God Conversations With Tania Harris

How could Jesus have white hair if he was only in his early thirties? How can a lamb have seven horns? How could clothes be white after they’ve been washed in blood? It is perhaps easy to see why many of us steer clear of the book of Revelation, why it was the last book to be accepted into the canon in the 4th Century and why Martin Luther tried to oust it generations later. Many of the colourful scenes in this book of the Bible just don’t make sense. Or at least they don’t if you take them literally.  But Revelation was never meant to be taken literally. We don’t wash our clothes in blood and expect them to come out white. Prayers don’t vapourise into incense and cause earthquakes. Humans don’t resemble olive trees. The striking visions recorded by John in the book of Revelation are jam-packed with symbols. Symbols that need to be interpreted before they can be understood. Once we understand how, the message becomes clearer - first to the seven churches of Asia Minor, and then to us. You have to wonde

A beast with seven heads? A prostitute drunk with blood? A lamb with seven eyes and seven horns? What was the author thinking? What had he been eating?! We could be forgiven for asking questions like these when we start reading the book of Revelation. One could wonder if we’ve found ourselves in the middle of a scene from Lord of the Rings rather than a portion of sacred Scripture. In order to understand the powerful and relevant message of this ancient book, we must recognise it is a dream-vision, one of the most common ways God spoke to his people in biblical times, and still uses to speak to us today. Dreams and visions usually speak a symbolic language and therefore require interpretation. In this series, we are using a five-question framework to help us discern the meaning of the book. Last week we looked at the first question - What is the setting of the dream? We learnt that Revelation was a divine message to John who was in exile on the isle of Patmos for his faith. It was then passed onto sev

The last book in the Bible - the book of Revelation - can be a closed and confusing read. Graphic imagery of seven-headed beasts, gaudy prostitutes and winged creatures serve to make some of the scenes in the book resemble the Lord of the Rings movies more than the writings of sacred scripture. Yet Revelation contains a profound message that is as relevant today as it was to the 1st C church. This episode is the first in a 5-part series in How to Understand the Book of Revelation. A first century rabbi once said that a dream uninterpreted is like a letter unopened, and this is true of the book of Revelation. To understand its message, you first have to realise it is a dream/vision that uses symbolic language and like most of these forms of divine communication, it requires interpretation. In this podcast, we will unpack the meaning of Revelation by looking at: The genre of Revelation as a dream/vision The visions of revelation as God's 'curtain calls' revealing what is happening behind the scenes in t

On this week's podcast, Light FM radio host Clayton Bjelan and I chat about the experiences of listeners from Melbourne (Australia) in hearing God’s voice. We hear from: Robert who heard God’s voice on one of the worst days of his life. Bernadette who received a vision that helped her avoid a devastating car accident. Ken who received encouragement while waiting for his first child to be born. Marinella who unexpectedly landed the perfect job through following the direction of the Holy Spirit. Jessie who desperately needed reassurance that God was with her in a time of great distress. Be inspired by their stories as they share of the life that comes when God speaks and how his words can warn and protect us! We learn that truly, God speaks to us for our strengthening, encouraging and comfort! (1 Corinthians 14:3). Subscribe to God Conversations with Tania Harris and never miss an episode! What's your favourite God-Conversation story? Share in the comments below!  

“Gold told me; ...to park my car here.” ...to divorce my wife.” ...to kill the Muslims.” It doesn’t take long in church life before you hear someone saying it. The words ‘God told me’ have been used to justify mass murder, the proliferation of a range of weird beliefs and abuses of power so heinous that you can’t really blame church leaders from throwing their hands up in the air in exasperation and saying you should never ever use them. Yet the characters of the Bible seemed to have no problem saying them. Our most famous stories begin with; “And the word of the Lord came to.. or “God spoke unto...,” or in the New Testament you are more likely to read; “The Holy Spirit said…” Is it ever okay to say ‘God told me’? Let’s turn that question around for a moment. It’s not okay when; You are using it to manipulate. This usually looks like; ‘God told me that YOU should do this for me.” We are responsible for our own actions; never the actions of others. God is more likely to speak to others about their own

I was first asked this question while pioneering my church in Melbourne around fifteen years ago; “How does it feel to be a woman pastoring a church?” Back then I replied; “I don’t know - I’ve never pastored a church as a man!” It is perhaps an unusual topic for a podcast on hearing God’s voice, but I’m asked this question often so I thought I would take some time to answer it. In this podcast, we look at two issues affecting my journey as a woman in ministry: 1. Theology and 2. Identity, discussing what they mean for all of us, male and female, in the midst of sweeping changes to gender roles in the 21st Century. We start with the Australian context. In the denomination I am ordained in, the Australian Christian Churches, an egalitarian policy was set from the very beginning - in fact many of our earliest churches were pioneered by women. But that isn’t always the case for most of our Australian mainstream denominations. Usually there are some ceilings on women in leadership, although you will find varia

Yes, the podcast today is for those who can’t find time in their busy schedules to get away for hours and sit cross-legged on a mountaintop! It may be the longest headline ever, but I think it encapsulates what we all long for. The thoughts in this podcast provide some solutions to our busyness problem and how to hear God’s voice in whatever situation we find ourselves. We start by looking at the introverted practises of the ancient mystics and the paradigms we have about hearing God’s voice as a result. Yes, it’s wonderful to get away, to extract yourself from life’s responsibilities and find a quiet place to clear your mind. But getting away is not always possible when there are toddlers running around our feet, or we’re pressing to meet that work deadline and our annual leave has run out. The good news is that it is possible to hear God’s voice whatever our day to day lives look like. The beauty of the new covenant is that the Holy Spirit will be with us wherever we go, whatever we do. God is with us i

“‘In the last days, God says,     I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy,     your young men will see visions,     your old men will dream dreams." It's one of the most famous verses in the New Testament and a pivotal moment for the early church. The Holy Spirit 'fell' on a group of people as they gathered to worship on the Jewish Day of Pentecost. A number of miraculous phenomena occurred that day, but the Apostle Peter makes note of only one of them. Young and old, male and female - all people would be able to have "dreams and visions" and "prophesy". But what did Peter mean by that? In this podcast, we talk about the dreams of Acts 2:17 - what Peter meant by them, how we have managed to turn it into something else and in doing so, have missed one of the most powerful ways to hear God's voice. You may also like to read; Acts 2:17 - A Turning Point, but What Does this Verse Really Mean? Subscribe to God Conversations with Tania Harris and never miss an episode. Y

Our response to God's voice is critical - both in terms of the consequences of our decision-making as well as our ongoing conversations with God. In today's podcast I would love to introduce you to the person who taught me what to do when God speaks. Ps. Melinda Dwight is a pioneer and a visionary - raiser of leaders, personal mentor and the first woman to be a state executive member in the Australian Christian Churches. Currently she is the National Director of Alpha Australia. But apart from all those wonderful achievements, Melinda knows how to hear God’s voice. In this interview, hear how listening to God took her to the prisons of Nigeria and into the offices of the influential. Hear how when we listen to God, he can open doors no-one can shut, how faithfulness in the little things prepares us for the bigger things and ultimately, how blessing comes when we have the courage to believe what God says. Subscribe to God Conversations with Tania Harris and never miss an episode! Your Thoughts How has he

How often does God speak? Is it a rare, one-off event that we look back on and reminisce over? Or is it a normal part of my everyday experience? Some make it sound like God speaks every single day. God said this, God said that. He told me what to wear today. He said, I should do this and go there. It’s like God is saying something new every moment. My immediate response is, I don’t think so. Yet at times I’ve been surprised by just how much he speaks. There have been times when he’s spoken loudly and clearly and repeatedly. There’s a dream, a vision, a scripture, a sermon, a prophecy. It felt like it came when I really needed it. I would say to myself; I didn’t realise God would speak so often! But then there would are times when he says nothing. Absolutely nothing. Hello? Are you there? Is it a bad line? Are we out of range?  So how often does God speak? What’s 'normal'? And therefore, what should our expectation be?   Today’s podcast brings some thoughts to this interesting question. Listen to dis

Men are better at parking cars and reading maps. Women are better at communication and intuition. The prevailing research shows that our gender differences are related to neurological processes in the brain. One of the God Conversations Leadership team, Ps. Peter Wallis, Resource Manager, Sound Engineer and Pastor Extraordinaire! So if women are naturally better at communicating, does this effect their ability to hear God’s voice? Why is it that more women are on prayer-teams than men, why do more women attend God Conversations seminars and why is this area sometimes viewed as a 'women’s topic'? Yet it's the men in the Bible who are most regularly seen hearing from God. At least these are the stories that are recorded. The experience of Manoah and his wife is an exceptional one. In this story found in Judges 13, we see the woman receiving direction from God and her husband Manoah not having the slightest idea what is going on! The promise given to us was that both sons AND daughters would prophesy and hav

Growing up in church, we would make fun of Gideon. Everyone knew that this was a man who did not have enough faith. He kept asking God for signs or in his case, ‘fleeces’ to confirm what God had clearly asked him to do. I have since revisited that story and now I see it in a very different way. In this podcast, I am going to answer the question; 'Is it okay to ask God for a sign?' by looking carefully at Gideon’s story in Judges 6 and 7. It’s one of the few occasions that we get insight into an Old Testament character’s experience hearing the voice of God. We tend to think that the Bible characters had it easy; they simply heard God’s voice and confidently followed it. But in reading this account, it would seem that Gideon was a man just like us, stumbling along with his own fears and insecurities, unsure of what God sounds like and how he works in the world. We learn much from Gideon’s story! The first thing we notice in this account, is that God answers Gideon’s request for a sign. What does this tell u

Is God's will a narrow path where I must hear from God specifically for my life, then do exactly what he says? Or is it a 6-lane freeway where it doesn’t matter what I choose, as long as my heart follows Jesus, he will make it work for good. So which is it? How much influence does God have or should he have in our decision making? In their hearts humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps. (Proverbs 16:9) In this podcast, we look at both views; discussing first, the narrow path view, which gives a number of road signs we should follow for specific decisions. Then we look at the 6-lane freeway perspective which places its emphasis on our human capacity to gather facts and information, use common sense and follow wisdom principles. These two views are often presented in opposition to the other. Some advocate the narrow path and emphasise God’s supernatural leading. Others suggest that supernatural guidance is not only unnecessary; it’s untrustworthy and we shouldn’t expect God would in

God tells you to move from one country to another. Pack up your home, leave a secure job, uproot your family. How would you know if it was God? In this podcast, the dynamic and innovative Pastor Björn Schäfer shares the story of how God called him to leave his homeland of Germany and become the leader of the ICF College based in Zürich, Switzerland, where he oversees branches of the College in a growing network all over Europe. His story demonstrates God's heart to guide us as well as providing wisdom for those who are seeking direction. Facing a crossroads in some area of life? Whether it’s a career move, relationship guidance or another area of your personal world, stay tuned for the next podcast that will help you! - “Is God’s will a narrow path or a 6-lane freeway?” Subscribe to God Conversations with Tania Harris and never miss an episode! Your Thoughts Has God ever told you to make a radical move? How did you know it was him? Leave a comment below.   Episode Resources Teaching Message: How Do I Kn

Hearing God’s voice is easy when we rely on God’s ability to speak rather than our ability to hear. Think about it. God is an expert communicator. He has all of heaven’s and earth’s resources at his disposal. He can and does use a whole host of creative techniques to get his messages through and he is totally committed to doing so because of his intense desire for intimate relationship with us. (Listen to Part 1 of I Don't Hear God Like You Do).   So what makes it difficult? What makes the vast majority of Christians struggle in this area? This is not a once-all answer by any means, but I would like to suggest that the biggest reason many of us find hearing from God difficult is because of the response God requires from us when we hear his voice. It’s not difficult to hear from God, what’s difficult is doing what he says. But I thought God’s words were spirit and they were life? That they are light to our feet, a lamp to our path? They are food to our souls such that we can’t live without them? So why

It's a line I hear often. I heard it again recently chatting with a friend. I’d just shared one of those stories of how God had spoken - a prophetic dream that miraculously came to pass. She looks at me and says; “Oh, but I don't hear from God like you do..” The look of disappointment: the shoulder shrug of resignation. That feeling like it’s all too hard. What she said bothered me then and it bothers me now. I went away puzzling over it. Why? Why do I hear from God like that while she doesn't? She loves God. She's faithful. A godly family, a strong Christian. But she doesn't have a spectacular God-story like mine to share. Why is that? Some would say; it's a gifting right? That's because you're a pastor; that's your specialty. Some would say; Oh those kind of experiences are the exception. Normal life - even the Spirit-filled life - isn't like that. You shouldn't expect it to be.  Some would say; Faith is trusting God without words like that, without signs and fleeces. True faith doesn't need that stuf

We read the story every year at Christmas time, but I wonder how it would have felt as a fourteen year-old girl to receive an impossible message from an angel in the middle of the night? One conversation between God and Mary initiated God’s plan for salvation of the world. One conversation changed everything. But, Why did God chose to speak to Mary? How did Mary know the message was from God?  What did God’s word mean for Mary’s life?  Listen to the God Conversations Christmas Message: Subscribe to God Conversations with Tania Harris and never miss an episode! And a brief outline to sum up: 1. Listen Mary heard from God because her heart was positioned to listen. Her life was aligned to God’s purposes and she was ready to follow him wherever he led. They key to hearing from God is to actively listen, not just with our ears, but with our hearts. 2. Test We are told to ‘test the spirits to see if they are from God’ (1 John 4:1). It’s an instruction we’re given for every message we receive and one tha

If God said it, will it always happen? If I've received a promise from God, does that mean it will come to pass? I remember asking myself that question during my Bible College studies. I came across a journal article with the heading: ‘When Prophecy Failed…’ To be honest, it freaked me out. The author discussed a scenario in biblical history when a prophet delivered a word from God, but then it didn’t happen, so the people re-interpreted the word to suit the new circumstances. I sat there amongst the lofty bookshelves of the theological library, scouring the article and feeling increasingly sick. The idea went against everything I'd been taught. Wasn’t THE Word of God ‘living and active’? Powerful like a sword and purging like a fire, ‘smashing rocks to pieces’, speaking the universe into being and bringing life to the dead? Didn’t the word of the Lord never return void but always fulfill what it had been sent for? How could this be?! Could God’s word fail? What did it mean for God to be sovereign? When God