Obey His Voice
Pastor Jerry Wilhite,
author I have done a few studies and a book about hearing from God and for some reason that will be revealed in this study many still do not seek to hear His voice or believe one can. Some, a few of you, will find answers and truth in the following while more will be offended. But for those who find the truth know the numbers of those hearing from God is growing daily. Genesis 3 8. And they heard the voice of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God amongst the trees of the garden. We all know that Adam and Eve heard God's voice as did Noah and Moses but what about any others? Genesis 22 18. And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice. Abraham was blessed because he obeyed God's voice, but think about this: why was Abram 75 years old before he heard? God did not wait till Abram was 75, just as with Moses who was 80 when he heard God's voice. With Abraham, who was Abram before, it took God 75 years to get through to Abram. As Saul’s name when he met the Lord on the road to Damascus was changed to Paul so was Abram changed to Abraham when he finally heard from God. Now with Moses, it was timing. God told Abraham that after 430 years Israel would be saved, so God waited for the promised time and then talked to Moses. Deuteronomy 4 35. Unto thee it was shewed, that thou mightest know that the Lord he is God; there is none else beside him. 36. Out of heaven he made thee to hear his voice, that he might instruct thee: and upon earth he shewed thee his great fire; and thou heardest his words out of the midst of the fire. God wanted to speak to Israel, they in turn did not hear, and in time it was left up to Moses to hear and relay to them what God said. God even wanted to be their king but they wanted a man.Psalms 85 8. I will hear what God the Lord will speak: for he will speak peace unto his people, and to his saints: but let them not turn again to folly. There were those who desired to hear and did hear but they were very few. Psalms 95 7. For he is our God; and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand. To day if ye will hear his voice, 8. Harden not your heart, as in the provocation, and as in the day of temptation in the wilderness: What you need to understand is that Jesus did not come to continue the status quo but to change it back to the way it was before Adam sinned. And a huge part of that is a relationship with God, where we are one with Him and we hear from Him. Satan has done his best to keep the truth from us, and one of his lies is that the Bible is the end all; it is not. 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. Jesus said He would call us by name and we would know His voice. John 14 26. But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you. Jesus said the Holy Ghost (Spirit) would teach us all things. Now remember, in John 4:24 we read God is a spirit and the only way to worship Him is in Spirit and truth. 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: Jesus said the Spirit would testify of Him and that the Spirit of truth would do this. 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. 2. Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God: 3. And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world. All who are not of God would and could not admit Jesus came in the flesh or else they woiuld have to admit their defeat already, and they are too stupid in this area to give in. Hebrews 4 12. For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. God knows our thoughts and hearts. We need to do as Paul pointed out: to make sure we are right with God. Romans 12 2. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. Renew our mind daily in Him and in His will. 2 Corinthians 10 5. Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ; To cast down all imaginations (ideas, thoughts, etc) that go against the knowledge of God, while taking the remaining into captivity to the obedience of Christ. Revelation 3 19. As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent. Jesus will rebuke us in order to convict us of sins, or point out our sinful life to chasten us or to educate us in His ways. By doing so we would be zealous towards Him, or to have a warm feeling towards Him, and to repent or to change our heart towards Him. Revelation 3 20. Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. 21. To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne. 22. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches. First we must hear His voice and then open the door to Him for the change to happen. 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. 15. Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. Jesus warned that due to false prophets (leaders, pastors, etc) we could and would be misled, and that only a few would be on the path to life while the rest is on the path to destruction. Matthew 7 20. Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them. 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. Jesus warned we would be misled by physical fruits or actions of others that would appear to be of Him that are not. In verse 22 He describes those who would do many wonderful works and appear of Him. Then, in verse 23 He tells them to depart and calls them workers of evil. The reason for this is found in verse 23, "I never knew you." Of course, Jesus knew of them, it was that they were too busy being in and of the physical to ever hear from Him, open the door to Him. Matthew 15 7. Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying, 8. This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. 9. But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. If you are hearing from man and not God then you are on the path to destruction and are just like those above in verse 8. Matthew 23 13. But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in. Today, it is the same leaders shut up the kingdom of heaven against men, because they are not of God but of man. No one in the first centuries, especially the first, went to college or university, or any school, but what they did know came from God, not man. Today, most people go to college or to a university where they take courses such as money management, people management, business 101, etc. They spend at most a year in scripture. How Can I Hear His Voice? The opening scripture in Acts 22:14 says, "And he said, The God of our fathers hath chosen thee, that thou shouldest know his will, and see that Just One, and shouldest hear the voice of his mouth." Religious people may argue, that we all have not been chosen, but the truth is we have all been called. We've all been washed in the Blood of the Lamb! We're all called to hear His voice, not just a select few. In Revelation 2:15, Jesus tells the Church of Pergamos that He's unhappy with the Doctrine of the Nicolatians, which He hates. Nicolas taught that there needs to be a spiritual elite who will do all of their penance, sacraments, hears God for us. Jesus is not seeking for a spiritual elite but that we all come to Him like little children, because if our hearts are not like that of a little child, we cannot enter into the Kingdom of heaven! Also, we all need to be born again of the Spirit to enter the Kingdom of God. John 3 3. Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. 4. Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born? 5. Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. 6. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Some have tried to use the above verses to prove water baptism, missing the point that Jesus was showing that water was our first birth of a woman. If they read verse 6 they would see it. But the point is we are to be as Adam was before sin of the Spirit that is what Jesus came to reunite us with. We are to hear from Him. He convicts us of our sin and a work starts in us and in time we are born again and then we grow in Him. 2 Corinthians 5 17. Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. Anyone who is of Christ is of the Spirit, not of the flesh, they may live in the flesh but they are no longer of the flesh, they are now of the Spirit. Luke 4 18. The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, The word Christos is Greek from which we get Christ and in English means anointed. Jesus is the anointed of God and is God.. But to be of Christ is to be anointed of the Spirit, to have it in, on and through us, and the first step is in being born again of the Spirit. What makes all of this easier to understand is when we hear from God, the Spirit teaches us, and God brings revelation knowledge to us. Matthew 16 15. He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? 16. And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. 17. And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven. 18. And I say also unto thee, That thou art a piece of the rock, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. In verse 16 Peter said that Jesus was the Christ and the Son of the living God. Then in verse 17, Jesus replies, "for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven." Then, Jesus states that Peter is a piece of the rock and upon this rock, the revelation knowledge of who He is, He will build His community. A couple of other things: 1) the word church is not in the Greek the; correct word is community and when we are born again of the Spirit and receive the revealed knowledge of who Jesus is and all it means we are of the community, connected in the Spirit. This is not a physical community bound together by physical boundaries but a Spiritual community; 2) The other is that the word in verse 18 Petros that in most verses has Peter is incorrect the correct translation is "a piece of the rock." What is sad is that so many believe man and man's teachings. They will argue over what is stated and, even when shown, will not believe the truth because the lie is so deep in them they cannot see the truth. Two other times Jesus told of those who would not make it: 1) in Mark 4:1-20, the parable of the sower of the word is about four groups with only one of the four having good ground. By the way, again, the translators blew it in verse 20; the fold is actually percentage; 2) The other time is in Revelation 2-3 when Jesus addressed the seven so- called churches and states only one of the seven is of Him. This means that in, Mark 4 at best one of four (25 percent) will make it, and in Revelation 2-3 only 14 percent are found to be of Him so of the 25 percent in Mark only a part makes it all the way. Thenc when you read Matthew 7 the few makes it on the path to life while the rest are on the path to destruction. Based on the numbers Jesus gave us not many have a chance unless they stop listening to man and listen to God, and God only. 1 John 2 27. But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him. Below are examples of how the translators’ meaning today is not taken as it was in 1611 AD. Job 1 8. And the Lord said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil? Most read, and even teach, the above verse that it is God pointing out Job to Satan, so Satan will test Job. How far from the truth can anyone be? Here it is in the literal translation: 8. |0559| And said |3068| Yahweh |0000| to |7854| Satan, |7760| Have you set |3824| your heart |5650| on My servant |0347| Job? |3588| For |0369| not is {any} |0000| like him |0776| in the earth, |0376| a man |8535| perfect |3477| and upright, |3373| revering |0430| God |5186| and turning away |7451| from evil. It is not God pointing out Job, but God questioning Satan what his intent is with Job. That’s a huge difference! Peter is incorrect In Matthew 16:18 you read, "you are Peter," the word for Peter in the Greek is Petros. Strong's Ref. # 4074 Romanized Petros Pronounced pet'-ros a primary word; a (piece of) rock (larger than GSN3037); as a name, Petrus, an apostle: KJV--Peter, rock. Compare GSN2786. The translators for the KJV used Peter. Why? I have no idea, because Peter is not in the definition for the Greek word Petros. Church is incorrect it is community Strong's Ref. # 1577 Romanized ekklesia Pronounced ek-klay-see'-ah from a compound of GSN1537 and a derivative of GSN2564; a calling out, i.e. (concretely) a popular meeting, especially a religious congregation (Jewish synagogue, or Christian community of members on earth or saints in heaven or both): KJV--assembly, church. Again the translators of the KJV used words that were not even in the Greek. Replenish is incorrect As far back as Genesis 1:28 the translators of the KJV used incorrect words. Genesis 1 28. And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth. Strong's Ref. # 4390 Romanized male' Pronounced maw-lay' or mala' (Esth.7v5) {maw-law'}; a primitive root, to fill or (intransitively) be full of, in a wide application (literally and figuratively): KJV--accomplish, confirm, + consecrate, be at an end, be expired, be fenced, fill, fulfil, (be, become, X draw, give in, go) full(-ly, -ly set, tale), [over-]flow, fulness, furnish, gather (selves, together), presume, replenish, satisfy, set, space, take a [hand-]full, + have wholly. Based on the definition the word male' is not replenish, but is "fill." That is a big difference, especially since at least one of the well-known television ministries and others have followed (enough you could not shake a stick at without hitting one of them) came up with a whole new doctrine based on the word replenish being used in this verse. Instead of taking an hour (back then when this started there were not personal computers) and verifying it was the correct word. He spent 40, 50 or more hours trying to prove (out of text mostly) that Satan was cast down and all God created was destroyed. And in Genesis 1:28, is God telling Adam and Eve to replenish what Satan destroyed.? I am one that will never again trust another man's word. If I cannot verify it with God, forget it. And if I was not hearing from God I would verify it in the Hebrew or Greek first. The problems are as follows: