“For they (the Thessalonians) themselves report to the kind of reception we had with you, and how YOU TURNED TO GOD…to wait for His Son from heaven…that is, JESUS WHO RESCUES US from THE WRATH to come.” (1 Thessalonians 1:9-10) If we will listen to and obey Him.
What do we have to do to be rescued? “If you will LISTEN CAREFULLY TO THE VOICE of the LORD your God, and DO what is right in His sight, and LISTEN to His commandments, and KEEP all His statutes…” (Exodus 15:26)
“…when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own, but whatever He hears, HE WILL SPEAK; and HE WILL DISCLOSE (anaggellō: messenger from God proclaim God’s word for us) TO YOU WHAT IS TO COME. “He will glorify Me, for He will take from Mine and will disclose it to you.” (John 16:13-14)
The devil does not want us to believe that we can HEAR FROM GOD so, he sees to it that we are taught things like “God does not speak anymore, everything we need is in the Word.” Unfortunately, many believe that today! But, think about this when Jesus wanted Ananias to give a message to a temporally blinded Saul (who was later called Paul), this is how it happened, “Now there was a certain disciple named ANANIAS; and to him the Lord said in a vision, “Ananias. Arise and go to the STREET CALLED STRAIGHT and inquire at THE HOUSE OF JUDAS for one called Saul of Tarsus, for behold, he is praying…in a vision he has seen a man named Ananias coming in and putting his hand on him, so that he might RECEIVE HIS SIGHT.” Then Ananias answered, “Lord, I have heard from many about this man…he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call on Your name.” But the Lord said to him, “GO, for he is a chosen vessel of Mine to bear My name before Gentiles, kings, and the children of Israel.” (Acts 9:10-15)
Can we hear the Lord today? “The sheep HEAR HIS VOICE…for they KNOW HIS VOICE…they do not know THE VOICE OF STRANGERS…all who ever came before Me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep DID NOT HEAR THEM… And other sheep…THEY WILL HEAR MY VOICE; and there will be one flock and one shepherd…MY SHEEP HEAR MY VOICE, and I know them, and they follow Me…” (John 10:3-5,8,16,27)
Your Personal pastor -Bill Stockham