I believe it is utter truth. Are there some parts of it that need explanation? Yup. Does that make me doubt that it is the very Word of Very God. Nope. I get to believe that. You get to believe whatever you want to believe. It's called free will.
I love God's Word. He has allowed me to teach it to others.
I am HONORED to do so. It is a miracle of His mercy toward me.
But....Those of us who have decided to follow Jesus sometimes forget that we are not presenting a Book to the world, but a Person. A real human being who lived a sinless life on earth, died and WAS RESURRECTED and is SEATED AT THE RIGHT HAND OF GOD.
He is still living.
And He is still speaking.
He said, "My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me."
(John 10:27)
Can you hear Him?
If you cannot, it's not because He isn't speaking.
He clearly says that HIS SHEEP listen to HIS voice.
He doesn't lie.
He knows who His sheep are.
Because they follow HIM.
Following infers that He is leading somewhere.
Following indicates movement. Going from "here" to "there."
How can we follow Someone we cannot hear?
We cannot.
I am sad at times when I meet church going men and women who think that following Jesus is ONLY about going to church meetings and helping out at church meetings and going on a missions trip now and then and tithing.
Of course sheep hang out with sheep. There is nothing in the Bible to indicate that the plan is to be a lone sheep,out there without other sheep.
But that's NOT ALL THERE IS TO FOLLOWING JESUS.
That's not what Jesus describes.
All through the Gospels, Jesus describes His relationship with His Father as being close and real and intimately One. He hears His Father's voice.
He says that is the RELATIONSHIP He wants with us.
We are not merely followers of a figurehead of an organization that bears His name and reads His words spoken thousands of years ago.
We are not JUST THAT.
His Sheep hear HIS VOICE.
If we cannot hear His voice,
either we are NOT really His sheep or we are listening to too many other voices.
I'm not saying to sit around until you hear voices in your head.. lol...
But I AM saying that we shouldn't assume He will never speak to someone's heart, never speak to someone's thoughts. That He will NEVER speak comfort, direction, love, mercy and grace to us.. personally.
Does it happen every day? Not for me.
But I know that through my lifetime, there have been moments when I clearly HEARD HIS VOICE....
Take the time to ask the Holy Spirit to help you HEAR the voice of Jesus. It isn't weird. He speaks. To our hearts. In our thoughts.
Jesus is speaking.
Do you hear Him?
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