My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.  And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. (John 10:27-28)

Sounds pretty good doesn't it? Being one of God’s people means hearing His voice, and we all want to hear God’s voice. “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.”  But when we say we want to know God’s voice, it implies a number of things:  

The first thing this implies is that there is a God. Now, through the written Word of God, the Holy Bible and through the revelation of His Holy Spirit, we know for a fact that there is one true God capital ‘G’. If you are not sure of the existence of God then I’m concerned about you, but glad you are here. Maybe that’s something you need to discuss with your Pastor. But for the sake of this discussion I am going to assume that everyone reading this believes in God.

The second thing that desiring to hear God`s voice implies is that this amazing God that created the universe and everything in it from atoms to apples, communicates with man. The Bible is the divinely inspired written record of God's relationship with man, but also, His communication with man; after all what is a relationship without communication? It details the ways in which God spoke to man and man’s response, both as individuals and as nations to the voice of God. So we can have confidence because the Bible confirms that God communicates with men and women.

The third thing implied is that we can recognize His voice when He speaks to us. The Bible verifies that believers can know the voice of God and respond to Him. Earlier in John 10:16 Jesus said this: And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice, and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd. Jesus foreshadows the church and declares that God is reaching out to the heathen Gentiles. Us. These people, again us; that had not known the one true God, and not heard His voice; would one day, not only hear God but would follow Him as well. So we know that we can indeed recognize the voice of God.

The fourth and final thing that is implied by this is that God has something to say to us. In Hebrews 3:7-11, Paul gives us a warning from the book of Psalms: “Today, if you will hear His voice, Do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion, In the day of trial in the wilderness, Where your fathers tested Me, tried Me, And saw My works forty years. Therefore I was angry with that generation, And said, ‘They always go astray in their heart, And they have not known My ways.’ So I swore in My wrath, ‘They shall not enter My rest.’” 

When God is taking about the "trial in the wilderness" and the "rebellion" He is referring to the disobedience of the nation of Israel. After Israel was delivered from captivity in Egypt, they repeatedly disobeyed God, they wouldn't listen when He spoke to them. God was telling them very important things, God had something to say. In these verses God warns us to respond when He speaks and not disobey as Israel did.     

To bring this back around, when Paul says: "today, if you will hear His voice," he confirms that God still speaks to us now just the same as He did then. The warning to listen confirms that what He has to say is important.

So how do we pick out God`s voice when there are many voices in the world clamoring for attention? In I Corinthians 14:10, 2000 years before the information age Paul picked out the problem: There are, it may be, so many kinds of voices in the world, and none of them is without signification. The world presses us on every side, trying to drown out God’s voice beneath the droning of social media, mind numbing TV, drawn out movies, and ADD pop culture. Seriously, did you know there are these micro videos out now? It’s like Youtube but the videos can’t be longer than 60 seconds, because who has time to watch 5-10 minute videos anymore? Makes me want to put the ‘facepalm’ emote on a loop. But all of the noise in the universe even Youtube, can be boiled down to 4 voices.         

THE VOICE OF MAN:      
The first voice is easy to recognize, your hearing it right now. It is the voice of man, the audible voice of every other person on the planet. Sometimes the voice of man may give wise advice and sometimes not so wise, sometimes we are called to listen to each other, then again, sometimes not; but anytime the voice of man conflicts with the voice of God, you must obey God. In Acts 5:29 Peter is quoted as saying “We ought to obey God rather than men.”       

THE VOICE OF SATAN:  
The second voice you hear, is the one we want to hear the least, and that is the voice of Satan. If you believe in God then you must accept the existence of Satan. Period. The voice of Satan was first heard by man when he spoke to Eve in the Garden of Eden. You can read about this in Genesis, chapter 3:1-5. Satan's voice lies, deceives, and always attempts to lead man into sin and away from God. Satan does not need to gain anything from it. Satan has lost the war and he only has one agenda now; cause God as much pain as he can before being tossed into the pit and the only way He can do that is by hurting God’s adopted children. In Matthew 4:1-13 you can easily recognize Satan’s voice as he tries to tempt Jesus and Jesus responds with the Word. Evil spirits (demons of Satan) also have voices: Now in the synagogue there was a man who had a spirit of an unclean demon. And he cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Let us alone! What have we to do with You, Jesus of Nazareth? Did You come to destroy us? I know who You are—the Holy One of God!” (Luke 4:33-34)           

Sometimes the voice of Satan is actually audible when demons use the vocal cords of a possessed man or woman. Most of the time, however, Satan speaks in a near inaudible voice. He whispers lies, deceit, and sinful thoughts into your ear in an effort to draw you away from God’s path. I realize some of what I am saying is uncomfortable to hear, but warfare is rarely comfortable and in spiritual warfare and natural warfare, knowing is half the battle. I spent three quarters of my life comfortable; far from God, but comfortable.        

THE VOICE OF SELF:     
The third voice we hear, more often than not, is the voice of self. Man talking to himself. Jesus showed us examples of this in Luke 16:3 in the parable of the steward “Then the steward said within himself, ‘What shall I do? For my master is taking the stewardship away from me. And in John18:4 in the parable of the widow the Judge says but afterward he said within himself, ‘Though I do not fear God nor regard man. Your conscience, your sub-conscience, talking to yourself, your thoughts we need to be cautious concerning the voice of self. In Matthew 6:24: Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.

I do not believe Jesus was just talking about denying ourselves our selfish desires of the flesh, but also of denying the voice of self and follow Him. So, if we are to deny ourselves, turn away from the voice of that old chowder head Satan, and be wary of the voice of man... Then that only leaves one voice we should be listening to.           

THE VOICE OF GOD:      
Jesus said believers could know God’s voice and distinguish it from other voices:   

To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice; and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. And when he brings out his own sheep, he goes before them; and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. Yet they will by no means follow a stranger, but will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.” (John 10:3-5)           

Believers are compared to sheep, sheepeople if you will. It is the characteristic of sheep not to know where they are going, or care. They just wander around. Don’t care where they are, just as long as the grass doesn't run out. They must be led. We must be led. Left to our own devices, and things do not go well. Jesus said He is the shepherd, the leader of the sheep. He said His sheep would know His voice and follow Him instead of the voices of man, self, or Satan. 

HEARING THE VOICE OF GOD           
Now you might be saying, “That’s great! But how do we distinguish the voice of God among all the clatter of the other 3 voices?” God built us to hear His voice. God created us with the intention that we would always be able to have a relationship and open communication with Him. Look to the book of Genesis and read chapters 1-3 you’ll see what I’m talking about. These chapters record the creation of the world and of the first human beings, Adam and Eve. From the time of creation, God communicated His will to mankind and mankind listened. Until he didn't, but that’s another sermon.

Hearing God’s voice isn't the real issue, God wants you to know His voice so then you will understand His will as He speaks it to you. Learning to receive divine guidance is learning to walk in intimate fellowship with God. Jesus said: “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’” (Matthew 4:4) 

I don’t know about you, but every time I read this verse I feel like it deserves a sound track. You know? It hits me and I can hear a deep epic orchestra piece, and see a slow motion pan of someone coming to a major life realization. Or maybe that’s just me.

The word "proceeds" speaks of a continuing function; not something that use to happen. It means something that happened in the past, is happening in the present, and will continue to happen in the future. As long as there is GOD, life giving communication will continue to flow. God speaks to communicate His will to mankind. This is why it is important to know the voice of God.

WHEN GOD SPEAKS       
There are many ways God speaks to us, but there is one way that is universal to all of us, and that is through His Word. There are two Greek words translated as "word" in the Bible. The Greek words are "logos" and "rhema." "Logos" refers to the written Word of God. "Rhema" refers to the living or life-giving Word of God. There is a great example of this in Acts 17:    

These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word (rhema) with all readiness of mind, and searched the Scriptures (logos) daily, whether those things were so. (Acts 17:11)         

I know atheists who know the Bible much better than me. They can quote scripture and verse fluently, arguing timelines and minutia for hours, but only understanding the “logos” Word of God; the wise parables of Jesus and the cautionary tales of the Old Testament. Without the “rhema” Word of God, the Bible has little spiritual impact. The “logos” is wisdom but the “rhema” is relationship.

A "rhema" Word may be communicated through a sermon or a verse from the Bible which suddenly strikes you with great meaning. Like Matthew 4:4 for me earlier. It may be spoken to you by God through the use of spiritual gifts. But remember: The "rhema" Word will always agree with the written Word of God. The written Word of God is complete. It is a very bad idea to try to add something to the Bible, or try to omit something from it.

For I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds to these things, God will add to him the plagues that are written in this book; and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part from the Book of Life, from the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book. (Revelation 22:18-19).  

I have to stress this again because I believe this is of vital importance; when God speaks to us it will always be in harmony with His written Word. This is one way you can tell the message is from God.    

The more we rest in the presence of God, the more we desire a relationship with Him; to press into Him. God wants to have conversation with you today right now; and if you want to hear His voice you need to focus on His Word. When Satan tried to tempt Him, Jesus responded with the Word. When man tried to confuse Him and create loop-holes, Jesus responded with the Word. When Jesus was stressed to the point of sweating blood in the garden and common sense would be to run like heck, Jesus responded with the Word and asked His followers to pray for Him; listened to His Father, and took the cup God had handed Him.

When we have a relationship with God He will reach out to us through diverse and unique means. For me, as I have said before, God and I have a running conversation in the back of my head. He also uses other people, even our situations to speak to us. And sometimes He uses that still small voice. But there is one way that is common to all of us. By meditating on the “logos” Word of God and opening our minds and our hearts to His “rhema” Word.

Take some time today to bask in His presence. Don’t listen to other people, shut out the enemy, don’t allow your own thoughts to distract you. Have a conversation with your Heavenly Father who loves you. Just listen to His still small voice.

Why do we suffer? How can a loving God allow those He loves to suffer through pain and death? Who is God to judge who goes to hell? What should I think about a God who allows people like Hitler and Dalmer to slaughter so many innocent people? When God created the world, why did He create evil? Where was this God of yours when my loved one lay dying in a hospital bed?

There are times when each and every one of us has asked at least one of these questions; if not in as many words. These are painful and heart rending questions to answer because we know that the person asking is in pain themselves. I could spend hours on each question here and quote Scripture and verse what God says about each one but I feel that we need to look at these as a whole because they all revolve around the same subject.

I believe I have a thin grasp of the meaning of life. Life is like school, and God has sent us here with two things to learn. The first is to love God with all of our being. The second is to love others as we are loved by God. We spend our lives being taught by God how much He loves us. He teaches us through His compassion and grace. Some of us learn the lesson and devote our lives to Him; while others become absorbed in other things and miss the point. This is why Jesus commanded those who follow Him to love God: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.” (Matthew 22:37).

When we grasp this first lesson we begin to learn the second which is to love others as God loves us. As we begin to understand how God used our situations as opportunities to demonstrate His love for us; we begin to emulate this behaviour with those around us.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.  For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also abounds through Christ. Now if we are afflicted, it is for your consolation and salvation, which is effective for enduring the same sufferings which we also suffer. Or if we are comforted, it is for your consolation and salvation. And our hope for you is steadfast, because we know that as you are partakers of the sufferings, so also you will partake of the consolation. (2 Corinthians 1:3-7)

I look back on the first 30 years of my life, and I do not see pain. I do not see pain, or torment, or suffering, or tribulation. I see God lifting me out of the mud and helping me move forward. I see God using my mistakes to teach me how to reach out and love those who are going through what I did. I see God moulding me into a man who can weep at the suffering of a child, not because I too suffered, but because I love them and want to comfort them as God comforted me.

This world is full of hard lessons that sometimes hurt. This life has pit falls and suffering that try to draw us away from God. And like any school, there are some of us that will fall short of the goal. Sometimes our circumstances would even have us question if God really exists; but these lessons have a purpose, a divine purpose. When we die our lessons are over and our new life has begun. No more pain, no more suffering, no more tribulations; just an eternity with our loving Father in heaven. As long as we paid attention and learned the two lessons God has for us.

We suffer so that we can sooth the pains of others. All of our lessons are to recognize that God loves us and to teach us to administer to other as God administered to us.

Do you believe in Jesus? Do you really? I’m sure the first thought that comes to mind, (if you are a follower of Christ) is “Yes, of course I believe in Jesus!”

Jesus said: For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. (John 3:16-17 NKJV) I thought I had a firm understanding of these verses. To me I considered these ‘milk’ verses, easily understood and digested but of immense value. God used my wife this morning to show me just how wrong I was.

We were discussing our morning devotions and Connie shared with me something God had revealed to her. When we talk about believing in Jesus, most of the time we are talking about the existence of Jesus. Do you believe Jesus existed? Sometimes when we say we believe in Jesus, we are saying we believe what Jesus said about Himself and what others in the Bible said. Do you believe Jesus is the Christ, the Messiah, the Son of the Living God?

Now, to answer these questions are pretty simple. Did Jesus exist during the time He was said to have? The evidence is pretty substantial. There is proof from various sources including historical writings from Rome with no connection to Scripture. So how is this applicable to this Scripture? If we believe in the existence of Jesus we will have eternal life? This seems a little simplistic to me; after all, many Atheists, Muslims, and Jewish people can all agree that Jesus existed.

The second way people view this simple question, “Do you believe in Jesus?” is this: Do you believe Jesus Christ is the Son of God? This question seems to fit a lot better. If you believe Jesus Christ is the Son of God, then you can accept His sacrifice for your sins. And if you believe Jesus is the Son of God then it is inferred also that you believe in God. So if we believe Jesus Christ is who He says He is, then we shall have eternal life! But wait; there is a problem with this one too. Even Satan and his fallen brethren believe Jesus is who He says. They have known since the beginning. I look back on some of my darkest days, before I turned my life over to Christ. During that time I was following lies and dark practices. Even during those times, I can see that there was a part of me that understood who Jesus is. In the back of my heart I felt the glimmer of His truth; I just refused to see it out of shame, fear, and pain. With this being said, I’m not so sure that believing Jesus is the Son of God is what Jesus is expressing here.

So if Jesus is not talking about believing His existence or His divinity in this verse what could He mean? This was the revelation God shared with Connie and she shared with me. We need to believe in Jesus. Trust in Him and rely on Him without fear. Believe in His ability to follow through on His promises. Lean into Him when we suffer through tribulations knowing that when we are weak, He is strong. If we believe in Him and trust in Him we will have eternal life. Think of this when you look at the word ‘believe’ in other verses. Try replacing the word ‘believe’ with the words ‘trust in Jesus’ or ‘have faith in Jesus’

Jesus said Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him (trusted Him), “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” (John 8:31-32 NKJV)

“Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me (have faith in Me) to sin, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were drowned in the depth of the sea. (Matthew 8:16 NKJV)

As soon as Jesus heard the word that was spoken, He said to the ruler of the synagogue, “Do not be afraid; only believe (trust in Me).” (Mark 5:36 NKJV)

Jesus said to him, “If you can believe (have faith in Me), all things are possible to him who believes (trusts in Me).” (Mark 9:23)

Lean into Jesus, and trust Him as you go about your day today. Know that the love of God goes with you. And whenever you feel the stress of life getting to you, take a breath and ask yourself one simple question. Do you believe in Jesus?

For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature.  For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. (Romans 7:18 NIV)

It is a difficult thing to admit, that we have no control over our lives.  Society today tells us on every form of media that we are the masters of our own destiny, and that we can take control of our lives if we only have the willpower.  Scripture on the other hand, teaches us that this is an illusion.  We want to do good for our fellow man, but without God in control of our lives all of our heart-felt efforts are in vein.

How in the past have you tried to help others through your own efforts?

What were the results?

Do you believe that the results would have been better or worse if you had allowed God to be in control during these situations?