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NASB | John 10:4 "When he puts forth all his own, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice. |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | John 10:4 "When he has brought all his own sheep outside, he walks on ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice and recognize his call. |
Subject: How to teach people to hear God's voice? |
Bible Note: Hi, Doc! So are you saying that God has no means of communicating with us? Are you saying that aside of Biblical Text God is mute? Are you saying that anyone who claims to have some communication from God is deluting him/herself or is making things up? Personal Experience: Some years back I was struggling with my Faith... things were going well on some aspects of life but I wanted more--and fast! I had resolved that there was no God! I could not find evidence that God existed outside of "Faith;" that is, God was what people deemed God to be--Christians the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; others whatever they called him/her... I was drowning! I did not want to read the Bible! I did not want to hear a man make a speech! Yet... I was questioning Jesus! I was asking for answers! I was asking for proof! ...for several years I traveled the same path to and from work... I basically met or saw the same people on a dialy basis--sometimes more than once since I left the office during the various breaks... not once did anyone ever addressed me other than the courteous greeting that New Yorkers give each other... sure the merchants are friendly, but, mostly, people go on their own business exchanging empty smiles and glances... It was not so on this particular day! There was this one guy who I'd often seen loading and unloading cleaning equiptment and suppies who out of the blue (we had never exchange a single word prior to that fateful day) said to me: "Jesus loves you." He did not say anything more! He did not know anything about my life or my thoughts! Yet, he knew to give me a reply which I needed to hear... I wanted to know from Jesus what was up! Jesus replied: "I love you!" There were no pamplets exchanged... there were no tracts inviting me to join some ministry! It was a simple: "I am working here: I love you!" Now, there is a limitless amount of possibilities for what transpired... this fellow could have been practicing a greeting that was required of him by his congregation... he could have been slacking in his duties and decided to connect with the very next person that walked by... he could have been clairvoyant... I could have been sending out psychic messages and he could have been one of those "specially receptive" minds... he could have been a member of my Church and noticed that I had been absence for a while... I rather err on the side of Christ: "The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life." (John 6:63) How do we limit Scriture to textual expression? How do we limit God to communicate with man by our finite means? True, there is no formula for teaching people to hear God's calling... even Scripture is silent on how it was done, Jesus only said that those who went to Him could have done so only if the Father sent them... there was no Bible then... the Torah and other religious text were closely guarded by the Jews to the exclusion of all non-Jews and all non-authorized (secular) Jews... how did the Father communicate with the publicans, the average Jew, the sinner? ...these people did not have access to a personal Bible nor to partial Scriptural text! Am I saying that whenever someone gets up on a pulpit and claims that he/she is speaking for God because God told him/her "x" or "y" that that person's words are Scripture? Adamantly, no! What I am saying is that we have no authority on limiting how, when, and to whom God can or cannot communicate with! God does not need to drop us to our knees, as He did with Saul, in order for His communication with us to be valid... however, any claim that contradicts Scripture is judged by the Word and is made invalid! God Bless! Angel |