My sheep Hear My voice
A widow going through dialysis with 2 little children. A man , sole bread earner imprisoned for a lifetime for no fault of his. A small 18 month baby girl raped .Minorities and christians being tortured & burned alive . Old parents being traumatized by the dear children they brought up. A nation being enslaved by a brutal ruler . – what do we wish when we hear such news. A Job in midst of his suffering, The whole nation of Israel being enslaved by many nations even until the time of holocaust,,, What do we wish … As an expatriate , in a foreign country , feeble and fighting with life and circumstances on a daily basis, what do we wish…? My son Joshua's situation was critical and weakening us ..., In the midst of all this,the only thing we wish is to hear the voice of God .
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Where does God Dwell ?
Isa 57: 15 , For thus says the One who is high and lifted up, who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy:“I dwell in the high and holy place.
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God dwells in eternity . We have been brought forth from eternity into a time zone . Everthing was made glorious and beautiful in the time zone. Even our own being and our universe
Ecc 3:1 & 11 He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end
God dwells in eternity, whereas we have been created within time. Eternity bars or precludes change. Its is static and unchangeable. That is why in Malachi 3:6 ,he mentions that , I am God who doesn’t change . We perceive time through our senses. Time is a gift from a God who exists in eternity. Time is a gift of grace. If we had been in eternity, then our choice of sinning would have been irrevocable. But in time I have opportunity to change or repent . Time is a grace provided by God. Time has a beginning & end. Satan & his angels where put from eternity into time. Final judgement also awaits the end of time. We sometimes claim that , olden times are golden, that statement is not out of wisdom says the word > Ecc 7:1,8,10 . Salvation is of Heaven and is eternal and timeless. But there is only one lifetime which is been given , there is no 2nd chance Heb 9: 27. Since lifetime is short and eternity is forever, live by God’s time, not by man’s time.There is a profound statement Jesus makes regarding this aspect. In John 7:6, Jesus says to his half-brothers who advised Him to go up to the Feast of Booths and do some miracles to make Himself known, “My time is not yet here, but your time is always opportune.” Jesus was drawing a contrast between how He lived in view of God’s time versus how His brothers lived their lives.
. Psa 90:1- 4 as Moses said, For a thousand years in your sight are but as yesterday when it is past, or as a watch in the night. I strongly believe that this Psalm may have been written by Moses , when at last God spoke to him suddenly ,as a twist in his plan about Moses, that his time is shortened and he would not enter the Promised land. Moses felt as he turned back, the lifetime and walk with God at that moment like a single day . For God considers 1000 yrs as a single day . Its not the lengthen of time that matters , but what best we could do in the time allotted. Peter quoted it as ,2 Pet 3: 8 But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. It could be the other way as well , what we consider as a small life , God views it as longer.A small baby who passes away at birth, the life of Jesus on earth or any of those short life spans are yet valuable in Gods eyes… God doesn’t look at our time zone as we look at it .
How can we give our best in the given time ? Unfortunately the answer which Jesus gave is difficult for us to digest, Mark 10 : 28 Jesus said, “Truly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands, for my sake and for the gospel, who will not receive a hundredfold now in this time, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions, and in the age to come eternal life.
Lord I have problem with this verse. It is bothering me a lot . Two questions came to my mind . 1.How do we receive this hundred fold ? Mat 13 : 23 .One who hears the word receives hundred fold . We need to seek his kingdom first . 2.How can we enter his eternal kingdom from this time zone ?….John3:5 Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. God has granted us the Holy spirit in this time zone, which is his grace inspite of our corrupted minds and universe.
Time is lengthened and eternity is bestowed victoriously , when we hear and obey the voice of God, 1 King 3: 10-14. Solomon was granted lengthening of his time, if he was to hear and obey the voice of God.
God has been communicating with man at various , sundry times… Heb1:1
A dispensation is a period of time during which God deals in a particular way with man in the matter of sin and responsibility. The whole Bible may be divided into either three or seven dispensations.
Three Dispensations.
1.The Patriarchal Dispensation. From creation to the giving of the Law, Gen.1-Ex.19 and Job.
2. The Mosaic Dispensation. From the giving of the Law to the birth of Christ, Ex.20-Mal.4.
3. The Christian Dispensation. From the birth of Christ to his second coming, Matt.-Rev.
There are differences in these various dispensations. The promises, old covenant & new covenant. What is common in all these dispensations ? The common thread which passes through all these dispensations is that God wanted us to hear his voice and obey it.
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Why is hearing God’s voice important ?
Rom 10 : 17 So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ. If you can’t hear God speak, then you cannot have faith . John 10: 27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. Notice that He said in the verse, His sheep hear His voice. He didn’t say His sheep CAN hear His voice or SHOULD hear His voice. He made the emphatic statement that His sheep DO hear His voice.
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How can we hear His voice ?
God has endless ways of speaking to us. Lets not go into each of those ways. God uses his own means of talking to people . The means he uses for me may not be same for another person. John 4:24 says,“God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.” The Holy Spirit guides us through our own consciences (Romans 9:1 “My conscience bearing witness with me in the Holy Spirit.” ) and other quiet, subtle ways. Romans 8:16, “The Spirit Himself witnesses with our spirit,” it becomes apparent that the conscience is located within the human spirit. This is saying that communication with God is Spirit to spirit, not brain to brain or mouth to ear, the way we communicate in the physical realm. Many a times , I was trying to hear the audible voice of God. Its not that , God doesn’t talk audibly often as seen in the scripture . He speaks audibly at certain times. But through the Spirit, he speaks all the time . The Lord speaks to our spirits, not in audible words, but in thoughts,scriptures and impressions. Deep calls unto deep ,Ps 42: 7. Then our spirits speak to us in words like, “I think the Lord wants me to do this or that.” The Lord doesn’t typically say “You do this or that,” but He will impress your spirit to do something, and then your spirit says, “I think I should do . . .” Therefore, we often miss the leading of the Lord, thinking it’s our own thoughts. Holy spirit is like a river flowing, there is no break. When Holy spirit talks to us, our thoughts would be flowing and continuous and we can discern his voice. Jesus said He who believes in me, as the Scripture has said, from within him will flow rivers of living water." John 7:38.
God speaks through his word . The Holy spirit selects the word we need in this moment of time . The Word is the “sword of the Spirit” (Ephesians 6:17), and the Spirit will reveal the word, to speak to us (John 16:12–14) to reveal God’s will for our lives; He will also bring specific Scriptures to mind at times when we need them most . Understanding and discerning his voice is a sign for a child of God, contrary to what is written in Matthew 13:19 ~ When any one heareth the word of the kingdom, and understandeth it not, then cometh the wicked one, and catcheth away that which was sown in his heart. This is he which received seed by the way side.
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How did Jesus hear ?
John 5: 20. ( John 5:19-20 , John 14:26, Mat 26: 50 ,54, Ps 88:8). The father reveals through the Holy spirit. Understanding, wisdom counsel, might, knowledge & reverence is required for hearing and obeying God. Isa 11: 1-2.
More specifically :-
Isa 50 : 4 The Lord God has given me the tongue of those who are taught, that I may know how to sustain with a word him who is weary. Morning by morning he awakens; he awakens my ear to hear as those who are taught.5 The Lord God has opened my ear, and I was not rebellious; I turned not backward.6 I gave my back to those who strike,
and my cheeks to those who pull out the beard; I hid not my face from disgrace and spitting.
1) God opens our ear of our heart or spirit ,when we have a thirst for gathering wisdom,. Isaiah 55:1 Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. Job 33: 14 For God speaks in one way, and in two, though man does not perceive it. 15 In a dream, in a vision of the night, when deep sleep falls on men, while they slumber on their beds,16 then he opens the ears of men and terrifies them with warnings,17 that he may turn man aside from his deed and conceal pride from a man;18 he keeps back his soul from the pit,his life from perishing by the sword.
2) Our mind needs to be still.(Be still and know that I am God Ps 46: 10)
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3 )Obedient and submissive mind. 4)Sacrificial mind with action-doing will of God. John 8:28-30
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Gods voice is discerned clearly as we grow in a stronger relationship with him. Our time with God builts our relationship with him . Its in this time zone only that we have an opportunity to build a relationship with God. Communion with God is liking having a relationship with him. When we invite others for a dinner at our home, it’s a symbol of maintaining a relationship. Rev 3: 20 Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me
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We can hear God when we look back at his timetable.
God sets our time table. He sets our time and the table. We know our school time table. There is a specific time for each period. Different subjects follow each time across the table. There is a specific subject at each time. We gain wisdom in varieties at each time period or subject. There is maths, physics, languages, PE etc. Imagine if its always only Physical education period all the time, children generally enjoy . What would happen …? There is a variety wisdom gained at each period of time required for us to make us a complete student . God sets our time table too.Two important things – various subjects to be grasped with specific timings. Look at Moses life time table, there was a time he was born , he was in the Nile, a time when he was saved from the water, raised in the palace, left the palace, 40 years time in the widerness, time he heard God’s voice at the bush, time he went to Egypt, the Covenant of law…. It goes till the end of his life. Specific times and various incidents happening in a well coordinated way or a timetable etched and organized by God. Gods organizes our time and the table. Many a time, we realise this only when we gain some victory . For example look at how God led several events, men and conversations, phone calls and thoughts to get you a good job or a healing or a success of a good career. If he is the organizer , he would definitely be the executor as well. Are we aware about his organizing. When we become aware about His organizing and see the events which led to this moment , we are truly hearing his voice and being guided by the Holy spirit . God enriches us with spiritual subjects in each time period of the life. When we connect all the dots, we see a line of God’s work and his will accomplished in our life with full glory . Luke 12:21
The beauty of God’s time table is Galatians 4:4 But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law,
Three passions, simple but overwhelmingly strong, have governed my life: the longing for love, the search for knowledge, and unbearable pity for the suffering of mankind. quote Bertrand Russell, a thinker.
An atheist who wanted 3 passions of his life to be filled with .Thirst for Love , knowledge & compassion . There is a need to hear God’s voice for every man
What Love does the world long for ? Darkness . John1:19 And this is the verdict: The Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness more than light,.1 John 1:7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another.
What knowledge do we search for ? Our own wisdom .James 3: 15 This wisdom is not that which comes down from above, but is earthly, natural, demonic .. Prov 18:15 An intelligent heart acquires knowledge, and the ear of the wise seeks knowledge
How can we display true compassion to our fellow beings ? True Compassion can be shown to others only By showing them who God is . By showing them what is the Glory of God . Ex33: 18 Then Moses said, "I pray You, show me Your glory!" 19And He said, "I Myself will make all My goodness pass before you, and will proclaim the name of the LORD before you; and I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show compassion on whom I will show compassion." Glory consists of goodness,grace & compassion.
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God’s voice comes into our heart as light , knowledge & Glory . We receive God’s voice by our heart . The void and passions of a human heart can be filled only by Jesus Christ.
2Cor 4:6 For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. Even a Bertand Russell' voids and passions could be only fulfilled by our Lord Jesus Christ.