Other Voices

My friend if you listen closely in your life you will hear voices. Now I am not talking about the voices that psychotic or demon possessed people say they hear, but voices that tell us it is okay to do what we want to do. These voices are probably not God 's voice. The last thing we need in our lives is to be able to do whatsoever we want to do. A neighbour gave me some advice, to "follow my heart" well I replied no thanks, Jeremiah tells us our heart is desperately wicked and evil. Usually this voice is from our soul, our flesh maybe inspired by Satan maybe not. Make no mistake my friend our flesh needs no help from Satan to get us in trouble with God. But the voices I am talking about are the voices that come from the world. Those subtle voices that tell us it is okay to do something we know is NOT right or wrong before God, oh no the Bible does a great job of telling us this, but things that are ungodly, unholy, unrighteousness those things that will get us over in areas that will separate us from fellowship with God and man. Now my friend this is a big big deal (please pay attention here) today many many "would be" (if they did not listen to other voices) Christians have been deceived and maybe have lost their salvation and do not even know it. If you pull the lever for someone who supports abortion, homosexuality, LBGQT, Black Lives Matters, Antifa, and all of the rest of the trash and foolishness in the world I challenge your very salvation. Someone who loves Jesus and is really born again (or birthed from above) would never support such ungodly, unholy, unrighteousness people and issues. They know not God and the love of the Father (the truth) is not in them. John tell us, "I have written unto you, fathers, because ye have known him that is from the beginning. I have written unto you, young men, because ye are strong, and the word of God abideth in you, and ye have overcome the wicked one. 15 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. 17 And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever." (1 John 2:14-17) Did you get that? "The love of the Father is not in him." In other words you are not saved. You may have been saved (and yes you can lose your salvation), but because, "the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world." This is serious business my friend. Now what is amazing to me is the "fathers" and "young men" have already overcome the wicked one yet John is warning them (and all who read his letter) not to get involved with the world and the things in the world or you will lose your victory over the wicked one and lose your salvation. Not the wicked one will deceive you, but it is the deception that comes from the world and its things. Oh we like to beat up and blame Satan for everything we do that displeases God, but the truth is it is our love for our flesh and our love for the world and the things in the world (and not Satan) that causes our deception and waywardness from God. We have a choice to say no! Right? The question is do we love God or the world and the things in the world more? Now the world (not the earth which is a planet) is a system, an ungodly way to do things that are outside the frame work of God's way of doing things. The world is anti-Christ or another (anti) way or a Christ less way of doing things. So the world itself is bad (just look at the governmental systems, politics, global financial and banking, all ungodly), but it is not really the world that gets us into trouble with God, but "the things that are in the world" that we hold close to our heart above God. We are not to do things, as Christians, in this world as the world does them nor are we to love the things in the world. We are not to do things the way the world does things. We are to be strangers (not at home) in this world, called out of this world. We are not to look or act like the world. Yet in most Christian lives and in most churches today you cannot tell the difference between the world and someone who has been set apart by God to do the things He wants to be done in us first and out to the world. You know the things I see going on in Christian lives and the churches today would have never happened 50, 40, 30, 20, 10, or even 5 years ago. Growing up in the Assembly of God Church (in 1967-68), in WV, I can remember the Pastor Howard Reckley sounding the alarm against TV. They had six kids, but would not own a TV because of the evil programming (even then) that would warp your thinking, your heart, and corrupt the godliness and morals in you. His members railed and railed on him (even his family rebelled), but he stuck to his guns and never gave in. We need more Pastors like Howard Reckley today. But what happened? What happened to the church? Most churches look like some sad night club on steroids (even have coffee houses like Starbucks and McDonalds in some) putting on a show to entertain their members because they do not have the light of the Gospel. Light and laser shows, spotlights, fog and wind machines used as the crowd sings to a hopped (like on drugs) up contemporary version of amazing grace and other traditional hymns of the church. What happened? Christians saying they love God, but have tattoos from head to foot (your body is NOT yours), drunks, folks who smoke like a chimney, no integrity, no honor, and their language would make a sailor blush. Where is the evidence of holiness and righteousness in their lives? NOT legalism, but common everyday Christian spirituality, integrity, honesty, and godliness. Remember what Jesus said, "Either make the tree good, and his fruit good; or else make the tree corrupt, and his fruit corrupt: for the tree is known by his fruit." (Matthew 12:33) We are known by what we say and do and what we profess. Okay again what happened? I will tell you what happened the church over the last 50 or so years have started listening to other voices. Just like the children of Israel in the wilderness. All throughout the wilderness experience "God said" to the children of Israel. But they never heard Him speak. Either we hear God's or the voice of the world! Never forget this my friend. For 40 years God was speaking and speaking, but no one except Moses, Joshua, and Caleb to a certain degree heard His voice. My friend God has not changed. Did you know 582 times in the Bible, "God said?" He is still speaking to man. His message has not changed, it rings loud and clear in our ears and heart if we have ears to hear it. For us to hear God's voice we must not be listening for other voices. Many today are listening for other voices. Voices that lead them away from God and the purposes and plan for their lives. For 40 years, "God said" and the children of Israel said, "so what." They did not walk in the words of God. When God speaks we need to listen. There is grave consequences usually ending in death or separation for being disobedient. This truth is eternal and cannot change. The other edge of this truth is at the same measure of death and separation for disobedience there is life and fellowship for obedience. God offered life, but the children of Israel refused His offer and received death for their efforts. Did you know rewards both blessings and curses are based on our actions out from the motives, thoughts, and intentions of our heart? Moving in the truth knowingly or unknowingly does not change the truth, but changes the reward. Many people refuse to believe that Jesus died for their sins and arose on the third day from the grave. Whether they believe or not does not change the truth nor the truthfulness of the Bible. Without belief in the Bible one cannot walk in truth! But their believing or not believing changes the reward they receive after this life. Either death or life. This reward too is based on whether or not they believe in the truthfulness of the Bible and that happens in our heart. Never forget at the heart of every issue is an issue of our heart. It is always an issue of the heart. Did you know the word "heart" is mentioned 762 times in the KJV of the Bible. It is always a choice of our heart. What happened? Christians especially in the mainstream denominational churches in their heart have left God and His way. Ah the world's music and lifestyle (we can preach a hip Jesus and sell t-shirts and sandals) will draw more people so we can get more money and have more power in the world. They have listened to other voices. Voices that offer more so called fun, freedom, and liberty. They have listened to voices that tell them there is a better way to do things than what the Bible says. Today the world calls this humanism, social justice, seeking the virtues of man and mankind to enable man to be able to become all he can be, outside of God. And inside the Christian world we have worldly teachings like the purpose driven life, seeker sensitive, and word of faith where you name it and claim it, blab it and grab it, fake it till you make it all are an open sore in the Body of Christ and a stench in God's nostrils. Well where did these voices come from? Ah now we are getting to the heart of what I feel the LORD wants me to say. Maybe from Satan? No! They came from man. They came from the heart of man. It is no wonder they are so addictive. Inventions and progress, means to make man's life much better and wholesome are the home of "the things that are in the world," these voices. One and the biggest I would like to touch on in this article and that is technology. The closer man goes toward technology the less of God will be in his life. I cannot believe how the Christians and the nominal church have been taken over by technology. We are NOT to be of this world, yet we Christians have our I phone falling out of our right back pocket. I wonder who told us to put it there? Nobody! We have been conformed to the world by observation and "monkey see money do." Far too many Christian people's lives revolve around their smart phone, computers, social media (technology in this word) than the word of God and time spent in prayer. How many churches are on Facebook one of the most ungodly social media platforms on the internet. What is Facebook doing with all of your information? How about all of those Zoom services during the Chinese virus lockdowns? What are they doing with your information? Waiting till the time is right and then will come and arrest the pastor and close you all down. Are all of the churches that vain and power hungry to think the internet will be a better tool of invitation and information sharing than the Holy Spirit and God's people? Or has God's people just gotten lazy that they have to be (like the world or when Israel wanted a king) on Facebook, Twitter, Tick Tock, Instagram, and all of the other time wasters. Oh my friend get off social media now before it is too late. For some it may be far too late. Turn your back on the world and the things that are in the world, now. By not doing so it will cost you your spiritual life and maybe your physically life. If we think we are controlled and manipulated by "big tech" today my friend we have not seen anything yet. What voices are you listening too? It is easy to see my friend just be honest and look at the fruit hanging off your life. Written by David Stahl