How long before someone is brave enough to stop boring people with what God said yesterday, and tell them what he’s saying today?

I was minding my own business yesterday when I had this thought – it was a very clear thought – and I wondered if it was you? 

It was. 

Ok, that’s good, because it’s been bothering me ever since. The thought went something like this; ‘How long before someone is going to be brave enough to stop boring the people with what God said yesterday, and hear what he is saying today?’

Close enough.

Why do you say such contentious stuff??

You’re not the only one hearing this, I’m saying it to millions.

Why?

Because there are millions starved for my ‘Today Voice’. 

Your ‘Today Voice’??

Yes, my Today Voice. What I’m saying today. Not what I said yesterday.

What’s wrong with what you said yesterday?

Nothing. It was exactly what people needed to hear back then, but that was yesterday, this is now. Someone needs to be brave enough to let me do what I promised when I said The Spirit will lead you into all truth. It’s great that you remember that I said that back then, but how about you let me do it??

Do what?

Lead you into all truth. 

?

Surely you don’t think that what I said thousands of years ago is all I had to say? Entire millennia have passed, and yet you are still afraid to hear me say anything more than what I said back then. 

But surely what you said back then hasn’t all gone out the door? 

Of course not, it’s the foundation. But I have more to say, a lot more. Does that surprise you, that I, God, the all-knowing one have more to say? Or did you think I was like Baal? Remember Elijah taunting the prophets of Baal that their god was silent, ‘Has your god gone on holiday, or maybe he is on the toilet?’ 

That’s a bit raw, God!

Needs to be said. What you already know, what has already been written down, could hardly qualify as ‘all truth’. Even a child can see that.

Well, personally, I’m a bit shocked, but encouraged too. You realise of course that there are plenty who won’t be. There are a lot of people who are adamant that you stopped talking when the bible was complete.

And others who are convinced that although you still talk, it is only through the bible or church leaders. You’ve got a lot of work ahead of you to convince them otherwise.

This conversation is not for them. But there are millions who can no longer stomach that line of thought. They’ve gone along with it because they can’t think of an alternative, but they know in their gut that it’s a lie. This conversation is for them, the ones hungry for something else.

You’d best have the conversation with them then.

It’ll reach them, the right people will spread it, and, as I say, I’m not just saying it to you. You spread what you hear, others will spread it for you, and still others will spread what they hear.

This is to encourage the ones convinced there has to be more that there is. That what they think they’re hearing, they really are hearing, and that millions of others are hearing it too. Millions wish they could actually hear me speak.. They’re no longer content with a bunch of new sermons that are really just yesterday’s leftover truths served up again as though they are something new – everyone knows they’re not.

Not what?

Not new. The people can see that, they’re just not sure what the alternative is. But they can no longer ignore that I am whispering contentious thoughts to them, dangerous thoughts, seditious thoughts – thoughts that threaten the very core of Religion’s control. 

They ache to hear me speak to them direct, they’re no longer happy to buy the idea that it’s dangerous to try and listen to me direct. The Pharisees tried to control the people with that idea, but it didn’t wash, and it doesn’t wash now. 

But, God, there are new voices, people brave enough to hear you say something new, people like Paul Young, Baxter Kruger, Rob Bell, John MacMurray, Brad Jersak, Richard Rohr, Father Kenneth Taylor, there’s a whole new guard. Or are you not talking about them? 

They’re the start, just the start, and there have been others like them in previous generations, Martin Luther, MLK, Ghandi, Mandela, all of whom heard something new and were prepared to risk their reputations and their lives to speak it.

But now I need more. Many more.

Good grief! I have a horrible feeling I just heard you say, (please tell me you didn’t), that the reason the last century has been the ‘communication age’ – media, music, politics, art – is because you finally grew tired of the church refusing to hear anything new and gave the message to the common people?

It’s the communication age because people need to hear truth, full stop! And, yes I’m tired of those in power, (politics, business, military and church), telling the people only what they want them to hear. Often Church has been one of the major barriers to the people hearing me, but only one of them, there are plenty of others just as guilty.

Ok, so, you’re not cross with Church?  

I’m not cross with anyone, but I need to talk to the people, all people. And I’m looking for those brave enough to hear what I have to say, the things that don’t fit with what they’ve already heard.

And pass it on?

Not necessarily. First and foremost I want to talk to them, to tell them what I’m saying, just to them, right now.