God's Mouthpieces

GOD'S MOUTHPIECES a.

“Ind thine ear shall hear a word behind thee, saying. This is the way,.walk ye in it, ...”..

This verse surely refers to the Voice of God. Our » constant prayer should be that we may learn to hear that .Voice plainly and clearly, for it is only by hearing His Voice that all our questions can be answered and ail our problems solved day by day, It requires faith and patience to hear the Voice of God. God does speak, ~*; though very few believers enjoy the privilege of hearing His Voice daily and clearly, In Psalm 29 it is plain that God's power is fully manifested when His Voice comes to us (vs. 4-5). The Voice of God breaks the cedars (v. 7). The Voice of God divides the flames of the fire (v. 8). It shakes the wilderness. These words are repeated to —show the great power of God that is available for your life and mine. I

We have already seen how this lesson was taught to Elijah the prophet. In I Kings 19:12, he heard the still small Voice of God. He had seen God's great power. come down in the form of fire, consuming the sacrifice, and then sending the rain, and yet we find him sitting under the juniper tree disheartened and in despair. Io v. 4 he is almost saying that he does not want to live any more. All of us feel discouraged, depressed and downcast al some time or the other. AIL of us find our burdens too heavy for us at times. We hear of death, troubles and other calamities; we hear.our enemies say things against us. All these unhappy Situations make us dejected and depressed, and we all come to the juniper tree some time or other, But when Elijah heard the still small voice in Kings 19:12 his burden lifted. His desire to die left him and all his questions about God disappeared. He learned a new secret. God made His mind very clear to him, and after all those years of his ministry he learned that God’s ways are not man's ways, Once you learn that secret, then whatever may be your burden or problem, you will come out victorious. We must learn the secret of hearing God. and of knowing His ways.

How can these experiences of hearing God’s voice become our experience also? Paul, the Apostle, learned this lesson at the very time of his conversion. We shall see something more of this as we study the Apostle's life. In Acts 9, the Lord Himself met him and spoke to him, and when Saul put this question: “Lord, what wilt thou have me to do,” the Lord told him to go into the city, though, if He had wanted to He could have told him everything on the spot. He appeared to Saul and let him see His glory, brighter than the mid-day sun, and asked him so clearly: “Saul, why dost thou persecute Me? Jam Jesus”. Having said and showed so much why did He not give further instructions then and there? Our Lord was showing him clearly that He does not always appear and speak in the same way, So many of us get troubled because we limit God to our way of thinking. We cannot limit Him. He has every might to speak to us as He thinks best. By faith we have to believe what He says. The first step was that Saul became Paul. If he wanted to hear further from God he must obey. He was told to go into the city of Damascus where it would be told him what he should do, You must obey whatever God has shown you. I tell you again that unless you are born again you cannot hear the Voice of God, Those who have received the gift of eternal life must have heard His Voice sometime, somewhere. Have you obeyed that Voice, or did you argue with God?

Many years ago we were having an open-air meeting. Afterwards we went to a hotel for a cup of tea. While sitting down I heard the Voice of God: “Go to that comer and give the man Sitting there a gospel.” I said in my heart. “Just look at his moustache.” Because of his moustache I was sure he would not hear the gospel. I thought it a waste of time to speak to such a man. But the Voice came to me again and again: “You go to him; you go to him.” Half shrinking I went over and gave him a gospel with trembling hands, “What is this?” he asked. “Sir, it is the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ”, I answered, and he exclaimed: “Gospel! I want a full Urdu Bible. For two years I have been longing for someone to give me a full Urdu Bible”. With joy in my heart I replied: “I do not have one with me now, but if you will give your address I shall bring one to you”, The next day I took a Bible and went to his home and also explained to him how to read it. He was so thankful, so hungry for the Word of God, he not only paid for the Bible but gave me plenty of cakes and tea and I had the privilege of talking to him of salvation. If I had gone according to my own wisdom I would not have spoken to him or given the gospel. It is only as I obeyed that I began to see how God works.

God does not tell us too much at the beginning. He just says very small sentences. But as we obey Him step by step He will tell us many things. Do not wait for a long message when God speaks. Just obey as much as He tells you. When Saul obeyed the Voice and came to Damascus, unknown to him God had prepared another servant to go to him. Ananias came to Saul and began to talk to him (Acts 22:12). It seemed to be the voice of Ananias that was talking to Saul. But in reality it was the Voice of God. In Acts 9: 10-15 Ananias at first refused to go to Saul, but God prepared him to do so. Saul never knew how God had prepared Ananias and sent him. When he came to Saul he gave him the Lord's message. They were not the words of Ananias but the words of the Lord Jesus Christ who was speaking to Saul, and he became Paul. Ananias told him that he had been accepted by God, and he believed it. He could have doubted it and said: “I have done so much harm all these years to the Lord Jesus Christ. How many disciples I have dragged to prison and other places and used words of blasphemy against the Lord Jesus Christ. How can such a horrible sin be forgiven so easily?” -

Paul’ never got tired of admitting that he was the chief of sinners, When the message came through Ananias in a simple way from the Lord Jesus Christ, Paul believed. “My sins are gone”, he could say. “My Lord whom I persecuted has chosen me, received me and accepted me. Not only has He forgiven me but He has made me His witness. He wants me to see His glory and hear His voice daily.” Few believe the words of God. Saul could have said. “Ananias, how do you know that my sins are gone?” but without any argument he accepted, because he believed in the Lord Jesus Himself, and that He had spoken ta him through Ananias. The Lord does speak thus through His messengers, servants and witnesses. You will know in your conscience that the words spoken by somebody somewhere were not ordinary words.

Some years ago I went to a house to meet a certain young man. I was talking for some time, when suddenly his friends said to me: “While we are preparing some food you go on talking”. Then I saw the young man’s face. [I was the first time I had met him, I heard a Voice in me, “You say this to this young man”, and I thought: “I don’t know this young man, but I know he will be very angry”. Again the same words came to me: “Tell him that if he does not leave that sin he will go to hell”. I told him, “If you don't leave that sin you will ga to hell”. In the meantime one of his friends brought coffee, and I was glad because he saved me from speaking further to that young man. Next morning I got a telephone call, and an old man said, “Can I come and see you?” I replied, “Please come straightway"”, A very tall man walked into my room and with tears he said to me, “I have come personally to thank you for speaking to my son last night’, I replied, “Sir, I said nothing to him”. He told me, “That young man to whom you spoke 3s my son. He has been living in sin for two years with somebody. He left home and went away. Both my wife and I were broken-hearted. I do not know what you said to him. but after meeting you he came to us and fell at our feet and asked us for forgiveness”. That was the first time I had met that man. I did not know him, Neither did I know about his private life. Yet the Lord spoke to me clearly and insisted that I say to him: “If you don’t leave that sin you are going to hell”. In this way the Lord uses His messengers and witnesses to speak to those whose hearts He has prepared. Sometimes they are words of comfort or words of guidance. Please listen attentively when God speaks to you, and do not get angry with the preacher when God speaks through him.

Some years ago a young man came to a meeting after much persuasion. His mother had been asking him constantly to do so but he had always refused in the past.

One evening without telling anyone he came to a meeting. After the meeting was over he went home and was very angry with his mother. He asked her, “Why did you go and tell that preacher all about me”. She told him, “My son, P have never told a word to anyone about you.” The boy refused to believe her and said, “No, no, you you must have done so. I was sitting in a comer and the preacher pointed his finger at me. TI left that corner and went and sat in a different place and again he pointed his finger. Then I went and sat at the back. Again he pointed his finger at me. Whatever he said was about me and for me and me alone. How could he have known about me?" “No, my son, F did not tell him anything”, the mother replied. “God is speaking to you. Do repent of your sins and he forgiven” He repented and what a great change took place. He became the Lord's true witness,

The Lord does speak to all of us, as He knows best. So if you feel restless in the meeting, even before the preacher points his finger at you, say in prayer, “Lord, is this Your voice or man's voice? If it is Thy voice I accept and humble myself. Have mercy on me”. You will find that many a time the Lord will use somebody else to speak to you, so do not expect Him always to speak to you directly.

Words like those in Acts 19:9 were not always coming to Paul, But the voice of God came to him when he was discouraged and the attack of the enemy was very strong, saying, “Be not afraid, but speak and hold not thy peace. I am with thee and no man shall hurt thee- I have much people in the city’. It is only as we become His mouthpieces and witnesses that we hear His Voice at different times. Many of us are afraid to say a few words about God’s saving and keeping power. Every believer is a witness of God like the man horn blind who was given sight and who said boldly: “Even though I may he persecuted. one thing I know, 7 was born blind, but now I see”.

Is it too much to say this to your college friends? Mast of us have testified at sometime in a meeting that we are born again, but have you been a witness to His saving power before friends. relations, co-workers and fellow students? Even if they were to mock at you, you can truthfully say, “One thing I know, I was a sinner, but the Lord Jesus Christ has forgiven my sins. This happened for the first time in a certain place on a certain day. One thing I know, I have found peace’. Even though they may not accept what you say, go on testifying peacefully and joyfully. Then one day when you are surrounded by the enemy and are feeling lonely. there may come to you the Voice of God: “Be not afraid, I am with thee; fear not. for I am with thee. Go on speaking in My name™. It is such a testimony that will qualify us to hear the Voice of God,

I know this by experience because many a time I was afraid of faces. In the early days I could not speak one word. I was a stammerer and stutterer and I had to struggle to speak at all. It was very embarrassing, but the Voice of God said: “Fear not, I will touch your tongue. You are my mouthpiece, I will use you", I knew one thing so I said: “I know my sins are gone and that I have true peace. Have you got that peace?” Only these few words were spoken in liberty and afterwards I heard these words, “I am with thee; I am with thee!" Go on testifying to His saving and keeping power and He will surely speak to you.

God told Paul the Apostle to go to Jerusalem. He told him also that he had to go to Rome afterwards.

On the way to Jerusalem, at Caesarea one prophet Agabus took Paul’s girdle and bound his own hands and feet and said. “Thus saith the Holy Ghost, so shall the Jews at Jerusalem bind the man that owneth this girdle” {Acts 21:11) When they heard this his friends began to try to dissuade him from going to Jerusalem. The prophet never said, “Do not go to Jerusalem”. He never said that by going there Paul would be bound. When his friends pressed him to cancel his journey Paul told them. “What mean ye to weep and break my heart? I am ready not only to be bound but also to die.” Then they agreed: “God's will be done”. Paul knew full well that it was God's will for him to go to Jerusalem and then on to Rome.

When he was taken to Rome as a prisoner, there was a great storm and they were about to perish. As we have seen earlier, with their own hands they were throwing away the ship's tackling. The ropes were cut and the sails were lowered. There was no hope of living through the storm. Then once more the Lord appeared to him and confirmed His will (Acts 27:24) “Paul, fear not. Tam with thee. Thou must be brought before Caesar. I have given ali these on the ship to thee. They also are going to be saved”. While others were crying and weeping with fear saying: ‘We are perishing, we are perishing”. Paul assured them that they were going to be saved. He told them, “There stood by me the angel of God whose I am and whom I serve, saying: Fear not Paul. Thou must be brought before Caesar and Jo! God hath given thee all those that sail with thee’. As God had spoken it came to pass. All were saved. How did Paul hear the voice of God? It was because he was certain of the will of God. God's will for him that He should go to Rome. That is why his ears were sensitive to the Voice of God. It is only as you are in the will of God that you can hear the Voice of God speak to you again and again.

The Voice of God comes as confirmation. Do you want to hear the Voice of God clearly? ‘Then learn to find and do God's will every day even in the smallest matter. If anybody will ask me: “What is your highest privilege as a Christian?” I would reply that knowing and doing God's will is my highest privilege. Those who know God's will and are doing it, find it through God’s Word, His messengers or other circumstances,

The Greeks in John 12:21 came from far and desired to see our Lord Jesus Christ. They sent their request through Philip who approached Andrew and they both went to Jesus and said: “These Greeks want to see you.” We find the answer of Jesus in vs. 24,28,30. These men came in all sincerity to see Jesus. Our Lord told them, “You want to see me for only a few minutes. But it is possible for you to see Me forever and hear Me always. By merely looking at Me and seeing the miracles you are not going to get lasting satisfaction. I want to teach you a secret. If you can see your death in Mine and live your new life in My resurrection life, then you will really see Me daily, and hear My Voice.” This is the meaning of verse 23. - How is this done? The answer is in v. 24: Take a grain of wheat and sow it in the ground and water it. In a year’s time you will be able to harvest five thousand grains. Go on sowing those grains of wheat and reaping them for five years. Then the total grain from the original one grain will be more than enough to fill a whole goods train. Our Lord was inferring that just us one grain yields many grains, so by His death, burial and resurrection, He would produce many sons like Himself (1 John 3:2).

When our Lord comes the second time we shall see Him as He is and shall be like Him, When going to heaven we shall see eur Lord Jesus Christ, and around Him many more like Him. The Greeks were saying, “We want ta see Jesus.” Our Lord answered them: “You want only to see Me, but I want to make you like Me. First of all, however, you have to die in My death and become @ partaker of My resurrection and finally you will be like Me and will bear My Voice for eternity.”

Our Lord prayed in John 13:28. “Father glorify Thy Son, then many shall see Me in Thy full glory and become like Me.” Then came the Voice. It is only as we glorify His name through all our deeds that we hear His Voice, Pray by faith, “Lord: I want to live such a life that Thy Name may be highly glorified through me. Tell me, Lord, is Thy Name being glorified through me by my plans, words and action?” Generally we pray, “Lord, You must hear my prayer. If you will answer I will give you Rs. 10. If I pass in first class I will give you Rs. 10, but only Re. 1 if I pass in third class” This is our condition, Rather pray only that He be glorified either through your success or your failure, by life or death, or health or sickness, or poverty or prosperity. “Lord, keep me where I can glorify Thy name. I do not seek nor desire anything else.” Then I assure you, you will hear the Voice of God. There will come a Voice from heaven to tell you what to do. God does speak, but you have got to fulfil His conditions before you can hear His Voice.

Chapter 5