B-A-C
Loyal
- Joined
- Dec 18, 2008
- Messages
- 11,020
The pros and cons of technology. 
It was only about 150 years ago telephones didn't exist. Cell phones have been around about 20 years now.
"Smart" phones are only about 10 years old. Most of my adult career has been in the mobile telecommunications industry, and yet I am still amazed at how cell phones have transformed the world. In both good and bad ways. I am old enough to remember playing cards and board games with my grand parents out on the back porch on summer evenings. They all passed away long before cell phones came around. The best part about playing those games was the interaction, the camaraderie, the laughs and just getting to know each other. I still remember their voices.
One of things I don't particularly like about cell phones is "texting". Despite this, I find myself texting to people dozens of times a day. For some people, it's the only way they want to be communicated with.
For whatever reason, they don't like to talk on the phone. I have emailed some of these people and I have texted them, but I have never spoken to them. On the phone or in person. I don't know the sound of their voice. It seems taking the time to have a conversation is more time than they have for people. It takes time away from "what I want to do". (I wonder if people have stopped to ponder the selfishness of that statement?) -- I don't even have time to talk to you. You're only worth a few lines of text every now and then.
I wonder if we get this way with Jesus? The "busy-ness" of iife and distractions keep us from spending time with God. It keeps us from spending time in prayer and reading the word. We like being distracted, in fact some of us "need" to be distracted. We can't stand silence, stillness, .. quiet.
And yet, it's been my experience that's usually when God speaks to us. In those still quiet moments.
Rarely do we have those burning bush and thundering voice from heaven moments. I'm not saying God can't do that, but it seems He rarely does it that way.
When I first make new friends, they always introduce themselves on the phone. Hi this is Bob, Hi this is John.
Even when I was first dating my wife... "Hi, this is... " the thing is... after 3 or 4 phone calls from her we no longer had to tell each other who we were. We just knew. We knew the sound of each others voices.
It's the same way with most of my "guy" friends. We rarely identify who we are (if ever) we just know by the sound of their voice who they are.
In fact, I know some of my friends so well that we are able to finish each others sentences. My wife and I are very good at doing this. Not only do I know their voices, I know the kinds of things they would say.
... or NOT say, as the case may be. One time someone told me my friend John said something... I remember
saying "john said that? It doesn't sound like something he would say." and sure enough, come to find out... he didn't really say that.
John 10:3; "To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.
John 10:4; "When he puts forth all his own, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice.
John 10:5; "A stranger they simply will not follow, but will flee from him, because they do not know the voice of strangers."
There have been times, I heard a still small voice in the middle of the night.
One time that voice said "Go to Taco Bell and get 3 soft Tacos!!". It turns out that was the voice of my stomach, not God. Another time I was flipping through the channels on television and there was a topless woman on the TV. I admit I stopped and paused on that channel for a few seconds. There was a small quiet voice saying "go ahead, watch it. It'll be alright". It turns out, that wasn't the voice of God either.
The thing is... not every voice we hear is the voice of God/Jesus. I've never heard God speak to me in an audible voice. But I know His voice. I know the things He would say. Most of this comes from reading the Bible, but a lot also comes from prayer.
I've heard people say.. "God told me to go do this" or "Jesus wants me to go do that".
and sometimes I know they are telling the truth. But other times, I know they are not.
If God is telling you to leave your spouse and go marry someone else. It's probably not God.
If God is telling you to go have a same sex affair with someone. It's probably not God.
..and yet.. some churches are preaching these things are OK with God. I have to wonder... does the preacher
at those churches really know "His voice".. or are they simply listening to their appetite?
It's much the same way with us. If we spend enough time with Him.. we won't have to ask "is this really what God wants me to do" or even "NOT want me to do". Because we know Him. We know His voice. We know the kinds of things He says.
It was only about 150 years ago telephones didn't exist. Cell phones have been around about 20 years now.
"Smart" phones are only about 10 years old. Most of my adult career has been in the mobile telecommunications industry, and yet I am still amazed at how cell phones have transformed the world. In both good and bad ways. I am old enough to remember playing cards and board games with my grand parents out on the back porch on summer evenings. They all passed away long before cell phones came around. The best part about playing those games was the interaction, the camaraderie, the laughs and just getting to know each other. I still remember their voices.
One of things I don't particularly like about cell phones is "texting". Despite this, I find myself texting to people dozens of times a day. For some people, it's the only way they want to be communicated with.
For whatever reason, they don't like to talk on the phone. I have emailed some of these people and I have texted them, but I have never spoken to them. On the phone or in person. I don't know the sound of their voice. It seems taking the time to have a conversation is more time than they have for people. It takes time away from "what I want to do". (I wonder if people have stopped to ponder the selfishness of that statement?) -- I don't even have time to talk to you. You're only worth a few lines of text every now and then.
I wonder if we get this way with Jesus? The "busy-ness" of iife and distractions keep us from spending time with God. It keeps us from spending time in prayer and reading the word. We like being distracted, in fact some of us "need" to be distracted. We can't stand silence, stillness, .. quiet.
And yet, it's been my experience that's usually when God speaks to us. In those still quiet moments.
Rarely do we have those burning bush and thundering voice from heaven moments. I'm not saying God can't do that, but it seems He rarely does it that way.
When I first make new friends, they always introduce themselves on the phone. Hi this is Bob, Hi this is John.
Even when I was first dating my wife... "Hi, this is... " the thing is... after 3 or 4 phone calls from her we no longer had to tell each other who we were. We just knew. We knew the sound of each others voices.
It's the same way with most of my "guy" friends. We rarely identify who we are (if ever) we just know by the sound of their voice who they are.
In fact, I know some of my friends so well that we are able to finish each others sentences. My wife and I are very good at doing this. Not only do I know their voices, I know the kinds of things they would say.
... or NOT say, as the case may be. One time someone told me my friend John said something... I remember
saying "john said that? It doesn't sound like something he would say." and sure enough, come to find out... he didn't really say that.
John 10:3; "To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.
John 10:4; "When he puts forth all his own, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice.
John 10:5; "A stranger they simply will not follow, but will flee from him, because they do not know the voice of strangers."
There have been times, I heard a still small voice in the middle of the night.
One time that voice said "Go to Taco Bell and get 3 soft Tacos!!". It turns out that was the voice of my stomach, not God. Another time I was flipping through the channels on television and there was a topless woman on the TV. I admit I stopped and paused on that channel for a few seconds. There was a small quiet voice saying "go ahead, watch it. It'll be alright". It turns out, that wasn't the voice of God either.
The thing is... not every voice we hear is the voice of God/Jesus. I've never heard God speak to me in an audible voice. But I know His voice. I know the things He would say. Most of this comes from reading the Bible, but a lot also comes from prayer.
I've heard people say.. "God told me to go do this" or "Jesus wants me to go do that".
and sometimes I know they are telling the truth. But other times, I know they are not.
If God is telling you to leave your spouse and go marry someone else. It's probably not God.
If God is telling you to go have a same sex affair with someone. It's probably not God.
..and yet.. some churches are preaching these things are OK with God. I have to wonder... does the preacher
at those churches really know "His voice".. or are they simply listening to their appetite?
It's much the same way with us. If we spend enough time with Him.. we won't have to ask "is this really what God wants me to do" or even "NOT want me to do". Because we know Him. We know His voice. We know the kinds of things He says.
