http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ie3efn_p7CQ
How many different ways do you speak with your friends?
Facebook
Twitter
Phone
e-mail
Text
Face-to-Face
Letters (a dying art)
Skype
I'm sure there are many more ways. Using Skype as an example, you can speak in type or you can have video chat, and you can be on opposite sides of the world. Technology has made speaking to one another so easy.
When it comes to God, technology doesn't really help.
We know how to contact God. We can speak to Him through prayer.
But, how do we listen to Him?
Are we open to what He has to say to us?
How do we know that He has spoken?
There was a short discussion on this in church on Sunday. The first thing we need is to be ready to receive God. Just as in a telephone conversation, if one side has hung up how can they listen. We need to be ready to listen with our whole being.
There were a few ways which came out on conversation from various people about the different ways God had spoken to them.
Through scripture
Through songs
Through other people
Through circumstance
Through sensation.
Let me expand on that last one through my own personal experience. I have been a steward at Spring Harvest for many years and had decided not to go this year. Then a few weeks ago I phoned a dear friend to ask his advice on something and the conversation came round to Spring Harvest and the fact that I had decided not to go. Now, my friend had said that he had a sense all through that day that he was being told to get my to Spring Harvest. It was at this point in the conversation that I received a strange sensation all through my body, from the top of my head to the tip of my toes. I can only explain this sensation as the Holy Spirit, as it was not a sensation of cold or heat. When I told my friend I had just had a sensation all through my body, he said he had received the same thing at the same time. I know without a shadow of a doubt that I had to be at Spring Harvest this year.
Another way God has been speaking to me is through people. I lead church services from time to time. Recently people have been speaking to me about entering into ministry, which I initially dismissed. After more people started saying things I thought I'd better sit up and take notice. So I have been testing my 'calling' by speaking to various people about their opinions, all of whom I trust and therefore trust what their opinions. Everyone was positive. Not one person has tried to say it's the wrong thing. I've also been talking about it to my minister, who also believes I should train to be a minister. As part of this testing I went to Spurgeons bible college open day which was a wonderful experience and very positive. I felt a lot of things that were being said were directly aimed at me. I can only put all of this down to the Word of God.
So those are a couple of personal experiences of mine. My prayer for you all is that you will be open to receive God's voice and instruction in whatever medium He chooses to reveal Himself.
If you have had experiences of God's voice I'd love to hear about it
Mike
Hi Mike,
ReplyDeleteThink the most important thing to fall back on when discerning God'd will is his word. All the other forms of communication are good and right but anyhing you think is from God has to be fully tested with scripture and if it does not match up to the word of God it is not from God. It's good that you feel God's calling on your life but that calling needs to match scripture I would encourage you to read Paul's letters to Timothy( if you have not already).
God bless.
Stu
I fully agree that anything from God needs testing with scripture. One thing I got from scripture was that things need to be tested and confirmed three times, and I don't necessarily agree that all three need to come from scripture. I do fully admit that one of these confirmations should be scripture based. In fact my confirmation is coming from Peter, Not just Peter's letters but the person of Peter himself.
ReplyDeleteAs I study the character of Peter further I'm finding myself really relating to him. Somebody once had a vision of me standing on a rock in the middle of the ocean with all of the elements smacking against me and I was standing firm, unwavering. I believe that vision was not for that time, but God had placed it on my heart for the future. I had forgotten about it until recently, I still don't fully understand what the vision means, but God was definitely directing me towards Peter.
Something that really spoke volumes to me was 1 Peter 1v6-7a 'So be truly glad! There is wonderful joy ahead, even though it is necessary for you to endure many trials for a while. These trials are only to test your faith, to show that it is strong and pure. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold - and your faith is far more precious to God than mere gold.'
Believe me Stu I have been through many trials in recent years, well not just recent years but all through my adult life. You, yourself know some of the trials I've gone through. I think one of the darkest times in my life was when we both worked at The Izaak Walton. I became a completely different person there, and although I repented of everything I did while there I don't regret it as it helped shaped me into the person I am today. I've also felt all through my adult life that God had a calling for me and I've always tried to force myself into some kind of ministry (children's/youth work, music ministry) and these have all failed because it was what I wanted. So I gave up trying. I never even entertained the thought of being a minister, but God has a strange sense of humour. As I said in my blog many people have been saying things, which of course I tested with scripture and through other methods that I mentioned in my blog.
I've really missed our chats Stu.
p.s I will read Paul's letters to Timothy.