God's Powerful Voice E-Book

Rev. Robert A. Tucker

• Herausgeber: Zion Christian Publishers
• Kategorie: Religion und Spiritualität
• Sprache: Englisch
• Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2014

Beschreibung

Often, many Christians do not recognize God's voice or have been deceived into thinking another voice is His. Rev. Tucker will encourage readers that they can indeed hear the voice of God for themselves. He will answer the questions:How can we come to know God’s voice?How can we distinguish it from the many other voices in the world?How can we avoid deception?What is the relationship between hearing His voice and faith, righteousness, and wisdom?
 

Leseprobe

God’s Powerful Voice

Hearing & Responding to Him

“God’s Powerful Voice: Hearing & Responding to Him”

 © 2003 by Robert A. Tucker

Front Cover Design:

Front cover image by Wesley Dotzert

© 2014 by Zion Fellowship, Inc.

All Rights Reserved

No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means without written permission from the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations in articles or reviews.

All Scripture quotations in this book are taken from the

King James Version Bible unless otherwise stated.

Published by Zion Christian Publishers

Version 1.0

Published as an e-book on May 2014

in the United States of America

E-book ISBN 1-59665-157-1

For more information, please contact:

Zion Christian Publishers

A Zion Fellowship ® Ministry

P.O. Box 70

Waverly, New York 14892

Phone: [phone]

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Editorial team: Anne McDougall, and Leslie Sigsby.

We wish to extend our thanks to these dear ones for without their many hours of invaluable assistance, this book would not have been possible. We are truly grateful for their diligence, creativity, and excellence in the compilation of this book for the glory of God.

PREFACE

“The voice of the LORD is upon the waters: the God of glory thundereth: the LORD is upon many waters.  The voice of the LORD is powerful; the voice of the LORD is full of majesty” Psalms 29:3-4.

God understands the frailty of mankind and his inability to keep the commandments of God in his own strength.  Throughout scripture,  He speaks of the importance that man hears the voice of God.  His voice empowers those that hear what He is saying, enabling them to fulfill what He has spoken.  Many, as Israel of old, prefer to live only by law handed down to them by one who hears God’s voice.  However, the power to do what He is asking comes in personally hearing His voice.

“And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice.  And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers” John 10:4-5.

Many are following the voice of strangers in these days.  May we have our hearts attuned to His voice and respond fully to Him.

“Thou that dwellest in the gardens, the companions hearken to thy voice: cause me to hear it” Song of Solomon 8:13.

CHAPTER 1

Let Me Hear Your Voice

Is It Important?

Introduction

In 1980 I made my first overses trip to the Philippine Islands. Because I was an inexperienced traveler, I made reservations for departure but not for the return flight. Upon arrival in Manila, I tried to secure a return reservation for two weeks later.  The airline informed me that they had a seat available in several months.  They added my name to a standby list, leaving me unsure of my return date.  Feeling a bit depressed about the situation, I phoned my wife, Angeline, to explain to her the situation.  I asked her to pray that I would be able to obtain a flight as a stand-by passenger.

Two weeks later when I was waiting standby, Angeline was concerned about my return home and experienced a restless night.  Before 6 a.m. she was praying, asking the Lord for comfort, and whether or not I was to be on my way home that day.  The Holy Spirit prompted her to read her Bible.  At that point she did not feel like doing so, but she understood that God knows best.  Her devotional study that day began in Isaiah 6.  As she read along, these words stood out in the text: “with two he flew”(verse 2).  She then felt the peace of God and a confidence that I was on the way home.

In Manila before 6 p.m. (which was 6 a.m. at home in the USA) I boarded the airplane, but my traveling companions were not yet on board.  They had taken a side trip to Hong Kong.  They arrived immediately prior to departure and “with two he flew” just as God had spoken to my wife.  What a specific word God gave to my wife to comfort her!  He delights to communicate with His people.

God’s Desire for Fellowship

God created us for His pleasure, for fellowship and communion with Him.  What an awesome thought that God wants to speak directly to us and cause us to know His voice!  Scripture begins with God meeting daily in the garden with Adam and Eve.  “And they heard the voice of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day” (Genesis 3:8).  It seems that God came on a regular basis to spend time with them in fellowship.

The last book of the Bible displays the heart and desire of God to communicate with man and cause us to hear His voice.  “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” (Revelation 3:20).  What an invitation when one considers that God created and reigns over the universe!  When considering this, King David declared, “What is man, that thou art mindful of him?” (Psalms 8:4).  God is searching throughout the earth for those who will respond to His voice and desire fellowship with Him.  As we shall see in this study, the scriptures contain numerous invitations to hear God’s voice.

Why is it so important to hear God’s voice?  Does it really matter that we have direct communication with Him?  How can one know God’s voice distinctly from all the other voices in the world?  How can one be certain that it is really God speaking?  How are such subjects as faith, hope, good works, righteousness, and wisdom related to hearing God’s voice?  This is an exciting study that will provide answers to these and other questions you may have concerning this subject.  Open your heart to the Lord as we journey through this book and see if you hear His voice calling to you.  May you declare with the writer of The Song of Solomon, “the companions hearken to thy voice: cause me to hear it” (8:13).

CHAPTER 2

A Central Issue

Israel’s Example

When writing to the Corinthian church, Paul admonishes them to consider Israel’s example in the wilderness journey from Egypt to Canaan. He points out their failures and warns the church not to make the same mistakes, as did Israel.

Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea; And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea; And did all eat the same spiritual meat; And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ. But with many of them God was not well pleased: for they were overthrown in the wilderness.  Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted. Neither be ye idolaters, as were some of them; as it is written, The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play. Neither let us commit fornication, as some of them committed, and fell in one day three and twenty thousand. Neither let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed of serpents. Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer. Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come. Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall (1 Corinthians 10: 1-12).

Israel’s journey through the wilderness was wrought with many failures.  Certain failures are more significant than others.  Sometimes one can discern key reasons for escalating problems that follow.  This was certainly true for Israel at this time.  Let’s look at one of the key reasons that the first generation was not able to enter into the promise but rather died in the wilderness.

The High Calling of God

Israel made their journey out of Egypt beginning on the night of Passover.  They passed through the Red Sea and came to Mt. Sinai fifty days later.  God had brought them there and prepared them so He could speak to them.  This is what He spoke to them initially.

And Moses went up unto God, and the LORD called unto him out of the mountain, saying, Thus shalt thou say to the house of Jacob, and tell the children of Israel; Ye have seen what I did unto the Egyptians, and how I bare you on eagles’ wings, and brought you unto myself.  Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine:  And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation. These are the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel (Exodus 19:3-6).

God declared to them that He would make them a kingdom of priests and a holy nation if they would respond in two ways—obey His voice and keep His covenant.  What a promise!  In Exodus 20 God gave them that covenant—the Ten Commandments.  God spoke to them from Mt. Sinai amid tremendous manifestations of power.

And all the people saw the thunderings, and the lightnings, and the noise of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking: and when the people saw it, they removed, and stood afar off.  And they said unto Moses, Speak thou with us, and we will hear: but let not God speak with us, lest we die.  And Moses said unto the people, Fear not: for God is come to prove you, and that his fear may be before your faces, that ye sin not.  And the people stood afar off, and Moses drew near unto the thick darkness where God was (Exodus 20:18-21).

The people were extremely frightened at all that was happening.  Moses tried to still the people and explain to them what was taking place.  God was not seeking to scare them.  He wanted to give them the fear of the Lord that would help preserve and keep them from sinning. “By mercy and truth iniquity is purged: and by the fear of the LORD men depart from evil” (Proverbs 16:6).  God was encouraging Israel not to fear the natural phenomena or His consuming fire that burned in their spirits. He wanted them to fear the Lord and have respect for Him more than anything else.  Jesus spoke similarly to His disciples. “And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell” (Matthew 10:28).

A recounting of this incident in the book of Deuteronomy gives us a fuller, more complete picture of this incident.  We see that Israel rejected hearing from God.

The LORD talked with you face to face in the mount out of the midst of the fire, I stood between the LORD and you at that time, to show you the word of the LORD: for ye were afraid by reason of the fire, and went not up into the mount…These words the LORD spake unto all your assembly in the mount out of the midst of the fire, of the cloud, and of the thick darkness, with a great voice: and he added no more. And he wrote them in two tables of stone, and delivered them unto me.  And it came to pass, when ye heard the voice out of the midst of the darkness, (for the mountain did burn with fire,) that ye came near unto me, even all the heads of your tribes, and your elders; And ye said, Behold, the LORD our God hath showed us his glory and his greatness, and we have heard his voice out of the midst of the fire: we have seen this day that God doth talk with man, and he liveth.  Now therefore why should we die? for this great fire will consume us: if we hear the voice of the LORD our God any more, then we shall die.  For who is there of all flesh, that hath heard the voice of the living God speaking out of the midst of the fire, as we have, and lived?  Go thou near, and hear all that the LORD our God shall say: and speak thou unto us all that the LORD our God shall speak unto thee; and we will hear it, and do it (Deuteronomy 5:4-5; 22-27).

When God Speaks, Man Lives

Israel’s first response to Moses was that when God speaks, life springs forth in man.  This truth is confirmed by a number of scriptures which demonstrate the power of God which is released when He speaks.  Life gushes forth as the words of His mouth flow.

The voice of the LORD is upon the waters: the God of glory thundereth: the LORD is upon many waters.  The voice of the LORD is powerful; the voice of the LORD is full of majesty.  The voice of the LORD breaketh the cedars; yea, the LORD breaketh the cedars of Lebanon.  He maketh them also to skip like a calf; Lebanon and Sirion like a young unicorn.  The voice of the LORD divideth the flames of fire.  The voice of the LORD shaketh the wilderness; the LORD shaketh the wilderness of Kadesh.  “The voice of the LORD maketh the hinds to calve, and discovereth the forests: and in his temple doth every one speak of his glory (Psalms 29:3-9).

When he uttereth his voice, there is a multitude of waters in the heavens; and he causeth the vapours to ascend from the ends of the earth: he maketh lightnings with rain, and bringeth forth the wind out of his treasures (Jeremiah 51:16).

The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live (John 5:25).

When God speaks, power exudes from His voice and things begin to happen!  Even the dead are moved at His speaking!  Jesus also declared, “the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life” (John 6:63).  When the officers came with Judas to the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus asked whom they were seeking.  They replied that they had come for Jesus of Nazareth.  When He declared, “I AM,” so much power came with His voice that they fell backward to the ground (John 18:3-6).

Israel declared that day at Mt. Sinai that they saw and understood the power resident in the voice of God and the life flowing to man when He spoke.  Oh, that they had remained faithful to that understanding!  All the power they needed to keep the covenant was available to them if they would have obeyed His voice.

Why Should We Die?

Israel’s response did not end there, however.  They realized another truth also. “Now therefore why should we die? for this great fire will consume us: if we hear the voice of the LORD our God any more, then we shall die.  For who is there of all flesh, that hath heard the voice of the living God speaking out of the midst of the fire, as we have, and lived?” (Deuteronomy 5:25-26).  This statement compared to the previous seems contradictory.  However, they understood exactly what they were saying.  Yes, the life of God was quickening their spirits, but the fire in the voice of God was bringing death to the carnal man, the flesh.  They recognized the life that came when God spoke, but they were more concerned about the fire of God that brought death to the works of the flesh.  An incident in my earlier years may serve to illustrate this and further our understanding.

When I entered high school, I had the opportunity to play football.  Even after my playing days were over, I enjoyed watching a football game, so much so that I would breathe hard with excitement as I tried to help my favorite team while sitting in my armchair.  One day I was watching a football game on television.  Suddenly and softly, the Lord spoke to me to turn the television off and not watch the game any more.

I was completely stunned and thought that God might be joking with me.  God does not joke about such things!  He reassured me that He was speaking to me and that I was to obey Him.  I chafed under God’s directive, feeling that there was nothing sinful about football and that I had a right to enjoy myself once in a while.  God persisted and I surrendered to the will of God. 

Several weeks later when another football game was taking place, I thought to myself that the Lord probably would not mind if I turned on the television just long enough to see what the score was.  The Lord spoke in no uncertain terms that He did indeed mind if I turned it on.  I further submitted to His will. The fire in the voice of God was bringing death to my flesh.  How painful it was as the power of the voice of God did its work in me!

I had been seeking the Lord about some other problems in my life at that time.  This situation of being cut off from football seemed to be a separate issue, but as the fire from God’s voice burned in me, I began to see that there was a direct correlation between the two.  As time passed, God was able to show me that the situation with football was only the tip of the iceberg and that He was answering my prayer concerning what I thought were other issues.  He used the cut-off from football to begin a new work in my heart and to bring about changes in my life.  His voice brought death to carnal areas of my life, but His voice also brought new life in my spirit.  The Holy Spirit was able to do a work that brought freedom in other areas of my life as I responded to God’s voice.

Let Not God Speak to Us

Israel’s perceptions of their situation at Mt. Sinai were correct.  The two apparently opposing statements are both true—God speaks with man and he lives, and God speaks with man and he dies.  Now we will examine Israel’s response in the matter. “And they said unto Moses, Speak thou with us, and we will hear: but let not God speak with us, lest we die” (Exodus 20:19).  Israel requested that Moses find out what God was saying and then come to tell them and they would do it.  Unfortunately, Israel chose to reject hearing God’s voice, so that they might avoid the death that accompanies it.

Perhaps without realizing it they were also rejecting the life that is resident in God’s voice, which would have given them the power to overcome and be victorious in the tests that lay ahead.  The ability to perform what God speaks to us must come from Him.  God was grieved when they responded this way because He knew that they did not have the power within themselves to keep His commandments.  “O that there were such an heart in them, that they would fear me, and keep all my command¬ments always, that it might be well with them, and with their children for ever!” (Deuteronomy 5:29).  God wants us to keep His commandments because they are good and right, and produce that which is best for us.

Israel rejected hearing God’s voice and chose to live by law and not relationship. This necessitated God giving them numerous laws and spelling things out in detail.  This was not His original intent.  After the Ten Commandments were given, God said this: “These words the LORD spake unto all your assembly in the mount out of the midst of the fire, of the cloud, and of the thick darkness, with a great voice: and he added no more” (Deuteronomy 5:22). Israel made the decision that forced God to give them numerous laws, which they did not have the power to keep.  There is no fault with the law.  “Wherefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good” (Romans 7:12).  The problem is not with the law but rather with man’s powerlessness to keep it. God intended man to receive the power to keep His commandments when they heard His voice!

A Law That Is Suited to Everyone?

In our local church we have no laws, or I should say we once had no laws.  Our thought was that if everyone would hear God’s voice and obey Him, laws would not be necessary, which is true.  However, every leader faces the same problem – people do not always respond the way they should.  So, we make laws when necessary, trying to do what is best for everyone.

No law can be tailor-made to perfectly fit everyone.  It seems to me that this is why God wanted Israel (and, by the way, us also) to obey His voice.  He established a foundation of the Ten Commandments and intended each man to hear His voice speaking a customized message that was suited to them as an individual.  We each have many variables in our mindset, motives, and personality.  That which is a problem for me may not be a problem for another.  God’s voice, speaking specifically and individually, pinpoints our exact need and sets us free from those things that hold us back from God’s best.

An Ongoing Issue

The heart of man has not changed much since the days when Israel was roaming the wilderness.  God has not changed at all – He is the same yesterday, today, and forever.  Neither has the basic issue between God and man been altered.  God still desires to prepare kings and priests unto God, who will keep His covenant and hear His voice.  Throughout the Bible one can hear the heart cry of God, longing for those who will respond to His voice when He speaks.

The book of Hebrews portrays a theme showing Jesus as the better way and the prize to be obtained.  One of the primary messages along the way to obtaining God’s highest is this subject of hearing His voice.  “To day if ye will hear his voice, Harden not your hearts” (Hebrews 3:7-8,15; 4:7).  This quote from Psalms 95:7 is repeated here in Hebrews three times, as the heart of God is crying out for those that are willing to hear His voice no matter what the consequences to the flesh.  Those who seek after the high calling of God in Christ Jesus will respond to that powerful voice which gives man the ability to fulfill the will of God.

As the writer of Hebrews declares, Israel could not obtain the promises and enter into rest because they were unwilling to hear the voice of God.  His point is that we will not enter into that holy rest unless we respond to God’s voice.  This matter of refusing to hear God speaking to us from heaven remains a critical, central issue today.  Our refusal will preempt our entry into God’s highest and divert us to some dwelling place short of the intended goal.

One can sense how important a matter this is to God as He repeats this message through many scriptural passages.  As you read these verses, notice that God often makes the distinction between obeying the law and obeying His voice.

I testify against you this day that ye shall surely perish.  As the nations which the LORD destroyeth before your face, so shall ye perish; because ye would not be obedient unto the voice of the LORD your God (Deuteronomy 8:19-20).

And all these blessings shall come on thee, and overtake thee, if thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God.  Moreover all these curses shall come upon thee, and shall pursue thee, and overtake thee, till thou be destroyed; because thou hearkenedst not unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to keep his commandments and his statutes which he commanded thee (Deuteronomy 28:2, 45).

I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live:  That thou mayest love the LORD thy God, and that thou mayest obey his voice, and that thou mayest cleave unto him: for he is thy life, and the length of thy days: that thou mayest dwell in the land which the LORD sware unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them (Deuteronomy 30:19-20).

But this thing commanded I them, saying, Obey my voice, and I will be your God, and ye shall be my people: and walk ye in all the ways that I have commanded you, that it may be well unto you.  But they hearkened not, nor inclined their ear, but walked in the counsels and in the imagination of their evil heart, and went backward, and not forward (Jeremiah 7:23 24).

They have forsaken my law which I set before them, and have not obeyed my voice, neither walked therein (Jeremiah 9:13).

And say thou unto them, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel; Cursed be the man that obeyeth not the words of this covenant, Which I commanded your fathers in the day that I brought them forth out of the land of Egypt, from the iron furnace, saying, Obey my voice, and do them, according to all which I command you: so shall ye be my people, and I will be your God (Jeremiah 11:3 4).

I spake unto thee in thy prosperity; but thou saidst, I will not hear. This hath been thy manner from thy youth, that thou obeyedst not my voice (Jeremiah 22:21).