At Christian Life Church we believe that God still speaks today. We are honored to have Steve Sampson as our special guest this weekend. Steve moves in a prophetic gift that is spoken of in the New Testament. Steve wrote the popular book, You Can Hear the Voice of God. I hope you pick up a copy today. Here is an excerpt from the book from the section, The Voice of the Spirit.
Factually speaking, few individual Christians really know and discern the voice of the Holy Spirit. God is always willing to speak to His people, but His voice is often undiscerned and un recognized, because we fail to understand the way of the Sprit.
To learn to hear from God is the greatest ability and Christian can possess. Well-intentioned Christians make “Kingdom” decisions that are derived from man’s perspective and not God’s. These decisions are frequently made from information and logic and not based on knowledge given by the Holy Spirit to the believer.
Certainly everyone had seen misuses and abuses by those who claim to have heard God. But it is normal Christianity to walk in fellowship with God that is intimate enough to enable us to hear from Him on a daily basis. Jesus didn’t say that His sheep would listen to tapes, read books or memorize Bible verses, although these things are all good. But He did say, “My sheep hear My Voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.” (John 10:27)
Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his faithful servants.
Psalm 116:15
This past Monday my grandma, Ella Meade, went home to heaven. She lived a long, full life for the Lord. An enormous list of tributes have been rolling in from those she touched along the way. Here are some words that come to mind when I think about my Grandma Meade.
Love.
I know a common characteristic of grandmas is that they’re loving, but I always felt seen and heard, important and special, and unconditionally loved by my grandma. That’s a powerful gift every child needs.
Time.
I never felt rushed around grandma. She was attentive and caring. She had time for me in a busy world. When you went to her house it was never for a quick visit. We would play, watch TV, eat, maybe even sleep over. And when our time together would come to an end she would always ask, “When are you coming back?” I loved my time with Grandma.
Near.
It seems both as a child and as an adult I always lived in close proximity to my grandma. Whether a block away in the city or a mile and a half in the suburbs I have always lived near my grandma. There is something special about being close the ones you love.
Legacy.
Although my grandma never had a large platform of ministry and preferred being behind the scenes she touched countless lives. People from across the decades are telling me of the powerful impact she had on their lives. She didn’t need a pulpit to preach to the masses she chose to focus on one person, one task at a time and built a strong legacy that will long outlive her life here on the earth.
