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- Apr 25, 2006
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28 May 2007
Hebrews 12:25-29
So be careful and do not refuse to listen when God speaks. Others refused to listen to him when he warned them on earth, and they did not escape. So it will be worse for us if we refuse to listen to God who warns us from heaven.
When he spoke before, his voice shook the earth, but now he has promised, "Once again I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens." The words "once again" clearly show us that everything that was made - things that can be shaken - will be destroyed. Only the things that cannot be shaken will remain.
So let us be thankful, because we have a kingdom that cannot be shaken. We should worship God in a way that pleases him with respect and fear, because our God is like a fire that burns things up.
We are to be encouraged by these words, as they explain the promise that those who are Christians, part of the kingdom of God 'that cannot be shaken', will not be destroyed when God speaks and some refuse to listen. It assumes of course that we ourselves do not refuse to listen.
So how do we listen to God? Few of us will be able to tell a story of a voice from heaven like those recorded in the Bible. We should remember that when God did speak in that way, not everyone around always heard in a physical sense and God used the prophets and other messengers to relate his message. God can 'speak' to us through others. Some people tell me that when they pray they get words or pictures from God that speak to them about what they are seeking guidance on, and even on completely unrelated things.
That does not happen to me or to some other Christians I know (which I find encouraging), so God must speak in other ways too. The Bible is often referred to as a source of God speaking to us for today, and often we can find the right guidance for life today. People often email Word on the Web to say a particular day was just what they needed and it answered a prayer for a particular situation.
No one person has a monopoly on what God is saying, and I have always been told to seek confirmation when some says to me "God has told me that ...". Within the community of the church as we seek God's will and try to, listen to his voice, we can listen in prayer times, talk to each other and share ideas, and observe the needs around us, to name just a few ways.
Heavenly Father, help me to listen and have open ears to your voice as you speak to me. Amen
Written by Neil Thomson
Hebrews 12:25-29
So be careful and do not refuse to listen when God speaks. Others refused to listen to him when he warned them on earth, and they did not escape. So it will be worse for us if we refuse to listen to God who warns us from heaven.
When he spoke before, his voice shook the earth, but now he has promised, "Once again I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens." The words "once again" clearly show us that everything that was made - things that can be shaken - will be destroyed. Only the things that cannot be shaken will remain.
So let us be thankful, because we have a kingdom that cannot be shaken. We should worship God in a way that pleases him with respect and fear, because our God is like a fire that burns things up.
We are to be encouraged by these words, as they explain the promise that those who are Christians, part of the kingdom of God 'that cannot be shaken', will not be destroyed when God speaks and some refuse to listen. It assumes of course that we ourselves do not refuse to listen.
So how do we listen to God? Few of us will be able to tell a story of a voice from heaven like those recorded in the Bible. We should remember that when God did speak in that way, not everyone around always heard in a physical sense and God used the prophets and other messengers to relate his message. God can 'speak' to us through others. Some people tell me that when they pray they get words or pictures from God that speak to them about what they are seeking guidance on, and even on completely unrelated things.
That does not happen to me or to some other Christians I know (which I find encouraging), so God must speak in other ways too. The Bible is often referred to as a source of God speaking to us for today, and often we can find the right guidance for life today. People often email Word on the Web to say a particular day was just what they needed and it answered a prayer for a particular situation.
No one person has a monopoly on what God is saying, and I have always been told to seek confirmation when some says to me "God has told me that ...". Within the community of the church as we seek God's will and try to, listen to his voice, we can listen in prayer times, talk to each other and share ideas, and observe the needs around us, to name just a few ways.
Heavenly Father, help me to listen and have open ears to your voice as you speak to me. Amen
Written by Neil Thomson
