Seventh-day Adventist® Church

I have had a great day at Glasgow Church doing Master Guide training with nine Master Guide hopefuls. I am so encouraged by the young age of the group, from four churches. Well done Scotland!

This afternoon's session was Christian Storytelling and Communication Skills. My irreducible minimum in communication skills is, "communication is done on the terms of the receiver".

The stereotype scenario is she says she told him last week, he says no she didn't because he didn't hear her. They are both right. She did say, but he didn't hear. Communication is done on the terms of the receiver.

God is not a distant God. Not in presence. When I speak to God, He hears me. He hears me because He wants to be intimately involved in my life. If I would let Him. 

Psalm 18:6 (NIV)
In my distress I called to the LORD; I cried to my God for help. From his temple he heard my voice; my cry came before him, into his ears.

If communication is a two way thing, and if God is listening to us, are we listening to Him?

Revelation 3:20 (NIV)
Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.

God made us to be in relationship with Him. So why wouldn't He stand at a metaphoric door and call for our attention?

The danger is we ignore God, or even do our own thing, with faith as a disguise. Or even create faith the way we want it to be.

2 Timothy 4:3 (NIV)
For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather round them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.

If communication is done on the terms of the receiver, and if we want to hear the voice of God (this is an inclusive phrase for an audible sound, a strong feeling, advice from those we trust etc), shouldn't we turn off all the distractions, and prepare ourselves to receive God's transmission?

-Pr Nathan Stickland