Voices & Echoes

"God's raising up voices not echoes" - Perry Stone

     More and more people are beginning to speak up about copy cat messages. One man even compared it to a radio station wearing out a song (perfect example). It seems God's speaking to many about this. He's spoken to me about it and I've often tweeted about it and encouraged others to spend time with God,listen for His voice, engage with Him, don't merely copy someones message. Develop a deeper relationship with God and allow Him to put a message in you.

       Today I heard a quote by Perry Stone, "God's raising up voices not echoes." This is exactly what the Holy Spirits been telling me and many others. The problem with this is that some think if you repeat what someone else has said you're echoing/copying them. This is not true. How many times has God spoken to you about something, then when you went to church the pastor is speaking on the same issue? Why is that? Is the pastor copying you? Are you copying the pastor? No. You're simply tuned into the same God. You are both filled with the same spirit, the Holy Spirit. 

        So, this got me thinking. What makes one a voice, and one an echo or copy cat? The difference between a voice and an echo is not a matter of content but source. Echoes copy and study other people. Voices spend time with God. The key is always source over content. This means voices may share messages without meaning to because they are spending time with the same God. But the source of the content is always God, not man.

     I know that when God inspired me with the title of my 2nd devotional several years earlier I had no clue so many things about "light" would be released in movies, books and music. To me it's confirmation that I'm on point with what I'm hearing from Him. That's one of the beauties of us tuning into Him. On the other hand, echoes see that there is a repeated theme being released and jump on board simply to be relevant and take part in what's happening, not because God filled their spirit with that message. 

Big difference.