When God Speaks

WHEN GOD SPEAKS… Do you hear an audible voice? Is the voice yours or another's? Is the voice a whisper or a shout? Is the pitch high or low? Is it a male or a female voice? Is it your own conscience speaking or is it really God speaking? HOW DO YOU KNOW WHEN IT IS GOD THAT IS SPEAKING? HOW DO YOU KNOW WHEN IT IS GOD THAT IS SPEAKING? DOES GOD STILL SPEAK TO US IN A CLEAR AUDIBLE VOICE TODAY? DOES GOD STILL SPEAK TO US IN A CLEAR AUDIBLE VOICE TODAY?

When God Speaks

WAYS IN WHICH GOD SPOKE IN THE PAST God spoke with a real audible voice God spoke thru dreams & visions God spoke thru symbols & elements God spoke thru messengers: angels, prophets & apostles God spoke thru the Scriptures God spoke thru the Son, Jesus Christ God spoke thru the Holy Spirit

WAYS IN WHICH GOD SPOKE IN THE PAST GOD SPOKE WITH A REAL AUDIBLE VOICE  GOD SPOKE WITH A REAL AUDIBLE VOICE Genesis 1:28-29; 3:8-10; 6:13; 17:9 Exodus 3:14; Exo. 33:11… Num. 12:7-8 1 Samuel 3: Chronicles 14:14 Jonah 4:9 Acts 9:4-6 2 Corinthians 12:8-9 Hebrews 3:15; 4:7 Revelation 1:9-12; 4:1

WAYS IN WHICH GOD SPOKE IN THE PAST GOD SPOKE THRU DREAMS & VISIONS  GOD SPOKE THRU DREAMS & VISIONS Genesis 20:3-7….Gen. 15:1 1 Kings 3:5,15 Jeremiah 23:16; 25-36…..Jer.14:14-15 Habakkuk 2:2-3 Matthew 2:12 Acts 9:10-13; 10:3;17-19 Revelation 9:17 Acts 2:17 (Joel 2:28)

WAYS IN WHICH GOD SPOKE IN THE PAST GOD SPOKE THRU SYMBOLS & ELEMENTS  GOD SPOKE THRU SYMBOLS & ELEMENTS Exodus 3:2-5 “ The burning bush ” Exo. 28:30; Num. 27:21; 1 Sam. 28:6; 30:7-8 “ Urim & Thummim ” Exodus 19:9; 24:15-16; Matt. 17:5 “ Cloud ” Deuteronomy 4:11-12, 36 “ Fire ”

WAYS IN WHICH GOD SPOKE IN THE PAST GOD SPOKE THRU MESSENGERS…  GOD SPOKE THRU MESSENGERS… ANGELS: “ God’s heavenly messengers ” - Genesis 16:7-11; 31:11 - Numbers 22: Judges 6: Kings 1:3 - Matt. 1:20; 2:13,19; Luke 1:30; 2: Acts 8:26; 10:3, 7 - Revelation 5:2; 7:2; 8:13; 14:6-10; 19:17; 22:6

WAYS IN WHICH GOD SPOKE IN THE PAST GOD SPOKE THRU MESSENGERS…  GOD SPOKE THRU MESSENGERS… PROPHETS: “ God’s earthly messengers ” The ordinary Hebrew word for prophet is nabi, derived from a verb signifying "to bubble forth" like a fountain; hence the word means one who announces or pours forth the declarations of God. The English word comes from the Greek prophetes, which signifies in classical Greek one who speaks for another, especially one who speaks for a god, and so interprets his will to man; hence its essential meaning is "an interpreter.” (Smith’s Bible Dictionary)

WAYS IN WHICH GOD SPOKE IN THE PAST GOD SPOKE THRU MESSENGERS…  GOD SPOKE THRU MESSENGERS… To Prophesy: (HEBREW – O.T.) To speak or sing by inspiration in prediction or simple discourse (GREEK – N.T.) To foretell events, speak under inspiration, exercise the prophetic office

WAYS IN WHICH GOD SPOKE IN THE PAST GOD SPOKE THRU MESSENGERS…  GOD SPOKE THRU MESSENGERS… PROPHETS: “ God’s earthly messengers ” Prophecy comprehends three things: (1) Prediction; (2) Singing by the dictate of the Spirit; and (3) Understanding and explaining the mysterious, hidden sense of Scripture by an immediate illumination and motion of the Spirit. (Locke: Smith’s Bible Dictionary )

WAYS IN WHICH GOD SPOKE IN THE PAST GOD SPOKE THRU MESSENGERS…  GOD SPOKE THRU MESSENGERS… PROPHETS: “ God’s earthly messengers ” The "prophet" proclaimed the message given to him, as the "seer" beheld the vision of God (See Nu 12:6,8.). Thus a prophet was a spokesman for God; he spake in God's name and by his authority (Ex 7:1). He is the mouth by which God speaks to men (Jer 1:9; Isa 51:16), and hence what the prophet says is not of man but of God (2Pe 1:20,21; comp. Heb 3:7; Ac 4:25; 28:25). Prophets were the immediate organs of God for the communication of his mind and will to men. (Easton’s Bible Dictionary)

WAYS IN WHICH GOD SPOKE IN THE PAST GOD SPOKE THRU MESSENGERS…  GOD SPOKE THRU MESSENGERS… PROPHETS: “ God’s earthly messengers ” The foretelling of future events was not a necessity, but an incidental part of the prophetic office. The great task assigned to the prophets whom God raised up among the people was "to correct moral and religious abuses, to proclaim the great moral and religious truths which are connected with the character of God, and which lie at the foundation of his government." Any one being a spokesman for God to man might thus be called a prophet. Thus Enoch, Abraham, and the patriarchs, as bearers of God's message (Gen. 20:7; Ex 7:1; Ps 105:15). (Easton’s Bible Dictionary)

WAYS IN WHICH GOD SPOKE IN THE PAST GOD SPOKE THRU MESSENGERS…  GOD SPOKE THRU MESSENGERS… PROPHETS: “ God’s earthly messengers ” Prophets were a class of men of God inspired to foretell future and secret events; and who also revealed the will of God as to current events and duties, and were his ambassadors to people. But the word is sometimes used in a wider sense; thus Aaron was Moses’ prophet, Ex 7:1, appointed to deliver to the people the messages that Moses received from God; the sacred musicians are said to prophecy, 1Ch 25:1; and Paul gives the name, according to the custom of the Greeks, to the poet Aratus, "a prophet of their own," Tit 1:12. (American Tract Society Dictionary)

WAYS IN WHICH GOD SPOKE IN THE PAST GOD SPOKE THRU MESSENGERS…  GOD SPOKE THRU MESSENGERS… PROPHETS: “ God’s earthly messengers ” In the New Testament, the "prophets" were a class of men supernaturally endowed, and standing next to the apostles. They seem to have spoken from immediate inspiration, whether in reference to future events of the mind of the Spirit generally, as in expounding the oracles of God (American Tract Society Dictionary)

WAYS IN WHICH GOD SPOKE IN THE PAST GOD SPOKE THRU MESSENGERS…  GOD SPOKE THRU MESSENGERS… PROPHETS: “ God’s earthly messengers ” The Old Testament prophets were special agents of Jehovah, raised up and sent as occasion required, to incite to duty, to convict of sin, to call to repentance and reformation, to instruct kings, and denounce against nations the judgments of God, 2Ki 17:13; Jer 25:4. They aided the priest and Levites in teaching religion to the people, especially in the kingdom of Israel, from which the true priests of the Lord withdrew, 2Ki 4:23; and cooperated with the kings in public measure to promote piety and virtue. (American Tract Society Dictionary)

WAYS IN WHICH GOD SPOKE IN THE PAST GOD SPOKE THRU MESSENGERS…  GOD SPOKE THRU MESSENGERS… PROPHETS: “ God’s earthly messengers ” The prophets received their messages from God, sometimes in visions, trances, and dreams (Nu 24:2-16; Joe 2:28; Ac 10:11-12; Re 1:10-20.) These revelations were at times attended with overpowering manifestations of the Godhead; and at other times were simply breathed into the mind by the Spirit of God. Their messages were delivered to the kings, princes, and priests whom they most concerned, or to the people at large, in writing, or by word of mouth and in public places; often with miracles, or with symbolic actions designed to explain and enforce them. (Isa 20:1- 6; Jer 7:2; 19:1-15; Eze 3:10.) (American Tract Society Dictionary)

WAYS IN WHICH GOD SPOKE IN THE PAST Some Scriptural Examples of prophesying - Numbers 11: Chronicles 25:1 - Jeremiah 25:4-6; 26:12 - Ezekiel 6:2; 13:2-8 - Acts 21:8-9 - Romans 12:6 - 1 Corinthians 14:1, 24, 31, 39 - Revelation 10:11; 11:3,7

WAYS IN WHICH GOD SPOKE IN THE PAST GOD SPOKE THRU THE SCRIPTURES…  GOD SPOKE THRU THE SCRIPTURES… - INSPIRED BY GOD: 2 Timothy 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1: INSTRUCTIONS FROM GOD: 1 Thess. 2:13 (Romans 15:4 1 Cor.9:9-10; 10:11) - IMPORTANT TO GOD: Luke 8:19-21; 11:27-28; James 1:22-25

WAYS IN WHICH GOD SPOKE IN THE PAST GOD SPOKE THRU HIS SON, JESUS CHRIST  GOD SPOKE THRU HIS SON, JESUS CHRIST - JESUS HAS AUTHORITY TO SPEAK: Matt. 17:5; 28:18 - JESUS SPOKE WITH AUTHORITY: John 1:17 Matt. 7:28-29; 13:54 Luke 4:32 Matt. 5:17-19 (vs ) “ You have heard…but I say ”

WAYS IN WHICH GOD SPOKE IN THE PAST GOD SPOKE THRU HIS SON, JESUS CHRIST  GOD SPOKE THRU HIS SON, JESUS CHRIST DOES JESUS STILL SPEAK TODAY? Hebrews 1:1-2 Revelation 3:20

WAYS IN WHICH GOD SPOKE IN THE PAST GOD SPOKE THRU THE HOLY SPIRIT  GOD SPOKE THRU THE HOLY SPIRIT Ezekiel 11:5 2 Samuel 23:2 Luke 12:11-12 John 14:26; 15:26; 16:13 Acts 8:29; 10:19-20; 13:2 Revelation 2-3 “… what the Spirit says to the churches ”

WAYS IN WHICH GOD SPOKE IN THE PAST GOD SPOKE THRU THE HOLY SPIRIT  GOD SPOKE THRU THE HOLY SPIRIT THE SPIRIT STILL SPEAKS TODAY! Hebrews 3:7-8 Revelation 22:16-17