Hearing Gods Voice

The voice of God is that secret voice unheard by any other ear,

which our own ear, opened by the Spirit of God recognizes with joy.

Charles Spurgeon

One of the things that I often have people ask me is how do I know if God is speaking to me? How do we know God’s voice?

Good question!

Hearing Gods voice is one of the things that I was so unsure of – what if it’s not God its just me? What if I get it wrong? How do I know its Him?

To be honest I don’t think there’s an easy one-stop-shop easy answer, but it all comes down to relationship. As I have grown closer to God and developed my relationship with Him I have come to learn how He speaks to me. Each of us are created uniquely so it makes sense that the way God speaks to us may be different to the away he speaks to someone else.

"My sheep listen to my voice;

I know them, and they follow me."

-- John 10:27

God knows the best way to speak to me. I am a visual person – images and pictures speak to me far greater than reading the Bible or listening to a preacher. But for others, reading the Bible can really speak to them. Neither are more right than the other – they are both just as valid.

When our kids were born, even as babies they recognized mine and Rays voices. They'd spent the whole time in the womb listening to us talk to them. They knew who we were and it would comfort them. When they were upset we could settle them just by our voice because they knew it was us.

As we get to know God more we learn to recognize His voice. I realize this sounds all too simplistic but its true.

There are many different ways in which God can speak to us. I would love it if God would just use massive sky-writing or a big booming voice from heaven like he did when Jesus was baptized but unfortunately it never seems to happen!! I know people who God speaks to them through impressions, a whisper, feelings, numbers - I even have one friend who God uses Physics equations! How crazy is that?

Benny Johnson from Bethel Church said recently at Manifest Presence Conference in Auckland that "God's not English, but English is one of the ways He can speak to us. God's not Russian but Russian is one of the ways He can speak to us." The same applies to pictures, numbers, feelings, impressions etc. They are all just a tool that God can use to communicate with us.

How awesome it is to know that God can to speak to us in a way that works for us - regardless of language!

I want to encourage you, as you spend time developing your relationship with God - it will become easier to recognise His voice. Take some time and chill with Him today.

Shan

The Next Generation...

Matthew 24:34
I tell you the truth, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened.

As a geek, there are few things as world changing as the advent of Star Trek: The Next Generation. It forever split all trekkies into two camps: those who thought the next generation would never live up to the originals, and those who believed that the next generation would be the one which would make Star Trek relevant to a more mainstream audience (stop me if you know where I'm going here...).

"I hear the sound of a rising generation." Shannon on Friday eloquently talked about how we are the generation of choice. We can either choose to usher in the generation that changes the world, or we can BE that generation.

I think that sometimes our theology is a bit twisted around the whole ideas of generations... yes it means father to son, mother to daughter, and so on, but nowadays we count the generations in terms of some kind of arbitary 20 year period. What is with that? Isn't it weird?

While we are living and breathing, we will be part of this generation. So I guess that explains what my opinion is of the verse above. We are the rising generation. God has assigned tasks for you and I to do, and until we do them, this generation will not pass away. Are we going to leave the work assigned to us for future generations?

How does that relate to youth? Well, I guess it means that it doesn't mean if you are really young, or really old, we are still relevant. We only need to look to our leadership team for proof that age does not dictate a youthful spirit, nor attitude, nor enthusiasm, nor any other factor. I don't have to be the circumstances that raised me. My age does not dictate who I am. It does not dictate what I am capable of.

And like the movie Star Trek: Generations, we are stronger when we work together. And we get to ride in a kick a** vehicle on the way (yes I did just compare the local church to the Starship Enterprise... WARP SPEED!). If we aren't already united, then I pray that God make it so (oh my gosh, I can't believe I made such a bad joke after a good post...)

I refuse to grow old gracefully. Beam me up Scotty.

Mission Accomplished?

Hey guys,

Well, I dont know if my mission is ´accomplished´ but its over anyway, which is a fully unreal thought... What a week... Ive packed up, said my goodbyes, and today left Abancay on a bus to begin my 3week journey home.

I'm in Cusco, and as of today I am no longer a missionary, but just a lowly tourist for the next few weeks. My eyes hurt from crying like a baby, and Im just in a funny sorta headspace, closing that chapter of my life. I feel like I need to sit down (for like a year) and think through everything thats happened! I really need your prayers over the next few weeks, with all the travel, and Im already exhausted before I even begin..!

This is such an amazing country, with beautiful people, and is a hard place to leave. Praise God that here I am, 6 months later, still alive and well. He has been my strength and my shield and I give Him the glory.

Will keep in touch on my travels, and look forward to seeing you all oh sooo sooon!
love Lynda xoxo

Ways to minister online in just five minutes

Just a wee bloglet...

Mark at faithable.com

Hey, just come across this guy's ideas for ministering online in just five minutes, and thought it was actually a pretty cool spin on making yourself available for the internet community. It included specific prayer websites, being available as an online question answerer, and even counselling. If you've got some spare time (tertiary guys, you know I'm looking at you... :) ... yes this is coming from the English teacher on holiday...), then go and check it out.

Ray