From Pastor Hazel

God Speaks, Are You Listening?

Scripture passage John 8:37-47 states that only descendants of Abraham are capable of hearing God speak. Are we descendants of Abraham? Yes; at Pentecost we were adopted into the Kingdom of God, therefore heirs. Jesus sacrificed His life so that believers may have life and have it to the full. Our adoption affords us the opportunity to have living, loving relationships with God the Father and Jesus the Son and invite the Holy Spirit to live inside each of us. How much closer can we be if the Holy Spirit resides in us? We will be in the closest position possible because we are then surrendering to God!
Remember that the Trinity, God the Father, Jesus the Son, and the Spirit are one and the same. God is our Creator, Jesus is our Savior, and the Holy Spirit is our Sustainer. Three forms, however one substance.
Do we believe that God still speaks to His people? Sometimes we live as though the Holy Spirit has stopped speaking – we fail to realize that God often speaks to us through the Holy Spirit, which began at Pentecost when we were adopted and continues even in this present age.
It is critical that we learn to discern God’s voice when He speaks to us. If we don’t hear God when He speaks, we are in trouble at the very heart of our Christianity. Let’s focus our attention on how God speaks through the Holy Spirit to reveal Himself, His purposes, and His ways. God also speaks to us through the Bible, prayer, visions, dreams, circumstances, the church, and through other believers.
The fact that God speaks to us is more important than His method of speaking. When God speaks, we must know God’s voice and hear what God is saying to us. Henry and Richard Blackaby and Claude King, authors of Experiencing God, Knowing and Doing the Will of God, express the following key points:
          1. When God speaks, it is usually unique to a specific person.
          2. When God speaks, the person recognizes that it is God speaking.
          3. When God speaks, the person understands what God is saying.
          4. When God speaks, the person experiences an encounter with God.
I have some questions for you to ponder:
          What is the Holy Spirit prompting you to do?
          Are you doubting God or yourself?
          Are you willing to step out of the box (self-imposed boundaries) to achieve your blessing?
          Are you scared?
Every unique and extraordinary idea that blossomed into an amazing creation probably was scary for the inventor, writer, speaker, creator, dancer, song writer, singer, scientist, designer, chemist, pharmacist, architect, chef, teacher, just to name a few. We should always be mindful that God has promised us that He will never leave us or forsake us. It may not be easy and you may be like Einstein who had many failures before his amazing success. We must be steadfast and keep working towards the goal that God has set before us. Don’t give up now! You are approaching your answer! You are approaching the solution to your challenge! You are close, so close to your new opportunity.
Please let God speak to your heart. Let go and let God have control of your life situations. You can never go wrong with God! He cares for each one of us! To God be the glory!