Does God Still Speak? Lesson 135

A little five year old girl called my prayer line and asked how God speaks to us today. I told her that He comes into our hearts and lives and speaks to us through our spirit. Now you see, I don’t “do kids” so I thought I answered this as simply as I could and prepared to hang up the phone. Then the little voice asked how God, Majestic (her word) as He is could get in our little hearts. Then that “other little voice” (of God) spoke to me and said I had better pay attention and “let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them” (Matt. 19:14). I tried again, telling her that the part of God that lived into our hearts was the Holy Spirit, which she could not see but could feel around her and He would tell her what to do. At this point the little girl became the teacher and I the humble student. She compared the Holy Spirit to the wind that blew and “told” her when to go into the house. Also the wind blew the in the snow, the leaves from the trees, etc. telling her when the seasons were changing. Or as she put it; telling her when the old cold weather is coming. “From the lips of children and infants you have ordained praise” (Ps. 8:2). Here it got complicated. She informed me that a spirit was a ghost! After thirty minutes of talking we finally came to an agreement. She knew where God lived and decided that His Spirit was her friend and I for sure had made a new “little” friend that day. Thinking all was well I bid her good-bye and just before hearing the click on her end of the line, the voice grew even smaller as she said: “Thank you and don’t let that old holy ghost get you”!

So to answer the question, ‘does God still speak today’? He spoke to me loud and clear through that little girl. He told me I could not pick and choose those to whom I witnessed and that I should be prepared with an answer in season and out (2 Tim. 4:2). He told me to take a walk and He would show me through nature how only He created us and the earth and the Heavens and is showing Himself to me (Romans 1:20). “Ask the animals and they will teach you. Or the birds of the air and they will tell you. Or speak to the earth and it will teach you. Or let the fish of the sea inform you” (Job 12:7-9). He reminded me of His Son taking the little children in His arms and blessing them (Mark 10:16). This is an example for me to take my grandchildren in my arms and say to them, ‘I love you and Jesus loves you too’! This works for your spouse or your grown kids also provided you can still wrap your arms around them. If not, then a touch will do. Everyone loves to be loved and God loves to love us. The Bible tells me so (John 3:16)!

God speaks through the Bible. “The Word was with God and the Word was God” (John 1:1). It is a sad fact that everyone does not have a Bible. It is an even sadder fact that some who have them seldom reads them. I was asked why God didn’t just send an angel to tell us about His plan for mankind instead of EXPECTING us to read about it through prophetic writings. NEWS FLASH! Scripture records about 104 cases where angels have appeared before men. Why would we assume this appearance of angels would capture the attention of un-believers today any more than they did in Bible times? We know from Jesus parable of the rich man and Lazarus that there were definitely those who did not believe. Scripture plainly states that the man was “in hell, where he was in torment” (Luke 16:23). Another news flash! Angels DO appear today! “Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it” (Heb. 13:2).

John the Baptist was sent to prepare everyone to accept Jesus but there were those who only looked at the clothes he wore and paid no heed. John dressed in clothes made of camel’s hair with a leather belt around his waist (Matt. 3:4). He didn’t mince words when condemning the Pharisees and Sadducees, calling them a brood of vipers (Matt. 3:7-9). He took no credit for his mission even though some thought him to be Elijah or a Prophet. His only answer was that he was the one calling from the desert and giving praise to the One that would come after him (John 1:21-27). I will bring your attention to the fact that the people had to “go out” to hear John preach. Since Christianity was not popular, some had to sneak around to hear the Word of salvation and hope that he brought. Most of us today do not have to go anywhere to hear a good sermon. With T.V. and tapes and radio we can sit in comfort and hear a sermon each hour if we choose. For those who do not have freedom of religion we have dedicated missionaries to carry the Word of God and hope around the world. It is made easier for some than others to hear God speak, but speak He does. “He who has ears let him hear” (Matt. 11:15).

Jesus walked on this earth for 33 ½ years and many did not believe Him. Even the disciples thought they were seeing a ghost (Luke 24:36-40) and a couple of them did not recognize Him as He walked along beside them (Luke 24:13-16). And let’s not forget that Jesus’ own brothers asked Him to leave their town “for even His own brothers did not believe in Him” (John 7:5). Jesus talked Himself right to the Cross trying to convince all men that salvation is found in no one else but Christ (Acts 4:12) but to no avail. Judas betrayed Him (Matt. 26:47-50) but still Jesus called Him ‘friend’. Peter denied Him (Matt. 26:69-75) but Jesus reinstated him and filled Him with the Holy Spirit to preach one of the most powerful messages recorded. “They” mocked Him, spit on Him, struck Him and led Him away to crucify Him. Scripture records at least two that in the final moments believed that Jesus was the Son of God. The robber who asked Jesus to remember him and watched Jesus die with the assurance of eternal salvation (Luke 23:42-43), and the centurion, seeing what had happened, praised God and said, “surely this was the Son of God: (Mark 15:39).

Jesus said; “If you believed in Moses, you would believe in me, for he wrote about me. But since you do not believe what he wrote, how are your going to believe what I say” (John 5:46-47)? Nothing has changed today! If some will not believe the Bible which is God’s Words, why expect them to believe an angel which is God’s creation and messenger (Luke 2:19, Matt. 28:2-6, Acts 27:24, Dan. 9:21-23)? We, Christians, and not just the disciples were given the great commission to teach everyone to obey what the Bible teaches (Matt. 28:19-20). We ask, just as the Pharisees and teachers of the Law, for a miraculous sign from God. The answer is the same today as it was then. “A wicked and adulterous generation asks for a miraculous sign! But none will be given it except the sign of the prophet Jonah” (Matt. 12:38-40). We have been given a miracle in “Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. Through Him you believe in God who raised Him from the dead and glorified Him, and so your faith and hope are in God” (1 Pet. 1:19-23).

Final note of encouragement! “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed” (John 20:29). For you that still are insisting on hearing the voice of God before you make that important decision to follow Jesus I urge you to listen more carefully. I urge you to use the resources that God has left us in the form of the Bible, preachers, friends and etc. to “hear and heed”. If you still are waiting for God to speak in person, it is coming. “A time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear His voice” (John 5:28) and “every knee will bow before me” (Rom. 14:11, Phil. 2:10). This is not the voice of salvation but rather the voice of judgment. Do not be caught still waiting to hear the voice of God before you answer His call to be saved. When you hear His voice the last time, it will be too late. Be ready to join in the choir with “every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea and all that is in them, singing: ‘To Him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power, for ever and ever!”’ (Rev. 5:13).