God Speaks

Speak, for your servant is listening.—1 Samuel 3:10

People often say, “I have never heard from God.” Many wonder if it is really possible to hear from God. We often look suspiciously upon people who continually say that God told them this or that. Does God still speak to people, today? My answer is a definite, “Yes!” God still speaks, and people can really hear and understand what God says.

God seeks to communicate with us. God speaks to us through the world and the universe He created. Psalm 19 tells us that “The heavens declare the glory of God, the skies proclaim the work of his hands” (vs. 1). Romans 1:20 says that God reveals Himself through creation, “For since the creation of the world, God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made.”

If God seeks to speak to us and we are willing to listen, hearing from God is very simple. God speaks in many ways: through creation, through the Bible, through circumstances, through other people, and in various supernatural ways. The Bible is full of stories where God spoke through angels, dreams, visions, and even once through a man’s donkey (Numbers 22). Most of all, God has given the Holy Spirit to every believer to teach, remind, and direct us in the ways of God.

In the Garden of Eden, God would walk in the garden and commune with Adam and Eve. After their fall into sin, God called to them, “Where are you” (Genesis 3:9)? God is not only the creator of all things, but God initiates communication with us. He calls to us.

The boy Samuel, who served in the Temple from childhood, had not yet heard God’s voice. Then God called to him in the night. Samuel arose from his bed and ran to the Eli the Priest thinking he was calling. This happened three times. On the third time, Eli realized God was speaking to the boy. He instructed Samuel, if it happened again, to reply, “Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening” (1 Samuel 3:9, 10). God called to Samuel again. Samuel replied as instructed, and Samuel began to regularly hear God’s voice.

Have you ever heard from God? If not, have you taken the time to quiet your life and circumstances and listen? Have you ever said like Samuel, “Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening?” God can speak as loud as a waterfall or tornado, but often only speaks as soft as a whisper. We must quiet ourselves, listen, and learn to recognize God’s voice.

God is still speaking; are you listening? Actually, God is continually speaking. Revelations 3:20 says, “Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.” The verb “knock” could be translated as “am knocking.” God continually seeks to communicate with human beings. If we seek to hear from God, take time to listen, and read God’s Word, the Holy Spirit will reveal what God is saying to your heart, mind, and soul.

We would do well to heed the old railroad crossing signs that read, “Stop, look and listen.” Stop; take time away from busyness and distractions. Look; read God’s word, observe God’s hand in creation. Listen; allow the Holy Spirit to reveal God’s voice to you. You just may be amazed to realize that God has been speaking to you all along.

Randy Bain is the Senior Pastor of Oakland UM Church at 1504 Bedford Street, Johnstown, PA 15902. You may reach him through the church website www.oaklandonline.org.

God Is Watching

So Jacob called the name of the place Peniel: “For I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved.”—Genesis 32:30

I am reading Charles Colson’s book, Being the Body, an updated and expanded edition of his original work, The Body. He titles Chapter 12, “Coram Deo.” Coram Deo literally means in the presence of God. It is a Latin phrase indicating Christians and the Church should live their lives for an audience of one, The One.

If we believe God is all-powerful (omnipotent), all-seeing, and all-knowing (omniscient), then Christians should live their lives as if God is watching. Living in God’s presence means we live under God’s authority and to God’s honor and glory. “God is watching” does not mean God functions as a cosmic policeman trying to catch us in every miscue like speeding or running a stop sign. God is our heavenly Father who loves us and cares about every aspect of our lives.

In Genesis 32, Jacob returns home to face his long estranged older twin brother, Esau. Jacob had bargained Esau out of his birthright for a bowl of soup (Genesis 25) and then stole Esau’s blessing from their dying father, Isaac (Genesis 27). Jacob, under the direction of his mother, flees to her brother, Laban’s house. There he meets and marries Laban’s two daughters, Leah and Rachel[RB1] . After working for 14 years for Laban and increasing his personal possessions, Jacob runs away from Laban back to face Esau.

To this point in Jacob’s life, Jacob lived up to the meaning of his name, heel grabber or supplanter. The idea of a supplanter is one who gets ahead by tripping up or overthrowing someone else. He succeeds at the expense of another. Jacob had always looked out for number one, himself not God. Jacob got ahead at home at Esau’s expense. He then improved his lot in life at Laban’s expense. Jacob lived life, like many of us today, for himself.

Up until his Peniel experience where he wrestled with the Angel of the Lord before facing Esau, Jacob lived in the presence of himself and his welfare. After wrestling with God, his name was changed to Israel, meaning one who struggles with God and with men and prevails (Genesis 32:28). From this time onward, Jacob (Israel) becomes a different person. Israel now begins to “coram deo,” live in and under the authority of God’s presence.

What about you? As many around us, even professing Christians, seem to live for themselves, are you living your life in God’s presence? If we seek to please and benefit ourselves only, we often sink lower and lower into failure and unhappiness. We might be climbing the ladder to success and even have more toys than many others, but we live defeated and frustrated lives.

Hebrews 12:2 tells us to turn our eyes upon Jesus, “the author and finisher of our faith.” God is watching. God is looking upon your life with love and pity. God so loved the world, you, me, and every other person, that He gave His only begotten Son that we might live life to its fullest. We experience this full, joy-filled life when we live our lives as if God is watching. Coram deo: live your life in the presence of God today.

Randy Bain is the Senior Pastor of Oakland UM Church at 1504 Bedford Street, Johnstown, PA €15902. You may reach him through the church website www.oaklandonline.org.

---

 [RB1]

Showing Up

Couldn’t you men keep watch with me for one hour?—Matthew 26:40

I was thinking about a business quote I heard many years ago, “80 percent of success is just showing up.” I could not remember who said it first, but he/she must have been a very smart person. With a little research, I finally tracked down the quote’s originator, Woody Allen. As I read many of his other quotes, I began to wish someone else had said it first. Regardless of the source, there is a good spiritual lesson for each of us, “Show up.”

Whether it be as an employee, a parent, a student, a spouse, or a Christian, show up. Be there! As the fall season begins at Oakland, we are introducing a sermon and small group series entitled, “Rooted.” Roots are a good illustration for us as we often use the Oaktree and oak leaf as a logo. Folks will benefit most from the sermon series if they show up for Sunday morning worship and actually listen to and apply the sermon. The life groups will be beneficial only for those who sign up and then show up each week.

We are saved by grace. We cannot save ourselves, but growing as a follower of Jesus depends upon us showing up. Spiritual disciplines: prayer, a daily quiet time, worship attendance, sacrificially giving, telling our story, and serving are our responsibilities. God does what only God can do: save us, forgive us of our sins, and transform us into Jesus’ image. Then we must do what only we can do, show up! God will not do for us what we must do ourselves.

Jesus warned the Disciples in the Upper Room that they would all fall away from Him that night (Matthew 26:31). Peter declared, “Even if I have to die with you, I will never disown you” (vs. 35).  Jesus warned Peter to pray. Later in the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus asked Peter, James, and John to pray with Him. Upon returning and finding them sleeping, Jesus commented, “Couldn’t you men keep watch with me for one hour” (vs. 40)?

The secret to success in prayer is to keep praying. The key to standing up to temptation is to obey the voice of the Holy Spirit and pray. I can do only what I can do. I cannot make God answer prayer and bless me. Like the water that comes out of the shower in my bathroom. Plumbers, the water authority, and someone else makes that happen. But I can stand under the shower head when the water comes out. I can show up each day to be cleansed.

The same is true spiritually. I cannot transform my heart and soul from the weak and fallen person that I am into the child of God Jesus sees in me, but, I can show up in prayer, show up in worship, show up in reading God’s word, show up in giving, and show up in positioning myself under the shower head of God’s blessings.

Yes, much of the success of growing into the image and likeness of Jesus is showing up. If I do my part and show up where Jesus instructs me to be, then God through the Holy Spirit will do God’s part of transforming and using me each day. Where do you need to show up, today? Your walk with the Lord? At home, at work, or in a relationship? Showing up is 80 percent of success on our part. The rest may not be up to us, but we must show up to receive and to contribute.

Randy Bain is the Senior Pastor of Oakland UM Church at 1504 Bedford Street, Johnstown, PA 15902. You may reach him through the church website www.oaklandonline.org.

Rooted in Community

They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.­­—Acts 2:42

A funny thing happened last summer along Route 219 south. My wife and I had noticed some wisteria growing wild along the highway. The bluish-purple flowers vining up the trees broadcast their presence from a distance. Once, we wanted to transplant some from our vacation spot in South Carolina but had no access to the property. The hill along 219 looked like public land, and the wisteria was more like a weed than a valuable plant so we came up with a plan.

We would pull along the side of 219. I would run up the hill to the wisteria while Darlene watched for oncoming cars and the police. I wasn’t doing anything wrong but still felt a little guilty. When I got to the plants, I noticed vines were everywhere. Every stem seemed rooted into the ground at several places and was connected to every other vine. No real root-ball existed.

As I looked down to the road, I was shocked to see a local police car stopped behind my car and the trooper talking to my wife. She said, “My husband is just up there digging some weeds.” Now, I’m not sure, but I don’t think one should use the word husband and weed in the same sentence when speaking to the police. He said we were fine. He was checking out a report of an unconscious person in a car around the exit. Whew!

I was able to get a few rooted plants back home but was never able to get the wisteria to grow. It grew so well when connected via runners, vines, and roots to the rest of the plants, but by itself, it did not thrive. It actually rotted, shriveled up, and died.

Acts 2:42-47 is the classic passage describing the early growth of the 1^st Century Church. After the Disciples’ first sermon on the Day of Pentecost when 3,000 persons came to faith in Jesus, the new believers grew into their new found faith by becoming rooted in community. Verse 42 tells us they met together for instruction, fellowship, eating, and prayers. Verse 46, tells us they continued “with one mind in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they were taking their meals together with gladness and sincerity of heart.” They worshipped in large numbers at the Temple. They met in smaller groups in individual homes. They served and practiced sacrificial generosity by providing for the needs of those around them.

In my own life, the times when I grew the most and was most joyful, were when I was rooted deeply in community. When Jesus first became a reality in my life, I was part of a Bible Study group in my college dorm. When I left school and joined a local church, I also joined a cottage Bible study of youth and young adults that met from house to house. On my first appointment as a pastor, a group of young people met in our home (often way past my bedtime) for study, prayer, food, and games. One of the sustaining elements at seminary was the Friday night prayer group and Sunday School class we attended. During all of these times, we were rooted in community. We met, prayed, laughed, studied, cried, ate, and served together.

Many folks today choose a church by the style of worship and the quality or delivery of the preacher but miss the point that they will grow best and be most blessed when they are rooted in a community of believers in small groups where they can pray, serve, and give sacrificially together. Just like the wisteria plant. Christians grow and thrive when rooted in community. Where is your community of faith? How are you sinking your roots deeply?

Randy Bain is the Senior Pastor of Oakland UM Church at 1504 Bedford Street, Johnstown, PA 15902. You may reach him through the church website www.oaklandonline.org.

A God Revolution

“I have not come to abolish them [the Law or the Prophets] but to fulfill them.”—Matthew 5:17b

During difficult economic times we often hear stories about the good old days. I have many treasured memories from my childhood but never thought of them as the good old days. My childhood would be better described as a time of innocence, or at least ignorance. I didn’t know how poor we were. My dad worked for a brick plant that was owned by the local clay mining company in St. Charles, PA. We did have an indoor toilet, but we bathed in a galvanized tub in the basement. Didn’t everyone? A special treat was when Dad would take my older brother and me to work and give us a shower in the company locker room.

When Jesus Christ began His earthly ministry at age 30, He proclaimed, “The time has come, the Kingdom of God is near” (Mark 1:15). Jesus began a God revolution. I am not referring to a rebellion, but a revolution. The original meaning of the word revolution is “the movement around something, one complete turn.” The earth makes one revolution around the sun every year. The moon makes a complete turn around the earth every month. Jesus came to bring the world one complete turn back to God’s original purpose in creation.

When we think of revolutions, we think of countries or peoples rebelling against the current government. They may be wishing to return to former better times, “the good old days,” but they seldom seek to return to God’s intended purpose. Jesus said in the Sermon on the Mount that He came to fulfill the Law and the Prophets. Jesus did not come to throw off the rule of God but to re-establish it. Jesus came to earth, lived a perfect human life, died, and rose again to reconcile fallen humanity to an intimate relationship with God.

Spiritually speaking, if we are to return to the good old days, we must go back farther than good memories from our childhood or a boom period for the church in the 1950s or 70s. We must return to the good old days of God’s intent for creation in the Garden of Eden. In the Garden of Eden, Adam and Eve had intimate fellowship with God and a carefree enjoyment of the natural world—no pollution, no recession, and no terrorism.

The New Testament describes a future where the blessings of God’s original creation are restored. The similarities between the opening chapters of the Bible and the last two chapters, Revelations 21-22 are amazing. The environment is described as a paradise. The river of God waters the land. The Tree of Life is available with an abundance of fruit to eat. God and human beings have close communion. Revelation 21:3 says, “Now the dwelling of God is with men … God himself will be with them and be their God.” Genesis describes streams watering the land and God walking with man and wife in the garden (Gen. 2:6, 3:8).

The God Revolution that Jesus brings makes it possible for you, me, and the entire world to make one complete turn back to God’s intended perfect world. Jesus Christ invites you and me to see, enter, and receive His Kingdom. Brian McClaren writes, “To see it, we need to repent and acknowledge how blind we have been, becoming teachable and ‘young’ again, like children. To enter it, we need to become a part of it, and to receive it, we let it become a part of us.”

Think about the best good old days you can remember. Wouldn’t returning to God and God’s good and perfect plan for your life be a thousand times better than anything you can imagine? Turn to God, receive His love and forgiveness. Start a God revolution in your life.