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Many Voices

Jeremiah 7:23 (AMP) But this thing I did command them: ‘Listen to and obey My voice, and I will be your God, and you shall be My people; and you will walk in all the way which I command you, so that it may be well with you.’ 

Many people want to hear God on the direction to go in life. Do we take a certain job? Do we enroll our kids in this school? Do we move to this city? As I see it, there are three voices speaking to us at all times. There is God’s, there is the devil’s and then there is ours. Which one will you listen to?

John 10:4-5, 10 (AMP) 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. They will never follow a stranger, but will run away from him, because they do not know the voice of strangers. The thief comes only in order to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance [to the full, till it overflows].

The sheep are brought out in the presence of not just their shepherd. This let’s me know that the stranger does not need to be absent for me to know the voice of God. The stranger was present, not absent. They can lead us to food and drink also. What is the devil’s motive? To get us distracted, to get us in offense, to get us away from our purpose. When I read the parable of the sower, I can also see that the seed of the Word is planted even in the midst of satan (Mark 4:15). We have to get to know Christ to know the voice of God.

Looking at Jeremiah 7 again, verse 24 says, “But they did not obey Me or bend their ear [to hear Me], but followed the counsels and the stubbornness of their [own] evil heart (mind), and [they turned and] went backward instead of forward.” This reminded me of the story of Balaam in Numbers 22-24. Balaam was a prophet and the King of Moab called after him so that he could curse the Israelites. Each time Balaam was approached they offered more and more treasures. Balaam went to God on each occasion. The third time God told him to go. Why? It was in his heart that he wanted to go anyways. On the journey Balaam was riding a donkey. The donkey kept leaving the trail. Why? An angel was in the way. Balaam was beating the donkey each time and finally the donkey spoke. Talk about God making you listen. The donkey was trying to save Balaam’s life because the angel was sent to kill him. Balaam was not able to curse Israel, instead he blessed them at every turn. It no longer mattered about the silver and gold that had been offered to him. He had to follow the voice of God.

Isaiah 30:21 (AMP) Your ears will hear a word behind you, “This is the way, walk in it,” whenever you turn to the right or to the left.

Listening for His direction often comes in a still quietness within you. I have to go back to the Word. Is this going to line up with what Christ told us to do (John 15:12)? Is this going to glorify God (not me)? Is this going to benefit others? I recently came into a situation that required me to talk about someone that I have not had contact with in many years. The still voice in me has been nudging me to go see them. Why? We are called into the ministry of reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5:18). There is nothing in our lives to keep us from loving others. We cannot keep an account of all the wrongs they have done to not see them reconciled to Christ. How do I know that it is God? It is not something I would have chosen to do. I am making a step of obedience. Do I know what the outcome will be? It is beyond me. I can reason it away: “they have not asked me to come,” “they pulled through,” “what happens to them does not affect me.” That is not how Christ responds to us. Love always hopes.

Whose voice are you listening to today? God’s, ours or the devils? Many times we want to be selfish and that leads us to listen to the other to voices, ours and the devil’s. God’s is going to lead us to a life we could never have imagined for ourselves. I love how John talks about the Word (Christ): “In the beginning [before all time] was the Word (Christ), and the Word was with God, and the Word was God Himself. He was [continually existing] in the beginning [co-eternally] with God. All things were made and came into existence through Him; and without Him not even one thing was made that has come into being. In Him was life [and the power to bestow life], and the life was the Light of men (John 1:1-4).” Then in Ephesians 3:20-21, “Now to Him who is able to [carry out His purpose and] do superabundantly more than all that we dare ask or think [infinitely beyond our greatest prayers, hopes, or dreams], according to His power that is at work within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations forever and ever. Amen.” I am going to keep listening out for the voice of my Shepherd (God).

Jehovah Nissi, our Banner, our Maker, we see You in Your Glory and Majesty. We call You Holy. Thank You for Your Son for being our Prince of Peace and and our Prince of Wholeness. Thank You for the gift of the Holy Spirit so that we know Your Voice. We are thankful for Your Word and the direction of Your Voice through all that You have given us. We repent for falling into the deception of selfishness, for listening to other voices including ourselves. We repent for the lure of the strangers voice to the things that look good, but truly are not for our benefit. We want to glorify You in all that we do and say. Thank You for seeking the best for us and others. You gave Your best when You sent Your Son. Let us remember what He left us to do, to go out and make disciples of Your ways. We surrender our hearts to You so that we can Love the way You Love. Grow that Love deeper withing us so that it is all that pours out of us. We choose joy today. We choose hope today. We choose forgiveness today. We choose love today. In Jesus Name, Amen.

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Hello Sunflower

Jeremiah 17:7-8 (AMP) “Blessed [with spiritual security] is the man who believes and trusts in and relies on the Lord and whose hope and confident expectation is the Lord. “For he will be [nourished] like a tree planted by the waters, that spreads out its roots by the river; and will not fear the heat when it comes; but its leaves will be green and moist And it will not be anxious and concerned in a year of drought nor stop bearing fruit.

What happens when we go through the tough parts of life? Can we still have joy? As I was preparing for this past Sunday’s message, that was my hearts desire for those that would be listening. May is Mental Health Awareness month. Lately I have been listening to Neil T. Anderson and some of the things he placed on YouTube in his Freedom in Christ channel. A lot of it had to do with the mind and the battle of depression that many believers have to overcome.

Four and a half years ago I was rocked. I had already been going through some things at work. I was promoted, demoted, talked down to, shunned…then terminated. My character was tarnished. How could I put myself out there in the community? Our vision for Connect Church is to touch the world through our community. I am constantly encouraging the body to look for opportunities to glorify God.

Our first gut reaction is to hide. I did, but I did it differently. I hid in the Word. I did not occasionally open my Bible any more, I really set out to get to know the Word. I ran to the Word. In doing so, I did not hide myself for protection from the hurt. I was able to stand free and with confidence of who I am in Christ. When I stand up and speak in front of people it is not to share how much I know, but who I know.

So when I was walking the track, listening to worship music a couple of months ago, God spoke to me about what I needed to share for Mother’s Day. He told me that I needed to share why I am so passionate about His ways. Why do I speak with such boldness and conviction when it comes to His Word? The secret comes in what you are rooted in.

John 15:5 (AMP) I am the Vine; you are the branches. The one who remains in Me and I in him bears much fruit, for [otherwise] apart from Me [that is, cut off from vital union with Me] you can do nothing.

Ephesians 3:16-19 (AMP)  May He grant you out of the riches of His glory, to be strengthened and spiritually energized with power through His Spirit in your inner self, [indwelling your innermost being and personality], so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through your faith. And may you, having been [deeply] rooted and [securely] grounded in love, be fully capable of comprehending with all the saints (God’s people) the width and length and height and depth of His love [fully experiencing that amazing, endless love]; and [that you may come] to know [practically, through personal experience] the love of Christ which far surpasses [mere] knowledge [without experience], that you may be filled up [throughout your being] to all the fullness of God [so that you may have the richest experience of God’s presence in your lives, completely filled and flooded with God Himself].

To abide in Him means that I have replaced my roots in Him, I give Him first place. When I looked again at the parable of the sower in Mark 4, He spoke to me that we have placed ourselves in the story that was not what He intended. We wanted to be the good soil, but He is. When we allow ourselves to be in the love that He is, everything changes. Do branches have roots? No, the vine does. Where do the nutrients to grow come from? The soil. We have called the soil our hearts for so long. We are responsible for allowing the Holy Spirit to remove the rocks and the thorns. All soil has potential. Just like all of us do. There is only one that can be called good, and that is Jesus. Do not limit your perception of “in Christ” as a follower or just a position, BE in Christ. We are loved by Him and nothing can take that away, you are in that position, but we have put it on. We have to abide in that love. When we do, we are truly abiding in Christ.

I love sunflowers. They would have been the flowers for my wedding if a farmer did not give us 1000 gladiolas. I had chosen sunflower bracelets to give away that day. Sunflowers show their seeds. Sunflowers are sun worshipers. They need 6-8 hours of direct sunlight per day. They actually track the sun (desire His face). A single seed planted in the spring can produce many seeds. They grow so fast that they will choke out weeds. Sunflowers droop when they are not drinking enough water. The sunflower is a tap root. It is an elevator of nutrients. It brings water and other microbes from deeper soil layers closer to the soil for subsequent crops to have better access to. Sunflowers produce oil, and lots of it.

This was my summation: the seed (Word, Jesus is the Word John 1:1) from the sower (us), is planted in Christ (the soil) and we allow the roots (love in Christ) and the fruit we bear become more seeds because we are abiding on the vine (in Christ)…but they will have to be continued to be watered by the Living Water (Jesus, His Word).

I have more to this message, but for you to even get to the part of being free in every area of your life, you first need to know that depth of His love. To be in that love because you are in Christ. You have to realize that Jesus came for more than to save you from hell, that He came to restore you. Then you will no longer allow the things to shatter you and cause you to go into a cave of hiding. We are in Christ, He is all we need.

Dear God, our Creator, You are so full of majesty. We honor You today with our thanksgiving. Thank you for Your Son. Jesus took on every part of our lives so that we can walk in fullness. We are sorry that we have not walked in the fullness of that love. Let us be rooted in grounded in the love of Christ. We choose to abide in Him today. Holy Spirit, lead us to the areas of rocks and thorns that we need to be set free of. Renew our minds. We submit to You today. Let us be sowers of the Word. When we sow in Christ all of the ground is good ground and all that we sow is good. The Word is always good. Thank You for the Word. Thank You for the Word becoming flesh. Thank You for being the vine. We desire to bear fruit that glorifies You. We choose Love today. In Jesus Name, Amen.