listening to God, listening to man

I just read a report on the West Virginia coal mining incident, in which twelve of thirteen miners were found actually dead instead of alive. News had come out there was an explosion in the mine. A report came out late Tuesday evening of this week that 12 of the 13 trapped miners were actually alive. This was when I first heard about the incident.

About three hours later another report came out, stating the miners had in fact not made it. The report I just read was about 24 hours after this correction of events unfolded.

First thing I thought of as I read the story was what I expressed last week about the U.S. media slanting things to blame God anytime a tragedy happens. Case in point from the report on the West Va story in the American media:

"Several relatives, who danced and praised God as the church bells rang, said an unidentified mine foreman had called someone at the church on a cell phone to relay the information (that the 12 of 13 miners were alive).

"A few minutes later, Casto said Wednesday, another man came to church and said squads cars would pick up the miners and bring them to the church where they would be reunited with their families. The man said 'it would be like another Christmas,' Casto said, chocking back tears.

"Then the families waited. Three hours later, Hatfield and Manchin appeared at the church to announce that there had been a miscommunication and all but one miner was dead.

"Casto said it took a while for relatives to absorb the news. And then a pastor had to tell the angry crowd to calm down.

'Whatever the hell did God do for us?' a young man shouted in reply."


What a convenient way to blame God. My first thought after reading this was, "was there no one among all those gathered at the church(es) with discernment from the Holy Spirit about this situation?"

Was there no Believer plugged in enough to God to perceive that the good news was inaccurate? to throw caution to the wind of the report that the miners were safe?

This young man from the news article shouted "whatever the hell did God do for us?"

My reply is "God offers mankind His Holy Spirit to dwell within us. To teach, comfort, guide...and give us discernment."

Look at the story of Annanias and Sapphira in the beginning of Acts chapter 5. This story is somewhat different from the West Viriginia mining incident ( a lie in Acts, versus inaccurate report/information in West Va).

The point is, Peter through the Holy Spirit knew the truth of the situation. The false facts presented didn't hold up against the discernment of the Holy Spirit within Peter.

Is America (in general) not going to wake up from putting faith put in man and government, only to see it fail time and time again?

Is there a growing hunger within the nation to start listening to the voice of the Lord with regard to earthly matters?

Jesus gave an explicit heads-up and warning about the end times. He said there would be false prophets who would "deceive even the elect--if it were possible" (Matthew 24:24).

This warning pertains to false prophets coming and performing great signs and miracles and the attempted deception (if it were possible) through these miracles to deceive followers of Jesus.

If members of the Body of Christ lack discernment regarding natural events and the reports surrounding them (like this mining accident in West Va), what kind of position does this put the Body in when great miracles and signs by false prophets start happening?

We'd better wake up and be on our guard, Body. This West Va situation is a grim example of the lack of Holy Spirit discernment.

God offers His Spirit to those who ask (Luke 11:13). There is no abra-cadraba or any hierarchy to this offer. The Spirit is given to followers of Jesus who "ask and continue to ask Him" (Luke 11:13, Amplified Bible).

Jesus said He (the Holy Spirit) will "guide you into all truth" (John 16:13).

To the young man in West Viriginia who asked where God was. May the scales be removed from over your eyes (spoken with the love of Jesus). God explicitly offers His children the Holy Spirit, to give wisdom and revelation (Ephesians 1:17).

Surely you've heard the word Immanuel, sung or spoken at Christmas time. Immanuel. Means "God within", or also can be translated as "God inside".

Jesus said "The kingdom of God does not come with your careful observation, nor will people say, 'Here it is,' or 'There it is,' because the kingdom of God is within you." (Luke 17:20-21)

Not much has changed in 2000+ years, has it? People are still asking "where is God", and the answer is right under our nose.

People still want to second guess God, yet when it comes to realizing He is holy and we are called to repent (abhor our sin and change our ways), amazing how many of us don't want to listen. I'm raising my hand.

Imagine if you heard of someone who wanted to meet you and get to know you, yet when they did meet you and you began to share with them your principles they scoffed at you and turned and went away. This happens to God and Jesus time and time again.

So many want to hear and see Him, yet do we do what it simply takes to begin to hear Him? Some do. Some don't want to hear Him. Some say they want to hear Him but don't realize it is Him, or deny it's Him, when He speaks (cause of itching ears, 2 Timothy 4).

We should really take a sober look at our view of God, and do we really want to hear Him.

He has not gone anywhere. He knows everything about us (Psalm 139). He knows our struggles, our sin, our weaknesses, and most importantly He knows our heart. He knows if we are truly seeking Him. He knows if we are listening for and to Him versus listening to mankind.

He wants to communicate with each one of us. Just as personally, openly and intimately as with Adam and Eve in the original garden. None of His children in Jesus is any more or less deserving (nor capable or incapable) of hearing Him.

Does it take learning? Yep. is it a process? Yep. Do those who have known Him still miss His voice sometimes (or often)? Yep. Is that a big deal to Him? Nope.

It warms His heart when we seek Him. Walking with Him and by Him illumines God's heart. It's what He intended for mankind all along, and it's what He offers us. Yes, you and me. He is not some pie-in-the-sky, way out there, untouchable, unreachable Creator. He is as far away as a whisper of humility from our hearts to Jesus.


side post about God in another natural disaster:
Didn't we see on TV this last summer how many hurricane victims were crying out to be saved by the government instead of crying out to God? Granted the media only portrays a small portion of any story (and it's the part they want, with the angle they want to tell it...)

When Katrina happened this summer, I was waiting for a story to come out of the Gulf. The story I was waiting to hear was of a Christian who had walked on water and escaped drowning through an absolute, undeniable miracle by the hand of the Lord.

I don't know if the media would have ever reported such a story. The media has no problem showing stories of idol statues "crying blood".

Endless documentaries about the supernatural that can be found almost daily on cable TV (ghosts, ufo's, etc.). And yet of the hundreds of thousands of people in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama, not one Believer among them who walked on water?

My sober question is, why not?

possible reason(s) why not:
Is there a permeating belief in the American Body that any extreme miracles must take place in the mission fields overseas in Africa, Asia?

Just a few weeks ago I heard a pastor (who himself has been miraculously cured of cancer, with the x-rays to prove it) say that he had heard someone say "in Africa, they had seen a limb grow back in full on someone's body". He made a very big point of emphasis in relaying this story that it being in Africa had something to do with the magnitude of the miracle.

I heard another Believer talk about the mission field in Africa. Specifically, that missionaries there are known to literally walk on water during monsoon season, in order to get to the next village to preach Jesus.

This particular Believer was bold and confident in describing this miracle happening overseas. I say this next statement in observation, not judgment. A few months later I had the chance to spend a couple of days with this believer, here in the States, and was surprised at the inability to look to the Lord to perform a 'smaller' miracle in their own life.

It's as if God is allowed to perform amazing miracles in other parts of the globe, and only allowed to do lesser miracles here in the States.

These two examples are not sufficient to generalize the general belief level of the rest of the American Body has in terms of miracles, but they are worth noting. It is unbelief which I've heard from Believers, one a pastor, the other a son of another pastor.

There are clearly miracle-believing Christians in the U.S. And God does mighty things every day in America which most Believers never hear of (and some wouldn't believe anyway, Matthew 7:6).

You want to talk about a swelling of faith. What better testimony to the power of God than to have Followers share the testimonies firsthand of what , through Jesus and the Holy Spirit has happened in their lives. This being done without the default skepticism and unable-to-understand-or-find-or-know-God attitude of the media.

"We overcame by the blood of the Lamb and the word of our testimony" (Revelation 12:11).

What powerful thing has the Lord done in your life in the last month? Care to share?

I've been going through a fierce personal battle. The Lord gave me a vision about a month ago of myself standing before Him as my Father. In the vision I saw myself and how I was before Him. It was not as I had perceived in my own mind to be.

The vision helped me break free from some reservations and reluctance in how I approached Father about some things I had needed to take to Him in prayer. Ever since then, when I've prayed about these things I have sensed the Holy Spirit powerfully.

Within the last month I've received two revelations from the Holy Spirit about two situations I'm dealing with. Both were powerful, and have brought assurance of the Lord's hand over these respective things I'm facing.

What has God been doing for you? Would love to have you share.