That voice belongs to Almighty God. He speaks to us in that voice through His Holy Spirit in the case of those who are His, and through people and circumstances in the case of those who, though they are not His true saints, are part of His general church system. Read 1 Peter 4:18 and note that only certain people in the church would qualify for salvation. Christ’s letters to the seven churches as recorded in Revelation chapters 1-3 reveal that only one of those churches–the Philadelphia Church–was truly His. Though called “churches” by Christ Himself (1:11), His Words to them reveal that the other churches were Christian in name only though they were all called “churches.” The same was true concerning the spiritual state of the Ten Virgins (Mat. 25) who were all called “virgins” (church people). Note that all ten had lamps, oil, wicks, etc. However, only five were truly God’s people. It was not until the end that the truth came out that five of them had been “talking the talk” but not “walking the walk.” The “right-talk-wrong-walk” people of First Peter 4:18 and Revelation 1-3 had no doubt had access to God’s still, small voice relative to their spiritual condition. Not being His sheep, they ignored it. This problem continues to plague the nations today, as this series will point out. I know from experience that the problem can afflict anyone and have the spiritual “scars” to prove it. Everything I write or say I am also directing to myself. No one is immune to humankind’s foibles. That included Jesus of Nazareth. We must, through the Holy Spirit, overcome them.

God uses His Word as His primary source of guidance. He also uses His apostles. And at other times He uses people and circumstances in His attempt to save us from ourselves. Again, my own experiences bear out this Truth.

Following World War I–labeled “the war to end all wars” in which over 8 million people died–the world went into a sin-soaked frenzy, a decade called “The Roaring 20’s” because of its dive into the world of sin as never before. The people roared so loudly that the Lord’s “still, small voice” was heard only by a tiny remnant of true believers whose voices were summarily ignored by the other 99.99% of mankind, including the false Christians in the professing church. That voice continued to warn the world of impending doom unless it changed its direction, but to no avail. Satan’s scream drowned out God’s whisper. Then came October, 1929 when the U.S. Stock Market collapsed, sending the world into the worst financial crises mankind had ever experienced. Few people recognized God’s hand in the calamity. Only a few human voices understood and told the truth about why the world was turned upside down. Those voices were ignored. God was not needed. Man would save the day. He only needed to get his political house in order. It was all about getting the right people elected. True enough, there had been a few “revivals” and “Jesus movements” during the 30’s, but at the first glimpse of light in the surrounding darkness, all religious bets were off. Man was taking care of business and would solve all problems.

As the world clawed its way out of the Great Depression, supposedly by its own effort, man continued to turn a deaf ear to God’s warnings. Man had saved the day once again. Sin was once again “in.” Holiness was once again a cruel joke designed to take all the fun out of life. Yet God continued to warn the world about something secretly taking place in Europe, specifically Germany. The Nazi regime of Adolf Hitler was on the rise. The world turned a deaf ear to the lone voice proclaiming the truth behind Hitler’s lies. His name was Winston Churchill who was not buying what Hitler was selling. He continually warned Europe and the United States that Germany, that beaten and conquered nation that would “never rise up to harm the world again,” was indeed secretly on the rise and building war machinery like never before as the rest of the world rejoiced in their once-and-for-all victory over terror. Germany could never rise after such a horrific beating. Man would see to that. Eventually, and almost too late, the world woke up to the “voice” of God coming from Churchill and, 55 million deaths later, claimed victory over the Western civilization’s enemy–again. If only the world had listened to the Englishman’s voice and squashed the Nazi’s before they could drag her into the second world conflict within a generation. Many who fought in the first war also fought in the second war. Why? The Lord’s still, small voice had been ignored. Sin had made man deaf to His Words, even when a one of their own was speaking them. The problem still persists.

Following “the War to end all Wars” (again) the world, specifically the supposedly intelligent world, relapsed back into its soft, secure, it’s all good now, I want it–I must have it mode. God’s voice was once again drowned out by man’s cry for self-indulgence. Then came the Korean War, the Bay of Pigs debacle, the Iranian hostage crisis, Grenada, Libya and Lebanon, the Gulf War, the “war on terror” and now our financial involvement in the Russia-Ukrain War. And the Western world is once again asleep at the controls. God’s voice is now drowned out by calls for a sexual revolution. Once again God’s voice, spoken and written by a few, equally still, equally small voices, is being ignored as Satan’s voice grows ever louder and reaches ever farther. America has not won a war since WWII. She will never win another one.

We must understand that nations are made up of individuals. In order for national change to occur, individual change must take place. Let us examine ourselves to see if we need to change. I am in a constant state of change as I strive to grow ever more like my Lord and Master was as He walked this earth as a man just like me, having no advantage over me as He faced the same trials and temptations as I do, “yet without sin.” Just this day God whispered to me that I needed to change something within my personality. “Unto whom much is given, much is required” (Lk. 12:48). He has given me so much, for which He requires of me equivalence in terms of obedience to His Word. When I write or speak, I place myself in the seat of the reader/listener. When I use the term “you,” I am including myself in that group. L.J.