Hearing The Voice of God Amidst Foreign Voices
The world today is filled with noise and distraction. You will notice this in matatus, hotels, homes, market, park, offices or on the telephone. There are also many distractions, with people choosing to behave weird or say unwelcome words, just to capture your attention. Other noises and distraction are in the mind. One tries to pray or be still and the mind starts to swerve from one corner to another. This has caused many brethren to miss on God because of changing focus from hearing the voice of God to hearing the foreign and strange voices around them and in their mind. People have become attentive to hear foreign or strange voices, which are filled with lies of the devil. In most cases, people want to know more of the gossip said or spoken about them, rather than seeking of the truth which God has spoken.
Today, we must distinguish the voice of God, believe it and walk with it. This will help us remain in God’s purpose. All strange voices are to divert brethren from the true path. The intention of all these strange or foreign voices is to make Christians miss out on God’s purpose. The Lord has purposed to cause great breakthrough among His children and because the devil is aware of this fact, he has purposed to distract your attention from walking in the truth of God’s voice. We have to say no to strange voices and identify with what God has spoken.
Numbers 23:19
“God is not a man, that He should lie, nor a son of man, that He should repent. Has He said, and will He not do? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?
Verse 4: the sheep follow the shepherd because they know His voice.
Verse 5: the sheep will never follow a stranger; they run away from him because they never recognize the stranger’s voice.
A story is told of a mother sheep who went out to find food for her lambs. The mother sheep locked her lambs indoors and on return she sang a song so that they would recognize her voice and open the door. She always sang, "karu gakwa karu gakwa kanathinia, kanathigana kanjariere kanjariere twori twiri twori tutatu, kau kamwe, kau kamwe nyamathiritu kau kangi nyamaniundi njiru wakwa hingurira". The lambs could hear this song and know mum has come and they would open. An ogre used to hide nearby and at one time he tried singing but the lambs knew it was not their mum. Twice and thrice the ogre tried. But the fourth time the ogre asked the rabbit what to do to change his voice and was advised to allow black ants to bite the tongue so that it softens. The lambs used to tell the mother of the foreign voice but only warned them and did not change their strategy or song. The ogre refined his voice and on singing one day the lambs opened the door and ate them all.
The above story teaches us the true voice is very important. Christians should accurately know the voice of God so that when foreign voice appears, you detect it suddenly without being deceived. The more you learn God’s voice, the more you keep off lies and deception. The bank tellers are trained on how to recognize fake currency notes and financial assets by studying genuine notes.
When I worked for the government (Ministry of Education) one of my assignments was to detect genuine certificates. I was taught on how to recognize genuine certificates, which helped me detect fake certificates at a glance.
When Christians know what God said, they will patiently hold on and wait on God without wavering and without running to the lies of the devil.
Jesus is the door, and He is the true good Shepherd. There have been strange voices trying to distract you but they were thieves and true sheep never listened to them, verse 8.
Verse 9: anyone who enters in God’s kingdom through Jesus (not through the amount of tithe, or talking good, neither through name of church) will be saved. You will come in and go out freely and will find pasture. Brothers and sister, the hunger that some people here have experienced was purely because of failing to go in and out with Jesus, for without Jesus there is no pasture. Jesus chose to lay down His life for us.
Verse 14: Jesus (the good Shepherd) knows and recognizes His own sheep and His sheep know and recognize HIM.
Verse 18: Jesus is a perfect example of one who knows the voice of the Father and obeys it. That is why He agreed to lay down His life, so that we become His own sheep.
Verse 27-29: The sheep hear the voice of Jesus. He knows us and we follow Him. He gives us eternal life and we will never loose it. We shall never be destroyed and no one can snatch us out of His hand. If you are a sheep that was snatched or exposed to destruction, check whether you heard or have been hearing the voice of Jesus, or strange and foreign voices.
God speaks to us all, but many people are so used to strange voices and they tend to believe and rely on them more than God's.
Isaiah 53:1
Who has believed our report? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?
God speaks in many ways. Some of these are:
1. His Word: this is the best way, because He never contradicts Himself. He confirms all messages by His Word. The more one spends time intimately with God and His Word, the easier it is to recognize His voice. The Word of God is God-breathed which is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training (2 Timothy 3:16-17). Strange voices try to justify sin or let you continue with defeat, citing many excuses. The voice of God will instruct you, convict you to stop sin, correct you, discipline you, train you to walk in holy living and in God’s will purpose and action. To keep in tune with God’s voice, meditate on God’s Word day and night, observing all what is written in it. (Joshua 1:8). People who stay in God’s Word have His voice, which makes their way prosperous; they are wise and have good success.
Instead of one running up and about for someone to place hands or legs on you so as to be prosperous, meditate on God’s Word; indeed His voice through His Word will grant you prosperity in all you do. The voice of God through His Word will be the lamp to your feet and light to your path (Psalms 119:105). This means you will not stumble in the darkness. You will know what to do, never get stuck, and never get confused because God's voice through His Word will be light and lamp to you. The voice of God through His word enables a believer to live a pure life, to stay away from sin:
Psalm 119:9-11.
How can a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed according to Your word. 10 With my whole heart I have sought You; Oh, let me not wander from Your commandments! 11 Your word I have hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against You.
Psalm 119:89: Forever, O Lord, Your word is settled in heaven.
2. Other than His written Word, God speaks audibly by His Holy Spirit, dreams, conscience, circumstances, and exhortation of other people. Hearing Gods voice is for those who are ready to listen. It is personal, unique and it never contradicts His Word. Nothing can hinder God from speaking. People hinder their hearts from hearing or listening to God.
Being sensitive to God’s voice and paying attention to Him will enable you to hear His voice. It requires one to be still and wait patiently, without being anxious. In all instances James 1:5 instructs us to seek wisdom; this will help us understand or perceive God’s voice and how we need to respond to Him. We have to hearken to God’s voice, by faith.
James 1:6-7
But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. 7 For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord...
God’s voice is never heard in vain. God’s voice never return to him void (Isaiah 55:11). You better allow and command your spirit to believe what God said. Ignore foreign voices. Know that what He promised will come to pass and He has the final say.
Brethren, if you hear His voice do not harden you heart.
Hebrews 3:7-8, 15
Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says:“Today, if you will hear His voice, 8 Do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion, in the day of trial in the wilderness,
15 ...while it is said:“Today, if you will hear His voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion.”
Hebrews 4:7
...again He designates a certain day, saying in David, “Today,” after such a long time, as it has been said:“Today, if you will hear His voice, do not harden your hearts.”
Psalm 95:7-8
For He is our God, and we are the people of His pasture, and the sheep of His hand. Today, if you will hear His voice: 8 “Do not harden your hearts, as in the rebellion, as in the day of trial in the wilderness
Isaiah 53:1
Who has believed our report? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?
Test every spirit and keep away every foreign strange voice or spirit.
1 John 4:1
Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world.
Take every thought captive and subject it to the obedience of Christ (2 Cor. 10:5). Take every foreign voice in your mind and command it to obey Christ.
Let’s repent and turn away from foreign voices and commit ourselves to hear the voice of God, and believe it.
Blessings.
-- Pastor Mary Mugo.
(2/11/14 Sunday Service Sermon, Teaching Transformation Ministry.)
Pastor Mary is the Senior Pastor at Teaching Transformation Ministry. We are located along the Thika-Ruai Flyover Junction (at the Thika Rd./ Bypass intersection), Next to Eastgate Restaurant.
Today, we must distinguish the voice of God, believe it and walk with it. This will help us remain in God’s purpose. All strange voices are to divert brethren from the true path. The intention of all these strange or foreign voices is to make Christians miss out on God’s purpose. The Lord has purposed to cause great breakthrough among His children and because the devil is aware of this fact, he has purposed to distract your attention from walking in the truth of God’s voice. We have to say no to strange voices and identify with what God has spoken.
Numbers 23:19
“God is not a man, that He should lie, nor a son of man, that He should repent. Has He said, and will He not do? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?
John 10:1-18
“Most assuredly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door, but climbs up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber. 2 But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. 3 To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice; and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4 And when he brings out his own sheep, he goes before them; and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. 5 Yet they will by no means follow a stranger, but will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.” 6 Jesus used this illustration, but they did not understand the things which He spoke to them. 7 Then Jesus said to them again, “Most assuredly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. 8 All who ever came before Me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them. 9 I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture. 10 The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.
11 “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep. 12 But a hireling, he who is not the shepherd, one who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees; and the wolf catches the sheep and scatters them. 13 The hireling flees because he is a hireling and does not care about the sheep. 14 I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep, and am known by My own. 15 As the Father knows Me, even so I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep. 16 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.
17 “Therefore My Father loves Me, because I lay down My life that I may take it again. 18 No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This command I have received from My Father.”
“Most assuredly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door, but climbs up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber. 2 But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. 3 To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice; and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4 And when he brings out his own sheep, he goes before them; and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. 5 Yet they will by no means follow a stranger, but will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.” 6 Jesus used this illustration, but they did not understand the things which He spoke to them. 7 Then Jesus said to them again, “Most assuredly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. 8 All who ever came before Me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them. 9 I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture. 10 The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.
11 “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep. 12 But a hireling, he who is not the shepherd, one who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees; and the wolf catches the sheep and scatters them. 13 The hireling flees because he is a hireling and does not care about the sheep. 14 I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep, and am known by My own. 15 As the Father knows Me, even so I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep. 16 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.
17 “Therefore My Father loves Me, because I lay down My life that I may take it again. 18 No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This command I have received from My Father.”
John 10:27-29
My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. 28 And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father’s hand.
Jesus starts by saying "I assure you" – which means that one cannot doubt this; it is purely the truth.
Verse 3 tells us the sheep listens to the voice of the shepherd.
My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. 28 And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father’s hand.
Jesus starts by saying "I assure you" – which means that one cannot doubt this; it is purely the truth.
Verse 3 tells us the sheep listens to the voice of the shepherd.
Verse 4: the sheep follow the shepherd because they know His voice.
Verse 5: the sheep will never follow a stranger; they run away from him because they never recognize the stranger’s voice.
A story is told of a mother sheep who went out to find food for her lambs. The mother sheep locked her lambs indoors and on return she sang a song so that they would recognize her voice and open the door. She always sang, "karu gakwa karu gakwa kanathinia, kanathigana kanjariere kanjariere twori twiri twori tutatu, kau kamwe, kau kamwe nyamathiritu kau kangi nyamaniundi njiru wakwa hingurira". The lambs could hear this song and know mum has come and they would open. An ogre used to hide nearby and at one time he tried singing but the lambs knew it was not their mum. Twice and thrice the ogre tried. But the fourth time the ogre asked the rabbit what to do to change his voice and was advised to allow black ants to bite the tongue so that it softens. The lambs used to tell the mother of the foreign voice but only warned them and did not change their strategy or song. The ogre refined his voice and on singing one day the lambs opened the door and ate them all.
The above story teaches us the true voice is very important. Christians should accurately know the voice of God so that when foreign voice appears, you detect it suddenly without being deceived. The more you learn God’s voice, the more you keep off lies and deception. The bank tellers are trained on how to recognize fake currency notes and financial assets by studying genuine notes.
When I worked for the government (Ministry of Education) one of my assignments was to detect genuine certificates. I was taught on how to recognize genuine certificates, which helped me detect fake certificates at a glance.
When Christians know what God said, they will patiently hold on and wait on God without wavering and without running to the lies of the devil.
Jesus is the door, and He is the true good Shepherd. There have been strange voices trying to distract you but they were thieves and true sheep never listened to them, verse 8.
Verse 9: anyone who enters in God’s kingdom through Jesus (not through the amount of tithe, or talking good, neither through name of church) will be saved. You will come in and go out freely and will find pasture. Brothers and sister, the hunger that some people here have experienced was purely because of failing to go in and out with Jesus, for without Jesus there is no pasture. Jesus chose to lay down His life for us.
Verse 14: Jesus (the good Shepherd) knows and recognizes His own sheep and His sheep know and recognize HIM.
Verse 18: Jesus is a perfect example of one who knows the voice of the Father and obeys it. That is why He agreed to lay down His life, so that we become His own sheep.
Verse 27-29: The sheep hear the voice of Jesus. He knows us and we follow Him. He gives us eternal life and we will never loose it. We shall never be destroyed and no one can snatch us out of His hand. If you are a sheep that was snatched or exposed to destruction, check whether you heard or have been hearing the voice of Jesus, or strange and foreign voices.
God speaks to us all, but many people are so used to strange voices and they tend to believe and rely on them more than God's.
Isaiah 53:1
Who has believed our report? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?
God speaks in many ways. Some of these are:
1. His Word: this is the best way, because He never contradicts Himself. He confirms all messages by His Word. The more one spends time intimately with God and His Word, the easier it is to recognize His voice. The Word of God is God-breathed which is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training (2 Timothy 3:16-17). Strange voices try to justify sin or let you continue with defeat, citing many excuses. The voice of God will instruct you, convict you to stop sin, correct you, discipline you, train you to walk in holy living and in God’s will purpose and action. To keep in tune with God’s voice, meditate on God’s Word day and night, observing all what is written in it. (Joshua 1:8). People who stay in God’s Word have His voice, which makes their way prosperous; they are wise and have good success.
Instead of one running up and about for someone to place hands or legs on you so as to be prosperous, meditate on God’s Word; indeed His voice through His Word will grant you prosperity in all you do. The voice of God through His Word will be the lamp to your feet and light to your path (Psalms 119:105). This means you will not stumble in the darkness. You will know what to do, never get stuck, and never get confused because God's voice through His Word will be light and lamp to you. The voice of God through His word enables a believer to live a pure life, to stay away from sin:
Psalm 119:9-11.
How can a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed according to Your word. 10 With my whole heart I have sought You; Oh, let me not wander from Your commandments! 11 Your word I have hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against You.
Psalm 119:89: Forever, O Lord, Your word is settled in heaven.
2. Other than His written Word, God speaks audibly by His Holy Spirit, dreams, conscience, circumstances, and exhortation of other people. Hearing Gods voice is for those who are ready to listen. It is personal, unique and it never contradicts His Word. Nothing can hinder God from speaking. People hinder their hearts from hearing or listening to God.
Being sensitive to God’s voice and paying attention to Him will enable you to hear His voice. It requires one to be still and wait patiently, without being anxious. In all instances James 1:5 instructs us to seek wisdom; this will help us understand or perceive God’s voice and how we need to respond to Him. We have to hearken to God’s voice, by faith.
James 1:6-7
But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. 7 For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord...
God’s voice is never heard in vain. God’s voice never return to him void (Isaiah 55:11). You better allow and command your spirit to believe what God said. Ignore foreign voices. Know that what He promised will come to pass and He has the final say.
God speaking to us
began a long time. In Genesis 6 when men sinned against God, Noah heard the
voice of God. People of those time were mocking him but indeed Genesis 6,7,8
and 9 explains how Noah heard God’s voice and ignored foreign voices of His
time. He was saved.
Moses became a
deliverer by hearkening to the voice of God in Exodus 3. He ignored all the
mockery from Pharaoh and his men.
Joseph became governor
in Egypt, a foreign land, as a result of hearing God's voice, in Genesis 37,
against the opposing voices of his brothers.
David destroyed
Goliath by the confidence he had in God against the threat of Goliath, the
unbelief of the brothers and that of Saul. By being conscience of God’s power
he smashed Goliath. Goliath was a form of foreign voice (1 Samuel 17) (Conscience and
miraculous signs on who God was enough voice of God to David).
Joshua and Caleb heard
God’s voice by being conscience of Him. Numbers 14 helps us realize that hearing
God's voice will enable us enjoy His blessing in a promised land.
Numbers 14:23-24
Numbers 14:23-24
...they certainly shall not see the land of which I swore to their fathers, nor shall any of those who rejected Me see it. 24 But
My servant Caleb, because he has a different spirit in him and has
followed Me fully, I will bring into the land where he went, and his
descendants shall inherit it.
Lazarus heard the voice
of Jesus and resurrected for the grave (John 11:43). This was against the doubts
by the sisters in verse 39. In Luke 1:38; Mary the mother of Jesus believed and
said that it should be unto her according to God's Word.
There are numerous other examples of people who listened, heard and hearkened God's voice, in the Scriptures, to show us the importance of being led by His voice. At the end, it narrows down to you: which voice do you want to hear? Are you listening to voice of God, or strange voices?
The voice of God will bring you:
There are numerous other examples of people who listened, heard and hearkened God's voice, in the Scriptures, to show us the importance of being led by His voice. At the end, it narrows down to you: which voice do you want to hear? Are you listening to voice of God, or strange voices?
The voice of God will bring you:
- Resurrection of all dead things, like Lazarus
- Victory over enemies, like David
- Inheritance of God’s promise, like Joshua and Caleb
- Favour and rescue from floods of life, like Noah
- Promotion and elevation, like Joseph
- Fruitfulness and great favour, like Mary mother of Jesus; producing a deliverer and Saviour.
Hebrews 3:7-8, 15
Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says:“Today, if you will hear His voice, 8 Do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion, in the day of trial in the wilderness,
15 ...while it is said:“Today, if you will hear His voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion.”
Hebrews 4:7
...again He designates a certain day, saying in David, “Today,” after such a long time, as it has been said:“Today, if you will hear His voice, do not harden your hearts.”
Psalm 95:7-8
For He is our God, and we are the people of His pasture, and the sheep of His hand. Today, if you will hear His voice: 8 “Do not harden your hearts, as in the rebellion, as in the day of trial in the wilderness
Isaiah 53:1
Who has believed our report? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?
Test every spirit and keep away every foreign strange voice or spirit.
1 John 4:1
Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world.
Take every thought captive and subject it to the obedience of Christ (2 Cor. 10:5). Take every foreign voice in your mind and command it to obey Christ.
Let’s repent and turn away from foreign voices and commit ourselves to hear the voice of God, and believe it.
Blessings.
-- Pastor Mary Mugo.
(2/11/14 Sunday Service Sermon, Teaching Transformation Ministry.)
Pastor Mary is the Senior Pastor at Teaching Transformation Ministry. We are located along the Thika-Ruai Flyover Junction (at the Thika Rd./ Bypass intersection), Next to Eastgate Restaurant.
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Blessings.