March 26

“He became the source of eternal salvation to all those obeying Him (Hebrews 5:9).

In commercialized Christianity, “Christ Incorporated”, obedience to God is not a suitable topic for mention; obedience to “Leaders” perhaps, but not obedience to God.

I do not believe that God is able to speak to organised Christianity that demands a letterhead and a secretary and a website and all the gimmickry of the commercial enterprise. This is apostate Christianity. There is no use in trying to conceal the fact that there is much praying done in these circles that brings little back; it is like sending a farmer into a field without a plough.

But let the obedient man of faith go alone into the wilderness and get on his knees and put himself in a position where he must get the answer from God and God alone; that is when you will hear God speak!

If obedience is the demand, to what are we to be obedient? The answer to this is the voice of God; the rhema; every rhema proceeding from the mouth of God. God is not saying the same thing to every one of His children; He knows us personally and ministers to us as individuals; each one is a priest to Him in the priesthood of all believers. God’s plan for each one of us is marked out in the scriptures; each one must find it for himself and only God can help us.

There is a chicken and egg problem here; the only way to hear God’s voice is to be obedient, whereas the only way to be obedient is to hear the voice of God. There are many who listen to the voice of men and do not seek to hear the voice of God; similarly, those who are disobedient will not hear the voice of God.

A heart commitment to obey is a prerequisite to hearing God, and unless that is present there is little likelihood that God will bother speaking. Having said that, God is faithful and He will use His best efforts to make His reluctant and stubbornly disobedient sheep hear His voice, and that will often be at the cost of suffering to the sheep; Jesus after all, had to learn obedience from the things that He suffered, and we are called to follow Him.