Our voice should be louder than that of the culture.  Our voice should be the defining voice in culture.  It should change the atmosphere as we speak LIFE into the room, into our families, neighborhoods, and cities; in to government, media, and education; into the Church…  The Church should have all the ground to gain as we, His people, learn to use our voice.

We still at very much a standstill in this world. We have no idea what the “new” way of life will be. We don’t know if masks will be determined a necessity for “re-entry.” We don’t know if hugging our friends or extending a hand in a handshake has been “stolen” (for an extended length of time even) from “our way of life.” We don’t know if schools will officially reconvene, go all online, or require masks and vaccinations. We don’t know when church or public worship – the world where fear of a virus has been firmly eradicated – will be fully open without any restrictions.  What lies around the corner is still very much up in the air.

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But what we do know, what has been unchangeable since the beginning of time – HE is still on the throne! He has not turned a blind eye or a deaf ear. In fact, He is jealous for us (Exodus 34:14; Deuteronomy 4:24; Joshua 24:19).  He is for us (Romans 8:31).  He desires to be in relationship with us/His creation (1 John 4:10, Psalm 139:1-5) and for us to earnestly seek Him (Psalm 63:1)!

The Son is the radiance and only expression of the glory of [our awesome] God [reflecting God’s Shekinah glory, the Light-being, the brilliant light of the divine], and the exact representation and perfect imprint of His [Father’s] essence, and upholding and maintaining and propelling all things [the entire physical and spiritual universe] by His powerful word [carrying the universe along to its predetermined goal]. When He [Himself and no other] had [by offering Himself on the cross as a sacrifice for sin] accomplished purification from sins and established our freedom from guilt, He sat down [revealing His completed work] at the right hand of the Majesty on high [revealing His Divine authority]… Hebrews 1:3 AMP

“I know that you can do all things,
and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted. Job 42:2 ESV

The LORD has established his throne in the heavens,
and his kingdom rules over all. Psalm 103:19 ESV

Our differences should accentuate and magnify the beauty of the body – not divide it.  Where have you taken on a spirit of superiority when it comes to church differences?  Where have you taken a spirit of judgement when it comes to other believers?

PRAY:  Ask the Lord what He wants to reveal to you and repent of those things that make us judgmental, divisive and less effective for the body (the Church).  Ask for wisdom and discernment in how to navigate differences and find common ground towards unity.

Slowly but surely, I am learning to find my voice. A peacekeeper will not suddenly become someone who can’t ever keep her mouth shut. A peacekeeper won’t one day wake up and become the person with whom everyone takes offense. My personality won’t cease to be my personality – but I will be FREE.  I believe there is a fire deep down in my soul. The Lord is bringing into the light areas where I haven’t trusted Him, areas I have yet to fully surrender. I am a work in progress. And as much as I fight it, I know it is for good that He is calling me out of this place, calling the Church out of this place…  I am finding my voice!

If FEAR rises up in your bones when you think of finding your voice…if fear grips you so fiercely that you believe the “lie” that carrying the burden of other people’s opinions (people-pleasing) is of greater nobility than speaking the truth… Think about this reality:

The enemy would love for you to stay silent – one less voice for the Kingdom, one less voice showing others the way. And what if, what if, our lack of surrender (and we keep ourselves from those truthful words by calling it fear) is actually disobedience and partnering with the enemy – rather than rising up and walking boldly into the places our Lord calls us? And what if there is that one person or that one family that will be forever impacted if you laid fear aside and spoke a voice of hope and Truth?

God is love. When we take up permanent residence in a life of love, we live in God and God lives in us. This way, love has the run of the house, becomes at home and mature in us, so that we’re free of worry on Judgment Day—our standing in the world is identical with Christ’s. There is no room in love for fear. Well-formed love banishes fear. Since fear is crippling, a fearful life—fear of death, fear of judgment—is one not yet fully formed in love.

We, though, are going to love—love and be loved. First we were loved, now we love. He loved us first.

If anyone boasts, “I love God,” and goes right on hating his brother or sister, thinking nothing of it, he is a liar. If he won’t love the person he can see, how can he love the God he can’t see? The command we have from Christ is blunt: Loving God includes loving people. You’ve got to love both.  1 John 4:17-21 MSG

So that we are no longer children [spiritually immature], tossed back and forth [like ships on a stormy sea] and carried about by every wind of [shifting] doctrine, by the cunning and trickery of [unscrupulous] men, by the deceitful scheming of people ready to do anything [for personal profit]. But speaking the truth in love [in all things—both our speech and our lives expressing His truth], let us grow up in all things into Him [following His example] who is the Head—Christ. 16 From Him the whole body [the church, in all its various parts], joined and knitted firmly together by what every joint supplies, when each part is working properly, causes the body to grow and mature, building itself up [b]in [unselfish] love. Ephesians 4:14-16 AMP

As we continually give our lives over to Him, as we surrender “that thing” – that one more onion layer He is asking of us in the now – we grow more and more into the image of His Son.

We are all on the same team – believers in Christ, in the one true way, in faith of the Risen Savior.

We must find our voice – as individuals AND as a Church.  We are in the midst of a lost and dying world who NEEDS to hear of the hope that we have!  

“Jesus was often at odds with the leaders and prevailing culture of His time. As we follow Jesus and strive to be like Him, we too will find ourselves at odds with most of the world today. We cannot afford to remain silent when the eternity of souls, the integrity of God’s Word and the persecution of the church are at stake… For the most part, the church has remained silent. We slumber while the enemy invades –stealing destinies and robbing us of our witness. We must look prayerfully and critically within the walls of the church…sin in the church, false teaching, and poor discipleship must be corrected. For the church to fulfill her mission in this critical hour, we must unashamedly and correctly preach the truth of God’s Word with a spirit of love and hope.”-Bishop Sam Clements, “Witness to Culture”, Charisma Magazine

“We slumber while the enemy invades.”  Where is your voice?  Is it partnering with culture or is it correctly and boldly sharing the Truth of a Savior who came to give His life as a ransom for many?

PRAY:  Pray for courage and boldness.  Pray against fear.  Pray for the Church as we transition to this “new” season of life and the “new” that comes when we begin to open up – Pray for fearlessness, conviction, boldness and a an outpouring of grace, love and Truth!  Pray for laborers for the harvest (the floodgates will open as we press in to be a strong voice in culture).

Where is the Lord asking you to use your voice today?  We have the power to speak hope and LIFE – let’s not neglect this powerful privilege and gift!

(Used with permission from A Surrendered Life. Article by Suni Piper.)