Voices

If you were to visit a psychiatric clinic, invariably you'd find some individuals who psychiatrists say hear "voices." They may have been diagnosed as schizophrenic or having multiple personality disorder (MPD) or whatever, but usually a pill is prescribed that supposedly will silence the "voices." A popular movie a few years back called "A Beautiful Mind" was centered around this phenomenon in the life of a brilliant mathematician and Nobel Prize winner. Even a few murderers have claimed to have heard "voices" before performing their life taking deeds.

Voices. If you have ears that function as God designed them, then you will hear voices. We all hear voices in some manner. Generally, those voices belong to human beings -- macaws and parrots being some physical / material exceptions.

But what about spiritual voices? Are there even spiritual voices? Jesus had some interesting encounters with demons. They are spiritual entities, and they spoke. They had a "voice." Mark 1:23-26 is just one example. When the evil spirit came out of the man in this passage, it cried out with a loud "voice" in verse 26.

In Mark 9:14-26 and Luke 8:26-39, Jesus encountered other individuals who were heavily influenced by demons. These spirits had "voices" and exercised great destructive influence over their victims. After their encounter with Jesus, these individuals were set free. The man in the Luke passage was even found to be once again in his "right mind" in verse 35 of Luke 8.

What happened? All of the individuals mentioned in the above passages heard the "voice" of truth. They had found the way and that way was life giving. The way, the truth and the life. That's what Jesus said with His "voice" in John 14:6.

So what "voices" are we as humans prone to hear?

* The Voice of Self -- This voice plays on our fleshly, selfish and sometimes lustful desires. It will profit nothing and promotes selfishness even moving it farther into the realm of pride.

* The Voice of Sight -- This may sound strange since we see with our eyes and speak with our mouths. But what we see "speaks" with its own "voice." And we listen, because we can hear it. This voice often nourishes fear and is meant to diminish one's faith. This "voice" also delights in speaking with the "voice" of self and the "voice" of the world. Some good reasons we are to "walk by faith and not by sight."

* The Voice of Religion -- This "voice" works with the "voice" of the self and the "voice" of the world. Why? Because it promotes doing instead of relating through what has already been done by the Creator for us. It can be found anywhere in the world. It is the voice of religion. Though Christianity is not another of the world's religions as many would like to think, this voice can even be heard in Christendom, for if one is not careful, being a Christian can become mere religious activity.

* The Voice of the Devil -- This "voice" overrules all of the previously mentioned "voices." Why? Because it is the voice behind those other voices. It promotes pride, self indulgence, self righteousness, religious charade, rules & ritual. He is the "god of this world" and the leader of fallen angels / demons. He is the "voice" behind the "voices" schizophrenics hear. And he has no trouble whispering quietly -- even to believers in Christ. What he desires is our worship, our obedience, our enslavement and our destruction.

His is the voice behind every temptation. The voice of every lie. And he thrives in the environment of decision making where he tends to increase his volume. He is very subtle and often cloaks his voice with truth. But there is one voice he cannot usurp... unless we let him. What is it or better whose is it?

* The Voice of Truth This voice is the voice of the Lord. The voice of the Almighty. And it is the voice of truth. You may be asking: "Does this voice exist?" "Can I hear this voice?" Listen to His words:

"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." John 10:27-28
"Call to Me, and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know." Jeremiah 33:3
This voice is available to all of us -- particularly while in the valley of decisions.

Maybe you are in the valley of decision right now. Do you hear Him? I believe every person on this earth has heard His voice at least once in their lifetime. The question is: "How will you respond?"

"Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts." Hebrews 4:7

Will you soften your heart and receive Him, or will you harden your heart and reject Him. Your eternal destiny may depend on how you respond to His voice when you hear it. He is speaking. And He speaks every day.

Prophetic Reminders

This week has been an interesting one from a newsworthy standpoint in many ways. News reports spoke of UFO sightings in China and Norway recently. I learned of a contemporary false Christ, the murder of a believer's family in Pakistan, the passing of a national referendum in Argentina approving gay marriages and I awoke this morning to news of a 3.6 temblor in the Washington D.C. area. So what do these things have in common? Just this: they serve as prophetic reminders to us as believers.

Let's take each event one at a time and make a few comments:

1. UFO sightings in China and Norway

An airport closed temporarily on July 9, 2010 in China due to some strange light in the skies over the airfield. In Dec. 2009, some erie lights were seen in Norway, and they were not of the aurora borealis kind as often seen during winter months. What were they? I have not seen explanations for the Norway episode, but already some have told us that the phenomena in China was some type of mirage due to the refraction of light. Sounds plausible. But ... whether it is true or it was some hoax or a government coverup, this much is true. Jesus spoke of events that would take place in the heavenlies -- and they would be signs for the people on earth. Here are His words:

"There will be fearful events and great signs from heaven." Luke 21:11b

Was Jesus speaking of UFOs? Not enough room for discussion on that question, but Jesus plainly was speaking of something different that would serve as a sign pointing to His coming again. That is the context of His words.

2. Contemporary False Christ

Whereas, there are many antichrists that have come into the world (I John 2:18), the Bible also makes it clear that there will be many false Christs. They are deceivers. Consider Jesus' words in Matthew 24:4-5 & 24-25

"Watch out that no one deceives you. For many will come in My Name, claiming, 'I am the Christ,' and will deceive many... For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and miracles to deceive even the elect -- if that were possible. See I have told you ahead of time."

There is a man by the name of Jose Luis de Jesus Miranda who presently resides in Florida and ministers throughout the Caribbean in Puerto Rico and has expanded to Central and South America. He not only claims to be Christ, he claims to be the Antichrist. And he has a "666" (see Revelation 13:18) tattooed on his arm. He is a false Christ who teaches a false Christ and a false gospel. Jesus said these type of deceivers will be found on the earth before He returns.

3. A believer's family murdered in Pakistan

Jamshed Masih, a Christian policeman in Pakistan, after having been threatened by the leader of a Muslim mosque in his hometown, came home recently to find his wife and 4 children dead. They had been murdered by a mob led by the leader who had threatened Jamshed earlier. Why were they murdered? Because they were Christians. Jamshed left for work that morning listening to his family singing hymns of praise. He returned to find them slaughtered.

Jesus had these words:

"Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of Me." Matthew 24:9

4. Argentina legalizes gay marriages

This week Argentina made the news by making gay marriages legal. This means that same sex marriages will be recognized as legitimate marriages in the same way that heterosexual marriages have always been. Same sex marriage partners now will have all of the rights of legitimate heterosexual marriages in this Latin country.

So what did Jesus have to say about this kind of thing?

"It was the same in the days of Lot... but the day Lot left Sodom, fire and sulfur rained down from heaven and destroyed them all. It will be just like this on the day the Son of Man is revealed." Luke 17:28-30

Lot's day displayed a perverse society dominated by sex and perversion that was condemned by God. Jesus said it would be like that again before He comes the 2nd time around.

5. A 3.6 quake strikes D.C

Annually, we hear warnings about the coming "big one" in California. But Washington D.C.? Whereas there was no reported damage from the small earthquake, it was felt by many in the wee hours of July 16, 2010. Virtually no harm done, but again I ask: "Washington, DC?" It's not the first time that DC has felt one, but it is an extremely rare incident.

What is interesting is this came on the heels of our nation's leaders becoming lukewarm, if not cold, in their relations with Israel. There are even reports that Obama has made a promise to Saudi Arabia to get the Jews out of Jerusalem in order to give it back to the Palestinians. If that be true, trouble is on the way. And it will be God we are facing.

The Lord made it clear that He will curse those who curse Israel (Genesis 12:3). We are stepping dangerously close to that warning. Did the Lord send a warning to Washington that He still watches over Israel as its Holy One? Only the Lord knows the answer to that one, but Jesus did say:

"There will be famines and earthquakes in various places." Matthew 24:7b

What is significant about the events of this past week that I read, is that all of them have reference to things that Jesus prophesied as characteristics of the age prior to His return.

It's gettin' late and it's gettin' serious. How are we all doing getting the gospel out? I know that I can do better.