HEARING GOD IN THE CURRENT SITUATION

TODAY WE ARE DEALING WITH A WORLDWIDE CALAMITY CALLED COVID 19 OR THE CORONAVIRUS. AS A RESULT OF THIS WE HAVE WHAT IS REFERRED TO AS A PANDEMIC. THE WORD PANDEMIC IS FROM THE GREEK WORD PANDEMOS = PAN = ALL; WHILE DEMOS MEANS CONFUSION. SOMETHING UNCONTROLABLE. WE HAVE A SISTER WORD TO IT CALLED PANDEMONIUM A COMMON TERM FOR ”ALL HELL BROKE OUT” HAVE YOU NOTICED HOW THERE ARE ALL KINDS OF VOICES, YELLING AND ACCUSING EACH OTHERS.

HAVE YOU NOTICED THE PANDEMONIUM SURROUNDING THIS PANDEMIC SITUATION =

FALSE INFORMATION

PANIC RESPONSES

UNFOUNDED STATEMENTS

CONFLICTING ACTIONS

LATE RESPONSES

AND A WHOLE LOT OF YELLING GOING ON.

HOW DO WE HEAR GOD IN A TIME LIKE THIS?

HOW DO YOU SIFT THROUGH ALL THE VOICES?

THE LOUDEST VOICES ARE NOT USUALLY GOD’S VOICE.

LOOK WHAT ISAIAH SAID ABOUT TRUSTING ANYTHING BUT GOD. ISAIAH 30:15-21

“FOR THUS SAITH THE LORD GOD, THE HOLY ONE OF ISRAEL; IN RETURNING AND REST SHALL YOU BE SAVED;

IN QUIETNESS AND IN CONFIDENCE SHALL BE YOUR STRENGTH; AND YOU WOULD NOT.

BUT YOU SAID, NO, FOR WE WILL FLEE UPON HORSES; THEREFORE SHALL YOU FLEE; AND, WE WILL RIDE UPON THE SWIFT; THEREFORE THOSE THAT PURSUE YOU WILL BE SWIFT........”

THERE IS NO ESCAPING, YOU CAN’T OUTRUN IT! IT GOES ON IN VERSES 20-21

“AND THE LORD GIVE YOU THE BREAD OF ADVERSITY, AND THE WATER OF AFFLICTION.....

YET SHALL NOT THY TEACHERS BE REMOVED INTO A CORNER ANY MORE, BUT YOUR EYES WILL SEE YOUR TEACHERS: AND YOUR EARS WILL HEAR A WORD BEHIND YOU, SAYING, THIS IS THE WAY, WALK YOU IN IT, TO TURN YOU TO THE RIGHT HAND, OR TO TURN YOU TO THE LEFT HAND,” THE VOICE OF GOD WILL GUIDE YOU, WHEN YOU SETTLE DOWN, AND NOT BE IN A STATE OF PANIC.

YOU ARE VERY UNLIKELY TO HEAR GOD WHEN YOU ARE ALL FLUSTERED OR IN A FLURRY!

WHAT DOES OUR ENEMY DO WITH ALL THIS?

DAVID SAID, “LET NOT THEM THAT ARE MY ENEMIES WRONGFULLY REJOICE OVER ME: NEITHER LET THEM WINK WITH THE EYE THAT HATE ME WITHOUT A CAUSE. FOR THEY SPEAK NOT PEACE: BUT THEY DEVISE DECEITFUL MATTERS AGAINST THOSE WHO ARE QUIET IN THE LAND.” PSALM 35:19,20

HAVE YOU NOTICED HOW THOSE WHO ARE CAUGHT UP WITH THE PANIC-DEMIC CRITISIZE THOSE WHO ARE NOT.

THOSE OF US WHO EXPRESS OUR COMPLETE AND SINCERE TRUST IN GOD ARE TREATED LIKE ENEMIES.

IN PSALM 107 IT TALKS ABOUT SAILORS OUT ON THE SEA WHEN A STORM ARISES, AND CLEARLY INDICATES THAT GOD CAUSES THE STORM TO ARISE, AND ONE MINUTE THEY ARE UP ON THE TOP OF A WAVE AND THE NEXT THEY GO DOWN AS IF INTO THE DEPTHS OF THE SEA, AND IT SAYS “THEIR SOUL IS MELTED BECAUSE OF TROUBLE.” AND YOU MAY BE OUT THERE TODAY, AND YOUR SOUL IS MELTING BECAUSE OF THE TROUBLE AROUND YOU. IT GOES ON TO FURTHER TELL US THAT THEY ARE “AT THEIR WITS END”

WE ARE THEN TOLD,

”THEN THEY CRY UNTO THE LORD IN THEIR TROUBLE, AND HE BRINGS THEM OUT OF THEIR DISTRESSES”

BEFORE GOD CAN STILL THE STORM ON THE OUTSIDE,

HE NEEDS TO STILL THE STORM ON THE INSIDE! IT MIGHT BE EVEN THE CASE THAT THIS IS THE WHOLE PURPOSE OF THE STORM!

IF THERE IS ANYTHING WE SHOULD BE DOING IN THIS TIME OF WORLD WIDE PANDEMIC, IT IS CRYING OUT TO GOD, AND TURNING TO HIM WITH ALL OUR HEARTS.

LET HIM CALM YOUR STORM ON THE INSIDE, FIRST.

I THANK GOD FOR THE MEDICAL PROFESSION, BUT AS USUAL, THEY ARE ONLY CAPABLE OF TREATING SYMPTOMS NOT PREVENTING THE DISEASE. ONLY GOD IS CAPABLE OF WIPING OUT THIS DISEASE. ONLY GOD CAN REMOVE THIS PANDEMIC STORM AND BRING US INTO THAT SAFE HAVEN IT GOES ON TO TALK ABOUT. “HE MAKES THE STORM A CALM.”

WHEN YOU BELIEVE THIS, YOU CAN THEN HEAR HIS VOICE IN IT ALL. THE VOICE THAT SAYS, “BE STILL” THE VOICE THAT SAYS, “I AM WITH YOU” I WILL NOT FRET FOR GOD IS WITH ME.

GOD DOES NOT ALWAYS SPEAK WITH DRAMATIC EVIDENCE LIKE THUNDER AND LIGHTENING.

1 KINGS 19:11-13 “AND HE SAID, GO FORTH AND STAND UPON THE MOUNT BEFORE THE LORD, AND, BEHOLD THE LORD PASSED BY, AND A GREAT AND STRONG WIND RENT THE MOUNTAINS, AND BROKE IN PIECES THE ROCKS BEFORE THE LORD; BUT THE LORD WAS NOT IN THE WIND:

AND AFTER THE WIND AN EARTHQUAKE; BUT THE LORD WAS NOT IN THE EARTHQUAKE:

AND AFTER THE EARTHQUAKE A FIRE, BUT THE LORD

WAS NOT IN THE FIRE;

BUT AFTER THE FIRE A STILL SMALL VOICE.

AND IT WAS SO, WHEN ELIJAH HEARD, THAT HE WRAPPED HIS FACE IN HIS MANTLE, AND WENT OUT AND STOOD AT THE ENTRANCE OF THE CAVE.......”

WE ALWAYS LIKE THE DRAMATICS, THE DEMONSTRATIVE, THE FIREWORK DISPLAYS, BUT GOD IS NOT ALWAYS IN THEM.

ALWAYS REMEMBER, GOD IS NOT ALWAYS IN, WHAT GOD SENDS OUR WAY. WE MUST LISTEN FOR HIS VOICE!

THANK YOU FOR JOINING US ON OUR FIRST PODCAST.

WE TRUST THIS WILL BE THE FIRST OF MANY.

DELIVERED BY IAN OLIVER

AT

GATEWAY COMMUNITY CHURCH

BOYLE, ALBERTA, CANADA

APRIL 5. 2020

LOOK FOR MORE IN THE FUTURE.

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