As we stop doing a lot of reading of the Book, we place ourselves further away from the voice of the Teacher.

The system that attempts to stifle all other voices, or only one or two, wants to close the door on the Old Testament. That is, except a few things that we pick and choose, either to promote our own program or to use as fists against others. Christ did not come and say, “Throw away the Old Testament, it’s not needed anymore.”

So as I continue to read and reference both testaments, I am truly amazed at what kind of spiritual experiences that they had in the Old Testament.

We need to take another look at the things God used them to do and the places they went in the Spirit. One of the most remarkable things to me today, is the way that God talked to them – one on one!

How many angels, including the Angel of the LORD, came and spoke to them – those truly incredible and inexplicable encounters. And they even seemed to be common for their time.

It just couldn’t be possible, that our experiences should or would be anything less?

Some might say that because we have the Holy Ghost abiding inside us, in this dispensation and we don’t need that kind of relationship. I can’t help but wonder where we got such an idea.

Even when the LORD knocked Saul off of his horse, He spoke quite audibly to him. We might once have said that the voice of the LORD in our time was coming in dreams and visions. But we might ask, how many dreams and visions did those of the old time have?

Somehow, we learned to be suspicious or overly cautious, when anyone said they had heard the voice of the LORD. It’s hard for me to understand that now and even as a youngster with the Holy Ghost, it didn’t make sense to me then.

Did not Jesus Christ himself say that “My sheep know My voice, and another, They will not follow”?

I know that many feel that the voice of Christ speaks through His ministers, but there didn’t seem to be a need for using too many others in the Body of Christ. That He gifted many others so that they could too.

“The LORD spoke to me.” How did we get to the place where people who said they had the baptism of the Holy Ghost, cringed when they heard someone use that phrase?

By the time I came along, I can witness that there were many more people hearing the voice of the LORD than perhaps they do now. I say this sadly, but it you ever allow people to testify of hearing that voice, or speak out what the Spirit is saying through them, you cannot control the people as you would desire.

The church was once taught to know the difference.

In the spirit of humility, it’s very difficult to talk with people who are not truly interested in spiritual things, especially things of the Spirit.

It’s been many years back now, but at conferences and other types of meetings, we were informed that if that was truly the desire of your heart, many wouldn’t relate to you. We would have to seek out those who were seeking the same things; seeking to follow the true leading of the Spirit. Others who would be allowing and desiring the Holy Ghost to teach them all things, just as Jesus said He would.

It will never leave my memory, when a minister I once sat under, told the congregation, that he did not have to give them chapter and verse for things he said. He said that, God spoke to him and he spoke to the people.

Especially in this hour, we need more than ever, to hear the voice of the LORD for ourselves. It’s part of our birthright.

If I can’t hear Him for myself today, I’m totally lost. There are too many outside of buildings, who are yet seeking to follow the Spirit in their lives.

Let us hear what the Spirit is saying to the churches. We are the Church [the Ekklesia, ἐκκλησία, ekklēsia]. We must hear the voice of the LORD.

 

~ Robert Blackburn

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Robert Blackburn

 

 

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