A silent God?

And they said to Moses, "You speak to us, and we will listen. But don't let God speak directly to us, or we will die!"
(Exodus 20:19 NLT)

Just a really short thought.

Speaking with a friend the other day, we both criticised a view in a book that God does not speak to us today but rather eternally through Jesus and through his word found in scripture. Denial of prophecy outside the pages of the bible. Cessationism.

I just can't even begin to list my frustrations with this 'theology'. It's an idea where the God who spoke the world into being, who spoke to Abraham, who continuously spoke to the prophets and people of Israel, who walked this earth and spoke to the people, who then spoke through the apostles in their letters and accounts, this speaking God suddenly falls silent. As far as I can see, it's a belief unsubstantiated in the bible.

The chattiest God in the world suddenly shuts up and seals his lips for 2000-odd years? Are you beginning to see the madness; the way in which cessationism warps the character of God? Abraham, Isaiah, Daniel, David, Esther were great men and women but that's exactly what they were; men and women like you and I.

I think the root of cessationism is sadly obvious. It's the same school of thought that says that spiritual gifts such as healing and speaking in tongues died out in the early church and I will state the cause of it clearly here.

They make people uncomfortable because they're not normal, they're not of this world. These are the supernatural aspects of being a Christian and these are the things that force our heads above the parapet and distinguish us. 'But they make people uncomfortable...', whoever said God wanted us to be comfortable?! God wants us to be active and often that means being uncomfortable! The fact is, these gifts, God's voice, as loud today as it's ever been, make people uncomfortable because they grate and jar against everything this world tells us and that's precisely why they are from God. The kingdom of God and the world clash against each other whenever they meet.

I understand the caution with which people approach these things, don't get me wrong. We are warned against false prophecy in the end times (which surely implies there will still be true prophecy in the end times, otherwise it'd say 'Ignore all prophecy in the end times'?) and some of the spiritual gifts can often become about drama for drama's sake and like all drama, acted or fabricated. But all this does is say to me: 'Spiritually assess and apply the wisdom and intelligence God's given to you to these things.' It doesn't say to discount them entirely!

If spiritual gifts, if the idea of prophecy, God speaking to us here and now, makes you uncomfortable, you need to reassess. You might be living a Christian life, you might be preaching the gospel, you might be regularly attending church, but you're a world-friendly Christian. There's the aspect of being 'all things to all people', certainly but there's also a big thumb plugging up the fountain of spiritual gifts that you're sat on right now! We're to be adaptable, we're to be wise in our treatment of non-Christians and the world but we're also not to be too gentle with it. Why? Because it needs shaking out of its complacency and its sleep and gentle apologetics and comfy chats aren't going to accomplish that!

Ask yourself, am I acting out of fear? Am I only rejecting these things because they make me uncomfortable? God has got an arsenal of supernatural, unearthly and awesome abilities ready for you to access but you've got the door locked out of fear. I speak as someone who was, at one time, extremely scared and dubious (in that order) of the spiritual gifts, of speaking in tongues but the only way past that fear is to dive in - put your inhibitions to one side and step up into the next level of God's blessings for you. I will never forget the feeling of surging power and peace I felt the first time I spoke in tongues, the exhiliration and honour of delivering prophecy... it is not a gift I would want to keep to myself!

This little thought has become a big challenge. Listen for God today and don't be an Israelite, scared of hearing directly from him. Don't get his message second hand, you don't need a commentary or a range of books on grace (even though they might help sometimes)! So stop leaning on the understanding of others and engage directly with God. Let him who has ears listen to what the spirit says: My God still speaks to me, sometimes outside the pages of the bible... does yours?

Amen!