Machaira With Apostle Bennie

Tag: Voice of God

  • EPISODE 671 – HEARING GOD’S VOICE 21 –PERCEIVING GOD’S VOICE 2 

    EPISODE 671 – HEARING GOD’S VOICE 21 –PERCEIVING GOD’S VOICE 2 

    CHRIST COMMONWEALTH-COMMUNITY

    The Love-Life Agency

    Download PDF
    The more you set your delight on the Word, the more you are saturated by its power. The power within the word in your heart will cause you to manifest what it says. Selah!
    Apostle Bennie
    Author
    Sunday, 24th November, 2024
     

    HEARING GOD’S VOICE 20 –

    PERCEIVING GOD’S VOICE 2  

    “I will hear what God the LORD will speak, for He will speak peace to His people and to His saints; But let them not turn back to folly” 

    Psalm 85:8 (NKJV)

    The voice of God is not the only voice there is in the universe. There are other voices apart from the voice of God.

    Also understand that anything made by God has a voice. And they only speak of God’s glory.

    “The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork. Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night sheweth knowledge. There is no speech nor language, where their voice is not heard. Their line is gone out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. In them hath he set a tabernacle for the sun” Psalm 19:1-4 (KJV)

    As I mentioned in yesterday’s episode, apart from God’s speaking, we also heard the voice of Man in Genesis.

    Man’s speaking was also to reveal the glory of God. However, when Man heeded to the voice of the devil through the serpent he became corrupt. That corruption of man’s soul affected the intention of His voice. Man’s voice became the voice of the self or the voice of the flesh.

    “But be clothed with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not listen to the flesh, to fulfil its desires.” Romans 13:14
    (Jubilee Bible 2000)

    The voice of the self or the flesh is man’s desires. They speak carnality and hostility towards the voice of the Lord.

    So there is:
    – The voice of God
    – The voice of Man
    – The voice of creation
    – The voice of the devil
    – The voice of the world.

    The voice of the adversary, the devil is the voice of corruption, deception and condemnation. He is called the accuser of the brethren.

    Through his deceptive work, he earned himself a place of control in this world. The scriptures refer to him as, “Satan, who is the god of this world…” (1 Corinthians 4:4, NLT).

    Through his deceptive voice, he was able to control the minds of men with darkness. And it affected the systems and structures designed by men. The voice of the world is the mindset of the world, built on deception.

    “They are the world’s children, and so their language is that of the world, and the world listens to them. We are God’s children” 1 John 4:5 (Weymouth New Testament).

    Now the question is, how can you distinguish the voice of God from the other voices?

    Remember, the word of God is the texture of God’s voice.

    To know the voice of God, you must know the word of God. The word of God communicates the character, the mind and the life of God. The Word of God is God explaining Himself.

    To know God’s voice is not a mystery. To know God’s voice is to know the word of God.

    There is no speaking of God which contradicts the character of God. Thus, in all things you must perceive the consistency of God’s character.

    If what you hear is not consistent with the character and nature of God, then it is not the voice of the Lord.

    Instead of running around looking for God’s voice, understand God’s character and nature through His word.

    Selah.

    DIG DEEPER
    (John 10:1-17; John 16:13; John 14:26)
     
    WE PRAY
    We pray that we shall grow in the understanding of God’s character that we may rightly discern his voice.
     
    BIBLE READING IN THE YEAR 2024
    1 Timothy 6
    2 Timothy 1 – 2
     
    DECLARE THESE WORDS:
    – The Bible is the active voice of the Living God to me today.
     
    – I refuse to neglect the word of God for it is God’s voice to me.
     
    – I stick to the word of God.
     
    – I grow deeply in the love for the scriptures daily.
     
    – I esteem the word of God as the authentic utterance of God to me.
     
    – I don’t give room for any deception.

    Thank you Lord for the gift of your word!

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  • EPISODE 670 – HEARING GOD’S VOICE 20 – PERCEIVING GOD’S VOICE 1

    EPISODE 670 – HEARING GOD’S VOICE 20 – PERCEIVING GOD’S VOICE 1

    CHRIST COMMONWEALTH-COMMUNITY

    The Love-Life Agency

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    You have what it takes to do what God has called you to do. Don’t be afraid to take responsibilities in Church. You are the man for the job! Selah!
    Apostle Bennie
    Author
    Saturday, 23rd November, 2024
     

    HEARING GOD’S VOICE 20 – PERCEIVING GOD’S VOICE 1

    “I will hear what God the LORD will speak, for He will speak peace to His people and to His saints; But let them not turn back to folly”

    Psalm 85:8 (NKJV)

    Through this discussion, we have journeyed through some crucial matters to obtain proper understanding of the word.

    From the beginning of this series, I patiently answered some important questions in previous episodes. Such as:

    – How do I hear the voice of God?

    – Does God still speak to Christians apart from the canonized Bible?

    – How does God speak to men?

    – Does God speak to all men (the good people and the evil people)? Does he speak to unbelievers also?

    – Is there really a voice of God or it’s a mere human hypothesis?

    – Which mediums does God use to speak to His people?

    – What is the texture of the Voice of God?

    I believe the journey so far into the answers and understanding of these questions has been a great blessing to you.

    There are more questions we will be answering from this episode onward. The goal is to give you a balanced understanding concerning this matter of hearing God’s voice.

    To move on further in this, we are going to answer these questions as well:

    – Are there other voices apart from the voice of God?

    – How do I distinguish God’s voice from other voices, if there are?

    – What is the difference between the voice of God and my imagination?

    – If God has given me a Pastor why do I need to hear His voice? If God speaks to me why do I need a Pastor to teach me the Word?

    Now these are genuine questions. [wpdiscuz-feedback id=”flrg5ybauv” question=”Ask your questions here.” opened=”1″] If you have more questions to ask or follow-up questions concerning hearing God’s voice, send it here or post it in the comment space.[/wpdiscuz-feedback]

    God speaks to us and expects us to hear His voice.

    Jesus said, “My own sheep will hear my voice…” John 10:27 (TPT).

    Now in the earlier verses of John 10, Jesus made a profound statement in His parable to the Pharisees:

    “…And the sheep recognize the voice of the true Shepherd, for he calls his own by name and leads them out, for they belong to him. And when he has brought out all his sheep, he walks ahead of them and they will follow him, for they are familiar with his voice. But they will run away from strangers and never follow them because they know it’s the voice of a stranger.” John 10 3-5 (TPT).

    So from this illustration, there is the voice of a stranger and the voice of the True Shepherd.

    Clearly, the scriptures affirm that there are other voices which contradict the voice of God.

    From the first chapter of Genesis to the second chapter, there was mainly the speaking of God. Apart from God man also spoke (Genesis 2:20,23). And in Genesis 3, we noticed a third voice (Genesis 3:1-5). The moment man heeded to that voice, corruption entered the world.

    In Genesis, chapters 1 to 3, you will find the voice of God, the voice of Man and the voice of the adversary through the serpent.

    Thus, there are definitely other voices apart from the voice of God.

    From the time man became corrupt, man’s voice became the voice of the self. The voice of the serpent which is the voice of the devil also became the voice of the world.

    What sets you up to fulfill your purpose is the voice of God. 

    You can only please God when you take heed to His voice.

    And now God’s ultimate voice is Christ and His speaking is constituted as the Word of God.

    Through your fellowship with the word of God, you are able to perceive and know the voice of God. When you have that rich knowledge and perception of God’s voice, you can clearly tell God’s voice amidst the crowd or the noise.

    Give your mind to the revelation of the Word and you will perceive the voice of strangers.

    Selah.

    DIG DEEPER
    (Genesis 1 – 3; John 10:1-17)
     
    WE PRAY
    We pray that we shall grow in the knowledge of the word and develop the intelligence to perceive and discern the voice of the Lord amidst the noise around us.
     
    BIBLE READING IN THE YEAR 2024
    1 Timothy 3 – 5
     
    DECLARE THESE WORDS:
    – The Bible is the active voice of the Living God to me today.
     
    – I refuse to neglect the word of God for it is God’s voice to me.
     
    – I stick to the word of God.
     
    – I grow deeply in the love for the scriptures daily.
     
    – I esteem the word of God as the authentic utterance of God to me.
     
    – I don’t give room for any deception.

    Thank you Lord for the gift of your word!

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  • EPISODE 647 – HEARING GOD’S VOICE 8 – How Do I Hear God’s Voice? 3

    EPISODE 647 – HEARING GOD’S VOICE 8 – How Do I Hear God’s Voice? 3

    CHRIST COMMONWEALTH-COMMUNITY

    The Love-Life Agency

    Download PDF
    Do you want to flourish beyond measure? Let the Holy Spirit take over your soul.
    Apostle Bennie
    Author
    Thursday, 31st October, 2024
     

    HEARING GOD’S VOICE 8 –

    How Do I Hear God’s Voice? 3

    “I will hear what God the LORD will speak, For He will speak peace To His people and to His saints; But let them not turn back to folly” 

    Psalm 85:8 (NKJV)

    As we have seen, the Bible is the primary medium by which God speaks to every believer and person.

    One of the lies the adversary has propounded in our generation is that the Bible is not the word of God. I have explained this in previous parts of this series in other episodes, as I briefly explained the canonization of the Bible.

    Another deception of the adversary that has crept into the heart of men is that the Bible is not relevant in today’s world. The goal of the adversary is to destroy the confidence of people in the Bible. There are people who don’t think God speaks to them through the Bible today. They only recognize the Bible as a consistent historic manuscript. To them, they are only for our minds to be educated on the happenings or the events of the centuries past.

    The scriptures or the Bible don’t just communicate accurate historical facts. It is more than a history book or a collection of ancient texts. The Bible is the Word of God. 

    God speaks clearly to anyone who commits his heart to listen to the words of the Bible.

    There are people who read the Bible, close it and wait for God to speak to them miraculously; either by an audible voice, a vision or dream or some strange vibrations.

    The Bible is the active voice of the living God to you today.

    This is why not reading and meditating on the words of the Bible, makes you vulnerable to deceptive thoughts of the adversary and defeat.

    God will not say anything to you which contradicts His word. So instead of looking for God to speak to you from the skies, go to the Bible (which is the Word of God).

    God recognized the scriptures as His voice.

    During the Bible reading plan of this devotional, Machaira with Apostle Bennie (do well to follow the Bible reading plan), I observed an interesting scene in 2 Kings 18.

    In the ninth year of Hoshea king of Israel, Samaria was taken and then the king of Assyria carried Israel captive to Assyria.
    The scripture explained this defeat of Israel:

    “because they did not obey the voice of the LORD their God but transgressed his covenant, even all that Moses the servant of the LORD commanded. They neither listened nor obeyed“ 2 Kings 18:12 (ESV).

    In this verse, you will notice the Lord’s covenant was acknowledged as the Voice of the Lord. The covenant of the Lord was articulated in the commandment of the Lord which was given through Moses. The commandments of Moses to the people of Israel were seen as the Law (Torah, revelation) of God.

    They kept the commandments also known as the statutes of the Lord, as the Word of the Lord to them. Whenever they read the commandments, they didn’t just see historical facts but heard the voice of the Lord. Disobedience to the commandment was disobedience to the voice of the Lord.

    After Moses’ death, God spoke to Joshua (the new leader) to keep and live by the Book of the Law (Joshua 1:18). God didn’t command Joshua to look out for the voice of the Lord in the sky. This doesn’t mean God didn’t speak to Joshua through other means. But then, whatever Joshua did was according to the commandment of the Lord which was given through Moses. And that was what he consistently instructed the people of Israel (Joshua 22:5).

    David kept the commandment of the Lord and instructed his son Solomon to keep and live by the statutes of the Lord as it was written in the law of Moses.

    “And keep the charge of the Lord thy God, to walk in his ways, to keep his statutes, and his commandments, and his judgments, and his testimonies, as it is written in the law of Moses, that thou mayest prosper in all that thou doest, and whithersoever thou turnest thyself” 1 Kings 2:3 (KJV)

    Now we see Hezekiah the king of Judah, who kept the commandment of the Lord, which He commanded Moses. And the Lord was with Hezekiah and prospered him everywhere he went (See 2 Kings 18:6-7).

    But as I have shared earlier Hoshea the king of Israel did not obey the voice of the Lord (which was the Lord’s commandment to Moses).

    Get this: Hoshea was king of Israel in the days of Hezekiah the king of Judah. And this defeat of Israel happened while Hezekiah was in his sixth-year reign.

    From the time God led Israel through Moses from Egypt to the time of Hezekiah and Hoshea was about 750 or 800 years.

    This means for about 750 or 800 years the word of the Lord to Moses was relevant. 

    The word of the Lord does not expire.

    Beloved the scriptures are relevant even in today’s post-modern world. Though we must rightly divide it (2 Timothy 2:15) according to the covenants and revelation of Jesus; so that we can make proper application consistent with the New Testament.

    Someone will argue again that, the epistles written to Corinthians, Ephesians, Galatians, and Thessalonians have nothing to do with those who are not in those cities. That is not logical enough.

    The scientific, technological and medical solutions provided and written by these intelligent and learned men were solutions to solve problems within their society but benefited all men and many generations.

    The epistles which were written were read in all churches (Colossians 4:16) and acknowledged by the early Church fathers as well.

    How did Peter acknowledge the writings of Paul to his audience (2 Peter 3:16)?

    This is what you should know about the voice of the Lord or the speaking of God in the scriptures:

    “Every Scripture has been written by the Holy Spirit, the breath of God. It will empower you by its instruction and correction, giving you the strength to take the right direction and lead you deeper into the path of godliness. Then you will be God’s servant, fully mature and perfectly prepared to fulfill any assignment God gives you.” 2 Timothy 3:16-17 (TPT).

    The scriptures speak because:

    1. It instructs you.
    2. It corrects you.
    3. It directs you.
    4. It leads you.

    As God speaks to you through the scriptures, beloved, hear His voice and don’t harden your heart.

    Selah!

    DIG DEEPER
    (Jeremiah 15:16; Job 23:12; Revelation 10:9; Romans 4:23; Romans 15:4; Hebrews 2:3)
     
    WE PRAY
    We pray that our heart shall grow deeply in the love for the scriptures and we shall daily esteem the word of God as the authentic utterance of God to us.
     
    BIBLE READING IN THE YEAR 2024
    Romans 6 – 8
     
    DECLARE THESE WORDS:
    – The word of  God is relevant to me today.
     
    – I refuse to neglect the word of God for it is God’s voice to me.
     
    – I stick to the word of God.
     
    – I grow deeply in the love for the scriptures daily.
     
    – I esteem the word of God as the authentic utterance of God to me.
     
    – I don’t look into the shadows, I rather look into the word.
     
    – I don’t give room for any deception.

    – I remain resolute in my conviction of the revelation of Jesus.

    Thank you Lord for the gift of your word!

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  • EPISODE 646 – HEARING GOD’S VOICE 7 – How Do I Hear God’s Voice? 2

    EPISODE 646 – HEARING GOD’S VOICE 7 – How Do I Hear God’s Voice? 2

    CHRIST COMMONWEALTH-COMMUNITY

    The Love-Life Agency

    Download PDF
    The Word goes into your heart as a seed, and through meditation, it comes out as the rhema word for harvesting. Beloved, meditate on it until you take hold of the Rhema in your heart.
    Apostle Bennie
    Author
    Wednesday, 30th October, 2024
     

    HEARING GOD’S VOICE 7 –

    How Do I Hear God’s Voice? 2

    “I will hear what God the LORD will speak, For He will speak peace To His people and to His saints; But let them not turn back to folly” 

    Psalm 85:8 (NKJV)

    As part of answering these questions:

    1. Is there really a voice of God or it’s a mere human hypothesis?

    2. Does God speak to all men (the good people and the evil people, believers and unbelievers)?

    3. Why does God speak to men? What is the drive or intention of His speaking?

    4. Does God still speak to christians/believers apart from the canonized Bible?

    I have also answered these questions in yesterday’s episode:

    5. What is the texture of the Voice of God?

    6. Which mediums does God use to speak to His people? Or How does God speak to men?

    I answered those questions whiles addressing the issue of how one can hear the Voice of God.

    Jesus said:

    “My sheep hear my voice…and they follow me” (John 10:27)

    Now if you even think He was only referring to the disciples He had at that time He was speaking, then check this one He also said:

    “And other sheep I have which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they will hear My voice; and there will be one flock and one shepherd” John 10:16 (NKJV)

    This is similar to what He said in His prayer for His disciples in John 17:20.

    “I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word” (NKJV)

    Jesus prayed for all believers in the above verse.

    The same way Jesus refers to all believers as His sheep, and we will all hear His voice.

    Which means Jesus doesn’t think any believer of His sheepfold will not be able to hear His voice.

    One interesting thing Jesus said about the good shepherd was this:

    “And when he brings out his own sheep, he goes before them; and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice” John 17:4 (NKJV).

    This verse exposes the difference between how a believer and an unbeliever receive God’s speaking.

    When God speaks to an unbeliever he may not immediately know it’s the voice of the Lord because he doesn’t know the Lord.

    An example was Paul’s conversion experience.
    When the Lord called his name, he knew it was a Supernatural voice, but didn’t know who exactly it was. So he asked: “Who are you Lord?” (Acts 9:5).

    When a believer hears the voice of the Lord, he must know without doubt that it is the Lord speaking. As long as you are born again, you have what it takes to hear the voice of the Lord and follow His leading.

    Any believer who argues in his heart whether a voice he is hearing is the voice of the Lord or not, doesn’t fully have the revelation of the word of God abounding in His heart.

    Jesus is God’s complete revelation of God. He is God’s speaking to all men. To know God’s voice you must have the revelation of Jesus. You cannot have the revelation of Jesus without the knowledge of the scriptures. The scriptures testify of Him (John 5:39).

    Jesus said to the Jews, they do not believe Him even though the Father has testified of Him. And it is because they have neither heard the Father’s voice, nor seen His form (John 5:37) and they ultimately don’t believe because they don’t have the word of the Father in them (John 5:38).

    Which means if they should have had the word of the Father in them, they would have known how the scriptures testify of Him as the Christ.

    The accurate revelational-knowledge of the Word of God will help you know the true texture of God’s voice.

    Until you train your heart and mind to know God through the scriptures you will wrongly perceive the voice of the Lord.

    Before His ascension, the Lord Jesus told the believers about the coming of the Holy Spirit to them as another comforter. The Lord was clear that the Holy Spirit will not say anything which will contradict His word (or the revelation of Him).

    “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. He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you.” John 16:13-14 (KJV)

    As I have said before in this series, God may speak to you through dreams, visions, angelic encounters, but THE WORD OF GOD is GOD’S PRIMARY means of speaking to you now.

    You may ask, “how about the Holy Spirit?”;

    God speaks to you by the Holy Spirit as a witness of what He has said to you through His Word. As to touching divine communication:

    1. The Holy Spirit leads or guides you through the Word of God (the Bible, which is the aggregation of the revelation of Jesus). And as He guides you, He helps you to receive illumination or understanding of the Word.
    You see, when you pray to the LORD to enlighten the eyes of your understanding, The Holy Spirit opens your heart and mind that you may be able to see the treasures of truth in the scriptures.

    2. When the Holy Spirit leads you through the Word, and helps you glean the truth of the Word, He speaks to you from the bank of the scriptures in your heart. The essence of anything the Holy Spirit will say to you is drawn from the wells of the scriptures in your heart.

    You cannot miss out on the voice of the Lord when you are full of the word of God.

    You cannot be confused about angelic encounters, the dreams you have and the visions you see when your heart is illuminated with the scriptures. As we may discuss in other episodes, the devil also can put words in your heart; to look as though it is the word of God. But you must know this precious one, there is no truth in and of the devil. He is the father of lies and deception.

    There are people who thought they encountered an angel of God but instead they encountered an agent of the devil. These people begin to operate by the things they heard from this evil or demonic spirit and assume they are operating by some new and superior revelation of Jesus or of God.

    Paul asked “who are you Lord?”, when he heard the voice. And he did not go ahead to just teach any other revelation apart from what was consistent with the scriptures. He did not prove his teaching of the gospel by just his experiences and encounters but with the scriptures.

    No matter what you hear from the Lord or how you hear the voice of the Lord, it must be consistent with the accurate revelation of the scriptures.

    Don’t crave for a voice beyond or above the revelation of His Word.

    Selah.

    DIG DEEPER
    (Jeremiah 15:16; Job 23:12; Revelation 10:9; Romans 4:23; Romans 15:4; Hebrews 2:3)
     
    WE PRAY
    We pray that our heart shall grow deeply in the love for the scriptures and we shall daily esteem the word of God as the authentic utterance of God to us.
     
    BIBLE READING IN THE YEAR 2024
    Romans 3 – 5
     
    DECLARE THESE WORDS:
    – I stick to the word of God.
     
    – I grow deeply in the love for the scriptures daily.
     
    – I esteem the word of God as the authentic utterance of God to me.
     
    – I don’t look into the shadows, I rather look into the word.
     
    – I don’t give room for any deception.
     

    – I remain resolute in my conviction of the revelation of Jesus.

    Thank you Lord for the gift of your word!

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  • EPISODE 645 – HEARING GOD’S VOICE 6 – How Do I Hear God’s Voice? 1

    EPISODE 645 – HEARING GOD’S VOICE 6 – How Do I Hear God’s Voice? 1

    CHRIST COMMONWEALTH-COMMUNITY

    The Love-Life Agency

    Download PDF
    Whether you are conscious of it or not, you are always involved in some level of meditation. The issue has always been what you are meditating on daily. If you want to see the results of the Word of God, you must meditate on the Word. Selah!
    Apostle Bennie
    Author
    Tuesday 29th October, 2024
     

    HEARING GOD’S VOICE 6 –

    How Do I Hear God’s Voice? 1

    “I will hear what God the LORD will speak, For He will speak peace To His people and to His saints; But let them not turn back to folly” 

    Psalm 85:8 (NKJV)

    Through this new devotional series on this Machaira with Apostle Bennie platform, I have answered a number of questions such as:

    1. Is there really a voice of God or it’s a mere human hypothesis?

    2. Does God speak to all men (the good people and the evil people, believers and unbelievers)?

    3. Why does God speak to men? What is the drive or intention of His speaking?

    4. Does God still speak to Christians/believers apart from the canonized Bible?

    Now we move on to address the most asked question:

    How do I hear the Voice of God?

    Knowing how to hear the voice of God will help you follow the direction of the Lord, in this noisy pluralistic–postmodern world.

    To fully know how to hear God’s voice, you must understand how God speaks.
    When you know and understand how God speaks you won’t have doubts when you hear Him speak to you. When you also know how God speaks you will know the voice of God when you hear His speaking.

    Before the revelation of Jesus, God spoke in different ways or mediums to His people and even to all men.

    “God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son…” Hebrews 1:1-2 (KJV)

    From yesterday’s episode, I explained how everything God says to you now must be consistent with the scriptures (the Bible, which is the Word of God).

    Before Christ was revealed, God spoke to the Fathers mainly through the Prophets. And these Prophets and some of the fathers also received a message from the Lord through:

    1. His creation.
    “The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork. Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night sheweth knowledge.” Psalms 19:1-2 (KJV) See also: Romans 1:18-20.

    2. Dreams and Visions 
    (1 Kings 3:5; Matthew 2:13; Genesis 15:1; Acts 9:10; Acts 10:1-6)

    3. Angels 
    ( Luke 1:19; 26-38)

    The scriptures reveal that God also spoke audibly or in a loud voice. Such speaking was described as the sound of thunder (Job 37:4-5; ), a trumpet (Revelation 4:1) or even a noise of many waters (Ezekiel 43:2).

    During Paul’s conversion, the people that were with him heard only a sound but Paul heard the Lord’s voice (Acts 9:4,7).

    The Lord also spoke in a still small voice.

    Then He said, “Go out, and stand on the mountain before the Lord.” And behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind tore into the mountains and broke the rocks in pieces before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake; and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a still small voice. So it was, when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood in the entrance of the cave. Suddenly a voice came to him, and said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” 1 Kings 19:11-13 (NKJV)

    Though God still communicates or speaks through His angels, created things, dreams, and visions in these times, He ultimately speaks through His word.

    Some people are in search of an angelic encounter, a trance or a mystical prophetic vision before they know the Lord is talking to them. Some look out for signs before they respond to the instructions of the Lord just as Gideon did (Judges 6:33-40).

    God’s present Word to man is the revelation of Jesus.

    It doesn’t matter the angelic encounter you have or the vision you receive, if the encounter or vision doesn’t give a message consistent with the gospel or revelation of Jesus, then it is not from God.

    “Anyone who comes to you with a different message than the grace gospel that you have received will have the curse of God come upon them! For even if we or an angel appeared before you, to give you a different gospel than what we have already proclaimed, God’s curse will be upon them.” Galatians 1:8 (TPT)

    This then means that the Word of God (which is the revelation of Jesus) is the texture of the Voice (or speaking or any communication) of God.

    Selah.

    DIG DEEPER
    (John 10: 3-5, 8, 16, 27; Romans 8:16; Romans 4:23; Romans 15:4; Hebrews 2:3)
     
    WE PRAY
    We pray that the word of God will dwell in us richly and that we can discern the texture of God’s voice in what we hear.
     
    BIBLE READING IN THE YEAR 2024
    Acts 28
    Romans 1 – 2
     
    DECLARE THESE WORDS:
    – I esteem the word of God above all voices I hear.
     
    – I judge every spiritual encounter, vision or voice by the revelation of Jesus.
     
    – I don’t give room for any deception.
     
    – I remain resolute in my conviction of the revelation of Jesus.

    Thank you Lord for the gift of your voice.

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  • EPISODE 639 – HEARING GOD’S VOICE 1

    EPISODE 639 – HEARING GOD’S VOICE 1

    CHRIST COMMONWEALTH-COMMUNITY

    The Love-Life Agency

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    When you see Jesus you have seen the Father, for He is one with the Father. Beloved Jesus is not a god, He is God. Be convinced in this reality as you journey along the day.
    Apostle Bennie
    Author
    Wednesday, 23rd October, 2024
     

    HEARING GOD’S VOICE 1

    “And falling to the ground, he heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?”

    Acts 9:4 (ESV)

    One of the questions I have been asked the most is:

    ‘HOW DO I HEAR THE VOICE OF GOD?’

    Well I know you may also have this question in mind.

    Growing up in the faith, I also had questions. Through intense study and the supply of God’s wisdom and grace, I found answers to these questions.

    Some of the questions I asked in my study of the Word of God includes:

    – Does God still speak to christians apart from the canonized Bible?

    – How do I hear the voice of God?

    – What is the difference between the voice of God and my imagination?

    – If God speaks to me why do I need a Pastor to teach me the Word?

    – If God has given me a Pastor why do I need to hear His voice?

    – How does God speak to men?

    – Which mediums does God use to speak to His people?

    – Does God speak to all men (the good people and the evil people)? Does he speak to unbelievers also?

    – Is there really a voice of God or it’s a mere human hypothesis?

    – What is the texture of the Voice of God if He has a voice?

    – Are there other voices apart from the voice of God?

    – How do I distinct God’s voice from other voices, if there are?

    I will be taking you on a journey into the answers and understanding of these questions.

    Most people are careful to ask questions. But that is not the right thing to do. You must not be careful to ask questions. 

    The questions you ask are not as dangerous as the motive in your heart concerning those questions.

    Always ask questions with a genuine heart. When your goal of asking questions is to increase your doubt, you will find the wrong answers. If your goal is to increase in faith and to understand God, you will find the right answers.

    I will take time to systematically answer the questions. However, with this first part, I will get your mind steered towards the direction of the Word and not just what you have felt about these questions.

    The opening verse of this episode is about the apostle Paul’s dramatic encounter with Jesus on his way to Damascus to persecute those who believe in Jesus.
    He was on a mission similar to “Jihadists”, breathing out murderous threats against the disciples of Jesus.

    It was on such a mission he fell by a sudden bright light which flashed around him. And then a voice spoke to him.

    Paul (also known as Saul) knew this wasn’t a natural voice. He knew clearly that it was a Supernatural being. Nevertheless he didn’t know which Superior Spirit was speaking to him. And as intelligent as he was, he asked “Who are you Lord?”

    And the Lord replied, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.”

    This is an amazing experience.

    There is a lot to learn or glean from this encounter or experience of Paul (Acts 9:1-19)

    1. God speaks and knows you personally. He knows your motives and your moves. And can speak in a language you will understand.
    He called Saul by his name. He didn’t just mention his name once for him to think it was a mere coincidence. He intentionally mentioned his name twice, as a witness that He knows him personally. He also knew Saul’s plan.

    Someone will ask, “why didn’t He call him Paul but Saul?”
    He was speaking to Paul in Hebrew. And Paul’s Hebrew name was Saul. If God was speaking to Him in Greek, He would have used Paul (because Paul was his Greek name).

     2. God doesn’t just speak, He always has motives behind every speaking. The first time the scripture mentioned God speaking was in creation (Genesis 1:2).  God speaks but not without purpose. Anytime God speaks, He achieves a goal.

    3. God is a master communicator. He can speak to you and encrypt the message only for you.
    As He spoke to Saul (the apostle) the people who were with him, didn’t hear the voice of the Lord. They only heard a sound. That was divine master-stroke.

    4. God speaks to everyone. He spoke to Saul with a murderous agenda.
    Saul was not a disciple of Jesus.

    5. Everyone can hear the voice of God. You don’t need to be holy to hear the Voice of God. Saul called himself chief of all sinners.
     
     See 1 Timothy 1:15 (KJV):
    “This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.”

    6. Your obedience to the voice of God is your choice and not His. Saul could have returned to Jerusalem and not obeyed the voice he heard. But he chose to obey the voice of the Lord.

    When Paul narrated his experience to King Agrippa, he also addressed his response to the voice and the vision of the Lord.

    “Wherefore, O king Agrippa, I was not disobedient unto the heavenly vision” Acts 26:19 (ESV).

    Precious one, God speaks to you and wants you to hear His voice.

    DIG DEEPER
    (Acts 9:1-19; Psalm 29:1-11; Psalm 62:11)
     
    WE PRAY
    We pray thanking the Lord for His voice and His genuine concern for our lives.
     
    BIBLE READING IN THE YEAR 2024
    Acts 10 – 12
     
    DECLARE THESE WORDS:
    – Thank you Lord for the gift of your voice.
     
    – The Lord knows me personally and speaks to me.
     
    – I hear the voice of God and I obey.
     
    Thank you Lord Jesus!

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