2015....Time to KNOW His voice..

I have been asking the Lord this past week or two, what is going to be important for 2015?  What is something that believers need to know, understand, receive fresh revelation on?  I've heard Him tell me (and others) that it's going to be important to truly KNOW His voice in the coming year.  In John 10:27 Jesus said, "My sheep know My voice, and I know them. They follow Me".  We can only follow Him if we know His voice.  And how do we come to know His voice?  You have to spend time with Him.  I'll never forget when I'd only been at a new church a short time and I had to call one of the ladies I was working with in children's ministry.  Her husband answered the phone, I asked for his wife, then I heard him tell her "Meredith's on the phone for you".  I asked if they'd gotten Caller ID (yeah, it was a while ago lol).  He told me they still didn't have caller ID....he knew my voice because of the time I'd spent with them!  Have you had something like that happen?  I was so excited!  Even thinking about it now, almost 15 years later, my heart remembers the joy I felt when my voice had been recognized!  And these were just people I was getting to know at church (and still do love, by the way).  Can you imagine God's joy when we recognize His voice?  He created us, He longs for relationship with us, He longs to hear OUR voice.  I can't imagine how His heart must feel when we recognize His voice!

We're told in Isaiah 60:2 that a deep darkness is coming, that will cover the whole earth.  It's going to happen, the days will grow darker, evil will be more prevalent.  But, in the same verse, He also tells us "but the Lord will arise upon you, and His glory will be seen upon you".  Wow!  His glory will be seen upon us!  Do you know part of the equation of that happening?  Following His voice!

I also hear the Lord saying that we're at that point in time where His people need to know His voice for themselves.  I'm probably not the only one that's guilty of going to people that I know hear the Lord, and asking their take on things.  Don't get me wrong...we're still part of the Body, and I think it's important for us to share, but the time's upon us that we need to be able to discern His voice for ourselves at a greater level.  He has called us His friends, and He wants to share His secrets with us...not just a few of us, but every one of us that He calls "friend".  

Another part of knowing His voice is discerning what you're hearing.  If you hear a voice that sounds like the Lord's, but what you're hearing doesn't line up with Scripture, it's not God!  Don't follow that voice!  Run the other direction, don't pass Go, don't collect $200!  God is the same yesterday, today and forevermore.  He will never tell you something or lead you somewhere that doesn't line up with His Word.  He can't do that, because that would make Him a liar, and He's not man, He can't lie.  

I've also been hearing with increased intensity that it's time to truly follow when we hear His voice.  It's always good to seek Godly counsel (Proverbs 12:15).  Sometimes, though, you need to have faith and do what you heard the Lord say.  Almost a decade ago when God was calling me to spend a year in China, I sought counsel.  I will forever be thankful for the people God has had in my life since before I was born...I know that I am truly blessed to know and love, be known and loved by so many Godly people.  When planning for China, though, I had differing counsel from these Godly people.  Some told me "of course, that's God, GO!"  I was also told "you're still single, God wouldn't be sending a single woman to the mission field around the world".  And others who pointed out "shouldn't you be getting a job here to pay off those grad school loans?".  Then, before I left, they found my dad's brain tumor.  Time to seek counsel BIG TIME!  I had some who said "Go ahead and go to China, they need to know God and He'll take care of your parents".  (Thankfully my parents were in this category!)  And I had many people reminding me that Scripture says to "honor your mother and father" and that I should cancel my plans, stay home and help my mom with my dad.  I was receiving counsel from MANY Godly people, so many that had helped lay my foundation in the Lord.  Ultimately, I had to hear God's voice and follow Him.  He met me while I was praying, seeking Him, struggling to hear His voice.  I heard Him say "read Matthew 10:37".  I turned there.  Know what it says?  "Whoever loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me".  Talk about clarity!!  Now, I'm not saying that you should never take care of your family.  After China, I took care of my mom until she passed from her ovarian cancer.  And I am still Dad's caregiver...because that's what I've heard the Lord ask me to do.  

A lot of the time, following God will not follow conventional wisdom.  1 Corinthians 1:27 says "But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise".  And sometimes, He will ask us to step out, follow Him where other believers aren't going.  This is why it's so important to know His Word, so that we can discern whether it's His leading or not.

So, my prayer for the Church (you and me) is that we would take the time to get to KNOW His voice.  That He would open the ears of the inner man so that we could hear clearly in the midst of the white noise in our lives.  That He will give us fresh revelation of His Word, His voice, His leadership!  I pray that in 2015, the Church will be set apart; that the world would know we are His because we're following Him!  That the glory of the Lord will be seen upon us!!

Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On

I'm a news junkie. It's true. I feel like I'm in a support group. Hello. My name is Meredith and I am a news junkie. At least one television in my house may be found on a news station roughly 20 hours per day. If I am not at home, you will find me checking news sources via internet either on my laptop or my android. I like to be kept informed. It's a part of who I am. I don't like to be left in the dark...I want to know what's going on.

I also like to keep updated on the news so that I know how to be praying. Holy Spirit does guide us in our prayers, I'm not discounting His role in praying at all. I guess, though, for the times I'm not hearing Him clearly, I like to see the specifics.

In case you're not a news junkie like me...let me tell you of a few things going on.

• America's economy is collapsing. Yeah, we've had a little improvement recently...I think I heard unemployment claims were dropping. I have my own theory on this though...I think some people have hit the time limit on unemployment benefits.
• Egypt is in some massive turmoil. Right now as I type, they're waiting for Pres Mubarak to make a statement that he's going to be stepping down as president. This causes a lot of concern because an election should take place in 60 days and, from what I hear, the only group that's organized enough to win an election is The Muslim Brotherhood. If you're unfamiliar with the Muslim Brotherhood - as many are - here's their creed: "Allah is our objective, the prophet is our leader, the Koran is our law, Jihad is our way, dying in the way of Allah is our highest hope." Yeah...that's the wonderful peace-loving way of Islam...but I digress.
• Australia has a lot of land under water, as they've been hit with storms and a cyclone. Brazil has been hit with floods. Places within America have faced weather than is uncommon for their regions. These are just a few in the list of natural disasters that have been taking place in, what seems to me, a much more frequent rate than in the past.

These are just a few things that I'm seeing. Right now, the biggest thing being aired on the news is Mubarak's stepping down in Egypt. As I watch the news, especially over the past year and past few months, I keep hearing the verses from Hebrews 12 resonate in my spirit.
26 At that time his voice shook the earth, but now he has promised, “Once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens.”[e] 27 The words “once more” indicate the removing of what can be shaken—that is, created things—so that what cannot be shaken may remain. 28 Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, 29 for our “God is a consuming fire.”
I keep hearing "shakings". God has promised that He will shake the Earth once again. He will shake away everything that is not built on Him. He loves us too much to let us continue building upon faulty foundations. It is out of His great love and mercy that He shakes away/destroys all that "can be shaken". Anything that is not based in Him and on His Word can and WILL be shaken. He's promised already us that much.
I see so many Americans worried about the economy. Don't get me wrong...I have my moments too. What if the economy totally collapses? What if I can't buy food to feed my family? How do I continue to live comfortably when I know the homeless rate is growing at alarmingly high rates? Am I prepared to live through, what may very well become, the greatest depression my nation faces? I have only one answer to my questions. I hear Holy Spirit reminding me of Deuteronomy 31:8 "The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.” I know that regardless, I will be OK. The Lord will be with me, and He assures it will be OK. Even if things were get to our 'worst case scenario' and conditions become so bad that I lose my physical life, I'm more than OK because I'm with Him in that moment!
What concerns me the most is that I fear many Americans (and other nations...I watched the riots in Europe, but this is where I live) put their faith in America's economy even moreso than the Lord. I believe that's why He's been shaking the economies of the world...He's shaking as a wake-up call. I can almost hear Him "Hello? Wake up! It's time that you quit putting your faith into man-made systems. I promise that all you truly need is Me! I love you too much to not try to wake you up & catch your attention! I love you! I created you! Put your faith in Me!"
I saw many people turn to the Church and the Father when the economy was on such a downward slope recently. But what saddens me is that I've also seen many start to breathe easier and quit turning to the Father as the economy showed signs of improvement. It's almost like the days after 9/11. I saw so many people crying out to God for comfort, peace and safety. And once it seemed that our nation was once again safe, people became lulled into a false peace that told them they didn't need to cry out to God. I honestly believe this means there will be another shaking coming. And God is a good Father. Like any good parent, if what He did before didn't get your attention, He will increase the intensity next time. He's done it before...ever hear of the Israelites - His Chosen People? It's what He does to those He loves...He gets our attention in whatever way it takes!
This is what leads me to pray. I pray for those in my nation. I pray that they will turn to the Father rather than institutions of man. I pray that those who are His Children now will begin to pray! And that we, as His voices on Earth, would begin to share what we're hearing when we pray! That we would become voices in the wilderness. That we would truly be lights in the darkness! That the hearts of the people would turn to the Father!!