Does God Still Speak Today? (Part 2)

In my first post on this topic I shared with you six different ways that God uses to speak to people today.  Because of the interest on this subject and the many questions I have received, I am going to continue to elaborate on some of the ways God speaks to us.  As Christians our relationship with God has a lot to do with how well we hear Him.  Unfortunately, many Christians often want some "out of this world" spiritual experience when it comes to hearing from God when all the time God is speaking to them through His Word every time they open and read it.  So in this post I want to expand further on how God speaks to us through His Word.

Those who absent themselves from the Word of God and are always seeking for a "voice" will miss many of the encounters with God that He has prepared for them.  If a "voice" excites you more than the Word of God, then something is wrong. The greatest revelation we can get is from the Word of God.  Every time we read God's Word it is Him speaking to us.  If you can grasp that then God will open up many new and exciting ways to personally speak to you.

If you would like for God to speak to you everyday, then you must read the Word of God everyday.  Through His Word He tells us what is right and what is wrong.  It is through His Word He tells us how we are to live, act, talk, believe, love and the list goes on.  Whatever it might be that you need, if it has been promised to you in His Word, then the Word will tell you everything you need to know.

God's Word is God telling you what you need to know and what you need to do.  You don't have to ask God what sin is or isn't, because it is identified in His Word.  God's Word is full of God's promises, principles and truths that are to lead and guide our lives every day. (Read 2 Timothy 2:15).

Yes, God is still speaking to His people today and it is primarily through His Word.  Are you reading and listening to God's Word, because that's where it begins?

Does God Still Speak Today?

I am often asked by people whether or not God still speaks today and if He does, how does He speak.  There are many facets in the answer to this question and I will try to deal with them in this post.  Although there are those who say God doesn't speak to His people and in fact He never has, this is hard for me to accept because I believe the Bible is abundantly clear that God did and still does speak to humanity.  He does this in a number of ways which I will outline in this post.

God Still Speaks Today

In both the Old and New Testament there are numerous occasions where God spoke in an "audible" voice.  In the Old Testament He spoke audibly to Adam, Cain, Abel, Noah, Abraham, Moses and many others.  In the New Testament He spoke audibly at Jesus' baptism, on the mount of transfiguration, to Saul (later to become the Apostle Paul), Peter and others.  Although I have never heard God's audible voice, I believe it is completely possible for God to speak aloud so that people could hear Him if that was what was necessary.  There are two main reasons God doesn't speak more audibly today:

1. We have the full revelation of His Word and those in the Old and New Testament didn't. Because we have His Word we have what He would say to us.
2. We also have God's "Holy Spirit" dwelling in us to lead and guide us.

To Whom Does He Speak

The simple answer to this question is, that God speaks to all of us.  He speaks to the sinner and to the believer.  In speaking to the sinner He speaks through the method of "conviction" and to the believer through the Holy Spirit.  In John 10:27 Jesus informs us that "My sheep hear my voice." If we are a child of God, we will hear the voice of the Shepherd, Jesus Christ.

Ways He Speaks To Us Today

I want to share with you six ways in which God speaks to us today.

1. Through His Word.  This is probably the most obvious and most frequent.  "All scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work." (2 Timothy 3:16-17).
2. Through the Holy Spirit.  God's Holy Spirit speaks to us by revealing things to us that are only spiritually discerned (1 Corinthians 2:8-16); through bearing witness with our spirit (Romans 8:16); Quickening us (John 6:63).
3. Through an inward witness.  1 John 2:20 -- "But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and all of you know the truth."
4. Through peace of mind.  "And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 4:7).
5. Through the still small voice.  Sometimes it is just a faint nudging and prompting by the Holy Spirit that God speaks.  We have to train ourselves to listen to the still small voice.  (1 Kings 19:11-12).
6. Through dreams and visions.  We must be careful with this, because not every dream is God speaking.  Although if we are sensitive to God's Spirit, we will be aware of the times God is speaking to us through a dream or a vision.

Yes, God is still speaking to His people today.  The question is, are you listening?

-- Pastor Temple

What Is Your Passion?

Nothing of any importance is ever accomplished without someone's passion behind it.  It is passion that makes the impossible possible and motivates individuals to pursue what others may say are "outrageous" dreams.  But it is the passion behind those dreams that gives you the stamina, persistence and endurance to keep on going when everyone else says quit.  Passion is the essential element that brings fulfillment, satisfaction, and purpose to one's life.  If we aren't careful, as time goes by we have a tendency to lose our momentum, our vision, and our passion for God.  I want to share with you "seven passion killers" so that you will be aware of the things that will rob you of your joy, passion, energy, vision and purpose in life.

1. An Unbalanced Life.  Living an unbalanced life simply means that your priorities aren't in order.  When your priorities aren't in order you never take the time to recharge concerning the things that should be most important to you.  The way we keep our life balanced is to worship God daily, associate with people who have a passion for God, daily read God's Word, be involved in ministry, and share our faith.  If you don't keep your life balanced, you will inevitably lose your passion for the things of God.
   
2. Unused Talent.  Everyone has some talent that God has given them.  Yet when we don't use it, we begin to lose our passion for life and for God.  The gifts and talents that God has blessed you with are not for your own benefit, but they are for the benefit of the Kingdom of God and for others in the Body of Christ as well as the world.  God doesn't want you to waste your life and talent.  He gave you a gift you should use it for Him.
3. Un-confessed Sin.  Un-confessed sin will rob us of our passion and turn us from a purposeful life to a purposeless life.  Un-confessed sin will rob you of love, joy, confidence, and passion.  When David had un-confessed sin, his life was miserable.  Yet when he "acknowledged" his sin to God, God forgave the "guilt" of his sin (Psalm 32:5) and his life was totally changed.
4. Unresolved Conflict.  Conflict drains the passion out of you.  One thing is for certain, you cannot control the behavior of others, nor your circumstances, but you can control how you respond to those things.  You have to learn how to guard your soul and your heart and not allow these emotions to continue to manipulate, control or affect your passion, your destiny, your purpose, or your motivation in life.
5. Lack of Spiritual Support.  It is very important that you learn to choose wisely who you are around.  The people you associate with will have a definite influence on your life.  You will naturally lose passion for God when you spend time with people who have no passion for God.
6. Unclear Purpose.  When you forget your purpose for your life it is a sure way to kill your passion for life and for God.  When our purpose is unclear we labor in vain.  Passion and purpose go together.
7. Undernourished Spirit.  You must intentionally nourish your spirit.  If you don't do it nobody else is going to do it for you.  If you don't take the time to do it, you are going to be effected greatly.

Be watchful of those things that will kill the passion God wants you to have.  Make sure you keep your passion so you can fulfill what God desires you to do.

-- Pastor Temple

How To Receive

In Mark 5:21-34 God gives us a great picture of how we can receive the blessings of God that come through faith.  As believers we are either walking in faith or we aren't.  The lesson in Mark 5:21-34 is of a woman and her desperation to be healed.  She tried everything and had spent all of her money on doctors yet she was still sick.  The key to her victory was that she heard about Jesus and was determined to touch him.  Too often we make Jesus the last resort when He should be the first one we go to.  I want us to look at this woman's story and uncover five actions she took in exercising her faith and receiving her healing.

1. She Spoke The Answer.  "For she said, 'If I shall touch but his clothes, I shall be whole'." (Mark 5:28).  To receive what God has, we must speak what His Word says. Say about the situation what the Word of God says about the situation.
2. She Believed The Answer.  What she expected was already a settled fact in her heart.  She knew what would happen if she simply touched his clothes.  Because she believed the answer she received the answer.
3. She Acted On What She Believed.  By pressing in and touching His garment she was acting in faith on what she believed. You and I must act on what the Word says. This is a way of exercising our faith.
4. She Received The Answer.  Once she acted on what she believed, she was instantly healed. What seemed impossible after twelve years of suffering, was now a reality.  At the moment she touched Jesus' garment, she was healed.
5. She Testified Of Her Healing.  Once she received her healing, she began to confess what Jesus had done.  God gave her a testimony and she willingly shared it.  When God does something wonderful in your life, don't forget to share it with others.

Receiving from God isn't just a formula.  But we can learn from this woman some principles that will help us receive God's blessings that come through faith.

-- Pastor Temple

The Future Of America

July 4th!  The day we celebrate as America's Independence Day!  While America isn't a perfect place, it is still a great place to live and I believe one of the greatest nations in the world.  I feel blessed by God to have been born and raised in America.  The Bible gives us several things we can do to keep America in God's blessings.  Whether we want to accept the responsibility or not, the future of America depends on us, the people of America.

1.  We are to pray for America.  Our founding fathers laid the groundwork for the freedom that we

enjoy today and it is vital that we pray for our country and our leaders.  Even if you disagree with our leaders, the Bible instructs us to pray for them.

2.  Live righteously.  If we want to change the way America is headed, we need to live our lives "in all godliness and honesty."  We do this by living according to the standards set forth in God's Word. Sin will disgrace God's name and our nation.  As believers we can do something about it by living righteous before God and the nation.

3.  Share Christ.  The unbelieving world is shouting out its message and as Christians, we need to speak out as well.  If God lives in you, He ought to show through, so a lost and dying world can see God in us. (Matthew 5:16).

FREEDOM COMES WITH A PRICE

We enjoy our freedom today, because of what our founding fathers have done to get and preserve this freedom.  The patriots fought and died to give us our "freedom of religion" not "freedom from religion."  America was founded on Christian principles.  It was founded on prayer and belief in an Almighty God.  If we are going to see good come from America, we...the church, God's people...need to pray for America and our leaders.

AMERICA'S CONDITION

There are many wonderful things about America that we can be proud of.  Yet at the same time, America has digressed a long ways from where we started and if we aren't careful we can lose everything God has blessed us with.  Our nation has strayed away from God's Word and the original intent of our founding fathers.  As Christians we can't be content to sit in church and say amen to the sermon, but do very little outside the church to be a witness for the Lord.  God expects us to use the freedom that our founding fathers made possible and be a witness for Christ in this sinful world we live in.

AMERICA'S FUTURE

What will America be in the future?  God's Word is clear as to how we are to live.  Micah 6:8 gives us three ways we are to live:

1. First, we are to "act justly."  This means do what is right.  God expects you to do the right thing even though the wrong thing is the easiest and maybe the most pleasant thing to do.
2. Secondly, we are to "love mercy."  That means to extend mercy and forgiveness to others. We all know that we're the recipients of God's mercy and have been forgiven by Him.  It is imperative that we extend the same mercy and forgiveness to others.
3. Lastly, we are to "walk humbly" with the Lord.  Humankind's natural tendency is to be proud, arrogant, and overconfident.  Yet God's desire is for us to live humbly before him. Recognizing who He is and who we are in relation to Him.

"Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord." (Psalm 33:12).  When our nation, including those who call themselves Christians, cease to look to God...we cease to be blessed by God.  Our forefathers claimed this nation for God.  We need to re-claim it for Him.

-- Pastor Temple