“VOICES”
Early this morning as I woke from sleep (having slept for less than four hours, I don’t sleep through the night anymore, I haven’t done so for years), my prayer theme was the many voices that are speaking in our world: night and day, every day, 24 hours of every day.
With more than 7 billion people on earth and the explosion in technology the voices are relentless, loud and at times scary. News can be carried around the world on any topic and carried in minutes.
Yesterday, British prime minister, Theresa May decided to hold a general election, which is to be held on 8th June; for the next six weeks or so, there will be lots of voices about the election: why she decided to call an election when she didn’t have to do so until 2020; will she increase her parliamentary majority, will Mr Corbyn the opposition leader survive the inevitable defeat, will the other parties do well and if so at whose expense? On an on will be the voices.
Despite many getting things so very wrong: the financial crisis in 2008, the Brexit referendum last June and the election of Donald Trump as US president last November. The voices of church leaders are equally wrong. Still too many are prognosticating about the Second coming of Christ and the end of the world. Yet many of these very same preachers are amassing a small fortune for themselves.
There are voices of war and in a world of nuclear weapons this is scary. There are voices of terror where individuals and groups are seeking to terrorise many, the more the better. There are voices of confusion where repeated promises made in a political campaign are soon dismissed or explained away without a bye or leave. Then there are voices of preachers who through the Internet are peddling falsehoods about Jesus Christ and the Christian faith. What is so alarming is the gullibility of humans today. Fake news is believed. Conspiracies are received and passed on without checking.
False prophets steal money from people, sometimes those least able to afford it, in the name of God.
The huge expansion in churches around the world has not resulted in more people being saved because many start church to make a name for themselves and to have a better and more prosperous life here on earth on the backs of the poor and vulnerable. They shall be judged by the Great Judge one day.
Since the start of the year I have been teaching from the book of Revelation and have written a summary of the 7 churches message to accompany the teaching. To the church of Laodicea, Jesus said, she is rich and increased with goods and know not that she is wretched, miserable, poor, blind and naked. Christ went on to counsel her to buy of him, gold that has been tried in the fire, and white raiment to cover her nakedness and for her to anoint her eyes with eyesalve so she could see.
Adam and Eve heard the voice of God walking in the midst of the Garden of Eden and hid themselves for they were afraid because they were naked. God spoke audibly to Israel on Mount Sinai and they were afraid and later asked Moses to ask God not to speak to them audibly again. God spoke thereafter through the prophets and then through Jesus Christ, the Son of God.
Despite the clamour, the confusion, and the duplicity, God’s voice can be heard. God is speaking to consciences and through His servants to the church and the unsaved.
“Go! Into all the world and preach the gospel”, said Jesus, and again: “he that believes shall be saved and he that believes not shall be damned”.
“And this is the condemnation that light has come but men prefer darkness rather than light because their deeds are evil”.
His voice is causing men and women to repent and turn to him. His voice is bringing comfort to many around the world. His voice shall also raise the dead for it is written: “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life. [25] Verily, verily, I say unto you, the hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live. [26] For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself; [27] And hath given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of man. [28] Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, [29] And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation”. (John 5: 24-29).
Our platform is the world and our congregation the people.
The Lord’s servant
Lloyd Denny