does GOD speak to you?

one of the most basic claims of CHRISTianity is that GOD speaks to people. all through the bible you see the phrase, "and GOD said.." and pretty soon you get the idea that GOD really does speak to people.

now GOD wants to have a personal relationship with you and there is no relationship without communication and GOD has chosen to speak to us.

but the problem is communication is often misunderstood. when my wife, margaret speaks to me i often, a) don't hear it, and b) misunderstand it. i'm sure that i’m not the only man who ever felt that way! by the way men, there are two things you need to understand about women and no man knows what they are!

and if i have that much difficulty with my wife who i’ve spent a major part of my life with and love and know and still we don't always communicate clearly, how much should you expect there to be communications problems with GOD. there are communication problems with GOD.

frankly, i am very skeptical of people who always have a clear word from GOD. a lot of stupid things have been done by people who claim that GOD has spoken to them and i'm very skeptical when people tell me, "GOD told me this..." that they always have a clear word.

some people think that pastors always understand exactly what GOD wants us to do but that's not true. i'm often as confused as everybody else about what GOD is saying. some of you may think that i have a little red telephone in my office and i pick up the GOD-phone and GOD tells me what to write to you and i talk with HIM that way.

no, GOD does not send me e-mails or tweets or text messages on my iphone. sometimes i’m just as much in the dark about hearing GOD as you are.

but on the other hand, there are times in my life when GOD speaks and i have no doubt at all that GOD is speaking to me. just like when margaret calls me on the phone, i don't have to ask who it is – i know her voice.

there are times when GOD speaks to me when i know exactly who it is, who's putting that idea in my mind. i know where that impression is coming from. what makes the difference? the difference is attitude.

nothing at the beginning of 2010 is more important to you and me than understanding that GOD wants to talk to us and that we can actually hear HIM. so that is where we are going to start the new year here on the front porch.

just a thought from the front porch…