We believe God spoke many years ago, it's been recorded (Scripture) and He has ceased to speak in such clear and definitive manner.
I remember when a video was posted on Social media about Lynxx. He was talking on his salvation story.
According to him, God appeared in his TV and spoke to him.
Like his whole curtain was shaking and stuff
(Someone can check on IG and post the link here please. Tag it "Lynxx" )
I saw a lot of Christians come for him. He was lying bla bla bla. Sounded like Nollywood
Now here's the thing, have we not read more "Nollywoodier" stuff in the bible? Do we not believe it was God?
Abi is it not in the bible people were doing "Bogun ofe", disappearing from a place and appearing in another?
Here is the problem, we've limited God speaking to just Scripture.
And this is where we make a distinction between the speaking voice of God and the spoken word of God
The bible is the written word of God.
As Christians we must learn to differentiate between His voice and His word. We must also come to a place of belief that we have access to both.
We are not just limited to the Written word
The Spoken word of God is eternal and alive and we need to believe it.
Even God's written word in the bible takes on God's life and power as He speaks them into our hearts and minds by the Holy Spirit.
It is the present voice that makes the written word all-powerful
When we engage the written word and God speaks to us from scriptures, the word takes on all of the life of God and His power, for the living God has once again spoken.
God has not gone silent
We must first believe this.
If not, He will tell you "Don't go to xyz place" but because it is not in the bible and you do not believe His voice exists, you will not follow that instruction.
Let's read Psalm 33: 9.
God is a speaking God
Psalm 33:9
9 For he spoke, and it came to be;
he commanded, and it stood firm.
God has a voice. He speaks, He is not dumb
We must first believe this
Psalm 68:33
to him who rides across the highest heavens, the ancient heavens,
who thunders with mighty voice.
God created with His voice, rules with His voice, judges with His voice, gives life with His voice.
He is ever speaking
He is still the God who speaks!
His voice has not been silent since the dawn of creation.
God is Here, with us, among us, IN US and He is speaking!
These truths are the foundations of all other truths in the scripture. Without them, we will never know God the way we should.
God did not write a book, give to us with expectations that we understand divine revelations with our natural minds.
He spoke forth a book and lives in His spoken word but He also lives today to constantly speak to us in many areas of our lives.
(Note that His spoken voice never acts against His written word. That'd mean God speaking against Himself)
Rhema and Logos
As we study different words for "Word" in the NT Greek, we come across these words. They give a fair understanding of the Spoken word and speaking voice.
Logos - Word spoken and understood second hand. That is a word we do not hear directly from the mouth/voice of the speaker.
Rhema - Spoken and heard directly first hand from the mouth and through the voice of the speaker.
So when I read John 3:16, it is Logos
Up until the spirit breathes life into it and speak to us on it, It becomes Rhema.
Last week we talked about the Hearing Ear, that we all have it. He created us with ears that hear.
God is always ever speaking, revealing Himself and His plan to men and He has created us to hear Him and interact with Him.
God gave us five senses to interact with the natural world so we can take in all of the created world around us.
Same way, scripture makes us to understand that He has given us spiritual sense in much the same way to interact with Him.
You have a hearing ear and it is not for fancy. It is to hear God in all of His speaking
John.10.27 - The sheep that are My own hear and are listening to My voice; and I know them, and they follow Me.
Psalm 34:8 MSG: Open your mouth and taste, open your eyes and see— how good God is. Blessed are you who run to him.
Heb.11.27 - [Motivated] by faith he left Egypt behind him, being unawed and undismayed by the wrath of the king; for he never flinched but held staunchly to his purpose and endured steadfastly as one who gazed on Him Who is invisible AMP
Hebrews 11:27, NIV: "By faith he left Egypt, not fearing the king's anger; he persevered because he saw him who is invisible."
1 John 1:1 TPT : We saw him with our very own eyes. We gazed upon him and heard him speak. Our hands actually touched him, the one who was from the beginning, the Living Expression of God.
What do we see in all of these scriptures?
Senses of interaction
Probably they are only metaphorical, but we see the bible speak of tasting of the Lord, hearing Him, seeing Him and touching Him .
I believe they go beyond metaphors.
Sometimes, I'm having intimates moment with Abba and it feels like I'm touching Him. I've personally experienced His hug a lot of times.
I believe God has given us all spiritual senses, to interact with our sweet unseen father, friend and lover
All of our senses is to interact with this great speaking God for... the hearing ear and the seeing eye, the Lord has made them both (for this purpose) +
Why does man find divine communication difficult? Why is it only accessible to some Christians?
Matthew 13:13-16 TPT
That’s why I teach the people using parables, because they think they’re looking for truth, yet because their hearts are unteachable, they never discover it. Although they will listen to me, they never fully perceive the message I speak. The prophecy of Isaiah describes them perfectly: Although they listen carefully to everything I speak, they don’t understand a thing I say. They look and pretend to see, but the eyes of their hearts are closed. Their minds are dull and slow to perceive, their ears are plugged and are hard of hearing, and they have deliberately shut their eyes to the truth. Otherwise they would open their eyes to see, and open their ears to hear, and open their minds to understand. Then they would turn to me and let me instantly heal them. “But your eyes are privileged, for they see. Delighted are your ears, for they are open to hear all these things.
Jesus, who is The word lived amonged men and here is what He saw. Some people don't want to hear and are not just listening. Some of us have trained our ears not to hear. When Abba spoke to Jesus from the cloud, everyone heard the voice but what was recorded from the people? ".. It thundered"
Their hearts were so dulled to desiring/knowing Him that that was the only explanation they could give to His voice. Most people cannot hear because the hearts of their eyes are closed.
The people here enter another group Christ spoke about. The one who CAN'T hear.
It's not because they will not love to hear o but their spiritual senses are dull. The only thing they hearing ear has been trained to hear is them self and the world around them.
Jesus said Their hearts are dull and slow to perceive. Their ears are plugged but hard of hearing
A lot of us Christians are on this Can't part.
We want to hear but cannot hear because our spiritual senses are dull.
Now, does this mean we were not created with the hearing ear?
How did we lose our natural God given ability to hear?
Romans 1:20-21, 23-25 TPT
Opposition to truth cannot be excused on the basis of ignorance , because from the creation of the world, the invisible qualities of God’s nature have been made visible, such as his eternal power and transcendence. He has made his wonderful attributes easily perceived, for seeing the visible makes us understand the invisible. So then, this leaves everyone without excuse. Throughout human history the fingerprints of God were upon them, yet they refused to honor him as God or even be thankful for his kindness. Instead, they entertained corrupt and foolish thoughts about what God was like. This left them with nothing but misguided hearts, steeped in moral darkness. For only a fool would trade the unfading splendor of the immortal God to worship the fading image of other humans, idols made to look like people, animals, birds, and even creeping reptiles! This is why God lifted off his restraining hand and let them have full expression of their sinful and shameful desires. They were given over to moral depravity, dishonoring their bodies by sexual perversion among themselves— all because they traded the truth of God for a lie. They worshiped and served the things God made rather than the God who made all things—glory and praises to him forever and ever! Amen!
First, Jesus tells us it's the condition of men's heart that determines their ability to hear.
Now Apostle Paul continues from there. He said men's heart have become darkened/misguided ( I like the word misguided. It's like a change in direction). He said men's thoughts have become futile, corrupt and foolish because they turn away from God and serve the world and the things of man
The reason some of us can't hear is because we are focused so much on the created than the creator.
We worship things without knowing.
We have time for our jobs, big brother, movies, relaxation time, family, friends, everything except God! Do married people forget to have intercourse with their spouse? Like they forget for weeks
I believe the answer is No. (Mary, Maryann, Titi, Bola, please call me out if u lied)
But then we forget to go to God and listen.
We remember to take those courses online. Shut our door and study but most times we don't have much time for God
The reason you are not hearing is because you don't really rate God and your hearing ear is very much aware of that 😊
Our spiritual senses are dulled because our hearts are not centered on the things of the spirit
Whoever will listen......
Will hear the speaking God. These really are not the days when men want to listen truly.
We'd rather the noise, activity, chase and quest for money at the expense of hearing Him.
There is really so much happening in our world today, like so much activity.
You have to be very deliberate with your fellowship with God.
Jesus did not have phone He was checking every minute In the wilderness to see who messaged him.
5 minutes prayer, most of us are already pressing phone.
There is really so much distraction around us
In all of this noise, God is saying we be still.
In learning to still our hearts and know Him, we will get the greatest surprise of God - His Speaking Voice.
It will almost look like Nollywood movie.
For some, it might not be as "dramatic" as others.
For most of us, it might come first like a distant sound of one walking in the garden.
But if we don't quit in those early days, it will grow upon us a voice, a little more intelligible but still far and not so clear.
Then the happy days dawn as He illuminates the scriptures and speak clearly to our hearts.
He is so near, warm and intimate.
We know immediately it is God
We do not doubt.
We have heard the voice of our beloved clearly, lovingly and with power.
Now we do not just hear once and run away
No, we continue to stay still
Our ability to hear and pick His voice increases quickly.
Before we know it, all other senses are activated.
We hear Him
See Him
Touch Him
Taste Him
We will come to know that the voice of God is friendly and sweet
We will hear it not just in prayer or while studying, we will hear in on the road, while gisting with friends, in the toilet, everywhere, anytime and we will know that it is Him!
Action points for the week
1. Take out time daily to just listen. No talks.
2. Confess your reality as many times as you can daily, you have ears that can hear.
3. Have conversations with God everywhere and anytime. Don't be scared it might be one sided. Remember you have ears built to hear.
E.g
Father, I'm with my colleagues gisting today and I know you can hear me. Because you truly can hear me and you've made me in your image, then speak, my hearing ears are listening
Will be expecting feedbacks from our action points.
For those that have been hearing God before, you are also included. It's an upgrade for everyone.
New season.
Prepare!
This week's assignment added to last week's own
Important
1. Cut off from your social media time or any other thing that takes your time. Use the cut off time to just be still and quiet before God.
2. Go on a date with the Holy Spirit (Eat for 2)
Be open and free. Tell God everything you feel. Don't think He knows so no need, speak it.
He is a hearing God too.
3. Write down all you hear, no matter how little or faint. Document it
4. Confess it throughout this week that you have ears that hear. Turn it to song. Wake up with it. Go to sleep with it.
5. Intentionally write down the things that you think take your focus away from God.
LET US PRAY
Lord we thank you for tonight.
We thank you because you are a God that speaks.
We thank you for our spiritual senses
We thank you for our ears, because they can hear.
Lord, teach us to listen.
We know the times are noisy and our ears have gone weary with the blaring sounds from the world.
Help us to say like Samuel: Speak Lord, for your child listens.
Help us to believe truly that we can hear you.
Help us get used to the sound of your voice. we are familiar with your tone, so much that even in the noise the world brings, the only sound we hear is the music of your speaking voice.
Again, let's not forget
The speaking Voice Will NEVER speak against the Word. God doesn't contradict Himself.
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