I am always struck by Jesus. Full stop. Struck by Jesus. Like lightning to the heart – jolting me to life and electrifying me with His acceptance.
But aside from His Person, it is His words that strike me. When I read my mind lights up, my ears prick, and my heart leaps.
The sound of His voice.
The sound.
Favourite favourite
If you had to choose a favourite book in the Bible, what would it be?
Genesis? Revelation? Both maybe, and all the ones in between!
One of my favourite favourites is Hebrews. There is a depth to what the author of Hebrews shares that peels back the veil on heavenly realities. I especially love the opening..
“God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;” (Hebrews 1:1–2 KJV)
What strikes me here is that God speaks in many ways. He does not have one platform he speaks from. He is not limited to one mode of operation. But in all of the ways He might communicate, it is to bring us to hear His Son speaking.
Our sound is a bridge to the Son speaking.
The Voice in the sound.
Ears to hear
Sometimes, as musicians, poets, speakers, writers and communicators we naturally focus on our form. How we say or sing. The sound that amplifies through our being – the output.
And that is important. As ministers of creativity we must tune the instrument of our heart, and connect it skillfully with our hand – whatever that may be: a guitar, drums, harpsichord, your lips.
But the sound going forth is often not the thing that determines the outcome.
The Transmitter is working well.
The Transmission is clear and sure.
But the receiver?
Jesus often prayed that people would have ears to hear what the Spirit is saying.
The same words were going forth. The same vibrations flooding the atmosphere. But different ears hear different things.
Maybe in all of our payers for new transmissions, we should be praying for the ears they will alight upon. I believe that new sounds are breaking into the earth. Or maybe it is a heightened ability to tune the sounds we already possess to be heard more clearly?
In John 3:8 we find Jesus describing the moving of the Spirit:
“The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.” (John 3:8 KJV)
The Passion translation reads, “The Spirit-wind blows as it chooses. You can hear it’s sound…”
That which is born of the Spirit carries a ‘sound’ that can be heard. The Aramaic word for ‘sound’ could also be rendered ‘voice”. Our Spirit-born songs and words hold a Voice that earthly sounds can only grope after.
It is essential that our generation hear the Voice of the Saviour through our creativity.
I love the footnote in the Passion Translation concerning this verse:
“The Aramaic is so rich and multi-layered in this passage. Perhaps it could be paraphrased as, “The wind, the breath, and the Spirit are moved by mysterious moods and in their own wonderful ways. When you feel their touch and hear their voices you know they are real…”
The Spirit is a mood changer – an atmosphere bringer. He amplifies the Voice within the ‘sound’ so ears can translate it into something tangible.
Crossing Boundaries
But the ears of the world must be tuned.
How?
Church as we know it must be opened to comprehend renaissance thinking – creative revival will break some taboos and cross some boundaries that previous generations were never called to challenge.
I’m not talking about compromise. Quite the opposite.
There is a radical holiness, and by that I mean a white hot dedication to the purpose of Heaven, unbound by tradition, stirring in the hearts of creative ministers across the earth. It is an urgent call to herald an awakening.
Painters will rise with anointed brushes to hijack the walls of our most treasured galleries.
Musicians and singers will be touched with Joseph-esque authority to feed a starving world with sounds that satisfy in desert days. They will be the manna gatherers and gifted distributors of lyrics and rhythms and melodies that go straight to the belly – hit the spirit of their hearers with truth wrapped in grace.
“Jesus, the Anointed One, unveils truth wrapped in tender mercy.” John 1:17 Passion Translation
And when our lost siblings stand before us, the veil will fall away and we will introduce them to the Son.
And in all of our singing. He will sing.
In all of our rhythm. He will be dancing.
At various times, like today, and in various ways, with new tunes steered for the ears of an unbelieving starved population, He will Speak.
I am a writer. My words find their purpose in the reading.
So it is with the evangelistic sounds that are brewing in our Papa’s heart. They are destined for the ears of the prodigal, the dispossessed and the despairing; the up-and-out, down-and-out and deafened by the world – their ears will be touched by the Spirit just as our hands and mouths are. Both will work in tandem to bring reformation and repentance.
Our sound will resonate with their need.
Our vibration will minister to the cry of the human heart.
The Church will penetrate society with heaven’s direction. Not just with sermons and songs, although I passionately believe in both, but with a Sound within the sound that speaks to the need.
In all our speaking, He will speak.
In the womb of the morning musicians will be impregnated with His words. And when they place their fingers on the strings, the rich tones of Jesus will reverberate.
Singers will drink in the reality of the world to come, and open a door when they sing for others to stand on the viewing deck to drink in visions of tomorrow.
The Sound of His voice.
The Sound of Jesus.
The Sound.
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This article was inspired by a chance communication with Carina De Vetter and the DeVetter’s album of anointed declarations, Living Room Prayers. Let freedom ring! Check out Carina & Sam’s music and blog at https://www.makingway.eu
