The Call

Everything on The Consider Podcast and website has to do with the call for all men and women to repent. Such is an offer of mercy for those willing to follow Jesus by hating their life and picking up their cross. After all, even the demons believe in God, but they are terrified. You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that–and shudder. James 2:19

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The Burning Bush

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Text The Burning Bush

Now Moses was tending the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian, and he led the flock to the far side of the desert and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. There, the angel of the Lord appeared to him in flames of fire from within a bush. Moses saw that though the bush was on fire, it did not burn up. So Moses thought, “I will go over and see this strange sight—why the bush does not burn up.” When the Lord saw that he had gone over to look, God called to him from within the bush, “Moses! Moses!” And Moses said, “Here I am” (Exodus 3:1–4)

Moses noticed the burning bush and thought, “I will go over and see this strange sight— and why that bush does not burn up.” Stopping his work to notice the bush set up the opportunity for Moses to hear the voice of God. God took notice that Moses paid attention.

Moses was busy tending the flock, just as we bustle around in our daily lives today. The vast majority of mankind remain too busy to notice the “burning bush” that God places before them and therefore fail to ever hear Him speak.

The oddness of a burning bush unconsumed by the fire drew Moses closer. He had no idea the holiness of God awaited him or that the angel of the Lord was in the flame.1 Un- like Moses, most of us remain too self-absorbed to notice God’s signs and perish in our sins, simply because we never bother to listen for God to speak.

When Jacob awoke from his sleep, he thought, “Surely the Lord is in this place, and I was not aware of it” (Genesis 28:16)

So it is with us. God seeks to get our attention through the things of life. As Job declares, God sends the snow and rain to stop men from their labors in hopes they will stop and listen for His voice.

Just like Jacob, we sleep, totally unaware that God seeks to speak. If we take the time to come out of ourselves, we will discover the holiness of God and hear Him talking to us in all aspects of life.

“When the Lord saw that he had gone over to look, God called Moses by name. Indeed, God would call Moses’ name twice in the account of the burning bush, showing how eagerly He wanted to talk to this man. If we would but take one step in faith to inquire when God calls, we would hear our name said twice. Most are too weighed down, as Jesus said, by dissipation to even take the time to hear God’s voice. And if God called our name a hundred times, we still would not stop because we have not taken the time to notice the burning bush. Our hearts stay too busy with ourselves.

To prepare ourselves to hear from God, we must go to the “far side of the desert” as Moses did. Away from the world and away from our busy thoughts and plans. This is why God put John the Baptist out in the desert, preaching. We must go to the desert where refreshment from the world is sparse. Most of us cannot literally herd flocks to the mountain of God in the desert, but we can enter our prayer closets and shut out the world. As Jesus said, we must close the door when we pray. We can, while in the prayer closet, silence our religious voice that uses Scripture and the name of the Lord to mock the voice of God and try and get what we want. We can take notice of the burning bushes God places before us in our daily lives and stop, listen, and wait for Him to call us to come closer.

The flaming bush burns in our hearts, souls, or physical situations that God places in our lives. For within the burning bush of our life situations, God calls us, if we would but take notice. Like David, we can go into our prayer closets and just sit before the Lord.

God seeks to start the fire of holiness in your life, and you must first take notice and go over and look. You must ask yourself, “How does one hear God’s voice?” and “What would it mean for my life to hear His voice?”

Faith must be present if we want to hear God’s voice. Many who claim to be Christians do not even believe that God talks to His children today, and all we need is the Bible and our minds to know the will of the Lord. As we will see, the Bible tells us we must get beyond ink on paper and hear the voice of the Lord. Moses had this faith when he heard the voice come from the bush and did not waver in unbelief. He did not run away thinking he heard something strange, or that such a thing could not happen in his day. Immediately Moses said, “Here I am.” If you doubt that God communicates on a first-name basis with His children, you will never hear His voice. In fact, Jesus could not do any miracles in His hometown because of the people’s unbelief.6 Moses had ready faith to meet the burning bush and, most importantly, the second requirement—a willing heart to obey.

Though Moses was by no means perfect, the pure seeds of faith and obedience were present. God only gives the Holy Spirit to those ready to “obey Him.” Do not think for a moment that God will talk to you if you are not ready to obey.

We are witnesses of these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him.” (Acts 5:32)

So many do not hear God’s voice, or hear it wrong because they do not have an honest heart ready to obey. They have bought into the current gospel messages that strip obedience from faith.7 Let us not forget that although God called Moses, He also met him on the road to kill him because something was amiss.

When we ask God to talk to us, we ask a very holy thing, for He is holy, and His voice is holy. Moses didn’t realize he stood on holy ground. Likewise, we do not know how unworthy we are to hear His voice and so in our ignorance, we don’t know to “take off” our “san-dals.” Holy means to be set apart and our ears must be set apart from all other voices. Nothing man-made should be between us and the Lord. For all that man makes, thinks, and does is tainted with sinfulness. The sandal of our church doctrine, religious thoughts, desires, or plans must not come between God and man. The sandals that take us where we want to go and the designs our own minds and hands have created should not keep us from hearing God. He is perfect and the world He created is sufficient for man. God’s holiness is all a man needs. Moses learned this when he neither drank water or ate for forty days and nights while fellowshipping with God.

“Do not come any closer,” God said. “Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground.” Then he said, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob.” At this, Moses hid his face because he was afraid to look at God. (Exodus 3:5–6)

Later, when Moses would pass on the Ten Commandments and all the requirements of the Law he would seek to speak to the hearts of the people. For God wants us to go beyond laws, rules, and principles. God wants us to be in love with Him, to treasure His fellowship, to desire above all—to hear His voice. Just as no groom would want a bride to marry him just because the law said she had to, does God want us to believe in Him that way? God’s desire is that two lovers are oblivious to rules and are just simply in love with each other. To “love the Lord your God, listen to his voice and hold fast to him” because He is our very life.

And that you may love the Lord your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him. For the Lord is your life, and he will give you many years in the land he swore to give to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. (Deuteronomy 30:20)

Are you willing to attempt the impossible? Are you willing to listen for God’s voice and obey that voice in all things? Then don’t come any closer until you have taken off your sandals. Before you answer, be sober, look around, and consider how many claim to hear God’s voice, but you know they really do not hear Him correctly. They have ears, but they cannot hear.

Chapter 2: The burning bush

• What has been your past belief about the voice of God?
• What “sandals” do you need to remove in your life in order to stand on holy ground?
• Can you think of any burning bushes that God may have brought into your life?
• Are you ready and willing to do anything to hear God clearly?

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Ears to Hear: Chapter 3 | [Continue to Next Chapter →]

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The Consider Podcast
Examining Today’s Wisdom, Folly and Madness
www.consider.info

Former Salt Shaker Bookstore

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The Salt Shaker Christian bookstore, because of persecution by Washington State Authorities, was destroyed and ran out of the town of Enumclaw. Just part of the proof that Sound Doctrine Church was walking the narrow road with Jesus.

For you, brothers became imitators of God’s churches in Judea, which are in Christ Jesus: You suffered from your own countrymen the same things those churches suffered from the Jews, who killed the Lord Jesus and the prophets and also drove us out. They displease God and are hostile to all men. 1 Thessalonians 2:14-15

It was a beautiful store. A result of the hard work of Sound Doctrine Church. In the store was a free rack because, as Jesus said, "Freely you received, freely give." The following track is a small reproduction of the love that burned in our hearts to give freely.

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Cultural Christianity is part of God’s powerful delusion to decieve the "Christian" element of mankind.

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