"... There at Bethel
he met God face to face,
and God spoke to him "
Hosea 12:4 NLT

"What's the Lord saying to you?"

Has anyone ever asked you that question? How have you responded? No matter how long you have been a Christian, you have heard God speak to you - personally. Even if you were only saved yesterday, you invited Christ into your life because you heard His voice calling you.

God speaks.

He has been speaking since before the world began. His Word formed the earth, the skies, the seas and all who inhabit them. His Word holds all of creation together. His Word instructs, restores, directs, corrects, brings judgment and tells us of the future.

In Old Testament times, God spoke mostly through His prophets. His written Word evolved slowly, from Moses' Pentateuch through the historic and prophetic writings. The primary message of the Old Testament prophets focused upon the coming Messiah - the One we now know as the Word made flesh. Then, in the fullness of time, God spoke to us through the promised Living Word which is Christ who came and lived among us here on earth (Heb 1:1-2).

Today, God speaks to us most clearly through His written Word - the Holy Scriptures. The Bible as we know it has been around less than 2000 years, and God's Word for the everyday layman has only been available for a few hundred years.

Yes, God has been speaking. And He still speaks today. But is His written Word the only way in which He speaks to us? No. Because if the Holy Spirit does not make His written Word come alive in our own hearts, minds and spirits - through personal revelation (I John 2:27) - the Bible remains but a static and lifeless history book!

And doesn't God also speak to us through others? Have you ever heard the Word of the Lord spoken to you by a pastor, a friend, or a family member? Of course! But the question which is so controversial in the Church today is whether or not God still speaks to us through prophecy and prophetically gifted people. That is, in part, what this series of articles is really all about.

For the next 29 weeks, Prophets and Prophetic Words will be looking at some of the ways God has spoken to us throughout the centuries, specifically how He has spoken and still speaks to us today through His prophets. We will also be exploring how true and false prophetic messages shape our world.

But for the next eight weeks, to help establish the thesis that God still speaks today, we will be looking at historical examples of how God has spoken directly to His creation and to His people. How did God speak in ancient times, before His written Word was fully developed? How did He guide, direct and correct His people and the errant nations of the world? How did He communicate to the patriarchs and prophets? In Part I - When God Speaks, using Scripture as our guide, we will be examining this aspect of God's Word to us, laying groundwork for Parts II and III where we will discuss His messages through His prophets. We will also establish that our God is a very personal God, not a distant one, and speaks to us regularly and intimately, and possesses a very real interest in every aspect of His creation and our lives.

Can you think of other ways that God Speaks? Other scriptures that relate to our theme? Send us your comments and feedback and we will post them on our site.

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For the next two weeks, we will explore the power of God's prophetic Word to create and sustain our world. The following week will provide a quick overview of the Word becoming flesh. Then, over the next five weeks, we will be looking at some specific ways in which God has spoken directly. Let's get started by looking at the Creative Power of God's prophetic Word.

Oh, by the way, what's God saying to you?

Articles are published online one week after they go out in email form.

GroundWorks is an imprint of Reconciliation Press. The name has been chosen to reflect the biblical idea of roots and foundations in Christian life and culture. As you read these weekly articles, look for words and imagery in the text that illustrate these themes.

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