Does God Speak to People Today?
Does God Speak to People Today?
Some are teaching that God does not speak to us today as He did when the Church began. Why would God do that? Do you suppose He is disgusted with us?
The entire Bible is a record of God speaking to people. Does it make sense that God will not speak to us any longer because now we have a Bible? This is preposterous! Yet this idea sometimes is taught.
Is the Bible going to tell us what job to take; if and where we should go to college; whom we should marry; where we should move?
The Bible speaks in general Christian principles. It does not answer the detailed questions we may have. Our need for answers becomes greater with the passing days. We need to hear from the Lord.
The idea that God does not speak to people today is one of the more destructive of the current errors, such as that Divine grace is an alternative to growth in godly behavior.
Ordinarily God does not speak to our physical ears but to our mind. There are some people to whom God does not speak often even to their mind. But such individuals may have a set of cues that they use to determine God's immediate will. It may be a sense of peace, for example, when they make a decision.
If I am correct, most people will hear God in their mind if they spend time waiting on Him and are obedient.
This does not mean we accept every voice we hear as being from God. We must learn through practice to examine what we are hearing, asking the Lord Jesus if it is from Him. If what we are hearing requires a radical action on our part, such as walking down the street with a sandwich board proclaiming the immediate return of Christ, we may do well to confide in an elder whom we trust as to the source of the voice.
Usually when God speaks to us it is some practical advice that brings peace and joy to us. Whenever we think God has spoken to us, and the memory is disquieting and brings fear or concern, that very seldom is God.
God does not speak to us in a harsh or impatient voice. Also God never will reprove anyone for testing a spirit. We can test a spirit a hundred times, and God will not be displeased. The Bible commands us to test the spirits.
Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. (I John 4:1)
We can test spirits by asking the Lord Jesus if they represent Him. Also, God will not tell us to do something that goes against the instructions of the Apostles of Christ.
Make no mistake. It requires years of experience before we are one hundred percent accurate in determining what is of God and what is not. But the attempt to walk and talk with the Lord is well worth the effort, and the embarrassing mistakes.
According to the Bible there are gifts of prophecy given to some believers. But every believer should make the attempt to communicate often with Jesus throughout the day. While the Lord might not speak to him or her frequently, yet our continual speaking to the Lord often results in a closeness of the Presence of the Lord.
It is amazing that God spoke so frequently to people under the old covenant, but we are told now that He does not speak to us under the new covenant, supposedly a better covenant. I find this to be nonsensical, disappointing, and not at all in accordance with my many years of experience as a disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ.
In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom also he made the universe. (Hebrews 1:1,2)
In the past God spoke.
According to the Bible, from the time that God spoke to Adam and Eve until He addressed the Apostle John on the Island of Patmos, God directed His program in the manner He desired. He spoke many times to people.
I think a significant event happened during the time of the ProphetSamuel.
And the Lord told him: "Listen to all that the people are saying to you; it is not you they have rejected, but they have rejected me as their king." (I Samuel 8:7)
Up to this time Samuel had been leading Israel. But Samuel was old, and his sons were not qualified to take his place as leaders of Israel. The elders asked Samuel to appoint a king as the other nations had.
The elders did not ask God to raise up another prophet. They rejected the leadership of the Lord. They wanted a king they could see.
Well, they got one. Saul. Saul was rather self-centered, wasn't he? Notice that God directed Samuel in choosing Saul. I think sometimes when the Christian leaders are helped in their endeavors they suppose God is pleased.
But perhaps He isn't. Perhaps God is just using what is available, and shaking His Head, wondering why the leaders do not ask Him what He wants instead of asking Him to support what they desire.
You would think from the headlines today that God was interested in promoting democracy throughout the nations of the earth. Democracy is a political system that looks to the desires and will of people for its guidance. This hardly is of God!
There is a situation in Ukraine today that needs the application of God's wisdom if any situation ever did.
Gavin Hewitt, the Europe Editor for BBC News, writes that Europe is moving "softly, softly" concerning the situation in Ukraine. Europe would be foolish not to. The potential for World War III is right at this point.
Mr. Putin is protecting Russia's power. He is not going to give in, I believe. So the Western nations will have to use force if they are to accomplish their desire of establishing all of Ukraine as a democracy free from Russia.
It is this sort of potential disaster that calls for the wisdom of God. But the world leaders of today do not (at least publicly) call on God or attribute glory to Him in the Ukraine or in other dilemmas.
Have you thought much about the rule of the rod of iron that will be exercised when our Lord Jesus returns with His saints?
The idea of the "rod of iron" signifies that God's will shall be done without compromise. No doubt the application of force will proceed from powerful angels. But the irresistible actions of the angels will be guided by Christ and His saints, with the Father directing them.
This form of government is termed a "theocracy." The concept would be laughed to scorn today. But a theocracy, with Jesus Christ as the King, actually is the only form of government that will bring righteousness, love, joy, and peace to mankind.
You can imagine the reaction of the American people to the Kingdom that is drawing nearer each day. "No one is going to tell me what to do. I am a free moral agent. I will hire a lawyer."
Such protests will result only in the protester being punished. And there will be no recourse.
From the days of Adam and Eve, people have chosen to plan and direct their own lives rather than look to God for wisdom and help. We can read about the result in the newspapers of today.
For a short time Israel was led by prophets. But the people rejected this form of government, as we witness in the case of the elderly Samuel.
I do not see any evidence that the Israelites of today have a desire to be governed by prophets. They look to the Western Nations and the United States for direction and approval.
Unless God steps in and supports the Jewish people, they may be in serious trouble. But what would it take for the Jews to turn their eyes away from America (that has its own problems) and cry out to God day and night until the Lord furnished them with prophetic leadership?
America today is a secular nation. Our president has declared openly, I have heard, that America no longer is a Christian nation. While there were strong religious influences during the founding of our nation, the thinking of Tom Paine, the worshiper of reason, has prevailed.
We see the result of the removing of God from America as we become increasingly weaker in many aspects of our culture. And it is my belief, from what I think I have heard from the Lord, that America is to become a third-rate nation with a feeble voice in world affairs. This is because of our willingness to leave God and His Christ.
I do not anticipate that my statements will interest anyone, except perhaps three or four widely scattered persons, as far as world government is concerned.
But I think there is real hope that a great multitude of Christian people will begin to look to Jesus for wisdom and strength in their daily lives today, and for the strength for survival and bearing witness of Jesus throughout the chaos to come in America.
But they must be convinced that Jesus will walk and talk with them if they look to Him continually throughout the day and night, when they are awake, of course.
We may be entering the Age of Laodicea at this time. One of the words to the Church of Laodicea is that if we would open the door of our personality to the Lord Jesus He would enter us and dine with us.
Jesus did not say He would enter us and talk with us, but dine with us. I think this is significant. It tells us Jesus is relaxed and in control no matter how the storm outside is raging. He sets a table before us in the presence of our enemies.
We of Laodicea (the voice of the people—democracy) may think we are wealthy and know everything. In actuality we are impoverished and blind and know nothing at all.
Christ knows everything and has control of the riches of the universe. He wants to help us prepare for the disasters on the horizon. But we must slow down and start listening instead of scheming.
I wonder if anyone out there can hear me!
A few years ago I fell down stairs and broke my right femur. While I was recovering the Lord Jesus advised me to rest, listen, and reflect. I have been doing that ever since. Wonderful! Rest, listen, and reflect.
My life in the present hour consists of asking Jesus about everything. He doesn't always speak the answer to problems to my mind, but He certainly keeps solving my problems.
Do you pray until you know Christ has heard you? Why don't you start doing that. Pray until you have peace. When you have peace, the answer is "in the bank," as they say.
"Trust in the Lord with all your heart." "In all your ways acknowledge Him," Proverbs says. When you do this, the way will be made plain.
If either Mr. Putin or the leaders of Europe would look to Christ for the situation in Ukraine, the situation would resolve itself so simply and completely that everyone would be astonished. The same is true of Syria and other countries that are in various stages of revolution at this time.
If there was a sudden resolution in Ukraine, would the statesmen give the glory to Christ, or would the leaders jockey for position claiming the credit?
I think of the boys and girls starving to death in Africa and Lebanon. We understand from their plight the consequences of people not looking to Jesus for the solution to problems.
What got me started on this topic is Christian leaders who are claiming that God does not speak to people today. "We must go by the Bible by faith alone." That position sounds so religious and godly. It is just about the worst advice we could get during the present perilous days when we need to hear from the Lord.
If Jesus wanted us to ignore Him in our daily life, why did He invite us to open our heart to Him so He might dine with us? The Bible is not going to enter us and dine with us. It is the living Jesus who desires to enter us and dine with us.
The Lord Jesus is carefully observing all of us today, whether we are Christians, or Muslims, or Hindus, or Buddhists, or of no religion at all. If we will look up to Him, He will show us how to live and what to do, one step at a time.
Later we may find it helpful to join some religious group. But what we need today is not found in a denomination or religion, only in Jesus Himself. We need God in our hour of desperation, not more religion. Sometimes these are not the same!
Talk to Jesus. Tell Him what your needs are. I am here to tell you that Jesus is the greatest burden bearer there ever was. He is strong and wise enough to handle your problems. Learn from Him and He will give you peace. After all, He, under the direction of the Father, created the heavens and all else that we can see.
We will have needs in the coming days, for food, for safety for ourselves and our families, for wisdom and guidance. The government may not be able to help us. But Jesus can and shall meet our every desire and need if we will look to Him instead of to the world or to our own reasoning.
He is so close to us! He is right here for you. He will not turn you away. Jesus never turns anyone away unless that person is disobedient to Him.
There are some who are pointing here or there at what they conceive to be signs of the Lord's return. If they will look up to Jesus they will discover He already has come in the Spirit to prepare us for His next coming in the clouds of glory.
The denominations go on and on preaching the Gospel. Are they in fact bringing the water of eternal life to the thirsty, or are they making proselytes to their religion? I do not know, but I seldom hear them speak of how God has led them.
Perhaps the preachers are under the impression the unsaved need theological training. They do not. They need the Spirit of God, the water of eternal life. At the present time they are spiritually dead.
God directed the Apostle Paul and spoke to him. "Go here, Paul, and do not go there." Specific directions at specific times.
We were given a book to read in Bible school. It pointed to the geographic significance of the areas to which Paul was directed. The idea was to learn from this how to do effective missionary work.
This is not the way to do missions. It is yesterday's manna. God has new and surprising things for us today, and we are not to trust in the old ways. God spoke this to me in a pastors' meeting a few years ago. I was not at that time able to give it out to the young candidates; but ever since it has rung in my spirit. I wonder what those "new and surprising things" will be.
A man with a prophetic ministry spoke to the leadership of a denomination. He stated to the effect that matters had to be cleared up within the denomination before God could use it for His purposes. The prophet said something like this; I am not certain of the exact words.
The leadership said the prophet meant that they are to go out and save more souls.
I have heard this emphasis on going forth and saving souls during my many years as a Christian. I heard it first in Bible school. I have been hearing it ever since.
During the past few years, as I have been devoting ever increasing attention to listening to Jesus, I have not heard once any emphasis on going out and getting souls saved. Maybe that is because this is not my gift or calling.
Such may be the case. But honestly—the result appears to be more and more baby Christians who are no threat to Satan's kingdom.
The Spirit of God in the present hour is opening the Scriptures to us. We understand now that God has saved us so we might meet His need for a house, a resting place, and a throne.
All three of these Divine needs have their area of special, critical importance. But let us think for a moment about God's need for a throne. God wishes to move His throne from Heaven to the hearts of the members of the Royal Priesthood. God's Throne shall be found on the new earth in the hearts of the Royal Priesthood.
No longer will there be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve him. (Revelation 22:3)
Why is God moving His Throne? It is because it is from the Throne of God that the Spirit of God flows. By placing His Throne in the believers, they can go out to a dead mankind and minister eternal life.
The problem here is we have to come to maturity in righteous behavior, in true faith, and in strict obedience to Christ before we are suitable as a house, a place of rest, and a throne for the Lord.
You can see at once if we keep attempting to produce more baby Christians the present crop of Christians are not going to come to maturity in righteous behavior, true faith, and strict obedience to Christ.
The moment you mention righteous behavior the babies are going to cry out that it does not matter how they behave, God sees them through Christ.
The moment you mention true faith the babies will tell you they are "stepping out in faith," which is not true faith but presumption.
The moment you mention strict obedience to Christ the babies will question your theology. They will ask you why you do not realize that we are not called to obey Christ, only believe in Him.
So the wheels of money and effort continue to attempt to gain more converts. Gaining converts is the mark of success. As far as I can determine, it is the only recognized mark of success.
Whether these proselytes to our particular brand of Christianity ever become disciples is not known.
One prominent director of missions advised us to not stop and try to make disciples but keep on moving forward from place to place making more and more converts.
What is your opinion of that advice?
It must be distressing to the Lord Jesus. But it may be true that the Christian leaders are listening to themselves and not to the Lord Jesus. I wonder sometimes if some of them know the Lord at all.
How does Jesus regard the churches? Are they His bride? If they are, they are telling Him what to do. They are a bossy wife. They do not hear from Him. They make up their own mind how His Church should be built. Then they pray He will help them gain converts according to their own wisdom and desires.
The leaders often have not heard from Jesus. The Bible says we are to preach the Gospel to every creature. The leaders are obeying this injunction. But they may forget that the letter of God's Word without the Spirit of God speaking it is dead and results in death.
It is true that Jesus told us to preach the Gospel to every creature. He told that to specific men. Before we should imitate them we ought to go to Jesus and ask Him if that is what He wants us as individuals to do, and what is the first step we should take. At least it seems to me we should do this.
One time while I was in Bible school we were ordered to attend a missionary rally at a local church. At the conclusion of the service we were invited to the altar to dedicate our lives to missionary endeavors.
I went forward and knelt down. I was not married and had no close family for whom I was responsible. I remember the pianist was playing parallel octaves with remarkable facility.
I said, "Lord, I am ready to go to Tibet right now wearing just this sweater."
Suddenly I knew Christ was going to speak to me.
I turned so I was sitting and leaning against the altar rail at my back.
The Lord said, "I love you."
Isn't this what one would call an anticlimax? I had worked myself up to the point where I was going to preach in the snow in Tibet wearing a sweater, or stumble through the rice paddies in Asia until I fell over from exhaustion and drowned. And what does the Lord say? "I love you."
On another occasion, years later, I had worked myself up into a religious fit during a service, praying loudly and praising the Lord. I put quite a lot of effort into this exhibition.
Again the Lord spoke. What do you think He said? "Be still, and know that I am God."
Oh well, we all do the best we can.
So I have never gone to Tibet or to the rice paddies in Southeast Asia. Instead I think the Lord Jesus is directing me to write down some of my thoughts. Perhaps they will be of help to another enthusiastic believer.
But let me stress once again. Yes, God does speak to people today, just as He always has. Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.
Why would our Lord, at the time of what may be the most critical hour of history, stop speaking to His people?
"But they have their Bible, don't they." Yes, they do. But the elders of the Jews had the scroll of the Law, didn't they? But when they needed a specific answer to an immediate problem, they asked the priest to consult the Urim and Thummim .
He is to stand before Eleazar the priest, who will obtain decisions for him by inquiring of the Urim before the Lord. At his command he and the entire community of the Israelites will go out, and at his command they will come in. (Numbers 27:21)
Do you have any problems you would like answers to? Most people do. Then I invite you right now to look up to our Lord Jesus. Bring your need to Him. Invite Him into all of your thinking, your speaking, and behavior. Invite Jesus into every aspect of your life. Do this until you are praying without ceasing.
Jesus wants to be near to you, to walk and talk with you. He has infinite resources, and all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. Your Lord Jesus is greater than you understand and loves you more than you understand.
He wants to enter your heart and dine with you. He is inviting you to sit with Him on His throne so that out from you will flow the water of life to a dead mankind.
Don't turn Him away. You are going to need His Presence and help during the coming days of chaos in our country.
Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me. To the one who is victorious, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I was victorious and sat down with my Father on his throne. (Revelation 3:20,21)