Dear Mr. and Mrs. Christian,
It's always a pleasure to communicate with relatives, even one's that are distant. I trust you and your family are well? I’ve been inspired lately to examine what we do with “Whispers from God”, those impressions of the heart that leave an indelible imprint on the course of our destiny. We live in an era that the prophet Amos wrote about in Amos 8: 11, a time when the word of the Lord is ‘scarce’ and people are running to and fro in an attempt to find answers to the myriad questions that plague us. Make no mistake though, while the word of God may be scarce He is still speaking, it’s just that we often choose to interpret His voice in the light of our cultural beliefs or worldview. John 12: 28-30 gives us remarkable insight into this phenomenon. The Pharisees, who paradoxically, were the religious iconoclasts of their day, (they prevented the people from believing in the Truth (Jesus), by vilifying and castigating his every word) had so brainwashed the people that even when God spoke from heaven to their hearing, they interpreted it as thunder.
What do you do with a whisper from God? Do you file it in the category of spiritual jargon and heresy, since God ‘doesn’t’ speak to us today? Or do you simply ignore it because it doesn’t make sense to your intellect? Whatever it is that you may do, the sobering truth is that people’s lives and destiny are hinged on your obedience to the whispers from God that should daily guide your every choice and decision. What would have happened if Samuel had not obeyed the whisper from God to anoint David as king, especially since his better judgment told him that Jesse’s older sons appeared more suited for that role? What if Jonathan had disobeyed the whisper from God to protect David from his father, Saul? Could David have met an untimely death, thus eliminating his lineage from giving the Gift of the Messiah to the world?
So, Mr. and Mrs. Christian, in light of the foregoing I have a few questions for you: Whose life is right now in dire straits because you’ve resisted that whisper from God, dismissing it as ‘foolishness’? Whose destiny has been derailed because you continue to turn a deaf ear to that impression in your heart? Mr. Christian, at the risk of appearing judgmental, I must honestly tell you that your self-centered focus is sending your neighbors to hell in a hand-basket. And, while we’re on the subject, Mrs. Christian, your complacent and passive stance toward evangelism might just ensure that your relatives spend eternity in a place that was prepared for Satan and his dark angels. So my encouragement to you today, is that you listen carefully for those impressions of the heart that will guide your decision. My passionate plea is that you pay attention to that whisper from God that is constantly tickling the edge of your consciousness, because peoples lives are depending on you making the right choice.
It's always a pleasure to communicate with relatives, even one's that are distant. I trust you and your family are well? I’ve been inspired lately to examine what we do with “Whispers from God”, those impressions of the heart that leave an indelible imprint on the course of our destiny. We live in an era that the prophet Amos wrote about in Amos 8: 11, a time when the word of the Lord is ‘scarce’ and people are running to and fro in an attempt to find answers to the myriad questions that plague us. Make no mistake though, while the word of God may be scarce He is still speaking, it’s just that we often choose to interpret His voice in the light of our cultural beliefs or worldview. John 12: 28-30 gives us remarkable insight into this phenomenon. The Pharisees, who paradoxically, were the religious iconoclasts of their day, (they prevented the people from believing in the Truth (Jesus), by vilifying and castigating his every word) had so brainwashed the people that even when God spoke from heaven to their hearing, they interpreted it as thunder.
What do you do with a whisper from God? Do you file it in the category of spiritual jargon and heresy, since God ‘doesn’t’ speak to us today? Or do you simply ignore it because it doesn’t make sense to your intellect? Whatever it is that you may do, the sobering truth is that people’s lives and destiny are hinged on your obedience to the whispers from God that should daily guide your every choice and decision. What would have happened if Samuel had not obeyed the whisper from God to anoint David as king, especially since his better judgment told him that Jesse’s older sons appeared more suited for that role? What if Jonathan had disobeyed the whisper from God to protect David from his father, Saul? Could David have met an untimely death, thus eliminating his lineage from giving the Gift of the Messiah to the world?
So, Mr. and Mrs. Christian, in light of the foregoing I have a few questions for you: Whose life is right now in dire straits because you’ve resisted that whisper from God, dismissing it as ‘foolishness’? Whose destiny has been derailed because you continue to turn a deaf ear to that impression in your heart? Mr. Christian, at the risk of appearing judgmental, I must honestly tell you that your self-centered focus is sending your neighbors to hell in a hand-basket. And, while we’re on the subject, Mrs. Christian, your complacent and passive stance toward evangelism might just ensure that your relatives spend eternity in a place that was prepared for Satan and his dark angels. So my encouragement to you today, is that you listen carefully for those impressions of the heart that will guide your decision. My passionate plea is that you pay attention to that whisper from God that is constantly tickling the edge of your consciousness, because peoples lives are depending on you making the right choice.
Sincere Regards,
Your Distant Cousin
2 comments:
Thank you for sharing that - what a powerful and true exhortation. I needed that reminder today. Thank you.
Thea, you're welcome, even though it was written as a powerful "reminder" to me.
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