| Good morning everyone, Our theme for this month: “Hearing from God” Our Bible verse for today: “Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, “This is the way; walk in it.” Isaiah 30:21 (NIV) Our thought for today: “Do you hear God?” I’ll never forget that time I was seeking direction from the Lord regarding an important decision and honestly, I was getting pretty frustrated with Him because He wasn’t speaking to me. I even lectured Him about it. Actually, it was more like I was admonishing Him. I was ticked off and I was telling Him so. But then, the sky parted, God poked His face through, He looked directly at me and said in an audible voice, “Okay Jim, here’s what I want you to do …” And then He gave me specific instructions that I could not possibly have misunderstood.” It was awesome. Okay, that didn’t really happen. The first part did. I was frustrated with God and kind of ticked off but as for the second part – the sky parting, God’s face, audible voice … well, nah. There was another time, very early in my life as a Christian, that a Pentecostal friend of mine invited me to attend a weekend men’s retreat with his church group. Yes, me, Jim Mersereau, a boring and reserved Southern Baptist stuck in a dormitory for a weekend with a bunch of high-octane Pentecostals who all had too much coffee. They were speaking in tongues, telling stories about miracles, and telling each other about the latest thing that God had said to them. As a young Christian I didn’t know what to make of it. I felt small and inadequate. I was wondering what part of the Holy Spirit they had that I was missing. Does God speak to us? Well, the Bible says He does, so it must be true. But does He speak to us in a loud audible voice? Not to me He doesn’t. And not to anyone I know. So then, if it’s true that God does speak to us (it is, the Bible tells me so), then in what manner does God speak and how can I know it’s Him? This is an important question. As Henry Blackaby teaches in “Experiencing God: Knowing and Doing the Will of God,” if I can’t hear God and know it is Him, then I’m in trouble at the heart of my Christian life. This is a common problem. The Bible assures us that God does indeed speak to us, but many Christians don’t know how to hear Him. So, all this month we will explore this important subject about hearing from God. We will consider the many ways in which He speaks to us; we will learn about different ways to listen to Him; and we will discuss what to do when He doesn’t seem to be speaking. We will also think about some of the common pitfalls and mistakes Christians sometimes make when they think they’re hearing from God but they’re not. God does speak, but do you know how to hear Him when He does? God bless, Pastor Jim (Join us at Oak Hill Baptist Church every Sunday at 10:00. Join us in-person if you are nearby or, if you are geographically distant or if you are a shut-in, join us online at www.YouTube.com/oakhillbaptistcrossville) |
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