Greetings again my Brethren. Happy New Year! From Karen and I we hope that 2023 will be the best year so far in your life as you allow the Holy Spirit the opportunity to lead and guide you to all truths, especially the ones about yourself. Let us continue looking at the “Oracles of God” and as we said last month we will begin to look at the diversity of how God speaks to us. Now, I know the word “diversity” has got a bad rap these days as it is generally tied to the woke crowd, but “diversity” just means many types of something. Sadly, it has been hijacked to mean many things keeping par with the destructive foolishness of woke folks. Now the word of God may come in many different or divers ways. The writer of Hebrews, I believe to be Paul writes, “God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, 2 Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;” (Hebrews 1:1-2) I think we have looked at these verses before, but they are worth repeating and have significant impact and contribution to our discussion. So in the past God spoke to His people in many ways, during many different times, by many different people (usually Prophets), but in these present times (which would be the times Paul and the other disciples lived) God spoke to His people through the Person of Jesus Christ. You know in the Scriptures we read of the Prophets and think they were specially anointed of God to be a Prophet, but that was not the case. The Prophets were called by God to be a Prophet, some from the womb, but the life of a Prophets was nothing glamorous for most. But, the point is all they had to do was open their mouth and God would speak through them. God could have used a donkey to speak, well wait a minute He did with Balaam, so God could use anyone then to speak to His people, but NOW since the days of Paul and the disciples, according to Paul and the Scriptures, God speaks to His people through the Person of His Son Jesus Christ. And guess what? God has not stopped speaking to His people through His Son, “who he (Jesus) hath appointed heir of all things by whom also he (Jesus) made the worlds.” When I think of the Prophets of the Old Testament I really cannot recall any NAMED (like Isaiah, Daniel, Jeremiah, etc.) New Testament Prophets. Now the scriptures talks a lot about false Prophets which are Prophets none the less, they are just false, that is why they are called false Prophets. I will be honest I do not see the need for Prophets since the Holy Spirit came to man in Acts. I mean if the Holy Spirit is in us why do we need a man who could be tainted with bias to speak, “thus sayeth the LORD.” I talk with many folks on this topic, but I have failed to see what the function of a Prophet would be the year 2023 would be. Again with the infilling of the Holy Spirit I believe that does away with the need for a Prophet. But if you desire to hear from a Prophet just switch on your TV or any Christian social media site and you will find 100s of so called Prophets who are willing, for the right price, to speak “thus sayeth the LORD.” The top two ways the LORD speaks to us is one the written Word and the second is the Holy Spirit. The written Word (Logos) first, but not in precedence, because they both are the “Son” speaking to us. Examples of both from the Scriptures: In 1 Peter 1:17-21, Peter tells us, “For he received from God the Father honour and glory, when there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. 18And this voice which came from heaven we heard, when we were with him in the holy mount. 19 We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts: 20 Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation.” (2 Peter 1:17-21) and two, through the Holy Spirit in Acts 13:2-3. Luke writes, “As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them. 3And when they had fasted and prayed, and laid their hands on them, they sent them away.” (Acts 13:2-3) In both cases it was the LORD speaking to His people through the Son. I will be honest I do not know what I would have done if the Holy Spirit had not spoke to me, in my spirit, during critical times in my life. As well, as the Scriptures, the Word of God, God speaks to me and others giving us revelation knowledge and spiritual understanding letting us know what is on the Father’s heart and what direction we should go. How assuring and comforting to know a Holy God loves us enough to speak to us through His Son, in the Word of God and through the Holy Spirit.
Next month we will continue looking at the “Oracles of God” as we continue to look at the Diversity of Divine Communication by looking at a few examples of communication. Do you hear Him draw near? He is speaking to us, but do we have the hearing ears to hear what the LORD is saying to us? Written by David Stahl
