Recently I watched an episode in which a teenage boy experienced sudden devastating cramping in the middle of a church service. This boy claims he can hear God talk to him. Now, granted, this is a TV show and everything is being acted, but when Dr. House says that claiming to hear God is "just weird" he wouldn't be the only one on this planet to say the same thing.
In the Bible we find multiple instances in which God speaks to people.
Burning Bush (Moses - Exodus 3-4)
Audible Voice (Samuel - 1 Samuel 3:4-10)
Through an Animal (Balem and the donkey - Numbers 22:21-41)
Send an Angel (Messenger angels are all through the Old Testament)
There are also multiple times God tells us He is speaking to us.
Proverbs 8:34 "Blessed is the man who listens to me, watching daily at my gates, waiting at my doorposts."
Psalm 32:8 "I will instruct you and teach you in the way which you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you."
John 10:3,4,27 "and the sheep hear His voice, and He calls His own sheep by name, and leads them out and the sheep follow Him because they know His voice. When He puts forth all His own, He goes before them, and the sheep follow Him because they know His voice... My sheep hear My voice, and I know them and they follow me."
This last week in the Making Disciple Makers school we recognized the great privilege it is that God is speaking to us and that we can hear Him speak. God is our father, friend, and teacher. He has things greater than we can even imagine prepared for us. "I [Jesus] came that they might have life, and have it abundantly. (John 10:10)" He wants us to listen to Him and follow His instructions so that we can fulfill the MOST AMAZING plan that He has created for each and every one of us.
We get the opportunity to hear God (the creator of the universe) in order to solve problems, make plans, and even hear Him speak about how He feels about what is going on in the world and what we can do about it.
But just as it is written,
"Things which eye has not seen
and ear has not heard,
and which have not entered the heart of man,
all that God has prepared for those who love Him."
For to us God revealed them through the Spirit; for the Spirit searches all things, even the depths of God. For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so the thoughts of God no one knows except the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may know the things freely given to us by God, which things we also speak, not in words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit, combining spiritual thoughts with spiritual words. (1 Corinthians 2:9-13)
Did you see that?! "The thoughts of God no one knows exept the Spirit of God... now we have received the Spirit who is from God, so that we may know the things freely given to us by God." That is amazing! When we trust in Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we receive the Holy Spirit who reminds us of "the things freely givent to us by God!" Ephesians 1:13-14 says, "And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession-- to the praise of his glory." Ok last Bible verse of the week, "Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come."
It is by the Holy Spirit that we hear from God. I know it may sound weird or foreign to some, but I have to say that personally, it is THE MOST AMAZING THING I AM CONTINUING TO EXPERIENCE EVERY DAY OF MY LIFE. And it's available to every person on this earth.
When we turn to Jesus, we are set free from the constant pressures of life telling us that we have to measure up. We are set free from the lies that tell us "you are a failure, nobody loves you, you are not enough, you should be ashamed." Jesus sets us free from these lies! This is because when we enter into a personal relationship with God, through what Jesus did on the cross we become completely forgiven by and fully pleasing to the Holy God of all creation. The Holy Spirit constantly reminds us that we are deeply loved and totally accepted by God, and He never leaves us or abandons us.
You are significant. God loves you. In Christ you are absolutely complete. Imagine walking out the days of your life knowing that you are more than enough and nothing you do or anything anyone else does or says to you can change that because you are secure in the love of God.
I hope you are blessed this week. Please pray for us as we begin our outreach phase and we go into the township communities to share God's love with people we meet. Pray for safety and great relationships to develop during this time. Thank you.
Love,
Janet
Making Disciple Makers Class