Hearing The Voice Of The Lord
I believe in the voice of the Lord and that the Lord does speak, in fact, He has even placed His very words in our hands. He expects us to obey His words as, He, and not man has given them. In fact, He has placed his WORD even above His name:
Psalms 138:2 I will worship toward thy holy temple, and praise thy name for thy lovingkindness and for thy truth: for thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name.
The lord promises to show us the truth if we continue in His word in obedience:
John 8:31 ¶Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; 32 And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.
We are to discern the spirits, whether they are of God:
1 John 4:1 ¶Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.
We are not to operate off of our feelings, but every word of God.
Matthew 4:4 But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.
The Holy Spirit:
John 16:13 Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.
John 15:26 ¶But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me:
The Holy Spirit will only testify and give unction to the things of God, the Bible, which words God has preserved, and which Word God has magnified even above His name, will lead us into all truth.
Now keeping in mind that the Lord has spoken to us through His Word and He guides us into all truth by the Holy Spirit, which only testifies of God, let us look into this thing which is being passed around as a word from God in some of the religious circles of today:
E-MAIL:
A young man had been to Wed. night Bible study.
The pastor had shared about listening to God and obeying The Lord's voice. The
young man couldn't help but wonder, does God still speak to people?"
After service, he went out
with some friends for coffee and pie and they discussed the message. Several
different ones talked about how God had led them in different ways. It
was about ten o'clock when the young man started driving home. Sitting in
his car, he just began to pray, "God...If you still speak to people speak
to me. I will listen. I will do my best to obey." As he drove down
the main street of his town, he had the strangest thought to stop and buy
a gallon of milk. He shook his head and said out loud, "God is
that you?" He didn't get a reply and started on toward home. But
again, the thought, buy a gallon of milk. The young man
thought about Samuel and how he didn't recognize the voice of
God, and how little Samuel ran to Eli. "Okay, God, in case that
is you, I will buy the milk." It didn't seem like too hard a test
of obedience. He could always use the milk. He stopped and purchased the
gallon of milk and started off toward home. As he passed Seventh Street,
he again felt the urge, "Turn down that street." This is crazy he thought
and drove on past the intersection. " Again, he felt that he should turn
down Seventh Street. At the next intersection, he turned back and headed
down Seventh, half jokingly, he said out loud, "Okay, God I will." He
drove several blocks, when suddenly, he felt like he should stop. He pulled
over to the curb and looked around. He was in a semi-commercial
area of town. It wasn't the best but it wasn't the worst of
neighborhoods either. The businesses were closed and most of the
houses looked dark like the people were already in bed. Again, he
sensed something, "Go and give the milk to the people in the
house across the street, " The young man looked at the house. It
was dark and it looked like the people were either gone or they
were already asleep. He started to open the door and then sat back
in the car seat. "Lord, this is insane. Those people are asleep and
if I wake them up, they are going to be mad and I will look stupid.
"
Again, he felt like he should go and give them the milk. Finally, he opened the door.
"Okay God, if this is you, I will go to the door and I will give them the
milk. If you want me to look like a crazy person, okay. I want to be obedient.
I guess that will count for something but if they don't answer right
away, I am out of here. He walked across the street and rang the bell.
He could hear some noise inside. A man’s voice yelled out, "Who is it?
What do you want?" Then the door opened before the young man could get away.
The man was standing there in his jeans and a T-shirt. He looked like
he just got out of bed. He had a strange look on his face and he didn't seem
too happy to have a stranger standing on his doorstep. "What is it?" The
young man thrust out the gallon of milk. "Here I brought this to you." The
man took the milk and rushed down the hallway, speaking loudly in Spanish.
Then from down the hall came a woman carrying the milk toward the kitchen.
The man was following her holding a baby. The baby was crying. The man
had tears streaming down his face. The man began speaking and half-crying,
"We were just praying. We had some big bills this month
and we ran out of money. We didn't have any milk for our baby. I was just praying and
asking God to show me how to get some milk." His wife in the kitchen yelled
out, "I asked him to send an Angel with some milk. Are you an Angel?"
The young man reached into his wallet and pulled out all the money he
had on him and put it in the man's hand. He
turned and walked back toward his car and the tears were streaming down his
face. He knew that God still answers prayers.
"Stop telling God how big your storm is. Instead,
tell the storm how big your God is!" This is a simple test...If you
believe that God is alive and well, send this to at least
ten people
This will need to be broken down, that we may discern the truth by the word of God.
First of all, on the surface, everything seems good and well with what has been said as this also plays on our emotions by tugging on our heartstrings and being a tear jerking story. This would seem to portray the goodness of man to be able to choose God and not God who has choose us, the elect, before the very foundations of the world.
Jeremiah 17:9 The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?
Isaiah 64:6 ¶But we are all as an unclean
thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all
do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.
John 6:44 No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.
Ephesians 1:4 According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: 5 Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,
What kind of Biblical preaching would lead us to believe that if we hear any voice or have any spiritual unction to do a thing, that this is the voice of God, especially in this situation? Again, are we not to try the spirits, to see if they are of God, as God has commanded us to do?
1 John 4:1 ¶Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.
How is this “young man” so misguided in believing that anything that happens is of God, in answer to his prayer?
It is apparent that this young man is not in fellowship (having a personal relationship) with the true God of Abraham and Isaac of the Bible, as he apparently has never recognized any communication from God before this point.
Since this man has never previously established any communication or relationship with God, then why aren’t his first words in prayer to the Lord Jesus Christ, to ask Him into his heart as Lord and Savior? Is it that the new-agers don’t feel they need a savior, that God is in each and every one of us just waiting for us to let Him out and that they feel that they can stand before God in their own righteousness, splendor, and works? Do they feel that any leading of any spirit is of God?
The young man said: “I will listen.” If this is so, why has he not already heard the very words of God before, or perhaps listened to all of creation that testifies of God?
Psalms 19:1 ¶<<To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David.>> The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork.
The young man said to God: “I will do my best to obey”
Our best is as filthy rags and we can do nothing on our own:
Isaiah 64:6 ¶But we are all as an unclean
thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all
do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.
John 15:5 I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.
Thoughts and unctions can come from God or the devils. This is why it is important to try the spirits as commanded by God. If it is of God it will be done according to the Bible, which are the very words of God and it will line up from one end of the Bible to the other with nothing amiss.
Remember:
1 Corinthians 14:40 Let all things be done decently and in order.
This young man was apparently never in obedience to the Lord before this night and still is not, as he has apparently chosen to come to God in his own way, instead of the only way to God, which is through Jesus Christ the Son.
1 Timothy 2:5 For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;
We know that this young man has not chosen Jesus Christ or he would have already known God speaking to him through an established personal relationship that all believers are to have with the Father, as Jesus will manifest Himself to the true believers and both the Father and Son shall abide with them, as it is written.
John 14:21 He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.
So, we know see that this young man is no more than a thief and a robber in that:
John 10:1 ¶Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber. 2 But he that entereth in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. 3 To him the porter openeth; and the sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out. 4 And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice. 5 And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers.
Never in this e-mail is the only name by which we must be saved, ever mentioned.
Acts 4:12 Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.
Isn’t this denying Jesus Christ?
Matthew 10:33 But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven.
So, now I ask you, which God is this man listening to, “The God (whom no one can come to except through Jesus Christ)” or the master counterfeiter, Lucifer, and the devil who is “the god of THIS present world” (whether it is by himself or by one of his many servants)?
Now, as far as the last few sentences which are heart wrenching, the god of this world can answer the prayers of his own so that it would be a warm-hearted tear jerking blasphemy to seduce the living dead (spiritually un-regenerated) into further deception. This is so that he may maintain his hold on them that they may not know the truth and be saved.
As this short story has unfolded and concluded, I see the same lies and deception as I have in the TV shows and the movies. These generally work along emotional lines, especially towards the end, doing all or most-all things contrary to the word of God. They would show “the end justifies the means” as they use a good heartwarming result at the end as coming from wrong deeds and actions, such as lying, cheating and stealing, which they have thought throughout the entire program or movie. This instills these anti-biblical principals in us, as we are brainwashed over and over again. In other words the entire movie is built on lies and deception to conclude in a truth or “really-good” ending, proving by the world, that no one has to obey God to get the same results that God wants us to have in our lives. This is a great perversion of the truth and VERY deceptive to the unwary viewer.
For example: “He knew that God still answers prayers.” “God still answers prayers” is a true statement, but all that proceeded before is a bunch of new-age garbage and lies! What was it that Satan does, mix truth with error?
1 Corinthians 5:6 Your glorying is not good. Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump?
The same can be seen in the very last line of the e-mail: “If you believe that God is alive and well, send this to at least ten people.” Of course we all believe that God is alive and well! However is it true that we should promote and propagate this false doctrine to others by sending it to them?
2 John 1:9 Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son.
If you have been deceived by this e-mail, it is no wonder because we have all been in deception and we will probably all continue to be in some kind of deception until the Lord returns and has made us without spot or blemish. None of the works of God are of us, but Him through us. It is only by the grace of God that we have come out from under as much deception as we have. You see, Satan is the master deceiver and counterfeiter who has had much practice at his art and the first record of his deceptive work is back in the garden of Eden when he tried to steal and corrupt the very words of God in Genesis 3:1 with these words: “Yea, hath God said…” It is also apparent that he continues to steal the very words of God away even today through the perverted Bible perversions of today, which the average Christian of today thinks is the word of God while it is not. I guess many of the Christians today would not believe those books were Bibles if they did not resemble them in some way. The deception is in that it looks like the genuine article, a close copy, and a counterfeit. Who is the master deceiver, the devil?
Does God think the truth is important? I believe so:
2 Thessalonians 2:9 Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, 10 And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. 11 And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: 12 That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.
With the above Scripture in mind, which are the very words of God for the true Christians, do you think it would be important to know which Bible has the preserved words of God in them and which so-called Bibles are they that are the perversions?
I believe it is important!
Remember that God has promised He would preserve His word and not man.
There are the two faiths, the faith in and the faith of. First you have to believe that God is, and then you obey God, which makes your faith perfect, or the faith of “knowing.”
James 2:21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar? 22 Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect? 23 And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God.
It is not enough to merely believe, which is the first faith, but belief requires doing something as shown in the above verse, which perfects faith into “experiential knowing.”
Romans 1:17 For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.
Let us not die in our sins, but receive salvation through Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior.
Hebrews 5:9 And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him;
The Bible tell us how to know if we know the Lord:
1 John 2:3 ¶And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments.
4 He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. 5 But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him. 6 He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.
1 John 3:24 And he that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him, and he in him. And hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us.
Revelation 14:12 Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.
We have all been deceived and some of the best ways to start getting out of deception is to obey the commands of God, such as:
If we love God then we will obey Him and if we obey Him we know that we know Him. Why were the many so-called Christians rejected before the Lord and sentenced to eternal damnation? The Lord never knew them:
Matthew 7:21 ¶Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. 22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? 23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
24 Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: The rock is the very “Word of God.”
Being holy, set apart (to be in the world and not of the world), is one of the most difficult things a believer can do, it is the narrow way in obedience to our Savior and Lord Jesus Christ which leadeth unto life (salvation) and few there be that find it. If it were easy, then many there would be that would find it and go in thereat.
Matthew 7:13 Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: 14 Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.
Choose you this day whom you will serve! (Joshua 24:15)
Either
obey and seek after the truth with all your heart or don’t concern yourself
with any of it, for judgment will come and fall on the disobedient,
who believe not the truth.
2 Thessalonians 2:12 That they all might be
damned who believed not the truth…