Tag Archives: voice

JESUS SAID – 5

March 9, 2025Bible Studylisten, sheep, voiceLuella Campbell

John 10:27 NIV
[27] “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.”

One thing Jesus didn’t say which He could have said!…

“My sheep listen to my voice, and then they do their own thing!”

Some translations render “akuo” as “hear” and others as “listen to”, both of which are the meaning of akuo to which we can add a third meaning, “to comprehend by hearing”.

In the context of Jesus’ words, which, do you think, is the most accurate meaning? There is a difference between “hearing” and “listening”. We are hearing things all day, sounds that go on around us all the time. Most of the time, we don’t pay attention to these sounds because they don’t directly affect us…vehicles passing by, aeroplanes flying overhead, neighbours talking loudly, dogs barking, birds twittering…these have no meaning for us.

However, what we hear becomes what we listen to when the sounds have a direct influence on us. We listen during a conversation between ourselves and another. We listen for the sound of a vehicle when we anticipate the arrival of a significant person and so on.

Jesus said, “My sheep listen to my voice.”

Since Jesus is a significant person in our lives by faith, and since we have confessed Him to be Lord, what He says to us on our daily walk with Him is vital for our spiritual wellbeing. He speaks to us because He and we are in vital union. “I know them…” This means that we are intimately connected to Him.

Jesus will say to those who claim His attention because they do things “in His name”, i.e., as His representatives, but…He does not acknowledge their connection because He will say, “I don’t know you.”

Matthew 7:22-23 NIV
[22] “Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ [23] Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’”

Evildoers? Why did Jesus call people who claimed to prophesy and do miracles in His name “evildoers”? Isn’t that a bit harsh?

For one simple reason…He had no intimate connection with them. They were not united.

This faith union with Jesus qualifies us to

Belong to Him
Listen to His voice
Follow Him

It’s this connection that makes all the difference between those who do all the right things but will still be rejected and those who follow Jesus because they belong to Him and listen to (comprehend by hearing) His voice.

Listening, not for, but to His voice, means that first, Jesus is constantly speaking to us through our circumstances, through the people around us and, most of all, through His Word and His Spirit.

We have to make choices and decisions throughout our day. We walk a tightrope of truth over a minefield of temptation. Our only guarantee of safety is to listen to His voice. The Holy Spirit is Jesus’ representative in us, His other self, who was given to us at our new birth…

John 16:13-14 NLT
[13] “When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own but will tell you what he has heard. He will tell you about the future. [14] He will bring me glory by telling you whatever he receives from me.”

Do you get the picture? Jesus and His Spirit are in intimate connection in the fellowship of the Trinity. The Holy Spirit lives in us as His “other self”. The Spirit receives from Jesus everything we need to know to follow Him. Jesus speaks through His Word; the Spirit speaks in us what Jesus speaks; we listen and follow Him and so…

Romans 8:14 NLT
[14] “All who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God.”

Listening and following the Shepherd are the guarantee and safeguard against getting lost in a world of sin and evil. The more we listen, the more we are able to hear His voice in the cacophony of voices that demand our attention.

“My sheep listen to my voice.” Are you listening to His voice?

THE GOD WHO PROTECTS

May 20, 2024Christian Lifefollow, My sheep, voiceLuella Campbell

Have you ever thought about how safe we are in God?

The Bible says that we are surrounded and encased in Him.

Sometimes we need to know that He is ahead of us. Our future is always an unknown. We have important decisions to make that will affect us and our families for a long time. How can we know that the choices we make are the correct ones?

We have His assurance that He goes before us.

‭John 10:27 NLT‬
[27] “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.”

Jesus will guide us unerringly if we listen to His voice. He promised to make our paths straight when we put Him in the centre of everything we do.

‭Proverbs 3:5-6 NLT‬
[5] “Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. [6] Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.”

‭Psalms 32:8 NLT‬
[8] “The Lord says, “I will guide you along the best pathway for your life. I will advise you and watch over you.”

His guidance also takes care of those times when we take a wrong turn in life. He doesn’t leave us to flounder in our mistakes. He comes to our aid with His gentle voice that redirects us to the right way when we have deviated from His way.

‭Isaiah 30:21 NLT‬
[21]”Your own ears will hear him. Right behind you a voice will say, “This is the way you should go,” whether to the right or to the left.”

“To the right or to the left” is an expression that, in some cases, implies, getting sidetracked or distracted from God’s path.

‭Proverbs 4:25-27 NIV‬
[25] “Let your eyes look straight ahead; fix your gaze directly before you. [26] Give careful thought to the paths for your feet and be steadfast in all your ways. [27] Do not turn to the right or the left; keep your foot from evil.”

‭Proverbs 4:25-27 NLT‬
[25]”Look straight ahead, and fix your eyes on what lies before you. [26] Mark out a straight path for your feet; stay on the safe path. [27] Don’t get sidetracked; keep your feet from following evil.”

God’s got our backs. He is determined to keep us on track to the end of the road to glory.

However, God is not only all around us; He is also above us and beneath us, moving us upward towards Himself and preventing us from falling away from Him. He is on the throne, urging us to seek Him where He is, above, reigning and in charge of all our circumstances. We are where He is, in Him, safe and secure until the day we see Him face-to-face.

‭Colossians 3:1-3 NLT‬
[1] “Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God’s right hand. [2] Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth. [3] For you died to this life, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God.”

We also have the assurance that He is underneath us, ensuring that we never fall to our doom.

‭Deuteronomy 33:26-27 NLT‬
[26] “There is no one like the God of Israel. He rides across the heavens to help you, across the skies in majestic splendor. [27] The eternal God is your refuge, and his everlasting arms are under you. He drives out the enemy before you; he cries out, ‘Destroy them!’ “

‭Jude 1:24 NLT‬
[24] “Now all glory to God, who is able to keep you from falling away and will bring you with great joy into his glorious presence without a single fault.“

Paul endorsed the sentiments of a Greek poet who wrote,

‭Acts of the Apostles 17:28 NLT‬
[28] “For in him we live and move and exist. As some of your own poets have said, ‘We are his offspring.’”

Most of all, God’s got us safely enclosed in His hand.

‭John 10:28-30 NLT‬
[28]”I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one can snatch them away from me, [29] for my Father has given them to me, and he is more powerful than anyone else. No one can snatch them from the Father’s hand. [30] The Father and I are one.”

‭Colossians 3:3 NLT‬
[3]”For you died to this life, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God.”

So, dear readers, in a world full of dangers, uncertainties, and insecurities, we can have the utmost confidence in the God who surrounds us from side to side and above and beneath. His presence encases us and promises us safe passage through all the ‘dangers, toils, and snares’ (of John Newton’s ‘Amazing Grace’), of this life until we reach our eternal home.

‭Psalms 5:12 NLT‬
[12] “For you bless the godly, O Lord; you surround them with your shield of love.”

Only in Thee, O Savior mine,
Dwelleth my soul in peace divine,
Peace that the world, though all combine,
Never can take from me.
Pleasures of earth, so seemingly sweet,
Fail at the last my longings to meet;
Only in Thee my bliss is complete,
Only, dear Lord, in Thee!

Only in Thee a radiance bright,
Shines like a beacon in the night,
Guiding my pilgrim bark aright,
Over life’s trackless sea.
Only in Thee, when troubles molest,
When with temptation I am oppressed,
There is a sweet pavilion of rest,
Only, dear Lord, in Thee!
Only in Thee, when days are drear,
When neither sun nor stars appear,
Still I can trust and feel no fear,
Sing when I cannot see.
Only in Thee, whatever betide,
All of my need is freely supplied;
There is no help nor helper beside,
Only, dear Lord, in Thee!
Only in Thee, dear Savior, slain,
Losing Thy life my own to gain,
Trusting, I’m cleansed from ev’ry stain;
Thou art my only plea.
Only in Thee my heart will delight,
Till in that land where cometh no night
Faith will be lost in heavenly sight,
Only, dear Lord, in Thee!

Source: The Cyber Hymnal #5263
All representative texts • Compare texts^ top
Author: Thomas O. Chisholm
Dianne Shapiro, from “The Singers and Their Songs: sketches of living gospel hymn writers” by Charles Hutchinson Gabriel (Chicago: The Rodeheaver Company, 1916)…

THE SHEPHERD’S VOICE – 14

March 8, 2024Christian Lifeeternal life, My sheep, voiceLuella Campbell

John 10:27-30 NLT‬
[27] My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. [28] I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one can snatch them away from me, [29] for my Father has given them to me, and he is more powerful than anyone else. No one can snatch them from the Father’s hand. [30] The Father and I are one.”

What a profound promise! Is it possible to be eternally secure and to know it? Jesus said it is. What makes it possible for a person to go through life with an unshakeable conviction that his/her future with God in heaven
is guaranteed?

How many times did Jesus’ opponents ask Him the same questions! It seems that they has spiritual Alzheimers because, no matter how many times they asked Him the source of His authority, they “forgot” His reply and asked the same question again.

‭John 10:24-26 NLT‬
[24] “The people surrounded him and asked, “How long are you going to keep us in suspense? If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly.” [25] Jesus replied, “I have already told you, and you don’t believe me. The proof is the work I do in my Father’s name. [26] But you don’t believe me because you are not my sheep.”

Still using the imagery of shepherd and sheep, Jesus responded with this profound reply.

‭John 10:26-27 NLT‬
[26]”But you don’t believe me because you are not my sheep. [27] My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.”

The difference between those who do not believe in Jesus and those who do, is simple….connection!

When one person knows another person, they have a connection. Understanding, empathy, involvement, participation, trust, love, togetherness, friendship, are all in the mix.

How does the connection between a believer and Jesus come about? Another important word joins “connection” – that is “identification”. Far more than knowing Him on a merely human level, identification with Him takes the believer into a connection with Jesus that enables them to participate with Him in His death and in His life.

‭Galatians 2:20 NLT‬
[20] “My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”

This connection and this identification with Jesus also takes the believer into a union with Him so intimate that we can hear Him speaking to us in our innermost being. Jesus gave us His Spirit to be His presence in us, closer to us than our breath. When He speaks, we are able to hear Him because we are joined to Him in the spirit realm.

His sheep, then, hear His voice and follow Him. Other voices, like the voice of the false shepherd, the hireling who has no interest in or concern for the sheep, can only drown out the Shepherd’s voice if we are not listening to the Shepherd.

Jesus’ sheep can only hear His voice if they are listening. Hearing is a function of the ear. Listening is a response of the heart. It takes a lifetime to learn to listen to the voice of Jesus’ Spirit that is guiding us safely home.

Only this connection and identification with Jesus can guarantee us a safe passage to the Father. He holds on to us as we hold on to Him. This is a mystery. Jesus said we can never perish. That’s His promise.

But He also warned…

‭Matthew 24:12-13 NLT‬
[12] “Sin will be rampant everywhere, and the love of many will grow cold. [13] But the one who endures to the end will be saved.”

‭Mark 13:13 NLT‬
[13] “And everyone will hate you because you are my followers. But the one who endures to the end will be saved.”

Does this mean that someone can be lost who was once saved? I think that Jesus was speaking from the perspective of eternity. His sheep will never perish because they will endure to the end because the Father has them in His hand. From God’s point of view, it’s a done deal.

Jesus did not mean that we can take anything for granted. Security in Him involves listening to His voice and following Him. THEN, we shall never perish because our connection to Him is secure.

A FIRSTFRUIT OFFERING

September 13, 2021Bible Studyjudgment, prince of this world, voiceLuella Campbell

A FIRSTFRUIT OFFERING

“The crowd that was there and heard it said it thundered; others said an angel had spoken to Him. Jesus said, ‘This voice was for your benefit, not mine. Now is the time for judgment on this world; now the prince of this world will be driven out. And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself. He said this to show the kind of death He was going to die.” John 12:29-33.

The Jewish Feasts are a symbolic display of Messianic history. Leviticus 23 records God’s instruction for the celebration of eight feasts every year, one weekly, three spring, one summer and three autumn festivals, all at set times. They were also connected to the annual harvest and the celebration of God’s goodness in providing for their physical needs. According to the ancient rabbis, Messiah would fulfil each feast in turn at His first and second comings.

Sabbath was the weekly feast which had a twofold purpose; it was a reminder that God rested after the completion of His great work of creation, and the gift of a day of rest to remind His people that they were human “beings”, not human “doings”.

Passover celebrated God’s deliverance of His people from slavery in Egypt. They were protected from the angel of death who “passed over” the land, killing the firstborn in every household that was not protected by the blood of a lamb on the door frames of their houses.

The Feasts of Passover, Unleavened Bread and Firstfruits all took place over a period of eight days, symbolizing deliverance from slavery to sin, removal of sin symbolized by removing all yeast from their homes, and the gathering in of the firstfruits of the harvest. Pentecost took place fifty days after Passover and was a celebration of the ingathering of the completed harvest.

It was to the fulfilment of the Feast of Firsfruits to which Jesus was referring when He spoke of being “lifted up”. He would be lifted up on a cross to die as an offering of atonement for the sin of the world at three o’clock in the afternoon; the very moment when the high priest lifted the knife to kill the first Passover Lamb. His death would not only atone for the sin of all mankind; it would also remove sin’s impurity and uncleanness like the removal of leaven from the camp.

Just as the firstborn son in every Jewish family and the firstborn of all the flocks and herds belonged to God, so the firstfruits of the harvest were His and were to be offered to Him in a prescribed manner. They were to be “lifted up” to God as an offering – terumah – and placed in the hands of the high priest to feed him and his family. This terumah sanctified the rest of the harvest and ensured God’s blessing on the crop.

Just as Jesus fulfilled Passover and Unleavened Bread, so He fulfilled the Festival of Firstfuits. He offered Himself as a terumah by being “lifted up” on the cross and by placing Himself into the hands of His Father — His “high priest” — since, for Jesus, there was no one higher than God.

“It was now about noon, and darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon, for the sun stopped shining. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two. Jesus called out with a loud voice, ‘Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.’ When He had said this, He breathed His last.” Luke 23:44-46 NIV.

The Apostle Paul explains the significance of this terumah in his magnificent exposition of the resurrection.

“But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since death came through a man, the resurrection came also through a man. For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive. But each in turn; Christ, the firstfruits; then, when He comes, those who belong to Him.” 1 Corinthians 15:20-23 NIV.

Because Jesus gave Himself both as an offering of atonement and a terumah, His resurrection guarantees both the removal of sin and the full harvest of those who are in him and will rise again. Our hope of resurrection lies in His resurrection because the Father placed His seal of approval on Jesus’ offering by raising Him from the dead. Because we are “in Him”, we shall rise again when He returns to claim His kingdom.

Hallelujah!

Acknowledgement

WITHOUT EXCUSE

April 30, 2021Bible Studyhear, understand, voiceLuella Campbell

WITHOUT EXCUSE

“But I ask: Did they not hear? Of course they did: ‘Their voice has gone out into all the earth, their words to the end of the world.’

“And again I ask: Did Israel not understand? First, Moses says, ‘I will make you envious by those who are not a nation; I will make you angry by a nation that has no understanding.’

“And Isaiah boldly says, ‘I was found by those who did not seek me; I revealed myself to those who did not ask for me.’

“But concerning Israel he says, ‘All day long I have held out my hands to a disobedient and obstinate people.'” Romans 10:18-21.

So that’s it! Why did God turn away from His own people and open the door of faith to a people who were not in a covenant relationship with Him? As much as God’s people hated the Gentiles, from a human perspective, they only had themselves to blame for rejecting their Messiah and opening the way for the Gentiles to become part of God’s family of believers.

In their zeal for God, the Jews believed that their way of attaining righteousness through observing the law was the right way. They refused God’s invitation to receive the righteousness of Christ by faith as a gift, and forfeited their place in God’s family. Instead of simply believing the message about Christ, which is the way in which faith comes and grows, they stubbornly persisted in trying to do it their way.

There was no lack of opportunity to hear the message – it was proclaimed all day and all around them, but God’s judgment was on them because they were obstinate and disobedient. God does not arbitrarily condemn anyone without giving him an opportunity to believe in Him at the level at what they can see, hear and understand. Even if they never hear the words about Jesus, creation itself speaks of His power and deity to anyone who will listen.

“The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people, who suppress that truth by their wickedness, since what may be known about God is plain to them because God has made it plain. For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities – His eternal power and divine nature – have been clearly seen, being understood by what has been made, so that they are without excuse.” Romans 1:18-20.

However, God is determined to have a family. Since the Jews both refused to obey Him and refused to be His messengers to the Gentiles about Him, He opened the door to the Gentiles anyway, every though they did not purposely seek Him. Such is the love and mercy of God that He offers His free gift of grace to anyone who will receive it. He does not force Himself on those who do not want Him. The message is clear, even in the world around, but if people choose to believe that the universe just happened, or that it was produced by some hypothetical explosion caused by who knows what, then it’s up to them to believe the lies and take the consequences.

Truth can neither be altered nor destroyed. Truth is truth, whatever humans may say. People may decide that the Bible was corrupted or that it is myth or fable or untrue or whatever else they may think about it, but they cannot change the fact that it is the Word of God and that those who believe it are transformed by what they read.

God has mercy and grace for everyone who hears the message and receives Jesus Christ as Messiah and God. For “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” Romans 10:13.