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Ben
Godwin
Skeptics
say God doesn’t speak anymore. Even some Christians claim God only speaks
through the Bible.
Did He
change?
Did He
cease being God?
Malachi
3:6 affirms, “For I am the Lord, I do not change.” (NKJV)
That
means if God saved in Bible times, He still saves today.
If He
healed then, He still heals now.
If He
spoke to people in the past, He still does. “Jesus Christ is the same
yesterday, today, and forever” (Hebrews 13:8).
The
question is not, is God still speaking?
The
question is, are we listening?
Jesus
implored all seven churches of Asia, “He who has an ear, let him hear what
the Spirit says to the churches” (Revelation 2:7).
Consider
12 ways God still speaks today:
• Audible
Voice: Though seemingly rare, God has and still can speak audibly.
Adam
and Eve heard God’s voice in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3:8).
God spoke
audibly to Moses from the burning bush (Exodus 3:4-6) and to
all Israel from Mount Sinai (Exodus 20:1-22).
Saul
and his posse saw Christ in a blinding light and heard His voice (Acts
9:3-7).
God is
sovereign, and He can speak however and whenever He wants.
• Angelic
Visitation: Angels are agents on assignment — God’s messengers sent to minister
to heirs of salvation.
There
are numerous instances in Scripture where angels informed, warned or conveyed
divine messages to individuals. They are still on the job.
• Visions
and Dreams: “I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh . . . your young men
shall see visions, your old men shall dream dreams” (Acts
2:17).
A
vision is an inspired appearance (something you see literally with your eyes or
in your mind or spirit).
A dream
is something seen in your sleep or something you imagine doing — a goal or an
aspiration.
God can
insert images and ideas into our minds whether we are conscious or not.
People
who asked Jesus for a miracle just for show or to prove His divinity were
denied, but those who asked God for a sign to ascertain or confirm His will
were often rewarded.
Gideon
put a fleece out sincerely seeking confirmation of God’s will and was obliged (Judges
6:36-40).
We
serve a supernatural God of signs and wonders.
• Coincidences:
Albert Einstein noted, “Coincidence is God’s way of remaining anonymous.”
I was
in a meeting when a woman I had never met before nor seen since gave me an
envelope and said, “God told me to give this to you.”
It
contained a diamond ring which appraised for . . . you guessed it, $3,000.
You can
call that a coincidence; I call it providence — God confirming and providing
for His will.
• The
Written Word: The logos (the Bible) is a main way God speaks today but it is
not the only way.
Jesus,
the Bread of Life, taught us to pray, “Give us this day our daily bread”
(Matthew 6:11).
God has
fresh spiritual manna to share with us every day if we’ll take the time to read
His Word.
• The
Living Word: Jesus said, “The words [Greek: rhema] that I speak to you are
spirit, and they are life” (John. 6:63).
The
rhema Word is a specific message the Holy Spirit inspires to you personally.
It’s a specific word for a specific time and for a specific need.
It
occurs when the written or spoken Word comes alive with special meaning in your
situation.
• Through
People: “If anyone speaks, let him speak as the oracles of God” (1 Peter
4:11).
An “oracle”
is an “utterance, a spokesman or mouthpiece.”
God
speaks through preachers and teachers, but He can also speak through our
spouse, kids, friends and even enemies.
God
uses human channels to speak words of prophecy, tongues and interpretation and
words of wisdom and knowledge (1 Corinthians 12:8-10).
God
also expresses Himself through human vessels to distribute His message in
anointed sermons, songs and writings.
• Mass
Media: “This gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a
witness to all the nations” (Matthew 24:14).
Due to technology, this Scripture is
literally being fulfilled as the Gospel proliferates the globe.
• Through
Creation and Nature: Psalms 19:1 proclaims, “The heavens declare the glory
of God; and the firmament shows His handiwork.”
The vastness of space and the complexity of
nature testify to God’s intelligent design.
You can hear the Creator’s voice in a
bubbling brook, in the song of a bird, in the wind whistling through the trees
and in a baby’s cry.
• Through
Our Conscience: God hardwired us with an inner awareness of what is right and
wrong with an inclination to do right.
George Washington said, “Labor to keep
alive within your breast that little spark of celestial fire, called
conscience.”
• His
Still Small Voice: Elijah was camping in a cave on Mount Sinai when God
manifested Himself.
Elijah saw a powerful wind, a mighty
earthquake and a fierce fire, but God wasn’t in any of them.
Instead, God spoke to him in a “still
small voice,” also translated “a gentle whisper” (1 Kings
19:9-12).
God often speaks to us by the inner witness
of the Holy Spirit to our spirit (Romans 8:14-16).
God will speak to us more often as we learn
to recognize His voice.
We expect to hear from Him at church, but God
doesn’t just speak on Sundays. He wants to speak to us all through the week.
Jesus indicated, “My sheep hear My voice”
(John 10:27).
God is still speaking; are we listening?
Ben
Godwin
is the author of four books and pastors the Goodsprings Full Gospel Church. To
read more articles, visit his website at bengodwin.org and take advantage of
his 4-book bundle for $25.00.
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