paravanes:meditations

  (c) Deborah Evans Is listening to God as difficult or mysterious as some have suggested? Why is there so much mystery around listening to God? Books have been written about this. Seminars and conferences have been presented on this. Aren't Christians the "children of God"? Why so much mystery or difficulty? Is it because so many oppressive, murderous, and evil actions have occurred because someone said they heard the voice of God? Jesus clearly explained this in John's gospel (chapter 8, verses 39-47). In verse 47, Jesus said "He who belongs to God hears what God says. The reason you do not hear is that you do not belong to God." Actions speak . When someone says they have heard from God, but engage in abuse, assault, murder, or hold hateful thoughts toward any group, you can be certain that person did not hear from the God of the Bible. Jesus clearly taught to love your neighbor as yourself.  "Who is my neighbor?" the questioners asked Jesus. In...

God speaks to those who willingly listen with the intent to follow and obey.

“Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body.” – 2 Corinthians 6:19, 20  (NIV) More questions than answers can lead to growth. Keeping that in mind, I ask myself: How is a temple cared for?  What does a living temple look like? Is it well-kept, clean, and representative of its God? How would I dress and groom myself if I believed myself to be an ambassador and representative expression of God in  and to the world? How much restful sleep and exercise would I give myself? Would I see these as gifts or burdensome duties? How much, and what type, of food and drink would I consume? How would I eliminate stress and tension from my heart and mind? Would I have a plan for this, or simply “suppress my stress”, or leave stress reduction to chance? How much time would I spend listening to the God...

"My sheep listen to my voice; I know them and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand." - Jesus, in John 10:27, 28 Every few years, it seems, a book with a title like "How to Listen to God" is published. Someone writes a book, usually a book of less than 200 pages, in which is explained a formula or method for hearing from God. Sometimes these books are bestsellers and sometimes you can find multiple copies on sale for one dollar each at the local used bookshop. I don't trust those types of books, though I don't doubt the sincerity of many who write about such things. Writing a book with a title like "How to Listen to God" or "How to Hear from God" is very much like writing a book titled "How to Hear from Your Best Friend" or "How to Understand Your Father or Mother When They Speak." Now, you might say, "I can physically see my friend" or ...