheep hear His voice and those who are of the truth hear Him (cf. John 10:27, 37).  We learn to listen up as God speaks to us and is ready, no matter the means of communication.

Just because we have the written Word doesn't preclude God's audible voice today--God can speak through an air vent or duct if He so chooses, but this is highly unusual. "For God does speak--now one way, now another --though no one perceives it--in a dream, in a vision of the night when deep sleep falls on people as the slumber in their beds, e may speak in their ears and terrify them with warnings," (cf. Job 33;14-16, NIV).   The command is given to Israel which became their credo was called the Shema or "to hearken" in English (cf. Deut. 6:4).  We are not to get mystical and seek experiences with our emotions or extra-biblical revelation.  C. S. Lewis said, "God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience, but shouts in our pains.  It is his megaphone to rouse a deaf world."  We can grow spiritually hard-of-hearing and need to be disciplined by God to get back on track and in His will.

God promises that His Word "will not return void " and He will honor it wherever it goes (cf. Isaiah 55:11).  Sometimes we are the ears and voice of God and He uses us to get through to stubborn, prodigal, or wayward children.  The Bible is to be taken seriously, as also Bible study and church preaching and it's not entertainment, a way to pass time or just something to do in our boredom.  To turn away from hearing God makes our prayers an abomination (cf. Prov. 28:9).  We are to pay attention to God's plumb line of our spiritual progress and not grieve the Spirit or ignore the Word.  We have the privilege of interpreting the Word, but with this comes the responsibility of doing it right.

No one has a monopoly on wisdom and no prophecy is of any private interpretation (cf. 2 Pet. 1:20); God will not reveal some far-fetched revelation to us from some isolated passage that He shows no one else or belongs only to you.  There is safety in the multitude of counselors and he who heeds advice is wise, not thinking he knows it all or is wise in his own eyes.

Prayer is a two-way link with God, whereby we boldly enter His throne room (cf. Heb. 4:16) and into His dimension and God will speak to us in that inner voice if we listen (cf. Isaiah 30:21, "You shall hear a voice behind you saying, this is the way, walk in it").  We are all called to be listeners and sometimes listening is a greater gift than speaking and someone may need a sympathetic ear.  We can tell them, "I hear you!"  We should be all ears and readily offer love by listening. Jesus told John that whoever has an ear to hear, should hear what the Spirit says to the churches.  If we don't listen, God will harden our hearts and we will become insensitive and stubborn (cf. Isaiah 6:10).

God can speak through anyone He chooses and we are vessels of honor and can be used:  Augustine heard the voice of a child say, "Take and read, take and read."  This led to his conversion and he was convinced God spoke through that child to his inner need.  Remember, it's an honor to be used by God and be ready to offer a listening ear and say, "I'm all ears," to anyone in need.  We are always vigilant and prepared to obey God's voice no matter the message:  Do you hear what I hear? or just what you want to hear?    Soli Deo Gloria!  

Dialogue With God

"For God speaks in one way, and in two, though man does not perceive it.  In a dream, in a vision of the night, when deep sleep falls on men, while they slumber on their beds"  (Job 33:14-15, ESV). 
"All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching, and to fellowship, and to sharing in meals (including the Lord's Supper), and to prayer"  (Acts 2:42, NLT). 
"He is there, and He is not silent."  (Francis Schaeffer)  

In our prayer life, we seek intimacy with our Lord, withholding nothing and bringing everything to Him.  In effect, we worry about nothing, pray about anything, and thank about everything.  One will never realize the voice of God in answer to prayer apart from the Word of God, His promised vehicle of communication, though He hasn't retired dreams, visions, or voices--He primarily speaks through the Word--we should learn to be attentive to that voice. Note Samuel attending to God's Word:  "And the LORD appeared again at Shiloh, for the LORD revealed himself to Samuel at Shiloh by the word of the LORD"  (1 Sam. 3:21, ESV).   Also, note that C. S. Lewis is credited with saying, "God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks to us in our conscience, and shouts in our pains; it is his megaphone to rouse a deaf world."

It has been said that most of us don't need a lecture on prayer, we just need to pray; but this is what the disciple asked Jesus to teach them, of all things!  I don't really have a well-thought-out theology on prayer, I just pray and learn by OJT or trial and error.  George Mueller recorded some 50,000 answers to prayer in his life, and many other prayer warriors have prayed earnestly till they got answers; for example, Cotton Mather prayed for 20 years for revival and the Great Awakening occurred the year he died.  The idea, according to Luke 18:1, is never to give up or to lose heart.

The purpose of prayer is prayer!  That may sound simplistic, but we must learn to enjoy our encounters with the Almighty and realize that prayer changes us, it doesn't change God.  We don't pray to get our will done on earth, but God's will done--God forbid that He would grant us our will and we end up lousing up our lives as a result of our foolishness.  Bear in mind, that God knows best and sometimes He answers "no," but He will always answer--sometimes with something better!  Prayer is efficacious because God has ordained this as the means to His ends, although He is sovereign and knows all things and doesn't need our prayers--it's the plan!  We must learn to boldly approach the dimension of the throne room of God and be attentive and alert to His presence and anointing in our prayers.

If God has placed a burden on your heart, He wants prayer effort and support in return.  We must practice prayer the best we can because it opens doors and changes things; we must always pray as if everything depends on God, while we work and live like it all depends on us.  Prayer is effective according to the will of God, for this is a condition, and the more sensitive and aware of God's will we become, the more effective are the results and answers.  We have a weapon in prayer in that God will always listen and we have clout as believers in Christ and children of God.

Our fellowship is dependent upon our prayer life; you cannot be walking with the Lord without ongoing dialogue and open communication and channels to His will and voice. This fellowship is a two-way street and we must become sensitive to God's will and voice (like it says that if you hear His voice, don't harden your heart--to learn to listen!).  It's the same as any human fellowship (we keep in touch!)--it takes experience and practice to develop prayer muscle and to become adept at the art; for some may have anemic and feeble prayers, but God doesn't judge like we do and it's more important to have feelings without words than words without feelings--for the Holy Spirit is able to put our sighs into words that God can understand on our behalf (cf. Rom. 8:27).

Successful prayer is not one of eloquence or one that's long-winded, or emotional, but one that touches base and is in sync with God's will and has a genuine encounter with God to change us!  You could say that it's an exercise to get on the same page as God and to get charged up for doing His will.  Prayer is reaching out to God and making contact on His terms, submitting to His will and being changed or transformed by the encounter.

Since Jesus said, quoting Isaiah 56:7, that His "house shall be called a house of prayer," it is paramount that prayer be exercised and practiced in the assembling together of ourselves, for OJT is the best way to learn--we learn by doing!   Everyone can participate in corporate prayer and learn from each other.  As we gain confidence in our prayer life, we learn to keep the channel open and conversation going, as seventeenth-century Carmelite monk Bro. Lawrence called it, "the practice of the presence of God."  When it seems like you have nowhere else to go, go to your knees!  Soli Deo Gloria! 

When God Is Silent

"He speaks in dreams, in visions of the night, when deep sleep falls on people as they lie in their beds.  He whispers in their ears and terrifies them with warnings"  (Job 33:14-15, NLT). "He is there and He is not silent."  (Francis Schaeffer)
"God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks to us in our conscience, but shouts in our pain."  (C. S. Lewis)

God is not obliged to answer all prayers the way we want.  He reserves the right to do His will, regardless of our desires or plans.  Prayer is only for the believer, it's not a way to win over the lost by granting their desires as you pray for them--the only prayer valid for the unbeliever is his salvation, God only promises to meet the needs of His children, but not necessarily their felt-needs or wants.  Playing God or Santa Clause to the infidel or even to the carnal Christian who needs repentance doesn't fly with God.

Our prayers must be explicit and specific to leave God the opportunity to answer them; this means not being general or making requests that one cannot know whether they can or will be answered (like God bless the people in Africa!).  How are you going to find out if God ever answers such a prayer?  "God is good" to all in some ways, and to some in all ways, known as general grace, but He's not obliged to show special grace to any (or it would be justice, not grace), which results in salvation (cf. Psalm 145:9).  My rule of thumb is never to utter a prayer that its answer cannot be validated or verified.

Before one engages in big prayers, one should be proficient at the small ones--this is common sense.  For an example of my point, George Mueller recorded over 50,000 answers to prayers he had made during his life devoted to prayer.  I'm not saying you cannot pray for the impossible (Cotton Mather prayed hours a day for 20 years for revival and the Great Awakening didn't happen till the year he died!), but know that no request is too small for God and no need too great, for His love reaches out to all our needs and His omnipotence or plenipotence is never challenged by them.

When it's hardest to pray, we should pray the hardest!  We ought always to pray like it all depends on God, but do as if it all depends on us.  We are exhorted by Jesus in Luke 18:1 always to pray and never to give up or faint--to persevere!   We are never out of our league in prayer, because we have an Advocate in the Holy Spirit putting our requests into perfect, heavenly diction.  God's power is best demonstrated through weak vessels who will give Him the glory!  Never think that a prayer ministry is a small one, for there are few so inclined that it's vital to the body to have prayer warriors.  Also, remember that practicing the presence of God entails constant prayer and communion or fellowship with God.

Ending a prayer "in Jesus' name" is not a magic formula, but to remind us that we are praying God's will, not our own, and relying on Christ's merits, not ours to enter the throne of grace.  God does promise to answer a prayer agreed upon by the body of Christ (two or three gathered in His name), but the assumption is that it's in Jesus' name, to bring Him glory!  The more adept we become at prayer, the more we sense God's will and pray accordingly.

You can judge someone's prayer life (have a litmus test for it), by how in sync they are with God's will and how much they depend upon the Spirit to guide it, being sensitive to His promptings and on the same page as God.  Prayer is not a wish-list to present, but dialogue with God--the purpose of prayer is prayer, not to get our will done in heaven, but God's will done on earth.  Christ's motto was "Thy will be done," and this is the key to pleasing God and seeking His presence in prayer, not a cop-out or excuse if the prayer's not answered, and certainly doesn't indicate lack of faith.  The key to understanding prayer is to know that God has ordained prayer as the vehicle for doing His will; both the efficacy of prayer and the sovereignty of God are at work and both taught in Scripture.

By and large, God is always at work speaking through His Word and Providence, and even circumstances.  In passing let me mention an oft-quoted word to the wise:  "Satan laughs at our toiling, mocks at our wisdom, but trembles when he sees, the weakest saint upon his knees!"  To sum up, God is never silent--we need to listen up--sometimes He chooses to say "No" and teach us a lesson on His will.   Soli Deo Gloria!

Hearing God's Voice

"For God speaks again and again, though people do not recognize it.  He speaks in dreams, in visions of the night, when deep sleep falls on people as they lie in their beds.  He whispers in their ears and terrifies them with warnings"  (Job 33:14-16, NLT).

"My sheep hear my voice..." (cf. John 10:27).  Jesus speaks to His children through any means, even the voice of a child, as in the case of St. Augustine.  God speaks once, yea, twice, and man hears Him not, according to Job:  "Indeed God speaks once, Or twice, yet no one notices it.  In a dream, a vision of the night, When sound sleep falls on men, While they slumber in their beds, Then He opens the ears of men, And seals their instruction"  (Job 33:14-16, NASB).  No one can claim they've never been the recipient of God's messages, no matter how limited--when he reacts positively, he opens the door to more opportunity.  C. S. Lewis has said that God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks to us in our conscience, and shouts to us in our pains!

Mystics claim a special ear to God's messages like Joan of Arc did, and to put some trust in them is not in the one firm foundation--this is how cults begin.  If God speaks to you on a personal level for encouragement, that's between you and God, and is personal--don't feel you should share it.  To prophesy to the church is another gift of communication.  In these last days, the Word of the Lord is rare and, since we have the complete revelation of God in the Bible, it is not needed--the Word is all we need, clear and sufficient!  If God speaks to you, you must test it with the truth of Scripture.  We are not receiving new revelations anymore since God's Word is complete and the canon is closed, and to add to His Word brings on a judgment of God.

Now, to the point of God speaking to everyone:  God woos His elect to open their eyes to the truth of the gospel message and to soften their hearts--no one would otherwise believe.  If you believe that God woos everyone, you must also ask if He woos everyone equally.  If He woos everyone equally, why do some respond and others don't?  You are faced with either believing in the sovereignty of God's grace in salvation or the necessity of some kind of merit of the person getting saved.

The Arminian will not admit that God doesn't even woo some, but he doesn't know why some people respond to the gospel, and others don't!  Romans 5:21 says that grace reigns through righteousness. Grace is sovereign and efficacious, in other words, and that means that God gets the desired effect and it works for His purposes, not being wasted.  God isn't frustrated and doesn't say,  "Well, I tried to save you, but you were too far gone!"  We are all bad, but not too bad to be saved!

Some people do need greater wooing and more intense grace to become believers, but they are not a bigger challenge to God, just more opportunity to demonstrate His grace and how effectual it is.  God doesn't destine people to hell as if they had no choice in the matter like some blind fate or kismet; however, He does let some go their own way without His intervention of grace--He doesn't owe grace to anyone, or it would be justice; God doesn't have to save anyone!

Point in fact:  Distinguish between the inward and outward call of the gospel; the inward one is from God and is effectual, and the outward call from man sometimes falls on deaf ears and can, therefore, be ineffectual.   God's Word says that He's never let the world without a witness (cf. Acts 14:17)--everyone has had the opportunity to hear from God!  Paul says He is not far from every one of us!

In summation, we are not to seek "voices" or special revelation, and we shouldn't feel left out if we have no extra-biblical experience, such as a vision, divine voice, or visitation.  The existence of Scripture as God's written Word does not preclude God's audible voice or any oral communication.  God has promised to speak to us in His Word which is all He has to say to us and need not be improved upon.  We must be faithful to the Word first, though other forms of communication are not retired!  The sheep hear God: "... Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice"  (John 18:37, ESV).   Soli Deo Gloria!

Answering the Mystics

In reference to believers who claim an inside track or hear God's voice: I suggest this disclaimer, I do not doubt the validity of these episodes nor the veracity of the witnesses to God's audible voice, but what I question is, is their motives and spiritual maturity.  Mystics are those who interpret God's Word or His will by their experiences rather than their experiences by the Word of God.  There are flaky Christians out there and many seem to get into the act--I have seen many in mental hospitals who hear voices and end up "cured."  We test our experience by the Word, not the Word by our experience.

I used to be in a church where believers  commonly said that "God told them, this or that."  I don't see any precedent in the Scripture that warrants a special class of believer that doesn't need to read the Bible to have God speak to him--and I don't mean having an existential experience like goosebumps, chills down the spine, or a burning in the bosom.  God spoke to Samuel the prophet through the Word as it says in 1 Sam.3:21 as follows:  "...and there He revealed Himself to Samuel through His Word." It seems that the way it works is that we must accept God's Word first and not expect special messages or a special pipeline, as it were, to God, that others don't have.  I am not precluding God's prerogative to speak to us any way He chooses--He can use the air vent if He wills--but He has ordained His Word to be His focus.

The trouble with people speaking to individuals is that they get puffed up as being an elite Christian or a special class of privileged ones.  If we have an experience with God, it is meant to be between us and God and not to brag about as to promote ourselves or seem like we are "closer" to God.  What pleases God is faith, according to Hebrews 11:6:  "For without faith it is impossible to please God."

Now Paul experienced more than any other Christian and had bragging rights you might say, even having been caught up to the third heaven--but he didn't willingly admit this, but was forced to.  God didn't answer his prayer to remove his "thorn in the flesh" to keep him humble and said, "My grace is sufficient for you..."  My conclusion is that some of us have been given great minds and God expects us to use them and we should not compare ourselves with other believers according to 2 Cor. 10:12, nor commend ourselves and feel inferior; we are all individual works of God for His purposes.

I would rather have great faith and a great mind than just have some existential experience or hear "voices" from above--which, by the way, can be duplicated by Satan and some people are really fooled by the voices of spirits and mislead into heresy. It's not wrong to hear from God audibly, but that is not normative, We shouldn't depend upon it nor expect it.  If one hears from God he should be able to quote Him word-for-word and not have any doubts that it is God--does it line up squarely with the Word?

God always confirms His Word--He's not going to tell you some personal message that isn't verified by other witnesses, the Word, or circumstances (cf. Isa. 44:26; Jer. 1:12).  That's the litmus test! Also, Isaiah 8:20 says that if they speak not according to the Word, it is because they have no light in them.  The problem is that they may very well be convinced God spoke to them, but how do we know that?  Soli Deo Gloria!

Issues Concerning Hearing God

"In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams" (Joel 2, Acts 2).
We cannot be dogmatic about a lot of issues concerning someone who says he hears God. First, was it with his ear as an audible voice, or an inner voice? The Bible gives no examples of someone hearing an inner voice and the still, small voice that Elijah heard was audible, though quiet. When one hears from God he can quote God verbatim and has no doubt it is God--there is no mistake. Sometimes we tend to say that we think God is telling us something. Does it contradict Scripture or is it in line with sound thinking?

To be sure, we must realize that God has chosen to speak through His Word and we are to learn to depend on this medium. However, there are exceptions to the rule and we cannot preclude God doing whatever He chooses to and breaking the mold, so to speak. Heb. says that God has in these last days spoken to us by His Son. I believe we live in the latter days, though I do not necessarily believe the rapture is imminent because of the revived state of Israel, among other fulfillments of prophecy. John says, "...it is the last hour" (cf. 1 John 2:18).

I believe that the prophecy of Joel 2 was fulfilled at Pentecost as Peter asserted. However, the closer we get to the 2nd coming of Christ, the more we may see these phenomena again. I do not believe God has retired dreams or visions and have had personal experience of brothers having these. We must remain skeptical, however, and be Bereans and not base any doctrine on them. I refuse to call some brother a liar, but still, take it with a grain of salt. The tendency is to jump to the conclusion that brothers who have so-called experiences in the Spirit are spiritual giants or have special favor from God--this is not so as they may be baby Christians even. God is God and can do as He pleases and what He wants and we must humbly accept this.

A Christian who has a vision or hears a voice may also be mentally unstable (mentally ill), may be deceived by Satan, a liar, or just honestly mistaken. Some people who hear voices are cured by medication and some are set free by prayer or intervention by Christians. If someone has a message from God, it cannot be a new revelation, as the canon of Scripture is closed and everything we need to know is the Bible. The people I have heard do not claim any of this but simple messages like "I want your cigarettes," "I love you this much...." If they said, "I have a new interpretation or revelation about the dinosaurs," I would be incredulous.

There are some Christian leaders today, a la John MacArthur and Charles Colson who have been called modern-day prophets; however, they are just redefining the term and these men are not the equals of biblical prophets. These men are not receiving messages from God, but are just gifted in spiritual insight. Being a member of a charismatic, Pentecostal church I recognize all the gifts of the Spirit except someone who says he's an apostle (the Bible says apostles are to demonstrate miracles and signs as verification). I have seen brethren prophesy or speak in tongues (glossolalia). My doctrinal interpretation is strictly experiential and not because I can prove or disprove it from Scripture--I am aware of the position of cessationists (who say this has ceased), like John MacArthur and their positions. I would simply invite him to visit a Pentecostal church and see if he can judge them.

To hear God, we must learn to listen to Him and realize that God doesn't make cookie-cutter Christians and treats us all as individuals and we must see how God speaks to us. The most obvious way with me is to have an existential encounter or "Aha!" moment with Scripture and the impression it makes on me is not in doubt. God speaks through preaching by convicting the sinner, et alia. I have many times said, "Boy, God sure spoke to me in that sermon!" Rom. 10:17 says, "Faith comes by hearing and by hearing of the Word of God." To be sure, no matter how clever the sermon or articulate the speaker, God honors His Word and we are to depend on that and not our own wording. I've heard it said that God can speak through the air conditioning vent if He wants to but count on Him speaking through the Word itself. The more we pay attention to the Spirit "speaking" to us the more sensitive we get and our spiritual ears are tuned in to God. Jesus said, "Let him that has an ear, hear what the Spirit says to the churches."

In conclusion, don't let someone bully you are spiritually one-up you by claiming so-called spiritual credentials of experience (though we all can experience God in a manner of speaking). I can fully understand why God treats me the way He does: He has given me a sound minc and expects me to use it. Would I rather me otherwise just to hear a voice? Jesus said to Thomas that they are blessed who have not seen and yet believe; it can be deduced that they are blessed who believe despite not hearing a voice.   Soli Deo Gloria!

Are We Hearing From God?

N.B. Reformed theologians do not believe God is revealing new revelation in our age, but I am not talking about a new doctrine or message per se, but something that can be confirmed by other believers and the Scripture and does not conflict with any known doctrine, et cetera Also note well that having an experience with God in the Word or hearing a voice doesn't make one a better Christian and he can brag about it. Blessed are those who have not [heard] and have believed (cf. John 20:29).

I don't want to dishearten any soul that believes God is speaking to their heart in a sermon. "Faith comes by hearing and by hearing of the Word of God" (Rom 10:17). God honors His Word and it will bear fruit.

One of the leading theologians of the twentieth century, Karl Barth, said that the Bible becomes the Word of God when one has an existential experience with it. Mormons believe they get a burning in the bosom to verify that the Book of Mormon is inspired. I have had experiences reading John Grisham novels and this doesn't prove anything divine per se. I also recall that Aurelius Augustine, Bishop of Hippo, heard the voice of God through a child--or what he thought so to be.

Many a believer claims to have heard a word from the Lord in some notion.  The Quakers listened to their "inner light" and got quite mystical.  If you get a hunch or premonition or thought from somewhere outside your head be sure to test it by Scripture--the devil put evil thoughts into Peter's mind and Jesus said, "Get behind me Satan!"  Francis Schaeffer wrote on the subject,  "He is there and He is not silent."  God is alive and well in His communication to us and hasn't retired dreams or visions speaking of which will be more numerous in the latter days.  We don't want to become mystics who rely on feelings or secretive thoughts that others aren't confirming.

God speaks to us sometimes audibly but there will be no doubt it is Him!   God can speak through the air vent if He desires but His primary methodology is through the Word; so learn to seek God's word to you in the Holy Writ itself because this is better than relying on sporadic or infrequent messages from heaven.   God never contradicts Himself and all words from the Lord must be tested by the standard of Scripture.

Normally God isn't going to tell you something that He isn't telling others because by the same token "no Scripture is of any private interpretation" and this goes for instructions from God that involve others.  To sum it up, we may be hearing from God--I don't want to discourage the seeker of God's will--but it also may be the pizza, if you know what I mean. I believe Christians may hear from God, but it is not normative and God's SOP (standard operating procedure) is to illuminate the Word and confirm it.   Soli Deo Gloria!

Hearing God's Voice

I think some Christians are awful mystical and seem to think that they hear God talking to them when they are really mentally ill and need medications. I know of patients who take medications, and it sure seems to cure them. I don't doubt that there are legitimate prophets who are spiritual giants but this is not the norm. The normative way for God to speak to us is through the Word of God. We hear the still, small voice that is the Holy Spirit bearing witness with our spirit. Jesus said, "My sheep hear My voice...." We may get impressions, hunches, or something may strike us as odd or providential; in the final analysis, God speaks to all Christians in some way, but let's be careful not to get too mystical or open ourselves up to the demonic activity.  Soli Deo Gloria!

Hearing God Part 1

Hearing God through the Word of God, I believe is the main way God speaks today. But I know of one that many times says, "God said to me..." and so forth, quoting him verbatim just like you would hear a voice as clear as any one's. I know that the Bible says not to compare yourself with other believers and this is unwise (cf. 2 Cor. 10:12), but sometimes it seems like we are missing something or not doing something right. It is obviously no measure of maturity to hear God's voice audibly, I recall the words of John that quoted Jesus as saying, "Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believed ...."  God is impressed with faith, not experience.

Those who have had strange experiences like to brag about them. Col. 2:18 warns against the mysticism of this sort. Many similar cases are mystical or mentally ill, like so many in the asylums who claim to hear "voices."

I guess it could be said, "To whom much is given, much is required." God says, to my heart, "My grace is sufficient for you...." Jack Hayford, a missiologically-oriented teacher (and spiritual warfare specialist to boot) claims to hear from God audibly from time to time.   Soli Deo Gloria!